There's really only one meaningful statistic in the gun "control" debate that can be found here: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm. The part toward the middle of the page that says:
Offenders
According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -
a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%
During the offense that brought them to prison, 15% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates carried a handgun, and about 2%, a military-style semiautomatic gun.
On average, State inmates possessing a firearm received sentences of 18 years, while those without a weapon had an average sentence of 12 years.
Among prisoners carrying a firearm during their crime, 40% of State inmates and 56% of Federal inmates received a sentence enhancement because of the firearm.
80% of guns used in crimes were obtained ILLEGALLY! What will be accomplished by banning or further restricting guns? Someone that wants a gun will get a gun. Drugs are illegal but no one would argue that they're not prevalent and easily obtainable in ANY city or town or any other part of North America (that's right, you Canucks have a problem too). So, what has been accomplished by criminalizing drugs?
Recreational Pharmaceuticals ["Drugs"] are not legal to import, export, own, possess, distribute, sell, buy, smoke, snort, inject, use, look at, touch, own, have, carry, transport, trade or in any other way shape or form [insert transitive or instransitive verb here]. Nobody would argue that the "good guys" are winning the "war on drugs". In fact... it's a disgrace. The only one who would argue that is an inmate so that point is moot.
Somehow though, the anti-gun zealots would have us all believe that if guns were illegal; If there were no "gun shows"; If it were illegal to own / possess a hand gun; If nobody had access to guns; If we criminalize any kind of gun ownership; We'd all be better off and live in a "safer" society where you couldn't get pistol-whipped in East L.A. by a gang member.
Isn't it obvious that all we have to do is outlaw guns?
Accidents aside (people get killed accidentally on ladders ) - Guns are not any more lethal or dangerous than any other item that would be used to commit a crime. If someone robs the 7/11 with a Louisville slugger and beats the clerk to death would you say that's "better" or "safer" than had the perpetrator used another item for a weapon - say a gun or a knife? The clerk's still dead and the perpetrator is still a murderer. How is it different? A homicide is a homicide is a homicide.
There is no cause-effect relationship between guns and crime. Guns do not commit crimes or cause them to be committed. By owning / possessing / handling a gun, one does not become predisposed to criminal activity - Just as owning a knife doesn't predispose someone to stabbing their neighbor. If that were true - we need to disarm law enforcement and the military right away! If I steal a credit card number by using a computer vs. me obtaining said credit card by picking someone's pocket the result is the same. I'm going to use it to buy a truckload of Bawls from thinkgeek.net. Either way, I'm stealing. I'm still guilty of forgery / fraud / theft. Take away the computer and I'll find another way to steal credit card numbers. Take away the guns and they'll find another way to rob banks / convenience stores / gas stations / commit rape / etc. etc.
As for the issue of accidents. Well, anyone can misuse just about anything found in an "average" household. When people don't use things responsibly - bad things can happen. When alcohol is abused or used irresponsibly, people could be killed operating a motor vehicle. Drunk people fall off ladders and sustain injury too. We call those people stupid or irresponsible and submit them for Darwin awards. There are countless digitless/limbless people in the world due to carelessness with a chainsaw. You wouldn't give your child any more access to a chainsaw or drain cleaner than you would your gun so why is this such an issue? Because of ignorance and irresponsiblity. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon and pontificate on the "vile" nature and "evil" thing called the gun.
"Prohibition" didn't work in the 20's. The "war on drugs" isn't working now. Criminalizing guns won't work in the future. Criminals got the booze then. They get the drugs now. They'll get the guns tomorrow. The only people that suffer are law-abiding citizens that obey the rules in the first place and use the items responsibly for legitimate purposes.
Perhaps things would be different if every time someone committed a crime with a hammer it made the home page of cnn.com/usatoday.com. Perhaps people would feel differently about water if every time a child drowned it made headlines. After all, everyone knows that we should ignore the responsibility of the parent / guardian and placed the blame true criminal - the molecule H2O.
