Markley’s Law Monday

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Quote of the Day

Cool, because you need an automatic weapon…FFS give it a rest with your replacement for a dick. Seriously all I hear from all your arguments is “I have a micropenis and substitute my guns to feel better”.

Patrick Scannelli @PScannelli
Tweeted on February 9, 2023

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

Apparently Mr. Scannelli is unable to understand facts and reason and maps rational thought into sexual prowess. I cannot imagine what an empty life someone must lead if they cannot understand even basic science.

Socialism is Barely on the Seattle City Council Ballot

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A glimmer of hope for Seattle?

Bland is back? In Seattle the fiery far left is barely on the ballot

It appears the revolution has petered out.

Or maybe it’s just on pause. But Seattle’s great civic experiment of the past decade, dabbing in socialism and far-left progressive experiments in public policy, is all but a no-show in the current City Council campaigns.

It wasn’t long ago that candidates for public office here would routinely declare things like, “We’re going to make Seattle the most progressive city in America.” The campaigns were movements, centered around first-in-the-nation policy ideas involving wages, tenant law, anti-corporate campaign finance measures or such utopian fantasies as completely abolishing the police.

Seattle became one of the only cities to elect a real-deal socialist, of the type that wants to end capitalism — the outgoing Socialist Alternative Councilmember, Kshama Sawant.

Now candidates are talking about potholes. Building sidewalks. Hiring more cops. Fixing stuff.

There are 45 candidates running for seven seats. I can’t say that none of them are socialist at heart, and I definitely wouldn’t say that progressivism is on the run. We’re all liberals here, after all. But the mojo of the once-rising left sure seems missing.

I suspect the wolves have donned their sheep’s clothing but we will know more in a year. There has been so much damage done to Seattle that it would probably take a decade to heal even with the best wound care. And it isn’t going to get the best care. As soon as it appears to have life in it, the wolves will again attack and try to drain more blood.

Chet’s Blog

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Over the years Chet has left 889 comments on my blog. And he authored the quote of the day at least five times:

A few days ago he sent me an email with a link to his “blog on AI and Art plus some other things.” It’s name is:

CHET’S BLOG
Return of the Gods – Plato’s World vs Real World

He elaborates, “The target audience is non-tech, to maybe a little tech. You might find it interesting as well.”

I did find it interesting. And the AI images more than a little haunting.

Would Just 14 People Been Acceptable?

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TV network slammed for airing a 15-person orgy: ‘I can’t believe this is on’

I wasn’t aware of a social etiquette rule about the number of people at an orgy. So, is a 14-person orgy okay and 15 is not? Who makes these crazy rules anyway?

Anti-Aging Through Oxygen Restriction

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This is weird:

Previous evidence suggests that living at higher altitudes leads to longer life spans for humans. Scientists at Harvard Medical School wanted to know why.

In a study released this week of mice, evidence found restricting oxygen flow led to significantly longer lifespans. Researchers placed mice into two chambers. One set of mice was in a chamber with normal oxygen levels; another set was in a section with an oxygen level equivalent to Mount Everest’s. The mice employed in the study generally have short life spans.

The group of mice with their oxygen restricted lived, on average, 24 weeks, compared to 16 weeks for those who experienced normal oxygen levels. Harvard Medical School also found the maximum lifespan for mice with oxygen restriction was about 30% longer.

The researchers also noted that oxygen-restricted mice preserved neurologic function longer.

…

In 2011, the National Institutes of Health released data that found that men who live 1,500 meters above sea level live an average of 1.2 to 3.6 years longer than those who live within 100 meters of sea level. Women who live at high altitudes live an average of .5 to 2.5 years longer.

In the case of the humans I would have hypothesized it was cleaner air or some such thing leading to longer lives. But with the mouse experiments I don’t understand how this might work.

Decline in the Number of Farms

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Study shows farms on decline, posing risks to future food supply

The world’s farms are disappearing.

A new study out of the University of Colorado, Boulder found that the number of farms globally will shrink in half by the end of the century.

“The most striking finding that comes out of this work is that globally…we’ll see a tipping point from farm creation to farm consolidation,” said Zia Mehrabi, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder and author of the study.

…

Why is this happening? One reason, the study mentions, is because there are not enough people to do farm work as people move from rural areas to cities.

The research also mentions the average existing farm will double in size by the end of the century.

My family has been farming on South Road in Clearwater county for almost 130 years. That will end in a few years when my brothers retire. The land will probably be rented to one or more younger farmers giving them larger farms that ours. Other neighbors are considering subdividing into individual homesites.

