By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the last newspaper where I worked, regularly provided outstanding journalism until Gannett bought it in 2019. Before the purchase, we had scores of reporters and dozens of editors. Our print edition could reach nearly 200,000 people on a Sunday. My editors were smart and community […]

The post Gannett’s USA TODAY Blasts Guns, Second Amendment Rights, Sanity appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

Free Books- Part 338

by Greg Ellifritz in Active Response Training on 2026-06-04T14:18:01Z

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]

The Declining Importance of the Strsight of Hormuz

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-04T13:03:40Z

No, not a MAGA talking point. 6/4/26 New York Times:

But with every passing day, the world is learning to live without the Gulf’s seaborne exports.

1Just as the Covid-19 pandemic and President Trump’s tariffs forced a significant rewiring of global supply chains, the Strait’s closure has prompted a similar adjustment. You might be part of it. When gas prices rise rapidly, people start to limit their driving. Walmart just reported that customers are now buying less than 10 gallons of gas at a time on average at its filling stations.

The United States, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan and Venezuela are already increasing their oil production. Large releases of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve are also helping to cover shortfalls. Like a stream that finds its way around a fallen log, markets locate new supplies when the old ones are suddenly cut off.

At some point, the Iranian crazies will get poor enough for their religious objections to evaporate. By then, Iran will be a less important source of oil. And on the bright side, reduced consumption of oil will make the world a better place for Greenies.

Quote of the Day Twenty percent of likely voters hold a concealed handgun permit (20.2%), over double the rate for adults overall (8%). Constitutional Carry states have only a slightly higher permit rate than pure Right-to-Carry states (21.38% versus 19.81%). … Continue reading
The Complete Combatant’s Shelley Hill describes how to use pepper spray correctly, and it involves practicing with inert spray first. Find out more and why.
The FM-9D continues to win over more shooters every month. For this week’s episode of Behind The Gun podcast, Adam from Freedom Ordnance joins us to talk company roots, the real development story behind their closed-bolt 9mm belt-fed upper, and why it’s seeing a major surge in popularity. What started as a somewhat boutique platform has become far more practical and downright addictive for civilian shooters thanks to the wider availability of forced-reset triggers and similar devices, including Freedom Ordnance’s own trigger-actuating grip . Adam breaks down the engineering choices, durability tests, ammo tests, talks to us about the proprietary belt system, and of course, options for those who don’t want ot mess with belts as often. Adam also takes some time to speak to the challenges of bringing a specialized firearm like this from concept to production while standing by his policy of only taking on orders he knows Freeodom Ordnance can fulfill.

Goodbye to Mercury

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-04T12:46:57Z

Rhe element, not the planet. As part of thinning stuff we do not need in preparation for our move, a few items have turned out to be harder to dispose of then I expected.

Back in the 1960s, mercury was something with which most kids had some chance to play. It is incredibly dense (13x water; lead will float in it), very standoffish from almost everything, and with a weird negative meniscus.  Unlike water which will slightly rise on the inside of a container, mercury will do the opposite. 

It was not generally considered a particularly risky material to have on your hands. We always washed thoroughly after handling it and we all knew it did not belong in our bodies.

Somewhere in the 1970s or 1980s, the worryworts turned mercury into thr great hazard. My recollection from chemistry classes turns out to be what EPA says: mercuric organic compounds are terrible neurotoxins and represent a serious hazard in your body including through cuts in the skin and seafood. Mercury vapor is a serious hazard and letting it heat is a bad idea. But elemental mercury is not terribly dangerous to handle.

From the procedures required to dispose of it, you would think that it requires a haz-mat suit and air cover. We are having a hard time finding somewhere that will take it. 

The uranium seems to be even harder to properly discard. This is radiation meter test sample, bought on Amazon, and delivered in normal mail, not a leadlined van. It is not uranium metal but a thumbnail sized piece of uranium ore.

It is an alpha particle emitter. Alpha particles are low energy and are stopped by a sheet of paper, your skin, or the metal can in which thus uranium sits. Like mercury, you do not want in your body, where even the short range of alpha particles can be a carcinogen.

Heck, small amounts of uranium show up in ground water in the Boise area. Yet that word radioactive causes worrywort paranoia, even at the very low levels and intensities of alpha particles.

Anyway, I do not need either the mercury or the uranium sample. I just need to get someone to accept them. The difficulty in finding a place to properly dispose of them suggests that for all the worrywortism, the powers that be want this stuff in a landfill.


A Sense of Loss

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-04T11:25:58Z



One of you is scheduled to come take this 1983 Encyclopedia Britannica away Thursday or Friday. They are, in any rational sense, an obsolete marker of a 20th century literate middle class American family. You wanted a comprehensive overview of human knowledge not just for your own curiosity, but as a starting point for your kids when they started school. While encyclopedia are never a particularly good source for a research paper, like Wikipedia or Grokopedia, they were a starting point for enough knowledge to know what to ask next. 

These were a uniformly bound and in the case of the Britannica beautiful above and beyond their content. They represented an attempt at presenting a consensus of educated academics at a time when that phrase still meant something positive. 

Articles were usually anonymous but you would sometimes get surprised at identified authors for some entries. An article in the 1963 Americana (with which I grew up and which were a companion on many boring weekends when I was 10 or 11) about American English was by H.L. Mencken, about as expert a user of 20th century American English as you could pick. He is remembered today  for the acerbic "Puritanism.—The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." This is not a fair statement of Puritan concerns but it captures well Mencken's wit, and style with a pen.

Another was an article about vigilantism by Glenn S. Dumke, for many years chancellor of the California State University system,  back when that was a sign of education not Marxism or other forms of woke. His article observed what I have since discovered in my deeper reading: In Gold Rush California, vigilantism were an expression of popular justice often no worse than the legally constituted courts.

