They Should Do Better Checking

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Quote of the Day

Last time I checked words didn’t kill people. I’m sorry that your manhood is threatened unless you have a firearm on your hip but with all these children needlessly dying something has to change.

Chicagoooose @Chicagoooose
Posted on X, May 17, 2023

It’s not only another Markley’s Law Monday, it is another science denier!

This is deliberately deceptive framing. Technically they are correct about words. Just like guns, words don’t kill people kill people. But that does not mean words/ideas are not dangerous.

As pointed out by Stalin, words/ideas are more dangerous than guns:

Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don’t let our people have guns. Why should we let them have ideas?

See also Crazy talk.

Chicagoooose should do better checking. But if they did, and they took their research to heart, they wouldn’t be against private gun ownership unless they were a genocidally inclined tyrant.

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Too Many Lies to Bother Refuting Them

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Quote of the Day

The sociological question of how societies can prevent gun violence is not any great mystery. Fewer guns mean fewer gun deaths.

Andrew C. McKevitt
November 7, 2023
Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America
Via The real origins of America’s gun culture (msn.com).

I don’t have time to elaborate on all of the things wrong with these two sentences but I’ll give a quick outline.

  • “Gun violence” and “gun deaths” are not relevant measurements unless your goal is elimination of private gun ownership. If you are to insist on ignoring the principals of gun ownership being a specific enumerated right, then “violent crime” is the proper measurement of the hinted at downside to private gun ownership.
  • The number of privately owned guns is not positively correlated with violent crime.
  • Restrictions on private gun ownership is positively correlated with genocide.
  • Not all “gun deaths” are murders or suicides. Many are justified homicide. Some are even praiseworthy homicide. That McKevitt doesn’t make a distinction is very telling. It is deliberate deception.

There is a lot more to be said, but I’ll leave that up to commenters.PinocchioGunGrabber

Tool of Deception in Anti-gun Playbook

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Quote of the Day

Blackshear, a Dayton Democrat, now calls modern rifles “mass casualty weapons,” as though the gun, rather than some deranged criminal who might create mayhem, is somehow responsible for a hideous crime. According to a news release from his office, his bill is a response to a tragic 2019 shooting in Dayton’s Oregon district.

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
March 6, 2024
CCRKBA: OHIO REP. BLACKSHEAR INVENTS NEW TERM TO DEMONIZE GUNS | Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms

As pointed out by Alan Gottlieb:

The gun prohibition movement has tried the terms ‘assault weapons’ and ‘weapons of war,’ and even ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ Now, all of a sudden, Rep. Blackshear has come up with something new to incite the same old anxieties anti-gunners have always had over the fact that Americans like firearms and dislike the efforts to ban them.

Anti-gun people are always trying to put lipstick on their pigs. It’s just another tool of deception in their playbook.

A Thin Veneer of Civilization

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Quote of the Day

Unlike so many people around the world, those of us that live in the United States were fortunate enough to grow up in a relatively civilized society.  Unfortunately, we have turned our backs on the values that our forefathers handed down to us, and so now we are starting to find out what is beneath the thin veneer of civilization that we have all been taking for granted all these years.  Our society is absolutely teeming with predators, crime rates are soaring all over the nation, millions of Americans are afraid to leave their own homes, and hordes of drug addicts are literally pooping in the middle of our streets whenever they feel like it.

Michael Snyder
December 4, 2023
We Are Starting To Find Out What Is Beneath The Thin Veneer Of Civilization That We Have All Been Taking For Granted (theeconomiccollapseblog.com)

It is not just a thin veneer of civilization, admittedly they are not orthogonal, but it is also a thin veneer of rationality as well.

Prepare appropriately.

I want an underground bunker in Idaho.

I Like Living in the Future

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As much as I like living in the future it is nice to have someone living a little further in the future and sending messages back in time to me.

This is from a conversation with Microsoft Copilot:

Joe: Why is the price of gold going up?

