David Frum's recent piece on guns is simply brilliant. He's right. The president does need a Plan B. What should that be?
First: The president can direct the surgeon general to compile a scientific study of the health effect of individual gun ownership.
The second step that might be taken -- again without the need for any congressional vote -- is for the Senate to convene hearings into the practices of the gun industry analogous to those it convened into the tobacco industry in the 1990s.
Agree and agree.
Actually, we need more than just one scientific study on the health effects of guns. As Frum notes in an earlier piece, there's a whole lot of lying going on. And bad social science. This jibes with a recent article from the Christian Science Monitor that illustrates, despite the convoluted bullshit from the Right, there is very little date to support the assertion that guns make us safer.
As a 2012 Congressional Research Service report on gun issues points out, law enforcement agencies do not collect self-defense information as a matter of course, and the available research thus depends on limited numbers of surveys and other self-reported information.
That's why Frum points out the obvious in his comment regarding Gayle Trotter's testimony before Congress.
Thrilling. Also wholly imaginary. Such Rambo-like defenses of home and hearth do not happen in real life, unless the home also happens to contain a meth lab. (The oft-cited statistic that gun owners draw in self-defense 2.5 million times a year is a classic of bad social science.)
Yes, managing a fantasy. These types of situations are pure fantasy but that certainly won't stop the right wing media industrial complex from brainwashing their all to willing followers whose brains are already hard wired for more fear. So, we need to fucking bury them in scientific studies that show the effects that guns have on public health.
The other important step is to unfuck the gun makers.
Gun makers often design their weapons in ways that present no benefit for lawful users but that greatly assist criminals. They don't coordinate the issuance of serial numbers so that each gun can be identified with certainty. They stamp serial numbers in places where they can be effaced.
They reject police requests to etch barrels to uniquely mark each cartridge fired by a particular gun.
They sell bullets that can pierce police armor.
They will not include trigger locks and other child-proofing devices as standard equipment.
They ignore new technology that would render guns inoperable by anyone except their approved purchaser.
Why? Why? And why?
Seriously, WTF, gun manufacturers? I had no idea that any of this was happening.
Frum's piece draws an important comparison with the cigarette industry and I think we may be seeing the nascence of a very effective way to deal with gun violence in this country. If we do to the gun manufacturers what we did the tobacco lobby, we're going to reduce the gun violence in this country. If we combine that with dealing with mental health more effectively, it's going to make for an even further reduction in gun related deaths.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Chinese Cyberwar against US Heating Up
China now appears to be waging all-out warfare against the United States in the technology arena. Mandiant Corporation has analyzed cyber attacks on American companies and have determined that many of them originated in a Shanghai office building owned by the People's Liberation Army. Not only have they infiltrated high-tech companies, critical infrastructure like dams and the power grid, they've gone after companies like Coca-Cola to get information about business deals in the works. Thus, any American company is at risk.
Not long ago it was discovered that Chinese hackers had been going after The New York Times to learn the identities of sources who told the Time about the Chinese prime minister's relatives accumulating billions of dollars through questionable business dealings.
And the Financial Times reports that Shane Todd, an American engineer working in China, may have been murdered after he became concerned about the advanced gallium nitride technology (useful for military communications technology) he was working on would fall into the hands of the Chinese military.
The technique used in many of these infiltrations involve "spear-phishing" attacks, in which an email is sent to an employee containing an attachment or link, which contains some kind of Trojan horse that allows the attacker to gain access to the company's network.
Which raises the question: why do these government and corporate email systems even allow attachments on emails? And why do companies allow employees to access unknown web sites from computers on their internal networks? And why are people foolish enough to open said attachments and visit said links in the first place?
These techniques aren't used just by Chinese army hackers, they're also used by criminals trying to steal your bank account information. So everyone, not just corporate and government employees, needs to understand the risks of attachments and links.
A big part of the problem is the "easy and automatic" mindset that has possessed software developers since Apple first implemented the auto-execute floppy disk that allowed viruses to propagate simply by plugging a floppy disk into a drive. It's only gotten worse with ubiquitous USB flash drives (all made in China, by the way) and web browsers that automatically launch applications and documents at the click of a mouse button.
Operating systems like Windows Vista and 7 have some safeguards, such as bringing up an extra dialog that force you to enter an administrator password when an application is about to modify the system. But since users are inundated constantly by such prompts for regular software updates, they always just click Yes because they have no idea what they're supposed to do.
