Search Results for: security%20theater

WSU Hate-Crimes and Forced Victimization

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This morning on the radio it was announced that recently there have been hate crimes on the WSU campus. What I heard was “Forced disarmament ensures victims for hate crimes!” Many would look at the geographic location and figure that it’s because we’re “rural” and don’t like people who are different. The fact is though, this is actually pretty far off and one hell of a stereotype. The same crap happened while I was at UW in Seattle. This same stereotype is often used against gun owners. This is even more of a slap since many gun owners view firearms as a line of self defense that EVERYONE has a right to. It is the universal leveler than ANYONE can use to defend themselves.

The fact that the University forces everyone, including those who want and have more need than normal to provide for their own personal defense, to be disarmed is disconcerting.

“I would never have thought this would happen on our campus and I think it shocks the overwhelming majority of campus,” Scheller said.”

While I most certainly agree that it is shocking, as well as saddening. The idea that she believed that it couldn’t happen on the WSU campus was her first mistake.

“We are disturbed and saddened by the recent events,” she said. “Of course we want all our students to feel safe, secure and respected.”

What people do not realize is that the biggest reason for concealed carry is not to “shoot” but to provide a deterrent. No attacker wants to end up in the hospital at the hands of his “victim”. Disarmament serves as an illusion of safety and security. However, when you are attacked while disarmed, how can you effectively fight back, especially when outnumbered or over powered? Besides, these people already are breaking the law, what’s to stop them from using weapons? Another disturbing fact however, is the fact that it appears that the attackers are casing their victims by finding them at the GLBTA sponsored events.

“Hogan, a junior French and Spanish major, said he didn’t recognize the man, but the man recognized him from an event sponsored by the GLBTQ community.”

This shows premeditation in their actions and is quite disturbing.

For those at the University of Idaho or at Washington State University that feel affected by this, please feel free to contact the Palouse Pink Pistols, or myself or anyone else. No one has to live in fear, and no one should!

Update on Simplisafe….

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A couple of years ago I wrote this piece warning about snake oil in sales pitches.  I wasn’t able to get my hands on the hardware to do my test but I knew there were most likely going to be serious flaws. I had stated I was more than willing to do an analysis for free if sent a sample product. Honestly I kind of wish I had bought one, because this shit is gold:

It appears SimpliSafe’s systems send messages unencrypted in the clear over the air. That means it’s trivial to send spoofed sensor readings – such as back-door closed – to fool alarm control boxes into thinking no break-in is happening, and replay PIN codes from keypads to activate or deactivate security systems.

blink This shit’s a joke right? An honest to god joke. This is so blatantly bad it is obvious someone made a proof of concept and then shipped it as a product.

The only thing that is worse is their canned response to the problem:

Thanks for writing in.
Please read this information below there hasn’t been any cases or situations.

As our systems use wireless technology, there is an understandable concern over the potential to hack or jam our signal. Much of it comes from a certain video online that fails to depict the equipment used or the number of attempts made to compromise that signal. While any wireless system is susceptible to this type of attack from a sufficiently savvy and motivated intruder, our systems can be backed up with with a land line or an internet connection for no additional cost. Also, this type of attack represents such a small percentage of total break-ins that the FBI does not even keep a count. This is because the majority of break-ins are a quick forced entry and not the sophisticated type of attack that requires diligent planning as well as highly illegal and cost-prohibitive equipment. Assuming an intruder has the requisite technology, he would need to know the frequency ranges he needs to jam, and also know the layout of your home beforehand, as he would have to avoid motion detectors even in the unlikely event that he bypassed a door sensor. Furthermore, our systems use a proprietary algorithm that helps the system distinguish between everyday interference from nearby household electronics, and unusual, possibly targeted interference.

Best,
Mikaela
——————-
SimpliSafe, Inc.
[email protected]
1-888-95-SIMPLI (1-888-957-4675)

Good freaking god, that’s as bad as the incident I had with Dreamhost.

If you have Simplisafe, ditch it. You’re keys are being broadcast to the world.

