We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.
Month: August 2019
Dorian Watch T Minus Five Days
Track has the storm hitting the east coast as a Cat 3 and then coming across the state. This will be the first major storm since The Wife and I moved in together. My estimate is that Dorian will quickly degrade down to a Cat 1 or TS by the time it gets to us. That means bugging in instead of evacuation. Which is good because I don’t want to crate up all the cats.
Ag Commish Breaking Stupid Federal Law
Nikki Fried, our relatively new Commissioner Of Agriculture declared she has both a concealed carry license and a medical marijuana card. Because she is a high profile individual, she can afford to flaunt federal law in a way others can’t. I’m a bit torn on this.
First, I don’t think what she is doing is wrong because I think the federal law is stupid. Both the overall prohibition on marijuana as well as not having changed the 4473s for states where marijuana is legal. It’s pretty clear which way the legalization winds are blowing, and it’s about damned time the federal government brought itself in line with the states.
On the other hand, we have stories coming out that since Fried has come into office, people looking to renew or obtain their CCWs have been running into all sorts of roadblocks. So, I’m kinda having trouble with the person most likely causing trouble for our state’s residents is flouting the same law being twisted to screw people out of licenses they should be issued.
Finally, I’m having a little issue with Fried having a CCW at all, considering she buddied up to the Demanding Mommies during the election. The same group that would love to rid our state of not only CCWs, but the very means of our protection.
Overall, the whole thing stinks of laws are for little people.
Metal Tuesday- Circus Maximus – Abyss
This one popped up on my rotation and caught my attention. So, of course, I’m going to share.
Parking Lot Shooter Guilty Of Manslaughter
Here’s my initial take when the incident occurred.. My opinion then is reinforced with the guilty verdict. Also reinforced was the need for folks to have something between harsh words and lethal force.
Here’s Andrew Branca’s analysis, which you should read. Quick analysis was the prosecution played up the boyfriend and father defending his family from an abusive jerk, while the defense made a big deal about the victim being on drugs. That tells me the defense attorney was probably not strong on self defense law. Which just reinforces why I spend my money on ACLDN and make sure I read Branca’s Law of Self Defense.
One tidbit I heard from Rick Ector on Facebook was the jurors were confused about how to apply Florida’s self-defense statutes. As he stated, confused jurors are not what you want when facing jail time.
Friday Quote – Thucydides
The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.
I can think of several times when the silos between fields resulted in failures in both. Economics and politics is the first that come to mind.
Another Toastmasters Speech – Leadership Style
This one was for one of the projects, so it’s a little different than my previous speeches.
Metal Tuesday- Dawn Of Destiny – Unexpected Guest
I do so love these AMVs for good songs.
What Have You Changed Your Mind About?
This came up on the Concealed Carry podcast (I just recently added it to my feed). It’s an important question. Is the traditional wisdom still valid? So, what have I changed my mind about in terms of self-defense?
- I no longer carry two spare magazines. This is probably the biggest switch-out. After listening to a multitude of experts who have examined hundreds to thousands of self-defense situations, the evidence clearly shows that the situation will mostly be resolved with whatever bullets you have in your gun. The only reason I carry a spare is in case of malfunction.
- I don’t leave my gun in my truck. I don’t have a safe, and I’ve seen too many incidents where bad guys get guns because they were not properly secured in the vehicles (the guns, not the bad guys). Does this mean there are days I can’t carry? Unfortunately yes. Particularly since I can’t carry into the day job (not just breaking policy, but it’s a felony).
- Anonymity is a wonderful thing. Part of the reason I switched from my Aztek (which I loved) to my Xterra (which I also love) is that the Xterra is far more anonymous. Moreover, I don’t put any stickers or decals on my vehicle other than those that are required. If I’m out in public, I generally don’t wear anything that would scream “he’s got a gun!” Other CCWer’s would most likely know the signs, but not the general public.
I’m still evaluating the “how much lumens is enough” debate. I recently upgraded my EDC light to a 750 lumen model, which is maybe more light than I actually need. It’s hard to shake the “need all teh lumenz!”
Friday Quote – Thomas Sowell
Many colleges claim that they develop “leaders.” Often, that means turning out graduates who cannot feel fulfilled unless they are telling other people what to do. There are already too may people like that, and they are a menace to everyone else’s freedom.