If any Islamic extremists are considering doing a repeat of the little number they did in Russia last week with us in the U.S. they should do it in major city many, many  miles from the nearest farms.  If you do it near a farming community your bodies (living or dead) will likely be fed to the pigs.  If your family wants to bury your remains they will have to pick the bone fragments out of the pig manure.

Saturday we went for a hike near Helmer.  Xenia put on her elf ears and her corset and other clothes to make her look like an elf.  Just to bug her I keep telling her she the pointy ears made her look like a Vulcan.  It was a nice walk and I took lots of pictures of my little Vulcan.

Sunday I shot in a Lewiston Pistol Club IPSC match.  The results aren't out yet but I suspect I won.  I did very well in two stages and “pretty good” in the other two.  Some of my biggest competitors had problems in one or more stages and probably put themselves out of the running.  I took lots of pictures and put them on the web.  In the rifle match I came in last though.  I really need to practice IPSC rifle stuff a LOT more.  I can start by doing dry firing a bunch.  There were a lot of people at the match and it wasn't organized as well as it could have been and it ran very late.

When I got home from the IPSC match Barb and I went for a walk.  When we came back I started working on cleaning out the garage which I was supposed to do much earlier.  I just barely started when Kim called and said she was coming over to say hi and her friend Spunky wanted to play a game of chess with me.  They came over and I stomped on the poor kid.  He said he couldn't get very many people to play him and none of them were very good players.  I thought maybe he knew how to play but I knew it was going to be a push over after he made his very first move (he moved his knight to king's rook three).  As I told Xenia I could only think of about two other moves that would have been worse for a first move.  He was very polite and seemed to be a nice enough kid.  He said it was the first time he had a good game since he played his science teacher.  I told him I was home on weekends and I would be glad to play him again.  If he comes back I'll give him some pointers after the game.

Xenia and I put finished off getting all recycling stuff to the center then went to a move, Alien vs. Predator.  The best thing about the movie was the line in the preview, “Whoever wins, we loose.”  It wasn't a bad movie.  It just wasn't that good.  It wasn't entirely consistent with the other Alien movies which bugged me some.  But I did like what they did with one female character.  She is putting a pistol in her holster and the lead character in the movie asks, in a disapproving voice, if she thinks she is going to need that (they think they are just going to visit a pyramid site under the Antarctic ice cap).  The woman with the pistol says something like, “I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.  Just like condoms.”  Very cool. Handguns portrayed as a protective tool.  Of course she does need it - but against the alien beasts and the predators it doesn't do much good.

Today Barb and I are going for a hike on Kamiak Butte.  Maybe look for a geocache.

A few days ago I got on the case of the California lawmakers who were afraid of toy guns.  In the U.K. the repression is so extreme they used the force of law to stop a paid advertisement that displayed the use of a starting pistol.  Apparently they are afraid that people might actually think it is 'normal' that some people would own a starting pistol.  They banned the advertisment:

In this advertisement, the starter pistol was used in both an apparent casual manner and just for fun, to signal the start of the man's journey. The domestic setting, together with the gun simply lying in a drawer, normalised the ownership of guns.

So not only is it against the law to own a firearm but it is against the law to express a viewpoint that it might be normal for people to own a firearm.  Why are those politicians still allowed to breath?  How are they any different than some theocratic country where women aren't allowed to show their skin and everyone is required to adhere to the same religious tenets?  They are a bunch of repressive tyrants and should be dealt with as such.  I'm increasingly lead to believe we should start pushing the human rights issue with some of our “allies”.

The Islamic extremists are expanding on the activities of earlier this week and last:

Heavily armed insurgents, some with explosives strapped to their bodies, seized a school in southern Russia today and herded scores of schoolchildren and others into its gymnasium.

More than a dozen guerrillas, including men and women, stormed Middle School No. 1 in the town of Beslan in the republic of North Ossetia, not far from Chechnya on Russia's southern border with Georgia, just moments after the opening of the new school year, according to officials there and news reports.

According to one report:

...the hostage-takers threatened to kill 50 children for each of their number killed and 20 for each wounded.

This reminds me some of the Modoc Indian War.  Barb and have visited Lava Beds National Monument where the war took place several times and each time is just as interesting as the last.  The bit of history that is relevant here is that at one point the Modoc Indians entered into peace negotiations.  They didn't really understanding how the U.S. Army worked believed that if they killed the “big chief”, the general, the army would just go away.  And so it must be with the Chechnya Islamic extremists.  They apparently just don't understand what their actions mean to us. 