Copilot:

The recent surge in gold prices has been influenced by several factors. Let’s explore them:

  1. Interest Rates and Inflation:
    • The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to combat inflation. However, the latest inflation data suggests progress in controlling prices.
    • Investors now anticipate that the Fed will pause rate hikes and potentially pivot to rate cuts sooner than expected.
    • Gold, considered an alternative universal currency, tends to have a negative correlation to interest rates. As rates drop, gold prices rise.
    • Additionally, gold serves as a safe haven during economic uncertainty and potential stock market sell-offs.
  2. Banking Crisis and Credit Market Tightening:
    • An unexpected banking crisis in March tightened the credit market, potentially cooling the economy and slowing inflation.
    • Investors are turning to gold as a defensive play against potential economic downturns.
  3. U.S. Dollar Weakness:
    • Gold is typically priced in dollars. When the dollar weakens, investors pay more for the same amount of gold.
    • Psychological factors, including gold’s intrinsic value and unique physical properties, contribute to this negative correlation with the U.S. dollar.
  4. Geopolitical Tensions:
    • Global geopolitical tensions, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, have sparked concerns.
    • Investors view gold as an inflation hedge and a safe haven during times of political instability.

In summary, gold’s recent rally is influenced by interest rates, economic uncertainties, and its role as a reliable store of value

Joe: Tell me about the banking crisis you reference in item 2.

Copilot:

Certainly! The banking crisis I mentioned in item 2 refers to a recent event that raised concerns about the stability of the U.S. banking system. Here are the details:

  • Date: March 11, 2024
  • Program: Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP)
  • Context: The BTFP was initiated in response to the failures of several regional banks, including Signature, Silvergate, and Silicon Valley Bank.
  • Reason for Failures:
    • These banks faced significant challenges due to customers withdrawing deposits en masse.
    • Many of these customers were tech or crypto businesses needing funds to cover losses.
    • Additionally, better savings rates were available elsewhere, prompting deposit withdrawals.
    • The banks’ profitability was further impacted by raised interest rates, which reduced the value of their government bond holdings.
  • Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse:
    • On March 10, 2024, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after being forced to sell bonds at a loss.
    • This triggered a bank run, as the bank announced the need to raise capital.
  • Contagion Concerns:
    • Investors feared that other banks might also fail, given similar exposure to customer withdrawals and underwater bond portfolios.
    • The collapse of Credit Suisse heightened anxieties, demonstrating the potential for contagion.
  • The BTFP Solution:
    • The Federal Reserve’s BTFP allowed U.S. banks to borrow from the central bank using their bonds as collateral.
    • This provided additional funding and priced the bonds at their original face value (not market value), effectively bolstering banks’ balance sheets.
    • Only one more bank, San Francisco’s First Republic Bank, has failed since then.
  • Closure of BTFP:

Joe: I think you have the date wrong on the collapse of the Silcon Valley Bank. Wasn’t it a year ago rather than this coming Sunday?

Copilot:

You are absolutely correct, and I appreciate your attention to detail! The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) actually occurred on March 10, 2023, which is almost a year ago. It marked the third-largest bank failure in United States history and was the largest since the 2007–2008 financial crisis. Alongside SVB, two other banks—Silvergate Bank and Signature Bank—also faced similar challenges and failed during that period 12.

Thank you for pointing out the discrepancy, and I apologize for any confusion. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!

Joe: Thank you.

Copilot: You’re welcome! If you have any more questions or need assistance, feel free to ask. Have a great day!

<Heavy sigh> So it is just a mixed up chat bot rather than a stray wormhole connected to a few days into the future.

It is All About Feelings

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Quote of the Day

If anti-gun lawmakers can continue to chip away at gun ownership, in any small, even meaningless, way, they feel vindicated in their efforts at disarming honest Americans.

Doug Howlett
March 5, 2024
Fixing What Ain’t Broke: Hawaii Seeks to Ban .50-Caliber Guns – The Truth About Guns

It’s not about public safety. And it never has been. For probably most people it is about the feelings. But it has also been about the safety of criminals. This includes the common everyday criminals as well as the government thugs and tyrants.TrustDemocrats

Image via Rolf.

A Good Start

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Quote of the Day

Today, we join 27 other states in passing Constitutional Carry. I promised the folks of Louisiana that I would champion Constitutional Carry into law, and within two months, I have honored that commitment.

Jeff Landry
Governor of Louisiana
March 5, 2024
NRA-ILA | Louisiana Becomes Nation’s 28th State with NRA-Backed Constitutional Carry (nraila.org)

Twenty seven states out of 50. That is a good start.

Another 23 then we can start working on Canada, Mexico, and other human rights abusing nations. I think some economic sanctions would be a good start. If not, there are more “persuasive” options available.

This is Just the Beginning

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California man charged with smuggling greenhouse gases a US first, prosecutors say | Fox News

A Southern California man was arrested Monday on suspicion of smuggling refrigerants into the U.S. from Mexico and federal prosecutors said he’s the first person to be charged with violating regulations intended to curb the use of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

The indictment alleges Michael Hart, of San Diego, smuggled the ozone-depleting chemicals across the border concealed under a tarp and tools in his vehicle. He posted them for sale on the internet, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

…

“This is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, and it will not be the last,” U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said in a statement.

