Bye-bye 2020 II...

 

Kenosha

 

Seen at Joe's Place.

Not gonna lie, I am happy that the young man survived, and it sounds like the choir boys he took down deserved it and will only be missed by those with twisted taste in friends or causes, but that doesn't mean I am celebrating. 

Joe's got other links, too, including a statement by the lawyer representing the young shooter. 

You know, if even the New York Times admits that the video of events shows that these were legit self-defense shootings, you gotta wonder why he was so heavily charged... well, no, actually, it doesn't. 

Joe has something for that, too. 

Meanwhile, in comments to this post at Old NFO's blog...

...Not to mention some co-workers who should know better...

Not illegal for a 17 year old to "possess" an AR15 in either WI or IL. 

And if his mom drove him to Kenosha, it was for his job as a lifeguard. He stuck around when he got off duty to help clean up graffiti. He only geared up later when things started to get sporty again -- and gave one or two interviews, in which he emphasized his trauma kit over the rifle. 

LawDog also has a few thoughts, here, and shares another video here. 

UPDATE: The original video was banned by YouTube for terms of service violation,

Here's another one:

Flash Back!

A little way into the Korean Basic, once we had gotten to the point that we could manage more advanced grammar, we had a lesson in which "Dad" came home from work to find his sons brawling, and yelled "POK DONG AH! SSA-OOH JI MA!"; colloquially translated, "What is this riot?! Stop fighting!" 

Only we thought he was calling one of his sons "Pok Dong" -- riot or civil disturbance -- and did not quite grasp yet the nuances of Korean grammar; in this case, the imperative forms indicated by the "AH/MA" verbs endings.

(Confession digression: I are grammaring goodly in English, written or spoken, but if you require me to diagram a sentence, I'm heading for the door. I still have a hard time telling the difference between an adverb and an adjective, and I'm not clear on what a gerund is.)

So several years later I'm in Korea on my second tour, my first at the Second Infantry Division, and one weekend I scored a day pass to head down to Seoul. Maybe I was Christmas shopping, I don't recall, but I don't remember it as being particularly cold, so may not. 

Anyway, the bus route went by several universities, including Yeon Sei Dae Hak ("tae hak" = university; commonly referred to as "Yeon Dae", which, confusingly, is also the word for "regiment".)

The student body was participating in their favorite intramural activity, loudly proclaiming their opinions on various and sundry matters of great concern, featuring a variety of special effects and training aids by both said student body and their critics, to wit: bricks, rocks, fire bombs, and tear gas.

In other words, rioting.*

I caught a whiff of said tear gas, leaving me a bit hoarse for a day or two. When a Korean acquaintance asked if I was well, I explained that I had gotten too close to the "pok dong" near Yeon Dai.

And was promptly corrected: "Not a pok dong, it was a demo!"

And that, boys and girls was my first exposure to the concept that, if the cause is exalted enough, any amount of riotous, destructive, behavior can be excused by the simple process of designating it a "demonstration" or "peaceful protest."

*See P.J. O'Rourke's hilarious essay "Seoul Man" from Rolling Stone, reproduced in his collection Holidays in Hell.

 

Do You Want The Boogaloo? Because This is How You Get The Boogaloo (Updated)

(Links added to comments.)

First: If  you don't understand what is meant by The Boogaloo, well... I guess you can look it up on The Urban Dictionary.

Having said that...

In View From The Porch: People are getting edgy... Tamara excerpted a key 'graph from the rather lengthy post The COVID-19 Boogaloo Opus - Handwaving Freakoutery at Medium.

So then I see the following Tweet:

"The drones, donated by DJI, a Chinese company, have gone to 43 agencies in 22 states, all to help enforce social distancing rules."

US using Chinese drones to spy on and lecture Americans about a virus caused by communist China

Oh, and DJI "may be sending data to China" pic.twitter.com/LqH6VzonzH

— Elizabeth Harrington (@LizRNC) April 17, 2020

 Which of course, prompted a revival of the age-old questions

• Drone: Rifle or Shotgun?

and

• What Caliber for Drone?  

