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The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

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Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#21
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still think we need a jobs board that can someone parse all of the available jobs in each city that do not do drug tests. (and ones that hire even if you have felony record) Along with added info for bus routes to this job, daycare near this job with hours, closest place you could afford to live if you had this job. Government assistance you qualify if you had this job, how long it takes to get all that. there is obv…

Why would a tech solution change matters? I mean yeah having it all in one place helps, but it's all out there already. What else is needed to make.it actually work?

A tech solution would help the same way that google maps having info right there in app and visible for options for bussing / rideshare , etc helps people using maps to get around.

It's all out there already? Is it though? I am not aware of any source of jobs that do not test for drugs or felony. Maybe there is a reddit thread or forum somewhere I am not aware of? I have not looked for that specifically, only looked at the main job finding resourcing on the first page of google in my area.

So to make it work, I think first a need to find all the jobs that people can actually not waste time reading about and applying for - only list jobs that do not test.

Have additional options for selecting distance, transportation, childcare, which programs they will not qualify for based upon checkboxes like felonies - and all that that becomes barriers would be helpful as well.

I have engaged beggars / homeless in our city many times over the years (and I do not engage purposely most of the time). When I find challenges I don't know the answer to I look up what I can find.

Some things are hard (won't sleep / eat at the mission due to a real conflict with the forced religious sermon) - I get that. Some things are easy when you have broadband, a big screen, the mental capacity to search and call and find and put together pieces of the puzzle...

Easy for me to look up things does not make it easy for others to put it all together - and I have not seen any resource that adds a checkbox to filter options based upon drug test passabl-ity, felony on record, things like that.

One guy down the street says he can't get food stamps and similar things because of felony.

I'd love to be able to point to a resource and save time for people. At the moment I can't think of any resource that lists jobs people can get without tests. Even good resources like indeed which give you nice location based results, you still spend tons of time scrolling through things that sound great until you get to the bottom of the listing and the requirements, and most don't even list all the requirements (tests for example).

Certainly the bigger problem with people feeling they need to steal in order to eek out a living in the US society is going to take more than tech to fix - but here is something that should be simple to add some solution to the mix, and yet it's still not done - for many reasons I'm sure.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

hmm. A starter pistol is ~145 dB, and that’s a .22 blank. i’m guessing you’re still well into “OSHA says there’s no safe exposure duration” territory... but i have not found a source for a shotgun blank sound intensity.

He’s using a 209 shotshell primer, not a “blank”. A .22 blank and a 209 Shotshell primer are not significantly different in volume.

Thanks for the data.

Sounds like something you don't want to be 18" from when it goes POW, then.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He’s using a 209 shotshell primer, not a “blank”. A .22 blank and a 209 Shotshell primer are not significantly different in volume.

Thanks for the data. Sounds like something you don't want to be 18" from when it goes POW, then.

Eh. It’s not that bad. Firecracker like.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#24
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still think we need a jobs board that can someone parse all of the available jobs in each city that do not do drug tests. (and ones that hire even if you have felony record) Along with added info for bus routes to this job, daycare near this job with hours, closest place you could afford to live if you had this job. Government assistance you qualify if you had this job, how long it takes to get all that. there is obv…

Why would a tech solution change matters? I mean yeah having it all in one place helps, but it's all out there already. What else is needed to make.it actually work?

Many people - especially the people most in need of this - are simply not capable of gathering and processing that information themselves.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#25
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He would have been better off chasing her off the porch with a 12 gauge shotgun, firing blanks into the air. You basically have to make it super painful for them so they won't try to do it again.

I didn't downvote you, but I think whoever did downvote you did it because you missed the important parts of my comment. To summarize, the thief and the person with the shotgun "practically live in different worlds" and "bridging the gap between those two worlds would be helpful for both of them" Shooting blanks and chasing someone away doesn't bridge the gap, it widens it. I'd argue that many thieves may come away f…

In this particular case the cops refused to act. And your solution somehow forces the criminals to feel empathy.

Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen.

In states like Texas, it is legal to defend personal property with lethal force. The reason behind this is simple. If you're a rancher defending your cattle and the nearest sheriff is an hour away, the only means of defending your property is with a shotgun.

