Author Archives: Joe

Boomershoot 2020 is canceled

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At 2:45 AM this morning I sent a version of this email to all entries and the spectator and announcement list for Boomershoot:

Boomershoot 2020 is five weeks away and COVID-19 infections are still increasing across the country. I’ve had several people tell me they are not coming this year. Many states, including Idaho, have travel and social contact restrictions.

I’m canceling Boomershoot 2020.

I’m sorry to do this but both the legal and moral issues don’t give me any other options.

Regards,

Joe Huffman
Boomershoot Event Director
Cell: 208-301-4254

There has been a Boomershoot every year since 1998. It makes me sad to know that continuous record will be broken. I considered rescheduling for this fall but the end of fire season and the beginning of mud season is too unpredictable.

Quote of the day—2nd Amendment Daily News

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Some gun owners hoped that because H.R. 5717 was filed by House Fruitcake, Democrat Hank Johnson of Georgia, that it wouldn’t go anywhere.   Why is he a fruitcake?  Well, there are dozen of examples, but our favorite is when Johnson said that he was worried that the island of Guam would capsize and tip over if 8,000 Marines were stationed there.

2nd Amendment Daily News
March 2020
Elizabeth Warren Throws Her Weight Behind Gun Control Mega Bill, Files Companion In Senate
[Just because someone is a “fruitcake” doesn’t mean they are harmless or can’t find and persuade others to assist them in doing evil. There are far too many examples I could give from political history as well as personal experience for me to ever suggest otherwise.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Jeff Tomlin

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We don’t know if this last two weeks has been a calm before the storm or if the social distancing and all those things that are being practiced are working.

Jeff Tomlin
EvergreenHealth CEO
March 26, 2020
Where coronavirus outbreak started in Washington state, officials see hope as cases appear to be leveling off
[EvergreenHealth is close to home.

Barb and I talked about this almost two weeks ago: Our area was first in the U.S. to get hit and so it should be the first to recover.

It probably helped that it was a suburban area like Kirkland that was ground zero. With the lower density at ground zero the spread was slower as the response was still ramping up. NYC has much a higher people density and is getting hit much harder.

We got step daughter Maddy home from Brooklyn as things were ramping up there. She’s been through the two week quarantine here and is fine. The stories she tells of the crowed conditions on the subways make it clear NYC had an impossible problem to solve without immediate and drastic action. And it looks like they missed their opportunity which Kirkland was apparently able to grasp. I expect the much lower people density made that possible.

This looks to also be an contributing factor (from the same article linked to above):

A spokesperson for EvergreenHealth said the hospital was uniquely positioned to deal with an infectious disease outbreak, owing to its status as one of Washington’s highest-rated hospitals and the presence of Francis Riedo, the hospital’s Johns Hopkins-schooled and CDC-trained medical director of infection control.

I doubt that we are in full recovery mode yet.

As soon as people without immunity start moving around again things will flair up again. Recovery will start when anti-body tests and/or vaccines are available. But the prediction that our local hospital ICUs would fill by the end of this month may have been in error. The response to the outbreak has stymied that prophecy. That’s good enough for now.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Tim Pool @Timcast

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More and more polls show American’s approve of Trump and its hilarious watching the media go through the five stages of grief

Denial was yesterday and today it’s anger

I’m excited for the bargaining phase

Tim Pool @Timcast
Tweeted on March 25, 2020
[As funny as this is I can’t see the media ever bargaining.

I think they would rather go out of business and be homeless than admit President Trump might have done something right.—Joe]

Very sad

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Say Uncle’s wife died. Cardiac arrest. Nothing to do with COVID-19 that I know.

I spent quite a bit of time with Say Uncle at the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, NRA annual meetings, and Gun Blogger Summer camp. I occasionally was in his area of the country and was hoping to stop in for a visit someday and get to meet his wife.

If I remember correctly they had two kids who I would guess are in their teens now.

This makes me very sad.

In forced quarantine

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No. Not me. My phone.

Yesterday I noticed my phone wouldn’t lie flat. Odd. Upon further investigation I realized the battery was swelling. It’s a Galaxy S8 Active. The back doesn’t come off to allow you to replace the battery.

