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I'm not exactly revealing a closely guarded secret when I say that Fox wants to dig its claws into its own family-friendly fantasy franchise. Why wouldn't they? Without even taking DVD, Blu-ray, or merchandising into account, the Harry Potter flicks have raked in billions at the box office worldwide. Fox's opening salvo, Eragon, sputtered when it limped into theaters a few years back, so the studio kept thumbing its way through the Young Adult shelf at Books-A-Million until it landed on Percy Jackson. I have to admit to never having cracked open any of the books -- although I've heard absolutely nothing but good things -- but just taking Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief as a movie, it's a blatantly shameless stab at cashing in on the Harry Potter juggernaut. The broad strokes of the setup are certainly the same: a young boy with endless troubles at school and a miserable life at home learns of his immensely powerful bloodline, he's quickly scuttled off to a
It's a mashup between Harry Potter and Clash of the Titans, really. Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) has had it rough pretty much his entire life. He never knew his real dad. Through no fault of his own, he's struggling to keep up in school. His mom's shacked up with a repulsive, booze-swilling loudmouth. You'd think a school field trip to a history museum would at least be a welcomed break from all that, but being attacked by a winged fury in some musty backroom and standing accused of pilfering Zeus' mighty lightning bolt...? Frying pan. Fire. That whole deal. See, it turns out that Percy's the son of Poseidon, and he's been framed for a theft that threatens to spark a war between the gods that could level the little blue mudball we call home in the process. Just as the clock starts to tick down, Percy's mom gets dragged down to Hades. Heaven and Hell both want to get their clutches on Zeus' bolt, the most powerful weapon in existence. Percy can either trot up to Olympus to explain himself to Zeus and hope for the best, he could try to figure out who it was that really swiped the bolt, or he could catch a Greyhound bus to the Underworld to rescue his mom. The fate of the world may be resting in the balance, but you guessed it: Percy wants to put all that on hold to mount a rescue mission for Momma. He may not have a grasp on his powers and only has a couple hours of training under his belt, but...hey! He's the son of Poseidon -- one of the Big Three! -- so he'll get a grasp on all that soon enough. He's not going it alone either, backed by Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), the sword-slinging daughter of Athena, and his best friend-slash-secret protector, a satyr named Grover (Brandon T. Jackson). Hey, and our hero's named after Perseus, and he has it every bit as rough as his namesake, squaring off along the way against Medusa, a hydra, an oversized minotaur, and...gulp!...the fury of the gods themselves.
I didn't grab a copy of The Lightning Thief just so I could churn out some sort of snarky review. I was a rabid Greek mythology nut growing up, I'd be pointing to The Incredible Hercules as by far my favorite monthly comic if it were still around, and more than a couple of people whose opinions I've come to respect tell me the books that inspired the film are clever and deliriously fun. I strolled in hoping to like The Lightning Thief, and instead I walked out with an "it's okay, I guess" and a shrug. The movie just stumbles around at most every turn. Logan Lerman is a decent enough presence
The Lightning Thief tries its darndest to keep the adrenaline pumping, settling into a rhythm of at least one big action sequence every ten minutes. Some of these wind up feeling flat and routine, such as the first attack with the demonic Fury in the museum. The movie tries to tack a modern twist onto Medusa chasing Percy around a labyrinth of the statues of her victims, but it plays like a blurry carbon copy of what was done so more effectively in the original Clash of the Titans. Here, there's no energy to propel it along...it just feels like The Lightning Thief is disinterestedly working its way down a checklist. "Okay, there's Medusa. Done. Next?" Very little in the movie registers or resonates. Heck, even when Percy's mother is seemingly killed right before his eyes, he doesn't seem particularly shaken up. If he doesn't care, why should I? He has so little reaction that when it's revealed that the rest of the movie will revolve around getting Mom back, Percy's declaration just doesn't ring true at all.
A few sequences
Part of the problem is that The Lightning Thief is such a blatant effort at kickstarting a franchise that the whole thing feels cold and calculated. There's never the sense that I'm watching something unique or distinctive...just a few fairly uninteresting characters on a routine quest I really couldn't care less about. It's infused with so little energy that even with another action sequence reliably popping up every eight to twelve minutes, this two hour adventure feels as if it drags on a lot longer than that. This is a movie with endlessly ambitious visual effects, but they're so obviously computer-generated that it's hard to get swept up in the spectacle of it all. They're detailed models and have been lovingly rendered, sure, but they're not photorealistic, and there's surprisingly little effort at making them blend in. The compositing work looks like Colorforms half the time, and you'll notice that the snakes in Medusa's hair hardly ever seem to cast shadows. They're just floating apart from the rest of this world. The CG wizardry as a whole feels as if it's at least five years behind the curve.
Don't get me wrong: The Lightning Thief is completely watchable. I wouldn't try to talk someone out of giving it a spin, which is more than I can say for some of Chris Columbus' other flicks, but that's about as high as the praise gets this time around. Almost unrelentingly bland, unengaging, and instantly forgettable, The Lightning Thief is a shameless grab for cash...a paint-by-numbers attempt to try and coast on the colossal success of Harry Potter. It's too distracted trying to spawn another multibillion dollar fantasy franchise to bother with a voice or personality all its own. If your kids are pestering you to pick up a copy anyway, and they just won't settle for an armful of Rick Riordan's original books, my vote would be to Rent It.
I'd kind of expect a $100 million visual effects spectacle to dazzle more than this in high-def.
It's not that this Blu-ray disc looks
There's never any doubt that I'm watching a shiny, newly-minted Blu-ray disc, and it's leagues above the DVD also packaged in this set, but The Lightning Thief still falls below average for a day-and-date blockbuster on Blu-ray. On the upside, its AVC encode has plenty of room to stretch on this BD-50 disc, and the compression never once sputters or stutters. The film has been letterboxed to preserve its theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1.
The Lightning Thief may awkwardly stumble around an awful lot in just about every conceivable way, but at least its soundtrack stands on the brink of perfection. This 24-bit, six-channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack really is fantastic, and its sound design takes full advantage of all of the speakers at its fingertips. Even some of the understated sequences early on boast a strong sense of stereo separation. Take a couple of squabbling kids in a hallway flinging each other into lockers on opposite sides of the screen...the mix smoothly pans back and forth to match their movement all the way. It kind of goes without saying that the sound design is far more aggressive when the higher-octane action really kicks in...this is a flick with a hydra and a towering minotaur on the bill, after all. It's a spry and consistently immersive mix littered with a slew of incendiary surround effects, from Percy playing baseball with lightning bolts all the way to a gaggle of Medusa's statues tumbling over like dominoes. Bass response is thunderous as well. There's a consistently thumping low-end in Vegas, natch, and the scale and scope of the battle sequences coax all sorts of throaty roars from the subwoofer. Even with as massive as the action can get, though, The Lightning Thief's dialogue never struggles to find its place in the mix. It's consistently clean and flawlessly balanced from start to finish. I really can't come up with anything to gripe about at all...this is just a first-rate lossless soundtrack.
Also belted out here are Dolby Digital 5.1 dubs in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Fox has included a descriptive audio track as well alongside subtitles in English (SDH), Spanish, Portuguese, and two Eastern languages whose characters I don't really know how to decipher.
There are a fair number of bullet points scattered around here, sure, but most of these extras are really short and insubstantial.
The Lightning Thief is a BD Live-enabled disc, and there is one extra that's exclusively available online: "Demigods & Work and Play: Inside the Lotus Lord Casino". This short making-of featurette focuses on one of the movie's standout setpieces and clocks in just over two and a half minutes. It can either be streamed or downloaded at a higher quality, but unless you're really looking to pal around more with the cast, it's really not worth hopping online to watch...it's just a few of the actors marveling at how amazing the casino set is and how they're all bestest-friends-forever.
This package also includes two other discs: a DVD and a digital copy disc. The digital copy is exclusively for use in iTunes, so the PSP and Zune crowds are out of luck this time around. Tacked onto the cover is a code to download a preview of the graphic novel adaptation of The Lightning Thief. It's not really worth the trouble, watermarked and limited to just a few very low-resolution pages.
The Final Word
Several of my friends are frothing-at-the-mouth fanatics of the Percy Jackson series in print, and although I've never cracked open any of the books myself, I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt that they're every bit as clever and infectiously fun as I hear they are. Having been such a Greek mythology nut as a kid, I really do want to like this adaptation, but Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a hollow effects spectacle...a shameless attempt at kickstarting a Harry Potterish fantasy film franchise rather than trying to be any good on its own. There's none of the...well, magic of the Potters here -- none of that energy, none of that charm, very little of its imagination -- and what's left is kind of an indifferent shrug. Like a big chunk of Christopher Columbus' filmography, The Lightning Thief is just slow, uninvolving, and disappointingly routine. It's not a bad movie by any stretch, but The Lightning Thief is just too mediocre to really recommend. Stick with the books instead or just Rent It.


