Grass Roots North Carolina

GRNC Update 1-24-05:

Michael Moore Shoots Himself in the Foot With An Unlicensed Gun

Like fellow limousine liberal, Rosie O’Donnell, Michael Moore proved that the strict gun control laws he pushes are meant, only to apply to us but not him. It appears that one of his armed security guards felt that it was permissible to carry a handgun into Kennedy International Airport without the proper New York City permits.

It’s very puzzling that a professional firm protecting Hollywood millionaires, would fail to have the proper licenses for any destination or stop-over Moore might choose. Perhaps they’ve been too busy shadowing Moore through Europe, as he explained to the enlightened, gun-fearing Europeans, just how stupid we Americans are to think about this? Maybe they were just following the example set by the bodyguard of senator Ted Kennedy, who attempted to bring a concealed Uzi into the U. S. Capital building.

ILLUSTRATES ABSURDITY OF LAWS

The bodyguard Patrick Burk, was following correct procedures for checking an unloaded firearm for transport, as pointed out by his agency. There was just the problem of the unconstitutional gun ban in New York City. No one can possess a firearm without a permit. Such permits are nearly impossible for regular people to obtain, however, one would expect that someone with Michael Moore’s connections could get one. Perhaps he was too busy accusing our soldiers of being baby killers between all you can eat buffets to call in the necessary favors.

Michael Moore believes that most Americans “understand duck hunters don’t need Uzis and cop-killer bullets”. Those no doubt, should be reserved for bodyguards of the liberal elite.

The real story is that if a “leading professional in his field”, as Burk was called by his boss, Gavin de Becker, can’t understand the nuances of these laws, then how is the ordinary individual, for whom the Second Amendment was written, supposed to? Although the plight of Moore’s lackey is ironic, the sadness of this situation must not be overlooked. Here’s a man who was trying to do the right thing, by reporting that he was carrying a firearm and by attempting to determine how to stay legal, he ends up being a felon.

It’s too bad the police can’t charge Moore as an accessory. After all considerations, it will be most interesting to see if Michael Moore will provide for the legal defense of a man charged with a “gun crime”.

You may find your representative here!

When Mice Attack

Internet scammers steal money with ‘click fraud.’

A company’s online ad campaign bogged down in Germany. The European businessman runs a Web marketplace for cargo firms; for the last two years he has attracted customers to his site by putting ad links on the major search engines. The model worked perfectly—until last summer. When he tried to expand into Germany and found that his site was getting lots of new visitors but unusually few paying customers.

The company analyzed their Internet logs and made an unsettling discovery. Someone, perhaps a competitor, had written a simple software program that relentlessly clicked on his pay-per-click (PPC) ads, burning up his ad budget and pushing his links off the search sites by lunchtime each day. After spending weeks complaining about the problem and getting a partial refund, he finally yanked the ads. “It was really bad,” he says, estimating that he lost $50,000 in potential business. “Nobody knows how to solve this problem.”

Internet advertising is booming!

The industry raked in more than $9 billion last year, estimates PricewaterhouseCoopers, up from $7.2 billion in 2003. The fastest-growing segment, search-engine advertising, grew 55 percent alone. But this company, and others like it, are now wondering if those bright clouds have a dark lining: click fraud. Google, Overture and a raft of smaller search sites get paid by advertisers each time a visitor clicks on an ad link.

Online advertising firms are urgently trying to address the problem. Greg Stuart, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade group, says that “ad buyers’ lack of confidence in the industry’s numbers is very serious.” It threatens their whole business model.

Despite new efforts to stop click fraud, the temptation for scammers is growing. Advertisers who used to bid pennies to place their links prominently alongside searches for words like “refinance.” With traffic to the search sites skyrocketing, last week’s bid for that word was $12 a click! Scammers have to generate only a few fake clicks to make a day’s pay.

Scammers, many based overseas, use new automated software tools that mask identifying IP addresses and click only during slow periods of the month so that a sudden increase in clicks doesn’t set off alarms.

Advertisers worry that if fraud continues to escalate along with ad prices, they’ll be forced to retreat to media like television. “In some ways, we’re at the mercy of how seriously the search companies take this”. We need search engines to do what they do best: search for the right answer.

Egyptians Divided – Bloody Crime in New Jersey

The New York Times reports that in Jersey City, Muslim and Christian students of Egyptian descent suddenly no longer sit together during lunch at Dickinson High School on Palisade Avenue. At Halal butcher shops and Christian-owned grocery stores, sales clerks speak in equally hushed tones about the unsolved murder last week of a Christian Egyptian family, wary of who may be listening.

For years, Mohsen Elesawi, a Muslim Egyptian, shared shisha pipes and games of chess with Christian Egyptians at the Christian-owned El Saraya cafe on Vroom Street. Now, when he walks into the room, he often hears a quiet pause, “like a subject change,” he said. Click on the New York time link above to read the full 3 page story, as if we need new hate groups and crimes, in addition to the criminal problems we are already faced with.