As infuriating as the implementation of technology in service of Big Government nannyism is,
Law enforcement is using drones to shout at people for violating social distancing.
the really bizarre thing about this story, as @LizRNC points out in her tweet above, is that these are DJI drones, a product of Communist China.

And an Internet search for the keywords "chinese drones law enforcement" will return dozens ( a conservative estimate) of articles referring to the US Government banning the use of drones from Communist China because of the predilection of the commies to have their tech phone home to the mother ship with details we'd rather the commies not have.

Seriously, what kind of an idiot elected official can be so tone-deaf in the face of Communist China's obvious responsibility for the current global pandemic and think "Hey, I know! We'll use ChiCom spy technology to nag people!" is a good idea.

Allegedly, these drones do not have the ability to transmit or record video.

Sure.

Winnie The Flu says so.

EDIT to add: And then there's this crap:

How do you report places that aren’t enforcing social distancing? It’s simple: just snap a photo and text it to 311-692. #AskMyMayor pic.twitter.com/WQdCcVf1Rl

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 18, 2020

Note: See comments for some links to news reporting on the subject. Also, statements re: No Video are probably meant to be "no recording of video or taking of photos."

Patriots Day

©1983, 2020 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Battle Road
©1983, 2020 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

A Rude Bridge, Arching a Flood
©1983, 2020 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

GOAL Post 2020-8 is up

GOAL Post 2020-8, Legislative Update from Olympia 28 February 2020 - Gun Owners Action League of Washington

I haven't been posting these, since they are now regularly posted to that web site, and let's face it, I haven't been posting much at all.

Legislative season is almost over, although with the clown show Olympia has become it is no longer accurate to suggest that our money or freedom are safe if the legislature is not in session. We're talking about a state where the state tried to sue the voters for an initiative we passed, after all.

Berthold Brecht would have been right at home here.

Anyway. It sounds like most of the bills are dead, although, as Joe points out, these clowns are always willing to pull a Miracle Max on bills that should have died...

Plus there's always the possibility that Steyer and Bloomberg will finance another corrupt initiative to back an even worse law.

One good bill remains, that would remove the restriction on spring-assisted knives. I have a lot of respect for the late Glenn Ford, Capt. USNR (RET), but The Blackboard Jungle resulted in silly restrictions on knives you can open with one hand, which sounds like a minor inconvenience until you need both hands to do a job, and a third to access the tool you need to do it. ("No shit, there I was, 30 feet up a ladder...")

The majority of the rest of the remaining gun-related bills should die in a fire.

The problem in a nutshell

“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.” 
Glenn Reynolds

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Patriotic Musings

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

   Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

   And fired the shot heard round the world.*

April 19^th, 2018, marks the 243^rd Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts,as well as the long retreat of the Redcoats along battle Road back to (perceived) safety in Boston.

Is this the most 'Murica photograph ever?

Is it coincidence that Tax Day comes just before Patriot Day?

Captain Parker's orders to the Colonial Militia

Is it coincidence that Patriot Day is also Israel's Independence Day?

"The Shot Heard 'Round The World."
Massachusetts Militia resists the Redcoats.

*First verse of Concord Hymn, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sung at the Completion of the Battle Monument, July 4, 1837

GOAL Post 2018-2

Week two. 
There was a rally in Olympia today, only about 150 or so showed up. The weather sucks, and getting to Oly from north of Tacoma has become something of a nightmare. So far as I know, though, there was no Open Cary jackassery, so we have that going for us... 
(Since I am now working Graveyard Shift, any such activity is awkward for me, at best...)

In addition to the efforts on the part of Seattle commies to infringe on the Second Amendment Rights of Washingtonians, they are also said to be considering passing a "sweetened beverage" tax; from the description, they looked at the one Seattle itself recently passed and said "Hold my non-fat half-caff latte and watch this!"
(Milk-based beverages are exempt, but under this proposal, diet and alcoholic beverages will not be...)

This after the first order of business, which was repealing the state law requiring a two thirds majority for any tax bills.