Rats! I don’t want to go out and buy a new phone now. I don’t want to have to move all my two factor authentication stuff to a new phone. It could take a full day to move to a new phone.

I looked on Amazon for a new phone and then decided to look for a battery anyway. Success! It includes tools and adhesive to take the phone apart and glue it back together. I ordered the battery.

But I need my phone for accessing things at work because of the two factor authentication. I can’t just put my phone in an old ammo can in the back yard to avoid explosion and fire hazards then run out there to check text messages every once in a while.

I made an indoor quarantine for it:

WP_20200325_12_21_02_Pro

The phone is inside two zip lock bags, on top of an old cookie-sheet, and surrounded by nearly 200 pounds of lead (and brass).

I pulled the phone out a few minutes ago to check something and the swelling has increased:

WP_20200325_12_25_23_Pro

The new battery is supposed to arrive in the next 45 minutes and the phone will then undergo battery replacement surgery.

Update: The battery has been replaced and the phone is functional. And it is in the process of being fully charged.

The battery replacement is not for the faint hearted. There were two electrical connecters which were the smallest I have ever seen. I put on my magnifying glasses to see many of the components I needed to manipulate. The adhesive replacement was a bit of a sticky problem (pun intended). They supplied two large strips that needed to be cut into six (or more) pieces. No instructions on how to use the adhesive.

Quote of the day—Mike

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Ironic that the Chinese curse of “may you live in interesting times” has been kicked off by the Chinese government itself.

Mike
March 21, 2020
[Via email.

Excellent observation!

The rest of the email is of potential interest:

Hey Joe,

Up here in Canada, the Chief Firearms Officer for Ontario (the province I live in) has just suspended the required Firearms Safety Courses one needs to take to be able to APPLY for a firearms license. Just like that, if you didn’t have a gun license at this point, you’ll have to ride out the coming storm with whatever is at hand, it would seem.

Considering someone pulled a gun on another person who was apparently looking at them funny, in the liberal stronghold of Toronto, no less, things should get mighty interesting over the next few weeks (days?).

Ironic that the Chinese curse of “may you live in interesting times” has been kicked off by the Chinese government itself.

Thanks for your time,

Mike

It’s interesting the response some of the political jurisdictions in the U.S. have taken. Two movies on one screen.

According to SAF (emphasis added):

SAF: ILLINOIS GOV. SETS EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS ON GUN, AMMUNITION STORES

BELLEVUE, WA — The Second Amendment Foundation today applauded Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for including firearm and ammunition suppliers on the list of “essential businesses and operations” that will remain open during the Prairie State’s “Shelter-In-Place” emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 Coronavirus emergency.

“When an anti-gun Democrat governor declares that essential businesses include firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for the purposes of safety and security, that is a really big deal,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Every governor should copy the Illinois example when issuing ‘shelter-in-place’ and business closure orders in the face of the Coronavirus.”

Three other states are already under sweeping emergency orders as the nation copes with the Coronavirus pandemic. They are New York, Pennsylvania and California.

“Depending upon how long this emergency continues,” Gottlieb observed, “many Americans may find themselves facing situations where they will need to be their own first responders. Gov. Pritzker obviously understands this, and we encourage the governors of all other states to recognize this isn’t an issue of party politics but of personal and community safety.”

Executive Order 2020-10 directs all individuals living within the state of Illinois to stay at home, except for “Essential Activities, Essential Government Functions, or to operate Essential Businesses and Operations.” These include information technology equipment manufacturers and suppliers, hardware, food, cleaning supplies, and “firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security,” the order says.

“We are all in this together,” Gottlieb stated, “and we will make it through, together, as well. Stay safe, stay well and stay ready.”

And in the San Francisco Bay Area, of course, gun stores are not considered essential. Nevermind, as pointed out by author David Codrea, in the article:

What about gun stores?  If we’re talking that which is essential, what is it the Founders deemed “necessary to the security of a free State”?

