Ask Slashdot: Starting From Scratch After a Burglary? 770
New submitter sc30317 writes "My house got robbed on Friday, and all of our electronics got stolen. Everything. Now, I have to go out and buy all new electronics with the insurance money. We had five TVs (don't ask), three laptops, a Bose Sound dock with iPod, a digital camera, and a desktop stolen. It's looking like I am going to get around $10K from the insurance company to replace everything. What would you do if you had to replace ALL of your technology in your house at once? I'm thinking:
replace TVs; nice Desktop; new speakers; and new, cool stuff I don't know about (suggestions welcome). I already added a DVR security system, so hopefully the new things won't get burgled! Looking for suggestions to utilize my money in order to get the best stuff. Also, no Windows computers allowed in my house."
First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
Buy a mean dog.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Funny)
This is slashdot. Recommend buying a Boston Dynamics Big Dog.
Attractive nuisance (Score:4, Funny)
This is slashdot. Recommend buying a Boston Dynamics Big Dog.
This might lead to the expansion of the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine [wikipedia.org] to include Slashdot users in addition to children.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Funny)
or insist that your burbclave invest in a Rat Thing.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
"That means you'd get 2 shots. Hope you don't miss or your ass is dead."
This isn't nearly as stupid advice as you'd think. Any competent person only needs 1 shot with a 20 gauge shotgun loaded with the appropriate ammo, especially inside a house or other structure. On top of that, a wound from a single shot of a weapon like that is far worse than a couple of rounds from an AR-15. I shoot you in the hip twice with an AR-15, you're in a lot of pain and probably down for the count. I shoot you once with a 20 gauge at less than 10 yards in the hip, you're going to need reconstructive surgery assuming you don't bleed to death on the spot. Plus, I guess you've never fired a shotgun indoors. They are LOUD. Like bowel-voidingly loud. If there are multiple burglars I really don't think they'll be sticking around to see how many rounds you've got after the first shot deafens everyone and puts one of their number on the floor with a fist sized hole in them.
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
Competent? One shot? People miss, and miss a lot, for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes it's because they are not competent. Sometimes it's just because they are nervous and miss. Sometimes the bad guy is moving. Sometimes there is more than one bad guy. Sometimes the bad guy is shooting back and they have to return fire from cover. The number of reasons that more than one shot might be needed is very high.
Well, that's a very subjective statement. A single shot from a 20 gauge shot gun to the pinky finger is far less critical than an 5.56 between the eyes or through the heart. A shotgun, especially a lower powered one like a 20 gauge, is far less likely to kill someone than an AR-15 when shot from the same distance to the same area. Add any kind of ballistic armor and now the 20 gauge is almost useless. Not that bad guys rock bullet proof vests a lot. The point is, an AR-15 is actually a lot more deadly than a 20 gauge single shot shot gun. And if you're worried about shooting through the walls with an AR-15 you can always use hollow point bullets.
The biggest problem with Joe's plan of shooting warning shots, and his problems are numerous, is that if you have a double barrel shot gun and you shoot two shots into the air you're left with an unloaded weapon. If the bad guy has a weapon you're now in a shootout with an unloaded gun. Not only will the bad guy now be shooting to kill, but you'll have to reload, While being shot at.
Using a shotgun is a double edge sword. The good part is that is doesn't shoot through walls so you're not going to hit anyone in other rooms. But that's also a bad part, if the bad guy has a gun and is shooting at you through the wall, you can't return fire with a shotgun. Shotguns are easy to aim, but they lack the ability to choose what you're shooting at. If someone you don't want to hit is near someone you do want to hit, you're kinda out of luck. A bad thing about a shotgun is that it's quite long, and turning around inside a narrow hallway can be a pain, but the same can be said for an AR-15.
