kimmy

If he were of a mind to murder the people in the church I'm sure he could have chained the door shut. This is hardly hi-tech. Maybe he was too dumb to figure out any other way to commit a mass murder without a gun, maybe he wasn't, we don't know. We do know that he was a hard-core racist who intended to start a race-war, and no amount of gun control would have changed that. -k

Or maybe he would have gone and found a gas can and burnt the church down with the people inside it. -k

I'm not trying to diminish anything. I'm trying to draw attention to the fact that gun crimes in Canada are statistically speaking a very minor threat to public safety. I am trying to point out that spending billions of dollars to implement some kind of wide-spread gun control is, rationally speaking, not a very good use of money compared to other possible uses for the money. Canada's gun laws work really well! I think that when we have all these drug-gang mooks shooting each other in the Lower Mainland, we should consider that perhaps the problem isn't guns so much as it's drug prohibition. And better gun control wouldn't have made Dyllan Roof any less racist. It might have deprived him of a way of turning his racist anger into violence, but it's highly speculative to assume he wouldn't have found a different way of lashing out. Arson and bombs, for example. -k

I walked past the beach on Sunday; it was jam packed, and among the crowd was a topless young woman. The dozens of young men in the area didn't go berzerk or attack her like a bunch of pit-bulls after a steak. Anarchy didn't break out. The mountain god did not become angry and erupt a volcano. There wasn't a boobquake. The world didn't end. Personally my preference is to keep the kimmables covered in public, though. I would just prefer to not be a center of attention. Also, I sunburn really easily. If I had kids I think I would want them to follow fairly traditional standards of dress until they're old enough that I can't tell them what to do. Also, if we're talking about community standards and common decency, is there a way we could consider a ban on over-the-hill, over-tanned, overweight dudes showing off their leathery moobs in public? -k

If it's about protecting schools, then let's get some perspective on how serious a problem that actually is. Here's the list of school shootings in Canada: Brampton Centennial Secondary, Brampton, 1975 - 2 dead, plus the attacker St Pius X High School, Ottawa, 1975 - 1 dead, plus attacker Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, 1989 - 14 dead, plus attacker Concordia University, Montreal 1992 - 4 dead W.R. Myers High School, Taber Alberta 1999 - 1 dead Dawson College, Montreal, 2006 - 1 dead, plus the attacker That's 23 deaths in shootings at schools and colleges, plus 4 dead perpetrators, over a span of 40 years. While I am not trying to make light of any deaths, I would once again point out that you guys are advocating an extreme measure to combat a problem that-- statistically speaking-- doesn't exist. I don't think we spend any money protecting Canadians from lightning. I think we spend entirely too much money protecting Canadians from terrorism. I think it would be a mistake to compound that mistake by wasting billions of dollars to fight what's actually a very minor cause of death in Canada. If you want to spend billions of dollars to save lives in Canada, let's talk about improving healthcare. If you really want to talk about saving lives, let's talk about fighting smoking and obesity. If you want to talk about reducing violent crime in Canada, let's talk about rethinking our policy on drug prohibition. -k

But vast portions of this country-- especially areas where hunters will be their rifles and shotguns-- don't have cell phone coverage. So half of your system-- the part that tells the authorities where the gun is located-- would be out of commission. As well, GPS reception is very finicky. I dunno about you, but for me, my car GPS has a hard enough time maintaining a signal sitting right on my dashboard in an upright orientation. So anyway, how does any of this actually save lives? Also, you think I as a gun-owner am going to spend a bunch of my money to have some mook come to my home to spot-weld some contraption onto my classic rifles? I anticipate that the compliance rate for your proposal would make the dear departed Long Gun Registry seem wildly popular by comparison. "So... you bought a Mosin Nagant in 2013? Where is that gun located? We'd like to install our lo-jack system onto it. At your expense, of course." "Oh... that fell in the lake while I was kayaking to my favorite shooting location. Heartbreaking." "I see. And you bought an SVT-40 in 2012? We'd like to install our--" "A bear ate it... it was terrible! ...just talking about it brings back terrifying memories." "Ok, your 1927 Browning--" "Meteorite strike. Darndest thing I've ever seen. I was lucky to survive, let me tell you." -k

