“A word that has disappeared from our vocabulary here is ‘the season,’” explains star architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica (whose buildings have transformed Miami’s skyline, and the world’s perception of the city). “Because today, New Yorkers can come here and find the same kind of culture, food, and entertainment they left behind them.” When a New York billionaire boards his private jet for the two-and-a-half-hour flight to Miami (less time than it would take to get to the Hamptons in summer traffic, unless he’s choptering, of course), increasingly he’s heading to a place where he can find a lot that reminds him of Manhattan—even his favorite restaurant may now have a Miami branch.

via How Miami Became New York South.

One of the things I noticed when I moved to Miami almost two decades ago was this need by some to duplicate NYC. In fact, before hipster was hipster, there were these individuals that dressed, talked, acted and bemoaned that we were not more like New Yorkers. You will see them dressed all in black and/or charcoal wool, tweeting about the “fabulous” cisgender green vegan restaurant with portions the size and prize of an iWatch.

And then you have the transplants: New Yorkers who moved down here and for some reason think NY rules apply.  Hint: There is a difference between being loud (which we are) and being a loudmouth; one is volume and the other leads to bleeding. This kind does not usually last long as contrary to legend, New Yorkers ain’t that tough. It takes a couple of run-ins with machete-wielding neighbors to rethink moving to either Boca or back to NY. Hurricanes do a better job of sweeping them out back north as it literally scares them shitless and beg on their knees for the safety of Times Square. And speaking of that, we are due one or two hurricanes to do some major cleaning.

South Florida has one huge problem: The weather and the geography lends itself to invasive species and are hard to eliminate. Like Melaleuca trees or pythons, once they get settled, it becomes a constant battle to keep them in check. And according to Florida Statutes, it is illegal to eradicate Yankee Hipsters as they are classified human…barely.  And then there is the whole “Do not feed the gators” thing….

So, I understand why some folks from Miami have taken to relocate to other latitudes devoid of New Yorkers. I am still unclear why they keep moving to North Carolina other than the BBQ and I figure the North Calinkis may have similar complains about the “mayameros” but we like pork, guns and listen to Southern Rock in between bouts of Reggae and Salsa so they will be fine.

As for myself, I am gonna be even “hipstier” and move not to NC but someplace where the seasons come in four and I actually get to turn on the heat. Who am I kidding? If we move, it will be where the wife wants and I just drive the truck.

Modesto police said Officer Thomas Miller with the Ceres Police Department was at Beyer Park around 10:30 at night with a woman. The park was closed at that hour. Investigators said 29-year-old Jason Moland confronted Miller with a BB gun and Miller responded with gunfire.

“We found an off-duty Ceres officer providing CPR to a man that had been shot on the ground,” Heather Graves, spokesperson for the Modesto Police Department,said.

Moland was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.

via Modesto man with BB gun shot by off-duty officer.

This happened in California where criminals are used to have unarmed citizens and therefore are basically walking ATM machines. And if you have any doubts, the following comment from the “victim’s” cousin is all the proof you need:

“What is an off-duty officer walking around with his gun for?” Tyrone Johnson, Moland’s cousin, wanted to know. “It just doesn’t make no sense to me.

“Criminals prefer unarmed victims” is not some vacuous slogan but a harsh reality.

…you cannot focus on one thing.

Why did the chicken crossed the state line?

And the fact that Gay Marriage is already the law in Indiana appears to have missed the brain of Dear Ole Shannon.

Fostering and Open Engaged Digital Community? OK, you are trolling now.

“I must vigorously disagree with you, Sir.”
George Washington.

So  much stupid packed into one meme, he should work for UPS.

And closing with a wee bit dose of trolling…

No humor in this bunch.

I have decided to come clean. Yes, I am getting paid by the NRA and they even threw a free Lifetime membership, a hoodie and a range bag to sweeten the deal.

As you can see, they are generous with your membership monies. Then again, I am a highly effective, well read blogger that can shape the minds of scores of people with my wit and intellect.

Not all gun bloggers are getting paid. Those who do are carefully screened and we are all sent out talking-points every morning at 6:00 am via encrypted email. Usually a YouTube video of a kitten comes with the email just to get us in the mood.

Why am I telling you this? Basically I have saved enough money to buy a chalet in Switzerland in a remote location and comes with a decent piece of land. Being Switzerland, I can buy pretty much any frigging gun I want and shoot them to my heart’s content… and the cheese and chocolates make for a nice cherry on top. Bread ain’t half bad either.

If you are planning on an European vacation, drop by and we will have some Landjäge with Emmental and a nice bottle of cold Chasselas while we make a lot of empty brass cases.

I gotta go now, I have to keep my eye on a Solothurn S-18 they have up on auction in Swiss version of Gunbroker.

Apparently fire and air bags do not mix.

Sodium Azide (2 NaN₃ ) is used to inflate the bag. It does not like heat and goes bang at 300 °C. It then breaks into Nitrogen and Sodium. We also know that Sodium and Water do not dance well together and we end up what we see in the video.

And now you know you are driving around with an explosive device aimed at your face. Have a good day.

Edna sputtered again and the old man went on relentlessly, “Now if you want a true critique, let’s look at your costume. You look like a cross between a Mexican hooker and a storekeeper. That belt is what hookers wore back in those days to keep their money on them. They sewed the silver pesos on the belt, did you know that? I’m betting those aren’t real silver Conchos either. The blouse is wrong too. And that Buscadero rig? It’s a border rig from the 1920s, but what you’re wearing was actually designed by John Bianchi in the 1940s. And they didn’t have wrist watches in the early 1900s.”

via The Grey Man- A short story… – Nobody Asked Me….

I am an unabashed fan of Jim Curtis. This short story had me laughing because if you do any competitive shooting, you will see an example of a Range Nazi eventually. And they are usually dealt with less grace.

Go get his books, available in Amazon.