It is sad, but unless there is a cure for aging there just aren’t enough people interested in farm work these days.

Secession, Not if, But What Now?

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Interesting point:

In many ways, America is already broken apart. When secession is portrayed in its strictest sense, as a group of people declaring independence and taking a portion of a nation as they depart, the discussion is myopic, and current acts of exit hide in plain sight. When it comes to secession, the question is not just “What if?” but “What now?”

I’m not sure I even have a reasonable guess to answers for the questions posed.

I could possibly see the Federal government collapsing due to the debt crisis and no individual states claiming responsibility. But that is about it. And then what happens? Do the Federal Assets get auctioned off to the highest bidders to pay off some fraction of the national debt?

It’s a big mess.

Online Ammo Bank

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This is a little different:

AmmoSquared Addresses Growing Demand for Alternative Assets

Nampa, ID – AmmoSquared Inc., the pioneer in online ammunition backed holdings, is answering the call from consumers seeking non-traditional ways to diversify their assets. The company offers a unique service by allowing customers to accumulate and store physical ammunition holdings off-site, providing an innovative way for individuals to build and protect tangible wealth while hedging against economic uncertainties.

As the global economy faces unprecedented challenges, many individuals are turning away from traditional asset accounts that can be vulnerable to fiat currency shocks such as stocks, bonds, and money market accounts. AmmoSquared’s ammunition-backed digital wallet offers a new approach for those concerned about the declining value of fiat currencies and the risks associated with conventional financial institutions.

“Ammunition is a physical, tangible asset that will never be worth zero,” says AmmoSquared CEO Dan Morton, “It’s more stable than cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are still too volatile for most people to reliably use as an alternative store of value. Ammunition is more like gold, with intrinsic value based on the effort and cost of raw materials. It will never be worthless, nor will it vanish due to a tweet or hacker.”

AmmoSquared has developed a user-friendly platform that allows customers to build, store, and manage an ammunition inventory online. The company offers over 60 different caliber options to cater to the diverse needs of its customers. Asset holders take advantage of AmmoSquared’s secure, climate controlled, storage facilities, ensuring their ammunition holdings are kept in optimal conditions to preserve its value.

The company has also introduced features typically found in financial products, such as limit orders, percentage gains and loss tracking, and the ability to exchange between different calibers with just a few clicks. These features, combined with an easy-to-use interface, make AmmoSquared an attractive option for those seeking to purchase and store ammunition as an alternative safe haven for their excess funds.

AmmoSquared, which started in 2015 as an ammunition subscription service, has evolved into something akin to an ammunition bank. They offer customers a unique way to diversify their savings into a tangible, useful asset. As dollar dominance wanes and people seek alternative safe havens for their excess cash, AmmoSquared provides a practical, secure solution that helps protect customers’ wealth in these uncertain times.

For more information about AmmoSquared and its innovative ammunition solutions, visit https://ammosquared.com/.

About AmmoSquared Inc.:

AmmoSquared is pioneering an online ammunition wallet or “bank account”, offering customers an innovative way to purchase and store ammunition while still meeting their everyday shooting and hunting needs. With a wide variety of calibers available, AmmoSquared’s platform provides a user-friendly experience that allows individuals to manage and diversify their assets with ease. The company is dedicated to providing secure storage solutions and exceptional customer service, positioning itself as a leader in the burgeoning ammunition depository market.

For further information, please contact:

marketing@ammosquared.com

www.ammosquared.com

Gun Control is About the Oppression of Minorities

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Quote of the Day

This history of gun control is exceptionally ugly. Dating back to the colonial times in the 1600s in the New World, and before that in Europe and elsewhere, gun control was used to disarm various minority groups to leave them open to terror, oppression, and exploitation. Slaves, freed slaves, Native Americans/Indigenous Peoples as well as Catholics and others were targeted by colonial authorities and the early states with explicit gun control measures to keep them obedient and in line. These SAME laws are NOW being used to by gun control advocates to advocate for gun control TODAY. Gun control advocates are using the very existence of these laws as a legal basis to show that there is a “historical tradition” within the United States and preceding colonies as a claim to bolster the constitutionality of gun control today.

Keith Preston
May 27, 2023
(PROOF) RACIST History Of Gun Control Colonies + Early States [Part 1]

It should not surprise anyone that the gun control advocates of today are using the racist laws of yesterday. All gun control laws are ultimately about the oppression of a disfavored minority.

