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Category: Podcast
Dear White Man
By kennblanchard | September 16, 2020
Dear White Man,
I'm writing to you today because of all that's going on in the nation. I thought you might need to hear a few words of encouragement from your friend and your brother from another mother. You and I have been pretty close since 2007, when I started my podcast in the basement of my house. You've invited me to your home. We've broken bread together. We've laughed, hugged, even. We've smoked cigars. We've shared in this Second Amendment fight. We've been to speeches. I've been a speaker at different events with you. You've heard my sermons in church. You've introduced me to your family, to your kids. We've come through a lot of stuff in these last twenty years or so. Some of us have been together even longer than that. We met, maybe, at the Second Amendment Foundation's annual meeting, or the National Rifle Association's meeting across the country, or occasionally you caught me at SHOT Show. We laughed and had some good times.
Well, my white brother, the time's they are a'changin'. I see your frustration. I hear your anger. I read what you write in your posts. I see the memes you make. Or, I've noticed your absence online or in comments. Well, you know me. I haven't changed. I never run from a fight. I'm talking more about love. Like the song that says nobody's interested in learning it, but the teacher, it seems.
We got segregation, determination, demonstrations, integration, aggravation, humiliation, and no obligation to our nation. It's a ball of confusion right now. That's what the world is today. Yeah.
You got young folks walking around with their heads in the sky and cities aflame in the summertime. And though, the beat goes on. I think yesterday was the eve of destruction. We're still looking for tax deductions and city inspectors, and Bill the collector, evolution, revolution, gun control, and the sound of soul. They're still shooting rockets to the moon, but kids are still growing up too soon. It's a Ball of Confusion, baby.
And I feel you. I understand where you're coming from.
So, my white brother, I'm just here to tell you that I understand. I'm just giving you a shoutout that I don't blame you for squat. I don't. I know who you are. You've been the same with me since the beginning. Back when I was the lone brother out here. I was never totally alone, but I was pretty much the singleton. I remember how you treated me and my family, and then my friends, and then my club, and then as I grew my own advocacy and activism, and I grew, and you kept asking me, "How can I get more people of color into my group? How can I get more folks like you in my range?" And we just continued to push on. I know your heart. I know you're not a racist. I know where you're coming from, and I ain't afraid to tell it, truth be told. I'll still stand with you, even though right now some of you got your war face on. Yeah, you do. Let me tell you about anger.
There are three types of anger that the psychologists can recognize pretty easily. The first is the hasty and sudden anger, and it's all connected to self-preservation. You think everybody's after you, so you're striking out at everybody else. I'm just here to tell you that it's not me. Remember, we've been together a long time. I know who you are, really. The second type is the settled and deliberate anger — a reactionary thing. It's the deliberate harm or unfair treatment of others. It's an episodic type of anger. I know that's not you. And, the third is a dispositional anger. It's related more to a character trait. It means something's wrong with you. You're irritable, sullen. There's some stuff wrong. Anger can potential mobilize psychological resources and boost the determination toward correction of wrong behaviors, like the promotion of social justice and the communication of negative sentiment and redress of grievances. It can also facilitate patience. In contrast, anger can be destructive when it does not find its appropriate outlet in expression.
Some of you guys are angry white men. And, you're having a hard time navigating the situation. What happens? The angry person loses their objectivity, your empathy — which you had so much of before — your prudence or your thoughtfulness that you had, that you showed me. And sometimes you can get so pissed off you harm yourself. To all my angry white brothers out there, step back, and take a breath. One of the things I know about anger is that it can get you out of sorts. It can trigger some other stuff. It can make you rely more on stereotypes, and pay less attention to details and more attention to the superficial. That's what I'm seeing in the memes. Anger is like any other negative emotion, like sadness or fear. Anger can mess up your analytical thinking. One of the things I liked about you before was you're smart. Now, you're sayin' stupid stuff. If it's not you, it's the guy next to you. I know it's tight, but it's right. Why are you angry?
Because, hey, there's fear in the air. There's tension everywhere. Unemployment's rising fast, and the band played on. Population's out of hand, suicide, too many bills, hippies movin' to the hills, people all over the world are shouting, "End the war!" And, the band played on.
Don't you hear me talking to you? Do you know what one of the greatest motivators in the world is? Loss. Nobody likes to lose anything. So, what's wrong with America right now? Folks have lost what they used to have — lack of leadership, the polarization of our nation, irresponsibility, the adoption of extremist philosophies, domestic terrorism, erosions of the right to be politically correct. Convenient truths, the rewriting of history for personal gain, the sense of entitlement, the fact that we kicked God out of almost everything we do. The end of "live and let live." That whole tolerance thing, that politicians are just in it for the money, plain old complacency — what Martin Luther King called "indifference." Nihilism. That's a big word. Lack of good jobs. Fidelity….where did she go? Worship of the state, and a plain old loss of respect for other people?
I know you know this, I'm just here to remind you that I feel your pain, that I understand what you're mad about. I'm just here to tell you that I know who you are. I still like you. Back in 1999, I created a website called Black Man with a Gun . I thought I'd be ostracized and kicked out by the whole world except for a few other radically black people like me. Yeah. I was woke before folks was born. But, you who was awoke before I was? You were. Some of you actually told me about the Deacons of Defense and Justice. Some of you told me about Ossian Sweet. Some of you told me about my own history. I had to go learn about it, and research it and find out about all my relatives, and how I was connected to it. My whole life, I'd been around it, but I missed it. You helped me realize that nobody knows everything, and all of us make mistakes. So, I took my militant butt to the wood shed, and learned some history. And, when I learned, I was on fire for this thing, and decided I was going to teach my world what I learned. I was going to share my knowledge with as many people as I could. And, you still supported me. You didn't even see me. You didn't see me get jumped in the church. You didn't see me get beat down on the street corner. You didn't hear about what happened after we testified in court in Baltimore or Annapolis — how the Mothers Against Guns ganged up on me, and how, through the grace of God, I was able to let them see the truth, the real truth. You supported me during evangelism for the right to keep and bear arms for almost twenty years. I was doing this crap before we had Google and Instagram and Facebook, but I'm actually kind of tired right now — tired of defending, tired of arguing the same old argument, but luckily, there's quite a few younger people, younger brothers and sisters that are doing it! And I got nothing but praise for them, except for when they think they've created something that's new and original. Then, they forget where they've come from.
So, my angry white brother, failure isn't final. You know it's interesting that failing and falling both begin with the same letter. Now, if you've gotten mad when you fell, you probably wouldn't try to stand up anymore. But, if you looked at the fall and the sequence as just something that is — is it what it is — it becomes what you make of it. And, you looked at it as opportunity to learn, which, you did, as a baby, ok? Every baby does. And, what do we do? We get right back up, regardless of failing, and try it again, and you keep doing it until that one day, when you're walking. Well, right now, we're falling a lot. We got folks who thing they know stuff they don't. We got people who are in charge who shouldn't be, but the brain does not learn from success. The brain learns from the intense scrutiny after the failure to chunk whatever you're trying to do into it with four or five different parts, and try to figure out the sequence that does work right. And, then it's going to fire all those circles again. We learn very little from success. So, right now, we're failing a lot. It looks like Hell warmed over, but be patient. We've been here before. The only bad part is people don't remember the late 60's, the early 70's which would soon come — leaders and carpetbaggers, and all of that. We've gone through this before.
Folks were taking drugs back in the 60's trying to take the pain out of living. Now, they just go ahead and kill themselves outright. We need to take more care of our neighbors. We need to take more care of ourselves. We need to watch what we put into our heads — junk in, junk out. We need to realize that all of this stuff is temporary. No storm lasts forever. And, it's okay to be angry. You can be an angry, white man. Just don't be angry at me. I didn't cause none of this trouble! Some of it is good trouble. Some of it's B.S. Right now that Serenity Prayer is pretty tight, but its right. Where it says,
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
That's how we're going to get out of this funk, white man! white woman! And for those who are not white who listen to your friend and brother from another mother, I just gave you somebody's else side for you to think about before you judge them. We all live in a pluralistic society. I really didn't even know what that was until recently, but I want you to look that up.
We all are born and we grow with different natures which, in return, leads us to have different likes and dislikes, inclinations and disinclinations, temptations and abilities to perform and act. I'm asking you today — white or black, brown, yellow, pink, or multi-colored, to try to understand somebody else. Avoid blaming people. You must understand that people don't care about you. This isn't because people are mean or hurtful, it's just because they're always focused on themselves. You don't figure in as their priority. In their process, most of their thoughts are self-directed.
Everybody's thinking, "My goals. My problems. My feelings." Yeah. All of us are like that. Mostly, we are all self-centered, but you have to be morally accountable for your actions in this day-to-day life. Keep on understanding that people who appear to be mean or hurtful do not usually do it intentionally, unless they're sociopathic. It should not deviate you from your appropriate conduct. To say everyone is completely selfish is a gross exaggeration that ignores all the kinds of acts of kindness, sacrifice and love that make this damn world work. Believe it or not, everyone is emotional, and that's not an exaggeration. We look for reliability in the process of sharing where their strong feelings or points of view are paid due attention, but it's important to find common ground when you try to interact with people. Understanding is everything. Communication is the secret sauce of the world. Believe it or not, people have short memories. You think they remember your birthday or event? Nah. Most people don't recollect instances that don't have anything to do with them. It's just how we are. They do remember, most likely, similarities or approaches to things that are like theirs. Thats' how I can say what I'm saying right now, because I've been around like fifty-eight years.
Almost forty of those years have been involved in this Second Amendment thing, in some way or another. Almost. Learn to have passion to listen to others. When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen, but when you're a good listener, you can develop a better rapport with other people. Now, why am I telling you this? I know you're grown. You're old enough to do what the Hell you want, I know. But, who else is going to tell you that you might have a chance to listen? I know you know it — I'm just here to remind you. Develop that animal instinct. You know, it's really interesting to learn from animals sometimes. They create new life with a purpose, and learn to survive. We have to keep on understanding at each level of a relationship to survive and procreate. You don't have to read too much into the process of dealing with others to survive and procreate. Sometimes, we think too much. Just do the right thing. Spike Lee was right on that one. Understanding people who don't look like you is a process of growing. It involves traveling down a path of your lives and making decisions. There will be mistakes, which everyone makes. The importance lies in learning from them to grow stronger. It also guides you to be true to you.
I'm not apologizing for anything except my own behavior. I wrote this letter because we have a problem. We're more divided than ever, and some folks like it. You know, there's power in segregation, hate, bigotry, and fear. Those who spread it, share it, joke about it, help it. Everybody who's gone through something, it has changed them in a way they should never go back to the person they once were. Everybody.
So, walk a mile in someone else's shoes, and see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel. Then, maybe you'll understand — me, too! — why I do what I do. You know my name, but not my story. You've heard what I've done, but not what I've been through. The most difficult thing in this life is to know yourself. We're all going through something right now. It's an opportunity to do better, to mend a fence, build a bridge, start over if you messed up. Having good morals is still a good thing. Having some core values is still a good thing. Having some wisdom is still a good thing. Thinking before you speak is still a good thing. Check your anger. Check your resources. Check how you're rollin'. Are you acting like someone else? Or are you acting like you? We can all get this thing back on track if we first take care of our own selves. And, that's it for this. I'm going to call it quits right there.
