Dave Barry's interaction with an AI that said he was dead and his attempts to set the record straight are amusing reminders that AI has its uses but is still pretty limited.
" There seems to be some confusion” states Google AI. Yes! There does! And the source of this confusion appears to be… Google AI! Anyway, the good news is that, as of right now, according to my Overview, I am once again alive. But I’m not making any long-term plans. I’m not even making lunch plans....
"What can we learn from my experience? We can learn that although Artificial Intelligence is an awesomely powerful tool that according to experts is going to completely transform human existence, it is not very bright. So for now we probably should use it only for tasks where facts are not important, such as writing letters of recommendation and formulating government policy. We should NOT let AI handle jobs requiring a high degree of accuracy, such as airplane navigation. ("Ladies and gentlemen, we're beginning our descent into Honolulu, and we should soon... No, wait, sorry, this appears to be Paris.")"
In a recent commentary, we noted the famous quote about democracy usually attributed to Sir Winston. In November 1947 Winston Churchill delivered a speech to the U.K. House of Commons. He made a memorable remark about democracy, but he employed …
Continue reading →
I've been shooting for years, and it's always struck me how certain guns get way more attention than they deserve just because they looked cool in a movie or video game. Don't get me wrong - some of these are decent firearms, but their popularity is completely out of proportion to their actual performance. Hollywood and game developers pick guns based on how they look and sound, not whether they're worth a damn in real life. Here are ten firearms that owe their popularity more to entertainment exposure than actual merit.
7/18/25 KTVB:
"BOISE, Idaho — What was a routine traffic stop for Boise police officers early Friday morning became a bomb situation when a suspected homemade pipe bomb was found after arresting two people during a traffic stop.
"The Boise Police Department said officers pulled over a vehicle at 12:45 a.m. at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and West Linden Street, and the driver was arrested on driving under the influence charges. The passenger was arrested on an outstanding warrant."
A couple of outstanding citizens, what? I doubt any public defender is going to make a Second Amendment challenge on this even though there is a plausible historical argument that this a protected "arm." Such a challenge is going to get little sympathy, especially with this fact pattern. While an insurrectionary model argument could be plausible made, I rather doubt he was transporting it for that purpose. The self-defense theory for a pipe bomb is also hard.
Photo Of The Day: Beretta USA has partnered with Howe Arms on a limited-edition run of 92XI pistols, known as the Foreign Combat Series. Howe Arms, founded by Afghanistan veteran Richard Howe, employs disabled combat veterans and supports their families through its firearms customization work.
In the year 2025, if you’re a shooter looking for an affordable hunting rifle or shotgun, one country is increasingly making a play for your dollar (or shekel, or GBP, whatever). Turkey has gone from being unknown in the world of firearms manufacturing to grabbing a huge market share in the low-cost segments. At the rate they’re going, they will control a massive chunk of affordable hunting firearms sales by the end of this decade. Here’s a look at how this is playing out, and why.
7/18/25 DOJ press announces a program for
non-violent felons to request relief from firearms disability:
"The proposed rule will provide citizens whose firearm rights are currently under legal disability with an avenue to restore those rights, while keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals and illegal aliens. Ultimate discretion to grant relief will remain with the Attorney General, and she will exercise that discretion on a case-by-case basis in light of all available facts and evidence that bear on an individual’s application. But absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, and illegal aliens, in particular, will remain presumptively ineligible for relief."
I expect the same crowd that wants convicted ex-felons (even violent ex-felons) to get back voting rights will have a sissy fit.
7/27/25 CBS channel 2:
"BOISE, Idaho — Lina Marcela Ospina Isaza, a 24-year-old from Bucaramanga, Colombia, has been sentenced to time served, approximately two months, for the false use of a Social Security number, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin D. Whatcott announced. U.S. District Court Judge Amanda K. Brailsford waived the fine and special assessment due to Isaza’s likely deportation. Isaza pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025....
"Isaza provided an address in Massachusetts and was instructed to update her address with the Department of Homeland Security within five days if she moved. Instead, she relocated to Boise, where she purchased a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent legal permanent resident card. She presented both to a Boise hotel in April 2024 to obtain employment and signed an I-9 form containing the fraudulent Social Security card number. She later changed jobs, using the same fraudulent Social Security card to secure new employment at a downtown Boise hotel in May 2024."
Not such a victim now, is she?
What happens when an illegal alien uses someone else's number? IRS, if they do their job well, as they did for us several years ago, figures it out. If not your taxes rise because of the wages you did not receive but upon which you still owe income taxes. I suspect this will not be a major financial problem but lots of time talking to IRS resolving this will not be pleasant.
Something encouraging in the article:
"For employers, the Department of Homeland Security increased civil penalties for Immigration Reform and Control Act violations on January 2, 2025. The new civil penalty for knowingly hiring, recruiting, referring, or retaining unauthorized aliens was increased to a maximum fine of $5,724 per unauthorized alien for a first offense and up to $28,619 per unauthorized alien for a third or subsequent offense."
Leftists like to complain that employers are not punished for breaking the law. It sounds like they can be. I am not sure if they are being sued or not. If they are, the costs should encourage more care in hiring.
I had a chip implanted in my body. Cool Ranch Dorito's.
