Signs of the times

[Lamplighter]

Who would predicted it... a fleeting Pope tweeting !

[toranokaze]

There is also a oddly timed asteroid over Russia that is a death of a king asteroid.

[ZenGum]

Have found stash of hot nuns, screw pontificate. #yolo #vaticanswag

[BigV]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Have found stash of hot nuns, screw pontificate. #yolo #vaticanswag

Please redo your hashtags in Latin.

[ZenGum]

#carpe diem #regalia

[BigV]

Praesignis!

Much more... verus.

[tw]

Graft: from Latin graphium, stylus; see graffito. Is that why all cardinals and the Pope speak Latin?

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Have found stash of hot nuns, screw pontificate. #yolo #vaticanswag

At least it's not a stash of alter boys.

[ZenGum]

You spelled altar wro- ... or did you?

[Flint]

I just have to say it: Sister killed her baby because she couldn't afford to feed it--now they're sendin' people to the moon. In September my cousin tried reefer for the very first time, now he's doin' horse. It's June.

[Lamplighter]

NY Times
SABRINA TAVERNISE and ROBERT GEBELOFF
3/9/13

Share of Homes With Guns Shows 4-Decade Decline

The share of American households with guns has declined over the past four decades,
a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states,
where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.<snip>

The geographic patterns were some of the most surprising in the General Social Survey, researchers said.
Gun ownership in both the South and the mountain region,
which includes states like Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming,
dropped to less than 40 percent of households this decade, down from 65 percent in the 1970s.
The Northeast, where the household ownership rate is lowest, changed the least, at 22 percent this decade,
compared with 29 percent in the 1970s.

Age groups presented another twist. While household ownership of guns among elderly Americans
remained virtually unchanged from the 1970s to this decade at about 43 percent,
ownership among young Americans plummeted. Household gun ownership among Americans
under the age of 30 fell to 23 percent this decade
from 47 percent in the 1970s. The survey showed a similar decline for Americans ages 30 to 44.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Since the White House has been bitterly complaining about the conservatives/NRA/et al, blocking the accumulation of any gun statistics other than commercial sales totals, I'd take these stats with a grain of salt.

The move away from hunting by the younger crowd isn't surprising, many can't be bothered to even get a drivers licence... wussies.
The increasing density of the burbs, would discourage many guns that were formerly bought for plinking or shooting sports. Towns like mine have instituted no discharge of firearms(outdoors) ordinances, although the 3200 member gun club, a few hundred yards from my house, is busy.

One thing I have noticed is less comment by owners about their own collections, in groups other than close friends who already know. It's become a polarizing subject like abortion.

I'd suspect the supposed drop in Wyoming can be attributed to a large population of survivalists that don't tell nobody nothin' nohow, about their preparations for the apocalypse.

I think first and foremost we need more data, which Obama has attempted to institute. Both sides(see, polarizing) are using outdated, incomplete, and downright wrong information to back their arguments. Even neutral, impartial parties, simply don't have enough valid, and current data.

Of course even with good data the emotional content will still be strong, and I think a majority imposing their will on a minority, which the constitution was supposed to prevent, will always be as bad an idea as the other way round.

[Lamplighter]

Since the White House has been bitterly complaining about the conservatives/NRA/et al,
blocking the accumulation of any gun statistics other than commercial sales totals,
I'd take these stats with a grain of salt.

This survey is the biennial "General Social Survey" by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
... and so probably worthy of more than a grain of salt.
The NY Times article is 4 pages, and contains additional information.

The the NRA lobbied Congress to put language in funding bills to prevent
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from publishing data on gun statistics.

The latter is what Obama was criticizing

I agree the "2nd Amendment people" are being much more secretive.
Is it paranoia?
or, just being unpopular among their friends ?
or both !

[xoxoxoBruce]

The NY Times link in your post only gives me 2 pages? But I read that and also the General Social Survey link in the Times article. You have more faith in these small samplings being representative, than I do. People like myself that don't do polls, suspect the people that do, just like to talk and will say anything to keep the contact going. OK, that's a little extreme , but the suspicion is genuine.

I had the unfortunate luck to be chosen by the US Census to be grilled as a follow up to track between the 10 years censuses. This woman hounded me day and night, waking me up(day sleeper), at all hours. Then her supervisor called on the phone leaving messages until I finally talked to him. I told him it was none of his fucking business, and he threatened to have me "brought" to the federal building in Philly for "questioning". My response was bring it on, and he must have been bluffing, because I didn't hear any more.

My impression was the NRA sponsored funding bill restrictions, prevented publishing incidental information that was gathered in there normal data collection, and expressly forbid gathering background information on gun deaths and injuries. This included trying to determine how it happened, to whom, by whom, and their relationship.

I think paranoia is perhaps wishful thinking on your part, like I said, it's a polarized hot button issue that civil people sick of the national divisiveness, prefer to avoid.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Here's a good take from boingboing on why gun violence research is so weak.
Part 1
Part 2