The politicians responsible for issuing such an order should be prosecuted.—Joe]

News you can use

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I had some allergy symptoms that woke me up the other night. But I’m familiar enough with my pollen allergies that I wasn’t too worried about it being COVID-19. The symptoms were gone in a few hours and everything is good. But had I not been so sure this would have been useful:

Clara, a coronavirus Self-Checker – The CDC has developed a new online bot nicknamed Clara designed to help people check whether they may have symptoms.  The bot is not intended to diagnose diseases but help users make decisions about whether they need to seek appropriate medical care by asking a series of questions to establish the level of illness being experienced.  Clara can be found at:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/index.html.

Quote of the day—Bruce S. Ticker

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Who could have predicted that gun control could not be more crucial? Of course, Republicans will likely deny that the coronavirus spread makes gun control compulsory, but it sure does.

Bruce S. Ticker
March 21, 2020
Are there enough hospital beds for Covid-19 and gun victims?
[I have an observation to share. I have noticed smart, but ignorant, people are incredibly resourceful in maintaining their ignorant, prejudiced beliefs. I have sometimes been absolutely jaw dropping flabbergasted at the things people come up with.

This is one of those times.—Joe]

Quote of the day—John B.

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A couple of my friends have asked if you could move the event closer to the US-Canada border, so that we could shoot across the border rather than having to cross it ourselves.

John B.
March 20, 2020
[Via email.

I think that’s a really cool idea! It might even be an act of war or something. How much fun would that be?

But, it’s not really practical because the production and storage facilities are not mobile. And finding a suitable location might be tough. Washington State is out because of the onerous laws. Idaho doesn’t have a very long border with Canada. This would make it less likely to have a place I could rent on both sides of the border. Montana might have a place, but I don’t know their explosives laws.

But, if I had the time those are all solvable problems. Unless it really is considered an act of war.—Joe]

Quote of the day—pkoning

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No, but they help keep it there.

pkoning
March 19, 2020
Comment in response to the Los Angles Sheriff who said, “Guns won’t put food on your table.”
[The sheriff has some serious deficiencies in their education. If they are capable of reading and comprehending I would like to suggest they look up the word “hunter”.

I’m sure there are some YouTube videos they could watch and perhaps get a clue. But it could be they are just totally clueless.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Kirby Ferris

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We all might wish that evil men could be persuaded from their vile behavior with bleeding heart entreaties, a kiss on the cheek, or proper toilet training. But it ain’t that way, folks, Pacifism is a sickness, an actual moral perversity, and dangerous when its effects spread to anyone else beside the pacifist. You may choose to walk to the cattle car, but damn you if you let your children be led up the ramp. You must never allow any group or government to steal your right to exercise armed lethal force in a just situation.

Kirby Ferris
Research Director of JPFO
Violence solves a lot
1998
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—William Booth

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The Imperial College group reported that if nothing was done by governments and individuals and the pandemic remained uncontrolled, then 510,000 would die in Britain and 2.2 million in the United States over the course of the outbreak.

These kinds of numbers are deeply concerning for countries with top-drawer health-care systems. They are terrifying for less-developed countries, global health experts say.

If Britain and the United States pursued much more ambitious measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, to slow but not necessarily stop epidemic over the coming few months, they could reduce mortality by half, to 260,000 people in the United Kingdom and 1.1 million in the United States.

Finally, if the British government quickly went all-out to suppress viral spread — aiming to reverse epidemic growth and reduce the case load to a low level — then the number of dead in the country could drop to below 20,000. To do this, the researchers said, Britain would have to enforce social distancing for the entire population, isolate all cases, demand household quarantines of households where anyone is sick, and close all schools and universities — and do this not for weeks but for 12 to 18 months, until a vaccine is available.

William Booth
March 17, 2020
A chilling scientific paper helped upend U.S. and U.K. coronavirus strategies
[Welcome to the new normal.

This could permanently change all industrialized societies. High population densities, mass transit, and high density offices will be far less attractive to the population at large. The effect could last for a generation or more. How does this affect the political climate?

Live entertainment, restaurants, and the travel industry are going to take a tremendous hit which will ripple throughout society.

We live in interesting times.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Lires

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I think the one satisfying thing about this pandemic is watching all the anti-gunners in my area now freak out and scramble to buy guns and ammunition then complaining how it’s not as easy as they thought to obtain shit.

