More Smartguns

I've previously posted about how the so-called "smart gun" as promulgated by popular culture and politicians will not make a significant difference in the safety of firearms and could be detrimental. Here I will show what smart gun could be implemented in a way that benefits the gun user.

Smartgun System 1: AR-15 series

The AR-type rifle lends itself to customization. With a modified or unique lower receiver, it would make a great host for a Smart Gun. the Smart Gun system should be as modular as the rifle, with additional components adding functionality. The core of the system would be contained in specialized grip. This grip would have the controller and login system, that the shooter interfaces with with passive rings or some other local RF system. It would actuate the safety (Via a modified Safety plunger) to on-safe when connection with the login device is lost. This would *not* prevent the user from actuating the safety to "Fire" manually, in case of system failure. The computer would log the user, number of shots fired and timestamp shots, logins and disconnects.

The system could be integrated with a TrackingPoint-style scope, perhaps receiving information from target designators and other field sensors to keep blue-on-blue incidents to a minimum and lead to better hits with automatic ranging. Video of shots could be captured for forensic investigation. The scope could be integrated with a round counter and other sensors to detect and diagnose stoppages. A small sensor pack could automatically safe the gun when the user is not directly aiming (such as on the move running or marching, or in a vehicle or coming into the bounds of a "safe zone").

Benefits to the user:
The user get's takeaway protection in the form of the automatic safety engagement. The other benefits are primarily for issuing organizations being able to show who fired a shot, when it was fired. the additional information does not need the smartgun integration

Smartgun System 2: 1911-style Pistol

By using a modified frame, a solenoid built into the left grip panel could automatically actuate the safety lever and/or the grip safety in order to lock out an unauthorized user  in the event of a gun grab or takeaway. In this case the emergency reset would be removing the grip panel and resetting or disabling the system. This introduces a new failure possibility into the gun and would require the authorized user to quickly identify a lockout failure and change tactics.

Benefits to the user:
Automatic takeaway safety, and unauthorized user lockout. If the grip safety was used for the lockout the gun could still be loaded and unloaded safely.

Security Protect Your Device

Protecting your Device

Your communications cannot be secure if your device is not. Attacks from keyloggers, remote access tools, and other various data exfiltration threats make any in transit protections moot. Your device might be a phone or a PC or something else. For the purposes of this post, we will consider how to secure computers. Phones and tablets etc, will have to be a separate post.

The modern computer is next to useless without an always on internet connection. Tablets, e-readers and other devices have take over the disconnected computer use space. Our use case is specific to communications and therefore requires a connected PC. Therefore we have to be more advanced in our protection.

Full Disk Encryption

Full disk encryption protects your data from being read without your knowledge or consent. All three of the major operating systems offer this feature. The main benefit is that your data stays safe even if you are separated from your device. This protects your information if you laptop is stolen, or your computer is seized by governments. Full disk encryption does not protect you from malware running on your computer or people from looking at your data when your computer is on and logged in. In order to ensure your disk is protected, turn your computer all the way off, not just "sleep" mode. This is especially important for FDE desktops, It also is not compatible with dual booting PCs like Apple+Bootcamp or Linux and Windows on the same machine.

Be advised that the government can compel you to divulge your  password, or hold you in contempt of court until you do. If your disk is imaged, they can try to attack it outside of of your grasp until they get it. This is a concern at borders especially. Full disk encryption is a place you really want to use a long, secure password that is easy to type and difficult to guess. See this video for some more information.

Windows:

Windows markets it FDE as a "Professional" feature called Bitlocker. Be advised that if you log into your Windows PC with your Windows Live ID that Microsoft can reset a "Lost" Bitlocker key. It is best to create a local (or domain) account to protect your data. there is a rumor that Bitlocker is backdoored for US police access, but I have not found any proof of this. Since there is no code review, there is no way to know for sure.  All Windows 10 PCs also have "Device Encryption" which is good enough to protect your data from thieves and other non-technical attacks, but can be reset the same way and cannot be configured without Microsoft recovery options.

Apple:

On Mac computers, FileVault is the full disk encryption tool. Again there is an Apple recovery option that could be used to unlock your machine by the government. If you want to protect your data from the government, we recommend you do not use the iCloud or other Apple options. Also, while it has been attacked and tested, Apple has not released the code fro review as far as I can tell. However, based on Apple's actions during the San Bernardino case a backdoor is unlikely at the time of this writing.

Linux:

Most Linux distributions include a Full Disk Encryption option in the advanced installations. Unlike the other options this code is open for code review and has no outside recovery option to be cooped by the government.

With all of these options we recommend you encrypt the empty space if offered the option. Full disk encryption is strong protection, but it is often only useful if you are already being investigated or detained. It can certainly help, but it isn't a panacea.

Malware Protection:

Malware is the generic term for viruses, spyware and other programs that can exfiltrate your data without your knowledge. Luckily, this is a concern shared by nearly all computer users and there are lots of software solutions available.

Adblockers

At the time of this writing, ads serving malware is one of the most effective ways to infect wary websurfers. In addition on privacy concerns, may like how it prevents sites from monetizing your view without your consent.

Antivirus

An old standby of computer protection, Antivirus is now integrated into Windows, and widely available for free. Antivirus now stands more a a scanning tool and emergency protection rather then a front line defense.

Anti-Spyware

This is often integrated into Antivirus and also is partly built into Windows. for deep removal of persistent malware specific solutions exist and are useful.

