Inventor of the Honey Extractor

By happenstance, I came across mention of the inventor of the radial honey extractor, a Franz Hruschka, via the Beekeeping Hacks group on Facebook.  Apparently it was an important development in apiculture.

2012 Delegates to RNC from Minnesota

Found a historical interest piece on Political Graveyard, with many names that I recognize.  One for 2016 is elsewhere.

Delegation chair: Marianne Stebbins

Delegates
At-Large: Scott Andersen, Bayport - Michele Bachmann, Stillwater - Kurt Bills, Rosemount - Kimlinh Bui, Eden Prairie - Gene Dornink, Hayfield - Patricia Anderson Gallwas, Dellwood - Eric Goodrich, Eagan - Jeff Johnson, Plymouth - Branden Petersen, Andover - Josh Regnier, St. Paul - Mark Santelman, Winthrop - Pat Shortridge, Lino Lakes - Marianne Stebbins, Excelsior - Rudy Takala, Pine City - John Trojack, Mendota Heights - Craig Westover, Afton
1st District: Bill Paulsen, Lonsdale - Steven L. Perkins, Luverne - Josh Wilkening, New Ulm
2nd District: Ted Anderson, Rosemount - Tom Dippel, Cottage Grove - Greg O'Connor, Inver Grove Heights
3rd District: Marge Beard, Plymouth - Gary Heyer, Chaska - Kevin Masrud, Chaska
4th District: John Kossett, Vadnais Heights - Nate Waldron, St. Paul - Mark Zasadny, Roseville
5th District: Russ Hilk, Minneapolis - Mark Johnson, Minneapolis - Juliette Jordal, Minneapolis
6th District: Ben Barringer, Elk River - Stacy Morse, Monticello - Christi Scherber, Richmond
7th District: Bill Batchelder, Bemidji - Raymond Rivera, Redwood Falls - Bonnie Wilhelm, Willmar
8th District: Kevin Erickson, Mountain Iron - Bea Kehr, Duluth - Charlie Strickland, Jr., Ogilvie

Alternates
At-Large: Sonia Evans, Coon Rapids - Derek Flom, Chaska - Steven Grotting, Independence - Daniel Gustafson, Delano - Karl Hanson, Medina - Dan Johanneck, Wabasso - Jennifer VanDerHorst Larson, Orono - Ken Lucier, Moorhead - Neil Lynch, Maple Grove - Adam Pace, Winona - Brian Paukert, Faribault - Melissa Valeriano, Rochester - Yelena Vorobyov-Grisham, Apple Valley
1st District: Bill Fisher, Chatfield - Jen Jacobson, Austin - Duane Quam, Byron
2nd District: John Myser, Mendota Heights - Tiana Wells, Dundas - Mark Westpfahl, Inver Grove Heights
3rd District: Rolf Erickson, Plymouth - Jake Severance, Loretto - Dave Wahlstedt, Excelsior
4th District: MaryAnn Andersen, Bayport - Wayde Brooks, St. Paul - Doug Meyer, Stillwater
5th District: Jon Hartung, Minneapolis - Joel Lemke, Minneapolis - Corey Sax, Minneapolis
6th District: Jim Bendtsen, Ramsey - Steve King, Centerville - Adam Motzko, Delano
7th District: Andrew Plowman, Willmar - Karen Prischmann, Fergus Falls - Patty Seifert, Grey Eagle
8th District: Kurt Daudt, Zimmerman - Becky Hall, Duluth - Barbara Haney, Brainerd

A.D.

A bit of publicly available information, from their website; a 2008 article about National Night Out; and the minutes of a 2011 meeting of the county board.

DemandSphere

CEO Ray G. mentions some formative books.

Expedient Homemade Firearms

Now that Paladin Press is defunct, I'm finding books they used to publish that are now out of print.  I have to wonder how one gets started in the publishing business...and if one could license some of Paladin Press's old texts.

One of the publications was by Philip Luty, Expedient Homemade Firearms.  It sounds like a practical text to have in addition to the more modern version by Cody Wilson.  Unfortunately, a well-used copy is over $100 on Amazon.  Unfortunately, Mr. Luty passed away in 2011, so unless his estate has someone looking to sell the rights to the book, it will likely remain out of print.

Tears in Heaven

Lately I've been trying to introduce Kid#1 to songs and movies that I think were formative for me.  Today I had her listen to some Prince, the MTV live clip.  She'd mentioned a kid at school named Boston, who had said something goofy; it made me think of "More Than a Feeling", so I played that for her too.

