People are constantly fighting over the content of the constitution, which always confused me because it's not missing parts, or written in another language, but people are always fighting over what it says.
I think I've figured out why.
People argue that there is no right of the people to keep an bear arms even though that exact wording is in the 2nd amendment. The same people argue that the right to an abortion is in the constitution even though the word "abortion" appears nowhere within the document.
The answer is so obvious. Someone, somewhere along the way misread the 2nd amendment! See they thought it read:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear abortions shall not be infringed."
It all makes sense now!
As a retired supreme court justice said, "We don't need people who can interpret the constitution; we need people who can read."
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thought police. No, seriously. The fucking thought police
This is not a straining leap coupled with extrapolation and assumptions. This is not like when someone yells,
"THOUGHT POLICE! 1984! DOUBLEPLUS UNGOOD!"
This is like;
Well shit. The motherfucking thought police... Never thought I'd see the day.
Massacre fallout: Charges for essay
High school teacher 'disturbed' by violent content of assignment
That had to be one hell of an essay. This straight "A" student didn't make specific threats or threaten specific people, but the police saw fit to actually charge him with a crime for his writings.
A student was charged with a crime for writing something that was construed as threatening, even with no corroborating evidence. I, like Uncle am speechless.
Hat tip to Uncle
"THOUGHT POLICE! 1984! DOUBLEPLUS UNGOOD!"
This is like;
Well shit. The motherfucking thought police... Never thought I'd see the day.
Massacre fallout: Charges for essay
High school teacher 'disturbed' by violent content of assignment
Told to express emotion for a creative-writing class, high school senior Allen Lee penned an essay so disturbing to his teacher, school administrators and police that he was charged with disorderly conduct, officials said Wednesday.
Lee, 18, a straight-A student at Cary-Grove High School, was arrested Tuesday near his home and charged with the misdemeanor for an essay police described as violently disturbing but not directed toward any specific person or location.
That had to be one hell of an essay. This straight "A" student didn't make specific threats or threaten specific people, but the police saw fit to actually charge him with a crime for his writings.
A student was charged with a crime for writing something that was construed as threatening, even with no corroborating evidence. I, like Uncle am speechless.
Hat tip to Uncle
Overheard at work
Coworker 1: I can't believe we messed it up.
Coworker 2: Maybe, but we did it with teamwork!
Me: It takes teamwork! One person to do the work, the other person to mess it up!
Coworker 1: Together we can spin our wheels!
Coworker 2: Maybe, but we did it with teamwork!
Me: It takes teamwork! One person to do the work, the other person to mess it up!
Coworker 1: Together we can spin our wheels!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The beginnings of justice?
Current, former officers indicted in elderly woman's death
That poor elderly woman who was gunned down trying to defend herself from armed people in plain-clothes forcing their way into her house.
Whoops. The plain clothes people were police officers enforcing a no-knock (unannounced) raid on this elderly woman's house. The police did not dress as police officers, nor did they state that they were police officers when they broke into her home. She saw armed people forcing their way into her house and she feared for her life and fired the gun she kept for safety from gang violence at the officers. The officers returned fire and killed this poor woman who died afraid for her life. (More info)
The raid was based on an unreliable source, and the various paperwork steps for approving a no-knock raid were skipped or are being contested. But hey, at least they got the right house this time.
Justice should be served, but it won't bring this poor woman back.
Hopefully this will give people pause and let them reconsider this idiotic policy.
Hat Tip to David Codrea
That poor elderly woman who was gunned down trying to defend herself from armed people in plain-clothes forcing their way into her house.
Whoops. The plain clothes people were police officers enforcing a no-knock (unannounced) raid on this elderly woman's house. The police did not dress as police officers, nor did they state that they were police officers when they broke into her home. She saw armed people forcing their way into her house and she feared for her life and fired the gun she kept for safety from gang violence at the officers. The officers returned fire and killed this poor woman who died afraid for her life. (More info)
The raid was based on an unreliable source, and the various paperwork steps for approving a no-knock raid were skipped or are being contested. But hey, at least they got the right house this time.
Justice should be served, but it won't bring this poor woman back.
Hopefully this will give people pause and let them reconsider this idiotic policy.
Hat Tip to David Codrea
DING DONG Jack is dead!
Jack Valenti, Hollywood's Lobbyist, Dies at Age 85
I don't take enjoyment in the death of another human, but this guy was quite the villain to hackers and coders everywhere. He suppressed the free speech of hacker magazine 2600, by filing a preliminary injunction under the DMCA.
DVD playing software is licensed out by the MPAA. When you buy a computer with DVD viewing software or buy a DVD player, a bit of money goes to the MPAA for use of a license to decrypt the CSS encoding and watch the DVD. Linux is a "free as in beer" so it costs nothing, there are many reasons for this, but suffice to say, Linux users didn't want to have to pay money for software to view a DVD that they'd already legally purchased. The MPAA was asked to provide a free Linux/Unix player to let people view the content of DVDs they'd paid money to watch. When the MPAA refused to deal with developers, and told them to use windows instead, the gauntlet was cast. One one side people who bought movies and just wanted to watch them on their computers at home, and on the other, a huge corporation unwilling to provide a simple program to allow viewers to watch the DVDs they'd already purchased. When DVD John, as he is now known all over the world, published the DeCSS to decrypt the CSS protection the MPAA tried to stop 2600 from printing it. Suddenly they began suing and shutting down hackers and strong-arming ISPs of people or sites which simply POSTED the information to the internet! By simply printing something, you could be charged. This is why my license plate frame says "Source code is free speech"
Jack is known for his quote,
Jack wanted to beat down people with the threat of lawsuit. People who wanted nothing more than to view a DVD they'd legally purchased. As time wore on, the lawsuits slowed because judges were less and less likely to uphold the idea of punishing someone for simply printing something.
I think I'll be wearing my "You don't know Jack" shirt tomorrow. (I'd find a pic, but its been discontinued) ... (as has he)
I don't take enjoyment in the death of another human, but this guy was quite the villain to hackers and coders everywhere. He suppressed the free speech of hacker magazine 2600, by filing a preliminary injunction under the DMCA.
