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| From: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/19/more-than-500-guns-seized-from-southern-california-homes.html |
This guy might be an example of someone who's harmless, despite all the guns and the felony conviction.
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19 June 2018
Big Junk On Bunk
This guy might be an example of someone who's harmless, despite all the guns and the felony conviction.
18 June 2018
Bug Bomb Day
Time to mess with the teeny black ants that have managed to get everywhere.
Take The Boy to school, come home, pack the cats in the carriers, sit on the back for a couple hours while the house is transformed into the insect version of Ypres!
Thank goodness for wifi and laptops!
Take The Boy to school, come home, pack the cats in the carriers, sit on the back for a couple hours while the house is transformed into the insect version of Ypres!
Thank goodness for wifi and laptops!
Getting Fed Up
A new development in the curse of the Corvette.
The HVAC cut out a couple of times returning home from taking The Boy to school.
Checking the fuse, I discovered you could get the power to flicker to the controller by wiggling the fuse.
This makes me think I have a bad fuse holder.
No biggie, fuse holders and boxes are normally relatively easy and cheap.
GM: "Hold my beer!"
The fuse box is integral to the body control module (BCM)! The fuse holders are sealed into the plastic case of the BCM.
Bad fuse holder, replace entire unit!
WHAT!
THE!
ACTUAL!
FUCK?!?
Now I'm staring at buying a BCM and hoping my buddy's programmer can calibrate it.
They're $100 used and $250 new. I dislike the idea of buying a salvaged one because who knows if it's messed up in some subtle way, and what's a warranty?
If this was a normal fuse block, I could just buy a fuse holder and fix it!
I am loathe to break the thing open to get at the fuse holders without a spare standing by.
I am sick of careening from from unplanned expenditure to unplanned expenditure. I'm tapped out for a few months and staring at an intermittent AC problem entering summer in Florida. Joy.
Hitting the tip jar now would really help me stop whining.
The HVAC cut out a couple of times returning home from taking The Boy to school.
Checking the fuse, I discovered you could get the power to flicker to the controller by wiggling the fuse.
This makes me think I have a bad fuse holder.
No biggie, fuse holders and boxes are normally relatively easy and cheap.
GM: "Hold my beer!"
The fuse box is integral to the body control module (BCM)! The fuse holders are sealed into the plastic case of the BCM.
Bad fuse holder, replace entire unit!
WHAT!
THE!
ACTUAL!
FUCK?!?
Now I'm staring at buying a BCM and hoping my buddy's programmer can calibrate it.
They're $100 used and $250 new. I dislike the idea of buying a salvaged one because who knows if it's messed up in some subtle way, and what's a warranty?
If this was a normal fuse block, I could just buy a fuse holder and fix it!
I am loathe to break the thing open to get at the fuse holders without a spare standing by.
I am sick of careening from from unplanned expenditure to unplanned expenditure. I'm tapped out for a few months and staring at an intermittent AC problem entering summer in Florida. Joy.
Hitting the tip jar now would really help me stop whining.
WHY?
I'm updating some apps on my phone and get a message that Google Pay needs access to my contacts as part of the upgrade.
Why?
I mean, no shit, WHY!?! At no point in any financial transaction between me and whomever should whom I know be a factor.
I'm getting very sick of "this app needs access to..." without any explanation of why it needs that access.
I know that privacy is effectively dead... and it's shit like this what killed it.
Unless they tell you what they're using the access for, you can't make an informed decision about allowing them access. My default is, "No!"
One gets the feeling that they don't want to define what they're doing with the access, so when they're caught being deeper into it than promised they can't be held to any sort of liability standard.
Why?
I mean, no shit, WHY!?! At no point in any financial transaction between me and whomever should whom I know be a factor.
I'm getting very sick of "this app needs access to..." without any explanation of why it needs that access.
I know that privacy is effectively dead... and it's shit like this what killed it.
Unless they tell you what they're using the access for, you can't make an informed decision about allowing them access. My default is, "No!"
One gets the feeling that they don't want to define what they're doing with the access, so when they're caught being deeper into it than promised they can't be held to any sort of liability standard.
A Different Perspective
Before we started burning things, Marv took the drone up to see if he could see the new house he's buying.
He sure can!
He sure can!
Father's Day
I had an excellent Father's Day!
The Boy got me a new beer mug.
Filled with Escape Brewing's Trois IPA.
We burned off some yard waste and Marv used the drone to film it.
I grilled some steaks and had a few beers down the road with friends.
In addition, we didn't have to us our AKs...
The Boy got me a new beer mug.
Filled with Escape Brewing's Trois IPA.
We burned off some yard waste and Marv used the drone to film it.
I grilled some steaks and had a few beers down the road with friends.
In addition, we didn't have to us our AKs...
17 June 2018
It's A Gazebo
Listen, and understand. That gazebo is out there. It can’t be
bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or
remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are
dead.
Inspired by.
Inspired by.
Winnah!
Marv and I figured out a chili recipe.
It's in this book!
Substitute one pound of burger with a pound of Jimmy Dean's sage sausage.
Marv is spice intolerant, so it's a very mild chili; but it's flavorful!
I entered it into a charity chili cook-off yesterday.
It won.
Two of my competitors brought the stuff they serve in their restaurant.
I beat two restaurants!
WOOT WOOT WOOOOOOOT!
It's in this book!
Substitute one pound of burger with a pound of Jimmy Dean's sage sausage.
Marv is spice intolerant, so it's a very mild chili; but it's flavorful!
I entered it into a charity chili cook-off yesterday.
It won.
Two of my competitors brought the stuff they serve in their restaurant.
I beat two restaurants!
WOOT WOOT WOOOOOOOT!