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Charleston WV was a convenient in between spot to meet with some of our family. This hotel was affordable and located in the heart of the city. The facilities are showing a little wear and tear although the hotel was near and tidy. Caring and helpful staff that was always ready to help.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- CHARLESTON TRANSFORMATION We are excited to announce that the Charleston Capitol Hotel is currently being renovated to enhance the experience of all our guests. Please note that most of the renovations will be out of the guests view through some public areas and the utmost efforts will be made to limit the amount of noise or any disruption during the construction. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation during this time while enhancements are being made. WELCOME TO CHARLESTON CAPITOL HOTEL Charleston Capitol is conveniently located in the beautiful city of Charleston, WV, situated across from the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, just a mile from the State Capitol Building, walking distance to Downtown, Civic Center and Town Center Mall. We offer a unique hotel experience with comfort and courteous service for both business and vacation travelers. At Charleston, we have business services and high-speed Internet access in the lobby and complimentary Wi-Fi access in the guest rooms, along with complimentary parking for hotel guests. AMENITIES Charleston Capitol Hotel has a spa tub, a 24-hour fitness center, and a seasonal outdoor pool. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas. Additional amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Complimentary self parking is available on-site for guests. 24-hour fitness facilities 24-hour front desk Air conditioning Cable TV service Coffee/tea maker Connecting/adjoining rooms available Daily housekeeping Desk Dry cleaning/laundry service Free cribs/infant beds Free local calls Free long-distance calls Free newspaper Free self parking Free toiletries ACCOMMODATIONS The 136 air-conditioned guestrooms at Charleston Capitol Hotel include complimentary newspapers and coffee/tea makers. Complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access is provided. Televisions are equipped with cable channels. All accommodations provide desks and phones; local calls are free of charge (restrictions may apply). Bathrooms offer shower/tub combinations, hair dryers, and complimentary toiletries. In addition, amenities available on request include refrigerators and microwaves. Housekeeping is offered daily. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline, Travelocity, TripOnline SA, Hotwire, Cancelon, Orbitz, getaroom.com and Cheap Tickets so you can book your Charleston Capitol Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Fairfield Inn Charleston Hotel Charleston
- Fairfield Charleston
- Charleston Fairfield Inn

subset: commoncrawl


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JournalStone Publishing President, Christopher C. Payne is pleased to announce an exciting new, ongoing series of titles JournalStone Publishing will be releasing, premiering in 2013 under the "Double Down" series moniker. The Double Down Series of books will pair an acclaimed author with a gifted, fresh, cutting-edge author selected by the eminent author. Each book will contain an original novella …Read More »
Home | Tag Archives: Double Down


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" Brand: Dior / Type: Self Tanner / Suitable for: Body / What it does: Tans, Bronzes, "
I have used many self tanning products over the years, but when I can afford it i always buy a tube of Christian Dior. I buy the tube for the body and use it on my face too. It works out cheaper than buying both. It is a sheer gel type formulation, you can see where it has been applied which makes it much easier to avoid streeks. It turns into lovely golden tan, not orangey like many. It usually lasts about a week or so. A little goes a long way and a tube lasts a good time. I like the smell too, none of that nasty fake tan smell at all. It is the only self tan that I have used on my face that doesn't block my pores. The packaging is really classy and the tube is a good size for travel etc. This is well worth the treat and worth every penny for the healthy glow you get!


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quote:Originally posted by Robin HoodWhat bothers me about Fresh as a downtown resident, is that is closes at 3 pm, and is not open on weekends for lunch. I doubt it is my cup of tea anyway, but I wish some of these more casual restaurants would realize that there are people who live downtown that need to eat at times other than 10:00 to 2:00 Mon. thru Fri.
quote:Originally posted by JB3Has anyone tried Jimmy D's steakhouse, cooper rd, montgomery?Is it one of top 25 cincy restaurants to check out as they advertise? I want to take family out to a reasonably priced steak /meat & potatoes restaurant.
quote:Originally posted by tpdI normally work 2pm to Midnight and have to bring something to eat at my desk. But the past two days I had training classes that required regular human hours so I got to try two lunch places near the my office at the airport.Tuesday I hit the Imbis at German Cuisine on Dixie in Florence. Had the Curry Wurst and some hot potato salad. The curry wurst was a bratt sliced and served in a bowl of hot and slightly sweet curry sauce with a roll. There was a lot more sauce than needed and even after soaking it up with the roll there was plenty left in the bowl. It was definitely a European take on curry. The potato salad was good but nothing really special. I was the only one there when I arrived at 12:45 and only one other Imbis customer and one butcher counter customer came in before I left. Everybody was friendly and I recognized the imported butcher who said hi as I came in. Total with drink $7.50.Today I went by Mr. Herb's in Hebron. This is a real RF kinda place. Had the famous cod sandwich with fries and slaw. The sandwich was two logs of fish fried in a cornmeal based coating on rye (my choice). It was a huge, piping hot sandwich that was't greasy at all with tartar sauce as the only topping. The fries were good too with nice seasoning. The slaw reminded me of a good deli counter item. I'm more of a fan of batter fried fish on a dressed sandwich but still I really enjoyed this version. These guys know their way around a frier. Total with tip $13.I would recommend giving either a try although I would probably order something a little more involved at the Imbis next time.You can now have the 9 to 5 world back for another year.... I'm going to slide back into my comfortable evening shift existence.
quote:Originally posted by Robin Hood$13 sounds reasonable for two fillets of real cod. Cod is not cheap, plus it included his beverage and a couple of sides. I am not sure of the going rate of a pound of cod, but I know it is an expensive type of fish.
quote:Originally posted by TJ Jackson13 bucks seems like a lot of money for a fish sandwich, even a really good one, tho..... I mean no offense.....just askin.....


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Apr. 17, 2007
26 It's all I have to bring today
Listen (RealAudio) | How to listen
Poem: "It's all I have to bring today (26)" by Emily Dickinson. Public Domain.
(buy now)
It's all I have to bring today (26)
It's all I have to bring today
This, and my heart beside
This, and my heart, and all the fields
And all the meadows wide
Be sure you countshould I forget
Some one the sum could tell
This, and my heart, and all the Bees
Which in the Clover dwell.
Literary and Historical Notes:
It's the birthday of one of the most successful British novelists of his generation, Nick Hornby, (books by this author) born in Maidenhead, England (1957). His parents got divorced when he was a kid, and he only managed to have a relationship with his father when his father began to take Hornby to football (soccer) games. Hornby later wrote of the first football match. He said, "I remember the overwhelming maleness of it allcigar and pipe smoke, foul language (words I had heard before, but not from adults, not at that volume). ... [But] what impressed me most was just how much most of the men around me hated, really hated, being there." Hornby eventually realized that the reason so many men looked so miserable that day was that their team was in the middle of a long losing streak, and he was impressed by how all these men refused to give up on the team, despite their losses.
After college, Hornby began writing book reviews and music reviews for various London newspapers. But he wanted to write something bigger. And then he got the idea to write a memoir about his life, except that it would be about his life through the lens of his obsession with football, full of his memories of specific football matches and how they made him feel at specific moments in his life.
The book was called Fever Pitch (1992), and it came out at a time when football fans were generally looked down upon by the British upper class. But the book became something of a phenomenon in Great Britain, selling hundreds of thousands of copies, making it one of the best-selling books about sport ever published in the English language. Part of what made the book so popular was that it captured the way people can rely on a sports team to give their lives drama and meaning. Hornby wrote, "The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score."
Hornby's next book, the novel High Fidelity (1995), was even more successful. It's the story of an obsessive record collector and record store owner who copes with the failures of his life by creating numerous lists: his top 5 favorite albums, top 5 TV shows, top 5 ex-girlfriends, and so on. The book was made into a movie in 2000.
His most recent novel is Long Way Down (2005), about four people who meet on New Year's Eve, when each of them climbs up to the top of a building to commit suicide.
It's the birthday of novelist and essayist Cynthia Ozick, (books by this author) born in New York City (1928). She's the author of several novels, including The Messiah of Stockholm (1987) and The Puttermesser Papers (1997), but she's perhaps best known for her essays, collected in Art and Ardor (1983), Metaphor and Memory (1989), and Quarrel and Quandary (2000).
It's the birthday of novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder, (books by this author) born in Madison, Wisconsin (1897). As a boy, he lived near a university theater where they performed Greek dramas, and his mother let him participate as a member of the chorus. He never forgot the experience, and he decided then that he would try to write for the theater someday. He got a job at the University of Chicago and began to write a series of experimental one-act plays that used a minimum of scenery and props, and often included an all-knowing character called the Stage Manager. Then, in 1938, he produced the play for which he is best known, Our Town, one of the first major Broadway plays to use almost no stage scenery, so that the audience had to imagine the world in which the characters lived.
Our Town is about the New England village of Grover's Corners, where the characters George Gibbs and Emily Webb grow up, fall in love at the soda fountain, and get married. When Emily dies in childbirth, she gets to relive the day of her 12th birthday and realizes how little she cherished life while she was alive.
It's the birthday of Isak Dinesen, (books by this author) born Karen Dinesen on a rural estate called Rungsted near Copenhagen, Denmark (1885). As a young woman, she and her husband moved to Kenya, where they started a coffee plantation. But the couple did not get along, and they separated in 1925. Alone and unhappy on the coffee plantation, Dinesen said, "I began in the evenings to write stories, fairy-tales and romances, that would take my mind a long way off, to other countries and times." The plantation grew less and less profitable, and she struggled to stay in business. After a swarm of locusts and a drought, she finally had to sell the farm to a local developer.
But just as she was leaving Africa for good, Dinesen sent some of her stories to a publisher, and they were published as the collection Seven Gothic Tales (1934). The book was a big success, and her American publisher wanted her to write a new book as soon as possible, so she wrote memoir about her time in Africa called Out of Africa (1937).
Isak Dinesen said, "All sorrows can be borne, if you put them into a story."
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®