Meanwhile, Hizzoner The Governor really, really, REALLY wants to institute a carbon tax on Washingtonians. 

Like I said last week, batten down the hatches and fasten your seat belts...

***

FROM: GOAL WA <goalwa@cox.net> (Joe Waldron)

TO: wa-ccw@yahoogroups.com
SENT: Fri 1/12/2018 3:13 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2018-2

GOAL Post 2018-2

Legislative Update from Olympia12 January 2018 

• GUN RIGHTS RALLY
• LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
• NEW GUN BILLS FILED
• PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED

Somewhere between 125-150 gun rights supporters showed up at the rally conducted on the Capitol Campus earlier today.Several legislators spoke to the crowd, including Representatives Matt Shea (R-4), Brian Blake (D-19), Vicki Kraft (R-17), Morgan Irwin (R-31) and Senator Phil Fortunato (R-31). After the formal presentations ended, individual participants visited their legislators’ offices. A big thank you to the legislators who spoke and to all who made the trek to Olympia to show the flag..

The following cut-off dates are proposed for bills under consideration in the 2018 regular legislative session. As a general rule, if a bill fails to pass a hurdle, it is considered dead for the session. Exceptions can be made.

2 February: Bills must pass out of policy committee

5 February: Bills must pass out of chamber fiscal committee (only bills with major fiscal impact)

14 February: Bills must pass out of house of origin (House bills out of House, Senate bills out of Senate)

23 February: Bills must pass out of policy committee in second chamber

26 February: Bills with major fiscal impact must pass out of second chamber fiscal committee

2 March: Bills must pass out of second chamber (House bills out of Senate, Senate bills out of House), except for bills in a conference committee to iron out differences in House/Senate versions,budget bills and initiatives.

8 March: Sine die – close of regular legislative session.

HB 2363, by Rep. Pellicciotti (D-30), makes any attempt to use a drone to deliver a deadly weapon to an incarcerated individual a Class C felony.SB 6146, by Sen. Saldada (D-37), repeals RCW 9.41.290, our state preemption law, that prohibits local government from passing its own gun laws.I believe Washington was first in the nation with this, 35 years ago. 42 states now have preemption laws. If this passes, every county, city and town can pass their own gun control laws, a patchwork quilt of laws that will trip up gun owners traveling across the state.SB 6247, by Sen. Dhingra (D-45), prohibits firearm possession by individuals with a history of violence who are not deemed competent to stand trial.

The Senate Law & Justice Committee will conduct public hearings on SBs 5992 (trigger devices), 6049 (magazine restrictions), 5444 (modern sporting rifle registration), 5463 (safe storage) and 6146 (preemption repeal) on 15 January at 10 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 4, John A. Cherberg Building.That is the only public hearing on gun bills scheduled this week.A strong turnout would help.

BILL NUMBER/SUBJECT/SPONSOR/STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

Note to Everybody

Inspired by Tam's post Copypasta from my Bookface wall...

Go ahead and unfriend me.

The only way I am going back to Facebook is if they change their rules to let one post using a pseudonym with your "legal ID" not publicly available, and not searchable, without a warrant.

I'd even be willing to pay a double sawbuck (that's a Jackson for you kids, AKA an Irony Note, until Harriet replaces Andy, at which time it will be a Freedom Note, I guess) per annum for the service.

Facebook can be a useful way to stay in touch with family and friends; people evacuating from Hurricane Harvey only need a couple of minutes to post to their wall "Safe in Dallas, more later" and everyone will know they made it out OK.

Google+ could do that much, too, and anyone who has an Android phone has a Google+ account by virtue of having an Android, AKA GMail, AKA Google, account. And Google+ does not demand you post your legal ID anywhere. (Ask me how I know...)

But Zuckerberg et. al. are more interested in making piles of money and in manipulating society than in providing a simple service that people would actually like.

So feel no guilt at all about trimming your friends list by one there.

BTW, I'm still on Twitter, as of this week. Not real active, compared to some, but posting a link to the blog posts will (or used to) cross-post to Facebook, and occasionally some SJW does or says something stupid...

