New FRS/GMRS Radios
I bought phone wire and two new phones yesterday and finally succombed to the urge to get a pair of two-way radios. I got Midland's G-227 22-channel FRS/GMRS radios. 7-mile range (in GMRS hi-power mode), can take a rechargeable battery pack and a voice activated headset, though I didn't buy either of those yesterday. I chose this model because it was on sale at Best Buy ($40), the sales guy said that was what he used, and the rechargeable battery & headset were available. One likely downside of this model is that it uses AAA batterries, so battery life will likely be shorter than models that use AA's. This page has instructions for filing for a GMRS license from the FCC Universal Licensing System. It also contains some useful links, like the FCC's GMRS database. There are only 20 active licenses in Albany, NY. This means to me that lots of people are using GMRS without licenses. I will likely get a license before using other than the FRS-only channels 8-14. GMRS Web has a good FRS/GMRS FAQ, and lots more. I managed to walk less than 1/4 mile from my home before breaking up yesterday on FRS channel 8, but Christopher was inside, there are lots of trees, and we had the squelch control turned on (not really necessary out here in the woods).
John (Birdman) Bryant - The Jewish Question - I asked Mr. Bryant how to best get an idea of the reasons for his opinion of Jews, and he suggested that I read this page full of numerous links to his site. One of them included this well-known poem, revised by Mr. Bryant: [birdman]
If you're starting to feel that you're cock of the walk
'Cause you've just gotten thrown a bouquet,
Then you really should go to a mirror and look
To find out what THAT man has to say.
For it isn't your father or mother or wife
On whose judgment you'll fail or you'll pass --
For the fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
Now some people might think you're the king who has come,
And they'll sing out your praise to the sky;
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
He's the fellow to please -- never mind all the rest --
For he's with you, you see, till the end;
And you'll know that you've passed your most difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world thruout all of your years,
And get great accolades when you pass;
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.
I came away from lots of reading with very little respect for Mr. Bryant, though some of the letters he posted from other people were quite good. He appears to have a need to argue every point (something I have been guilty of, doctor heal thyself...). He also has a bad habit of labelling as a "liberal" anyone who disagrees with him. I agree with one of the writers that what we're really talking about here is "The Human Question" or "The Socialist Question", not "The Jewish Question". I'll have to admit that I don't see the big deal with Mr. Bryant's initial letter to the Mensa newsletter. I would have ignored it as uncritical thinking. He names a handful of people who call themselves Jews who did bad things and goes on to conclude that there is a problem with Jews in general. Hunh? There have been plenty of evil actions performed by individuals of any group you wish to name. None of them necessarily predict anything about other members of the group. He even makes it clear that he isn't talking about the whole Jewish population, just their "leaders". Hmm... that sounds like a problem with a small number of individuals who just happen to be Jewish. Why the "Jewish" part is so important to Mr. Bryant, I don't understand.
I have never understood how people get their identity so wrapped up in membership in one or other group. My skin color is what is usually classed as "white", but I find no reason to think that I am white. I tend to write "human" in the "race" slot on forms. I was born in America, have an American passport, but see no reason to think that I am American. So why the big deal about being black? Why the big nationalistic idolatry? I don't get it.
Anyway, I can't recommend spending much time following the link above. I will continue to read Mr. Bryant's Daily postings. He finds good quotes, tells good jokes, and posts good pictures of unclothed beauties. And I will continue to ignore his anti-semitic remarks. I will probably not however, attempt to communicate what I've said here to him. Waste of time.
I should add that, in case you haven't noticed, the fact that I post a link to something on this weblog, or copy a quote, often says very little about whether I agree or disagree with the author. It only means that I find it interesting.
Jim VandeHei at The Washington Post -
GOP Will Let Gun Ban Expire 
- Tom DeLay says he won't let a
renewal of the "assault weapons" ban come to the floor of the
House. Bravo! It ain't over til it's over, but good news. Of course it
won't make a bit of difference where I live, since New York has a
state law mirroring the federal law. Sigh... [scopeny]
[note: I didn't look at the date of this article when I posted it. It
came out in May, so it's now out-of-date. Keep fighting to let the ban
sunset.]
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) said most House members are willing to let the ban expire next year. "The votes in the House are not there" to continue the ban, he told reporters.
His spokesman, Stuart Roy, said, "We have no intention of bringing it up" for a vote.
As majority leader, DeLay decides which bills are voted on in the House. Because the 1994 assault weapons ban expires next year, the House and Senate must pass legislation to renew it by Sept. 13, 2004. If Congress does not act, the AK-47 and 18 other types of semiautomatic weapons that were outlawed a decade ago by President Clinton and a Democratic-controlled Congress would be legal again, handing a major victory to the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups.
Past votes and an NRA survey of lawmakers before the 2002 elections suggest that a majority of House members oppose renewing the ban, GOP officials said. But several Republicans, who requested anonymity, said some pro-gun GOP leaders worry that if members are forced to into a roll call vote, they might switch under pressure from gun control advocates.