General protection and computer hygiene:

These are more behaviors then they are software. Some behaviors can open you up for attacks more then others.

Installation

When installing software, double check the source of the software. Many search engines will preface your search result with ads that will repackage the software you want with ads and malware you don't be sure to download from the site of the company, not a third party.

Patches

In the always connected world in which we live often software will ship and bugs (especially security bugs) will be found later. Or exploits will overcome previously secure code. For these reasons, keeping your programs and operating system up to date is an important safety concern. Most good software will have a service builtin to check for and install updates and patches, often automatically.

Other Solutions:

The most paranoid thing you can do to protect your computer from being compromised is to run your operating system off of an ROM disc, such as a Linux Live CD. As long as the software was secure when you wrote it to disc, you can be sure that each session is not compromised. Unfortunately, modem software needs constant patching to stay secure and safe, requiring you to create new ROM discs on a fairly regular basis. ROM based operating systems are alos slow, don't have bookmarks, cookies or other labor saving devices. They are excellent in assuring a safe connection, but difficult to actually use.

Recommendations:

• Use Adblockers, anti-malware and software from the publisher's site.
• Keep software up to date.
• Use full disk encryption, especially on laptops.

Kempo, Day One.

Kempo, day one

Worked on footwork, delayed sword, and snap kicks.

Snap kicks hurt. Need more hamstring stretching.

Sleeping Thoughts

Sometimes I wake up with a thought in my head that is impossible to get out unless I tell somebody. This was last night's thought.

Sometimes we live in the past, reading books, watching TV and movies.
Sometimes we live in the present, following the news, debating current events, protesting or doing things.
Sometimes we live in the future, by making things. Anything, really, like writing books or building machines or houses or making videos.

This is not a value judgement, none are inherently better then the others.

TheBasicHomeDefenseGun

Home Defense for Everyone

As much as I like fully custom ARs and red-dot sighted handguns, these are not the best tools for people to start with. Assuming someone is getting into firearms to protect their home, but isn't sold on the concept of gun culture or collecting guns for various uses. We'll assume this hypothetical buyer only intends to buy one gun, doesn't want to spend more then ~$500 and needs effective stopping power. They aren't going to do any modifications that require more then turning a screwdriver, and won't spend a lot of money on accessories. The gun has to be light and low recoiling, so that people with disabilities can effectively use it. It would be best if the gun had a light trigger pull and operating force for the same reason. i recommend long rifles over handguns because it is easier to learn and make accurate hits with a rifle. Concealment is not a primary concern, but we will have a handgun section too.

Long Guns:

My first recommendation would be pistol caliber lever action rifles from Rossi or Marlin with the shortest barrels available. In 357 or 45 Colt, the recoil would be light, stopping power would be acceptable, handling is not too difficult and the gun would be small and light enough for just about any user. These guns have MSRPs around $500, and their ammo is easy to find. I'd generally recommend that a red dot sight be mounted and zeroed for ease of use, and perhaps a flashlight clamped to the barrels.

Alternatively, a 410 pump action shotgun with an 18" cylinder bore barrel loaded with slugs would be almost as good. The ammunition is more expensive and capacity is lessened. Purchased new, you'd need a Mossberg pistol grip 410 and a standard butstock to swap on, there are no current factory guns in this configuration that I can find. There may be used guns on the market that fit this bill as well. Like the rifle I'd recommend a red dot sight and a flashlight clamped to the barrel.

Historically the M1 Carbine was the go-to rifle for this, and I really wish that it was still inexpensive and reliable. But with magazine issues and prices climbing as collectors eat up the market, I can't recommend it generally. However, the M1 Carbine's design is the gold standard for this idea.

In other states, used Marlin Camp Carbines and Ruger PC9s and PC4s would also excel for this concept, if they can be had in the right price range. The Timberwolf pump action 357 and no longer made Winchester pistol caliber lever action rifles are other used guns to keep an eye out for. As for new guns outside of California the Keltec Sub2000 or even the HiPoint carbine would both be reasonable choices. Both of which would require modifications in California for legal reasons. All would benefit from a red dot sight.

Sub optimal choices are much more common. Sacrificing light weight and low recoil, 12 and 20 gauge pump shotguns are the traditional answer to this question. But they can be intimidating to new shooters and difficult to learn well. If they are chosen, I'd suggest buckshot and while a light is always a good idea, the red dot probably isn't as needed. On the other side of the spectrum, sacrificing stopping power for light weight and low recoil, 22 Long Rifle semiautomatic rifles would be better then harsh language. Here I would stress the importance of the red dot sight and assuming a failure to stop, requiring multiple hits. The Ruger 10/22 would probably be the best choice of these guns, and I would also recommend the aftermarket magazines that are not rotary, to allow more purchase when removing them from the gun and loading a replacement.

Handguns:

For some people a home defense handgun might be a easier solution. Handguns are easier to conceal in the home, deterring theft and misuse. They can be packed into small, unobtrusive locking cases, making sure your neighbors don't know that you have a gun when you take trips to the range. The can also be carried concealed where legal or appropriate.

If you live in a part of the country where used firearms are more common, used Glocks, regardless of caliber (but with a preference for 9mm) are your best bet. They are inexpensive (typically selling for around $400), reliable and spare parts and magazines are both plentiful and inexpensive. Alternately, the full sized grip, 3+ inch barrel 357 magnum exposed hammer revolver is another good solution. Both of these are widely available used in states with decent used gun markets. Make sure the grip fits you and you can reach the trigger, hammer andb other controls.

