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User: CreatureComfort

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  1. Re:2nd Amendment Question on A Computer-based Smart Rifle With Incredible Accuracy, Now On Sale · · Score: 1

    Second reply...

    It much about creating an asymmetric power setup. If the other guy has more power (is more intimidating) than you, you lose. If you have more power (are more intimidating than them) you probably win. If it is equal on both sides, even if you are better equipped mentally and through training, if shots are actually exchanged, even if you take them down, you still lost.

    My goal would to always try to be in the position where I can win (through the other person backing down/running away), with the minimal chance of the other person deciding to take the chance and start attacking me. Since the bad guys will always be able to get the biggest scariest thing they can afford, the bigger, scarier, more lethal looking or reputation arms I can bring with me, the more likely I am to not actually have to use it, but still be successful in saving myself and those I can about.

  2. Re:2nd Amendment Question on A Computer-based Smart Rifle With Incredible Accuracy, Now On Sale · · Score: 1

    For the "scary and reputation" part.

    What you suggest is actually the state of the art right now. I guarantee that a .44 will make someone back down a lot faster than a taser. And if all you have is a taser, and they show up with a .44, you are pretty much out of luck. Having the ability to threaten with a .44, but knowing I had the option to dial it back, without the other guy knowing, would be something I, personally, would think a benefit.

  3. Re:2nd Amendment Question on A Computer-based Smart Rifle With Incredible Accuracy, Now On Sale · · Score: 1

    I keep and carry a firearm for exactly the same reason I maintain my CPR certification and first aid training.

    No matter what laws you pass, or how heavily you invest in medical (or protective) personnel, people you care about are at risk of having their heart stop (or having someone intent on hurting them) when those resources are minutes, or more, away. When that situation occurs and I am present, I don't want to live the rest of my life knowing I stood there and watched the person I love die because I chose, or was legally prevented, from preparing myself to deal with the situation. Whether preparation means getting training in first aid and life saving procedures, or carrying the best (easiest, most lethal, safest, etc.) weapon I can afford, in the hopes that whatever preparation I have done will be enough to keep the loved one alive (beat the bad guy), I know that in either situation I may be outclassed, but the better prepared and equipped I am the more likely it will be that I can resolve the situation in my best interest.

    Personally, I have never had to use either my firearms or first aid training in a real world situation, and I hope never to need to, most who have either never do. But (Cool Story Bro) last week, my partner used her CPR training to save her boss's life. She did CPR for the ten minutes it took to get an ambulance there, and actually had a heartbeat back and her boss breathing by the time they did arrive. It helps that she is a registered nurse, but doing it on her boss rather than a patient was a novel experience. I have family that has used a concealed pistol to make a knife wielding robber at a convenience store back down and run away (no shots fired). I hope that in either of those situations, I would have been able to perform as well, with equally positive outcomes.

    So to answer your question, I think a law abiding, well trained, person should be allowed to carry whatever they can that aids in protecting themselves or others around them. That means the weapon must be targetable and discriminate, and generally the scarier looking or reputation the better. A laser gun ala a Star Trek Phaser, would actually be almost ideal, with minimal collateral damage and multiple power settings, including non-lethal. A rocket gun would, generally, not be, since it is always going to create significant collateral damage and can only be used at a range where running away and evasion would be a more sensible option. The bad guys can and will get whatever they think will overpower anyone they are typically going to meet, legal or not. My .44 looks and sounds very intimidating to someone only carrying a .38 special, even though either one will kill a person just as dead. And either one will definitely send someone with only a knife running.

    I hope that helps you understand. BTW, EVERYONE I personally know who carries a firearm (at least 9 that I know of) would give exactly the same reasoning for why they do so. For some reason though, you never hear that in the sound bites on TV or the radio. All I see get on TV are folks that *I* call gun nuts defending the 2nd Amendment on hunting or anti-government grounds, that, quite frankly, embarrasses me.