You know, at the end of every show, I always say, "just in case nobody has told you this today: I love you." Well, if you're wondering how I can love you, and I don't even know you, check this: Some people hate me, and they don't know me either. I choose to love.
Shalom baby,
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Shooting For Peace
By kennblanchard | July 6, 2020
…..the ways of a man are before the Lord and He watches all his paths. – Proverbs 5:21
Thank you for listening, downloading and subscribing to this new chapter of my life.
Thank you for sharing, supporting, and staying a faithful friend. It's good to be back. Thank you for asking me to come back. Thank you for the emails. Thank you for the recent well wishes on my Facebook debut and birthday celebration. I think I got more views on that one video than I did with my conversation with Colion Noir. I said that I came back because you asked me to; I came back because I have a few more things to say. I came back because I want you to help me do what I've been called to do, and I want to help you survive another week. I've had some time to appreciate you.
This week, I'm going to share with you my take on current events, and you don't have to agree with me, but please hear me. Try to understand me. This is the start, the baseline, the ground-zero point. I'll try to get more into guns, Second Amendment concealed carry as we go on. I thought I was done.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/urbanshooter/635_-_BMWAG.mp3
And then, 2020 happened.
Who would have known that it's been a year of COVID-19, pandemic quarantines, the murder of George Floyd, the sparked protests across the United States and across the world, and that Australia burned? There was a toilet paper shortage for a hot minute. We were threatened with "murder hornets." Everybody has to wear masks, and bars and churches closed. Black Lives Matter became a movement that was embraced around the world. And while we're just sitting here and waiting, Swine Flu is threatening to join the mix. Who knew there would be a return of Marxism in America? Who planned for the destruction, looting, and the protest of police brutality? The latter is as old as our freedom. But wait, there's more. They've got something called Antifa. We have the rejection of Confederate Anything, and the cancel culture.
The so-called minority gun owner that you've been trying to get to the range is finally here. They're just not with you. They're shooting on private lands at outdoor ranges and have created small groups to practice and train without you. And there's even a national organization of African Americans that is celebrating explosive growth.
The infamous National Rifle Association has finally imploded after decades of poor decisions, secrets and mismanagement. It has exposed itself as a bloated, piss-poor representation of gun owners stuck in the '80s. It has furloughed most of the staff. It has massive legal troubles, but, like our President, people still defend them with cult-like adoration. Meanwhile, highly paid lobbyists still run D.C. All are taking advantage of the loyalty of its members who don't live in this city. Ninety-eight percent of the politicians around here are not cool. This is a personal observation and opinion. Anyone who's been in office longer than two terms is no longer serving the people.
I believe that foreign influencers are using social media to pit us against each other. People want to defund the police — which is right out of the textbook of toppling a government by foreign governments. I know a little something about that. I believe our Executive branch has been compromised by foreign interest, but you're not ready for that truth yet.
You want to talk about guns and American history, mostly, right? You want me to give you some product reviews and interview some interesting people? I'm going to do that. And along the way, I'm going to make you think a little, and hopefully help you understand why we are here and where we might be going.
In all truth, I don't have all the answers. I don't have to be right. And I don't have to come back, but I want to now. I want to meet you in the middle so we can walk together, talk together, and fight together.
Now, you know that in the twelve years that the Urban Shooter / Black Man With A Gun Show Podcast has been on, I have always strived to be family-friendly and office-safe. I may have to deviate from that in the future – not from my language, but from the sources that I'm going to use.
I'm going to be giving you history. I'm going to be giving you some educational stuff, some entertainment, things that are not pretty, but they're ours. If you're brave enough to stay with me, if you trust me, I promise we're going somewhere with this. My disclaimer is that I'm not trying to prove that I'm right. What I'm going to try to do, and only you will know if I'm successful, is to speak to what is up. Did you realize that we are right in the middle of a revolution? This isn't the Civil Rights Era, or is it? There's gotta be a new name for it, but I don't have it yet. Have you heard of one? Whatever it is, I'm right here with you. If you were my friend before 2020, you are probably still my friend.
Epictetus says that it's not what happens to you, but how you react to it, that matters.
Since 2014, I've been a member of the Crossbreedholsters.com family. If you carry concealed, get a holster that comes with a try-it-free lifetime guarantee.
If you have been a long-time listener of this podcast, you know, for many years, I would open up with John Wayne leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Somewhere, around my tenth year on the air, I had somebody tell me that John Wayne was a racist. It hurt me that I didn't know, but I wasn't surprised. And because I enjoyed all the Wild West movies that John Wayne had been in, it took me awhile to replace it. I had to think about it, ruminate on it and marinate on that thing. But as I started to do that and peel back the curtain on so many things of our country and our history, it got uglier and uglier. For the record, I still believe to my very soul that this is the very best country in all of the fifteen that I have visited in my lifetime. I would rather be nowhere else.
Them Damn Millennials.
We used to make fun of the younger folks, but guess what? They are changing the world. I know you don't agree with the burning, looting, the defund-the-police, and all that. It is all stupid stuff, including the tearing down of monuments, but let's look at it from a view of 60,000 feet above the Earth. Let's rise above our own issues and thoughts, and look at it differently for a minute. At the speed of social media, these sapsuckers have done what folks have been trying to do since the Civil Rights Era. They've embarrassed us and reminded us that we have just accepted some stuff that we should not have. Not everyone will agree, but time will tell. The time had come for us to stop revering and instead reconciling the complexity of heroism and evil in America. That reckoning should have begun in the public school, but it didn't. They're doing it now. And how the sausage is made is never pretty.
The Sausage of Freedom.
Making freedom. It isn't pretty. It's kind of close to being like sausage. To make a pork sausage, you gotta kill a pig. You gotta clean the thing. You must cut the meat. You must grind it up. You must mix it and season it and put it in a cellulose sleeve. It is horrible to look at, but when you seal it, cook it, or grill it, that's some good-tasting stuff – if you like pork. How we got to this point; how we think we discovered this world, the colonization of North America, the murder of indigenous people to the bringing of different nationalities here….Those who escaped other places to come here to form this nation…..The rise of slavery, the wars, Civil War reconstruction, the progressive era…..The so-called World Wars, the mid-century and the Cold War, and mixed in there were lynchings and the civil rights era and atrocities to humanity. How the sausage of freedom was made. Not a pretty picture. You can't just glaze it over. You can't pick one thing and can't choose it.
But this land is your land. And this land is my land – from California to the New York Island, from the Redwood Forest to the gulf stream waters….This land was made for you and for me.
If you will look at the 60,000 foot view, it has taken us a long time to make change happen. I have gotten used to it. There are statues, flags and things that I, as a free, law-abiding American citizen would never stand near, take a photo with, or acknowledge, because it doesn't represent ALL of us. After I learned the history of President Woodrow Wilson, for example, I have no problem with removing his name from anywhere. And then the list just keeps going on, but don't let me stop there. Don't leave me yet. Listen, we recognize that our nation's founding was far from perfect. Don't look at the destruction as all negative though. Let's go back in history. Let's do that, and let's go back to Greek/Roman history.
There was a guy by the name of Lois Malraux, who says that we judge a society by the monuments it puts up. So, imagine the society, a Roman society, that puts up statues of tyrants, people who nearly succeeded in tearing the country apart, who did horrible, inexplicably, cruel things, even by standards of their own time. Why leave a statue of that person up?
Is tearing down statues destroying history, or is it simply the obvious response of a freed people with a conscience? Of course, the past is complicated. But the fact that something is hard and complicated does not absolve us from the responsibility of resolving it. Rome was able to tear down the monuments of its worst villains, but here, in America, and in the rest of the world, we have more tools at our disposal besides angry Millennials. We can still study and learn about these people in our history books and our schools, but we can take them off of public property, removing them from their prominent places in front of courthouses and capitals, which are supposed to be the houses of ALL the people. All people. If Marcus Aurelius had caused the death of a million Romans and torn the empire in half for the sole purpose of protecting slavery, would he be our hero? No. If he had done it as recently as some people's great-grandparents, definitely not. If his likeness had been appropriated by vicious tyrants who subverted the rule of law to intimidate fellow citizens, and if his likeness was put up in statutes paid for still by tax dollars, would it be worth protecting? Now, we can make good arguments about Marcus Aurelius. There are good arguments about the good that Churchill did. There are good arguments in favor of Jefferson and Washington and others, but only a coward is afraid of having a conversation.
What about Nathan Bedford Forrest? Jefferson Davis was a fool. Robert E. Lee betrayed his prior service to his country when he raised arms against it and sent a generation of men to their deaths in a rebellion to protect a way of life that enslaved humans. At first I was like you: What the Hell? What is a statue going to do to you today?
Let's jump on that Black Lives Matter thing for a minute.
One of the obstacles to having an open conversation about race is the tendency to downplay things that are not truly or really racist. And this can actually emboldened or encourage prejudice. The Black Lives Matter movement is real. It is legit. The Black Lives Matter organization to me is another animal all to itself. In 2013, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman killing of Trayvon Martin, Black Lives Matter was born. It was a protest group. Since then it is a group that has been infiltrated by other agendas. The movement itself is not new. It is exactly the same movement with a different name that came about in the '60s. If you go back and look at your text, you will find pictures of men and women with signs saying, "Am I not a man?" that is an updated version from the past. It stems from the Dred Scott decision that wanted to say that people of African descent were not fully human, thereby they were not citizens of this country or entitled to any of its rights.
When you see a sign that says Black Lives Matter it is not denouncing that all life matters. It is saying that we value the life of a person that because of the color of his or her skin was thought of as not being fully human, had no rights to vote, and could not own a firearm. When you try to say All Life Matters, it detracts from that message. You are negating that there was a struggle. You are saying that we should forget that hurt, and that that pain is not important. We have an unreconciled past. So, when you say anything, you diminish others. Oh, you're saying a lot.
That's why I advise many of my friends to shut up. Don't wait to be heard. Listen, there's some things happening right here in your space, in this time period that you're missing by trying to be right, trying to get your points made, trying to make your memes pop or even creating groups on the side. You're not helping at all. The Black Lives Matter movement has given us a moment to reflect on a very important matter: our history of racism. When I was becoming a podcaster, when I was tackling things like the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms for all people, I was advised to stay away from the race word truth. As soon as you talk about race, it gets quiet because everybody involved is uncomfortable. But guess what? The millennials don't care – They're going for it. They are putting it in our faces. And because of all the craziness they have done, change is happening again from the 60,000 foot view. This is a good thing, because in the end we have to reckon with ourselves; We have to reconcile. We have to fix what's not right. It's about time. We've been rolling wrong for a long time, and just accepting it, believing the lie because it's been told so many times. Now, you don't have to subscribe to doctrines of racial superiority or incite racial violence to say or do something that has racist implications. It's in our speech. It's in our culture. Racism is as much about impact as it is about intention. We shouldn't forget about those who are on the receiving end of that discrimination.
–All right, Kenn, I'm hearing you, but um, what am I supposed to be doing now? — Well, here's the problem that folks don't realize: Millennials know how to start some mess, but they can't fix it all. We still need to be involved. They still need our guidance. The end. It might be a 40-year-old or 30-year-old. Now, they're as smart as I don't know what, but they don't have any life experience. They'll know how to talk to anybody, but they don't know politics. It's time for us to step up now and instruct them, show them, now that they got a firearm, how to use it.
