Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
the kitchen counter (!).

So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
how often he goes out shooting.

"Haven't fired it in years!"

"Then why do you have it?"

"Protection"

[Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
than in a lily-white neighborhood]

"What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"

Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
gun ownership (in the US).

<https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>

<https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>

Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!

But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
robbed, etc.?

On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
wrote:

>Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>the kitchen counter (!).
>
>So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>how often he goes out shooting.
>
>"Haven't fired it in years!"
>
>"Then why do you have it?"
>
>"Protection"
>
>[Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
>"What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
>Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
>gun ownership (in the US).
>
><https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
><https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
>Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
>Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
>of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>

Or maybe would enjoy shooting some bad guys. Great sport.

In my personal experience, lefties are more afraid of things.

Hollywood is of course the giant gun promoter. The average number of
guns visible in movie ads is well over 1.0.

That anti-gun idiot Alec Baldwin has made a career pretending to kill
people with guns. Except the time he actually did.

Apparently they will resume filming (or rather, shooting) Rust.

On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 3:19:09 PM UTC-4, Don Y wrote:
>
> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of!

You misunderstand. They *were* afraid, but now they feel the love of a gun and are no longer afraid.

Why would he have it on a kitchen counter? He must have, at one time, been *very* afraid.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

On 10/9/2022 22:19, Don Y wrote:
> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> the kitchen counter (!).
>
> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> how often he goes out shooting.
>
> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>
> "Then why do you have it?"
>
> "Protection"
>
> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> owners.  All republicans.  Got me interested in the demographics of
> gun ownership (in the US).
>
> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
>
> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
>
> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of!  It must be a
> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>
> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
> robbed, etc.?
>

I am quite far from understanding how this works in the US - have never
lived in a country where gun ownership is something casual.
But I would be hugely disappointed if this becomes yet another line
of political division in the US. To an outsider, it looks like it
is a nation built by people capable of taking care of themselves.
Then those in power need be more polite to an armed population than
to a disarmed one.
How much of the good part of being able to defend yourself with a
gun is still there I am nowhere near being able to say but it would be
a shame if this gets lost. The gun you have may come into use once
in 50 years but if you don't have it when you need it...

On 10/9/2022 2:23 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

> I am quite far from understanding how this works in the US - have never
> lived in a country where gun ownership is something casual.
> But I would be hugely disappointed if this becomes yet another line
> of political division in the US. To an outsider, it looks like it
> is a nation built by people capable of taking care of themselves.

Yes and no. Amusingly, some of the people who cling to guns are
probably the least able to "take care of themselves" -- if it requires
anything more than THREATENING someone with a gun to get what they
need (I guess it's OK for *them* to use a weapon to extort items
from others?)

> Then those in power need be more polite to an armed population than
> to a disarmed one.

That's the problem with the "insurrectionists"; THEY have their own
notion of what's right and wrong, despite FACTS to the contrary.
So, they pose a threat to the law-abiding citizenry (amusing how
many of them talk about law and order yet "plead the 5th")

> How much of the good part of being able to defend yourself with a
> gun is still there I am nowhere near being able to say but it would be
> a shame if this gets lost. The gun you have may come into use once
> in 50 years but if you don't have it when you need it...

That's the delusion; that you WILL be able to use it to defend
yourself (or your property).

A neighbor (gun owner) has had his car stolen TWICE from outside
his home. I.e., gun didn't help him KEEP possession of the vehicle.

An elderly (80+) year-old couple in the next subdivision were the
victims of a home invasion. Had they been *40* and possessed MANY
weapons, the outcome would have been the same; when a group *intent*
on some illegal activity goes so far as to kick down your door in
the dead of night and hold you at gunpoint while they ransack your
house (looking for the "drugs" that they expected to be at that
address -- despite the fact that GrandMa & GrandPa had been the
sole owners of the house since it was BUILT *3* years earlier),
there's likely nothing you will be READY to do in the time that they
let you "prepare" (if it truly had been a "drug house", they would
likely have expected the occupants to be armed AND willing to shoot
so the invaders would similarly be ready to use deadly force!)

