Posted by Scott on February 1st, 2008 — Posted in News
I just read a letter to the men of the world on Allyssa Milan’s blog.
As it seems to me, the letter has a humorous tone even though it addresses serious feelings.
The letter talks about men’s general emotional insensitivity, not about the more extreme abuse that I often post about here. I don’t necessarily agree with all of the advice in the letter, but I definitely recommend reading it and considering its message.
At one point, the letter chastises most men for always trying to “act like a man” so to speak. I think almost everyone looks down upon the attempts that many guys make to seem macho, which comes off as phony and superficial. But I wouldn’t necessarily stop encouraging guys to try to “act like men.” I would just say that hurting people does not qualify as manly, nor does insensitivity towards women. I would suggest that we define manliness as helping other people and taking care of them.
Similarly, I think we can draw a distinction between insensitivity and toughness. Insensitivity refers to not feeling or noticing unpleasant stimuli, whereas toughness refers to withstanding it and dealing with it.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on January 22nd, 2008 — Posted in News
I just read an interesting article by Jeanna Bryner about a study with mice that shows that humans naturally crave violence.
In the study, mice would purposely hit a target that would cause an intruder mouse to come into their cage. The mice would do this so that they could fight.
Additionally, experimentation with the brain-chemistry of the mice showed that mice received pleasure from violence in the same way they do from food and sex. When the scientists used chemicals to block dopamine from the part of the brain that gets pleasure from food and sex, the mice would not press the target as much.
The findings do not surprise me. A propensity towards violence played a helpful role throughout the evolution of our species. Violence helps creatures defend themselves.
This may seem discouraging to those of us who want to prevent violence and reduce violent crime. However, I think we can remember that humans have many primitive desires and many self-destructive impulses.
Humans will choose to avoid violence when they can see that the drawbacks outweigh the immediate pleasure. We also get immediate pleasure from getting high off drugs like heroine, but most people do not do that because they realize that the drawbacks outweigh the immediate pleasure.
Also, we can find healthy outlets for our desire for violence such as sports.
What do you think?
3 Comments »
Posted by Scott on December 25th, 2007 — Posted in News
I hope you have all had a very happy and safe holiday season. If you read this before Christmas ends, then you must leave a comment so that I know you came to read my blog even on Christmas. 
I won’t spend any more of your time or my time tonight, but I will think up a great post for tomorrow.
As always, stay safe and have fun.
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Posted by Scott on November 10th, 2007 — Posted in News
I want to make sure that you all know that this blog has an RSS feed. Here is the URL of this blog’s RSS feed:
http://scottsafetyshop.com/blog/nfblog/wp-rss2.php
If you do not know what an RSS feed is, let me tell you. It is a form of internet syndication. Users can subscribe to RSS feeds, and then they can see the newest posts from these feeds through an RSS feed reader. This allows them to conveniently keep up with new posts from many different websites.
I personally use Google Reader to read RSS subscriptions. For those of you new to RSS, I found a simple service that will allow you to read an RSS feed as an email newsletter. Simply go to Rssfwd.com and enter the RSS URL into the form. (That is the URL from above.) Then, you can put in your email address and choose how often to receive updates.
Please subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed. Thank you!
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Posted by Scott on September 7th, 2007 — Posted in News
I just read a disturbing article about an osteopath caught fondling patients. After two complaints about the 49-year-old osteopath named Owen Bull, an undercover policewoman posed as a patient and caught him in the act. Bull went so far as to try and orally rape one of his patients.
Unfortunately, I imagine incidents like this happen often. I highlight it today to stress the importance of doing background checks on doctors or other professionals before hiring them. More importantly, report any misconduct so that the offender will get caught and cannot continue to assault patients or clients.
Luckily, the judge sentenced Bull to seven and a half years in jail.
What do you think?
4 Comments »
Posted by Scott on August 27th, 2007 — Posted in News
Nancy Dooling released the following information to the press about grants offered by Verizon Wireless to fund violence prevention and education projects:
Verizon Wireless is offering a $2,500 grant to non-profit organizations in the Southern Tier to fund violence prevention and education projects. The company is offering $57,500 in grants throughout Upstate New York. The deadline to apply is Sept. 14.