In parting, let me say that it should be obvious that I'm a proponent of responsiblity not criminalization. I believe that people are responsible for themselves and their actions regardless of the topic - guns, drugs, alcohol. Unfortunately, the topic of gun "control" has turned political. That's never a good turn. The quick way to turn an issue into a cloudy, un-solvable problem with mostly bad solutions is to politicize it.
I never thought I'd say this, but apparently I now live in "the sticks". My wife and I bought a new house over the summer, in a smaller village, away from the city where we work ( about 20 miles ).
I gave up my road runner internet access to do this. Fortunately ( so I thought ) the local phone company "out there" is Verizon.... I smell DSL!!!
Wrong.
Largest DSL provider in the Milky Way??? Sure. Only... just not where I moved to. Now, understand - it's NOT because I'm too far from the station. I can see it ( through the trees ).
Next call to the local cable company - does the local cable company offer anything? Abso-friggin-lootly not. Nothing. Nada. "Broadband? Sir, we offer our new VHF package with one HBO channel. Broadband? Internet - Never heard of it."
I have Dish Network for my television service ( must watch college football - Go Blue! Nonetheless, I've been relegated to my dial-up connection, that connects, believe it or not, at 53k.
You see, there's a fundamental flaw here. For example, Earthlink offers high-speed cable access to their customers..... in Time-Warner serviced areas. Huh? Wait a minute. Time-Warner customers already HAVE access. Time-Warner owns Road Runner. So, what they're saying is, I can get Earthlink internet access over my Road Runner line? HELLO - WHAT ABOUT ME??? Why is Earthlink competing with Time-Warner for their own lines when there are poor saps like me stuck "in the boonies" with a local cable company but no cable internet access??? They could corner the friggin' market if they'd tap that. Instead, they'd rather offer access where there's already access. Earthlink isn't the only bone-headed provider. There are others but for the sake of brevity, I'll leave it at just them. I just don't get it.
Top Echelon Contracting
Your one stop shop. They are an "Employer of Record" for hundreds of contractors all across the united states with clients ranging from Chrysler, Oracle, Verizon, and even smaller businesses.
Perl is a Scripting language ( read interpreted) Stored procedures, by default are SQL statements which are compiled by the server and used as db objects... so, doesn't this defeat the purpose of having a (speedy, compiled) SQL statement?
Quit fuckin' whinin'.... Life sucks, you can't become president until you're 35 and noone is going to take you serious because you're a whiny, snot-nosed kid that thinks the world owes him something. Fact is, you don't know anything about life so here's a tip..... there's gonna be a lot of things comin' down the pike in your, as-yet-short life, that are gonna suck worse... deal with it
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks - rocks about 2" in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be devastated. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and your time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. TAKE YOUR PARTNER OUT DANCING. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks - rocks about 2" in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be devastated. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and your time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. TAKE YOUR PARTNER OUT DANCING. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
Are we all aware who owns Netscape? Who do we really blame for this? America On Line owns Netscape. In AOL's infinite quest to buy or merge with everything that Microsoft hasn't, they have swallowed Netscape and let the world down. WE put up with this - what choice do we have??? Anyone running IE 5.01 on their Linux box??? AOL has some explaining to do BUT how long do we sit IDLE and watch our OWN standards and expectations fall because America Online has no accountability? It's about time someone stood up and said enough is enough. AOL doesn't have enough confidence in their OWN browser to integrate it with their software!!!! Internet Explorer is bundled with the latest version of America Online software! For crying out loud - this is unacceptable! We shouldn't blame Netscape, Microsoft, or anyone else for this - WE share this one with AOL.
Throughout our varied, and sometimes-questionable history, mankind has endeavored to persevere over time, space, and unfortunately - each other. We have explored and discovered that this world is not flat, but a spherical body rushing through space. We discovered gravity, gold, North America, atoms, and other countless wonders which have shaped, edified, destroyed, and advanced our species and our individual lives.
Sometimes, as life must go, mistakes are made. Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons were made. Rome fell. The hollocaust.