that's pretty good. -k

I assume that a big GPS expert such as yourself is aware that GPS is one-way communication, and allows the user to ascertain the location of the GPS satellites, but doesn't transmit the user's location to the satellites. You could at best have the GPS data-log the gun's location, then transmit the data back to a central server once it is within range of a cell-phone tower or some other type of communications link. And the GPS satellite has no way of knowing how many users are or aren't receiving it. The system wouldn't be able to determine when the user has disabled the system such as by "accidentally" draining the battery. Or when the system has lost GPS reception such as when stored securely in the trunk of a vehicle. Or held in such a way that the user's body blocks GPS reception. Or when the gun is taken inside a building, or any other situation where it doesn't have a clear view of the sky. Or heck, even covered with a tin-foil wrapper. The GPS is going to be connecting and disconnecting so often that the number of false alarms generated would be utterly unmanageable. I know, right? This sounds absurdly expensive. If somebody could articulate how this gun-phone tracking system would actually help save lives and how much it would cost, then we could compare that to how many lives could be saved if the same amount of money were put into healthcare or even improving high-risk road locations. -k

So somebody forgets to put their gun-phone on the gun-phone charger and the battery goes dead, what happens? The RCMP gets dispatched? If somebody takes their gun-phone off into the woods out of transmission range and the RCMP master gun-phone tracking system loses it, what happens? The RCMP get sent off into the bush to find the missing gun-phone? If somebody puts their gun-phone into their metal storage safe, as mandated by law, and the metal safe prevents the transmitter from reaching the RCMP master gun-phone tracking system, what happens? The RCMP gets called out again? Ok, pretending for a moment that the system you're proposing isn't a complete joke from a technological and feasibility standpoint, how much are you prepared to spend on this system? -k

One difference between a gun and a cell phone: * your cell phone (and the GPS chip inside it) stops working when the batteries are dead, while a gun works just fine without batteries. -k

Winnipeg residents no longer need wonder what police are talking about as they cruise overhead in their helicopter. After cops flew around town with the chopper's public address system accidentally turned on, everybody got to listen in. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-police-sorry-for-x-rated-chopper-talk-overheard-by-public-1.3123905 -k

Personally, I have no tattoos and no piercings. 100% authentic Kimmy. I'm not sure if there's anything I am so passionate about that I would want it permanently emblazoned on my skin. Some of my friends have small tattoos on their ankles or similarly unobtrusive locations. However, I don't think I have a negative reaction to people who do... unless they're bad tattoos. If your tattoos are ugly or crass or spelt wrong, it might cause people to question your intelligence or your taste. But I have seen some really amazing tattoos as well. -k

While I agree that mass shootings are shocking and upsetting, I think we should maintain some perspective about how rare these incidents are. Here's a table compiled by Mother Jones listing mass US shooting incidents. Nine so far this year, 9 in 2014, 36 in 2013, 72 in 2012, 19 in 2011, 9 in 2010, 39 in 2009, 18 in 2008, 54 in 2007, and 21 in 2006. That's 286 total deaths in mass shootings in the US since 2006. For comparison sake, there were 276 deaths in the US due to lightning between 2006 and 2014. In the US, the odds of dying in a mass shooting are literally the same as being struck by lightning. I don't say this to make light of these incidents, I am just trying to provide some perspective on how incredibly rare these events are. Ok, so again: is it about saving lives? If it's about saving lives, I think by far the better focus would be on addressing the causes of violence, rather than the tools. In Canada, for example, I don't believe we have a gun violence problem. However, certain neighborhoods in Greater Vancouver (for example) have a gun violence problem. That's because these are areas where drug gangs are busy wiping each other out. Perhaps if Canada had a more intelligent policy in regard to drugs, the trade in illegal drugs would not be so lucrative and the resulting violence would be stemmed as well. -k