To successfully overcome these evil forces requires, among other things, a change in the state of mind. Make the debate about the evil of what these people are enabling and the implicit alignment with the racists who inflicted their evil upon others for hundreds of years.

They are Making it Easy for Our Lawyers

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Quote of the Day

For ANY firearm to be legal in New Jersey, it must now meet two criteria established by this law:

1) the firearm must be imprinted with a serial number; and

2) the serial number must be registered with a federally licensed manufacturer.

Under these requirements, the following types of firearms are now banned in New Jersey with no grandfathering or exceptions:

1) All pre-1968 rifles, shotguns, and handguns without serial numbers. Warning: Prior to 1968, there was no federal law requiring guns to have serial numbers.

2) All modern rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers with serial numbers, but are not registered with a federally licensed manufacturer. This would include most modern imported rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers, plus foreign firearms, and military surplus firearms from countries around the world, if these companies were not federally licensed manufacturers (e.g., Lugers, P-38s, Mausers, Arisakas, Enfields, SKSs, Carcanos, Webleys, Norincos, Mosins, etc.).

3) All BB guns without serial numbers. New Jersey includes BB Guns/Air Guns in its legal definition of a “firearm.”

4) All BB guns with serial numbers but are not registered with a federally licensed manufacturer. This would include most BB guns made, because there is no federal firearms manufacturing license required to make BB guns (e.g., Daisy, Crossman, Gamo, etc.).

5) All muzzleloading/black powder firearms without serial numbers. New Jersey includes black powder guns in its legal definition of “firearm.”

6) All muzzleloading/black powder firearms with serial numbers but are not registered with a federally licensed manufacturer. This would include most muzzleloading/black powder firearms made and/or imported because there is no federal firearms manufacturing license required to make or import muzzleloading/black powder firearms.
5) All antique firearms without serial numbers. Antique firearms are “firearms” under New Jersey law.

6) All antique firearms with serial numbers but are not registered with a federally licensed manufacturer. This would include most antique firearms because a federal firearms manufacturing license did not even exist at the time the antique firearms were manufactured.

Evan Nappen
May 26, 2023
New Jersey Politicians Enact Largest Gun Ban in U.S. History

Emphasis in the original.

What these ignorant and/or evil people don’t know is that when they make the law so egregious it becomes a cakewalk for our lawyers to take a healthy bite out of the law. That bite creates a precedent which makes the next bite easier than it would have without the first bit.

As irritating the stupid unconstitutional law is, it creates a slippery legal slope we can take advantage of.

Via email from Rolf.

Negative Electrical Prices

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This interesting:

Electricity prices in Finland flipped negative — a huge oversupply of clean, hydroelectric power meant suppliers were almost giving it away

Finland was dealing with an unusual problem on Wednesday: clean electricity that was so abundant it sent energy prices into the negative.

While much of Europe was facing an energy crisis, the Nordic country reported that its spot energy prices dropped below zero before noon.

This meant that the average energy price for the day was “slightly” below zero, Jukka Ruusunen, the CEO of Finland’s grid operator, Fingrid, told the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

In practice, it doesn’t appear any ordinary Finns are being paid to consume electricity. People pay a markup on the electricity, and often pay agreed rates for power instead of the raw market price.

The price drop was driven by an unexpected glut of renewable energy and Finns cutting back on energy use because of the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

If you had access to almost free electricity what would you do with it? Bitcoin mining and charging your Tesla are the obvious things. But there must be something else. Here are my initial thoughts:

  • Electrolysis of water; the O2 and H2 can be used for welding gases, and fuel for everything from heating to rockets.
  • Smelting of metal ores.
  • Aluminum production.

No Concept of Rights

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Quote of the Day

Why is the lack of use of assault-style weapons in Washington state a point of argument against the ban?

It is just a matter of time when it happens. Better safe than sorry.

Gayle Sørlien
May 25, 2023
Comment to Group of local residents take legal action to stop Grant County sheriff from enforcing assault weapons ban

With logic like that:

  • All men should be imprisoned so they don’t rape women
  • All women should be put in chastity belts and the key held by their father until they are married and the key is given to their husband.
  • All high capacity fire starting devices should be banned to prevent arson.
  • Only the police should have vehicles which are capable of going over 40 MPH or traveling more than 10 miles without refueling.

Sørlien obviously doesn’t know and/or doesn’t care about rights. They only think in terms of government granted privileges.

