Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Hoplophobia

Hoplophobia is defined as the fear of weaponry (in this case guns) as coined by Col. Jeff Cooper in 1962. Although the phobia itself is not classified as an actual mental disorder. Personally, I think it should be.

Colion Noir posted this interesting video on you tube about an actual individual who suffers from hoplophobia:

I had a short conversation with Grok about the disease:

Have there been any actual clinical diagnoses for hoplophobia?

No, “hoplophobia” is not a recognized clinical diagnosis** in mainstream psychiatry or psychology.

Official Status

  • It does **not** appear in the *Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders* (DSM-5 or DSM-5-TR) published by the American Psychiatric Association.
  • It is not listed as a distinct code in the ICD-10 or ICD-11 (the international classification systems used for medical diagnosis and billing).
  • Major psychiatric and psychological organizations do not treat “hoplophobia” as an official diagnostic term.

How Fear of Firearms *Can* Be Diagnosed:

A clinically significant, irrational fear of guns or weapons *could* meet the criteria for a **Specific Phobia** (DSM-5 code 300.29; ICD-10 F40.2). Specific phobia is a real, recognized anxiety disorder. Diagnosis requires:

  • Marked, persistent fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation (here, firearms).
  • The fear is out of proportion to the actual danger.
  • Immediate anxiety response when the object is encountered or anticipated.
  • Active avoidance or endurance with intense distress.
  • Significant impairment in daily functioning.
  • Duration of at least 6 months.
  • Symptoms not better explained by another mental disorder.

In practice, a clinician would diagnose “Specific Phobia, situational type” (or a similar descriptor) and note the fear of firearms in the clinical record. They would not typically write “hoplophobia” as the diagnosis.

Evidence of Clinical Cases

There are **no well-documented, peer-reviewed clinical case studies** in the medical literature that formally diagnose patients with “hoplophobia” as a distinct entity. Searches of medical databases (such as PubMed) turn up essentially nothing under that term. A few non-peer-reviewed sources and opinion pieces (often written from a pro-gun perspective) claim the condition exists and is treatable, but these do not constitute formal clinical recognition or systematic diagnostic evidence.

In short: while an extreme, impairing fear of firearms can be clinically valid and treated under the umbrella of specific phobia, “hoplophobia” itself remains a non-clinical, largely rhetorical term rather than an established medical diagnosis.

There seems to be some room under the diagnosis of “specific phobia” that would enable a clinician of mental disorders to apply treatment for the disorder to the individual in the video and for others of extreme fear.

24 Jul 2026 by Comrades in Arms Firearms Notions Second Amendment Whacko Politics 0

Goldfinch Feeder

Finches at the feeder

This is one of our two Nyjer Seed Finch Feeders in the back yard. They are mounted on a crook which is staked into the ground.

Note that the seed level is at about three-quarters full. I took this photo less than 24 hours since I filled the feeders to the top. Clearly, the Nyjer Seeds are very popular with the finches.

We get a couple of species of finch that visit the feeders: House Finches and Goldfinches.

I asked GROK about the birds in this photo:

These are Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria), a very common and delightful visitor to nyjer (thistle) feeders in Arizona.

Quick Breakdown of the Birds in Your Photo:

  • Bottom left (brightest one): Adult male Lesser Goldfinch. You can clearly see the diagnostic solid black cap, bright lemon-yellow underparts, and black wings with bold white wingbars/patches. This is the classic look for males in breeding plumage.
  • Bottom right: Likely a female or immature/juvenile. Females are duller overall (more olive-yellow) with less contrast, no full black cap, and subtler wing markings.
  • Top right (on the side): Another bird in a more olive/grayish-green plumage, typical of females or younger birds.
  • There’s also a partially visible bird behind the feeder on the left that appears to have streaked brown tones, possibly another finch or a different visitor.

Lesser Goldfinches are one of the most frequent nyjer-seed specialists in the Southwest. They’re small, acrobatic, and often come in small flocks. In the high Sonoran Desert around Wickenburg, they’re year-round residents and love these tube-style finch feeders.

Camera Info:

  • Camera: Canon EOS Rebel SL3
  • Artist: Cap’n Bob (C) 07/18/2026
  • Exposure: 1/320 sec.
  • Aperture: F5.6
  • Speed: ISO 200
  • Focal Length: 180mm
  • Lens: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
18 Jul 2026 by Arizona Critters Photography 0

Saguaro Cactus Fruit

Saguaro Cactus Fruit – image (C) CapnBob

I took this photo of our Saguaro by the RV drive this morning. Grok had the following to say about it:

Saguaro cactus fruit (from Carnegiea gigantea, the iconic giant cactus of the Sonoran Desert) is a vibrant, nutrient-rich seasonal treat that plays a crucial ecological role in the arid Southwest, especially in areas like your Wickenburg garden.

