Rye Muffins I

Flavor: Good stuff, but don't expect a strong rye flavor. A pleasantly moist muffin with good texture and mild flavor, almost a hint of sourdough to it.

Difficulty: Follow the directions. Yet again, easy and reasonably fast.

How close did I stick to the original?: I didn't melt the butter (it was room temperature soft) and this  was a mistake - blending would have been much easier if I'd taken the moment to melt the butter. Again, the KitchenAid mixer came into play and now I am beginning to wonder about the joys of a power sifter if I keep this up. The sifter caught a fair amount of partially milled grain that otherwise might well have added an undesirable amount of crunch to the muffin. Mild re-wording of the recipe for modern/beginning cooks.

Rye Muffins I

1 cup rye flour		1 tsp salt
1 cup white lour		1 cup Milk
1/4 cup sugar		1 Egg
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder		1 tbsp melted butter

Mix and sift dry ingredients; add milk gradually and egg well beaten, and melted butter; bake in hot (375F) oven in buttered gem pans for 25 minutes.

A few thoughts on Syria, Chemical Weapons, and Military Strikes

The fundamental question of committing U.S. troops, treasure and ordnance to a strike on another nation first rotates around "what does the U.S. get out of the deal?"

As far as I can tell there is nothing more for the U.S. to gain by striking Syria than expressing moral outrage in the most hideously expensive way possible with the secondary benefit of distracting the American public from the many and vast failures in domestic policies and assaults upon the Constitution generally and civil rights specifically by an administration composed of Chicago machine thugs and knuckle-draggers.

There is, however, quite a bit to lose.

Both Syria and Iran have threatened that "Israel will Burn" should they be struck - and both rogue nations are demonstrably crazy enough to engage in such a strategic mis-step. The fatal error in strategic assessment is to forget the Israelis have been surrounded by hostiles for a very long time - and have long hinted (rather unsubtly) at a "Samson Option," - a re-enactment of Masada on a far grander and more high-tech scale.

Under this last-ditch option, if Israels leaders believe the nation is either about to be destroyed or is actually destroyed - Israel would then launch its 250+ nuclear warheads not only on its neighbors in the Middle East, but on nations world-wide in the ultimate "nothing left to lose" move.

It seems unreasonable to expect the targeted nations to exercise vast restraint at that point. More likely, the phrase of the day will be "let the fun begin."

All this would tend to weigh against intervention in Syria, even before we look at the question of whether it is the job of the United States to play "Policeman of the World." Or the question of whether the President has the authority to engage in Acts of War without either a declaration of war passed by Congress or some identifiable party committing an act of war against the United States (which, oddly, Syria has not).

Past Presidents have waged war as a treaty obligation, a marginally acceptable maneuver. Further, some Presidents have hidden behind the fig leaf of a "police action" ("No, really - it's not a war! We're only blowing up a few things and killing a few people!").

The current Chicagoan In Chief only grudgingly acknowledges Constitutional limits at all, and in this instance claims that in a moment of graciousness he is asking Congress before engaging in military action - but that he has the authority to go ahead and strike where and when he wants in the face of either Congress failing to approve such action or in defiance of Congressional action actively forbidding such action.

Finally, we return to asking "why?" Syria, at this distance, appears to be suffering scumbag v. scumbag in a contest of Al-Queda supported rebels taking on a terrorist supporting and generally vile regime - with a less than entirely innocent population trapped between the warring parties.

This seems more like a situation to bring production back online and air-drop a vast number of Liberator pistols into the region than for the U.S. to engage in military intervention, thus allowing the local population a reasonable chance to work it all out for themselves. Or, perhaps, if all the stars line up to make it possible to exterminate the entire leadership of both warring parties in the dark of some particularly frenzied night if some sort of intervention is found absolutely necessary.

But no, I can't say this is worth a risk of a third World War complete with smoking rubble that glows in the dark.

Erin Palette is ok...(NSFW)

The below may not be especially family safe. Might I suggest that if this offends you that you fold it up all sharp corners and slingshot it up your rectum.

Coming out sucks, in any way/shape/form I've ever observed it. It is chock full of stark terror, mind-numbing stupid, gallons of self-doubt covered in a thick spread of fiscal and emotional uncertainty. The intensity of the suckage may vary by as much as 15% or so, but the best part of it is realizing that it is OVER, and that irretrievably everyone knows and you never have to go through THAT again. (Well, unless you discover exciting new things to come out over...then it's lather, rinse, repeat with an additional layer of "ah, goddamit, not AGAIN!").

