Shooting in Columbus, Ohio

In the latest news, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, so now we can all go home.  Right?

Death and Confusion

Or confusion and death, as the case may be.

This isn't news, however it's a starting point.  On April 11^th, 2021, Daunte Demetrius Wright was pulled over for a moving violation - expired plates and an object dangling from his rear-view mirror (an air freshener, not that it matters).  Both of these are illegal in the State of Minnesota.  The arresting officers ran his license and discovered that Daunte Demetrius Wright had a warrant out for his arrest.  They (being three police officers, one young male, one elderly looking male, and one middle aged female) put the perpetrator under arrest.  Not wanting to go to jail, Daunte resisted the arrest and got loose, then got into the driver's cabin of his car.  Officer Kimberly Potter shot him - one shot, one discharge from her sidearm.  Daunte managed to drive about 500 yards or so before his car crashed.  Not surprising as he'd bled out and was DRT.

Now the fun starts.

RFI: Gun Rust

I'm in crises.

I don't open my gun safe all that often, and the other day I idly wondered if I actually remembered the combination, then I wondered just where the combination was written down (not inside the safe, and I could do with fewer comments and less laughter from the peanut gallery), and so I found the combination and opened the safe.

Rust has attacked a few firearms.

Having recovered enough to actually do something about it besides kick myself for being an absolute idiot, my questions are:

1. What's the best way to remove rust from a firearm?

2. What's the best way to prevent this kind of thing from happening again?  Keep the humidity low inside the safe, sure - but how to do that?

My thanks to everyone who knows an answer and responds.

COVID Vaccination, Second Shot: Day 2

The shoulder doesn't hurt, but I'm still slightly disoriented - enough so that I have to write things down.

Now I note that I have a list of things to do today, and so will get busy.  When I think of it.

COVID Vaccination, Second Shot: Day 1

Hey! Wanna get high?

I got my second COVID vaccination on 3/24.  Moderna, if it matters, and it probably does.  The side effects yesterday were a bit unusual.

I got the shot, waited requisite 15 minutes to make sure I wasn't going to keel over, ululate, or projectile vomit and choke to death on my own vomitus.  I drove home, and about halfway there realized I was a bit disoriented.  By the time I got home I was disoriented to the point where I didn't think it wise to drive my car or play with my gun collection.  I called Big Mike on the phone and it took me a while to remember why I'd called him - something about the streetlights being too bright to allow me to observe the occasional U.F.O. from my bedroom window.

I couldn't sleep.  I finally got to sleep around 4:00 AM, and woke up at 9:30 in the morning - yes, it was that morning, as I checked the date.  My arm aches a little and my head isn't completely clear.  I plan to take it easy today.

I guess my point is that I'm not sick or anything.  Yet.

COVID Vaccination, Second Shot: Day 0

I got the first shot of a two shot series on February 24^th, 2021.  The first shot shot gave me a three day hangover.  Not a bad hangover, just a long one.

Today, March 24^th, 2021, at 10:00 AM, I got my second shot.  It hurt like hell, and I've been slightly disoriented all day.  My arm no longer hurts, but I'm having a good deal of trouble concentrating or remembering just what it is I'm supposed to be doing.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Tags: SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Whinging - Another Word for Whining

I was born in 1952, with a few defects - exercised induced bronchial asthma (which no one knew anything about) and severe allergies.  I haven't gotten over either one of them, although I now have better living through chemistry.  I, however, had advantages that other children didn't have - mainly a mother who qualified for sainthood, and a maternal grandmother who taught me the advantages of being able to write.

Seeing this pic, I started thinking about the hardships of those early years.

Guess What Day It Is?

It's National Absinthe Day! 

Anniversary

Our anniversary was yesterday, Jack.

Who knew?  Well, I knew, but I forgot.  Even though I happened to see the date the other day and told myself I'd write something worth reading.

Ideas escape me, but if you want some disjointed rambling and rants, keep on reading.  Otherwise, powder off.

Hey Look! Hatemail!

Either this DFC read something of mine someplace (I'm guessing here), or one of my half-dozen or so loyal readers is trying to make me feel better.

Keep reading with the usual warning and caveat.

"I Am the Majority" by Mark Robinson (R) (2018)

 

Mark Keith Robinson (R) was elected in 2020 to the office of Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.  Mark is a Republican and is the first African American to hold the office.

This speech, which kicked off his political career, was given at a meeting of the Greensboro (NC) City Council, where council members were publicly debating canceling a local gun show in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

From Mark Robinson's speech:

The law-abiding citizens of this community and many communities around this country, we're the first one taxed and the last ones considered and the first ones punished when things like this happens, because our rights are the ones being taken away.

I don't think I've ever heard it said more succinctly.