As the title of this posting implies, there is a sense of loss as these leave. They are the loss of an aspect of 20th century American middle class idealisn that for all its flaws aimed high and achieved much. They also carry a sense of wistful personal loss.  My wife and I bought these around the time our daughter was born in 1983. They were expensive (about $1100, if I recall correctly) but something of a statement that we were going to bring our daughter up in a home that put knowledge and education at the core of her life. We already had a 1963 Americana, but the Britannica was always first in class so why not the best?

Goodbye, dear friend.

Meme Dump!

by Tam in View From The Porch on 2026-06-04T11:03:53Z




New USA TODAY columnist brings new anti-gun message.

Surveyors on site II

by Commander Zero in Notes From The Bunker on 2026-06-04T04:04:01Z

Well, I do have to give them credit…they said theyd be there today and…they were there today. Apparently two of the corners aren’t an issue but they’re having to work a bit on the remaining two. I’m hoping this is … Continue reading

An interesting thought about RINOs

by TPOL Nathan in The Price of Liberty on 2026-06-04T01:00:00Z

A brief look at the trashing of Tommy Massie of Kentucky. And GOP values (or lack thereof). Continue reading

TFB Review: Ops Core Amps + Helmet Mount

by Patrik O in The Firearm Blog on 2026-06-04T00:00:00Z

Hearing is one of those things in life that you simply can't get back; once it's gone, it's gone. Growing up in the military, this was preached to us at every possible moment on the firing ranges, when operating around loud machinery and so on and so forth. Personally, I have always taken hearing safety very seriously, as I never wanted to rely on hearing aids in my later years. After becoming a helicopter pilot, I take hearing safety even more seriously. The problem is that most places I work now, I need to be able to communicate while also having hearing protection. The solution to this problem, headsets that can lower ambient noise while enhancing voice chatter, but also be able to plug into a radio communication system on a helicopter or PTT.

POTD: The Glock & Microtech G19K Knife

by Eric B in The Firearm Blog on 2026-06-03T23:30:00Z

Microtech Knives just dropped the teaser image above, and honestly, it's enough or at least a really good start. The G19K is an OTF (out-the-front) automatic knife born from an official collaboration between Microtech and GLOCK, and the result looks exactly like what you'd expect when two companies with deeply devoted followings decide to combine their DNA into a single blade.
Heritage Manufacturing has expanded its Rough Rider single-action revolver line with a new centerfire chambering: .32 H&R Magnum. It's the first time the Rough Rider has stepped beyond .22 LR and .22 WMR since the platform launched, and it's a meaningful jump.

Again, Demand for Traditional Racism Exceeds the Supply

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-03T20:49:14Z

 6/3/26 New York Post:

WASHINGTON — The Southern Poverty Law Center paid reluctant white nationalists and Ku Klux Klan members thousands of dollars in donor money to remain in the notorious hate groups — even making them whole for money spent on cross-burnings, the Justice Department alleged in a shocking superseding indictment filed Tuesday.

Of course progressive racism, against whites and Jews (who are after all white) and Asians remains in high demand as well.

California in Disarray

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-03T20:45:42Z

 The primary election for governor has British-born Trump-endoraed Republican Steve Hilton in the lead. 6/3/26 BBC:

The California governor's race remains up in the air a day after the primary vote, with British-American former TV host Steve Hilton and onetime Biden cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra at the top of a crowded field.

The contest could take several days to decide due to the volume of postal ballots cast on Tuesday to pick the top two candidates for November's general election.

Becerra, a Democrat, has vowed to oppose President Donald Trump. Hilton is a Republican endorsed by Trump.


6/3/26 CNN headline of course misleads:


Spencer Pratt has spent months waging a guerilla campaign against incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, riding the buzz generated by AI-generated videos, viral moments and some big-name supporters as he seeks to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the way the city is being run.


He may now have five more months to make his case.

Bass secured a spot on the November ballot and Pratt was running in second place as of early Wednesday morning, ahead of progressive city councilwoman Nithya Raman and 11 lesser-known candidates as more ballots were being counted. No candidate appears likely to exceed the 50% threshold to win outright, which means the top two will meet head-to-head in the November election.

Not just ahead but likely beyond margin of fraud ahead of DSA #3.

Color within the Lines

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T19:57:00Z

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for Alabama to use a pro-Republican congressional map that eliminates one of its two districts where Black voters make up a majority or ​near-majority, giving a boost to President Donald Trump as his party defends its control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. [More] OK, but … Continue reading "Color within the Lines"

Source

The Ruger 10/22 Takedown is already one of the more cleverly designed rimfires on the market, a rifle that breaks down in seconds and packs into a bag most people wouldn't look twice at. Samson Manufacturing looked at it and apparently decided the only thing missing was a folding chassis that makes it even more compact, more configurable, and, as one media personality put it at NRA 2026, "one of the unexpected hits" of the show. Meet the SAS/22 Takedown Chassis.

Shameless Plug

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T17:19:59Z

The June 2026 issue of Firearms News is now available at diverse, equitable, and inclusive newsstands throughout the Republic (of course you could just take advantage of lower subscription prices). I have two pieces in this month’s mag: A comment on that last one: Several “top men” in the RKBA “firmament” called me out on … Continue reading "Shameless Plug"

Source

Idaho-based Tenicor has released the CERTUM4 and CERTUM LUX4, the fourth-generation versions of its most versatile concealment holster. Both models are available now at $125 and support IWB hip carry as well as AIWB appendix carry from the same platform, a defining characteristic of the CERTUM line since its inception.

Dead on Arrival?