DVD playing software is licensed out by the MPAA. When you buy a computer with DVD viewing software or buy a DVD player, a bit of money goes to the MPAA for use of a license to decrypt the CSS encoding and watch the DVD. Linux is a "free as in beer" so it costs nothing, there are many reasons for this, but suffice to say, Linux users didn't want to have to pay money for software to view a DVD that they'd already legally purchased. The MPAA was asked to provide a free Linux/Unix player to let people view the content of DVDs they'd paid money to watch. When the MPAA refused to deal with developers, and told them to use windows instead, the gauntlet was cast. One one side people who bought movies and just wanted to watch them on their computers at home, and on the other, a huge corporation unwilling to provide a simple program to allow viewers to watch the DVDs they'd already purchased. When DVD John, as he is now known all over the world, published the DeCSS to decrypt the CSS protection the MPAA tried to stop 2600 from printing it. Suddenly they began suing and shutting down hackers and strong-arming ISPs of people or sites which simply POSTED the information to the internet! By simply printing something, you could be charged. This is why my license plate frame says "Source code is free speech"
Jack is known for his quote,
If we have to file a thousand lawsuits a day,we'll do it.
Jack wanted to beat down people with the threat of lawsuit. People who wanted nothing more than to view a DVD they'd legally purchased. As time wore on, the lawsuits slowed because judges were less and less likely to uphold the idea of punishing someone for simply printing something.
I think I'll be wearing my "You don't know Jack" shirt tomorrow. (I'd find a pic, but its been discontinued) ... (as has he)
I <3 my 1911
My XD is no longer my go-to gun for most handgun situations. My 1911 has chiseled out a place in my heart.
I used to just like my 1911. It's a mil-spec, it's somewhat historical, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the change occurred because I haven't been shooting it as much lately because of .45 ammo prices and my extra 9mm ammo. Somehow while only handling it and thinking about it the 1911 forced its way into my #1 slot. It just grew on me. I just love the way it feels, the way it handles, the way it points, and the way it conceals. I also love the way it's tough, this is no show piece. No bells or whistles here, this 1911 means business.
Hey, look what we've got here? I'm on my lunch break playing with a digital camera and look who showed up?
Click for huge size!
Look at the gun powder that worked its way into the checkers on the grip where my fingers go.
I used to just like my 1911. It's a mil-spec, it's somewhat historical, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the change occurred because I haven't been shooting it as much lately because of .45 ammo prices and my extra 9mm ammo. Somehow while only handling it and thinking about it the 1911 forced its way into my #1 slot. It just grew on me. I just love the way it feels, the way it handles, the way it points, and the way it conceals. I also love the way it's tough, this is no show piece. No bells or whistles here, this 1911 means business.
Hey, look what we've got here? I'm on my lunch break playing with a digital camera and look who showed up?
Click for huge size!
Look at the gun powder that worked its way into the checkers on the grip where my fingers go.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Make it stoooooooooooop!
Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day away- you can Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Party, party! Join us, join us! Shake your day awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I shall replace you with a perl script
Via ThinkGeek
I thought of this shirt because I'm not too far off from replacing someone with a couple hundred lines of perl...
this feeling...
is it...
could it be...
EVIL!?
Oh hell. Curse my black hat roots...
Ahhhhhh... The power...
I thought this one up...
Sadly, you exhibit all the grace and poise of a drooling mental patient chewing on a deck of cards.
I can't wait to use it.
The Toggle Switch
Bah! The guy who's pushing me to finish my code keeps interrupting me while I'm trying to work!
"Hey, so, how's it coming?"
*remove headphones* "What?"
"How's the code coming. Any progress?"
"Yes, of COURSE there has been progress. I've been working on it for two hours since you last interrupted me!"
"Oh. Yeah. Just checking."
30 minutes later
"Hey, could you check on that alert?"
"Dude!" *remove headphones* "What?!"
"Chill; I just want you to look at that alert."
"Dude, I can't just stop coding and do something else."
"??? Yeah you can!"
"No; I can't! See, in my head there's a BIG toggle switch. One side is working, living, breathing, eating, talking, driving, everything I do. The other side of the switch is just CODING. There is NO in-between! I'm either in coding mode, or I'm in other mode, but I can't keep switching back and forth like this! --Do you want the code or not?!"
"Ok man, code. I'll just look at it."
Gah! *replaces headphones*
Ok, so I was a little pissy, but I'm not a typical programmer, so he should just be happy that I'm not making demands, pushing back deadlines, and screwing around with new shit we'll never use.
"Hey, so, how's it coming?"
*remove headphones* "What?"
"How's the code coming. Any progress?"
"Yes, of COURSE there has been progress. I've been working on it for two hours since you last interrupted me!"
"Oh. Yeah. Just checking."
30 minutes later
"Hey, could you check on that alert?"
"Dude!" *remove headphones* "What?!"
"Chill; I just want you to look at that alert."
"Dude, I can't just stop coding and do something else."
"??? Yeah you can!"
"No; I can't! See, in my head there's a BIG toggle switch. One side is working, living, breathing, eating, talking, driving, everything I do. The other side of the switch is just CODING. There is NO in-between! I'm either in coding mode, or I'm in other mode, but I can't keep switching back and forth like this! --Do you want the code or not?!"
"Ok man, code. I'll just look at it."
Gah! *replaces headphones*
Ok, so I was a little pissy, but I'm not a typical programmer, so he should just be happy that I'm not making demands, pushing back deadlines, and screwing around with new shit we'll never use.
NoteTag Information (Long version!)
The following e-mail includes guidelines and instructions to help you get the best out of the service.
Please read them before using the service.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Please try to use plain text e-mail wherever possible.
Please keep the body of the e-mail free from other text. (don't forward messages to NoteTag or reply where it will quote the previous message)
One command per e-mail (for now ;)
Tags have no spaces in them. If you make a tag "San Diego" it will make two tags, "San", and "Diego". Use "sandiego" to keep it simple.