 

I’d say I told you so…

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But what’s the point? The people who realize that using Javascript for everything is a bad idea don’t need me lecturing them. The people who want to use Javascript for everything couldn’t create a secure system, much less understand the realities of a hostile environment if their life depended on it. Their fandom precedes the ability for critical thinking.

This is why when I read this, this morning;

This impacts Node at the Buffer to UTF8 String conversion and can cause a process to crash. The security concern comes from the fact that a lot of data from outside of an application is delivered to Node via this mechanism which means that users can potentially deliver specially crafted input data that can cause an application to crash when it goes through this path.

I said, “And nothing will change.” At least, as a minor saving grace, HTTP(S) headers do not fall vulnerable to this particular bug, but that’s mainly the headers there is question to the remainder of the processing.

The fact is, nothing is perfect, nothing is fool-proof, and frankly my hate for Javascript is largely due to the people I find who fall over themselves defending it. Does it serve a purpose? Yup, you bet. Is is a hammer that should be used while seeing every problem as a nail? Absolutely NOT.

 

Why Would You Ever Need a Magazine With More Than 10 Rounds

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Lately people have been throwing around the need argument.  It is an argument that honestly doesn’t really matter.  Drunk driving kills how many people every year and does anyone need to drive?  Why not just use public transportation?  Why does anyone need to drive themselves from point A to B?  But again, the argument doesn’t matter, it’s pointless.  Does law enforcement limit themselves to 10 rounds? What about the military?  But they’re different I hear you cry?  Are they?  Do they really need 30 round magazines that turns their guns into mass killing machines?  They should just reload like the rest of us!

1349368116_8392_why30rounders

Image by Oleg Volk.

As I am writing this I am coming down off a serious adrenaline dump.  I had wrapped my knee for the night and was dressed in such a manner as not to rapidly exit my door grabbing my weapon and having nothing more than was on the belt of my pants.

Let me start at the beginning.  My local neighborhood gun shop is a block away.  The owner is quite literally my neighbor.  I wave hi to him and his wife on my way to work every morning, we are literally on the same street.  I am merely an additional 100 yards from his business than he is from his house.  Due to my proximity, my willingness, and the fact I hang out and help because one of his sons is my age and he’s a cool guy I’m basically on the business roster.

Early this month they had to attend their buy show in Vegas along with SHOT show.  The shop owner closed up and he and the regular employees headed down for a “business vacation”.  While gone I was put on the alarm system call list, still am actually.  If any of the sensors goes off, they called the shop followed by my phone.

Tonight the alarm went off.  I missed the call and rolled out after my voicemail buzzed.  The shop owner was ahead of me and I texted his son immediately I heard the voice mail and head out.  They were finishing up clearing the building as I walked in the front door.  I had my side arm and a few other tools but I was brining up the rear so bad I wasn’t too worried.  We met up, did some debugging, notice that some of the sensors use batteries and we replaced all of them.  We reactivated the system and went home.

After the first adventure, I figured my night was over, went to a Robb life style of “Pants Free” and wrapped up my left knee.  Two hours later, my phone rang again.  I was out of the house in under 2 minutes, with my pants on, rifle, side arm, and knife.  I merely had the immediate possessions I was able to grab.  I went flying out of the house and flew down my road at about 60 mph flew into the parking lot and slid to a stop just before the front door.  I slipped past the front door, unlocked it, and proceeded to clear the building carefully and methodically. Nothing was out-of-place, nothing was wrong other than the alarm had gone off again.

oleg-volk-cop-with-rifle-1

Image by Oleg Volk.

I bring all this up because I want to emphasize a point.  I left the house with merely the equipment I could grab.  I wasn’t tossing on magazine carriers.  I wasn’t tossing on multiple weapons.  I grabbed one weapon that total gave me 61 rounds to put on target.  I grabbed one weapon that could I could accurately and easily manipulate in the variety of conditions seen within the shop.  I had my side arm on my belt which gave me an extra 13+1 should my primary weapon fail.  If I had not left my firearm clipped to my belt, it would have been left at home.