16 June 2018
Practically By Design
The acoustics of a theater are supposed to be arranged so that the performers can be heard by the people in the back row.
Turns out, they're also excellent echo-chambers.
Robert Dinero, a known dancing-monkey, gave us a great demonstration at the 70th Tony Awards at The Beacon Theatre.
So, dance, monkey, dance.
Dance in the echos and indulge in the group-think.
Turns out, they're also excellent echo-chambers.
Robert Dinero, a known dancing-monkey, gave us a great demonstration at the 70th Tony Awards at The Beacon Theatre.
So, dance, monkey, dance.
Dance in the echos and indulge in the group-think.
Black Panther
I just realized why my first viewing of Marvel's Black Panther was, "meh".
It was from all of the reviews by conservatives who see SJW everywhere they look.
I think we need to remember that it's a comic book movie.
Based on a Marvel character from the late '60s created and fleshed out by a Jewish author living in New York City.
Can't get more multi-culti than that, can it? Amiright?
The "we see SJW all around us!" crowd really didn't sit back and watch the movie.
There are certainly better entries into the Marvel Universe. There are also worse.
The very idea of Wakanda and how it does or doesn't make sense is also a problem, or not, in the comic. It stems from hence it came and that was an attempt to be jarring about how dismal post-colonial Africa was.
A "what if" where an African nation hadn't been colonized and its leaders were able to thrive without European influence and assistance. Then the convolutions that make that outcome plausible show exactly how implausible the idea really is. Part of the "what if" was giving the nation of Wakanda a decidedly American cultural perspective, and making them isolationist racists! Showing American faults through this negative image proxy.
But it really starts with, "we want a super-hero from Africa," then, "What's his back-story?"
I liked Black Panther, the comic. He was a neat character.
I recall his powers being more training and heart-shaped-herb-magic than technological though. The vibranium angle wasn't as fleshed out when I was reading, and it was fleshed out in books I typically didn't read.
But I gave the film a rewatch.
It's not near as bad as my first time through thought it was. Because I stopped looking to be offended and just let it be at face value.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
There's a couple of issues that do stand out that bug me.
Killmonger is the son of a Prince of Wakanda and an unnamed American woman. He puts on the oppressed African-American mantle, but... There's no Wakandan descended African-Americans who are descendants of slaves. Remember that technological superiority, isolation, racism and lack of colonization? No Wakandan ever had to make the choice between death and chains.
The melange of styles appropriated for the various sub-tribes of Wakanda come from all over Africa. Distinct and UNIQUE styles from other parts of Africa. It was over-simplistic of the people doing the costuming and set-design to just lift these "African" stylistic elements and plop them into Wakanda. Remember, isolation? Wakanda should be distinct from the neighbors.
It was from all of the reviews by conservatives who see SJW everywhere they look.
I think we need to remember that it's a comic book movie.
Based on a Marvel character from the late '60s created and fleshed out by a Jewish author living in New York City.
Can't get more multi-culti than that, can it? Amiright?
The "we see SJW all around us!" crowd really didn't sit back and watch the movie.
There are certainly better entries into the Marvel Universe. There are also worse.
The very idea of Wakanda and how it does or doesn't make sense is also a problem, or not, in the comic. It stems from hence it came and that was an attempt to be jarring about how dismal post-colonial Africa was.
A "what if" where an African nation hadn't been colonized and its leaders were able to thrive without European influence and assistance. Then the convolutions that make that outcome plausible show exactly how implausible the idea really is. Part of the "what if" was giving the nation of Wakanda a decidedly American cultural perspective, and making them isolationist racists! Showing American faults through this negative image proxy.
But it really starts with, "we want a super-hero from Africa," then, "What's his back-story?"
I liked Black Panther, the comic. He was a neat character.
I recall his powers being more training and heart-shaped-herb-magic than technological though. The vibranium angle wasn't as fleshed out when I was reading, and it was fleshed out in books I typically didn't read.
But I gave the film a rewatch.
It's not near as bad as my first time through thought it was. Because I stopped looking to be offended and just let it be at face value.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
There's a couple of issues that do stand out that bug me.
Killmonger is the son of a Prince of Wakanda and an unnamed American woman. He puts on the oppressed African-American mantle, but... There's no Wakandan descended African-Americans who are descendants of slaves. Remember that technological superiority, isolation, racism and lack of colonization? No Wakandan ever had to make the choice between death and chains.
The melange of styles appropriated for the various sub-tribes of Wakanda come from all over Africa. Distinct and UNIQUE styles from other parts of Africa. It was over-simplistic of the people doing the costuming and set-design to just lift these "African" stylistic elements and plop them into Wakanda. Remember, isolation? Wakanda should be distinct from the neighbors.
The Coward Will Win
Miguel has more details about the court case.
Yup, the Coward of Broward is going to win and Mr Pollack is going to be on the hook for all the costs.
BUT.
What this is doing is finally informing people that the government is under zero obligation to do the things We The People constituted government to do for us.
Most everyone I've talked to about this is surprised that the police didn't have to respond to the shooting and cannot be held accountable for anything they do, or don't do in response to it.
Not for Pulse, not for Parkland, not for YOU!
People are sitting at home right now thinking, "When I hired you to do this, I bloody well expect you to DO it!"
Wanna bet there's going to be some changes to 768.28 soon?
By the way, Officer, you don't get to put on the mantle of how dangerous your job is when you can simply refuse to do it, then retire with a pension comparable to the income of a CEO of a successful medium sized company.
I'm thinking that, very soon, people are going to remember that the government is supposed to work for US rather than itself.
Yup, the Coward of Broward is going to win and Mr Pollack is going to be on the hook for all the costs.
BUT.
What this is doing is finally informing people that the government is under zero obligation to do the things We The People constituted government to do for us.