In California I recommend the Kahr CW9. Its not perfect, the slide is a little stiff, the grip is a little thin, but it seems to be easily accessible to every hand size. the Sig SP2022 and sometimes Springfield XDs fall into the price range as well. All are quality guns I would trust with my life.

Finding an inexpensive revolver in California that I can recommend is difficult. The Charter Arms revolvers with a full sized grip would be acceptable, if not ideal, due to their short barrel lengths. In the tradeoff category, any decent semiauto 22 Long Rifle pistol would be better then nothing and would be easier for people with hand strength disabilities to work with.

Avoid 380 and 32 ACP pocket pistols and any gun where you can't fit your whole hand on the grip. These sacrifice usability for conceablity and often lack the stopping power desired for self defense. Alternately, avoid 45 ACP in favor of 40S&W and 9mm. The difference is not worth the recoil. For all handguns I recommend some sort of holster, just to make controlling the handguns when not in use easier, extra magazines or speedloaders, and as much ammunition as one can afford. If the gun has a rail for a light (like the SP2022, Glock or Springfield XD), this is definitely an upgrade to invest in.

Network Security in a Nutshell

Networking Security

There are three main parts to keeping your information safe and private:

• Protecting your device.
• Protecting to communication
• Hiding who you are communicating with.

Protecting your Device. 

In order for your communications to be secure, you must secure the devices you are using to communicate. Keep your software patched and up to date, When it doubt, wipe and reinstall. Be aware of new programs, performance differences and signs of intrusion. Anti-virus/anti-spyware, AdBlockers and other programs can help with this.
Phones are more difficult to secure. Possibly even impossible to secure as they have a base band communication with the cellular carrier that can install and modify software at the root level and there is no way to secure it. However, attacks at that level have to be targeted, thus reducing their probability. If you are concerned your phone was targeted and compromised, you need a new phone. More details on this, and other phone security tips later.

Protecting your Communications

Network communications are often in plaintext by default. Even those that are encrypted often are stored on servers that you do not control and can be accessed without your knowledge. End-to-End encryption is the standard for peer to peer control. Even if stored by an intermediary server (like Gmail) all they have access to is the cyphertext.
Communications to servers can be protected with HTTPS. but who you are, who you are talking to, when you communicated and roughly the amount of communication will be visible to to intermediaries like your ISP or others with access to the routing. For example, an encrypted connection to Netflix is easy to separate from an encrypted connection to Gmail.

Hiding who you are communicating with

True anonymity is very difficult. but that are some tools that help. You can use a VPN to hide your traffic from your ISP, the coffeehouse WiFi or your employer/school. All of your traffic goes to the VPN, and then they relay it to the internet. Any VPN worth the name encrypts your connection, protecting the data in transit to the VPN. This is not enough to protect your from government surveillance. Governments can track your communications into and the communications out of your VPN and pull your traffic from the bundle. As well as tracking cookies or logins identifying you or if the VPN has been compromised by the government.
TOR on the other hand can be configured to constantly stream TOR traffic through your connecting, hiding your traffic within that constant stream. However, TOR is slow, difficult to use and heavily targeted by government actors. This also deserves it's own article and detailed information.

Recommendations:

• Use End-To-End encrypted chat and messaging protocols. These can be used with free services (like Google) because the server only gets cyphertext.
  
• Build a server for small groups to use for XMPP and other data transfers. Make sure to buy a SSL certificate so that all of your users can have secure access to the server. in order to secure this server against adversaries, it should be a physical box under someone's direct control.
  
• Build TOR relays and exit nodes in Amazon Web Services and other hosted solutions. This will make TOR easier to use and faster every day. These servers should not have any private data.
  
• Use TOR as much as possible. Use VPNs where applicable.

Conditioned To Kill

Generally I can't recommend this guy, but i think this might be relevant.

TL:DW Historically and in observations of animals not in a predator/prey relationship people (and creatures) don't want to kill.

Post WWII less the 25% of soldiers shot at the enemy and less then 2% "Shot to kill". Because of this the US began training soldiers on human image targets and that rating has gone up to ~95% for shoot to kill.  However, generally people are evolutionarily and socially disposed to view killing as bad. We have no known mechanism for helping troops deal with the aftereffects. Thus the increasing prevalence of PTSD as opposed to warfare of the past. 

The video opines that it's easier to kill someone you are being attacked by (like in olden days with swords and such).  Also back then, you didn't necessarily have to kill an opponent, just cut their arm/leg/chest enough to get them to stop fighting. More deaths were hygiene related. Now you have battles at gunfight and rifle distances where they guy at the end of your sights isn't necessarily threatening you directly.

When we talk about Militarization of the police, we need to look beyond the obvious (military uniforms, military weapons, etc) and also consider that we're using military training techniques for police officers.  We are using force-on-force, and silhouette or photo targets. This makes officers more effective when killing is necessary. The downside is the danger that the conditioning kicks in when it shouldn't. And we've seen that the conditioning kicks in easier when the opponent is dehumanzied, often by being another ethnicity. This is why it's a big deal that LAPD stopped using black human silhouettes and started using blue ones.

Now consider the other side. This operant conditioning is available to everyone.