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T16:18:22Z

Received via email: I guess he ain’t answering and the DSM ain’t asking about why he’s not prosecuting two men arrested with “illegally modified” guns and a “ghost gun.” I’ll ask again in a more public forum:

Source

Tyranny 250

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T16:01:10Z

As one social-media wag responded, “The fact that we are having a hard time throwing America a 250th birthday party because leftists are threatening to kill everyone involved is the most zeitgeist s–t I’ve ever seen in my life.” [More] And the “Team Freedom” response…? [Via Michael G]

Source

Time for a Little Ideological Cleansing…

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T15:53:41Z

“We need a deMAGAfication…similar to de-Nazification.” [More] With international tribunals, and hangings, and everything, right, Paul? [Via Michael G]

Source

Plummer’s Helpers

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T15:18:56Z

Gov. Greg Abbott has designated CAIR a foreign terrorist organization tied to Hamas—now the group is backing Democrat Letitia Plummer for the powerful Harris County judge seat. [More] Plus she opposes ICE. Are there any subversives who don’t support her? Kinda makes you want to bulldoze the Alamo and put up public housing for foreign … Continue reading "Plummer’s Helpers"

Source

Halifax Regional Police (HRP), the largest municipal police service in Atlantic Canada, has selected the GLOCK G45 COA as its new duty pistol platform following a competitive evaluation process centered on safety, reliability, and ease of use. The full platform package includes the GLOCK G45 Gen 5 COA pistol fitted with the Aimpoint COA red dot optic via an exclusive A-CUT mounting solution, Streamlight TLR-7 X weapon-mounted lights, Safariland duty holsters, and GLOCK G45T training pistols.

Sisters in Arms?

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T14:53:22Z

Arming Women in 2026: A Guide to Female Gun Ownership [More] Tip One, and this can’t be over-emphasized: Stop voting Democrat!

Source

Gold Hat Gun Control

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T14:48:47Z

So, the state ran checks they had no authority to run yet based on an emergency that didn’t clear the bar to be an emergency while ignoring an injunction that’s still sitting on the judge’s desk. [Watch] Checks and balances? We ain’t got no checks and balances. We don’t need no checks and balances. I … Continue reading "Gold Hat Gun Control"

Source

We’re the Only Ones Scuttling Enough

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-03T14:24:21Z

An Attleboro police detective faces several criminal charges after he allegedly fired a gun into the bottom of a canoe that his friend and brother were aboard. James Miller, 52, is charged with two counts of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a firearm while … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Scuttling Enough"

Source

[The] DC Court of Appeals in a 2 to1 decision said, indeed, that … President Trump’s policies of excluding transgenders from the military and not allowing them to serve, that this was unconstitutional and illegal. [Watch] I’m wondering how soon someone’s gonna file a complaint about how getting rid of “non-binary” on the 4473 is … Continue reading "For it’s ‘Hi! Hi! Hee!’ for Gender Identity!"

Source

Sometimes the Edge Breaks Away

by Unknown in Home on the Range on 2026-06-03T13:51:06Z

 As they say - life "get lifey" sometimes and the plans to finish the book are on hold for now.  Not to go in great detail (if you are friends with me on FB you know the story that started with a month in the hospital during COVID for Septic shock), but I'm dealing with a life threatening issue (NOT cognitive) that flared badly during Acute Type A flu in Feb.  4 months, 3 hospital stays, a bone marrow biopsy (just say "no"), one surgery and more tests than should be allowed by law, the news isn't great, but  there's hope.  But editing is not sometime I wish to spend prescious hours on.  

My health and medical status is personal but I wanted to let ou know that blogging for the next  months will be sporadic, at best.  My friends know the story and I have a lot of people I know both in and away from the blogging community as well as my church family around me, praying, and offering their strength.

Until later, a little story,

My Stepmom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her seventies. Dad steadfastly refused to put her in a home, caring for her at home, even in his declining years with a part time nurse’s aide I arrange for them and my helping as I could.

Initially, she had her little moments of forgetfulness, like any person her age, but she was such a bundle of energy, still active in church and volunteering, taking dance classes, working in the garden. Then one morning, out of the blue, she came into the kitchen and sat down, looked at me and I realized she did not have a clue as to who I was.

What struck me was not that but the look on her face as she realized this, realized she should know. I obviously wasn’t a bugler or a neighbor over for coffee, I was a girl with red hair like everyone else in the family, wearing a fuzzy robe that she had washed and put in my closet the night before. I will never forget the look of her at that moment. It was the most starkly exposed face I’d ever seen, a face in which unknown terrors haunted the edges; the face of a fledgling dove about to tumble from the nest.

It came into our lives quickly, one moment she was laughing, engaging in board games and puns with us, her face bright, and her wit, razor sharp. Then came those moments where everything just went sort of dim. The doctor only confirmed what Dad had suspected and kept from me for some months until he knew for sure. Alzheimer’s.

It’s a terrible disease for all involved. We read what we could about it, we planned as a family, and we prayed. There wasn’t more we could do.

As the next two years passed, there were a few moments she was quite lucid and happy. Those moments were the hardest for all of us. In those brief minutes, she was fully aware that her mind was going, what was happening to her and how helpless she was to do anything about it.

 The disease’s progression was as predictable as its course was certain. Mood swings and aggression, words that made no sense, dropping to the floor like marbles, tears as she tried to mentally gather them up, anger at the very air around her. She always was gentle with my dad, though. Only with him would she remain calm, the reasoning that was blind and deaf somehow responding to something in him that her mind could still see.

Dad cared for her patiently, no matter how bad it got. Friends couldn’t visit, for they were strangers to her, and she’d go into a furious rage if anyone but us tried to enter the home. Dad was her calm and her constant. I was able to help with the housework and the cooking, but he refused to let anyone else care for “his girl” or to send her to skilled nursing care. When she passed, it was quite sudden, after she contracted pneumonia. From her sudden coughing to her collapse, it was just days.

 Sometimes when you get to the far edge, the edge just breaks away.

We laid her to rest on a tree-covered hilltop in a little cemetery. My brother and my dad are on either side of her along with my Mom who died when I was quite young. I visit; I bring flowers. Sometimes a friend would go with me, and we would hug and shed some tears, neither of us immune to having our hearts broken. Then we smile through the tears, sharing our stories as we make the long trip home to photos and a small stuffed bear that Mom had sewn.

One of those photos is one of her and Dad on their first date, and you could see something in their smiles that would be lost on so many people. Not many people could have cared for her by themselves as my dad did, for so long, but I understand. Love is a story that tells itself.