Double barrel and single shot shotguns lack a pump, so there's no way to "warn" the bad guy that you might be sending a cloud of buckshot at him. As mentioned before, double barrel shotguns only have two shots, which is really not enough. If you miss twice, for whatever reason you're in trouble. Using the pump on a pump shotgun is probably enough to scare off even armed bad guys, after all, they want to live just as much as the next guy. However, when you're actually shooting at an armed bad guy, that's a whole other story, you leave the bad guy no choice but to return fire.
Why the fuck does Joe's wife need a god damn shotgun, or any gun? They live at the US Naval Observatory and have a full time contingent of heavily armed marines and secret service agents! All of which are armed with AR-15s, 9mm, G36's, Hand grenades etc.. If Joe's and his wife still have a need for guns, than certainly it can be argued that those of us without heavily armed guards need weapons.
And of course the grand overriding argument is that we don't maintain weapons to fend off crooks, that's just a useful benefit. The real reason we have gobs of high powered rifles with large magazine capacities is so we can stand a chance if ever a need rises to water the tree of liberty. Once you give up a freedom for "public safety" or any other reason, it's almost impossible to get it back. We do not need to overthrow the government we have today, but we are always only one generation from a complete Soviet style tyranny. I've heard the argument "what's an AR-15 going to do to a tank or an F-22". Well, the tank crew doesn't live in the tank, and the
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
Even more reason for a *double* barreled shotgun. Your fancy AR-15 with the 30 round clip isn't going to do much if the first round in the chamber misfires and jams, but the chances that both barrels of a shotgun will not work is pretty tiny.
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Funny)
Where the hell do you live? Soweto? Nuevo Laredo? Aleppo? Kabul?
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Informative)
Your reasoning is flawed. In the US you are far more likely to get shot during a robbery, precisely because people keep guns in their homes so burglars bring their own too. Armed robbery is pretty rare in countries where you can't easily acquire guns.
The problem perpetuates itself. Robbery-murders increase so more people buy guns, so more criminals start to carry them for protection too. It becomes impossible to get rid of all the guns. The US is now screwed because everyone is locked in to an arms race.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
Na get a nice lovable dog.and protection training an aggressive dog is useless / dangerous. That said a nice female defending her home will ripe the face off anybody not supposed to be there.while your newborn can grab yank and otherwise harass her and she will just look at you for help.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
I had a female huskey while living in an apartment growing up, and we could be rough with that dog to our hearts content and she'd either love to play, or would just get annoyed and run off. One day someone jumped the fence and broke the glass door into the apartment, and all we saw when we got home (other than the glass) was a nice bit of blood and a trail going back towards the fence.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
A dog will let the members of his pack do a lot to him. Some stranger shows up on the scene, and watch out.
We had a little dog (terrier poodle cross), friendliest and silliest little dog you could imagine, and one day we had a building inspector come over to the place we were renovating for a surprise inspection. Our little dog picked up on our stress, and stood between us and the inspector bearing his teeth. He knew this was an unwanted stranger, and despite his small size, his instincts to protect the pack from danger kicked in.
It really is surprising (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems like almost all dogs can get really protective when they feel the need, even when you wouldn't think so.
We had a really doofy standard poodle. She was an idiot, even on the demeaning scale of dog intelligence. If dogs rode buses, she'd ride the short one. The most loving dog you ever saw. Just wanted to be petted and cuddled and lay on your lap (despite being 90 pounds, she thought she was a lap dog) all day, every day. The least fearsome beast I'd ever met.
Then one day I'm taking the dogs on a walk. A friend of mine is biking by and decides to try and scare me, so he yells as he rides by. The poodle goes in to attach mode. Fangs bared, loud, menacing barks, back down on her legs ready to lunge. She then recognized him and turned in tot eh friendly teddy bear she usually is.
I never thought she had it in her, but she was ready to kill.
Re: (Score:3)
True dat!
A female lab or shepard of breeding age. A bitch that can be a real bitch!