The Firearm Blog is officially 18, which means if this website were a person, it could legally purchase a long gun. It also marks over a year since I took the reins from Pete. For the most part, I’ve been spending the past year trying hard not to screw things up, but we’ve been trying some new features like:
Reptilia now has the 30mm ROF-90 TALL available and shipping. It's a new mount in their Ruggedized Offset Optic Mount (ROF) line, designed for 30mm magnified optics. The mount positions a mini red dot sight at 12 o’clock for fast transitions and straightforward aiming. In case you haven’t tried this solution on your long-range shooter or DMR rifle, I can highly recommend it for a heads-up aiming experience. Also, don’t underestimate that it looks cool, and gives you another reason to go to the range to zero your gun.
Via email from Brother Doug who has been writing biographies of various family members: My mother was born 100 years ago today at 3:35 AM. She only weighed 5 lbs 6 oz at birth and the doctor who delivered her …
Continue reading →
Two Democrat Socialists walk into a bar. The bartender asks them what they are drinking. They each order the most expensive drink. When the bartender asks for the money for their drinks, they tell the bartender to charge it to everyone else in the bar. — General™️ (@TheGeneral_0) July 16, 2025
Big calibers in a little rifle! We'll take a close look at the 510 Grizz, a new cartridge for AR-15 platforms that packs a lot of punch!
Tisas USA, a division of SDS Arms, has released the PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp , a 9mm pistol designed for competition and duty use. It uses 18 or 20-round P226-pattern magazines and includes Gen3 NATO spec upgrades for durability. The single-port compensated slide and barrel reduce muzzle rise for faster follow-up shots. It features an RMR-pattern optic cut for direct-mount red dots with co-witness capability, and offers 27 grip configurations for customized ergonomics.
One of several traditional patron saints of brewers, Saint Arnulf of Metz is honored with a feast day on July 18.
Arnulf of Metz (c. 582–645) was a Frankish bishop, known in French as Arnoul or Arnoulf, and in English as Arnold.
Several miracles have been attributed to Saint Arnulf, but one in particular earned him recognition as a patron of brewers.
It was July 642 and very hot, when the Parishioners of Metz, went to Remiremont to recover the remains of their former Bishop. They had little to drink and the terrain was inhospitable. At the point when the exhausted procession was about to leave Champigneulles, one of the Parishioners, Duc Notto, prayed “By his powerful intercession the Blessed Arnold will bring us what we lack.” Immediately, the small remnant of beer at the bottom of a pot multiplied, in such amounts, that the pilgrims’ thirst was quenched and they had enough to enjoy the next evening when they arrived in Metz. For this reason he is known as the Patron Saint of Brewers.
Today, raise a glass to Saint Arnulf of Metz and recall the prayer of Duc Notto as well.
Cheers!
When you think of Cold War-era submachine guns, the usual suspects come to mind: the Uzi, the MP5, maybe even the Sterling. But one of the most widely used, longest-serving, and most underappreciated designs of the era came from Italy: the Beretta PM12.
Quote of the Day Zohran Mamdani’s run for mayor of New York City is a clear and present danger to the stability, economic health, and democratic foundation of both the city and the nation. His platform is rooted in a …
Continue reading →
No, not the 25th Infantry Division. I'm talking about the unnamed weather event that hit us last night and will probably roll across us again today.
This thing is basically a nothing-burger, just lots of thunder and lightning. It has no wind field to speak of and never really got organized before it came ashore. This thing originated in the Gulf, so technically it is a tropical something-or-other.
The weather-weenies tell us that we are under a 99% chance of rain today, which means that there is a change we won't get rained on. Yeah, right.
- Well, I finished reading Echoes of Silence and not only did it fill in some background detail from the previous two Frontlines books, but I got downright verklempt at the ending.
- 1952 Chevy pickup truck!
- Bobbi made a thing.
.
Officers found a 17-year-old boy went into the store and stole
several items. When he left, a bystander stopped him, but was stabbed in
the altercation.
As the altercation continued, the bystander's
gun fell from his waistband. Both people attempted to grab the gun and
it fired, hitting the suspect in the face.
More Here
As the suspects tried to get away, an employee at a nearby business
fired a gun at least once at the suspects’ getaway cars. Fresno Police
said right now, that man is not facing charges.
“Our detectives will be interviewing that civilian to see if there’s
any crimes or any statutes that he may have violated,” Fresno Police
Department’s Henry Garcia said.
