Monthly Archives: October 2008

Quote of the day–Tamara K.

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…[W]hen I get to the moon I’d like a choice of food other than Happy Family Pork Seafood Rice #5. I was kinda hoping for a Big Mac rather than some soy & curry concoction, though. If we want to get back in the game, I say we tell Americans that anything that happens over a hundred miles up is tax-free, and then stand the hell back.


Tamara K.
October 22, 2008
The space race goes on…
[I’d prefer a little lower altitude, like five miles, but we’re just quibbling over details at that point.–Joe]

It’s the government–we can trust them

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Remember the post from last week? In the article I linked to they said:



It’s not an image people would find invasive.


And:



It’s not possible to save an image or get it out of the machine, it’s physically not possible.


That was in Australia and this is the same technology being tested in Europe:



I wonder why the picture they share with us to demonstrate their technology is cut off the just below the breasts–NOT!


They are arguing about it now but I fully expect arguments that it is “for the children” or “the good of everyone” will prevail and within a year or so it will be back to normal Security Theater as usual with most everyone thinking they are safer when in fact they are not. But maybe it will save the little old ladies from getting their feet broken by TSA quite so often.


Update: Via a comment from Barron we now have more of the picture:



Nice, huh?

Nanny is tightening her grip down under

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Via my Aussie friend at work I found out Australians are going to be prevented from viewing Internet materials their Nanny state deems “illegal”. As he put it, “North Korea, China and now Australia all have something in common. Content filtering.”

Details here, here, and here:

Details have begun to come out about Australia’s Cyber-Safety Plan, which aims to block “illegal” content from being accessed within the country, as well as pornographic material inappropriate for children. Right now, the system is in the testing stages, but network engineers are now saying that there’s no way to opt out entirely from content filtering.

It was “for the children” and now it’s for everyone.

As pointed out in the articles the concern is what will be considered “illegal”. This blog and my Boomershoot web site are blocked by many schools and businesses. I wouldn’t be surprised if there aren’t some countries it is blocked in as well. Just firearms training videos could be blocked in countries that have repressive gun laws. Even the concept of being responsible for yourself and fighting back when attacked is already essentially illegal in the U.K. Will just talk of the right to self defense soon be considered a thought crime there and other formerly free countries?

As they were getting their guns taken away I kept wondering why they didn’t start shooting the politicians then. I can’t help but think they are probably now wondering the same thing.

Mayor Greg Nickels needs things “clarified”

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Via Dave Hardy (from last week–I’m still getting caught up from being on vacation) I discovered someone has a serious comprehension problem:



Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels says he’s hoping for “further clarity” on his authority to ban guns on city property.


He said Wednesday the city has a “moral responsibility” to pursue what he calls common sense gun laws.


Attorney General Rob McKenna issued a nonbinding opinion Monday that says cities lack the authority to ban guns because local laws would conflict with state regulations.


One would think the mayor would have hear of D.C. v. Heller. And if that wasn’t enough, in case you forgot, the AG said, using the plain and simple words, “The answer to your question is no.”


Perhaps Nickels needs a “clue by four” to assist him in comprehending simple sentences. If so, The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says they are ready to supply the necessary clarification in the form of a lawsuit.

Anything you video can be used against you

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The first thing I thought of when I read this was the gun bloggers who went to summer camp at Blackwater a couple months ago. The critical portion is this (emphasis added):



The video that spurred the investigation of five men accused of plotting an attack on soldiers on New Jersey’s Fort Dix shows some of them in camouflage clothing, firing rapid-fire weapons on a snowy driving range.


An investigator who was on the case from the beginning testified Tuesday that the way the men were firing was unusual.


“They were actually advancing toward a target,” said Fred Lang, a member of an FBI anti-terrorism task force who was previously in the military. “Through my years as a firearms instructor, I’ve never seen that done.”


“There’s only one reason for that,” Lang said. “It’s a fire-and-maneuver tactic.”


We did that at summer camp (see the video here). We do that in USPSA matches all the time. Yet this is being used against these guys as if it were something essentially unheard of.


It may in fact be these guys were training to kill U.S. soldiers and should be sent to prison for a long time. But this one thing in and of itself should not be conclusive proof of evil intent. I am concerned of precedent being set.

Random Obama facts

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In the right column of this blog in the “Politics” section is a new addition I found at The Peoples Cube–“Random Obama Facts”. Each time you refresh the page a random “fact” will be displayed. Some of my favorites:



Obama visited Benjamin Franklin in a dream and told him how to live his life serving the community, but all that Franklin could remember was, how to fly a kite.


Any sentence containing the name “Obama” and ending in a question mark has been determined to be racist.  The only exceptions are rhetorical sentences such as “Is there any way that Obama could be more perfect?”