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Interesting)
A large dog with a protective streak (like a Great Pyrenees!) make amazing guard dogs. When they "stand" (e.g., put their front paws up on something)... well, ours gets close to 6' tall when he's upright. 30" at his hind quarters right now, and he's about 8 months old... over 90lbs probably. He is not a nice looking dog when he thinks you are a threat and barks to tell you so. On the other hand... he's remarkably gentle, especially with kids (livestock guardian dog by breed - we do live on an acre and will have some livestock), loving (if rather independent and sometimes resents being told or forced to do something), and is more or less like a giant teddy bear that gets really upset when something is on his property that isn't supposed to be. Really upset... though, in general, they try to bark/scare off, not attack.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
http://realsentrygun.com/ [realsentrygun.com]
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Funny)
You pipe over a loudspeaker
"there is going to be a test. You probably won't pass."
In GLaDOS voice!!
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Funny)
++ if you train the dog to use it.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Interesting)
Barking dog is good. Don't need mean.
My friend's house was broken in twice. Their barking dog didn't help at all. First time she was thrown out of the window and was found wandering outside later, and the second time she was locked up in a closet.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
A gun isn't necessarily the best approach for home protection for someone who isn't comfortable with the moral and legal ramifications of the decision to actually use it.
A can of Bear Spray (a spray-paint sized can of strong pepper spray) will disable just about anyone short of a meth-crazed psycho (and almost all burglars simply aren't meth-crazed psychos). For someone who might hesitate using a gun, or keeps the gun safely locked up (and hence unavailable) at home, this is probably the superior solution - there's generally no need to hesitate on it's use, you can leave it unlocked, and if you are faced with a meth-crazed psycho you're probably not going to get your gun unlocked, loaded, and fire an effective shot in time anyway. If your kids get their hands on it, the worst thing that'll happen is a very unpleasant experience; no ones gonna blow anyones head off.
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Funny)
Hell, here in New Orleans, if you shoot the bastard and he somehow makes it out of your house to die in the front yard, the cops here are usually nice enough to help you drag the body back indoors before they take the pics, etc....to help keep things 'neater'.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
You're never going to talk a hardened criminal or a desperate junkie out of hurting you to get whatever they want. At some point, it's you or them.
Civilized people must be prepared to abandon their civility when the time comes.
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Insightful)
Barbarian? That is quite telling. You can't tell the difference between a person defending his home, and the barbarian who broke into his home. No wonder our "justice system" is so messed up.
Shoot the thief dead, dead, dead, and hope that he hasn't bred yet!
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Insightful)
Actually that would be how kids fight. Adults generally limit themselves. Probably because of the whole civilized and laws thing.
Re:First purchase (Score:4, Funny)
Re:First purchase (Score:5, Funny)
they're just going to shoot the dog, or kill it with the crowbar they used to get the door open.
That's why you don't want a yappy dog. You get one that just stands there, in the dark. And then tears the throat out of the intruder once they walk around the corner in the hallway.
Joke:
This burglar breaks into a house. After walking around in the dark for a few moments, he hears a voice, "Jesus is watching you."
Looking around, he sees a parrot, and sees it repeat, "Jesus is watching you."
He chuckles and says, "Really? What's your name, parrot?"
The parrot replies, "Moses."
The burglar says, "Who would name a parrot Moses?"
"The same guy who named the Rottweiler Jesus."
If you had a Windows computer (Score:4, Funny)
They wouldn't have stolen your shit. Just saying...
Re:If you had a Windows computer (Score:4, Interesting)
Modded funny . . . ? I just got back from a business trip to Brussels. The folks there told me that their office was recently burglarized. The thieves took valuable iPads, but didn't touch worthless ThinkPad W520s.
So there is value, in having something, that doesn't look valuable.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
To you, minus, to grandparent, plus.
Craigslist (Score:4, Funny)
>> What would you do if you had to replace ALL of your technology in your house at once?
Go on Craigslist and buy all your old crap back for ten cents on the dollar.