Most everyone I've talked to about this is surprised that the police didn't have to respond to the shooting and cannot be held accountable for anything they do, or don't do in response to it.
Not for Pulse, not for Parkland, not for YOU!
People are sitting at home right now thinking, "When I hired you to do this, I bloody well expect you to DO it!"
Wanna bet there's going to be some changes to 768.28 soon?
By the way, Officer, you don't get to put on the mantle of how dangerous your job is when you can simply refuse to do it, then retire with a pension comparable to the income of a CEO of a successful medium sized company.
I'm thinking that, very soon, people are going to remember that the government is supposed to work for US rather than itself.
15 June 2018
Need To Kill Five Hours
This is a really thorough analysis of character creation and storytelling.
Something I've been part of as a roleplayer and gamemaster.
I was struck by a realization that if I'd played my character or my NPC's in such a slip-shod manner, the players would have revolted or stopped playing.
Yes, I said it, a multimillion dollar movie failed to live up to the standards of a table-top role playing game played by college and high school students.
Gorram Computer
I'm generally good with computers.
I'm generally good with fixing things when they go wrong.
I'm lost at this one.
Last night Windows Update was doing its thing on the laptop.
Restart.
Got to 100% complete and instead of going to the enter-the-password screen, it restarted again.
Got the "Windows failed to reboot, would you like to try safe-mode" screen.
Booting to safe-mode got me a "update failed to install restarting".
Windows Update can see the update I am trying to install: KB4284826.
When I try to download and install it gives error KB80073701.
I've since found that's the "something wrong we don't know what" error code.
So far, nothing has fixed it and I can't find the manual download for the update in question.
Joy.
I'm generally good with fixing things when they go wrong.
I'm lost at this one.
Last night Windows Update was doing its thing on the laptop.
Restart.
Got to 100% complete and instead of going to the enter-the-password screen, it restarted again.
Got the "Windows failed to reboot, would you like to try safe-mode" screen.
Booting to safe-mode got me a "update failed to install restarting".
Windows Update can see the update I am trying to install: KB4284826.
When I try to download and install it gives error KB80073701.
I've since found that's the "something wrong we don't know what" error code.
So far, nothing has fixed it and I can't find the manual download for the update in question.
Joy.
14 June 2018
So Much For That Plan
Traveller defines a radius equal to 100 diameters of an object for the minimum safe jump distance.
It normally mentions it being because of gravity.
Last night, with help from FuzzyGeff, I did the maths for various objects in our solar system.
It doesn't come out.
The 100D distance from Earth gives a pull of 0.000025g.
The 100D distance from the Sun gives a pull of 0.000700g. Almost 30 times stronger than the Earth distance, yet still safe?
If 0.000700g is the safe distance down the well, then 19D is the safe jump altitude for Earth.
If 0.000025g is the safe distance down the well, then 525D is the safe jump altitude for The Sun. That's 4.9 AU, y'all. That's getting near to Jupiter's orbit. Jupiter needs about a 160D distance.
I want more elegant double-talk for what's going on.
Update: Fixed an error on my spreadsheet!
It normally mentions it being because of gravity.
Last night, with help from FuzzyGeff, I did the maths for various objects in our solar system.
It doesn't come out.
The 100D distance from Earth gives a pull of 0.000025g.
The 100D distance from the Sun gives a pull of 0.000700g. Almost 30 times stronger than the Earth distance, yet still safe?
If 0.000700g is the safe distance down the well, then 19D is the safe jump altitude for Earth.
If 0.000025g is the safe distance down the well, then 525D is the safe jump altitude for The Sun. That's 4.9 AU, y'all. That's getting near to Jupiter's orbit. Jupiter needs about a 160D distance.
I want more elegant double-talk for what's going on.
Update: Fixed an error on my spreadsheet!
Making You Go Hmmmmm
Willard and I disagree with how to set the gas system on the FAL.
He says to crank the thing closed and let 'er run max-gas.
It worked for him in the field.
Being an overeducated, intellectual STEM type...
I follow the instructions. Which are essentially set it two clicks more closed than where it will lock to the rear on an empty magazine.
It worked for me in the field.
With Magtech NATO spec ammo, that was "5.5".
"5.5" won't cycle with ZQ1 "NATO" spec ammo.
So it got cranked down to "4".
Then we did the NATO rifle challenge with Malaysian M59 ball.
My beloved seemed to be hitting me harder than I'd grown accustomed to. Thumping harder than the PTR G3A3 clone, which was the opposite of my prior experience.
Today I realized something. I'd swapped out the Austrian gas plug for an FN plug with grenade sight.
Small differences in those plugs could change how much gas is getting to the regulator and thus to the piston.
Time to hit the range!
Awwww, gee darn, an excuse to go to the range?
He says to crank the thing closed and let 'er run max-gas.
It worked for him in the field.
Being an overeducated, intellectual STEM type...
I follow the instructions. Which are essentially set it two clicks more closed than where it will lock to the rear on an empty magazine.
It worked for me in the field.
With Magtech NATO spec ammo, that was "5.5".
"5.5" won't cycle with ZQ1 "NATO" spec ammo.
So it got cranked down to "4".
Then we did the NATO rifle challenge with Malaysian M59 ball.
My beloved seemed to be hitting me harder than I'd grown accustomed to. Thumping harder than the PTR G3A3 clone, which was the opposite of my prior experience.
Today I realized something. I'd swapped out the Austrian gas plug for an FN plug with grenade sight.
Small differences in those plugs could change how much gas is getting to the regulator and thus to the piston.
Time to hit the range!
Awwww, gee darn, an excuse to go to the range?
Ha! Beat You To The Post Ian!