Obama can calculate your guilt just by looking at the numbers in your checkbook.


Big government is like a thousand foot fishing line with a hook, but efficiency is always an inch beyond the hook. Every time you realize this, Obama wants you to believe that the government must grow an inch bigger.


Obama smokes so you don’t have to.


Obama always overpays his taxes because he believes that the government will find a better use for his money than he ever could.

Federal judges critical of Heller ruling

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This seems so odd to me. How can they possibly make such a claim?



Judge Richard A. Posner, in an article in The New Republic in August, wrote that Heller’s failure to allow the political process to work out varying approaches to gun control that were suited to local conditions “was the mistake that the Supreme Court made when it nationalized abortion rights in Roe v. Wade.”


Would he say the same about the right to a trial by jury, freedom of religion, or freedom of speech? The RKBA, is a specific, enumerated right. Yet Posner thinks it should be subject to “the political process”? If that were the case then what does he think a right really is?


And if you read his article in The New Republic you will find he misstates facts and overlooks things like the state constitutions at nearly the same time as the U.S. Constitution that specifically spelled out the RKBA as an individual right.


How can someone like this be considered fit to be a judge?


Or what about this?



“In both Roe and Heller,” Judge Wilkinson wrote, “the court claimed to find in the Constitution the authority to overrule the wishes of the people’s representatives. In both cases, the constitutional text did not clearly mandate the result, and the court had discretion to decide the case either way.”


What about the wishes of the people’s representatives in Alabama, Mississippi, and the other deep south states of 50 years ago. Should have they been respected?


It seems to me that these judges are unable or unwilling to embrace the concept of inalienable rights.


If I were able to change the structure of our government one of the changes I would make is there would be specific provisions for a small minority to overthrow any law which plausibly granted to the government powers beyond those enumerated in the constitution. It seems too many people are unable to think of there being a problem that would not benefit from a government solution. And what I think of when government tries to solve problems is best described by the picture here.

Right to chose

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I’m all for freedom of choice and it’s interesting to me the debate over open carry is sometimes actually framed in those words in the media. But then this is an Oklahoma newspaper.


Sometime I’ll have to spend an hour or three and collect my thought on open carry for a post. I’m all for it but I do worry about scaring the sheeple and it backfiring on us.

Bigotry and ignorance on display

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What follows is what the believers of unity think of gun owners. Sometimes I just have to shake my head at the extraordinary displays of bigotry and ignorance of those that think they are enlightened. From the comments:



bengaliman Oct 20 08, 11:03am


Ignorant fools who deserve every bit of bad news they get. Lets hope they use it on themseleves at soem point. Lets face it they are racists who wont come out with what they really think.


Ahh… yes. Someone who thinks they can read the minds of other people and is ignorant of the racist origins of gun control. I’ll ignore his spelling errors…



Struggling Oct 20 08, 11:32am


Hear the store guys’ closing words: He’s a hard nut to crack.


Their effort to convince Marc must have been all the bullshit they were spouting about Obama.


Just shows the extremity of some people’s distance from reality. Their viewing must be entirely Fox or some cable effort of even more extreme outlook. I don’t know what their reading might be (Mein Kampf would be a funny suggestion but an unfair one may be??).


These are people perhaps Obama is not going to be able to convince? Perhaps his drive for votes might not need to expend so much on them?


Crazy guys.


Obama has me convinced. His record is clear.



MrPoisson Oct 20 08, 12:18pm



These are people perhaps Obama is not going to be able to convince?


Well that’s a given – there’s a vast population of gun totin’, chequered shirted, and outspokenly racist redneck types across the states. I went (out of bemused curiosity) to a pawn shop/gun range in south Florida which was entirely staffed and frequented by a section of society you wouldn’t want to have access to a pen knife let alone an enormous 7.62mm assault rifle. They all seem to possess that stubborn, unwavering, and willfully ignorant patriotism which really has no place in todays world.


I just hope the latest polls accurately reflect these idiots.


7.62mm is “enormus” and he thinks we are idiots? And how was it he determined the people at the gun range should have access to a pen knife? Was it because of their checkered shirts or was it because they were patriotic? The important part is he doesn’t think people with the viewpoints opposed to his have a place in “todays world”. I’m reminded of someone else who had similar thoughts.



Roosterbooster198 Oct 20 08, 12:47pm


Secession for the East and West coasts looks more attractive by the day. Secede, and leave these imbeciles to rot in Third World squalor.


