Blog
Safety
Another Moonlight Cruise To Die For
A brief study of the pharmacology of ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, (the kind that people drink) reveals some good reasons why you should not consume said substance when you have to rely on having fast reaction, good night vision, and the capacity of reasonable prudence. For those who have to learn the hard way, here is the latest example of what can happen when you disregard the facts:
Repeated a couple more times in full detail here:
Do you see anything in common in these incidents?
-fl
Weather
"Dorian"
Instead of intensifying, Tropical Storm Dorian has reverted to an atmospheric low pressure area. It'd be great if all of these things ended this way!
Weather
"Dorian" Losing Strength
Although Dorian is still on the same track, it looks like the storm will be downgraded to a Tropical Depression soon.
Dorian has a very disorganized satellite presentation...with deep convection limited to a few clusters and no evidence of banding. The current intensity is held at 35 kt in accordance with a Dvorak estimate from TAFB. The cyclone continues to interact with a dry air mass...and southwesterly shear associated with a large upper-level trough to the west of dorian should begin to affect the system soon. Given the hostile environment...the system should weaken to a remnant low in a day or so. Alternatively...since scatterometer data suggest that the circulation is barely closed... dorian could open up into a wave at any time.
Weather
"Dorian" now headed for The Old Bahama Channel
Sailing the OBC from day's past.......
OK, the guy should have a PFD and Safety Harness on.... agreed.
-fl
Safety
Another Train Wreck!
Bad things can happen when you enter a curve with your brakes on....especially when you entered the curve way too fast.
Zimmerman Trial
Urban Legends Die Hard
The attempt by the anti-gun crowd to use the Zimmerman-Martin confrontation as a vehicle for more 'gun control' laws has pretty much flat-lined. But the Urban Legend regarding the incident is still in circulation. For those who haven't had, or taken, the time to separate the truth, here are a couple of items that should help.
Weather
"TD4" now "Dorian" and still moving West
At the moment, it doesn't look like Dorian is going to intensify beyond Tropical Storm status through Tuesday AM, and the forecasted track has the storm turning toward the North before it reaches the East coast of the U.S.
Weather
"98L"
This looks like the first serious tropical development so far this year, Worth watching.
ZCZC MIATWOAT ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 PM EDT TUE JUL 23 2013
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
1. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES
SOUTH OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS IS MOVING WESTWARD AT ABOUT 10 MPH.
THIS SYSTEM HAS A WELL-DEFINED CIRCULATION...AND ONLY A SMALL
INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT AND ORGANIZATION OF THE THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY WOULD RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF A TROPICAL DEPRESSION.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FAVORABLE FOR
DEVELOPMENT DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO BEFORE UPPER-LEVEL WINDS AND
OCEAN TEMPERATURES BECOME LESS CONDUCIVE BY THURSDAY. THIS SYSTEM
HAS A HIGH CHANCE...60 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE
DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.
Zimmerman Trial
Exploitive "Journalism" confronted
Manipulation and exploitation abound in the field of contemporary "journalism." Larry Elder confronted Piers Morgan and told him in no uncertain terms that the time has come for Morgan to knock off his obviously phony concern, and to quit throwing gasoline on the fire.
Law & Self Defense
Self-Defense Immunity Laws: Which States Protect You Best?
Florida’s statute 776.032, is among the broader self-defense immunity statutes, in that it possesses all four qualities of an optimal statute of this type.
First, it is not limited to particular settings or circumstances (e.g., such as to self-defense encounters in and around one’s home).
Second, it prohibits even the arrest of the person who acted in self-defense, in the absence of probable cause for such arrest.
Third, it immunizes against criminal as well as civil liability.
And, fourth, it provides for the defendant who successfully obtains immunity to recover all reasonable legal expenses (and, in the case of Florida, even compensation for lost income) from the plaintiff.
Read more about the law of self defense in Andrew Branca's book.
-fl
Piracy
Somali Pirates Convicted in Quest Case
July 15, 2013 – Norfolk, VA
The murder of four cruisers off Oman in 2011 aboard the sailing yacht Quest substantially raised the stakes for sailors wanting to access the Mediterranean. Previously, the modus operandi of pirates operating in that area was to hold sailors hostage for ransom, but spare their lives. In the aftermath of the Quest incident, very few cruisers have dared to transit the Gulf of Aden en route to the Red Sea and the Med.
Previous to the attack, Quest's owners, Scott and Jean Adam, were greatly enjoying their retirement cruise.
According to international news sources, three Somalis involved in the attack were convicted early last week of piracy, kidnapping and murder — 26 counts in all — and could face the death penalty when the sentencing phases are completed later this month.
