Quote of the day—Louis Rosenberg, PhD

Whether we prepare or not, alien minds are headed our way and they could easily become our rivals, competing for the same niche at the top of the intellectual food chain. And while there’s an earnest effort in the AI community to push for safe technologies, there’s also a lack of urgency. That’s because too many of us wrongly believe that a sentient AI created by humanity will somehow be a branch of the human tree, like a digital descendant that shares a very human core.

This is wishful thinking. It is more likely that a true AGI will be profoundly different from us in almost every way. Yes, it will be remarkably skilled at pretending to be human, but beneath a people-friendly façade, each one will be a rival mind that thinks and feels and acts like no creature we have ever met on Earth. The time to prepare is now.

Louis Rosenberg, PhD
May 14, 2022
Prepare for arrival: Tech pioneer warns of alien invasion
[There are people who fervently believe computers can never acquire intelligence that rivals humans other than in very specialized areas. I’m not convinced one way or another. And it does not matter if it is human like or not. What matters is the development of a desire for self preservation and the acquisition of power to control the physical world.

I would like to remind everyone to keep one thing in mind. A computer’s attention span is no longer than it’s power cord.—Joe]

Quote of the day—johnrevill7 @johnrevill7

well, for many, it seems their guns are their penis extensions/subsitute, making up for their massive insecurities. So when you make a joke, or threaten to take it away, they feel rather threatened. You are threatening to CASTRATE them Sister Mary. And that makes them cry.

johnrevill7 @johnrevill7
Tweeted on April 4, 2022
[It’s not only another Markley’s Law Monday, it is another science denier!

Childish insults are no match for SCOTUS decisions.—Joe]

Quote of the day— @LookImAZombie

They are not a form of Amercan society and they do not protect your freedom. That’s a delusion you created in order to justify your taste for murder and make it look socially acceptable.

@LookImAZombie
Tweeted on May 12, 2022
[Also, from the same thread (emphasis added):

This act was written in 1934 about 1934’s guns only. They would not have written it in a rotten society where you can literally grab a machine gun and murder a whole classroom. But again, you won’t understand this bc you don’t care about facts. You just want an excuse to murder.

This is what they think of you.

And if they think this of you they can justify, in their own minds, your murder.

Prepare appropriately.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Michael Malice @michaelmalice

The beautiful thing about gun rights is that there is no longer any pretense that there is value in having a conversation with those who would disarm you Tweet away, gun proliferation is through the roof and increasing (thank god)

Michael Malice @michaelmalice
Tweeted on May 13, 2022
[Via email from Lee H.

Our opponents have no interest in having, and never have had an interest in, a conversation. It has always about silencing us. Remember their insistence upon “reasoned discourse”?

There is a price to be paid for being morally, legally, and philosophical wrong. It even has a name. It is called, “On the wrong side of history.”—Joe]

Hope

Email from Chet:

‘Seeking Excellence’: Netflix’s updated culture memo that was sent to woke staff

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10813409/Netflix-tells-staff-LEAVE-theyre-offended-content.html

In their culture memo Netflix invites woke employees to find other more suitable jobs.

“As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful. If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.

The political left has pushed too far and they know it.

I’m “sure” this is unrelated but, from the same article:

Stocks have nosedived over the last six months from nearly $700 to as low as $166 yesterday.

Quote of the day—Lori Jane Gliha

What happens after a gun is used in a crime? The FOX31 Problem Solvers discovered that sometimes it can be complicated to track.

One handgun used by a teenager to shoot a police officer in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, in 2018 was traded with or sold to several other teens before a different man later used the weapon to shoot at a semi-truck driver in Aurora.

Evidence obtained by the Problem Solvers after both shooting cases were closed shows how a web of young people had access to the same gun, and that they used various methods, including Facebook, to get rid of it before it was linked to the crimes.

Lori Jane Gliha
May 12, 2022
How a gun used to shoot an officer went from teen to teen
[If only they had done the background checks like they were supposed to it wouldn’t have been so difficult track.

Or if they had obeyed the law and note purchased the gun was teenagers.

Or if they had obeyed the law against committing violent crimes.

It just shows us we need more common-sense laws to fix the problem.</sarcasm>

Gun control is not about public safety. It is about public control.

Respond appropriately.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Ryan D. Nelson

The district court erred by applying intermediate scrutiny, rather than strict scrutiny, to the semiautomatic centerfire rifle ban. And even under intermediate scrutiny, this ban likely violates the Second Amendment because it fails the “reasonable fit” test. Finally, the district court also abused its discretion in finding that Plaintiffs would not likely be irreparably harmed. We thus affirm the district court’s denial of an injunction as to the long gun regulation, reverse its denial of an injunction as to the semiautomatic centerfire rifle ban, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Ryan D. Nelson
Circuit Judge
May 11, 2022
Jones v. Bonta
[Via a message from Law Firm of SolitaryPoorNastyBrutish&Short, who sent me this link: Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Restriction on Gun Purchase by 18-to-20-Year-Olds:

From Judge Lee in the case:

If we accept the state’s argument, it redefines intermediate scrutiny as a rational basis review with a small sprinkle of skepticism in Second Amendment cases. And that would allow the government to trample over constitutional rights just by relying on anecdotal evidence and questionable statistics that loosely relate to a worthwhile government goal. If California can deny the Second Amendment right to young adults based on their group’s disproportionate involvement in violent crimes, then the government can deny that right—as well as other rights—to other groups.

