Category: Guns

Monday Links On Wednesday

May 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is going to be kind of short this week.

First a couple of gun related items.

From TFB, a discussion if gun sales are declining. I would think of it more regression to the new mean.

Then from Mas Ayoob, a defense of the AR-15. I generally take anything from Mas as close to gospel when it comes to guns and gun issues.

Now, on to a couple of tech items.

From CNBC, we have an article about Apple and Google working to keep AirTags from being used maliciously.

A couple weeks ago, I posted an article about the feds warning against using public USB charging ports. Via The Brother, comes an Ars Technica countering that bit of wisdom.

What Kind of Mass Killings?

May 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This isn’t going to be revelatory for those who study violence in depth, but I’m trying to get to an analogy that most people will understand. Particularly when the media splashes all of the “mass shootings” and bring on panelists asking for the same laws. Those panelists who sneer at me when I say that what they’re asking for won’t work.

I was listening to The Reload podcast back on the 17th, and they were talking about mass shootings / mass killings. The first part, is of course, on definitions. Because, as the host describes, depending on the definition used, the Louisville bank could have been the 156th, 46th, or the fourth.

Definitions matter for another reason. How to prevent these events will change depending on the motivations for the shooting.

The best analogy I can come up with is cancer. Cancer is not one disease. It’s a series of different diseases with similar features. You also cannot treat lung cancer the same way as you treat prostate or breast cancer.

Monday Links

May 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments

It’s going to be a little sparse on the ground this week.

First, we have a Reason article about Disney suing DeSantis. Based on statements made and the timing of actions, I think Disney has a decent case. I’m also not liking this populist trend of DeSantis using government power to achieve political ends regardless of civil liberties.

Next, Professor David Yamane has an article in The Hill explaining that Stand Your Ground laws do not give people a license to kill. I agree with a lot of commentators that the consistent repeating of this mantra is misinforming a large segment of the populace – who then rely on that misinformation to inform their actions. When it comes to self-defense, that has life-changing and life-ending consequences.

From The Verge, we have an article that Microsoft is shuttering a large segment of its peripheral business. They’re shifting to “premium” Surface-branded peripherals. Which means I probably need to stock up on some Sculpt keyboards.

The Drive has a profile of an Oregon company that does custom lifts for Subarus. Okay, the idea of lifting the Ward Wagon intrigues me, but the likelihood of me using any off-road capability is minimal.

Finally, Blabbermouth reports that a new Savatage album is coming next year. According to Jon Olivia, this will be the last album for Savatage. Thank you Jon for giving me decades of music.

Tab Clearing

April 20, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Monday Links was pre-empted by history. I still need to clear out some links that I’ve built up.

Let’s start with a few Reason articles.

First, one on the EPA banning the production of gas-powered cars. I’m not a fan of mandates. I know surprise.

Second, a discussion on the benefits of teen employment. I am a fan of young people learning work ethics from their first job. My years managing fast-food showed me the best and worst of employing teens.

Third, a discussion on proportional representation. I’m kind of leaning more and more to something like this.

From ABCNews comes a story about every gun owners worst nightmare. Police get wrong address, homeowner comes to the door with a gun, and as the article states “chaos ensues.” Homeowner ends up dead.

An article from Android Authority reports that the FBI warns not to use public charging ports. Also, don’t plug your phone into the USB ports in a rideshare or taxi. Just don’t.

An article from Bounding Into Comics about WoTC’s decision to remove half-races from Dungeons and Dragons. On the one hand, it invalidates decades of lore and characters (both in the novels and players’ favorite characters). On the other hand, it would be more in line with actual biology – unless orcs and elves are some form of human. On the gripping hand, the stated reason for the change is fucking bullshit.

Finally, an article about finding the original recording of the Wilhelm scream. H/t to FB friend Rob Reed.

I Was Really Planning On A Shotgun This Year

April 13, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Then Smith & Wesson had to go and release a carbine that took the same magazines as my sidearm. Okay, it wasn’t what I was expecting in terms of form factor. And I’m not sure if I would ever fold it. Yet, there’s something nifty about it. Plus, the sub-$1,000 MSRP didn’t hurt.

Then, David did a review. Then a local gun shop had it for $700.

Yeah, one came home with me.