Want to be better at shooting people? Play Call of Duty (or any FPS), airsoft, paintball.  I'm not saying modern media and combat sports are *responsible* for killers. I'm saying they help break down the evolutionary and cultural barriers to killing. Modern media makes killing seem like a reasonable solution to your problem. Think back to how many times people have yelled at 2 people fighting on TV "Just kill him!". As we get more removed, and see more killings without consequence, we are creating a new social standard.

As we absorb images of violence and killing as "normal" for protagonists like Walter White, Rick Grimes, the Cast of Game of Thrones, or Jax Teller and his band of merry murderers we are learning. We are learning that sometimes killing is the answer, that it is easy, and often without consequence, that we probably won't be caught. And for 99% of people, this doesn't matter. Most people are not put into situations that are congruent with killing being an answer. Most of those who end up in places of plausible use of force are not swayed by media's argument over the evolutionary and other social standards.but for that minute group, on either side of the law, the will to kill is an easier thing to obtain.

Marksmanship is easy to train. Modern guns are ridiculously accurate. Innovations that people point at as being systemic to mass shootings have been available to civilians in the US for more then 80 years. The will to pull the trigger at a human target is a key factor. It's not the hardware that is the root problem, it's the software. 

ApocalypsePistol

A design towards a pistol for scarcity apocalypses.

Imagine a Mad Max-style apocalypse. One where you will have to carry everything you own. Where you will not have much ammo of your own, but will be scavenging rounds from fallen opponents and ruins. It is important that your gun be robust and not have parts that can get lost. Speed of fire is less important at this point, your opponents will be similarly limited on ammunition. Muzzleloaders, crossbows and the occasional revolver will be your most likely opposition.

While I still believe the single action revolver (specifically Ruger's Blackhawk Convertible)  has much merit in cases like this, there is a choice that would be lighter and more adaptable. Imagine a single shot pistol with interchangeable barrels. Much like the Heizer derringer, but with a barrel lengths standard at 8" and optional at 4", 6" and 12". The barrels would be all of the same outside diameter, all threaded alike (with an optional muzzle-brake that can host a suppressor). The barrels would have a dovetailed barrel band for the front sight and a dovetailed rear sight so that end users could install their favorite style of sights if they don't care for the sights provided. Rather then the double action trigger of the Heizer, a single action rebounding hammer firing mechanism would be used for better control. Rather then the integrated flat grip, there would be a mounting post for a variety of grips or even a buttstock.

The barrels would be available in the common calibers, 22LR, 32 ACP,  9mm (380 compatibility a bonus if the ejector can manage it) 45 ACP, 357 magnum with 38 special, 45 colt/410 shotgun, and even the Heizer crazy calibers of 223 and 7.62x39mm. The muzzlebrake and suppressor would both be bored for 45 caliber bullets so that they can be used for all available calibers.

This would provide a light, small (in terms of belt space, no more burdensome then a big knife) accurate pistol you could fight with. It'd be strong enough for close combat blows, powerful enough for self-defense and accurate enough for hunting. Based on current prices you could sell it for around $300 a copy with barrels being something like $150 each.

Ideally you could have an extractor/ejector that accepts both rimmed and rimless cartridges, giving you 1 barrel for all 357 caliber rounds (380, 38 Special, 9mm, 357 Magnum) and one barrel for 45 caliber rounds (45 ACP, 40 Colt, 410 shotgun)

Survivable Data

Problem: The storage and maintenance of data through apocalypses. We know that cultures that no longer exist existed because they left behind data. Carvings, scrolls, books. In many cases we have no informational continuity with those cultures because we lost informational continuity. That is to say, there was not a bridge between the lost culture and a culture that survived and translated their information to a format (language) we understand. We learn about these cultures from their garbage middens and ruins that were too remote to be rebuilt on.

We would be foolish to think we will not suffer an apocalypse that eliminates most of our knowledge, and as more and more of the information our culture creates is primarily digital, more of our information and knowledge will be lost. As we encrypt our data, we lock out the future from that data, even if that data survives. If we want the knowledge to survive, we, as a culture, have to record our knowledge in a way that can survive.

Digital media is great for convenience and low cost. Physical media is disaster resistant. If we want to truly preserve our information, we need stable, solid media that can be intuitively read and stored for the long term. Placement will also be key. I'd suggest that we build portable vaults that we can bury in landfills and place in geologically stable remote areas, in secret to prevent vandalism.

For storage in the hundreds of years, film reels and books made of archival papers stored properly can transmit our knowledge to the future. Any and all digital media, and even non-obvious media (records for sound recording) will probably not be readable by cultures that don't have informational continuity with our civilization. Film reels explain themselves and could be paired with books that explain how projectors work and specifications for the

For storage in the thousands of years, something more survivable is needed. I'm imagining gold alloy (or non tarnishing, non rusting tough metal) plates, bound into books. With the first books being a primer defining the language of the remaining books. Kind of like how in Contact the aliens included simple math examples to unlock the rest of the plans. The remainder would be encyclopedic information and copies of written works. Etchings of images could also be included, as well as music notation, but I don't see an archival way to store video or audio for thousands of years, allowing for cultures that don't have informational continuity to access them.

