- 10 shots in 5 double-taps at 25 yards.
- 6 shots fired from 3 magazines with 2 rounds each, requiring two mag changes, at 25 yards. This stage was timed.
- 10 shots prone at 200 yards.
- 15 shots, 5 each from standing, kneeling, and prone at 100 yards.
- 15 shots, 5 per magazine requiring two mag changes, fired from the muddy 100 yard berm at targets posted at the 200 yard berm.
- Prone 200 yard gongs, maximum of 10 shots to hit all three.
- There was also a "casualty drag" and "Molotov cocktail throw" (water-filled soda bottles). I didn't participate in this stage because I didn't want to throw out my back.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to all my readers. May 2008 bring you health, wealth, and happiness.
Today was the final day of my vacation. I got the chance to sleep in a bit, spend time with family and friends, and do some shooting. I managed to make it to the range on 12/24, 12/27, and 12/30.
On the 30th I participated in the "Red December" practical carbine match at Langhorne Rod and Gun Club. The theme of the even was a Kalashnikov match. A couple people showed up in Soviet regalia and a Russian-type lunch of kielbasa and borscht was provided.
The course of fire at the match was:
Results are posted here. Pictures here. I placed third amongst the Kalashnikov and SKS shooters, and was the top scoring iron sight shooter. The guys who took first and second place with AKs both used magnified scopes. Three AR-15 shooters using magnified optics also scored higher than I did. Not bad for an "inaccurate AK" and iron sights, if I do say so myself.
I used my Arsenal SLR-101SG, which last week I fitted with an Ace side folding stock, and which has a Mojo peep rear sight. The ammo I used was Golden Tiger 7.62x39, which shoot pretty well. Of course, I had no malfunctions.
It was a lot of fun, more fun than I've had at the range in ages. I hope to make future practical carbine matches at LRGC.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thumbs Up for LA Computer Company
Because I use my MacBook Pro everyday and plan to keep it for a couple more years, I decided to buy an Applecare Protection Plan for it. An APP can be added to an Apple product either at the time of purchase or within one year of same.
If I bought the APP for the MacBook Pro directly from Apple, the cost would be $349 plus PA's 6% sales tax. My employer has an agreement with Apple so that I can get a discount roughly equivalent to an educational discount, but even that would be $307 plus tax.
In contrast, LA Computer Company sells the same APP for $235, plus about $9 shipping.
I placed my order from LACC on 12/21/07 and it arrived this morning via FedEx Ground. And no worries that the deal is too good to be true, as I was able to register it on Apple's website with no problems.
If I bought the APP for the MacBook Pro directly from Apple, the cost would be $349 plus PA's 6% sales tax. My employer has an agreement with Apple so that I can get a discount roughly equivalent to an educational discount, but even that would be $307 plus tax.
In contrast, LA Computer Company sells the same APP for $235, plus about $9 shipping.
I placed my order from LACC on 12/21/07 and it arrived this morning via FedEx Ground. And no worries that the deal is too good to be true, as I was able to register it on Apple's website with no problems.
Mini-14GB and Marlin 336 Range Report
I went out yesterday with my Mini-14GB (pics) and my Marlin 336 (pics), which is pictured earlier in this thread. The GB gave me no end of trouble but the Marlin of course ran like a top. This was my first chance to get it out since putting a Williams Firesight and FP-336 receiver sight combo on it.
The Firesight works really well. It was overcast but the red fiber optic front sight showed up very well. It has a soft glow that makes it more visible than a plain bead.
I ran two kinds of ammo through the gun. First, a couple boxes of Wolf Gold (Prvi Partizan) 150 grain JSP to zero it. Then some Remington 170 grain JSP to verify the zero, because it's my go-to load. I think the Remingtons feed a little more smoothly. Anyway, when I did my part, the rifle will put them all in the 10 ring of an SR-1 target at 100 yards.
One change I made was to remove the Eagle Shooter's Stock Pack shown in the pics. It includes a cheek pad which made getting a proper cheek weld. (I may put it on my FAL if I scope that rifle.)
What a darn fine rifle this Marlin is.
The Firesight works really well. It was overcast but the red fiber optic front sight showed up very well. It has a soft glow that makes it more visible than a plain bead.
I ran two kinds of ammo through the gun. First, a couple boxes of Wolf Gold (Prvi Partizan) 150 grain JSP to zero it. Then some Remington 170 grain JSP to verify the zero, because it's my go-to load. I think the Remingtons feed a little more smoothly. Anyway, when I did my part, the rifle will put them all in the 10 ring of an SR-1 target at 100 yards.
One change I made was to remove the Eagle Shooter's Stock Pack shown in the pics. It includes a cheek pad which made getting a proper cheek weld. (I may put it on my FAL if I scope that rifle.)
What a darn fine rifle this Marlin is.
Ruger 10/22 For Defense
Over on THR, a member posted about getting a Ruger 10/22 as his first gun and its suitability for home defense. This is my reply:
A 10/22 is a viable home defense weapon, if not the ideal one.
Keep it simple, don't go crazy accessorizing it if you're going to use it for HD. (Adding accessories can come later once you get something better suited for HD.) There are a few accessories that could be beneficial:
1. A clamp-on weapon light. Most HD situations occur at night and target ID is paramount.
2. Williams Firesight front sight. It's a fiber optic bead that captures ambient light and makes it much more visible. I would avoid a scope or even an inexpensive red dot sight for a defensive gun. A scope's magnification reduces your field of view and slows target acquisition. A cheap red dot make break, the battery may die, or you may forget to turn it on in a SD situation. A peep rear sight coupled with a Firesight bead up front will give you fast target acquisition but good precision as well.
3. RELIABLE 25 round mags. Generally, Ruger 10 rounders are the most reliable but Butler Creek Hot Lips and Steel Lips mags can be very reliable. You'll need to try them in your rifle. Don't rely on any mags until you've put a hundred rounds through them, though.
