gottorf

15 ms·

211.
by gottorf 1y ago
In case this isn't a rhetorical question, the homicide rate in DC is such that it beats out all 50 states by a considerable amount[0]. (The most murderous state, Louisiana, is roughly half as murderous as DC.) There were over 5000 auto
212.
by gottorf 1y ago
The whole point of the District of Columbia not being a state is that the United States is an equal compact between the states, and it would not be fair for the seat of the federal government to be in a state. So I'm a hard pass on DC
213.
by gottorf 1y ago
> it's just that they'll be in a lot of trouble if they get caught actually doing crime in DC with a gun Actually, the whole issue is that this is not true! Statistically speaking, the average crime in DC, whether involving a g
214.
by gottorf 1y ago
I'm sure you know, but to clarify, drywall is not structural. Load is borne by lumber in most cases, though some homes in America are built with structural masonry; South Florida builds a lot of homes with concrete masonry units, for e
215.
by gottorf 1y ago
> It is at least not wildly regressive like consumption taxes are. Why is it just assumed that regressive taxes are bad?
216.
by gottorf 1y ago
HN has always had a libertarian bent, and it's not a big leap from that to gun ownership.
217.
by gottorf 1y ago
Technically, a "safety" describes designs and mechanisms by which a firearm discharges if and only if the trigger is pulled. Colloquially, the word is often used to describe an external safety that must be manually disengaged (oth
218.
by gottorf 1y ago
> America is so awash in guns, and people willing to use them, that for the average cop it is better to shoot first and ask questions later than to risk returning home in a body bag. This is only true in certain circumstances, though it
219.
by gottorf 1y ago
Yes, it makes me wonder whether all the naysayers have any sort of insurance coverage?
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by gottorf 1y ago
> If you're going to live in a society you just kind of have to accept that you could hypothetically be killed in broad daylight by a very-motivated someone with no real opportunity to defend yourself. This is absolutely true, but s
221.
by gottorf 1y ago
The reality is that the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners who carry concealed strongly hope that they never, ever have to draw their weapon.
222.
by gottorf 1y ago
As a recreational shooter, thousands of rounds is really not that much. I virtually never leave a range trip with fewer than a hundred rounds fired. And yes, for me, it's a combination of practice and fun ("plinking"). If amm
223.
by gottorf 1y ago
> A thousandth of an inch would do it? They couldn't give more margin-of-safety to a critical part like that? If it's true, that's truly terrible design.
224.
by gottorf 1y ago
In the private sector, there's a slightly more direct link between job underperformance and being fired.
225.
by gottorf 1y ago
New Mexico is such a gorgeous state in its natural beauty. I so vividly remember the drive down to White Sands, through Socorro.
226.
by gottorf 1y ago
> Europe has a lot more red tape than Wyoming In general that's true, but perhaps not when it comes to construction, especially for large public projects. In Europe, the goal of such projects appears to be to complete the project an
227.
by gottorf 1y ago
> people too lazy to take it out of their pocket or purse Keyless start has another legitimate function besides laziness: it allows you to leave your car locked with the engine (and AC) running while a baby or dog is inside. Of course, y
228.
by gottorf 1y ago
Not nearly as bad as the English pronouncing, say, the name Cholmondeley :-)
229.
by gottorf 1y ago
French has much stricter rules, but I could see how the abundance of silent letters would make a spelling bee harder.
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by gottorf 1y ago
> Obesity is concerned with calories in and calories out A huge confounding factor is that the same amount of calories in, holding exercise equal, may result in big swings in calories out, due to different foods' affecting metabolis
231.
by gottorf 1y ago
> the government announced the arrest and indictment of U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang > The feds also indicted eight more people who participated in the scheme: six Chinese nationals and two Taiwanese citizens Why are Chinese an
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by gottorf 1y ago
Defensive domestic meat production can't work without other defensive measures. Otherwise, meat producers will just import cost-effective feed from other places, which will shrivel up once geopolitical instability hits.
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by gottorf 1y ago
No, when it comes to spending taxpayer money, the onus is on the one who wants to spend more to show that it would lead to better outcomes. Federal expenditure per capita is nearly $20k/yr now, more than triple what it was 50 years ago
234.
by gottorf 1y ago
> After 50+ years of budget cuts, what makes us think that the solution is more budget cuts? What 50+ years of budget cuts? US federal expenditure per capita has been steadily rising for decades, with a gargantuan explosion during Covid
235.
by gottorf 1y ago
> usury is inherently predatory. Nobody should profit off simply having money. Well, the time value of money is a real thing.
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by gottorf 1y ago
How do you apply this to loans for things that cannot be repossessed, like college degrees or medical treatment?
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by gottorf 1y ago
> They're a tool to be used responsibly. I used to hate to take the position that government should save people from themselves, but I've moderated a lot on it. Some people clearly cannot use credit responsibly.
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by gottorf 1y ago
> credit is the only way they're surviving on something close to minimum wage. Or credit was the only "safety net" they had during a rough time In my experience, the average American has no concept of saving money, and tho
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by gottorf 1y ago
> public institutions of enormous importance A case of the baby getting thrown out with the bathwater, I suppose. And make no mistake: there was enough dirty bathwater to go around.
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by gottorf 1y ago
It feels like it makes a bit more sense with Mauna Kea, since Big Island is just five shield volcanoes in a trenchcoat, and the point where the land meets the ocean is basically just the foothills of the mountains. You cannot say that of Ev

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