Because even though politics is jacked up right now, they need to be involved in that too, to change things. Don't let one side be the answer for everything. Now, it's time for you to get your butt in gear and assist and help and give consultation to these folks who are on fire to change the world without guidance. It's the Lord of the Flies. I need the adults who are strong among us to work with these people. They're not all bad. They just don't have all the answers. They don't have all the, you know, the inside stuff – the stuff we take for granted. And if we let them, they'll burn the crap to the ground and not realize that you also have to rebuild. Don't give up on them. Don't leave them to their own devices. Don't let some other interests take them away from us. We still have a chance to fix this country, but we must be involved, and you can only be involved if you're talking to them. Communication is more important now than ever.
The Rise of the Black Gun Owner
Collectively, we still are little kids on the playground picking sides by gender, color, size and familiarity. Look back at kindergarten, remember when we used to segregate ourselves? All the kindergarten kids, the first-grade kids, the big kids from the little kids. There was the all-girl groups and over there, all the boys. And then, as we grew and social constructs began, we segregated ourselves by race. In nature, we separate ourselves for safety. Anything you think is strange is a threat. Well, right now, in an elementary sense of the word, we are grouping ourselves for safety. There is a fear that's promoted and pushed pretty well by foreign governments on social media. The Race War. People fall for it. It sells black fatigues pretty well.
I have found that over time, as the group grows, it learns that it can't be monolithic. You can't be all "one people." You must be diverse if you want to grow outside of your niche. If you want to grow outside of your field, you must embrace other people. That's why there's power in diversity. It's a growth thing. Once you leave kindergarten and go to college, you mix and learn about other languages, other people, other cultures, and you get stronger because you grow in knowledge. In the beginning, it's safer to be exclusive. There are some positives for being racist and segregationist. As a group, you can grow really fast. You can grow really strong. You can garner a lot of power using fear in small groups. But when you are ready to train outside of your group or shoot different firearms and travel to other ranges, you have to change.
It's a growth thing. It's a maturity thing.
I hope that one day we get to see that Americans realize that we are all the same with this faith. We will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died. Land of the Pilgrim's pride. From every mountainside, let freedom ring."!! And if America is to become a great nation, then this must be true. – Dr. MLK
Another thing that makes us different is not only our age and core values, but many of us served in uniform and took an oath to defend the constitution of the United States and to serve as an example to an America that doesn't transfer or translate to the folks you see on "rage TV."
Hang on, brother.
Yes, the media is doing what it does. It is showing you what you want to see to scare you. You know, we like to be scared. Some of us are writing articles about a race war and how we won't kneel – none of which is helping anybody. The best advice I can give to friends who are listening is to not respond, not knee-jerk reaction, not come off-the-cuff, not try to be cute, to just shut up right now, but I'll get back to that. I know that's tough to hear from your friend. I know you know this, I'm just here to remind you. We have been here before. I didn't think we would return, but humanity is not as cogent progressive or intelligent as it claims to be.
I'm still gonna need some financial help to get this puppy moving. If you can, please contribute to the https://patreon.com/blackmanwithagun , or to buy-me-a-coffee links. I still believe that
none of us is as strong as all of us.
I know, it's been rough. It's been tough. It's been hard, but don't let the media get ya. You've been right on so many things. Let's continue to walk this thing together. Amen? And just in case, nobody has told you this today – I'm sure they haven't, so I'm going to tell you – I love you. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
Until next week. Shalom, baby.
Reverend Kenn Blanchard
Your Key To Success: Conversation
By kennblanchard | March 8, 2020
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Why is Communication so hard? Asked of a single woman I know. The topic prompted me to share this with you so you can do better.
Two Game Changing Points:
1. An open-ended question is a question that cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no" response, or with a static response.
2. Active listening.
There are three levels of safe topics to talk about.
More tips:
* Be attentive and give eye contact.
* Make active and engaged expressions.
* Repeat back what you've heard, and follow up with questions.
* If you notice something you want to say, don't say it. Challenge it and go back to listening.
* For bonus points, wait an hour to bring up that thing you didn't say earlier.
Communicate for intimacy.
Good Luck. New Facebook page @kbgamechangers
If you like the show, please share it with one person you think might subscribe.
Thanks man. Kenn
6 – Here's What No One Tells YOU about Smelling Good
By kennblanchard | February 21, 2020
I was working with security officers and police officers for over twenty years. I was with some funky men. Some of it was just a basis of not knowing any better. Then there are the younger brothers I meet at church and at the gym. I'm hoping some of you are listening. To all the fellas that are joining the podcast and checking out the blog, thanks!
What no one tells you about your smell. Let's fix that.
A man sees but a woman smells.
Smell is our strongest sense. It is connected to our memory. Women like to be with guys who smell good. Wearing a fragrance is a distinctive way of expressing yourself. Depending on the scent you choose, wearing a fragrance can make you more attractive and more approachable.
A majority of the fellas don't wear a fragrance. I remember in the Marines the SGTMAJ would say something like, "it smells like a Whorehouse in here, who's got the perfume on?"
The purpose of this show is to make you better. If you want to attract a woman and keep her attention – pay attention to your smell.
Do I have your attention yet?
What do people most often overlook? Their noses.
Going to share about cologne and perfume but before that, let's talk funk.
How's your breath? Do you walk around making flowers droop? Do dogs move away from you? It could be your breath. You might have the chronic, halitosis. There are not that many mints in the world. Do you know bad breath is still plaguing up to 10 percent of the world? That is like 7 billion people if I use my hands to count. If you're worried you're one of these people, one trick is to lick your wrist, wait ten seconds, then sniff the patch you licked: If it smells, chances are, so does your breath. If you are not sure just ask a home girl. A friend, neutral female friend.
This, in fact, is true of any concern you have regarding your various bodily odors, be it mouth, foot, armpit or even groin (okay, maybe not groin. Just wash your ass man).
Find somebody you know and trust and ask them,". If they tell you that you don't smell bad, then most likely, you don't have anything to worry about." Just remember, if they tell you that you smell fine while backing away with their eyes watering, you may want to try asking somebody else.
It's nearly impossible to smell yourself, even if you're smelling funky. The receptors in your nose that would normally respond to your own particular brand of smells practically shut down after being bombarded with the same scents for so long.
Basically, your nose goes numb to your own stank so you don't go insane.
Sweat usually means bacteria, and bacteria is what gives off the stench. Just because it is natural doesn't mean we want you around.
Now go by the golden rule of body odor: If you can smell any odor on yourself at all, others can smell it a lot more. Put on more deodorant, use wet wipes to give yourself a quick cleanup, or put on a new change of clothes. The same rules goes for deodorants, perfumes, colognes, and body sprays too. If you can still detect your fancy perfume on you after a while, other people can definitely smell it when they're around you.
Lets' talk about fragrances. Forget what my SGTMAJ said. Buy some cologne. It will differentiate you from inmates, teenagers, and men that can't get a mate.
Smelling good and using fragrances is something else no one talks about. But I want you to shine. You know the motto of the Game Changers podcast.
When you know better, you can do better.
Wearing a fragrance is a distinctive way of expressing yourself. Different scents carry different vibes, and knowing these vibes and choosing accordingly matters. Also, people associate scents with memories and other people (especially women). If you are wearing scents that are unremarkable or common – you'll smell like everyone else. Think of how you think a old man smells. How does 13 year old smell? How does a prisoner smell? Is it starting to gel?
Smelling good, brothers:
It can increase your level of attractiveness.
It can increase your perceived level of trust.
It can effect on how people perceive you.
It can reduce stress levels.
It can increase confidence levels.
It can increase your alertness.
It can double your chances of getting a woman's phone number.
80% of men don't use a fragrance regularly!
Major brands create perfumes that are part science and part marketing. They have a familiar feel to all their perfumes. Ralph Lauren perfumes, for example are created to have similar scents. And the same for Polo. It is too strong for some and just right for others. When deciding to purchase a new fragrance – let your nose decide!
Cost isn't based on what is good or bad. We end up paying for the marketing cost and the image associated with a brand.
In the podcast I'll be sharing in detail:
The types of fragrances.
How to test them.
Which one to buy.
How to apply them best.
I know this is something that nobody else had the guts to share with you but I had to. I want you to win. I want you to rock it. I want you to be a game changer.
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Gun Control is Bearing False Witness Against Your Neighbor
I shared the feelings of my ace writer on this blog Dave Cole and riffed on the article by J. Christian Adams, he linked to as well, in my thoughts about how folks think this gun control debacle is new. We must not let the socialist youth movement try to destroy our republic.
The 9th Commandment
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16
It is exactly what prohibitionist, and anti-rights do when they push for gun control. The people, you and I that are affected by the changes in laws not the criminals, the insane, the evil or the terrorist.
To be a false witness against our neighbor basically means to falsely accuse someone else of wrongdoing. In the Torah, false witnesses were dealt with very harshly. We see in the above verses that if a person was found to be bearing false witness against another person, they would be given the punishment that the other person would have received if the witness was true! With such a righteous law, we can understand why 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses' every matter truly was established. If anyone rose up as a false witness, they would be given the same punishment they thought to give to their neighbor…. risking their own life! With such a thing facing them, they would be very careful, yes?
If this righteous rule were established in today's court systems, there wouldn't be nearly the problems we see today.
We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
The idea that guns caused the carnage we have faced is so intellectually bankrupt that it is isn't worth discussing. Remembering where we were as a nation just 30 years ago makes it even more so. It's time to ask the real question. what changed?
Democracy?
The Pledge of Allegiance includes the phrase: "and to the republic for which it stands."
Did you know that the United States is, indeed, a republic, not a democracy? Accurately defined, a democracy is a form of government in which the people decide policy matters directly–through town hall meetings or by voting on ballot initiatives and referendums.
Law of Self Defense with Andrew Branca
Shoot don't shoot Scenario
Let us know what you think of the scenario on http://facebook.com/blackmanwithagun1 and this episode in general.
Talking with Michael video
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Thank you for supporting this podcast. http://patreon.com/blackmanwithagun
Thanks for listening, I am not the bombastic gun guy. I might be a little too subdued for some. But I've been around, since the fax machine and bulletin boards online. I've been the leader of national black gun club called the tenth cavalry gun club that I founded in 1991. I've testified for concealed carry reform in a few states. I've been a part of the gun community since then. I've lost jobs, bankrupted my family finances chasing after the dream of entrepreneurship in this space. I have learned. All my wisdom comes from the school of hard knocks. I've seen smooth talkers, come and go. I've seen the keypad contenders and the photograph pretenders. I'm a life member of the NRA. I helped edit the refuse to be a victim program. I've received commendations for the Eddie Eagle program and been awarded the Harlan Carter award for civil rights from the NRA. I am currently on the training committee. Just FYI.
Did you know this podcast is over ten years old? I've tried it all and I thank you for supporting me. I hope you can tell I am trying to encourage our side.
We go through a lot staying free in America, in 2018.
Podcast: 3 Things Everybody knows about Mass Shootings That You Don't
The Truth about of Gun Control
Gun control is as old as gun powder itself. There has always been one side in favor of controlling who can get a gun. Gun control is great for politicians and the media because it is easy to sell. It's about money. It's good for corporations and celebrities in need of tax write offs. Its good for politicians because you can't offend a mechanical device. It's good for organizations because you can look like you are doing something socially correct. It is good for preacher, and clergy because it sounds like you are socially conscious and aware but not. Gun control is a billion-dollar industry. It sells guns.
