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Sleep-deprived ramblings......
#1
07-17-2006, 03:06 PM
Sleep-deprived ramblings......
Gehh, I can't sleep, I'm bored, I've been up since 4AM yesterday. You know it's late (or early) when you see your neighborhood strippers getting home from work.
Part ONE
Am I the only person who thinks that prostitution should be legalized? Not that I use them that much, at least, not in the past 5 years since I got back in the states, but it just seems to make sense to me, for a few reasons. First, many guys have problems with women because of the desperation factor. They put too much importance on it because they don't have it and it screws up their game. They overthink it because it's seemingly hard to get. So what if cheap, legal, safe tail was available to everyone?
I have had people tell me that that hookers are a scourge on society. Hookers are not a scourge, just look at places that it's legal. Illegal street-walkers are a problem because it's illegal and because of that, there's no way to keep it safe. In places that it's legal (such as any county in Nevada below a certain population point, I believe it's 100K residents), there are no prostitute killings, there are no drugged up prostututes (at least, no in the brothels where they are tested weekly), and there has not been ONE SINGLE case of an STD transferred by a prostitute to a customer. Where it is illegal, it still happens but without proper safety enforcement, without generating revenue for the state, and without a safe and secure place to do it.
In Las Vegas proper (where prostitution is illegal due to the population of Clark County) the police and city officials seem to have a policy of "do just enough to make it look like you want to fix it without actually doing so". Every week there are hundreds of advertisements in local weekly publications, CraigsList, and dedicated websites for call girls, escorts, and the like. In reality, it wouldn't be that hard to catch most of them, or at least make them afraid enough of being caught to really stop or slow down the availability of those types of pros. But they don't. Once in a while, they'll call a few of the numbers listed and bust a few of them, but overall, they pursue a very low total percentage of the leads they have available. Why? Well, because they know that Las Vegas' reputation for sex and danger brings many many people here every year. I guarantee that convention attendance would drop quite a bit if those people attending knew they couldn't get a nice little escort while they were in town. Hmmm. Interesting.
I have also had people tell me that prostitutes are often abused, addicted to drugs, or experiencing horrible mental illness as a result of being prostitutes. Not even almost. Women who are abused, addicted, mentally ill or any other condition of life often turn to prostitution because it can seem like the only thing they have left in their life to try to sustain themselves. Prostitution is like marijuana, it didn't hurt a soul until it became illegal, then by artificially attaching the criminal stigma to it, it began to attract the criminal element. Prostitution is legal in Canada, most all of Europe including England, France, Wales, Denmark, etc., most of South America, most of Mexico, most all of Asia, Iran, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and many more that I just don't have time to type out. It's actually legal in most of the world besides the US. So why is it that the US is the only place that you find the mental image of a cracked up hooker getting beaten in an alley and MAC-10 toting pimps who are beating the girls when they get done?
There have also been studies that indicate that some countries with legal prostitution have considerably lower rapes among the general population. It doesn't prove that legal hookers help lower the rape rate, but many psychologists involved in the study think that it helps because rape is committed for one of two reasons, anger or desperation, and prostitution can help nearly eliminate the desperation cases because anybody can get laid at any time, so the supposed need to rape a woman just to get sex is gone.
Even more try to play the "moral high-ground" card, saying that prostitution is immoral, and that's why it should be illegal everywhere. No offense, but **** your morals. You have no right to tell me that something I would do with someone else completely and totally out of sight of others, hurts no one involved, is totally consentual, and that affects no one else besides me and that person is in any way immoral. You have your morals, and you are more than welcome to live your life based on those morals, but the second you try to tell someone else how to live based or YOUR morals, you lose every point of credibility that you might have ever had with me.
Part TWO
Ok, that subject is boring me now. How about gun control?
From the BBC.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2656875.stm
http://www.reason.com/0211/fe.jm.gun.shtml
From that same page, here are two of England's most ridiculous cases involving those DEFENDING themselves being prosecuted for doing so.
And for those who cite England's lower murder rate.....
And it just goes on and on.....
Let's look at this from the point of view of someone involved. If you are a criminal and you want a gun to commit a crime, you will get one however you need to, after all, you are a criminal, breaking laws is what you do. Breaking one more law to get a gun is not going to phase you. As a criminal, you know that most of the people that you are going to commit crimes against are law abiding citizens. Now, if you know that these people likely obey the law, and that there is a law against them owning guns, them you can pretty much assume that you with be in a greater position of power when you commit that crime, since you will have the gun and they will not. This will probably make you more likely to commit crimes if you know you hold the position of power. Now, let's say that you know every citizen in a certain place is required to have a gun. You lose your position of power, since you are on equal footing with everyone else.
