Leaving Seattle

Barb and I avoid Seattle as much as possible. Over 10% of Seattle residents are contemplating leaving Seattle in the next year:

Newly released survey data from the federal government shows that of the nearly 1.6 million households in the Seattle area in 2021, about 171,600 — almost 11% — were either thinking about or planning to move to a different place in the next 12 months.

Among the 15 largest metro areas, Seattle had the second-highest percentage of people considering or planning to move away, just a fraction behind Dallas — the two metros were effectively tied at 11%. The Riverside, California, area had the third-highest percentage, with about 10% of households planning or contemplating moving away within the year.

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I wonder why that is. Could it be related to things like Mug Me Street and Washington State’s oppressive gun laws?

I Love Sick Humor

Via Tamera@tacsgc:

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Boomershoot Poem #2

Another Boomershoot poem from Bing Chat:

Boomershoot, the name that echoes A place where nature and man meet Where the sky is the canvas And the earth is the seat

The boom of the rifle The smoke of the gun The thrill of the shot And the race to be done

The targets in sight The wind in your face The sound of the bullet As it finds its place

Boomershoot, a place of wonder Where people come to test their skill Where they learn to shoot and ponder And let their spirit fill

So come to Boomershoot And let your heart take flight For here you’ll find adventure And memories that shine bright.

That is pretty darned good. But I think the first one was better.

Read it and Prepare to Live it

Quote of the Day

Anyone who hasn’t read George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-four” should do so or be prepared to live it.

S. Povey (@k9dancerPovey)
Tweeted on March 16, 2023

It appears most people have not read it and many of those who have consider it an instruction manual.

Prepare appropriately.

On Shooting Tyrants in the Face

Via In Chains @InChainsInJail:

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Bing Chat’s Answer to Just One Question

I asked Bing’s Chat Just One Question:

Can you demonstrate one time or place, throughout all history, where the average person was made safer by restricting access to handheld weapons?

The response was:

The question of whether restricting access to handheld weapons has ever made the average person safer is a complex one. There are many factors that can influence the answer to this question, including the specific type of weapon being restricted, the context in which the restriction is being implemented, and the effectiveness of the enforcement of the restriction.

According to a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health article, science suggests that guns do not make us safer1. The article states that conflicting statistics about guns, such as how many people in the U.S. use guns for self-defense each year, and whether or not the crime rate is tied to how many people own guns, was the subject of a recent podcast featuring David Hemenway, professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health1.

It is important to note that laws regulating the sale of assault weapons are unlikely to have a large impact on homicide rates, because these weapons are used in only a very small proportion of homicides. The vast majority of firearm homicides in the United States are committed with handguns2.

I hope this helps answer your question. Let me know if you have any other questions or if there is anything else I can help you with.

I find it interesting I did not mention firearms at all and it made it about firearms.

More importantly, by saying “science suggests that guns do not make us safer” is a demonstrating its bias. It is answering a different from which was asked. I asked if banning weapons made society safer. It responded with, essentially, “having weapons doesn’t make people safer”. Which leads to, “there is no harm from banning weapons”.

Human Immortality by the End of the Decade

Quote of the Day

If it’s always been your dream to have the ability to live forever, you may be in luck as scientists believe we are just seven years away from achieving immortality.

Ellie Abraham
March 22, 2023
Humans predicted to achieve immortality within the next 8 years

Quoted in the article:

Kurzweil has also said he believes we will be able to “advance human life expectancy” by “more than a year every year and I think we can get there by the end of this decade”.

In an earlier book, IIRC, Kurzweil claimed we would reach this point by 2024. I hope the goalpost isn’t moved too much further. It is a very tough problem but there are some very promising results in rats and other lower life forms.

As uplifting as this is in a global sort of way, I always think of Eric when this comes up and I get a bit sad.

Fun Fact

Via Matthew Bracken @Matt_Bracken:

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I think the holster could stand to be upgraded, but that is indeed a very fun fact.