Today Forgotten Weapons posted:
But in July last year, Willard and I played with one.
Add Astra
It's predecessor
And Holster.
Kinda cool to be ahead of Forgotten Weapons with a forgotten weapon!
But in July last year, Willard and I played with one.
Add Astra
It's predecessor
And Holster.
Kinda cool to be ahead of Forgotten Weapons with a forgotten weapon!
13 June 2018
Wrong Causal Relationship
Dancing FBI Shooter To Be Charged
It wasn't that he dropped the gun, it's that his booger hook pulled on the bang switch when he tried to recover it.
If he'd kicked it across the room, nobody would have been injured.
It wasn't that he dropped the gun, it's that his booger hook pulled on the bang switch when he tried to recover it.
If he'd kicked it across the room, nobody would have been injured.
4-8-8-4 Big Boy
This is a BIG engine!
I love that the railroads are restoring these old girls to running condition and running them.
I love that the railroads are restoring these old girls to running condition and running them.
12 June 2018
EULA
By viewing this blog you agree to abide by the Laws of the United States and the State of Florida.
You agree that you have traveled to Florida to view this blog and the laws of other nations and states do not apply.
You agree that you have traveled to Florida to view this blog and the laws of other nations and states do not apply.
Ought To Be
Just like Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store:
Active Shooter should be the title of a fitness magazine aimed at gun owners.
Active Shooter should be the title of a fitness magazine aimed at gun owners.
Prisoner In My Own Home
The Boy is trying to control everything about his environment.
He's got a pretty effective veto method.
He throws a fit like a three year old and he's effectively getting out of anything he doesn't want to do.
For a long time we've been laboring under the theory that he wasn't able to control it.
Thanks to many, MANY stays under Baker Act evaluations at the hospital, we now know that he's in complete control of his fits.
Just like anyone else.
So I can now, guilt free, apply methodology that works on every single spoiled brat teenager since time immemorial.
Child, do what I say or you don't get anything fun to do.
He wants his electronics, he can start giving me good days at school and home.
All we have to give him is food and shelter. There's no reason at all for food and shelter to be entertaining.
Simply put, we're creating a situation where it's more fun to go to school than to sit at home.
He's got a pretty effective veto method.
He throws a fit like a three year old and he's effectively getting out of anything he doesn't want to do.
For a long time we've been laboring under the theory that he wasn't able to control it.
Thanks to many, MANY stays under Baker Act evaluations at the hospital, we now know that he's in complete control of his fits.
Just like anyone else.
So I can now, guilt free, apply methodology that works on every single spoiled brat teenager since time immemorial.
Child, do what I say or you don't get anything fun to do.
He wants his electronics, he can start giving me good days at school and home.
All we have to give him is food and shelter. There's no reason at all for food and shelter to be entertaining.
Simply put, we're creating a situation where it's more fun to go to school than to sit at home.
11 June 2018
They're Getting Closer
Without YouTube to distract them for the weekend, it appears that Brownell's has been busy.
That's getting very close...
09 June 2018
Brownell's Turn
It would appear that YouTube has nuked Brownell's channel.
And they did it on the weekend.
And they did it on the weekend.
Μαγεία οκτώ μπάλα μαντεία
Is a 12-sided die floating inside a over-sized billard ball a great way to predict the future?
The Best Lies
The best lies, especially the best big lies, have a kernel of truth to them.
Anti-Semitic racist, Louis Farrakahn's wee little diatribe about Jews in Hollywood enjoys the kernel of truth that there ARE a lot of Jews in Hollywood and many of them are involved in running the place.
I think that just about exhausts the verifiable facts in his rant.
There are also a shit-ton of Canadians in Hollywood.
Honestly, I'm more concerned bout the Canadians than the Jews because it seems like the instant someone from Canada makes it big in acting they get very political and very liberal.
That alone would be enough to consider closing the border to Canada's actors. Justin Bieber being a supporting argument to ending diplomatic relations with the place altogether.
Truth be told, I've never really worried about Jews as a whole.
There's some specific Jewis people who worry me, but it's because they're Congresscreatures. The fact that Charles Schumer is Jewish is akin to Charles Schumer wears glasses with regards to why he worries me. Howard Metzenbaum and DiFi are likewise in the same boat. Howie worrying me a lot less now that he's dead (he died in Florida so he continues to worry me by voting).
The Jews I know personally, with a single exception, are just folks. The exception seems to revel in being a stereotype, so I can't tell if that's how he really is or if he's just so deep into his front his true self was long ago lost.
Wait, I just checked the narrative, I'm not supposed to know Jewish people or like them. What with me being white, straight and conservative.
Anti-Semitic racist, Louis Farrakahn's wee little diatribe about Jews in Hollywood enjoys the kernel of truth that there ARE a lot of Jews in Hollywood and many of them are involved in running the place.
I think that just about exhausts the verifiable facts in his rant.
There are also a shit-ton of Canadians in Hollywood.
Honestly, I'm more concerned bout the Canadians than the Jews because it seems like the instant someone from Canada makes it big in acting they get very political and very liberal.
That alone would be enough to consider closing the border to Canada's actors. Justin Bieber being a supporting argument to ending diplomatic relations with the place altogether.
Truth be told, I've never really worried about Jews as a whole.
There's some specific Jewis people who worry me, but it's because they're Congresscreatures. The fact that Charles Schumer is Jewish is akin to Charles Schumer wears glasses with regards to why he worries me. Howard Metzenbaum and DiFi are likewise in the same boat. Howie worrying me a lot less now that he's dead (he died in Florida so he continues to worry me by voting).
The Jews I know personally, with a single exception, are just folks. The exception seems to revel in being a stereotype, so I can't tell if that's how he really is or if he's just so deep into his front his true self was long ago lost.