Aboard the Marina del Rey-based, 58-ft Quest on the night of the boarding were owners Scott and Jean Adam, and their friends from Seattle, Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle. The pirates' stated intention was to sail the sloop to Somalia, but that plan was foiled when the U.S. Navy's USS Sterett intercepted them. After four days of attempts to negotiate, Navy SEALs raided the boat, killing two Somalis and capturing 13 others. The four Americans had already been shot.
Although few if any cruising boats are attempting to cross the Gulf of Aden these days, the International Maritime Bureau recently reported an 80% drop in piracy in 2012 within the Gulf of Aden region. The organization says there is now more piracy taking place off the west coast of Africa than the east.
Hat-tip: latitude38.com
-fl
Stand Your Ground
What is "Stand Your Ground?"
In essence, Florida's "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) law extends the "no duty to retreat" rule to locations outside your home. It means that if you are in a place that you have a right to be, are doing something that you have a right to be doing, and someone else initiates an illegal encounter that puts you at risk, you don't have to retreat — even though that might be the best thing to do. SYG is good law, because it puts the burden where it belongs — on the aggressor.
For the record, George Zimmerman DID NOT invoke "Stand Your Ground", because retreat was impossible in his case; he was pinned to the ground. Therefor, there was no need for him to argue that he didn't need to retreat, because there was no way that he could retreat.
There has been an attempt to compare the 2011 Marissa Alexander case with the Zimmerman case. There is no similarity because the facts in the two cases are substantially different.
It's best to avoid a threat if you can. If you can't avoid the threat, it's second-best to retreat from it if you can. If you can't avoid, or retreat from the threat, it's comforting to know that you have a means of dealing with it, and that the law is on your side.
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
Social Engineering?
This interview of Martin family attorney Jasmine Rand by Greta Susteren tells the story of why George Zimmerman was brought to trial.
So, in the eyes of people like Rand, the law means nothing.
Wasn't Hitler a Social Engineer?
There is an old saying that "when democracy breaks down completely, only the gun owner will still have a vote." Is that where we are headed?
Sad.
-fl
Insurance
Renegade Insurance
After watching the 'Sanford fiasco' unfold, it is clear that being a law-abiding citizen will not protect you from prosecutorial misconduct. What would you do if suddenly, in addition to the trauma of having to defend your life with a firearm, you have to bear the full weight of a government tantrum? Obviously, you will not be able to shoulder that kind of burden by yourself. You will need some support. Here is one source of help.
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
Not Guilty!
Zimmerman cleared in shooting of Trayvon Martin
George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges Saturday in the shooting of Trayvon Martin....
The six-member, all-woman jury deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days before reaching their decision Saturday night.
Defense attorneys said the case was classic self-defense, claiming Martin knocked Zimmerman down and was slamming the older man's head against the concrete sidewalk when Zimmerman fired his gun.
"We're ecstatic with the results," defense attorney Mark O'Mara after the verdict. "George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defense."
And, protecting yourself is still not a crime!
Kudos to the six nameless, but courageous, ladies who made up the jury in this case. Sequestered from their homes and families for nearly three weeks, these ladies refused to be intimidated or misled by "the scheme team."
Mark O'Mara gets an appropriate and well deserved shot in at the irresponsible way that the media handled this case near the end of this video interview:
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
What's 'special' about the special prosecutor in this case?
"Infamous" might be a better word than "special" to describe the special prosecutor in the Zimmerman case.
"she is a corrupt, politically motivated person….she should be removed from office, she should be charged with unprofessional conduct, she should be disciplined by the Bar and disciplined by the Court for withholding exculpatory evidence, for overcharging, for raising expectations and for acting in a thoroughly unprofessional manner….” —Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Professor
Not only was it a case without enough probable cause to support a prosecution, but the facts clearly supported self-defense from the get-go. George Zimmerman was wrongly placed in jeopardy and 'overcharged' with Murder 2 anyway, in a bogus attempt to elicit a plea-bargain to a lesser charge — tactics that are shoddy at best.
Zimmerman did not play the prosecution's game!
Did Angela Corey et. al really think that their scheme would escape scrutiny? They just didn't care, and when Zimmerman didn't take the bait, there was no turning back. The prosecution came away looking like fools. A form of justice, I guess. But, if you value an honest justice system, this fiasco was painful to watch.
UPDATE: Angela Corey’s Checkered Past
-fl
Freedom and History
A Special Place
Of course, not every government that uses [gun] registration lists for mass confiscation is intent on genocide, but it is indisputable that the genocidaires [sic] seem to consider gun confiscation to be a crucial precondition for genocide.