For either system, redundancy would be key. No vault should contain unique items, they should be multiple copies, potentially in multiple languages to make it more likely that the people who recover this information will have a language root in common with it. the containers should be redundantly sealed against moisture, insects, or other things that could damage the payload. the containers should be labeled with time capsule style information forbidding early opening. on the other hand, it should be easy to find and not too difficult to open. Off hand I think that shipping containers are a good size to survive, be easy to transport to various sites, and be large enough to find in rubble, landfills or wilderness.

BurnerPhones

For "I don't want these people to have my number" this stuff is fine. Assuming you want a burner phone to defeat state-level agencies it's a little more complex then that.

1. Never user your burner at home, work or near your existing phone. We know that location traces are a thing. You have to assume that if you are buying a burner phone, a state-level agency (police department, FBI, DEA etc) is already interested in surveilling you. If you are like most other people you already have a phone tied to your identity either by the method of payment, name on the account, address or other identifier. If you are like most other people, and you don't want to increase suspicion, you don't turn off your regular phone for long periods of time. If they are tracking your existing phone location (which does not require a warrant) and your Burner is active in the same location, your burner is now connected to your identity, and what ever you do with the burner is now compromised. 
2. Only use cash & be irregular when buying airtime. The airtime purchases are location and time stamped. if you always buy minutes from the same place or when you buy groceries, there is a point for surveillance to gather information and close the net. 
3. Be sure that the places you are buying minutes from are away from your home and/or workplace. 
4. Never, ever, ever use a card to buy minutes or the phone. If you are in an organization that is using burners (A medical marijuana dispensary that cares about privacy) different members can buy minutes cards and then trade them to confound location information even more. 
5. Activation. This might be a no-brainer but do not use your personal or work computer to activate the phone, or manage it in any way. Go to the library or other public computer. 
6. Misinformation Feature phones are still able to be pinpointed to 100', There are really not any more secure then smartphones. 
7. Consider the cheap smartphone, I've seen Moto E phones for less then $20, and they give you the advantage of being able to use TextSecure/Signal (which encrypts SMS and voice end-to-end) and Tor for internet communications. 
8. Personally I find the keyboard and other features faster and easier to use then a feature phone. Of course you need to be sure any accounts you link are pseudonymous and that no other features are tied to you. 
9. Remember to forget your phone. When using your burner, we mentioned that you don't want to have your usual phone nearby. 
10. While you can turn one off and then turn the other on (hopefully after you've moved and are in a public space with other people), it is better to leave your usual phone on, at home or work. Maybe in the pocket of a friend who is going somewhere else.

NetworkedWarfighting

Arsenal Planes

 "Carter’s arsenal-plane concept is consistent with years of study and technology-development pointing toward a two-tier air-combat force for the near future, one in which stealth fighters act as forward sensors, designating targets for non-stealthy aircraft — F-15s and bombers — carrying much larger payloads.":

The problem with this as as soon as you network a stealthy platform, it loses it's stealth capacity. Pinpointing radio transmitters is not terribly difficult. And listening for them, even if the communication stream is encrypted, is easier still. The stealth platforms would need laser communications (pretty difficult for maneuvering aerial platforms) or some sort of very tight beam satellite uplink (and I'm not even sure about that one)

On the ground you can use laser relays or wired networking. In the air, this fails the plausibility test. Radio silence (including spread spectrum and other standard networking base layers) is the only way to maintain the element of stealth.

Ping

I'm still here. I knocked off the Mr Robot updates because I don't know if they were helping or not. Plus I binged 5-10 and just couldn't keep up the pace :)

More stuff to come when inspiration strikes.

Random stuff:

Mr Robot is good, and I want to watch it again. Jessica Jones is pretty damn great in a scary way. Editing Wikipunk and writing posts gets wearing. I know I should do it more. I bought another set of shelves for the lab and computer room. I'm a little afraid of them and need to figure out how to secure them to the wall. I also bought shelves for the Funco Pop vinyl toys we've been getting from various crate/boxes. Chapter 2 of MGSV is wicked hard. But maybe I'm just relying too hard on the best items that have been coming in as I unlock decent staff.

MrRobot3

The third installment of my Mr Robot writings, Spoilers ahead, as before after the jump

16 Credits

To the Tune of "16 Tons"

"Theology says we're made outta mud,
Biology names my muscles and blood.
Studying long, studying hard,
A back that's weak and a mind that's strong

You take 16 credits, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Internships won't pay me, don't you know?
I owe my soul to the University Store.

In high school they told me, to get ahead
You've got to get degrees from colleges.
Now I'm struggling through, my English test
counting up all the money I have spent.

You take 16 credits, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Just this semester, another load
Twenty thousand dollars more I owe.

Spring break is coming, better take a ride,
Some students didn't and some kids died.
Stress on the left hand, debt on your heels
If one don't get ya, the other one will.

You take 16 credits, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Teacher don't you fail me, I must go,
I owe my soul to the University Store."

MrRobotEp2

So I figure I can do like everyone else and push a Blog post for TV shows. This shouldn't be too long as the free streaming goes away January 31st. IU think that I'm spoiler safe at this time, but I'll put a break before any spoilers.  We'll see if it gets any traction. I'm going to do these stream of consciousness with little editing. Consider the break your Spoiler Warning

MrRobot

Ever get skeeved out by something being too perfectly aligned with your tastes and interests? That's how the first episode of Mr Robot made me feel. Just different enough for plausible deniability, but close enough to my tastes to make the hairs stand up on my neck. Cyberpunk outsider hero with a taste for military style backpacks and black hoodies hacks his way to justice. It's a good Show, Christian Slater has his character down, the conspiracy and evil corporation (which has an Enron logo), the insanity of the main character. I dunno, maybe it's looking at the things that I like for another angle, seeing how they are not good things.

