Ian Argent's Cave

Short update - I aten't ded

2009-11-30T03:46:06Z

Though I was a terrible threat to some innocent pieces of paper; and may end up the week with another boomstick.

Today's total was not quite 200 rounds of 9mm and uncounted rounds of .22 expended, 3 entries for November's e-postal submitted (among other #20 paper perforated), one new shooter introduced to the hobby, and 4 sets of recoil-therapy-induced smiles.

Fun & Freedom

2009-08-26T23:00:03Z

I had today off; and I haven't gotten to the range in a while. It's still not a good idea to go down to the range in Lakewood (Shore Shot) due to the summer traffic; so I went out to the Bullet Hole in Belleville.

I left 350 rounds or so in their backstop and brought a big old grin back home with me. While my marksmanship could use some work, I hit near to my point of aim each time. I gotta scan in and submit my e-postal target now.

And I need to get a self-loading airsoft. Despite saying to myself "I don't need to cock this each time", I loaded up, racked the slide, pulled the trigger, and racked the slide again. Whoops. After that I settled down. I blame the springfired airsoft I picked up. It's a fun toy, nice to be able to plink in the basement safely and legally; but bad muscle memory to develop.

Shockingly enough, I was in a smallish store - wall to wall guns everywhere; and people shooting their own guns(!); and no-one was hurt. Not one gun went off by itself, and no-one was influenced by the inanimate objects to commit a crime. (Well, I can't say that entirely - in NJ there are so many different ways to screw up and inadvertently commit a victimless crime of circumstance with a firearm... The default assumption is, after all, that posession of a firearm is a felony, and only if you fall into one of the exceptions is it graciously allowed. Some freedom).

Service Announcement

2009-06-18T14:28:48Z

Joanna and I will be unreachable by landline from 06/19 through 06/22 due to moving. Please plan accordingly and plan to reach us via cellphones.

Bruce Schneier and co engages in PSH

2009-06-03T13:04:40Z

Bruce Schneier is a reasonably level-headed individual when it comes to most security-related issues. But, apparently, gunz r scawwy. Even in the hands of Boston’s PD (notorious for overreacting) they’re just another semiautomatic rifle. Whether the beat cops need a rifle is a question worth asking, but Schneier just panics that they’re getting “automatic weapons”.

LiveJournal Tags: Guns guns guns

Latest on the flu

2009-05-01T15:55:36Z

This report from the BBC has me pricing up shotguns and chainsaws.

LiveJournal Tags: Memetic Interference,we aren't the world,zombies

Children and Guns

2009-04-28T14:34:13Z

Linky hopefully leading to thinky

Part I—Want to Ensure Your Kid Never Commits a Gun Crime? GIVE Him a Gun.

Part II—The Myth of Gun Safety. What you must know in order to truly protect your children.

Part III—When is it Safe to Educate Your Children on Guns?

Part IV—What’s Really Responsible for the Deaths of Our Nation’s Children?

Something to think about over in my cave as well

LiveJournal Tags: Guns guns gun

The Shadowrun equivalent would involve AR I assume

2009-04-25T12:24:15Z

My bemusement quotient for the morning has been increased

LiveJournal Tags: Canada Eh?,How Bizzarre,Law and Disorder,Other People

Annals of Self-defense

2009-04-22T01:21:12Z

Literally – Clayton Cramer et al have posted their 4000th entry on the Civilian Gun Self-Defense blog.

Some of the statistics (more found here)

By state: Alaska (31); Alabama (143); Arkansas (63); Arizona (98); California (265); Colorado (48); Connecticut (18); D.C. (2); Delaware (16); Florida (368); Georgia (161); Hawaii (3); Iowa (14); Idaho (19); Illinois (61); Indiana (117); Kansas (37); Kentucky (69); Louisiana (102); Massachusetts (22); Maryland (30); Maine (15); Michigan (118); Minnesota (29); Missouri (89); Mississippi (79); Montana (19); North Carolina (184); North Dakota (6); Nebraska (14); New Hampshire (22); New Jersey (13); New Mexico (29); Nevada (45); New York (87); Ohio (184); Oklahoma (102); Oregon (44); Pennsylvania (146); South Carolina (109); South Dakota (8); Tennessee (181); Texas (506); Utah (39); Virginia (83); Virgin Islands (1); Vermont (7); Washington (76); Wisconsin (33); West Virginia (22); Wyoming (9). (To find all incidents involving a particular state, use this URL with the post office two letter abbreviation substituted for AK.)

There were 212 incidents involving concealed carry permit holders.
Not every outcome was happy. There were 30 incidents in which the defender was killed (although often saving the life of another, or preventing the attacker from escaping). There were 191 incidents in which the defender was shot (although not necessarily killed).

For all the talk by gun control advocates that "a criminal will just take away your gun and use against you" there were only six incidents in which the defender's gun was taken away and used against the defender. By comparison, there were 183 incidents in which the criminal's gun was taken away and used against the criminal! More startling is that many of these involved victims that were unarmed at the start of the crime.