A gun makes sense if you are interested in hunting *or* recreational
shooting (I don't hunt but enjoy going out shooting PERHAPS ONCE A
YEAR!). Thinking that you are going to use it to defend yourself
or your property just makes you look naive -- do you think a
thief/ne'er-do-well is going to ANNOUNCE his intent and give you
enough time to fetch your weapon, load it and steel yourself to
the idea of KILLING another human being (cuz just waving a gun at
someone who's likely already made those mental preparations will
probably just hasten your death)

I had this discussion with the guy I shoot with. He was very frank
and said he'd be hard pressed to kill someone who'd broken into HIS
home -- despite having killed many people before (Special Forces).

But, that doesn't mean he (we) can't spend a few hours "poking holes
in pieces of paper" (target shooting) from time to time. And, being
"into" guns means his weapons are more collectible/unusual than
most. E.g., the Thompson is a real hoot to shoot and ALWAYS draws
attention on the range. (The Coonan .357 auto mag is almost on a par
in terms of "being noticed"; especially at indoor ranges where it
sounds like you're shooting a damn CANNON!)

Moral of story is not to OWN a gun (and the responsibilities that
come with it) but, rather, KNOW someone who owns them! :>

In article <thv6r5$ib00$1@dont-email.me>, blockedofcourse@foo.invalid
says...
>
> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> the kitchen counter (!).
>
> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> how often he goes out shooting.
>
> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>
> "Then why do you have it?"
>
> "Protection"
>
> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
> gun ownership (in the US).
>
> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>
> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
> robbed, etc.?
>
>
>

Having a gun for protection is like a spare tire for your car. Hardly
ever needed, but good to have if you do. They do need to be checked
from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
planes wish they had a parachute.

I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play golf
or such. I just have no use for sports.

There is no safe place for most of us. The crooks are starting to go to
the 'rich' peoples homes because that is where the valuable stuff is.

On 10/9/2022 4:00 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
> Having a gun for protection is like a spare tire for your car. Hardly
> ever needed, but good to have if you do.

That's a false analogy. I suspect MOST people will experience a flat
tire in their life. And, when that happens, they likely won't be in a
high-adrenaline, split-second fight-or-flight mode where their next
decision can result in their -- or another's -- death.

"I've got a flat. Shit! Now I'll have to spend the next 10-15
minutes changing it -- and then having it serviced. Or, call AAA
in case my spare is ALSO flat..."

[Do you carry a condom in case you bump into someone at the supermarket
that wants to have sex with you?]

> They do need to be checked
> from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
> planes wish they had a parachute.

I wonder how many would have the peace of mind to be able to abandon
their craft, letting it fall onto some unsuspecting family without
the benefit of any guidance? Or, is THEIR life the only one that
matters?

> I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play golf
> or such. I just have no use for sports.

I don't think I would enjoy just taking a .38 or .45 and popping off
$1 rounds just to make holes in a piece of paper.

OTOH, shooting more exotic weapons (esp without having to purchase,
register and maintain them) is a hoot!

> There is no safe place for most of us. The crooks are starting to go to
> the 'rich' peoples homes because that is where the valuable stuff is.

What about in the parking lot at your weekly grocery visit?
Or, the gym after your workout? Or...

The bad guys have already made up their mind to be bad (do something
"wrong"). Are you prepared to be in a state of constant vigilance
lest they get the drop on you?

Personally, I'd much rather enjoy all of the things that life has to
offer instead of being afraid that a bad guy might be hiding behind
the next tree, car, building, ...

Shit happens -- regardless of how prepared you THINK you are.
Better to sort out how you will recover from life's tumbles than
hoping to ACTIVELY avoid them!

On 10/10/2022 00:00, Ralph Mowery wrote:
> Having a gun for protection is like a spare tire for your car. Hardly
> ever needed, but good to have if you do. They do need to be checked
> from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
> planes wish they had a parachute.

Surely it'd be even better to live somewhere where almost nobody has a gun?

If people have guns it's going to feel unsafe every time you go outside.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

On 10/9/22 16:00, Ralph Mowery wrote:
> In article <thv6r5$ib00$1@dont-email.me>,
> blockedofcourse@foo.invalid says...
>>
>> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45
>> sitting on the kitchen counter (!).
>>
>> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>> how often he goes out shooting.
>>
>> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>>
>> "Then why do you have it?"
>>
>> "Protection"
>>
>> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>>
>> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>>
>> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are
>> gun owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the
>> demographics of gun ownership (in the US).
>>
>> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>>
<https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>>
>> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be
>> victimized. Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of
>> living in fear of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>>
>> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being
>> assaulted, robbed, etc.?
>>
> Having a gun for protection is like a spare tire for your car.
> Hardly ever needed, but good to have if you do.