More Here
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Beretta 1301 Tactical: Still the Best After 10 Years? Excellent information about my favorite shotgun and accessories. For more shotgun info, read Why your agency shouldn’t shelve the shotgun. One more shotgun article for […]
The University of Michigan is getting a close look at their foreign funding. It’s appropriate, IMO, in light of their recent issues with Chinese staff smuggling dangerous fungi into the country as well as another one voting in our elections illegally. Michigan has a “history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence” and “recent […]
There are two groups of people right now that are being pushed to disarm. First we might look at the PKK in Turkey. The PKK are Kurds who have the misfortune to live in the Islamic country of Turkey, and for some unfathomable reason Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952. The history of …
Continue reading Cautionary Tales of Disarmament →
On July 18th, 1914 the US Army Air Service was established, as part of the Signal Corps. Pictured are four U.S. Army Vought VE-7 test planes undergoing NACA tests, in 1921. — July 18th, 1954 was the birthdate of Ricky Skaggs, an American country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo. — Today, we present a guest piece by our friend Patrice Lewis. It first appeared in her excellent Rural Revolution blog. Patrice is also the author of The Simplicity Primer. — We are in need of …
The post Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 18, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Editor’s Introductory Note: This article was written by friend of the Blog Patrice Lewis. She is the Editrix of the long-running Rural Revolution blog. She and her husband Don have truly lived the prepping/homesteading life for decades. They homeschooled their two daughters, gardened, raised cattle and poultry, preserved foods, ran a home-based business, and much more. Lily and I first met them 15 years ago, when they lived on a ranch about 40 miles southeast of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. More recently, they moved to another ranch in an undisclosed location, elsewhere in Idaho. That ranch is more remote, and in …
The post Croutons to Die For, by Patrice Lewis appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the LMBA’s nascent silver short squeeze. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals The Comex shorts did their best to hold down the price of silver again this week. But the Asian traders kept bidding it back up into the $38.20 to $38.50 USD range. The word is out that the LBMA …
The post Economics & Investing For Preppers appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites. … Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.” – Edmund Burke
The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Change is a constant that impacts just about everything – even the names people select for their boats!
I still do. I go as both a buyer and as a vendor. In the past year or more, I guess it's been more so as a vendor for me; not that I am a dealer or want to be one. I sell to resupply my savings when my savings account takes a hit due to things like firearms and ammo purchases. When I do sell, I quite often and I do mean most of the time, sell at either a loss or a break even price. I am not in the business of making a profit, or earning a living selling firearms or ammo. First of all, I am pretty certain I could never make it in the business world. What I am though, is happy if I can recoup what I spent on an item or at least get close to my purchase price if I sell at a loss. Sometimes though, the loss is substantial but those are the breaks. When you figure in the cost of vendor's tables, sales signs that I print up, price tags, state sales tax, and travel expenses to shows (though nowadays most shows I attend are local), among other things, it all adds up or should I say subtracts, and all too often results in more of a loss than otherwise.
Then, when I attend a show as a spectator and potential buyer, if I do buy something it is at gun show pricing, which when it comes to most dealers' prices are way to high. Yet, I have sometimes found good deals and at times I will bring a gun or two with me to try to sell as an attendee of the show.
Now, I realized, about 30 or 40 years ago, that prices at guns shows were inflated all to often and all to much. Back then though, it did not mean that a good deal was very difficult to find. If you looked, then haggled you could still get a nice price on a purchase. As the years rolled on though, the prices got higher and higher, some to the point of being ridiculous such as a dealer asking $500 or more for a Mosin Nagant 91/30 of no special merit and in only fair to good condition. Still though prices were much lower back then than now. For instance, in 1998, I picked up a Hungarian Mosin Nagant M44 in excellent condition from a gun vendor at a gun show in NY. It cost $80.00 out the door - nearly the same rifle today (probably from a different country though, like Russia) at a gun show in AR is selling for a minimum of $400.00. As expected more or less though, I got a Russian M44 in 2003, but from an online dealer, for $62.95 shipped. So years after I bought the Hungarian one at the gun show, I got a Russian one at about only 78% the cost of the Hungarian model. Goes to show, buying at guns shows is often higher priced than buying from other dealers. Then again, I would pay more for the Hungarian any
day so even though it was more expensive than the Russian and that sale being a few years before getting the Russian; I was quite happy to pay that for a Hungarian model. A Mosin Nagant 91/30, with bent bolt, that I picked up in 2009 sold for $175.00, shipped from an online dealer (yes their prices have gone up drastically too and that gun would go for much more today). I have seen bent bolt 91/30s going for $700 or more at guns shows within the past year. That is outrageous!
What is also outrageous is when I know, without doubt, how much a dealer paid for a gun he has for sale on his table. A few of them were being sold by show attendees and I had inquired as to the asking prices before dealers finally bought them, a few others were sold by me to dealers over the years. Once they buy them, they put them o their tables and proceed to jack up the prices, all to frequently, by literally hundreds of dollars, in some case, double or more than what they had just paid for them. My bet is most will lower the price if you are wanting to buy but you also must be willing to haggle and must insist on a price reduction. Some dealers though are truly avaricious and will not come down in their sky high prices. It's those dealers on whose tables you often see the same guns over and over again at future shows.
Still though, good deals can be found at gun shows. For instance, if you get there early, at least a half hour before the doors open, there is usually a line of folks waiting to get into the show. Very often, at least a couple to a few folks on the line (and subsequent attendees after the line dies down) will be carrying a long arm or handgun they are trying to sell. There is your chance for a deal - before they get inside to be set up by the vulture like dealers, who are stuck at their tables, you can ask to see any that interest you and try to make a deal in the parking lot before they get inside (check your local and state laws on this as selling in parking lots at guns shows is {or was} illegal in some gun unfriendly states - like NY as best I recall).