All tags and commands are case INsensitive. This means "gEt CHINA" will be the same as "get china". That way you don't have to worry about your e-mail capitalizing the first word. Caps matter in notes, though.
All single quotes will be removed. So dont bother.
NoteTag is meant to be used to quick (read: "short") notes. Your notes are limited by 100 characters. If you find your notes are too long, voice your complaint, but know that this probably isn't the right service for you.
There is no limit on tags you can associate with a note, so got nuts. (but not too nuts :)
GET CREATIVE! If you think of a creative thing to do with NoteTag, leave a comment! http://tinyurl.com/5g5txp
If you want to stop using NoteTag, please let me know why so I can consider resolving the problem you're experiencing. NoteTag will never get any better if you don't make recommendations. The only dumb question will be the one unasked!
NoteTag is a one-man show! Please bear with me on interruption of service and replying to e-mails. I'll do my best to keep it running as much as possible!
COMMANDS
The following commands must be used to start every message to NoteTag. The command, its function and an example will follow.
add [tag] [tag...] note [my new note goes here]
This command adds a note to your database with the tags as searchable words attached to it. You may use one or more tags.
Your note may NOT rpt NOT have the word 'note' in it. It will not read properly. You may use 'notes' or 'notebook' or '-note', anything but a space followed by the the letters 'note' (caps or no) followed by a space. This will likely change in the future (likely change it to 'nte'), please be patient for now.
Also, try not to end your note with a space, as you will require the space when you delete the note with the del command.
EXAMPLE:
add walmart market note remember to buy 1gal of cheese
get [tag] [tag...]
This command will retrieve all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
Notes will come in one email per tag, so if you request three tags, you'll get three e-mails with notes.
EXAMPLE:
get walmart
del [note you want deleted]
This command will delete all instances of the note within your database. The note portion IS case and punctuation sensitive, and must be matched EXACTLY.
Since you must match the note EXACTLY to delete it, I'd recommend keeping the notes you add simple.
EXAMPLE:
del HOOOOly CRAP! Im sure Glad I d0nt h\@ve 2 typ3 this on my phone!!!12^%^%$#
del id rather keep it simple
clr [tag] [tag...]
This command will remove all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
EXAMPLE:
clr shopping walmart
all notes
This command will retrieve all notes for all tags, sorted by tags. This may be a lot of data, so it is not recommended you run this command from a device with limited output or screen size like a phone.
help
Use the \"help\" command to get a short message with instructions and guidelines for useage of NoteTag. It will include a link to this information at the end.
ODDITIES
Creating notes with multiple tags creates multiple instances of the note with the different tags you requested. This means that if you add three notes for tag "market" and one note for both "market" and "walmart", if you "clr market" there will still be a note for your last note under "walmart". A fix in on the way.
If you want to authorize a new e-mail address, you have to let me know manually right now. Soon you will be given an authorization key, and to add a new e-mail, all you'll have to do is send "aut my_authorization_key". Until then, please bear with me.
[more to come, I'm sure :) ]
Thanks for signing up, I hope NoteTag is as helpful to you as it will be to me!
Please read them before using the service.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Please try to use plain text e-mail wherever possible.
Please keep the body of the e-mail free from other text. (don't forward messages to NoteTag or reply where it will quote the previous message)
One command per e-mail (for now ;)
Tags have no spaces in them. If you make a tag "San Diego" it will make two tags, "San", and "Diego". Use "sandiego" to keep it simple.
All tags and commands are case INsensitive. This means "gEt CHINA" will be the same as "get china". That way you don't have to worry about your e-mail capitalizing the first word. Caps matter in notes, though.
All single quotes will be removed. So dont bother.
NoteTag is meant to be used to quick (read: "short") notes. Your notes are limited by 100 characters. If you find your notes are too long, voice your complaint, but know that this probably isn't the right service for you.
There is no limit on tags you can associate with a note, so got nuts. (but not too nuts :)
GET CREATIVE! If you think of a creative thing to do with NoteTag, leave a comment! http://tinyurl.com/5g5txp
If you want to stop using NoteTag, please let me know why so I can consider resolving the problem you're experiencing. NoteTag will never get any better if you don't make recommendations. The only dumb question will be the one unasked!
NoteTag is a one-man show! Please bear with me on interruption of service and replying to e-mails. I'll do my best to keep it running as much as possible!
COMMANDS
The following commands must be used to start every message to NoteTag. The command, its function and an example will follow.
add [tag] [tag...] note [my new note goes here]
This command adds a note to your database with the tags as searchable words attached to it. You may use one or more tags.
Your note may NOT rpt NOT have the word 'note' in it. It will not read properly. You may use 'notes' or 'notebook' or '-note', anything but a space followed by the the letters 'note' (caps or no) followed by a space. This will likely change in the future (likely change it to 'nte'), please be patient for now.
Also, try not to end your note with a space, as you will require the space when you delete the note with the del command.
EXAMPLE:
add walmart market note remember to buy 1gal of cheese
get [tag] [tag...]
This command will retrieve all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
Notes will come in one email per tag, so if you request three tags, you'll get three e-mails with notes.
EXAMPLE:
get walmart
del [note you want deleted]
This command will delete all instances of the note within your database. The note portion IS case and punctuation sensitive, and must be matched EXACTLY.
Since you must match the note EXACTLY to delete it, I'd recommend keeping the notes you add simple.
EXAMPLE:
del HOOOOly CRAP! Im sure Glad I d0nt h\@ve 2 typ3 this on my phone!!!12^%^%$#
del id rather keep it simple
clr [tag] [tag...]
This command will remove all notes that have the tag or tags you indicate. You may use one or more tags.
EXAMPLE:
clr shopping walmart
all notes
This command will retrieve all notes for all tags, sorted by tags. This may be a lot of data, so it is not recommended you run this command from a device with limited output or screen size like a phone.
help
Use the \"help\" command to get a short message with instructions and guidelines for useage of NoteTag. It will include a link to this information at the end.
ODDITIES
Creating notes with multiple tags creates multiple instances of the note with the different tags you requested. This means that if you add three notes for tag "market" and one note for both "market" and "walmart", if you "clr market" there will still be a note for your last note under "walmart". A fix in on the way.