One of the especially sucky parts is that at whatever age you went *into* the closet and began consciously hiding your true identity - you get to go back and reset your emotional maturity to that age and start over, with every godawful shred of social awkwardness that you had the first time around but more fun because you are older and less adaptable (and can't call the "young'n'stupid" card NEARLY as easily).

More often than not, coming out LGBT is sufficiently shattering that it involves a year of going batshit crazy - splitting your time between shouting it from the rooftops and boinking anything halfway willing in a desperate effort to make up for lost time. With luck, Erin will manage to miss out on this portion of the adventure...it used to be that you could cure whatever you brought home, but not for the last couple of decades.

Think of it as a pressure cooker blowing. You won't be terribly far off the mark.

Erin has shared that she is set up with "girl brain, boy body." I've been around this block before - my longest term ex went down that path, including the bit that Erin expresses she does not care to explore. My successor as the chair of a largish Pride parade did not start out life as a brilliantly intelligent woman, nor did one of the most effective political activists that Seattle has ever seen - they were, however, always brilliant I suspect.

I wish her well in the madness of coming out. It's a rough road, but in my experience very rewarding. Not everything will be sunshine and roses at the far end, but there is an entire level of self-inflicted and society-inflicted crap that is built into every single closet that magically vanishes away - leaving one to deal with all the OTHER crap one has been busy ignoring in favor of pretending to be someone that you are not (a very labor intensive hobby). 

My point is that until and unless Erin announces a burning desire to get naked with you, the genitalia attached are a non-issue. Similarly, unless some kind of mutual attraction flares, who or what she likes to get naked with and what accessories are required are ALSO none of anyones damned business - and at that point, it is the business only of those involved. Unless it's in Enumclaw...and we try not to think about Enumclaw.

So. If you can't be nice to the freshly out, let them the hell alone. If your heart is two sizes too small, and your brain steeped in a brine of bigotry...y'all are invited to just fuck the hell right off.

Peaceful Protest #6 - and then there is ridicule

Serious political fanatics get really upset when you make fun of them, particularly and especially when your snark has more than a bit of truth to it.

If someone were to post this on phone poles near the "Establishments O' Bigotry" on a 11x17 sheet..I suspect it'd not prove especially helpful to the business involved. And offer a cheap laugh.

Graham Muffins II

I've been, as time and energy allow, working my way through the 1896 Fannie Farmer cookbook - hitting the recipes that I don't actually find repugnant. Since I've yet to make it out of the "Breads" section that hasn't proven a huge challenge yet.

Flavor: Good. Distinctly different from Twin Mountain mufins and with substantially more fiber to it, and a bit more fluffy than the Graham Muffins I recipe. Recommended.

Difficulty: Follow the directions. This one is easy and reasonably fast.

How close did I stick to the original?: I didn't melt the butter (it was room temperature soft) and this  was a mistake - blending would have been much easier if I'd taken the moment to melt the butter. Again, the KitchenAid mixer came into play and I now have a big enough sifter to soak up 3 cups of dry goods - and it is amazing the kind of forearm exercise one of those will give you. Mild re-wording of the recipe for modern/beginning cooks.


Now, to the recipe...

Graham Muffins II

1 cup graham or entire wheat flour		1 tsp salt
1 cup white lour		1 cup Milk
1/4 cup sugar		1 Egg
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder		1 tbsp melted butter

Mix and sift dry ingredients; add milk gradually and egg well beaten, and melted butter; bake in hot (375F) oven in buttered gem pans for 25 minutes.

Note: For diabetic damage control, substitute 1/4 splenda for 1/4 sugar, and add 1/4 cup additional milk.

Peaceful Protest #5

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty fifty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty Fifty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

Remember, when considering action, that I am not a lawyer and I do not pretend to be a lawyer. If you have legal concerns, you should speak with a lawyer. I simply document what has worked (or folks have tried to *make* work) and in some instances extrapolate an improvement here and there.

I'm reviewing a variety of options in this series of articles.

The Joys of Bureaucracy

A lot of activists fail to think of the role government plays in all of our lives. This tactic requires great care, honesty, and precision - but is potentially one of the most devastating.

Inviting government agencies to play with your opponent may be cruel, but it can level a business engaging in bigotry or other socially undesirable behavior. The key is to target accurately (don't call the health department about suspected tax violations, or the IRS about state tax issues), honestly (don't report either what isn't there or what you don't have a reasonable belief is there*), and in a timely fashion.

