Saw this mentioned on the Book of Face as an alternate way to describe Rule 1 – Treat Every Gun As If It’s Loaded.
To sum up, until we physically check the gun, it could be loaded or unloaded. Therefore, it is best to act as if the gun is loaded.
Category: Guns
State of the Podcasts 2024
Previous posts:
This is the seventh year I’ve reviewed which podcasts I listen to, how I listen to them, and when I listen to them. Part of it’s my own curiosity at how my podcast habits change. I’m also curious what others think about the same podcasts and which podcasts come and go.
I listen to my podcasts in Overcast. I prefer Overcast because the app deletes podcasts I’ve listened to, plus it has a smart speed feature which will speed up if it hears dead air. Generally, I listen to my podcasts at 2X speed.
Rather than try to fit podcasts into categories, I apply categories to the podcasts. Also, I try to listen to podcasts “with a shelf life” (i.e., current events) first. I’m going to include the show’s “blurb” and then any of my comments.
Podcast Categories
Comedy – One of the central themes of the podcast is making me laugh
Debate – The podcast uses a formal debate format
Economics – Discusses economic theory and impacts
Entertainment – Main subject matter is an entertainment form or persons
Free Speech – Discussing the current issues and assaults on free speech culture and laws
Government – Discusses the review of government operations
Guns – Discussing gun hardware and associated technology and skills
History – Delving into history in general or one facet/era
Legal – Discussing legal cases and theories
Libertarianism – Discusses libertarian theory
Interview – Substantial episodes interviewing guests
Opposing Views – Hosts regularly espouse politics or theories that are substantially different to my own
Prepping – Discussing prepping gear, methods, and skills
Politics Of The Day (POTD) – Discussion of current political events
Right To Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) – Discusses issues around gun rights
Science – Discussing current science news and skepticism-related issues
Self-Defense – Discussing best practices for self-defense
True Crime – Podcast is a narrative/story of real crime events
War – Discusses issues surrounding armed conflicts
Writing Improvement – Helps me improve my writing
My podcasts as of February 2022:
Active Self Protection Podcast (Guns, Interview, RKBA, Self-Defense) – Active Self Protection exists to help good, sane, moral, prudent people in all walks of life to more effectively protect themselves and their loved ones from criminal violence. On the ASP Podcast, you will hear stories of life or death self defense encounters from the men and women that lived them. If you are interested in the Second Amendment, self defense and defensive firearms use, martial arts or the use of less than lethal tools used in the real world to defend life and family, you will find this riveting. One of the shows I listen to build up my “scenario card file” for self defense. Plus, the end segment with the host of The Reload (see below) is excellent.
Advisory Opinions (Legal, POTD) – Hosts David French and Sarah Isgur have a weekly conversation about the law, culture, and why it matters This one helps me understand how the law “thinks” and why it sometimes is at odds with what people think it should think.
Alienating the Audience (Interview, Entertainment, Science, Skepticism) – Andrew Heaton and an army of nerds plunge deep, deep into films, books, and TV shows to ask: what’s science fiction really about? What is The Twilight Zone really exploring? What are the underlying themes of Star Trek? What is the worldview of Star Wars? Also sometimes Heaton performs comedy on other planets. This hasn’t been active since April of 2022, but it has some excellent discussions on different aspects of sci-if. The comedy bits aren’t my favorite, and I tend to skip them.
Angry Planet (War, Interview, Opposing Views) – Conversations about conflict on an angry planet. Formerly known as War College, this podcast is an interesting look at politics and military issues through interviews with specialists, but definitely not from my political point of view.
Assorted Calibers Podcast (RKBA, Guns, Entertainment, Interview, Self-Defense) – Everything including the kitchen sink. Weer’d Beard and Erin Pallette are the real reason I listen to this, but the other segments are generally surprisingly good. I’m also a patron, and listen to the Mag Dump round tables, Film Tracks, and Blooper Reels (which are hysterically funny).
Blocked and Reported (Free Speech, POTD) – Journalists Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal scour the internet for its craziest, silliest, most sociopathic content, part of an obsessive and ill-conceived attempt to extract kernels of meaning and humanity from a landscape of endless raging dumpster files. This one is just full of amusing internet drama. Okay, sometimes the internet drama is more worrying than entertaining.
