Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Three more dead in Chicago

In a place with some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, bodies are still being found on "gang blocks".

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The philosophy of liberty

Please take the time to watch this amazing flash presentation about liberty. Available in a multitude of languages, simple and to the point.

Linked to by the war on guns.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Inmate sues prison ...

I swear, one of my next posts will be about guns or politics, but this is just a MUST-READ!

One Broderick Lloyd Laswell, who is imprisoned and awaiting trial for murder, is suing the jail where he's been imprisoned. He claims that the food they provide isn't sufficient to live, and he's being starved to death.
In his own words:
  • "On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out,"
  • "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."
The jail serves cold meals only, which still contain 3000 calories, an ample energy supply. So here's a little juicy detail:
Broderick weighs 308 pounds! He's lost some weight for sure, he weighted in a 413 upon arrival.

Now, with his current weight of 308 lbs, he would have to be 7 foot nine inches to have a BMI of 25, the maximal BMI for those non-overweight.
I say he owes the state a thank-you for getting me halfway to not being an obnoxious blob- note, bu that's just me.

Citizen gives cop $540 parking ticket.

So, a cop walks into a resteaurant, having parked his car in a no-parking zone. When called on this, he claims he can do this because of his law enforcement status, and he proceeds to watch the ball game playing on TV.

A citizen with a sense for justive who had just passed the bar exam, did his civil duty and wrote the cop a ticket in accordance with state law. All fines combined total a cost of $540!

This had me giggling!

The captain of a crew of one shares an idea on getting back at junk mailers.
So if you're not signed up for Brady campaign funds begging, now is the time!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

TSA screener who smuggled a gun into the airport is still on the job

Shamelessly copied from boingboing:

  • A Denver TSA employee who brought a handgun to the airport and passed it around the metal detector is still on the job. The TSA won't say if he's been disciplined -- or how -- for doing this stupid thing that would land any of the rest of us in Gitmo for a decade's worth of stress-positioning. Of course, we can't expect TSA screeners to be held to the same legal standard as the rest of us -- since they work for the security administration, then everything they do, by definition, must be good for security.

Current events in the UK

Let's get this weeks edition going shall we?

As often before, I start off with a bit of mystery: Yet another man was killed in a way yet to be specified, but his assasin has been found, and charged this time 'round!

A $50 000 drug bust gets this petty article, as if it's just a minor footnotes in todays crime-soaked world. Oh tempora o mores you say? This story about a woman raped in a public place gets even less of an article!
There's been some use of firebombs in the past few weeks, but now a pipe-bomb has been used to attack a building inhabited by an elderly couple.

As for stabbings, a man was stabbed in the neck outside of a pub (déjà vu like primed epoxy) and two kids have been charged with murder after stabbing a man to death.

To commemorate the death of a girl who was killed for her adherance to a subculture, authorities have built a bench. I suppose it is good to do more than just punish the murderers, which was also done here.

I'm ending today's post on a good note. Blood spilled and life lost, but still a good note. A man who attacked a perceived burglar was cleared of charches. The "burglar" was a neighbour who just got off a 12 hour drink-'n-drugs binge, and forced his way into the wrong house, thinking it was his. The homeowner was deemed to have used reasonable force.

All is not lost!

They decieve ...

Another blogger has put up his latest piece of BS, supposedly linking liberal gun-legislation to a high murder rate.
Look and behold! Here's a couple of states with a high murder rate, and liberal gun laws, and look there, these couple of states with strict gun laws have a lower murder rate! Isn't the pattern obvious?

This is once again, improper statistical practice, and wrong as well in this case. I've long sought for correlations and patterns, comparing crime rates to gun laws and gun ownership, only to come up empty time and time again. (see for yourself if you wish)
Crime rates do not compare well amongst eachother (Rape/burglary/murder ratio for example). Crime rates are effected far more by economical factors than by gun laws (which criminals break).

