#Defense Distributed

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

Free people should never allow government a monopoly on weaponry. We discuss this and more with director of Death Athletic, Jessica Solce on our podcast. Listen here: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/podcast/podcast-jessica-solce-3d-printed-guns-how-we-win-the-techno-political-war Our Interview with Cody Wilson: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/podcast/podcast-cody-wilson-3d-guns-and-empowering-the-masses-by-making-gun-control-obsolete #DeathAthletic #CodyWilson #JessicaSolce #TheFreeThoughtProject #TheFreeThoughtProjectPodcast

[attackcopterblog]

NOW LIVE! the G80 Unfinished Receiver by Defense Distributed

Defense Distributed goes live with the G80 Unfinished Receiver Defense Distributed has launched the G80 Unfinished Receiver, which combines several key components for enhanced modular support and functionality. Made from heat-treated billet steel with a nitride finish, it offers toughness and corrosion resistance. Features include an integrated slide lock, improved trigger housing, and…

[wobblydev]

I am not trying to attack you but I strongly disagree with your analysis of voting. I think it is contradictory to believe, simultaneously, that voting for Biden materially does something, but that voting for someone other than Biden because of his policy on Israel does nothing. If voting for one candidate has a marginal effect, then voting for another candidate also has a marginal effect, and vice versa.

In either case, whether my vote does effectively nothing or whether it pushes the meter a little bit toward something better, I believe the correct long-term strategic choice is to vote for a third party, slightly increasing some third party's access to funding and ballot listings, at the cost of slightly decreasing the chance of a Biden victory this year. (Realistically: the only person who can affect Biden's electoral chances on a macro scale is named Joe Biden.)

But even if you choose the short-term strategic option of voting for Biden despite everything, I think it's pretty distasteful and a strategic error to, publicly and in your capacity as an activist, ask others to do the same, as it effectively turns you into an advocate for eternal and unquestioned loyalty to the Democratic party for as long as the U.S. exists, no matter what. If you must vote Biden, at least have the decency to threaten not to, to (potentially) scare party shot-callers into doing something worthwhile occasionally.

thank you for not attacking me, i appreciate it. let's have a conversation as comrades.

i agree that voting third-party can definitely work. in my opinion it is only viable (and quite viable at that) in local elections where upsets against the status quo are easier.

gains have demonstrably been won in municipalities that elect third party candidates. i would argue that those candidates then inevitably have a hell of a time once they enter the larger arena of american jockeying, corruption, tradition and outright evil, but that's a larger conversation.

do you think a third party candidate will win the 2024 presidential election?

[gaydryad]

ok question if hypothetically I were to make a html + css template for making custom pokémon teams (cough such as for OCs cough) in the Bulbapedia widget style, would anyone else be interested in using it? if so I will go into this trying to write it as an actual decent template

[shapoopy178]

[hometown redacted] changes a little bit every time I go back and it's usually for worse, but it's a mixed bag.

Example: two of the biggest topics at various events with family and friends this week were the installation of [hometown redacted]'s first traffic roundabout and associated controversy about whether we need something so European in town, and the new Bucee's gas station just outside of town which I've gathered is an excellent place to stop for a shit on account of the cleanliness of the bathrooms.

[deliriousblue]

Quai des Orfèvres (1947)

(dora posing jenny) maybe it's just that i watched portrait de la jeune fille en feu the other day but i feel like there's something here too about....gaze/representation? dora taking photos of the women brignon brings in as he sits there vs this scene of just the two of them alone. (and "it's fine when i'm alone with you; him, the same. but when i find the two of you talking, you shut up. / it's you we talk about"...)

(dora’s hands on jenny’s face) true story @hurlumerlu totally did mention this movie as one with a sympathetically-portrayed lesbian character, but it was the day my blog got temporarily deactivated and so i kind of. um. forgot which details went with which recommendation. so it was a lovely surprise ! anyway i was already pulling my notes up to say something about triangulation off dora going to pick up jenny’s furs from the scene of the crime when this bit happened* and i went. oh. well alright then. *(i mean. no from that scene alone it isn’t necessarily Like That (whomst among us would not clean a murder scene for our best friend ? whomst among us would not clasp their face gently between our hands ?). and. yet.)

(dora talking to maurice) "I'm such a fool. It's a girl like you I really needed" said to your childhood best friend who's in love with your wife is crazy work. but it was also interesting to me that she is loyal to both of them and keeping both their secrets simultaneously. triangulation is when there is three of something ?

(the cabby driver) different characters have very different perspectives on cooperating with the police; there's the taxi driver who refuses to inform on dora (though he's coerced into it in the end) vs the woman at the coat check who the inspector doesn't even bother to speak to, who actively flags him down to tell him about maurice suspiciously coming back late.

