Linux Printer Addition

Linux has come a long way, I’ve been running it for too long to remember when I started. One little issue that continues, and would throw a new user a curveball, is the addition of new hardware. The manufacturers are geared toward the two big operating systems, so you’re not likely to get a disk with your new printer that installs a driver in your Linux (am I supposed to say GNU/Linux) system.

I bought a new Epson WF-2630 printer and had high hopes for magic to happen when I set it up and plugged it in. Well, of course, no magic. No driver, no printer.

I know my way around only as a layman long time user. CUPS is a good place to start; http://localhost:631 but still lacking the driver, no luck there. This job is going to require: the COMMAND LINE! Not necessarily a big deal, but scary for newbs.

So the point of this post is to point you to a couple of resources that made my install reasonably easy. First get the driver from Epson, note their instructions for installing LSB and download the right version for your system.

OK, you may need to do more research on .deb, .rpm, and .tar.gz and I may have this piece overly complicated. I run Mint and chose the .rpm path. The .rpm will get converted to a .deb (this is sounding like an unnecessary step, I’m always learning) through instructions found at the Linux Foundation.

And with that done you can go to your printer control, system-config-printer on the command line will get you there, where you’ll find the new printer as an option to add (assuming it is connected and turned on).

It’s not a big ordeal but it needs to be easier for those who are not familiar with the command line.

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Do You Know What Your SWAT Team Is Doing?

In this post I will accumulate information on S.W.A.T. (special weapons and tactics) and/or Tactical Teams.

Let’s start here with a report from the Washington Post:

In January 2011, a SWAT team raided the Framingham, Mass., home of 68-year-old Eurie Stamps at around midnight on a drug warrant. Oddly, it had already arrested the subject of the warrant — Stamps’s 20-year-old stepson — outside the house. But because he lived in Stamps’s home, the team went ahead with the raid anyway. When the team encountered Stamps, it instructed him to lie on the floor. He complied. According to the police account, as one officer then moved toward Stamps to check for weapons, he lost his balance and fell. As he fell, his weapon discharged, sending a bullet directly into Stamps’s chest, killing him.

As bad as the story is as written, I visualize the scene and a question comes to mind. When I see Mr. Stamp lay on the floor, I imagine he is on his belly. If you’re lying face down, how do you get shot in the chest?

You can’t get far on this topic before you run into the excellent work of Radley Balko.

From the folks at the Cato Institute a map of Botched Paramilitary Police Raids:

Title: Bruce Lavoie

Type: Death of a nonviolent offender.

State: NH

Description: Police conduct a late-night raid on the Hudson, New Hampshire apartment of unarmed Bruce Lavoie, 35, his wife, and their three children. Police Sergeant Stephen Burke kicks open the Lavoie’s front door with such vigor, his gun accidentally goes off in his hand, waking the Lavoies. When Bruce Lavoie rises from his bed to confront what he thinks are criminal intruders, he is shot and killed in front of his wife and three small children. Police find one marijuana cigarette in Lavoie’s apartment. A subsequent investigation found police in the raid to be “blameless,” though investigators did call the raid a “serious breach of police protocol.” In the end, however, the investigation blamed Lavoie for his own death, concluding that he’d never have been shot had he “obeyed clear and concise commands to get down on the floor.” In 1990, however, a judge ruling on a separate raid found that Hudson police “flagrantly” violated New Hampshire’s state ban on no-knock drug raids, and ensuing newspaper reports found that police in Hudson and nearby communities routinely served drug warrants without first announcing themselves, a violation of state law. The city of Hudson eventually settled with Lavoie’s family for $800,000. Sources: Tom West, “Hudson Police Blameless in Report,” Manchester Union Leader, November 7, 1989. Pat Grossmith, “Police Didn’t Knock First; Judge Rips Hudson Drug Raid. Chiefs Say Ruling Has Little Effect,” Manchester Union Leader, July 31, 1990, p. 1. Pat Grossmith, “Some Police Use No-Knock Search Warrants,” Manchester Union Leader, August 1, 1990, p. 1. Kris Frieswick, “Hudson Will Pay Widow $800,000; Bruce Lavoie Shot During 1989 Drug Raid,” Manchester Union Leader, November 17, 1990, p. 1.

Date: Aug 3, 1989

So, should we have grave concern?

“If a widespread pattern of [knock-and-announce] violations were shown . . . there would be reason for grave concern.”
—Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in Hudson v. Michigan, June 15, 2006.