So Here's what I wrote in resposne to "riceman"
  • How unexpected that you leave states like south Dakota, Minnesota, New Mampshire and Nebreska out. Those don't quite fit your profile, do they? Murder rates on the very low side, but Shall issue with little to no purchase restrictions.
My apologies to the residents of Washington state, as well as the other freedom-lovers who coexist peacefully, if you wish I add your state to the list, please let me know.

Don't be fooled by misleading statistics and "studies" that look at a whopping total of 10 (ten!) states.
Get the facts for yourself. I strongly reccomend every entry from my reccomended reading post.
Here's the CBS study, my posts on facts and my highlighted posts.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Strippers club not an offensive weapon.

Stripper as in a man who takes off his clothes and dances for money.
Club as in the truncheon (or nightstick for y'all yanks) that is part of his outfit, he dressed as a policeman.

What the devil am I talking about?
Well, this story takes us back some, it takes place in obnoxious Oceania where we lay our scene, a place where toy swords need to be locked away and policemen lose faith in the justice system.

The story all started on the 26th of april, 2007, when two policemen spotted a fellow wearing an outfit much like theirs in the streets. When they confronted the man, he said he was a student of matters genetical who danced around without his clothes to supplement his income. The real policemen then watched the show the man put up in a pub, before hauling him off downtown, to charge him with several offences, including the posession of offensive weapons and wearing a police unifom as seen in the picture to the left.

By december however, the lad was cleared of all charges, namely three different weapon charges for two batons and a can of defensive airosol spray. It was decided that the stripper had "reasonable excuse" to be in posession of these items. I don't suppose he slept calm for long, as little longer than a week after it was reported that the prosecution would be appealing the dismissal of charges.

Today however, it has once more been decided that the penal system has better things to do than bug this student any further.
In retrospect, I can only decide that this entire matter has been a waste of both private funds, as well as taxpayer money and court-time. Honestly, the courts can't seem to put real criminals behind bars, so they go after students like this kid?

For shame lord!


Note: the bold lettering in this posts means in no way to insinuate that British policemen are gay men, or pervy women. However I can say that the officers in question are a pair of wankers, regardless of their gender.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Another couple of pipe-bombs

Explosives have been in te news recently when a kid got caught ordering some ammonium nitrate.
Now some people have used a pipe-bomb to attack a FedEx building, and another device was found on scene.

I've always said this, and I'll repeat myself: the internet is riddeled with information about making explosives, some of which is accurate. For the sake of controversy, here's a clip of somebody shooting an exploding pyrotechnical device out of a mortar that screws onto his home-made shotgun:



The author, outsider1, has released a lot of videos featuring his improvised firearms. The device he shoots out of his "weapon" in the video is a relatively harmless device, but could easely be produced as a destructive device.

Can we rid the world of guns and explosives? No we cannot! We must deal with those willing to harm other people instead!

Non-lethal weapons ...

... still aren't.

There is currently no weapon or tool that is as effective in stopping an attacker as a firearm, whithout posing a lethal threat.

This has been a reminder, paid for by the tears of the victims family.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

It - does -not - work.

Remember me saying that I oppose gun control because it is a waste of time and rescources?

Sayuncle linked me to a study that corroberates my point.

I'm tempted to say "prove", but I've been arguing with a little cutesie on the other side of the fence about proper statistical practice. Just because gun control has been a failure in Australia, and an utter and complete failure in the UK, doesn't PROVE that it wont work in the US as well, but we should stop to think about it anyway. Chances are it might not work here either.

Yes I know, Chicago, DC, ... those aren't good enough "experiments" to allow one to say that gun control can't work. I for one actually believe that it can work, just not that we can make it work. On top of that, it is an avenue I am disenclined to take, as I favor measures that actually work, like education and better welfare.

Students discount on guns?

ABC is headlining an alledged "students discount" that the online gun dealer TGSCOM will be offering in hopes of building defensive capabilities amongst the student body of American highschools and universities.