The Bad

So many tropes. I'll say that there is very likely a bunch of trope-breaking later in the series, and so I'm not sure how upset I should be about these.

• The White cisgendered straight male hacker with poor social skills who of course is on drugs.
• The "Friendzoned" protagonist who has to "Save women"
• the fact that he is surrounded by women who seem to care for him but his "true Love" only dates jerks
• the tech is good enough to TV (narratively accurate?) and at least they get the words right. but stilted enough to make me wonder how bad it can get.
• Every Watch_Dogs criticism applies here.

Recommendations:

Did you like Mr Robot? Watch "Welcome to the NHK" and "Black Mirror". Welcome to the NHK is a more mundane take on the type of crazy the main character is portrayed with, but it sells the human ness of the madness. Black Mirror is full of Twilight Zone happenings involving near future and cyberpunk type conspiracies.

I'm going to watch the rest of the show, but that was a harsh feeling on the piolt. Lets see if it can keep these leads together and make something interesting.

Four Gun Minimum

The hobby of firearms is very expansive, with so many picayune differences in guns and cartridges it can be overwhelming. So here is a thought experiment for people getting started as firearms enthusiasts and for old hands with walls full of guns. You can do everything you might want to do with just 4 guns.

I first came across this idea in the writings of the late Col. Jeff Cooper. The idea being that with a shotgun, a rifle, a pistol, and a .22 rimfire you can do just about anything you might want to do with a gun. The shotgun allows you to hunt all manner of small game and birds. The rifle serves as your large game and weapon of warfare, Your pistol is the constant self-defense companion, and the .22 rimfire is for "fun" shooting and training new shooters, or possibly small ground game where the shotgun is too noisy.

But Which Guns?

Col. Cooper's answer here was the 1911 for self defense, a Scout Rifle for the rifle, a double barrel "coach" or pump shotgun and a rimfire rifle of some type. My answer differs based on what your focus is. 

For a shooter learning the ropes I'd recommend a bolt action 22 rimfire rifle, a bolt action centerfire rifle in 308, a 12 gauge pump shotgun (with interchangeable barrels, like the Mossberg combos) and a rimfire semi-auto pistol. 

For the self-defense oriented shooter I'd recommend a defensive semi-auto pistol like a Glock or XD, an AR-15-style rifle (possibly something like the JR carbines or Glock magazine ARs if range is not important to their defense). A semi auto shotgun with a barrel less then 20", preferably with detachable magazines if available. And a small rimfire pistol or revolver for backup.

For the hunter I'd recommend an interchangeable barrel pump action shotgun, a bolt action 30-06 caliber rifle, a 44 Magnum or greater caliber revolver and a semi-auto rimfire rifle.

For the target shooter, I'd recommend a 1911-style pistol, an AR-15-type rifle, an over and under shotgun and a target rimfire of their choice of type.

For the "prepper" looking for guns that will keep running the longest, a 357 magnum double action revolver. A "convertible" 22 rimfire single action revolver. A Thomson/Center Contender with a variety of barrels, and a double barrel over and under "Turkey" shotgun with interchangeable chokes.

For those worried about "Zombie Apocalypse", but on a budget. A PMR-30 pistol, a 22 Magnum rimfire semiauto rifle, a 9mm pistol and a pump action shotgun with a 18" barrel.

For the more general shooter on a budget in a rural area, A single barrel break open shotgun, A used bolt action rifle in a midrange caliber, a used revolver in 38 special or 357 magnum and a budget rimfire rifle.

For the more general shooter on a budget in an urban area, an inexpensive semi-auto pistol in 380 or 9mm, a rimfire semi auto pistol, a rimfire semi auto rifle and a break action shotgun.

Classic "Old West" enthusiast. a Single action centerfire revolver, a single action rimfire revolver, a lever action rifle in 30-30 if they hunt, or their revolver cartridge if they don't, and a double barrel "coach" shotgun.

But that's just me. What do you think are the 4 guns to start with, and for what focus? Post your choices in the comments.

Is that Really Enough?

This is where gun people start to worry about all the guns not on the list. What about a backup carry gun or a rifle that can take bear or African big game? What about match shooting or a really long range rifle? Well that's why this list is a starting point. First, focus on the guns that will suit the problems and use cases you are most likely to have. Then branch out into the things you want to do. It's better to have just a couple of guns and a bunch of ammo then dozens of guns you never get to shoot.