Initial impressions? I like that the ergonomics are similar to my sidearm. I like the compactness compared to the Bren. I dislike the stiffness of the bolt release. I haven’t really played with the spare mag holders on the stock, but I’m not too keen on the way it’s set up.

I have a red dot coming for it. Then, I need to see how it fires. And handles my Gold Dots.

If everything goes smooth, I’m going to have to make a decision if the FPC or the Bren will be the home defense carbine.

And Florida Becomes Number 26

April 5, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’m sure there are a variety of feeds talking about DeSantis signing permit-less carry in Florida. I’m linking to The Gun Writer’s substack feed. Per the article:

The new law allows law-abiding Floridians to carry concealed handguns without seeking a Concealed Weapon or Firearm License, or CWFL, from the government. However, the state’s successful CWFL program will remain in effect.

I fully intend to renew my license for a variety of reasons. One is reciprocity when I travel out of Florida. Two is the waiving of the waiting period.

For those who want to carry without the permit, it becomes law on July 1.

Monday Links

April 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Let’s start with getting one of the big stories out of the way. Some asshole decided to shoot up a small private Christian school in Tennessee. The fact the asshole identified as transgender has sent the normal talking points all skewed. Here’s Operation Blazing Sword’s press release which probably encapsulates my feelings on the issue. I don’t judge a movement by its lunatic fringe – unless the moderates are celebrating the lunatic fringe.

Moving on to a couple of Reason articles.

US Trade Commission admits that tariffs caused increased prices to consumers. Which is what I’ve always said.

DeSantis signed a bill banning rent control and pre-empting local zoning. This could be good or bad. Particularly in the current housing market.

A couple of other serious items.

How do you treat someone who’s been a fixture of the local television and radio market for better than fifty years. According to The Tampa Bay Times, you fire him after a show to cut costs. I listened to Jack Harris for many a year – particularly before I got into podcasts.

According to Mac Rumors, General Motors is going to phase out CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of its own infotainment system. Great way to make sure your vehicles are not in the running the next time the Ward household is in the market for a vehicle. Or renting a vehicle.

Wrapping up with a couple of light items.

Gizmodo discusses Makita’s portable microwave. Which, the prepper side of me is interested in, but the more realistic side is telling me I’m not the target audience.

And because of the explosion of crochet in the Ward household, we have a Guardian article about how crocheters tried using ChatGPT to create patterns and hilarity ensued.

Cameras Out, Not In

March 15, 2023 / / 0 Comments

First, hat tip to Borepatch. I’d heard about this on one of my podcasts first, but he came with the article. According to The Register, police in Hamilton, Ohio served warrants to Ring for not only the videos for a person’s outside cameras, but those inside his home. Quoting liberally from the article:

Last year, around the Thanksgiving holiday, Ohio businessman Michael Larkin received a request for video from his Amazon Ring security system from Hamilton city police.

He complied, providing video from his doorbell camera that was stored on Ring’s servers. After balking at further demands, he subsequently learned that authorities had bypassed the need to get his consent by presenting Ring with a search warrant for video from several of his Ring cameras, including one that covered an indoor area of his home.

According to Politico, Larkin received a notice from Ring that the tech biz had received a warrant and was required to turn over video from numerous cameras, without giving the owner with any say in the matter.

The police reportedly sought neighborhood surveillance as part of a drug investigation in the US city. Larkin’s video-enabled Ring doorbell and other recording devices, they believed, might have captured information that would be helpful with their investigation.

The City of Hamilton Police Department did not respond to requests seeking comment about the scope of its search warrant.

EMPHASIS MINE

For transparency, Ward Manor uses the Echo ecosystem for its smart home stuff. This includes Ring cameras for the outside. We have the ubiquitous doorbell camera (because the one that came with Ward Manor sucks), and a couple more to cover areas that I can’t observe from the windows.

One rule I have enforced is I will not have dedicated cameras pointing inside the house.

Are there cameras inside? Yeah, but that’s because there’s somethings I can’t have without cameras, such as monitors the family uses to view the feeds from Ring. I don’t always like it, but for the Ward household, we’ve judged the trade-off acceptable.

When making your own arrangements, understand that any camera that feeds to anything other than a server you control, can be compromised. Plan accordingly.