Category: Guns

Monday Links – Again

August 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

At least until I get some new Monday Fiction to put here, I’m probably going to use the Monday slot for links I’ve picked up that I find amusing.

First, from Reason comes an article on Japan reopening nuke plants. Per Ronald Bailey: “Japan is over its anti-nuclear Fukushima freak out. The rest of the world should get over it and build more nuclear too.”

From The Firearms Blog comes an article on Hillsborough County is arming its SRO’s with B&T APC9 subguns. Not that I’m against SRO’s having subguns, but I have to wonder if the choice was influenced by the fact that B&T’s import arm is based in Tampa.

Three items in the history files:

First, it looks like Genghis Khan’s tomb may have been found.

Second, last week was the thirtieth anniversary of Hurricane Andrew wreaking havoc across South Florida. Probably the lasting legacy of the storm: “In 1992, Hudgison says there were over 400 different building codes in the state but because of Hurricane Andrew, there’s now one uniformed code for Florida.”

Finally, from the Mises Institute comes an article on Malcolm McLean, the man credited with the innovation of the cargo container. I’ll admit that I have a fondness for those unsung inventors and entrepreneurs who develop the things we take for granted, but are the backbone of our modern world. Like cargo containers.

Finally, a couple of military tech items:

First, Lock-Mart says it’s delivered a laser weapon to the Navy for mounting on warships. The Navy has stated for a while it’s trying to get away from explosive propellant cannon and guns. Considering the danger to the ships, I can’t say I blame them. This may be the first step for that.

Second, part of the weapons the American government are sending to Ukraine include a vehicle-mounted weapons system. It includes a four-barrel rocket launcher and sensor turret. Instant technical, just add Toyota Hilux.

Monday Link Time

August 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, just in time to celebrate the feds for passing their crony corporatism for the semiconductor sector, comes this article from Bloomberg about a coming bust in that sector. The semiconductor market enjoyed a massive run-up in orders during the pandemic, sending sales and stock prices to new highs and triggering a global scramble to find enough supplies. There was hope in some circles that the boom could be sustained for several more years without a painful pullback, but chipmakers are now facing a familiar problem: growing inventory and shrinking demand. [Snip] But fortunes have turned swiftly for the biggest chipmakers. Companies like Nvidia Corp. are reporting more that 40% annual declines in their core businesses, while Micron Technology Inc. warns that demand is evaporating fast in many areas. Well, this feels familiar. Particularly those of us who have watched the boom and bust cycles in the firearms industry.

The joke was that the lamentations of enlisted soldiers who couldn’t poorly spend their enlistment bonuses or sign up for bad loans on Dodge Chargers and Challengers, because the automaker is discontinuing them. Dodge will be putting an end to its iconic Charger and Challenger lineup real soon as the company teases a new era of mystery cars to come. The electrified future is slowly creeping into Dodge’s ICE-ladened inventory. It sounds like the lamentations will be short-lived as the young men will have electric versions to make bad decisions about.

At least, it will be cheaper in the future to hear better as the FDA approves OTC hearing aids. Come October, instead of being forced to visit an audiologist and shelling out thousands of dollars for the added expense, hearing aid users will be able to purchase FDA-certified hearing aids from any major retailer like Amazon, Walmart or Best Buy without needing a prescription. IMO, we will see some good, generic hearing aids, but the best will still require special testing and fitting. Kind of like electronic ear pro we have now.

In the life-saving category, we have an article from Active Response Training on the best tourniquets. You really need to RTWT. And take a Stop The Bleed course. And don’t cheap out on your tourniquets.

Finally, our light item (courtesy of The Brother) is on the proper method of peeling off Post-It Notes. The article is amusing, but the TLDR is peel side to side, not down to up.

Very Interesting Concept

August 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

When I saw this pop up on my YouTube feed, my first thought was “hey, that looks like my Bren.” Then, as Ian explained the concept behind the rifle, I was very intrigued. I’m not going to be in the market for a new rifle for a long while, but I do like when people try out new ideas. Even if it’s how to use existing stuff in new ways.

Links Time!

August 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, the serious ones.

Salman Rushdie was brutally stabbed before he was about to give a talk on free speech. From the USA Today article: Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie of The Wylie Agency, said the writer was on a ventilator Friday evening, with a damaged liver, severed nerves in an arm and an eye he was likely to lose. The article says a suspect was taken into but authorities did not have any indication of a motive. Hmm…. I mean, it couldn’t have anything to do with the death decree the Iranians put him under decades ago, could it?

Speaking of New York, there are indications of a breakout of polio. There was a chance, a good chance, that polio could have been eliminated – much like smallpox. Instead, the US government co-opted polio workers. Which, of course, became known. Which, of course, meant certain local populaces wouldn’t take the vaccine. Which, of course, is expanded by the anti-vax movement.

Next a some Reason articles that came to my attention:

First, DC Circuit upholds the bump stock ban. From the article: It concluded that the new reading of the law—which contradicts the position that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) consistently took before then-President Donald Trump demanded that the agency ban bump stocks by administrative fiat—is “the best interpretation of the statute.” Even with the NYSRPA ruling, we have years of court cases to see how that decision will filter out among the courts.