But in the week since four family members, including an 8-year-old girl, were found in their home here with their throats slit, a centuries-old rift has come to the surface. The family was bound and gagged, then brutally stabbed to death. It is believed it was a religious hate crime.

There is no better time to own a gun if possible, or barring that, something like a 26″ solid steel baton to knock a murderer down and out after first installing window alarms and door alarms or braces. In this case you are wakened, and at least have a fighting chance to save yourself and your family from being slaughtered like sheep on your knees. What a ghastly last sight that would be, so prepare yourself for the worst, and be happy if you never need the protection these items afford.

Feral Dog Attacks

Feral dogs are wild or free-ranging dogs. They’re very different from domestic dogs in their behavior toward people and may attack without provocation. These dogs have been known to eat their victims unlike a domestic dog.

Feral dogs usually don’t have any fear of humans, and many will use aggressive behavior in an encounter with humans. Feral dogs can be very aggressive and may attack humans without fear. They travel in packs and may have communal sites and dens. Trails and paths to and from these places may be defined, and tempting for you to use as an access trail to a work area, so be prepared to fend off an attack. I would recommend the best 20% super hot bear spray for feral dog attack, especially Mace extra large which has tremendous range and a sufficient amount of bursts per container. (Check local laws in your area first. It may be illegal to carry.)

If Attacked

Never run unless you can escape as this will trigger the dogs’ instinct to pursue.
Carnivores in the wild usually attack the throat, feral dogs will snap and bite anywhere. As before, pepper spray is a very effective deterrent and is proven against bears. Another beauty in a scrape against feral dogs would be a 500K volt stun baton, which have been known to instantaneously send the most aggressive dogs packing!

If you are bitten by a feral dog/s, you will be treated for slashing and tearing, as well as puncture wounds and possible shock. You may bleed severely, so keep your head about you and apply a home made tourniquet if necessary then seek medical attention ASAP. Consider all bites and other wounds as if they’re infected. Tetanus, Rabies and numerous other diseases can be transmitted from a bite in a feral dog attack, so get medical attention, and consider always carrying a first aid kit in the field.

Dogs are very adept predators since their survival depends on their ability to obtain food for themselves. Feral dogs aren’t a natural or desirable part of nature, report any encounters to the local authorities informing them of the details of when and where the encounter took place.

Stopping a Mountain Lion Attack

I posted some time back about the use of bear sprays to avoid becoming a statistic. The cougar, panther, mountain lion, or puma by whatever name you prefer is a very deadly animal that nature has provided with the strength, speed and weapons to tear a human being to shreds in less time than it takes to type this sentence out.

When in mountain lion country, it’s best to have a companion along as numbers are likely to help. Panthers are pound for pound, the deadliest carnivorous animals in North America. Never use the same techniques to frighten off a bear. To play dead with a cougar won’t work on one that is “hell bent” on doing damage or killing you or a member of your part.

Dealing with a Mountain Lion:

1. Stop, stand still a moment, and stay calm.

2. If the animal is already aware of you, help it to identify you as a human. Talk in low tones, and slowly wave your arms. It may then leave. Staying upwind will help it to smell you.

3. Don’t run from a big cat unless you are sure you can reach a safe place. It can run faster than humans.

4. Always leave the cat and yourself an avenue of escape.

5. Quietly walk back the way you came making sure to not pass between the animal and any cubs.

6. If time and circumstances permit, try to scare the predator away with loud noises.

Fighting a Cougar: You Can Win and Save Yourself Too

1. Protect your neck, this is a primary kill zone that a big cat will target.

2. These animals may also try to disembowel you by clawing at your abdomen with its dew claws on its hind feet. This is another prime target. (your abdomen)

3. Fight back using sticks, stones, hands and feet! Cougars have been driven away by people fighting back with rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands. Remember, you have a hammer with a sharp end. Use it! (where’s that hammer?)

4. Use pepper spray if you have it.

5. Do NOT play dead.

6. Try to poke out the cat’s eyes. (good luck..lol!!)

You can also try to suffocate the cougar by forcing your closed fist way down its throat. The idea is to reach down the cat’s mouth as though you wanted to grab its stomach and hold your fist there until the cat stops moving. This requires that you become the predator (and be a little bit crazy!). If possible, avoid killing the cat. Remember, you are the visitor in its home, and the cat is only doing what big cats do.

Be nice to Mr. Kitty while he tries to tear you or your kids to shreds. We are warned to recall that the cougar is simply acting on it’s instincts. (Sorry buddy I’m going to try and kill you!)

It’s true that we are our own worst enemies, as the continued destruction of habitat and the encroaching upon “lion country” by new housing developments will lead to more and more encounters with these big cats. It’s very important to keep your wits about you and learn as much as possible about the avoidance of attack, along with self defense alternatives with basic tips, such as we have provided above.

High Crimes or Hi-Jinx?