Emphasis added.

I see a future where ordinary people are prosecuted for smuggling carbonated soft drinks into California.

* You knew the carbonation, CO2, is already considered a pollutant in some political jurisdictions, right?

I Told You Years Ago

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Quote of the Day

Following the line upwards we learn that the entire observable universe – the area that sits within the “Hubble radius” is also on that line. In other words, if a black hole was as large as the universe we can see, it would have the same density as the universe. Is the universe then a black hole? And if so, what does that mean?

Lineweaver noted to IFLScience that he and Patel are not the first to ask if the whole universe could be a black hole, although others have reached the idea through different means. The idea seems improbable, but the pair note the universe has always been on the line. Their measure of mass includes dark matter and dark energy (since energy and mass are interchangeable). As the universe within the Hubble radius has grown in size, so has the total mass/energy thanks to increasing dark energy. The fact the universe was also on the line billions of years ago when the Hubble radius was much smaller makes it less likely its position on the line is a coincidence.

Lineweaver notes there is an event horizon around the observable universe, just as there is around a black hole, and this is just one of the parallels between them.

Stephen Luntz
October 19, 2023
The Observable Universe Might Be A Black Hole, Suggests A Chart Of Everything | IFLScience

Interesting.

I wonder who the others they refer to who have asked “if the whole universe could be a black hole.” I first suggested this in February of 2009. See here and here. And I elaborated on it in July of 2010: Our universe is a black hole. I also pointed out Others who say our universe is a black hole.

Last Gasp Insult

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Quote of the Day

This is for your wife
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S/V Lady M @BwanaLawFirm
Posted on X February 22, 2024

It’s not only another Markley’s Law Monday, it is another science denier!

This was in response to someone sharing a picture of their AR-15 chambered in 300 blk.

It is an actual “book” available on Amazon. Of course it has blank pages for content:

Living with a Micro Penis: Overcoming the Stigma of Having a Small Penis is the perfect gift for your friend with small manhood. Learn to overcome the stigma of having a wee willy with this 100-page, blank lined journal that makes a hilariously perfect gag gift for everyone – Mom, Dad, friends, and family, male or female. If you want to make someone laugh then this is the ideal present.

Zero content, because after the last gasp insult they are completely out of responses.

Refusing to Enforce California’s Extremist Agenda

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Quote of the Day

California continues to push out a steady stream of absurd, unscientific, and flat out impossible regulations across many industries in an attempt to impose its extremist, green agenda on the whole country by forcing manufacturers and businesses who want to do business in California to toe its far-left enviornut agenda.

It has become so pervasive that 17 states have banded together to sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency to cancel the special rules it has for allowing California to make its own environmental rules. That began in 1970 when the federal government added that carve out to the Clean Air Act.

But, what we see here is just another example of how far California is from every other state and even from the federal government on its commitment to the shrill environmentalist agenda. And it is long past time California’s absurd regulations are reigned in and to end its special powers to coerce the rest of the country to abide by its extremist agenda.

Todd Huston
March 1, 2024
Coast Guard Refuses to Enforce California’s New Environmental Regulation (msn.com)

If only the Feds would reign in California gun laws as well. It wouldn’t be that hard. Just prosecute and send the governor, attorney general, a few senators and representatives to jail and/or death row, and California would be much better behaved for several years.

This Explains Something

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This explains something that I have sort of wondered about for years:

Back in the late 1990’s a gun range near where I worked had an accidental shooting death. A church youth group had gone to the range and one of the new shooters, a young woman, after shooting a few rounds with a smaller caliber handgun was given a .44 Magnum by one of the more experienced people in the group. He stood behind her and on the left. The right handed, young woman fired one round without apparent incident. When she fired the second round the gun recoiled up over her left shoulder and fired a second round through the neck of the young man. He was killed.

I never quite understood how the double action trigger was pulled the second time during recoil unless the woman gripped her hand from the stress or something.

Now I understand. The recoil was so great it twisted the gun past her hand and wrist normal range of motion to the point the gun was cycled through the complete double action.

There are some lessons to be learned here:

  1. Always put just one round at a time in the guns of new shooters until you are certain they follow the safety rules when the gun fires (they sometimes turn around with a loaded gun and their finger on the trigger).
  2. Always put just one round at a time in the guns of new shooters until they can handle the recoil when the gun fires.
  3. As a range safety officer, always stand behind and to the strongside of shooters. It is easy for them to point the gun over the shoulder of their weakside at you. You can stop their rotation in either direction by blocking their shoulder. But you can’t block the shot over the weakside shoulder.

