The overwhelming majority of weapons owners are not and never will be violent criminals.
Are there (relatively) benign reasons for stockpiling weapons? Yes. Do they represent the "overwhelming majority?" No. If the "overwhelming majority" were relatively cool and calm (let alone rational) about acquiring weapons, there wouldn't have been such a drastic spike in sales whenever the "Nobama will take our gunz!!11!!!" panic hits a crescendo.
Besides, there's no effort made to ensure that even benign collectors secure their weapons from theft.
But ignoring all that, your response (and all of the others) can be summed up as "It is morally wrong to question weapons stockpiling." None have addressed my statement that looking into those who want such a large collection is a rational thing to do.
I think that rather than arguing about gun-rights in general, we would be better served by working to identify the kind of people that feel they need to resort to this type of violence
The most logical starting point is taking a closer look at people who want to own multiple guns.
Weapons have exactly one use. If you want to find violent people, you start by looking at the people who stockpile things that can only be used for violence.
Less resources + more equitable distribution = less poverty
Debt will certainly cause decline in the West. It's happening now, and poverty is increasing considerably.
The "poverty" you're most likely referring to is the result of short-sighted austerity measures, which are panicked reactions rather than long-term systemic changes.
Yeah, they have the password for the usernames of their website. You know, the one that has only public information.
One of the roles of the NSA is to help US entities implement proper defensive security measures. When your job is to tell others how to secure their websites, it's a black eye when your own is found insecure.
Don't embarass one of the few agencies in the world with the resources and inclination to track you down (ie, the NSA)
Unless they also have a flux capacitor, they still can't un-publish this information. Regardless of how angry they are, the damage is done, hence the need for information assurance to begin with.
Yes, congratulations on your Network+ certification. Each client has its own hosts file, which would have to be updated individually, manually, which is why FSM gave us DNS instead and, in this case, subscription-based ad-blocking.
We need to stop making degrees the goal of education, and start making expanding a person's mind and skillset the goal.
The goal is to put food on one's table and a roof over one's head. "Expanding one's mind" is much higher on Ye Olde Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
You worry about "expanding your mind" after you claw yourself out of underemployment, when (if) you can afford it. The degree demonstrably helps get you there.
We've tried to replace the dollar with coins three times so far, and it's failed.
We've never been without dollar coins, since 1776. It's the greenback that's new.
The problem is the size and shape of the old dollar coins. They're very close to quarters in size and weight.
Until coins marked 1965 and newer, all reeded US coins (dimes, quarters, halves, dollars) were 0.9 fine silver; the reeding was to discourage filing of the precious metal. The values of the coins were based on their weight in silver, a ratio (though not their original weights) that persists today: a half-dollar weighs as much as two quarters, which weighs as much as five dimes, and any combination of all three that equals $20 weighs 1 lb avoirdupois.
After all circulating coins were reduced to base metals, the Eisenhower dollar coin was introduced in 1971. However, it was the same size as the old (true) silver dollars, weighing as much as four quarters, proving to be an unwieldy size. This large size made sense when they were minted of precious metal, but not so much with base metal. It failed to catch on.
(Meanwhile, the half-dollar fell out of common circulation, because everyone obsessed over JFK.)
The Anthony dollar of 1979 was an effort to fix this. In order to distinguish it from other denominations, it was originally going to be a different shape: a curve of continuous width, with 11 sides (in honor of Apollo 11, whose mission patch was on the reverse). This original feature can be seen in the artwork of the coin, with both the obverse and reverse having a hendecagon inscribed around the edge. However, coin-operated machinery operators were concerned about the reliability of their equipment accepting such an unusual shape at the time, resulting in a last-minute change to a circular coin.
It should be noted that Canada essentially copied the Anthony dollar's original design in their current "loonie," only changing the color. The number 11 doesn't hold the historical significance to Canada as it does to the US, but the loonie has 11 sides just the same.
So when it came time for serious attempt #2 (Sacagawea dollar) the coin still had to be the same size and shape or every vending machine would have to be replaced.
As noted above, the loonie is the same thickness and diameter as the Anthony dollar. In addition to this, Canadian pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are also the same size and shape (and color) as US coins of the same denomination. (Half-dollars are different, but are rarely seen in either country regardless.)
Because of this, coin-sorting equipment can be made to easily switch between US and Canadian coins, which only really differ in weight and metallurgy (i. e. magnetic signature). Keeping the newer golden dollars the same size and shape as the Anthony dollars wasn't just a matter of backwards-compatibility but cross-compatibility as well. The yellow color of the golden US dollars also continues the trend of using the same colors for the same denominations.
