Random News and Notes 9 November

We kick off today’s RNN with another bird related item. You will remember I told you about the Canadians who took out a family farm’s ostrich flock over bird flu fears. Well, this one may make you even more angry as it is taking place in the PNW.

A little background is in order. Barred owls (strix varia) are successfully expanding their range. Birds of woodlands and edgelands, they were traditionally found in the US east of the Mississippi and north into eastern Canada. They can now be found in the PNW, California, the great plains and the southern prairie provinces.

According to the USDA, this is a problem. Why? you might rightly ask. Well, the barred owls in the PNW are outcompeting the spotted owl.

You may remember the spotted owl from such hits as spiked trees, nutty enviro-loons chaining themselves to old growth timber and other such nonsense. The Fish And Wildlife service declared the spotted owl endangered in 1989 which forced the end to a lot of logging operations in the PNW.

Now the spotted owl is going to force the end of somewhere north of 450,000 barred owls. You read that right, more than 450,000 barred owls are going to be killed to protect the spotted owl.

While I am not the barred owl’s biggest fan, I bear literal, actual scars from one, killing some 450k of the silent hunters is a little out of pocket. To make matters worse, this murder spree is going to cost the taxpayers some $1.35 billion.

Someone in Chiraq took shots at ICE agents while they were executing an immigration enforcement action. Literal shots.

and bricks at Border Patrol’s vehicles. Chicago Police Department was called for assistance and cleared the scene.  The shooter and vehicle remain at large, and this is a dynamic situation.   
This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction. Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement. The violence must end.

You all know I am a free speech absolutist. However inciting violence is not protected speech. Arrests of those calling for this shit, and they are legion, need to start happening. A few high profile convictions of those directly calling for violence would do wonders.

If you own a 2016-2021 Honda Civic, be aware your car is likely under a current recall. It seems there is a defect that can allow the wheels to fall off while driving. A steel wheel nut mating surface was improperly pressed into alloy wheels. The faulty lug nut seat can deform and allow the nut to come loose.

Honda is replacing all affected wheels free of charge. There have been no reports of injuries or crashes due to the fault.

Sidney Sweeney is the total package. 13/10, well spoken and a shooter.