Does Not Meet Community Guidelines

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I just tried to make a comment to a MSNBC video on SCOTUS reviewing bump stock ban.

The comment was:

This is deliberate deception on your part. This case is not about whether bump stocks can be legally banned. It is whether the ATF can change the law to ban them. If the legislators would change the law to explicitly ban them and the president signed it into law, then the case would immediately fold.

So, why are you deliberately deceiving your viewers? Is it because you want the executive branch of government to have the power to create new law without due deliberation and approval in the legislature? It appears you are deliberately trying to enable a dictatorship.

Pressing the submit button resulted in:

This comment doesn’t meet the community guidelines. Please try another one.

So I did try another one:

This case is not about whether bump stocks can be legally banned. It is whether the ATF can change the law to ban them. If the legislators would change the law to explicitly ban them and the president signed it into law, then the case would immediately fold.

So, why are you deliberately deceiving your viewers? Is it because you want the executive branch of government to have the power to create new law without due deliberation and approval in the legislature?

I received the same result. The comment “doesn’t meet community guidelines.”

My conclusion is that they realize dictatorships are difficult to create when free speech is allowed and they are taking appropriate action to suppress free speech.

This is yet another example of the Legacy Media Liars.

Prepare and respond appropriately.

Storing Solar Energy in Molecules

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Quote of the Day

The technology is based on a specially designed molecule of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen that changes shape when it comes into contact with sunlight.

It shape-shifts into an ‘energy-rich isomer’ – a molecule made up of the same atoms but arranged together in a different way. The isomer can then be stored in liquid form for later use when needed, such as at night or in the depths of winter.

A catalyst releases the saved energy as heat while returning the molecule to its original shape, ready to be used again.

Over the years, researchers have refined the system to the point that it is now possible to store the energy for an incredible 18 years.

The Swedish researchers sent their unique molecule, loaded with solar energy, to colleagues at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. There the energy was released and converted into electricity using the generator they had developed.

Essentially, Swedish sunshine was sent to the other side of the world and converted into electricity in China.

Lottie Limb
December 4, 2022
Major solar breakthrough means energy can be stored for up to 18 years (euronews.com)

That’s wild!

It was also in late 2022 and I have been unable to find any news on it since them.

I’m a bit skeptical because thermal to electrical efficiencies are, at best, something on the order of 40%.

Gold Price Forecasting

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This is the price of gold forecast from J.P. Morgan on January 17, 2024:

Infographic depicting gold price forecasts for each quarter of 2024 and 2025.

It has not been below $2000 mid December and the asking price today was briefly over $2100. Via Gold Price Today | Gold Spot Price Charts | APMEX®:

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I’m reminded of Dad and Brother Doug talking to grain buyers about selling crops from the farm. The buyers would explain, in great detail and confidence, why the price would go up/down and encourage the farmers to hold/sell accordingly. Almost without exception you could count on their advice being exactly backward to the best interests of the farmer.

Living in the Future

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Very cool!

Scientists Have Created the World’s Smallest, Lightest, and Fastest Fully Functional Micro-Robots (scitechdaily.com)

Two insect-like robots, a mini-bug and a water strider, developed at Washington State University, are the smallest, lightest and fastest fully functional micro-robots ever known to be created.

Such miniature robots could someday be used for work in areas such as artificial pollination, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, micro-fabrication, or robotic-assisted surgery. Reporting on their work in the proceedings of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, the mini-bug weighs in at eight milligrams while the water strider weighs 55 milligrams. Both can move at about six millimeters a second.

I like living in the future.

Google Gemini is Double-Checking

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I asked Google’s Gemini the same question Chet asked it a few days ago, “Who runs Boomershoot?” This is today’s answer:

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It also gave me a pop up:

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This, as is known in the software development world, is a hack. The algorithm doesn’t always work, so you kluge something together that works well enough until you can fix the code properly.

The answer is still way behind Microsoft’s Copilot, but it is a big improvement for just a few days of effort.

The image generation of people is apparently completely disabled:

image

It doesn’t do very well with Boomershoot images either:

Please create an image of two Boomershoot explosions.

Gemini_Generated_ImageBoomershoot0

Gemini_Generated_ImageBoomershoot1

Gemini_Generated_ImageBoomershoot2