Wait, I just checked the narrative, I'm not supposed to know Jewish people or like them. What with me being white, straight and conservative.
Theft Of A Firearm
Man keeps gun he found in Burger King bathroom.
Well, he ditched it later.
But note the headline at the article.
"Pasco Deputy Leaves Gun"!
I think I want Mr Deputy charged with creating an attractive nuisance. He should at least have to write on the whiteboard, "I will not leave my gun in the restroom." a thousand times.
Among the things I decided when I got my carry permit was, "Always leave the restroom with as many guns as you entered with."
I also wonder if there'd have been a legal problem if the suspect had taken the found gun straight to the nearest cop-shop.
Well, he ditched it later.
But note the headline at the article.
"Pasco Deputy Leaves Gun"!
I think I want Mr Deputy charged with creating an attractive nuisance. He should at least have to write on the whiteboard, "I will not leave my gun in the restroom." a thousand times.
Among the things I decided when I got my carry permit was, "Always leave the restroom with as many guns as you entered with."
I also wonder if there'd have been a legal problem if the suspect had taken the found gun straight to the nearest cop-shop.
Things You Have To Explain When You GM A Space Setting
Why suction cups don't work in a vacuum.
Why magnetic boots won't hold to aluminum.
And so much more...
Why magnetic boots won't hold to aluminum.
And so much more...
It's Actually Proof Of Something Else
For a year conceal carry permits applicants in Florida weren't undergoing the required background check.
About 275,000 applications were made during this timeframe.
An audit discovered the problem and the required checks were made.
345 were found to have some kind of problem.
Of those, 291 were then revoked because the applicant was found to be ineligible.
291 out of 275,000...
Fewer than 300 people got a permit they weren't supposed to have while the State of Florida wasn't doing its job.
What this really means is hardly anyone who's forbidden from owning a gun or getting that permit bothers to apply for one.
I'm willing to bet that the 291 people who had their permit revoked were genuinely unaware they're prohibited people; especially with the change that makes misdemeanor domestic violence a prohibiting offense.
About 275,000 applications were made during this timeframe.
An audit discovered the problem and the required checks were made.
345 were found to have some kind of problem.
Of those, 291 were then revoked because the applicant was found to be ineligible.
291 out of 275,000...
Fewer than 300 people got a permit they weren't supposed to have while the State of Florida wasn't doing its job.
What this really means is hardly anyone who's forbidden from owning a gun or getting that permit bothers to apply for one.
I'm willing to bet that the 291 people who had their permit revoked were genuinely unaware they're prohibited people; especially with the change that makes misdemeanor domestic violence a prohibiting offense.
Secondary Effects
Another reason to start thinking about ending bans on things because it's good for the people who're using them is the secondary bans which pop up from the criminals who rise to supply the banned good.
The National Firearms Act was sold to the public on the coat tails of breathless reports of the violence of the organized criminals who were lavishly funded by illicit liquor importation, sales and distribution.
The long gone booze ban led to a still present gun ban.
The National Firearms Act was sold to the public on the coat tails of breathless reports of the violence of the organized criminals who were lavishly funded by illicit liquor importation, sales and distribution.
The long gone booze ban led to a still present gun ban.
Small Amounts
This is arsenic trioxide. Commonly known as just arsenic.
It's cheap and readily available.
Arsenic is sometimes used to cut cocaine because it's texture is extremely similar to cocaine powder.
Arsenic is extremely poisonous
If you find arsenic in your aspirin, you can sue Bayer.
Where's your recourse for finding it in your cocaine?
There's reasons that many people advocate the legalization of drugs that have nothing to do with being unconcerned about people dying from overdose and misuse.
The two main factors for me are both related to the behavior of the criminals who make, import and distribute the products that are banned.
As above, they can mess with the quality of the product in dangerous ways to stretch the amount of actual product being being sold. You can sue Winn-Dixie for selling you a dozen eggs and only getting 9 and three ping-pong balls. You can't sue MS13 if they sell you a kilo of Similac and tell you it's coke.
Then there's all the outright murdering.
One reason Americans are getting willing to try legalization is the fact that we've done this before. We banned alcohol. The ban had almost no effect on the supply of liquor available to consumers. But it did cause the prices to go up and smuggling liquor became lucrative enough to murder someone over sales territory.
People died from methanol being substituted for ethanol. People died from poisons being substituted for the actual booze they thought they were buying. People died from drinking booze which was tainted by unsafe manufacturing processes. People died from unsafe practices in the production of alcohol, including fires and explosions. Does any of this sound familiar yet?
Eventually it was relegalized.
And the murders stopped. And the quality improved. And people still drank themselves to death, just like before and during Prohibition. The ban had no positive effect on the people who were most at risk of the dangers of alcohol.
Legalizing alcohol did have positive effects on the crime rate. To put it in perspective: When was the last time you heard about Total Wine shooting up an ABC Liquor? Or a B21 hijacking a shipment destined to a bar?
We pretend that drugs are somehow different from booze.
The physical amounts needed to get euphoric are smaller is all, but there was once a time when drugs were legal and over the counter. Ever hear of laudanum?
Legalizing drugs won't keep people from dying from overdoses. But it's likely going to save many lives from murder and poisoning. If, say, cocaine or morphine were readily available and cheap, would people be seeking stronger opiates which are easier to OD on?
But never forget, though, by banning these things you are NOT saving the users. No prohibition on sinful things has ever saved the people addicted to it, and those bans always make it worse.
 |
| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Arsenic_trioxide.jpg |
It's cheap and readily available.
Arsenic is sometimes used to cut cocaine because it's texture is extremely similar to cocaine powder.