Of course, if we keep no records on the use of tactical teams we will never see a pattern of violations.

I see Chris King has a piece about Bruce Lavoie, I’ll bet he has a few stories.

More as research continues…

Suitable Person

In firearms statutes where a license to carry concealed discreetly shall be issued, there is a term used which operates to restrict the issue of said license. The term is suitable person. The gun prohibitionists have taken hold of this term and used it as a way to infringe upon rights guaranteed by Amendment 2 of the Bill of Rights.

It seems to me that we can look back to the origins of gun licensing to get an idea of what is meant by suitable person. I have an idea where this line of thinking will lead me, and I am just beginning this journey.

The Atlantic article from 2011 The Secret History of Guns looks interesting:

Yet we’ve also always had gun control. The Founding Fathers instituted gun laws so intrusive that, were they running for office today, the NRA would not endorse them. While they did not care to completely disarm the citizenry, the founding generation denied gun ownership to many people: not only slaves and free blacks, but law-abiding white men who refused to swear loyalty to the Revolution.

Also:

After losing the Civil War, Southern states quickly adopted the Black Codes, laws designed to reestablish white supremacy by dictating what the freedmen could and couldn’t do. One common provision barred blacks from possessing firearms.

Could it be that the Black Codes speak about suitable persons?

Here is a piece of a time-line:

1791
The Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment — “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” gains final ratification.

1837
Georgia passes a law banning handguns. The law is ruled unconstitutional and thrown out.

1865
In a reaction to emancipation, several southern states adopt “black codes” which, among other things, forbid black persons from possessing firearms.

1871
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is organized around its primary goal of improving American civilians’ marksmanship in preparation for war.

Here is an interesting method employed in Arkansas described by Steve D. Jones:

After the Fourteenth Amendment was passed, Arkansas lawmakers banned the carry of handguns by any citizen, white or black. The legislators of this time achieved their goal of disarming free blacks by enforcing this law only against them, not whites.

Here is a well documented history of the racist history of gun control:

Laws Designed to Disarm Slaves, Freedmen, and African-Americans

Here it is:

Gun Control Is “Racist”? The NRA would know by Adam Winkler

States, Frederick’s model law recommended, should only allow concealed carry by people with a license, and those licenses should be restricted to “suitable” people with “proper reason for carrying” a gun in public. Thanks to the NRA’s endorsement, these laws were adopted in the majority of states.

BikerBill Busted

Weare, NH police have ended their six month long hunt for the infamous wiretapping outlaw known as BikerBill. BikerBill had cleverly masked himself as Bill Alleman, a mild mannered resident of Weare. In July of 2010, Bill was threatening public safety while making a phone call. Officer Brian Montplaisir thought he was safely ensconced in his privacy bubble while BikerBill was secretly absorbing air vibrations and redirecting those vibrations to a remotely controlled digital conversion device. The actions of BikerBill caused the officer to suffer damages to his Emotive Grandus Organ (E.G.O.). As in most cases where criminals absorb radiation from public officials the damage to the E.G.O. went unnoticed for a period of time. Exposure to YouTube seems to aggravate the damaged E.G.O. causing irrational behaviour of the victim.

The UnionLeader reports on the arrest and possible connection to a gang known as the Free State Project. BikerBill claims he is not a member of the FSP gang but it is clear that his blog post was intended to irritate the E.G.O.’s of his victims. It is believed that he had made a secret assault on a couple of public servants in Concord as can be seen in this video:

In the aftermath of this assault on governmental privacy the Attorney General’s office is seeking a Federal grant to install new security equipment.

No Justice for Ward Bird

A responsible man posts his land to notify trespassers. A responsible man is prepared to deal with problems should they arise. A responsible man refuses to take a plea when he is innocent. The police state hates a responsible man for he has little use for the grand machine, the State.

As the story goes, in March of 2006 a person was looking to buy some land in Moultonborough, NH. This person missed a connection with a realtor and set off to find a property abutting Ward Bird’s property. Ward, being a responsible man, had his land well posted “No Trespassing”. The real estate shopper passed and ignored 8-9 of said signs on the way out to the Bird’s home. Ward had received a call from his niece, who had run into the real estate shopper, to let him know the shopper was in the area.