There are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Not long ago it was discovered that Chinese hackers had been going after The New York Times to learn the identities of sources who told the Time about the Chinese prime minister's relatives accumulating billions of dollars through questionable business dealings.
And the Financial Times reports that Shane Todd, an American engineer working in China, may have been murdered after he became concerned about the advanced gallium nitride technology (useful for military communications technology) he was working on would fall into the hands of the Chinese military.
The technique used in many of these infiltrations involve "spear-phishing" attacks, in which an email is sent to an employee containing an attachment or link, which contains some kind of Trojan horse that allows the attacker to gain access to the company's network.
Which raises the question: why do these government and corporate email systems even allow attachments on emails? And why do companies allow employees to access unknown web sites from computers on their internal networks? And why are people foolish enough to open said attachments and visit said links in the first place?
These techniques aren't used just by Chinese army hackers, they're also used by criminals trying to steal your bank account information. So everyone, not just corporate and government employees, needs to understand the risks of attachments and links.
A big part of the problem is the "easy and automatic" mindset that has possessed software developers since Apple first implemented the auto-execute floppy disk that allowed viruses to propagate simply by plugging a floppy disk into a drive. It's only gotten worse with ubiquitous USB flash drives (all made in China, by the way) and web browsers that automatically launch applications and documents at the click of a mouse button.
Operating systems like Windows Vista and 7 have some safeguards, such as bringing up an extra dialog that force you to enter an administrator password when an application is about to modify the system. But since users are inundated constantly by such prompts for regular software updates, they always just click Yes because they have no idea what they're supposed to do.
There are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
- Never directly click on links in unsolicited emails -- even from people you think you know. That friendly note and the link to the hilarious video may have been sent by a virus that infected your friend's computer, and going to that website may infect your computer as well.
- Never directly execute attachments in emails or from the Internet. Always save them in quarantine directory until you've ascertained their reliability.
- Make sure that your computer installs security updates on a regular basis.
- Get anti-virus software and make sure it stays up to date.
- Just because your anti-virus software doesn't flag a file doesn't mean it's safe. Anti-virus software works by searching for patterns of known threats, and new malware won't be in the anti-virus program's database. Some day a clever programmer will write a virus that "mutates" every time it propagates, and there will be no pattern for anti-virus programs to detect. You should assume that has already occurred.
- Change your computer's settings to prevent the automatic execution of "autorun" files on removable media such as CDROMs, floppies, USB thumb drives, etc. In Windows 7 go to your Control Panel and click AutoPlay. I've set all my devices to take no action so I have to initiate potentially dangerous transactions. Also, don't double-click the icons of CDROMs since under some versions of Windows that will invoke the autorun feature.
- Whenever you click a link on the web, first hover the mouse button over the link and look at the website's URL, usually displayed at the bottom of the browser window. If it's not what you expect, take extra care. Hackers frequently use domain names that are close to legitimate ones, so be on the lookout for extra characters or misspellings. Automatically distrust all "bit.ly" links.
- Don't send friends emails containing unsolicited jokes, links to funny videos or cute pictures, or attachments including photos and videos. Sending large attachments is an imposition in the first place, as the receiver will have to download them. If you want to share files, it's better to place them on a shared and trusted location on the web, such as Facebook or Dropbox. If attachments and links are rare in emails the bad ones will be easier to spot.
- An most importantly: if something pops up and you're not sure what it is, stop, read it carefully and don't let it run. If you don't know what it is, you probably don't need it.
Best Picture: Amour
I've seen some pretty depressing films in my time (Melancholia being the winner of that particular award) but I have to admit that I wasn't quite prepared for the stark realism of Michael Heneke's Amour.
The film tells the story of an elderly Parisian couple named Georges and Anne. One day, Anne has a stroke and becomes mentally and physically disabled. Georges now must take care of her. In a deeply sad way, the film depicts her slow descent into infirmity and, ultimately, death.
With its typical European existentialism, Amour moves slowly in both theme and style. The camera lingers without a cut on many shots much longer than it seems it should but that is Heneke's point. He successfully illustrates the physical, mental and emotional strain of end of life care. It's a tough film to watch for a number of reasons but well worth it as I walked out of there realizing that my wife and I are woefully behind in our later life planning.
I'd recommend Amour only if you are prepared to watch a slow and maudlin film.