Take this down to a more reasonable level. Heavy gun restrictions and fewer gun restrictions affect things the same way. If you know it's harder for a citizen to own a gun, then you assume the power again. If you know it's easier and therefore more likely for a citizen to be armed, then you will probably be much more selective in who you commit crimes against. Think of it like when you're in a bar, drunk and talking **** to people. Are you going to mouth off to the guy half your size, or are going to mouth off to the UFC fighter? That's an easy one, huh? The more likely you are to suffer for your decisions, the more likely you are to not make those bad choices.
As far as regular civvies being armed and causing more problems, I just don't see it. I am trained in five martial arts styles, Jeet Kun Do, Kenjutsu, Kobudo, Wing Chun, and Kateda. I could probably take down 98% of the people walking on the street. That doesn't make me more likely to do so. It just gives me the knowledge that if someone does attempt something, I am pretty secure. I think that with proper training more guns in the hands of citizens would reduce crime rates considerably without increasing accidental injuries or spur of the moment crimes. And by proper training, I mean not only how to use a gun, but when and why, plus the consequences of doing so whether you're in the right or the wrong.
Part THREE
Well, I just ordered an E-sky HoneyBee CP2 on eBay (ignore the name, I know it's a little frou-frou). I probably won't tell anyone I got a "HoneyBee" though, I'll tell people it's a "Striker Xtreme" or "Destroyer MKII" or something equally masculine. As far as micro helis go, it looks pretty good, and they're all over eBay for $120-150 ready to fly, everything included except the AAs for the transmitter.
It comes stock with a lot of the things you'd have to pay extra for with other similarly priced micros, like Lithium batteries, Bell-Hiller main head, all carbon fiber construction, everything except carbon blades and a gear/belt driven tail. I have yet to fly a heli with a seperate tail motor, so we'll see how that goes.
Neat looking little bugger, I must say. I'm sure I'll upgrade it somehow, paint, more carbon, maybe add another motor to it. Something.
Part FOUR
I think I'm going bald. Well, not think, I know. I've got combs full of hair and a mole on my forehead that used to be right at my hairline years ago is now a good inch away from it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not the mole moving around at will. I'm not too worried though, one of these days I'll just whip out the clippers and go for the Jason Statham look. If that balding mo fo can still look like a bad-***, so can I! (any ladies reading, feel free to comment on the attractiveness quotient of the short-medium buzz cut, I'm interested in hearing opinions.)
I'm also tired enough to have just figured out the specific physics of the occurence that causes the "the camera adds 10 pounds" adage. Fun. Plus, I realized that celibacy is hereditary. If your parents never had sex, chances are, you won't either! Having a 148 IQ is a blessing and a curse.
Goodnight.
Part ONE
Am I the only person who thinks that prostitution should be legalized? Not that I use them that much, at least, not in the past 5 years since I got back in the states, but it just seems to make sense to me, for a few reasons. First, many guys have problems with women because of the desperation factor. They put too much importance on it because they don't have it and it screws up their game. They overthink it because it's seemingly hard to get. So what if cheap, legal, safe tail was available to everyone?
I have had people tell me that that hookers are a scourge on society. Hookers are not a scourge, just look at places that it's legal. Illegal street-walkers are a problem because it's illegal and because of that, there's no way to keep it safe. In places that it's legal (such as any county in Nevada below a certain population point, I believe it's 100K residents), there are no prostitute killings, there are no drugged up prostututes (at least, no in the brothels where they are tested weekly), and there has not been ONE SINGLE case of an STD transferred by a prostitute to a customer. Where it is illegal, it still happens but without proper safety enforcement, without generating revenue for the state, and without a safe and secure place to do it.
In Las Vegas proper (where prostitution is illegal due to the population of Clark County) the police and city officials seem to have a policy of "do just enough to make it look like you want to fix it without actually doing so". Every week there are hundreds of advertisements in local weekly publications, CraigsList, and dedicated websites for call girls, escorts, and the like. In reality, it wouldn't be that hard to catch most of them, or at least make them afraid enough of being caught to really stop or slow down the availability of those types of pros. But they don't. Once in a while, they'll call a few of the numbers listed and bust a few of them, but overall, they pursue a very low total percentage of the leads they have available. Why? Well, because they know that Las Vegas' reputation for sex and danger brings many many people here every year. I guarantee that convention attendance would drop quite a bit if those people attending knew they couldn't get a nice little escort while they were in town. Hmmm. Interesting.