The grant is being offered to agencies, shelters and other domestic violence advocacy groups to introduce or expand programs, add equipment or enhance facilities to better serve clients.
To qualify, an applicant must be designated a public or private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a valid Internal Revenue Service tax ID based in Broome, Tioga, Chenango or Delaware counties. For an application and additional information, call (585) 321-7264.
I commend Verizon Wireless for offering those grants. I hope the beneficiaries use the money wisely.
I have avoided getting a cellphone from Verizon, because they charge higher security deposits. However, I will consider them next time I get a cellphone, because I prefer to do business with a company that gives back.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on July 29th, 2007 — Posted in News
Security With Advanced Technology announced today that its new non-lethal personal protection device, the Avurt IM-5 launcher, has commenced production and will be available for pre-sales initially on its new website, www.avurt.com, beginning August 1, 2007.
“We are excited about completing the design and development of the first Avurt launcher as well as introducing our new website and commencing pre-sale orders,” said Scott Sutton, president and CEO of Security With Advanced Technology. “Our effort to design a non-lethal personal protection device that is safe, reliable, and effective is approaching the finish line. With the introduction of the IM-5 launcher, consumers now have an unmatched option for non-lethal personal protection.”
The Avurt IM-5 launcher is a small, handheld device that launches up to five PAVA filled projectiles at attackers up to 40 feet away. It’s safe, easy to use, and highly effective at disabling attackers before they get close enough to do harm. The IM-5 launcher’s PAVA filled projectiles are non-lethal, but will leave an attacker choking and temporarily blinded, allowing a victim can escape to safety. It protects from greater distances than Mace or aerosol pepper sprays, and it doesn’t have the potential to be lethal the way firearms or stun guns do.
It seems like this product will help people defend themselves more effectively. Of course, avoidance works better than anything. One can best protect themselves by not getting into situations where they need to fight back. Nonetheless, people can fight back quicker when they do not have to worry about killing anyone.
I hope more people, especially women, arm themselves with these non-lethal self-defense weapons, and take classes to learn to use them effectively as well as learn other self-defense techniques such as avoidance and hand-to-hand combat.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on July 27th, 2007 — Posted in News
I do not know how much national coverage this story received, but since Monday all the news media in Connecticut has greatly covered a triple-homicide home invasion that began at 3 a.m. and involved rape, arson, burglary, and kidnapping.
The horrific story gained so much coverage, because it happened in in the upscale town of Cheshire. If the incident had happened to an inner-city black family, we probably would have never even heard about it.
Nonetheless, my heart goes out to the victims of this tragedy and their family. The direct victims include Dr. William Petit Jr. and his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and their daughters, Hayley, 17, and 11-year-old Michaela. Only Dr. William Petit survived.
This horrible incident irks me even more because the two monsters who committed it, Joshua A. Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes, have extensive criminal records, including various other burglaries and larcenies. In fact, both of the two monsters committed this atrocity while on parole. Before sending Komisarjevsky to prison in 2002, a judge even called him a “cold, calculating predator.”
If the state had never released the two disgusting monsters on parole, then they could not have committed this atrocity.
I have frequently written about the dangerous release of dangerous villains. In fact, the day before the home invasion I posted the following: Keep Dangerous People Locked Up
It seems that the horrific home invasion may have brought some attention to the failures of the current incarceration system–at least the one in Connecticut, my home state. For example, governor Jodi Rell has ordered a “a top-to-bottom assessment of all the procedures and processes involved in charging, sentencing and releasing those convicted of crimes in Connecticut.”
Finally, I just want to reiterate my sympathy for the victims and their family.
1 Comment »
Posted by Scott on July 24th, 2007 — Posted in News
Punk band Anti-Flag will release a new compilation album on October 02, 2007, called A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime. The album will donate some proceeds to The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime. It features five new Anti-Flag studio tracks in addition to recordings of live performances.
I like this idea, which the band apparently got after the bassist’s sister fell victim to violent crime, leaving behind a young daughter and son.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on July 19th, 2007 — Posted in News
While reading through the news today, I saw a disturbing story about a 12-year-old charged with rape in Australia. The story makes me very disappointed. The boy apparently attacked a woman in the middle of the day. I find it disturbing enough when I see all the stories about teenagers committing these horrible acts, but preteens too?!