On the other hand if you see, or reasonably suspect, a violation or unsafe condition (and as many laws and regulations as there are today, we ALL are probably in violation of SOMETHING) in an establishment to which you object - don't bother staff or management with it. You have other things to bother *them* with - for a regulatory complaint, contact the regulatory agency... and many of those have easy to complete on-line reporting forms. If you are particularly concerned, anonymity can be your friend though it likely undermines the believability of the complaint.

It's important to remember that false reporting is frequently a legal or regulatory violation all by itself and even if your target suffers great unhappiness, it is far less amusing to either be watching from your jail cell or as your lawyer informs you about the fun ways you are about to be sued into oblivion.

If in doubt, don't be stupid - talk to an attorney FIRST.

*SEE AN ATTORNEY FOR EXPLANATION ON THIS ONE. I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY!

Graham Muffins I - Fannie Farmer

As I've mentioned before, as time and energy allow, I've been working my way through the 1896 Fannie Farmer cookbook - hitting the recipes that I don't actually find repugnant. Breads are seldom repugnant.

In a late night cooking adventure, it turned out to be time to try Graham Muffins I (and maybe tomorrow, I'll give II a shot - we'll see).

Flavor: Yum (again). Delicate (not overwhelming) flavor of molasses combines with the graham and other ingredients to produce a somewhat chewy but delightful low-rising (then again, this may be the pan) muffin that doesn't explode into crumbs when approached with butter and a knife. I approve.

Difficulty: Follow the directions. Another easy and reasonably fast recipe.

How close did I stick to the original?: I used the cast iron gem pan (and there was actually enough batter to fill all the cups), and I used the Kitchen-aid Mixer to knock it together. I took care to mix the milk and molasses together (not specified in the original recipe). I guesstimated the right oven temperature to be 375F and the time to 25 minutes. I only have a one cup sifter, so sifted each ingredient into the KitchenAid bowl and let the beater mix them. It worked rather nicely.

Graham Muffins I

1-1/4 cups graham flour		1/3 cup molasses
1 cup white flour		3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour milk		1 tsp salt

Mix and sift dry ingredients; add milk to molasses (mix thoroughly, stirring in), and combine mixtures. Cook in well-buttered iron gem pan at 375F for 25 minutes.

Making Sour Milk: 

Add 1 tsp of  either lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. To increase or decrease quantity of sour milk successfully, maintain this ratio of acid to milk. 

Thoughts on Peaceful Protest #4

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

Remember, when considering action, that I am not a lawyer and I do not pretend to be a lawyer. If you have legal concerns, you should speak with a lawyer. I simply document what has worked (or folks have tried to *make* work) and in some instances extrapolate an improvement here and there.

I'm reviewing a variety of options in this series of articles.

Sidewalk Fun

A public sidewalk is a space for public speech - political, religious, philosophical or just plain ranting - that is protected by the First Amendment. When it comes to sharing the love, this fundamental principle is your friend.

Whether you go to the trouble of making up some "Anti-Bigotry League" t-shirts or not, gathering in front of an establishment and handing out cards saying "Don't support Bigotry. Don't Shop at XXXXXX" on the front and "Shop at *COMPETITOR*, a bigotry free establishment" seldom does much good for business XXXXXX - and you can't be run off for trespass, what with being on a public sidewalk and all. And to the best of my lay knowledge there is not a thing in the world that says you have to specify which specific flavor of bigotry an establishment is engaged in - given that pretty much all bigotry is evil, it really doesn't matter now does it?

Picket signs are up the same line, but don't usually include the imperative "Go to THIS competitor". The joy of the imperative is that it tends to breed ill will between the business targeted and their competitors - which will almost certainly bite them, later.

Peaceful Protest #3

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

I'm reviewing a variety of options in this series of articles.

Online Activism

 These days a lot of folks make their dining, shopping, and entertainment decisions online using Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook and what they hear or search out on Twitter. Yet again, I will re-iterate that I am not a lawyer and should anyone have legal concerns, they should *talk to a lawyer.*

Negative reviews, comments, tweets and Facebook posts can all serve to drag a business and its revenues down. Being untruthful can get you sued (and since even if you tell the truth you can conceivably get sued...and have to front the costs until you win) a certain amount of caution is indicated.

That said...

These reviews and comments are also places that you can make your opinion known and influence business decisions.

Example of a Yelp or Facebook comment:

"The food would have been adequate and the service acceptable if not for the foul stench of bigotry rolling off staff and management that left me nauseated and disgusted. Could not gag down my meal and left hungry and dismayed. How such foulness persists is beyond me. Suggest dining at Charlie's, Dick's or almost any less discriminatory establishment."