Would she have lived her life differently had she known her fate ahead of time? Perhaps not. Perhaps, in essence, she did, her mother dying of the same disease, as she and my Dad courted.

She lived life to the hilt, a wheel in motion, racing downhill, a light against the darkness, the whir of a needle into the soft fabric.

I remember one of the last crashes I was assigned to, waking abrupty in a strange city, the glaring ringtone of the bat phone waking me with a message just after I'd fallen asleep. For a moment, I did not know where I was at. The small room was cold, with no sound of a dog checking on me as I came awake. I was in a hotel room, traveling in the previous day when duty called. My heart was pounding as that particular ring will do that to me, the surge of adrenalin. There would be no going back to sleep.

But I was aware, of every tick of the clock, of the feel of my skin, missing the soft panting of doggie breath waiting to see if I was going to get up and leave or go back to sleep. I was so blissfully aware, of these moments, these sounds. It was a new day, and even if tired and cranky, I'd leap right in, like a deer into the brush, feeling no thorns.

So I would go, and so I watched, finding sense in the senseless, finding my purpose even as sparrows fall to earth. People watching from a distance would think me too quiet, too still, shouldn't this activity be a frenzy of lights and motion, like on TV? I was there for closure for someone, retribution or reconcilliation often bearing the same weight. I didn't cry, but the tears were there, feeding those promises I made to the dead, not for the world and the news crew to see.

But there is a great activity in being the quiet observer, standing in a stillness that smells of silence, breathing in so many scents in damp cold air. Sweat, blood, and a flower that only blooms in the dark, the wind so scant it's like breath on a mirror. Each smell blended yet distinct, always overlayed with the copper tang of life spilled. The air hums along to the night's quiet as all I see, smell, and feel, forms into a substance I can almost feel on my flesh, capturing it, recording it there in the stillness. The truth is often still, inarticulate, not knowing it is the truth.

On the shelf is a picture of my last black Lab rescue.  I do not know why Abby was a stray. She responded with great plaintive urgency to the sound of small children laughing, looking around for them as to say “my kids, my kids,” only to get this look of pure sadness when he saw they are strangers. The first time I witnessed it, I cried.

I was so happy to get her, and two special needs rescue dogs since that day, a saving grace in a house that had a gaping hole in it after the sudden loss of Barkley. What we hold close to us and what we let go is as telling as the words we say. It took me years to understand it, but the words of Henry David Thoreau make perfect sense to me now.

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

I realized that there were certain things, and in the past even certain people, that simply violated my sense of thrift, exacting things out of me well beyond their worth. That concept was lost to me when I was a teen, but as I got older with truth stripped of its cloak of immortality, it was clear.

As I take out some things to be picked up by a charitable group, I look around me. Shadows move like ghosts over the sun, deepening the grass to the color of jewels. The snow is long gone, the dark earth trembling to release spring’s flowers. At the side of the house is an old trellis that needs repair work before new life grabs onto it yet again. I gather it close to my chest to take it inside to be mended, rather than tossed away. This is my home; I think as I bend my face down to it, breathing in the scent of old wood, holding the weight securely as I move inside. I could bury my face in it, this small thing to be salvaged from this place that I had always been seeking.

As I type these final words this morning, all I can think is that hope and love, love and desire, can be what propels us silently onward. Hope and love, love and desire, can also be merely sound that people who have never hoped or loved or desired have for what they never possessed and will not until they forget the words. - Brigid

After World War One the French military created a plan to replace basically all of its small arms, including the array of handguns it had in use. The trials to adopt a single new replacement [...]

The post Prototype MAS 1925M Pistol: Cartridge Counting in 7.65 French Long first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.

Duty belts have changed very little in decades. Threading pouches on in the right order, fighting keepers that fall off mid-shift, and liner belts that lose their grip after months of hook-and-loop abuse. It's a long list of small frustrations that add up fast for the officers who wear them every single day. Safariland is taking a hard look at all of it with the new HOLLE Duty Belt system, a platform that first showed up at SHOT Show 2026 and is now officially shipping.
Quote of the Day Plaintiffs request the following relief from this Honorable Court: a. Enter a declaratory judgment stating that the Nonresident Handgun Purchase Ban set forth in 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5), 922(b)(3), and 27 C.F.R. § 478.99(a), and … Continue reading
Jackie Richardson adapts this classic dish of delicious, stuffed shells to fit her family's dietary needs.
The day almost slipped by unnoticed. Monday marked the second anniversary of my retirement. Unlike that first year, which was heavily shaped by back problems and the surgery that followed, this past year has felt much more normal. The routines have settled in, and retirement has begun to feel less like an adjustment and more like a way of life.

To mark the occasion, I opened a bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon that I recently picked up. I’m a longtime fan of the standard Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, and this special expression takes an already excellent bourbon to another level. After the regular Double Oaked bourbon has fully matured, it spends an additional year in a second heavily toasted, lightly charred new oak barrel, creating a whiskey with remarkable depth and richness. Once available only as an annual distillery-exclusive release, this special bourbon now enjoys limited national distribution.

The bourbon’s deep, maple-syrup color immediately reflects the influence of that extended oak aging. Rich aromas of maple syrup and caramel rise from the Glencairn glass, while notes of butterscotch emerge as it opens up. The dark, inviting profile continues on the palate. Waves of caramel and maple lead the way, followed by hints of dark cherry and gentle spice. Taken as a whole, Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked is dessert in a glass.

After savoring the bourbon for a while, I lit a Rocky Patel DBS. The 5 x 50 Robusto features dual Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Broadleaf binders along with dual Honduran and Nicaraguan Broadleaf fillers. “DBS” stands for “Double Broadleaf Selection,” an appropriate name for a blend built around broadleaf tobaccos. Completing the package is a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper.



