The bottom line (so far) on the Zimmerman-Martin shooting incident

Some advice from the Crimefilenews blog. If you have to shoot to defend yourself, blast the sucker/s and run. No hanging around, calling 9-1-1 and waiting , talking to people, news media, or the cops. Split, go, leave.

And this tidbit from the comments section of the blog post is pretty good advice too: " I've stopped carrying my Glock and started carrying my revolver. No brass on the ground...and I'm a retired cop."

The Tuff Writer pen

The Tuff Writer assault tactical pen is essentially an extra-strength  shirt pocket-sized metal cylinder that you can deliver a vicious stab wound or six. And you can take notes with it too! In that you can actually use it write with it, The Tuff Writer technically qualifies as a writing instrument rather an out-and-out intentionally lethal weapon. Don't look for TSA agents, cops, court bailiffs, jail hacks correction officers, border guards, or greater than half-wit private security guards and such to agree with that notion though.

Even so the TW "pen" might be able to snuck into places where you couldn't go with a pocket knife, shirken, sap/black-jack, brass knuckles, pepper spray, or other more obvious weapons. Prices start at $80 USD.

Where England went wrong

In 1964 says George Mason University professor Joyce Lee Malcolm. That's when the Brit Home Office told local cops that self-defense was illegal and persons trying to defend their homes and property should be prosecuted. But just in case you forgot always remember that the state can guarantee your punishment but never your safety. The recent rioting in Old Blighty is proof of that.

Being disarmed renders one contemptible*

Field & Stream's Gun Nut blogger David E. Petzal explains the sad story of the disarmed citizens of the UK. BLUF: You can't defend yourself and the cops won't. 

"The mobs could break into any store they choose," notes Petzal, "serene in the knowledge that the police couldn’t stop them and that the odds they would be shot by an irate store owner were virtually nil. And the laws in Great Britain being what they are, any merchant who did treat a looter to a dose of shot would almost surely go to prison." 

Compare this sad outcome to the situation in neighborhoods where the local people rose and defended their property as best they could (albeit without firearms). They were passed over by the mobs. Like the cowards they are the mob fears a real fight and so they moved on to easier prey.

Niccolo Machiavelli

* Niccolo Machiavelli :"...[A]mong other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible." Stated  here as some practical advice to medieval princes but a firm truth for us all nonetheless, eh?

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Martin Luther King was a gun owner who applied for CWP? Who knew? - Huffington Post (Adam Winkler)
Promoting Gandhian principles of nonviolence is all well and good, but pack a revolver too, you know,  just in case.

Aesthetics are what is missing from urban design schemes - Center For Public Transportation (Wm. Lind)
"Aesthetics matter. A corridor of crap is what it is because that is what it looks like. It is important to a town or city whether it looks handsome or ugly. Walking through Boston is a far more pleasant experience than walking through, say, Phoenix. The difference is that one looks good and other doesn’t."

Some "reality-based" thoughts on modern American economics- 321gold.com (Larry LaBorde)
"We have allowed multi-national corporations to move our factories offshore and left our markets wide open. We were sold the idea that 'we' could 'think' and 'they' could 'work'. The idea that factories and mines were dirty and should be moved offshore while we could operate clean financial services, distribution and other service industry jobs was sold to us. We were taught that our economy was based on consumption. The federal reserve drove down interest rates and encouraged everyone to mine the equity out of their homes and to spend our accumulated wealth on new cars, vacations and other mindless consumer goods."

Giant Jalapeno peppers bred specifically for use as cheese stuffed snackage - Popular Science
And now if they'll just design us all acid indigestion proof stomachs to match.

Firefox 4.0 browser a "huge pile of bugs"
This Slashdot blurb redirects to some news and comments about what a "huge pile of bugs" FF 4.0 is.

Jim Goad doesn't believe in Detroit - Taki Mag
Go figure?

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American is "not prepared for Mumbai-like terror attacks" says this terrorism expert. "No shit" says this blogger.

"So in all likelihood, the terrorists will continue preparing to mount small-scale swarming assaults along the lines of the Mumbai model. We can't count on detecting or pre-empting all of them. In the wake of such an event, it should be expected that networks of armed Americans would spring up on their own to deter or counter terrorist swarms. Indeed, many in the Tea Party are already calling for the passage of enabling "firearms freedom" acts."

Defending ourselves? What a concept. 

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Some street justice is meted out in, of all places, Chicago, Illinois. An older lady, tired of a 12 year old hoodlum and his gang throwing bricks through her window twice in one night, shoots the little bastard. And the amazing part (this is after all Daley-led anti-gun Chicago here ) she goes free and the punk goes to jail. Heh.

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Why are .380 pistols suddenly so popular?- Guns & Ammo

I would not have predicted this turn of events. For self-defense it is the absolute minimum caliber choice. If you have a choice, that is. I'd go with a .38 special revolver for this kinda job myself.