Pistol Brace Rule Partially Blocked

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Quote of the Day

We are very excited and encouraged by the Fifth Circuit’s decision this morning. We intend to ask the court for additional information about who is covered under the injunction, but cannot stress enough just how important this decision is. The fight is far from over, but this is a huge victory in the battle against the ATF’s unconstitutional and unlawful brace rule!

Cody J. Wisniewski
Senior attorney for constitutional litigation at FPC Action Foundation.
May 24, 2023
Federal court deals blow to ATF pistol brace rule ahead of gun accessory registration deadline

The courts are slow moving but they are moving in the correct direction.

I’m rather exited about some of the polling numbers I’m seeing. For example:

image

It’s a biased sample, but the numbers are good enough that it at least partially makes up for the bias.

Other numbers I look at that are encouraging are the comments to news articles about gun laws. The progun side just absolutely dominates the online discussions.

The Hazards of Conversion Kit Prosecutions

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Quote of the Day

Switches are illegal and highly dangerous devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. These devices threaten public safety and make the gun violence problem even worse.

Kevin Ritz
U.S. attorney for the federal district in West Tennessee.
May 22, 2023
Federal agents, prosecutors going after machine-gun conversion devices in Tennessee

I would bet Ritz cannot answer Just One Question, yet he is prosecuting people doing things which will soon become legal via the Bruen decision.

Ritz should be charged, arrested, prosecuted, and given a fair trial.

In the mean time he should worry about some of those cheap and easy to make machine-gun conversion devices showing up in boxes on his door step, in his vehicles, and in his brief case, followed by anonymous tips.

Dark Garland™ Official @DarkGarland

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Quote of the Day

We don’t think you are going to give them up.

We are going to take them by force.

Confidential informant -> No Knock Warrant->Swat Team -> Trial > Prison.

Dark Garland™ Official @DarkGarland
Tweeted on March 6, 2023

Who is this “we”? And I see the process a little differently after a few raids.

Attack on innocent people –> SWAT communications jammed –> SWAT vehicles disabled with .30 and/or .50 caliber AP rounds –> SWAT team members go down –> survivors surrender –> Trial of survivors and those who sent them –> Prison and/or executions.

Don’t ever let anyone get away with telling you that no one wants to take your guns.

Universal symbols

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Quote of the day:

It’s the intentional symbol for, “I have no penis”.

JustHereToGloat @ToGloat
Tweeted on February 3, 2023

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

He was responding to this tweet:

I’m old enough to remember when members of Congress wore flag pins instead AR-15 pins on the House floor.

I presume he meant “international” instead of “intentional”. But attention to detail is not something you should expect anti-gun people to be good at.

Actually, (plagiarizing Greg Hamilton) it is the universal symbol for, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” Note, it is the precursor of the universal symbol for, “LIE DOWN!” People only need to be taught the latter symbol once and they remember it for the rest of their life.

Smart Federal Gun Control

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Quote of the Day

By “ Wealthy Nations “ you mean France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Poland, Italy, and such?

The same nations the United States and others had to fight to liberate from fascist dictators? The same nations that saw extermination camps to remove people that were seen as undesirable? A genocide far outstrips any gun massacre?

Let’s not mention that these nations today don’t for fill their promised contributions to the defense of their nation, instead depending on the United States for protection?

I’m sure they feel so superior sitting on the sidelines telling us how to live.

Grant Sulham
April 28, 2023
In answer to the question:

Will Americans have to come to terms with their rights to own and bear arms to stem gun massacres over time and join other wealthy nations with smart federal gun control laws and regulations?

I strongly suspect many of the questions on Quora are trolls or people creating questions for something they want to write about. Still, I like the answer.

A more succinct answer would be:

We have smartest federal gun control law in the world. It is called the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, “… the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

How’s that Gun Control Working in England?

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Where there is a market there will be a supplier:

Aman will appear in court after National Crime Agency officers uncovered what they believed to be a specialist factory in south London for converting blank-firing guns into lethal weapons using 3D printed parts.

Unfortunately the criminals will be far more likely to acquire the firearms than their intended victims. This is for two reasons:

  1. They are less inhibited by the law than the average person.
  2. They know the general population will be unarmed, and hence the armed criminal will gain a huge advantage over their victims.

Federal AutoMatch Target Grade 22 LR Ammo from Wideners

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About a month ago I received an email from Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply. In part it said:

We recently updated the front end of the Widener’s website, if you have a moment, you can check it out here. The basic idea is to make the site easier to navigate so customers can find products more quickly. We’re still working out some of the bugs, so if you see anything that could be improved, feel free to let me know.