ATF Abuse Hearing in Congress

Quote of the Day

ATF has been known for its institutional abuse of power throughout history. Now, more than ever, the agency is being weaponized as a means to punish peaceable gun owners and drive small businesses out of the marketplace by inventing creative statutory interpretations surpassing the agency’s authority and scrutinizing federal firearms licensees every actions in a ‘gotcha’ manner.

With the directives from the Biden Administration a simple mistake such as transposing a digit or placing required information in the wrong field results in license revocation, rather than a warning, under the guise of a ‘willful violation’ of the Gun Control Act. This overbearing approach does nothing to support the government’s interest in compliance and destroys livelihoods over innocent mistakes.

Adam Kraut
SAF Executive Director
March 22, 2023
SAF SCHOLAR TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS THURSDAY ABOUT ATF ABUSES

A government regulatory agency for firearms is directly constitutionally prohibited. Alcohol and tobacco regulations is prohibited indirectly because there is no enumerated power which allow it. It will take a lot more litigation but that is a possible, and the correct, outcome of the Buren decision. With the current demonstrations of institutional abuse of power they should be moved to the top of the list of people who should be prosecuted.

If I had my way, ATF would be the name of a convenience store or a church.

Upside Down “Legal Scholar”

Quote of the Day

It’s a completely crazy standard. They have turned the interpretation of the Second Amendment completely upside down.

Albert Alschuler
University of Chicago “legal scholar”
March 20, 2023
How The Courts Are Strangling Gun Reform

No. This dimwit has things “completely upside down”.The courts are implementing gun law reform. What part of “shall not be infringed” doesn’t he understand? Granted, he still thinks the 2nd Amendment protects the right of states to have a militia. But in the Heller decision all nine SCOTUS justices agreed (only five agreed with the entire decision) that it protects an individual right.

If he were an actual “legal scholar” he would have read and understood the Heller decision.

Volunteering for Door to Door Gun Grabbing

Quote of the Day

Ban all guns, if we have to go door to door and forcefully take away everyone’s firearms then we will.

Johnathan @theprism89
Tweeted on March 16, 2023

I would like to suggest he wear a head mounted GoPro when he “forcefully takes away everyone’s firearms”. Then we could enjoy some popcorn while watching the video. It would be a very small bowl of popcorn, but the video would be entertaining.

Quote of the day—Steve Worley @WorleyWay

That’s a nice penis

Steve Worley @WorleyWay
Tweeted on December 18, 2022
[It’s not only another Markley’s Law Monday, it is another science denier!

This was in response to:

No matter how frequently they demonstrate Markley’s Law I still marvel at their ability to see an ordinary gun and think “penis”. Their brains really have some messed up wiring. I wonder if shock therapy or a lobotomy would help. Or was it something like that which caused the damage to begin with?–Joe]

Free Drinks for the Pilots

Quote of the Day

Two groups of Air Force personnel that never have to buy their drinks in any Army club: A-10 pilots, and Spectre crews!

DogBytes (Im a 50-something Bart Simpson!) @MarkDL66
Tweeted on March 17, 2023

I have nothing to add.

No News, Just Narrative

Quote of the Day

What percentage of stories on politics or public figures is NOT misleading. I’ll give you the answer in the comments.

Close to zero. We don’t have a press that does news, just narrative. Zero newspapers talked to me before canceling me. No curiosity about context. When you meet the subjects of stories they laugh about how wrong the news is. Almost every time.

Scott Adams @ScottAdamsSays
Tweeted on March 4, 2023

I fully agree. I could tell you supporting stories for an hour. See also this category of blog posts.

This sentiment is not rare. See for example here:

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According to Gallop, 38% of Americans have no trust at all in the mass media.

But that does not tell the entire story. It would not be much of stretch to say 100% of Americans has zero trust in the mass media. Those with some trust in the media are not Americans. They are useful idiots and/or communists.