In the inner city they get the mothers of slain teens to put their tears on display. Politicians and organizations pimp these grieving women. Imagine your mother being manipulated and used in the worse time of their lives. Some of these ladies lost their children early on to the streets. Their sons were in gangs or the drug trade and their death although tragic was not a surprise.
This month we have the affluent kids of Parkland Florida gladly being exploited and pushed into the spotlight for the cause of gun control. I suspect they are loving it, many being flown around and funded by millionaires to be on the spotlight. Using their naiveté, voices and socialist tendencies they are being paraded and funded around the country to champion the cause of gun control. They are surprised however that no one takes them serious. They have no idea that every gun control measure that can be instituted has already been tried, implemented, legislated or proposed before.
Gun control is a fail. It was birthed in racism. You cannot legislate human behavior. Evil exist when good people do nothing. Evil is real.
The heart of man is desperately wicked.
I started my journey as the Black Man With A Gun right around the time that it looked like the world was going insane. Mass shootings are not new.
WE have lost many people to evil.
October 1991: Gunman crashes pickup into a Texas cafe, then begins shooting; murders 23 people before committing suicide.
November 1991: Gunman murders four University of Iowa faculty members and a student before committing suicide.
In 1991, Republican hero Ronald Reagan wrote a New York Times op-ed making the case for the Brady bill, which was named after Reagan's press secretary, who was shot during an assassination attempt. The law established federal background checks for firearm purchases and created a five-day waiting period to give law enforcement time to run these checks. (The waiting period was eventually replaced by an instant background check system, which can be extended to three days if the results of the check aren't immediately clear.)
Provisions of the 1994 ban. The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Act (the Federal Assault Weapons Ban) was enacted as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. … The Act prohibited the manufacture, transfer, or possession of "semiautomatic assault weapons" as defined by the Act.
In 1996. There was port Arthur in Australia that changed things there
IN 1998, Massachusetts passed what was hailed as the toughest gun-control legislation in the country. Among other stringencies, it banned semiautomatic "assault" weapons, imposed strict new licensing rules, prohibited anyone convicted of a violent crime or drug trafficking from ever carrying or owning a gun, and enacted severe penalties for storing guns unlocked.
But the law that was so tough on law-abiding gun owners had quite a different impact on criminals.
Since 1998, gun crime in Massachusetts has gotten worse, not better. In 2011, Massachusetts recorded 122 murders committed with firearms, the Globe reported this month — "a striking increase from the 65 in 1998." Other crimes rose too. Between 1998 and 2011, robbery with firearms climbed 20.7 percent. Aggravated assaults jumped 26.7 percent.
As a mountain state, Colorado has a history of broad support for Second Amendment rights. But in the years since the Columbine tragedy, the state's lawmakers and voters passed some gun restrictions, including requirements governing the sale of firearms at gun shows, a law regulating people's ability to carry concealed weapons and legislation banning "straw purchases" of weapons for people who would not qualify to buy them legitimately.
April 1999: Two Columbine High School students murders 12 students, one teacher and themselves in Colorado.
January 2006: Ex-postal worker murders eight before committing suicide in California in rare case of female shooter.
October 2006: Gunman murders five girls in Pennsylvania Amish school before committing suicide.
April 2007: Virginia Tech student murders 32 people before committing suicide.
November 2009: U.S. Army psychiatrist murders 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas.
January 2011: Gunman murders six people and wounds U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona.
July 2012: Gunman murders 12 people during showing of a "Batman" movie in Colorado.
August 2012: Gunman murders six people at Sikh Temple in Wisconsin before committing suicide after being shot by police.
December 2012: Gunman murders 26 adults and children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut before killing himself.
September 2013: Gunman murders 12 people at a naval facility in Washington before dying in a gun battle with police
October 2014: Teenage gunman murders four teens, two of whom are his cousins, in Washington state high school before committing suicide
June 2015: Gunman murders nine people in South Carolina church before fleeing, is captured the following day. The gunman, Dylann Roof, was sentenced to death.
July 2015: Gunman murders five at U.S. Navy Reserve center in Tennessee before being shot and killed by police.
October 2015: Gunman murders nine at an Oregon community college before kills himself after a gun battle with police.
November 2015: Gunman murders three after storming a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic; he is arrested after an hours long standoff with police.
December 2015: Couple murders 14 people after storming California social services agency. They are killed in gun battle with police.
June 2016: Gunman murders 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Oct. 1, 2017: Gunman opens fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, murdering at least 58 people and wounding more than 500 others, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
2017 – October 5
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) introduced the Background Check Completion Act Sen. Feinstein said would close a current loophole in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed after 72 hours, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun.
2-14- 2018 A former student who had been expelled for disciplinary problems was arrested Wednesday in a shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead and 16 wounded.
2018 – February 21
Just days after the February 14, 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Trump ordered the Justice Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to review bump fire stocks — devices that allow a semi-automatic rifle to be fired in fully-automatic mode.Trump had previously indicated that he might support a new federal regulation banning the sale of such devices.
"The President, when it comes to that, is committed to ensuring that those devices are — again, I'm not going to get ahead of the announcement, but I can tell you that the President doesn't support use of those accessories," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a press conference.
On February 20, Sanders stated that the President would support "steps" to raise the current minimum age for buying military-style weapons, such as the AR-15—the weapon used in the Parkland shooting—from 18 to 21.
"I think that's certainly something that's on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks," Sanders said.
Pray for our Nation.
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555 – Remembering the 54th Massachusetts Black Infantry
By kennblanchard | January 30, 2018
On this, the 555th episode of the Black Man With A Gun Show Podcast I share the history of the US Army 54th Colored Regiment Unit. For those that like to hear good guys with guns story I have some this week for you. Introducing Andrew Branca of the Law of Self Defense Podcast this week. And I have a little monologue about my son, the state of Maryland and how do you get a gun in Maryland.
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry was formed January 26, 1863
History of Company B,
Organized at Readville and mustered in May 13, 1863. Left Boston on Steamer "De Molay" for Hilton Head, S. C., May 28, arriving there June 3.
Attached to U. S. Forces, St. Helena Island, S. C., 10th Army Corps, Dept. of the South, to July, 1863. 3rd Brigade 1st Division, Morris Island, S. C., 10th Army Corps, July, 1863. 3rd Brigade, Morris Island, S. C., to August, 1863.
4th Brigade, Morris Island, S. C., to November, 1863. 3rd Brigade, Morris Island, S. C., to January, 1864. Montgomery's Brigade, District of Hilton Head, S. C., to February, 1864. Montgomery's Brigade, District of Florida, February, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Ames' Division, District of Florida, to April, 1864. Folly and Morris Islands, S. C., Northern District, Dept. South, to October, 1864. 1st Separate Brigade, Dept. South, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Coast Division, Dept. South, to February, 1865. 1st Separate Brigade, Northern District, Dept. South, to March, 1865. 1st Separate Brigade, District of Charleston, S. C., Dept. South, to June, 1865. 3rd Sub-District, District of, Charleston, Dept. South Carolina, to August, 1865.
SERVICE — At Thompson's Plantation near Beaufort, S. C., June 4-8, 1863. Moved to St. Simon's Island June 8-9. Expedition up Altamaha River June 10-11. At St. Simon's Island June 12-24. At St. Helena Island June 25-July 8. To Stono Inlet July 8. Expedition against James Island July 9-16. Affair Legaresville July 13. Secessionville July 16. Moved to Morris Island July 16-18. Assault on Fort Wagner July 18. Siege operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, July 18-September 7, and against Fort Sumter and Charleston September 7, 1863, to January 28, 1864. Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg September 7, 1863. Moved to Hilton Head, S. C., January 28, 1864. Expedition to Jacksonville, Fla., February 5-7. Capture of Jacksonville February 6. Expedition to Lake City, Fla., February 7-22. Battle of Olustee February 20. Duty at Jacksonville till April 17. Moved to Morris Island April 17-18. Duty on Morris and Folly Islands, S. C., till November, 1864. Expedition to James Island June 30-July 10. Actions on James Island July 2, 9 and 10. Six Companies in charge of rebel prisoners under fire of Charleston Batteries September 7 to October 20. Eight Companies moved to Hilton Head, November 27. (Cos. "B" and "F" at Morris Island till February, 1865.) Expedition to Boyd's Neck, S. C., November 29-30. Boyd's Landing November 29. Battle of Honey Hill November 30. Demonstration on Charleston Camp; Savannah Railroad December 6-9. Moved to Graham's Neck December 20. Connect with Sherman's Army at Pocotaligo, S. C., January 15, 1865. March to Charleston January 15-February 23, skirmishing all the way. (Cos. "B" and "F" occupy Charleston February 18.) Regiment on duty at Charleston February 27 to March 12. At Savannah, Ga., March 13-27. At Georgetown, S. C., March 31-April 5. Potter's Expedition to Camden April 5-25. Seven Mile Bridge April 6. Destruction of Eppes' Bridge, Black River, April 7. Dingle's Mills April 9. Destruction of Rolling Stock at Wateree Junction April 11. Singleton's Plantation April 12. Statesburg April 15. Occupation of Camden April 17. Boykin's Mills April 18. At Georgetown April 25. Duty at Georgetown, Charleston, and various points in South Carolina April 25 to August 17. Mustered out at Mount Pleasant, S. C., August 20, 1865. Discharged at Boston, Mass., September 1, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 5 Officers and 104 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 160 Enlisted men by disease. Total 270. http://www.54thmass.org/regiment-history
Law of Self Defense
Introducing a legal segment from Attorney Andrew Branca, check out this offer.
Armed Citizen News
Intruder kicks open door, gets shot by Lakeland homeowner, police say
Police say landlord fired gun at tenant in dispute
Arrest made in connection to attempted home invasion
2 people injured after shooting each other in NW Houston, police say
Police: Suspect shot after failed home invasion Saturday
One Shot in Home Invasion in Town of Horseheads
And as promised more information on the Return of the Urban Shooter, Gun Ownership in Maryland. How do you start the process of getting a pistol in the state of Maryland? (HQL) Inspired by my son's new desire to shoot.
Question: Do I change the name of the show back to the Urban Shooter Podcast, or leave it as the "Black Man With A Gun Show"[podcast src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6203011/height/360/width/450/theme/standard-mini/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/" height="360″ width="450″ placement="bottom" theme="mini"]
This is what happens when you try new stuff.
By kennblanchard | January 8, 2018
I went on YouTube Live this time.
https://youtu.be/USydAXxm5Y4?t=2m49s
Telling what happened with the blog on Jan 1, and what I discovered today at the range.
Black Man With A Gun Show Episode 554
Here's some info I found about old eyes
552 – Christmas Day Message
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Enjoying the day which is Christmas 2017 and put together a episode with bits from 2010 you may have forgot about. episode 196
Barbara Baird from Womens Outdoor News and the Women's Gun Show podcast talks about buying a gun for someone else. Yo Mama Jokes. Historical account of the year 1968 with things from Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Old ad from Mark Craighead of Crossbreedholsters.com Michael J. Woodland on bore sighting. And a Christmas message in the style of the Speak Life Podcast.
553 – Free Men Own Guns, Slaves Do Not
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Happy New Year and thank you for listening to the Black Man With A Gun Show Podcast. In response to feedback that you liked when I did a little history, I am going to share some bullet points of the history of slavery in America up until the Emancipation Proclamation. There was a old celebration of freedom that has been perverted called "Watch Night." It involved my ancestors and I want to share that with you. Michael J. Woodland, talks about cleaning your rifle and you might here a few other things in this one.
By the President of the United States of America: A Proclamation. Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom. "That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit: Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued. And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages. And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh. By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.