The DBS opens with black pepper layered over bold cocoa and nut flavors, supported by subtle wood and vanilla sweetness. This cigar had been resting in my humidor for nearly a year, and while it remained full-bodied, it seemed slightly less intense than earlier examples I smoked closer to release. One characteristic that remained unchanged, however, was the draw. Although the cigar never appeared overly packed, every DBS I’ve smoked has drawn like a thick milkshake through a straw until about the first third, when airflow finally begins to improve. Draw issues aside, it remains a cigar I consistently enjoy.

The Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked and Rocky Patel DBS proved to be fitting companions. From the start, the bourbon’s caramel and maple notes complemented the cigar’s vanilla and wood flavors. As the pairing progressed, espresso, cocoa, and dark fruit characteristics from both began to intertwine, creating seamless transitions across the palate. Near the finish, the cigar seemed to coax additional pepper and baking spice from the bourbon, adding another layer of complexity.

The evening of slow sipping and leisurely smoking provided plenty of time for reflection. It has taken a while, but it feels as though we’ve finally found our rhythm in retirement. The freedom to set our own schedule, whether for travel, social gatherings, household projects, or simply relaxing, is a reward earned through decades of work.

Perhaps the best indication that retirement suits me is that it took two days to find the time to sit down and write these thoughts. Boredom, it seems, is not a problem.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Automotif DCXXV...

by Tam in View From The Porch on 2026-06-03T11:54:41Z


A tasty Nova with an SS hood. The grille says '69 but it's modified enough that it's hard to be a hundred percent sure.

It's got aftermarket disc brakes on all four corners and the fat dual exhausts dumping out just aft of each rear wheel were emitting a noise advertising that this car had something serious going on under the hood. It was definitely ready to party.

.

TN: Governor Bill Lee Signs Improved Self Defense Law

by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-06-03T11:18:42Z

 Tennessee Capitol

Governor Bill Lee has signed Tennessee Bill SB1847 into law on May 22, 2026. The bill reforms the law on restrictions of the use of deadly force, allowing some uses of deadly force to protect property in certain circumstances.

Tennessee Bill SB1847 started out as a significant expansion of the legal use of deadly force in Tennessee. The bill would have made the use of deadly force in defense of property legal for a broad swath of issues, including trespass. In the Legislative process the bill was amended to specify the use of deadly force would be legally acceptable in fewer situations. From a previous AmmoLand article:

 The new language allows residents to use deadly force to prevent “the other’s imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or aggravated cruelty to animals; “if the resident reasonably believes the property cannot otherwise be protected and the use of lesser force would expose the resident or a third party to “a risk of death, serious bodily injury, or grave sexual abuse.”

The bill passed both houses on April 23, 2026. The bill took a month to be signed by Governor Bill Lee. Legislatures have a sequence of events which are required before a governor signs a bill into law, vetoes the bill, or in Tennessee as in some other states, allows the bill to become law without the governor's signature.  Those sequences allow the leadership of a legislature to speed up or delay the sending of the bill to the governor. The governor can choose when to sign a bill after it is received, within limits.

Tennessee's process is fairly straightforward. The bill is made ready for the signatures of the Senate Speaker and the House Speaker, to certify the bill is what the legislature passed. This can happen very quickly, if the leadership insists on it. For SB1847 it took a week until April 30. The Senate Speaker signed on the same day, April 30. The House speaker did not sign for a week, on May 7th.  Sending the bill to the Governor for signature is said to be automatic.  May 7th was a Thursday. SB1847 was sent to Governor Bill Lee on the 11th, the next Monday. The Governor has ten days, not counting Sundays, in Tennessee to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without the governor's signature. Governor Lee waited the full 10 days, not counting the intervening Sunday, and signed the bill on the May 22.

The bill is now signed and will become effective as of July 1, 2026.

Analysis: This correspondent expected SB1847 to be signed a week or two sooner than it was. The votes for passage were supermajorities. In the House, 62-24; in the Senate 23-5. In Tennessee, only simple majorities in both houses are necessary to override a veto. The amended bill is not a radical change. It gives people who are protecting themselves, others, and their property a little more legal protection than they had before. SB1847 moves Tennessee law a little closer to Texas law about the use of deadly force in protecting property.

The reasons for the delay in signing the bill have become insignificant. The bill has been signed. It will take effect on July 1, 2026.

 

  ©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 


OK: Bartlesville - Armed Samaritan stops Assault with Scissors

by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-06-03T11:16:38Z

Following interviews with witnesses and a review of evidence collected at the scene, investigators determined the shooter was not involved in the altercation that preceded the gunfire.
 
According to police, the armed individual observed a man allegedly attempting to assault another person with a pair of scissors. During the encounter, the armed bystander fired a weapon, striking the man who was allegedly carrying out the assault.
 
No arrests have been made.
 
More Here 


The caller said her husband, 49-year-old Aubrey Nears, attacked their 16-year-old son and then assaulted her.

The son grabbed a gun kept in the apartment and shot Nears.

Police said officers arrived and found Nears dead with a gunshot wound to the head.


More Here


Can’t have it both ways you idiots

by Midwest Chick in Midwest Chick's Place on 2026-06-03T10:30:00Z

Democrat women now are saying that women need paid time off work because of their periods. I have no words. Okay, maybe I have some words. For the love of little green apples, what the pluperfect hell are they doing? You cannot be ‘women can do anything men can do’ (which is most assuredly NOT […]

Memes for the Mid-Week!

by Tam in View From The Porch on 2026-06-03T10:14:05Z




Investigative reporting powerhouse uses anti-gun data, sources, quotes.
Cool! I would have thought full auto with tracers would be the preferred configuration for the rear seat “weapons officer.” But I am not one to argue with the people in the air and getting the job done with a … Continue reading
Hallelujah! The election season is over - at least the primary election season and at least in South Dakota. Oh, and what about "illegal" voting? Don't hold your breath, folks! Continue reading

Surveyors on site

by Commander Zero in Notes From The Bunker on 2026-06-03T00:37:42Z

Well, they said the surveyors would be out to day and it looks like they were. And they even noticed the camera. As mentioned earlier two of the four corners are marked with some somewhat-official markers – a recent modern … Continue reading

How a Mercenary Movie Invented a New Type of Weapon

by Vladimir Onokoy in The Firearm Blog on 2026-06-03T00:00:00Z

It is hard to overestimate just how much movies shape modern gun culture. Like many, I attribute my fascination with firearms to Hollywood movies. But I am only aware of one instance when a movie gun accidentally created a new type of armament.