Without tragedy, there could be no triumph. Without sadness, comes static emotion. How can one feel blessed without the lingering reminder of those gone before us that were less fortunate. We are reminded today of those that fought wars and died for their beliefs, their contries, and their freedom. Every step forward yeilds opportunity. Opportunity for unsurpassed success or failure. Ultimately, through time, we have moved forward but not without mistakes and setbacks. The gravest mistake of all would be not to have tried at all. Perhaps today, we should have a moment of reflection and inflection to remember those that have gone before. Let us not forget -
Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward. -- Henry Ford
With that, let us not criticize, but let us commend those who dare to create. Find the beauty in everyone. Find the beauty in their creations.
I don't remember seeing your name pass by on the credits.
did i win? hello?....hello? Are you there caller? damn.
Hmm. How long before the new "Digital Contract" virus hits corporate mail servers around the globe and the world is faced with contract disputes from this?
Screenshot of AOL/1stClassMail: Did anyone look at the systray on that screenshot??? There's a WINGATE Icon in the systray and the ICQ Netwatcher icon. So, I'm to assume from Ol' boys description that this pc is connected to the internet. I look at the systray and see ICQ isn't connected - if it was and she closed it, the Icon would be gone. If it were disabled, the icon has a red circle with the slash through it. Is there a WINGATE client???? Who, on this planet, with enough guts to be a professional spammer with questionable ethics (even for a spammer), is STUPID enough to use a laptop running WIN98 and WINGATE proxy server?????? ICQ isn't connected to anything. How do you suppose knucklenuts got the screenshots without ANYONE seeing ANYTHING? Hack her - Ok. Hack her and surf - OK. Hack her and get screenshots? C'mon.
Oh..... by the way.....Windows98.... "...escalated my remote access to that of a full privileged local user,..." WHAT? What Penis wrinkle made that up?
Slashdot Mirror
here: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm. The part toward the middle of the page that says:
Offenders
According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -
80% of guns used in crimes were obtained ILLEGALLY! What will be accomplished by banning or further restricting guns? Someone that wants a gun will get a gun. Drugs are illegal but no one would argue that they're not prevalent and easily obtainable in ANY city or town or any other part of North America (that's right, you Canucks have a problem too). So, what has been accomplished by criminalizing drugs?
Recreational Pharmaceuticals ["Drugs"] are not legal to import, export, own, possess, distribute, sell, buy, smoke, snort, inject, use, look at, touch, own, have, carry, transport, trade or in any other way shape or form [insert transitive or instransitive verb here]. Nobody would argue that the "good guys" are winning the "war on drugs". In fact... it's a disgrace. The only one who would argue that is an inmate so that point is moot.
Somehow though, the anti-gun zealots would have us all believe that if guns were illegal; If there were no "gun shows"; If it were illegal to own / possess a hand gun; If nobody had access to guns; If we criminalize any kind of gun ownership; We'd all be better off and live in a "safer" society where you couldn't get pistol-whipped in East L.A. by a gang member.
Isn't it obvious that all we have to do is outlaw guns?
Accidents aside (people get killed accidentally on ladders ) - Guns are not any more lethal or dangerous than any other item that would be used to commit a crime. If someone robs the 7/11 with a Louisville slugger and beats the clerk to death would you say that's "better" or "safer" than had the perpetrator used another item for a weapon - say a gun or a knife? The clerk's still dead and the perpetrator is still a murderer. How is it different? A homicide is a homicide is a homicide.
There is no cause-effect relationship between guns and crime. Guns do not commit crimes or cause them to be committed. By owning / possessing / handling a gun, one does not become predisposed to criminal activity - Just as owning a knife doesn't predispose someone to stabbing their neighbor. If that were true - we need to disarm law enforcement and the military right away! If I steal a credit card number by using a computer vs. me obtaining said credit card by picking someone's pocket the result is the same. I'm going to use it to buy a truckload of Bawls from thinkgeek.net. Either way, I'm stealing. I'm still guilty of forgery / fraud / theft. Take away the computer and I'll find another way to steal credit card numbers. Take away the guns and they'll find another way to rob banks / convenience stores / gas stations / commit rape / etc. etc.