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Use the tools below to refine your search by only displaying reviews with a certain number of star ratings or to only show reviews from a certain time period. Eg click on '1 star' to just display the reviews we have which received a 1 star rating click or 'Within the last month' to display just reviews posted over the last month.
Written on: 06/06/2014 by Laverdabru1116 (57 reviews written)
Ordered a Nikko Mountmaster scope from Uttings, reviewed elsewhere. The covers were damaged before receipt, & within 200 shots a rattling could be heard. Some of the internals had worked loose. Emailed Uttings, returned the item, & had a replacement well within their 7 day target. I had photographed the problems, but had no need to send these. Well Done!… Read Full Review
Written on: 07/02/2014 by LondonWide (1 review written)
Excellent Price. Perfect delivery - just the job. Website very easy to use… Read Full Review
Written on: 25/12/2013
Item as advertised, delivered promptly, well packed and no problems with the transaction. Thank you… Read Full Review
Written on: 22/12/2013
It was like podding peas, so easy to access and use their web site. The delivery of the goods was so quick,I can't believe it… Read Full Review
Written on: 19/12/2013
An excellent fast service from Uttings only let down point was the courier service used. Was told they would deliver between certain times (AM) waited in for delivery . In the afternoon rang the company but kept getting told the driver is stuck in traffic and will be there as soon as he can. At 4 pm left the house, returned home at 6 pm still no package , received a phone call from neighbour saying that they had a parcel address to me . It was delivered at 5 30pm and just left on the… Read Full Review
Written on: 09/11/2013 by alfriston (1 review written)
Very pleased with the scope and service from Uttings, but their carrier, DPD let them down. They managed to misdirect the parcel and it arrived a day late, which was most inconvenient and the promised notification of the delivery hour didn't happen and when the driver did arrive, he wasn't bothered about getting a signature… Read Full Review
Written on: 22/11/2013
Thank you for your comments and I am sorry that DPD let both of us down. There are occasions (especially in busy periods) when DPD outsource deliveries to third party carriers and unfortunately, they do not all have the technology to provide the 1 hour tracking, which I agree, is frustrating for our customers.
If you have not already done so, please would you contact us on our customer services number (I cannot add it here) we can look into this and see what we can do for you.
Written on: 07/11/2013
easy to use website: kept up to date from order to delivery by e mail and text; delivery at time specified. Very efficient… Read Full Review
Written on: 05/11/2013 by Foggy26 (1 review written)
Good range, nice website (in a pretty competitive market), no complaints… Read Full Review
Written on: 04/11/2013
Reliable and prompt delivery… Read Full Review
Written on: 18/09/2013 by Onlyonepete (1 review written)
Happy with the products and service. Recommended… Read Full Review
Written on: 09/09/2013 by kate.ford (2 reviews written)
Great website which was very easy to navigate around. Lots of differing products to choose from at what seems a very competitive price. Also liked the fact that most products seem to have reviews. Only thing i was initially disappointed about was the price of delivery, i thought it a little on the high side, made me decide to order 2 boxes of pellets rather than one as the delivery was the same. On the plus side it was delivered by DPD who i have found to be excellent, this did justify the high… Read Full Review
Written on: 27/08/2013
I purchased 5 tins of RWS Superdome pellets at a bulk buy price of £25 and am still pleased with the discount over the price of one tin that this gave. However, I was disappointed to receive a catalogue with my first order from Utings which showed the price per tin as £ 4.89. Not a big difference I know but nevertheless somewhat misleading to think you get a better price by bulk buying from the prices on the Internet only to find that the catalogue prices are cheaper. To counter this gripe… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/09/2013
Thank you for your comments and I can understand your frustrations around the pricing of items in the catalogue.
Unfortunately, our catalogues were printed earlier in the year and, since then, a number of manufacturers have increased their prices to us (usually five minutes after we print them!)
While we do our best to maintain prices for as long as possible, unfortunately, in order to meet the demands of a fast moving, price-orientated market they can, and do, fluctuate (up and down).
Equally, if the price of the pellets had come down, we would not expect you to pay the advertised catalogue price - you would pay the lesser price.
We have considered producing a supplemental price list, but, in truth, it is not practical for us as, due to the daily fluctuations in prices, the list would always be inaccurate.
Written on: 26/08/2013
Ordered an Air Arms magazine in .22 cal. The package arrived exactly as Uttings stated, however, it was in .177. I returned the package and within 5 days I had received the correct item. A few days later a cheque arrived to cover my postage. Would have been 5 stars if their communication would have been better as they generally send pre written emails that may not fit your own situation. Overall very good. … Read Full Review
Written on: 28/07/2013
They have great customer service along with superb prices. I would defiantly reconnect them to anyone. I've been looking for a place to buy air rifle pellets for a while now as they aren't cheap. I figured buying in bulk would be a cheaper alternative then just buying singles. I found the site while searching for the best place to buy pellets. They have a great range in all caliber and quantities. They were in stock and I made a very good saving. The p&p was £5.99, which, for 10 X 500 tin… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/09/2013
Thank you for your email and I am sorry that the tins were dented on receipt. It is notoriously difficult to transport pellets successfully and, despite our best efforts, the couriers are not always as careful with our parcels as we would like and damage does occur.
Unfortunately, we find the weight of the tins against each other does usually contribute towards the denting. If you do have a number of tins that are particularly badly damaged, please do get in touch with us as to see what we can do to help.
Written on: 25/07/2013
Great service, you can also phone throughand talk to someone. Forexample I ordered a rifle scope they didnt have in stock, which I thought would take a week or so to get. However after placing order online I found that the particular scope would not be in the uk for another month. I called uttings and switched my order to another similar scope which I pomptly received the following day. No hassle no pronlems… Read Full Review
Written on: 18/07/2013 by RichKnights72 (1 review written)
Fantastic pellets, very well made, none damaged so far out of two tins!! Found to be consistently accurate with great results for vermin control and target shooting.I have only two minor gripes...they are a tad expensive, but the worst thing is the tin although the pellets appear very clean and undamaged, and come with a foam insert for protection, once you remove the strip of tape holding the lid and base secure, its very difficult to keep the lid on securely.a screw top lid would have… Read Full Review
Written on: 15/07/2013 by andrewcrofts (1 review written)
Good service from uttings' although I missed the next day delivery by 2 mins and had to wait over the week end for the scope to arrive. Be aware, when it says the deadline for next day orders is 2:30, it means just that and unless you have paid for weekend delivery, your order will arrive the following week if place on a thursday The Sweet 22 is a corking scope for the money. I already had the 6-18x40 fitted to my S400 and have loved it since I bought it some 3 years ago. I decided on the… Read Full Review
Written on: 16/07/2013
Thank you for your comments. Unfortunately, our order processing system does automatically allocate into the following day's delivery schedule, even if it is just one minute after 2.30pm, but, if you contact us, we are reasonably flexible and can usually manually override it (depending on the time and whether the courier has actually left or not) to help you out.
Written on: 19/06/2013 by Bobmankin (1 review written)
Fast efficient service. Very specific items required.this was the only place I was able to find my specific requirements. Very pleased with the range of products on offer… Read Full Review
Written on: 08/06/2013 by Dejay6 (1 review written)
Fast reliable service carry a very good stock of air rifle related items… Read Full Review
Written on: 08/06/2013 by grahjack (1 review written)
I required a pair of Zamberlan walking boots and Uttings were cheapest by far… Read Full Review
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I'm running for governor to forge a New Deal for Illinois.
President Roosevelt's New Deal took our country out of depression and laid the foundation for decades of growth and prosperity. We can do the same thing in Illinois by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, reinvesting in good-paying jobs, and recommitting to early childhood education and public schools. And we can do it without further burdening the middle class.