Of course, you might also fine a vendor like me, a gun owner selling off part of his personal firearms in private as opposed to commercial sales and one who sells at either a small profit, a break even price or at a loss. Even then, when selling at a loss on something I got at a decent prices, I have potential buyers (with very little potential) trying to haggle me down to an even greater loss and then complaining if I don't go down further. Let's face it, it is not always the gun show vendor, who puts too high a price son his wares, who is the bummer at a gun show but all too many times it is the cheapskate buyer who is the cause of gun show grief.
With all that in mind, I plan to attend a gun show, this weekend, in Hot Springs. I will be an attendee not a vendor but I likely will bring along a couple or few guns I will try to sell. They likely will be sold at a loss if only because of how much I will have to lay out for a hotel (damn are they ever so expensive, especially their weekend prices) and other travel expenses to get to the show and stay overnight. By staying overnight, I can attend both days of the show while both looking to sell and looking to buy in an 'oh such a deal' moment in which I may pick up a gem at a great price.
Speaking of gems, I will likely have my CZ 457 Royal in 22 LR (unfired in the box), Savage 111 Long Range Hunter in 300 WIN MAG (round count 20) and a mini Mosin Nagant 91/30, unfired in box) by Keystone Arms, with me for sale. All will probably be sold at or below my cost if I get any buyers at all. Yet, even after paying for the trip and hotel, if I sell a couple, I will have more money than before I went to the show. Not much more but a bit more to put back into the bank until I buy more guns or ammo.
All the best,
Glenn B
CCW Safe, a national leader in Self Defense Legal Services, announces the acquisition of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network Inc.
Returning to a subject we have touched on more and more, we see more evidence across all Fifty States and especially in the District of Criminals that the black robed judges – at all levels – consider themselves to be …
Continue reading →
During World War II, the Red Army became very acquainted with the German Army's weapons and tactics, which relied heavily on machine gun fire, which played a crucial role in their infantry organization structure and doctrine. The German infantry squad was structured around the machine gun, making it a central component of their operations. In contrast, the Red Army found that their DP light machine gun was inadequate for supporting infantry units effectively. The DP's used low-capacity pan magazines, which limited operational duration since most carried only three to six magazines. The size and weight of the DP also limited what troops could carry into battle, further diminishing its capacity to support infantry operations.
Not only is JMac Customs’ money clip a great gift for the TFB reader who has everything, the product images also make for a great Photo Of The Day. The Kalash Stash is a limited-edition money clip made from one ounce of solid 925 silver. It’s a detailed, scaled-down model of the AKS-74U, a compact variant of the Kalashnikov rifle known for its distinctive shape and historical significance in military use, as well as its appearance in numerous films and video games.
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the perfect accessories to install on your concealed handgun. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to talk about various aspects and features that can really make or break how easy it is to conceal. Not everyone talks about the struggles if you carry something too large or heavy compared to a lighter-weight option. Let's take a closer look at features that affect concealability.
I'm seeing a lot of hogwash online about the .30-06 cartridge being obsolete. Hogwash. The old Thirty Aught Six is an old cartridge, no doubt about that, but obsolete? Not likely.
It can still take all the game on the North American continent. There may be other cartridges that are better for a specific task, or more suited to specific game, but that doesn't make the old warhorse obsolete. It's proven itself over and over, and it is the cartridge that everyone compares against. It is a benchmark cartridge.
If I knew that I was going on a medium-to-large game hunt somewhere in North America, with no other inclination of where I would be, the old Savage 110 in .30-06 would go along, and I'd be neither under gunned nor second-guessing my choice. From deer in the thickets to moose in Alberta, the .30-06 would be just fine.
Obsolete, indeed.
He’s bringing back cane sugar in Coke, which Mexicans have continued to enjoy since the 1980s, while we got corn syrup. Now, Mr. President, please start working on McDonald’s to go back to using beef tallow to fry French fries, and how about getting Coca-Cola to also put the old-time cocaine back in Coke, as […]
Old age, after all, is merely the punishment for having lived. — Emil Cioran
Our sprinkler system has a filter to remove gunk from the canal water. The coupler for the filter housing is 4.5" diameter. (Yes, I measured circumference with a tape measure.) We have been using a oil filter style wrench which is very clumsy. There are wrenches designed to fit the housing securely. When I went to Grover's Plumbing Supply, the plumbing expert informed me that the 4.5" wrenches were arriving bigger than that, requiring you to offset from horizontal to get it to turn the coupler. I am glad she knew enough not to just drop it in my hand.
Amazon had a 4.5" filter housing wrench. It arrived. The bag clearly said 4 5". It was more like 6" so useless.
Home Depot's website listed a 4.5" wrench. I measured it: 4.75". Why does 4 5" suddenly become a nominal diameter?
UPDATE: The filter inside the housing is 4.5" diameter, not the housing.
Jill Biden’s top aide took the 5th in from of a Congressional committee that’s investigating the use of the autopen. He had to be subpoenaed since he declined the committee’s ‘invitation’. He’s the second one–the first one was Biden’s doctor. Let’s contextualize: Joe Biden admitted that he didn’t individually approve each name for which commutations […]
I recently participated in the Beretta Gold Cup 2025 (IPSC). With eighteen very dynamic stages, it’s clearly one of the best matches I’ve ever shot. During the verification we got to shoot all sorts of Beretta firearms, including various versions of the 92 and 92X. These Berettas came in all sorts of colors, with a focus on blue, red and lime.