For SD ammo, avoid the cheap bulk pack stuff. It's often not reliable enough in either functioning the weapon and will have a greater number of duds. My first choice for .22 LR SD ammo would be CCI Mini Mag SOLIDS. .22 LR has marginal penetration so I wouldn't use hollow points. CCI Mini Mag ammo is very high quality. I've shot a lot of it, never had a malfunction in various semiauto .22s, and never had one that was a dud. Mini Mags are more expensive than the bulk packs, so use the latter for practice.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thompson Calls for High Fences, Wide Gates
Some highlights from THIS article:
"When I am president, I will build a fence," Thompson declared. Amnesty and illegal immigration, he said, are not healthy for the U.S. or Mexico. "We need to be a nation of high fences and wide gates."
"When I am president, I will build a fence," Thompson declared. Amnesty and illegal immigration, he said, are not healthy for the U.S. or Mexico. "We need to be a nation of high fences and wide gates."
When someone asked about what the government could do about AK-47s and the Westroads Mall shooting, Thompson said that assault weapons are not the problem, it is the people using them inappropriately; and it is not the government's place to remove guns from rightful citizens.
"Look at those church shootings," he said, in reference to the Colorado Springs, Colo., shootings that killed five and wounded five on Dec. 9. "That armed volunteer saved countless lives."
Thompson added, "My idea of gun control is a good, steady aim."
Friday, December 21, 2007
"Red December" Kalashnikov Match 12/30/07
Come join the fun at Langhorne Rod & Gun Club in Langhorne, PA on 12/30/07 for their Kalashnikov Match.
Arfcom thread HERE.
TRP thread HERE.
Arfcom thread HERE.
TRP thread HERE.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Stormy Weather
Saturday night the nor'easter that hit the NE part of the US blew into town. We got wind and rain, no snow. Yesterday was pretty crummy; this morning was dry and cold.
Yesterday afternoon I went out back and noticed that one of the arbor vitaes which has been threatening to fall over was leaning a bit more than it has been. Last Fall it blew into the power line from the pole to the house, causing an outage. After that, PECO came out and replace the line, running it on the other side of the tree. A few months ago I had the cable drop redone on the other side of the tree, so the only wire that would be affected if the tree fell would be the Verizon line, which is unused since we have Comcast Digital Voice phone service. Since the line was unused but I didn't want it to pull anything off the pole or my house, I cut it yesterday using a pole saw.
Good thing, too. This morning as I was leaving I noticed that the tree fell last night in the wind. Now I need to cut it up and dispose of it. I figure that letting nature take care of it saved me a few hundred bucks compared with using a tree surgeon.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Parallels 2.5 Build 3214 Under Leopard
This morning I decided I'd better verify that Parallels was still working, post-upgrade. Good thing, too, because it wasn't.
When I clicked on the Parallels Desktop icon in my Dock, I got an error message indicating that it could not connect to one of its drivers, and should reinstall.
Build 3214 was still in my ~/downloads folder, so I reinstalled it which fixed the problem. I verified I could open my XP virtual machines, and also that I was able to tether my Blackberry 8703e to the MacBook Pro for use as an EVDO modem, using Sprint's Windows-only connection manager software.
I still need to see if I'll be able to use my Keyspan USB-to-RS232 adapter in XP running in Parallels, which I have so that I can program my ham radios.
Brother HL-2070N Printer Under Leopard
The primary printer I used at home is a Brother HL-2070N monochrome laser, which is connected directly to my LAN via Ethernet. This setup has worked very smoothly for me since I got the printer last year.
I didn't notice it until this afternoon when I went to print for the first time since upgrading to OS 10.5, but the archive and install did not migrate over my printer settings. So, I had to reinstall the Brother.
Only problem is that the Printer Setup utility didn't detect the Brother on my network, even after I installed the updated driver from the Leopard install disc and disabling my MacBook Pro's firewall. Even though it's a Bonjour-enabled printer, it just didn't show up.
Luckily, the HL-2070N also supports the IPP printing protocol and can be printed to using CUPS. So, I entered the IP address of the printer and selected the correct CUPS driver, and was now able to print.
This was a bit annoying but I was able to deal with it. Most Mac users probably don't understand what IPP and CUPS are, so this might be a bit more of a challenge for them. Also, if you need to use this workaround, I recommend configuring the printer with a static IP address. Out of the box it's a DHCP client which means its IP can change, which would required you to reconfigure your Mac with the printer's new IP.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Running Leopard
My Leopard install went pretty smoothly. The process of verify the DVD before doing the actual installation took about a half hour to 45 minutes. Overall, the installation took about an hour and a half.
After booting into Leopard for the first time I got a couple error messages. One was from the applet CoreDuoTemp, which is not OS 10.5-compatible, and apparently hasn't been updated for the new OS. The second error told me that LittleSnitch, the outbound firewall I installed, needed to be updated for 10.5.
After clicking through the error mesages, I ran Software Update and got the machine up to OS 10.5.1. I then downloaded the latest version of LittleSnitch, which seems to be running OK. Now I'm in the process of exploring Leopard. A few early observations:
One of the big new features touted by Apple is Spaces, OS X's implementation of virtual desktops. I used virtual desktops a lot when running Linux but didn't really miss them on OS X, due to Expose. However, Apple's implementation is neat. For example, pressing F8 brings up thumbnails of each virtual desktop, and you can then drag and drop applications between them.
I use Mail.app as my email client. My installations of GPGMail and Letterbox weren't compatible with the new version, so I need to check for updates.
One very cool feature in Mail is the ability to recognize certain kinds of data in the text of messages. For example, I was reading a message which included the phrase "Monday at 9:00 AM." When I moved my cursor over the phrase it was highlighted with a drop down arrow. Clicking on the arrow gave me the option of creating an iCal event based on the phrase. Too cool!