If you want to authorize a new e-mail address, you have to let me know manually right now. Soon you will be given an authorization key, and to add a new e-mail, all you'll have to do is send "aut my_authorization_key". Until then, please bear with me.
[more to come, I'm sure :) ]
Thanks for signing up, I hope NoteTag is as helpful to you as it will be to me!
Your tax dollars at work
Clearly someone at the department of health and human services needed some critical data regarding a "properly fitting" "thumb hole"
I wasn't sure what on Earth this waste of my money was looking for until I searched for his request and found it related to bowling balls.
That is all...
I wasn't sure what on Earth this waste of my money was looking for until I searched for his request and found it related to bowling balls.
That is all...
Monday, April 23, 2007
Got Peace?
The church I go to is really more agnostic than anything. The line of belief it's most closely related to is that based on "The Science of Mind".
I left church after the service with my dad and we walked to my car, talking. I noted the bumper stickers in the parking lot.
Got Peace?
Make love not war
Give peace a chance
Arms are for hugging
Impeach Bush
And then, my eyes fell on my bumper...
Yeah... I'm quite the paradox it seems...
I left church after the service with my dad and we walked to my car, talking. I noted the bumper stickers in the parking lot.
Got Peace?
Make love not war
Give peace a chance
Arms are for hugging
Impeach Bush
And then, my eyes fell on my bumper...
Yeah... I'm quite the paradox it seems...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Do you even know what a barrel shroud is?
She only introduced the bill; why should she have to know what she's banning?
For our readers, a barrel shroud is a covering that goes around the barrel of a gun (usually a rifle) that prevents the shooter from burning their hands when they shoot.
No safety feature is safe from our legislators.
Hat tip to David Codrea
Friday, April 20, 2007
25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA'
25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA'
Crime rate plummeted after law required firearms for residents
Its... uh... probably just a coincidence...
Crime rate plummeted after law required firearms for residents
In March 1982, 25 years ago, the small town of Kennesaw – responding to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Ill. – unanimously passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite dire predictions of "Wild West" showdowns and increased violence and accidents, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting – as a victim, attacker or defender.
Its... uh... probably just a coincidence...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Quality discussion at Stouty's
Stouty voiced his opinion on the VT murders, and the comments section lit up. After a bit, I finally felt the need to weigh in and then found myself caught in the conflagration. But in a good way. After a while we'd covered quite a few points rather well, hence, I LINK for you to go read yourselves. I suspect you'll enjoy the back-and-forth.
God I love a good political argument.
And don't mind Practical Radical, though largely irreverent, he still has good points to add to the argument. Plus, he keeps the discussion from becoming a circle-jerk by having the audacity to challenge our opinions! ;)
God I love a good political argument.
And don't mind Practical Radical, though largely irreverent, he still has good points to add to the argument. Plus, he keeps the discussion from becoming a circle-jerk by having the audacity to challenge our opinions! ;)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
LawDog on VT
Lawdog definitely has a style all his own, and he's more deserving of a read than I.
If you can only read my posts or his; read his. Hit mine tomorrow.
Hat tip to JR who is still the man.
If you can only read my posts or his; read his. Hit mine tomorrow.
Hat tip to JR who is still the man.
Marko with some VT truth
Adventures in Blogger
Wow.
I was digging through some of my old notes and ran across something I suspected but never researched about how the the blogger publishing works. Basically, it was a cheap way to get seen and pick up a bit more traffic. I don't know if I tried this at some off-hours time last time, but I just tried it again, and all I can say is, Damn. That's a lot of traffic.
It would be pretty easy for me to toss together a script that would take advantage of this, but I realize that while I may have increased the quantity of visits, I doubt I've increased the quality...
It's tempting to play with... But I think I'm going to hold off on this for now...
Um... so... yeah... Maybe a little bit more... For testing...
I was digging through some of my old notes and ran across something I suspected but never researched about how the the blogger publishing works. Basically, it was a cheap way to get seen and pick up a bit more traffic. I don't know if I tried this at some off-hours time last time, but I just tried it again, and all I can say is, Damn. That's a lot of traffic.
It would be pretty easy for me to toss together a script that would take advantage of this, but I realize that while I may have increased the quantity of visits, I doubt I've increased the quality...
It's tempting to play with... But I think I'm going to hold off on this for now...
Um... so... yeah... Maybe a little bit more... For testing...
Converting Anti Gunners
I was up on the Internet until three last night, and considered canceling the gym date with my sister the next morning but fell asleep before I finished the thought. 6 hours later the phone rang as it always did on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"Hey. I'm leaving now."
"mmmmm... *sigh* I was up late working..."
"And you'll wake up when you start sweating! C'mon!"
"... mmm... Alright. I'll see you there."
It took me a little longer to get ready than usual, because I had to wake up first. When I got there I saw she was on the stationary bicycle, and was glad because whenever I used it, I lost inches. However, I was discovering that I really needed to stay on the full 60 minutes to see a difference. I was late, and decided I'd stay past when my sister leaves to make sure I get the full benefit of my gym visit.
We talked about her work like we usually do, and 30 minutes later she had to leave, and left me to myself. I thought I should have brought my book or my ipod, but I realized I could probably better use the time just thinking to myself.
Shortly after ten, a regular walked in and took her usual spot on a bike. This time she was one row ahead of mine, and one to the left. I usually only talk to my sister when at the gym, but I knew that she was friends with another regular working out in the area.
"Hey girl" The second regular said to the first working out near me.
"Hey, how ya been?"
"I've been better; the world's been better." She said gesturing to the three TVs covering the Virginia Tech murders.
"Yeah, it's scary stuff. See you later!"
"Bye."
I looked at the woman and remembered that comments I had overheard from her before seemed to indicate she was a liberal. Her whole persona screamed public school teacher, and that meant no guns no how.
A bit ago I kind of had my eyes opened to the state of gun ownership in California, and resolved to make a difference. This was my chance to see if I could change the thinking of a liberal, or at least challenge them to think or research.