In the vein of government knowing better comes an article about how politicians are trying to zone out mobile homes. From the article: From Texas to West Virginia and almost everywhere in between, you’ll find zoning laws that aren’t so subtle in banning mobile homes and mobile home parks altogether. From urban to suburban to rural areas, legislation is being considered and often passed into law that tacks on costs, makes it harder to own a mobile home, and in many cases makes it untenable to ever build a new mobile home park. In my particular opinion, mobile homes are the payday loans of the housing market. They’re flimsy and overpriced and have many hidden costs that hurt the people they’re supposedly aimed at. None of which means I think they should be illegal. I’d much rather have a bunch of mobile home parks than the disaster of people not being able to find any shelter.

FIRE is still doing good work. In this case, taking on a community college whose leadership conspired to censor anti-communist flyers. This is my shocked face.

Now let’s do some lighter items:

There’s a cat café up in Tampa. And if you really like the kitty you’re playing with, you can adopt it. I may have to take The Wife up for this.

Via The Brother comes an ArsTechnica article about a recent Excel esports competition on ESPN. Okay, first, I find it highly amusing that ESPN turns one of its channels into ESPN8: The Ocho once a year with a focus on “seldom seen sports”. Second, I find it amusing that it does feature a dodgeball competition. Third, I fucking adore an Excel competition – and it is just as amazing as I hoped.

Finally, a video that amused me more than it probably should:

Time To Clear The Browser Tabs…

August 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Hmm… It looks like even WaPo is realizing that black women are buying more guns. They also realize there are more than just the stereotypical firearms trainers out there.

Probably to get some actual carbon-free sources, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is going to certify a new nuclear reactor design. From the ArsTechnica article: “The design, from a company called NuScale, is a small modular reactor that can be constructed at a central facility and then moved to the site where it will be operated.” Hopefully, they can use this to start decommissioning some of the older traditional plants.

I’m just going to steal TFB’s headline for this one. “The Gunshine State: Florida Ranks Only 41st in FFL Numbers.” This is both annoying and somewhat unsurprising.

On to some lighter items:

Those crazy Hungarians! Who else but the descendants of Steppe barbarians would decide the best way to fight a big fire was to mount a couple of jet engines to a tank.

From The Brother (who is a board game addict): SABATON HAS A BOARD GAME!

Links Time Again

July 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments

First, in case you haven’t heard, the report on the massive failures during the Uvalde shooting was released. Reason’s J.D. Tuccille takes the normal sacred goats to the woodshed. “If you really need further evidence of how foolish it is to surrender your right to protect yourself and defer to government employees who are supposed to assume that responsibility, the record of police non-response during the Uvalde mass murder should do the job. Those who, in the future, continue to insist that we disarm ourselves and venerate government enforcers who are tasked to protect us should be unceremoniously kicked to the curb.”

Second, while Texas cops were too afraid to confront a gunman, an Indiana concealed carrier wasn’t. Some asshole started opening fire, and Elisjsha Dicken ventilated said asshole. From apparently forty yards away. Per the New York Post article: “We’re very thankful for a young 22-year-old man who stopped this violent act,” Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said. “This young man, Greenwood’s good Samaritan, acted within seconds, stopping the shooter and saving countless lives.”

Lastly, for our light item, comes a Gizmodo article on Hasbro allowing anyone to turn themselves into an action figure. Face scanning is done through the Hasbro Pulse mobile app available for iOS and Android, and fans will be able to base their action figure on “classic to current characters seen across popular films, television series and comics.” Initially, that will include costumes based on G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters, Power Rangers, Marvel, and designs inspired by Star Wars characters. You probably won’t be able to slap your face on Princess Leia’s body, or get a green face lift to become Yoda—but a provided press release did mention at the least an X-Wing pilot, so you can probably imagine what other kinds of generic bodies could be used.

Clearing the Tabs

July 13, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Another day, another lawsuit against Sig for malfunctioning weapons. This was one of the reasons I didn’t go with Sig when I upgraded my sidearm.

Lego is building a new factory stateside. Normally, I’d wonder if having a local plant would reduce their cost. But, inflation. And collectability.

From Lee Williams, an article on UPS changing its rules on shipping firearms and parts. It’s like they’re taking customer service lessons from Dick’s.

Lastly, Tampa’s largest McDonald’s franchisee is selling off its McDonald’s stores. This is interesting to me as I used to work for Casper’s as a night manager many a moon ago.

Blogus Quietus

June 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Some of you may have noticed little activity beyond the normal Tuesday Metal and Friday Quotes. Honestly, there’s been stuff going on around Ward Manor. The big one was painters coming and adding color to the first floor walls. Which required taking everything off the walls. And moving furniture. Honestly, it was just this side of a move.

I haven’t talked much about Uvalde because every time I start a post, new stuff comes to light. This whole clusterfuck feels like Parkland 2.0. And I expect the same amount of officials to be held accountable. The calls for “something to be done” seem a bit stronger, and they’re coming from more angles, but I just don’t know if it’s enough to get through the gristmill that is modern American politics.

I’m feeling a bit drained and unmotivated, which means less desire to blog. I’m still plucking away at fixing old posts. That actually is kind of draining. Particularly when I’m seeing a five-year-old post where I’m making the same arguments as today.

Expect more antics at Ward Manor, less politics, and maybe some speechifying.