Category: Guns

Monday Links

December 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First some gun stuff…

First, from Fox News is an article about the doubling of people routinely carrying between 2015 and 2019. I can’t imagine that has slowed at all since 2019. Particularly with more states not requiring permits to carry.

Next, from the Volokh Conspiracy, comes the ruling that the SAF can challenge California on the state’s attempt to make people pay attorneys fees for challenging anti-gun laws. Not surprising it comes from Judge Benitez – who has been trying to tear down every crackpot gun law that comes across his transom.

From SAF’s own GunMag, a bunch of state AG’s want shipping companies to explain their new gun tracking policies.

Kind of gun stuff, but more civil liberty stuff…

Reason has an article that Mesa Arizona is paying the family of Daniel Shaver $8 million for shooting him. Unarmed. And crawling on his hands and knees while police were shouting contradictory orders. And the cop who shot Shaver was under qualified immunity.

I came across this article from The Civil Rights Lawyer blog. New source for me, but it says that the big hotels are getting into the tactical team game so it can do weapons searches on customer rooms. Oh that’s going to go so well. Better read the terms and conditions when checking in – particularly with large hotels in big cities.

Two more Reason articles for fun…

Elon’s rolling back Twitter’s rules on COVID misinformation. I’d be more sympathetic to the pearl clutchers if so many of the things they screeched were misinformation hadn’t turned out to be true.

Surprising no one who actually lives in Florida, the state is quietly making a deal with Disney to undo the legislation that revoked their special zone.

The light item…

Headstamp Publishing is funding a book called Clockwork Basilisk. About early revolvers. Early flintlock revolvers. Nifty stuff.

Monday Links – All Light Items

November 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I’m not really in the mood to go into the news today. So, just some lighter items I’ve found in the last week or so.

First, we have an article on the seventh anniversary of the grandma who accidentally invited a boy – now man – to Thanksgiving dinner. And he kept coming every year. It’s one of those heartwarming stories that I’m glad to see continue. It hits a lot of the more optimistic themes, such as altruism, chosen family, and putting aside differences to make human connections.

Next is an article on a new cat café coming to Tampa. It’s going to be relatively close to where my mom lives. Which bodes for interesting options when The Wife and I visit. Particularly since it’s no longer necessary to trek all the way up there to get my 5.11 fix.

From FEE, we have a listicle on “Six Books That Will Rewire Your Brain.” I’ve read most of them, but even those should probably go back into the “to-read” stack.

TFB has a review of the B&T TP9. This is one of those guns I want if I get “stupid amount of money.” Of course, like the author, if I actually could get one, I’d pay the tax stamp, SBR the thing, and turn it into a semi-auto clone of their MP9. Maybe pair it with my L9A1 if I did some kind of competition.

As for something else that I kind of want comes a company offering bullet shaped dice. Including revolver cylinder tray. I’d be more tempted, but my fun money is currently going to upgrading my Civ game for the iPad.

Monday Links

November 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments

One of the big stories from last week was NASA launching their big new rocket for a trip around the moon. I, unfortunately, did not see it launch, but Rocket Engineer Brother and his family were kind enough to send over a video.

Heading over from space to the tech sector, the apparent Ponzi scheme that was FTX came crashing down. This is an item in the crypto arena that bears watching, because it may be the catalyst that drives regulation of the crypto arena that will kill its promise. One bit of advice for those of you who have any crypto currency? Don’t leave it on an exchange. Put it in a cold storage wallet.

Amazon has joined the ranks of massive layoffs in the tech sector – particularly in the Alexa and Luna teams. This is of some concern because Ward Manor’s smart systems are in the Alexa ecosystem. And with the Matter standard not quite ready for prime-time means interoperability with another digital assistant will be tricky.

Oregon’s recently passed anti-RKBA Measure 114 is facing heavy attacks on its many issues. Ammoland reports that many sheriffs are refusing to enforce the magazine limit. Other sources are reporting that many small departments are refusing to even handle the new purchase permit due to cost and the fact that the state doesn’t even have the permits available – even though they’re supposed to go into effect next month. Let the shitshow commence!

It was a couple-three weeks ago I shared an article about a 3D printed home in Tallahassee. Now, we have an article about a company doing it in Tampa. Since it’s running about $600K for the list price, I’m not as hopeful on the cost savings. Particularly since a townhome in the same area is going for $400K.

Now on to light items:

War Is Boring has an article on how warfare is responsible for the necktie.

The Wife and I have tickets to the Quintessential Quintuplets Movie coming out next month. I really enjoyed the series, and I’m hoping The Wife enjoys the movie.

Monday Links

November 14, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Last week, we heard what sounded like a crash in the early morning hours. Couldn’t find any damage. Turns out, it was a sonic boom from the X-37B returning to the Cape after 908 days in orbit. That brings back memories of the windows shaking every time the shuttle landed.

Speaking of the shuttle, there’s a report that some divers looking for WWII wreckage ended up finding a part of the Challenger.

Those of you who listen to the Assorted Calibers Podcast have heard that Erin Pallette of Blazing Sword and the Pink Pistols was discussing her recent email exchange with a high school student on gun control. Erin helpfully put up the exchange on her blog. This would be a good primer for some of the folks who are curious about why we keep and bear arms.

