Incomplete Picture from the NY Times

The New York Times contains an editorial on January 4, 2012 entitled "Reckless Disregard for Safety". In it, they write:

"A review of state databases of criminal court cases and concealed carry licensees found more than 2,400 permit holders with felony or misdemeanor convictions over the past five years, excluding traffic-related offenses."

Comparing NC and Texas

• 5 years from 2005-2009, inclusive:
• Convictions of CHL holders
• NC: 2,400
• TX: 645*
• TX: Total convictions: 314,317
  
• In 2009 alone:
• CHL holders
• NC: 240,000
• TX: 402,914
• Convictions of CHL holders
• NC: 480 (0.2% of CHL population), (estimated from 2,400/5 years)
• TX: 101 (0.025% of CHL population)
• Texas data
• 2009 population: 24,782,302*
• 2009 total convictions: 65,561 (0.265% of the population)

This is not heavy-lifting math:

• 2009 convictions of TX CHL holders: 0.025% of the CHL population
• 2009 convictions overall in TX: 0.265% of the overall population
• The conviction rate of CHL holders was less than 1/10 that of the general population, in Texas. I didn't see the NY Times report THAT.

I stand by the rigorous Federal and State background checks, the mandated education, and the proficiency that must be displayed before licenses can be granted in Texas. Other states have less stringent requirements. (For my Indiana license, there was no mandated education or proficiency.)


Note that NC's conviction rate of CHL holders is roughly equivalent to that of the general population's conviction rate in Texas. Taking only these two states, the differences of rigorous background checks and qualification for a CHL might make an impact. That's an analysis that would be worth doing.


Let's look at the data, and then raise the national standard to that of Texas and not lower the qualifications to those of North Carolina. 

I'm a CHL instructor in Texas, and I speak for myself and not the state, other instructors, or even for my Labradors. Not for my employer. Just me.

*Texas population data come from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas CHL and conviction numbers come from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

n.b.: The population covers all age groups, the CHL population in Texas is, generally, over 21 (there are a few exceptions). So the overall crime convictions are against a larger population sample size (skewing the overall numbers lower, not the CHL numbers) than a fairer comparison against only the population over 21.

Lenses, Light, and Shutter Speed

Overview

Here’s a little background on shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity… and how focal length of the lens plays into that as well. Don’t let any of those terms concern you at this point; they’ll all be made clear.

You may have heard the phrase “cheap, fast, good: you can have any two”. It’s kind of like that with light and photographic images.

You can do four things to increase the light available for a photograph; each has tradeoffs, and numbers 2, 3, and 4 will be discussed in the following sections:

1. Turn up the lights, wait for the sun to come out, or use a flash
2. Decrease the shutter speed – which allows the light that is available to shine on the sensor in the camera for a longer time
3. Open the aperture of the lens more – which allows more light to pass through the lens and get to the sensor
4. Increase the sensitivity of the sensor itself

Shutter speed: How long the shutter is open, exposing the sensor to light.

The slower the shutter speed, the longer the shutter is open and the more light that is allowed through. 1/30 second is about the slowest you can shoot with a handheld camera and a 50mm lens without getting blur from camera shake. Shutter speeds can be as high as 1/16,000 second on some cameras (think “photo of polar bear in a snowy field on a cloudless, sunny day at noon”). Taking pictures of stars, etc. often means leaving the shutter open for minutes at a time … but it requires a tripod. Taking pictures of fast-moving subjects – sports, etc., - requires a faster shutter speed (at least 1/125 second; I prefer 1/250 second) so you freeze a subject in time.

Aperture: The opening of the lens that allows light through. It’s also called “f-stop”.

A smaller f-stop number (f1.4, f1.8, f2.8) means a wider lens opening and lets significantly more light through to the sensor or the film … a larger f-stop (f8, f11, f16, f22) means a smaller lens opening that lets less light through but provides a greater “depth of field” (area that will be in focus). This works the same way that our eye’s iris does, and relates to why we can see better in bright light (more things are in focus) than we can in the dark. At a setting of f22, a substantial area in front of and behind the item focused on will be in focus. For portrait work, where you might want the foreground and background blurred and only the subject in focus, you could use a smaller f-stop number (larger aperture opening) of f1.4 or f1.8.

The tradeoff works something like this

For the best possible image, allowing for a fast moving subject and the greatest depth of field (area that is focused), you would want:

• Low ISO setting (ISO 100)
• High shutter speed (1/500 second)
• Small aperture (high f-stop) setting – f16, f22

Settings such as those, though, require a LOT of light. It’s one of the reasons that movie sets and television studios are so bright.

Working in a “low light” situation requires adjustments. If you must have a fast shutter speed, you can have a wider aperture (f1.8, f2.8), but that gets you only so far.

So … you need a fast shutter speed, and you’d like a smaller lens opening (higher f-stop), and you can’t change the amount of light falling on the subject. What do you do? You increase the ISO sensitivity of the sensor. The tradeoff here becomes one of image quality.