Re: (Score:3)
Yes, this. Or better yet, by different crap. These days I'd replace all TVs with either projectors or tablets, depending upon room size. Ryko boxes are nice and cheap (under ~$80) and will save you the cable bill, and there is plenty of video available on the web.
I'd also replace my wired broadband connection at this point with a cellular hot spot I can take with me when the whole family goes on vacation.
Forget single-use media players; Android or iOS phones replace them entirely.
And yes, all of this is
Re:Craigslist (Score:4, Insightful)
why the fuck you would like a projector in 50-60" size? only get a projector if you really need 100"+..
cellular hotspots suck ass if you compare them to decent wired internet - and if you have data and smartphone you already have one.
save your money.. (Score:3, Insightful)
sorry about your loss (Score:3, Interesting)
...However, I would be worried about how to replace the content that was lost. Going to work on cutting a backup copy this weekend myself.
Re: (Score:3)
Aren't you using the cloud? Everybody's using the cloud.
Personal Information (Score:5, Insightful)
If they have your desktop then they likely have all of your personal information. I would be rather worried about that portion of the theft and would be curious how one would work to make sure that the information they stole would be useless.
Re:Personal Information (Score:5, Funny)
If someone wants all the information to become useless, they would need to:
- close all credit cards and get new ones from different companies
- close all bank accounts and open new ones to a different bank
- get a divorce or get married, whatever changes your marital status
- change your name, race, hair color, eye color, sex, religion and language
- move to another country so that all details of the address are obsolete
- close your Facebook account and open a Google+ account
Now, I know that last step seems impossible to do, but don't give up, you can do it!
Re:Personal Information (Score:4, Funny)
He's posting to slashdot. Chances are he runs encrypted root.
Re:Personal Information (Score:4, Interesting)
Everyone asks why on earth you'd want to use Bitlocker or Truecrypt. Here's the reason.
Wait to see what you need based on use. (Score:5, Insightful)
Buy nothing. Wait for a need; then research what fits it best.
You've been given an opportunity in disguise here.
Do you really want all that stuff that consumes time? Only one way to tell: wait for yourself to need it, then buy it as you determine those needs based on what you actually use.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Wait to see what you need based on use. (Score:5, Insightful)
We had the remarkably unpleasant experience of having a house fire two years ago. While the structure itself was alright, just about everything in the house was destroyed due to the smoke and heat, including almost all of our electronics. 3 desktops, 2 laptops, an old Proliant server, 2 UPS's, Printer, 2 TV's, fax machine, scanner, DVD players, 3 cameras.....you get the idea. When we moved back in, electronics wise, we bought only what we missed. The 3 desktops were replaced with one that was faster (and cheaper) than the ones it replaced, the printer by a print/fax/scan combo unit, the 2 TV's were consolidated to one, blah, blah.
Point being, do wait until you see what you need. You'll likely end up with a smaller, but more useful, pile of equipment in the end.
Re:Wait to see what you need based on use. (Score:5, Interesting)
Unfortunately a lot of the time insurance claims don't work this way. I had a lightning strike recently that took out 90% of my electronics.
My policy was "new for old", but until I bought the "new", I received only the depreciated value of the "old".
If it were only this, I would still advocate your strategy, however there was also a 6 month time limit to purchase the "new", send receipts in, and get reimbursed for the depreciation.
Long story short - you may lose out on a lot of money if you don't replace that stuff now.
Re: (Score:3)
So replace it and sell it. Especially for anything that is getting cheaper in a hurry like TVs.
Re:MOVE OUT while there's less stuff (Score:5, Insightful)
Crime is as low as it's been in 30 years, violent crime even more so. This image that our society is crumbing is one that is produced by the media and backed up by the human instinct to remember 'the good old days'.
Wait (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't replace anything right away. Wait until you know what you miss the most. When you miss 'it' the most, note why. Once you have the what and why, start shopping for the best fit, new or old.