She stopped reading the book she brought and watched the TVs for a while. I leaned forward a little and said loudly enough to not be talking to myself; "Don't watch too much of it." She paused a bit and turned her head around, "Yeah. It's just really unsettling." Perfect, feeling uneasy about your vulnerability is the first step! :] She continued;
"It's really sad that someone could do something like this. I mean, how screwed up do you have to be to get a gun, and go killing perfectly innocent people. These kids were just trying to get an education."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. What really got me was that the teachers with permits were allowed to carry guns on campus until, I think, two years ago when they voted it down."
"Well I don't think that the German teacher was going to be able to do anything when he just got shot in the face. And teachers shouldn't be able to have guns around kids, what if a woman teacher is overpowered and someone takes her gun?" Ok, she acknowledges that most women are physically weaker than men and somewhat vulnerable, that's one thing I won't have to cover.
"Well, I'm just saying it could have been different."
"I don't think what we need is more guns. I mean, guns just made it easier for him to kill so many people." Excellent, I know how to counter this.
"Well, it did make it easier for this idiot to kill so many people, but it would also make it easier for a female student to defend herself and others from someone like this. Just like a gun would let a woman teacher even the playing field with someone stronger than her. Did you hear the latest news this morning?" She didn't, and I told her what I'd heard this morning about the letter the murderer left.
"It's just scary to me that some could just walk into anywhere and just start killing people."
"Well, majority of these kinds of attacks take place in 'Gun free zones' where people aren't allowed to have guns even if they have permits. That guy who shot up that Amish school supposedly did it because he knew it would be a soft target."
"Some people can have guns, I guess, but there are people out there who are just crazy. Who really needs an assault rifle? To protect your house?! C'mon!"
"Actually the assault rifle ban only outlawed certain cosmetic features not functionality."
She gave me a confused look.
"I mean to say that it didn't take any more firepower away from anyone, just guns that look mean."
Her confused look turned into something else. "Are you a member of the NRA?" She asked the question with the smirk you give a kid with cookie crumbs on his face when you ask if he was in the cookie jar.
"Heh, no. I just grew up shooting with my dad. It was a lot of fun. Actually, back in the day, a lot of kids used to bring their guns to school with them."
Surprise hit her face quickly. "What? No they didn't."
"Yep. Kids used to go shooting after school or have marksmanship training, or boy scouts, and they'd carry their .22 rifle with them to school and just keep it in their locker until school was out and they'd go shooting. No one gave it a second thought."
"... Well maybe in middle America or something." Gee, why not just say "flyover states"
"No, I'm pretty sure it happened all over. Back then, this kind of thing never happened. If there were guns on campus, I'm sure anyone would think twice about shooting up the place." Hasami
She answered quickly. "But he's not going to think twice because he killed himself. He's a coward. At least face the police and get shot, he's a coward for killing himself."
"Since he's not facing the police and he's not afraid of getting dying, there's no deterrent. All the police in the world could only hope to get to him soon enough. He knew he was going to die, I'm just saying that if someone in the class was armed, teacher or student, it might not have been 32."
She looked forward and nodded thoughtfully.
"Then we can talk about the campus police's response time. I mean, the police are too far away to help you in most cases, and anyways, they have no legal requirement to help you."
"What do you mean?" Oh man, this is playing out perfectly.
"The supreme court has found, more than once, that the police are not legally required to protect you."
"What!?"
"If you call the police and they don't come, you can't sue them. They're not legally liable."
"But they're the police!"
"In most cases they're a separate agency from the government."
"No, our tax dollars pay for them."
"Our tax dollars go to the city or the state pay for them, and the city or the state pays for the agency to patrol your neighborhood. Well, could you imagine people suing the police for taking too much time to get to their call? They'd be bankrupt. They don't have enough people to do everything."
"You're right, but we can't protect them from everything, I mean if they're beating up someone like that boy a little bit ago they should be sued."
*nodding* biting tongue
"Gee, well that's really comforting!" She said sarcastically.
Empathy time. "Yeah, it's not really a good feeling to know that you're vulnerable. I just found out about it a few years ago, my dad brought me shooting a lot, but when I was old enough to understand this stuff, he told me that I need a gun because when it comes down to it; I'm the only one responsible for my safety, for the safety of my girlfriend, and for the safety of my loved ones."
She nodded thoughtfully, and waited for me to continue.
"I mean, look at the LA riots; the police literally stepped back and let LA burn for days."
"That sounds like what the Russians did to the (something, I forgot, I was too busy thinking of what to say next, but I got the feeling she was parallelling government assisted genocide)"
"Well," I joked, "you should be careful about drawing those kinds of parallels!" Trying to give her more of a us vs them mentality.
"No, that's exactly what its like." Not sure she understood me; but she got the point.
"Then you think about us, I mean, we're not LA, but we live along a fault line. As soon as there's an earthquake there will be no police to help you. If there's an earthquake or other emergency, and you dial 911 and say some one's trying to get into your house, they won't come. They're too busy taking care of the dead and injured, and getting the city stabilized.
"So, no police."
"None. All that would stand between you and a looter (Katrina's still fresh), rapist (Sorry, kinda playing on fears), or gang, would be your gun.
She looked forward again, but this time, with a more troubled look on her face.
"Well, I stayed 10 minutes over my time." Actually I was 2 minutes early, but I wanted to leave her to her thoughts.
"Thanks for making 20 minutes fly by!"
"My pleasure. Hey, have you ever been shooting before?" She shook her head no. "I come in twice a week, but a little earlier. There's a range not too far from here, and first time shooters are always free."
"Really? Well; I don't have a gun."
"No problem, they have guns you can rent there, or you can borrow mine."
"I could probably just borrow one from my brother!" Hmm, source of hostility? I'm guessing he's in the NRA :) "Well, that's really nice of you."
I didn't want to force a decision or a date now, i wanted to let her process what we'd talked about. "Well, see you around."
"Yeah, nice talking to you!"
FIN
I walked down stairs, got a quick drink, walked out to the parking lot, and proceeded to do the happy dance. I was quite pleased with myself! I turned off the radio so I could focus on remembering the conversation, and hurried home to type it out while it was still fresh.
