Yesterday, Illinois Solicitor General Jane Elinor Notz filed a brief with the Supreme Court, defending the Illinois assault weapons ban. Much of the brief is about law and procedure, which I'm not knowledgeable enough to address. But think I can shed some light on one tiny piece of Notz's brief:The instruments regulated by the Act are best suited for offensive combat: … [Read more...] about Jane Notz is Fibbing
Smarter Gun Control?
A recent Tweet pointed me to an opinion piece that Nicholas Kristof wrote a few months ago for the New York Times on the subject of reducing gun deaths through what he calls a "harm reduction" approach, similar to what we've done with alcohol, tobacco, and cars. It's a few weeks old, but it sparked an urge to respond. For someone who is sort of anti-gun, he takes an interesting … [Read more...] about Smarter Gun Control?
Putting the Trump Indictment Into Perspective
On the one hand, indicting Donald Trump for paying hush money to Stormy Daniels seems like small change. On the other hand, I sure do enjoy when bad things happen to Donald Trump. On yet another hand, however, it bothered me that this indictment seemed like a real stretch, which lends credence to the claims by MAGA folks that it's politically-motivated. However much I despise … [Read more...] about Putting the Trump Indictment Into Perspective
ChatGPT the Hobbyist?
I've been following sex workers on social media for many years((Strictly for purposes of libertarian activism, I assure you.)), and I've noticed a lot of escorts griping about strange first contacts from prospective clients.I wonder if Chat-GPT((Using the GPT-4 language model.)) can help?Write a first contact email to a young escort to set up a date. You can leave … [Read more...] about ChatGPT the Hobbyist?
Ivy R.I.P.
Ivy came into our lives in 2013.We adopted her as an adult. The breeder had originally purchased her to be a queen at the cattery, but she never got pregnant, so at the age of four they spayed her and offered her for sale. When we visited her, we loved how friendly and cuddly she was. And for $400, we took her home. I wouldn't normally mention the price, but a … [Read more...] about Ivy R.I.P.