Comments like that, accompanied by the lowest available rating (Yelp, etc) don't precisely do a business good yet remain within the bounds of honesty. (IANAL) With Twitter, you are limited to 140 characters so an example of comment there would look more like:

Can't eat at XXXXXX. Too much bigotry, crime risk in my opinion. #seattle #bigots 

Again, honest and an expression of *your opinion*.

Don't be silly and use the examples verbatim. You can do better than that - be original. And stay safe out there.

Peaceful Protest #2

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

The Well-Executed Sit-in. 

 The usual kiddy sit-in you hear about is a sort of amateur hour affair. It is vulnerable to being trespassed out of the joint any time you get a frisky premises owner and a police department willing to back them up. Since Seattle is a liberal city with cops under the orders of a bigoted Mayor, that last half is likely fairly even to find.

Don't telegraph your punches.

The Sit-in For Grown-ups is a bit more subtle. Go to a restaurant (or having disarmed, a bar) just before their busiest time of the week with as many of your friends as you can gather. Do not wear a single thing that would identify you as pro-gun or a gun-owner. If you can, fill every seat in the house - but don't let small numbers stop you.

Sit down and place an order for the cheapest non-nauseating beverage on the menu and a glass of water. Take out a book and read until they ask you to leave. Pay only in cash and leave politely. Leave a printed (not hand-written) note behind expressing your regret that their bigotry is causing business losses. The note should appear on each table you and your friends occupy.

Why is this grown-up version?

1) You don't get a trespassing citation or arrest.
2) They don't know what's happening until its over.
3) It is *much more* difficult to identify you and yours when you pay in cash. This means that to combat this the owner will need to be rude and hurl forth other innocent customers who will then be offended with them, further impacting the business.
4) Direct economic impact - by nuking their busiest time of the week, you can take a profitable week directly into the hole AND damage relationships with their other customers - by the businesses own hand. Remember, the business must still pay all their expenses for those 3-4 hours you sit there gabbing with your friends over coffee while you aren't ready to order yet (and won't be so long as the business engages in bigotry).

Not surprisingly, the same group shouldn't hit the same business terribly often...but if you go in on your own later and the business owner hurls forth everyone that hasn't ordered profitably enough for his or her satisfaction - that just ensures the business has alienated their customer base that much further for an absolute minimum of effort on your part.

Thoughts on Peaceful Protest #1

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

I'm reviewing a variety of options in this series of articles.

Boycotts.

Boycotts only work, if they do at all, if:

1) The business knows they are being boycotted.
2) The business can see (or believes) they are suffering a negative impact.
3) Existing customers and potential customers are diverted away from the business. (see #2)

Still, it can't hurt to send each business on the list a letter detailing that you will not only refrain from doing any sort of business that profits them* so long as they engage in bigotry but that you will do everything lawful in your power to ensure that your friends and everyone you have an opportunity to speak with regarding their business.

I am frankly doubtful of boycotts as an effective tool by themselves, beyond simply sending a wake-up call to the business concerned when they start getting letters, phone calls, faxes, emails, etcetera in substantial volume. The nice feature is that they don't *cost* anything beyond letting the business know that you don't love them.  In conjunction with other efforts, I am heartily approving.

*there are many sorts of business that are NOT profitable to engage in, that actually inflict pain on a business to engage in. See next article.

Demonization = Demonization or why McGinn's Gun Free Zones really aren't that different from Jim Crow

 Several GunFolks, yours truly included, mull over the "but is banning gun owners really bigotry?" question...