This guy displays mind-boggling ignorance of reality. And he really, really, doesn’t want to go there. If the heartland put an blockade on the food and water flowing into the East and West coasts within two weeks there will only be rats and cannibals crawling through the rubble of the burned out cities. The farmers, ranchers, miners, factory, and construction workers may not be able to get much content on their TV sets and their medical resources would be diminshed but they would have plenty of food, water, and ammunition as they manned the big dirt berms pushed up around the cities and put out the run away fires, and shot the arrogant elistists who believe themselves smarter and superior as they attempted to crawl out of the hell they created for themselves.



jigen Oct 20 08, 4:31pm


The National Rifle Association — which is the lobby for gun manufacturers and sellers, but poses as an organization fighting for the rights of the little guy — has been putting out literature saying ‘Obama will take your guns’. The literature even looks like an Obama flier, which must be confusing for these hillbillies when they see a stack of them at the local gun-show.


http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/nra_targets_obama.html


In a way, I feel sorry for these people. They are under-educated — products of a school system the Republican Party wants to keep in place because it favors them — and fearful, because they are told to be afraid. If it comes to the crunch, these people aren’t going to be the ones who survive. What will they do, make their own bullets? The stockpile won’t last for long, and survival will need intelligence, strength and good health much more than cowardice, brute force and a lack of fashion sense.


The NRA is a lobby for gun manufactures and sellers? This is an extraordinarily common belief among anti-gun socialists. My hypothesis is their hatred of capitalism blinds them to reality–they are incapable of seeing the world other than in terms of the “evils of capitalism” and those that oppose socialism are either dupes of, or in collusion with, the capitalists. In the case of the NRA it is very, very clear they are completely, totally, wrong.


Under-educated? I have a BSEE and MSEE, my wife has two college degrees, our only son has a BS in computer science, and both daughters are in college. I have to wonder what sort of education jigen has such that he thinks I and/or my family are under-educated. Yes, people can and do make their own bullets. And I love it when he mentions fashion sense as related to “survival”.

Shooting with the Enemy

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Ladd Everitt, a anti-gun activist, goes shooting with Brian Borgelt, the former owner of Bull’s Eye Shooter Supply.


His experience is similar to mine in the opposite direction. They may be bigots and are enabling terrible things but it’s quite possible they are nice people. It’s something to keep in mind in our battle against the evil they, in most cases unwittingly, do.


Anti-gun activist Mike Beard has similar comments about his meetings with Neal Knox and others.

A Weapon of Thought

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An email I received from L. Neil Smith:



A WEAPON OF THOUGHT


 


By L. Neil Smith <lneil@netzero.com>


 


 


   Aaron Zelman, founder and executive director of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, has announced creation of a vital and unique new resource for advocates of the individual right to own and carry weapons.


 


   _2A Today for the USA_ is a free 23-minute video presentation, a weapon of thought, specifically produced to disrupt and destroy the evil, inhumane agenda of victim disarmers and gun prohibitionists with generous applications of legal and historical truth. Because JPFO encourages the widest possible distribution of this film, it is being offered on the Internet for free, with numerous options for viewing or downloading.


 


   Quite simply put, in these frightening times we’re living through today, you must use this video — or lose your guns.


 


   Although many gun rights advocates mistakenly believe that the recent Heller Supreme Court decision was a victory for our side, in fact it authorizes all manner of infringements — in the form of “reasonable” regulation — on the individual right to own and carry weapons. _2A Today for the USA_ sets the legal and historical record straight.


 


   In the current national election — no matter what political propagandists are saying now — both sides are sworn and established enemies of private, individual gun ownership, who either don’t understand the Second Amendment, or willfully misinterpret it. _2A Today for the USA_ exposes them for what they are: ruthless would-be dictators who find a well-armed populace an inconvenience to their plans.


 


   One thing is certain: whoever wins this election, we will have no friends in the White House for the next four to eight years. Even if John McCain wins, and Sarah Palin means what she appers to say on Second Amendment issues, she won’t be the boss, and she won’t be able to dissuade her boss from ravaging our rights as he has always tried to do.


 


   We all know the setup: cowardly Republican president wants some pet bill passed; predatory Democratic congress tacks on an anti-gun hitchhiker; cowardly Republican folds like a dollar bill and more of our rights disappear.


 


   Clearly, you must use this video — or lose your guns.


 


   Go to: <http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/2a-today-download.htm> to view or download the movie, which was made possible by JPFO’s members and supporters.


 


   Please send this announcement to your friends and everyone on your address lists. That should include every gun owner, every gun dealer, every hunting buddy, and everyone else you know.


 


   Make sure JPFO’s video is seen — as a warning, if nothing else — by anyone in a position to help take your guns away. Start modestly, with just half a dozen city council members, then work your way up to the mayor, city manager, municipal and county judges, county commissioners, the governor, state and federal representatives, senators, and judges.


 


   What does it cost, how much time does it take, to send an e-mail?


You must use this video — or lose your guns.


 


   Be relentless with the media — with radio stations, newspapers, and television. Be sure to include any clubs you may belong to: they all start their meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance, make sure they know what it really means.