I think this just shows the danger present in today’s world. We need to take it upon ourselves to protect ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones. Stay safe, learn self-defense, and consider getting self-defense tools, such as pepper spray or stun guns.
What do you think?
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Posted by Scott on July 15th, 2007 — Posted in News
In the world of security, the hardest way to keep a low profile is over telecommunications. Phones and mobile phones alike can be tracked, numbers can be logged, and voices and speech patterns can be recognized even when tracks are covered. There are very few solutions to those who do require a sense of extra security, and The Zero Group is seeking to change the norm in phone security.
The Zero Group is a company based in New York that has the sole purpose of protecting privacy of its users. The features that are provided are astounding; outgoing calls can be changed to appear as a different number to those who receive it. Voice tones and pitch can be changed with the press of a button, to deter voice recognition. And more impressively, the rate at which the receiver hears the caller’s voice can be altered- so virtually no pattern can be found to associate the caller with an actual person.
The features are obviously astounding, especially considering that all that is needed is a phone card. The user dials the access code, dials the number, the number that the user would like to display to the receiver’s caller ID, and finally the user chooses the appropriate voice to use. This is a very simple process, considering the high tech process that is actually being used. Payment for such a service would likely seem expensive, but rates go as low as around $0.89/minute. Considering that there is no way for the caller to track the call, and that spoofing the caller ID is possible, this is a very competitive price.
The application of the Zero-Fone service goes beyond just security. A lot of fun can be had at the expense of others with the caller ID spoofing. This is also a very effective solution to get in touch with those who may have chosen to ignore you. This puts a whole new perspective into pranks, relationships, and anonymity. Even more interestingly, it can be used to deceive the receiver, and information can be extorted through this means of anonymity.
Interestingly enough, there are more than the fine services of The Zero Group. Other services, such as Phone Gangster, are in existence. The Zero Group is considered to be the leading anonymity provider with phones, since they have more features and cheaper rates than the competition. Rates do vary, but the Zero-Fone rates are, on average, much lower than the Phone Gangster counterparts. No one really likes to pay extra for something that offers less service, which is why The Zero Group has raised to the top of the industry.
Even more benefit to the Zero-Fone service is the amount of dedication the company provides. Innovative programs such as the “SupaSMS” service allow users to spoof text messages as well. This completely reinvents what it means to have a sense of security on who is contacting you. In fact, this is why The Zero Group also offers “BackSpoof”, which will tell the user when the number that is calling is real or, in fact, a spoofed number. In addition, custom services are available to high-paying customers. The level of dedication is truly unreal.
The Zero Group is the best solution for those who truly care about security. Pranksters and relationship quarrels and infidelity matters also see high gain from using the service. The price is more than just competitive- it is the lowest around. Without a doubt, The Zero Group has dominated the phone security market- and much more. If security is a priority, The Zero Group likewise makes it their priority.
1 Comment »
Posted by Scott on June 26th, 2007 — Posted in News
Stephanie Paterik recently wrote about Fight Like a Girl. I include an excerpt:
Fighting like a girl may be considered a weakness.
Phoenix business owner Cory Kahabka thinks it is the best thing a woman can do.
Kahabka, president and co-owner of Absotively, which helps merging companies integrate, is a fourth-degree black belt in karate and teaches martial arts on weekends.
For the past two years, he also has been teaching Fight Like a Girl, a rape escape class that is based on the inherent strengths and reactions of women.
“We teach them to use their strength, and their strongest muscles are in their legs,” he said. “So we teach them to lie on their back and use their legs in self-defense situations.”
Kahabka said that when he was first introduced to Fight Like a Girl by Phoenix resident Brad Parker, who developed the class, Kahabka thought it was counterintuitive to tell women to lie on their backs because that is the position a rapist would want them to be in.
“But a woman’s legs are her biggest weapon, and they are aimed right at the attacker,” he said.
Kahabka said that if an attacker sees that a woman is going to put up a fight, he is more likely to back off.
Read entire article by Stephanie Paterik.
I have not seen that method of self-defense in action. It seems dangerous to lie on one’s back to escape rape, but the class gets a lot of credit and praise, and so far I have never heard of an unhappy student.
Of course, I assume running away still works better when viable.
What do you think?
3 Comments »