[06:52] <+Freiheit> Its a bit of a stretch to compare gun owners to minorities
[06:52] <+Lee_TotC> No, it isn't
[06:52] <+Freiheit> yes it is
[06:52] <+Lee_TotC> Ok, convince me
[06:53] <+Freiheit> I was born with a shylock nose, I choose to own and carry firearms and exercise my rights
[06:53] <+Freiheit> CAn they ban skateboards and those stupid heelie shoes?
[06:53] <+Lee_TotC> In those photos in GC's post, insert Negroe, Jew, or Mexican in place of "Gun Owner"
[06:53] <+Freiheit> What about bibles?
[06:54] <+Freiheit> "gun owner" is not an ethnicity or race
[06:54] <+Freiheit> Its something I do not something I inherently am
[06:54] <+Freiheit> and who are you to tell me who i can and cant have on my own property
[06:54] <@GayCynic> ethnicity and the race are far from the only thing that bigotry and discrimination can target.
[06:55] <+Lee_TotC> I despise liberals, should I be allowed to ban them from property?
[06:55] <+Freiheit> yes
[06:55] <+Freiheit> You could conceivably post that customers must be armed
[06:55] <@GayCynic> and far be it from me to say you can't ban whatever you want from your property - but who are you to tell me I cannot firmly express my disdain for your choices, even in an economically punitive manner.
[06:55] <@GayCynic> Note that I very carefully do *not* call for "making a law"
[06:56] <+Freiheit> noted, and I very much appreciate that
[06:56] <@GayCynic> boycotts, sit-ins, customer discouragement campaigns...
[06:56] <+Freiheit> You can call for a boycott, I support you there
[06:56] <@GayCynic> free speech is a game EVERYONE can play :)
[06:56] <+Freiheit> What I disagree with is that I think its a stretch to compare RKBA to racial and ethnic discrimination
[06:57] <@GayCynic> and there's nothing wrong with going in to a restaurants busy hour with 50 of your best friends and ordering nothing but  coffee. Or water, if you can get away with it.
[06:57] <+Freiheit> yep
[06:57] <+Freiheit> What I see is a difference between "Hey fag get out of my bar" versus "No guns here, get out" (excuse my language as I am making a point)
[06:58] <+Freiheit> Discriminating against something you inherently are versus something you have or do
[06:58] <+Lee_TotC> So Freheit, are the likes of CSGV, Brady Campaign, DiFi, Carolyn "Shoulder thing" and others the equivalent of the KKK? If not, what then, are they?
[06:58] <@GayCynic> And I disagree when the tactics of exclusion and demonization are pretty much the same. Jim Crow didn't leap fully formed from the brow of some sister-humper...it was incremental. Let's squish it while it is small and manageable...
[06:59] <+Freiheit> hrmm..thinking about this
[06:59] <+Freiheit> So what about shops with "no schoolchildren" signs
[06:59] <@GayCynic> And I simply argue that demonization is demonization and whether its because of an inherent trait or a disfavored form of lawful conduct...should be quashed with great vigor.
[06:59] <@GayCynic> let the market decide, Freiheit.
[06:59] <+Freiheit> I can get behind "demonization is demonization"
[07:00] <@GayCynic> If enough folks are offended, those shops will go under.
[07:00] <+Lee_TotC> Ever heard about those "black devils?" 
[07:00] <+ChrisM> In a truly liberty based society, a property owner would be perfectly free to do both "Hey fag get out of my bar" and"No guns here, get out"... Of course, society would be perfectly free to shun that person into behaving nicely
[07:00] <+Lee_TotC> Or the "Negroe race cannot control his desires and is an animal?"
[07:00] <@GayCynic> OTOH, there are an awful lot of folks that like a quiet meal or snack...
[07:01] <+Freiheit> Where I'm coming from is that I ran around a crowd in high school that liked to call people Nazis a lot. Then I visited the camps. Calling the gym teacher a nazi for making you shut up in class is a long ways from burning you alive. Equating the immoral and unethical racial discrimination of the past to "no guns" signs has that same feeling for me
[07:01] <+Freiheit> I understand and agree with the point you are making, I support it fully, but I just dont like the path you took to get there.
[07:02] <+Lee_TotC> And yet what did the National Socialists do Freiheit to control the Jewish population?
[07:02] <@GayCynic> Meh. Some folks need visual aids for the hard of thinking.
[07:02] <+Freiheit> banned things
[07:02] <+Lee_TotC> banned things? 
[07:02] <+Lee_TotC> what things?
[07:02] <+Freiheit> books, firearms,
[07:02] <@GayCynic> and that was the short form of the rant which could go on for a dozen pages on LGBT history specifically...
[07:03] <+Freiheit> I see LGBT discrimination in the same category as race and ethcnicity, it is who you are.
[07:03] <@GayCynic> and ultimately sums as squish this whenever you see it, as swiftly as you can.
[07:03] <+Freiheit> agree vigorously
[07:03] <+Freiheit> see our enemies driven before us and so forth
[07:04] <+Lee_TotC> So are part of the gun culture?
[07:04] <@GayCynic> Freiheit, I'm also a gun owner and carry daily - at least partly BECAUSE I'm LGBT and have an enhanced targeting profile
[07:04] <+Lee_TotC> So are you*
[07:04] <+Freiheit> I am
[07:04] <+Freiheit> but I wasnt born to it, its not literally in my DNA like my skin color
[07:04] <+Lee_TotC> And so am I, and GC is part of both the gun culture and the LGBT culture
[07:05] <@GayCynic> It is my strong suspicion that a .45 jhp (ACP or LC) center of mass will slow the most aggressive basher
[07:05] <@GayCynic> Freiheit, by that argument *religious* discrimination is perfectly ok...as after all, religion is not inborn and can be abjured.
[07:05] <@GayCynic> far more easily than orientation, actually.
[07:05] <+Freiheit> hrmm
[07:05] <+Lee_TotC> So then is your ethnicity based on your culture?
[07:06] <+Lee_TotC> damn GC, that was a laser beam if I ever saw one. :)
[07:06] * @GayCynic smiles innocently
[07:06] * @GayCynic has been having this kind of argument for a *long* time
[07:06] <+Freiheit> I'm convinced