As for the issue of accidents. Well, anyone can misuse just about anything found in an "average" household. When people don't use things responsibly - bad things can happen. When alcohol is abused or used irresponsibly, people could be killed operating a motor vehicle. Drunk people fall off ladders and sustain injury too. We call those people stupid or irresponsible and submit them for Darwin awards. There are countless digitless/limbless people in the world due to carelessness with a chainsaw. You wouldn't give your child any more access to a chainsaw or drain cleaner than you would your gun so why is this such an issue? Because of ignorance and irresponsiblity. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon and pontificate on the "vile" nature and "evil" thing called the gun.
"Prohibition" didn't work in the 20's. The "war on drugs" isn't working now. Criminalizing guns won't work in the future. Criminals got the booze then. They get the drugs now. They'll get the guns tomorrow. The only people that suffer are law-abiding citizens that obey the rules in the first place and use the items responsibly for legitimate purposes.
Perhaps things would be different if every time someone committed a crime with a hammer it made the home page of cnn.com/usatoday.com. Perhaps people would feel differently about water if every time a child drowned it made headlines. After all, everyone knows that we should ignore the responsibility of the parent / guardian and placed the blame true criminal - the molecule H2O.
In parting, let me say that it should be obvious that I'm a proponent of responsiblity not criminalization. I believe that people are responsible for themselves and their actions regardless of the topic - guns, drugs, alcohol. Unfortunately, the topic of gun "control" has turned political. That's never a good turn. The quick way to turn an issue into a cloudy, un-solvable problem with mostly bad solutions is to politicize it.
I never thought I'd say this, but apparently I now live in "the sticks". My wife and I bought a new house over the summer, in a smaller village, away from the city where we work ( about 20 miles ).
I gave up my road runner internet access to do this. Fortunately ( so I thought ) the local phone company "out there" is Verizon.... I smell DSL!!!
Wrong.
Largest DSL provider in the Milky Way??? Sure. Only... just not where I moved to. Now, understand - it's NOT because I'm too far from the station. I can see it ( through the trees ).
Next call to the local cable company - does the local cable company offer anything? Abso-friggin-lootly not. Nothing. Nada. "Broadband? Sir, we offer our new VHF package with one HBO channel. Broadband? Internet - Never heard of it."
I have Dish Network for my television service ( must watch college football - Go Blue!
Nonetheless, I've been relegated to my dial-up connection, that connects, believe it or not, at 53k.
Now... what I REALLY want to know is why I hear SO MUCH HYPE about making broadband available to EVERYONE but it's all just TALK.
You see, there's a fundamental flaw here. For example, Earthlink offers high-speed cable access to their customers..... in Time-Warner serviced areas. Huh? Wait a minute. Time-Warner customers already HAVE access. Time-Warner owns Road Runner. So, what they're saying is, I can get Earthlink internet access over my Road Runner line? HELLO - WHAT ABOUT ME??? Why is Earthlink competing with Time-Warner for their own lines when there are poor saps like me stuck "in the boonies" with a local cable company but no cable internet access??? They could corner the friggin' market if they'd tap that. Instead, they'd rather offer access where there's already access. Earthlink isn't the only bone-headed provider. There are others but for the sake of brevity, I'll leave it at just them. I just don't get it.
I posted this comment from my Mac... I hit the submit button on Monday.
Those figures are in Canadian Dollars so it's really only like .60 Cents per Terabyte, Right?
IP over flashlight things...
I like this.... Oooh... wait...
VoIPF (Voice over IP over Flashlight)!!!!
There could be a market there...
I don't friggin' get it.
AOL is the largest ISP in the world.
AOL has the most subscribers in the world.
AOL owns Netscape.
AOL bundles IE with it's software.
huh?
What are they gonna sue for? Stupidity?
TOP ECHELON!!!!!!!!
Top Echelon Contracting They become your legal employer of record (W2) no 1099's etc. to hassle with... Recommeded recruiter
Top Echelon Contracting Your one stop shop. They are an "Employer of Record" for hundreds of contractors all across the united states with clients ranging from Chrysler, Oracle, Verizon, and even smaller businesses.
