If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation…want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning…

An article in the local fish wrapper decries the fact that insurance companies use ZIP codes as part of determining the premium for auto insurance.

The analysis, released Monday, found that good drivers in lower-income areas are charged $410 more on average than good drivers in higher-income areas — and Tampa is no exception.

According to the analysis, there is an 18 percent difference on average in auto premiums for Tampa drivers depending on the average income of an area.

The issuer of the report, the Consumer Federation Of America, is worried that lower income folks are being penalized for where they live.

Of course, there’s very good reason why those ZIP codes may cause higher premiums – crime. Auto theft and vandalism are more prevalent in those areas than in others. That would put those areas in a higher risk of having to pay out a claim. Higher risks require higher premiums. Does it suck that a good driver has to pay more when (s)he did nothing more than live in a bad area? Yes. It would suck even more if they couldn’t obtain car insurance because some politician listed to the Consumer Federation Of America and forced the insurance companies to charge premiums below the risk.

This is a nifty site that lets you put in an address and see where it was over the last few hundred million years. Allocate at least an hour of wasted time.

On a side note, it’s kind of amusing how much of the time Florida was underwater.

Western metal! Not country and western metal, but more like spaghetti western metal.

For those of you who haven’t been following along, over the summer I moved from northern Hillsborough to Parrish, which is in the northern part of Manatee. We have nearby the cities of Palmetto, Bradenton, and Sarasota. All three of those are mushed up together, and I’m still learning where one city ends and the others begin.

The Fiancée and I were driving about and we went by a Winn-Dixie that’s not in the best part of Palmetto. How do I know? Because The Fiancée gets that “I’m glad you’re carrying your gun” look on her face.

The problem in our country isn’t with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

The Army is moving $25 billion from high-end expensive development projects to other programs, including the development of a new series of small arms based on the 6.8mm cartridge.

Army Secretary Mark Esper announced the $25 billion figure here in his opening speech to the conference, the largest of the year. The final number awaits approval from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the White House’s Office Of Management & Budget, and ultimately Congress, Esper cautioned reporters afterwards, but, looking across the 2020-2024 budget plan (aka the FYDP), he said, “that dollar figure is a low end.”

The M16 series has been the standard rifle for the military for nearly sixty years. There have been numerous attempts to replace it with a better weapon. None have succeeded, but they have provided ways to improve the M16 platform. I’m hoping that even if this one doesn’t work out, we get a better M16 platform out of it.

Since I was off on Monday, Shootin’ Buddy and me decided to hit the range. I needed to rotate the carry ammo any way.

Sunday night, The Fiancée and I headed to Walmart to pick up ammo and other items. The range ammo is some IWI shit that has primers made out of titanium or something. All I know is my rate of F2F’s is horrific using it. Of course, it’s Walmart, so it takes a while for the clerk to come to unlock the case. Then she has to see my ID. Good news, because of all the weight I’ve lost, I don’t look like my photo. Bad news is I don’t look like my photo. For a moment, I was wondering if I was going to be able to buy the ammo.

Heading home, The Fiancée and I discussed gun terminology. She knows very little about guns, and really doesn’t want to know much more. Just enough to understand what I’m saying. There was some confusion about why a revolver isn’t considered a semi-auto because a revolver fired one round with each squeeze of the trigger. We also discussed the difference between ball and JHP ammo, and why they were different prices.

Monday I picked up Shootin’ Buddy and we went to the range. We both ran my M&P for a bit before switching over to his Glock… damn, I forgot my Glock decoder ring. It’s one of the subcompact .45’s. Shootin’ Buddy prefers the bigger bullet. I remembered why I don’t like shooting small Glocks. I really dislike Glock Knuckle. Still, we had fun turning money into noise.

Then it was time to window shop. We looked at – and lusted over – the Ruger PC9. Especially the suppressed version the range was selling for $1,000 (including tax stamp!). I really think my next AR-style rifle will be a Sig MCX. I’m liking those more and more. Someone also picked up the All American 2000 out of the used case that I was eyeing the last time I went shooting.

Overall, not a bad way to spend a day off.

This band is one of my favorites. I’m kinda surprised that I haven’t featured them more on Metal Tuesday. This week’s example:

Here’s a handy guide to deciphering the numerous proposed amendments on the Florida ballot this year.

H/t McThag