Wal-Mart to film gun sales in bid to fight crime
REUTERS
Reuters US Online Report Top News
Apr 14, 2008 14:58 EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's largest retailer, unveiled plans on Monday to film its gun sales in the United States and create a computerized log of purchases in a bid to stop guns falling into the wrong hands.
........................................................................................................Exclusive: Another Syrian armored division masses on Israeli-Lebanese borders
April 14, 2008, 12:19 PM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Damascus has deployed the 10th armed corps at the Massaneh crossing of Mount Hermon. It links up with the northwestern positions the 14th division took up last month on the Syrian-Israeli border which cuts through the Hermon range.
Syrian troops are now strung along a continuous crescent-shaped line from the central Lebanese mountains through Mt Dov on the western slopes of Mt. Hermon and up to southeastern Lebanon. This deployment, commanding Syria’s Israeli and Lebanese borders, is under the command of the president’s brother, Maher Assad.
The 10th armored corps was moved forward straight after Syria’s snap civil defense exercise which crashed after three hours last Thursday, April 10. The exercise was ordered without notice by president Bashar Assad on the last day of Israel’s five-day homeland defense drill.
DEBKAfile’s military sources are criticizing Israel officials for attributing Syria’s latest military movements to domestic troubles inside the Syrian leadership. They say this is throwing sand in the public’s eyes and at one with the government’s practice of playing down all the heightened military threats to Israel – whether from Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah or the Palestinian Hamas in Gaza.
The IDF’s Northern Command officers report that the Syrian army’s buildup opposite Israel has accelerated in April and warn that its units are arrayed for a quick transition to attack mode.
The link-up between Syria’s 10th and 14th divisions on the border running through Mt Hermon should have been a wake-up call for the government in Jerusalem, they say, and elicited counter-moves to show Damascus that Israel is ready to meet every contingency.
Sunday, April 13, prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met briefly to rough out the position Abbas will put before President George W. Bush whom he meets at the White House in ten days. Olmert made the gesture of licensing the entry to Israel of 5,000 Palestinian construction workers. This gesture was challenged by security services as a carrying the risk of terrorist infiltration and by economic leaders who say the Palestinians will take Israeli jobs.
Foreign minister Tzipi Livni is in Qatar, where she is to address the 8th annual Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade. Qatari rulers plan to persuade her that Israel should back their initiatives to patch up quarrels in the Arab world between Egypt and Syria and the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas. Neither is in Israel’s interest, because conciliation would confer legitimacy on Arab and Islamist radicalism and spur its expansion.
Livni, who knew she would come under pressure during her Doha visit, insisted on going through with it andtreating it as a breakthrough in Israeli relations with the Gulf emirates.
East Texas Bird Dawgs
NOW DON'T YOU FEEL BETTER NOW...
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RUGER® SR9™ PRODUCT SAFETY WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE
DO NOT USE YOUR RUGER SR9 PISTOL
We have determined that some Ruger SR9 pistols manufactured between October 2007 and April 2008 can, under certain conditions, fire if dropped with their manual safeties in the "off" or "fire" position. The pistols will not fire if the manual safety is in the "on" or "safe" position.
We will retrofit all Ruger SR9 pistols starting with serial number prefix “330” (330-xxxxx) with these new parts at no charge to our customers.
In order to ensure correct fitting, these new parts must be installed at our Ruger factory in Prescott, Arizona. We will remove the old parts and install the new group promptly, at no charge, and will return the pistol to you. The old parts will not be returned.
Step 1 - Contact us and provide your name, address, telephone number and SR9 serial number.
| Provide your information by any of the following: | |
|---|---|
| Website: | SR9 Recall On-line Form |
| E-mail: | SR9Recall@ruger.com |
| Fax: | (928) 541-8873 |
| Phone: | SR9 Recall Hotline 1-800-784-3701 (available Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT) |
Step 2 - When we are ready to retrofit your SR9, we will send you a shipping label and shipping box with instructions so you can return your pistol to us FREE of charge.
Step 3 - We will install the new trigger group in your SR9 and return it to you FREE of charge. When we do, we also will send you a FREE extra magazine as a "thank you" for your patience and cooperation. We will make every effort to return your pistol within one week, so we will not ask you to send it to us until we are ready to receive it. We expect to begin sending shipping labels and boxes in mid-May.
Do not load or fire your pistol until it has been factory retrofitted with these new parts! If you must fire your pistol, be sure to keep the manual safety in the "on" or "safe" position except when you are actually firing.
Thank you,
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
............................................................................................................