Continuing with the gun theme, we have a Reason article about a judge dismissing a challenge to the law forbidding medical marijuana users from owning or carrying guns. I dislike marijuana. Don’t like the smell and don’t like the traditional pot culture. However, I do not think it should be treated any different from alcohol. Including how we treat the users.

From Skeptical Inquirer comes an article asking if sports is a breeding ground for pseudoscience. Well, yeah.

Finally, we have an article talking about some leaked info about a new DLC for Civ 6. Including bringing back some favored leaders. I will admit to looking forward to this. I have really enjoyed the last couple rounds of DLC.

Monday Links

November 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, from the Volokh Conspiracy (yes, it’s hosted on Reason), is an article on how zoning is hurting the housing market for the “missing middle”. This is an area of concern for me because I see what’s happening in my part of Florida. We have subsidized housing for the poor, and the upper middle to upper classes can afford the current prices. What we need is workforce housing – affordable housing for those who are making around the median incomes. I worry that if we don’t find market-based solutions for this issue, then the collectivists will dominate the debate.

Speaking of market-based solutions, Lyft – with support from United Way, Goodwill, and Indeed – is providing free rides for people going to interviews. They will also provide additional free rides if the person gets the position for a few weeks to cover training and getting that first paycheck.

Another Reason article, this one slamming the ATF for losing thousands of gun parts to thieves. I’m less open to completely dismantling the ATF, mostly because then those duties would just go to FBI or Secret Service or some other .gov agency. It – like many federal police agencies – need some serious overhauling and reform.

Here’s an older article from NPR on the Cherokee Nation pushing to have a delegate in Congress. According to the article, there’s a provision in one of the treaties for the Cherokee to send someone to Congress. I do not know enough about the Native American issue to give a full opinion. I know the way the American government has handled the reservations are atrocious. There’s part of me that would like to abolish the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and treat each of the reservations as “states” with their own Senate and House delegates, but I’m not sure if that would alleviate the issues.

From War Is Boring comes an article about the Haitian Police using some new armored vehicles and tactical training to retake the nation’s main oil port from gangs. I didn’t even know that this was an issue that small nation was facing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me. I feel for the people of Haiti, but I just don’t know what could be done that would make things better for both the short-term and the long-term.

Finally, an article from The National Interest on some alt history ways where Germany might have won World War I. In my amateur historian view, if Germany had won WWI, there would not have been a WWII – at least as it unfolded. However, I think we would have had a Pacific War. And if Germany imposed war reparations on the Allies as they did, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the history books would talk about a new Franco-Prussian War. The what-ifs are intellectually interesting.

Monday Links Time

October 24, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Okay, this week, commentary is limited as I’m trying to clear out some tabs.

First, the Reason links:

Guns Are Not A Public Health Issue Warning , this one is a video.

The Paranoid Style In Gun Control Politics

The Press Idolizes Politicians. Instead, It Needs To Hold Them Accountable

Somebody In the Shipping Industry Wants Opponents Of the Jones Act Charged With Treason

Here are a couple of FEE articles that came across the transom:

How the Modern Monetary Theory Experiment Lost Badly To Basic Economics

The Myth That Billionaires “Hoard” Wealth

Now for the lighter items:

From Arstechnica Nikon Small World microscopy contest 2022: Meet this year’s top 10 winners

From TechCrunch, an app to allow you to tip your Amazon driver

Monday Links Time

October 3, 2022 / / 0 Comments

As many of you have heard, the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic “suffered a mischief”, as the Brits say. The linked CNN article – and just about every major news outlet – is saying sabotage on the Russians part. Why? Jonah Goldberg had the most plausible explanation behind sabotage – to get out of paying contract costs by simply not delivering the agreed upon gas. Oops sorry, broken pipe, can’t hold us accountable for non-delivery fees if we can’t deliver.

However, Lawdog, who grew up on oil fields has another take. Which is pretty much greed, corruption, and lack of preventive maintenance resulting in bad things happening. More explanation here. When it comes to Russia, I’m more apt to blame incompetence and bureaucratic ineptitude than outright malfeasance.

Another couple of stories came across that I think point to the future in entertainment. First, James Earl Jones has signed off on allowing AI to use his voice for Darth Vader. Using specialized software, Disney will be able to clone Jones’s voice so that it can continue to be used for one of the Star Wars franchise’s most notable characters. Next came news that Bruce Willis, who recently retired from acting due to health issues, licensed his likeness to be used for deepfakes. From the Ars Technica story: “Bruce Willis has sold the “digital twin” rights to his likeness for commercial video production use, according to a report by The Telegraph. This move allows the Hollywood actor to digitally appear in future commercials and possibly even films, and he has already appeared in a Russian commercial using the technology.” I can see this having some very interesting ramifications for actors in the future.