(dora talking to antoine) antoine is telling a story about how he got into photography via a murder suspect; dora asks if he often learns things from clients*; he says ‘of course! it’s the best way to learn.’ later on he has an interaction with a man being brought in who he’s clearly on friendly terms with despite the givens. …not to say ‘wow this cop's portrayal was so nuanced!’ but i did appreciate the way he seems to genuinely like many of the people he brings in, and yet has all these biases about them, and yet will distort witnesses’ testimony/harass them into giving a statement, etc etc…. *can't tell if this is (lack of) translation or just usage i'm not familiar with; it seems like he uses it for anyone he comes into contact with in the course of his job (though in this case mostly suspects).

(antoine giving maurice's statement) the inspector dictates maurice's statement ostensibly so he can confirm it, but uses it as an opportunity to not just press him on inconsistencies but actively distort what he said ("i married [jenny] in spite of opposition from my parents, revolted by her shocking past" / "that's not true." / "your wife had premarital sex. i'm summarizing.") funny in a way but really quite horrifying!

(jenny talking to antoine) and relatedly, compelled by the way she literally confesses to (as far as she knows) killing brignon, but it’s taken as obvious sarcasm; he assumes that she was there as a (willing) mistress because of her reputation (performer; premarital sex) when in fact it was self-defense over attempted rape. just a really good deconstruction of the constraints she’s under and the assumptions he makes! (her saying it while literally washing her hands is of course a nice touch.)

(and 9.) (jenny in a cab/dora in inspector antoine's office) (not pictured: maurice (sorry maurice) who is also having a very bad time for reasons not entirely his fault. just differently.) ah you know. i love a parallel. jenny giving herself up (she believes honestly) to protect maurice vs dora claiming to have killed brignon (complete lie!) to protect jenny....

[globalaviationanddefense]

#GlobalMilitarySensorsMarket

#Distributed sensors, #EO, #ISR, #sensor fusion

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

What is a death athlete? Documentary film maker Jessica Solce explains the title of her new film and a new title classification for activists who recognize they are martyrs for a bigger cause.

Listen To The Full Interview Here: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/podcast/podcast-jessica-solce-3d-printed-guns-how-we-win-the-techno-political-war

[cosmicsociology]

Hi, I am up at 2 AM. I think was actually onto something from a previous post.

I was going back to some parts of The Dark Forest to grab quotes and I saw this:

Together, the 5,500 crewmembers were like an infant who had been cut from its cord, then cruelly tossed into the abyss of space. Like that infant, there nothing they could do but cry. Yet Zhang Beihai’s calm eyes were a strong force field that upheld the stability of the formation and helped them maintain their military poise. Children cast aside into the endless night needed a father most of all, and now, like Dongfang Yanxu, they found the power of that father in the person of this ancient soldier.

[mollyjames]

Even in food service, there is the demand for exponential growth. Each store has a profit target you're expected to hit every quarter. Each quarter the target gets bigger and bigger. The only way to make sure you hit or exceed that target is to increase sales or cut costs. Sales can only go so far though, so at a certain point there is the understandable temptation (not justifiable, but understandable) for your manager to start cutting hours. Once they do, your location has entered a Death Spiral.

The thing about the Death Spiral is it is nearly impossible to escape. It starts innocuous enough, with a few hours getting shaved off every week. And true enough at first you probably didn't need those hours. They were the slack, the extra hands that helped distribute the work and made it easier on everyone. You might not even notice they're gone. Maybe the morning rush is a little harder to handle, maybe there isn't as much time to chat as there used to be. But on the whole nothing has changed. You're still hitting your sales quota and, hey, everyone seems to be working a little harder. That's good, right?

Then the next quarter rolls around. You exceeded your quota. Upper management is very excited. But now your new quota is even higher than it would have been if you had simply performed to expectations. You raise prices a bit, push more expensive drinks, and sure, cut a few more hours. Bit by bit the slack gets tighter. The fat gets trimmed. All because continual growth, continual improvement, is not just demanded, but expected.

The endgame of the Death Spiral is the expectation that every worker will operate at 100% efficacy 100% of of the time, and that nothing will go wrong ever. It never reaches this point, as any food service worker will tell you, shit goes wrong. Service gets worse, you lose a few customers, and you miss your quota. This is the point of no return, because the only way to solve the problem is to add more hours. But there's no way upper management will approve spending more money. On a failing store? Don't be ridiculous. Maybe get those numbers up and we'll consider adding hours back. But the only way to get those numbers up is with no hours. It's a Catch-22. You're trapped. Slowly, inevitably, the store fails, and then closes.

