Thanks also to all those who’ve written here these last four years. Thanks to those who’ve commented here and made it a community all its own. Thanks to all the other captains in all the other cities I’ve gotten to know.

Now, though, it is time to move on from Metroblogging and to let this canvas be writ anew. I have nothing but thanks for Sean Bonner for creating this network, to Jason Defillippo for his incredible coding skills, to Mack Reed for wrangling the Captains and keeping them fed and happy, and to Richard Ault for making the deals that keep the network running smooth. You guys have done amazing things, and I’m sure we’ll continue to see fruits of your work.

Good night, Metblogs DC, and Good Luck.

Fireworks #1 — Originally Uploaded by Camera Slayer

Mayor Fenty is speaking now: He’s welcoming everyone, including Chief Lanier and AG Nickles, and several of the City Council.

“Unfortunately and disappointedly, the Supreme Court did not hold up the three-decade old ban.”

Mayor Fenty has directed the Police Department to begin an orderly process for licensing handguns to citizens for home defense. Before you may lawfully possess a firearm, handgun or not, it must be licensed.

There must be a process within 21 days to register new handguns. During that time, the old law remains in effect. You MAY NOT POSSESS A HANDGUN INSIDE YOUR HOME at this time.

The City Council will be working with the Mayor to create effective regulations for storing firearms in your home.

It seems to have been a pretty short event, as WTOP has now cut away.

Mayor Fenty on U St - Originally Uploaded by DCMatt

Among the likely regulations: Gun owners would have to be 18 or older and could not have been convicted of a felony or any weapon-related charge or have been in a mental hospital for the past five years. Registrants also will be finger-printed and required to pass a written test to be sure they understand the city’s gun laws, Nickles said.

At least initially, he added, residents would be limited to one handgun apiece. The city will set up a hotline for firearm registrations.

In addition, DC wire suggests that in the case that the trigger-lock/disassembly requirement be overturned (and it was), “Nickles said, the mayor’s office likely would propose new legislation to the D.C. Council that would require that guns remain unloaded in the home expect [sic] in the case of self-defense.”

In addition, “Handguns would only be allowed in the home, Nickles added, with residents banned from carrying them on the streets or into other buildings.” So don’t expect Concealed Carry or Open Carry permits to be issued in the District any time soon.

There will be a response from the city shortly.

You can read the Opinion written by Justice Scalia. The Dissenting Opinions are after the Majority Opinion, beginning on page 68 and 114. The big quote from syllabus is this one, which affirms that citizens have a constitutionally endowed right to own a firearm:

The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.

In addition, it is not a blanket right without exception:

The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of fire-arms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.

So don’t go thinking you’ll be able to buy a tommy gun or a bazooka for use as part of some wacky and bizarre home defense plan. Do, however, pay close attention to the section on trigger locks and disassembly requirements, which were also ruled as unconstitutional:

The handgun ban and the trigger-lock requirement (as applied to self-defense) violate the Second Amendment. The District’s total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of “arms” that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense…Similarly, the requirement that any lawful firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock makes it impossible for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional.

There’s going to be a lot to think about in the next few days.

Desert Eagle .44 - originally uploaded by Barjack

Who’d have guessed that anywhere on the list of places people would want to pay to have sex would be the Dupont Metro Station. Yeah, that’s what I thought. No one. However, that’s what recently arrested Metro employees were hoping for. Interestingly enough, it was the station manager and one of the custodian, both female, who were working on the Dupont Metro Sex Ring.

I’m sure there are train-going-into-tunnel metaphors that could be referenced, here, but I’ll be damned if I’ll make one.

I do wonder, though, if you could pay with your SmarTrip card…

Exiting Dupont Metro Station — Originally uploaded by eeliuth

Last we’d heard, the only justice waiting to weigh in on District of Columbia v. Heller was Justice Antonin Scalia (and chances, he’s all for the guns, is my guess) which means that we have to be close to a verdict in the case. The Supreme Court in a special sessions released four verdicts this morning, among them, one Rejecting the Death Penalty for Child Rape, and another to Slash the Exxon Valdez Judgment.

Generally, if Heller were to have come today, we’d know all about it by now, along with the rulings for the Valdez and Child Rape cases linked above. So, looks like we wait another day or two for Justice Scalia to finish his scrivenings. It’s gotta be out by Monday, as that’s when the Court’s term is done. But, worst to worst, it could be extended.

So, who’s setting up the pool?

LA Gun Club — Originally uploaded by seanbonner

So, without further ado, please enjoy some really, really not-safe-for-work language to honor his contributions to American Humor, and to incense a few of the Congresscritters who will cry out “Think of the Children!” before keeling over.

The word of the day last Wednesday was Oil. I can tell you’re shocked and appalled.

Well. The best you can say is that the double standard’s gone.

But, if you are planning on going to a Nats game and bearing your hairy man chest for the crowd to see, be prepared for the ushers to descend on you and request you get dressed or leave. I mean, I get that they want to make it family friendly, but this is bordering on silly.

If you can’t take a shirtless dude on a hot day at the ballpark, really? You’re too much of a prude to be seen at a baseball game anyway, mmmkay?

And I thought Uncle Stan liked those guys who painted N A T S on their chests. Oh well.

sexy — Originally uploaded by Dre’s Pix

Dominion Power is reporting close to 100,000 are without power currently.

I got home this afternoon shortly after the worst of the storm had hit, and there were several large tree branches down, and this oak tree, snapped in half is just a block over.