Bound By Oath (Legal, Libertarianism) – Bound By Oath is a new podcast by IJ’s Center for Judicial Engagement where the Constitution’s past catches up to the present. Article VI of the U.S. Constitution requires every judge to be “bound by Oath” to uphold “this Constitution”. But to understand if judges are following that oath, it’s important to ask, “What is in ‘this Constitution’”? In this podcast series, Short Circuit takes a deep dive into specific parts of the Constitution, starting with the 14th Amendment, which turned 150 in 2018. “Bound By Oath” features interviews with historians, legal scholars, and the real people involved in historical and contemporary cases. The first season was on the 14th amendment and the second was on qualified immunity. Good primer on the legal issues surrounding those topics.
The Bradenton Times Podcast (POTD, Interview, Opposing Views) – A weekly podcast by the Bradenton Times that highlights the people and issues in the Manatee County community. This is one I use to get to know what’s going on in my local community. And as much as I disagree with the host, at least he makes me think and re-evaluate my stances.
Bribe, Swindle, and Steal (Interview, True Crime, Opposing Views, Writing Improvement) – Alexandra Wrage, president of TRACE, interviews luminaries in the field of financial crime, including bribery, fraud, money-laundering, inside trading and sanctions. Each week, Alexandra and her guests will discuss who commits “white collar crime”, how it works, and what is being done to stop it.
The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast (Interview, POTD) – A show about politics, music, technology, rollercoasters, golf carts, and the United States of America. The spiritual successor to Mad Dogs and Englishmen after Kevin Williamson’s departure to The Dispatch. Charlie Cooke’s still providing thought provoking takes and brings on guests to expound on them.
Clockwise (Tech) – Clockwise is a rapid-fire discussion of current technology issues hosted by Dan Moren and Mikah Sargeant and featuring two special guests each week. Four people, four topics – and because we’re always watching the clock, no episode is longer than 30 minutes. Generally enjoyable, even though it gets a little too Apple-centric or a little too media-centric.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (History, Writing Improvement) – In “Hardcore History” journalist and broadcaster Dan Carlin takes his “Martian”, unorthodox way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This isn’t academic history (and Carlin isn’t a historian) but the podcast’s unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners. This podcast is a master craft in how to tell history in an exciting and entertaining way. It’s probably better to treat the arcs as audiobooks and just listen to them all at once to get the width and breadth of the story. This updates very infrequently.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History: Addendum (History, Interview, Writing) – Interviews, musings and extra material from the makers of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. If it did not fit in the HH feed it’s probably here. A companion to the Hardcore History podcast where Dan Carlin does segments outside his normal narrative style. Often very informative.
The Dispatch Podcast (POTD, Interview) – Host Sarah Imgur is joined by Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and David French for a weekly thoughtful discussion on politics, policy, and culture. The panel rotates a bit more often with other members of the Dispatch staff which gives the panel discussion a wider variety. The interviews are always entertaining.
Econtalk (Interview, Economics)- Econtalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford’s Hoover Institution. The eclectic guest list includes authors, doctors, psychologists, historians, philosophers, economists, and more. Learn how the health care system really works, the serenity that comes from humility, the challenge of interpreting data, how potato chips are made, what it’s like to run an upscale Manhattan restaurant, what caused the 2008 financial crisis, the nature of consciousness, and more. I’ve been learning a lot on economics, and even more on some wildly different topics.
The Editors (POTD) – Unravel the threads of American politics with incisive commentary and in-depth analysis on the state of the political scene. Editors from National Review discussing the issues of the day. Part of my keeping an idea of the conservative side of the issues of the day.
Fall of Civilizations Podcast (History, Writing Improvement) – A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fail? And what did it feel like to watch it happen? This is a good companion to Hardcore History and Revolutions. Not that they cover the same things, but this one does an excellent job in showing the decline and fall of various civilizations from every level.
FBI Retired Case File Review (Interview, True Crime, Writing Improvement) – Host Jerri Williams is a retired FBI agent and author on a mission to show you who the FBI is and what the FBI does by interviewing retired agents, her former colleagues, about their most intriguing and high-profiled cases, as well as fascinating but not as well-known FBI investigations. This has been very useful in dispelling some misconceptions about how the FBI works. Plus many of the cases are very compelling.
