A right to acquire?

Interesting case discussed over at No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money

Basically a man indicted for felony bought a gun, was charged and convicted, and is appealing based on the Bruen decision.  I'll skip the details, you can browse on over to the link above for a bit more, but there was one thing that struck me:

"The government argued that the Second Amendment only covers possession and carrying with everything else is outside this."

My first thought, as I commented there, was that the government’s argument seems to suggest that while you have the right to keep and bear, you don’t have the right to acquire.

The purpose of propaganda

Worth reposting.  Thanks to Bayou Renaissance Man.

 

 

Belts for sale

 

My Taekwon Do school closed their doors in the local area when covid hit.  Wasn't their fault initially, the YMCA they used decided not to renew their lease.  The school is still around, just not my bit of it.  End result, no organized workout for two and a half years.  So as much as I hate to move to a different school, I thought I'd start looking.

Local chain looks good.  They have a dojo in my town making it convenient.  Talked to one of the instructors and he said something that set of a bit of an alarm bell.  "It takes about three years to get a black belt".  For the record, I have a black belt.  Been studying for about twelve years with a couple interludes caused by a motorcycle accident and later a herniated back disc.  I can't see anyone who doesn't study seven days a week getting a black belt in three years.  So still a possibility but a bit of a red flag.

The other day I was working out over in the school gym and a student walked by.  Quote: "I used to do Taekwon Do.  Did it at school mentioned above.  Did it for three years.  Got my black belt."  Said kid is 12 or 13 years old.

Setting aside the idea of giving children black belts, it is pretty clear to me that this school is giving out belts for time spent, not giving out belts because students have earned them.  So I guess I won't be going to that school to continue my studies.

Cause Google banned it

Apparently Google doesn't want you to know that Nazis weren't big fans of Christianity.  So they banned this post from 2012 talking about it.  Here's a screenshot.  Just because I can.

This Old House: Bathroom update (part 2)

Well, on Friday they finished.

I was excited to take a shower until I realized that I hadn't ordered a new shower curtain for the clawfoot tub.

Back to the yard for me.

 

 

 

 

Well, turns out that's not quite the end of the story.  The space available was pretty small so we had to do a bit of squeezing to get what I wanted.  The vanity is too close to the toilet as it turns out.  Might have been a bad choice to go for the corner toilet but I thought it would more effectively use the space.  Now I'm thinking a standard, straight-out toilet would have been better but that would involve ripping up the floor and moving the plumbing, which I'm not overly thrilled about doing.  So they will come back and move the vanity by about two inches, which is easy, and I will cross my fingers.

The light was placed based on the studs.  We were limited by an angled ceiling and aforementioned studs.  It is low enough that I can't put a mirror over the vanity without having to duck to see myself (and I'm only 5'11").  So the wall has to be opened up to rewire and figure out lighting.  Decorator is coming Thursday to look and we may switch to sconces as the other alternative is to mount the fixture above the toilet and add a mirror with built in LEDs.  We shall see.

Overall I'm super happy, still have to hang a curtain in the window but it is on the second story with no overlooking buildings so no danger of peeping Tom's right now (not that I think anyone would want to watch me shower but you just don't know anymore).  

Waiting to put in towel racks, hooks, accessory holders, etc until everything is solidly where I want it to be so that I don't trash up my nice new walls to no effect.  Also some sort of decoration with a bit of color.

4:30 in the morning

Wake up to the sound of people shouting at each other.  Hear threats to call the police if someone doesn't go home.  Three people, apparently wrapped in blankets come walking down the street.  A car goes by and all three duck into the gate in the hedge of the house opposite me.  I can't really see them but at least two of them appear small (kids?).  They walk off down the street in their blankets.

For the record I live in a small town (5k people) that isn't a particularly bad place.

Thing 1: Pretty sure that I am now awake although I will probably lie back down in a bit.

Thing 2: "Anyone out between 1 am and 5 am is up to no good unless they are working" is a pretty good philosophy.  

What is wrong with people these days?  I'd seriously consider societal restrictions on my life just to get everyone else to start behaving normally.

Shower review

First of all, a big thumbs up to taking showers.  Not sure how people who bathe infrequently get by and happy that I live now rather than 100 years ago when Saturday was "bath day".

If you've been following along you know that my bathroom is under renovation.  Thankfully I have a "powder room" (are they still called that?  Yes, at least in my house.) so I can use the sink and toilet in there.  Sponge baths do not, however, replace showers imho.  So I went to Cabelas.

Pretty nice, really,  Just outside the back door so conveniently located and accessible.  Under one of the apple trees so stays cool in the sun.  Behind the house so relatively private although to be fair, it's my back yard and if I want to walk back and forth in a towel every once in a while, who are they to criticize.

Water?  I stopped into the local sporting goods store because Cabela's was out and got one of these.

Pros and cons?  Well, let me tell you.

Pros:

1. I get to shower
2. Easy in and out of shelter
3. Cool little hatch in the back to reach through to a cool little strap from which to hang your towel.
4. Cool mesh pockets low: to put your soap; high: to put your glasses and/or whatever out of the water
5. Floor is a separate piece so the water drains out around the edges.

Cons:

1. If you aren't hanging the bag full of water in the sun all day you have to fill it up in your sink before showering and then carry it out
2. Spout has a clamp (not shown) to shut off the water.  It doesn't work that well and water dribbles out.
3. Water bag hanger is dead center in the shelter so it's inconvenient when you are soaping or washing your hair.   To be fair the shelter wasn't made by Coleman and the bag wasn't made by Cabela's, but seriously guys, obvious that you are going to hang a water bag, that's why you put a hanger at the top.  Figure out a way to offset it.
4. It is much more work to take a shower this way and so I have taken four in the last nine days and sponge bathed the other five.  I live alone so no one has complained so far.  And this is in nice weather.  I can't imagine how unenthusiastic I would be about showering outdoors if the weather were less pleasant.

Well, there you go.  I give this an 8/10 because of the bag placement and the water dribbles.  I won't downgrade it for inconvenience because ... outdoor shower, that's why.