Or a regrettable choice. Enough heroes have shot their own family
members in their own houses.

A real estate agent I know carries Bear Spray. Dogs in back yards...

The UPS driver carries dog biscuits.

> They do need to be checked from time to time and practiced with. I
> bet many people that go down in planes wish they had a parachute.
>
> I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play
> golf or such. I just have no use for sports.
>
> There is no safe place for most of us. The crooks are starting to go
> to the 'rich' peoples homes because that is where the valuable stuff
> is.

I read an ex-crooks advice to fly an American Flag at your home. It's an
indication to bad guys that the homeowner probably has a gun, so best to
pass up that particular house.

Big dogs aren't much deterrent, the bad guys carry dog biscuits too.

On 10/9/22 12:19 PM, Don Y wrote:
> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> the kitchen counter (!).
>
> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> how often he goes out shooting.
>
> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>
> "Then why do you have it?"
>
> "Protection"
>
> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> owners.  All republicans. ...

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-arrested-in-gun-theft-from-karen-basss-home-lat/

Now you know a democrat.

[...]

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 10/9/2022 11:13 PM, Joerg wrote:
> On 10/9/22 12:19 PM, Don Y wrote:
>> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>> the kitchen counter (!).
>>
>> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>> how often he goes out shooting.
>>
>> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>>
>> "Then why do you have it?"
>>
>> "Protection"
>>
>> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>>
>> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>>
>> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>> owners.  All republicans. ...
>
> https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-arrested-in-gun-theft-from-karen-basss-home-lat/
>
> Now you know a democrat.

Actually, no, I don't. (I'm amused to wonder how you think I would
know the individual; do you have any insights into this week's
lottery numbers?)

Had you carefully read my post you would see that I never claimed
democrats DON'T own guns; in fact, the two links try to put a number
on the prevalence of gun ownership between democrats and republicans.

But, you could have read that for yourself, right?

On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 3:19:09 PM UTC-4, Don Y wrote:
> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> the kitchen counter (!).
>
> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> how often he goes out shooting.
>
> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>
> "Then why do you have it?"
>
> "Protection"
>
> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
> gun ownership (in the US).
>
> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>
> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
> robbed, etc.?

You keep discounting gun ownership on the basis of extreme examples of encountering seriously deadly capable criminals. Not all criminals are that way.. The castle doctrine and stand your ground stuff are an invitation for the public to kill people- not just shoot them, but kill them, which is not always one and the same. Anyway those are probably the most likely scenarios for justifiable homicide.

In article <thvl1e$jj6s$1@dont-email.me>, blockedofcourse@foo.invalid
says...
>
> > They do need to be checked
> > from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
> > planes wish they had a parachute.
>
> I wonder how many would have the peace of mind to be able to abandon
> their craft, letting it fall onto some unsuspecting family without
> the benefit of any guidance? Or, is THEIR life the only one that
> matters?
>
> > I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play golf
> > or such. I just have no use for sports.
>
> I don't think I would enjoy just taking a .38 or .45 and popping off
> $1 rounds just to make holes in a piece of paper.
>
>

The airplane is going down anyway. Nothing can be one about that.
Especially if you are not the one doing the flying.

Most of my target shooting is from 15 to 30 cents per round. Think
what it costs to do most any activity like golf, bowling, or a sporting
event. I even bought one of the high power pellet rifles that costs
very little to shoot.

On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
wrote:

>Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>the kitchen counter (!).
>
>So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>how often he goes out shooting.
>
>"Haven't fired it in years!"
>
>"Then why do you have it?"
>
>"Protection"
>
>[Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
>"What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
>Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
>gun ownership (in the US).
>
><https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
><https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
>Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
>Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
>of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>
>But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
>robbed, etc.?

This is sort of related:

https://unherd.com/thepost/why-are-liberals-less-happy-than-conservatives/

If you were to arbitrarily divide the US population into liberal and
conservative tribes, there would be fundamental personality and
demographic differences.

The happiest group is conservative women. Least happy, liberal women.

Conservatives tend to be in more traditional monagamous family
relations, with wives and kids in standalone houses (not singles in
high-rise apartments) so maybe the guys feel like defenders.

When the doorbell rings, I answer it. It's part of my job.