Perl is a Scripting language ( read interpreted) Stored procedures, by default are SQL statements which are compiled by the server and used as db objects... so, doesn't this defeat the purpose of having a (speedy, compiled) SQL statement?
Source Code to Windows 2000......... can't find it anywhere...... 'cept Russia maybe
Quit fuckin' whinin'.... Life sucks, you can't become president until you're 35 and noone is going to take you serious because you're a whiny, snot-nosed kid that thinks the world owes him something. Fact is, you don't know anything about life so here's a tip..... there's gonna be a lot of things comin' down the pike in your, as-yet-short life, that are gonna suck worse... deal with it
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks - rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be devastated. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and your time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. TAKE YOUR PARTNER OUT DANCING. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks - rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be devastated. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and your time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. TAKE YOUR PARTNER OUT DANCING. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
Are we all aware who owns Netscape? Who do we really blame for this? America On Line owns Netscape. In AOL's infinite quest to buy or merge with everything that Microsoft hasn't, they have swallowed Netscape and let the world down. WE put up with this - what choice do we have??? Anyone running IE 5.01 on their Linux box??? AOL has some explaining to do BUT how long do we sit IDLE and watch our OWN standards and expectations fall because America Online has no accountability? It's about time someone stood up and said enough is enough. AOL doesn't have enough confidence in their OWN browser to integrate it with their software!!!! Internet Explorer is bundled with the latest version of America Online software! For crying out loud - this is unacceptable! We shouldn't blame Netscape, Microsoft, or anyone else for this - WE share this one with AOL.
Throughout our varied, and sometimes-questionable history, mankind has endeavored to persevere over time, space, and unfortunately - each other. We have explored and discovered that this world is not flat, but a spherical body rushing through space. We discovered gravity, gold, North America, atoms, and other countless wonders which have shaped, edified, destroyed, and advanced our species and our individual lives.
Sometimes, as life must go, mistakes are made. Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons were made. Rome fell. The hollocaust.
Without tragedy, there could be no triumph. Without sadness, comes static emotion. How can one feel blessed without the lingering reminder of those gone before us that were less fortunate. We are reminded today of those that fought wars and died for their beliefs, their contries, and their freedom. Every step forward yeilds opportunity. Opportunity for unsurpassed success or failure. Ultimately, through time, we have moved forward but not without mistakes and setbacks. The gravest mistake of all would be not to have tried at all. Perhaps today, we should have a moment of reflection and inflection to remember those that have gone before. Let us not forget -
Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.
-- Henry Ford
With that, let us not criticize, but let us commend those who dare to create. Find the beauty in everyone. Find the beauty in their creations.
I don't remember seeing your name pass by on the credits.
did i win? hello?....hello? Are you there caller? damn.
Hmm. How long before the new "Digital Contract" virus hits corporate mail servers around the globe and the world is faced with contract disputes from this?
Bahaw HAW HAW HAW!
Ok, lemme get this straight.....
Chucklehead says she's on a laptop at home.
Screenshot of AOL/1stClassMail:
Did anyone look at the systray on that screenshot??? There's a WINGATE Icon in the systray and the ICQ Netwatcher icon. So, I'm to assume from Ol' boys description that this pc is connected to the internet. I look at the systray and see ICQ isn't connected - if it was and she closed it, the Icon would be gone. If it were disabled, the icon has a red circle with the slash through it. Is there a WINGATE client???? Who, on this planet, with enough guts to be a professional spammer with questionable ethics (even for a spammer), is STUPID enough to use a laptop running WIN98 and WINGATE proxy server?????? ICQ isn't connected to anything. How do you suppose knucklenuts got the screenshots without ANYONE seeing ANYTHING? Hack her - Ok. Hack her and surf - OK. Hack her and get screenshots? C'mon.
Oh..... by the way.....Windows98....
"...escalated my remote access to that of a full privileged local user,..." WHAT? What Penis wrinkle made that up?