  4. Re:not where from, where to? on World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Players in First Quarter of 2013 · · Score: 1

    This problem is exactly what has kept me out of EvE. The game looks really cool and exactly the type of game play I tend to enjoy, but starting out I'm so far behind that it definitely feels like the only way to get to the top levels would have been to start several years ago.

  5. Re:not where from, where to? on World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Players in First Quarter of 2013 · · Score: 1

    Is that the theme music for one of the new zones in the next expansion?

  6. Re:Not to mention... on Why Your New Car's Technology Is Four Years Old · · Score: 1

    To be fair, my Audi MMI has a 40GB SSD...

  7. Re:All According to Keikaku on The Return of CISPA · · Score: 1

    I'm POSITIVE they think of the payoffs to the congress critters as "fines" already.

    I used to say that congressmen get more expensive every year, but I'm starting to think this bunch are running bargain basement sales in an effort to capture more of the customers.

  8. Re:Simply put... No. on Missile Defense's Real Enemy: Math · · Score: 2

    Well then... we need to fix that right away!

    How 'bout they launch at each other to test it. Save the rest of the world a whole lot of bother.

  9. Re:Hello, economics on Asteroid Resources Could Make Science Fiction Dreams and Nightmares a Reality · · Score: 2

    OMG, you're absolutely correct! We don't have any experience at all in keeping mirrors in very precise, stationary configurations in space!

    As for handling molten steel in a micro-g environment, the best I can say for your level of comprehension is Magnets, How Do They Work?

    As for the printing process, we've pretty much solved that problem here on earth, and micro-g just makes it even easier.

    There are large challenges, no doubt, to making it all work and getting into production, but the key is that there are no un-developed technologies necessary. Everything we need we already know how to do.

  10. Re:What ? What ? What ? on Iran Says It Sent Monkey Into Space and Back · · Score: 1

    We already have more than enough Monkeys in both of those places...

  11. Re:Hello, economics on Asteroid Resources Could Make Science Fiction Dreams and Nightmares a Reality · · Score: 1

    Solar Smelters to smelt and distill the various metals, then a good 3-D printer, and I think we have a working business model.

  12. Re: Hello, economics on Asteroid Resources Could Make Science Fiction Dreams and Nightmares a Reality · · Score: 2

    And have you PRICED Evian lately?

    Now if we could just find printer ink on an asteroid...

  13. Re:Unclear on the Concept. on A Humanoid Robot Named "Baxter" Could Revive US Manufacturing · · Score: 1

    They tried that in the 50's. Google Automat. It seems that most people like having a real person serve them food. We also haven't yet come up with a robot that can effectively deal with the variation in ingredient qualities to effectively optimize taste (needs just a pinch more salt, etc.).

    McD's has effectively homogenized their input ingredients to the point that every burger from every restaurant tastes exactly the same, but compare what they make to a Five Guys, or a homemade burger, and you see the huge difference. If you go behind the scenes at most of the major chain fast food, you'll see that the "human" component to the food manufacturing process has been greatly removed. The only place you actually have a human do anything is in direct customer service and those "pull handle", "slop ONE spoonful of x", " set top half of bun on top" type tasks that realistically it is cheaper to pay a high school kid to do than keep up the maintenance and cleaning on a robot.

  14. Re:No Resemblance at All in My Opinion on New Dinosaur Named After the Eye of Sauron · · Score: 1

    Every nerd-gasm is sacred,
    every nerd-gasm is great,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk

  15. Re:Everyone loves a winner. on Nate Silver's Numbers Indicate Probable Obama Win, World Agrees · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think the US is getting exactly what it deserves.

    It's just my misfortune to be part of the apparent minority that would prefer a fact-based, non-dramatic, non-populist intelligent choice between two similarly valid, well reasoned world views with well articulated plans for future goals and methods.

    The majority of mouth-breathing, drooling, sycophants with no knowledge or interest beyond their personal prejudices, greed, and entertainment... are getting exactly what they deserve.