Washington Opens Diplomatic Door to Tehran
DEBKAfile Special Report
April 13, 2008, 9:45 PM (GMT+02:00)
Former Ambassador Thomas Picker swings back on the diplomatic trail
Certain prominent Americans have undertaken secret colloquy with Tehran and may be preparing to go public and make it official, with the administration’s blessing.
DEBKAfile’s Washington sources name them as Thomas R. Pickering, former ambassador to Moscow, the UN and Israel, William Luers, former envoy to Venezuela and the Czech Republic, and Jim Walsh, a New York Republican Congressman.
They have been quietly encouraged by Rice, defense secretary Robert Gates and influential quarters in the US military and intelligence elite, who are anxious to avert a US-Iranian military clash in the eight months remaining to the Bush presidency and cut the ground from under a possible US or Israel attack on Iran.
They hope direct dialogue with Tehran will act as the groundwork for an understanding between the next US president and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is seen also as stealing some of the thunder from the Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s offer to talk to the Iranians, and arm Republican candidate John McCain with a non-binding option on Iran for his campaign.
The American undercover conversations with Iranian officials have been going on for some time in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore common ground on Iran’s nuclear program.
Last month, the three emissaries produced a working paper called “A Solution for the US-Iran Nuclear Standoff.”
It proposed bringing Iran’s uranium enrichment program under a multinational consortium including Iran and other governments, such as France and Germany, who would participate in managing and operating the program within Tehran. This would solve the US-Iranian nuclear standoff, ensure that Iran stops short of producing weapons-grade fuel and lift the threat of international sanctions.
President Ahmadinejad was quoted as endorsing the multilateral solution. Although his perception is likely to be different from an American or European version, the paper’s authors believe those differences could be resolved in negotiations.
A serious setback to relations came from Tehran’s intervention in the Iraqi government’s crackdown this month on militias in the southern Basra province and rocket attacks in Baghdad. (DEBKA-Net-Weekly 343 of April 4 published details). Iran’s position as the greatest threat to Iraq was highlighted by Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker in their testimony to Congress last week - to the point that al Qaeda scarcely rated a mention.
President George W. Bush commented on April 11 that if Iran continues to help militias in Iraq “then we’ll deal with them.” But he also reaffirmed his disinclination for war and preference for diplomatic solutions. “You can’t solve these problems unilaterally. You’re going to need a multilateral forum,” he said.
This testimony and the president’s remarks did not set to rest the Washington cliffhanger over whether the president will opt for military action against Iran after all, before he leaves the White House, or stick to quiet diplomacy and relegate the Iran nuclear headache to his successor.
Bush’s immediate reaction confirmed the latter view: Without prior notice, he sent Petraeus and Crocker to Riyadh. Last week, there was talk of a limited US military action against the Iranian command centers directing, training and army Iraq’s militias. Now, the commander-in-chief was instructing the top Americans in Iraq to persuade the Saudis to blaze the way for Arab rulers to throw their support behind the Maliki government in Baghdad. The object of this exercise was to offset rather than challenge Iranian influence in Baghdad.
A diplomatic, multilateral course appeared to have been set in motion for dealing with Iranian troublemaking in Iraq - if not its nuclear defiance.
But the opposite signal came a day later in an interview the US president gave Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. The conclusion Kristol drew was that the hearing (given by Petraeus and Crocker) was “less an argument for getting out of Iraq than going into Iran.”
Asked whether he thought there was a chance of Bush ordering a military strike against Iran before the end of his tenure, Kristol replied: “We didn’t really talk about that, in all honesty, directly. I don’t think it’s out of the question.”
Clearly, President Bush is leaving everyone guessing up to the last second about which way he will jump.
Diplomacy is meanwhile in motion – whether relevant or not to the president’s ultimate plans.
The former US president Jimmy Carter’s plan to travel to Damascus and meet Syrian president and Hamas politburo leader Khalad Meshaal drew automatic reproof from the US State Department and Secretary Condoleezza Rice. He began his trip in Israel Sunday, April 13, before heading for Syria.
However, the 84-year old Carter’s Damascus venture could fit in with the White House’s broader “multilateral” strategy with regard to Iran. His own party, the Democrats, frown on it. Barack Obama, who is ready to talk to Iran, said sternly Saturday, April 12: “I would not meet with Hamas unless it recognized Israel, renounced terror and abided by previous agreements. I don’t think conversation with them is useful.”
He thus lined up with the Bush administration and the official line of the Middle East Quartet line on the Palestinian terrorist group.