Arsenic is extremely poisonous
SMALL amounts of Arsenic are REQUIRED for normal operation of the body. However, larger doses can be fatal. An ACUTE FATAL DOSE of Arsenic is in the range of 2-20mg/kg body weight/day. Thus, a relatively healthy person who weight 160lbs, about 72.6kg, may die if he ingests between 0.145gm and 1.45gm Arsenic in the form of Arsenic Trioxide, As2O3. i.e. 0.192gm to 1.92gm of Arsenic Trioxide. (Arsenic Trioxide is probably the most commonly available Arsenic compound). Considering the high density of the oxide, less than 1/8 of a tea spoon can be fatal. Smaller amounts may be fatal if unhealthy people, elderly or children are exposed. The symptoms of poisoning by SMALL amounts of Arsenic are not always distinguishable from symptoms of other afflictions.The reason that arsenic is sometimes used to cut cocaine is because cocaine is illegal.
If you find arsenic in your aspirin, you can sue Bayer.
Where's your recourse for finding it in your cocaine?
There's reasons that many people advocate the legalization of drugs that have nothing to do with being unconcerned about people dying from overdose and misuse.
The two main factors for me are both related to the behavior of the criminals who make, import and distribute the products that are banned.
As above, they can mess with the quality of the product in dangerous ways to stretch the amount of actual product being being sold. You can sue Winn-Dixie for selling you a dozen eggs and only getting 9 and three ping-pong balls. You can't sue MS13 if they sell you a kilo of Similac and tell you it's coke.
Then there's all the outright murdering.
One reason Americans are getting willing to try legalization is the fact that we've done this before. We banned alcohol. The ban had almost no effect on the supply of liquor available to consumers. But it did cause the prices to go up and smuggling liquor became lucrative enough to murder someone over sales territory.
People died from methanol being substituted for ethanol. People died from poisons being substituted for the actual booze they thought they were buying. People died from drinking booze which was tainted by unsafe manufacturing processes. People died from unsafe practices in the production of alcohol, including fires and explosions. Does any of this sound familiar yet?
Eventually it was relegalized.
And the murders stopped. And the quality improved. And people still drank themselves to death, just like before and during Prohibition. The ban had no positive effect on the people who were most at risk of the dangers of alcohol.
Legalizing alcohol did have positive effects on the crime rate. To put it in perspective: When was the last time you heard about Total Wine shooting up an ABC Liquor? Or a B21 hijacking a shipment destined to a bar?
We pretend that drugs are somehow different from booze.
The physical amounts needed to get euphoric are smaller is all, but there was once a time when drugs were legal and over the counter. Ever hear of laudanum?
Legalizing drugs won't keep people from dying from overdoses. But it's likely going to save many lives from murder and poisoning. If, say, cocaine or morphine were readily available and cheap, would people be seeking stronger opiates which are easier to OD on?
But never forget, though, by banning these things you are NOT saving the users. No prohibition on sinful things has ever saved the people addicted to it, and those bans always make it worse.
But I'm Not
The thing is, I'm not a libertarian.
I never really have been, not since I learned that war is the killer app of the state.
Libertarianism is utopianism. With the same possibility of success and occurrence.
So I don't subscribe.
There's some things contained in libertarian dogma that do make sense.
Such as not being responsible for the actions of third parties you have no control over.
This is why I am not responsible for someone getting killed by a car that I sold.
This is why I am not responsible for the people murdered with a gun that is stolen from me.
I literally did not do it.
That's not libertarian, that's simple common-law liability. It's in Blackstone for crying out loud.
It's a boilerplate item going all the way back to Jolly-Ol'.
It spares us from the endless cycles of feud and vendetta.
Let's accept that I am only responsible for the things that I cause to happen, and not things that are out of my control.
It means that anything I make cannot be held against me if someone else misuses it. Even if they die.
It doesn't matter what it is.
It means that anything I sell is now owned by the buyer, and what they do with it is on them. Even if someone dies.
It doesn't matter what it is.
To say, "except for..." is saying that everyone is responsible for anything they make or sell forever.
Even if you think it doesn't say that, it doesn't mean you're right just because you're specifying an exception.
Once you've made someone responsible for the actions of others in one instance; you've created precedent to make them responsible for the actions of other in other instances and with other items.
Learn how the legal traditions of the Anglosphere work!
I never really have been, not since I learned that war is the killer app of the state.
Libertarianism is utopianism. With the same possibility of success and occurrence.
So I don't subscribe.
There's some things contained in libertarian dogma that do make sense.
Such as not being responsible for the actions of third parties you have no control over.
This is why I am not responsible for someone getting killed by a car that I sold.
This is why I am not responsible for the people murdered with a gun that is stolen from me.
I literally did not do it.
That's not libertarian, that's simple common-law liability. It's in Blackstone for crying out loud.
It's a boilerplate item going all the way back to Jolly-Ol'.
It spares us from the endless cycles of feud and vendetta.
Let's accept that I am only responsible for the things that I cause to happen, and not things that are out of my control.
It means that anything I make cannot be held against me if someone else misuses it. Even if they die.
It doesn't matter what it is.
It means that anything I sell is now owned by the buyer, and what they do with it is on them. Even if someone dies.
It doesn't matter what it is.
To say, "except for..." is saying that everyone is responsible for anything they make or sell forever.
Even if you think it doesn't say that, it doesn't mean you're right just because you're specifying an exception.
Once you've made someone responsible for the actions of others in one instance; you've created precedent to make them responsible for the actions of other in other instances and with other items.
Learn how the legal traditions of the Anglosphere work!
08 June 2018
Two Weeks Notice
A local staple is closing.
The German Restaurant is closing its doors after almost 20 years in business.
It had a real name once, but since it's the only German cuisine in the area...