Local Politics

by Pawpaw in PawPaw's House on 2026-06-02T23:55:29Z

 Local politics should be local. A mayor's race is interesting to the locals, but past a certain mileage, it doesn't really matter.

I, for one, am damned tired hearing of the Los Angeles mayors race.   If those people don't have enough sense to elect a compete mayor, that is on them.  It doesn't affect me one whit.

Fox News needs to realize that they are a national news organization and quit covering local news outside of that local news market.

The line between small arms and unmanned systems continues to blur. Our Photo Of The Day shows the SIG Sauer MH322, a device from their Advanced Concepts Division. Rather than being a traditional firearm, the MH322 is designed as a lightweight remotely operated payload for unmanned platforms. There is no mention of the caliber, but I highly suspect it runs .22LR rimfire. There’s also an MH365, which I presume runs 9x19mm.
Peak Alloy technology was first introduced in the commercial market in 2025 with the then all-new 7mm Backcountry, and that iconic silver casing drew as much attention as the newly announced cartridge. Now, Federal has signed what they’re calling a landmark agreement with the United States Army to accelerate high-performance ammunition across a range of cartridges deployed by our military.

CANCON Carolinas 2026: A Lively Low-Decibel Weekend

by Adam Borisenko in Recoil on 2026-06-02T22:22:58Z

Here’s a look at just some of the fun that was had at CANCON Carolinas 2026. If you missed it, we hope to see you there next year!

Winchester Model 97: JMB’s Most Iconic Shotgun

by James Slaughter in Recoil on 2026-06-02T21:01:31Z

spell check: John Moses Browning gave us the 50 BMG, Colt 1911, and many others. His greatest shotgun? Debateable between the Auto-5 and this, the Winchester Model 97!

Seen around the house

by Borepatch in Borepatch on 2026-06-02T18:29:37Z

Deuce, our Grand-dog.  10 weeks old, so he's still a baby.  We're going to do some training.

I'm not a fan of his name.  I have half a mind to call him Duce (like Mussolini).

I am a huge fan of the Bodyguard 2.0 primarily because it conceals well in virtually any situation. One thing I really don’t like about it is that the magazines are notoriously difficult to load, and if you do any amount of practice, a mag loader is going to save your thumbs and fingers for the shooting, as these mags tend not to break in very much over the course of ownership. XTech has just announced the new LDR2000B1, a new addition to the LDR2000 lineup of affordable mag loaders, that is now specifically catered for the Bodyguard 2.0 and other .380 ACP pocket pistols with similar magazine bodies.

A Lesson to be Learned

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T17:57:11Z

Just because you believe something doesn’t mean nature is going to cooperate with your delusions. [Watch] Or anyone else’s, for that matter.

Source

Effete Communists for Disarming You

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T17:35:40Z

Ban U.S. Gun Production Now! [More] Oh, look. A person with a disability. Try not to stare. [Via Jess]

Source

Although it was filmed in Spain by an Italian director with another Italian providing the soundtrack, and the majority of the cast was also European, the 1966 movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was a generation-defining American western film. The guns used in the film did not gain the iconic status of the firepower used in Clint Eastwood’s later Dirty Harry series, but a horde of moviegoers had their interest in firearms piqued due to the film, so interest was understandably high when one of those long-lost weapons was found.

Pick Your Poison

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T16:59:09Z

The dust has settled on Oregon’s primary, and the general election is looming. [More] You gotta admit, my comment poster has a point.

Source

Anti-ICE Radicals Plot to Disrupt Turning Point Women’s Summit in San Antonio Following Bomb Threat Arrest [More] I wonder if anyone is holding back and surreptitiously following some of the agitators back to where they sleep and making note of it, because they appear to believe they can get away with behaving like threatening @$$holes … Continue reading "There’s Never a Helicopter Around When You Really Need One"

Source

We’re the Only Ones Engaging Enough

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T16:41:35Z

A first-of-its-kind effort describes police sniper use of force engagements in U.S. [More] Is that where they use those weapons of war only suitable for killing as many people as possible in as short a time or possible, or am I thinking “patrol rifles“…? I can never keep that “standing army” vs. “Militia of the … Continue reading "We’re the Only Ones Engaging Enough"

Source

Trump Reposts 2023 FBI Whistleblower Testimony, Claiming the Bureau Concealed 11,000 Hours of January 6 Footage to Protect Undercover Operatives [More] Between “Only Ones,” snitches, and Democrat troublemakers, who do we have left besides the guy in the buffalo hat? With Kash running things, it seems an order to submit reports is doable. [Via bondmen]

Source

Virginia state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D) is telling prosecutors who say they will not enforce his “assault weapons” ban to quit “tough guy posturing.” [More] What was I just talking about…? What idiots some of our “gun rights leaders” are. [Via bondmen]

Source

They Did It! They Missed the Barn!

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T16:03:08Z

So how does one choose the side of peace? [More] Through strength, obviously. You’d think the American Thinker would have said something about an armed citizen deterrent. [Via bondmen]

Source

More to the Story

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T15:53:35Z

Ghost gun, other firearms confiscated; 2 people arrested… The arrested individuals were eventually released after the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office declined to press charges. [More] That would be this guy. There’s a tale here that needs to be ferreted out and told. So, is the “real reporter” going to follow up on this or … Continue reading "More to the Story"

Source

Supermarket Sweep

by admin in The War on Guns on 2026-06-02T15:34:14Z

“Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.” [More] And if you kindly refuse to comply…? There’s a reason I won’t shop at Meijer.