Now some would say, I didn’t need to go down there, or go inside.  Police response where I live is 30-45 minutes if we’re lucky.  Further the cost of a false alarm is expensive and best dealt with.  Yes it could be considered a high risk maneuver, so is letting the criminals inside steal firearms and ammunition.  I’m comfortable entering that environment, I’m familiar with it, I know the layout, I know where I can find cover and concealment, and I know the better ways to get around to avoid kill zones.

Even more than that some would say, it isn’t my business so it isn’t my problem.  To them I would say, stay in suburbia, stay in the city, and leave those of us who like rural life to live among our like-minded neighbors in peace.  I would help my neighbor as he would help me.  Our community as a whole would be shamed by an event like this, and I will be damned if I will let the, “Let someone else deal with it” and “Not my problem” attitude take over.  The owner felt bad it interrupted my night, but in the end I told him I don’t care, doubly so because if anything was happening I don’t care if he’s on site first or I’m on site, the bottom line is the security of the business and the weapons inside.  I would rather them call me so I can give immediate support than have him out numbered in a worse situation waiting for the eventual police arrival.

The whole point of this  though is I was limited to what I could grab and head out the door with.  In this case my AR-15 and my side arm.  In the middle of the night someone is limited to what they can easily grab by their nightstand.  Be it a XDm 9 with a 20 round capacity or an AR-15 with a 30 round magazine. The point is any citizen deserves to be able to take as much fight with them as they possibly can at the drop of a hat.  Criminals do not call ahead or provide advanced notice and they will not give you a chance to go get more ammo.  Why do people like normal capacity magazines, because it’s less you have to worry about when something goes bump in the middle of the night.  It’s less you have to fiddle with.  No one has ever come back from a gun fight and said, “Damn, I wish I hadn’t brought so much ammo.”

*I have two 30 round magazines attached together like this in my rifle.  It was this that allowed me to quickly deploy with 61 rounds in hand.  I have a second set that will be taped up in the near future and relocated to quickly grab.

The Mass Shooting that Wasn’t

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Title ripped off from Uncle.

Let me start by saying this was originally a comment to Uncle’s post but eventually I turned it into a post because honestly this needs to be out in front.

Antu says the man headed toward the theater and shot a male in the lot. The age and condition of the victim wasn’t immediately known, but Antu says his injuries did not appear life-threatening.

The gunman entered the theater, Antu says, where he fired a shot but did not hit anyone. An off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security then shot the gunman.

Now why would I make a post out of this?  Because last night on Facebook, god knows where at this point, someone left a comment along the following lines:

That was because it was an off duty officer! They’re tested so such a high standard that no mere citizen could qualify. That’s why this armed individual was able to stop this criminal!

For those who don’t feel like clicking the link, here’s the video shown in that post, which gives more details:

So lets bust this whole thing open shall we?  First up we have statistics showing police vs. civilian response.  14.3 deaths during a police response to 2.3 deaths when armed civilians response.  Admittedly a limited sample pool given you’re more likely to be struck by lightning.  Moving forward though there’s the argument that an armed citizen will more likely hit bystanders than the police.  Lets compare and contrast two videos shall we?

NYPD score, 1 bad guy, 9 innocent civilians.  A block of “highly trained” individuals.

Old guy with a CCW score: 2 injured assailants, no civilian casualties.

Again, why do we want more than 10 rounds in a magazine?  The idea of a one shot stop is a myth.  The idea that police are some how superior is a myth.  The idea that a gun free zone will some how make you safe is a myth.  The idea that an armed citizen cannot take care of themselves is a myth, one easily disproven I might add.

Why is it one side of this debate consistently argues myths instead of facts.  The reason the national news doesn’t cover this is because it doesn’t fit their narrative of myths.

Quote of the Day–Edmund Burke (02/20/2011)

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. –Edmund Burke

[The American people have been fed numerous lies as of late.  From lying about why the government needs to kill the internet, to the impending doom of an assured terrorist attack.  Many believe them, others do not even really understand what they’ve lost.  Today yet another danger of government involvement in the internet could be seen in China.