Reminders created in iCal now show up in Mail. You can also write notes in Mail. Both of these features make Mail more of a PIM than it's been in the past.
The Finder looks quite a bit different, more like iTunes. At this point it's OK but I haven't decided if I like it as much as or better than the old version.
The new Dock is OK, but I already miss the little black triangles which appeared under open applications in Panther and Tiger. The triangle has been replaced with a little blue ball, which isn't nearly as conspicuous.
That's just scratching the surface. I'll probably post more as I use the OS.
Installing Leopard
As I write this, I'm installing Mac OS 10.5 Leopard on my MacBook Pro, with my trusty old iBook G4 online in case something happens and I need to access the Internet for a fix.
Before commencing the install, I fired up OnyX and had it run all the maintenance scripts and clean out the various caches on the box. Only after that finished and the machine rebooted did I pop in the Leopard disc. To be on the safe side, I made backups of my Address Book, Firefox bookmarks, and my iCal database. Yesterday I did a full backup of my data to a Firewire drive. I'm doing an "Archive and Install," rather than an upgrade. This option makes copies the old OS to an archive folder, then installs the new OS. Should anything go wrong this should mean an easier restoration to Tiger.
I started the Leopard install at 19:22. I'll post a follow up after it's done.
Before commencing the install, I fired up OnyX and had it run all the maintenance scripts and clean out the various caches on the box. Only after that finished and the machine rebooted did I pop in the Leopard disc. To be on the safe side, I made backups of my Address Book, Firefox bookmarks, and my iCal database. Yesterday I did a full backup of my data to a Firewire drive. I'm doing an "Archive and Install," rather than an upgrade. This option makes copies the old OS to an archive folder, then installs the new OS. Should anything go wrong this should mean an easier restoration to Tiger.
I started the Leopard install at 19:22. I'll post a follow up after it's done.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Pennsylvania “Castle Doctrine” Bill Set to be Heard in House Judiciary Committee!
Friday, December 07, 2007
"Castle Doctrine" legislation, House Bill 641, introduced by State Representative Steven Cappelli (R-83), will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, December 11 at 10:00 a.m. in Room G50 of the Irvis Office Building.
This critical legislation will ensure that law-abiding Pennsylvanians have the ability to defend themselves and their loved ones from violent attack without fear of criminal prosecution or civil action.
Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and strongly encourage him or her to protect our right to self-defense by supporting and voting for HB 641!
Members of the House Judiciary Committee:
State Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone (D-127), Chairman
(717) 787-3525
tcaltagi@pahouse.net
State Representative Daylin Leach (D-149), Secretary
(717) 783-9114
dleach@pahouse.net
State Representative Kathy Manderino (D-194)
(717) 787-1254
kmanderi@pahouse.net
State Representative John E. Pallone (D-54)
(717) 783-1819
jpallone@pahouse.net
State Representative Don Walko (D-20)
(717) 787-5470
dwalko@pahouse.net
State Representative Ron Marsico (R-105), Chairman
(717) 783-2014
rmarsico@pahousegop.com
State Representative Lisa Bennington (D-21)
(717) 705-7011
lbennington@pahouse.net
State Representative Dan Frankel (D-23)
(717) 705-1875
dfrankel@pahouse.net
State Representative Harold James (D-186)
(717) 787-9477
hjames@pahouse.net
State Representative Deberah Kula (D-52)
(717) 772-1858
dkula@pahouse.net
State Representative Bryan R. Lentz (D-161)
(717) 787-8574
blentz@pahouse.net
State Representative Joseph A. Petrarca (D-55)
(717) 787-5142
petrarca@pahouse.net
State Representative Sean M. Ramaley (D-16)
(717) 787-4444
Sramaley@pahouse.net
State Representative Greg Vitali (D-166)
(717) 787-7647
greg@gregvitali.com
State Representative Chelsa Wagner (D-22)
(717) 783-1582
repwagner@pahouse.net
State Representative Jesse White (D-46)
(717) 783-6437
jwhite@pahouse.net
State Representative Jewell Williams (D-197)
(717) 772-2004
jwilliam@pahouse.net
State Representative Tom C. Creighton (R-37)
(717) 772-5290
tcreight@pahousegop.com
State Representative Craig A. Dally (R-138)
(717) 783-8573
cdally@pahousegop.com
State Representative John R. Evans (R-5)
(717) 772-9940
jevans@pahousegop.com
State Representative Will Gabig (R-199)
(717) 772-2280
wgabig@pahousegop.com
State Representative Glen R. Grell (R-87)
(717) 783-2063
ggrell@pahousegop.com
State Representative Kate Harper (R-61)
(717) 787-2801
kharper@pahousegop.com
State Representative Beverly Mackereth (R-196)
(717) 783-2655
bmackere@pahousegop.com
State Representative Carl W. Mantz (R-187)
(717) 787-3017
cmantz@pahousegop.com
State Representative Bernie O'Neill (R-29)
(717) 705-7170
boneill@pahousegop.com
State Representative Tina Pickett (R-110)
(717) 783-8238
tpickett@pahousegop.com
State Representative Todd Rock (R-90)
(717) 783-5218
trock@pahousegop.com
State Representative Katie True (R-41)
(717) 705-7161
ktrue@pahousegop.com
Copyright 2007, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.
This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
LINK.
"Castle Doctrine" legislation, House Bill 641, introduced by State Representative Steven Cappelli (R-83), will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, December 11 at 10:00 a.m. in Room G50 of the Irvis Office Building.
This critical legislation will ensure that law-abiding Pennsylvanians have the ability to defend themselves and their loved ones from violent attack without fear of criminal prosecution or civil action.
Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and strongly encourage him or her to protect our right to self-defense by supporting and voting for HB 641!
