Wow. Gabrielle Giffords unleashes on the senators who voted against background checks. [link]

I am asking every reasonable American to help me tell the truth about the cowardice these senators demonstrated. I am asking for mothers to stop these lawmakers at the grocery store and tell them: You’ve lost my vote. I am asking activists to unsubscribe from these senators’ e-mail lists and to stop giving them money. I’m asking citizens to go to their offices and say: You’ve disappointed me, and there will be consequences.

Sadly (in voter leverage terms), the senator I voted for did the right thing, and the living fossil that I wouldn't vote for lawn crayfish catcher voted against background checks. I have nothing to hold over him since I wouldn't have spat on him if he were on fire before yesterday's vote.

Calli, it's worth it to tell him he's lost your vote anyway, it's not like he knows for sure that you didn't vote for him. If he loses donors, that's going to hurt more, but they do pay attention to the sheer volume of mail, too.

My current Senators are Elizabeth Warren and the temporary guy that Deval Patrick appointed until the special election to replace Kerry, so I'm relieved I don't have to complain.

Theo, I think that even if you don't complain, it's worth it to contact their offices to tell them you support their vote on this issue (and, if you'd like to, that you'd even want a stronger bill next time 'round).

More voices to counter the stuff coming from the gun lobby!

While we working on public safety, it turns out you can 'tag' gunpowder by batch, so that if it turns up in a bomb, you have narrowed your search for where it comes from by a whole lot... except that the NRA successfully lobbied to prevent this.

Plastique (plastic explosive ie C4) is already tagged.

The NRA, making mass killings easier for everyone.

The Kish is in flood - 10.1' where flood is 10'. And the East Lagoon went over it's banks. DeKalb got 4" of rain overnight (or so I hear.)

I have a friend in Wheaton whose street is a lake - her house is an island. . . and island with water in her basement. The cops told her to not leave her house if she didn't have to.

And the office phones are still down. (But that's kind of a bonus.)

Whoa! Just heard that there is a 40' sink hole in a Chicago street that has swallowed 3 cars so far.

THIS WEEK! Stop it already!!

A British woman has crochetted a Bane mask.