2012 DA14, one reason we have to get off this rock

As many of you know, ever since I was little I've trumpeted the fact we need to get off Earth. Not everyone, but we need to start spreading out, colonizing other bodies. Well 2012 DA14 is one of the reasons why we need to.

 

2012 DA14 is going to come within 10k miles of the planet, it is estimated around 60 to 100 meters in diameter and if it hit... it would have the power 1000 times greater than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. Striking the ocean it could generate massive tsunamis, hitting land it could destroy a small city. This one is SMALL compared to what is lurking out there.

 

The official name of this flying rock is "asteroid 2012 DA14."  It is supposed to reach us by next February (2013).

At the moment DA14 is expected to just barely skim by the earth closer, even, that some of our satellites hanging in geosynchronous orbit above us right now

Read more HERE

 

SpeechJammer puts an end to annoying speakers

Japanese researchers build a gun capable of stopping speakers in mid-sentence.

 

This thing is AWESOME

 

The drone of speakers who won't stop is an inevitable experience at conferences, meetings, cinemas, and public libraries. 

Today, Kazutaka Kurihara at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tskuba and Koji Tsukada at Ochanomizu University, both in Japan, present a radical solution: a speech-jamming device that forces recalcitrant speakers into submission. 

The idea is simple. Psychologists have known for some years that it is almost impossible to speak when your words are replayed to you with a delay of a fraction of a second. 

Kurihara and Tsukada have simply built a handheld device consisting of a microphone and a  speaker that does just that: it records a person's voice and replays it to them with a delay of about 0.2 seconds. The microphone and speaker are directional so the device can be aimed at a speaker from a distance, like a gun.

Read more HERE

Indiana: State House Gives Final Approval to Critical Castle Doctrine Legislation for Homeowners

Contact Your State Senator TODAY and Urge a Clean Vote of Concurrence 

Today, by a 74 to 24 vote, the state House of Representatives passed critical Castle Doctrine legislation that would return hundreds of years of common law and civil liberties protections to Hoosiers.  As previously reported, this legislation became necessary after a disastrous state Supreme Court decision last May concluded that public policy did not favor the longstanding and widely recognized right of an individual to resist an illegal trespass by a police officer, a right that had also been recognized by state statute.

Residents of Indiana were outraged last spring when the state Supreme Court ruled in Barnes v. State of Indiana (2011) that force against a police officer in such circumstances could never be justified.  This activist court decision created a dangerous carve-out from self-defense rights by prohibiting use of defensive force by a person even in the unlikely case of a violent, unjustified attack by an officer acting completely outside his lawful duties.  No one supports our nation's law enforcement officers more strongly than the NRA, and it is with this view in mind that the NRA has supported attempts to fix the precedent set in Barnes that violated the civil liberties of all residents of Indiana.

Until the Barnes decision, the touchstone of the law of self-defense (in Indiana and elsewhere) was reasonable good faith action in response to a reasonably perceived threat of illegal action or harm.  Contrary to some reports, the reasonable person standard does not protect those whose actions are motivated by malice, criminal intent, or abnormal sensitivity or paranoia. 

Senate Bill 1, authored by state Senator Michael Young (R-35) and sponsored by state Representative Jud McMillin (R-68), is the product of much discussion and debate on this matter. The Indiana General Assembly has worked for months on refining this legislation, which would re-affirm the Castle Doctrine in Indiana and allow law-abiding and reasonable people the right to a legal defense if ever they find themselves in such a position. The NRA has remained involved throughout this legislative process in order to protect these fundamental self-defense rights of law-abiding citizens in Indiana.

Before final passage today, thanks to NRA members’ communication to state Representatives, the House adopted a critical amendment by Representative Jud McMillin that would restore recognition of self-defense rights to the levels that existed pre-Barnes.  The language contained in the amendment specifically preserves the legitimate safety interests of law enforcement officials who act within the boundaries of the law.  Representative McMillin’s amendment to SB 1 effectively undoes the damage to the Fourth Amendment and the rights of Hoosiers caused by Barnes, and returns Indiana’s Castle Doctrine and self-defense protections to their pre-Barnes status.

