Qaddafi's Bodyguards

Dan Lewis provided us with another fascinating fact. To sing up for his daily e-mail, go here.

With the events in the Middle East -- the nightmare of dictators -- unfolding before our eyes, one may wonder how despots like Libya's Moammar Qaddafi manage to stay alive, let alone in power. Dedicated security details are the norm, but for Qaddafi's contingent, there's nothing normal. His security consists of roughly three-dozen women -- all allegedly, virgins -- hand-picked by Qaddafi himself to serve as his guards.

Ashley Cole in "Accidental" Shooting

Ashley Cole shot and injured a trainee with an air rifle at Chelsea's Cobham training ground.

The incident happened in the Chelsea dressing room last Sunday, while the England defender was reportedly carrying his rifle around.

Cole, who did not realize that the gun was loaded, accidentally shot at Tom Cowan who was at Cobham on a placement programme.

The News of the World reported the accident and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is apparently livid with his star defender's silly antic that caused a bleeding wound.

A source told the paper: "It's truly inconceivable that a Premier League footballer could bring a gun to the training ground.

"But Ashley pulled the rifle from a box and started larking about with it in the changing room.

"Cole didn't know the gun was loaded but it's a disgrace. His behaviour beggars belief."

Those Brits sure do talk funny, but when it comes to professional athletes doing stupid shit with guns, we're all the same.

Does this mean that air-rifles are allowed in the U.K.? Maybe they need to tighten up on their gun laws.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

The Maine Gun Culture

You don't suppose these guys are the only ones with the sick fascination for guns that's described in the video? No, they're not. The gun culture from coast to coast is well populated with young men like this. They learned it from their older brothers and their fathers. It's a sickness and the only medicine is better gun control laws.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Student Kills Teacher

I guess we'll be seeing more and more of this, huh? Is this just the price we must pay for "freedom?"

Huynh allegedly argued with the instructor Wednesday before leaving the classroom, returned with a firearm and shot Herrera in the head at near point-blank range, Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department said at the time.

What's your opinion? Don't you think teachers have a difficult enough time getting through to students without worrying if they have guns or not? Is this what Wayne La Pierre means when he says "the ones with the guns make the rules?" How does that work when students argue with teachers?

Please leave a comment.

Pennsylvania Gun Statistics

via Dog Gone of Penigma from Moms Against Guns.

Their facts page is chock full of interesting facts and figures.  I liked this one.

• PA is the #1 source state for recovered crime guns in Camden and Trenton, NJ.
  

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Michelle Malkin is Something Else

via Norwegianity from Crooks and Liars with excellent commentary by karoli.

More on the Girandoni Air Rifle

Richard sent me this by e-mail in reference to our post of last week.

The Girandoni Air Rifle was in service with the Austrian army from 1780 to around 1815. The advantages of a high rate of fire, no smoke from propellants, and low muzzle report granted it initial acceptance, but it was eventually removed from service for several reasons. While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots it took nearly 1500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs. Later, a wagon-mounted pump was provided. The internal bellow was made from leather and were prone to tearing. The reservoirs themselves proved very difficult to manufacture using the techniques of the period, made from hammered sheet iron held together with rivets and sealed by brazing, and were always in short supply.

In addition, the weapon was very delicate and a small break could make it inoperable. Finally, it was very different from any other weapon of the time and any soldier using it needed to be highly trained.