Someone who TMW works with just turned 20 and lives in one of the sororities doesn’t understand what’s wrong with the TSA scanning machines or pat downs.  Her comment was, “You get a physical from your doctor, how is the TSA any different.”  She couldn’t seem to understand that government is force, and the fact she had no voice in the matter was a problem.  Government is force, and they will expand that force through deceit and claims of necessity.   Not to mention she couldn’t comprehend it was A Security Theater.

Even more than that though, no one seems to understand these are not their rights to give up, and even more importantly they are not rights that can be removed from others.  Not by law or by force of man can our natural rights, which include the right to be secure in our persons and property, can they be removed from us.  For when we allow these rights to be destroyed, we shall begin our decent into serfdom and slavery.  -TMW]

DHS now planning on harvesting DNA

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This summer, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to begin testing a portable DNA scanner, The Daily has learned.

They probably just want the DNA to verify your identity.  Except how would they do that unless they already had a sample on file?  What is most disturbing though is that DNA is exclusionary, not inclusive.  If the DNA doesn’t match you are clear, however if it does, there is a significant statistically likelihood you’re still innocent if the evidence is based on DNA alone.  Other forms of evidence need to be provided to illustrate your connection to the crime.

Many probably wouldn’t care, however this information is becoming more and more sensitive due to genetic conditions.  There is still the question of how exactly it’s going to be used, and if they’re going to try and skirt the 4th Amendment again.  Never the less, the rapid acquisition of power by the DHS is very concerning, and they’re only gaining more.

SSCC #201 – Arapahoe County

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Since this guy is currently waiting locked up in the jail named after him I feel this is more of an honorable mention.  It’s not going to be fully accountabilibuddible though.

Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan limped into court Wednesday morning, using a cane, as he faced accusations of trying to exchange methamphetamine for a sexual encounter with an adult man.

But this isn’t even the best part though.  He evidently would personally bond out suspects from jail.

Robinson would not say what type of suspects he bonded out and would not confirm if they were drug suspects.

Is it still prostitution if instead of a direct payment of cash the John just bond’s you out of prison?  Still that’s just minor icing on the cake compared to the next item.

At the time, Sullivan used the event to champion gun control. He held up a semiautomatic weapon on TV and demanded more restrictions.

Sullivan then participated in many national programs, some preparing the country for a national disaster. He also took a prominent role during the 1999 Columbine High School shootings. After he retired in 2002, he led the security department for the Cherry Creek School District. He worked there until the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

That’s right folks. This holier than thou member of the anointed class was using his position to argue for the disarmament of law abiding citizens.  He began his crusade in 1989 prior to the Brady Bill.  So here comes this eternal question, did he support the Brady Bill?  Not only did he, he was considered by the Brady Campaign an expert witness.  

He worked in a may issue county and attempted to use concealed weapons permits as bargaining chips to get people to stop fighting for the second amendment.

Sheriff Sullivan was also famous for trying to buy off local gun rights activists with a “buddy” concealed carry permit (when permits were almost impossible to acquire).

In 1995 Sullivan offered me a permit, attempting to buy my inactivity in the battle for concealed carry in Colorado.

Think about that for a second.  This state sponsored criminal was selling your rights down the drain and attempting to bribe others who were fighting the good fight to leave and be complicit.  They only way this guy could ever be held accountable is to have his naked body flogged by every victim of violent crime who was disarmed by his efforts.  When that was complete he would be keelhauled in open water.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 201: Former Sheriff Patrick Sullivan

Because it’s perfectly fine to use your position of power not only for your personal gratification, but then try and disarm the public so they can more easily become your victim.

*There has not even been an acknowledgement from the Brady Campaign of the corruption of one of their former “expert witnesses”.  I guess it never happened just like the death of Brian Terry and operation Fast and Furious.  Out here in the world of facts and logic we air our dirty laundry.  In the world of emotions and Peterson Syndrome that is not an option since it destroys the crux of their argument.

via David Wilson