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Monday, November 09, 2009
Gravity's Rainbow Read-Along: Week 8 (p 491-560)
Now, non-sequitor, tonight I'm totally going to Union Square to stalk Brandon Sanderson at the Wheel of Time signing (obviously). The Gravity's Rainbow read-along has really made me into a wiser, more efficient person, since I had to coordinate my weekly GR page alotments with re-reading... let's see... about 9,000 pages of Robert Jordan before tonight in order to be prepared for this book release. Seriously, I laugh at college kids who think they got it rough. Phew.
Anyway. Thoughts/feelings/etc, please!!
9 comments:
- Lydia Sharp said...
And you posted this at 5am. Do you ever sleep? ;)
- Monday, November 09, 2009 6:37:00 AM
- Simon C. Larter said...
Way back when book 12 was coming out, I went back and reread all the previous novels, thinking (in my naivete) that a nice, round number would finish off the series. When I finished book 11, you can imagine the sinking feeling I had realizing that 12 was not going to finish things off. What disappointed me even more was that next to nothing changed from the beginning until the end of the book. Lord!
You'll forgive me if I retain a measure of skepticism about the series. Although now that someone else is at the help, perhaps things'll move along? I shall reserve judgment.
Enjoy the par-tay, though...
- Monday, November 09, 2009 7:34:00 AM
- CKHB said...
AND you're doing NaNo! Rock on.
- Monday, November 09, 2009 8:53:00 AM
- moonrat said...
alas, not really well in any of those three cases... rar!!
- Monday, November 09, 2009 10:52:00 AM
- John said...
I got through the part where I fell off on my last reading of Gravity's Rainbow, and I'm feeling strong as we head toward the end. I'm caught up!
My biggest question in this section: What the hell was going on with Pirate and Katje? Were they dead? Or just hallucinating? I was so confused by that section. It went from Katje escaping the "White Visitation" to utter insanity in what, three pages? Did anyone understand that? It went right over my head.
I did really enjoy Slothrop's pirate adventures, though, with Otto and the chimps and rescuing Der Springer. And the weird almost-friendship between Tyrone and Tchitcherine is great.
- Monday, November 09, 2009 11:04:00 AM
- XiaoLiang said...
hi, i have a few questions. can you email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Wednesday, November 11, 2009 1:25:00 AM
- M. said...
This has been fun, but my health has not been playing nicely lately and I need to focus on placating it for awhile. I love Pynchon, but I love being healthy more, you know? Enjoy the book!
- Wednesday, November 11, 2009 11:59:00 PM
- Lisa said...
Sorry for not checking in last Monday -- actually I thought I had. Now all the brilliant commentary I had about pages 491-560 is lost forever!
- Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:59:00 PM
- Jane Steen said...
I'm a little tardy with my Gravity's Rainbow reading but will try my best to catch up before the end. This is for two reasons - a trip to England in which I was monopolized by family and had little reading time, and the break I had to take from Slothrop's penis. I was getting rather tired of that active little member, and Greta and Bianca in particular seem like tired cliches of decadent Europe, trotted out to titillate the American reader. I might have found all that interesting when I was 15.
I'm encouraged to see from John's post that we might be heading back to the White Visitation: I feel like most of the brilliance of the novel was left behind there, although I do love the sketches of destroyed Germany. I just want to edit this novel, I really do.
- Saturday, November 14, 2009 5:06:00 PM


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News & Features by Eva Sandoval
Downtown LA's Best Bars
Craft beers and artisanal cocktails have replaced overpriced hotel bar and Staples Center drinks in Downtown LA. Discover the best of the best with our well-curated cheat sheet.
Fall 2013 Guide to Rome
Autumn is arguably the best time to visit Rome—fewer crowds, cooler temps, and endless things to do from small local festivals to tasting your way through Rome's fall bounty.
Long Weekend in Sicily
An hour's flight from Rome, Sicily is the perfect holiday-within-a-holiday. Spend a long weekend traipsing from Trapani to Taormina, eating well and ogling ancient architecture.
Foodie's Guide to Rome's Jewish Quarter
Established in 1555, Rome's Jewish Quarter has an long and rich history. And one of the best ways to discover it is through its most iconic dishes.
5 Reasons to Go to the Aran Islands
The Aran Islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer) are three small, but adventure-packed islands off the coast of Ireland. Think craggy cliffs, lush green landscapes, and Bronze Age ruins.
4 Perfect Japan Itineraries
Japan is not only a land for all seasons, it's a destination for all travelers. From foodies to families, we concocted four top itineraries for lal types to explore the wonders of this mysterious string of islands.
Rome's Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
Whether you're a veteran Rome traveler or a first-timer, we highly recommend taking time to soak up the local culture. Break away from the tour guides and check out some of these overlooked spots.
Ten "Italian" Foods You Won't Find in Italy
Like most foreign cuisines that hit our fair shores, Italian food in the states looks and, more importantly, tastes different from what you'll find on the boot. Here's what not to order.
What to Do in Rome with Kids
No one would turn down a trip to Rome. Except maybe kids for whom the thought of touring ancient ruins is akin to torture. Take these insider tips on how to see the Eternal City with (happy) kids in tow.
Five Reasons to Visit Terracina, Italy
As if you need five reasons to go to an Italian beach town. But Terracina is more than sand and Vespas. It's a local's getaway, not far from Rome, and promises la dolce vita in the form of stunning views and fantastic food.
Where to Eat in Rome Now
Rome may be an ancient city, but it's thriving culinary scene certainly isn't. And while there are plenty tried-and-true institutions, local Romans and in-the-know visitors will be found at these new hotspots.
Ten Things NOT to Do in Italy
The more time you spend in Italy, the more you'll notice that Italians love telling you what to do...whether you ask them for advice or not. Straight from the source, here are 10 things NOT to do while you're vacationing on the boot.
What it's Like: Christmas in Osaka
Despite not being a Christian nation, Japan has taken a liking to celebrating Christmas. They go big with lights, trees, German-inspired markets, and...traditional KFC-sponsored Christmas feasts.
What it's Like: Christmas in Rome
What does the holiday season bring to Rome? Understated celebration, with lights strung up on Via Condotti, a beautiful tree in St. Peter's Square, and the iconic Christmas fair in Piazza Navona.
Five Day Trips from Rome
Rome has it all—incredible cuisine, enticing cultural sights, and equally fantastic day trips. Here are our five top picks for quick escapes from the Eternal City.
10 Things to Know Before You Go to Japan
There are infinite reasons to book it to Japan, whether its Japanese food, cherry blossom season, or skiing in winter. But before you get there, you'll want to take note of these ten essentials.
Beyond Sushi: Ten Fantastic Foods to Eat in Japan
If you think the first four dishes on this list are "udon, ramen, and tempura," you've got another thing coming. Japanese food goes well beyond raw fish and noodles.


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"[France's Amelie Mauresmo said the need for players to change during a match should be respected.] You see players in sports bras on the practice court anyway, so what's wrong? ... It's entertainment."
Related quotes
"We cannot force others to behave differently if they disagree with us; but if we change what we are saying or doing they will respond differently. - Nabil N. Jamal"
"Making the change from poverty to middle class is a 12 round boxing match. but the the change from middle class to wealthy will be a fight to the death"
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
"Change will never happen when people lack the ability and courage to see themselves for who they are."


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Last Season to Skate in the Metrodome
By Chris Gorski
The Metrodome is where the Minnesota Vikings play football and the current season is going to be their last in the dome. With this being the last season of the Vikings in the dome we are also seeing the end of inline skating in the Metrodome.
The Metrodome started allowing inline skaters to skate the dome in 1990 and since they have allowed it there has been over 850,000 skaters to take a spin in the dome.
Check out a short clip below and see some skaters in action around the dome!


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If you're a Kinks fanatic, then one of the issues you've long had with Napster (as well as every other online streaming service) is the absence of their '60s albums in our catalog. It's a frustrating situation, one that has to do with complex licensing/legal issues that amazingly enough date back to the original contract the band signed with now-defunct Pye Records in 1964. That contract set off an epic chain of events that wound up haunting the band (and their discography) for decades. Even before there was such a thing as digital music, Kinks klassics like Face to Face, [Kinda Kinks], The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, The Kink Kontroversy and Something Else by the Kinks were long out of print in the United States.
Luckily, however, things are slowly changing. Over the last decade, Sanctuary Records (a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management) has issued deluxe edition CDs of The Kinks' Pye-released output. These are now making their way to Napster. Granted, it's only a trickle: [Kinks], Kinda Kinks, The Kink Kontroversy and the mind-blowing Dave Davies compilation [Hidden Treasures]. Still, it's a huge development for anybody who cares deeply for rock 'n' roll history. Hopefully, this move represents just the beginning.
For our playlist we compiled our favorite tunes from the four titles in question. Needless to say, it's packed with some of the best rock music ever recorded, from "You Really Got Me" and "Tired of Waiting for You" to "Death of a Clown" and "Dedicated Follower of Fashion."


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shows at bristol old vic...
The Little Mermaid
A Bristol Old Vic production
Written by Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted by Joel Horwood
Directed by Simon Godwin
Designed by Jon Bausor
Love is the oldest magic, more powerful than all the sea.
This Christmas, immerse yourself in the underwater world of The Little Mermaid and experience a tale of heroic adventure, true love, luminous music and a generous splash of festive magic.
Take our Little Mermaid's hand and dive into a world where the good seafolk dwell amongst the iridescent corals, swaying seaweed and drifting flotsam and jetsam. But evil lurks in these depths too, as the dreaded Sea Witch plots and schemes to rule over Up There. Will our spirited heroine make the biggest decision of her life and risk everything to save the kingdom and win her true love's heart?
The Little Mermaid continues Bristol Old Vic's run of special Christmas shows including smash hits Peter Pan, Coram Boy and Swallows and Amazons. This year Simon Godwin (Bristol Old Vic Associate Artist and Evening Standard Award winner) directs this extraordinary production of Hans Christian Andersen's much loved classic tale.
Make The Little Mermaid part of your Christmas celebrations this year and enjoy a festive spectacular that you and your family will cherish.
A highly entertaining modern version of Andersen`s much-loved fairytale ."
Bristol Old Vic's latest family show combines physical theatre and nu-folk songs quite enchantingly...Witty and worth catching"
the magic rises to the surface just like the enchanting mermaid herself."
aims high and catches the human heart."
A beautifully poignant telling of Hans Christian Andersen's tale"
Little Mermaid: What did you think?
Little Mermaid: What did our younger audience think?
The Little Mermaid
28 Nov-18 Jan
7pm, 2pm (and 4pm on Boxing Day and New Year's Day)
£5-£30 (plus 50p card fee and £1 postage if required)
Ages: 7+
The Cast
Martin Bassindale
Lindsay Dukes
Tom Godwin
Billy Howle
Donnla Hughes
Clare Lams
Katie Moore
Beverly Rudd
Tristan Sturrock
The Creative Team
Joel Horwood Adaptor
Simon Godwin Director
Jon Bausor Designer
Toby Sedgwick Director of Movement
Shlomo and DJ Walde Co-composers and Musical Directors
Gregory Clarke Sound Designer
Guy Hoare Lighting Desiger
Laila Diallo Choreographer of dance sequences
Photography by Simon Annand
Trailer by Farrows Creative


