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Phones, TVS, cars are smart — why not guns? A potential solution for controlling guns is this: Make our guns smarter than the people who use them. A smart gun would use biometrics or, in the less-expensive models, radio- frequency identification technology to  identify the owner. When the gun's trigger is squeezed  by the owner, an internal solenoid would release the  gun's firing pin so that the gun   could fire. If someone else were to try to use the gun, it wouldn't fire; so it could not be used against the owner or anyone else. Not only that, it could be programmed to send out a GPS signal if it's ever lost, stolen or tampered with. Better yet, schools, churches, malls and other gun-free zones could transmit a remote disable signal to any (civilian) smart gun entering their property to prevent accidental or deliberate misuse. The first prototypes were developed for commercial sale as far back as 1975, and as more companies develop these modified guns,

LEST WE FORGET (Canadian Massacre) In the 1989 massacre of 14 women at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal ,   Marc Lepine used a Ruger Mini-14 rifle, at the time equipped with a substantial magazine. The Ruger Mini-14, dubbed the "poor man's assault rifle" by opponents, Lepine used 30-round magazines that are now banned in Canada . Today, the largest magazine allowed holds five rounds. The Ruger Mini-14 was one of the weapons legally obtained and used by Anders Breivik to kill 77 in Norway last year. "The ability to do a lot of damage with a firearm exists even with something as archaic as the Old West double-barrelled shotgun, which is limited to two shots, "It's absolutely unbelievable how fast a skilled operator can shoot and load something like that and the number of shots they can fire in a limited amount of time. The difference between that and a semi-automatic for the purposes of mass murder is inconsequential." I would like to a

The government announced in the budget that it is eliminating the penny from Canada's coinage system. In about six months the Royal Canadian Mint will stop distributing Canadian coppers. What's going to happen to the pennies that are in circulation? Starting in the fall, businesses will be asked to return pennies to financial institutions. The coins will be melted and the metal content recycled. In the meantime, Canadians can continue to use pennies to pay for things and the one-cent piece will retain its value indefinitely. How long will it take? "There is no end date to this process," Alex Reeves of the Royal Canadian Mint told CBC News. I want to empty my penny jar. How many pennies can be used for a purchase? The Currency Act states: "A payment in coins … is a legal tender for no more than … 25 cents if the denomination is one cent." How will we pay for things in amounts not ending in a zero or a five? Coins abandoned around the world Other countries hav

Dec.-2012 — A new study says basic prescription drug coverage could vary dramatically from state to state under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. That's because states get to set benefits for private health plans that will be offered starting in 2014 through new insurance exchanges. The study out Tuesday from the market analysis firm Avalere Health found that some states will require coverage of virtually all FDA-approved drugs, while others will only require coverage of about half of medications. Consumers will still have access to essential medications, but some may not have as much choice. Connecticut, Virginia and Arizona will be among the states with the most generous coverage, while California, Minnesota and North Carolina will be among states with the most limited.