No Gun Owners or Dogs Allowed - A list of bigots or proto-bigots

Once upon a time, in far more places than anyone wants to admit, bigotry and racism were not only hideously common - but frequently the law of the land. The targets of discrimination varied by era and locale but the song was always the same - holding forth the different - particularly the visibly different -  as shameful, "less than" and unclean.

It's a human thing - a vile one - that is a constant battle to conquer whether it is between members of the black community able to "pass" and those who couldn't, between the more flamboyant/obvious members of the LGBT community and the less obvious, between white loggers and rail workers and imported Chinese labor, or between any of the possible adversarial combinations of the white/back/asian/latino/etc communities.

Bigotry. The Klan. Aryan Nations. Skinheads. We like to think we've put these things behind us or at least gotten better.

But then Mayor Mike McGinn and Cease Fire, consciously or not, today eagerly began trying to bring back the old demons - the tactics of hate, fear, separation, ostracism and bigotry - in service of their particular flavor of anti-gun fanaticism, seeking to paint lawful gun owners legally exercising a constitutional right with an allegorical yellow star, barring them from businesses and public spaces.

Whether based in race, hue, religion, gender, orientation or choosing to act in a constitutionally and legally protected manner, bigotry remains utterly vile - and seldom moreso when such bigotry conspires to force defenselessness upon its targets.

That is what McGinn and his cronies at CeaseFire and in business promote today. A return to division, fear, hatred in the service of fanaticism and political gain.

“We know this won’t stop someone determined to cause violence,” acknowledged Ralph Fascitelli, CeaseFire Board President in a statement, “but we hope that standing together and giving businesses a tool to say no to guns will change the conversation around gun violence." - Seattle Gun Rights Examiner

If even proponents know that this renewed tactic of fear and bigotry serves no practical purpose, what other goal can such a vile step have other than electoral gain for a flagging mayor, a dying gun control movement seeking to demonize its increasingly victorious freedom and logic oriented opponents and those always present small-souled cretins eternally searching for someone that an authority figure tells them that it is ok or safe to hate.

And now McGinn and his fellow self-righteous minions in business and at Cease Fire have designated someone safe to hate. Gun Owners.

King5-TV    KIRO7-TV  KOMO4-TV KCPQ13-TV

The businesses below, identified as best I can with limited time and energy, are participants in this latter day Jim Crow program.

Avoid them. Or if you can't, bring a crowd...and order only coffee and a glass of water...and sit for hours - during rush hours. Encourage others to do the same.

Be polite, but let them know why. If you plan to boycott, let them know why...and that you will be telling every single one of your acquaintances to avoid them as well, just as you would a Klan-owned establishment.

Be polite. Be the civilized one. Follow the law. The sign itself (IANAL) is not legally binding. You can, in my lay understanding, safely ignore it if you choose to stage a sit-in or personally deliver a card notifying a business why they won't be seeing your cash. The key is, when you are asked to leave - leave. To do otherwise risks a trespass citation. But stand around on the public sidewalk outside the entrances and encourage potential customers to seek less bigoted shopping and dining locations.

Note also that several of these establishments are bars - where it is illegal to carry in any case. Don't get stupid and push that one. It *will* get you a night in the county slammer and most likely lose your guns and your CPL.

I'm not a lawyer. If you need legal advice talk to a lawyer. Nothing here is legal advice and only a moron would consider it so. YMMV. CYA. Boycotts are safe, a sit-in during a businesses rush hour can cost them thousands. One Size Does not fit all. 