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What is Building Penalization Scheme (BPS)?
Stated' Objectives of the Scheme:
Thrust of the BPS-CDS scheme:
The entire burden of paying penalty falls on the home/apartment/plot owner.
The builder/developer is the one who made the profits and is clearly responsible for the fidelity of the constructions/plots with the rules and laws. Yet, he is let go scot free. (Even the modified BPS, after GO 112 and 113 only make likely fines on builders/developers prospective, while the fines on the owners are retrospective!).
Of course, the corrupt, colluding and lax officials who in the first place, have allowed any unauthorized constructions and deviations are not held responsible.
The lesson from this BPS-CDS scheme seems to be that if you are a hardworking middle class, who has taken a loan or saved money for buying a home or an apartment, then the government is after you. But if you are brazen enough to occupy government or assigned lands then you can get away with it!
Government's Approach:
The Government's approach and behaviour makes it clear that it is focused solely on generating hundreds of crores of rupees revenue from innocent, scared home and apartment owners and plot owners.
Its officers in various municipalities across the State are serving notices to home and apartment owners where the latter are being asked to pay fines before the deadline or else face the possibility of demolition of their homes. Such notices are generic and vague and threatening: they do not specify why that notice has been served to the particular home/apartment owner, what sort of deviations have taken place in that home and how much penalty should the person pay. This is akin to saying, 'You face the punishment, but I cannot tell you what your crime is!''
Such notices are apparently being given without any scientific basis. Home owners who have not committed any deviations have received such notices; persons who have already applied under the previous Building Regularization Scheme (BRS) have received notices. The govt. does not even have a proper data base of the total constructions, total violations, etc.
In municipalities like Vizainagaram, the officials are reportedly even threatening to cut-off water supply and power connections if the owners do not pay up fine. This is clearly violative of law and the courts take such threats very strictly. Lok Satta Party's Vizainagaram District has called upon the municipal authorities to clarify the situation.
Lok Satta Party's response:
It has taken up the public cause across three broad fronts:
Approaching the Judiciary:Lok Satta Party has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL in the form of a WP) in the High Court against the irrationality and unconstitutionality of the penalization scheme. The High Court has passed interim orders on this PIL (clubbed with other petitions filed by private individuals on the same matter) recently,giving relief to the home owners.
Lok Satta Discussion Forum About Regularization Robbery
Lok Satta Party-Lok Satta Discussion Forum About Regularization Robbery On 9th
Party GHMC Committee Invites All Colony and Apartment Associations
In the wake of the revised government orders (GO), LSP GHMC wing is organizing a forum at 3 pm on February 9th (Saturday) at the LSP State office in Bandlanes, Basheerbagh to discuss future action.
Terming the latest GOs 112 and 113 as inadequate and half-hearted, the LSP GHMC president N. Ravinder and vise-president K. Srinivas Rao in a statement today, have invited all colony and apartment welfare associations to attend the forum and express their views in this regard. They said allowing the corrupt officials and greedy venture developers and builders go scot-free and penalizing the hapless owners is outrageous.
They demanded proper justice to the house and flat owners most of whom belong to the middle classes and have bought the flats and plots by investing their life's savings. They termed the government orders as legalized robbery. The LSP GHMC leaders called for participation of all colony and apartment association representatives in the discussion forum to express their views in this regard.
The LSP leaders said people who want more details about the discussion forum can contact either 2323 1818 or 98660 74029.
MEDIA RELEASE - (Hyderabad, 21/01/2008)
GO 901 BPS Scheme... Builders and complicit officials must be penalized : Lok Satta Party
Lok Satta Party today strongly condemned the Government's move to penalize middle class house/apartment owners for the crimes committed by officials and builders, through G.O. No.901 meant to regularize unauthorized constructions and violations of sanctioned plan.
"Penalties should be collected from the builders who have obtained occupancy fitness certificates despite construction irregularities. If builders do not pay, the government can even employ provisions of the Revenue Recovery Act. In any case innocent house/apartment owners who have borrowed heavily and invested their lifetime savings to acquire a shelter in our cities should not be punished", Lok Satta Party President Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan (Dr. JP) demanded in a statement.
Dr. JP said that Lok Satta Party is totally with the owners and residents of homes and apartments across the State, in this matter. "If necessary, we are prepared go to court challenging the impractical and unviable provisions of the G.O. The Government has no right to demolish buildings other than the clearly unsafe ones", he said.
Lok Satta welcomes suspension of Building regularization orders
The Lok Satta Party today welcomed the Government decision to suspend the building regularization orders, which had sought to penalize ordinary people for crimes committed by officials and builders.
News Archive
Recent News


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I ordered myself one of these after using my mother's a couple times and really enjoying it. Annoyingly, even though I ordered a design with birds and magnolias, the cup I received was plain white. I wrote to Amazon to complain, and they did nothing, then wrote to Tea Forte and they sent me a replacement and said to keep the first cup. So, these are my current favorites to use, and I really enjoy having two to switch around and use during the day without having to constantly wash.
The cups keep tea nice and hot while it steeps, and the lids also help a lot. The strainer is fairly effective, and better than many I've tried at keeping small particles out of the liquor.