When the shopper/trespasser arrived at Ward’s home he told the trespasser to leave, or he waved a gun around and said ‘get the f#$% out of here.’ Either way no shot was fired and the only harm done in the exchange was the trespass upon Bird’s property. Police were called by one or both parties. As far as I know the trespasser was not charged with a crime. Ward Bird was charged with criminal threatening.

Bird, being innocent, refused to take a plea deal which involved no jail time. The first trial of this case ended in a mistrial. The State, having unlimited resources, brought Bird to trial a second time. A jury, public educated I’m sure, found Bird guilty and under minimum sentencing he received 3-6 years in prison. The Supreme Court of NH affirmed the decision on appeal.

Ward reported to the state prison on Nov. 17 and support has been growing in a movement to get him released. As a new mover with the Free State Project to the lakes region, I joined 200 new friends and neighbors at a rally on Thursday Nov 18, at Picnic Rock Farms.

A recent story in the Union Leader newspaper set off my bullshit alarm.

“If you have someone unarmed coming to his property and he knows it, that’s what put it over the edge for us,” said Carroll County Attorney Robin Gordon, the person who decided to prosecute Bird on the felony criminal threatening charge.

Unless Ward Bird is manning a TSA gropepoint at the end of his driveway, he has no way of ‘knowing’ the trespasser is unarmed.

I’m sorry to say there are a lot of legal details missing from this story. I don’t see how you get from a small skirmish to a prison cell. I suspect that Ward Bird is an honest man who didn’t realise he was living in a police state. I suspect he talked to police when he should have said nothing. I had wondered if there was some other reason the police might want to give him a hard time, but those who know Ward know of no previous disputes with the police in Moultonborough.

Ignore the police state at your own peril.

For more information go to; Facebook, RidleyReport, WMUR and FreeWardBird.org

 

Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton

Carl Palidino tell me this is a lie: you donated to two of the worst politicians on the planet, Schumer and Clinton. According to Warren Redlich you gave $1000 to Chuck Schumer in 2009 and $4600 to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. That may be chump change to you but it still smells of the political class purchasing a little friendship. Tell me it’s a lie so I can set the record straight.

Barry Cooper hits NPR

This week on NPR’s This American Life:

Act Two. Taking a Big Pink Eraser to the Thin Blue Line

Michael May tells the story of Barry Cooper, a former crooked narcotics cop who has turned his interest elsewhere… to busting crooked narcotics cops. But after Cooper and a rich benefactor team up to set a trap for the police, Barry’s plans are put in jeopardy- including his dream of creating a reality show called “Kop Busters.” Michael May is the Culture editor at the Texas Observer. You can watch videos of Barry’s police raids at their website. (15 minutes)

The ending seems a little flat as in ‘you can’t fight city hall’ (propaganda phrase). Free Talk Live listeners have more of the background (March 26, March 13) but it does expose the drug war criminals.

Bear In Etna

A little local news for the neighbours. It appears as though a bear hit our bird feeders here along Fall Creek in the hamlet of Etna. Pictures are posted here.

Logan Bell – Liberty Walk

Candidate for 24th Congressional District of NY, Logan Bell, is taking his campaign to the streets. In a real grass-roots effort Logan is walking from Binghamton to Utica spreading his message of liberty. He has been well received along his walk and reports today that he is heading north out of Norwich on route 12.

When he reaches Utica (approximately Thursday noontime) he will deliver a copy of the U.S. Constitution to the office of Rep. Mike Arcuri. Logan believes that the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are the guiding principles for our country and that Arcuri may need to reread the documents.

Logan and supporters in Binghamton NY

Capitalism Is Dead

I hate to break the news but it must be said ‘capitalism is dead’. NY State Assemblywoman, Barbara Lifton, tells us “The recession proved capitalism failed’.

Capitalism Has Failed

I just don’t understand why we didn’t abandon capitalism when it failed us in 1929. We should have tried something a little more socially secure.

Of course, the real problem is ‘legal tender’. It has such a nice name, it’s legal and it’s tender; it’s hard to believe that something with a name like that can be so immoral. The only reason it is ‘legal’ is that nine men in black dresses can benefit from the scheme. And ‘tender’ it is not! It is simply theft. By forcing people to use the money of the Federal Reserve, the bankers are in position to manipulate the economy at their will. We are at the whim of the bankers and the politicians are their puppets.

Capitalism hasn’t failed it’s just gone into hiding, it will return when we’ve had enough of the banker’s manipulations.