The Fifth Column (POTD, Free Speech, Opposing Views) – Your weekly rhetorical assault on the news cycle, the people who make it, and occasionally ourselves. Kmele Foster (Freethink), Michael Moynihan (formerly Vice), and Matt Welch (Reason) talk and laugh and drink their way to at least quasi-sanity in a world gone mad, often with the aid of clean and articulate guests. This is an excellent roundup focusing on the issues of the day and how the media reports them. They also bring on guests who will disagree with them and have excellent discussions.
GLoP Culture (POTD, Entertainment) – Jonah Goldberg, Commentary’s John Podhoretz, and Ricochet’s Rob Long discuss culture and politics. The hosts often muse on current POTD and culture through the lens of Gen X experiences.
Guns Guide To Liberals (RKBA) – Talking guns across the aisle with better communication and better arguments. This is a good podcast focusing on techniques to use when talking about guns and RKBA to those who don’t share our views. Not active, but would recommend going back and listening to the whole series.
The Handgun Radio Show (Guns, Interview, Self-Defense) – Your home for all the news, information and discussion in the handgunning world. Delving more into the history and technological aspects of guns – mostly handguns. Also, just fun musings on different aspects of guns. Sometimes they bring on interesting guests.
High Caliber History (Guns, History, Interview) – A podcast for enthusiasts about firearms, history, museums, and more, with a goal of providing an understanding of what it’s like to work with these items in an environment that is becoming less and less accepting of the scholarship and work being done in this field. Logan Metesh interviews specialists on the history of guns, as well as lending his own vast expertise.
The History of WWII Podcast (History, Interview) – A biweekly podcast covering the last Great War. Join Ray Harris Jr as he explores World War Two in intimate detail. This one is going through WWII chronologically, with interview episodes interspersed. Good for learning about areas where my own knowledge is skimpy.
Honestly (Free Speech, Interview, Opposing Views) – The most interesting conversations in American life now happen in private. This show is bringing them out of the closet. Stories no one else is telling and conversations with the most fascinating people in the country, every week from former New York Times and Wall Street Journal journalist Bari Weiss. Sometimes this one is interviews, and sometimes Bari brings on several guests for a panel to discuss an issue.
Honoverse Today (Entertainment, Writing Improvement) – Honoverse Today is a fan podcast providing review, commentary, and opinion for the Honor Harrington and Honorverse book series written by David Weber and published by Baen Books. The Honor Harrington series is one of the largest and most successful science fiction series in history. Yet it has never had a podcast. Until now. The series chronicles the life and world of Honor Harrington from her humble beginnings through the changing of the galactic order. The series includes 14 main series books, 2 spinoff series, several anthologies, 2 prequels, a comic series (which we will not be covering at this point), and several non-fiction reference and/or RPG game books. Honorverse Today will be covering the body of fictional stories, with the possible exception of the comics. More imporant, we will be covering all of the books in publication order. The three hosts analyze the Honor Harrington books. The nifty catch is that two of them are brand new to the series, while the third is a fan who has read the series multiple times. It’s interesting to hear the different items they pick out from the books.
How The World Works (Interview) – “How The World Works” features author, political commentator, and CEI writer in residence KEvin D. Williamson having a series of conversations with notable guests about work, specifically, the jobs he and his guests have had, why work matters, the role of work in our economy, and policy ideas for helping workers and employers get the most out of the work they do. Still in early days with this one, but I enjoy Williamson’s work.
The Incomparable Game Show (Comedy) – The people of The Incomparable play various games, including trivia, classic board games, word games, and even a few reimagined classic game shows from years gone by. Rotating panels playing rotating series of ostensibly board games. Often hilarious, sometimes dangerously so when driving. Some of the games I look forward to, others I bypass.
Just Asking Questions (Interview, Libertarianism) – One guest. One topic. Many questions. Reason’s Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller put a current event, trend, or idea under the microscope and analyze it at length with help from an outside guest who knows a thing or two about it. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have lots of questions. The first episode with Russ Roberts on the changes in Israel since October 7 hooked me.
Left, Right, & Center (POTD, Opposing Views) – Left, Right, and Center is KCRW’s weekly civilized yet provocative confrontation over politics, policy and pop culture. This podcast covers the week’s political events with a progressive, a conservative, and a host who’s a left-leaning centrist. Guests are brought on to provide additional commentary – who tend to be overwhelmingly on the left-side of the aisles. Still, the debates are more conversational rather than confrontational.