Annoying

A short list of things that bug me:

• Barrels for .22LR that are longer then 16.5"-18.5". Long Rifle ammunition loses velocity beyond these barrel lengths and it makes what should be a short, light rifle unnecessarily heavy and long. If there is no legal requirement for a longer barrel, don't use one!
• Role Playing Games with wonderful settings where NPCs do things that are unsupported by the rules. Sure it's "Just" flavor text, but that it the stuff you use to get players interested in the game.
• The failure of the AR-180 and the lack of clones and "inspired" designs on the market. If it hadn't gotten stuck in the 1970s and 1980s it could be just as modular (or more so) then the AR-15 design.
• The lack of good UI design in cryptography software.
• Hardcoded wireless standards in devices that require your network to downshift it's security.
• The difficulty in getting people to actually use encryption. I'm looking at you government and large corporations.
• How Facebook has put itself into the middle of all interpersonal communications. It wouldn't be so bad if people still answered email or other messaging systems.
• The lack of detachable magazine fed pump action shotguns on the market.
• Fixed gear bikes without brakes. Single speeds are cool, but the constant spin setup is annoying and brakes are a safety feature.
• How Linux designers decide that you don't need UI for program settings. 
• When there is a background image (like the Windows 10 Lock Screen) you can't change
• Operating systems without workspaces/virtual desktops (luckily the big three all have that now. Thanks Windows 10!)
• The death of the Trackpoint keyboard pointer. Best laptop "mouse" ever, and perfect for coding, no having to move your fingers off the keyboard to mouse to something.

Encumberance

Notes about Encumbrance raw from my unpublished works:

Determining Encumbrance Points for U5D and White Wolf rule sets: (STR+END)x2=Encumbrance Pts
Example: (STR 3)+(END 3)=6×2=12 encumbrance points
These Pts are the amount of gear that can be carried before penalties are assessed to Combat, Climbing, and Stealth Skills. All gear has an encumbrance point rating.

Maximum Encumbrance:

Max. encumbrance is the total amount that can be carried by the character. It is calculated as (STR+END)x4. This is the total marching weight that can be carried all day (resting 15min every 2-3hrs). STRx80 is the maximum lifting ability and can be carried/dragged for ENDx4 minutes.

Encumbrance Locations:

Maximum “free” points by location, However total encumbrance applies as well. If you only have 4 Encumbrance points then a full "Cops belt" (6pts) is going to penalize you. Even though it doesn't exceed the 6 pt belt location maximum. (*See Penalties)

• Head: 1pt(Helmet is +1)
• Chest: Special
• Back: Special
• Belt: 6pts
• Thigh: 3pts each
• Calf: 1pt each
• Forearm: 1pt each
• Upperarm: 1pt each
• Slung: 5pts*
• Inhand: STRx2

Elbow pads are worn on the Upper arm, Knee pads are worn on the on the Calf.

Encumbrance Penalties:

All Encumbrance penalties are cumulative.

• Exceeding total encumbrance points results in a +1 per 5 points exceeded. ex: 10 total pts, 6pts belt, 9 pts slung, 5 pts In Hand= +2 difficulty ToHit, Climbing, Etc. Exceeding 4pts on Back, +1 per 20pts/lbs.
• More than 1 Slung Item= +1 difficulty per extra item. EXCEPTION: 1 Bandoleer may be (Slung) and 1 may be (Chest) w/o special penalty. ex: a 2pt SMG and a 3 pt bag are both Slung=+1
• Clothing and LBE/Gear only encumbers when carried not when worn (the encumbrance of the +clothes/gear itself, NOT any attached/carried items)
• All armor encumbers when worn and when carried.
• Unless concealable, LBE is the always top layer.
• Carrying a person/animal/item over your shoulders (fireman’s carry) is considered Back location and encumbers 1pt for every 5lbs. HOWEVER, at least one hand is occupied with the load.
• Swimming: ALL Encumbrance pts are counted toward the negative Swimming Modifer +1 for every 10 pts.

Encumbrance Notation:

• Item A, 1; A standard item
• Item C, 1c; A concealable item, standard encumbrance
• Item P, 1p; A pocket item, .1 lbs encumbrance, number is for pocket encumbrance (see below)

Pocket Encumbrance:

Clothes have pockets, and keeping things in them takes no appreciable tool on your character. While carrying a gun or knife or ammo in your pocket can be encumbering, Pocket items have virtually no encumbrance, but they do take up space, filling the capacity of the pocket equal to their encumbrance. ex. Car keys, .5p, Wallet 1p. All Pocket items are Concealable. A pocket item can be attached to LBE/Gear, taking up slots but not weight. A pocket and LBE can have the same location, BUT the LBE will block the swift retrieval of the pocket item (2 actions to retrieve/draw). Belts do not block pockets.

Only one LBE item may be worn in a location (1 helmet, 1 thigh holster, etc) with the following exceptions:

• Chest; Bandoleers can be combined with any chest LBE; Shoulder/Chest Holsters may be combined with Suspenders.
• Back; A Buttpack may be worn with a knapsack but NOT a framepack.
• Belt; Two (2) belts may be worn without additional penalty, a third belt means that Belt 1’s items are no longer accessible:

Belt Locations:

The six points of belt carry reflect the 6 major spaces that things can be carried on a belt. Front Left, Front Right, Left Hip, Right Hip, Back Left, Back Right. This rule is completely optional, but again it can help you visualize things better.

Chest Locations:

Lode Bearing Equipment, Vests and Body Armor determine chest locations. Generally the number of points is equal to the number of spaces. A Shoulder Holster has 2 points of carrying capacity, Left and Right. Load Bearing Vests have up to 9 points arranged however you’d like. Remember that the encumbrance of armor counts against this location as well as the gear hung off the armor.

Back Location:

While 6pts may be directly attached without additional penalty (by armor or a vest for example), Backpacks and knapsacks are special cases. A framed backpack can carry its rating in encumbrance, but only encumbers 1pt for every 5pts loaded. Knapsacks encumber 1pt for every 3 loaded. Encumbrance past the 6pt area max encumbers at +1 for every 20 lbs/pts (double what every other location is). The downside is that everything stored in backpacks is unavailable until the pack is removed and dug through. It generally takes 1d4 rounds to find what you want in a knapsack, 1d6 in a backpack, and 1d10 in a Large Backpack.
The above rules on total encumbrance and exceeding location encumbrance apply.