Lires
March 23, 2019
Posted on the IGN boards thread Lets have a thread about gun control for old times sake.
[There is that. And it is my belief that becoming a gun owner contributes to a change in mindset. You become more inclined to think in terms of self-reliance and individuality rather than government providing for your needs and identifying as part of the collective.

So, there is a least one “silver lining” in the cloud hanging over our heads.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Alan Gottlieb

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We sued New Orleans then, and we’ll do it again. The presence of a nasty disease does not suspend any part of the Bill of Rights, no matter what some municipal, state or even federal politician may think.

While we certainly recognize the seriousness of this virus and its ability to spread rapidly. Treating Covid-19 and taking steps to prevent it from infecting more people has nothing at all to do with the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment.

Alan Gottlieb
March 16, 2020
SAF TO N.O. MAYOR CANTRELL: ‘WE SUED CITY ONCE, WE’LL DO IT AGAIN’
[There probably some minor points that could be quibbled about (freedom of assembly and travel comes to mind) but the bottom line remains untouched. Politicians have no business infringing upon the specific enumerated right to keep and bear arms any emergency circumstances that I can think of.—Joe]

Boomershoot 2020 and COVID-19

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Too long, didn’t read, version: I’m going to wait and see until the end of the month before making the decision to cancel or not. The refund policy is here: https://entry.boomershoot.com/Refunds.aspx

As I live just a few minutes from ground zero in the U.S. I’m just as, or more concerned, than the typical Boomershoot participant regarding COVID-19.

I’ve talked to many people about what we should do in regards to Boomershoot 2020.

There are several components to Boomershoot. If the Federal guidelines remain in place and we adhere to them, then the Boomershoot dinner will be canceled.

One could make the case that the rest of the event is not at all that serious of a risk. People are outside with good air flow and, except for the portable toilets, not sharing door knobs or other transfer surfaces. With a big stash of disinfecting wipe the portable toilet point of risk could be managed.

There is another component that is of more concern and not as easily mitigated. Our target production facility has very tight quarters. I have dramatically improved the air filtration since last year but still it’s not nearly as good as I think it should be to be safe if someone were contagious. To top that concern off is the fact that two essential staff members are in the group considered “high risk”.

This leads me to conclude that unless things get remarkably better we should cancel the event.

My day job is working on a Cyber Threat Intelligence team. I get access to other types of threat intel as well. Last week I listened in on a call with DHS regarding COVID-19. There wasn’t any information that wasn’t already public but it was packaged a little bit better. I have also talked to a couple sources that have information that hasn’t been widely circulated. While still technically public information this information leads me to some conclusions.

  1. My expectation is that the seriousness of the situation will continue to get worse for some undetermined amount of time. It may be that summer weather will slow or even stop the spread of the virus. The threat, however, will continue to be significant for months, not just a few weeks.
  2. While things will get worse it’s not going to be life threatening to most people outside of the high risk groups.
  3. Avoiding contact with contagious people is extremely important for people at high risk. Some hospitals in the Seattle area are already at nearly full capacity and are sending injured emergency patients, sometimes, hundreds of miles away to hospitals without a COVID-19 burden.

What this means to me is that if we get some hot summer like weather for the next two weeks and things look summer like at Boomershoot things may be good enough that I will not cancel Boomershoot. I don’t think this will be the case but there is no harm in waiting. We are continuing to get the last of the supplies and will be able to put on a stellar event should we decide to continue.

The refund details are here. Basically, if the event is canceled you will get the option of full credit for next year or a refund of 95% of your credit card payment (details differ for a few people, read the policy). Your choice.

If you have questions or concerns I have not addressed here please send me an email or give me a call.

Joe Huffman
Boomershoot Event Director
Cell: 208-301-4254

Quote of the day—Alex Gangitano

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The Brady Bill, which Biden helped pass in 1998, implemented the modern background check system.

Alex Gangitano
March 13, 2020
Brady PAC endorses Biden, plans to spend $4 million in 2020
[That would be the same type of background check John Hopkins and UC Davis found had no impact on gunshot related deaths. And, in fact, no background check system can possibly work to make people safer.

But that doesn’t matter to them. It’s not, and has never been, about public safety. It’s about a backdoor registration scheme, ultimately confiscation, and control of the general population.—Joe]