Blog
Safety
What could possibly go wrong?
One canoe, eleven people, 7-mph winds, 2-foot seas, air temperature 66 degrees, and water temperature 57 degrees.
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Law and Order
Rahmland
The air quality (Pb smog index) was reminiscent of the 2016 level over last weekend.
It’s a sorry state of affairs. Clean-up is going to have to start at the top, in City Hall—but when?
The Cubs are leading the National League, but that doesn’t do much for the law-abiding, and disarmed, citizens in Lawndale.
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Law and Order
“Demon guns” and now “demon gas stations?"
Blaming shooting deaths on gas stations
The Birmingham City Council this month considered revoking a Shell station's business license after Antonio Taylor, 28, was shot and killed outside of the station on June 10. The Council eventually sided with the station owner to keep them in business, but City Councilor Steven Hoyt disagreed with the decision.
Birmingham City Councilor Steven Hoyt spoke out Tuesday against a Shell gas station in Bush Hills remaining open despite rampant loitering and recent homicide….
..."If it was in Mountain Brook, they would be revoking that license," Hoyt said.
That should be an obvious clue for you Councilor, you said it yourself, the problem isn't in Mountain Brook!
Sometimes I think the only solution to bad politics is an old-fashioned IQ test.
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Law
State “unlikely to disprove self-defense"
It’s only a matter of time before a person stupid enough to park in a "handicapped parking” space (without a permit) encounters a private citizen stupid enough to make a big deal out of it; then things can escalate to a whole new level. How far can a situation like that escalate? We see how far things can go in this security-camera video.
The incident was critiqued by attorney Andrew Branca, who applied the 'five elements of self-defense' to the scenario as it appears in the video. While this case is controversial and has nothing to do with “stand-your-ground” as some have claimed, there is a reason why the local police did not charge the shooter. Based upon preliminary evidence, It is unlikely that the State could meet the burden of disproving self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Politics
Wisdom 101
The call to order:
The government has officially rejected the unhinged notion that AR-15’s are “weapons of war.” Now, if the Senate gets their act together and confirms Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, it will be a giant leap toward getting this nation back on track toward re-establishing the rule of law.
Veritas vos Liberabit!
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Weather
Beware The Changes
Most mariners are aware of, and often humbled by, the fact that this segment of the earth's surface where an ocean of air meets an ocean of water is a very dynamic place.
The recent "Duck Boat" tragedy in Missouri has been a harsh reminder of the fact that, no matter where you might be located, you need to keep an eye on what we call "weather."
Thanks to modern technology, we know that "changes" in the weather actually develop slowly when compared to the sometimes violent outcome. Nowadays there is plenty of advance warning available — for those who are paying attention.
An article by Frederic de Vedrines describes some of changes in weather technology that have occurred since 1983 — the year that Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp departed Tahiti en route San Diego, California aboard the sailing vessel Hazana; an adventure that would later become the story told in the book and movie "Adrift."
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Marine Safety
Making a potential death trap real...
The two biggest mass casualties on water involving duck boats in the last 20 years featured crafts with overhead roof canopies that a federal agency said posed a drowning risk to passengers trying to escape from a sinking vessel.
I know that good investigative journalism seems to be a thing of the past; today’s reports seem to be focused more on emotions than facts. Having said that, if the reports are true and this recent duck-boat operator’s 'passenger safety briefing' consisted only of “the life jackets are up there, but you won’t need them” — that company might as well close their doors now…. I suspect that the lawyers are already fighting their way to the head of the line.
Again we see, summer thunderstorms demand respect!
Those old “duck-boats” have a relatively high initial stability with very little ultimate stability. They are lacking in reserve buoyancy, and that makes them a treacherous “fair weather” only vehicle, especially when used for amusement rides. Any flooding will result in a rapid catastrophic loss of stability and capsize; due to their design, passenger egress ranges from difficult to impossible. It would be extremely difficult, under those conditions, to get out of this thing while wearing a life jacket.
Sad.
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Shooting Sports
NSSF Debuts LetsGoShooting.org
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced the launch of an all-new website, LetsGoShooting.org. The site was created to be a go-to resource for all things related to target shooting and firearms safety. Those new to firearms and the shooting sports, especially those who haven't yet taken their first shots or purchased their first firearm, will find a wealth of information about the various target sports, firearms retailer listings and maps showing area ranges, shooting and safety tips and information on finding instruction.
/NSSF
Law and Order
Crime and Open Borders
I can remember the “great society” days of a half-century ago when every left-wing socialist (aka today’s Democrat), in their false “war on poverty" were preaching the mantra that “poverty causes crime.” Most of us knew then, and even more know now, that the opposite is true; crime causes poverty.
Just where are we headed as a nation, knowing that open borders causes crime and crime causes poverty, if we don’t do something about securing our borders?
And more profoundly, where would we be today if law-abiding citizen’s didn’t have the right to keep and bear arms?
The “border ball” is in the court of Congress; whether or not Congress will have what it takes to hit it depends on the electorate and the results of the next election.
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Politics
Woops!
Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Joe Trillo decided to use his 65’ motor-yacht to campaign the beaches. He got a little too close to the beach though. His campaign ad says “Charting a new course for Rhode Island.” Yeah!
Of course, it’s a “faulty chart” that got the blame for the grounding……
Navigation waste is hazardous waste!
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Politics
The Wages
The Weather Channel organization posted a list of The 30 Deadliest US Hurricanes. Only one storm on that list occurred in the 21st century. That storm, the third deadliest, occurred in 2005 and killed 1200 people. You might ask “with all the modern technology and advance warning system that we had in 2005, how could a tropical storm have killed 1200 people?”
If you can figure out the answer to that question, you can probably figure out the answer to the question: “how can we have a ‘gun-inhibited zone' that has, on average, more than one person getting shot and killed every day while other places where citizens are free to carry firearms are relatively safe?”
The venues referred to in the above two question’s have patent commonality. In common is worldview and politics!
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Law and Order
More Fallout
In what may be the most reckless bit of leftist posturing yet, billionaire multimedia mogul Jay-Z has none too subtly asked his followers to kill George Zimmerman, the man acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin five years ago…
"Jay Z definitely just put a hit out on George Zimmerman."
When you try to appease the enemy, you invariably strengthen the enemy!
The State of Florida was instrumental, in fact the key player, in ruining the life of George Zimmerman. A lengthy faux trial along with the aftermath of that trial attest to that fact. Now, what will Florida do, if anything, to protect Zimmerman from overt death threats?
This is a good example of why a citizen should be prepared to protect themselves at all times. In Zimmerman's case, the latest threat seems well documented and imminent.
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Wildlife
Spike in Bear Sightings
There were multiple bear sightings in Gulf Breeze late last week…
"I can tell you, the information we have from the state is that there is an increase in the bear population and a decrease in the bears' natural habitat and it's a statewide phenomenon," [Gulf Breeze Police Sergeant] Roberson said. "They're looking for food and the main draw is trash cans in the city. Everywhere there's been sightings, there's been a trail of trash."
If you see a bear that appears to be unafraid of humans or dogs, retreat, stay away and call FWC. The legal concept of 'Stand Your Ground’ means nothing to Ursus americanus floridanus….
FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922); use #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone or text Tip@MyFWC.com
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