Members of the House Judiciary Committee:
State Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone (D-127), Chairman
(717) 787-3525
tcaltagi@pahouse.net
State Representative Daylin Leach (D-149), Secretary
(717) 783-9114
dleach@pahouse.net
State Representative Kathy Manderino (D-194)
(717) 787-1254
kmanderi@pahouse.net
State Representative John E. Pallone (D-54)
(717) 783-1819
jpallone@pahouse.net
State Representative Don Walko (D-20)
(717) 787-5470
dwalko@pahouse.net
State Representative Ron Marsico (R-105), Chairman
(717) 783-2014
rmarsico@pahousegop.com
State Representative Lisa Bennington (D-21)
(717) 705-7011
lbennington@pahouse.net
State Representative Dan Frankel (D-23)
(717) 705-1875
dfrankel@pahouse.net
State Representative Harold James (D-186)
(717) 787-9477
hjames@pahouse.net
State Representative Deberah Kula (D-52)
(717) 772-1858
dkula@pahouse.net
State Representative Bryan R. Lentz (D-161)
(717) 787-8574
blentz@pahouse.net
State Representative Joseph A. Petrarca (D-55)
(717) 787-5142
petrarca@pahouse.net
State Representative Sean M. Ramaley (D-16)
(717) 787-4444
Sramaley@pahouse.net
State Representative Greg Vitali (D-166)
(717) 787-7647
greg@gregvitali.com
State Representative Chelsa Wagner (D-22)
(717) 783-1582
repwagner@pahouse.net
State Representative Jesse White (D-46)
(717) 783-6437
jwhite@pahouse.net
State Representative Jewell Williams (D-197)
(717) 772-2004
jwilliam@pahouse.net
State Representative Tom C. Creighton (R-37)
(717) 772-5290
tcreight@pahousegop.com
State Representative Craig A. Dally (R-138)
(717) 783-8573
cdally@pahousegop.com
State Representative John R. Evans (R-5)
(717) 772-9940
jevans@pahousegop.com
State Representative Will Gabig (R-199)
(717) 772-2280
wgabig@pahousegop.com
State Representative Glen R. Grell (R-87)
(717) 783-2063
ggrell@pahousegop.com
State Representative Kate Harper (R-61)
(717) 787-2801
kharper@pahousegop.com
State Representative Beverly Mackereth (R-196)
(717) 783-2655
bmackere@pahousegop.com
State Representative Carl W. Mantz (R-187)
(717) 787-3017
cmantz@pahousegop.com
State Representative Bernie O'Neill (R-29)
(717) 705-7170
boneill@pahousegop.com
State Representative Tina Pickett (R-110)
(717) 783-8238
tpickett@pahousegop.com
State Representative Todd Rock (R-90)
(717) 783-5218
trock@pahousegop.com
State Representative Katie True (R-41)
(717) 705-7161
ktrue@pahousegop.com
Copyright 2007, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.
This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
LINK.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Happy Channukah
Today is the first full day of Channukah; the holiday started last night at sundown. As has become my custom, I will link to my Channukah 2004 post, here.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
How to Help Win Heller
Academics for the Second Amendment
Post Office Box 131254
St. Paul, Minn. 55113
http://AcademicsSecondAmendment.blogspot.com
Post Office Box 131254
St. Paul, Minn. 55113
http://AcademicsSecondAmendment.blogspot.com
Academics for the Second Amendment ("A2A") will be filing an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court in support of Mr. Heller (and urging the Supreme Court to affirm the Court of Appeals decision that the DC gun laws are unconstitutional). Our brief will be written by attorneys David Hardy and Joseph Olson with historical assistance from Clayton Cramer. As one of the several pro-gun amici, we'll be taking an approach that focuses on the ratification process in 1791 and the meaning and usage of terms found in the Second Amendment. We will show that no one in America, at that time, could have understood the amendment to preserve a state or government organization's "right" and that everyone who did speak out did so in the context of a meaningful individual right to keep and bear arms.
District of Columbia v. Heller will decide whether or not the Second Amendment protects any American from gun bans and confiscations.
Preparing and filing the amicus brief will take thousands of additional dollars. A2A will be facing attorney fees, printing expenses, filing fees, travel and lodging expenses, etc. We have some money but not enough.
A2A is a tax-exempt educational organization recognized under IRC §501(c)(3) [that makes your contributions tax-deductible]. Our primary goal is to give the “right to keep and bear arms” enshrined in the Bill of Rights its proper, prominent place in Constitutional discourse and analysis.
A2A was formed in 1992 by a number of present and former law school teachers, joined by historians, political scientists, and philosophers of government, who believe it is time to stand and be counted in support of a complete Bill of Rights which includes an individual right under the Second Amendment. The organization seeks to foster intellectually honest discourse on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and, of course, the environment in which academics, judges, politicians, and the public place the rights preserved by the Second Amendment.
A2A has filed friend-of-the-court briefs (A2A was an amicus in the U.S. Supreme Court in Lopez and the U.S. Court of Appeals in Emerson), sponsored academic symposia, encouraged media commentary, supported research and publication, and challenged the legal profession and the public to appreciate the place of the individual right to keep and bear arms in the American constitutional scheme. A major endeavor has been a series of “Open Letter” advertisements signed by groups of University and College professors. The signers cannot be dismissed by the media as “gun nuts” nor can their statements be ignored as without foundation. Their academic records and reputations are too strong for that to occur. The message is simple – the Second Amendment is there, it does preserve a meaningful individual right for responsible persons, and it cannot, without duplicity, be overlooked or interpreted into meaninglessness.
We need your help. If you believe in full and fair discourse on the Bill of Rights, A2A should receive your support. A2A is open to all. You don’t have to be “academic” in order to join. Your contributions are tax deductible. Please don’t ignore this request --- copy this post for a friend, forward it on, and send in your check or use our PayPal account.