A students discount exists only in ABC's biased mind however, as Thompson (the owner) will be selling guns at cost to everybody who is elegible for gun ownership. I guess "student discount" just sounds scarier. Seeing as only a tiny percentage of all guns sold ends up in criminal hands, the guns sold under these provisions should primarely are the law abiding population. His websites have provided equipment to two separate school shooters, but now Thompson claims he wants to do something to help the survivors:

  • "The next news story I want to be involved in is how I sold a firearm to someone who helped stop a mass murderer. By forgoing a profit, I hope to help give law-abiding citizens the tools to prevent tragedy,"

The Brady campain is of course saying that these actions are insensitive and profit-oriented. That Thompson first armed the criminals, and is now preying on the fear of the law abiding to boost his sales. This fits of course perfectly in the scheme of selling guns at cost; Peter Hamm needs to put his fist in his mouth more often if you ask me.

These colours don't run.

Been out shopping for clothes today, picked up some music too: I spotted Iron Maidens 2006 album "a matter of life and death" had had it's price cut back to 7 yoo, so I picked it up. Should've bought that thing way back!

Especially loving "these colours don't run"



Iron maiden has long made songs about war, both in favor (aces high), neutral (the trooper) and opposing (2 minutes to midnight). I like them for their good music rather than their message.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Yesterdays post continued.

Yesterday I wrote about schools which were/felt threatened.

Today I'll go on about a boy who claims that being bullied drove him to wanting to kill someone, he put knife to the troath of a girl he didn't even really knew, and ended up plotting to take his class hostage, to end his life with a "suicide-by-cop"

And not just some postings on myspace or a note in the bathroom. He was all geared up with a backpack containing (amongst others) duct tape, rope and a gun which he was going to use to his end. His parents called it in, he was arrested and spent some time in juvie. He's now out again, but still facing charges for terrorism, kidnapping and aggravated assault.

Care to play the blame game?
The bullies, the teachers who didn't see it, the parents who didn't notice it, the company that made the duct tape, knife and gun? The kid himself?
No? Ok.

Me, I hope the ruling judge seds this kid off to get help.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

ABC about guns in Mexico

You've all heard the PSH before, but this is getting vomit indicing!

From the latest ABC story on how US guns are ending in in the hands of Mexican criminals. Oh how they like to talk about gun shops and "gun shows" without ever providing any solid numbers or sources. Nothing new I suppose. Ahab gave that avenue a proper trashing some time back.

What got to me was this little video they had up. Anybody who dibbels in the matter knows that a "bulletproof vest" will not work when simply hung in the air, this is why they are pressed against ballistic gelatin for testing purposes. For political purposes however, it's perfectly acceptable to simply hang it against a piece of cardboard, and claim that the gun being used to shoot through the vest is a horribly powerful weapon.

Said weapon? Once again, the evil black Belgian Five-seveN pistol. Yes, armor piercing rounds are available for that handgun, but not to civillians, neither is that friggen machine gun they use to tear up a car in the end of the vid. That's right, a genuine fully automatic, belt fed machine gun!
Watch the footage here.

Schools at risk.

I wrote about a kid plotting a school bombing yesterday, today I read some other, slightly disturbing stories.

Apparently, some kids (three of them) had taken their grievances online, plotting to kill two of their peers, glorifying the Columbine shooters and "Satan" online.
It should be noted that little incidents like these give Satanism a bad name, it's very foundation is that you leave people alone and not bother them.

Another school stepped up security after a threathening not was found posted in the bathroom. This immediately reminded me of another story, almost identical. And yet another highly similar story, That's four of those stories without even really looking.

Is the news simply reporting more on these matters, or is there something up? Maybe there really is something to be said about violent music and video games, or maybe there's something in the water?
Maybe schools are simply overreacting? It wouldn't be the first time. Maybe there's too many green clickable links in this post ...