The Michael Shermer Show (Interview, Science, Opposing Views) – The Michael Shermer Show is a series of long-form conversations between Dr. Michael Shermer and leading scientists, philosophers, historians, scholars, writers and thinkers about the most important issues of our times. Very thought provoking conversations as Dr. Shermer interviews scientists, scholars, and other intellectuals – generally on their new books.
The Political Orphanage (Interview, Libertarianism) – Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff. Andrew Heaton interviews a variety of individuals to discuss issues. Not necessarily just the POTD.
The Ponzi Playbook (True Crime) – Welcome to The Ponzi Playbook, the podcast that exposes the dark underbelly of the financial world. Join hosts Neal McTighe and Javier Levia as they take you on a journey through the seedy world of financial fraud, exploring some of the most audacious Ponzi schemes in history. The stories are interesting, but I wish the hosts would go from a half hour to an hour.
Quillette Narrated (Free Speech) – Narrated versions of selected Quillette essays.
Quillette Podcast (Interviews, Free Speech) – Quillette is an online magazine founded by Australian writer Claire Lehman. The publication has a primary focus on science, technology, news, culture, and politics. Interviews and articles focusing in on free speech issues and cancel culture.
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie (Interview, Liberatarianism) – Want to know comes next in politics, culture, and libertarian ideas? Reason’s Nick Gillespie hosts relentlessly interesting interviews with the activists, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, newsmakers, and politicians who are defining the 21st century. Reason editor interviews a variety of guests. This would be an even better podcast if they had a different host.
The Reason Roundtable (POTD) – Every Monday, the libertarian editors of the magazine of “Free Minds and Free Markets” – Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Peter Suderman – discuss and debate the week’s biggest stories and what fresh hell awaits us all.
The Remnant With Jonah Goldberg (Interview, POTD) – In “The Remnant”, Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ’90s-era “Simpsons”? Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they features on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards. The Wednesday show is interviewing pundits, politicians, and others. The Friday show is Jonah musings.
Revolutions (History, Writing Improvement) – A weekly podcasting exploring great revolutions. Really good series on various revolutions. Each season goes through one of the more pivotal revolutions in history, starting with the English Revolution. It’s ended its run, but I’m still getting through the appendices.
The Rewatchables – (Entertainment) – “The Rewatchables”, a filme podcast from The Ringer Podcast Network, features The Ringer’s Bill Simmonds and a roundtable of people from the Ringer universe discussing movies they can’t seem to stop watching. Variety panel of guests discussing a movie that is considered highly rewatchable. Depending on what movie they’re reviewing, if it’s one I haven’t seen, I’ll delete it. The categories are neat, but sometimes I get lost when they make sports references.
Self-Defense Gun Stories (Self-Defense) – Weekly reports and commentary on civilian self defense. I like the analysis of what went right and wrong from a variety of professional trainers. This is another I recommend to new shooters and those who are thinking about using a gun for self-defense.
Skeptoid (Science) – The true science behind our most popular urban legends. Historical mysteries, paranormal claims, popular science myths, aliens and UFO reports, conspiracy theories, and worthless alternative medicine schemers… Skeptoid has you covered. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred. Another one that helped in developing my skeptical outlook. It takes a particular pseudo-science claim and investigates with a skeptical eye.
So To Speak: The Free Speech Podcast (Free Speech, Interview) – So To Speak: The Free Speech Podcast takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through personal stories and candid conversations. FIRE’s podcast discussing free speech issues. The guests and legal theories put this more into theory although it sometimes delves into the issues of the day.
Tactical Tangents (Self-Defense, History, Writing Improvement) – Mike is a police SWAT team member, K9 handler, and tactical medic. Jim is an Air Force pilot with a background in close air support and combat search and rescue. Our goal is to elevate the conversation about all the things tactical for public safety, military, and concerned citizens. Join us to hear lessons learned about decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork. I picked this one up originally because it has some excellent breakdowns of historical gunfights and mass shootings. It’s mostly geared to the professional, but the regular person can pick up some really good info.
Techmeme Ride Home (Tech) – The day’s teach news, every day at 5pm. From Techmeme.com, Silicon Valley’s most read new source. Fifteen minutes and you’re up to date. This is a relatively short, but thorough examination of the big news in tech.