For some reason, Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" popped into my head, and I went to look up the history on Clapton's young son who died.  There in the references was the sordid history of Clapton's relationship with the wife he had that child with.  And I thought my marital relations were screwed up!

のっち

パヒュームののっちについて検索したら、ゴシップのページが出てきた。自分ものっちの顔が若い頃から変わったように思ったから、やはりそうなのかな。まぁ、整形したとしても何だってことに至るけど。

Kosciuszko the Abolitionist, and Jefferson's Weakness

This post deserves its own entry, for it shows Thomas Jefferson's weakness, and the unwavering devotion to freedom of one Thadeus Kosciuszko.  From the article:

I beg Mr. Jefferson that in the case I should die without will or testament he should bye out of my money So many Negroes and free them, that the restante [remaining] sums should be Sufficient to give them aducation and provide for thier maintenance, that . . . each should know before, the duty of a Cytyzen in the free Government, that he must defend his country against foreign as well as internal Enemies who would wish to change the Constitution for the worst to inslave them by degree afterwards, to have good and human heart Sensible for the Sufferings of others, each must be married and have 100 Ackres of land, wyth instruments, Cattle for tillage and know how to manage and Gouvern it well as well to know [how to] behave to neyboughs [neighbors], always wyth Kindnes and ready to help them . . . . T. Kościuszko.

Too bad the former President couldn't honor his promise to his friend.

Yet Another Link Dump

Hell, I have too many tabs open on my phone!!

• Mike Longo Trio, Only Time Will Tell -- I don't recall why I had this open....
• Raynor DuraGrille security grille -- I think I was looking for roll-up shutters for house security; or perhaps it was for a shed?
• Joel Anderson's World Coins -- WWII silver
• Isabel Leonard -- operatic beauty
• Setting up a Go-To AR-15 -- for a car gun?
• Odd Squad soundtrack Stop the Music
• Minnesota Judicial Branch Case Records site
• Norah Jones On Piano Jazz -- nice NPR session with Marian McPartland
• For All We Know lyrics -- from the above Norah Jones set

Actually, this is only a third of them, but it gets unwieldy with too many links....

Kenneth Minogue

I recently revisited a clipping from the WSJ I had on my desk.

"Most Western governments hate me smoking, or eating the wrong kind of food, or hunting foxes, or drinking too much, and these are merely the surface disapprovals, the ones that provoke legislation or public campaigns. We also borrow too much money for our personal pleasures, and many of us are very bad parents. Ministers of state have been known to instruct us in elementary matters, such as the importance of reading stories to our children. Again, many of us have unsound views about people of other races, cultures, or religions, and the distribution of our friends does not always correspond, as governments think that it ought, to the cultural diversity of our society. We must face up to the grim fact that the rulers we elect are losing patience with us. . . . Some may forgive these intrusions because they are so well intentioned. Who would defend prejudice, debt, or excessive drinking? The point, however, is that our rulers have no business telling us how to live. . . . We might perhaps be more tolerant of rulers turning preachers if they were moral giants. But what citizen looks at the government today thinking how wise and virtuous it is?"

So I looked for the full piece, and found it.  I also learned that Mr. Minogue passed away in 2013.  Impermanence.

The Mouse

At the end of last year, a lady named Wendy Byers posted on Nextdoor that she used to own The Mouse at Miracle Mile for 16 years.  According to an old post by a Post-Bulletin staff member, the store closed in December 2015.  Apparently Ms. Byers is now a realtor.

Sabrina Nichole

Found an animated GIF of this gal on a Chive post.  Via Google image search, I found out it's a Playboy model, Sabrina Nichole.  Apparently the GIF is from a video ("Lathered Up") on Playboy Plus.  Nice.  TijuanaBoobs?  Her Instagram has various headshots at least.

Remainder of Link Dump

It's been a link dump kind of morning.  In addition to FFL-Related, BTC Stuff, Aeropress, and Books, I have:

• Andy's Most Useful Knots, a useful reference I found
• Walker Display picture system, seen at Hope Church
• Stamping World's The Strip Joint has a section on draw dies
• Connections, what AJE thought of when I mentioned my technology bootstrap idea
• Cora Deitz images, found via the Kate Upton FB page
• How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic: fodder to counter

Now I'm down to only 19 tabs in Chrome!

Joseph Olson & GOCRA

The lawyer I spoke with got her degree from Hamline University, and she mentioned that one of her professors was a Joe Olson, who she described as a big 2nd Amendment guy.  The name sounded familiar, like he was involved with the Permit to Carry law passing.  Well, I found his bio on the Hamline site, and he's got an impressive list of publications, including several with Clayton Cramer and David Kopel.