In a press release from SIG Sauer, it’s stated that the Michigan State Police has fully adopted the SIG Sauer P320/M18 pistol , equipped with a SIG ROMEO-M17 optic and FOXTROT2R light, as their primary handgun system. The SIG P365 was chosen as their secondary firearm.
The NEW Glock Reference Guide, 3rd Edition is now avaible! For a look at everything Glock related, this is the tome for you.
Smith & Wesson has announced the launch of its new M&P15 AXE Rifle Series, said to be designed for reliability and performance, particularly for suppressed shooting. The series includes four models, all chambered in 5.56 NATO, featuring a 7075 T6 aluminum upper and lower receivers, ambidextrous controls, a Radian Raptor charging handle, Williams folding sights, and an M&P grip with four interchangeable backstraps.
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 […]
Today’s episode of TFB’s Behind the Gun Podcast features Harrison Benson of Double Tap Coalition, a very prominent Georgia-based firearms training and advocacy organization based in Stockbridge, just right next door to Atlanta. Established in 2020 after Harrison started selling ammunition as a business, Double Tap Coalition's core mission quickly adapted to educate, train, and empower individuals to be responsible gun owners, emphasizing safe firearm operation and upholding Second Amendment rights. Harrison leads a team dedicated to providing foundational and advanced training for various skill levels. Their course offerings range from "Intro to Pistol" for new gun owners to specialized training in rifles and shotguns, and even advanced tactical courses. Beyond firearm proficiency, Double Tap Coalition also provides crucial non-lethal and medical education, including "Stop-the-Bleed" classes (for free). Harrison shares insights into Double Tap's comprehensive curriculum and their commi...
Quote of the Day This is a nightmare scenario for the Dems right now. We better pray long and hard that the country is going to be in a f‑‑‑ing depression, because I don’t know how else we find ourselves …
Continue reading →
Image from 12newsnow.com
Unsympathetic defendants make for bad precedents. This is what happened in the Rahimi case, where the Supreme Court opened the door a crack, allowing judges to believe they can create more exceptions to Second Amendment rights. Rahimi is cited as the reason for the upholding of the Gun Free School Zone Act in the Fifth Circuit.
On January 29, 2023, 25 year old Ahmed Adballa Allam had been living and traveling around the United States in his father's Toyota RAV4 since July of 2022. He had purchased an AR-15 type rifle in Pennsylvania on the way to California. He had traveled to California and then to Texas, sometime in early January, 2023. Allam insisted on camping out in the RAV4 near St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School or near Temple Emanuel, a Jewish Synagogue, both in Beaumont Texas.
The principle of the school was concerned about Allam's actions and called police several times per day. School staff and parents repeatedly contacted Allam and asked him to leave. Members of the Synagogue also asked him to leave several times. Until Allam was arrested, he had been contacted by police upwards of nine times. From 12newsnow.com:
On January 29, 2023, Beaumont Police received multiple calls about a suspicious vehicle around St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School and Temple Emanuel. The callers said a man in a black Toyota Rav 4 with New York license plates was parked across the street and staying there for hours and even days at a time.
On January 29, Allam started to move the SUV from its parked position, and was immediately stopped for a traffic violation. The officer called for backup. After failing to comply with officers' instructions, Allam was arrested and the SUV was searched as an inventory. Among other things, they found the AR-15, unloaded, in its original cardboard box, a loaded 30 round magazine, and 150 rounds of ammunition. Even a small, weak lock on the cardboard box would have met the requirement for the rifle to be in a "locked case". From findlaw.com:
On Sunday afternoon, January 29, a school parent confronted Allam, who was sitting in his SUV parked adjacent to the school, and asked him to leave the area. Allam responded that he had a “mission” and that no one would ever see him again after Monday. Alarmed by Allam's ominous statement and based on a strong suspicion that Allam possessed a gun, the parent immediately prompted BPD to post an officer near Allam's SUV. Later that Sunday, when Allam began to drive the SUV from its parked location, the officer stopped him for various alleged traffic violations.2
In the search of Allam's possessions, texts were found about Jihad, killing cats, and the legitimacy of rape and murder during Jihad.
A grand jury returned a single charge of possessing a firearm in a Gun Free School Zone. The case was heard in the federal district court: United States District Court, E.D. Texas. UNITED STATES of America v. Ahmed Adballa ALLAM CASE NO. 1:23-CR-10 Decided June 14, 2023. The court could not find a historical precedent.
Therefore, the Government has failed to show that the 1,000-foot zone around a school should be included in the Supreme Court's identification of “schools” as sensitive places, or that it is analogous to the sensitive places previously identified by the Supreme Court, such that it should be considered a new sensitive place.
Unable to find a historical precedent for a gun free zone (GFSZ) outside of school property, the court decided to create a new exception where the exercise of Second Amendment rights could be infringed - the "buffer zone". The court reasoned it could do this because "school shootings" were an "unprecedented societal concern".
The court is of the opinion that the prevalence of school shootings—protection from which is one of the aims of § 922(q)(2)(A)’s enactment—in this modern era, is certainly an “unprecedented societal concern.”