I had a great gun, a Ruger stainless steel Police Special revolver, a
beautiful piece of machining, but someone broke into my apartment and
stole it. 38 magnums were like bombs going off. Everybody at the
shooting range would run over and say "What was that!?"

On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:34:29 -0400, Ralph Mowery
<rmowery42@charter.net> wrote:

>In article <thvl1e$jj6s$1@dont-email.me>, blockedofcourse@foo.invalid
>says...
>>
>> > They do need to be checked
>> > from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
>> > planes wish they had a parachute.
>>
>> I wonder how many would have the peace of mind to be able to abandon
>> their craft, letting it fall onto some unsuspecting family without
>> the benefit of any guidance? Or, is THEIR life the only one that
>> matters?
>>
>> > I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play golf
>> > or such. I just have no use for sports.
>>
>> I don't think I would enjoy just taking a .38 or .45 and popping off
>> $1 rounds just to make holes in a piece of paper.
>>
>>
>
>The airplane is going down anyway. Nothing can be one about that.
>Especially if you are not the one doing the flying.
>
>Most of my target shooting is from 15 to 30 cents per round. Think
>what it costs to do most any activity like golf, bowling, or a sporting
>event. I even bought one of the high power pellet rifles that costs
>very little to shoot.
>

Skiing is a good deal, per hour. I can ski a lot of hours on a $500
season pass. A big expense is the mid-day rum and coke.

On Monday, October 10, 2022 at 12:03:25 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blocked...@foo.invalid>
> wrote:
> >Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> >the kitchen counter (!).
> >
> >So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> >when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> >how often he goes out shooting.
> >
> >"Haven't fired it in years!"
> >
> >"Then why do you have it?"
> >
> >"Protection"
> >
> >[Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> >than in a lily-white neighborhood]
> >
> >"What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
> >
> >Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> >owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
> >gun ownership (in the US).
> >
> ><https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
> >
> ><https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
> >
> >Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
> >terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
> >Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
> >of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
> >
> >But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
> >robbed, etc.?
> This is sort of related:
>
> https://unherd.com/thepost/why-are-liberals-less-happy-than-conservatives/
>
> If you were to arbitrarily divide the US population into liberal and
> conservative tribes, there would be fundamental personality and
> demographic differences.
>
> The happiest group is conservative women. Least happy, liberal women.
>
> Conservatives tend to be in more traditional monagamous family
> relations, with wives and kids in standalone houses (not singles in
> high-rise apartments) so maybe the guys feel like defenders.
>
> When the doorbell rings, I answer it. It's part of my job.
>
> I had a great gun, a Ruger stainless steel Police Special revolver, a
> beautiful piece of machining, but someone broke into my apartment and
> stole it. 38 magnums were like bombs going off. Everybody at the
> shooting range would run over and say "What was that!?"

LOL! You had a gun in your home, until someone broke in and stole it. Someone tell me that's not ironic!

--

Rick C.

+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

John Larkin <jlarkin@highlandSNIPMEtechnology.com> wrote in
news:dr86khhgkhbnd0sja72uvsg2vavtiq4kjb@4ax.com:

>
> That anti-gun idiot Alec Baldwin has made a career pretending to kill
> people with guns. Except the time he actually did.
>

With a tampered with load in a gun that was never supposed to be within
a mile of a live round.

You are the idiot, Larkin... Of all manners.

On 10/9/22 12:19 PM, Don Y wrote:
> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
> the kitchen counter (!).
>
> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
> how often he goes out shooting.
>
> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>
> "Then why do you have it?"
>
> "Protection"
>
> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>
> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>
> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
> owners.  All republicans.  Got me interested in the demographics of
> gun ownership (in the US).
>
> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>
>
> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>
>
> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of!  It must be a
> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>
> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
> robbed, etc.?
>

Don, I saw you answered my post further below but the message window is
all blank.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 10/10/2022 8:34 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
> In article <thvl1e$jj6s$1@dont-email.me>, blockedofcourse@foo.invalid
> says...
>>
>>> They do need to be checked
>>> from time to time and practiced with. I bet many people that go down in
>>> planes wish they had a parachute.
>>
>> I wonder how many would have the peace of mind to be able to abandon
>> their craft, letting it fall onto some unsuspecting family without
>> the benefit of any guidance? Or, is THEIR life the only one that
>> matters?
>>
>>> I like to shoot at targets. Just get off on that like others play golf
>>> or such. I just have no use for sports.
>>
>> I don't think I would enjoy just taking a .38 or .45 and popping off
>> $1 rounds just to make holes in a piece of paper.
>
> The airplane is going down anyway. Nothing can be one about that.