The right to keep and bear arms has always been central to the American identity. The American Revolution was sparked by British attempts to confiscate guns. After the Civil War, America changed the Constitution to defeat America's first gun control organization, the Ku Klux Klan. When Hitler and Stalin demonstrated how gun registration paves the way for gun confiscation which paves the way for genocide, Americans resolved to make sure it never happens here.
Gun control is not an issue of left vs. right, or urban vs. rural. Liberal icons such as Hubert Humphrey and Eleanor Roosevelt recognized the right to arms as fundamental to preventing large-scale tyranny by criminal governments, and small-scale tyranny by ordinary criminals. Barack Obama's gun control program is founded on disinformation, and is a direct assault on the Constitution.
To learn more read The Truth about Gun Control by David B. Kopel
Zimmerman Trial
To the Jury it goes
The prosecution and defense have both rested, the closing arguments completed, jury instructions read, and the case has gone to deliberation. A lot of bizarre things have occurred during this trial. But, from their "probable cause" affidavit to their closing argument, the fact that the prosecution never had a case is overwhelmingly obvious. With no substantive "case", it appears that the prosecution's goal all along has been a gratuitous verdict, gained by putting the jury under duress; I guess that the prosecution assumes that with a jury of 6 women, they can pull it off. We'll see.
This fiasco is going to be the source of debate for a long time.
If you carry a gun for self-defense, there are things that you must do to guard against being victimized by the kind of prosecutorial misconduct that we have seen here.
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
The Show Must Go On
The prosecution tried several times to make a big deal out of the fact that George Zimmerman used a gun to defend his life. They belabored the point of describing the gun in detail, and how it was carried, and how it was loaded. But, if they were in hopes of attacking Florida's SYG law, they fell way short — as pointed out in an recent article by John Lott.
None of the [prosecution's witness] testimony ever explained why the “Stand Your Ground” law was even relevant to Zimmerman’s actions.
The reason that the prosecution didn't get any traction on the SYG issue is that it was never made an issue.
...whether Zimmerman’s actions were legal has nothing to do with the “Stand Your Ground” law.
Prior to “Stand Your Ground,” citizens who wanted to defend themselves from a criminal had to retreat as far as possible and then announce to the criminal that they were going to shoot. The “Stand Your Ground” law simply says replaced the original requirement to retreat to a “reasonable person’s” standard, instead stating that lethal force is justified when a reasonable person would believe that a criminal intends to inflict serious bodily harm or death.
But Zimmerman’s defense has never raised the “Stand Your Ground” law for one simple reason: with Zimmerman on his back and Trayvon Martin holding him down, he had no option to retreat.
On the brink of losing consciousness, and in fear for his life, George Zimmerman not only didn't have the option to retreat, he had no other options at all — if he wanted to go on living.
The evidence presented so far, the prosecution's "case", has left no doubt in my mind that George Zimmerman, while in fear for his life, shot Trayvon Martin in self defense.
It is a case that prosecutors should never have brought, but they let politics influence their decision.
Next, it will be the defense’s turn to present their case. But, for all practical purposes, the Zimmerman trial is already over.
But, as Yogi Berra once said...........
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
Justice is as Justice does
I think that anyone who has been following the Zimmerman trial that is in progress at Sanford, FL would agree that, based upon the evidence released to the public during pre-trial discovery, and the evidence that was presented by the prosecution in open court, that an innocent man has been placed in jeopardy under the guise of "justice." The reason why is a complex issue, but….
The “justice” they seek is money. P.E.R.I.O.D. and it has been since March 5th when they hired a media consultant to paint the Norman Rockwell picture of their family.
The above quote, along with an article at the Conservative Treehouse blog gives some factual insight into what has been going on behind the media curtain.
On Friday, at the conclusion of the prosecution's presentation of their "case", the court unsurprisingly refused to grant a verdict of acquittal—which means that the defense's effort to put the "whole truth" into public focus is now the goal.
If you are a law-abiding holder of a concealed carry (CCW) permit, you have an interest in the outcome of this case, as does every other law-abiding American citizen.
You can follow the trial live resuming next Monday morning, or view all of the past proceedings on Youtube.
-fl
Safety
Emergency Recall of Lite Propane Tanks
In late May, the Department of Transportation issued an emergency recall of composite propane tanks made by The Lite Cylinder Company. The tanks are easily identified by their plastic outer case and translucent inner epoxy tank. The recall noted several cases where the tanks ruptured, and one documented case of an injury.