Compositio Mathematica 143 (2007), 1313-1334.
Let n be a maximal nilpotent subalgebra of a complex symmetric Kac-Moody Lie algebra. Lusztig has introduced a basis of U(n) called the semicanonical basis, whose elements can be seen as certain constructible functions on varieties of nilpotent modules over a preprojective algebra of the same type as n. We prove a formula for the product of two elements of the dual of this semicanonical basis, and more generally for the product of two evaluation forms associated to arbitrary modules over the preprojective algebra. This formula plays an important role in our work on the relationship between semicanonical bases, representation theory of preprojective algebras, and Fomin and Zelevinsky's theory of cluster algebras. It was inspired by recent results of Caldero and Keller.
This web presence is © 2007 - 2019 by the Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 45: Periods, Moduli Spaces and Arithmetic of Algebraic Varieties.


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GPSmyCity app – my new discovery to explore the world!
Discovering the world and my beloved Lyon on a go has never been easier thanks to GPSmyCity mobile app! Let me tell you about my new discovery to explore the world!
Anyway, there was a time when i needed to be at a certain time in a certain place and I was lost and there were no people around to help me out so I got scared! I was not going to make it but finally i got the idea to switch my mobile GPS…I figured out pretty quickly how to use it and once I succeeded in reaching the place on time I was over impressed with the power of GPS – the independence, the efficiency, the satisfaction it gives are on top of the benefit of speaking to people which you can always do with and without a map 😉 Anyway, since that moment I become a real fan of the GPS solution in the mobile!
So more and more I started to use it and become addicted. But the more I used it the more demanding I was. I quickly faced few limitations of the mobile GPS and started searching for the options I want. Basically I though that while discovering new places, visiting towns and villages, I want to know more about the places i pass through while walking with my GPS. OK, I can do it with my mobile data switched on, search Mr Google on the go, but the problem arrived when i was abroad and my mobile data was limited. So then I figured it out. I found a mobile app which actually makes my wishes come true…so here you are: I have the GPS and I have info about the sites, monuments and places to see around me as i walk/drive/move…I can easily read about the points of my interest i am passing by and actually doing my own guided tour!
it provides me with the collection of citywalk apps for IOS (and soon for Android) which feature over 700 cities around the world and obviously my beloved Lyon here!
the information and reviews given are very interesting & unique and you cannot find them in a standard guides. Check out here for few articles to get the idea.
it gives me the opportunity to create my own self guided tour without paying for a guided one!
it gives me my freedom when doing sightseeing, no scheduled appointments, no crowds, no fees!it makes my holidays and sightseeing much cheaper and more interesting!
But coming back to the city walk app, I can confirm it is totally for free for you to get on IOS. There is advanced version which can be upgraded for even better quality so you should consider.
And lastly, the BONUS: For a limited time only, November 14 till 21, when you download one of my articles, you will get a FREE upgrade for the GPSmyCity walk. So, don't wait too long. Have a look, try it out now with the FREE upgrade offer and enjoy traveling and discovering new places around the world! And to get you started, let me help you out to discover Florence and obviously my beloved Lyon!
Also…there will be more articles coming! Have your ears and eyes open with your Free Upgraded GPSmyCity app… Can you ask for more?