  16. Re:let's not waste significant digits! on Astronomers Fix the Astronomical Unit · · Score: 1

    I'm sure it's 150 gigameters when you use PI=3 in the equations.

  17. Re:Spoiler. on Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Depressing Sci-fi You've Ever Read? · · Score: 1

    As an increasingly older guy, I'm OK with this.

  18. Re:Help me out here, I'm a bit confused on Meat the Food of the Future · · Score: 1

    You do know how much of that "ground beef" is actually insects, rat parts, etc., don't you? Or do you just blindly trust that the labels on the packaging are 100% true, and not off by the amount allowed by the FDA?

    http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/105442
    "Meat of all sorts—ground beef, chicken nuggets, taco filling, etc.—must include at least 35 percent actual meat. The other 65 percent doesn’t have to be meat, and can be made up of any mixture of edible fillers and chemicals, including cornstarch, water, soy, maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, food colorings and artificial flavoring. "

    Basically, if you didn't kill it and butcher it yourself... you ain't eating what you think you're eating. If you think I'm wrong, just visit a local meat processing plant. They are located all over the country, and are usually not against giving tours, as long as you don't come off as an eco-nut.

  19. Re:The word 'Steal' is not very appropriate here.. on Android App Lets You Steal Contactless Credit Card Data · · Score: 1

    Because security through obscurity has proven to be such a great policy...

  20. Re:Good! on Microsoft-Funded Startup Aims To Kill BitTorrent Traffic · · Score: 1

    Yes, they lack both hearts and minds.

  21. Re:Police Ssurveillance on Two New Fed GPS Trackers Found On SUV · · Score: 1

    Unless the device is just resting there on it's migratory path... or it could have been dropped there by swallows.

  22. Re:Police Ssurveillance on Two New Fed GPS Trackers Found On SUV · · Score: 2

    The other thing is that they only need a warrant to collect evidence that can be used in a trial. They can essentially do all the surveillance, tracking, etc. they want to without a warrant, then when they have a good idea of where to go to get the evidence they need in court (whether because they learned it through surveillance or planted it themselves) then they get the warrant to collect the evidence they will use against you in court.

    The only magical thing about a warrant is that it makes the evidence admissible.

  23. Re:Efficiency on Ron Paul Suggests Axing 5 U.S. Federal Departments (and Budgets) · · Score: 2

    Yeah, because who really needs or wants all those nasty national parks. Sell them to corporations to "develop". If future generations, those worthless ingrates, want to have natural beauty, they can bloody well buy 'em back from the corporations and return them to "pristine" beauty. By god we need the money now!

    And why should Wyoming have to pay to predict and monitor hurricanes. Florida, Texas and the rest of those freeloading "water" states can fund a dozen satellites and planes to fly through the storms if they care about them so much. Why should everyone else care about minimizing damage to the Port of Houston, the gulf refineries, or the fruit and vegetable crops. It doesn't affect me... I get all my stuff from Walmart, not any of those places.

    Because, nowhere in the Constitution can I find authorization for a National Parks Service, or NOAA, or even FEMA.

  24. Re:I have a feeling that on Company Offers Creepily-Realistic Masks of Clients · · Score: 1

    You want to have sex with Sarah Palin? That's sick.

  25. Re:Don't piss off early adopters. on Google+ Loses 60% of Active Users · · Score: 1

    Facebook may require real names, but I can't think of any non-real name accounts getting deleted. I know both of my non-real accounts are still up and very active. But, and here is a key point, even if Facebook did decide to go in and blow away my accounts, it wouldn't cripple me online. G+ on the other hand ties to my gmail account, and my Calendar, and if they blow away my G+ account, they also blow away two very critical services they provide to to me under terms that let me stay pseudonymous. That's why I deleted my G+ account. I just couldn't risk losing the rest of my online identity because Schmidt wants to sell my info to marketers. I could have created another gmail account, and play with G+ on it, but after all, what would be the point? G+ is massive Google fail.