I'm going to let her sit on it for a week, and then see if I can catch her again and see if she has made up her mind.
This is awesome? Y/N
"Hey. I'm leaving now."
"mmmmm... *sigh* I was up late working..."
"And you'll wake up when you start sweating! C'mon!"
"... mmm... Alright. I'll see you there."
It took me a little longer to get ready than usual, because I had to wake up first. When I got there I saw she was on the stationary bicycle, and was glad because whenever I used it, I lost inches. However, I was discovering that I really needed to stay on the full 60 minutes to see a difference. I was late, and decided I'd stay past when my sister leaves to make sure I get the full benefit of my gym visit.
We talked about her work like we usually do, and 30 minutes later she had to leave, and left me to myself. I thought I should have brought my book or my ipod, but I realized I could probably better use the time just thinking to myself.
Shortly after ten, a regular walked in and took her usual spot on a bike. This time she was one row ahead of mine, and one to the left. I usually only talk to my sister when at the gym, but I knew that she was friends with another regular working out in the area.
"Hey girl" The second regular said to the first working out near me.
"Hey, how ya been?"
"I've been better; the world's been better." She said gesturing to the three TVs covering the Virginia Tech murders.
"Yeah, it's scary stuff. See you later!"
"Bye."
I looked at the woman and remembered that comments I had overheard from her before seemed to indicate she was a liberal. Her whole persona screamed public school teacher, and that meant no guns no how.
A bit ago I kind of had my eyes opened to the state of gun ownership in California, and resolved to make a difference. This was my chance to see if I could change the thinking of a liberal, or at least challenge them to think or research.
She stopped reading the book she brought and watched the TVs for a while. I leaned forward a little and said loudly enough to not be talking to myself; "Don't watch too much of it." She paused a bit and turned her head around, "Yeah. It's just really unsettling." Perfect, feeling uneasy about your vulnerability is the first step! :] She continued;
"It's really sad that someone could do something like this. I mean, how screwed up do you have to be to get a gun, and go killing perfectly innocent people. These kids were just trying to get an education."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. What really got me was that the teachers with permits were allowed to carry guns on campus until, I think, two years ago when they voted it down."
"Well I don't think that the German teacher was going to be able to do anything when he just got shot in the face. And teachers shouldn't be able to have guns around kids, what if a woman teacher is overpowered and someone takes her gun?" Ok, she acknowledges that most women are physically weaker than men and somewhat vulnerable, that's one thing I won't have to cover.
"Well, I'm just saying it could have been different."
"I don't think what we need is more guns. I mean, guns just made it easier for him to kill so many people." Excellent, I know how to counter this.
"Well, it did make it easier for this idiot to kill so many people, but it would also make it easier for a female student to defend herself and others from someone like this. Just like a gun would let a woman teacher even the playing field with someone stronger than her. Did you hear the latest news this morning?" She didn't, and I told her what I'd heard this morning about the letter the murderer left.
"It's just scary to me that some could just walk into anywhere and just start killing people."
"Well, majority of these kinds of attacks take place in 'Gun free zones' where people aren't allowed to have guns even if they have permits. That guy who shot up that Amish school supposedly did it because he knew it would be a soft target."
"Some people can have guns, I guess, but there are people out there who are just crazy. Who really needs an assault rifle? To protect your house?! C'mon!"
"Actually the assault rifle ban only outlawed certain cosmetic features not functionality."
She gave me a confused look.
"I mean to say that it didn't take any more firepower away from anyone, just guns that look mean."
Her confused look turned into something else. "Are you a member of the NRA?" She asked the question with the smirk you give a kid with cookie crumbs on his face when you ask if he was in the cookie jar.
"Heh, no. I just grew up shooting with my dad. It was a lot of fun. Actually, back in the day, a lot of kids used to bring their guns to school with them."
Surprise hit her face quickly. "What? No they didn't."
"Yep. Kids used to go shooting after school or have marksmanship training, or boy scouts, and they'd carry their .22 rifle with them to school and just keep it in their locker until school was out and they'd go shooting. No one gave it a second thought."
"... Well maybe in middle America or something." Gee, why not just say "flyover states"
"No, I'm pretty sure it happened all over. Back then, this kind of thing never happened. If there were guns on campus, I'm sure anyone would think twice about shooting up the place." Hasami
She answered quickly. "But he's not going to think twice because he killed himself. He's a coward. At least face the police and get shot, he's a coward for killing himself."
"Since he's not facing the police and he's not afraid of getting dying, there's no deterrent. All the police in the world could only hope to get to him soon enough. He knew he was going to die, I'm just saying that if someone in the class was armed, teacher or student, it might not have been 32."
She looked forward and nodded thoughtfully.
"Then we can talk about the campus police's response time. I mean, the police are too far away to help you in most cases, and anyways, they have no legal requirement to help you."
"What do you mean?" Oh man, this is playing out perfectly.
"The supreme court has found, more than once, that the police are not legally required to protect you."
"What!?"
"If you call the police and they don't come, you can't sue them. They're not legally liable."
"But they're the police!"
"In most cases they're a separate agency from the government."
"No, our tax dollars pay for them."
"Our tax dollars go to the city or the state pay for them, and the city or the state pays for the agency to patrol your neighborhood. Well, could you imagine people suing the police for taking too much time to get to their call? They'd be bankrupt. They don't have enough people to do everything."
"You're right, but we can't protect them from everything, I mean if they're beating up someone like that boy a little bit ago they should be sued."
*nodding* biting tongue
"Gee, well that's really comforting!" She said sarcastically.
Empathy time. "Yeah, it's not really a good feeling to know that you're vulnerable. I just found out about it a few years ago, my dad brought me shooting a lot, but when I was old enough to understand this stuff, he told me that I need a gun because when it comes down to it; I'm the only one responsible for my safety, for the safety of my girlfriend, and for the safety of my loved ones."
She nodded thoughtfully, and waited for me to continue.
"I mean, look at the LA riots; the police literally stepped back and let LA burn for days."