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April 18, 2014
EPA PROJECT manager Chris Cora describes future cleanup plans Thursday, April 17, 2014, at the abandoned Formosa Mine, a Superfund site outside Riddle, Ore. The $900,000 bond posted by Canadian owners before walking away covers only a fraction of the estimated $20 million or more in cleanup costs that will be paid for by taxpayers.
Stories this photo appears in:
Oregon mine illustrates problems with national law
RIDDLE — U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio on Thursday toured an abandoned copper mine in southwestern Oregon that is on the Superfund list of major pollution sites as he prepares to file legislation to overhaul the nation's primary mining law.
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Electric Ascension
- Artist: Rova Orkestrova
- Format: CD
- Release Date: 4/12/2005
|your cart is empty
Massive interpretation of John Coltrane's ASCENSION, performed by an all-star ensemble featuring the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Nels Cline (Wilco), guitar legend Fred Frith, Ikue Mori (formerly of DNA), turntable wizard Otomo Yoshihide, plus other stellar guests."Coltrane's Ascension belongs right up there in the pantheon of multi-recorded masterworks. We had a very heavy line-up of "free-jazz" players who we thought could handle the large ensemble improvisations, but somewhere in the middle of the performance, as I was standing onstage in a state of reverie listening - I looked up at the sky and thanked my lucky stars for the experience that I was then taking part in. The respect everyone has for the composer, for the other musicians involved, and for the form called "structured improvisation" makes the music what it is. We are indebted to John Coltrane (and other great artists) for inspiring US to engage uncompromisingly in the risky business of creativity." -Larry Ochs/Rova, 2003.
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Do You Want To Laugh!!! Watch 10 Worst MTN Project Fame Contestant As They Flop
December 16, 2015 ( Post 1 )
As far as we are concern this is the 10 worst performance you could ever image on MTN project fame.
One will wonder if all this guy are there to embarrass themselves or they just want to show the world the level of their Talent. Download video and enjoy your day.
Share it Let Friends Know
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The Right to Keep and Bear Arms?Polls
We do not, for example, argue that, since the militia of the 18th Century were composed of the people, the two words are synonymous and interchangeable so that the Second Amendment can be read as though it said that the Militia being important to a free state, the right of the militia to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Nor do we imagine that, although the founding generation thought the two clauses of the Second Amendment to be closely linked - indeed mutually interdependent, the Fourteenth Amendment implicitly severed the link, awarding the right to bear arms as a privilege and immunity to the newly liberated black people, while leaving the obsolete militia clause to wither. And it goes without saying that, in our pedestrian respect for the written Constitution, we can not simply ignore half the Amendment, and argue that the right to arms was a constitutional recognition of the sporting pleasures of hunting and the manly virtue of self-defense.
Rather, we take the position that the Second Amendment was to the founders a vitally important provision, expressing distrust of the professional standing army (which was the handmaiden of the European tyrants), and providing that, whatever was said in the body of the Constitution about the military arm of the new government, the people still relied on local units, comprising all eligible citizens, trained and regulated, armed with their own weapons. And further, the Amendment served notice that no jealous organ of the central government should ever try to weaken the people's army by making laws depriving the eligible citizenry of their weapons. The implicit republican virtue of service, celebrated in this Amendment, was a precious remnant of a social ethic being fast supplanted by the elements of a liberal democracy. But the provision of the Second Amendment was not a post-enlightenment credo in disguise. It did not glorify personal access to arms, nor the right of the people to keep arms to protect themselves against the government.
Perhaps our central theme is the evolution of the military institution known to the founders as the "militia." Stressing as we do the right to arms as an enabling feature of the militia, we could not avoid the question: where is the militia on today's landscape? If there is any life to the militia in modern times, perhaps the scope of the right to keep and bear arms in service thereof bears some close examination, and generous interpretation. We give little serious attention to the claims of various small, dispersed groups of self-styled militiamen, taking target practice in the woods while sporting battle fatigues, and spouting their own brand of libertarian patriotism. But we must take more seriously the status of the National Guard who, to many, are the rightful heirs and descendants of the militia of old. So a substantial portion of the book is taken up with a genealogy of the citizen's army. We conclude that our armed state/federal troops of the 21st century no longer bear any genetic markers of the militia envisioned by the founding generation. The defining characteristics of the militia as originally understood were compulsory service by all eligible men, training and organization, occasional service as required, and strong responsibility to local command. And, of course, the Second Amendment assumes that members of the militia would be self-armed. While we hesitate to say that the constitutional militia is obsolete, we do conclude that it is dormant.
It is conceivable that circumstances might arise in the future where a militia meeting the 18th century description might arise, and the Second Amendment would once again forbid any effort by the federal government to disarm them. But, as things stand, there is no such military force and, accordingly, the Second Amendment sleeps. We are aware that there are people who do not like to think that any of the sacred provisions of our constitutional decalogue are silent, inapposite in today's world. Most - maybe eight out of ten (a surprisingly large number) - of these wise and well written provisions are fully applicable and important in the American society of today. But not all. Think, of the Third Amendment forbidding the quartering of troops in private residences in peacetime. And there may be one that - by its terms, at least - should probably be allowed to retire (it is one of the scant few that are not binding on the states), and that is the Seventh that guarantees a trial by jury for all civil cases where the amount in controversy exceeds twenty dollars.
Where this leaves us in the current controversy regarding gun control is simply stated. We do not think that the Second Amendment has any bearing on the question of whether guns should be freely available or sharply controlled. The Amendment is simply irrelevant to the issue, as important as that issue might be. And that leaves the matter completely in the hands of the political branch. And we think this is not an uncomfortable position. The people must decide .by legislative choice many important aspects of their lives together in civil society. The wisdom, effectiveness, configuration, and moral virtue of gun control is not an inappropriate matter for the expression of popular sovereignty rather than constitutional control. Moreover, diverse resolutions of the enigma are not antithetical to a federal society such as ours.
Thus, to paraphrase the Second Amendment without altering its meaning, we
understand it thus: "So long as [or inasmuch as] a well-regulated militia
of the whole people stands as our preferred military protection in a free society,
the Congress shall make no law disarming those citizens of the weapons necessary
for their military duties. While the cases before the Supreme Court on this
Amendment have been few and old, no case had ever resolved the issue contrary
to this reading until the year 2001. In that case, Dr Timothy Joe Emerson was
convicted of possessing (and threatening to use) a Baretta following a pro forma
court order of protection in a domestic dispute. The United States District
Court agreed with his argument that the Second Amendment guarantees Emerson's
right to keep a gun. While not entirely coherent, the Court of Appeals for the
Fifth Circuit endorsed this view of the constitutional provision in 2001. The
Supreme Court declined to review the case. So we are all waiting for another
court to present an opportunity for the High Court to declare the modern meaning
of the Second Amendment. When that occasion arises, we hope the Court will heed
our argument.
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Cristal Shanda Lear - 12/19/2003
I'm not a scholar. I'm not even a college graduate. But I can read. I ran across this discussion while doing some research on the Patriot Act and thought maybe I'd do some comparison research as to it's effect on the Second Amendment, if any.
This is what the Second Amendment says:
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Anyone can put their convoluted connotations to it, but to the average citizen it means I have the right to carry a gun if I want to. For personal defense, including my person or home; and that in the absence of my government, I am allowed to defend myself with my "arms" if necessary. Why have it if you can't use it?
That if our government abuses it's power and becomes the "oppressor" that the people can do to the established government exactly what we did to the Brits: establish militia's and run them out. If I'm not mistaken, didn't this country get started by an armed citizenry who overthrew the people in charge?
Lastly, that if my government needs help with a fight, they just might need an armed populace to help out. We may have to protect ourselves from ourselves, but we also may need to protect ourselves from others. Can you say September 11? What if that was the day war was declared on our country and we were invaded? Wouldn't you have wanted to be armed?
My arguments may be simplistic and may even underdeveloped. But the idea of the Constitution was to make things plain for everyone. Not just a few, and especially not just for those who choose to abuse what we've elected or selected them for in the first place.
Quit whining about it and simply stand up for what you know to be right. The constitution is not a guideline. It is and always should be "the law of the land". The Bill of Rights should never be circumvented or "modernized". It means what it says and those who try to get around it, should NEVER have been put in public office and should be elected out or impeached as quickly as humanly possible.
stephen james gilkey - 12/17/2003
i think that the admendment is very good to have in the constition and all so that concludes this instring history of the right to bear arms.
thank you for your information on the admendnt right to bear arms
8th grader
stephen james gilkey - 12/17/2003
i think that the admendment is very good to have in the constition and all so that concludes this instring history of the right to bear arms.
stephen james gilkey - 12/17/2003
i think that the admendment is very good to have in the constition and all so that concludes this instring history of the right to bear arms
John Whitley - 7/20/2003
To really understand what's going on in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia today with regard to civilian weapons ownership and self defence, we need to see it from the globalist perspective.
Under the fast-approaching, liberty-shattering 'New World Order' so beloved by Tony Blair, both of the Bushes, and the US and UK political elite, there will be NO personal weapons of any kind permitted, nor any 'culture of violence' [i.e. no potential future resistance].
For a good introduction to the elite's ultimate goals in this, from a U.S. perspective, see "GUN CONTROL AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER' at http://www.survivalistskills.com/nwa.htm">http://www.survivalistskills.com/nwa.htm as well as 'OPERATION GARDEN PLOT' at http://www.survivalistskills.com/GDNPLOT.HTM">http://www.survivalistskills.com/GDNPLOT.HTM and 'THE PLANNED US AND CANADIAN CONCENTRATION CAMP AND DETENTION CENTRE PROGRAM' at http://www.survivalistskills.com/camps.htm">http://www.survivalistskills.com/camps.htm.
The rational and normal mind recoils from the idea that a nation's leaders might be at perpetual war with their own people in pursuit of some higher, global goal. But read "The U.S. Public Warms To The Idea Of Civilian Concentration Camps" at http://www.survivalistskills.com/CONCAMP.HTM">http://www.survivalistskills.com/CONCAMP.HTM [This is a long page, slow to load, but well worth it. Be sure to see the quotes and astonishing photographs at the end of the article!], and reflect on how consistently this occurs, and how easily the general public are pursuaded to applaud and agree with their own loss of rights.
[for a similar perspective on the same process at work in Canada and the UK, see "How Canada Lost Its Liberties And Freedoms - And Few Cared!" at http://www.survivalistskills.com/CANLIB.HTM">http://www.survivalistskills.com/CANLIB.HTM and "How Britain Legislated Away 2,000 Years Of Rights And Freedoms" at http://www.survivalistskills.com/UKLIB.HTM">http://www.survivalistskills.com/UKLIB.HTM]
