Disqus - Latest Comments for sevesteen

Re: The Smallest Minority: Quora - a Target-Rich Environment

sevesteen — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 22:37:14 -0000

I personally know someone who had a no-shots-fired defensive gun use against a robber. I talked to the defender, and saw the article on our newspaper's website. I know the defender's name, the exact location, the date...but I can no longer find any record on the internet that this happened. No conspiracy, just small town news that nobody cares about enough to archive--I think the local newspaper was the only reporting on the story. There's a good chance that in a town much bigger it wouldn't have been considered newsworthy at all.

Re: What Do US Parents Fear Most?

sevesteen — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 22:36:37 -0000

If we're talking about reasonableness of fears, is it really reasonable to use the murder statistics for 18-24 year old adults as justification for feeling unsafe about our 10 year old children? I'm pretty sure there's a big difference between the statistics of the two groups.

Re: Politicians Sharing Passwords

sevesteen — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 22:03:24 -0000

In some places the process to get all the right access to do your job is so unnecessarily difficult even for those of us in IT that password sharing is rampant. In a case like this it isn't fair to blame the users, something needs to be done to make it practical to do the right thing.

Re: Solving the Gun Problem With an App | Scott Adams Blog

sevesteen — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 20:30:17 -0000

In general if it is legal, doesn't risk my employment and I'm not going to drink I carry. I'm not going to consult an app first, and I'm certainly not going to register with an app. Mass shootings aren't common enough for it to affect my decision one way or another...and if I think a gun is going to be needed to go there, I go somewhere else instead.

Re: “There ought to be a law” -Mother of 2015 Darwin Award Nominee

sevesteen — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 19:15:00 -0000

I really wish you'd get rid of the obnoxious pop-ups. 90% of the time I intentionally close the entire tab without trying to read further.

Re: The Smallest Minority: Computer Bleg

sevesteen — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 10:40:22 -0000

How much memory can your current computer take? As a low-budget option for non-gaming use, I might consider upping the RAM to 8gig or so, adding a SSD and buying a copy of Win7 on your current box. For most everyday tasks an SSD and sufficient RAM will feel faster than upping processor speed.

Re: Police: Teen shot dead by shopper wanted new Nike Air Jordan shoes

sevesteen — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 08:52:56 -0000

I go to that mall a couple times a year, so I've paid closer attention than I usually would. Initial reports didn't mention that the teen also had a gun, making it seem that the shooting was to retrieve a pair of stolen shoes. That bothered me, and that would have been morally wrong as well as illegal.

I legally carry a gun most of the time, but I also don't own anything I'm willing to kill to keep. If I could give up a $200 pair of shoes and not have to shoot someone I would--assuming I've got time enough to figure out the odds, and that I'm convinced letting him have my shoes would end the situation safely for me. Statistically most of the time when someone legally pulls a gun on a criminal nobody gets shot--the criminal runs or surrenders. Most people won't shoot if it can be avoided.

Violent crime should be dangerous, and there aren't many situations where I will fault someone who decides to shoot a criminal who is currently using a gun to commit a violent crime. Benefit of the doubt goes to the law abiding.

Re: Police Should Be On, Not Behind, Cameras

sevesteen — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:42:44 -0000

I think dashcams are more good than bad, body cameras would be even more. Good cops will welcome them, cops that don't welcome them aren't good cops. However, they need to be mandatory if used, and "oops, the camera broke" means that the cop's testimony is very suspect.

Re: The Best Earbuds Under $50

sevesteen — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:55:31 -0000

I bought a pair of the Panasonic earbuds based on this review, and I was extremely disappointed. I like the sound of the Monoprice earbuds, but they aren't very comfortable for long wearing. With the tips that seal my ears the Panasonic are extremely bass heavy with little mids or treble--almost like listening to music with earplugs. They are OK with smaller tips, but not great, and not noise blocking.

Re: Why Sidney schools might be the safest in the country

sevesteen — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 12:28:21 -0000

Publicising this is probably a bigger safety benefit than the actual guns in the school are--virtually all spree shooters choose places where guns are not allowed. A cheaper solution, and probably just as effective would be to publicly adopt a policy that staff with carry licenses could carry at school.

A "wannabe cop" who is legally allowed to work in a school would be legally allowed to own a gun, and probably would--so the only time guns legally in the school would make a difference here would be if the wannabe recovered so quickly they didn't have time to go get a gun.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Fri, 30 May 2014 23:14:49 -0000

If I thought it would help make the world a better place, I'd voluntarily give up my guns. Statistics matter though--if we're going to do something, and especially something concerning the bill of rights we need to be aware of unintended consequences. Prohibition of alcohol was a failure, and launched organized crime. Prohibition of pot is a failure. Statistics say that overall the laws we've tried have been a failure. I've no confidence that doing the same thing but more will be more successful.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Thu, 29 May 2014 20:53:08 -0000

At least you are honest about attempting to amend the constitution.