The film tells the story of an elderly Parisian couple named Georges and Anne. One day, Anne has a stroke and becomes mentally and physically disabled. Georges now must take care of her. In a deeply sad way, the film depicts her slow descent into infirmity and, ultimately, death.
With its typical European existentialism, Amour moves slowly in both theme and style. The camera lingers without a cut on many shots much longer than it seems it should but that is Heneke's point. He successfully illustrates the physical, mental and emotional strain of end of life care. It's a tough film to watch for a number of reasons but well worth it as I walked out of there realizing that my wife and I are woefully behind in our later life planning.
I'd recommend Amour only if you are prepared to watch a slow and maudlin film.
Science!
I've always thought that conservatives are simply wired differently than liberals. Now we have the proof, courtesy of...
(drum roll please)
Science!
Conservatives Big on Fear, Brain Study Finds
I suppose we could simply file this one under NO SHIT but the details of this study are quite fascinating.
Peering inside the brain with MRI scans, researchers at University College London found that self-described conservative students had a larger amygdala than liberals. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure deep in the brain that is active during states of fear and anxiety. Liberals had more gray matter at least in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that helps people cope with complexity.
Yep.
This would be why conservatives are so hard to understand by other people. Their fight or flight reflexes are at DEFCON 1 more often than not. It must really suck to be in such a state all the time. It's no wonder they are such assholes about everything! This study also shows why they have such a difficult time understanding more complex issues and have trouble with qualitative analysis. They simply don't have the brain matter to handle it.
In many ways, this study is a relief. Now we truly do know that conservative will never change their minds. They physically can't!
(drum roll please)
Science!
Conservatives Big on Fear, Brain Study Finds
I suppose we could simply file this one under NO SHIT but the details of this study are quite fascinating.
Peering inside the brain with MRI scans, researchers at University College London found that self-described conservative students had a larger amygdala than liberals. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure deep in the brain that is active during states of fear and anxiety. Liberals had more gray matter at least in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that helps people cope with complexity.
Yep.
This would be why conservatives are so hard to understand by other people. Their fight or flight reflexes are at DEFCON 1 more often than not. It must really suck to be in such a state all the time. It's no wonder they are such assholes about everything! This study also shows why they have such a difficult time understanding more complex issues and have trouble with qualitative analysis. They simply don't have the brain matter to handle it.
In many ways, this study is a relief. Now we truly do know that conservative will never change their minds. They physically can't!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Why Did Mindy McCready Still Have a Gun?
Yesterday former country star Mindy McCready committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. She had attempted suicide at least three times since 2005. Just last month David Wilson, her boyfriend and the father of their nine-month-old child, shot himself in the head. McCready apparently killed Wilson's dog before shooting herself.
McCready had a long history of drug abuse and alcoholism, arrest for fraudulently obtaining prescription medications, probation violation, and misdemeanor assault. She had been in "Celebrity Rehab 3," and is the fifth participant in the show to die and the third from season three alone.
McCready had a long-running custody dispute with her mother, who undoubtedly feared for the lives of her grandchildren — it is not uncommon for suicidal people to kill their children, spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends before taking their own lives. McCready had just regained custody of her son Zander in December. Thankfully, McCready just killed a dog.
You're twice as likely to die of gun suicide than you are to be shot by someone else. In 2010 20,000 of the approximately 30,000 gun deaths in the United States were suicides:
Guns are particularly lethal. Suicidal acts with guns are fatal in 85 percent of cases, while those with pills are fatal in just 2 percent of cases, according to the Harvard Injury Control Research Center.Gun suicides accounted for half of the 38,000 successful suicides in 2010. Poisoning and suffocation each accounted for about a quarter, but those methods are much less effective. There are an estimated 11 suicide attempts for every successful one, though this statistic is tricky to compute because not all attempts are reported. The risk of suicide is three times higher in homes with guns than it is in homes without.
The question is, why did McCready still have a gun? And would the NRA and the Republican Party defend her right to have one? Why doesn't the "pro-life" Republican Party's demand that people in such a tenuous mental state have their weapons confiscated not just for their own safety, but especially for the safety of their loved ones?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
299
One of my great joys on Sunday is to crack open the paper and have a nice, long and leisurely read. Today, though, there was nothing pleasant about this headline.