Carter, however, appears to be going with the Bush flow: Is he beating a path to Iran’s allies and proxies, Syria, Hamas, and even Hizballah, to generate an amicable environment for administration diplomats to forge an understanding between Washington and Tehran? Or striking out on his own.
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HILLARY CLINTON ON GUN CONTROL
Stepping up the Clinton Administration's campaign against gun violence, Hillary Rodham Clinton used an emotional White House ceremony today to call on Americans to press Congress to ''buck the gun lobby'' and pass several gun control measures.
*************************************************************************Get Started Reloading Handgun Cartridges
By Chuck Hawks
As the title indicates, this article is about how to get started reloading metallic centerfire handgun cartridges. I'm going to assume that you already want to reload, and have some idea of the advantages of so doing. (If not, see my article "Introduction to Reloading" on the General Firearms Information Page.)
If you have just reached the point where you have decided to begin reloading handgun cartridges, it probably seems a complicated and mysterious process. However, with only a little practice you will discover that reloading is actually simple and easy to do. Care and attention to detail are required, but the process has only a few steps and is basically repetitive.
A reloading press is the basic machine used to reload centerfire metallic (rifle or pistol) ammunition. What the press essentially does is to hold the dies that reform, prime, and eventually reload the case and provide the mechanical leverage that allows the operator to accomplish these tasks.
Many of us older shooters started reloading with a Lyman Tong Tool (a hand held reloading press resembling a large nutcracker) or a Lee Loader (a set of reloading dies into which you literally pound the cases with a mallet). You don't see these makeshift devices very often anymore, although Lee Precision still markets both the Lee Loader and a tong-style tool called the Hand Press. I strongly advise ignoring these devices in general and the Lee Loader in particular.
Most reloaders use what are called single stage presses. These are not automated, you have to push or pull a handle to accomplish each task in the reloading process. Good single stage presses have a long lever with a lot of mechanical advantage for a handle, and are quite easy to operate. Cheap ones sometimes require a lot of force to resize cases.
A separate powder measure, which dumps a preset amount of powder into each case, is a practical necessity, and a hand priming tool is a great convenience. Centerfire metallic cases are reloaded in batches and a single operation is performed on all of the cases to be reloaded before moving on to the next step. If you are reloading 50 cases, for example, the first operation is performed on all 50 before moving on to the second operation. Performing the same operation on all cases before moving to the next operation saves time and effort.
The first step in reloading a batch of pistol cases is to clean and inspect them. Look closely at the case mouths, as this is the area most likely to be damaged or show incipient splits. Also look for a light ring around the head of the case, which indicates potential case head separation. Discard any cases that are not perfect.
To actually reload straight walled handgun cartridges the following steps must be performed (not always in exactly the same order): resizing, decapping (removing the spent primer) and belling the mouth of the case to accept a new bullet, priming, powder charging, and bullet seating and crimping. With the exception of the priming and powder charging operations, these operations are carried out using a set of three reloading dies, which screw into the top of a single stage press.
To hold the case, a shell holder slides into top of the ram (the part of the press that elevates the case into the reloading dies when you pull the handle). The shell holder must match the case to be reloaded. Different cases require different shell holders.
A single stage press does not have a powder hopper, so powder charging is almost always done by means of a separate powder measure, and priming is best done by a hand operated tool, although it can be accomplished on most single stage presses. (It's just easier and faster to use a separate priming tool.) There is also no bullet hopper, bullets are removed from their box one at a time by hand and fed into the cases, then seated using the press and the bullet seating die.
For reloading rifle cartridges, a few accessories are indispensable. Among these are one or more reloading manuals (At a minimum I like to have the manual for every brand of bullets to be used.). Another is an accurate powder scale, necessary to set up and check the powder charges being dispensed. A lube pad and lubricant are necessary so the cases will slip into the steel resizing die (unless a carbide resizing die is used--a great convenience), as is one or more loading blocks to hold the cases.
While not, strictly speaking, absolutely required for reloading, a solid and dedicated reloading bench is a practical necessity. Presses can be clamped to breadboards or kitchen tables, but these temporary set-ups are rarely completely satisfactory.
The experienced reloader usually acquires numerous other accessories that make the job easier, faster, or more precise. Among these are case trimmers, deburring tools, case neck brushes, case gauges, primer flippers, primer pocket brushes, powder tricklers, powder funnels, bullet pullers, dial calipers, and other gadgets. None of them are absolutely necessary to begin reloading, but most are useful. My advice is to buy a "starter set" that includes a press and the basic necessities required to begin reloading, and then acquire additional accessories as you need them.