Honestly, I've got no idea what's up, but I'd love to hear some of your toughts and opinions.

Thanks Uncle.

After "SayUncle" sported a link to my "make it illegal, pass more laws" post, My blog was hit up by over a hundred visitors, tripling my normal monday audience!

Thanks, I made one cent from the increased traffic, which will go to support activism, along with all the other profits made here, $6.89 and counting so far :p

Monday, April 21, 2008

School bombing foiled.

A student was found out to be plotting an attack against his school.
He had solid plans, mapped out the campus and was in posession of ten pounds of ammonium nitrate according to ABC news.

Look, I've been over this before: shootings are just one way for a massacre to happen. Somebody bent in destruction may very well turn to arson or explosives, or poison or anything else that can be used as a weapon.

Should we make schools "explosives free" as well? Run random explosive swabs on the doorhandles of cars parked on campus property perhaps? It may give a false positive on people who've been handeling chili pickling, fertilizer or ceramics supplies. But hey ... if we have to give up home-ec, arts and crafts and landscaping as the price we pay for our childrens safety, that's worth it right!

Or maybe, just maybe, we could start to actually raise our kids? The parents of this would-be-bomber were the ones who informed the police. They did the right thing IMO, and I hope their son gets the help he needs, wherever he's going.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

There is no true escape, I'm watching all the time.

Closing down the sunday edition, I'm reading the wired webpage, and spot a monument to my subculture:
Screaming for vengeance by Judas priest makes the news on wired.

How? It's become available to those who play the game "rock band". I myself don't dibble in consoles, but I -obviously- own the album in question (the remasters version), and love it! Yet, I am instilled with the hope that some kids might at long last realize: they just don't make music like this no more.

(/rocks out to "fever")

Sometimes I think my generation is lost ... I was about to write a whole lot about the demise of lusic during the 90's /slash/ new millenium, including a link to toy box' "best friend" but then I put on "devils child", which turned out to be a fatal mistake (ouch my whiplash, ouch).
In closing: the youth of today is still being given exposure to proper music, I owe much gratitude to rockstars games myself, for introducing me to Judas Priest and Megadeth.

If you've got kids: Hard rock and heavy metal are far more "wholseme" than contemporary music. Exempt: the holograms!

Current events in the UK

Still going strong, I bring you the news from accross the pond on the calm sunday.
No snooping around the archives this week, just the sunday papers are already overfilling my browser with stories of violence and pain.

Various in nature as well! Starting off with a hint of mystery: a dead body was found lying in the streets, it's yet to be determined what or who killed him. One man beat another to death, showing once more that nobody can be diarmed into a harmless person.
Another beating involved a child surving an attack by a gang of four.

Onto more serious matters then. A man was killed in cold blood, shot multiple times inside a crowded pub. There's also been yet another firebomb attack, a racially motivated one this time round.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

The new national symbol!

Brought to my attention by TSLR's Chad.



The government today announced that it is changing its national symbol to a CONDOM because it more accurately reflects the government's political stance.
A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually being screwed.
Damn, it just doesn't get more accurate than that !

Thursday, April 17, 2008

MSNBCs quiz on VTech

For those of you who missed it, MSNBC had a quiz up, asking people how well they remembered the details of the VTech shooting. Said quiz has been removed, but can still be found in the google cache.
The quiz quickly sparked protest in the blogosphere, and people started demanding apologies.

I myself have no intention whatshowever to be using this tragedy (once more) to further my political ideals, not will I comment on this quiz.
I would like to point out to anybody who reads this: that once you put something up on the web that doesn't have a robots.text attached, it WILL be indexed and it will never go away!

Molotov everything

Once again, a person with poor impulse control has turned to manufacturing a firebomb, and attempted to kill somebody by setting fire to an inhabited building.

You can read the story here.

