Pop N Wood
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Posts posted by Pop N Wood
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Don't get too hung up on pixels. The Mini DV tape is what limits how many pixels you can actually record. Even a meagapixel is too much. And I think the MiniDV has the highest bandwidth of the comsumer type recorders.
The mini DV machines really do take good video in good light. The firewire link to the PC is absolutely painless. I bought a $100 DVD Burner. Burning the DVD's is about as dificult as writing to a floppy, BUT for some reason the DVD's burned on my POS burner do not read on other machines. The video software makes MPEGS which copy directly to a CD in my CD burner. These have worked in every DVD player I have tried.
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The article in USA Today says the thing is big enough you can fit a Hummer in the back of it.
It has a dump truck bed, so it is not totally useless. Hauls 12,000 pounds.
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I thank God Bush was in office rather than AlGore.
Two cheers on that one!
This is really the question at hand' date=' is our government turning into a tyranny? I don't know! I don't think so. [/quote']
I honestly don't think so either. But it is through dialogs such as this that we ensure it doesn't.
Do I totally trust our government? No. But we do have the ability to change it to prevent it from becoming a tyranny.
Funny thing, I do. But I also strongly believe in limiting their effectivness to keep them that way.
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...I take a polygraph test and suffer an extesnive background investigation every five years.
Then somewhere in that process I am sure you take an oath or answer question affirming your commitment to uphold the constitution. You are not the only one who does such things. How do you reconcile that oath with your Oliver North interpretation of it's enforcement?
Trust us. Cut a few corners in time of war. I have nothing to hide, so why should I fear the government? It's alright if we squish a few little people as long as we apologize for it afterwards. Are you people listening to yourselves? Why do we even have a constitution? It is NOT to protect the bad guys. It is a living document with provisions to be changed if need be. If you don’t like it, change it, but don’t pretend it doesn’t mean what it does. We have enough other problems with that attitude right now.
We are not a nation of cowards. This situation simply does not warrant living in a police state. Once again an overstatement, but to listen to you people I can see how we can get there.
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Manzanar? I dont recall any Japanese getting released with apologies from their camps due to mistaken identity or technical foul-ups.... and I think comparing the Patriot Act to the WWII camps is a little extreme. Ironically, our current technology will probably prevent the Patriot Act from becoming[/i'] another Manzanar. Nor do I see it as an admission of defeat. Perhaps you meant of failure? We certainly failed in a situation that perhaps we couldnt have suceeded, but should have done better in. Defeat is too all-incompassing, we lost a battle, but are still fighting the war, by my reckoning. I would MUCH rather apologise for violating some liberties later, than attend more funerals sooner. You are however correct in your assessment of where the Patriot Act will be constrained and repealed... in the courts. Thus my comparison to another "dark period" in our history, the interments and executions of the civil war. The courts eventually dealt with that security method as well.
Apologies? We paid them reparations. How much more of a Mea Culpa do you want? Mistaken identity is not the issue. A flat out violation of constitutional protections by a nation at war. How is that not directly relevant?
And yes, I mean “defeatâ€. As near as I can figure (and who knows what these nuts really want), the terrorists whole goal is to bring down our way of life. Like I said, I am overstating things, but aren’t we doing that when we knowingly turn our backs on our constitutional beliefs?
I would MUCH rather apologise for violating some liberties later, than attend more funerals sooner.You are unnecessarily limiting yourself. Why not avoid the funerals and not have to issue any apologies in the process? We are more than capable of doing both. Part of the problem was being alerted to the threat. I get a little peeved at the second guessers who want to blame someone other than the terrorists for 9/11 (not saying you are one of those, because you obviously are not). Before 9/11 we were a peace time nation (more or less). Now we are fully mobilized and alert to the threats. The fact that the courts will be the ones to overturn the act, and everyone knows it, must also show that those same people know it is a violation of the constitution.
People keep bringing up past transgressions during times of war to show this is to be expected and thus somehow OK. I keep bringing them up as a warning so that we don’t make the same mistakes again. Just because we did it “wrong†before (a very subjective statement) doesn’t mean we should do it the same way again.