The RCBS Partner Press Reloading Kit (discount priced at about $130 as I write this) and Reloader Special-5 Starter Kit (discount priced at about $200) include a case loading block, case lube kit, primer tray, powder funnel, powder scale, deburring tool, and the latest edition of the Speer Reloading Manual. The former also includes a light duty RCBS Partner Press and a basic RC-130 powder scale (maximum capacity 130 grains), and the latter includes a more powerful Special-5 press and 5-0-2 scale (maximum capacity 500 grains). For either you will want to add at least a powder measure (about $65), and probably a hand priming tool ($30). Also required will be a set of reloading dies and a shell holder for each caliber you intend to reload.
The deluxe RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit adds a Uniflow powder measure, automatic primer feed, and hex key set. This kit comes with a heavy duty, case iron Rock Chucker press and a better 5-0-5 powder scale (maximum capacity 505 grains) and includes basically everything you actually need to at least get started reloading except a set of reloading dies and a shell holder. The RCBS Supreme Kit is discount priced at about $280 as I write this. Since it includes an outstanding press and a powder measure as well as a primer feed, it is actually the best deal of the three RCBS starter sets.
Everything comes with instructions for set-up and use. If you read them carefully and follow them exactly you will have no problem learning how to reload handgun cartridges. There are also detailed instructions, including tips to make the process faster and easier, in most reloading manuals.
Today it is rare to find a serious shooter who does not reload. Many shooters enjoy reloading as a hobby in itself; to others it is merely a necessary chore that they must finish before the next shoot. Regardless of the motivation, the cost of factory loaded cartridges is at a level where few handgunners can afford to do much shooting without reloading.
******** *********** ********** ********** ********* *********** ********* **********
This previous article regarding reloading was written by some one else, I have my own set opinions and if you have any questions you can email me through my website. At this point in time I think all of you should buy the very basic components necessary to reload before its too late. We are talking about an initial investment of pure basic equipment of $200.00 plus or minus which will include one set of dies.
The T-7 is the most advanced turret press in the world. With 7 die stations, you can set up reloading for several die stages or multiple cartridges. Switch from die to die without re-adjusting by just pivoting the turret. The massive cast iron base and turret are hardened and precision ground for absolute rigidity and alignment. The T-7 accepts all standard 7/8x14 thread reloading dies and shellholders. The large diameter ram is powered by compound leverage to form even the toughest brass reliably. Spent primers drop through the ram and out a tube. A Smart Primer arm is included or you can upgrade to the optional Slide Bar primer system (pictured on the press at right) for faster, and higher volume primer seating. The beauty of the turret is that dies for each stage of reloading are already set-up as though you had a separate press for each. You can load one round from start to finish by pivoting the dies into place. Or, you can load 100 rounds efficiently by batching operations. No time is lost in changing the press over to the next operation... just pivot the turret. If you've been reloading on a cheap press that moves and flexes, you will be astounded by the T-7. Its massive compound leverage and cast iron rigidity make case forming a breeze.
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www.truthaboutparts.blogspot.com
www.tjofsugarland.blogspot.com
www.handgunpartsforsale.blogspot.com
www.hipowersandhandguns.comhttp://www.spw-duf.info/links.html#guns
http://www.homelandsafes.com/
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G.W. Bush Buys Land In Northern Paraguay
| As George W. Bush surveys his empire and sees it crumbling around him, with two lost wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and with the U.S. public fed up with his domestic policies, apparently Dubya has decided that the best way to save his worthless hide is to run and hide in Paraguay. |
in northern Paraguay, between Bolivia and Brazil. This news was also reported in Asuncion, Paraguay on Oct. 12, and by Upsidedownworld
on Oct. 11. The Fortunate Son is not the first Bush to do so -- earlier George H.W. Bush purchased 173, 000 acres in Paso de Patria, the
Chaco area of Paraguay. Jenna Bush has spent time in Paraguay as a representative of UNICEF.
One of the 25 top censored stories, "U.S. Military In Paraguay" revealed that the U.S. military had purchased land in Paraguay, and had
sent 500 U.S. troops to Paraguay in 2005, along with ammunition, weapons, helicopters, and planes. The U.S. military base was set up in the
region of Mariscal Estigarribia, not long after the government of Paraguay gave U.S. politicians, U.S. troops, and U.S. civilians complete
immunity from national and international criminal prosecution.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A PUBLIC PRINTED ARTICLE THAT I JUST COPIED AND PASTED AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.