B-)
Burglar? (Score:5, Funny)
Also, no Windows computers allowed in my house. (Score:4, Insightful)
So you can afford, maybe two new decent Macs?
Re: (Score:3)
Geek gadgets (Score:3)
Go here [thinkgeek.com], keep adding random stuff until you reach $10k.
Much better than wasting money on TVs.
Unrelated question (Score:3)
I am going to get around $10K from the insurance company
What's your insurance company?
They'll Be Back (Score:5, Insightful)
Whatever you decide on, don't buy everything all at once. They'll be casing your place again in a few days because they know you'll be replacing everything with nice NEW stuff.
Re:They'll Be Back (Score:5, Insightful)
brainboyz is right - take your time. You can use the time to research the stuff and decide if you really need to replace all 5 TV's. Also, if you throw out the boxes, cut them up and don't advertise the fact that you bought a big new 58" TV. You don't say how they got in, but after my house was broken into (the burglars destroyed the door) my insurance company paid for a new door. As part of the project, I got a security screen door. This will not a determined burglar, but it will slow them down enough so that they will look for an easier place to hit.
How is the service? (Score:5, Funny)
Basically, would you hire him again, when it is time to do the next round of upgrades?
Re: (Score:3)
Don't give slashdot ideas, you might just trigger a massive wave of insurance companies going bust.
On second thoughts screw the insurance companies..
A rare chance to rebuild your tech collection (Score:3)
Had this happen last year. Came home late at night on Christmas 2011 to a broken basement window and saw that all my electronics had been stolen - TV, laptop, desktop, game system, etc. While it was certainly pretty frustrating (especially dealing with the police (hint: don't expect much) and insurance company), eventually I realized that it was actually a good opportunity to rebuild my tech collection from scratch.
In other words, think about what devices you didn't use much, and how to replace that functionality with other things you have. For me, this was:
- an early 40" LCD ($1200 circa 2007). It was 1080p, but it was a monster to move anywhere and too small to make watching HD content worthwhile when sitting across the room. Still, it worked fine - I wasn't going to go buy another one. I also don't watch much TV to begin with, so it went days without being turned on. So, I replaced it with an Epson HD projector ($800). Sure, the lamp life is less, but I don't use it more than a few hours/week anyway.
- a Blu-ray player (bought in 2008 for $160) replaced with a PS3 ($200 on eBay).
- an Apple time capsule ($300) replaced with FreeNAS (in virtual sandbox) on desktop computer (free, since I was replacing the desktop anyway).
Keep it simple? (Score:4, Insightful)
Buy less junk to steal. Spend your money on 'experiences'. Travel, art, fun, whatever...
You say don't ask, but I just have to... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why only 5 TVs ?
Inventory (Score:3)
For the future, consider inventorying, photographing, and valuating as many possessions -- no matter how seemingly negligible. Then ensure that your insurance policy actually covers the cost of replacing as much as possible at full retail value.
There are apps [apartmenttherapy.com], applications [toptenreviews.com], and web apps [getbelongings.com] which enable you to realistically valuate your possessions, to ensure that your insurance company is giving you a fair amount for theft.
"...all of our electronics got stolen." (Score:4, Insightful)
You're free! Don't put your chains back on!
I would (Score:3)
An Actual Answer to the Question (Score:3)
Besides everybody else saying what to security equipment(dogs, guns, CTVs, etc) & how you are a snob for not wanting Windows or some other OS, how about some real suggestions.
I'd first start with the non-PC related tech. TVs, cameras, game systems, etc. Those usually have a fixed cost involved, and there usually isn't too many ways you can cheap out on them without getting screwed buying crap. Figure up what you want & how you want it arranged in your house, then go from there.
Next I'd look at your PC related tech & networking equipment. What do you want to do with your PCs & how do you want to integrate them into your entertainment setup?