I have also had people tell me that prostitutes are often abused, addicted to drugs, or experiencing horrible mental illness as a result of being prostitutes. Not even almost. Women who are abused, addicted, mentally ill or any other condition of life often turn to prostitution because it can seem like the only thing they have left in their life to try to sustain themselves. Prostitution is like marijuana, it didn't hurt a soul until it became illegal, then by artificially attaching the criminal stigma to it, it began to attract the criminal element. Prostitution is legal in Canada, most all of Europe including England, France, Wales, Denmark, etc., most of South America, most of Mexico, most all of Asia, Iran, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and many more that I just don't have time to type out. It's actually legal in most of the world besides the US. So why is it that the US is the only place that you find the mental image of a cracked up hooker getting beaten in an alley and MAC-10 toting pimps who are beating the girls when they get done?
There have also been studies that indicate that some countries with legal prostitution have considerably lower rapes among the general population. It doesn't prove that legal hookers help lower the rape rate, but many psychologists involved in the study think that it helps because rape is committed for one of two reasons, anger or desperation, and prostitution can help nearly eliminate the desperation cases because anybody can get laid at any time, so the supposed need to rape a woman just to get sex is gone.
Even more try to play the "moral high-ground" card, saying that prostitution is immoral, and that's why it should be illegal everywhere. No offense, but **** your morals. You have no right to tell me that something I would do with someone else completely and totally out of sight of others, hurts no one involved, is totally consentual, and that affects no one else besides me and that person is in any way immoral. You have your morals, and you are more than welcome to live your life based on those morals, but the second you try to tell someone else how to live based or YOUR morals, you lose every point of credibility that you might have ever had with me.
Part TWO
Ok, that subject is boring me now. How about gun control?
From the BBC.....
It is true that in contrast to Britain's tight gun restrictions, half of American households have firearms, and 33 states now permit law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons.
But despite, or because, of this, violent crime in America has been plummeting for 10 consecutive years, even as British violence has been rising. By 1995 English rates of violent crime were already far higher than America's for every major violent crime except murder and rape.
You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York.
But despite, or because, of this, violent crime in America has been plummeting for 10 consecutive years, even as British violence has been rising. By 1995 English rates of violent crime were already far higher than America's for every major violent crime except murder and rape.
You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York.
From 1991 to 1995, crimes against the person in England’s inner cities increased 91 percent. And in the four years from 1997 to 2001, the rate of violent crime more than doubled. Your chances of being mugged in London are now six times greater than in New York. England’s rates of assault, robbery, and burglary are far higher than America’s, and 53 percent of English burglaries occur while occupants are at home, compared with 13 percent in the U.S., where burglars admit to fearing armed homeowners more than the police. In a United Nations study of crime in 18 developed nations published in July, England and Wales led the Western world’s crime league, with nearly 55 crimes per 100 people.
From that same page, here are two of England's most ridiculous cases involving those DEFENDING themselves being prosecuted for doing so.
• In 1994 an English homeowner, armed with a toy gun, managed to detain two burglars who had broken into his house while he called the police. When the officers arrived, they arrested the homeowner for using an imitation gun to threaten or intimidate. In a similar incident the following year, when an elderly woman fired a toy cap pistol to drive off a group of youths who were threatening her, she was arrested for putting someone in fear. Now the police are pressing Parliament to make imitation guns illegal.
• In 1999 Tony Martin, a 55-year-old Norfolk farmer living alone in a shabby farmhouse, awakened to the sound of breaking glass as two burglars, both with long criminal records, burst into his home. He had been robbed six times before, and his village, like 70 percent of rural English communities, had no police presence. He sneaked downstairs with a shotgun and shot at the intruders. Martin received life in prison for killing one burglar, 10 years for wounding the second, and a year for having an unregistered shotgun. The wounded burglar, having served 18 months of a three-year sentence, is now free and has been granted £5,000 of legal assistance to sue Martin.
• In 1999 Tony Martin, a 55-year-old Norfolk farmer living alone in a shabby farmhouse, awakened to the sound of breaking glass as two burglars, both with long criminal records, burst into his home. He had been robbed six times before, and his village, like 70 percent of rural English communities, had no police presence. He sneaked downstairs with a shotgun and shot at the intruders. Martin received life in prison for killing one burglar, 10 years for wounding the second, and a year for having an unregistered shotgun. The wounded burglar, having served 18 months of a three-year sentence, is now free and has been granted £5,000 of legal assistance to sue Martin.
And for those who cite England's lower murder rate.....