Source

Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta of Italy holds the title of world’s oldest firearm manufacturer, dating its roots as early as the year 1526. The current year is therefore the 500th anniversary of the birth of the company, a milestone that Beretta is celebrating in style. We’ve recently seen a rather unexpected high-tech MSR ; now we’re invited to gaze at a gorgeously unattainable luxury shotgun.

Women for Gun Rights has announced its 2026 National Summit, taking place Sept. 12–14 in Washington, D.C., and registration is now open, according to The Outdoor Wire. For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or registration details, visit: https://womenforgunrights.org The Summit will bring together advocates, educators, grassroots leaders, and supporters from across the nation for a weekend […]

The post Women for Gun Rights Announces 2026 National Summit in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

When TFB first covered Dynamic Optronic Technologies  back in September, the California-based company's debut EHS-1 holographic sight had already been turning heads since its SHOT Show appearance earlier that year. Now, DOT is back with a variant built around a different philosophy for how the optic attaches to your rifle. The EHS-1 L swaps the original's Quick Detach lever for a cross-bolt mounting system, and the result is a lower-profile package that DOT says is aimed at shooters who prefer a permanent, high-torque rail interface over a tool-free detach option.
Quote of the Day California has been a long time leader in the movement to prevent gun violence. The passage of these two bills is just another way the state has stepped up to proactively prevent gun violence before it … Continue reading
In this installment of “Syren Savvy,” fitness and lifestyle coach Haley Faith gives us the rundown on strength training for shotgun shooting.

Meme Dump!

by Tam in View From The Porch on 2026-06-02T11:26:51Z




Glock

by SLG in pistol-training.com on 2026-06-02T11:00:00Z

I have had a long and slightly tumultuous relationship with Glock spanning over 3 decades now. My first CCW gun was a Gen 2 G19, my first issue police gun was a Gen 3 G19 and a G26. I then used Gen 3 19s overseas on and off (mostly off), until getting a Gen 3 […]

Tab Clearing...

by Tam in View From The Porch on 2026-06-02T10:58:19Z


.

FL: Gunfight in Park, Suspect Killed, Defender Wounded

by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-06-02T10:54:48Z

Investigators said an adult male and an adult female had met at the park when they were approached by a male they did not know.

A disagreement ensued, during which the unknown individual allegedly brandished a firearm, DBPD said.

That's when police said the male victim obtained his own firearm and demanded the individual leave the area.

The unknown male began walking away but then turned and fired multiple rounds, striking the male victim. The male victim returned fire, striking the individual, DBPD said.


More Here


UT: Armed Samaritan Holds Suspect for Police

by Dean Weingarten in GUN WATCH on 2026-06-02T10:52:44Z

A Park City resident says a tense Saturday outside the Canyon Creek apartments ended with him holding a man at gunpoint, after the man ran from deputies and threatened neighbors with a pair of scissors. The resident, John Santy, identified himself as a former EMT from a family of police officers and firefighters and said he stepped in because he believed people were in danger.

More Here


This is a follow-up to the illegal who somehow became the superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa school district. Ian Roberts, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, pleaded guilty earlier this year to immigration and weapons charges that prosecutors said stemmed from years of deception about his legal status in the United States. […]
Publix bans open carry at its stores in Florida and Tennessee but not Georgia.

By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project I haven’t been to a Publix grocery store since I learned that the massive southeastern grocery store chain doesn’t want its customers to carry firearms openly on its property or in its stores. It doesn’t matter that I never carry openly. We have that specific right in Florida. […]

The post Publix May Not Support Your Right to Open-Carry, Depending on Where You Live appeared first on Liberty Park Press.

Preparedness Notes — June 2, 2026

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:11:19Z

SurvivaBlog Now Comes Fresh Every Tuesday Today we are commencing our weekly posting schedule, with posts on Tuesdays. After more than 20 years of daily posts I was feeling exhausted. But with this new editorial pace, I’m feeling re-energized and confident that I have another 20 years ahead of me. To recap the changes: Starting today SurvivalBlog will be posted on Tuesdays, and perhaps the occasional Thursday, if the Tuesday posts get too crowded. So you can expect to see SurvivalBlog “Fresh Every Tuesday.” (An homage the late, great Ol’ Remus.) We discontinued the SurvivalBlog Writing Contest. Round 124 was the …

The post Preparedness Notes — June 2, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Is the 7x57mm Mauser M1893/95 rifle obsolete?  The original 7mm Mauser cartridge is in no way an obsolete cartridge, yet it can be improved when modern powders are used.  As of this date, few handloaders are exploring what can be done with the old warhorse when modern propellants are used to make it competitive with modern cartridges such as 7mm-08, 7.62 NATO, and even .308 Winchester.  There is no discussion on this topic that I’ve yet found on the Internet.  Perhaps we are breaking new ground, as we speak. The Rifle My goal is to develop an optimum load for …

The post Modern Handloads for Antique 7mm Mauser Rifles – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:07:28Z

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today, a map showing the States of the Union with more cows than people. Update: Blog reader Tim in Connecticut wrote to mention that Oklahoma was mistakenly left off the list. But it actually qualifies, with a human population of 3,959,353 versus 4,600,000 cattle. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest The leftist/globalist CBS News reports: Why have tomato prices surged nearly 40% in a year? ‘We’re not billionaires’: …

The post Economics & Investing Media of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:06:04Z

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column: a war on mosquitos, using mosquitos. Google to Release 32 Million Diseased Mosquitoes in FL and CA Reader H.L. sent this, from Zero Hedge: Google to Dump 32 …

The post The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:05:17Z

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — New Federal Plan Aims to Replace Synthetic Fabrics With American Cotton. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.) The article begins: “The United States Department of Agriculture has launched the Great American Cotton Plan to support cotton farmers and protect Americans from “forever chemicals” in our daily lives. Over the past …