Smartguns

Why Smart Guns are the Flying Car of Gun Technology

With the President's Executive Order to further research "Smart Gun technology and adoption," this topic once again appears in the public forum. And on paper (and in video games, like Metal Gear Solid), it sounds like a great solution to keep guns out of unauthorized hands. In reality, it's a buggy boondoggle that will do nothing for safety and security. Not just for the reasons most gun enthusiasts mention, but the concept itself is impossible.

What is a Smart Gun?

A Smart Gun is one that only works for an authorized user. Typically the user is verified by a dongle, watch, ring, implant, fingerprint or key. In the cases of science fiction, voiceprints, implanted "Nanomachines" and or cybernetic implant. The idea is that the smarts only allow the gun to fire if an authorized user is holding the gun. No system is 100%, so we will discount the edge cases of someone being coerced to use their gun or incapacitated users being used for authentication.

State of the Smart Gun

As of today there are four technologies that I know of designed for this.

1. MagnaTrigger, a magnetic ring that unlocked a safety in certain guns. As far as I know, this technology is no longer being produced or explored.
2. The iGun system which is developed and patented but not available for sale for ideological reasons uses a ring with a RFID crypto chip and a stock with a solenoid firing pin lock connected to a processor that validates the ring's cryptographic key.
3. Internal gun locks. These are not generally used when guns are carried, but as a supplemental security device in homes.
4. The Armatix iP1 pistol uses a "Smartwatch" like the iGun system but with the added safety of having to enter a PIN every time you pair the gun with the watch and various sensors to relock the gun if your vitals are unreadable. This system can also be disabled remotely and has other features.

There are other concepts that haven't reached the pre-production stage yet such as fingerprint readers etc. The criticisms that already exist apply to all of them. What if the battery wears out? What if it gets damaged, what if I lose the unlocking device? The biggest problem is one of safety. In order to be an effective lock, it would have to lock the gun with a round in the chamber. It would have to preclude disassembly as well to prevent the lock being disabled. It would also make gunsmithing and repairs impossible without some sort masterkey or other unlock. Such a masterkey would inevitably be discovered and used by criminals to unlock stolen guns and others to unlock guns without authorization. Thus the fatal flaw. Either the gun locks the cartridges in the chamber unsafely and makes normal cleaning and maintenance nigh impossible or it has a hardcoded backdoor that will inevitably leak.

My solution

Safe storage will always be a responsibility of gun owners. No on-board lock will ever change that. Where this idea has merit is as a safety for gun grabs and takeaways. It would work thus;

• Using a ring system similar to the iGun, but the lock only locks the hammer or trigger, you can load, unload and disassemble the gun with the lock on.
• On drawing the gun the lock immediately and automatically unlocks. Once it unlocks it will only fire while next to the ring.
• The "Smarts" would be completely removable with basic hand tools.
• In a difficult to reach compartment (like the magazine well of a semiauto pistol or a pistol grip compartment of a rifle or shotgun) there would be a switch to deactivate the "Smarts" so the gun works like any other.
• In the event of circuity or battery failure, the gun defaults to unlock.
• Any electronics would be programmable, but only by a wired connection in the difficult to reach compartment.

Any lock can be opened in enough time. So instead of trying to make a gun that can't be unlocked, I'd focus on making guns that are resistant to grabs and takeaways. I'd start with an add on wrap-around grip for 19ll's that replaces the grip safety mechanism. One panel would hold the electronics and the other would hold the battery. An AR-15 lower modified so the electronics in the grip can act on the trigger group. A shotgun buttstock and grip assembly that works with modified receivers. Working up to a polymer framed  striker fired pistol with the electronics in a detachable backstrap.

NB: In the context of this post, "Smart Guns" refers to the concept of a gun that only operates for authorized individuals, not enhanced aiming devices or cybernetic coordination. Sorry Shadowrun lovers.

The Rise of the United States

The New Deal, World War II and the Cold War made America a superpower that could afford guns and butter. the US didn't have to rebuild or repay after WWI, giving us a leg up on the old world empires. we came through the Great Depression with a rebuilt infrastructure and without a civil war or even major regime change. We fought much of WWII as the factory and breadbasket of the allies. We emerged from WWII with our population and means of production mostly intact.

We then immediately entered the Cold War and spent rocketships of money on research in outrageously obscure and cutting edge fields like nuclear physics and space travel. And this gave us so many unintended inventions that it fueled our economy for 60 years.  This changed America from a nation of producers to a nation of consumers. It was during this time that the nature of business changed, and business became much more political and profit hungry, eating it's own legs from the early 1970's on.

Business got greedy and saw the money spent on the people as just more money that could be spent on it. Business changed politics to be about businesses vs the people, and the people lost. Now businesses don't want their government to invest in big ideas that will grow everyone, because some of the money will go to their competitors. So they starve the government, after feeding from it for so long that they can no longer see where they came from.

 I find it useful to write about history in order to prime myself for writing RPG history. It can help design the setting to see where the differences can create new things. In the other direction, you can deconstruct settings to see where the divergence is.