Let's think of it not as "guns are scary" but "the unknown is scary".
Over the years, I learned about guns and I now have advanced instructor certifications.
I've also learned enough first aid and CPR to earn the same state certification that peace officers receive (for "load and go" via CCPOST). I refresh this training as often as practical.
Politically I lean solidly left, and I'm glad to have the training.
I think most people would find the world much less scary by learning how to handle and use guns safely, and by being able to keep someone alive long enough for an ambulance to arrive.
"The Guy Who Tried To Mansplain The Handmaidโs Tale To Margaret Atwood
'One now-deleted reply was so special, it instantly entered the running for most screengrabbed post of the month. [on Twitter]'"
By Ed Scarce November 5, 2024
"Only a Trumper would try to explain to the author that her book was actually about Islam and not Christianity, and therefore presumably could never happen here. ..."
"Seth Meyers just uploaded the comic book version of Project 2025 online, and said: 'Project 2025 is too long to read which is why it's great that a bunch of comic book creators got together to show you exactly how scary is.' Here is a link to the comic book version of Project 2025. You have to do a bot verification first to see it, but it's worth it."
"In fact, the report not only notes that it [the upcoming movie about The Oregon Trail game] will be a comedyโit says it will be a musical, too. ... 'You have died of dysentery.'"
"The district has defended its dress code, which says its policies for students are meant to 'teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards and teach respect for authority.'"
That's some authoritarian bullshit right there.
That, and that Texas had to pass a law that took effect in September 2023 to bar "employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots."
I think that was the 20th APM. I heard that because it was a big anniversary, it wasn't held at its usual location, which had been described as better and more historic. Still, it was nice to visit Cambridge.
I worked for the Tramiels at Atari in 1987 and for Bushnell in 1988-1989.
I interviewed at Sega while I worked at Activision, where I was during its takeover.
Sony sent me to an annual ARM Partner Meeting in 2010 while I was designing an ARM-based PlayStation for Brazil. (Long story short: it was too good and they said it would cannibalize sales from more profitable products and they killed it.) My boss had come from Intel, so he had me first evaluate its Atom, which just couldn't cut it.
Key take-away: "the former presidentโs net worth increased $217 million to $3.9 billion"
This only secured Trump's place as a *marginal* businessman.
Assuming he had inherited $400MM when he was 18 (60 years ago), simply adjusting for "the time value of money" (keeping up with inflation), it would be worth 10.5 times as much today, or $4.2-billion.
What was true about Trump in 2021 seems to hold true today:
"Itโs Official: Trump Would Be Richer If He Had Just Invested His Inheritance Into The S&P 500"
It turns out that Donald Trump is little more than a tax cheater.
(One of my degrees is in accounting, with a taxation emphasis, so I know the difference between "tax avoidance", which is legal, and "tax evasion", which is not.)
"Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father
The president has long sold himself as a self-made billionaire, but a Times investigation found that he received at least $413 million in todayโs dollars from his fatherโs real estate empire, much of it through tax dodges in the 1990s."
Dutch-American Silicon Valley native EE/CS developer (not a PE), long-time user of Unix & Linux, pilot, amateur radio operator (HAM) volunteer for IEEE (Senior member) & CAP; past: Atari, IBM ARC, Sony, game dev (mostly NES-PS3), Texan, adjunct prof, and some stuff with robots, railway equipment, and rockets; online since 1985I love science, music, social dancing, and people (E Pluribus Unum), want to see more democracy and equality, and less religious hypocrisy and hate. I like good trouble.