It was reported that shortly after the recall was issued, the company closed its Franklin, Tennessee manufacturing facility and essentially told distributors and tank owners to take a flying leap. "The company is financially insolvent and will not be able to recompense cylinder owners, dealers and distributors for the expenses incurred in complying with this Emergency Recall Order," they said in an email to retailers.
Tanks with the following markings are the subject of the recall: DOT-SP 14562, DOT-SP-13957 and DOT-SP 13105. (Note that the recall only applies to Lite Cylinder tanks, not Trident or any other manufacturer's product.) The order requires consumers and distributors to return the affected tanks to Lite's facility, which is now closed. Since they can't be filled, moved or used legally, customers are stuck with holding on to them until further notice.
There are more than 55,000 affected tanks out in the wild, including many on boats. Unfortunately, if you own one, not only is the tank potentially dangerous, but it's also useless as it's now illegal to fill or even use them. It's unlikely a consumer would be prosecuted for using one, but they could get blown to bits and that would ruin just about any cruise.
Delayed Rights
Results of Quinn's 30-day "Study" revealed
After the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Illinois was depriving its citizens of their rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the Illinois Legislature overwhelmingly passed a law enabling law-abiding Illinois citizens legal means to exercise their right to bear arms.
In what can be best described as a juvenile tantrum, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn refused to sign the bill without an extra 30-day delay to "study" it. The results of the added delay were revealed on July 2, 2013.
Yesterday, with the federal court deadline for enactment of concealed carry legislation fast approaching, Governor Pat Quinn (D) issued an amendatory veto on House Bill 183.
Governor Quinn’s irresponsible amendatory veto, if allowed to stand, would impose some of the strictest concealed carry laws in the nation and make a mockery of the serious issue of self-defense in Illinois. The Illinois Legislature is set to return for a special session on Monday, July 8 and will consider overriding Governor Quinn’s Amendatory Veto.
With an overwhelming majority voting to pass House Bill 183 at the beginning of June, the override that would reject Governor Quinn’s Amendatory Veto is expected to pass.
It's things like this that are causing citizens in all states, who maybe had not done so in the past, to realize the importance of a zealous effort to get to the polls on election day!
UPDATE: July 9, General Assembly overrides governor's veto as expected.
-fl
ARPA
Beware!
Remember the phony AHSA from 2008? Here we go again with another questionable 'gun' organization.
The latest startup, the American Rifle and Pistol Association ARPA, complete with their 'U.N. blue' motif, needs to undergo a thorough 'Trojan Horse' inspection, accompanied by a prolonged quarantine period.
Could be someone just trying to cash in on the recent bloom of gun rights advocates—now that the NRA has gone over the 5 million mark. But as far as I'm concerned ARPA is, at best, too plagiaristic to do anything but undermine and dilute the effectiveness of the NRA.
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
Firearms Examiner's Report
Inasmuch as the fact that George Zimmerman used his Kel-Tec PF-9 to shoot Trayvon Martin is not in dispute, the testimony from the state's firearms examiner Amy Siewert served as a good endorsement for the Kel-Tec PF9, by corroborating Kel-Tec's claim that...
The PF-9 is a semi-automatic, locked breech pistol, chambered for the 9mm Luger cartridge. The PF-9 has a single stack magazine holding 7 rounds. It is one of the lightest and flattest 9 mm ever made. Firing mechanism is Double-Action Only with an automatic hammer block safety.
And the gun worked reliably, not only in extremis, but in follow-up laboratory testing as well. The fact that George Zimmerman is with us today is solid proof of its value. Pretty good for a gun that has a MSRP of $333.00
It's hard to understand what the prosecution is trying to prove.
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
Beyond the Bounds of Guilt or Innocence
The questions that seem to be brewing up here are these:
Can a law-abiding citizen have faith in, and expect to be treated fairly by, our criminal justice system if or when said citizen is called upon to use deadly force to defend their life? This is not Great Britain, we have laws that allow citizens to defend themselves.
If our justice system, and therefor justice, can be manipulated by outside influence, how worthy is it?
-fl
Zimmerman Trial
More tax dollars 'at work' in Sanford?
So far, all of the credible witnesses introduced by the prosecution have solidly supported the defense's case.
Although SYG has not been an issue in this case so far, it appears that the prosecution is trying to get the door open by attacking a comment that George Zimmerman made during a televised interview.
Today, the prosecution called an "expert" witness who had previously worked in London, and is a political appointee with career connections to the special prosecutor. Hmmm.
You really have to watch this to believe it.
-fl