Claire

It actually began with that smartphone

Published June 21, 2016 10:08 am by Claire

Today’s earlier post actually began with me thinking about my new TracFones. Then it went off in its own direction, as these things tend to do.

I was disgruntled a month or so ago when TracFone cryptically failed-to-announce that my ancient 2G phones (EDC and backup) were about to become obsolete.

But I’m quite happy about it now. For one thing, once I had new phones in hand, the changeover was automated and easy — as few things are with TracFone. But beyond that, the phones are a pretty big leap past the old Motorola flip-phone whose numbers were getting worn into blurs despite my ardent phone-avoidance.

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“If you’re living a normal life, you have nothing to worry about.”

Published June 21, 2016 1:46 am by Claire

“If you’re living a normal life, you have nothing to worry about.”

That quote, which appears in this Atlantic article, seems on its surface a mere variation on the old untrue truism “If you’ve got nothing to hide you’ve got nothing to fear.”

Bad, but not news.

But as the headline and theme of the linked article clearly show, data gathering and selling is now truly beginning to affect every aspect of our lives. And is doing so in ways that are used to judge us as “fit” or “unfit” to function in society — ways that permit no appeal. Often it’s done in ways that permit no knowledge of what’s being done to us. Increasingly, the definition of “normal life” is being judged by secret data and proprietary algorithms.

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Things Amazonian. And ghostly.

Published June 17, 2016 3:42 pm by Claire

Last month, after Dave quit paying me to blog, you guys rose grandly to the occasion via Amazon. May was the best non-Christmas month ever. Not enough to make up for the lost income, but it definitely went a good ways in that direction. For which, many smooches. This month? Erm … not so much. I believe the word for it is “sucks.” Amazon has its natural ups and downs, so normally I don’t worry. But nothing’s been normal since that email from BHM. So I’m just asking once again. Whether you’re at a level where you’re Cookin’ With Beans…

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Gun-rights restoration when the cops don’t agree and the feds are sloppy record-keepers

Published June 17, 2016 11:17 am by Claire

I have a friend who’s a big, bad felon. You know, one of those eeeevil villains who’s not fit to own a firearm (Unlike Florida jihadi Omar Mateen, who was vetted multiple times by the FBI, found totally a-okay, and breezed through the NICS background check). My friend’s felony record still stands, but in the state where he now lives (not the one where he committed his savage depredations), he discovered he was eligible to have his rights restored. He went to court and he became a “real” citizen again. He was raised around firearms and always enjoyed them. Being…

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Desperate midweek tab clearing and information dump

Published June 15, 2016 1:58 pm by Claire

Brad R. dropped this in comments, but it’s too good to remain hidden. Leave it to gunblogger Erin Palette to come up with this plan — free firearms training from gunnies to members of the LGBT and beyond community. Good on you, Erin. And good on you, Nicki Kenyon, for inspiring this! Is it a crime to be poor? Increasingly, yes. OTOH, Ralph Benko says the gold standard will restore upward mobility. Donald Trump says you should go to prison if you fail to turn your “suspicious” neighbors in to the cops. And now he’s joining the crowd of both…

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This might be a good time …

Published June 14, 2016 12:33 pm by Claire

… to invite your gay, lesbian, bi-, and trans- friends to the range.

Or tell them about The Pink Pistols if they live near a chapter or someplace where a chapter could start up.

UPDATE: Or better yet, from Brad R. in comments sign up to give free training.

—–

This weekend’s foul murderer seems almost custom-designed to fit everybody’s hysteria agenda.

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Another smile for this gray day

Published June 13, 2016 12:03 pm by Claire

Source (Tip o’ hat to PT)

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A little good news

Published June 13, 2016 9:43 am by Claire

Because the MSM (and of course most of the gunblogosphere) is currently “all murder, all the time,” I thought a bit of good news was in order (courtesy of MJR). Seems recently the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife “requested” access to a creekside property to survey for some frog you’ve never heard of. The homeowners said yes. That is, they said yes … BUT. I think their response will cheer you. —– (And if you need a laugh booster shot later in the day, come back to the blog after noon. Got another funny queued up for you.)

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Creepy little jihadi mass-murders gays while media aims at innocent gun owners

Published June 12, 2016 7:29 pm by Claire

I hadn’t heard the news when I posted earlier. Fifty killed and 53 wounded last night at a gay nightclub in Orlando. I probably wouldn’t have let that links post go live if I’d known, but there it is. The NYT, in an article I won’t link to, tried to spin the slaughter as some “confluence” of terrorism and a strictly American phenomenon of mass shootings. (Has the NYT not read any news from Europe or Africa the last few years?) But even the Times, in an article loaded with scary gun photos, admits that mass murderers usually pass background…

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Sunday-Monday links

Published June 12, 2016 2:38 pm by Claire

Yet another way cynical, opportunistic cops (and governments in general) quash our desires to be kind to our fellow man. Foul parasites. And apparently Canadian sneaks are no better than U.S. sneaks. (H/T JB) Ohhhhh gawwwwwwd. Not agaiiiiiin. First Sudafed goes behind the counter and gets your name into a police registry. Now over-the-counter diahhrea meds — yes, Immodium, of all things — get targeted as part of Dreaded Scourge of Opiod Abuse. It’s one thing to carry your heart on your sleeve. Entirely another to carry your heart on your back for over a year. Well, I wouldn’t v*te…

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Author: Claire