Senate Bill 1 now returns to the Senate for its approval of the McMillin amendment. The Senate could simply vote to concur with this amendment, or send SB 1 to a conference committee where the legislation risks further changes, complications and attempts by opponents to erode your civil liberties.

Your state Senator NEEDS to hear from you TODAY to vote to concur on SB 1. Time is running out as the legislative session comes to a close, and it is crucial that the Senate concurs with the House amendment to protect Hoosiers’ civil liberties. 

Indiana: NRA-Backed Pro-Hunting Legislation Dies

Last week, the NRA-backed legislation legalizing the use of suppressors for hunting was amended into another bill, due to a missed deadline by the House Public Policy Committee.  Senate Bill 243, previously reported here, was unable to survive last week’s committee report deadline and is now considered a dead bill.

The “hunting with suppressors” language was then resurrected, thanks to the efforts of state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) and state Senators Ryan Mishler (R-9) and Travis Holdman (R-19).  These legislators worked together to add the language from SB 243 to Representative Eberhart’s Natural Resources Omnibus bill, House Bill 1279.  Yesterday, the Senate voted 49 to 0 to pass HB 1279 with the “hunting with suppressors” language included.  It was then sent back to the state House for a concurrence vote in conference committee.

However, due to new rules adopted by the House of Representatives for this legislative session, if a bill does not get a hearing in a House committee, it cannot be accepted into another House bill. Unfortunately, this means that the pro-hunting language from SB 243 will be removed from HB 1279 in conference committee, and will not be allowed to move forward this session.

The National Rifle Association appreciates the efforts by state Representative Sean Eberhart and state Senators Ryan Mishler and Travis Holdman to keep the suppressor language alive.

 

Your NRA will continue to work on behalf of our members to ensure that hunting is treated the same way as other shooting activities with respect to the use of suppressors, and allow hunters to reap the many benefits suppressor use provides.

For more information on the benefits of using suppressors, please click here.

Indiana: NRA-Backed Pro-Hunting Bill Returns to the House for Concurrence Vote

Last week, the NRA-backed legislation legalizing the use of suppressors for hunting was amended into another bill, due to a missed deadline by the House Public Policy Committee.  Senate Bill 243, previously reported here, was unable to survive last week’s committee report deadline and is now considered a dead bill.

However, the “hunting with suppressors” language from this bill is still alive and making its way through the Indiana General Assembly, thanks to the efforts of state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) and state Senators Ryan Mishler (R-9) and Travis Holdman (R-19).  These legislators worked together to add the language from SB 243 to Representative Eberhart’s Natural Resources Omnibus bill, House Bill 1279.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 49 to 0 to pass HB 1279 with the hunting with suppressors language included.  It has now been sent back to the state House where it awaits a concurrence vote.

The original language from SB 243, preserved in HB 1279, would allow Hoosiers to use lawfully-possessed suppressors (also referred to as silencers) on firearms for hunting.  Currently, Indiana law permits use of suppressors for all shooting activities except for the taking of game.  Enactment of this language would ensure that hunting is treated the same way as other shooting activities with respect to the use of suppressors, and allow hunters to reap the many benefits suppressor use provides. 

In order to acquire a suppressor, a purchaser must submit the appropriate paperwork to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives where long wait times for approval are unfortunately common (four to six months), undergo a background check by the FBI, find a licensed dealer authorized to conduct the transaction and pay a one-time $200 tax for each device. 

While suppressors do not eliminate the sound of a firearm, they do reduce the muzzle report in a manner similar to the way that a muffler reduces exhaust noise from a vehicle.  The benefits associated with suppressor use include increased accuracy due to reduced recoil and muzzle blast, protection from hearing damage and reduced noise pollution. 

Noise complaints are being used more frequently as an excuse to close shooting ranges, informal shooting areas, and hunting lands throughout the country.  Increased use of suppressors will help to eliminate many of these complaints and protect hunting and shooting areas well into the future. For more information on silencers, please click here.

Please contact your state Representative TODAY and urge his or her support for House concurrence of HB 1279.

Contact information for your state Representative can be found here.