My favorite James Horner soundtrack is without a doubt Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan. The wonderful soundtrack is somehow a perfect complement to the delightfully hammy performances from The Shat and Ricardo Montalban. "They still haven't raised their shields." "Of course! We are one big happy fleet! Kirk... my old friend... do you know the old Klingon proverb that revenge is a dish best served cold? It is very cold in space." This is the music as Khan unloads his devastating ambush on the Enterprise, leaving her crippled. It features the swaggering, raucous theme Horner created for Khan, with blaring horns and percussive wood-blocks and sticks. This is the music as the battered Enterprise tries to limp out of range before Khan can activate the Genesis device. "No... no, you can't get away! From hell's heart, I stab at thee!" The musical score couldn't have fit the movie better. -k

Alberta will no longer have the best government that oil companies can buy. http://globalnews.ca/news/2070461/alberta-passes-bill-banning-corporate-and-union-donations/ -k

Of the links you posted, 2 of the 3 don't work. Since they're from WND and Breitbart, that's probably no great loss. The Huff Post article is a bunch of speculation that actually leads the author to the conclusion that the slight anti-Mormon sentiment might have caused up to 3 million Republican voters to stay home, which means Obama still would have won. But your premise was that Christians would "come back" to support Jeb Bush, and it's borne out by the numbers that they never left. The results of the 2012 election should show that religious turnout isn't enough to win an election on its own anymore. I notice you didn't respond at all to my questioning of your claims that Hilary has dissed minorities, or that Latinos would turn against the Democrats in great numbers because of eased relations with Cuba. I do agree that Hilary's attempt to rebrand herself as a peoples' populist is pretty sad. The big problem for Democrats isn't Cuba or Benghazi, it's disenchantment among the voters who won two elections for Obama. After 8 years of Obama, I think a lot of people are starting to come to the conclusion that they really are all the same and that it really doesn't matter who you vote for. The young and idealistic voters are getting behind Bernie Sanders, not Hilary Clinton, and while she'll easily win the nomination I don't think she'll win back the kinds of voters who are going over to Sanders, because they see her as part of the problem. -k

Now you're making a distinction that I think we should talk more about. Nine black people murdered would be, what, a pretty typical weekend in Detroit? But nine black people murdered in a single act of hatred is shocking to us (and rightfully so.) But an impartial look at the numbers indicates that these massacre type shootings represent a drop in the bucket of overall murders. To me, that suggests that the political aftermath that results from these incidents is less about saving lives, and more about our emotional reaction to the events. I understand and share the emotional reaction, but is that the best basis for shaping public policy? This is hardly the only example of this kind of thinking. The money being wasted on shoddy security measures to prevent terrorism on airplanes could save more lives if it was spent putting warning lights at railway crossings. Here in BC a group of doctors set out to ban mixed martial arts competition, citing public safety. If public safety was really the issue, they would turn their attention to ski hills, skateboarding, and swimming pools, not fighting sports. I've made mention on numerous occasions of the annual Carnival Of Carnage known as snowmobile season here in back-country BC. They claim far more lives than hunting accidents. Every summer we have numerous deaths involving recreational watercraft. These claim far more lives than hunting accidents, but hunting accidents receive far more news coverage. Why? People shrug their shoulders and say "buncha dummies" when mooks kill themselves with snowmobiles and powerboats, but when there's a gun involved people react differently. Is that rational? I think that media sensationalism has played a role in giving people a distorted view of what actually constitutes a threat to the public safety. I don't think the emotional response to these incidents is the best basis for public policy. -k