Probably just as important is that we might really understand them.  As one person in the CIA who worked with psychologists there told me, “Most people don't realize just how different these people think than we do.”  It wasn't an appropriate time to follow up on his statement but I would love to do that some time.  Just what can we do to “motivate them” in a manner consistent with our goals?  High velocity lead poisoning works but what other things could we be doing?  One thing is certain, they don't know how to motivate us in a manner consistent with their goals.  My response would be somewhat along the lines of  “we are going to read up on the methods used on Dresden and it will be one city block containing a mosque for each child injured, one small town and all mosques for each child killed”.

Reading news.google.com today I find mention of Twin Suicide Bombings on Israeli Buses, Moscow Suicide Bomer Kills 10, Injures 51, Video Claims to Show Hostages Being Killed, France Pushes to Save Hostages in Iraq, and Darfur Conditions Said Worse, Talks Resume.  And that's just a single snapshot of the current situation.  That doesn't include the two planes that were taken down in Russia or the Italian journalist killed last week.  From a quick glance it would appear we have a world wide war on our hands.  The Islamic extremists versus the non-Muslims. 

This is consistent with this post I made and with Bin Laden's open letter to America.  Ry and I were talking about this a few weeks ago and didn't come up with anything much better than what Bush is already trying to do in Iraq.  Provide a “shining beacon” of non-religious prosperity and tolerance to the Islamic world in their own backyard.  Then capture or kill anyone that tries to destroy our example or us.  Short term we will draw them to the people best able to deal with them -- our soldiers in armored vehicles and airborne gunships.  As long as they are drawn to the fighting in Iraq they aren't bringing down our civilian airplanes, commercial buildings, or blowing up our buses.  Long term we need to destroy the culture that breeds these type of intolerant people.  We have been doing that, but unintentionally, which is part of the reason they hate us so.  Their young people see the sex, recreational drugs (including alcohol), and general decadent lifestyle (gambling, women with exposed skin, etc) and fail to have an interest in the Spartan religious life.  We have been destroying their culture through subversion of their youth with our culture for decades.  As our communication and culture propagates around the globe they see the “end of the line” for their way of life and their religion.

So... it appears to Ry and I they have a sensitive spot they are responding to with violent action.  That must mean they want us to stop.  I do not believe they will ever willingly stop their war on our culture.  We have been in a culture war with them for 1500 years or so.  It's not going to stop in the next five or ten years.  Our only course of action that will guarantee this war will stop is to finish the job.  Their culture must be destroyed.  Don't we have sufficient evidence that they want nothing less than our total destruction?  If you don't think that is true then take a look at Bin Laden's letter again.  So... given that we must destroy their culture then we should expend more effort in accomplishing this task.  The question is how do we do this?  One of Ry's suggestions was dropping porn magazine out of airplanes over Muslim population centers.  How about air dropping samples of wine, beer, cards (gambling), and dice?  Or even just putting free internet access in their cities?  They apparently have a “soft spot” in the minds of their youth.  We should take advantage of it.  Long term it is our only acceptable solution.  The visible alternatives are not acceptable.

Last week I missed a couple days of work because I was really dizzy.  No fever or anything, the world just seemed to be rotating in weird directions and angles.  I went to the doctor on Saturday who did a few tests and said it probably was an inner ear problem rather than some of the more serious things that were possible like a brain injury.  It comes and goes, sometimes I feel fine and other times I feel it's nearly time to sit or lay down before I fall down.  Aerobics went fairly well last night.  My endurance seemed okay.  Balance wasn't great but good enough to not be particularily embarrassing.

Probably the most interesting aspect to this is that Gina (at work) stopped me in the hallway a this morning and asked some questions about where I drank my water here at work.  It turns out several other people here have been having problems with dizziness in the last month or so.  They are trying to figure out a common cause.  Nothing yet.

The instructor found some additional people to attend so starting Monday I'm back to dripping sweat onto the floor of a small room with others twice a week.  I just got the following email:

-----Original Message-----
From: KANDACE
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 9:14 AM
To: Huffman, Joseph K
Subject: Re: RE:

Very cute!!! I will count you in!! And it is a go!!! Kandace

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Huffman, Joseph K

To: KANDACE

Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 9:58 AM

Subject: RE:

Count me as one of the people disappointed (see also: http://blog.joehuffman.org/archive/2004/08/18/320.aspx ).