ISO Sensitivity: The speed with which the sensor gathers light.

•       Lower ISO = slower light gathering (and better image quality).

•       Higher ISO = faster light gathering (and lower image quality).

ISO Sensitivity is the equivalent of the old ASA number for film … “slower” film had lower ASA numbers; “faster” film had higher ASA numbers. The speed – slow vs. fast – refers to how quickly the film can collect light. “Fast” film could collect light faster … you could have less light, or use faster shutter speeds (how long the film is exposed to light) with fast film (ASA 400, for example). The price paid, however, was one of image quality: you would see more graininess from a faster film.

In the digital world, instead of film, there’s a sensor. In the pocket cameras, it’s about the size of your little fingernail. In Digital SLRs, it can be as large as a piece of 35mm film. (In very high-end systems, if can be a few inches across … but you pay $30,000 for a system such as that.) The size of the sensor has a lot to do with the quality of the final image. Another factor is the ISO setting used. “100” is a typical setting, but that’s a (relatively) “slow” setting … remember, this is NOT shutter speed … it’s the speed with which the sensor collects light. Since this is digital technology, not film, you can change the ISO setting of the sensor from one picture to the next. The lower the setting, the better the quality of the saved image, but more light is required as well. “More light” can be obtained by brighter lights, having the lens aperture open wider, or having the sensor exposed to light for a longer time (e.g., a slower shutter speed).

Higher ISO settings in digital cameras are achieved by putting more energy into the sensor and actually making it hotter. The downside of that is that it adds an amount of noise to the image – the equivalent of “graininess” in a faster film.

Long Lenses

Adding a longer lens to the mix doesn’t complicate things that much, but there are some “givens”:

• The more elements in the lens (e.g., the more pieces of glass), the more light gets dispersed along the way. Zoom lenses typically have more lens elements.
• The cheaper / lower quality the lens, the less light transmission (e.g., the more light gets absorbed or scattered along the way by the lens material). Cost increases markedly for zoom lenses with small f-stop numbers (a 300mm lens that will do f1.8 at its widest opening will be substantially more expensive than a 300mm lens that will do only f3.5 at its widest opening).

The additional factor here is that your shutter speed is the only way to make sure you freeze the subject and don’t get affected by camera shake – which, unfortunately, is amplified in long and zoom lenses.

A good “rule of thumb” for handheld photographs with long lenses is “1 over the focal length”. For example, if you’re using a 300mm lens, the slowest shutter speed you can use without seeing blurring from camera shake is 1/300 second. If you’re using a 400mm lens, the slowest shutter speed is 1/400 second. (With a tripod, of course, it doesn’t really matter – except with a moving subject, you’ll still want a faster shutter speed.)

Summary

So, with the following conditions:

• You’re using a longer lens, and
• You want a fast shutter speed (to reduce lens shake and freeze a sports image), and
• Your aperture is already set as wide as it can be, and
• There’s no way to increase the amount of light shining on the subject (e.g, you’re too far away to use a flash), then…

the ONLY way to accomplish your goal of a properly-exposed image is to increase the ISO sensitivity of your image sensor. And you get some slight degradation of the image (compared to one taken with a lower ISO setting) in the process.

Experiment! See what works best for you. Unlike with film, you get to see your results right away.

Important Considerations for 2012

Every year I prepare a list of the things I think folks should do, get done, consider, or proactively decide not to do – not just let fall by the wayside. Here’s this year’s!

Finances and Identity 

1. Get a copy of your credit reports from each of the three credit reporting agencies. You get one for free each year from each of them: know precisely where you stand. Don’t fall for their ploys to get you to subscribe to a (pretty worthless) “credit watch” service … although you may want to purchase a copy of your Fair, Isaac (FICO) score for a nominal fee from one of the agencies. If you opt for one of the “consolidated” reports (which you often must pay for), you’ll have to fight any inaccuracies only in writing. By getting the report directly from each of the agencies, you can dispute and resolve most problems on-line. While you’re at the reporting agency’s site, take time to opt-out from pre-approved credit offers (so a pre-approved application doesn’t land in your mailbox, waiting for someone to steal it … and your identity …).
• The free reports (the really free ones) are available only through
www.annualcreditreport.com. You may wish to spread these out so you get one from a different agency every four months and keep an eye on things throughout the year.
• If you’re interested in your FICO score alone, you can go to http://myfico.com and purchase it for a nominal fee.

