Posts Made By: James Brown

Russ Carroll said:

First time I've had an image selected Astronomy Picture of the day. Very happy! It's an image of the Coma Cluster:

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180326.html

Superb! Congratulations! Did you gather all of the data using your remote interface?

Jim

Rod Kaufman said:

Excellent news!
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/us/deerfield-illinois-assault-weapon-ban-trnd/index.html
Check out that fine for owning one...

Gentlemen:

An assault weapons ban might be perfectly constitutional. Here is a quote from a 2015 DC Circuit Court of Appeals opinion upholding Maryland's assault weapons ban. This case is known as "Heller II" because the plaintiff is the same chap who brought the Supreme Court Heller case, Dick Heller. In November 2017 The Supreme Court denied review of this case.

Money quote from the DC Circuit:

[COLOR="Blue"]We conclude — contrary to the now vacated decision of our prior panel — that the banned assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are not protected by the Second Amendment. That is, we are convinced that the banned assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are among those arms that are "like" "M-16 rifles" — "weapons that are most useful in military service" — which the Heller Court singled out as being beyond the Second Amendment’s reach. See 554 U.S. at 627 (rejecting the notion that the Second Amendment safeguards "M-16 rifles and the like"). Put simply, we have no power to extend Second Amendment protection to the weapons of war that the Heller decision explicitly excluded from such coverage."[/COLOR]

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/46AD1BE68518069B85257EC400534ABB/$file/14-7071-1573768.pdf

Interesting how the Supreme's Heller opinion is cited to support the constitutionality of the AW ban. So why did the Supreme Court choose not to review this case? https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/112717zor_f204.pdf We can only speculate of course, but maybe they are waiting for a Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down an Assault weapons ban - The Supremes are mandated to resolve disputes between the Circuits. So far, no Circuit Court has ever stricken down a ban. A handful of states have them. Maybe the Supremes felt that the DC Circuit got it right. That should give those who think that an assault weapons ban is undeniably unconstitutional under Heller something to think about.

Jim

Or at least "retire in disgrace"

You bet we fan the flames. Visit the politics forum to see why "Jim the Fanatic"

Nils, why are you keeping the overflowing rhetorical prowess displayed above bottled up on Politics? Here, you are making Lawrence Olivier seem like a mush mouthed mumbler by comparison. There, you are kind of docile. My guess is that you only get really worked up about things that matter.

FWIW I'm pulling for the Sox, but as a Cub fan, (And of course a Rockies fan, we have only just begun to feel the pain, nothing multi-generational yet) I kinda hope they (the Sox) lose. Talk about conflicted! - Jim -

because I already voted!

As of Monday morning it appears that Chris Nicholl has voted 19 times!

Jim

Stephen needs to ask that Herb York chap if he knows who is responsible for silly off topic polls like this

Jim

Chris Nicholl said:

That's their only hope...

Well, we have the altitude plus a better offense, a better defense, better special teams and a much better coaching staff.

Thinking more expansively, this is a better place to live, we have better looking people, a better economy, countless crystal clear nights and the skiing is a whole lot better. I guess I can see why a Pittsburgher would be a football fan...

Have you ever considered lightening up Mark? You post down in politics now and then, so it appears that you enjoy the give and take of heated political debate, as many of us do.

You have projected your own political viewpoints loud and clear, and to the best of my knowledge no one thinks less of you as a telescope vendor because of it.

So what if Herb posts "slanted" polls? Ignore them if they bug you. It appears to me that you are pulling your support based upon the content of Herb's political views. I'm reading between the lines of course, but I am intimately familiar with your political viewpoint.

Jim