Finally, a news story about a couple who found a bit more than they were expecting when they bought a bunch of surplus storage containers. From the Guns.com article: “The unidentified winners of an auction for over 100 green plastic Hardigg rifle shipping and storage cases from a Georgia-based online surplus company cracked open one to find at least a dozen M16s inside, reports KTRK in Houston. In what was probably the right move from a legal standpoint but what will be an epic letdown for many, they called the ATF who “quickly” arrived to pick up the guns.” For the record, if this was me, my first call would be to my attorney. Who would then contact the authorities and arrange for their return. Because I wouldn’t want to get caught in the blame game of how these ended up in my possession without having arranged legal representation beforehand.

Fun Show Time!

September 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Over the weekend, the BIL and me went to the local gun show. It was mostly a chance for him and me to price out a couple of items (each) and just gawk.

For my two items, I was looking for a semi-auto 12-gauge and a .22 double-action revolver. I was really hoping someone had Mossberg’s new 940, but to no avail. I did see their 930 Tactical and a couple of Beretta’s 1301’s. As for the revolver? I’ve decided that even though they are cheaper, I can’t go with an LCR for my 22 revolver. I just can’t get a good grip on that gun. I’d really like an SP-101 in 22, but we’ll see what’s available when I finally have the cash.

The BIL was looking at some uppers for his AR pistol and some pump shotguns. The local gun store chain was running a special on a Maverick 88 for $300. Which honestly, wasn’t a bad deal for a budget shotgun. He was also looking for a .22 plinker, and was looking at a couple of GSG’s MP5 clones. Which, honestly, are also tempting for when/if the niece and nephew come to get their 22’s out of my gun safe. Or, I could just fix up the other ones in my safe like I’ve been saying I was going to.

As for other neat toys, I played with some CZs and a nifty B&T TP9. What was interesting was that I saw a couple of HK unicorns in the wild. One of the stands had the semi-auto version of the UMP sub gun. It was interesting, but what really caught my eye was someone selling an SLR-8. I’d never seen one in real life. I’ll admit to being intrigued. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I do not have the $2k they were asking.

I really wish one of the booths had a Just Right Carbine. Just so I can check the ergonomics of them. I’m tempted because they’re one of the few PCCs you can get that will take M&P mags.

I almost came home with a really pretty knife, but I have a hard time paying good money for something that’s just going to be displayed. If I buy a knife, I want to know that it will be used. Or at least, have the probability of being used. Or at least have the probability in my mind of being used.

All the fun at the gun show.

Monday Links

September 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, from US News & World Reports an article on how detrimental the school closures were for the kids. New federal data – the first comparing academic achievement from before the coronavirus pandemic to now – shows unprecedented drops in math and reading scores and the largest setbacks for students in more than half a century. Way back in March/April of 2020, there might have been a case for closing the schools. We didn’t know enough about how COVID was spread, how dangerous it was, and who it impacted the most. However, as we learned more, it was clear that the biggest obstacle to opening the schools were the unions who wanted their members paid for not having to go into the schools. I think we will be feeling the ramifications of this for a very long time.

It’s not Derek’s links without Reason articles. So here’s one on what happened when Sri Lanka banned synthetic fertilizers. The short version? Famine, inflation, government destabilization. Everything a country needs. <Sarcasm>

And here’s another on embracing the prepper mindset. Seriously, hasn’t the last two years kind of proven it’s probably a good idea to have some extra supplies on hand? As reader David says in his articles at Blue Collar Prepping, “Some is better than none.”

From The Reload, comes an article on a recent survey of gun owners. According to the article, this was the largest survey done with more in-depth questions. So, what did it find? Gun owners are more diverse, they are carrying more, and they often own the same weapons and magazines that many want banned. Oh, and they are possibly more than 1.5 million defensive gun uses annually.

Monday Links

September 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, a couple of links regarding the housing issue.

From CBS comes an article that a school district near San Francisco is trying to keep teachers by offering low-cost housing on school district property. This has been an issue facing the area I live in. The editor of one of the local papers calls it a shortage of "workforce housing." How do you house all the people between the lower class and the upper middle class who do all of the work needed to run our cities and our businesses? Some good solutions (like what this school district is trying) are needed before the failing ones (like rent control) are brought back out.

One of the downstream impacts of the housing market has been an increased demand in storage units. A recent report from Yardimatrix expects demand to continue to be high and sustained Considering how many self-storage places are going up near us, this doesn’t surprise me.

A couple of new gun offerings that interest me.

First, TFB has an article on B&T’s folding sub machine gun. I have been fascinated by folding subguns since Robocop 2 and B&T has just been putting out neat stuff. I’m really looking at their APC308 for my heavy AR slot.

From GH Hill, comes Big Horn’s new 500 S&W tactical lever action. One of my Zombie Strike characters carried one of their levers, and there was some temptation to give Nick one in Badmoon.

Finally, an article from Nature on why we get tired when we think really hard. From the article: "The study, published on 11 August in Current Biology1, found that participants who spent more than six hours working on a tedious and mentally taxing assignment had higher levels of glutamate — an important signalling molecule in the brain. Too much glutamate can disrupt brain function, and a rest period could allow the brain to restore proper regulation of the molecule, the authors note. At the end of their work day, these study participants were also more likely than those who had performed easier tasks to opt for short-term, easily won financial rewards of lesser value than larger rewards that come after a longer wait or involve more effort.”