One last thing. “Our current technology†is the one thing that scares the ever loving bejesus out of me. If anything we need to strengthen and better define some of our laws to better deal with how powerful the information revolution has become.
You know one of these days I need to start on my V8 swap so I can spend more time in the other forums.
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Oh no! Not another vast, right wing conspiracy!
Funny how everyone is attacking poor Dan Rather for making up news to forward an agenda, yet they are planning on giving Michael Moore another Oscar for his work.
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Guess I should start reciting my resume here and all I have done, and continue to do, for the defense of this country. Don't consider it relevant.
IMO the patriot act is an emotional decision, and in a way an admission of defeat. I am overstating things to make a point, but an element of fact none the less. Why do we have to tolerate another Manzanar? How does apologizing for it years later make it alright?
I guess I have too much faith in the strength of this country and our way of life that I just don't see the need to compromise either in the pursuit of "terrorists". That statement is just too nebulous and open ended for me. I don't consider this emotional idealism, but rather a rational evaluation of the situation. For some reason the phrase "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" keeps coming to mind.
And I stand by my previous statement. It will be the courts that will strike down the offending portions of the act. The "government" will never voluntarily relinquish that much power.
BTW. Bush is probably the first president who actually gave people like me a tax cut. Seems like the rich have their protectors and the poor theirs, but the rest of us in the middle just keep taking it year after year. While I appreciate the adjustment in my favor, I also wish we could do something about the deficit. Bush has to face the negative fall out of two wars and record oil prices while Clinton enjoyed stable oil prices and the imagined wealth of the dot com bubble. But I do hope Bush can see the difference in the economy since his election day and won’t be afraid to make unpopular decisions if needed.
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Some interesting thoughts here. I like to think of this site as one barometer of public opinion.
Someone said think with your head, not your emotions. Fear is an emotion. We can’t let it get the better of us.
I think selectively interpreting the constitution is unforgivable. It is not a road I am willing to go down. IMO the current situation simply does not warrant some of the extreme responses.
I know I am in a minority here, but I honestly have a greater fear of being victimized by a situation like Richard Jewel faced than anything a Mohammad Atta could throw my way. And I know I am really in the minority when I say it is unreasonable for us to think we can totally prevent another terrorist attack. There are simply too many nuts rattling around in the bottom of the can. So no, I don’t think we need to give up on the constitution just yet. More importantly, I don’t know that I would want to live in a world that is so strict that it could positively prevent another attack.
This problem is not going away anytime soon. We need forgo short term cures in and take more of a long term outlook.
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Rhino liner. They actually used that to "seal" the concrete in the new part of the Pentagon to limit collateral damage from flying concrete blocks in the event of a bomb.
Amazing stuff
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Lastly, I'm very sure what this assault weapons ban repeal is all about? Doesn't that pose a serious threat to our peace officers, as they can be much more easily out gunned by citizens?
No, it doesn't. The "ban" never really did anything. Case in point, the rifle the DC snipers used was stolen from a gun store, where it was being legal sold during the ban.
When Clinton was trying to put that law into effect, he commisioned (I think it was) an FBI panel to research the assault weapon issue. His own panel came back and said the US does not have a problem with assault weapons. Look at the small number of crimes that are committed with long guns in general, let alone "assault rifles" and you will see what I mean.
He went through with a "feel good" law that banned certain weapons based upon a point system. So many points for a pistol grip, so many more for a bayonet lug. When the points exceeded some number, the gun was "banned". So leave off the pistol grip or bayonet lug and viola! The gun is now "safer".
Go figure.
About the only thing it really did was ban the manufacture and sale of new magzines with over a 10 round capacity. But there were so many high capacity magazines already in existance that this was a minor inconvenience at best. Drove up the price a few dollars is all, but didn't cut the availability. In fact, most gun manufactures will still ship "pre-ban" high capacity magazines with brand new guns.