And if you're trying to defend your property and the cops are unable or unwilling to offer their protection, then warning shots with a shotgun seem like the best solution.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#26
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't downvote you, but I think whoever did downvote you did it because you missed the important parts of my comment. To summarize, the thief and the person with the shotgun "practically live in different worlds" and "bridging the gap between those two worlds would be helpful for both of them" Shooting blanks and chasing someone away doesn't bridge the gap, it widens it. I'd argue that many thieves may come away f…

In this particular case the cops refused to act. And your solution somehow forces the criminals to feel empathy. Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen. In states like Texas, it is legal to…

Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen.

More likely, but still almost certainly not, although if you’re a fan of shooting people over property crimes it’s not hard to understand why it would help to see everyone as lacking essential human qualities you value.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>at which point she would have been justified using deadly force, should she have been carrying a weapon herself I suppose you missed the part where she tried to steal from him on his property? Regardless of the lack of moral justification for her to turn a theft into an armed robbery, WA is a castle doctrine state. If you don't want guns pointed at you, don't steal from innocent people, especially not at their homes…

I'm not familiar with WA state gun laws, but Alaska (where I am familiar) is a castle doctrine state too, but you aren't allowed to shoot someone in the back who is fleeing even if they did just try to rob you. It also matters whether the person is inside the house, or simply outside but on the property. I don't know for certain, but I don't believe you can use deadly for to protect property either, only life. > If y…

> but you aren't allowed to shoot someone in the back who is fleeing even if they did just try to rob you.

This will probably vary from state to state and maybe even from locality to locality. A gas station attendant in Indiana shot and killed a man fleeing from an attempted hold-up. The police cleared the attendant.

If a person is willing to steal something off a front porch, you can't make the assumption that they're unarmed, and won't turn around and shoot you.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In this particular case the cops refused to act. And your solution somehow forces the criminals to feel empathy. Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen. In states like Texas, it is legal to…

Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen. More likely, but still almost certainly not, although if you’re a fan of shooting people over property crimes it’s not hard to understand why it woul…

What part of "warning shots" didn't you understand?

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#29
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen. More likely, but still almost certainly not, although if you’re a fan of shooting people over property crimes it’s not hard to understand why it woul…

What part of "warning shots" didn't you understand?

I understood, but I understand a few other things too. Shooting at or near something is not the foolproof activity movies might lead some to believe. It’s also monumentally stupid to bring a gun into play unless you’re willing to use it for its intended purpose. You don’t draw a weapon until you intend to use it, don’t point it at anything you’re not prepared to destroy. Even if you don’t care about accidentally killing someone (including a neighbor you didn’t see for example) it is all too common that people have their weapon taken and used against them.

A gun is not a tool to make threats, it’s a tool to kill things. Respect that. The other people who hear the gunshot will, many police officers will, and in the worst case the person you’re seeking to threaten will too and you’ll be another statistic.

Re: The Blank Box – When lifted, a 12-gauge shotgun blank goes off (2017)

#30
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't downvote you, but I think whoever did downvote you did it because you missed the important parts of my comment. To summarize, the thief and the person with the shotgun "practically live in different worlds" and "bridging the gap between those two worlds would be helpful for both of them" Shooting blanks and chasing someone away doesn't bridge the gap, it widens it. I'd argue that many thieves may come away f…

In this particular case the cops refused to act. And your solution somehow forces the criminals to feel empathy. Not everyone can feel empathy, notably sociopaths. And trying to rationalize with a sociopath about why he should feel empathy, seem problematic from the start. And that girl that stole the package off his porch is more likely to be a sociopath than the average citizen. In states like Texas, it is legal to…

I was born and raised in Texas, I still live in DFW, and I'm aware of the law here.

I'm also aware of sociopaths and their symptoms, but I see no correlation between them and thieves. Googling revealed no studies or data on the topic. But I'd argue that most thieves are like most normal human beings, and that their theft happens towards the few people they don't have empathy towards. Just because you don't have empathy for a demographic (my guess: thieves tend to have less empathy for rich people) doesn't mean you're a sociopath, it means you have a prejudice. Everyone has some prejudice whether they like it or not, but we are not all sociopaths. In fact, there are many other symptoms that manifest within sociopaths, and you'll have a tough time showing that most thieves have them as well.

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