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Vulnerability

Drive Time

And the hits just keep on coming:

Volkswagen will pause production of one of its most important cars next week amidst growing concerns of a chip shortage that could cripple its outputs.

Chipmaker Nexperia has frozen supply in a fallout from the ongoing US-China trade dispute, causing major disruption for the German automotive giant.

The Dutch government – under pressure from the US Trump administration – seized control of Chinese-owned Nexperia last month, citing intellectual property concerns.

In response, China curbed exports of its finished products that are needed by European car makers.

Of course, VW lies like a Democrat politician:

Volkswagen said earlier this week that it had ‘long planned’ to pause production of the Golf hatchback – its longest-running model and one of its biggest-selling products – at the Wolfsburg factory from next week but initially denied any connection with chip supply chain concerns. 

However, on Wednesday the car maker told workers at other plants it cannot rule out assembly line stoppages due to the ‘dynamic situation’.

Yesterday, VW issued an internal letter to staff saying production had not yet been affected by chip shortages, but it could not ‘rule out an impact on production in the short term’ over supply chain issues. 

And I get mocked for hankering after the good old days…


Oh, you wanted color?

Q.E.D.

Dept. Of Righteous Shootings

Righteous Shootings

Alert Reader Eric K. sends me this lovely report:

A preliminary investigation revealed that an unidentified man followed a female customer into a beauty supply store and groped her, prompting employees at the establishment to demand he leave the premises.  

“The male became increasingly verbally assaultive toward employees and customers, “the release noted. “He started throwing and damaging merchandise in the store. The incident escalated rapidly.”  

While the man was reportedly threatening to kill and harm customers and employees, witnesses told investigators that they believed he was armed with a knife.  

“A second customer in the store, fearing for the store employees, herself and other customers, retrieved a personal firearm and fired a warning at the male,” investigators said. “The male turned toward that customer, fearing she was going to be attacked, fired a second shot striking the male.”  

And the result for El Gropo?

L.A. deputies and personnel with the Compton Fire Department responded to the scene where the man was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Details are sketchy at the moment, and as this happened in Southern California things may not turn out too well for Our Heroine.

However bad they may be, it won’t be as bad a result as what happened to the goblin.  Thank goodness.

A Qualified Maybe?

Immigration

This poll caught my eye:

The survey asked respondents, “What do you think should be done about immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally, but have committed no crimes while here?”

Across the board, respondents are virtually split, as 41 percent said those illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay, while 40 percent believe they should be deported. Another 19 percent remain unsure.

Results drastically vary by party identification. Most Democrats, 68 percent, believe that those illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country, and only ten percent said they should be deported. Another 22 percent remain unsure.

Nearly three-quarters of Republicans, 72 percent, believe those illegal immigrants should be deported, while 14 percent said they should be allowed to stay, and 15 percent remain unsure.

A plurality of independents, 42 percent, believe those illegal immigrants should be able to stay in the country, followed by 38 percent who believe they should be deported and 20 percent who remain unsure.

In the past, I’ve always been in the hardass camp — break the law, no matter when, and out you go.

However, I’ve recently softened my stance on this, after asking myself a question:

What if someone came over here (granted, illegally), but has over the years become a model “citizen”, working hard, paying taxes, maybe even raising a family.  Should the heavy boot of the State be applied to his (or her) ass?

If you consider the question then the key, I think, is in the phrase “over the years”.  In other words, how many years?

Here’s my thought.  Assume that the person came over at age 24.  Now, twenty years later, they’re in their mid forties:  spouse, kids in high school, working hard in a decent job, and most importantly, never convicted of any serious crime — not even drunk driving.  In other words, the person has proven themselves to be a decent member of society, and in fact, perhaps a better “citizen” than many a native-born citizen who lives on welfare, has been a general fuckup and definitely not someone you’d want to see marry your own son or daughter.

It’s even more compelling should the illegal immigrant have come over at age 40 and is now facing retirement.  Who’s want to deport a sixty-year-old back to a country they’ve not seen since their youth?

Unfortunately, however, all bets are off if this illegal immigrant has used forged documents (SocSec card, driver’s license etc.) to enable them to have worked here all that time.  That’s a criminal act — forgery — right there.

The question is:  how have they managed to live and work here without such documents?  The answer, regrettably, is that they probably couldn’t have, unless their employer has been incredibly lax or else has deliberately turned a blind eye to their status.

I have to tell you all, though:  the thought of tossing someone out after they’ve lived here for twenty years, worked hard and tried their best to stay on the right side of the law… that tossing out seems pretty harsh to me.

You will note that I’ve used the period of twenty years as a cut-off point.  I wouldn’t accept less than twenty, and the higher the number (25, 30 or 40 years), the greater I’m inclined towards leniency.

So, for the purposes of this argument, you can put me in that “Republican: 15% Unsure” category.

Comments are welcome.

Keeping Quiet

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

As I was wandering along the Gunny Trail, I happened upon this new thing:

It’s from Henry Rifles, and they’ve apparently created a new department called “Special Products Division” (SPD).  This particular model is known as the HUSH line.

“Why ‘HUSH’, Kim?”

Thought you’d never ask.

Long Time Readers will be all too aware of my antipathy towards plastic stocks, and especially so when used on classic rifles like Murka’s own lever action repeater.

I have to say, though, that this one’s not that horrible when there’s a suppressor attached (although how well a suppressor is going to work on the booming .45-70 Govt cartridge remains to be seen).

Let’s just say that when suppressors are freed from the stupid red tape and registration nonsense (not to mention the average cop’s hostile attitude towards them), I would be tempted — not towards a .45-70 Govt chambering (as pictured), but certainly the .357 Mag model — and certainly still more if I were to shoot the Hornady Critical Defense 110gr light loads — which achieve just over 1,000 fps out of a 4″ revolver… now imagine them emerging from that 24″ barrel, suppressed.

Excuse me, I need to take a quick cold shower.

Sorry.  Anyway, I’m not saying I’m going to become a Plastic Fantastic fanboi anytime soon.  But there’s just something about that HUSH rifle that intrigues me.

Being Henry and Made In The USA, these rifles are gonna be spendy, my guess in the almost-two grand area, but these are the times we live in.