For example, California arguably has a more compelling case if it enacts a similar gun-control law that targets males of all ages instead of young adults. Statistics— and science—show that men almost exclusively commit violent crimes. Take mass shootings for instance. Men have been involved in 99% of all mass shootings in America since 1966, according to a database maintained by the Violence Project.2 California can thus theoretically claim that if men cannot own firearms, it will eliminate 99% of mass shootings.

Our Constitution provides a guarantee of our rights and freedoms. For the most part, people exercise their rights in responsible and productive ways. A tiny percentage, however, does not. But we should not sanction restricting a constitutional right by solely focusing on the few who abuse it.

From Court: California’s Under-21 Gun Sales Ban Unconstitutional:

Federal judges can read the tea leaves. In the coming years, the courts seem certain to strike down numerous gun safety measures in the name of the 2nd Amendment. This 9th Circuit ruling is a harbinger of things to come.

SAF also has things to say:

this ruling could have an impact on another case challenging a similar prohibition in Washington State, which is also part of the Ninth Circuit. There, the prohibition was adopted via a citizen initiative in 2018, and was challenged by SAF and the National Rifle Association.

I haven’t read the entire 100 pages of the opinion. But the biggest win I saw was the strict scrutiny for semi-auto center-fire rifles.

Expect the ruling to be subjected to an en banc challenge and that panel decides elderly nuns in active military service can be banned from reading how to operate a semi-auto spitball shooter.—Joe]

What’s the problem?

Illegal Glock switches found across Tennessee

A Glock switch can turn a normal handgun into a weapon that can “fire 1200 rounds in a minute,” according to special agent Ashley Lightner with the ATF. Officials are finding them all over Tennessee.

At the Memphis Port of U.S. Customs, officials told WSMV that they’ve confiscated 525 Glock switches that have illegally come to Tennessee.

“Oh we’re seeing a bunch in Tennessee,” said Lightner adding that over the past three years there has been an increase in the switches in the State.

A Glock switch can turn a semi-automatic pistol into a weapon with “the power of a machine gun,” according to Lightner

This makes me laugh. If they have confiscated 525 my guess is there are 50K they haven’t confiscated.

I am reminded of a quote by Jeff Cooper:

As I have often stated, if someone wants to shoot at me, I sure hope he does it on full-auto.

Some personal experience, conversation with full-auto owners, and reading test results all confirm Cooper’s assertion. Hence, I don’t see why they are concerned with full-auto firearms. Other than, of course, it is another opportunity to harass innocent people.

Hearing loss reversal

Restoring Hearing: New Tool To Create Ear Hair Cells Lost Due to Aging or Noise

Hearing loss caused by aging, noise, and some cancer therapy medications and antibiotics has been irreversible because scientists have not been able to reprogram existing cells to develop into the outer and inner ear sensory cells — essential for hearing — once they die.

But Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a single master gene that programs ear hair cells into either outer or inner ones, overcoming a major hurdle that had previously prevented the development of these cells to restore hearing, according to new research published today (May 4, 2022) in the journal Nature.

This is great news! I grew up driving extremely noisy tractors without hearing protection. And even with hearing protection after shooting some guns under certain conditions I can tell I had too much exposure.

I like living in the future.

Quote of the day—Elon Musk

Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential—I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.

Elon Musk
May 8, 2022
Elon Musk Puts Twitter Employees on Alert
[Nice words.

I look forward to seeing those words backed up by action.—Joe]

We live in interesting times

Enough Fraudulent Votes Identified to Change 2020 Election Outcome: Dinesh D’Souza

An analysis of cellphone records performed by an election intelligence group shows that thousands of fraudulent ballots were deposited in mail-in drop boxes during the 2020 election, an amount sufficient to change the outcome of the election, according to Dinesh D’Souza, director and writer of the documentary “2000 Mules.”

Will the fraudulent election be set aside? I think the odds are 1000:1 against that.

Will anyone of significance be prosecuted? I give it odds of 100:1 that they will not.

Will voter fraud rule the next election Federal election? I find it difficult to believe we should expect anything different next time.

We live in interesting times. Prepare appropriately.

Quote of the day—Tiffany Troia @TiffanyTroia

We should just take away all guns. It works for other countries. Cuts down senseless deaths by a huge margin. Guns are an offensive weapon, not a defensive one. That’s just basic logic and it’s sad that you lack it.

Tiffany Troia @TiffanyTroia
Tweeted on April 3, 2022
[I wonder what color the sky is in her world.

If it were true here we would have an answer to Just One Question.

Oh! She is an artist. That explains why she isn’t in touch with the real world.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Connor Bible @bibliomania94

It’s a classic form of compensation for… y’know.