I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in shopping our updated website and reviewing your experience along with some ammo on blog.joehuffman.org. As you know, product reviews are an opportunity to increase website traffic and build a stronger relationship with your audience. Sharing your online shopping experiences with your audience can also be a great way to build trust.

If you’re interested in receiving some free ammo for an unbiased product review. I’d be happy to set up a gift card for you to send a caliber or two your way.

If there’s anything else I can help you with, don’t hesitate to ask!

I accepted the offer and received a code for a $200 discount on anything on their website. I shoot more rounds of .22LR than another other round and I can’t reload that so I figured the best value would be to get some more .22LR. I use CCI Mini-Mags in competition because of the superb reliability even with my somewhat finicky competition gun. I am well stocked on Mini-Mags so I decided to get a cheaper alternative for practice. I chose the cheapest .22LR ammo on their website.

It arrived in the factory carton undamaged:

image

image

image

image

I tried the ammo in two different handguns, a Ruger 22/45 Mark III Lite, and my competition gun. There are two ten-round groups on the 12-inch steel plate in the picture below. Both were while standing, with iron sights, at about 11 yards. On the upper right is the Ruger:

image

Both groups are about 1.5”. I believe this is my limit rather than a limitation of the ammo and/or gun.

I fired about 130 rounds. It was 100% reliable in the Ruger. In the competition gun I had one magazine which had repeated failures to feed. I added a suppressor and had no further problems.

It think I found my new practice ammo. At the very least it is an alternate ammo in times of ammo shortages.

The Wideners web site is quite nice when searching and selecting ammo.

I placed the order on Saturday April 15th. It arrived at my gun range in Idaho on Friday April 21st:

Tracking Number: 397064210616
Carrier: FedEx
Status: Delivered
Delivered on: Apr 21, 2023 5:42 PM
Signed by: Signature not required
Service Type: FedEx Home
Delivery


Location Date Local Time Description
Lenore, ID, US Apr
21, 2023		 5:42
PM		 Delivered
LEWISTON, ID, US Apr
21, 2023		 2:08
PM		 On FedEx vehicle for delivery
LEWISTON, ID, US Apr
21, 2023		 2:05
PM		 At local FedEx facility
TROUTDALE, OR, US Apr
21, 2023		 4:37
AM		 Departed FedEx location
TROUTDALE, OR, US Apr
20, 2023		 9:18
PM		 Arrived at FedEx location
GLENNS FERRY, ID, US Apr
20, 2023		 4:43
AM		 In transit
CARPENTER, WY, US Apr
19, 2023		 3:48
PM		 In transit
SEDALIA, MO, US Apr
19, 2023		 2:55
AM		 In transit
MURFREESBORO, TN, US Apr
18, 2023		 2:00
PM		 Departed FedEx location
MURFREESBORO, TN, US Apr
18, 2023		 1:13
AM		 Shipment arriving On-Time
MURFREESBORO, TN, US Apr
18, 2023		 1:11
AM		 Arrived at FedEx location
KODAK, TN, US Apr
17, 2023		 10:05
PM		 Picked up
US Apr
15, 2023		 8:20
PM		 Shipment information sent to
FedEx

Because of Boomershoot and other things I didn’t get to try it until last Tuesday after I came back to Idaho to escape the plague (Barb tested positive for COVID on Mother’s Day).

The Misinformation is Deliberate

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Via email from Rolf we have this:

60,000 Lbs. Explosive Ammonium Nitrate Missing from Train in California

Sixty thousand pounds of ammonium nitrate, used as a fertilizer but also in explosives, are missing from a rail shipment that was due to arrive in California from Wyoming.

…

Ammonium nitrate was the explosive in the massive bomb used in the Oklahoma City terror attack of 1995. It was also the substance that caused a deadly explosion in a warehouse in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, in 2020.

If you dig a little deeper, using a link provided in the original article, you find (emphasis added):

Dyno Nobel says it believes the material — transported in pellet form in a covered hopper car similar to those used to ship coal — fell from the car on the way to a rail siding (a short track connecting with the main track) called Saltdale about 30 miles from the town of Mojave in eastern Kern County.

“The railcar was sealed when it left the Cheyenne facility, and the seals were still intact when it arrived in Saltdale. The initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit,” the company said through a spokesperson.

A Federal Railroad Administration representative, though, says the investigation points to one of the hopper car gates not being properly closed.

Click bait, revenue enhancement, blah, blah, blah.

I say, being most generous, yellow journalism, and, more accurately, deliberate deception.