[SCM]
So stunning! It's illegal to manufacture destructive devices and/or firebombs, how could she have done this!
Well, the war on drugs has taught us that simply banning drugs doesn't work, so we must ban drug precursors as well. So, it is clear that we must ban gasoline and breakable bottles to prevent people from manufacturing molotovs! Didn't it end up working out great for methamphetamine?
[/SCM]

on another note, the agressor is being charged with:

  1. attempted homicide-domestic violence
  2. arson of an occupied dwelling (two counts)
  3. manufacturing a firebomb.

Clearly, passing a lot of laws that make multiple aspects of a crime punishable is a great deterrent! (not). Where have we seen this before?

those sandwiches might very well have been weapons

I just read this article concerning children with food allergies, and how bullies use that against them. In case you don't know, a severe allergy to peanuts may cause even slight exposure to send somebody into anaphylactic shock, which can very well be deadly.
Such exposure sent a girl to the emergency ward with breathing difficulties. She got through this time, but allergies only get worse.
Some schools have banned peanuts and peanut products for this reason. Makes me wonder if liability consideration played a role as well, but I disgress.

What bothers me ever so slightly, is the general reasoning behind this. Bullies figure out how to use something as a weapon, then the school bans that "something". Focussing on said object is a short-term measure to deal wit the acute situation, but it doesn't solve the problem! the problemis bullying, that nees to be dealth with.
And no, trying to ban rockstar games' "bully" from sale, is not dealing with bullies! Why don't you try raising your kids huh? Raise your kids to not be bullies, raise your kids to not give in to bullies.

Object focused problem "solutions" aren't solutions at all! Just like a lot of anti-allergy medication, they are symptom supressors that do not cure the underlying problem. Ignoring said problem will -like allergies- only cause it to grow more severe with time.

More on bullying can be found on Marilyns blog.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Wallmart to monitor gun transactions.

Just the ticket to get those crime rates down: monitor people who get their guns through legal channels!
I suppose they could look for bulk purchases, but the fed.gov has beat them to that!

Selected reading:
  • J.P. Suarez, the chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., appeared with outspoken gun control advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York to announce the changes at a gathering of Bloomberg's group Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
  • "We didn't pressure them, they're doing it because they think it's the responsible thing to do," said Bloomberg.
  • Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, had previously tried to establish a store in New York City but failed.

Cyberarmy to the rescue?

I previousy wrote two about beatings captured on camera. (first, second)

Now ABC is running a story on this subject as well, the interviewed Parry Aftab, head of Wired Safety, an organization dedicated to combating Internet abuses such as these fight videos.

He suggest things like people monitoring websites, and removing undesired content and he is -in my humble opinion- an utter and complete failure at his jobs.
Parry, no offence, but there already is an army deidicated to keeping the web cut to the shape they want, and they are not nice people! Oh what, you tought I meant the Chinese? :p

In all seriousness, trying to remove something from the net is futile! It cannot be done. Before the age of remote servers, FTP databases and bittorents, then it was hard already, now? Not a snowballs chance in hell! Removing videos from youtube and myspace, sure, but that won't make them dissapear.
You can stop the messanger and all that jazz you know.

Why don't you suggest investing in a better educational system?

Think of the children!

Here I am ... Rock you like a hurricane

So after finishing up in the process controls lab, I stopped by the record store today.
Bought myself a best of album from scorpions ...



Man I feel old banging my head to this tune ...

Monday, April 14, 2008

Antipoleez?

A new product became available some time back, antipoleez breathmints, marketed to be able to rid your mouth of alcohol or cigarette induced smells.

People are getting their drawers in a bunch, claiming that products such as this would encourage children to drink. Growing up in Belgium where the legal drinking age is just a suggestion, I never really did understand what all the fuss was about, it's PSH like that that makes me want to grab a bottle :p

Serious for a second: teach your kids to stay away from drugs, including alcohol, untill they are both old and responsible enough to handle themselves. Drink has destroyed more lifes than you can imagine. And then I don't mean that alcohol kills (which it does), no; I mean to say that drinking to excess destroys lifes, your own and others alike.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Current events in the UK

Hello everybody, welcome once again here on the gun debate critic on sunday, glimpsing across the pond at the global example for gun control activists: the united kingdom.