I would like to begin this post by apologizing to my readers for the sparse amount of posts over the past month. It seems that a sudden excruciating pain that ran from my neck, down my left shoulder and leading to a numb, weakened left hand (leaving me completely unable to type) is the result of 3 cervical discs. Two are gone as a result of degeneration and the 3rd is bulging and pressing against a nerve. I will be posting as often as I am able and dictating others for my daughter to type out for me. God bless her!

Today’s post title is a reflection of an email that a friend of 30 yrs sent me. It gave me pause to think about the last “fishy” election and even more over the present election. I am posting it for all to read. I do not subscribe to the thoughts and ideas in this email or am I in any way affiliated with any political group. As stated, I am simply a messenger to bring his thoughts to the attention of as many U.S. citizens as I can. That being said lets let Robbie state his case:

Take Action on Election Violations as Congress Meets to Certify the Vote!

More than a month has passed since voters cast votes for the President and Vice President of the United States – but every day, more and more stories surface that call into question the election’s integrity. Machines broke down, counted backwards, eliminated votes, and registered votes for the wrong candidate. Progressive and African-American neighborhoods experienced by far the longest lines on election day, the most vote spoilage, the most elimination of provisional ballots, and the most victimization by precinct manipulation. Four hundred thousand callers phoned voter protection hotlines, with complaints ranging from absentee ballots lost in the mail, to outright voter intimidation and disenfranchisement. And partisan election officials with conflicts of interest undermined voting rights in states from Ohio to Florida to New Mexico. Even progressive Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have questioned the elections’ legitimacy, in a series of rigorous, painstakingly detailed letters documenting the unprecedented extent and scope of vote suppression, available at http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/

How can we have confidence in American democracy when so many questions about this election remain unanswered? In addition to the longstanding issues subtly undermining democracy — corporate domination of the two major parties, plurality elections, and corporate media bias – the recent election betrayed democratic principles overtly.

Despite the efforts of a few valiant members of Congress, most of our Senators and Representatives have ignored our pleas for serious investigation into the “irregularities” that surrounded the 2004 election. But one more opportunity remains for these government officials to stand for democracy.

On January 6, 2005, Congress will have met in joint session to certify the 2004 presidential election. On that day, if one member of the House and one member of the Senate object to the certification of the vote, then all members of Congress will finally discuss these issues. On January 6, 2001, not a single Senator would join with the Representatives who demanded an inquiry into the Florida recount. This year, let’s make our Senators take a stand!

I have searched extensively for the results of the 1/6/2005 certification results and could find nothing more than the final minutes of the proceedings. It appears that the election is till “contested” and that the certification meeting is to re-convene. I may have this wrong but here is what I found:

Richard Cheney hands the official Certificate of Electoral Votes for Ohio to U.S. Congressman Robert Ney (R-Ohio) to be read and entered as the official results from the Ohio Electoral College from the 2004 U.S. Presidential election on the House Chambers floor on Capitol Hill, January 6, 2005. Moments after Ney read the results, U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) protested the results and delayed continuation of the proceeding. Cheney postponed the Joint Session and called on the House and the Senate to meet separately to discuss the issue.

5:42 P.M. –

The House adjourned pursuant to S. Con. Res. 2. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on January 20, 2005. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote. Ms. Jackson-Lee (TX) moved that the House do now adjourn.

And the beat goes on………….

Concealed Weapons – To Carry or Not?

Some of us are fortunate enough to live in states with “Concealed Carry Laws” that permit their residents, upon successful application, to carry a concealed handgun. It has been shown in states with “Concealed Carry Laws”, that the crime rates are dramatically lower than in states in which they are not permitted. This would appear to “fly in the face” of anti-gun lobby propaganda. I must say, that in a state which allows the concealed carry of handguns, it would be a dicey situation to instigate a robbery, assault, or rape if the attacker knows that they may end up being shot.

The majority of states don’t allow for “Shall Issue” concealed carry weapon permits. Their residents are left with self defense products such as stun batons, pepper spray, steel batons and weapons used in martial arts.

To those citizens living in states with antiquated laws that restrict their right to bear arms, I can only express my regret at the shortsightedness of their legislators. The object of this post is not to lobby for or against the right of citizens to bear arms for self defense, but merely to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that a handgun, although it is a very “final” self defense weapon, is far superior to a canister of pepper spray, a stun gun, or other non-lethal self defense weapon for stopping an attacker.

As we rapidly approach the beginning of 2005, we look forward to more states adopting “Shall Issue” concealed carry weapons permits to their citizens. It is our sincere wish that the passage of such laws, will have a similar effect on crime statistics, as those states that already have these laws in place, which is a reduction in violent crimes.

All one has to do is watch the evening news every night to realize how many people are victimized by assault, burglary, rape, and similar violent crimes. It would appear to be wrong, and an infringement upon our “rights”, to keep weapons out of the hands of responsible citizens, while leaving criminals free to purchase, and carry the firearms of their choice, in the commission of crimes against our citizens.