The Death Spiral is a doomed strategy, but it is the one corporations push in response to investor pressure. It tricks workers into more work for the promise of relief later, if they do well and succeed, not realizing they'll only be asked to do even more next time. So how do you fight it? Know your worth. Don't let anyone give you more work without some kind of kickback. Don't fool yourself into thinking that being indispensable will lead to a reward later.

But the best defense? Join a union.

[imwritesometimes]

of course my cats aren't spoiled! (do not ask me about their little wooden, german boar bristle brush with a golden kitty on the handle. or the numerous other brushes they have to suit their fur types)

[what-even-is-thiss]

Basic life stuff on Father’s Day your dad may have never taught you

Men’s pants often have what’s called vanity sizing so a 32 inch waist between different brands is actually different sometimes. It’s still a good idea to try the pants on before you buy them.

A flathead screwdriver can be used on a Phillips head screw.

It’s always morally correct to simply walk away from a salesman. You don’t need to buy a mattress to be polite. Just leave. Walk away. Skedaddle.

A complete meal has fat, protein, carbs, and some kind of fruit or vegetable. A snack should have carbs and protein. That’s how you stay full for longer and get your vitamins. It’s really that simple.

Dumpster diving is legal in many countries including the US, Canada, and Australia but trespassing and property damage are illegal. If you are allowed to be in an area and can access the trash without breaking anything you can just take stuff

You should be thinking about retirement savings even in your 20s and 30s. Get a mutual fund.

If you go gambling, only spend cash and pull out exactly as much money as you’re willing to lose from the atm. Never use a credit card in a casino if you can avoid it.

You can add a layer of seasoning to a cast iron skillet right on the stove. You don’t actually have to put it in the oven every time.

To build a fire, build a little pile of kindling first with plenty of air under it. This can be sticks or leftover wood from the hardware store. Doesn’t matter. Then light some newspaper or leaves under it. This’ll help the kindling catch on fire. Then you can add a log to it. The log needs a long exposure to flames before it catches on fire.

Fresh cut wood needs to dry out for several months before it’ll work as either building material or firewood. Several years is even better.

Flower delivery for simple bouquets costs less than you think it does and makes a nice gift for people who are hard to shop for

University libraries often let the general public get a card to check things out from them for a yearly fee. This is useful to know if you’re ever doing some specific research.

To make hard boiled eggs easier to peel boil them with just barely enough to cover and let a lot of the water burn off. Then shock them in an ice bath when they’re done.

If you or your pets end up killing a venemous snake by accident or in self defense you should bury the head so that no animals get poisoned by it because the fangs can still distribute venom

Tall people who visit your house can see the tops of your cabinets and bookshelves. Clean accordingly if you don’t want people to see dust.

Annuals are plants that will die after one year and perennials are plants that live for multiple years

If you feel gross and like your life sucks maybe try getting a haircut

[historyofguns]

In the article "Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ Loadout Review — One LEO’s Take" on The Armory Life, veteran police officer and firearms instructor Alan M. Rice reviews the Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ Loadout, focusing on its effectiveness for protection against rifle threats. He highlights that many officers, especially in rural areas, must provide their own gear and that while ballistic vests are usually supplied, rifle-rated plates often are not. Rice praises the Fortis plates for being lightweight yet providing substantial protection, and he outlines his personal testing experience, noting the gear's comfort and ease of use during extended wear on a training course. With insights on the integrated Medical/Admin/Assault Pouch (MAAP) and Premier’s advanced trauma mitigation technology, the article serves as a comprehensive evaluation of the Fortis Loadout's value for law enforcement officers.

[prokopetz]

It's a rough world out there for people who were teenagers during the exact slice of gaming history where indie video games had become feasible to develop and distribute globally, but the definition of "indie" didn't yet encompass corporate studios and million-dollar budgets. They'll tell you their favourite game when they were a kid was, like, a point-and-click visual novel whose protagonist dreams they're a vast formless sea monster that learns about the concept of colours after finding a discarded helium balloon, or a hypertext fiction/precision platformer hybrid exploring gender as a mechanism of social control, and you think they're either being pretentious or deliberately fucking with you, but no, that's just what the indie gaming scene was like for a couple of years there. The sea monster thing got a front-page feature on the same site that made Bloons Tower Defense a household name – it was literally played by millions of people.

[bourbontrend]

Eric LeGrand Spirits is now available in Massachusetts! Discover how LeGrand Bourbon is spreading joy with its delicious flavors and supporting a great cause. Read about this exciting expansion and find where you can grab your bottle today #Whiskey #Bourbon #EricLeGrandSpirits