And now, the news.
National Reciprocity
SurvivalBlog has long discouraged the use of the federal government to obtain national reciprocity. It’s never a good idea to involve the feds in anything that the states should control. Now, reader T.J. send in this video with an attorney’s take on the proposed legislation. Unlike what some claim, the bill will not mandate that all states honor CCW permits. States like NY and California have the ability to yank the entire permitting process leaving the situation even worse off. To add insult to injury, the bill mandates that a “special” class (like judges) do get national CCW capability. These, as well as others, are direct issues in the bill before the government even has a chance to mangle and distort it (and you know they will). Despite the fact that the NRA supports this bill, it needs to be defeated.
Pistol Reloads
Valor Ridge has a video out dealing with the practical matter of reloading your pistol. Do you use the slide lock release or do you rack the action after a reload. While many have been taught to rack the action, this video shows that there is a definite time penalty. When seconds count, that could mean 3 or 4 more rounds on target. Personally, I think it depends on your firearm. There are some firearms where a racking motion is warranted and it universally works on all common pistols, but it is slower. If you are training with one pistol and you know it inside and out, the thumb release will save you that critical second.
The Blunderbuss
Reader T.P. sent in this interesting article on a Close Quarter Battle weapon the blunderbuss. This short-range shotgun, often called the thunder trumpet, excelled at room clearing. While the weapon saw a serious decline in usage as the days of tall sailing ships declined, it may be worth another look as a defensive weapon in your home. One should note that it is not a picky weapon. Anyone downrange will not be happy when the trigger is pulled as it is not selective in it’s aiming. On the plus side, this sort of weapon is an excellent home-built candidate.
Satellite TV vulnerability
If you have AT&T’s DirecTV service, you may be at risk for allowing hackers access to your local network. Reader DSV sent in an article showing how DirecTV’s Genie digital video recorder, model WVBR0-25 has a vulnerability in it that allows someone outside of your network to gain root (master) control of the system. Your network can then be probed as if the hacker was on it locally. Additionally, the DVR can be used in botnet attacks against other system on your network or the Internet at large. If you have this model of DVR, you need to talk to your provider and get it upgraded to the latest firmware.
Hepatitis Outbreak
Some plagues begin quietly. Reader T.Z. alerted us to the alarming hepatitis outbreak that is occurring in Michigan. While most attention on hepatitis has been focused on the west coast where homelessness has created the problem, Michigan has actually led the nation in the number of cases per capita in 2017. More than 500 cases have been reported with Macomb county and Detroit leading (more than 2 cases per 10,000 residents). A shortage of vaccines across the country has also hampered the battle and the CDC is exploring options for increasing the vaccine supply.
Homes of Last Resort
RV’s are becoming homes of last resort in many towns. Reader S.R. sent in this article. As the price of real estate and homes have skyrocketed in places like San Jose, they may often be the only type of home that a person can afford. many can’t even afford to park it in an actual RV park. Instead, they often park illegally, knowing that any moment could bring the dread knock from a police officer demanding that they move on. In the past, communities have often just ignored the issue, but as the RV epidemic increases, so is aggressive enforcement. This is often just a step above homelessness, but may actually work. They just can’t afford the ridiculous prices of homes. If ever there was a signal that it was time to move on, this may be it. If you can’t afford a home, then that job is probably not worth it and it’s time to move to an area with a more modest cost of living.
Dangers of Face Scans
China brings us a living example of the hazards of technology. As face scanning software has improved, it has the ability to quickly locate persons of interest and alert authorities to their presence quickly. In the west, we tend to think of that in terms of recognizing criminals and terrorists, possibly saving lives. But what if the “terrorist” is redefined to include political dissidents? There are thousands (possible tens of thousands) of people, rights groups and academics who have been identified and spirited away, never to be heard from again in China. This is part of China’s increase in data-driven surveillance to impose a digital police state.