Very truly yours,
Joseph Olson
Professor of Law
President
-----
Note from Dave: A2A now has a PayPal donation button at their site. Yes, PayPal is antigun. However, this lets us use their service to our advantage. If you don't want to use PayPal, please consider a donation via check.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Firefox 2.0.0.10 vs. Safari 3.0
Ever since Apple released OS 10.4.11, which included the non-beta version of Safari 3.0, I've been using it as my deafult browser. Overall, it's worked very well. Compared with the beta, the released version is more stable and works with more web sites. E.g., the Haloscan comments on GeekWithA45's blog no longer crash the browser.
Safari's integration with the OS X Keychain is a big plus in my book. It's more secure than the manner in which Firefox stores passwords. Safari integrates with other Apple software as well, e.g., right-clicking on an image on a web page allows you the option of adding it directly to your iPhoto library.
My one major problem with Safari 3.0 has been incomplete compatability with Blogger's post compostition window. Specifically, I often like to compose posts (like this one, AAMOF) offline in TextWrangler, then paste them into the Blogger composition window. That doesn't work in Safari, the pasted text appears on the page below the text entry block.
Safari also lacks a few extensions which I like, to wit:
So, today I downloaded the latest update to Firefox, v2.0.0.10. None of the extensions seem to have been broken. Just as noteworthy, this version seems to be a bit faster than 2.0.0.9.
I'll putz around some with Firefox 2.0.0.10 before deciding whether to keep it as my default, or go back to Safari.
As an aside, now that the first patch was made available for Leopard, I do plan to upgrade to 10.5.1. Just as soon as I get a roundtuit.
Safari's integration with the OS X Keychain is a big plus in my book. It's more secure than the manner in which Firefox stores passwords. Safari integrates with other Apple software as well, e.g., right-clicking on an image on a web page allows you the option of adding it directly to your iPhoto library.
My one major problem with Safari 3.0 has been incomplete compatability with Blogger's post compostition window. Specifically, I often like to compose posts (like this one, AAMOF) offline in TextWrangler, then paste them into the Blogger composition window. That doesn't work in Safari, the pasted text appears on the page below the text entry block.
Safari also lacks a few extensions which I like, to wit:
- Linkification,
- DownlThemAll, and
- AdBlock Plus.
So, today I downloaded the latest update to Firefox, v2.0.0.10. None of the extensions seem to have been broken. Just as noteworthy, this version seems to be a bit faster than 2.0.0.9.
I'll putz around some with Firefox 2.0.0.10 before deciding whether to keep it as my default, or go back to Safari.
As an aside, now that the first patch was made available for Leopard, I do plan to upgrade to 10.5.1. Just as soon as I get a roundtuit.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Kubuntu 7.10
In my lab I have a Dell Latitude D600 which is setup to dual boot Windows XP Pro and Linux. At first, I had SUSE but sometime last year I installed Kubuntu 6.10 on the Linux partition. Yesterday, I decided to upgrade to the latest version of Kubuntu -- 7.10.
Upgrading from one version of Kubuntu to the next should be fairly straightforward. You go into the K menu > System > Adept Manager and select Full Upgrade. Since I was on 6.10 and the next step up was 7.04, I had to get to 7.10 in two steps.
The upgrade to 7.04 went fairly smoothly. However, the upgrade program overwrote my /boot/menu.lst file, so Windows XP was no longer an option in Grub's boot menu. Making a note of that I went and upgraded to 7.10.
This morning I went into /boot and found an older version of menu.lst and copied the entry for XP into the new file, then rebooted. "Microsoft Windows XP" appeared in the list of OSes to boot, and when selected, I was able to load it. Whew.
Aside from upgrading the OS, I wanted to check out the Enlightenment window manager. Enlightenment, or "E," is not a full desktop environment like KDE or Gnome. It supports some neat eye candy, but its main attraction is that it's lighter weight than the full desktops, so runs better on lower end hardware. (The Dell runs KDE or Gnome just fine, but I wanted to check out E's usability.)
To install Enlightenment using apt-get from a CLI, I first had to enable additional package repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list. Then, do apt-get update, and finally, apt-get install enlightenment.
E is kinda neat and I'll continue to mess with it, but on systems that can handle a full desktop environment I do find it easier to work in KDE.
So far, Kubuntu seems to run OK on the Dell. I don't use it heavily but it remains one of the more user-friendly Linux distros I've tried. I prefer it over Ubuntu, since it defaults to KDE rather than Gnome for the desktop, though it's simple to install KDE on Ubuntu or Gnome on Kubuntu. For that matter, I may go ahead and install Windowmaker on the Dell, for a NeXTish experience. ;)
Upgrading from one version of Kubuntu to the next should be fairly straightforward. You go into the K menu > System > Adept Manager and select Full Upgrade. Since I was on 6.10 and the next step up was 7.04, I had to get to 7.10 in two steps.
The upgrade to 7.04 went fairly smoothly. However, the upgrade program overwrote my /boot/menu.lst file, so Windows XP was no longer an option in Grub's boot menu. Making a note of that I went and upgraded to 7.10.
This morning I went into /boot and found an older version of menu.lst and copied the entry for XP into the new file, then rebooted. "Microsoft Windows XP" appeared in the list of OSes to boot, and when selected, I was able to load it. Whew.
Aside from upgrading the OS, I wanted to check out the Enlightenment window manager. Enlightenment, or "E," is not a full desktop environment like KDE or Gnome. It supports some neat eye candy, but its main attraction is that it's lighter weight than the full desktops, so runs better on lower end hardware. (The Dell runs KDE or Gnome just fine, but I wanted to check out E's usability.)
To install Enlightenment using apt-get from a CLI, I first had to enable additional package repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list. Then, do apt-get update, and finally, apt-get install enlightenment.
E is kinda neat and I'll continue to mess with it, but on systems that can handle a full desktop environment I do find it easier to work in KDE.