There were 67 female defenders, and 15 defenders under the age of 18.

Sobering numbers: there were 90 criminals identified as being under 18, and 1009 of these incidents were home invasions--where the criminals intentionally broke into a dwelling that they knew was occupied.
For all the talk of inadequately trained civilians, we have one incident involving mistaken identity.

This is, of course, anecdotal – but this is as good as the data will get; and it’s almost certain that this is an undercount of incidences.

LiveJournal Tags: Guns Guns Guns

Another constitutional victory

2009-04-21T01:15:09Z

Today’s big news is from the Ninth Circuit – Nordyke v King has been decided on appeal. (It’s readable – I recommend reading it).

The amazing news is that the decision agrees that the 2nd amendment applies to the States, not just the Federal Government (it is incorporated).

Some choice quotes:

This brief survey of our history reveals a right indeed “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” Moreover, whereas the Supreme Court has previously incorporated rights the colonists fought for, we have here both a right they fought for and the right that allowed them to fight.

We also note that the target of the right to keep and bear arms shifted in the period leading up to the Civil War. While the generation of 1789 envisioned the right as a component of local resistance to centralized tyranny, whether British or federal, the generation of 1868 envisioned the right as safeguard to protect individuals from oppressive or indifferent local governments. See Amar, supra, at 257-66. But though the source of the threat may have migrated, the antidote remained the same: the individual right to keep and bear arms, a recourse for “when the sanctions of society and laws are found insufficient to restrain the violence of oppression.” 1 Blackstone, supra, at *144.

All that leads up to the money paragraph:

We therefore conclude that the right to keep and bear arms is “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” Colonial revolutionaries, the Founders, and a host of commentators and lawmakers living during the first one hundred years of the Republic all insisted on the fundamental nature of the right. It has long been regarded as the “true palladium of liberty.” Colonists relied on it to assert and to win their independence, and the victorious Union sought to prevent a recalcitrant South from abridging it less than a century later. The crucial role this deeply rooted right has played in our birth and history compels us to recognize that it is indeed fundamental, that it is necessary to the Anglo-American conception of ordered liberty that we have inherited. We are therefore persuaded that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment incorporates the Second Amendment and applies it against the states and local governments.

It’s worth noting that the Court’s reasoning is not just that we have the right to self-defense (though we do). It is also worth noting that the 2nd Amendment does not grant a right, but rather recognizes a right pre-existing. The right granted to us is that to resist tyranny, of both an oppressive federal government as well as an oppressive state or local government. No mention of hunting at all.

It is also worth noting that the plaintiffs nominally lost their suit. The suit was over a law passed by the County that made it a misdemeanor to have firearms or ammunition on County-owned land; this included a County fairground that a gun show had been held on. The effect of this law (and apparently the desired effect from the statements of some County Councilors) was to stop this gun show. The organizers sued, and that brought us to this point.

I’m not as upset about that part of the decision as some others. If this were a private venue, there would be no question in my mind that the owners could ban firearms and ammunition from the premises. At the same time – I’d be worried about this setting a precedent that the local government can restrict firearms anywhere they want outside of the private property of others…

Next step – the Chicago and environs cases in the Seventh Circuit.

LiveJournal Tags: Guns guns guns,(im)politics

What Big Cat Are You?

2009-04-10T00:21:06Z

You Are a White Tiger

You have a strong individualistic streak. You are unique and outspoken.
You have firm ideas of right and wrong. You will stand up for your unpopular beliefs with pride.

You believe that learning the truth is important. Even if it's ugly, uncomfortable, or awkward.
You give it to people straight, and you expect them to do the same. You can't stand ambiguity of any kind.

What Big Cat Are You?

It was ten years ago

2009-04-08T14:27:43Z

that The Matrix released. Damn

(Weapons-grade timewasting on it can be found here)

LiveJournal Tags: Moving Pictures,Time Flies

A mind-blowing publicity stunt

2009-04-08T13:55:53Z

An excavator climbing up a tower – This post via this blog entry yields these photos:

LiveJournal Tags: I thought it was funny

Self-defense

2009-04-08T13:43:20Z

The question is: “Do I have a right to defend myself?” The answer must be Yes or No.

LiveJournal Tags: Politics,guns guns guns

I almost owed MYSELF a new keyboard

2009-04-06T12:23:49Z

From this thread on ENWorld:

(Moon-Lancer's .sig: "is 4e cool, yes. but ask me that again when i can play a druid ;p"
Markn: "Moonlancer - I think you can retire your sig! "
Moon-Lancer: "lol, yeah. any suggestions on what my next one should be?"
inkmonkeys: "is 4e cool, yes. but ask me that again when i can play a monk ;p"

__________________
Peter Schaefer, D&D Developer

One of the reasons I love the gaming industry

My preferred class

2009-03-26T01:14:32Z

D&D Home Page - What Class Are You? - Build A Character - D&D Compendium

FedEx

2009-03-02T16:04:16Z

I am impressed with FedEx. Despite my package being handed to them in Shanghai past cutoff Friday, it is in my company mailroom as of now. For 2-day air.