Little time to waste here, let's get going:
There's been one drive-by shooting, leaving a man injured by pellts (birdshot?) in his neck. Another man was shot in the legs in front of his kids in what looks like a para-militairy attack. Another couple of criminals used guns to rob a shop, threathening to kill the cashier.
Another armed robbery on a pub by men armed with blunt implements left no injured, thank God.

Still, there were some fatalities; a 16 year old kid was stabbed to death, four have been charged. A man died a good month after being assaulted.
And this weeks taker of the cake: a kid who was attacked by a gang of 17 armed with -amongst others- swords. Other weapons included were baseball bats, knives and a bicycle chain. The victim died from a stab to his heart.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Concerning that video-beating

I wrote about an attack yesterday, carried out by eight teens with the intention of capturing it on camera for posting online. The story get nastier along the way.

The names, addresses and phone numbers of those teens are currently being spread across the net. I saw that information get posted on at least one forum, and I just read how the internet hive-mind driven hate machine has started herassing the attackers families.

Would this be the kind of attention that they were after?

On another note, one of the girls involved was struggling to keep from bursting out in laughther while seaed in court! What's happening to our youth?

Friday, April 11, 2008

Beatings caught on camera

Not a recent devellopment unfortunately. People have been spreading word and image of their "altracations" for centuries. So relatively speaking the current technology is recent: the internet, and cellphones equipped with digital cameras.

The application? Capturing an assault on tape, and spreading it around. Not a fragment of "the brave one"'s fictional scripts, but a hard fact that we deal with today. There was an event like that in Baltimore just then; a student beat up an arts teacher, the attack was captured on cam and put up on myspace.
The media's making a big case out of the attack on a young girl, carried out by eight teenagers who filmed the entire thing and put it up on the net for everybody to see.
What sets this case apart is that the perps carried out the attack just for the sake of putting the clip up on the net, instant celebert-e.

Where dies this leaves us? While society is being indoctrinated in the ways of being sheep, another element glorifies violence and seeks fame in the violent attacks against peacible folks in order to spread those images.
If you don't see a recipe for disaster here, you need to spend some time thinking about this!

Cho carried out his attack knowing in advance what kind of media attention he would get, as did all the other school shooters, mall shooters, postal shooters, ... The media (and me too now) are giving them what they want, spreading word of their exploits of violence forth.
Devellopments like this in youth culture are a direct threath to both our immediate security, as well as the future of said youth and the future of the entire nation in the long run! We cannot allow this destructive attention-seeking behavior to continue!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Florida passes gun bill.

Bill ... law, whathever ...

This Law would allow a person to lock a firearm in his car when parked on his/her employers premises.
Rather than giving the pro-gun movement a downright victory, the now altered law requires a person to have a concealed weapons permit before being allowed to store ones property in ones car.

This surely will prevent criminals and disgrunteled employees with a restraining order from shooting up a workplace!

Okay, so what does it do? Since companies can't just search ones car, I doubt a lot of people are even going to be known to carry a firearm in their car. Just another unenforceable law on the books? Mind no clutter I suppose ...

200 Million dollar black market, behind bars

Recent estimates put the valua of drugs trafficed INSIDE the UK's prisons at £100 000 000, roughly two-hundred-million-dollars!
Failing to keep drugs out of prisons has resulted in 10% of all drug seizures in England and Wales to originate from a single prison!


Who'd a thunk they wouldn't be able to keep guns of the streets either huh?

Zee law abiding have nazinkt to fear.