Do you plan on marking the direct object in another way then? Having nom=acc in the presence of other cases is really atypical. I could see the GEN-DAT extending to ACC easily, given Slavic case forms.
Topic: How to make 1st person Neutr?
Re: How to make 1st person Neutr?
I don't have much to say other than that I love your romanization. You're saying this is your PIE. Does it mean you'll be deriving a lot of descendants from it? Do you have a world to go with it?
This was very interesting Zekoslav. The clearest explanation of the GEN>ERG shift I've seen so far.
For whatever it's worth, I believe this has been brought up at least once before.
And I even participated in the discussion which I completely forgot. Thanks for linking this. The mods didn't even deign that thread with a comment so I guess that's that.
Topic: Constructed languages with only one vowel a or e, .....?
Re: Constructed languages with only one vowel a or e, .....?
I remember reading about some African language analyzed as having no vowel phonemes - but even here, it has several vowel phones, it's just that their distribution is predictable from the consonants. I can't find the related paper anymore, I'm afraid.
I like the thought you put into your orthography. I feel most conlang orthographies are too exact and miss the underspecification of real languages.
Personally, I think such a language would have several "surface" vowels anyway, and the single vowel would be a matter of analysis. Especially since you're saying it would be aposteriori.


text:
Rep. Hill-Evans: An important first in York (editorial)
Amid all of the craziness of this election year, something remarkable has happened – and it was remarkable for a couple of reasons.
Rep. Hill-Evans: An important first in York (editorial) Amid all of the craziness of this election year, something remarkable has happened – and it was remarkable for a couple of reasons. Check out this story on ydr.com: http://on-ydr.co/2fftrxn
YDR Editorial Board Published 1:52 p.m. ET Nov. 9, 2016 | Updated 4:06 p.m. ET Nov. 9, 2016
Carol Hill-Evans reacts after being announced as the winner of Pennsylvania's 95th district race Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, at the Democratic Party of York County's election watch party at the Roosevelt Tavern in York, Pa.(Photo: Chris Dunn, York Daily Record)Buy Photo
Voters in York County's 95th state House District elected the first African-American man or woman to represent the county in the state Legislature.
Carol Hill-Evans, a Democrat who is the current York City Council president, won the seat with 76 percent of the vote. That was no slight to her Republican opponent, Joel Sears, a Spring Garden Township resident and businessman. He ran a fine campaign and he was obviously qualified for the position. But voters believed Ms. Hill-Evans was even more qualified.
It's hard to argue with that. Her tenure on city council proved her commitment to public service and to working with various constituencies for the common good. She has demonstrated, through her acts, that she is a dedicated and talented public servant. Mr. Sears also had a laudable record as a public servant, serving on the York Suburban School Board, an unpaid position that requires a commitment to governing rather than political gamesmanship.
Ms. Hill-Evans' victory is remarkable, in and of itself, but it is also remarkable for its tenor.
The candidates stuck to the issues and declined to engage in the politics of personal destruction – almost a quaint notion in this age of nasty politics where name-calling and ridiculous accusations often take the place of reasoned and civil discourse.
She did not campaign to become the first African-American state representative from York County. She campaigned, simply, to be a representative, putting forth a platform that included more equitable funding for education, bringing jobs to the district and raising the minimum wage.
Mr. Sears may have had disagreements with her on some of those issues, but he didn't campaign in a manner that was disagreeable.
Both candidates made the case for why citizens should vote for them, not against the other person. They deserve credit for that.
It is a little disheartening that, in 2016, we have to point out the election of the first African-American to the state House from York County. It is something that should have happened long ago.
It's not as if Ms. Hill-Evans is the first African-American candidate who was qualified to hold the position. She is simply the first to win the opportunity. It's just an indication, once again, of how far we have progressed when it comes to race in our community, and of how far we have yet to travel.
So we congratulate Ms. Hill-Evans on her historic victory, and we wish her the best of luck as she takes office and adds a new and necessary voice to our delegation in Harrisburg.
Read or Share this story: http://on-ydr.co/2fftrxn
Please cover up when you nurse in public
York tore itself apart as man landed on the moon
York County man played a role in the moon landing
D-Day vet quest: identify York Co. war memorials
Apple Hill used to be my family's farm
Legendary dive bar to be auctioned off