2. Consider putting a security freeze on your credit report.    
• Upsides
• No one (including you) can open “instant credit”. It takes additional action on your part to unfreeze your reports first.
• You must have a special identification number to open your credit file (the number is sent to you when you request the freeze).
• Companies you’re already doing business with can continue to access your information

• Downsides:
• You have to plan ahead if you want to open a bank account, line of credit, or investing account with a new institution.
• Depending on which state you live in, the cost for freezing your history with each agency may cost you up to $10.
• Depending on which state you live in, it may cost you an additional $10 with each agency to “unfreeze” your credit to open a new line (I have successfully negotiated reimbursement for that to come from the company that wants to grant me credit, however)

Further information on security freezes is available at the web sites for each of the three agencies (the specific links change from time to time, so here are the landing pages):

• www.experian.com
• www.transunion.com
• www.equifax.com

3. Get a copy of your LexisNexis Full File, and choose whether you want to opt out of their system (if you work in law enforcement, are a previous victim of identity theft, or meet certain other criteria), and/or put a security freeze on your file (if you live in certain states) with them: https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/access_your_personal_information.jsp
   
4. Assess your risk of identity theft at http://www.myidscore.com

5. Make a photocopy of (or scan) your passport and the contents of your wallet (fronts and backs of credit cards, licenses, etc.), and keep it somewhere safe.

6. Get a copy of your file from the Medical Information Bureau. http://www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html

7. List yourself with the Direct Marketing Association’s opt-out service to reduce junk mail. https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/

8. Make sure all your phone numbers are on the national Do Not Call Registry. https://www.donotcall.gov/

9. Opt out of receiving pre-approved credit offers or offers of insurance at 1-888-5OPTOUT, or at https://www.optoutprescreen.com

Technology

10. Backup to CD or DVD (or – better yet – a backup hard drive or online storage solution such as Jungledisk – http://jungledisk.com ) any vital photos or files you have, and put those in your safe deposit box – or at a friend’s, or at your parents’ house. That way, if there’s a fire or other calamity at your home, the backups won’t be lost. If they’re stored in a different part of the country, a local disaster is less likely to affect the backup.
     
11. Consider a tool such as Lastpass (www.lastpass.com) to secure your online passwords and other vital information. It offers military-grade encryption, you can use two-factor authentication (where you need not only your password but also access to your cellphone or a code-lookup table to access your account from a machine you have not used before), and is one of the more secure methods I’ve found for making strong passwords usable.
     
12. If you use Google, consider using two-factor authentication to access your Google account. Even if someone gains access to your password, they cannot access your data without a second form of authentication (such as from a table, or from an application on your Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, or Android). Details are available at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/advanced-sign-in-security-for-your.html
     
13. Adjust Facebook’s account, security, and privacy settings to your level of comfort.

The Unexpected

14. Ensure your powers of attorney for finance and health care are up to date and that your loved ones know where they are (not in a safe deposit box – in case of your incapacity or if it’s needed on a Sunday, they’d have no way of getting to it) and how to get to them quickly if needed. If you have a same-gender partner, make sure you carry a notarized copy of these documents with you when you travel, whether you’re traveling together or just one of you is on the road.

15. Create a wallet card for you and all members of your family with vital information and emergency contact data on it.

My wallet card includes my full name, two emergency contacts, their relationship to me, which powers of attorney they have, and their phone numbers (two numbers for each), my doctor’s name and phone number, my blood type, allergies, the fact that I have no ongoing medical problems, my employer, insurance information, my religion, and the fact that I am an organ donor.

16. Consider creating a “Family Emergency Plan”, similar to the one available through www.texasprepares.org. Forms are downloadable without having to register at the site.

17. Put together an emergency kit for your car. Mine contains blankets, duct tape, two sets of vice grips, a can of Fix-a-Flat™, safety glasses, a ridiculously bright flashlight, Gojo™ hand cleaner, a well-stocked first aid kit, and a disposable camera. You might want to add jumper cables to that, too.

18. Do you ever have guests staying in your home? Put a card by each telephone with your address, phone number, and the number to call for emergency services. Also include instructions for shutting off water, electricity, and gas. Precise information can speed 911 responses, especially if someone can’t remember your exact address in a stressful situation. If you have gone completely cellular (e.g., dropped the land line), put this information in every bedroom and in the kitchen.

19. Get your yearly health exams and screenings (and perhaps delay the need for items 20-23!)

Death

20. Ensure your will is up to date, and that your family knows where it is.

21. Ensure your beneficiaries are named (and up to date) for any life insurance policies, 401(k) funds, pensions, etc. For those with same-gender domestic partners, the “default” may be to your next-of-kin, which could be a parent (and it could have tremendously bad tax consequences even if your parent then passed the proceeds along to your partner). Render your wishes explicitly.

22. Does your family know what you want done when you die? Check out http://www.funerals.org  (what a cheery website!) for more information about how to avoid unnecessary expenses, lists of decisions that will have to be made for (or, ideally, by) all of us (hopefully a LONG time from now), etc.

23. Have a look at the “Five Wishes” site. Pretty interesting, and are things we each should consider. Thanks to my friend & colleague John Martin for telling me about this!  http://www.agingwithdignity.org/5wishes.html

Taxes

24. Gather your receipts, pay stubs, stock transactions, charitable donation receipts, HUD-1 statements if you’ve bought or sold real estate or investment properties, etc. in preparation for tax time. Get a large envelope or folder to keep everything in until you sit down to do your tax return. Set up a folder to keep things in throughout the next year so everything can be in one place next year at this time.

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in any company or service mentioned here, I’m just a customer who has found their services of use.