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BENCHMADE KNIVES
Dejavoo from Benchmade
Designed by Bob Lum
Purchase
Benchmade® Dejavoo Black Blade Combo Edge (BE-740SBK)
The design is from Oregon knifemaker Bob Lum, but the name is all Benchmade - Bob calls it an All Rounder. The name Dèjávoo does seem to better fit the elegance and uniqueness of this knife. The elegance comes from the simplicity of line combined with exquisite execution. The 4" blade of S30V at 58-60 Rc. is ground to the top, the way I like a blade to be ground. Without question, it makes a far better slicing blade; all other things being equal. The G10 handle scales are fully contoured for a comfortable hand fit and that feeling that you don't want to lay it down. You'll need to get it in your hands to see what I mean. The knife is built with phosphor bronze washers for smooth blade action, titanium locking-liners to reduce the weight and a removable black pocket clip for tip down carry. Measures 5-3/16" closed and weighs 4.1 oz. Made in the U. S. A.
Suggested retail is Black Blade $172.00 and Bright Blade $160.00.
Benchmade® Dejavoo Black Blade Combo Edge
(A) BE-740SBK: $139.95
Benchmade® Dejavoo™ Bright Blade Plain Edge
(B) BE-740: $129.95
**************************************************************************************SPYDERCO KNIVES
Spyderco Poliwog
Purchase
Spyderco Poliwog (SPC98P)
Spyderco tells us that the Poliwog CLIPIT's open-end Ball Bearing Lock™ is one of the strongest of all of their locking mechanisms. This is from a company who is known for their attention to the strength and functionality of their knives. Pulling back on the ball unlocks the blade from either side. With the locking mechanism exposed, it is easy to clean and it certainly is easy to open and close. The 3-3/8" stainless handle is just enough to accommodate the 2-5/16" blade of VG-10 at 60-62 Rc. The tip-up reversible wire-tension pocket-clip makes the knife completely ambidextrous. This handy little knife weighs 4.1 oz. Made in Japan. Suggested retail price is $152.95.
Spyderco Poliwog
SPC98P: $109.95
***********************************************************************************Military Personnel Account for 20% of U.S. Suicides (Update2)
By Tom Randall and Rob Waters
April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Current and former military personnel accounted for about 20 percent of U.S. suicides in 2005, according to a government study.
About 1,821 current or former soldiers committed suicide in 16 states in 2005, the most recent year of available data, according to the report published today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost half were diagnosed with depression and a third left suicide notes.
A rise in suicides among soldiers serving in the military has alarmed Pentagon planners and members of Congress as the war in Iraq enters its sixth year. An Army report produced last year found the rate of suicides among soldiers deployed in Iraq from 2003 to 2006 was almost 40 percent higher than the military's average suicide rate. An update of the Army's Mental Health Advisory Team report released in March found suicide rates for soldiers in 2007 remained ``above normal Army rates.''
``The frequency and the length of deployments are stretching people to the limit and they can't tolerate it,'' Charles Figley, a psychologist who directs the Traumatology Institute at Florida State University, said in a telephone interview today. ``They're taking risks, taking alcohol and taking their own lives because they want to extinguish their pain.''
While 38 percent of the soldiers who took their own lives had a diagnosed mental health condition, only 27 percent were receiving mental health care, according to the CDC report.
30,000 Suicides
Each year 30,000 Americans commit suicide, according to the CDC. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 25 to 34, after accidental injury, according to today's report, the first from an electronic tracking system meant to help researchers better understand and prevent violent death. The U.S. plans to expand the system to all states, the CDC said.
Suicide accounted for about 56.1 percent of the 15,495 reported violent deaths in the 16 states. Fewer military suicide victims were receiving mental health care than non-military victims, the report said. Violent deaths in the report were caused by intentional use of force or unintended use of a gun.
About three-quarters of all suicides recorded by the CDC took place in a house or apartment. Most victims killed themselves with a gun, followed by poisoning and strangulation, according to the study. About 62 percent had alcohol in their blood.
Men were 3.4 times more likely than women to die violently. American Indians and blacks had the highest rates among ethnicities, the CDC said.
A separate study last year found that combat veterans were twice as likely to take their own lives as people who hadn't been in battle. That study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, looked at 320,000 men who had served in the military from 1917 to 1994.
To contact the reporters on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net; Rob Waters in San Francisco at rwaters5@bloomberg.net.
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The Queen of England with her personal guard.
Note her right hand man. .
What's the problem, officer?
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