A couple of other news items about the Republican campaigns: -Ted Cruz is returning a donation his campaign received from Eric Holt III, the founder of Council of Conservative Citizens. The CoCC was the group that Dylann Roof cited as influencing him to commit his attack against the black people at the church. Rand Paul also received a donation from Holt, and is donating the money to a fund for the victims family. -Ben Carson has slammed opponents who won't address the obvious racial motive in the Charleston attack. "Not everything is about race in this country. But when it is about race, then it just is. ... Let's call this sickness what it is, so we can get on with the healing. If this were a medical disease, and all the doctors recognized the symptoms but refused to make the diagnosis for fear of offending the patient, we could call it madness. But there are people who are claiming that they can lead this country who dare not call this tragedy an act of racism, a hate crime, for fear of offending a particular segment of the electorate." -as Derek mentioned, Rick Perry has endorsed taking down the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina state building. Now South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has called for it to come down as well. Some observers are saying she might end up on the short list of candidates for Vice President. -k

Well the FBI breaks it down by types of firearms... at least the "clubs" data could be broken down into like wood, aluminum, 2x4 with nails through it, 2x4 without nails... -k

I gather the Vale are somewhat isolationist and not given to going to war lightly. The Vale didn't get involved in the war, why would they get involved now that it's over? Here's an excuse Littlefinger could use to march on Winterfell: "Sansa Stark is to be put on trial for the murder of King Joffrey, and King Tommen has commanded that I take troops from the Vale to Winterfell to take her, by force if necessary." -k

I don't think I was mysterious... I wanted the story line to progress in a way that would have shown some development in her character. Suppose that instead of trusting her fate to a half-baked plan involving a mentally crippled idiot putting a candle in the window of a tower to summon some savior... suppose she'd taken some initiative of her own for a change? Suppose that instead of immediately blabbing her secret plan to Ramsay's pawn-- a mental retard who stabbed her family in the back just a few years earlier-- Sansa had kept that to herself and interacted only with that elderly woman who brought her the message. To gather information, send messages to other Stark loyalists, perhaps arrange an assassination. What if Littlefinger had left Sansa some poison, like one of those clever little jewels that were used on Joffrey? She's learned first hand from watching Cersei operate, she's been taken under Littlefinger's wing and learned from him as well, she's seen Margaery Tyrrell wrap people around her finger... but she still can't do anything for herself? She's endured psychological torture from Joffrey and regular beatings at the hands of Joffrey's guards... but she folds like a cheap tent after one night with Ramsay? She's still as weak and vulnerable as she was in season one? That's the opposite of character development. Off to find a new savior. Hurray. Supposing Stannis is still alive (if you don't see the corpse, you can't be sure, right?) then perhaps they could redeem Sansa by having her align with him. She could travel with him and help him persuade other lords of the north to ally with him. Stannis lost in large measure because he didn't know the North, didn't have local supporters or local infrastructure. Sansa could change that for him. The other lords would support him because they hate the Boltons and would like to see the Starks back in charge at Winterfell. If Sansa went around with him to visit the other great houses of the north, they would join with Stannis out of loyalty to the Starks and hatred of the Boltons. In return for putting her in charge of Winterfell, Sansa would pledge to support his bid for the Iron Throne. She could even broker a meeting between Littlefinger and Stannis, perhaps Littlefinger would find a way to gain some great favor from Stannis in return for support from the Vale. But it sounds as if perhaps the Iron Isles are the new hotness and matters in the North are settled. So I doubt they'll have anything significant for Sansa to do in season 6 either. -k

That doesn't even make any sense. The Vale is going to go to war over a case of spousal battery? Beyond its borders? Involving a couple of which neither of whom have any ties to the Vale? I can't picture it. If she was Sansa Arryn instead of Sansa Stark, maybe... -k

Taser enthusiast Kwesi Millington sentenced to 2.5 years for perjury. -k

I could do the same with any number of firearms. I'm not sure why the name "AR-15" provokes such anger from some people. -k