Recently a thread was started which relied upon the work of discredited author Michael Bellesiles to make a point. 

For the sake of proper scholarship here is some information about the wonderful bit of work Bellesiles did...

From Reason Magazine "Bellesiles had flung his challenge at a political organization, but unfortunately for him it was the scholarly community that picked it up. The evidence he had presented for his groundbreaking theory was investigated first by experts from a range of disciplines and political viewpoints; then by a special symposium in a learned journal; and finally, as a result of the disturbing findings, by the professor's university and an outside panel of scholars that it appointed. The results are now in: Bellesiles' arguments are based on wholesale misuse of evidence and, in some cases, no evidence at all. The "invented tradition" is fact, the professor's version a folk tale."

The History News Network had a bit to say too... 

Of course a criticism of Bellesiles would not be complete without his resignation from Emory University 

 CFIF.org  "Shortly before last Christmas, Columbia University finally took back the Bancroft Prize, concluding, some time after the rest of the world, that Bellesiles had "violated basic norms of scholarship."  Now, Alfred A. Knopf, the book's publisher, has pulled the plug on publication."

Check out this article in the Olympian.   These two twin brothers came home and found a burglar in their house.  One of the brothers "assisted" the burglar out of the house.   I wonder if the brothers just getting over a visit to the dentist had any effect on this?   Great job to the two brothers!

Before arrest, burglary suspect was seeing double

Jeff Brigham

My shiny metal @$$...  Anyway Guglielmo, I have tried twice now to give you this link on your "myth" thread...

guncite.com

This will give plenty of info and study.  

I just recieved for approval a draft letter to the OPD regarding the last time I was stopped for peaceable open carry by OPD. I won't post it here, but it does make the appropriate statements and threats of lawsuit.

Also it clarifies the rules for lawful carry of a firearm in the common, public areas of the OPD station. OPD has an unlawful sign requiring disarming before entering the common area. One only is required to disarm in secured areas, and OPD would be required to provide a safe storage space for the weapon, and accept responsibility for it while under their care. My attorney has requested they change their policy to reflect state law.

The letter will be going out to OPD soon... :-)

Norm, JT I'm not being anti cop or anti OPD here. I'm just sick and tired of having my privacy rights violated, my right to bear arms trampled and nobody being able to comprehend what a "Terry Stop" is. There is a small culture there that disregards due process and proper actions in favor of stuff that would be more suitable in California, or Illinois...

I seek only a peaceful resolution to this conflict outside of the courts.

There is a lot of talk about "liberals" and "conservatives" and even some about "independents".  I can only speak for myself, so this won't take long.

When it comes to social issues, I'd call myself a liberal.  When it comes to fiscal issues, I'd call myself a conservative.  On some issues, I'm close to the middle, which might make me independent.  Considering that I realize the differences in myself, I'm confident that I can recognize a liberal, a conservative or someone more mid-stream.

I have a dear friend (the guy that took care of Gary while he was dying).  Rand is a self proclaimed conservative.  He calls me a liberal and then he smiles and laughs.  I call him a conservative and I smile and laugh.  We do this because both of us just lost a dear friend and we know that the really important stuff has nothing to do with silly labels.

Rand is a conservative, but he's not a jerk.  There is a difference.

With yet another tragic shooting on an American college campus, I am once again drawn to the mystery that is American gun culture. While conflict and violence are not American-held monopolies, the overwhelming lethality of American violence sets us well apart from the rest of the civilized world. Why is that? Well for one, I think we we too uncritically accept the idea that guns are our heritage, a reflection of our pioneering and revolutionary origins. We accept as fact the image of the yeoman farmer with a plow handle in one hand and a gun in the other, or the ubiquitous citizen soldier of the revolution with a rifle always at the ready.

Instead of rigorous historical research, it seems we’ve relied largely on the words of novelists, pamphleteers, the Colt company, and wild-west showmen to establish the narrative that welds guns so firmly into our culture. But what are the facts? How many colonial Americans actually owned a functioning fire arm? How do we know that over almost every American mantle piece hung a gun at the ready to defend the farm?

Michael Bellesiles flawed book, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, tried to tackle these questions in a systematic way, but irregularities in his record keeping and interpretation of archived probate records casts doubt on many of his findings. Still, Bellesiles approach, which was to examine historical archives of the period to determine the actual extent of gun ownership in colonial America, is preferable to relying soley on what may be overly romantisized accounts of our past. Is there a respectable body of non-advocacy historical research using such methods that supports the idealized version of America’s partnership with the gun? Or do we owe it all to J.F. Cooper et al?

Olympia Civil Liberties Resource will hold public meetings in Olympia on Sundays throughout February and March, 2008. We are currently working on supporting Briana Waters throughout her trial, getting the word out about her trial and its implications to civil liberties for activists and everyone. If you want to support Briana or are just interested in learning more about this trial and its implications, you are welcome to attend.

Sundays throughout February and March At Olympia Free School, 610 Columbia St. SW

Current schedule (check the online calendar for updates, see right side bar of website for link)

Feb. 10, 17, and 24, and March 9: 4-6:30 PM

March 2, 16, 23, and 30: 7-8:30 PM

www.olycivlib.org

Help Support Briana during her trial by joining us at the Eagles Hall Ballroom in Olympia (at 4th Ave. and Plum St.) on Friday, February 29 at 7 PM. Citizens Band will play and more bands will be announced. Also a Silent Auction for great stuff!!!

www.olycivlib.org

Here's another recipe for the crock pot, and a critique of two fast food chains.

I cooked up two boneless, skinless chicken fillets and almost a whole package (I ate one) of Tofurky Chipotle Franks (Winner of the "Best New Vegetarian Product at Expo West 2006" by Veg News Magazine.) (on Sale for $2.07 at the OFC) in the Cast Iron Skillet with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and scissored them into bits.

1 small red onion sauteed with a head of garlic.

10 baby carrots chopped to smithereens in the little food processor

2 Cans of Organic Black Beans

1 Can of Organic Whole Kernel Corn

1 Cup of cooked Organic Long Grain Brown Rice

A Large Leaf of Red Chard, scissored into smithereens

1 Celery Stalk, scissored into slices