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...this whole war is declared "Won" and the liberal tides turn' date=' the Patriot Act, or most of it's key principles will be killed.
[/quote']
And when will that be? When people in the middle east no longer want to blow us up?
That is my biggest concern with the "war on terror". What is the exit strategy? And I am not talking Iraq.
Wars come and go, but the constitution is not something we should chose to bend simple because it is expedite at this point in time. I share our fore father's mistrust of governments.
Having said all that, I don't think the Patriot Act is something to "blame" or even fault Bush for. He had his reasons and he sure didn't do it alone. I just think it went farther than we needed to go. I also think it will be hard to get rid of because it is something that most law enforcement circles have always wanted.
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I think I would park that thing until you get the exhaust fixed. Next time you might not get so lucky. Window seals will prevent fumes, but you have much bigger problems if you passed out.
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jmortensen is correct. Mags that were manufactured before the law went into effect are still legal to buy, sell and own. You just can't make new ones.
And I wouldn't worry about much changing when the law expires. It never really did much of anything anyway. This ad is pretty much proof positive of that.
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I'm amazed that on this, the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on US soil, that we would have so many "Sheople" falling in lockstep against something that will only be used to target those who SHOULD fear for their privacy.
You misused the word sheeple this time. Or does it apply to anyone who doesn't agree with your point of view? Why can't a thinking person be against this abuse of American ideals?
The Patriot Act is Un-American and a violation of our constitutional principles. I am confident that once the hysteria and fear brought on by the September 11th attacks subsides, that our courts will see it as such and rescind huge portions of the act.
Contrary to popular belief, the bill of rights was amended to the constitution to protect innocent people, people who have “nothing to hide or fearâ€, from abuses by the government. If the bill or rights doesn’t apply to honest Americans, then what good is it? Why even have the words at all?
I am glad to hear your sense of fear allows you to freely give up your constitutional guarantees. I am under no such disillusions.
Quite frankly, I don't trust your statement that this "will only be used to target those who SHOULD fear for their privacy". This administration may have the best of intentions. But who is to say that the next one, or some sheriff of Mayberry somewhere, shares your sense of fair play?
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Congress Hell. I'm waiting for her run at the Presidency. It is interesting after a $40 million probe into Whitewater, they then asked and received permission to redirect the questioning into Bill's philandering. That's an example of party bickering run amok. As to the cost of supplying the electorate with benefits, punch up any site on the annual deficit and look at the numbers. If it's not going to us, where is it going? Admittedly we've made multi-millionaires of everyone associated with politics, but there's not that many of them. Do we really need billion dollar stealth bomber programs when any plane after dark is a stealth bomber to the countries we've bombed? There is talk of building a new Savannah River Plant to resupply our atomic weapon industry. We've used two and generated a massive clean up problem. They are trying now to reclassify all the radioactive liquids there as less radioactive so they can bury them in place. These sort of things are our main expense, but return nothing to the electorate. Admittedly we need defense, but it's a bloated industry of $600 toilet seats.
So why in God's name do you want the government involved in your health care?
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...and gov't mandated workman's comp? ...
In my opinion you answered your own question. Workman's comp is an absolutely classic example of how the government turns good intentions into a horrendous nightmare.
Have the government provide a service as an act of charity. Before long, people start to view it as a "right" then something they are owed. Other people will work an angle, feeling no remorse at fleecing the "system". Politicians and courts get involved, ostensibly to protect people's "rights" and "fair share". The system grows, as does the bureaucracy needed to manage all the competing interest placed upon it. And before you know it, you need to hire a lawyer simply to talk to your doctor about your carpal tendon syndrome. Once you talk to the lawyer, he sues the government, gets you declared “disabledâ€, and viola! You no longer need to work!
Not mindless paranoia on my part but a very brief summary of my mother in law’s current life.
We are far from backwards in health care. When I see all of the Arab people arriving at Johns Hopkins in Mercedes for cancer treatment just confirms to me that we have the best health care system in the world. These people can afford to go anywhere, and their life depends upon it, so why do they come here?