The real issue for the golden dollar was maintaining the same magnetic signature as the Anthony dollar, in spite of using a different color alloy.
And it still felt like a quarter in your pocket.
Until you feel the smooth edge. It doesn't have the loonie's corners, but it's still easily distinguished from quarters by touch, just as you can distinguish between quarters and nickels, and between dimes and pennies.
We're trying again with the Presidential Dollar Coins.
Past tense. Production was halted prematurely this year, with Grover Cleveland's first term.
Besides, they were always intended as a limited issue, much like the "50 State Quarters" program. Sacagawea dollars were minted alongside them, along with some special, limited-issue reverses reflecting "Native American heritage." The only permanent change is moving "In God We Trust" from the edge-printing to the obverse, after a certain well-publicized snafu with the Presidential dollars.
So, with one notable exception, even the 'losers' went on to a cushy retirement. And even if you do include the Romanovs, that's still much better odds than the kids they sent to the trenches "for king and country."
Slashdot Mirror
The overwhelming majority of weapons owners are not and never will be violent criminals.
Are there (relatively) benign reasons for stockpiling weapons? Yes. Do they represent the "overwhelming majority?" No. If the "overwhelming majority" were relatively cool and calm (let alone rational) about acquiring weapons, there wouldn't have been such a drastic spike in sales whenever the "Nobama will take our gunz!!11!!!" panic hits a crescendo.
Besides, there's no effort made to ensure that even benign collectors secure their weapons from theft.
But ignoring all that, your response (and all of the others) can be summed up as "It is morally wrong to question weapons stockpiling." None have addressed my statement that looking into those who want such a large collection is a rational thing to do.
I think that rather than arguing about gun-rights in general, we would be better served by working to identify the kind of people that feel they need to resort to this type of violence
The most logical starting point is taking a closer look at people who want to own multiple guns.
Weapons have exactly one use. If you want to find violent people, you start by looking at the people who stockpile things that can only be used for violence.
More people + less resources = less poverty
Fail.
Less resources + more equitable distribution = less poverty
Debt will certainly cause decline in the West. It's happening now, and poverty is increasing considerably.
The "poverty" you're most likely referring to is the result of short-sighted austerity measures, which are panicked reactions rather than long-term systemic changes.
Larger expenditures + larger revenue = lower deficit when delta-revenue > delta-expenditures
Countries running account surpluses will be the largest economies over time.
Countries running account surpluses are too short-sighted to make long-term investments with those surpluses.
What, don't you think China is running a deficit?
Besides being an ugly word it is imposing a sort of emotional response to something that is more practical and dare scientific.
And as we all know Congress, the miffed party in question, is all about the science.
Yeah, they have the password for the usernames of their website. You know, the one that has only public information.
One of the roles of the NSA is to help US entities implement proper defensive security measures. When your job is to tell others how to secure their websites, it's a black eye when your own is found insecure.
Don't embarass one of the few agencies in the world with the resources and inclination to track you down (ie, the NSA)
Unless they also have a flux capacitor, they still can't un-publish this information. Regardless of how angry they are, the damage is done, hence the need for information assurance to begin with.
All in all, not an efficient use of tax dollars.
observing carefully all the relevant regulations regarding content access that are present in the various European countries
Three words: least common denominator. They are simply abiding by the most stringent requirements in the European market.
Repeat after me: the EU is not the United States of Europe.
Once again, the Linux community falls back on "RTFM, n00b!"
Yes, congratulations on your Network+ certification. Each client has its own hosts file, which would have to be updated individually, manually, which is why FSM gave us DNS instead and, in this case, subscription-based ad-blocking.
Hosts files don't follow people around, pretty much by definition. That's the point of having it local to begin with.
Touchscreens aren't included with the OS, though.
Hell, I don't believe there's even a touchscreen requirement in Microsoft's Windows 8 certification.
We need to stop making degrees the goal of education, and start making expanding a person's mind and skillset the goal.
The goal is to put food on one's table and a roof over one's head. "Expanding one's mind" is much higher on Ye Olde Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
You worry about "expanding your mind" after you claw yourself out of underemployment, when (if) you can afford it. The degree demonstrably helps get you there.
Porn is free; tablets are expensive.
You can't shut down your cash cow just because you're banking on your shiny new toy.
Why not? It works for Wall Street! Oh, wait...
In contrast, Square-Enix plans to release their revamp of Final Fantasy XIV and an expansion pack for Final Fantasy XI next year.
I think you're looking at this through the lens of being focused on doing 'meaningful' work
For the price tags attached to most tablets, they damn well better do "meaningful work," especially in this economy.
Perhaps a new Supreme Court?
The courts can't do anything with non-existent consumer protection laws.