Personally, I have a media server and then a media system hooked up to each of my TVs for media sharing. I run MythTV for my DVR needs. Since MythTV is WAY easier to setup on a Linux system, that fits nicely with your no Windows rule. But others don't like Myth or are unable to utilize its DVR service and there are better media sharing services out there, so use what works best. Then I have Samba shares setup for out of Myth media additions & viewing. One of the shares is monitored by my torrent service, so I can drop torrent files there from any PC & have it automatically add them. My total media PC equipment costs are only about $1500 - $2000.
Buy wisely (Score:3)
I've been there myself and the number 1 advice I can give is "don't rush".
Getting a big chunk of money to replace is really great but be a bit more tactical. You can live without all of it for a little while so bone up on whats current and upgrade cycles and spend wisely. Also as someone wisely mentioned above - re-evaluate if you *really* need everything back like for like!
Personally if it was me, if it's cash and not receipted value I'd replace most kit with nearly new via ebay / gumtree / whatever and save the leftover money for a rainy day. It's a recession after all and chunks of cash are hard to come by! Also, being harsh but logical - lots of people hit hard by the recession sell off expensive kit cheap when they need the money desperately. It sucks for them big time but for you it could be a boon.
Wow, no real suggestions yet (Score:3)
I stopped reading comments after a while. Nothing but suggestions on security, windows jokes, and shotguns. I probably missed some good comments but let me add my own.
Personally, the first thing I would do is pick the "ecosystem" you want to play in. You a Google, Apple, MS person? For all the convergence devices, this is important to decide right away. I'm personally an Apple guy and like how all the devices sync up and it works for me...but the price is I bought in and know the limitations (For example, If I want Amazon prime on my Apple TV, I'm out of luck).
One of the nice thing is you can start standardizing on a brand for TV's and other audio/visual electronics. Most of the brands have some sort of link (proprietary?) that allows their TVs, receivers, players to work together fairly well without using universal remotes. Unfortunately, I bought most of my gear over time and many brands and only a few things are happy working together :(
Sorry that I can just suggest "the" brand to go with. I've had a robbery before and it sucks to have to rebuild. My own funny little story: I had a robbery in 1991 that told me that albums were going to die at the hands of CDs. The thief took my receiver, tape deck, 6 CD player and the heavy speakers....but left the turn table.
Whatever you do... (Score:5, Insightful)
When you do buy new stuff don't put the empty boxes out - the bar-stewards will be waiting to see those too
Re:Whatever you do... (Score:4, Funny)
Double dip? I've been burgled 8 times now this past year and not once has a burglar come for a return trip!
Sign (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Shotgun and big scary dog. (Score:4, Informative)
You are aware that guns are a prime target of thieves?
The dog may be a good idea, but guns are not nearly as good for home defense as people make them out to be. Especially since robbers do not rob you when you are home. They wait till you leave, then rob you.
You want to get an attacker (and everyone else) out of your house fast? Then use pepper spray.
Re: (Score:3)
But if the burglars are too busy stealing your guns, they might skip over your electronics.
So that advice made sense after all!
Re:Shotgun and big scary dog. (Score:5, Informative)
If they're robbing you, you're there. If you're not there, they're burgling you.
Re: (Score:3)
You should be able to get a top of the line shotgun
Why? So they can steal all of his high tech gear AND the shotgun? Guns only work when there's someone there to point and shoot them* and if there's someone there to point and shoot them, the burglars wouldn't be there in the first place.
*Cue the links to automatic, self-aiming sentry guns [youtube.com].
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Informative)
"Burgled" is correct in British / International English. Only Americans use the hideous "burglarized".
Re:Dictionary (Score:4, Insightful)
To be fair, I'm American and I use the word burgled as buglarized is such a hideous word. I have no idea how long it's going to take to convert the rest of the country though.
Best Buy (Score:3, Funny)
Just pull up to your nearest Best Buy and get what they have in stock. Can't go wrong there. Just make sure to buy all Monster Cables and buy the extended warranty.