Only one law about a firearms "buffer zone" existed during the revolutionary era. The Delaware state Constitution created a buffer zone around polling places during the Revolutionary war in 1776, during the founding era. It applied to "Battalions or Companies, not individuals. It only applied on election days. It was removed from the Delaware Constitution one year after the Second Amendment was ratified. No further "buffer zone" laws were enacted until well after the Civil war, when a few were enacted from 1870 on. There have been school shootings since the colonial era, just not as frequently as present.
The court makes a strained comparison that the threat to schools continues all the time (even when the school is not open!) therefore a permanent, continual law is acceptable! The court used the Rahimi case as a lever to open this loophole.
III. Conclusion
As detailed above, § 922(q)(2)(A)’s prohibition on the possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of school property is not “an ‘outlier[ ] that our ancestors would never have accepted.’ ” Rahimi, 61 F.4th at 460 (quoting Bruen, 142 S. Ct. at 2133). Therefore, the statute is constitutional, and both Allam's facial and as-applied challenges fail. Accordingly, Allam's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment (#22) is DENIED.
The three judge panel for the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit goes even further afield. It relies on the 14th century Statute of Northhampton, which had nothing to do with schools, and which had become dormant before the English Bill of Rights was written. It appears the Fifth Circuit panel was heavily influenced by an unsympathetic defendant. If a law can be used against an unsympathetic defendant, it can be used against you. From Courtlistener.com:
By contrast, Allam focuses heavily on the lack of a conclusive historical analogue to § 922(q)(2)(A)’s 1,000-foot buffer zone. But this focus misses the mark. We need not—and do not—fix how far a buffer zone may stretch before it runs afoul of the Second Amendment to decide Allam’s as-applied claim. Section 922(q)(2)(A)’s buffer zone needed to do very little work here, if any. Allam had camped out only 40 feet from school grounds. His SUV was parked on a street bordering campus—adjacent to school zone lighting and signage—at a location where students crossed routinely to get to the off-campus basilica. He was also behaving erratically and menacingly, so much so that people repeatedly called the police, and St. Anthony changed its students’ routines and traffic patterns. As applied here, § 922(q)(2)(A) is “relevantly similar” to the Statute of Northampton and going-armed laws and the (limited) historical examples of firearm restrictions in educational settings and buffer zones around polling places, which corroborate the constitutionality of disarming a visibly threatening individual as near a school as Allam was.17
With all the "menacing" the local police should have found a more local solution than the GFSZA. This is an "as applied" case instead of a facial challenge. "As applied" cases are not supposed to be as precedential as facial challenges. In reality, the difference between "as applied" and facial challenges is eroding.
This is a poor decision. Challenges to the Gun Free School Zone Act are not easy to come by, because federal prosecutors have been wary of challenges which would show how bad the law is. In the Ninth Circuit, a much more sympathetic defendant has appealed a conviction under the GFSZ. We should know if the three judge panel in the Ninth Circuit will be willing to accept the Second Amendment challenge, in a few months. The Ninth Circuit has been hostile to Second Amendment cases.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
FOX 2 - There will be no charges in a fatal domestic shooting on the south side of Dearborn last Friday.
The
Wayne County Prosecutor's Office denied charges against the shooter who
fatally wounded a family member because it was in defense of another
member inside the Walnut Street home.
More Here
After the initial assault, Butler left the area on a bicycle but later returned in the direction of the original altercation.
One mile away, on another bridge, Butler encountered an individual believed to be a partygoer.
According to witness statements, the
individual exited a vehicle and confronted Butler. The confrontation
escalated into a physical altercation, during which the subject began to
assault Butler.
In response, Butler fired several shots, hitting the individual in the chest and also striking the vehicle once.
Both Butler and the gunshot victim fled the scene following the incident.
Butler was later found at his home and taken into custody.
More Here
One victim, identified Tuesday by police as 20-year-old Deon Monzel
Daniel, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other victims were taken
to area hospitals for treatment.
Opelika police say their preliminary investigation indicates Lark,
Maturius Daniel, and the victim, Deon Daniel, were involved in a robbery
at a home on Herndon Street, during which police say gunfire was
exchanged with the resident and the suspects, resulting in the death of
Deon Daniel.
More Here
A lawsuit filed by Malinowski's widow gives insight into the terrible event.
By Lee Williams SAF Investigative Journalism Project Special to Liberty Park Press Bryan Keith Malinowski excelled at business deals and brought millions of dollars in upgrades to Little Rock’s Clinton National Airport, according to his obituary. ATF Agent Tyler Cowart shot Malinowski in the head last year. He died two days later. Malinowski was 53 […]
The post How ATF Agents Killed Arkansas Airport Director Bryan Malinowski appeared first on Liberty Park Press.