It's more like there's not much overlap between Apple fans and Fox News fans.
We've tried to replace the dollar with coins three times so far, and it's failed.
We've never been without dollar coins, since 1776. It's the greenback that's new.
The problem is the size and shape of the old dollar coins. They're very close to quarters in size and weight.
Until coins marked 1965 and newer, all reeded US coins (dimes, quarters, halves, dollars) were 0.9 fine silver; the reeding was to discourage filing of the precious metal. The values of the coins were based on their weight in silver, a ratio (though not their original weights) that persists today: a half-dollar weighs as much as two quarters, which weighs as much as five dimes, and any combination of all three that equals $20 weighs 1 lb avoirdupois.
After all circulating coins were reduced to base metals, the Eisenhower dollar coin was introduced in 1971. However, it was the same size as the old (true) silver dollars, weighing as much as four quarters, proving to be an unwieldy size. This large size made sense when they were minted of precious metal, but not so much with base metal. It failed to catch on.
(Meanwhile, the half-dollar fell out of common circulation, because everyone obsessed over JFK.)
The Anthony dollar of 1979 was an effort to fix this. In order to distinguish it from other denominations, it was originally going to be a different shape: a curve of continuous width, with 11 sides (in honor of Apollo 11, whose mission patch was on the reverse). This original feature can be seen in the artwork of the coin, with both the obverse and reverse having a hendecagon inscribed around the edge. However, coin-operated machinery operators were concerned about the reliability of their equipment accepting such an unusual shape at the time, resulting in a last-minute change to a circular coin.
It should be noted that Canada essentially copied the Anthony dollar's original design in their current "loonie," only changing the color. The number 11 doesn't hold the historical significance to Canada as it does to the US, but the loonie has 11 sides just the same.
So when it came time for serious attempt #2 (Sacagawea dollar) the coin still had to be the same size and shape or every vending machine would have to be replaced.
As noted above, the loonie is the same thickness and diameter as the Anthony dollar. In addition to this, Canadian pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are also the same size and shape (and color) as US coins of the same denomination. (Half-dollars are different, but are rarely seen in either country regardless.)
Because of this, coin-sorting equipment can be made to easily switch between US and Canadian coins, which only really differ in weight and metallurgy (i. e. magnetic signature). Keeping the newer golden dollars the same size and shape as the Anthony dollars wasn't just a matter of backwards-compatibility but cross-compatibility as well. The yellow color of the golden US dollars also continues the trend of using the same colors for the same denominations.
The real issue for the golden dollar was maintaining the same magnetic signature as the Anthony dollar, in spite of using a different color alloy.
And it still felt like a quarter in your pocket.
Until you feel the smooth edge. It doesn't have the loonie's corners, but it's still easily distinguished from quarters by touch, just as you can distinguish between quarters and nickels, and between dimes and pennies.
We're trying again with the Presidential Dollar Coins.
Past tense. Production was halted prematurely this year, with Grover Cleveland's first term.
Besides, they were always intended as a limited issue, much like the "50 State Quarters" program. Sacagawea dollars were minted alongside them, along with some special, limited-issue reverses reflecting "Native American heritage." The only permanent change is moving "In God We Trust" from the edge-printing to the obverse, after a certain well-publicized snafu with the Presidential dollars.
Pop quiz: did it make sense to print ten-cent notes in 1950?
Dimes in 1950 were 0.9 fine silver.
I once saw a chart
[citation needed]
noting an overall decline in traffic citations and right-angle crashes
So while the collision rate is up, the rate of the most dangerous collisions are down. I suspect there's a similar decline in deaths and injuries.
the net costs of accidents had climbed by more than $1 million
That's insurers' problem, and has no real effect on the state treasury. And having the cameras makes it easier to pin down blame and liability.
Publicise a 900 number support line
And hope your customers use a "telephone" service that allows such calls to be made?
Since China is the world's largest IMPORTER of coal
Net, not gross. There's plenty of coal in China, they just consume more than they produce.
there is no cheap Chinese coal on the world market
"Not enough coal to be self-sufficient" isn't the same as "not enough coal to drive down prices."
The coal industry in the US is hurting because cheap natural gas is displacing it
Apples and oranges in the power industry. Coal is base load, gas is peak.
So, with one notable exception, even the 'losers' went on to a cushy retirement. And even if you do include the Romanovs, that's still much better odds than the kids they sent to the trenches "for king and country."
It's good to be the king.
'What was the point of winning either World War if, in 2012, someone can be casually arrested by @Kent_police for burning a poppy?
We're talking World War I, a war fought over who had the better monarch.
Protip: Victoria's grandkids won.