"That sounds like what the Russians did to the (something, I forgot, I was too busy thinking of what to say next, but I got the feeling she was parallelling government assisted genocide)"
"Well," I joked, "you should be careful about drawing those kinds of parallels!" Trying to give her more of a us vs them mentality.
"No, that's exactly what its like." Not sure she understood me; but she got the point.
"Then you think about us, I mean, we're not LA, but we live along a fault line. As soon as there's an earthquake there will be no police to help you. If there's an earthquake or other emergency, and you dial 911 and say some one's trying to get into your house, they won't come. They're too busy taking care of the dead and injured, and getting the city stabilized.
"So, no police."
"None. All that would stand between you and a looter (Katrina's still fresh), rapist (Sorry, kinda playing on fears), or gang, would be your gun.
She looked forward again, but this time, with a more troubled look on her face.
"Well, I stayed 10 minutes over my time." Actually I was 2 minutes early, but I wanted to leave her to her thoughts.
"Thanks for making 20 minutes fly by!"
"My pleasure. Hey, have you ever been shooting before?" She shook her head no. "I come in twice a week, but a little earlier. There's a range not too far from here, and first time shooters are always free."
"Really? Well; I don't have a gun."
"No problem, they have guns you can rent there, or you can borrow mine."
"I could probably just borrow one from my brother!" Hmm, source of hostility? I'm guessing he's in the NRA :) "Well, that's really nice of you."
I didn't want to force a decision or a date now, i wanted to let her process what we'd talked about. "Well, see you around."
"Yeah, nice talking to you!"
FIN
I walked down stairs, got a quick drink, walked out to the parking lot, and proceeded to do the happy dance. I was quite pleased with myself! I turned off the radio so I could focus on remembering the conversation, and hurried home to type it out while it was still fresh.
I'm going to let her sit on it for a week, and then see if I can catch her again and see if she has made up her mind.
This is awesome? Y/N
Monday, April 16, 2007
DOH! ... WOOHOO!
I took my Benelli Nova shotgun apart for cleaning since I'd only given it a cursory cleaning.
When I took off the extension tube I prepared for the spring to fly out, but it just sat there. "??? The spring SHOULD be under more tension than this..." I pulled on the spring and it just stretched. ??? I pulled a little harder, and the spring flew out. Great. The idiot who installed the extension tube did it wrong, and I was an idiot who didn't check it. Doh! I completed the strip-down and put it back together and loaded it. I removed the shells I had loaded it with before I started cleaning, 5 +1, and when I loaded it again, I accidentally put the +1 in the tube. ??? Wait, I unkinked the spring, and now it takes more shells! I grabbed some more defensive shells from my box o' ammo and loaded it up and found it now held the proper count of 7 +1! Woohoo!
Ahhh... Life is good, and I love my Nova.
When I took off the extension tube I prepared for the spring to fly out, but it just sat there. "??? The spring SHOULD be under more tension than this..." I pulled on the spring and it just stretched. ??? I pulled a little harder, and the spring flew out. Great. The idiot who installed the extension tube did it wrong, and I was an idiot who didn't check it. Doh! I completed the strip-down and put it back together and loaded it. I removed the shells I had loaded it with before I started cleaning, 5 +1, and when I loaded it again, I accidentally put the +1 in the tube. ??? Wait, I unkinked the spring, and now it takes more shells! I grabbed some more defensive shells from my box o' ammo and loaded it up and found it now held the proper count of 7 +1! Woohoo!
Ahhh... Life is good, and I love my Nova.
Multiply Virginia Tech by 5
I was reminded of THIS earlier post recounting the very real terrorist threat against our schools.
If this was just ONE student with TWO guns, imagine what an organized TEAM of terrorists armed with automatic weapons could accomplish.
Allow law abiding citizens to be armed wherever they are.
The time for change is NOW.
If this was just ONE student with TWO guns, imagine what an organized TEAM of terrorists armed with automatic weapons could accomplish.
Allow law abiding citizens to be armed wherever they are.
The time for change is NOW.
"this will help students ... feel safe on our campus."
Gun bill gets shot down by panel
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
This will keep happening until law abiding citizens and students are allowed to carry guns on campus.
HB 1572, which would have allowed handguns on college campuses, died in subcommittee.
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."
This will keep happening until law abiding citizens and students are allowed to carry guns on campus.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
The one law you can't repeal...
Sorry gunnies, more required reading. It has a great anecdote, and is written briskly and smoothly. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
If there are any antis out there, this essay is even more required than it is for gunnies!
You can't repeal the law of unintended consequences.
The essay reveals some of the truths even most gunnies don't want to acknowledge. Almost all gunnies are law abiding folks, but the laws we abide aren't necessarily those that come out of the mouths of the twisted, lying, bags of hot air who sully the vision of this nation's fathers.
Via War On Guns. (check it out daily!)
I think I'm going to go read it again...
If there are any antis out there, this essay is even more required than it is for gunnies!
You can't repeal the law of unintended consequences.
The essay reveals some of the truths even most gunnies don't want to acknowledge. Almost all gunnies are law abiding folks, but the laws we abide aren't necessarily those that come out of the mouths of the twisted, lying, bags of hot air who sully the vision of this nation's fathers.
Via War On Guns. (check it out daily!)
I think I'm going to go read it again...
Religion and God
I posted this to a board a while ago, and I was reminded of it so I dug it up. I think it's worth sharing...
Someone commented;
To which I replied...
I don't believe in jesus or any of the other superheros that you read about in books, but I can appreciate why others would. I admit that I hold certain religious beliefs that I can logically explain no more than any preacher of any other religion. It really just comes down to the fact that in my gut (for lack of a better word), my particular beliefs make sense to me, and other beliefs don't. People should be allowed to follow their gut, but shouldn't be forced to believe anything. However it's the responsibility of the people to seriously question their faith until they are truly (and I do mean truly) satisfied that their faith makes sense to them.