The murder rates of the U.S. and U.K. are also affected by differences in the way each counts homicides. The FBI asks police to list every homicide as murder, even if the case isn’t subsequently prosecuted or proceeds on a lesser charge, making the U.S. numbers as high as possible. By contrast, the English police "massage down" the homicide statistics, tracking each case through the courts and removing it if it is reduced to a lesser charge or determined to be an accident or self-defense, making the English numbers as low as possible.
And it just goes on and on.....
Originally Posted by USA Today
Since Australia's 1996 laws banning most guns and making it a crime to use a gun defensively, armed robberies rose by 51%, unarmed robberies by 37%, assaults by 24% and kidnappings by 43%. While murders fell by 3%, manslaughter rose by 16%
Since Australia's 1996 laws banning most guns and making it a crime to use a gun defensively, armed robberies rose by 51%, unarmed robberies by 37%, assaults by 24% and kidnappings by 43%. While murders fell by 3%, manslaughter rose by 16%
The contrast between the criminal violence rates in the United States and in Canada is dramatic," says Canadian criminologist Gary Mauser in 2003. "Over the past decade, the rate of violent crime in Canada has increased while in the United States the violent crime rate has plummeted."
Originally Posted by BBC News
Handgun crime in the United Kingdom rose by 40% in the two years after it passed its draconian gun ban in 1997
Handgun crime in the United Kingdom rose by 40% in the two years after it passed its draconian gun ban in 1997
You are more likely to be mugged in England than in the United States," stated the Reuters news agency in summarizing the study. "The rate of robbery is now 1.4 times higher in England and Wales than in the United States, and the British burglary rate is nearly double America's."6 The murder rate in the United States is reportedly higher than in England, but according to the DOJ study, "the difference between the [murder rates in the] two countries has narrowed over the past 16 years."
The United Nations confirmed these results in 2000 when it reported that the crime rate in England is higher than the crime rates of 16 other industrialized nations, including the United States
Take this down to a more reasonable level. Heavy gun restrictions and fewer gun restrictions affect things the same way. If you know it's harder for a citizen to own a gun, then you assume the power again. If you know it's easier and therefore more likely for a citizen to be armed, then you will probably be much more selective in who you commit crimes against. Think of it like when you're in a bar, drunk and talking **** to people. Are you going to mouth off to the guy half your size, or are going to mouth off to the UFC fighter? That's an easy one, huh? The more likely you are to suffer for your decisions, the more likely you are to not make those bad choices.
As far as regular civvies being armed and causing more problems, I just don't see it. I am trained in five martial arts styles, Jeet Kun Do, Kenjutsu, Kobudo, Wing Chun, and Kateda. I could probably take down 98% of the people walking on the street. That doesn't make me more likely to do so. It just gives me the knowledge that if someone does attempt something, I am pretty secure. I think that with proper training more guns in the hands of citizens would reduce crime rates considerably without increasing accidental injuries or spur of the moment crimes. And by proper training, I mean not only how to use a gun, but when and why, plus the consequences of doing so whether you're in the right or the wrong.
Part THREE
Well, I just ordered an E-sky HoneyBee CP2 on eBay (ignore the name, I know it's a little frou-frou). I probably won't tell anyone I got a "HoneyBee" though, I'll tell people it's a "Striker Xtreme" or "Destroyer MKII" or something equally masculine. As far as micro helis go, it looks pretty good, and they're all over eBay for $120-150 ready to fly, everything included except the AAs for the transmitter.
It comes stock with a lot of the things you'd have to pay extra for with other similarly priced micros, like Lithium batteries, Bell-Hiller main head, all carbon fiber construction, everything except carbon blades and a gear/belt driven tail. I have yet to fly a heli with a seperate tail motor, so we'll see how that goes.
Neat looking little bugger, I must say. I'm sure I'll upgrade it somehow, paint, more carbon, maybe add another motor to it. Something.
Part FOUR
I think I'm going bald. Well, not think, I know. I've got combs full of hair and a mole on my forehead that used to be right at my hairline years ago is now a good inch away from it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not the mole moving around at will. I'm not too worried though, one of these days I'll just whip out the clippers and go for the Jason Statham look. If that balding mo fo can still look like a bad-***, so can I! (any ladies reading, feel free to comment on the attractiveness quotient of the short-medium buzz cut, I'm interested in hearing opinions.)
I'm also tired enough to have just figured out the specific physics of the occurence that causes the "the camera adds 10 pounds" adage. Fun. Plus, I realized that celibacy is hereditary. If your parents never had sex, chances are, you won't either! Having a 148 IQ is a blessing and a curse.