"Down mit Kapitalism!"

Ooh, great selfie, bro...

Self-absorbed fascists in Hamburg

And here we thought the Occupy Wall Street cry bullies were pathetic...

I must be slowing down

Today an employee -- not one of mine, but a Salt Mines employee -- told me his hours in military time.

He then apologized for using military time.

And explained what military time is.

And translated "1300 hours" for me.

I managed not to reach through the phone and choke him.

Or direct him to address me as "First Sergeant."

Or tell him I was using military time when his father was trying to figure out what number Mickey's Big Hand was pointing at.

Told one of my colleagues about this and she said "It's like I don't even know you anymore."

I suppose I can cite this the next time someone tells me I need to ease up on the staff...

And so it begins...

A White House.gov petition to Repeal the National Firearms Act of 1934.

h/t Dr. Mike Brown

Also: Repeal the 1986 Hughes amendment | We the People: Your Voice in Our Government

Odds & Ends

• New rule: No gun stores the weekend before a Presidential Election.
• Addendum to new rule: Especially if a Shooting Legend is going to be there.
• So I guess I'll pass on meeting Jerry Miculek  for this year.
•  WA went to 100% mail-in ballots. King County sets up drop-off boxes around the county; I dropped mine off on the way to not meet Jerry Miculek.
• The only debate, for me, is whether this is more or less subject to fraud than electronic ballots.
• {Rant about voter fraud/posthumous voting/no ID required deleted}
• Among items on the ballot is an initiative for "extreme protective orders" which would lead to anonymous callers having one's guns confiscated "temporarily".
• This thing is written so poorly that the ACLU has taken a stand on a gun control
• Always fun  to see the political parties claimed by th denizens of Seattle.
• The "Revolution and Liberation Party" is a new one on me.
• Sad the see the Karmic Flying party has disappeared.
• Sort of. 
• Started a new position in The Salt Mines this week, my first desk job in ages.
• When they brought me on, passing mention was made to emergency planning, mostly in the context of amateur radio...
• One week in, and yesterday they dropped all emergency planning in the state in my lap.
• I have a week to revise everything.
• I can barely remember how to get to the new office; IT still hasn't granted me access to all the web sites I'm supposed to use.
• Go home, State of Washington, you're drunk:
• DOC: Convicted criminals should no longer be called 'offenders' | KIRO-TV
• Washington state elector says he won't vote for Clinton | KIRO-TV
• Good for him, but he'd better watch his back, lest he commit suicide by shooting himself in the back of the head. Twice. 
• Just sayin'.

An observation about bureaucracy

Stolen fair and square:

If New Coke had been a gov't program, it'd be the only cola available today, and it would cost $20/bottle.

— Drang (@DWDrang) October 6, 2016

Patriot's Day, 2016

CONCORD HYMN
Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Farewell to Facebook

or: Goodbye to all that.

Drang's Statement of Principles

Those of you who have been following these scribblings may recall seeing last June that I posted a post called Attention, Facebook Friends!, in which I explained that Facebook was telling me that, in order to access my account there, I would have to provide them with scans of government issued photo ID, or certain acceptable alternatives.

I used that post to tell Facebook what it could do with that idea.

Facebook is a private firm, it can set the requirements for use of it's services at whatever they want to.  The thing to remember is that, as Chris Byrne says,

If you're not paying for the product you ARE the product.

It's free, they make a shit-ton of money off of advertising and selling the members information.

I get it.

I also know that my business is my business.

Among other things I see people at work get all worked up about so-and-so said this or did that. I don't want those loons looking me up and sending me friends requests.

I've also heard too many accounts of those oh-so-tolerant, freedom loving clowns on the left "doxing" someone for something that was said on the Internet; while I have no illusions that this account could not be traced back to me, I want to make it as hard as possible.

(Note that the first purpose listed in that Wiki article for "doxing" is to "aid law enforcement", which is a crock; it's usually some commie posting the address of someone who has the temerity to disagree with them...)

And, I dunno, maybe my background as a Secret Squirrel/MI Geek had something to do with it.