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann, född 20 februari 1844 i Wien, död 5 september 1906 i Duino nära Trieste i Italien (självmord), var en österrikisk fysiker och filosof.

Boltzmanns livsverk var utvecklingen av termodynamiken. Därigenom grundande han jämte James Clerk Maxwell den statistiska mekaniken.

Biografi
Boltzmann studerade vid gymnasiet i Linz och därefter (1863–1866) vid universitetet i Wien. Boltzmann åtnjöt där den berömde fysikern Jozef Stefans undervisning och var hans assistent, tills han 1869 erhöll en professur i matematisk fysik vid universitetet i Graz.

1873 återvände han som professor i matematik till Wien och erhöll 1876 en professur i fysik i Graz. 1889–1894 var han professor i teoretisk fysik i München och utnämndes 1894 till Stefans efterträdare i Wien, vars plats han återtog 1902 efter att under två år ha förestått professuren i teoretisk fysik vid Leipzigs universitet.

Från 1888 var Boltzmann ledamot av Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien och från 1895 ledamot av Vetenskapssocieteten i Uppsala.

Boltzmann begick självmord genom hängning 1906 när han var på semester i Duino nära Trieste i Italien. Motivet till självmordet är oklart, men det kan ha haft samband med vetenskapsetablissemangets ovilja att erkänna hans teorier.

På hans gravsten i Wien finns inristad hans berömda formel S = k log  W , med den dåtida notationen.

Vetenskaplig insats
Boltzmann var under sin tid en av den teoretiska fysikens främsta företrädare inom den tyskspråkiga vetenskapliga sfären. Han gjorde bland annat mycket framstående arbeten inom den kinetiska gasteorin och utförde noggranna bestämningar av den så kallade specifika induktionskoefficienten hos olika material.

Hans formel för entropin "S" är berömd:

där kB = 1,3806505(24) · 10−23 J K−1 är Boltzmanns konstant och P är antalet möjliga mikrotillstånd som ger samma termodynamiska tillstånd för ett system. Formeln är härledd under förutsättning att materien består av enskilda partiklar (atomer), vilket på den tiden ännu inte var självklart, och detta ådrog honom mycket kritik från äldre auktoriteter.

Av synnerligen stort värde var också hans teoretiska undersökningar angående strålningstrycket och Stefan–Boltzmanns lag för en svartkroppsstrålning vid olika temperaturer.

Källor

Noter

Externa länkar

Österrikiska fysiker
Österrikiska filosofer
Ledamöter av Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien
Födda 1844
Avlidna 1906
Män
Hedersdoktorer vid universitetet i Oslo
Forskare från Wien
Personer som begått självmord
Alumner från Wiens universitet

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Kenney is right to speed up deportations
Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has made a convincing case for a new law allowing the swift deportation of convicted criminals. The infamous example of Clinton Gayle underscores the need for such legislation.
A Jamaican citizen who was convicted in Canada of multiple criminal offences, Mr. Gayle was able to remain in the country long after a 1991 deportation order, because of the immigration appeals process. In 1996, he shot two Toronto police officers, killing one of them.
It is an extreme example. But it was hardly an isolated one. Take, for instance, the case of Walford Uriah Steer, who somehow managed to remain in Canada long enough to be convicted of more than 70 criminal acts by the time he was arrested again last year and charged with multiple prostitution offences involving a 16-year-old girl.
The common thread in these cases, and other less notorious ones, is that the offenders racked up a string of convictions for which they were sentenced to less than two years in prison – the threshold at which those who are ordered deported lose their right to appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board. So Mr. Kenney is proposing to lower that bar so that only those sentenced to less than six months could use the immigration appeals process.
That proposed change is contained in a fairly expansive piece of legislation, the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, which merits careful scrutiny before it becomes law. In particular, assurances should be sought that a new discretionary power for the immigration minister to deny temporary-resident status to newcomers on the basis of "public policy considerations" – which federal officials say would be limited to a very few cases – would not be used arbitrarily.
But while some immigration lawyers are predictably up in arms, it is difficult to argue with the bill's main thrust. The immigration process can be enormously complex, but one principle should be fairly straightforward: The tiny share of immigrants and refugees who lack citizenship and are convicted of serious crimes on Canadian soil forfeit their right to be here.


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http://RTR.org | http://RealityReport.TV | The Egyptian Revolution triggered a government shutdown of the web. Could it happen here? Is the internet kill switch back on the congressional table? If the Feds shut down the web in the United States how could "We the People" get around the internet blackout? Gary Franchi reveals what tools you need to bypass a Government sponsored internet blockade. In this edition, Ron Paul explains the how the Federal Reserve works outside of congress' constitutional framework. We also look at Senator Chuck Schumer failing miserably while explaining the three branches of government. Beautiful words are uttered from the lips of the Florida attorney general about Obamacare. President and founder of Freedom Law School, Peymon Montehedeh, gives us the details on this years' Freedom Conference, and we announce a new action taking place in March. We'll take a dip into the mailbag, deliver the results of last week's poll, a viewer brands a new Enemy of the State and Nina returns to deliver the Headlines from the new Reality Report News Room.


Maximum Guests (4 bedrooms) : 10 adults/children.
Living Area (3 levels plus separate facility rooms and 1 large sun terrace) : 200 m2.
En-suite bathroom with shower and bath with view over Val d'Isere station, restroom, half-timbered ceiling. Direct access to balcony.
After a day on the slopes, back to the chalet for a well deserved lounge in steam room (Hammam) before heading into town to explore the many bars and shops.
Private underground stairway from the town centre to the exclusive Les Carats private estate.
Lunch and dinner can be provided by the chalets own chef. Booking in advance is necessary, mentioning the days you require. The menu can be discussed in advance and all food is charge at cost price, please call for details. The cellar includes some of the greatest French vintages, from the most reputed wine regions : Loire, Bordeaux, Alsace, Champagne.
The Tourist Office of the City of Val d'Isere has classified this chalet as Five Eagle Platinum, the highest category for the luxury chalets in the resort.
2 chalet staff live out.