The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:04:13Z

This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest.  The public domain photo above from Wyoming is courtesy of the USFWS.) Redoubt News Links Wyoming Ranchers Selling Off Cattle As Drought Tightens Grip Across State. Dry winter could be blessing, or curse, for Wyoming’s big game. ‘We heard a scream’: Another hiker reportedly attacked by bear in Glacier National Park. Warning period is over: Bend red light cameras will now send out tickets. Big Montana Bear — …

The post SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Editors’ Prepping Progress

by Avalanche Lily in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:03:06Z

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …

The post Editors’ Prepping Progress appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:02:01Z

The latest meme created by JWR, based on an idea suggested by Bruce Rawles  (JWR’s elder brother): Meme Text: It Is Silly To Call This Tool A Post-Hole Digger If You Already Have a Hole, Then You Don’t Need A Digger.  So This Is Really A Pre-Hole Digger Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The post JWR’s Meme Of The Week: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The Editors’ Quote Of The Week:

by James Wesley Rawles in SurvivalBlog.com on 2026-06-02T07:01:26Z

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” – Henry David Thoreau

The post The Editors’ Quote Of The Week:  appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Government works so well!

by TPOL Nathan in The Price of Liberty on 2026-06-02T01:00:00Z

Do we really understand what governments do well? For many, it should be an eye-opening, and liberating piece of knowledge. Continue reading

How to Start Dry Fire Training (Without Overthinking It)

by Grace Torrence in The Firearm Blog on 2026-06-02T00:00:00Z

In the early days of my competitive shooting career, I was a young college student who didn’t have the means to afford a ton of ammo for training. I was told that the alternative was that I would need to dry fire… a lot. The advice was great because it would allow me to improve my shooting skills. The problem was that I didn’t truly understand what that meant or how to get started. How exactly was I supposed to become a better shooter without actually shooting?
Fifty. That's the number that matters here. Colonial Armament has pulled the wraps off the MK-56 Commando, a limited-edition belt-fed rifle chambered in 5.56 that takes the familiar M249 ecosystem and repackages it into something considerably more portable. Only 50 units will be produced, split between black and FDE.
ELEY’s line of premium UK-produced ammunition is a pretty rare sight here in the States for most of us, mostly because of its price. In addition to the budget, specialty, and standard 22LR offerings we’ve been checking out, I’ve also decided to start folding in some more premium 22LR offerings, including this week’s offering - ELEY Force 42gr Round Nose. This supersonic load is primarily intended for high-level competitive shooters, and today we’ll be putting it through the Ingegrally Suppressed Angstadt/Ruger Precision Rimfire.

Light Pollution Map for Target Area

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-01T22:33:13Z

 

Purple is bad: Bortle class 6. Surrounding zones are class 5, then class 4.

What is Bortle?

If you have never been to a Bortle class 1-3 sky, you have missed so much.

The Explore Scientific iEXOS 100-2 Mount I Bought

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-01T22:13:00Z

I bought this because I wanted a small easy to transport mount for public astronomy with my Televue-85. That it was a goto mount just made the.$300 price all the better.  It is very well made so I was very disappointed when it started behaving erratically a few days after it arrived  

The factory said it was fine. When it came back, i suspected the problem was that it needed more than 12V to operate; goto mounts demand a lot while slowing across the sky 

It now appears that the intermittent problems that I am seeing hs because the bundled ExploreStars app is, in the words of SuperGrok, "abandonware": software free but largely forgotten by its authors and supported like they no longer remember their child. It works but unreliable enough that few people use it.

What most owners of the mount use are ASCOM (a standard free Windows driver package) or INDI (the Linux equivalent). Planetarium programs such as Carte du Ciel and Stellarium can control the mount through the ASCOM drivers telling it where to go (ditto for KStars in Linux). So using a laptop, not a tablet or cellphone. This takes away much of the simplicity of a small tablet.

Kstars under Linux is pretty clumsy to control the mount. Setting these up under either Linux or Windows is clumsy because you are either on the Internet reading instructions or connected to the mounts server, not both. Lots of disconnecting and reconnecting. I ordered a USB WiFi adapter so that I can have both open at the same time. I have done this before in the 1980s where I set up a PC with two Ethernet cards to create a LAN analyzer, so i know it can be done.

In any case, if it turns out to be too clumsy to use for goto, it is still a nice compact mount for public astronomy. 

UPDATE: I spent some time with the manual for Explore Stars (which does not match the app), some time with SuperGrok, and some analyzing what it seems to want to do. I think i have ExploreStars app figured out. I will try this tonight.

UPDATE 2: Up too late gathering documents for the HELOC.

UPDATE 3: Low amperage.  The battery had been used to operate the Losmandy and the iExOS without recharging. 

Fiddlers Green

by Pawpaw in PawPaw's House on 2026-06-01T20:16:24Z

 Running errands today I went to a sign shop and had a sign printed.   The guy wasn't busy and had a humongous priner, and in a few minutes, he had taken care of me.


Now, I need to decide where in the shop I am going to hang it.  If you know, you know.

HELOC

by Clayton Cramer in Clayton Cramer. on 2026-06-01T19:29:00Z

I have been looking at a way to get a bridge mortgage as a backup in case closing of current house is delayed past closing date of new house.  My credit union loan officer made a/pretty brilliant proposal: take a Home Equity Line of Credit on the old house. If we need to pay cash when closing date arrives, we pay for it with the HELOC, then when the old house closes, it pays off the HELOC.

If there are no surprises between offer on old house and closing, we do not need to use any of it. If there are, we have a few months of hefty payments on the HELOC before sale of old house.
Canik's METE MC9 Prime  was the kind of launch that tends to generate a follow-up question: what about a version without the comp? The West Palm Beach brand apparently heard that question loud and clear. The new METE MC9 Prime NC delivers the full Prime feature set in a traditional, non-compensated configuration, and if you've been waiting for exactly that, your wait is over.
Three brands walked into a gun store. The result is one of the more complete truck gun packages to hit the market in a while. VKTR Industries, Exigent Defense, and Shark Coast Tactical have teamed up on a bundle they're calling the Kentucky Truck Gun, an exclusive collaboration available only through Shark Coast.

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