And it will be gone on the 23rd.
Wow.
While I liked the place, they sure didn't make it easy to eat there. The hours were seemingly random and short.
Still, I will miss them.
The German Restaurant is closing its doors after almost 20 years in business.
It had a real name once, but since it's the only German cuisine in the area...
And it will be gone on the 23rd.
Wow.
While I liked the place, they sure didn't make it easy to eat there. The hours were seemingly random and short.
Still, I will miss them.
Only Police Are Qualified To...
Own fake Glocks?
Wait...
Lemme quote this:
Can't have irresponsible and untrained civilians owning things that LOOK like Glocks, but buy all the real guns they want.
I...
I...
I don't get it.
Bear in mind, this is GLOCK making the demand, not Blue Guns.
Wait...
Lemme quote this:
GLOCK has recently issued a New Contract with Ring's Manufacturing Inc. (BLUEGUNS) to manufacture GLOCK Blueguns as we have been doing for the past 10 years. This new contract states that GLOCK restricts the sale of GLOCK Blueguns to the Public. We are restricted to selling GLOCK Blueguns to the Police, Military, Trainers, Police Distributors, or Holster Manufacturers. We ask that our customers abide by these rules and refrain from offering GLOCK Blueguns to the Public on the Internet, Publications or General Catalogs. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your support.What?
Can't have irresponsible and untrained civilians owning things that LOOK like Glocks, but buy all the real guns they want.
I...
I...
I don't get it.
Bear in mind, this is GLOCK making the demand, not Blue Guns.
It Just Won't Die
I ask again, "How many rounds are you carrying right now?"
If your gun can fire that many without barfing... YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.
Full stop.
"But, Thag, I can't shoot an entire 1,000 plus round training class without cleaning my gun or breaking something!"
So what?
Let's assume you're carrying 1,000 plus rounds on you every day.
Where the fuck do you live/work where you're actually worried you're going to NEED that much ammo to survive?
Here's a hint. The places where you might need that kind of loadout don't let people carry. Heck, most of them try actively to prevent mere ownership of guns.
Just as the map is not the terrain, the class is not the battlefield.
The high round counts are not supposed to be there to test the gun.
They are supposed to be to teach the student through repetition.
Now that I've got THAT out...
The guns that seem to fail to make it through these classes without breaking also trend on the expensive side of the pistol spectrum. When a used Glock makes it, why waste the money on a Kimber?
The next thing that needs pointed out is those classes ain't cheap. The tuition, plus travel, plus lodging, plus board, plus ammo... It adds up. The time factor matters here too.
It's contradictory.
Nearly any gun will survive the fight you're likely to encounter. If we're honest with ourselves, a Blue Gun® will suffice for almost all of your daily carry needs.
So a gun that can go 600-1,000 rounds isn't NEEDED for carry. It's needed to take an expensive class without losing class time you're paying good money to attend.
Where it becomes a "why are we arguing about this" point is the guns that will go the distance in class are also in the very affordable category. Like I said, used Glocks make it to the end readily.
Another point here, even if your carry gun won't go 600 rounds between maintenance sessions, there's really no reason you have to use THAT gun for the class. The fundamentals don't change with the make and model. If a school is demanding you bring a Glock to class and tells you that your Colt 1911 or Browning High Power cannot be used with their training when you get home: don't give them your money.
If you can afford the class, you can afford the spare plastic fantastic even if you don't plan on carrying it.
If your gun can fire that many without barfing... YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.
Full stop.
"But, Thag, I can't shoot an entire 1,000 plus round training class without cleaning my gun or breaking something!"
So what?
Let's assume you're carrying 1,000 plus rounds on you every day.
Where the fuck do you live/work where you're actually worried you're going to NEED that much ammo to survive?
Here's a hint. The places where you might need that kind of loadout don't let people carry. Heck, most of them try actively to prevent mere ownership of guns.
Just as the map is not the terrain, the class is not the battlefield.
The high round counts are not supposed to be there to test the gun.
They are supposed to be to teach the student through repetition.
Now that I've got THAT out...
The guns that seem to fail to make it through these classes without breaking also trend on the expensive side of the pistol spectrum. When a used Glock makes it, why waste the money on a Kimber?
The next thing that needs pointed out is those classes ain't cheap. The tuition, plus travel, plus lodging, plus board, plus ammo... It adds up. The time factor matters here too.
It's contradictory.
Nearly any gun will survive the fight you're likely to encounter. If we're honest with ourselves, a Blue Gun® will suffice for almost all of your daily carry needs.
So a gun that can go 600-1,000 rounds isn't NEEDED for carry. It's needed to take an expensive class without losing class time you're paying good money to attend.
Where it becomes a "why are we arguing about this" point is the guns that will go the distance in class are also in the very affordable category. Like I said, used Glocks make it to the end readily.
Another point here, even if your carry gun won't go 600 rounds between maintenance sessions, there's really no reason you have to use THAT gun for the class. The fundamentals don't change with the make and model. If a school is demanding you bring a Glock to class and tells you that your Colt 1911 or Browning High Power cannot be used with their training when you get home: don't give them your money.
If you can afford the class, you can afford the spare plastic fantastic even if you don't plan on carrying it.
Bummer I Guess
It appears we're in another burst of celebrity suicides.
On the whole, it just doesn't affect me.
Even when it's one whose work I enjoy shuffles off into the clearing, it doesn't really affect my life much at all.
That show I don't watch won't be one any more? I guess I can keep not watching it more easily?
Those albums I didn't buy? I guess I can keep not buying them?
Those movies I didn't go see?
You can see the trend here, right?
On the whole, it just doesn't affect me.
Even when it's one whose work I enjoy shuffles off into the clearing, it doesn't really affect my life much at all.