We’re Not Wrong (POTD, Opposing Views) – Jen Briney, Andrew Heaton, and Justin Robert Young discuss the world of politics, government, and media. They have never, and will never, be incorrect about anything. This is another one of those I listen to because the guests bring different views than my normal feeds and challenge my ideas.
The Weekly Reload Podcast (RKBA, Guns, Interview, Opposing Views) – A podcast from The Reload that offers sober, serious firearms reporting and analysis. It focuses on gun policy, politics, and culture. Tune in to hear from Reload Founder Stephen Gutowski and special guests from across the gun world each week. The audio companion to The Reload newsletter. The host interviews a wide variety of pro-gun and anti-gun guests, or those who just have something to important to add to the world around guns.
What the Hell Is Going On (Interview, POTD) – The American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka and Marc Thiessen addresses the questions we’re all asking in their podcast, “What the Hell Is Going On?” In conversational and irreverent episodes, Pletka and Thiessen interview policymakers and experts, asking tough probing questions about the most important foreign policy and security challenges facing the world today.
White Collar Crime and Fraud Podcast (True Crime, Self-Defense, Writing Improvement) – An exploration of fraud and white collar crime. Your host is Gene P. Tausk of The Tausk Law Firm in Houston, Texas. We will discuss various aspects of fraud and white collar crim including: legal, historical, the personalities involved, law enforcement responses, and the victims of fraud. This show discusses more of the theory behind scams and frauds, but also discusses actual cases.
Words & Numbers (Economics, Libertarianism, POTD, Interview) – Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. An economist and a political scientist discuss different aspects of economics from a libertarian perspective. Sometimes dipping into issues of the day.
Writer Dojo (Writing Improvement) – The WriterDojo is different than most other writing podcasts out there – our primary purpose is to cut through all the bad advice and help you tell stories that people want to read (and get you paid in the process.) This is advice on becoming a Professional Writer from two very knowledgeable Professional Writers. Authors Steve Diamond and Larry Correia discuss the ins and outs of writing for fun and profit. Readers will find interesting tidbits as well and may come away with new insights into what goes into creating the stories they love. This one has helped me with the art of writing. If I ever decide to actually get my stories published, I’ll probably go back through those episodes. One of the podcasts I support financially.
Those Sparked My Interest
SHOT Show was last week – which meant a slew of new product introductions. While there wasn’t anything that made me go “I want to use my gun budget on that” there were a few items of interest.
If there were any that made me want to earmark gun budget money, it would be either the new Mossberg 940 Thunder Ranch Edition or Beretta’s upgraded 1301. I want to upgrade from my Mossberg 590 to an autoloader and those two brands have been doing some interesting things with their autoloader lines.
It definitely seemed like lever guns were in vogue this year. Smith’s new entry into this category is interesting, but I wish they’d introduced a .357 Magnum version as well. I don’t have a .44 revolver, but I have one in .357.
The Rhineland Arms R3000 is one of those guns that would be really interesting if I had unlimited gun resources, but when I go for my .308 / 7.62mm NATO autoloader, I will probably go with something in a more conventional pattern.
There was one item that I might pick up when it becomes available. Magpul announced a line of translucent P-Mags.
Finally Shooting My Newest Gun
Back in late March / early April, I picked up a Smith and Wesson FPC. Because I’ve wanted a PCC that will take my M&P mags. I wasn’t too fond of the form factor as compared to an AR-pattern PCC. But it was a PCC that took my mags and priced at less than a grand. I couldn’t pass that up.
Life happened, and I wasn’t able to take the new gun out to the range until last weekend. Finding a range around Ward Manor is… difficult. We have some, but let’s just say many are very old-school. BIL and I went to one nearby called Bullseye. One of my former bosses raved about it, so we decided to go. It’s pistol only. More to the point, it’s pistol caliber only. They didn’t blink at my FPC.
Now, on to the shooting review. The gun handled well. The trigger was just like my sidearm with a pretty distinct reset. The damn thing ate all the ammo I fed it, including my IMI “problem child” 9mm. Based on what David from ACP said, I was a little concerned about the FPC feeding from my first gen mags. No issues. The only quibble I had with the gun was what would be the slide release on a pistol. It’s extremely stiff to the point it was easier to just run the charging handle instead. To be fair, I have the same issue on my sidearm and end up sling-shotting the slide.