Furthermore, he founded GOCRA in 1989.  GOCRA was instrumental in passing the permit to carry law, as well as legalizing suppressors in 2015.  Prof. Olson stepped down as president of GOCRA in 2013, turning over the reigns to Andrew Rothman.

Chris Kyle

Recently I came across a blog post regarding Chris Kyle and his mythology.  It's quite the convincing piece.  My feeling was that Jesse Ventura was in the right, simply based on the way that part of Kyle's book was written: it smacked of self-aggrandizing.

In any case, he still wasn't the deadliest sniper in the world: that honor still belongs to Simo Häyhä, who had 505 kills in the Russo-Finnish Winter War, and with a bolt-action rifle and no optics!  Sounds like he didn't have a spotter, either.

MLK & Guns

I'd posted a link on FB about Obama's recent EO banning importation of AKs.  As always, E.W. argued that it doesn't affect the average American, and I made the argument that gun rights are civil rights, and not caring just because it doesn't affect you is like a white person in the '60s saying they don't care about black voting rights, etc.

One of E.W.'s friends posted:

"I was much more afraid in Montgomery when I had a gun in my house. When I decided that I couldn't keep a gun, I came face-to-face with the question of death and I dealt with it. From that point on, I no longer needed a gun nor have I been afraid. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors." --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (From his writings, compiled by Clayborne Carson) [source]

To which I replied:

T.F.: MLK did undergo something of a transformation in the late '50s to the early '60s, completely adopting the notion of non-violent protest. This was part of the power of his message; if he were all about an eye-for-an-eye, then it'd be too easy for his antagonists to provoke a confrontation to solidify support against him. I think he was trying to avoid the Middle East syndrome, where they've been trading blows for centuries. And indeed, the Black Panthers' blatant display of weapons freaked out the timid whites and arguably precipitated California's draconian gun laws and contributed to the 1968 Gun Control Act.

Dr. King also, in response to activists trying to get him to join sit-ins in the early '60s, said, "I think I should choose the time and place of my Golgatha"--with the implication seemingly that he realized that he was at some point going to be killed for his work. That he did it anyway was heroic. (Further, it's not clear that those around Dr. King didn't keep their weapons for his defense--I couldn't find good sources on that after his conversion to non-violence.)

However, this is non-violence to affect political change, and it seems like Dr. King had an idea where it was going to lead. In his 1967 book, he wrote:

"Finally, I contended that the debate over the question of self-defense was unnecessary since few people suggested that Negroes should not defend themselves as individuals when attacked. The question was not whether one should use his gun when his home was attacked, but whether it was tactically wise to use a gun while participating in an organized demonstration." (Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?)

The point he was making, as I interpret it, is that he wasn't against self-defense or guns; rather, he advised that when marching for political purposes, the potential for a protest to devolve when arms are present overshadows the potential advantages. Of course, the risk is that one will be defenseless, and the personal choice one must make--which Dr. King made--was whether to put the cause or one's self-preservation first. I believe that the quote that you put forth doesn't contradict that interpretation.

In those same papers, Dr. King said he only owned one gun in '56; however, some of his advisers noted that there were firearms all over the house. This would imply that perhaps Dr. King distanced himself from the image of firearms ownership, but his crew didn't necessarily.

Other related pieces:
When MLK gave up his guns [Salon]
Civil Rights Leader and Gun-Owner MLK [Guns.com]
The Secret History of Guns [The Atlantic]

Google Encryption

Wired has a superlative-laden article on Morgan Marquis-Boire, who was formerly a cybersecurity guy at Google.

In other related topics (linked from the article), Google posted info on how much of the email relays from GMail are encrypted.  Further, they released the source code to End-to-End; it would be interesting to see how that works.

ClimateGate

Prof. Hal Lewis' resignation letter from the American Physical Society is a scathing indictment if I've heard one:

It is of course, the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it, that has corrupted so many scientists, and has carried APS before it like a rogue wave. It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist. Anyone who has the faintest doubt that this is so should force himself to read the ClimateGate documents, which lay it bare. (Montford’s book organizes the facts very well.) I don’t believe that any real physicist, nay scientist, can read that stuff without revulsion. I would almost make that revulsion a definition of the word scientist. [emphasis added]

Yeah.

Bill Watterson's Advice

I really wish I could say that I have the kind of passion depicted here in this Calvin & Hobbes-esque homage to text by, and the ethic of, cartoonist Bill Watterson.  Nevertheless, it's a beautiful ideal.

Ken Ota

Ryohei Ota posted an article on his father Ken on FB a while ago.  And apparently Bloomington-Normal is called the Twin Cities, too.