New Seattle Crime-Friendly Zones:

Barboza – Theatre/Event/Music Space
(part of Moe/Neumo/Barbaroza complex)
1122 E. Pike St. PMB 813
Seattle, WA 98122
206-709-9442
eli@neumos.com
http://thebarboza.com/

Big Marios – Pizza Joint
1009 E Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98122
206-922-3875
contact@bigmariosnewyorkpizza.com
http://www.bigmariosnewyorkpizza.com/

Brenthaven – MAC Online/Brick & Mortar Retailer
CORPORATE OFFICE
321 3rd Avenue South, #403
Seattle, WA 98104
T 800-803-7225
info@brenthaven.com
http://www.brenthaven.com

RETAIL STORE
909 Harris Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
T 360-733-5608 *700

Bus Stop Espresso – N. Seattle Espresso Shop
800 NE 65th St
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 528-5997
https://www.facebook.com/BusStopEspresso

Cafe Paloma – Pioneer Square area eatery
93 Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 405-1920

Cafe Racer – U District Eatery
5828 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 523-5282
caferacerseattle@gmail.com
http://caferacerseattle.com/

Century Ballroom – Dining/Dancing on Capitol Hill
915 E Pine St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 324-7263
Office@CenturyBallroom.com (goes directly to owner)
http://www.centuryballroom.com

Elliott Bay Books - Bookstore on Capitol Hill
1521 10th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 624-6600
(800) 962-5311
orders@elliottbaybook.com
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/

First United Methodist Church - Church
180 Denny Way
Seattle, WA 98109
206.622.7278
office@firstchurchseattle.org
http://firstchurchseattle.org

Fish Fry – Eatery
NOTE: Identification uncertain
925 E Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 329-7453
info@pikestreetfishfry.com
http://www.pikestreetfishfry.net/

Freddy's Junior – Burger Joint
1513 Broadway

Seattle, WA 98122

Havana – Social Club/Eatery (Bar/Cafe)
1010 E Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 323-2822
http://www.havanasocial.com/

Linda's Tavern - Tavern
707 E Pine Street
Seattle, WA
(206) 325-1220
info@lindastavern.com
http://www.lindastavern.com/

Lost Lake Café – Capitol Hill eatery
1505 10TH AVE, SEATTLE, WA
(206) 323-5678
contact@lostlakecafe.com
http://lostlakecafe.com

Manhattan Seattle - Bar

1419 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 325-6574
contact@manhattanseattle.com
Http://manhattanseattle.com

Moe Bar (part of Moe/Neumo/Barbaroza complex)
1425 10th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 709-9951
http://moebarseattle.com/

Neumo's (part of Moe/Neumo/Barbaroza complex) – A Bar

Venue:
925 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122

Mailing:
1122 E. Pike St. PMB 813
Seattle, WA 98122
steven@neumos.com
eli@neumos.com
http://neumos.com

Nube Green – Sustainable Goods Retailer
921 E Pine St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 402-4515
info@nubegreen.com
http://nubegreen.com/

Oddfellows – Café & Bar
1525 10th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 325-0807
info@oddfellowscafe.com
Oddfellowscafe.com

Office Nomads – Cooperative Office Space
1617 Boylston Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 323-6500
info@officenomads.com
http://officenomads.com/

Quinn's – a Bar
Same owners as Restaurant Zoe
1001 E Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 325-7711
info@quinnspubseattle.com
http://www.quinnspubseattle.com/

Platinum Records
915 E Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 324-8032
infoseattle@platinum-records.com
http://www.platinum-records.com/

Smith - A Bar
332 15th Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 709-1900
info@smithseattle.com
http://smithseattle.com

Southern Street Kids
No Records Found.
May not exist or may not be a licensed business.
Undetermined.

Sweatbox Yoga
1417 10th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 860-9642
sweatboxyoga@yahoo.com
http://sweatboxyoga.com/

The Saint - Bar
1416 East Olive Way
Seattle, Washington 98122
(206) 323-9922
contact@thesaintsocialclub.com
http://www.thesaintsocialclub.com/

Totokaelo – Women’s Fashion Gallery
1523 10th Avenue
Seattle Washington  98122
hello@totokaelo.com
http://totokaelo.com

Restaurant Zoe
Identification less than certain
Same owners at Quinns Pub so…
1318 E. Union St
Seattle, WA 
(206) 256-2060
restaurantzoe@msn.com

Twin Mountain Muffins

I've been, as time and energy allow, working my way through the 1896 Fannie Farmer cookbook - hitting the recipes that I don't actually find repugnant. Since I've yet to make it out of the "Breads" section that hasn't proven a huge challenge yet.