My other issue was the Sig Romeo sight. The dot kept going all over the damn place. I don’t know if it was me or the sight, but I’ve been hearing about issues with Sig red dots. I’m going to re-zero the thing and try again. If not, I’ll swap it out for something else.
Clearing Out the Tabs
I had a bunch of links collected that I haven’t had a chance to put into Monday Links. Since this week’s Monday post was the 2023 wrap-up, I decided to just clear out all my tabs.
Per tradition, we clear out all of the Reason links.
First is an examination of Colorado removing Trump from the primary ballot. For the record, I think this was a bad move – mostly because there’s been no conviction of incitement or related charge. And that’s not even touching my issues with how we do primaries.
Let’s continue with populist leaders, and a rebuttal of Tucker Carlson’s attack on Dollar Stores.
Florida’s leaders are becoming more and more hostiles to immigrants.
Tens of thousands of students haven’t returned to public school since the shutdowns. And no one knows where they all went.
Magazine bans hurt those who want to defend themselves. This is a talking point that needs to be rebutted, as it seems like a reasonable issue to most non-gun folks.
The St. Louis attorney who used an old-school AR to fend off protestors in his gated community can’t get his guns returned. The dude’s an asshole, but he did nothing wrong – at least legally speaking. This is one of those fears that if the police get our guns for any reason – evidence, malicious red-flagging, etc – we will never get them back.
A case for letting foreign-flagged airlines service domestic air routes.
This is a personal issue. Who created the Cuban sandwich? How can anyone take Miami’s claim seriously. They don’t even use yellow rice for their arroz con pollo.
Now for some Ground News compilations.
There was a record drop in homicides for 2023. The article cites success of gun control. Um, no. This is regression to the mean after the insanity of 2020 and the aftershocks.
It looks like Steamboat Willy will enter public domain.
NASA demonstrates how to use a laser for extremely long distance streaming. By sending a cat video nineteen million miles.
Now on to the rest of the links in no particular order.
Gunsamerica has a checklist on what to look for in trainers to avoid bullshido. I’m pretty sure this is a h/t to Tam.
Bloomberg reports that the FTC has banned Rite Aid from using AI-powered facial recognition on customers. Apparently, there were a lot of folks falsely flagged as potential shoplifters.
Techcrunch has an article on music creation coming to Microsoft’s Co-Pilot.
The Intercept has a profile on FBI and NYPD entrapping someone they called a terrorist. This kind of shit is how you get degradation of trust.
War is Boring takes a look at how the crash of a V-22 Osprey could endanger the Army’s new tiltrotor.
Finally, The Firearms Blog discusses the passing of Gaston Glock.
Monday Links
This one is going to be a bit tech heavy. Just how the stories came across my feeds.
First, of course, are a couple of Reason links.
With all the brouhaha over Florida punishing Disney by taking away their special district, this infographic is a good reminder that Disney wasn’t the only one receiving special treatment.
Over the Volokh Conspiracy, an article on the large gap on how the generations view the Israel-Hamas War.
In that same vein, we have an opinion piece from the Times of Israel called Dear World: I Don’t Care.
Here’s a couple of Ground News aggregations.
Homelessness rose to its highest levels. The housing shortage is certainly a factor, in addition to the normal causes.
There’s a growing schism in the United Methodist Church. I have some interest in this as I grew up in a UMC.
Let’s do some gun stuff.
Tam has an article on the state of red dots. At some point, I’ll have probably have to jump on the bandwagon and add one to my carry pieces.
If you have a Taurus GX4. there’s a recall notice.
Now on to tech news. I have a couple articles from a new source – 404 Media.
Polish white-hats are being sued for bypassing a train manufacturer’s attempt to force repairs to their authorized sources. I am fine with manufacturer’s saying that if you repair your stuff or take it to an independent place, that it will void the warranty. I do not support manufacturers actively stopping repairs.
A marketing company is saying it can use what your smart devices “hear” to do targeted advertising. I’m not sure if this is hype or actual, but the fact that someone is claiming they can, means that they will try to do so.
Wired has a look at Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit.
WaPo discusses recent widespread cyber intrusions linked to Chinese PLA hackers.
And finally from Ars Technica, an article about how some cats like to play fetch. The Brother sent this last one over for consideration.
Monday Links
Reason links time!
Who came to Florida during COVID? Here’s an infographic.
Ohio town is charging $100 to challenge traffic tickets.