 

Starting next weeks sounds good.  I'm a bit ill this week anyway.

 

-joe-
----
http://www.joehuffman.org
http://www.boomershoot.org

-----Original Message-----
From: KANDACE
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 4:08 PM
To: Downs, Janelle L; Simmons, Mary Ann; Peurrung, Loni M; Huffman, Joseph K; Sharma, Seema
Cc: Fowler, Kimberly M; Icayan, Sheri L; Chien, Yi-Ju; Pospical, Jill
Subject:

I have had feedback that there is a lot of dissapointment regarding cancellation of the 5:10pm cardio crosstrain class due to lack of participation. There are few from the 4:05 class that are willing to move to the 5:10 class to get the numbers up to the 7 needed for class due to the fact that I am offering some bosu during that classtime as well. If you are still interested, let me know, and we will resume class next week if there are enough participants. Cost will be reduced to $60 for the remainder of the session!! Let me know ASAP!!!I will let you all know as soon as possible regarding class next week!!! Kandace

The MD5 hash is used for “digitally signing” data.  It is very popular and it performs an exceedingly important function in computer security.  There are alternatives to it so long term it isn't a big issue assuming the current or related flaw isn't found in them too.  But short term it's still a big deal.

http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1503863220;fp;16;fpid;0

Researchers have discovered a flaw in the MD5 algorithm that is used to provide a unique signature for data.

Xiaoyun Wang, a Chinese expert, and three colleagues have discovered the flaw in the hash function algorithm, which is used in applications, such as EMC's Centera content-addressable file store. The flaw was revealed at the Crypto 2004 conference.

A duplicated hash value is called a collision. Such a hash function is not un-crackable. It relies for its effectiveness on the great amount of time required to break it. Until the Chinese team's work, several million hours of compute time would have been needed. They showed that it could be done within a few hours on a standard PC.

Rob Schrimshaw from Indiana Partnership to Prevent Firearm Violence (which as near as I can tell doesn't have a website) is clueless about firearms.  He claims

"I think the effectiveness was questionable when the ban was originated in 1994. It was intended to ban all different types of assault weapons. The manufacturers kind of circumvented those regulations with design modifications so these weapons that are still on the market today still have the ability to fire rapidly, still highly accurate, still can shoot over a tremendous distance and actually can carry a higher, more powerful caliber of bullet as well," said Rob Schrimshaw, Indiana Partnership to Prevent Firearm Violence.

What “assault weapon” is he talking about?  If you know much of anything about firearms the answer will floor you.  This is the lead up to that paragraph:

The groups are holding a news conference Tuesday. They will focus on high-powered rifles like the SKS assault rifle used by Kenneth Anderson in last Wednesday's deadly gun battle.

The SKS???  First off the SKS is not an assault rifle (fully automatic).  But that was the reporter saying that.  I tend to give them some slack on that somewhat fine point.  Every statement Mr. Schrimshaw made about this rifle is false.  If he is to be taken seriously by anyone he should know something about what he is talking about.  He doesn't appear to know anything.

1. It was not modified to avoid the “assault weapon ban”.  It was never covered by the Clinton Gun Ban.  It was not specifically mentioned and it does not have the “ugly features” required by the ban to qualify. 
2. It cannot be fired any more rapidly than any other semi-automatic firearm.  In fact, it has such a long, hard trigger pull that it can't be fired as rapidly as most.
3. It is not “highly accurate“.  It is the most inaccurate rifle I know.
4. It cannot shoot over tremendous distance.  It shoots a light weight (123 to 125 grain) .30 caliber bullet at a velocity that is on the low end of normal for a rifle (about 2300 fps).  The light weight bullet, for that caliber, combined with a low velocity means the range is far below normal.  And because it is so inaccurate as the range increases the usefulness of the rifle goes to zero.
5. It does not “carry a higher, more powerful caliber of bullet”.  .30 caliber bullets are very ordinary.  The cartridge used by the SKS, 7.62x39, is considered medium-powered at best.

But what do you expect?  The truth?  If they were to tell the truth then no one be interested in their agenda.  Only by telling falsehoods (I hesitate to say lie because he may simply be grossly ignorant) can they gain any traction.