So far, Kubuntu seems to run OK on the Dell. I don't use it heavily but it remains one of the more user-friendly Linux distros I've tried. I prefer it over Ubuntu, since it defaults to KDE rather than Gnome for the desktop, though it's simple to install KDE on Ubuntu or Gnome on Kubuntu. For that matter, I may go ahead and install Windowmaker on the Dell, for a NeXTish experience. ;)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
PA Update: WE WON
Yesterday I went to Harrisburg along with GeekWithA.45 and Egregious Charles to attend the meeting of the PA House Judiciary Committee, which was considering three gun control laws. The primary drivers of the proposed legislation were from Philadelphia, and Governor Ed Rendell (D). In an unusual move, Rendell appeared before the committee to testify in favor of the bills. He gave a 45 minute passionate speech, full of the usual anti-gun cliches: "If it saves one life ...," "Common sense ...," "We dont' want to take guns away from hunters...." Blah, blah, blah. Nowhere in his speed did he provide real reasons why the proposed laws would reduce crime.
HB-18 would allow local municipalities to enact their own gun control laws, repealing state preemption which was enacted in 1995. Its supporters contend that this is needed to fight crime.
HB-22 would enact one gun per month legislation. It was put forth as a means of fighting straw purchases.
HB-29 would make it a crime for a gun owner to fail to report to the police the loss of theft of a gun. This was proposed as a means of assisting law enforcement in tracing guns later used in crimes.
HB-18 failed by a vote of 19-10. HB-22 failed 17-12. HB-29 was tabled for later consideration. It is expected to be reintroduced later after its sponsors "fix" certain provisions which other members of the committee had previously expressed reservations about. The motion to table came from the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jewell Williams (D-Philly), who saw that otherwise it was about to go down in flames.
One bill did make it out of committee. It would enhance penalties for killing or attempting to kill police officers.
Afterwards, Rep. Ronald Marsico (R - Dauphin County) reamed Rendell, "Public safety has not been a priority for this governor," and proceeded to catalog a list of ways in which the governor has failed to take meaningful steps to fight crime, such as putting more police on the streets.
Also afterwards, a rep who's name I didn't catch pleaded with the committee for limited gun control measure, such as enacting laws with a 1 or 2 year sunset provision. His desperation was evident.
The NRA and local PA RKBA groups had blitzed PA gun owners with warnings about these bills. There was a decent turnout of pro-liberty folks, not much turnout from the gun banners except for the usual police officers sent for Rendell's photo-op.
Except for a few areas in Pennsylvania (most notably Philadelphia), gun control remains very unpopular. Voting in favor of gun control legislation in most of PA is considered a sure way to get fired by the voters. We'll have to work to keep it that way.
HB-18 would allow local municipalities to enact their own gun control laws, repealing state preemption which was enacted in 1995. Its supporters contend that this is needed to fight crime.
HB-22 would enact one gun per month legislation. It was put forth as a means of fighting straw purchases.
HB-29 would make it a crime for a gun owner to fail to report to the police the loss of theft of a gun. This was proposed as a means of assisting law enforcement in tracing guns later used in crimes.
HB-18 failed by a vote of 19-10. HB-22 failed 17-12. HB-29 was tabled for later consideration. It is expected to be reintroduced later after its sponsors "fix" certain provisions which other members of the committee had previously expressed reservations about. The motion to table came from the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jewell Williams (D-Philly), who saw that otherwise it was about to go down in flames.
One bill did make it out of committee. It would enhance penalties for killing or attempting to kill police officers.
Afterwards, Rep. Ronald Marsico (R - Dauphin County) reamed Rendell, "Public safety has not been a priority for this governor," and proceeded to catalog a list of ways in which the governor has failed to take meaningful steps to fight crime, such as putting more police on the streets.
Also afterwards, a rep who's name I didn't catch pleaded with the committee for limited gun control measure, such as enacting laws with a 1 or 2 year sunset provision. His desperation was evident.
The NRA and local PA RKBA groups had blitzed PA gun owners with warnings about these bills. There was a decent turnout of pro-liberty folks, not much turnout from the gun banners except for the usual police officers sent for Rendell's photo-op.
Except for a few areas in Pennsylvania (most notably Philadelphia), gun control remains very unpopular. Voting in favor of gun control legislation in most of PA is considered a sure way to get fired by the voters. We'll have to work to keep it that way.
State RKBA Provisions
This post is in response to a very fair question asked by reader Don Armstrong in reply to my Ammo Day post.
When the Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791, it was seen as a set of restrictions upon the federal government, not upon the states. It wasn't until after the Civil War and the enactment of the 14th Amendment that the BoR was seen as applying to the states.
What throws a wrench into the mix is the doctrine of "incorporation" which was adopted by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. Essentially, this means that until the court "incorporates" a particular amendment in the BoR against the states in a decision, the states can take the position that it does not apply to them.
With respect to the meaning of the Second Amendment, it refers to "the people," which is a term of art used in several places in the Constitution and BoR. In ruling on other parts of the BoR, the Supreme Court has always held that "the people" refers to individuals, not some collective. The court has even referred to the Second Amendment as an individual right in passing, in cases regarding other parts of the Constitution. E.g., US vs. Verdugo-Urquidez (1990).
Yesterday, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the Heller case, which challenged the District of Columbia's handgun ban on Second Amendment grounds. D.C. was a good venue for asserting the Second Amendment because it is a Federal territory, not state, so whether the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states is irrelevant.
What makes Heller so important is that it's the first time in 70 years that the court will be directly addressing the Second Amendment and whether it's a fundamental, individual right. "Fundamental right" is another legal term of art, and if the court does hold that the Second is one, then it will incorporate it against the states.
OK, so what about state constitutional provisions on the right to keep and bear arms?
The wording of state RKBA provisions varies quite a bit by state. 43 of 50 states do have such provisions, however. Some of those provisions are weak, e.g., Illinois's provision subordinates the RKBA to the police power, effectively rendering it moot.
In contrast, other states have very strong RKBA provisions, e.g., Pennsylvania. Pennsyvlania's constitional provision reads, "The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned." (Pa. Const. Article I, Section 21.) It has been recognized by the state supreme court -- the final arbiter of what PA state laws mean -- as an individual right.