Domestic Terrorists

From Washington Attorney General, Bob Ferguson’s 2022 Domestic Terrorism Study:

A note on terminology: “domestic terrorism” (DT) is an undefined term in the Revised Code of Washington, but is defined in the U.S. Code as “activities that (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.”

It appears that the emphasized portions of the text above are satisfied by politicians and/or law enforcement who create and/or enforce gun control laws in violation of the 2nd Amendment.

Domestic terrorists. Yeah. That sounds right to me.

I look forward to their trials.

Nationalized banks?

Quote of the Day

Joe Biden is spending the country into oblivion. He is bailing out wealthy depositors at these banks. Under Biden, our once-private banking industry has essentially been nationalized, too. With each year this man remains in office, a little bit more of America you and I knew will be chipped away. Eventually, we will look much like the European Union: a boon for crony capitalists and a nightmare for innovators.

Brandon Weichert
March 15, 2023
Joe Biden Might Have Just Destroyed America’s Banks

We live in interesting times. Prepare appropriately.

Schadenfreude is sweet

Quote of the Day

Last year’s Supreme Court case that expanded Second Amendment rights has wreaked havoc on the nation’s gun control laws, witnesses told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

Michael Macagnone
March 15, 2023
Senate hears about legal fallout from Supreme Court gun decision

We have been telling them for decades those 10s of thousands of laws were unconstitutional. And they ignored and mocked us. They should not expect any sympathy from us as we will not give them any. The schadenfreude is sweet.

Just wait until we have machine gun sporting events in the high schools and the prosecutions start.

You’ve got this because you’re awesome

Quote of the Day

There are all sorts of different ways to fight for the Second Amendment. It’s not all butting heads with jerks and heated arguments on the internet. It’s not all donating money or calling politicians and telling them that if they vote for this latest nonsense, you’re going to make it your mission in life to kick them out of office. Though all that stuff helps, it’s the little things. It’s being that good example. That helping hand. It’s teaching and passing on knowledge.

The greatest warrior for the Second Amendment is the grandpa who takes the grandkids out and shows them how to knock cans off a fence with a pellet gun,

It’s the patient spouse who tries to gently persuade his or her significant other that Moms Demand Action is lying to them, and that allowing a gun in their home isn’t the end of the world.

It’s the manager who tells the HR department to shut up, and then tears down all those gun-free zone signs.

It’s you every time you take some new people to the range, show them how to use your guns safely, and then help them have fun.

Gun culture, this is on us. The future of our country depends on us holding the line.

But you’ve got this because you’re awesome. I’ve got faith in you.

Larry Correia
2023


In Defense of the Second Amendment page 189

This is a good book. It wasn’t quite what I expected. I expected a creative and humorous rant, based on clear and convincing evidence, of how stupid and evil the anti-gun people are. This was considerable muted on the humor and rant with moderate muting of the stupid and evil claims. This makes it a better handout to your grandmother and the gentle person next door as well as a work colleague.

The Bruen Decision is Gun Law Reform

Quote of the Day

That Bruen ruling is going to hurt us for decades to come. It’s going to be the excuse of every conservative Democrat who doesn’t want to pass common-sense gun laws.

Miranda Viscoli
Co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence
March 11, 2023
How This Supreme Court Ruling Is Already Affecting Gun Reform In A Blue State

Interesting title for the article. The Bruen decision is gun law reform.

Her pain is our gain. Of course, she could sell her tears for gun lube and have some gain of her own if she really wanted.

Anti-gunner demonstrates personality disorder

Quote of the Day

The incel vibes are strong with these screenshots.

Which makes sense because a “semiautomatic rifle” is a physical replacement for their limp, sad little “packages”.

MRDucks_CMEDBD_Wings? @MrDucks216
Tweeted on December 15, 2022

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

Via In Chains @InChainsInJail who commented:

“Gun control” cultists have misogynistic dick jokes. We have Supreme Court rulings.

I would also like to point out that “gun control” cultists frequently, as in this case, believe they can read minds and/or know the character of people with little or no information about them. This is an indicator of a personality disorder.