Government institutions at work:
Traffic police encounter a stolen vehicle. Their response: write out a ticket to the legal owner, as the car is improperly parked.
The DMV is now refusing to "erase" the ticked because the owner didn't appal it quickly enough, despite having faxes and letters to prove that he did.

For more text concerning the DMV, please read bigbears article, where one person left a very inspiring comment:

  • "If you think that sucked, wait till those same people are running the health care system."

Hillary healthcare, bringing you the DMV experience in times of sickness as well as in times of health!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

It wouldn't hurt you to think like a serial killer once in a while.

Just caught that bit from one of Jonathan Ian Matters' rants, "people pissing me off" which can be found here.
I don't necessairely agree with that specific sentence, it simply managed to catch my attention. Paranoia hurts, you can't live your life paranoid, looking ove your shoulder wherever you go. You need not spend your life "condition white" either. It can be in your best interest to err on the safe side once in a while, to be carefull, to be suspicious, but all in good measure.

Thinking like a serial killer once in a while seems a bit of a stretch, it is a humorous sketch after all. Wired released an article recently concerning a security mindset of security professionals: thinking like a criminal.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Are yours secure?

Yesterday two toddlers died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
The first one was brought to my attention by Marilyn, the second one I found myself.

Safe storage people! If a gun is not under your control, it is to be kept safe and secure. I'll leave it up to you to determine what is safe and secure in your situation; the two people from the articles made a huge mistake that is likely to haunt them for the rest of their lives. If you've got little ones running around the house, don't take any chances.

It should also be noted that the police sergant from the second article was no more responsible than the civillian from the first. I don't care how much range time you have, how well trained you (think you) are, this can happen to you too! Take precautions; lock up the guns you don't need unlocked, teach your children not to touch them much like would teach them not to touch carrion or a hot stove.

Be safe, for their sake.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Current events in the UK

Welcome once more to the gun debate critic on sunday, where I illustrate how a policy of strict gun control has not managed to rid the united kingdom of violent crime.

It should be noted that while I limit myself to doing this only once a week, I do not review the entire week, just the sunday papers. If you'd like to take a glimpse on just how bad the situation is on this side of the pond, check out this page. It is a chronological list of BBC articles concerning stabbing. This page lists shootings, gang activity can be seen here.

The following articles are from the BBC's sunday edition website.

One man was discovered at a garbage (think landfill), injured. Despite the paramedics efforts, the man died due to yet-to-be-determined injuries. A senior citizen was stabbed to death by a youth. Another man was stabbed as he tried to capture a trespasser. Yet another one was stabbed following a disturbance, and another one after a row in a bookies office

A woman is being charged with 60 different offences regarding arson, twice she tried to kill somebody.

Police arrested a teen suspected to have been involved in a gang-inspired drive-by shooting which left one person dead. No real guns for the two criminals who robbed a shop; but when police came to arrest them, a crowd of people attacked the cops, hurling rocks and other objects at them.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Make it illegal! Pass more laws!

A man was found out to be in possesion of $80 000 worth of heroin.

He is currently being charged with:

  • possession of heroin,
  • possession of heroin with intent to sell,
  • possession of heroin within 1,500 feet of a school
  • possession of heroin with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school.
Is passing a lot of legislation, making many different aspects of breaking the law punishable is paying off?

Clearly not.
Will more gun laws solve the current problems involving guns then? Another review of the UK situation will be coming up on sunday, stay tuned.

wut wut in the butt butt?

In a life-imitating-art string of events, an 11 y/o boy find himself in a tight spot, getting suspended for quoting lines from the show "south park". Title is strickly for giggles, I do not know exactly what he said. It is a song from the latest south park episode however, I believe it is plausible to think this is something three girls might take offence to.

The "life imitating art" remark goes out -could it be anything else- south park episode 306, where sexual harassement panda speaks out against sexual comments on school grounds, which results in a string of lawsuits.

If you'd like to see these episodes, head on over to south park studios to watch any episode you want for free, legally to the best of my knowledge.