There is a list of every state's RKBA provision located at RKBA.org.
When the Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791, it was seen as a set of restrictions upon the federal government, not upon the states. It wasn't until after the Civil War and the enactment of the 14th Amendment that the BoR was seen as applying to the states.
What throws a wrench into the mix is the doctrine of "incorporation" which was adopted by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. Essentially, this means that until the court "incorporates" a particular amendment in the BoR against the states in a decision, the states can take the position that it does not apply to them.
With respect to the meaning of the Second Amendment, it refers to "the people," which is a term of art used in several places in the Constitution and BoR. In ruling on other parts of the BoR, the Supreme Court has always held that "the people" refers to individuals, not some collective. The court has even referred to the Second Amendment as an individual right in passing, in cases regarding other parts of the Constitution. E.g., US vs. Verdugo-Urquidez (1990).
Yesterday, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the Heller case, which challenged the District of Columbia's handgun ban on Second Amendment grounds. D.C. was a good venue for asserting the Second Amendment because it is a Federal territory, not state, so whether the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states is irrelevant.
What makes Heller so important is that it's the first time in 70 years that the court will be directly addressing the Second Amendment and whether it's a fundamental, individual right. "Fundamental right" is another legal term of art, and if the court does hold that the Second is one, then it will incorporate it against the states.
OK, so what about state constitutional provisions on the right to keep and bear arms?
The wording of state RKBA provisions varies quite a bit by state. 43 of 50 states do have such provisions, however. Some of those provisions are weak, e.g., Illinois's provision subordinates the RKBA to the police power, effectively rendering it moot.
In contrast, other states have very strong RKBA provisions, e.g., Pennsylvania. Pennsyvlania's constitional provision reads, "The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned." (Pa. Const. Article I, Section 21.) It has been recognized by the state supreme court -- the final arbiter of what PA state laws mean -- as an individual right.
There is a list of every state's RKBA provision located at RKBA.org.
What about the National Guard?
The National Guard was created in 1903. The militia referred to in the Second Amendment were the various state militias, consisting of able bodied men who provided their own arms and ammunition.
Monday, November 19, 2007
National Ammo Day/Week
It's National Ammo Day/Week. Participate in the buycott. It's for the children.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
PA Call To Action
From Harry S. of the Pennsylvania Sportsman's Association:
I'm going to try to be there.
Gentlemen:
It would be helpful if a significant number of pro 2nd Amendment supporters are in attendance Tuesday morning. The Pennsylvania House Committee Votes on the anti-rights bills (HB 18, HB 22, and HB 29) are scheduled Tuesday November 20 at 10:00 AM.
This extraordinary Judiciary Committee meeting has been moved to a much larger room: Room 140 Main Capitol.
It appears that the Governator is planning to pack the larger room with those who seek to demonize gun owners. Therefore, it is ok if you openly ask your members to attend if possible.
It will help if numbers of sportsmen and sportswomen attend - preferably wearing business casual. The media will try to get pictures of people who are dressed inappropriately or who are acting inappropriately in an attempt to portray gun owners as undisciplined.
Guns and knives cannot be carried in the Capitol - it is also a courthouse.
The only gun lockers are in the lower rear entrance.
Please avoid inflammatory signs and do not be baited into making inflammatory statements.
Please meet at the steps of the Rotunda no later than 9:30 AM and obtain 2nd Amendment badges from Melody Zullinger, Executive Director of the Federation of Sportsmen Clubs. And PLEASE comply with all direction from Melody.
We will all be judged based upon how the participants dress and act.
It is important to keep these bills in committee.
Thank you,
Harry Sxxxxxxx
Legislative Committee, Chairman
Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Association
EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT
Governor Rendell plans to take an unprecedented step and personally attend Tuesday’s PA House Judiciary Committee meeting to attack gun owners and our constitutional freedoms by forcing bad legislation (HB 18, HB 22, and HB 29) out of committee.
Please contact members of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today and keep it up through Tuesday morning.
ASK THE MEMBERS TO OPPOSE HB 22, HB 18 and HB 29.
The Committee Votes are scheduled Tuesday November 20 at 10:00 AM.
Phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses are at the end of this message. PLEASE USE THEM.
At the request of Governor Ed Rendell (D), the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, November 20 at 10:00am, to vote on several anti-gun measures. The package of bills include one-gun-a-month, a requirement for individuals to report lost or stolen firearms, and legislation that would overturn Pennsylvania’s current preemption law.
House Bill 18, sponsored by State Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), would further provide for limitations on the regulation of firearms and ammunition by local municipalities. State preemption regulating firearms was enacted by the legislature to avoid the possibility of thousands of separate firearm laws across the Commonwealth. Without preemption there would be a myriad of local firearms laws making compliance impossible for law abiding gun owners. In addition, this proposed legislation may also be in conflict with Article 1, Section 21 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania which states "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned."
House Bill 22, "one-gun-a-month" legislation, sponsored by State Representative John Myers (D-Philadelphia), will prohibit law-abiding citizens from purchasing more than one handgun at a time, and impose a 30-day waiting period between single handgun purchases.
House Bill 29, "Lost or Stolen Firearms” legislation, sponsored by State Representative Jewell Williams (D-Philadelphia), would make it a crime to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm to police within 24 hours of discovering the firearm missing. This proposal would criminalize victims of crime and is ineffective.
