Life imitates the Onion

Some reporter at AlJazerah put up a tweet complaining that the US press dared to post a photo showing the face of the female terrorists who helped shoot a lot of innocent folks in California. She normally wears a face covering? Don't you have any respect?

most of those tweeting back are unprintable in a family blog.


then there is the story, unverified, on progun sites and in some South American papers, that one attack in a Parisian restaurant  was stopped by... armed Colombian narcotraffickers.

which brings this quote to mind:

Major Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris?

Rick: It's not particularly my beloved Paris.

Heinz: Can you imagine us in London?

Rick: When you get there, ask me!

Captain Renault: Hmmh! Diplomatist!

Major Strasser: How about New York?

Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade.

Rumor hasn't hit Snopes yet, and both stories from rabid right wing sites, so you are warned.

the problem is that a lot of pro gun people have a fantasy that in the event of an attack, they can pull out their concealed carried and stop it.

Reality check: No, it takes training to do this: both training to respond automatically (and not just grab your ears and hit the floor) and training to actually hit what you are aiming at while you are dodging bullets. Soldiers and cops might be able to, but I doubt many civilians could do it.

or to quote Sherlock:

Sherlock Holmes: So the shooter, no sign?
DI Lestrade: Cleared off before we got here, but a guy like that would have had enemies I suppose. One of them could've been following him, but... got nothing to go on.
Sherlock Holmes: Oh, I wouldn't say that.
DI Lestrade: Okay, give me?
Sherlock Holmes: The bullet they just dug out of the wall is from a handgun. A kill shot over that distance from that kind of a weapon, that's a crack shot you're looking for, but not just a marksman, a fighter. His hands couldn't have shaken at all, so clearly he's acclimatised to violence. He didn't fire until I was in immediate danger though, so strong moral principle. You're looking for a man probably with a history of military service and...
[spots John]
Sherlock Holmes: ...nerves of steel... Actually, do you know what? Ignore me.
DI Lestrade: Sorry?
Sherlock Holmes: Ignore all of that, it's just the, uh, the "shock" talking.