So, for Twin Mountain Muffins...

Flavor: YUM! Fluffy, slightly sweet, very tender. Would make an excellent signature accompaniment at either breakfast or dinner at a diner someplace.

Difficulty: Follow the directions. This one is easy and reasonably fast.

How close did I stick to the original?: I only had a cast iron (not tin) gem pan so used that, and I used the Kitchen-aid Mixer to knock it together. I guesstimated the right oven temperature to be 375F, and it seemed to work.

Now, to the recipe...

Twin Mountain Muffins

1/4 cup butter		3/4 cup milk
1/4 cups sugar		2 cups flour
1 egg		3 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter; Add the sugar and egg well beaten; sift the baking powder with flour and add to the first mixture, alternating with milk. Bake in buttered tin gem pans for 25 minutes. (at 375F - modern addition)

Comments: With a 3.25" wide "cup" in the gem pan, I got four muffins a bit over 3" tall out of the deal. At this size, 1 muffin equals one person. I suspect by going with a cupcake sized pan you'd get more muffins - but expect them to be very filling regardless of size.

GunAuction & stuff

Ok, I got the email  from GunAuction.com,  too. The key thing I get out of the email is that while there is an interest in a fairly straight forward transaction, they appear interested in content distribution deals and such as well - I tend to regard this as a "conversation opener" that each blogger will have to hammer out for themselves where and how this might all work for them.

But I know some of the folks over there, David in particular, and they (and he) are good people that if you choose to do business with them that you can trust and that are VERY supportive of the firearms community. 

They are are serious sponsors of the Second Amendment Foundation, the official auction site of the NRA and committed not only to making a profit, but to the twin principles of supporting the community that supports them and not being jerks all at the same time. And David is their marketing guy (promise guys, I've shaken his hand and taken his phone calls and everything!)...

Whether you want to accept the proposal that they put forth or negotiate with David in good faith to come to some kind of other arrangement (or just decline) is  all good. The one thing I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that this email is sincere and that David & Co do not mess around - if they agree to do something, in my experience, it simply happens.

Where's the NRA?

Where is the NRA?

In Washington, with two ballot initiatives on the table - one good (Initiative 591)and one horribly anti-gun (Initiative 594).

If I-594 passes and I-591 fails, the Washington Arms Collectors (quite possibly the largest organizer of gun shows in the United States) would likely be wiped out, as would both non-profit and for-profit gun shows in Washington.

Eight groups and countless individuals have come forward, formally and otherwise, to support the fight for gun owners rights and raised over $500,000. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Ferry County Tea Party, Gun Owners Action League of Washington, Hunters Heritage Council,  Washington Arms Collectors,  Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Association,  Washington State Rifle and Pistol Association and theWalla Walla Tea Party Patriots have all come forward to defend gun owners.

The NRA is silent. Their checkbook remains closed.

Where is the NRA?

 Noted firearms rights luminaries such as Alan Gottlieb, founder of both the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms have reached out to try and build a coordinated effort to protect gun owners rights - one of the NRA's core missions.

The NRA is silent. Their checkbook remains closed.

Where is the NRA?

The official NRA State level organization, the Washington State Rifle & Pistol Association has joined the effort. The largest NRA affiliate in the state, the Washington Arms Collectors have not only joined the effort to preserve gun owners rights in Washington but have raised member dues to fend the effort.  Leaders of both groups know that they are defending gun owners from a devious attack by wealthy liberal anti-gun Seattle elites. Both groups are cornerstones of the rights preservation efforts.

Yet the NRA, the defender of urban, suburban and rural gun owners everywhere remains silent.

Where is the NRA?

"The Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the NRA. Established in 1975, ILA is committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. "

Wouldn't fighting laws that would cripple lawful firearms transactions between law-abiding private citizens fall pretty well dead center of the mission described above? Yet...

Where is the NRA?

Perhaps the folks at NRA-ILA are busy. Or having a post-Congress nap. If so, we need to help wake them - we need help out here in Washington.

Contact the NRA!
Andrew Arulanandam
NRA-ILA, Director of Public Affairs
(703) 267-3820

NRA-ILA: 1-(800) 392-8683

NRA Political Victory Fund

11250 Waples Mill Road

Fairfax, Virginia 22030

1-800-392-8683

NRA Federal Affairs Division

410 1st St SE # 2

Washington D.C., DC 20003-1867

(202) 651-2560

Twitter:  @NRA @NRAILA @NRANews