Still unpersuaded? http://www.survivalistskills.com/TRAGEDY.HTM">"TRAGEDY AND HOPE", by Professor Carroll Quigley, is a virtual 'blueprint' of the political elite's game-plan for accomplishing their 'New World Order' by guile - and by force, where need be. Read the huge array of quotations from political and other leaders on that page, and ask yourself whether they have not already accomplished much of what they need to achieve in order to turn the world into a giant 'global plantation', where they are the unresisted masters.
There's a substantial archive of other fascinating and invaluable http://www.nwointelligence.com">'New World Order Intelligence Update' articles on the New World Order at http://www.survivalistskills.com/sect22.htm">http://www.survivalistskills.com/sect22.htm and archived also at http://www.rarehistorybooks.com/NWOLINKS.HTM">http://www.rarehistorybooks.com/NWOLINKS.HTM. The 'NWOIU' site itself is currently down for substantial re-construction, but these archived articles are well worth reading.
All of us will ultimately be the victims of this global drive to eliminate the means - and even the very thought - of self defence.
Clayton E. Cramer - 6/16/2003
"It did not glorify personal access to arms, nor the right of the people to keep arms to protect themselves against the government."
Why, then, did Federalist 46 say, with respect to the danger of federal government tyranny:
"Extravagant as the supposition is, let it however be made. Let a regular army, fully equal to the resources of the country be formed; and let it be entirely at the devotion of the [Federal] Government; still it would not be going too far to say, that the State Governments with the people on their side would be able to repel the danger. The highest number to which, according to the best computation, a standing army can be carried in any country, does not exceed one hundredth part of the whole number of souls; or one twenty-fifth part of the number able to bear arms. This proportion would not yield in the United States an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties, and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence. It may well be doubted whether a militia thus circumstanced could ever be conquered by such a proportion of regular troops." This certainly sounds like "the right of the people to keep arms to protect themselves against the government."
Perhaps the authors will explain why it is that Cockrum v. State (Texas 1859) explained the purpose of the Second Amendment like this: "The object of the clause first cited, has reference to the perpetuation of free government, and is based on the idea, that the people cannot be effectually oppressed and enslaved, who are not first disarmed."
Perhaps the authors can explain why EVERY 19th century decision or constitutional commentary on the subject except for one, disagrees with them. Perhaps they can explain what Joseph Story was talking about in _Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States_ (1833):
"§1889. The next amendment is: 'A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'
"§1890. the importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of the republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."
Is that clear enough for you? Not that I expect either Uviller or Merkel to respond to me pointing out that they don't know enough about the subject to write about it.
Clayton E. Cramer - 6/16/2003
"In the first paragraph they say that the militia and the people are not the same thing, and that the amendment intentionally provides the right to bear arms to militias."
Two problems with this:
1. Repeatedly, those debating the Constitution's ratification emphasized that "the militia" were "the people."
2. The Second Amendment doesn't grant the right of bear arms to militias, but to "the people." Just about every 19th century court decision that addresses the question of what the Second Amendment means is in agreement: it's a right of individuals, not a collective right of a militia. See http://www.claytoncramer.com/primary.html#RKBADecisions for images of many decisions of the courts. In particular, read Nunn v. State (Ga. 1846) in that list.
Bill Stepp, Libertarian at large - 5/26/2003
The real problem with the Second Amendment as a defense of the right to own guns is that it overlooks the fact that rights exist independently of constitutions and are not created or even defended by them. Indeed, Article 1, section 8 is a laundry list of crimes (powers) for the American State to commit, which it has done with a vengeance. For a libertarian defense of natural rights, see Murray N. Rothbard, _The Ethics of Liberty_.
The 55/39 usurpers (so-called framers) had no one's power of attorney to foist a government over anyone, and as the great libertarian writer Lysander Spooner pointed out in _No Treason_, they had no right to bind future generations.
No government has a right to confiscate, tax, license, regulate, or otherwise control anyone's gun.
Dave Thomas - 5/25/2003
The right to bear arms recognized that any adult male, everyone one of them belonged to the militia in colonial times, had the right to protect himself when the proper authorities refused to do so. The right to bear arms kept African Americans in the South from being lynched in even greater numbers from 1877-1965. The right to bear arms allowed AIM to make statements against injustice they never could have accomplished without guns. The authors sound more like King George III wishing the average colonist had not means of resisting tyranny than what the founders intended. The average American had a right and duty to violently overthrow corrupt authority, and that right was useless without a gun in the hand.
Edward Furey - 5/22/2003
The assumption seems to be that the term "militia" appears only in the Second Amendment. In fact, Article I, Section 8 defines it, essentially, as whatever the Congress wants it to be and reauires that that states follow its mandate. Among the powers enumberated for the Congress is:
"To provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining of the militia, and for governing such of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress."
This is separate from the power to raise armies and navies.
Thomas Gunn - 5/16/2003
05-16-2003 ~1310
"We do not think that the Second Amendment has any bearing on the question of whether guns should be freely available or sharply controlled. The Amendment is simply irrelevant to the issue, as important as that issue might be."
I don't think the Second Amendment is irrelevant to the issue or question of whether guns should be available to the people. The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. You see boys, that is from whence the armed militia will spring, when needed!
It looks to me like it's you boys who are irrelevant. The Second has never been asleep. Neither has its supporters. You boys realize you can not overturn the Second so you are reduced to attempting to convince that it is irrelevant, and strive for a political solution. Aint gonna work, least not in my lifetime.
Have you boys noticed the AW ban is about to sunset? It's history! And for good reason, it accomplished nothing except hardship on those who would not have misused the banned AW's anyway.
What I don't understand, for the life of me, is how you history boys can believe that more of the same failed legislation is going to have a different outcome. It's sad . . . really!
mark safranski - 5/15/2003
Assuming everything the authors believe to be correct is - and I think they're stretching things to find a constitutional way to lock up guns in an armory - but let's grant that.
How does the National Guard's complete organizational, command and procurement integration with the standing army and federal control affect it's status as a " militia " ? Hamilton would be jumping for joy but I reckon Tom Paine and George Mason might be a little perturbed.
What about states, like Illinois, that have constitutions that define all able bodied adults as members of the " unorganized militia " ?
If the authors would care to comment I'd be appreciative.
Richard Henry Morgan - 5/14/2003
J, I know from your other posts that you know the difference -- it's just that some others don't seem to understand the difference. I have other quibbles with the two professors. They state:
"It [the Second Amendment] did not glorify personal access to arms, nor the right of the people to keep arms to protect themselves against the government."
The first part is true, the second problematic. The only exegesis of the what was to become the Second Amendment (at the time it was Madison's proposal, and it still had the CO provision attached), was Gerry's comment in Congressional debate that the purpose of the proposed amendment was to allow the people to resist maladministration by the federal government. This went unopposed -- though silence hardly implies assent. When you combine it with Madison's Federalist 46 though (and other comments), a case can be made that this was viewed as AMONG the purposes to be achieved by the Second in the view of at least some (it says the people, not the states). I think we have to be careful in avoiding the trap that there was a single purpose to be achieved by it.
They also state:
"Stressing as we do the right to arms as an enabling feature of the militia ... "
It is precisely an enabling feature, not the enabling feature. During the War of 1812, Congress and Madison granted the states (in fact mandated) the power to arm their militias. The question then becomes, is the militia as defined by the professors a condition on the right -- does their concept of a militia restrict the scope of the right?
Here they go further:
"We conclude that our armed state/federal troops of the 21st century no longer bear any genetic markers of the militia envisioned by the founding generation."
They are quite right. The armed state/federal troops no longer bear ANY genetic markers of the militia as envisioned by the founders. They are a standing army and a volunteer militia -- they are not the militia of common law nor the federal codes. For the professors, the "defining characteristics of the militia as originally understood were compulsory service by all eligible men, training and organization, occasional service as required, and strong responsibility to local command." But I could quote any number of sources to the effect that the sole defining characteristic was compulsory enrollment by military age citizens capable of bearing arms. Debate turns on whether the other characteristics they push into their definition are indeed defining, or just common.
Here is the over-reaching:
"And, of course, the Second Amendment assumes that members of the militia would be self-armed."
The Constitutional debates make clear (in the comments of Rufus King) that the federal government will have the power to mandate the manner of arming -- whether it be by the federal government, the states (as in the War of 1812), or by individuals (as mandated in the Militia Act of 1792). The Second Amendment does not address the arming of the militia as a mandate directed by the federal government -- it gives the people the right to arm themselves, so that they may have an armed militia should the federal government not exercise its power. Indeed, the federal government has not mandated the manner of arming today -- they neither arm the militia (that body of citizens capable of bearing arms) themselves, nor direct the states nor the people to do so. Question: does the federal government not exercisizing its power remove the right that arguably was adopted precisely to make provision for where the federal government did not exercise that power? It all comes down to a definition of the militia, and whether the Second Amendment puts that definition in service of a condition on the right. I doubt it, given the widespread belief that the militia indeed (if Gerry, Madison's Federalist 46, and other comentators are to be believed) was designed, in part, as a check on the federal government. Moreover, the current federal codes maintain the existence of a militia that meets a core (and perhaps the core) definition of the militia. Their argument is ingenious, but it refuses to engage the idea that the militia has a purpose as a check against federal tyranny, or that it has a definition that remains in legal effect to this day. Just where they get the militia having to meet the condition of "our preferred military protection" is just beyond me (particularly since it is related, in the Amendment, to the freedom of the STATES).
J. Merrett - 5/14/2003
Honest, I do know the difference between a power and a duty. I just didn't look.
The most interesting thing to me is (if I follow their logic) the professors seem to claim that the practical existence of any provision of the Constitution depends on its use. If only 1 in a million criminal defendants wanted a lawyer or a jury trial, they seem to say, the Sixth Amendment wouldn't guarantee him either, because people just don't use that right anymore. Hell, most people don't bother to vote. Do we still have a right to vote?
That leaves aside the fact that, no less than our great-great grandparents, we are subject under state & federal militia laws to be ordered by the President or Governor to show up at the park next Sunday for drill. The militia has always been "just folks" minding their own business, except when called into service. The professors' observation that the institution is idle is pretty much a tautology.
Richard Henry Morgan - 5/14/2003