That show I don't watch won't be one any more? I guess I can keep not watching it more easily?
Those albums I didn't buy? I guess I can keep not buying them?
Those movies I didn't go see?
You can see the trend here, right?
07 June 2018
Where Are All The LGBT Bakers?
I keep reading about bakers who refuse to bake cakes for same-sex weddings on religious grounds.
Are there no gay bakers?
Finding an unfilled niche is a sure path to business success.
You'd think someone would be setting up to fill it rather than wasting time forcing the unwilling to fill it for them.
Are there no gay bakers?
Finding an unfilled niche is a sure path to business success.
You'd think someone would be setting up to fill it rather than wasting time forcing the unwilling to fill it for them.
Translative
Making a character for a setting is not the same as making a character for a campaign.
My Interstellar Wars Terrani navigator Dahveeie needed tweaked for the specifics of the campaign rather than just generic for the setting.
I hope she plays well.
My Interstellar Wars Terrani navigator Dahveeie needed tweaked for the specifics of the campaign rather than just generic for the setting.
I hope she plays well.
06 June 2018
05 June 2018
Is It Summer?
Despite not being near the solstice yet, I think it's summer.
Been wearing shorts for weeks now.
It's hot out there like it's summer.
Time to start using the spiffy holster that I had custom made!
I've even mown the lawn wearing it now!
Been wearing shorts for weeks now.
It's hot out there like it's summer.
Time to start using the spiffy holster that I had custom made!
I've even mown the lawn wearing it now!
Did I Wish Death On Someone?
Yes.
When someone wishes me dead, I wish it right back at them.
Thanks to the SWATing of Reichsminister Hogg, I can see that he's from wealth and privilege.
He's never encountered the world much past the thin veneer of civil society.
This is why he's so entirely freaked out by someone he and his Parkland Kids bullied decided to kill them all.
All his short life, his actions have been devoid of consequences. Much like the person they bullied, whom then proceeded to commit murder.
Having never lived inside that isolated bubble, I never had the luxury of thinking that I could do things or say things with impunity.
David lives in the isolated world where there's second and third second chances. Where he can take greater risks than I could with being outspoken and political because he's not particularly concerned about his attitude costing him his livelihood.
It's why he's not a particularly good student, he knows he doesn't need good grades.
It's why he's taking a year off to wish death upon me, mine and those like me. He's got the luxury of wealth to afford him this time.
I do know that if I see him drowning I will alert the coast guard. By first class postage.
When someone wishes me dead, I wish it right back at them.
Thanks to the SWATing of Reichsminister Hogg, I can see that he's from wealth and privilege.
He's never encountered the world much past the thin veneer of civil society.
This is why he's so entirely freaked out by someone he and his Parkland Kids bullied decided to kill them all.
All his short life, his actions have been devoid of consequences. Much like the person they bullied, whom then proceeded to commit murder.
Having never lived inside that isolated bubble, I never had the luxury of thinking that I could do things or say things with impunity.
David lives in the isolated world where there's second and third second chances. Where he can take greater risks than I could with being outspoken and political because he's not particularly concerned about his attitude costing him his livelihood.
It's why he's not a particularly good student, he knows he doesn't need good grades.
It's why he's taking a year off to wish death upon me, mine and those like me. He's got the luxury of wealth to afford him this time.
I do know that if I see him drowning I will alert the coast guard. By first class postage.
Sirhan Sirhan Was Unavailable
David "Media Bully" Hogg got the Robert Kennedy Freedom Medal?
Pity that Sirhan Sirhan wasn't available to present it.
The manager of my local Publix appreciated me taking the time to let him know that I was shopping there because of Reichsminister Hogg.
He agreed that the 15 minutes of disruption from the bullies and the media (or did I repeat myself) is being more than offset by customers "counter-protesting" with their wallets by buying groceries.
Pity that Sirhan Sirhan wasn't available to present it.
The manager of my local Publix appreciated me taking the time to let him know that I was shopping there because of Reichsminister Hogg.
He agreed that the 15 minutes of disruption from the bullies and the media (or did I repeat myself) is being more than offset by customers "counter-protesting" with their wallets by buying groceries.
The Purge
I started blogging on LiveJournal.
Weer'd convinced me to move over to Blogger.
FuzzyGeff and Technomad stayed on LiveJournal, so I kept my account to comment on their blogs.
Then one day FuzzyGeff actually reads the EULA from LiveJournal's new ownership.
It's so bad that he won't even agree to it for the minutes it would take to delete his account.
I'd already, unthinkingly, clicked OK...
It's almost literally, "I agree to let Russian gangsters have my whole computer."
So I deleted my journal and account.
They give a warning that if you don't reactivate it in a certain period of time it will be deleted forever.
I already copy-pasted my posts over to here... so...
Удалите! Товарищ!
Удачи, штурмуя замок!
Today I got the email telling me I have three days to reactivate my account or they're going to purge it.
Могу ли я рекомендовать слабительное?
Weer'd convinced me to move over to Blogger.
FuzzyGeff and Technomad stayed on LiveJournal, so I kept my account to comment on their blogs.
Then one day FuzzyGeff actually reads the EULA from LiveJournal's new ownership.
It's so bad that he won't even agree to it for the minutes it would take to delete his account.
I'd already, unthinkingly, clicked OK...
It's almost literally, "I agree to let Russian gangsters have my whole computer."
So I deleted my journal and account.
They give a warning that if you don't reactivate it in a certain period of time it will be deleted forever.
I already copy-pasted my posts over to here... so...
Удалите! Товарищ!
Удачи, штурмуя замок!
Today I got the email telling me I have three days to reactivate my account or they're going to purge it.
Могу ли я рекомендовать слабительное?
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