Now when I set that account up I honestly don't remember seeing something that said "Account must be in your legal name", although I was vaguely aware that that was the policy. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. Maybe I ass-you-me'd that a well-established Internet presence, including a moderately successful blog, would count. I dunno.

I don't care.

It's hard enough maintaining Personal Security in the modern age as it is, I am just not comfortable with the idea of handing over copies of ID to some faceless strangers. Barn-door late, of course, considering that my own government hired a bunch of ChiComs to set up the Personnel Database, and now Beijing has access to my and my wife's data, but just because the horse is gone is no reason to open the pig pen up, too, to coin a phrase.

(So, Zuckerburg goes jogging in Beijing to prove it's not all that unhealthy in an effort to get the Chinese to open up to Facebook...
(Seeking Access to Facebook in China, Zuckerberg Courts Risks - The New York Times)

So last week I clicked on a link to an article that someone posted to their Facebook page, and while there just for shits and giggles I clicked on the "Log In" button, and it worked. Cool.

It was cool because, in the 9 months or so since I lost access, a bunch of people have migrated away from other venues where I could interact with them regularly, and were hanging out on Facebook. I didn't even notice it, because I could just go to Facebook and talk to Tam about her latest blog post, for example, or hang out with The Cool Kids in a Facebook Group. Since I'd never even been invited to be one of the Cool Kids before, it was... Cool.

But.

My business is my business.

My information is my information, my identity is my business, and if I tell you my name is "D.W. Drang", you can damned well like it or leave it.

Yes, I'm aware of the irony, considering that Facebook is telling me "All your data are belong to us, like it or leave it."

When I was able to get back in I thought perhaps they had relaxed the policy a bit. Maybe I could have the account in my legal name and have that private, all anyone would see would be my "nickname."

Nope.  You can have a nickname, but it will be displayed right next to your legal name.

And, yes, I can make a Facebook page for the blog, but it must be associated with a legal name, which will be visible to anyone looking at the blog's page. they said I have until March 22^nd to send them the goods.

UPDATE: And I forgot to mention that, when I got back in last week, Facebook said I have until March 22^nd to upload the goods.

So, no.

Repeat after me:

My business is my business.

My information is my business.

My identity is my business.

Gun Show Report, 11/01/2015

Skipped it yesterday because we had "stuff" to do.

This was almost called the "GET OFF MY SIDE, DAMNIT!!!! Gun Show Report", because, especially after reading Tam's post View From The Porch: Two Americas... from the other day, I  noticed a few old things as well as a few new ones really make me wish that some folks would either stop coming to the shows, or in a few cases maybe find a way to express themselves while hiding their candle under a bushel as it were.

• Guy who sells WWII Nazi bring-back gear and paraphernalia. Interesting stuff, but I wince every time I walk by him because of the visuals...
• Guy selling t-shirt advocating an eternal war with Islam.
• The guy who made up a remote weapons mount for your AR15. He wasn't at this show, but the memory still makes me twitchy, especially the way he was sweeping the entire show...
• New one: Today a local training facility (about which I have never blogged) that is infamous for high prices had a simulator. The scenario they were simulating was that there's this guy in robes and keffiyah in the corner rocking back and forth and chanting "allahu akbar" while you try to get him to comply...
• Just noticed today, but may be a trend: Many new businesses are getting simple logos which seem to be based on Nordic/Germanic runes, and which therefore could be easily confused (especially by those already inclined to view with alarm anything gun-related) as being some sort of neo-Nazi/White Supremacist iconography. 
• Paintball/Air Soft gear sold as being suitable for the Battle of Fallujah.

Mind you, generally speaking I don't oppose these people's rights to do any of this -- except for remote weapons mount guy, who needs to Get A Clue -- but can we at least act like we're thinking about Winning The Hearts And Minds of those not members of the Gun Culture?

Almost enough to make me wish for the days when Beanie Targets Babies were ubiquitous...

Admit it: We've all thought about it.

​Popular Mechanics: How to Shoot Down a Drone