text:
The view from the aisle seat
Star Wars: A Look Back At The Eight Main Films So Far
Posted by LukeT51 on October 28, 2019 December 19, 2019
It's around two months before a certain Star Wars film comes out and personally I can't wait. To celebrate, I'm looking back at and re-reviewing all eight saga films so far. Check them out:
The Phantom Menace:
Despite having something of a slow pace (although one could argue that's part of the point given how this goes right back to the beginning of a main story), it certainly has plenty of visual imagination and delves into new worlds, gives us incredible action… So what might I say then irked me?
Well for one, although I understand by setting the scene you thus definitely don't need to have a Michael Bay-esque pace 😉, the film feels unnaturally slow. Worse, the acting subsequently suffers in enough quarters like with an elephant in the room – Jar Jar (Ahmed Best). Although I don't fault the actor at all (and how much can you, given how he was disguised under so much motion-capture CGI and was just one cog as part of the performance!), JJ as comic relief just sticks out too much tonally.
Additionally, consider Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). Given how pivotal he is to the drama, he's unfortunately written and directed poorly. It doesn't help either that him and Padme (Natalie Portman) are far apart enough from each other age-wise that implying a potential romance between the two can't help but feel somewhat awkward.
On the plus side, Ian McDiarmid as the shadowy big bad Palpatine+Darth Sidious comes off brilliantly, which is a big bonus given his ensuing prominence throughout the Prequel Trilogy.
And having mentioned the visual imagination earlier, this is where George Lucas feels at his best as a filmmaker. Whether it's executing a breathtaking and intense podrace sequence or an amazing and operatic-feeling lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) versus Darth Maul (Ray Park), he sure delivers and therefore any flaws almost might be forgiven?
Nonetheless it sucks that despite the fact this setting up the whole story means it can't be too full-on anyway, that the internal conflict doesn't ever precisely hit the spot is a shame. Still, TPM achieves enough overall so if I was to rate it, I'd for sure give this a three out of five 😀 .
Attack Of The Clones:
Compared to the above, this is an awkward middle film and not in a good way. E.g despite imagery and world-building once again sucking you in, my main gripe is truly how the love relationship between Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padme plays out. It's because although I think Lucas was going for much more of a "traditional" style, ultimately thanks to the writing and directing greetings cards have a lot more expression by comparison 😅.
What saves it though isn't just what I inferred above, but also McDiarmid's performance continuing to spellbind you as does Christopher Lee as Count Dooku. So there's definitely enough going for it all the same. Plus, I can't not give a shout out to a real standout duel between Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Dooku towards the end. This is stuff digital filmmaking can infinitely take advantage of. So although not exactly a perfect film, I'd give this a three out of five.
Revenge Of The Sith:
This has regularly been cited as the best of the prequel trilogy, and probably for very good reason. For one thing, compared to TPM's and AOTC's pacing, events open full throttle and it doesn't let up from there even despite "slow drama scenes". So you can tell there's a lot more of a comfortable tone.
I can't be entirely complimentary though. Take as a specific example a sequence where clones (soldiers to the Republic), are ordered by Palpatine/Sidious to kill the Jedi. They obey without question and while undoubtedly part of an elaborate scheme and very powerful (operatic too thanks to John Williams's score), because it doesn't feel built up enough, it jars. Furthermore, Anakin and Padme's relationship continues having less emotional expression built in than a greeting card 😜. However, because it really feels like a more confident film, you can arguably "forgive enough". Too, stuff like a really powerful+culminating duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan helps, which is a true highlight of the trilogy. So in the end, this absolutely deserves a four out of five in spite of misgivings I have.
A New Hope:
Where to start with the movie that started it all eh? I mean, it expressed the peak of a Blockbuster Renaissance during the 1970s in a huge way, also setting up the sheer potential of a film franchise/synergy. Should I therefore treat this review with a certain reverence, or like any other? We'll see.
Firstly, what I loved and I still do about ANH is the romantic purity it has throughout, truly committing to a vision. Part of that's how it mixes up its influences (including the monomyth, which means drilling down similarities among cultural mythologies throughout the world and old film+television serials) into a organically fresh whole. However, it's definitely cheesy too, like when it comes down to how Luke Skywalker initially turns out (E.g if you thought the prequel trilogy had corny dialogue, take "But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!" 😂).
Regardless he pays off well, as does Carrie Fisher as the archetypal and iconic Princess Leia, with real honour in Fisher's acting given how she might have turned out.
And as a bit of important information, George Lucas's interest in film exploded with the avant-garde side, which might help indicate how he was able to mix his various influences into an organic whole, because it arguably expresses how as a filmmaker he's then not afraid to "explore".
All in all, a fully deserved four and a half out of five.
The Empire Strikes Back:
Okay, so re-reviewing one of the best sequels of all time now. No pressure…
For starters, like the previous one it has quite a romantic purity yet isn't afraid to move the world-building and character forward despite akin to ANH being deliberately paced. This especially pays off with the likes of the well-known Darth Vader twist, Yoda naturally imparting comic relief and wisdom, obvious Carl Jung influences when you think about it etc.
Ultimately then I don't have lots more to say to be honest, probably because I don't have much to criticise 😉. Although if I could criticise anything, it would be C3P0 (Anthony Daniels). He also supplies comic relief but for my tastes distracts tonally at times. But it's not enough at all to stop me from giving TESB a five out of five!
Return Of The Jedi:
Time to review ROTJ. What did I think and most importantly, how does it compare to the ridiculously high standards set by its prequels and pay off as the final in a trilogy? I'm a little mixed but to be fair, it's worth noting say world-building (and how character fits within) really continues to stun, even despite all the deliberate pacing.
However, the film can't help but have an anti-climax feel, which is problematic given it's meant to finish a trilogy, after all. And on a related side note, Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan (both scriptwriters here in this case) argued over how to execute a powerful and complete finale, with the back-and-forth ultimately showing in terms of tone as the film builds.
Part of the problem might even be Han Solo (Harrison Ford). He never truly feels like he has a natural purpose, even with a love relationship going on between him and Leia. Notably Ford fought for him to be killed off in order to "serve the story" , which kind of tells you something. What I also dislike are central creatures to one of the main points of action, the Ewoks. Although cute and funny to some, they personally irritated me. Still, at least they didn't grate enough to actually take me out of the movie.
Lest I sound too harsh, you absolutely have a great time throughout despite what I might have said. Plus emotion definitively hits where it counts, especially during an exciting and emotionally raw lightsaber duel between Luke and Darth Vader, so there's enough pluses for sure.
Summing up then, although "anti-climatic" and therefore a bit underwhelming, it certainly delivers. A four out of five from me!
The Force Awakens:
Notably "this will begin to make things right" is the opening line. This might serve as a signal of intent to really unite the fanbase given division for example over the prequel trilogy. But this also represents true pressure to satisfy, so does it do enough?
You can definitely say it does enough. However, a bunch of people, including me to some extent, feel it's too samey (bit weird on the surface to complain given how much Star Wars draws on familiar story elements but never mind, still implies a promising future by the end). So while it reveres the Original Trilogy, there's enough exciting going on visually and tonally and crucially, makes you curious about the new characters. Indeed, whether it be Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, or as the true standout, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, it hits on this account where it should.
So in the end, while TFA doesn't appear as fresh as it could have been, in the best and ultimately most realistic circumstances Disney justify investing $4 billion investment in Lucasfilm 😛, and JJ Abrams as the director steers the ship well. Rating-wise then, a four out of five!
The Last Jedi:
Here we are, my final Star Wars review before The Rise Of Skywalker comes out in – as of writing – just under two months! What do I have to say about TLJ?
Firstly, Rian Johnson in replacing Abrams as director appears to leave a distinctive mark, pushing things visually, character-wise and regarding implications for the overall storytelling. A crucial portion of all this seems to be via deconstruction, not so much like e.g Batman V Superman, because you have a great time and are reminded of what helps make Star Wars work, but regardless it incorporates some poststructuralism to help push the whole towards the finishing line, in theory for the better.
On this note, one of the more polarising elements has been Luke Skywalker's portrayal (Mark Hamill certainly felt back-and-forth about the ideas), where Rey finding him as a broken down and moody old man wouldn't exactly line up fantastically with the innocent farm boy we all knew. I personally didn't have a problem with this portrayal though because for one, it's sometimes necessary to provoke and push forward, so I admire what they tried and Hamill's commitment in the end.
What I had more of a problem with though is the film's ambition overwhelming itself to one degree or another, symbolised by the running time (two and a half hours), as the movie can feel excessive at times especially as events move along (actually me and a friend who I saw it joked about how we both thought "it ends here, ah no wait it ends here, ah no it definitely ends here " 😆). TESB therefore may be a better model of how to be questioning when concerning the whole yet still massage your feet with what you loved before, although to be fair it's hard to beat that film's romantic purity!
But when it comes to it, despite an ambition that can overwhelm itself, TLJ matters and sure entertains, leaving me very excited to see how JJ Abrams and the rest wrap it all and more up. Deserves a four out of five.
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Le Mans 66′


text:
Quartz Daily Brief—Europe and Africa edition—New Zealand rate cut, Kenya Airways layoffs, Facebook selfie filters
Quartz Staff
What to watch for today
The European Central Bank considers more stimulus measures. Mario Draghi could announce drastic action to pump up the euro zone economy. In addition to another interest rate cut, analysts predict the ECB might start buying more government and corporate bonds.
Sunni countries wrap up a show of force in Saudi Arabia. The "Thunder of the North" training exercise will deploy troops from 20 countries including Egypt and Pakistan. Amid rising tension between Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran, Pakistan is considering (paywall) strengthening military ties with the Saudis.
Dollar General reports its fourth-quarter results. Wall Street is anticipating earnings of $5.3 billion for the latest quarter, compared to $4.9 billion in the fourth quarter last year. The US discount retailer competes with Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree.
Brazil's previous president was indicted. São Paulo state prosecutors charged Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with hiding an ownership interest in a luxury beach apartment. Local media said Lula was accused of money laundering, concealment of assets, and other crimes.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debated in Miami. Clinton repeatedly portrayed Sanders as being too far left. Sanders defended his plan to offer free tuition at public colleges, which Clinton said would be too expensive. In a remarkably raw moment, Clinton said, "I am not a natural politician."
New Zealand's central bank made a surprise rate cut. Worried about slowing growth in China and challenges in the dairy market, the bank cut the benchmark lending rate by a quarter point to 2.25%. The nation's currency hit a one-week low.
Kenya Airways' CEO talked about a turnaround plan. Mbuvi Ngunze said the airline is planning a $690 million restructuring program that will involve reducing the fleet and cutting staff. The airline suffered the largest loss in Kenyan corporate history last year.
Facebook got into the selfie filter business. The social network giant purchased Masquerade, an app that puts special effects onto live videos, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is a reaction to increased competition from Snapchat, which offers popular filters that let users do things like vomit rainbows.
Quartz obsession interlude
Erik German on the human implications of Google's Go-playing artificial intelligence. "Duels like these don't come often. That's because the vast majority of human-versus-machine contests are rarely worth watching at all. But every once in awhile, a technological moment comes when the man-machine match-up gives us a fight worth watching." Read more here.
Quartz markets haiku
A great galleon
Afloat on a sea of oil
Well, at least for now
Matters of debate
Google is creating a new type of capitalism based on surveillance. The company profits from monitoring and modifying human behavior.
We're eating too much to fight climate change. The planet can't cope with the emissions from food production and eating-related activities.
America's productivity miracle is over. The labor-driven growth that created one of the world's most affluent societies is in the past.
Surprising discoveries
Ikea's frugal founder buys all his clothes at flea markets. "I want to set a good example," billionaire Ingvar Kamprad told reporters.
Germany's most popular soda looks like swamp juice. Makers of spezi, a brownish citrus-cola, want to market the drink in other European countries.
An AI can identify terrorists from their V-signs. Hand geometry may be a useful biometric identifier.
Riding side-saddle is coming back in style. It's less about modesty and more about elegance.
A flower show in China caused a spike in iron ore prices. Steel mills were forced to shut down (paywall) so the gathering would be pollution-free.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, swamp juice, and Go strategies to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.
Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief here, tailored for morning delivery in Asia, Europe & Africa, and the Americas.