What bothered me ever so slightly was the PSH attitude of one of the moms.

  • "I want to know specifically what will be done to ensure that my daughter is not exposed to further harm by this boy."
Why just by the boy? What about the news? The internet? Books? Music? All of them are riddeled with material that might be harmfull to your kid, what should the world do to prevent these things from harming your child?

Might I suggest a snifter of reality and 50 mg of a sense of humour after breakfast? Congratulations, you've just found out that the world isn't the exact place you want it to be. Don't like it? Tough luck! The world isn't just not perfect and not fair, chances are, the world will not be something you like in its entirety!
What's the biggest wrong? People demanding that said world around them changes to fit their wills and desires. That applies to guns as much as education and anything else! Works both ways too!

Can you imagine how haywire they would have gone if the kid had sung this song*?


*caution, contains language of sexually explicit nature that may be offensive to those easely shocked or religious. Should not be listened to by anybody.

Friday, April 4, 2008

More on Mexican guns.

I discussed some recent events in Mexico before, "Call me Ahab" has now dug up some interesting tidbits, some rather intersting information the CNN chose to leave out of their story.

He finds out how criminals are trying to smuggle guns into Mexico, i.e. the "people willing to break the law" loophole. Guns bought illegally, being transported illegally ... what about that "gun show loophole" then? You want them to pass background checks? They are passing background checks!


Seriously, read the original CNN article, and Ahabs post. Scoop out my previous post on the entire thing if you missed it.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The 13 most irresponsible self defence products...

... according to cracked.com!

Well, the no contact jacket rekindeled my mermories of Y.T. escaping the dot gov building in Snow crash. Life imitates art I gue... what do you mean you don't know snow crash!? It's one of the greatest cyberpunk novels out there!

I was mildly surprised to see a pair of tampon tazers in there ...

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The infamous works "bomb" makes the news again.

A news station actually named the device, which I've blogged about before.

The video gives a ... somewhat accurate image of such device. A "works" bomb is technically a pressure device, a container which ruptures from "mild" pressure buildup due to gasses produced from a spontaneous chemical reaction. As opposed to the sudden, violent pressure buildup generated by flash powder after it has been ignited.

They call the devices "extremely dangerous", perhaps a little bit overreacting there. Such devices don't generally create much of an explosion, as pop bottles do not stand up to a lot of pressure, but they do -as mentioned in the video- hurl caustic chemicals in any direction upon rupture, danger depends entirely on the nature of the chemicals used.

The kids mentioned in the article/video will be facing serious charges ... they should!

I personally like tinkering with "high energy chemistry" too! But I don't put other people at risk doing so. The safety of those around me and my own safety come before anything! These idiots left dangerous chemical devices lying around school, does it get any worse than that?

As for an example of how to toy around with these devices in a safe, I'll refer you to Spatula Tzar, who explodes such a device in a highly ontrolled way, nine feet below the surface of the earth.

In closing:
Raise your kids! Pay attention to them!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

12 y/o stabs man to death.

A twelve year old kid stabbed a senior citizen, hitting an artery and thus killing the man.
It looks like the man was an intruder who was assaulting/had assaulted the kids mother, when he (the kid) took up a knife to fight him off.

Not sure how this fits into my recent post on fighting back, my writings on self defence or concerning the dangers of knifes ...
Right now I'm feeling pretty sick for the kid ... adults shouldn't have to go through crap like that, let alone a twelve year old boy.

There's no charges filed at the moment, I hope it stays that way, they'll have enough trouble to deal with I suppose.

Non-lethal weapons ...

... still aren't.

Notice the "... can contain a charge of up to 50,000 volts."
Tazer PSH up and coming?

6 y/o brings guns to school.

A first grader was found to be in posession of two handguns, both loaded and with a round chambered.

What the hell!?
Safe storage people! Safe storage saves lifes!