Appeals of denied permits get guns into questionable hands
Senior Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Toni Beitz said the reason for some reversals is that the carry-permit law puts a high burden on a sheriff to prove that someone shouldn't be issued a permit. Under the carry-permit statute, for example, criminal allegations that are not investigated and documented aren't grounds for denial. "The statute is very limited as to what evidence the sheriff can look at. He's got a very short period of time, and there's only a very narrow room for him to use discretion," Beitz said. "That was the big shift when it used to be in the hands of chiefs of police. They had a lot of discretion to look at maybe whatever they wanted to look at."
Interesting. So, the gun lobby, who was spent the last couple of years screaming at the top of their lungs about gun walking, is now essentially doing the same thing. In their fervent zeal over their warped interpretation of the second amendment, 299 people who have a criminal history get to have guns in my home state.
Perhaps they should heed their own warnings about laws and unintended consequences.
Appeals of denied permits get guns into questionable hands
Senior Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Toni Beitz said the reason for some reversals is that the carry-permit law puts a high burden on a sheriff to prove that someone shouldn't be issued a permit. Under the carry-permit statute, for example, criminal allegations that are not investigated and documented aren't grounds for denial. "The statute is very limited as to what evidence the sheriff can look at. He's got a very short period of time, and there's only a very narrow room for him to use discretion," Beitz said. "That was the big shift when it used to be in the hands of chiefs of police. They had a lot of discretion to look at maybe whatever they wanted to look at."
Interesting. So, the gun lobby, who was spent the last couple of years screaming at the top of their lungs about gun walking, is now essentially doing the same thing. In their fervent zeal over their warped interpretation of the second amendment, 299 people who have a criminal history get to have guns in my home state.
Perhaps they should heed their own warnings about laws and unintended consequences.
Praying For His Death
Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal made me think about Voltaire again. In an email to supporters, O'Neal wrote
At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!
and then recommended Psalm 109:8 which reads
Let his days be few; and let another take his office
This verse is followed by this, in Psalm 109:9
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
As Volatire astutely noted, religious intolerance always leads to fanaticism and savage, inhuman action.
At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!
and then recommended Psalm 109:8 which reads
Let his days be few; and let another take his office
This verse is followed by this, in Psalm 109:9
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
As Volatire astutely noted, religious intolerance always leads to fanaticism and savage, inhuman action.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Best Picture: Silver Linings Playbook
Just got back from a matinee with the missus and we saw the absolutely wonderful Silver Linings Playbook. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a man released from a mental institution for beating the crap out of his wife's lover after discovering them in the shower together. Jennifer Lawrence plays a woman who lost her husband in an automobile accident. The two end up finding each other in their mental and emotional challenges and, of course, love.
In addition to capturing Philadelphia's culture perfectly, the focus on mental health and how it affects people's lives is most welcome. There are several points in the film that drive home how complex this problem is and how each family struggles with it in their own unique way. There need to be more films like this so our culture can see that there is no stigma to mental health issues. Everyone has them and seeking to be more mentally healthy is something that should be vigorously pursued throughout one's lifespan.
In addition to capturing Philadelphia's culture perfectly, the focus on mental health and how it affects people's lives is most welcome. There are several points in the film that drive home how complex this problem is and how each family struggles with it in their own unique way. There need to be more films like this so our culture can see that there is no stigma to mental health issues. Everyone has them and seeking to be more mentally healthy is something that should be vigorously pursued throughout one's lifespan.
Everything is the Holocaust
So, in addition to any changes in gun laws being like the Holocaust, I guess we can add Obamacare to the whole "Jews being taken away on trains" meme.
The insurance companies are creating their own tombs. Much like the Jews boarding the trains to concentration camps, private insurers are used by the feds to put the system in place because the federal government has no way to set up the exchange. Several years from now, the federal government will want nothing to do with private insurance companies. The feds will have a national system of health insurance and they will pull the trigger on the insurance companies.
Yes, and then the anal probes will begin with the express purpose of building a warrior race to enslave us all.
And take away our guns.
The insurance companies are creating their own tombs. Much like the Jews boarding the trains to concentration camps, private insurers are used by the feds to put the system in place because the federal government has no way to set up the exchange. Several years from now, the federal government will want nothing to do with private insurance companies. The feds will have a national system of health insurance and they will pull the trigger on the insurance companies.
Yes, and then the anal probes will begin with the express purpose of building a warrior race to enslave us all.
And take away our guns.
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