Goodnight.
#3
07-17-2006, 03:18 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
Wow SS, that is some rambling. U shoulda rubbed one out to get sleepy. 
I agree prost should be legal and controlled just like the bunny ranch outside of vegas. Pros is technically ILLEGAL inside the ciyt limits of Vegas.
As far as gun control, I agree also. If a criminal wants to get a gun, it does not matter how many laws there are, they are criminals, they're gonna get a gun. A law abiding citizend can almost forget about getting a carry handgun permit, espically here in NYC. It is very expensive to get any kind of license for guns and alot of red tape. I was gonna do it until I found out how much of a project it would be.
I agree prost should be legal and controlled just like the bunny ranch outside of vegas. Pros is technically ILLEGAL inside the ciyt limits of Vegas.
As far as gun control, I agree also. If a criminal wants to get a gun, it does not matter how many laws there are, they are criminals, they're gonna get a gun. A law abiding citizend can almost forget about getting a carry handgun permit, espically here in NYC. It is very expensive to get any kind of license for guns and alot of red tape. I was gonna do it until I found out how much of a project it would be.
#4
07-17-2006, 03:24 PM
Senior Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Lotsa places, currently Metro D.C., USA
Posts: 13,574
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
ORIGINAL: SilverSeven
Neat looking little bugger, I must say. I'm sure I'll upgrade it somehow, paint, more carbon, maybe add another motor to it. Something.
Neat looking little bugger, I must say. I'm sure I'll upgrade it somehow, paint, more carbon, maybe add another motor to it. Something.
Needs a spoiler, and some stickers, and a lowering kit
#5
07-17-2006, 05:21 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
ORIGINAL: beefski
Wow SS, that is some rambling. U shoulda rubbed one out to get sleepy.
Wow SS, that is some rambling. U shoulda rubbed one out to get sleepy.
ORIGINAL: beefski
I agree prost should be legal and controlled just like the bunny ranch outside of vegas. Pros is technically ILLEGAL inside the ciyt limits of Vegas.
I agree prost should be legal and controlled just like the bunny ranch outside of vegas. Pros is technically ILLEGAL inside the ciyt limits of Vegas.
Not that it being illegal stops it, as I outlined above, just makes it more dangerous and little benefit to the county or state.
#7
07-17-2006, 05:33 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
ORIGINAL: AWDaholic
Needs a spoiler, and some stickers, and a lowering kit
Needs a spoiler, and some stickers, and a lowering kit
It's not really a spoiler, but it looks the same. The tail fin's purpose it to act as a weathervane of sorts and stabilize the tail during fast forward flight. Tail rotor control is an art form, so having the equivalent of arrow fletches on the back helps considerably.
Stickers, it will also recieve. I made a set of crossed battle-axes way back in the day (with MSPAINT even!), and I just like the design so well that they go on nearly everthing that I do any custom work on.
So the "Uber Mega Nano Decimator MK XIII" will get at least that sticker, and maybe my Wolf and "98" that went on all my racecars.
And yes, even a lowering kit is in the pipeline.
Putting on low profile, widened skids makes the possibility of tip over on take-off and landed less likely. Plus they look SUPA-FLY!!
#8
07-17-2006, 05:46 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
ORIGINAL: PJTocci
cool gun control figures
cool gun control figures
I think I should change my screenname to Brittanica.
#9
07-17-2006, 06:02 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
Of course crime will go down, there are no 'easy' targets. the risk for the criminal is extremely great that he/she will be shot. It is not as easy to do in large cities, it would be the wild west all over again. But I do agree that a gun in the house is good, as long as everyone in the household is educated and trained. It just went off is BS if you know how to handle firearms.
#10
07-17-2006, 06:26 PM
RE: Sleep-deprived ramblings......
ORIGINAL: SilverSeven
Also look into Kennesaw, GA to find out about what happened to crime rates after a law went into place that required every resident of the town to own and maintain a working gun in their household, including ammunition for that gun. Overall crime rates dropped over 75% the first year of this law, and another 40% the next year. It was already a small town and crime wasn't an epidemic, but you can't argue with such a drastic and immediate change right after such a law is enacted.
I think I should change my screenname to Brittanica.
ORIGINAL: PJTocci
cool gun control figures
cool gun control figures
I think I should change my screenname to Brittanica.
damn, i need a firearm! i have a 1000fps pellet gun with a giant scope. its accurate as hell, not sure if it could kill somone tho. I suppose in the right spot it could however.