You can help choose *where* it finally impacts the ground. E.g., pilots
who look for fields, highways, etc. -- instead of schools or car lots!

> Especially if you are not the one doing the flying.
>
> Most of my target shooting is from 15 to 30 cents per round. Think

My friend loads his own so it's about 30c/round. Store-bought ammo can
be considerably more expensive. And, with a semi-automatic, easy to
run through 10 rounds in a minute! Insert next clip. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

And, when you're done, you've got another "poster" with holes in it.

For me (shooting far less frequently), the fun comes in exploring a new
weapon (my friend has quite a collection), getting the "heft" of it,
learning how it reacts to being fired, etc. I.e., how quickly can I
hone my accuracy (as I won't have the opportunity to run through a few
hundred rounds before we move on to another weapon).

Of course, the less common the weapon, the more I relish the opportunity.

E.g., the Thompson was an eye-opener in terms of how *coarse* a "tool"
it is. It's too damn heavy and too hard to aim with any precision.
Obviously, the approach is to spray a lot of lead and hope some of it hits
it's intended target(s).

The Coonan is fun because it is *so* loud. And, the muzzle flashes definitely
make you feel like you're "doing something":
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrpSc8KsWmM>
Well worth even $1/pop!

I'd *really* like to try *this*:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC1P2CsaqWE>
it's interesting that folks can SEE how hard the weapon is to handle,
yet seem to have exactly the same problems as the guy in front of them!

> what it costs to do most any activity like golf, bowling, or a sporting
> event. I even bought one of the high power pellet rifles that costs
> very little to shoot.

I'm more interested in water sports. I'd easily waste a day on a
jet-ski or a speedboat. There's a special appeal to having that wind
in your hair accompanied by that light spray. And, knowing that "falling"
just leaves you *wet*! (the abundance of eye-candy is a bonus)

In article <hjf8khlkvmc434eb4bh6njp0nrbd0mvg20@4ax.com>,
jlarkin@highlandSNIPMEtechnology.com says...
>
> I had a great gun, a Ruger stainless steel Police Special revolver, a
> beautiful piece of machining, but someone broke into my apartment and
> stole it. 38 magnums were like bombs going off. Everybody at the
> shooting range would run over and say "What was that!?"
>
>

Just what is a 38 magnum ? If you mean a 357 magnum, nothing special
about that to make others come over. Got to be a 44 mag or even larger
to be much of anything specialto bring others over.

In article <hjf8khlkvmc434eb4bh6njp0nrbd0mvg20@4ax.com>,
jlarkin@highlandSNIPMEtechnology.com says...
>
> >[Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
> >than in a lily-white neighborhood]
> >
>
>

Just saw on the news where 2 teenagers were shot outside a congressmans
house. I would think he would live in a neighborhood that would be
called safe.

On 10/10/2022 12:03 PM, John Larkin wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>> the kitchen counter (!).
>>
>> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>> how often he goes out shooting.
>>
>> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>>
>> "Then why do you have it?"
>>
>> "Protection"
>>
>> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>>
>> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>>
>> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>> owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
>> gun ownership (in the US).
>>
>> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>>
>> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>>
>> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
>> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
>> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>>
>> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
>> robbed, etc.?
>
> This is sort of related:
>
> https://unherd.com/thepost/why-are-liberals-less-happy-than-conservatives/
>
> If you were to arbitrarily divide the US population into liberal and
> conservative tribes, there would be fundamental personality and
> demographic differences.
>
> The happiest group is conservative women. Least happy, liberal women.
>
> Conservatives tend to be in more traditional monagamous family
> relations, with wives and kids in standalone houses (not singles in
> high-rise apartments) so maybe the guys feel like defenders.

If I were gay or transsexual I'd definitely carry a lot of weapons
around, there are plenty of conservatives out there looking to "defend
themselves" against the uppity gays.