Ground News has a collection of articles on how scientists used CRISPR to develop a promising new therapy for sickle-cell anemia.
Now switching to some gun news.
The Reload has an article on the newest gun control bill introduced in Congress. Okay, it’s poorly written and would ban just about every gun sold right now, but it’s an interesting change of tactics by our opponents.
TFB is reporting that there might be a shortage of gunpowder in the next year. May be time to stock up.
Firearms News is reporting that the Broomhandle Mauser turned into Han Solo’s blaster sold for a cool mill, and made it into Guinness.
Hasbro has discontinued their Selfie Series. I’m glad I got mine, but I was hoping to get another.
Monday Links
Starting with Reason – of course.
Flagstaff decides to take its ball and go home instead of running gun ads in public transit.
An analysis of Backpage’s hopeless battle against the DOJ.
Irish government about to crack down on memes.
Biden displays normal disdain of economics while threatening companies for “price gouging.”
A case before the Supreme Court will decide if people have to go through administrative judges.
State laws requiring permission to obtain guns look shaky under post-NYSRPA.
Detroit’s civil asset forfeiture program is gone.
I have a couple from Ground News.
US agrees to shutter remaining coal plants.
Nannites from human tissue used to repair damage in human bodies.
Other stuff time!
From Bloomberg, the story of a new anti-drone drone.
An item of local interest – Dakin Dairy is up for sale.
From the Verge, Ikea is introducing more inexpensive smart home devices.
From CBR, the anime streaming service HIDIVE is stopping service in most of countries. Considering how the app is becoming less and less useful, I’m not surprised.
No, I Won’t Hide You In My Attic
I’ve been seeing people claiming their virtue by saying they would hide their Jewish friends in their attic if the antisemites come for them.
Fuck that. I won’t hide my Jewish friends in the attic. If they feel threatened by antisemites, here’s what I will do.
I will go to their house with every gun in my safe and every round of ammunition I own. I might even bring all my sharp, pointy things.
I will teach them how to load, aim, and fire each of those guns.
I will teach them the laws surrounding self-defense so that they can win the legal battle after the fight.
I will help harden their home.
I will stand there ready to defend their home if the bad guys come.
I will do what is necessary to defend their families with as much force as is necessary. using every nasty trick I’ve picked up over the years of hanging out with military vets, gun bloggers, and writers. Those are some creative folks when it comes to home defense.
If their home is not defensible, I will invite them to mine.
I will do whatever I can to make the antisemites too fucking scared to try and assault someone.
Let them spew their vitriol, but I want them terrified about what might come at them if they raise their hand in violence.
Monday Links – Super Sized!
Just as a heads up, I have a bit of a backlog that I’m clearing out today. So, buckle up buttercup.
Of course we’re starting with a mess of Reason links.
Do right-wingers believe conspiracy theories more than left-wingers? Short answer, no. Long answer, it’s complicated.
The FTC’s case against Amazon is based on a faulty interpretation of one statistic. You mean Kahn’s disregarding logic in her crusade against Amazon?
Re-examination of the teen vaping panic.
Retrospective of the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act at 50.
NLRB looks to change rules aimed at how franchises work – particularly fast food franchises.
Supreme Court issues a code of ethics for the justices. One item of note is that they address recusal and the duty for the justices to stay on cases to avoid strategic recusals.
The Fifth Circuit slaps down the ATF’s recent receiver rule.
On to other stuff.
The Reload has an article on the Supreme Court granting cert on the bump stock ban. I see this less of a gun case and more of a restricting administrative agencies from making people felons with a rule change.
From Ground News, we have Sam Altman departing OpenAI. Not clear if he left on his own accord or was forced out.
From 9to5Mac, Apple surprised everyone by announcing they were integrating RCS alongside iMessage.
From NYT comes an article on a company pulling carbon and trapping it in concrete. I always thought engineering would help the planet better than trying to just cut emissions.
War Is Boring reports the Ukranian Army is trying to transition to a more professional and gender-equitable force. Um, okay. I guess improving its professionalism in the middle of a war is a good thing.
Angry Staff Officer has an article discussing the positive leadership traits of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Honestly, this kind of article was why I started reading ASO.
From The Allspark, Peter Cullen to receive lifetime achievement award.
Our last link is from Ars Technica. The old television series “Connections” is being revived! And James Burke is returning as host!