**For more in-depth information on these issues please go to this link – www.acslpa.org
The following organizations are on record as opposing this legislation:
Allegheny County Sportsmen's League (ACSL),
Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (PFSC),
Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Association (PSA),
National Rifle Association (NRA),
Gun Owners of America (GOA),
Second Amendment Sisters (SAS),
Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association (PR&PA),
Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association (PGCA)
Lehigh Valley Firearms Coalition,
Philadelphia Federation of Sportsmen's Club,
Pennsylvania Gun Owners Association (PGOA)
Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania (Unified)
National Association of Firearms Retailers (NAFR),
Pennsylvania State Fish & Game Protective Association,
The Pink Pistols
OpenCarry.org
Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association (PAFOA)
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSA)
Western Pennsylvania 30 Caliber League, Inc
Firearms Owners Against Crime (FOAC) the largest gun owners Political Action Committee (PAC) in Pennsylvania will record any support for any of this legislation, now or in the future, as an anti-gun vote.
It is imperative that you contact the following members of the House Judiciary Committee TODAY through Tuesday to strongly encourage them to OPPOSE this package of anti-gun rights bills! PLEASE focus your efforts on the Committee Leaders and then the ‘Uncommitted Group’ and then the listed ‘Pro-2nd Amendment’ group.
**Representatives listed below are Committee Leadership
State Representative Thomas R. Caltagirone (D-127), Majority Chairman
106 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202127
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2127
(717) 787-3525
Fax: (717) 772-5401
tcaltagi@pahouse.net
State Representative Ron Marsico (R-105), Minority Chairman
218 Ryan Office Building
PO Box 202105
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2105
(717) 783-2014
Fax: (717) 705-2010
rmarsico@pahousegop.com
State Representative Daylin Leach (D-149), Secretary
109A East Wing
PO Box 202149
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2149
(717) 783-9114
Fax: (717) 787-0861
dleach@pahouse.net
**Representatives listed below are Pro 2nd Amendment
State Representative Deberah Kula (D-52)
104A East Wing
PO Box 202052
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2052
(717) 772-1858
Fax: (717) 780-4784
dkula@pahouse.net
State Representative Joseph A. Petrarca (D-55)
220 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202055
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2055
(717) 787-5142
Fax: (717) 705-2014
jpetrarc@pahouse.net
State Representative Jesse White (D-46)
102B East Wing
PO Box 202046
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2046
(717) 783-6437
jwhite@pahouse.net
State Representative Tom C. Creighton (R-37)
400 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202037
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2037
(717) 772-5290
Fax: (717) 783-1904
tcreight@pahousegop.com
State Representative Craig A. Dally (R-138)
211 Ryan Office Building
PO Box 202138
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2138
(717) 783-8573
Fax: (717) 705-1849
cdally@pahousegop.com
State Representative John R. Evans (R-5)
B12 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202005
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2005
(717) 772-9940
Fax: (717) 772-7099
jevans@pahousegop.com
State Representative Will Gabig (R-199)
410 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202199
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2199
(717) 772-2280
Fax: (717) 705-2012
wgabig@pahousegop.com
State Representative Glen R. Grell (R-87)
404 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202087
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2087
(717) 783-2063
Fax: (717) 772-8418
ggrell@pahousegop.com
State Representative Kate Harper (R-61)
149A East Wing
PO Box 202061
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2061
(717) 787-2801
Fax: (717) 787-2022
kharper@pahousegop.com
State Representative Beverly Mackereth (R-196)
7 East Wing
PO Box 202196
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2196
(717) 783-2655
Fax: (717) 772-9869
bmackere@pahousegop.com
State Representative Todd Rock (R-90)
162A East Wing
PO Box 202090
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2090
(717) 783-5218
Fax: (717) 260-6505
trock@pahousegop.com
State Representative Katie True (R-41)
143A East Wing
PO Box 202041
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2041
(717) 705-7161
Fax: (717) 705-1946
ktrue@pahousegop.com
State Representative Tina Pickett (R-110)
155A East Wing
PO Box 202110
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2110
(717) 783-8238
Fax: (717) 705-1949
tpickett@pahousegop.com
**Representatives listed below are Uncommitted on these issues
State Representative John E. Pallone (D-54)
325 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202054
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2054
(717) 783-1819
Fax: (717) 772-9984
jpallone@pahouse.net
State Representative Don Walko (D-20)
121 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202020
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
(717) 787-5470
Fax: (717) 783-0407
dwalko@pahouse.net
State Representative Sean M. Ramaley (D-16)
323 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202016
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2016
(717) 787-4444
sramaley@pahouse.net
State Representative Carl W. Mantz (R-187)
53B East Wing
PO Box 202187
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2187
(717) 787-3017
Fax: (717) 772-9869
cmantz@pahousegop.com
**Representatives listed below are dedicated Anti 2nd Amendment Fanatics
State Representative Kathy Manderino (D-194)
125 East Wing
PO Box 202194
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2194
(717) 787-1254
Fax: (717) 780-4770
kmanderi@pahouse.net
State Representative Lisa Bennington (D-21)
6A East Wing
PO Box 202021
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2021
(717) 705-7011
Fax: (717) 780-4761
lbenning@pahouse.net
State Representative Dan Frankel (D-23)
217 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202023
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2023
(717) 705-1875
Fax: (717) 705-2034
dfrankel@pahouse.net
State Representative Harold James (D-186)
317 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202186
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2186
(717) 787-9477
Fax: (717) 787-7517
hjames@pahouse.net
State Representative Greg Vitali (D-16)
103B East Wing
PO Box 202166
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2166
(717) 787-7647
Fax: (717) 705-2089
gvitali@pahouse.net
State Representative Jewell Williams (D-197)
101 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202197
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2197
(717) 772-2004
Fax: (717) 787-2284
jwilliam@pahouse.net
State Representative Bernie O'Neill (R-29)
B13 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202029
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2029
(717) 705-7170
Fax: (717) 783-3278
boneill@pahousegop.com
State Representative Chelsa Wagner (D-22)
109 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202022
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2022
(717) 783-1582
Fax: (717) 780-4755
cwagner@pahouse.net
State Representative Bryan R. Lentz (D-161)
106B East Wing
PO Box 202161
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2161
(717) 787-8574
Fax: (717) 780-4777
blentz@pahouse.net
I'm going to try to be there.
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