Thank you, FedEx

Dawn of War II

2009-02-21T14:45:14Z

The more I read about it, the more it reminds me of Chaos Gate. This is not a bad thing

I heart Targus

2009-02-13T02:30:08Z

I picked up a 4-port USB 2 hub at Office Max going out of business sale today. Got it home and noticed that they had perforated the back of the packaging such that I could open the tamper-resistant packaging with my bare hands. Go Targus!

(The hub itself is ridiculously tiny - I think I owned a wristwatch with a larger face; admittedly it was a calulator watch)

Bah

2009-01-23T01:54:40Z

So I go through Steam to download the Dawn of War 2 beta (aya purchasing Soulstorm). And - "No supported video hardware" or error msg to that effect. Do a little research, and find out that my x850, while highly recommended at the time I bought it, does not have Shader 3 in it. The reasonably-costed Shader 3 card (x1650) is somewhat less powerful overall than my x850; and the x1950 is still going for better than $200. No way am I sinking $200 into my current machine when I can have a decent Alienware-assembled box for $1400 (when I factor the cost of my time into that, it cheaper for me to make them put it together).

That aside, though, I'm not buying a new machine until I can at least get a coupon for Windows 7, and I'm not entirely sure I want to go the Alienware route until they start putting x64 OS on their machines; it's ridiculous that they don't in this day and age; and their explanation doesn't cut it. (Driver availability, in case you wonder).

(Side note - Alienware charges sales tax in NJ... plus shipping is another $200. C'est la via).

And you thought I was bad

2009-01-18T23:07:32Z

This video from an attendee of CES shows to what lengths people push the Scott E-Vest…

Wean yourself off the mouse

2009-01-18T18:40:39Z

I ran across this article entitled Going Commando - Put Down The Mouse; it’s about using keyboard shortcuts and trying to do without the mouse. It’s painfully difficult to do entirely without the mouse any more, but on a Windows box at least, there are a surprising number of keyboard accelerators for what you would normally use a mouse for, in both the OS and applications. I find the use of the keyboard to be both easier and more efficient than poking around in menus (just as the author does).

LiveJournal Tags: Computers

Musical Tesla coils

2009-01-18T16:14:56Z

Sparks play music with sparks!

HT to the UF LotD

Phones – finally

2009-01-16T02:55:27Z

Sometimes all you need is a little piece of mind, and the willingness to use it. After spending over an hour on the phone with the local Sprint store, and getting a bit cranky when the tech there tried to tell me the send the phones back if they hadn’t been picked up in a week (which I replied with “I’ve been calling either every day or every other day to be told they’re not in!”) he averred that there might be one (of the two on order) in and could I come by tonight to get it. Joanna and I went off to the store with the intent to complain about the situation – but before we could they managed to dig up a second. So we now both have the shiny new Touch Pro. All for the cost of a 3-week wait, some minor heartburn, and maybe $5 in overages for the time I spent on hold over the 3 weeks. Beats hell out of the list price, let me tell you.

LiveJournal Tags: phones,living la vida argent

A dramatic little video

2009-01-16T02:40:28Z

A Smart car hitting a concrete barrier at 70 mph (not occupied – some wags blew around $12K-$14K or so for some yuks though). It’s unclear how much damage there was to the driver’s compartment; but as one of the less annoying commenters noted; no matter the safety equipment it is unlikely for the human body to survive deceleration from that speed in anything. I’ll take nimble over armored on my commute, thankyouverymuch.

LiveJournal Tags: Cars

X-Com Extravaganza

2009-01-12T01:05:29Z

So, I logged into Steam today to see if my new monitor still gives me motion-sickness when playing Half-Life:Source (yep – it’s a shame, too. So far the only FPS I can reliably play is the Unreal Tournament series, which is a real shame. I loved HL back in the day, and still want to play Jedi Knight; having gotten the HL series for free with my video card and bought JK when I could still sort of play FPS).

But the one thing I happened to stumble across was a weekend special on the entire X-Com series for $4.99 (normally $14.99). I would cheerfully have paid $5 for just X-Com:UFO Defense (the normal price), so I was on it like a shot.

Has it really been 15 years? Man, time flies. Anyway, it uses a DOSBOX to run, and runs OK on my XP box right now – the acid test will be when I try it on Win7.

LiveJournal Tags: Nostalgia,gaming,Living la Vida Argent

Ian Argent's Cave

Short update - I aten't ded

Fun & Freedom

Service Announcement

Bruce Schneier and co engages in PSH

Latest on the flu

Children and Guns

The Shadowrun equivalent would involve AR I assume

Annals of Self-defense

Another constitutional victory

What Big Cat Are You?

It was ten years ago

A mind-blowing publicity stunt

Self-defense

I almost owed MYSELF a new keyboard

My preferred class

FedEx

Dawn of War II

I heart Targus

Bah

And you thought *I* was bad

Wean yourself off the mouse

Musical Tesla coils

Phones – finally

A dramatic little video

X-Com Extravaganza

And you thought I was bad