On July 17, 1930, construction began on the Empire State Building. It was the world’s first skyscraper of 100+ stories. It was built on 5th Avenue in New York City. — July 17, 1938: The Italian Air Force, in support of Francisco Franco, bombed Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. — Today’s feature article is a guest piece that was written by Mrs. Alaska. Because it will eventually be re-posted in her blog, it is not part of the writing contest judging. — We are seeking entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth …
The post Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 17, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
When we bought our undeveloped land on a lake in Alaska, the first thing built was a little dock on the lake, so that boats and float planes could deliver workers and supplies. What type of dock is best in a cold climate where lakes and rivers freeze and thaw? In general, I found that Americans writing from states like Minnesota favored light metal docks that you could pull out of the water at the end of the season. We saw that approach frequently used in Wisconsin. From friends there, we have heard that it is something of a seasonal …
The post A Goldilocks Tale of Three Lake Docks, by Mrs. Alaska appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
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, . Processed Meats Study: Not Healthy Reader D.S.V. sent this warning on processed meats: Just one hotdog per day could harm your health, study finds. Trump Threatens Russia …
The post The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“Even the striving for equality by means of a directed economy can result only in an officially enforced inequality – an authoritarian determination of the status of each individual in the new hierarchical order.” – Friedrich August von Hayek
The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
I enjoyed heck out of researching and writing about Holt Collier. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about him. It appeared in my Ayoob Files series in American Handgunner magazine.
To kick off her new series “Women of Team GLOCK” at The WON, Avery Skipalis interviews the youngest member: Morgan Leonhardt.
The Ukraine War has demonstrated that the future of warfare is drone-based. You have all seen aerial drones dropping grenades into trenches and tanks stupid enough to leave hatches open. The maritime drones have also demonstrated their ability to sink Russian ships.
This video shows ground drones often salvaged from car parts but with very little visibility. Some are carrying mines. Some have machine guns. Some 20mm cannon. All have been very effective.
Why this matters. Ukraine like Russia is facing a demographic crisis. WW2 and its echoes means they must avoid getting too many soldiers killed in combat. Drones save lives.
These drones are pretty cheap. I hope the U.S. Navy, which is beginning to build maritime drones, is paying attention to this cost issue. If you can build maritime drones that cost a few thousand dollars, you can swarm Chinese ships in such numbers that they cannot get all of them. I also want our captains to have a nearly unlimited supply of these available to launch. Make them cheap enough and manufacturing scales nicely.
Politics and political troubles, like other forms of war, distract us from real-world problems that can and do harm and even kill us. While many are man-made entirely, others are natural events. Natural? Yes, but influenced and modified (made worse) …
Continue reading →
Certain firearms didn't just win battles - they fundamentally changed the trajectory of human civilization. These weapons sparked wars, ended empires, enabled revolutions, and reshaped entire societies through single decisive moments or groundbreaking innovations. Firearms have played a key role in the human history of the last 500 years, so many guns could make this list that it would be pages and pages long, but these ten firearms truly altered the course of history through their use or introduction. Here are the weapons that changed everything.
TFB’s one and only Photo Of The Day, and we have exclusive images from the IPSC PCC World Shoot and the Shoot Off, where all the best competitors meet. Here we see Keith Garcia (USA) versus Raine Peltokoski (Finland) in one of the runs. Keith is shooting a MEAN Arms Unrivaled Lightweight upper, with a JP Rifles lower and using 9x19 mm ExoMags. Raine is using a highly modified JP-5; more on that another day.
Guns, politics and bling go together like bacon, lettuce and tomato—just ask Bond Arms, where they release a derringer every few months featuring some political tie-in . But this is nothing new; fancy-pants weapons have been floating around politics for years, and this highly customized Colt 1851 is the perfect example. It was originally presented to Mexican president Benito Juarez, and it is coming up for sale at Rock Island Auctions in the coming weeks.
7/16/25 Globe & Mail:
"A Federal Court justice has halted the deportation of a non-binary American in a ruling that criticized Ottawa’s Immigration Department for not properly considering the situation of LGBTQ Americans since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
"Angel Jenkel, a 24-year-old multimedia artist from Minnesota who is engaged to a Canadian, can now remain in Canada while their case is judicially reviewed, in a judgment that their lawyers hailed as precedent-setting."
Yes. Minnesota is the only state more pro-trans than California. If Angel goes home, they are going to use "he" and "him" on xir until xir has a concussion or is bleeding out.
Refugee status for brutal use of pronouns!
Within the confines of landmark legislation passed appeasing the anti-gun community and activists on a civic level, the plans for the future of restrictive policy was revealed in San Jose, California of all places as Mayor Matt Mahan spearheaded controversial legislation swarming citizens under a generational tidal wave of procedural limitations. Dionne Warwick may or […]
The post Do You Know The Way To San Jose? The Government Flawed Approach To Public Safety appeared first on Liberty Park Press.
China's Rotting Mansion Cities. This makes the 2008 housing crisis look like intelligence. Enough vacant homes to house entire European nations. Tens of millions of people making mortgage payments on unbuilt condos.
At some point, this has to collapse
According to Taurus, the new compact Taurus 817 is purpose-built for those who trust their lives to revolvers. Made entirely of stainless steel, the Taurus 817 is chambered in .38 Special +P and has a 7-round capacity. The revolver has a compact grip frame and a 2-inch barrel. All these features make it suitable for concealed carry and self-defense.
Smaller and faster might not extend your barrel life, but it has other gains worth trying! Take a look at a custom 22 Creedmoor!