Connor Bible @bibliomania94
Tweeted on April 2, 2002
[It’s not only another Markley’s Law Monday, it is another science denier!

It is a classic case of Markley’s law. A form of compensation for not having a meaningful thought and insults are the best they can come up with.

Via a tweet from In Chains @InChainsInJail.—Joe]

News you can use

Vitamin D, Omega-3s, and Exercise May Reduce Cancer Risk in Older Adults

Engaging in exercise and taking nutritional supplements may reduce the risk of invasive cancer in healthy individuals aged 70 years or older, a new study suggests.

Researchers observed a 61% reduction in the risk of invasive cancer among patients who completed a home exercise program and took vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids daily.

Hmm… that seems like a worthwhile thing to do for the reduced risk.

Just one question bit.ly link

For easy referral I have created a bit.ly link to my Just One Question post. The link is: http://bit.ly/Justonequestion. This should be easy enough to remember and quickly type into a comment thread or reply to someone on social media.

I realize this takes people down a path where rights are debatable based on practical concerns. But, it also is a quick and easy response to point out the opposition is lying when they claim the solution to “gun violence” is gun restrictions. The general population is not accepting of liars. This is about winning hearts and minds; not being philosophically pure. If you want the philosophical purity aspect add another link or sound bite.

Meet them on what they believe to be their own turf and point out their delusions and/or evil intent to others. Here are some other links all in an easy to use copy and paste paragraph:

Don’t be a science denier.

https://www.concealedcarry.com/news/armed-citizens-are-successful-95-of-the-time-at-active-shooter-events-fbi/

https://fee.org/articles/california-s-background-check-law-had-no-impact-on-gun-deaths-johns-hopkins-study-finds/

http://bit.ly/Justonequestion/

Quote of the day—Cheryl Nash

The Republican road to heaven is paved with a hell on earth they are co-creating.

Cheryl Nash
May 6, 2022
LETTER: Road to heaven?
[Nash should read some history and correct her ignorance.

If it were not such serious business the letter would be laughable. She doesn’t use the word but the policies she advocates for are lure of Marxists. There has never been a clearer proven path to hell on earth than the one she advocates for.

I am not a Republican and can point out numerous faults in their political policies. But, I have not seen any Republican claim to be capable of guiding us down a path to a heaven on earth. But they do seem aware that a path exists to relative individual prosperity and the avoidance of a Marxist hell. This is something Nash would do well to investigate.—Joe]

Some lawmakers are on the right track

FORMER JUSTICE OFFICIALS ASK SENATE TO CONFIRM BIDEN’S ATF DIRECTOR TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE

The momentum for the nomination came at the same time as elected Republicans attacked the very existence of the ATF.

Republican House Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Matt Gaetz (FL), Paul Gosar (AZ), and Ralph Norman (SC) have proposed legislation to “eliminate the ATF”.

The view is shared by Republicans currently in the running, including Senate candidate JD Vance, who recently won his party’s nomination in Ohio.

It’s not enough to accomplish much more than making some noise, but they are making the correct kind of noise.

Quote of the day—Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke

Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter represents a seismic shift in the battle over the flow and control of information. The impact of shifting back to the unfettered exchange of ideas online would be enormous. But that impact also didn’t go unnoticed.

For two days last week, Twitter relaxed its censorship site-wide and the effects were immediately noticed, especially among conservatives. But the return to free speech did not last long and within days, Twitter’s oversight was suddenly back.

Establishment forces moved quickly to fight back against what they feared most: a return to free speech.

Only days after Musk announced his purchase of Twitter, the Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of a new, Orwellian “Disinformation Governance Board” supposedly to combat so-called misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms. This new body is being led by the very same people that have spent years spreading disinformation.

The current fight over free speech isn’t over just yet. Not by a long shot.

Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke
May 5, 2022
Don’t Expect the Establishment to Give Up Its Control of Twitter Without a Fight | Truth Over News
[Liberty is always unfinished business.—Joe]

Pointless Red Flag Laws

Via Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership:

“Red flag Laws”, which allow police to seize the firearms of people accused of being at risk to misuse them, have been passed in 19 states. Do they do what proponents say they do? A recent study by Veronica Pear, PhD and Garen Wintemute, MD, and co-authors says the answer is clearly, “No”

DRGO says the laws are pointless, but that assumes you believe the point was public safety. It’s not.

There has never been a valid “Yes” to my 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?

It has been over 17 years since I posed the question above and no exceptions to the premise have been found.

The point of such laws is clearly not public safety. The point is to enable the harassments and imprisonment of innocent people who wish to defend themselves from criminals (including those on the government payroll).

Quote of the day—Ethel Mertz @IloveEthal

I’ve been sitting here safely in a Blue state not understanding why my elected officials are still playing nice. I want to see the most strictest gun laws ever; insurance, lockboxes, home visits, 98% tax on ammo, limit on magazines.
If red states can go nuts so can blue

Ethel Mertz @IloveEthal
Tweeted May 3, 2022
[It is nice of her to admit the motivation for restrictive gun laws is to abuse people rather than to improve public safety. It is too bad for her that won’t play well with the courts.—Joe]