In most of America you can walk down the street without getting shot at, and again, the people shooting are going to shoot regardless of whether you take MY guns away. In the US at least, violent crime is not correlated with gun laws, based on Brady Campaign scores for state gun laws vs FBI crime statistics. This is fairly easy to do yourself--Either Excel or lots of online tools to do correlation analysis. Put the Brady scores in one column, the matching FBI violent crime rate in the other, and go. Results are well below statistical significance, and the direction depends on how you treat DC.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Thu, 29 May 2014 17:10:25 -0000

If I'm reading that right, as long as the excuse is good enough, it is OK to violate the constitution? How about we restrict press and publishing to prevent copycat spree shooters--is that different?

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Thu, 29 May 2014 06:23:58 -0000

Because prohibition was so effective for alcohol, and works so well for drugs and immigration. Would you be amending the constitution, or merely ignoring the parts you don't like?

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Wed, 28 May 2014 23:06:08 -0000

Google "NICS Prosecutions" if you think I'm making this up.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Wed, 28 May 2014 23:04:54 -0000

Won't do the whole thing again...but "toddler shot", date before May 20 first relevant story from Google showed me was this one:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/...
Felon in possession, 19 years old with a pistol.

Google search on toddler shoots, date before May 20, first result:
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
"misdemeanor child abuse because the house was kept in a dirty state." (in addition to felony child abuse for the shooting)

I didn't cherry pick, the only "massaging" was excluding stories after May 20 to get stories where there was a little time for followup--but neither of these articles even required followup, both showed some issue in the initial report.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Wed, 28 May 2014 21:44:26 -0000

That's half an hour I'm not willing to spend again for an internet argument. If you are actually interested you can do what I did--Google something like "toddler shoots", pick the first handful of stories that are about this. Google names and addresses within each story. When you find something like "police recovered illegal", "previous multiple police visits", "domestic violence" "probation" "arrested for something unrelated" or similar put that story in "not normal". (I'll leave it up to you whether "trailer park" counts...but it shows up more than I would expect)

If you're honest and reasonably skilled with Google, shouldn't take more than about 15-20 minutes to get first 3 of 5 with evidence of not normal.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Wed, 28 May 2014 21:05:41 -0000

No, most often they were NOT allowed to own guns under current laws. Background checks are a failure, there are virtually no prosecutions. Out of the original 73,000 denials in 2010, 62 cases were referred for prosecution, most were declined by prosecutors or dismissed by the court--just 13 found guilty.

Re: 3-year-old Arizona boy shoots 18-month-old brother dead with neighbor’s gun

sevesteen — Wed, 28 May 2014 16:51:45 -0000

I've done some unscientific, Google-based research on "preschool shooter" cases, checking on followup stories a week or two later. In almost all of them I was able to find evidence that it wasn't a normal law abiding household. The home is generally well known to the police for drugs, crime or violence, or further investigation shows an adult pulled the trigger and blamed it on the preschooler.

Re: Honda Settles U.S. Suit Over Nonroad-Engine Emisions

sevesteen — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 21:01:52 -0000

Honda didn't win....Honda was shaken down by a thug. Didn't cost them too much, but still a shakedown.

Re: Intelligun – Fingerprint security

sevesteen — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:02:14 -0000

The gun grabbers already want to make this or the equivalent mandatory on all guns, whether or not it works and regardless of cost. I believe New Jersey has a law already on the books making it mandatory once the technology is released commercially.

Re: Glenn Reynolds: “Ham Sandwich Nation: Due Process When Everything is a Crime”

sevesteen — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:02:38 -0000

I think there should be a limit to the seriousness of the original charge vs any plea bargain or lesser conviction--If you charge someone with a charge worth 10 years, a plea can only drop that to 40%. If a jury finds the defendant guilty of less, then the conviction doesn't stand.

Re: Ted Dziuba - I Am a Gun Owner. Let’s Talk Gun Control.

sevesteen — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:21:09 -0000

Disqus as it is working here is the worst commenting system I've ever used. I'm currently replying to Jessica Darko, who replied to my comment that was meant to be a reply to whoever was saying Mother Jones Magazine disproved the 'more likely in a gun free zone'--when the magazine didn't mention gun free zones at all.

I wonder where this reply winds up...

Re: Do Civilians Armed With Guns Ever Capture, Kill, or Otherwise Stop Mass Shooters?

sevesteen — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:11:01 -0000

People who really intend suicide are more likely to try effective methods. People who don't really mean it are likely to pick ineffective methods. I'm also not willing to give up my rights to protect someone else from a voluntary act that they initiated.

Re: Ted Dziuba - I Am a Gun Owner. Let’s Talk Gun Control.

sevesteen — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 21:08:42 -0000

I'm not seeing anything in that article about gun free zones one way or the other. It is also a difficult thing to determine whether a place realistically bans guns--A few malls have 'no weapons' buried in among 47 other mall rules that nobody reads. In my state, that doesn't count unless it can be proved that I read the rules.