And if we want more people to ride mass transit, why isn't it free?Because nothing is free. Everything costs money. The only question is who’s pocket is it going to come from?
Who was the pundit that said “if you think health care is expensive now, wait until it is free…�
I want to take care of Americans also. I understand the “hidden†costs of the uninsured are simply passed on by the hospitals to everyone who can afford to pay. But you have to look at the whole problem and be realistic about what you can accomplish.
Hillary is my worst nightmare in a politician. Some elitist who quite simply put believes she knows what is right for me better than I do myself. Why would any one be for someone so stupid as to believe her lying, philandering husbands problems are all the result of a “vast, right wing conspiracy� Do you really want someone with such poor judgment representing you in congress?
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Try again. From
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5956557/
In a comment Thursday, Teresa Heinz Kerry seemed to reflect Democratic frustration that Kerry’s ideas are not yet winning acceptance. Touting her husband’s health insurance proposal she said, “Only an idiot wouldn't like this. Of course, there are idiots." -
How did the guy's house pass away?
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I honestly would not worry about it. For all of it's rhetoric, Iran is actually one of the more stable countries of the region. They don't really have a WMD program as much as a uranium enrichment program. (Although obviously one could lead to the other.)
Have to wonder if we wouldn't be smart to offer free enrichment for power plant grade uranium to countries that can otherwise do it for themselves. We have such huge stockpiles of fission material that we bought from the former Soviet Union.
Just one man's opinion.
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... that will eventually destabilize the entire Mid East...
Humorous. It was such a picture of tranquility before Bush arrived.
All I can say is double digit lead....
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I welded some stainless with my MIG for the first time just the other day. Got a 2# spool of wire for $17 and just fired it up. Worked perfectly.
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I don't doubt that a mechanic with a dial indicator could measure excessive run out. It also makes perfect sense that the run out could be from an uneven layer of pad material on the rotor.
The only question I am posing is what fix to use. If the metal of the rotors is physically warped (bent), then turning or replacing the rotors is the only real fix.
If the rotor run out is excessive due to a build up of brake pad material, then you can turn the rotors to retrue. But another possiblity is to clean off the excessive material and save what life you have left in the existing rotors.
Your call.
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Has anyone ever had to collect on an appraised policy?
I have heard bad things about what they will insure your car for and what actually gets paid out. Would be nice to hear some positive stories.
Happy Clinton Gun Ban Expiration Day!!!
in Non Tech Board
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Because I am lazy and don't like swapping out magazines at the range.
More bullets makes for more enjoyable shooting.
Why do some people have historically accurate civil war rifles and uniforms? Maybe they just like reliving a different era. I have friends who served in Vietnam who have spent a good bit of money to get the early Vietnam look in there AR-15's. People like that simply don't see any harm in it, so they tend to feel insulted when someone passes judgment on their hobby.
The early assault rifle ban tried to ban weapons by model name. Took all of 5 minutes for manufactures to rename the models to get around the ban. So then Clinton et. al. decided to assign a point system. So many points for a bayonet lug, so many for a flash suppressor and so many more for a pistol grip. There were other things too. When the weapon exceeded a certain number of points, it was banned. But take off the bayonet lug and suddenly the weapon was "safer"? That is the absurdity of the ban. Weapons were banned because they looked "mean". There was also something about domestic content. Foreign rifles had to have a certain number of parts made in the USA to be legal. I have absolutely no idea what the purpose of that restriction was and it may not have even been part of this particular act. Then there was the high capacity magazine thing. Of course, existing magazines were grandfathered, so like said above all it did was drive up the price.
People have different preferences in weapons. Some people like a lot of ammo, others like a lot of stopping power, others want a small, concealable weapon. My father in law is a retired LA cop. All he ever carried was a 6 shot 38 caliber revolver. A pop gun by today’s standards. Kind of hard to laugh at him though.. In his career he was involved in 5 officer involved shootings, firing a total of 7 rounds all “on targetâ€.