On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 20:01:11 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

>On 10/10/2022 12:03 PM, John Larkin wrote:
>> On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>>> the kitchen counter (!).
>>>
>>> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>>> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>>> how often he goes out shooting.
>>>
>>> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>>>
>>> "Then why do you have it?"
>>>
>>> "Protection"
>>>
>>> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>>> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>>>
>>> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>>>
>>> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>>> owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
>>> gun ownership (in the US).
>>>
>>> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>>>
>>> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>>>
>>> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>>> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
>>> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
>>> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>>>
>>> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
>>> robbed, etc.?
>>
>> This is sort of related:
>>
>> https://unherd.com/thepost/why-are-liberals-less-happy-than-conservatives/
>>
>> If you were to arbitrarily divide the US population into liberal and
>> conservative tribes, there would be fundamental personality and
>> demographic differences.
>>
>> The happiest group is conservative women. Least happy, liberal women.
>>
>> Conservatives tend to be in more traditional monagamous family
>> relations, with wives and kids in standalone houses (not singles in
>> high-rise apartments) so maybe the guys feel like defenders.
>
>If I were gay or transsexual I'd definitely carry a lot of weapons
>around, there are plenty of conservatives out there looking to "defend
>themselves" against the uppity gays.

The big threat is STDs, not yahoos.

On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 19:50:46 -0400, Ralph Mowery
<rmowery42@charter.net> wrote:

>In article <hjf8khlkvmc434eb4bh6njp0nrbd0mvg20@4ax.com>,
>jlarkin@highlandSNIPMEtechnology.com says...
>>
>> I had a great gun, a Ruger stainless steel Police Special revolver, a
>> beautiful piece of machining, but someone broke into my apartment and
>> stole it. 38 magnums were like bombs going off. Everybody at the
>> shooting range would run over and say "What was that!?"
>>
>>
>
>Just what is a 38 magnum ? If you mean a 357 magnum, nothing special
>about that to make others come over. Got to be a 44 mag or even larger
>to be much of anything specialto bring others over.

Don't be tedious.

The problem with the magnums is getting off a second shot. The first
one will blind and deafen you and fling the gun somewhere far away.

On 10/10/2022 8:03 PM, John Larkin wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Oct 2022 20:01:11 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:
>
>> On 10/10/2022 12:03 PM, John Larkin wrote:
>>> On Sun, 9 Oct 2022 12:19:00 -0700, Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Chatting with a neighbor (circling the drain) and note the .45 sitting on
>>>> the kitchen counter (!).
>>>>
>>>> So, looking for more "small talk" topics (kinda hard to chit-chat
>>>> when everyone in the room knows about the elephant) so asked him
>>>> how often he goes out shooting.
>>>>
>>>> "Haven't fired it in years!"
>>>>
>>>> "Then why do you have it?"
>>>>
>>>> "Protection"
>>>>
>>>> [Very safe neighborhood and I doubt he's ever lived anyplace other
>>>> than in a lily-white neighborhood]
>>>>
>>>> "What are you afraid of, 'snowflakes'?"
>>>>
>>>> Afterwards, made a mental tally of all the folks I know who are gun
>>>> owners. All republicans. Got me interested in the demographics of
>>>> gun ownership (in the US).
>>>>
>>>> <https://news.gallup.com/poll/21496/gun-ownership-higher-among-republicans-than-democrats.aspx>
>>>>
>>>> <https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/>
>>>>
>>>> Gotta wonder what all these folks are so afraid of! It must be a
>>>> terrible feeling to wonder when you are NEXT going to be victimized.
>>>> Sad, so many of us busy enjoying our lives instead of living in fear
>>>> of LOSING it (or their "stuff")!
>>>>
>>>> But, hey, maybe more republicans have past histories of being assaulted,
>>>> robbed, etc.?
>>>
>>> This is sort of related:
>>>
>>> https://unherd.com/thepost/why-are-liberals-less-happy-than-conservatives/
>>>
>>> If you were to arbitrarily divide the US population into liberal and
>>> conservative tribes, there would be fundamental personality and
>>> demographic differences.
>>>
>>> The happiest group is conservative women. Least happy, liberal women.
>>>
>>> Conservatives tend to be in more traditional monagamous family
>>> relations, with wives and kids in standalone houses (not singles in
>>> high-rise apartments) so maybe the guys feel like defenders.
>>
>> If I were gay or transsexual I'd definitely carry a lot of weapons
>> around, there are plenty of conservatives out there looking to "defend
>> themselves" against the uppity gays.
>
> The big threat is STDs, not yahoos.
>

Explains why many conservatives want to outlaw condoms I suppose..