One's initial guess before visiting is that it will be seedy. We've all heard of the crime and corruption gambling engenders, supposedly that's why you can't gamble in most places, and that's why only wise social custodians can run a lottery (plus no one other than the state would spend the extra money on noble causes like education).
Keena: "Whaaaat are we doing in Vegas? Aren't we homeschooled Christians?"
"...people aren't just weird, they're really weird."
Liberty: "That baby is gonna give me nightmares." Sam: "That baby's gonna grow into a giant."
Surprisingly, Vegas isn't a dangerous cesspool of violence, crime and debauchery. Sure, you may occasionally see someone who might need additional clothing or less alcohol, but I'll get to that before the end of this post.
It's actually very nice. It does have sections that are less desirable, but it's nice sections are incredibly nice, nicer than those in many cities and it also offers numerous activities for a family.
So why is this? One might think it's because the local gubmit has a "tight reign" on the city, but the reality is that it feeds off of what the city offers and bureaucrats just go along for the ride, they do nothing to make Vegas nicer or better.
Vegas is successful because of free market forces. You'll never find it as a case study in a public school text book because how it has come about militates against the conventional arguments for why gubmit intervention in everyday affairs is necessary.
The reality is that having more freedom encourages competition and spawns self regulation. Casinos want an endless flow of tourists so they are incentivized to offer excellent and unobtrusive security (significantly better than what the gubmit provides), excellent accommodations, tremendous facilities and shows, diverse activities and a safe and very enjoyable experience. Regulators can't engender anything like this (visit Cuba if you don't believe me), it's the freedom to make choices, voluntarily entering into agreements and the dollars that people choose to spend that does. And continual improvement is motivated the competition component of a free economy (in the case of Vegas it is "freeer" than other places but not totally free).
Beautiful even on an overcast day.
An indoor sky ...and river? And we're not on the ground floor of this place?
While there, the homeschoolers got a lesson on gambling from their great uncle. He explained some of the games and how to calculate the odds to reveal how gambling is not a wise use of one's money. Ironically though, for those who play state lotteries we learned that they are better off spending their dollars in Vegas. Why? Because casinos will pay out as much as 95% of the money they take in (they actually make more money from shows and accommodations). State lotteries only pay out about 40% and keep the rest (and they still can't lower the cost of education). We concluded that the reason running a lottery is illegal was because the state didn't want others to treat people as poorly as they do.
It's amazing what people can voluntarily create and offer while seeking to enrich themselves without the "help" of wise social custodians coercing people to do things by decree or with the threat of violence.
What about the "sin city" aspect? As a family we discussed this. It is true that one might see what is considered indecent in Vegas and one can avoid those places, But in the "Bible Belt," immoral behavior is not as obvious but can frequently be seen in the form of deceitfulness or worse. Also ironically, those in the "Bible Belt" who purport to be set free from the bondage of sin in Christ think it is appropriate to bind others thru laws and expropriation (aka local "taxes") to fund their own interests.
Now onto to only unique feature of this blog, transitioning to something that's totally unrelated: A good brake.
Most seem to prefer flash hiders on their muzzles and I have never heard those who own rifles emphasize the need for a good brake. Here are examples of common hiders:
The typical complaint with a brake is that it increases the decibels heard by the shooter and those standing to the side. That's true, but in order take quick follow up shots and control as much as possible where the subsequent rounds go, one needs a brake.
A brake is cut so that it resists a portion of the gases that exit the muzzle and acts to pull a rifle forward. This particular brake also offers some hider functionality at the tip.
The clip below illustrates the value of a brake. The first rifle has a brake; focus on the Eotech optic and notice how little it moves backwards with each round. The second has a hider/compensator, notice how much the Eotech optic moves backward with each round:
Those who noticed the Barking Spider compensator on the second rifle will likely point out that the manufacturer does offer a brake adapter for it. Yes, I know... I just have to buy one. It will be interesting to see if it offers braking performance without the typical brake side effects. I'll provide feedback in a future post.
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