Re:Best Buy (Score:5, Funny)
Just make sure to buy all Monster Cables and buy the extended warranty.
Come on! He only got $10K from the insurance!
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Interesting)
Some other words do fit the pattern. Antagonists don't antagon, they antagonize. Capitalists don't capital, they capitalize. But, communists could either commune or communize, with somewhat different meaning.
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Funny)
When the enterprising burglar's not a-burgling
When the cutthroat isn't occupied in crime
He loves to hear the little brook a-gurgling
And listen to the merry village chime
"Aluminium" (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually American English in key respects is the most divergent in spelling, and you will find that most other countries where English is dominant (ie. Canada, the UK, Australia) or very common (India) tend towards British spelling. I notice this is changing in Canada where the "u" in words like "colour" and "neighbour" is being dropped.
Re:Dictionary (Score:4, Informative)
In continental Europe it seems to be moving towards some kind of hybrid, with Americanisms more common than they used to be. I assume this is because all the kids who learn English as a 2nd language are influenced by the internet and U.S.-produced television/movies/games.
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Funny)
I suggest a dictionary.
Didn't you read the summary? They took EVERYTHING.
Re:Dictionary (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Dictionary (Score:4, Funny)
It's a perfectly cromulent word.
Re:buy a security system + cameras (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:buy a security system + cameras (Score:5, Insightful)
"Burglars generally show up when the house is empty...."
If you're home, it's robbery.
Re:buy a security system + cameras (Score:4, Informative)
Actually, computers are a lot more valuable to criminals than to people on Craig's list. I'm guessing that if they stole the computer, they were probably hoping to get ID information and log ins off the HDD and didn't have time to disassemble the computer to just get at that.
Still, I'm a bit surprised that they would risk that given that they already took laptops.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Traps (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
If you re-read the comment above, he didn't mention assalut weapons or a gun registry and you didn't respond to the issues he raised.
It would be pleasant if people on both sides of an issue could actually understand each other and agree that they actaully agree on some things. I guess that would be too much damage to people's world view where one side is "bad" and the other is "good".
Re: (Score:3)
Really just commenting to undo mod. I feel that parts of the second half of your comment are flamebait, while the first half is spot on.
Re: (Score:3)
I would say the opposite.
You can't always be home to shoot people in the face, but you can always count on the vast wealth disparity and a societies that makes it impossible for criminals to reform to generate new robberies.
Re: (Score:3)
That's the part I disagree with. I like to think that it's not my fault that some guy is out robbing. I like to believe that it's his fault he turned to a life of crime.
It's not all your fault, you only bear a tiny slice of the blame. But it's equally not all his fault. He didn't choose to have people treat him unfairly. We've collectively created a system (which includes you, but it also includes me) which increases disparity of wealth. Average citizens contribute to it by paying their taxes, by giving their money to soulless corporations, and by not asking enough questions which leads to more of the same kind of behavior. We seldom ask the questions whose answers we fear
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Really just commenting to undo mod. I feel that parts of the second half of your comment are flamebait, while the first half is spot on.
Please explain which parts are flamebait? I do not propose a solution, only state a fact. We know that poor people commit more crimes, some to survive and some to make themselves feel better about themselves (empowered.) That's not an indictment of poor people, it's an indictment of a system that creates poor people.
Now, if I declared that I had a solution and that it was the only solution, that would be flamebait. It would also almost certainly be bullshit.
Re: (Score:3)
5 Vizio 60" tvs - $5k
5 Nexus 10 Tablets with Keyboard Folios - $2.5k
Vacation to the Bahamas - $2.5k
Come back after it's all been stolen again and repeat.
Re:Buy All Used Electronics! (Score:4, Funny)
Except for hipsters. They likely already stole his turntable and cassette deck!
Re:Items for your house (Score:4, Funny)