 


   Don’t overlook “friends of the NRA” — they need to be shown the truth more than most. Here’s something you can do: tell your friends that when they are approached by various gun groups for money, they should demand that the group encourage their members to watch _2A Today for the USA_ on the Internet or there will be no more donations or memberships for phony “freedom fighters”.


 


   Tell them they must use this video — or lose their guns.


 


   Follow whatever viewing or downloading procedure best suits your preferences, and download/bandwidth options. PC users can right click and choose “save target as” on links to download the files to your computer. There are also links to YouTube and Blip.TV. Please email us if you have any problems.


 


   Again, <http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/2a-today-download.htm>


 


   Remember, you must use this video — or lose your guns.


 


================================================================


 Four-time Prometheus Award-winner L. Neil Smith has written on guns and gun ownership for more than 30 years. He is the author of 27 books, the most widely-published and prolific libertarian novelist in the world, and is considered an expert on the ethics of self-defense.


His writings (including _The Probability Broach_, _Roswell, Texas_ and the newly re-released _Tom Paine Maru_) may be seen on the following


sites:


 


LNS at JPFO: http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/lneilsmith.htm


 


BigHeadPress.com: http://www.bigheadpress.com/


 


Arc Manor/Phoenix Pick: http://www.phoenixpick.com/


 


_The Libertarian Enterprise_:  http://www.ncc-1776.org/


 


The Webley Page:  http://www.lneilsmith.org/

The attack surface is too large

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When examining the security of a system we have something called the “attack surface”. This is the area exposed to threats. If the system being studied is a web site then among other things the attack surface is composed of the physical server, open ports, and the URL for the site. These “surfaces” can be attacked. For example the the URL could be attacked with alternate pages and query strings. If you get lucky and/or know what you are doing you can obtain access to configuration files (such as this one I just found) which frequently contain information that can be used to get unauthorized access. The larger the attack surface the harder it is to make the system secure.


In a free society the attack surface is enormous and we, consciously or unconsciously, have decided the benefits of an open free society out weigh the susceptibility to attack and/or the cost to defend the attack surfaces. For example the grocery store keeps all the fresh fruits and vegetables accessible for the customers to directly examine. This allows anyone to tamper with them for their own evil purposes. We don’t have armed guards and security systems for the entire length of our water supply. We don’t have the means to realistically protect our air supply from nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) attacks.


When an attack surface is so large that it is essentially indefensible the smart security experts will put their limited security resources into mitigate the risk. In the case of our water supply we have multiple systems and medical facilities which reduce the number of people affected from a single point attack and provide care for those that are affected.


These principles are well known and adhered to by security professionals. I must therefore conclude that TSA (A Security Theater) isn’t concerned with real security. More evidence of this just came in:



The government has not been able to keep track of all the airport security uniforms and badges it issues, which makes secure areas in airports vulnerable to terrorists posing as authorized officials, according to an internal review released Friday.


The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general looked at five airports across the country from October 2006 through June 2007. The IG found major deficiencies in the Transportation Security Administration’s ability to keep track of uniforms, particularly after an employee leaves the job.


As some of us discussed at the Gun Blogger Rendezvous having a uniform and/or just being able to speak the language will get you access to places and things that should have been way out of bounds.


Another attack surface in airplane security is the process for screening materials that are allowed past the security check point:



If some copycat terrorists try to bring their liquid bomb through airport security and the screeners catch them — like they caught me with my bottle of pasta sauce — the terrorists can simply try again. They can try again and again. They can keep trying until they succeed. Because there are no consequences to trying and failing, the screeners have to be 100 percent effective. Even if they slip up one in a hundred times, the plot can succeed.


The same is true for knitting needles, pocketknives, scissors, corkscrews, cigarette lighters and whatever else the airport screeners are confiscating this week. If there’s no consequence to getting caught with it, then confiscating it only hurts innocent people. At best, it mildly annoys the terrorists.


To fix this, airport security has to make a choice. If something is dangerous, treat it as dangerous and treat anyone who tries to bring it on as potentially dangerous. If it’s not dangerous, then stop trying to keep it off airplanes. Trying to have it both ways just distracts the screeners from actually making us safer.


The attack surface the TSA is trying to protect is just too large. We should spend that money on alternatives. What we are doing now is just entertainment for those that enjoy security theater.

Obama and rights

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Barack Obama says that health care is a right. Which apparently, in his world view, means government should make it possible for everyone to obtain health insurance via tax credits and forcing employers to provide it. He also says he believes gun ownership is a right. Therefore one should reasonably be able to conclude he also believes similar measures would be appropriate to pay for guns and ammo for everyone, right?


Odd, he doesn’t say anything about that in his policy statement.