Jurjen Smies
@clogsoveralabama.bsky.social
Originally from the Netherlands, now hip-deep in the Dirty South. History nerd, former UN staff member and Dutch army sergeant, socially liberal, dyed-in-the-wool skeptic and atheist, coffee enthusiast, decent cook. (He/him/his)
Rats, excuse me, that should be Alex Schmid without a t on the end.
December 2, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Rats, excuse me, that should be Alex Schmid without a t on the end.
Back in 2002, I came on a K-1 in late October and I had my "adjustment of status" interview with what was then still the INS before Christmas. I feel incredibly lucky that the system wasn't terminally buggered back then.
December 1, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Back in 2002, I came on a K-1 in late October and I had my "adjustment of status" interview with what was then still the INS before Christmas. I feel incredibly lucky that the system wasn't terminally buggered back then.
I would not be surprised if it emerges that Mr. Lakamal was being threatened with deportation or had been informed that the administration would not do anything to help bring family still in Afghanistan out of the country, and lashed out at the visible representatives of the regime that betrayed him
November 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I would not be surprised if it emerges that Mr. Lakamal was being threatened with deportation or had been informed that the administration would not do anything to help bring family still in Afghanistan out of the country, and lashed out at the visible representatives of the regime that betrayed him
I have two end-of-term papers due in two weeks, so that is exactly what I'll be doing.
November 27, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I have two end-of-term papers due in two weeks, so that is exactly what I'll be doing.
After all, "guns aren't stolen from people who don't own guns" isn't exactly a world-shattering insight.
November 27, 2025 at 2:38 PM
After all, "guns aren't stolen from people who don't own guns" isn't exactly a world-shattering insight.
The part about permit holders having guns stolen more often makes sense on its face, but I'd be more confident if they'd explictly compared them to other gun owners, rather than "non-permitholders with similar demographic characteristics." [...]
November 27, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The part about permit holders having guns stolen more often makes sense on its face, but I'd be more confident if they'd explictly compared them to other gun owners, rather than "non-permitholders with similar demographic characteristics." [...]
And Siegel found different outcomes between "shall issue" and permitless, so there's a risk that if you bundle both into "RTC" you risk obscuring the finding that permitless does not lead to increased homicide (weird at that seems) by lumping it in with shall issue, which apparently does.
November 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
And Siegel found different outcomes between "shall issue" and permitless, so there's a risk that if you bundle both into "RTC" you risk obscuring the finding that permitless does not lead to increased homicide (weird at that seems) by lumping it in with shall issue, which apparently does.
It's that bit about "neighborhoods with more concealed carry permits experience increased levels of violent crime." Did Billings check for reverse causation, i.e. that increased levels of violent crime might prompt residents to get more permits?
November 27, 2025 at 2:26 PM
It's that bit about "neighborhoods with more concealed carry permits experience increased levels of violent crime." Did Billings check for reverse causation, i.e. that increased levels of violent crime might prompt residents to get more permits?
"[...] Billings (2023) found that concealed carry permitholders are more likely to have a gun stolen than non-permitholders with similar demographic characteristics and that neighborhoods with more concealed carry permits experience increased levels of violent crime."
November 26, 2025 at 5:13 PM
"[...] Billings (2023) found that concealed carry permitholders are more likely to have a gun stolen than non-permitholders with similar demographic characteristics and that neighborhoods with more concealed carry permits experience increased levels of violent crime."
Hm. On the fact of it, the authors don't seem to make a distinction between "shall issue" and permitless carry, which is a bit of a problem considering that Siegel et al. (link.springer.com/article/10.1...) did make that distinction and found different outcomes.
The Impact of State Firearm Laws on Homicide and Suicide Deaths in the USA, 1991–2016: a Panel Study - Journal of General Internal Medicine
Background Firearm injuries are a major cause of mortality in the USA. Few recent studies have simultaneously examined the impact of multiple state gun laws to determine their independent association ...
link.springer.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Hm. On the fact of it, the authors don't seem to make a distinction between "shall issue" and permitless carry, which is a bit of a problem considering that Siegel et al. (link.springer.com/article/10.1...) did make that distinction and found different outcomes.
Which is saying something considering that Google results are garbage now.
November 26, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Which is saying something considering that Google results are garbage now.
Why am I flashing back to Brezhnev's last years?
November 26, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Why am I flashing back to Brezhnev's last years?
I learned a few years ago that the Florida Bar has no reciprocity with any other state, and according to a Sun-Sentinel article from earlier this year, Bondi is only licensed to practice law in Florida (and federal courts, provided certain rules are followed). I wonder whether that affects things.
November 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM
I learned a few years ago that the Florida Bar has no reciprocity with any other state, and according to a Sun-Sentinel article from earlier this year, Bondi is only licensed to practice law in Florida (and federal courts, provided certain rules are followed). I wonder whether that affects things.
I've seen a million faces
And I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
And I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
November 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
I've seen a million faces
And I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
And I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I took a history class last spring in which one of our assignments was to ask ChatGPT (or any other LLM) to tell you about a particular historical figure involved in a struggle for equal rights, and compare the result to the Wikipedia page for that person. Boy, that was an eye-opener.
November 23, 2025 at 10:57 PM
I took a history class last spring in which one of our assignments was to ask ChatGPT (or any other LLM) to tell you about a particular historical figure involved in a struggle for equal rights, and compare the result to the Wikipedia page for that person. Boy, that was an eye-opener.
I have to wonder how viable the "plan" is, given that it hinges on a whole bunch of demands on entities that weren't part of the negotiations and have any number of reasons to respond "idi(te) na khui."
November 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I have to wonder how viable the "plan" is, given that it hinges on a whole bunch of demands on entities that weren't part of the negotiations and have any number of reasons to respond "idi(te) na khui."
"John Shaft, but if Elon Musk were a private detective, he'd be better at it, and Blacker if he so chose."
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
"John Shaft, but if Elon Musk were a private detective, he'd be better at it, and Blacker if he so chose."
If Kash Patel or Kristi Noem will let me borrow either of their business jets, I will wear a tuxedo to travel.
November 20, 2025 at 10:57 PM
If Kash Patel or Kristi Noem will let me borrow either of their business jets, I will wear a tuxedo to travel.
I'm rather surprised that they're even pretending a legal route to immigration exists.
November 20, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I'm rather surprised that they're even pretending a legal route to immigration exists.
The minimum requirement for "insubordination" is that both parties be part of a hierarchy in which both get paid by the same entity. Anyone who isn't a federal employee cannot by definition be insubordinate to the president. Unless the president thinks he's an absolutist king.
November 19, 2025 at 5:17 AM
The minimum requirement for "insubordination" is that both parties be part of a hierarchy in which both get paid by the same entity. Anyone who isn't a federal employee cannot by definition be insubordinate to the president. Unless the president thinks he's an absolutist king.
Congratulations on your well earned doctorate, *Dr. Turner.* We at Men™️ wish to apologize for the shockingly poor service provided by our representatives.
November 17, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Congratulations on your well earned doctorate, *Dr. Turner.* We at Men™️ wish to apologize for the shockingly poor service provided by our representatives.
Kakogerontocracy?
November 17, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Kakogerontocracy?