I'm agnostic because there's no major religion that believes exactly what I do. I believe in fate, and that we walk a path. I believe that we make decisions along that path that affect the way we live certain parts of our path; but that our overall destination and greater paths cannot be changed. Most of my beliefs come from parts of eastern philosophies (which is oh-so trendy in california, unfortunately). I DO believe that something or someone is out there, but you'd have a hard time convincing me that he or she would love you unconditionally one minute and then banish you to eternal damnation the next. Frankly, I think the creator of the universe would have something better to do.
I don't believe in the religious stick or carrot. You shouldn't dedicate your life to something because you want or don't want.
Oh yeah, I'm 22.
(and don't give me any "you'll change when you get older you young wippersnapper!" BS, because that's just admitting that you could change your own beliefs when you get even older. It doesn't make sense, and beliefs rarely change when you actually think them through the first time.)
Someone commented;
Well wasn't god created in the image of man? or vice a versa or something like that and what is to stop god from having mortal traits
If man can love you one minute and hate you the next what is so unbelievable about god being able to think that way as well ?
Just like a father that gets pissed off as what his kid does. Isn't he the heavenly father ? and are not we his children? do you see my point?
To which I replied...
A father might get mad at his kid for spilling paint in the garage, but he doesn't cast him into a firey pit to be tortured for all eternity. I think you're confusing anger with wrathfulness. And if you're not, and god would banish you forever for spilling paint in the garage, I certainly wouldn't want to believe in a god who was such a dick.
er... frankly... :)
Gun Store Jerks
Every month or two someone posts a question to one of the gun boards to the effect of "Why are the employees in gun stores jerks?" Which prompts a flurry of backlash from small gun shop owners rehashing the same stories they told last time this question came up about idiot customers who are much bigger jerks than they are. Then slighted customers respond about how they were mistreated by some gun shop employee some time, which causes more responses and on and on and on.
The basic claim from the gun store "jerks" is; gun store owners/employees have to deal with some REAL idiots, and they have a right to be bitter. Many of their stories include instances where they got to blow up at someone because they were being exceptionally idiotic. I say "got to" because they felt they had put up with enough crap from the customer, and felt justified in snapping at them.
This reasoning is bullshit because of one thing...
Helpdesk.
I worked helpdesk for a while, and had to deal with the bottom of the barrel, bar-none, true idiots. I know plenty of other people who've done the same thing for years. I honestly believe that there are few things in this world more frustrating than spending three hours trying to get some computer illiterate retard to open his e-mail settings. Yes, I have spent hours explaining to someone every little detail involved in accomplishing this task, from how to use a mouse, to what that thing moving around the screen is, to finding the "Start" button, to getting to "Control Panel," to explaining what icons are, to detailing how to change information in a window. Only to hang up, and take another call the exact same way. However, throughout all these infuriatingly idiotic calls, I and every other helpdesker I know, have kept our cool. We may blow up about it afterwards, but we DON'T take it out on the customer. This is primarily because the customer doesn't deserve it. The customer is an idiot. Yelling at an idiot is like yelling at a chair because a spring broke. It's pointless, and the mark of someone without self-control.
I'll make an exception where there was legitimate danger, which can happen when idiots handle firearms, but most of the yelling or put-downs are not the result of dangerous misuse of firearms. It's just people being dumb and ignorant (as they are wont to do), and otherwise rational people losing their cool.
Despite what they will argue, people snapping or blowing up at customers doesn't happen just as much in every industry. It seems focused in the gun shops for reasons owners and employees are not willing to fess up to.
You think you got it hard? Try working helpdesk.
The basic claim from the gun store "jerks" is; gun store owners/employees have to deal with some REAL idiots, and they have a right to be bitter. Many of their stories include instances where they got to blow up at someone because they were being exceptionally idiotic. I say "got to" because they felt they had put up with enough crap from the customer, and felt justified in snapping at them.
This reasoning is bullshit because of one thing...
Helpdesk.
I worked helpdesk for a while, and had to deal with the bottom of the barrel, bar-none, true idiots. I know plenty of other people who've done the same thing for years. I honestly believe that there are few things in this world more frustrating than spending three hours trying to get some computer illiterate retard to open his e-mail settings. Yes, I have spent hours explaining to someone every little detail involved in accomplishing this task, from how to use a mouse, to what that thing moving around the screen is, to finding the "Start" button, to getting to "Control Panel," to explaining what icons are, to detailing how to change information in a window. Only to hang up, and take another call the exact same way. However, throughout all these infuriatingly idiotic calls, I and every other helpdesker I know, have kept our cool. We may blow up about it afterwards, but we DON'T take it out on the customer. This is primarily because the customer doesn't deserve it. The customer is an idiot. Yelling at an idiot is like yelling at a chair because a spring broke. It's pointless, and the mark of someone without self-control.
I'll make an exception where there was legitimate danger, which can happen when idiots handle firearms, but most of the yelling or put-downs are not the result of dangerous misuse of firearms. It's just people being dumb and ignorant (as they are wont to do), and otherwise rational people losing their cool.
Despite what they will argue, people snapping or blowing up at customers doesn't happen just as much in every industry. It seems focused in the gun shops for reasons owners and employees are not willing to fess up to.
You think you got it hard? Try working helpdesk.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Book Readery
I'm working my way through one of the required classics I've somehow missed. Currently I'm enjoying Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I've marked some quotes of interest so I figured I'd share them.
"I don't know. That's what we ought to find out. Not just what you said. Not just business and earning a living. Things like winning battles, or saving people out of fires, or climbing mountains."
Of what importance is an individual in the titanic collective achievements of our industrial age?
He seemed unusually skillful at obtaining favors from the Legislature.
Dagny knew nothing about the field of "Washington ability" or what such an ability implied. But it seemed to be necessary, so she dismissed it with the thought that there were many kinds of work which were offensive, yet necessary, such as cleaning sewers; somebody had to do it, and Jim seemed to like it.
It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. you should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener.
Composing Lines
Pushing the lines along with your fingertips at the behest of half your brain and with random quirks of input from the other half ensures that the form, shape, and cadence of the line you parent holds some mystifying uniqueness that recreations will never capture.
Who could have the heart to erase them knowing they'll never be seen again?
Who could have the heart to erase them knowing they'll never be seen again?
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