Your attached photo perfectly captures the classic look: the green, oval-to-egg-shaped fruits (roughly plum-sized) grow high on the arms of the saguaro. As they ripen in late May through July (peaking around June–early July in Arizona), the outer skin splits open into 3–4 sections, revealing a striking bright red to magenta pulp packed with up to ~3,500 tiny black seeds. The pulp is juicy and sweet, while the seeds have a nutty flavor. This timing aligns with the hottest, driest part of the year, just before the summer monsoons, making the fruit a vital source of moisture and nutrition for desert wildlife.

Key Facts About the Fruit:

  • Edibility and Uses: Humans have harvested it for centuries (e.g., by the Tohono O’odham people, who call it bahidaj). It can be eaten raw, made into syrups, jams, cakes, or drinks. The seeds are high in protein and fats.
  • Production: A single mature saguaro can produce around 150 fruits in a good season, turning the plant into a “desert grocery store.”
  • Your Photo: The split-open fruit with vivid red interior is exactly how it appears when ripe and ready—very attractive to foragers!

Birds That Harvest It:

Birds are major consumers and help with seed dispersal (some seeds pass through undamaged or are dropped while feeding). Key species include:

  • White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica): These are the most prominent. They time their breeding so that chicks hatch when saguaro fruit ripens, providing critical food and water. They eat the pulp and seeds directly from the cactus (often seen perched on or leaning into the fruit). They also help pollinate the flowers earlier in the season.
  • Gila Woodpeckers: Frequently feed on the fruit.
  • Curve-billed Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, Verdins, House Finches, and others: These also feast on the sweet, juicy pulp and seeds.

Mammals like coyotes, ground squirrels, and javelina eat fallen fruit on the ground, while bats may visit too.

The relationship is mutualistic: birds get hydration and energy in the harsh desert summer, while the saguaro benefits from seed spread (sometimes to “nurse plants” under bushes or trees where dropped seeds can germinate safely).

If you’re seeing this in your garden or on local hikes, it’s a great sign of a healthy Sonoran Desert ecosystem—perfect timing for your bird photography interests!

Keep in mind that AI (in spite of the hype) can make mistakes, so take the above with a grain of salt, although I found the write up to be accurate according to our knowledge about the subjects.

Click on the image to enlarge.

12 Jul 2026 by Arizona Critters Environment Photography 0

Happy Semiquincentennial!

The Founding of the United States of America
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally declaring the 13 American colonies free from British rule. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the document proclaimed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and listed grievances against King George III. This bold act of separation led to the Revolutionary War, which ended with victory at Yorktown in 1781 and formal recognition in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The foundation was solidified in 1787 with the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, creating a federal republic with a system of checks and balances. These events marked the birth of a new nation dedicated to freedom and limited government ideals that continues to shape the world today.

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!

04 Jul 2026 by Holidays Notions Patriotism 0

La Bella Luna

Not quite a full moon tonight, but La Bella Luna (Italian for “the beautiful moon”) was shining at 98 percent of full when I took this (clickable) photo. The official “Strawberry” full moon will be tomorrow afternoon at roughly 5 PM Arizona time. At sunset, if you are able, look to the east and the moonrise should put on a pretty good show.

I took this image using my Canon R10 and a recently acquired 100-400mm zoom lens. I cropped the image a bit to allow the moon to fill the frame. The resolution is good enough to see the craters shadows on the left side while all the remaining albedo appears closely to what the naked eye sees. The lens is only a telephoto and not a telescope, so the image needs a little cropping help to get the moon properly centered and prominently sized in the frame. Again, click to view enlarged.

Image details:

  • Camera: Canon EOS R10
  • Artist: Cap’n Bob [C] All rights reserved
  • Shutter: 1/4000sec
  • Aperture: F8.0
  • Program: Manual Control
  • ISO: 6400
  • Focal Length: 400mm
  • Lens: Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM
28 Jun 2026 by Astronomy Notions Photography Technobabble 0

R10 Panoramic Mode

Panoramic images have always been an interest of mine. Early on, I used to take a series of adjacent , overlapping images and would “stitch” them together using an old application that did the job. Now, the function has been integrated right into some cameras.

My Kodak PixPro FZ152 has a panoramic function, but it can be kind of picky in the stitching process, and frequently will overlap in the wrong places. Maybe that is due to the way I used it, but regardless, it seemed clumsy to me.

I took the panorama above with my Canon EOS R10 in its panoramic mode. It works much better; all I have to do is press the shutter button and hold while I smoothly pan from left to right (optionally the other way too) to get what my eye perceives as a smooth and seamless image. Click on the image and pan using the image viewer scroll bar at the bottom.

I took the image from our courtyard looking west; the image spans the west leg of the RV drive sweeping from the road across the west cactus and rock garden, mesquite and paloverde trees, the lemon tree to the back gate of the courtyard.

I will try and get some more interesting panoramas as the opportunities arise.

22 Jun 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Panorama Photography Technobabble

Father’s Day and Summer Solstice

Wishing a happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there. A special wish for our Dads who have passed into heaven.

Also, June 21, 2026 is the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, so Happy Summer (or below the equator – Happy Winter)! The length of our daylight today (sunup to sundown) is 14hrs 27mins.

Clickable image enhanced by GROK AI.

21 Jun 2026 by Ancestors Environment Family Technobabble

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