This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
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First up today, SurvivalBlog reader C.B. sent this news: Michigan House passes bill making wrong pronouns a felony, fineable up to $10,000. JWR’s Comments: Apparently, the only tests that this law demands are A.) Repetition of the “offense”, and B.) Whether or not the feelings of the recipient of the pronoun were hurt, in their opinion.
If that becomes law, then Michiganders can kiss the First Amendment goodbye. Oops! Did I just commit a felony? Should I have written Michigeese? Pardon me. I may have somehow sinned against the Almighty State of Michigan. I must now grovel before the throne of Political Correctness. I should be wearing those nearly opaque pinko-tinted glasses that filter out any possible perception of Adam’s Apples or five-o-clock shadows on XY-trans women or broad hips on XX-trans men.
I have an alternate proposal: You may call yourself whatever you’d like. You may ignore all of the chromosomes in your body and “identify” as an intersex furry jellyfish, or as a crossdressing porcupine, or anything else if that suits you. But don’t try to force me to take part in, or fund your twisted fantasy. Oh, and keep your hands off of my kids, or there will be some immediate physical consequences!
I warned about the expansion of LGBTQ-to-Infinity identifications, in my 2015 novel Land Of Promise. But I had no idea that this insanity would escalate so soon.
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Florida residents can conceal carry a weapon starting July 1, but there are rules.
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Our Editor-At-Large Mike Williamson dispels some myths, in his latest video: Damascus Steel and Shotgun Barrels.
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A visit to Jarbidge, Nevada (on the Idaho state line): I Visited the Most Remote Town in the USA (Outside of Alaska). JWR’s Comments: The narrator failed to mention that there is some great deer and elk hunting in the area. BTW, I actually considered buying a good-sized piece of land near Jarbidge as a full-time residence, back in 2005. But now seeing how Nevada’s politics have “progressed” since then, I’m glad that I didn’t.
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Reader H.L. recommended this essay: Modern Meanderings in the Fire’s Light.
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Blog reader L.E. wrote this quip:
“One night at the dinner table I simply blurted it out “I’m gray, you know”. I was tired of hiding in the shadows, and wanted to bring my grayness out into the light. I had hidden my grayness for decades trying to blend in, but always felt different, using various techniques to try to disguise it. When I realized that 20 percent of Americans were gray or secretly gray, I realized we were a power to be reckoned with and we could not be ignored any longer. No more will we be discriminated against or laughed at or derided or scammed or mocked. We demand that all employers verify that at least 20 percent of their employees are gray, this includes the educational system, courts, police, politicians, school boards and city/county/state systems, the entertainment industry, and the banking systems. We demand a month of Gray Pride celebrations and parades with gray flags and banners, and we want a federal holiday called Gray Man Day. We desire to love whom we love and to sing openly. We are a protected minority class and demand free accommodations such as orthopedic shoes, canes, walkers, hearing aids, and short bus rides to protests and marches, etc, be paid for by others. Gray Lives Matter.”
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Simon in England had this comment about the recent SurvivalBlog article A Recent Power Outage Experience:
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F.J. sent this item: San Diego hiker who fell and broke her ankle in an area with no cell service is winched to safety thanks to a little-known new iPhone SOS feature.
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Costco is cracking down on shoppers using other people’s membership cards.
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An important technical tip for Ford owners, over at Commander Zero’s great Notes From The Bunker blog: Ford F-150 surprise.
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Canadian fields are being overrun by grasshoppers driven by extreme heat. (A hat tip to H.L. for the link.)
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And, to close on a happy note: Lost 16-year-old hiker walks out of Canadian wilderness on her own after frantic 54-hour search.
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