NOTAM

I could not find this on the official FAA NOTAM board but this copy clearly prohibits private relief activities near some North Carolina airports.  Almost like our government wants these red counties to die before the election. 

Even 10/2 Real Clear Politics, not a conservative site, is reporting on this nalfeasance.

One of the comments has the rest of this Florida National Guard officer's discussion of what is happening (and not happening).  He describes how FEMA prohibited the Fla. National Guard from distribution of relief supplies after a hurricane destroyed roads to the Florida Keys.  It appears FEMA only wants distribution of stuff from their suppliers.   I am guessing those suppliers have political connections. 

Camera For European Vacation

I love my Pentax KS-1 but it is a bit bulky for the March vacation in Europe.  I have a Canon 12MP point-and-shoot but its zoom range is limited and it has such limited aperture that I suspect the inside cathedral shots are not going to dshoots.  This is my big problem with phone csmeras.

Is there a category of cameras compact enough for q jacket pocket with lots of zoom and large aperture.   Yes they are called bridge cameras because, I think, they are the bridge between DSLRs and point and ahoots.  Some have amazing zoom ranges and 20MP and up resolution, and larger aperture than the point and shoots.

As I get closer to Match, I will watch thr prices fsll and buy.

Interesting Claims

 I am not entirely sure of their methodology.  The article Psychopathy, gun carrying, and firearm violence.  The abstract claims:

Firearm violence was positively related to the affective and antisocial facets of psychopathy. Whereas gun carrying without a concealed permit and defensive gun use were associated with only the antisocial facet. Gun carrying with a concealed permit was not related to any of the facets. Conclusion: These findings build on existing research on psychopathy and gun carrying among youth, suggesting that examining the facets of psychopathy can contribute to our understanding of the individual-level risk of gun violence among adults. The results also enhance the nuanced exploration of psychopathy’s role in different aspects of gun behavior, providing valuable insight into important risk factors to target during the intervention. 

This surprises me not in the least.  However, the article that led me to it apparently has access to the article and contains this curious explanation of the surveyed population: 

The study was conducted using a sample of 343 adult participants who had been treated for violent injuries at a trauma center in Virginia. These individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 75, were recruited because they were considered to be at high risk for future violence. The majority of participants were male (74%) and identified as Black or African American (65%). All participants completed a series of interviews and self-report surveys to assess their psychopathic traits and gun-related behaviors.

Without question, violent criminals are also disproportionately victims as well.  I am just skeptical that you can assume victims are a meaningful match for the victimizers. 

Mass Murder Outside America

10/1/24 BBC:

"Six people have been killed in a shooting and knife attack in Tel Aviv, police in Israel have confirmed.

"At least nine others were reported to have been injured, and several are in a critical condition."

Not Enough Sunlight

I have been battling some depression.   I thought it was just a result of a couple weeks of substantial pain, now subsiding to only occasional pain.  But cabin fever may also be the absence of sunlight.   I spent an hour two on the front porch today (made more tolerable by a cool wind), and I feel better.

I also finished my presentation about NFA34 Congressional testimony and how it impacts post-Bruen interpretation of the Second Amendment and machine gun law for the October 18th Symposium at the University of Wyoming Law School.

A Little Victory

 U.S. v. Duarte (9th Cir. 2024):

Applying Bruen’s two-step, text-and-history framework, the panel concluded (1) Duarte’s weapon, a handgun, is an “arm” within the meaning of the Second Amendment’s text, that Duarte’s “proposed course of conduct—carrying [a] handgun[] publicly for self-defense”—falls within the Second Amendment’s plain language, and that Duarte is part of “the people” whom the Second Amendment protects because he is an American citizen; and (2) the Government failed to prove that § 922(g)(1)’s categorical prohibition, as applied to Duarte, “is part of the historic tradition that delimits the outer bounds of the” Second Amendment right.

Duarte's previous convictions for sentences exceeding one year were all for non-violent crimes (I had no idea vandalism in California was a felony).  I do not get the impression this guy Duarte is someone you want to invite over for dinner, but rights do not belong only to the bourgeois.

Secret Names

Over at ChicagoBoyz, a discussion of a person whose name is so powerful that you may not mention it on Facebook or YouTube.  Is it safe for me to say that name, or will lightning strike my blog?