GForce Arms is giving its GF9 Rapture a splash of personality with the launch of several new color options: Teal, Pink, Purple, and classic Black with a Nickel Slide. Yes, Pink and Purple! I’ll be honest and say that some of these combinations are a bit too brave for me, but who said your carry gun can’t have a little flair?
It has been almost 20 years since I made heavy use of Unix, but I vaguely recall a construct in some shell where you could
ls {circle*|mkcircle*}
and have it match every file of those two wildcard matches. I cannot find that in any reference work. Was that just an imagined capacity because I wanted it?
Derringers haven’t changed a lot since, oh, the late 1800s. How much can you change a break-action pistol? But Bond Arms is doing their best, introducing new big-bore cartridges into their lineup, and along with madcap inventions like a .410 hideaway gun , the mini-pistol specialist is also bringing out limited-edition stuff like their new First Lady Pistol.
The AC crew is here to install the new unit. I'm very happy with that.
I told Belle this morning that it is now illegal for me to wash dishes. When she asked "Why", I explained to her that Donald Trump had signed an executive order forbidding men from competing in women's sports.
Just so you know.
I was in the mood for something different. Scanning my shelves, I spotted a bottle of
Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky. Deciding to pour this sweet, fruity libation for the evening, I turned my attention to selecting a cigar. After picking up — and putting down — several options, I eventually settled on the
Oliva Serie V Melanio.
Hibiki Harmony comes in at a mild 86 proof, making it a good choice when you’re looking for a lighter drink. A pleasing aroma of florals and honey rises from the glass. The whisky is light yet flavorful, with notes of fruit, honey, and cinnamon coating the palate. There’s a graceful balance of floral and fruity elements, and the clean finish carries a subtle, lingering sweetness. As a mild sipper, the Hibiki calls for a cigar that’s flavorful without being overpowering.
The Oliva Serie V Melanio made for a wholly satisfying complement to the Japanese whisky — just as it does with a bold bourbon. The well-aged, 5x52 box-pressed Robusto features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, including Jalapa-grown ligero. The smoke offers a refined blend of caramel, coffee, sweet nuts, and chocolate. Medium to full in body, it delivers depth without overwhelming the delicate notes of the Hibiki.
I thoroughly enjoyed this pairing. While I’ll still turn to bolder bourbons as my usual smoking companion, the lighter, sweeter Hibiki was a delightful diversion on a warm evening.
Cheers!
The CZ247 was developed for Czechoslovakia’s post-war submachine gun trials, where it was pitted against the ZB47. It was a simple blowback 9x19mm SMG with a number of interesting elements, most notably the ability to
[...]The post CZ247: Experimental Swivel-Action SMG first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
Quote of the Day In addition, the bill contains funding for a “buyback program”—which, of course, is a euphemism for the government using the American people’s money to disarm them. To anyone paying attention, this ought not to be a …
Continue reading →
Holosun has announced the availability of their two new red dot optics for 2025: the ARO and ARO EVO . These sights are designed for shooters needing reliable performance at short and intermediate ranges. I used a Holosun red dot for my PCC carbine, and it’s been nothing but great.
We have firearms safety rules for a reason. Handling guns safely is not intuitive for most people. If guns were perfectly safe, they would be useless to us. Chainsaws, cars, motorcycles, parachutes…I’m sure you get the idea. So, if that short list of things are not particularly safe, we try to make them as safe […]
Sorry not sorry if it seems like I’m slamming on Justice DEI, but she keeps talking and putting things into writing… If someone lobs something up, I sometimes have no choice but to spike it in. In this case: “Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said Thursday that the ‘state of our democracy’ keeps her […]
Now is the perfect time to grab a few extra shirts, a new pair of shoes, or maybe even a couple of patches for your patch wall. 5.11 has just announced the “Off Grid. On Sale” event, where customers can take 25% off regular prices throughout the 5.11 Tactical online store as well as the many retail locations located throughout the United States. Save on everything from more day-to-day summer items like the Allhaula Cooler , or stock up on socks and plate carriers, or treat yourself to a new backpack. This sale goes on from today through Tuesday, 7/22, save 25% on all gear and apparel online and in-store.
On July 16, 1936, the first automatic parking meter in the United States was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. o o o July 16th is the anniversary of the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. o o o And July 16th is the anniversary of the death of Hugh John McCall, in Rhodesia, in 1979. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of …
The post Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 16, 2025 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
I will keep this essay brief, and to the point. Readers of my novel Expatriates and Liberators will recall how I fictionally described the use of both time-delayed and remotely-controlled incendiaries and explosives. I have recently been considering the potential threat posed by the inclusion of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in consumer products that have Internet connections. As the Internet of Things (IoT) proliferates, I believe that the possibility of malicious, remotely-controlled battery fires is a growing threat. It has already been well-documented that thermal runaway battery fires are an increasingly common occurrence. These fires happen often, even in devices that …
The post A 21st Century Threat: Battery Fire Cyber Attacks appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
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. — Reader John P. wrote this query: “What is your opinion on the new service T-Moble is offering? I know that at this time it is only text, but the future? No Sat phones? No need for ham radio? When the towers are down? My Dad trained me that there is always a …
The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Continued into part 2, we've rounded up some of our favorite flowers crafts from the archives. And as a bonus, we've included a floral book review!