Talking about banning guns the news, not just commentary, describes anti-freedom lawmakers as “moderate”.  I'm reading Weapons of Mass Distortation by L. Brent Bozell II and reading the news now takes on a new light.  What he describes enabled me to see this stuff.  It just jumps off the page at me:

If there's one issue on which Republicans usually agree, it's their strong defense of the Second Amendment. But less than two weeks before the GOP convention, moderates and conservatives find themselves at odds over the soon-to-expire semi-automatic gun ban.

The news doesn't talk about the Democrats being “divided“ or the Democrats opposed to gun control as being moderate or the gun banners as being extremists.

As I have been saying for years in general people want to be near "the center" in their beliefs.  If the perception is that banning guns is "moderate" then more people will adapt that position.  The news, not just the commentary, is incredibly biased to give an anti-freedom slant on nearly every issue.

The California Legislature banned toy guns (probably requires that you register) in public.  Okay, they sort of have a rational basis for it.  I'm all for letting Darwin take care of the problem but in a Nanny state you can't expect that.  But what really got to me was that some of the legislators reaction to the toys brought into chambers.  They were told they were toy guns before they were brought into the chambers but they still were so afraid they moved away.

Before Spitzer began speaking in favor of the measure on the Assembly floor, lawmakers were told he had permission from Democratic and Republican leaders to bring replicas to the chamber. Still, the sight of realistic-looking firearms — an M60 assault weapon and a 9mm handgun replica supplied by the Department of Justice — upset some lawmakers, a few of whom moved away from Spitzer and formally objected.

Is there a way to get these people some psychiatric help?  People this sick should be removed from public office.

Tonight was the last aerobics class for at least six weeks. Only four people signed up for the next session and that isn't enough. They need at least seven. Usually it fills up fast and there is a waiting list. As I was the only guy in the class I worried that maybe I was scaring people away. The instructor laughed at me and said no when I asked her in private tonight. So, I suppose that isn't the problem. Maybe it's just the time of year or something. People have other things going on right now or something. It makes me a bit sad. I really feel good afterwards for a while. It can be hell in that little room with no air conditioning and the sweat dripping off me so much the floor is slick in spots. Sometimes she would work us hard enough that my legs would start going numb and I would start seeing the tunnel vision coming on -- that happens just before you pass out. I used push myself that hard when I was in track back in high school but it has been over 30 years since I pushed myself that hard. I go for walks with Barb but that really probably doesn't even qualify as maintenance exercise.

Oh well... I should have more time for reloading ammo and shooting for the next six weeks.  I'll miss the exercise and the flirting with the instructor though.

Amusing. I particularly like the part about the aunt sexually abusing the guy with a tree branch.

 Officials said Mario Russo, 44, was attacked after he was spotted outside a bedroom window wearing his pants around his ankles and watching a 5-year-old girl who was sleeping outside the Bunker Ridge Apartments.

Russo was reportedly hiding in bushes.

Police said after he was discovered a group of six people, include the girl's mother, aunt and their boyfriends attacked him and brutally beat him for more than an hour.

The police report and mug shots of the attackers are available too.

With his pants at his ankles and his face swollen, Russo was found with "a twig inserted into his rectum and there was false teeth laying in the grass next to the male," according to cops. A witness told investigators that he heard a female attacker yelling, "put it in his ass, he wants it in his ass."

Yes. It was illegal for them to take the law into their own hands. Yes, they should be arrested and prosecution should be given serious consideration. But if I was on the jury I would be seeing images in my head of when my daughters were five years old and the punishment I would feel was just would be compensation to the landowner for the missing twig from the tree. Realistically I would probably go for something more harsh than that but it would be an effort to override my feelings.

Yes, the John Ross.  I had sent him an invitation to Boomershoot 2005.  In the body of the message I said 2004 although the subject line said 2005.  He was concerned about his lack of a time travel machine and after I straightend out my error we talked for about 15 minutes.  He's not certain he can make it, a long ways to travel, etc.  But he did sound very interested.  Mostly he asked a bunch of questions about the mix we use and how dangerous it was etc.  He told me stories of his shooting at dynamite (among other things -- about 1/6 of a stick in tennis balls).  Anyway, we'll see if he can make it.  It would be rather cool to have him out and to have him participate. 

I asked about the ETA of his next book. He said “Sometime in 2005.  Not early 2005, but sometime in 2005.”