"its own constitutionally mandated obligation to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia."
There is no obligation on the part of the federal government, if one just considers the Article I, Section 8 militia clause. It is, rather, a power. If there is a mandate, it is in the Second Amendment, where others have somehow discovered it -- I don't happen to see it there. Arguably, the Second Amendment is a gift to individual liberty, through which the militia can be armed in the absence of federal action. This would comport with the language, and the context -- the Federalists wanted to strip the states of sovereignty, and the Senate wanted to deny all arms to the states. Madison was appealing, as he explicitly put it, to the concern for individual liberties on the part of some anti-federalists, rather than the concern for state power on the part of the arch anti-federalists.
The professors interpretation is ingenious. It makes of the "well-regulated militia" a condition on the right to keep and bear arms. But preambles state the purpose the parties hope to achieve -- the goal, or end of the provision. Normally, this is not justiciable, as it serves only to remind the parties of their own chosen purposes. While it is not unknown that such preambles are used to interpret scope, that is not the general rule -- nor is it convincingly argued in this case. Again, an ingenious if ultimately unconvincing interpretation. One might ask, where is it written that the defining characteristics of a militia are those chosen by the professors? Certainly not in Miller, the only case on point. Their definition of a militia, combined with their unorthodox view of the preamble as a condition on the right, does the work in their piece. They are certainly entitled to urge it upon the world, and upon the Supreme Court. But it finds no precedent in Miller, nor in other Supreme Court jurisprudence.
J. Merrett - 5/14/2003
The writers suggest that, while the federal government would be constitutionally powerless to disband or disarm the militia if it were "active", it can nonetheless extinguish the militia, and the right to bear arms as well, by the cost-effective expedient of neglecting its own constitutionally mandated obligation to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia.
While enjoying a chuckle at the Third Amendment, they somehow neglect to apply to it the same reasoning they apply to the Second: since quartering troops in private homes is not a common concern at the moment, the amendment has gone dormant; therefore, it is for the political branches of government to decide whether you have to surrender your guest room to a platoon of Marines.
It really is remarkable where a priori reasoning can lead.
Richard Henry Morgan - 5/14/2003
My point was that the contributors to the Chicago-Kent symposium were not chosen for their expertise, as demonstrated by prior publications in the field, but for their anti-gun position. The Chicago-Kent symposium was, au fond, a fraud, as it advertized itself as an examination of the history and law of the Second Amendment, when it actually was devoted entirely to promoting the anti-gun stance favored by its sponsor, the Joyce Foundation, and its organizer, Carl T. Bogus, former counsel to an anti-gun group. In fact, some of the symposium members had been recruited from a list of signatories to the Yassky brief in the Emerson case -- signatories though they had no substantial record in the field. If there were a requirement for truth in advertizing in intellectual product, as there is in say, produce, then the symposium would be answering to legal authorities.
Chris O'Brien - 5/14/2003
I'm curious about how one might become a recognized as an expert without putting their ideas into the marketplace.
That said, I find this debate has become so firmly entrenched that the sides should just develop some sort of shorthand. It would save the rest of us the trouble or rereading the same arguments ad infinitum.
Richard Henry Morgan - 5/13/2003
The Constitution gives the US government the power to provide for arming, organizing, etc, the militia. The state guards may be, in a sense, the descendants of the old militia, but their organization and arming is not provided for by the US government, and therefore, arguably, they fall outside the title of militia as contemplated in the Constitution. That is, at least one possible answer to your question, though obviously not the only one.
There is, indeed, a history behind that question. Madison, visibly faltering, said in response at the Virginia ratifying convention, that arming, etc. of the militia was a concurrent power (responding to the fear it was an exclusive power, and that the power might go unexercised, and the militia therefore go unarmed). Henry responded, quite logically, that the other powers associated with the militia must also be concurrent, including the ability to appoint officers -- an instance of the reductio ad absurdum technique. The Second Amendment was offered in response. The militia could be armed by itself, without interference from the US government, even if the US government failed to exercise its power to arm. The Senate, according to Randolph, was for denying weapons to the states, so it hardly makes sense that the Second enabled the states. It enabled the militia -- the people, as it were, those citizens capable of bearing arms (citizens being white, male landholders of majority age and above).
The construction "provide for" is often misintepreted as "provide". It actually means "to make legal provision for". The Militia Act of 1792 made legal provision for each mitia member (all males, of service age, etc) to arm himself -- it became mandatory. The government did not arm them. When the War of 1812 broke out, the US Congress and Madison made legal provision for the states to arm the militia -- something they had made sure the states held temporarily as a contingent legal power, not as a power delegated from the Constitution.
Herodotus - 5/13/2003
which succeeded the old militias during World War I and remain active organizations throughout dozens of states? Since 9/11 they have been activated and deployed to guard key state locations. Since they cannot be called up to federal service like the National Guard, they are the true successors to the militia.
But maybe these guys don't know about such things.
Alec Lloyd - 5/12/2003
That still doesn't make sense.
Their first proposition is that the use of the world "people" should not be construed to mean "militia." According to the authors, when the Second Amendment says "people" it means the same population protected by the rest of the Constitution, i.e. First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Fourteenth Amendments. This is at the first example. Thus "people" is separate from "militia."
At least I assume that is what they mean. Otherwise, the authors would be stating that the "people" in the Second Amendment are a wholly new class of citizens, neither protected by the other Amendments, nor members of the militia. They would clearly be "a people" apart.
No, one must assume these Second Amendment "people" are the same people as in the other amendments.
Yet by the end, they assert that "the people" really DOES mean "the militia," which clearly contradicts their initial statement. And not only does it mean a militia, but it means an organized and standing one.
This passage is key to making the transition:
"Rather, we take the position that the Second Amendment was to the founders a vitally important provision, expressing distrust of the professional standing army (which was the handmaiden of the European tyrants), and providing that, whatever was said in the body of the Constitution about the military arm of the new government, the people still relied on local units, comprising all eligible citizens, trained and regulated, armed with their own weapons. And further, the Amendment served notice that no jealous organ of the central government should ever try to weaken the people's army by making laws depriving the eligible citizenry of their weapons."
So far so good. So the Second Amendment is clearly about limiting central authority. Only local citizens could be trusted and they were to be armed with their own weapons.
"The implicit republican virtue of service, celebrated in this Amendment, was a precious remnant of a social ethic being fast supplanted by the elements of a liberal democracy. But the provision of the Second Amendment was not a post-enlightenment credo in disguise. It did not glorify personal access to arms, nor the right of the people to keep arms to protect themselves against the government."
Wait a minute. We have a huge contradiction here.
If the amendment's purpose was to ward off the central government from ever trying to take away private weapons, how can the authors then blithely assert—in the same paragraph, no less—that the right wasn't to protect the people against the central government?
If standing armies were so bad that local militias were needed in preference (and to check them), what possible use could they have but to lead a revolt against an oppressive and overbearing central authority?
What was the point of this militia? If it can't defend itself, what is it defending against? And, given the ability of Congress to regulate it freely, why did it need a guarantee of access to _private_ armaments?
Can someone square this circle for me?
But there's another problem.
After pointing out that the traditional militia framework no longer exists (something I dispute, but will not argue here), the authors go on to state that they do not wholly oppose the amendment's outright repeal:
"It is conceivable that circumstances might arise in the future where a militia meeting the 18th century description might arise, and the Second Amendment would once again forbid any effort by the federal government to disarm them. But, as things stand, there is no such military force and, accordingly, the Second Amendment sleeps."
This then begs the question: how does one "awaken" a right that has already been stripped away? If the central government disarms the potential militia, so that they may not have their own weapons, how are they to act if needed to check that authority should it exceed the bounds of its authority?
Surrendering the right in the present much logically result in it also being gone in the future. One cannot "retroactively" rearm the "people's army" once it has been disarmed.
There are obviously other points to I could in contention of this interpretation, but I am still struggling to follow the authors' logic.
Richard Henry Morgan - 5/12/2003
I find it interesting, but hardly surprising, that there is no mention of the Miller decision and the current federal codes. The Miller decision (from 1939) said:
"The signification attributed to the term Militia appears from the debates in the Convention, the history and legislation of Colonies and States, and the writings of approved commentators. These show plainly enough that the Militia comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. "A body of citizens enrolled for military discipline." And further, that ordinarily, when called for service these men were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.
A the current federal codes (Title X, Chapter 13, Section 311) say:
The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
Where is the militia? Right under your noses, in the federal codes.
The two professors have managed to gin up their contribution to the now infamous Chicago-Kent collectivist jamboree of scholars (scholars with no recognized background in Second Amendment competence), into a book published by Duke University Press -- the press that gave the world Social Text, brilliantly sent-up by Alan Sokal. Thanks for the chuckles.
Derek Catsam - 5/12/2003
Doesn't seem at all opaque to me. The two paragraphs Mr. Lloyd cites are not mutually exclusive; they re-enforce one another. In the first paragraph they say that the militia and the people are not the same thing, and that the amendment intentionally provides the right to bear arms to militias. In the second they say that were there a need for a standing militia, the second amendment would still be germane, since there is not, and since the terms "militia" and "people" are not the same thing, "the second amendment sleeps." One can argue with what they say, but a careful reader should have no difficulty discerning what they say.
Alec Lloyd - 5/12/2003
What a wonderful article about nothing. It uses big words, but goes nowhere. How is one to square this statement at the beginning:
"We do not, for example, argue that, since the militia of the 18th Century were composed of the people, the two words are synonymous and interchangeable so that the Second Amendment can be read as though it said that the Militia being important to a free state, the right of the militia to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
With this statement at the end:
"It is conceivable that circumstances might arise in the future where a militia meeting the 18th century description might arise, and the Second Amendment would once again forbid any effort by the federal government to disarm them. But, as things stand, there is no such military force and, accordingly, the Second Amendment sleeps."
Color me confused. The authors say the Second Amendment doesn't apply to militia, and then pronounce that it does.
I must be missing something, but I will defer to the local experts for a more thorough examination of the issue (and this truly opaque piece).
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