I'll take a shot at this.

[Eddie]

More and more people are getting concealed carry permits, and that means that more and more people are carrying guns around with them.

Based on the rest of your post, I don't know if this will make you feel any better. But I figured I would give it a shot.

I know a number of people who have gotten concealed carry permits and yet do not and have not carried a concealed weapon with them.

Some might ask "then what's the point?" That is another discussion for another day.

I just want Tim to feel a tiny bit safer knowing that while there are more and more people getting CC permits, there aren't necessarily more and more people carrying guns around with them.

More...maybe. But not more AND more.

[Jeff Lebowski]

How much of this is due to the "whack-a-mole" culture you mentioned a couple of days ago? Does society itself keep crime down through shame or other techniques?

That's a good question. Yes, I think that it may have a lot to do with cultural influences and fear of bringing shame on a family. I am sure gun control plays a role to some degree, but I think it is a variety of factors.

Perhaps Niku and others could weigh in.

[Eddie]

There are positives?

He's really good at drawing a foul...whether or not he was actually fouled doesn't matter so long as the ref thinks he was.

He's pretty good at punishing people who try to defend him by throwing his arms around when he shoots - with an uncanny ability to connect with people's heads.

He's got a really mean tough guy stare down going for him.

He doesn't speak in third person as often as many other sports stars.

I think he's been perfecting his arrogant fake humility somewhat over the last couple of seasons.

So yeah - he does have some positives.

[TripletDaddy]

Not to start another anti-CB rant, but I always thought you, PAC, BDB, BYUMBA, and CJF were by far the most reasonable moderators. Unless you suspended me without my knowledge then I take it all back.

Weren't you one of the first to have a moving avatar? Something where the eyes bulged or moved or something.

pac, bdb, and byumba are moderators?

[TripletDaddy]

There are positives?

[TripletDaddy]

He's really good at drawing a foul...whether or not he was actually fouled doesn't matter so long as the ref thinks he was.

He's pretty good at punishing people who try to defend him by throwing his arms around when he shoots - with an uncanny ability to connect with people's heads.

He's got a really mean tough guy stare down going for him.

He doesn't speak in third person as often as many other sports stars.

I think he's been perfecting his arrogant fake humility somewhat over the last couple of seasons.

So yeah - he does have some positives.

[Art Vandelay]

pac, bdb, and byumba are moderators?

I'm fairly positive they all were at some time in the past. You don't have quite the history I do when it comes to being sent to the principals office. I have no knowledge of this, but I would be shocked if aussie wasn't or at least offered a mod "calling" before?

[wuapinmon]

How much of this is due to the "whack-a-mole" culture you mentioned a couple of days ago? Does society itself keep crime down through shame or other techniques?

I think his 'asshole' needs a modifier.

[JohnnyLingo]

I think his 'asshole' needs a modifier.

Are you on drugs again? Be honest.

[Tim]

Not to start another anti-CB rant, but I always thought you, PAC, BDB, BYUMBA, and CJF were by far the most reasonable moderators. Unless you suspended me without my knowledge then I take it all back.

Weren't you one of the first to have a moving avatar? Something where the eyes bulged or moved or something.

Yes, that was the freaky green girl. Her eyes bulged. I had that avatar for a long time, until I replaced it with the red X.

[Tim]

I know what you mean, and I feel it every time I go over there. In fact, I make it a point to stay away from Roppongi, Hiroo, etc., to avoid all the gaikokujin (gaijin, as you may or may not know, is actually at least mildly pejorative and I consider it to be a slur). I try to blend in as much as a 6'1" white guy can blend in while in Japan.

Well, I live in Shibuya, but on the other side of Sakuragaoka hill, so I'm close to tons of foreigners, but not actually amongst them in my neighborhood.

I can't stand Roppongi but I like Hiroo. One place I've been digging lately is Shimokitazawa.

[TripletDaddy]

I'm fairly positive they all were at some time in the past. You don't have quite the history I do when it comes to being sent to the principals office. I have no knowledge of this, but I would be shocked if aussie wasn't or at least offered a mod "calling" before?

are you talking rules committee or moderator?

[Tim]

If you care to share, I'd love to hear your experience.

It wasn't like I had a Rodney King experience or anything, but I was just made to feel like I was a criminal when there was no reason to do so. I was pulled over in Tonopah on my way from my hometown in California back to Provo. I was driving my Lexus IS300, which was in good shape, clean, etc. I was wearing a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie, and my girlfriend was wearing a dress. The cop asked me a number of questions that eventually led me to believe that he was curious as to whether or not the car was stolen. I calmly gave him all the information I had... license, registration, insurance card... I even had some of the original purchase documents in the glove box and gave them to him. He went and called it in, came back and said that he was going to have to take my plates away because Utah had revoked them. I was made to take my keys out of the ignition and put them on the dashboard, and my girlfriend and I each had to put our hands on the dashboard so he could see them while he removed the plates.

Now, I understand that officers need to protect themselves. The problem was the way he ignored the context and treated me the same way he'd have treated someone who hadn't just proven that the car was indeed theres, and that they did have valid documentation from the state and the insurance company. It's the lack of caring about context that makes me afraid of American police officers. He had no reason to take my plates. He could've said, "hmm... this is a nice young man, no record, no issues, all the documentation is there... I should just let him take care of his thing back in Utah." Instead, though, he made me put my keys on the dashboard and put my hands on the dashboard as if I was some kind of risk for putting the keys in the ignition, turning them, putting it into gear, and running him over. How can I feel safe if I'm not confident that they're paying attention to context?

To add insult to injury, he emotionally stranded me, an innocent, tax-paying, law-abiding citizen. He threw his power on me and then left me to deal with it. I asked him what I was supposed to do then. It was a Sunday, the day before President's Day, and I was in Tonopah, Nevada. I asked him how I was supposed to get back to Utah without plates. He said, "I don't care what you do. Hitchhike if you have to." I told him it was cold outside and that we were 300 miles from the Utah border. He said "Not my concern" or something to that effect. Then he said, "well, you could get a temporary registration." Me: "Oh? Where can I get that?" Him: "Over in Ely you can get that." Me: "So I have to drive from here to Ely to get permission to then drive the remaining 100 miles into Utah from Ely?" Him: "Yes." Me: "How am I supposed to get to Ely?" Him: "I don't know, but if you drive it you'll probably get pulled over by another officer." Me: "It's Sunday. Tomorrow's President's Day." Him: "You'll just have to go to Ely."

At this point, something clicked in his head, and he finally said, "look, I'm going to drive up here and turn left. Ely is to the right. You have a nice day." I knew what he was suggesting, and I suppose he thought he was being nice, but the damage was already done. We drove back to Provo with no plates without any problems (with the law, that is. I ran over a badger about 30 miles outside of Tonopah, but that was a different story. $1500 in damage to the vehicle.), and I was able to go to the DMV on Tuesday and get it all worked out.

Again, maybe this is overdramatic, but it's pressed into my brain. He had no reason to treat me the way he treated me. All I can assume is that he didn't care. And the last thing I want in a police officer is someone who doesn't care.

[Tim]

Not to turn this into a gun rights hijack, but what was your data source? I've not seen those data, though I'm not saying they are surprising or that I don't believe them. If someone has the drop on you, it makes sense that you not try to go for your gun.

I'll be honest, I don't have the source material anymore. I read it over two years ago and have been referring to it since then.

[Tim]

are you talking rules committee or moderator?

Those three were on the rules committee. I was one of the original mods, then was moved to the rules committee when it was created (2002? 2003?), and I remained there until a few months ago when I was turned into a moderator again, and then last week when I resigned from being a moderator and committee member.