If New Orleans were a country, it would be second-worst for gun violence in the world
Sobering data on gun violence in the first world relative to the developing world. Continue Reading
Guns
The Michael Brown case is sad. It’s also less a racial issue, and more about the role of police.
I was in Las Vegas all this week at a conference (I haven’t actually written a new blog entry here in about six days, and was going through some kind of longing for it). If you’ve ever spent any significant… Continue Reading
Mass shootings are actually seemingly good for gun sales
Logic might indicate that, after something like Sandy Hook (where actual children were murdered), people might hit the pause button on buying guns, just as a general “whoa” thing. (The devil’s advocate approach is that “Well, I’m not intending to do that… Continue Reading
Here’s a map of all the mass shootings in America, 1982-2013
You can’t extrapolate much from the clustered locations, just because they tend to be the same areas with higher populations (NorCal, SoCal, NE Corridor, Houston-Dallas). There’s a good deal more info here courtesy of Mother Jones, and there’s additional context and… Continue Reading
Oh look, Peter Lanza has begun speaking to the media
Peter Lanza — the father of Adam Lanza and the ex-husband of Nancy Lanza — has stayed out of the media (for the most part) since December 2012 and the Sandy Hook shootings. He’s now in the media — although hopefully it’s… Continue Reading
Scarlett Johansson, Daniel Defense, and how the banned Super Bowl ad culture seems to work
The above ad features ScarJo hawking SodaStream. It was targeted as a Super Bowl ad — considering it features a highly-paid movie actress — but was banned from airing by FOX, who’s televising the game. Go ahead and watch the… Continue Reading
This Trayvon Martin Nativity scene may have gone a little overboard, yes
John Zachary, a 57 year-old artist, does the Nativity installation for Claremont United Methodist Church every year (he’s a parishioner). This year, the scene features a slumped-over, bleeding Trayvon Martin. Here’s what Zachary had to say, via The Los Angeles Times: “He… Continue Reading
Mikhail Kalashnikov, creator of AK-47, dies; ironically, the greatest asset of the weapon might be longevity
Truth: the gun has played an incredibly important role in history. Truth: the AK-47 is, essentially, the most popular small arms weapon in world history. And a third truth: Mikhail Kalashnikov, the creator of said gun, passed away recently at… Continue Reading