Campy

I must be reading that incorrectly. I mean, you're okay with turning over an entire country - and an oil-rich one at that - to a terrorist organization? Seriously? That is the craziest ###### idea I've heard in a while.

I know, right? Frickin' Bush.

You're pretty close, but the primary differences involve the action automatically loading the first round and automatically ejecting spent cartridges. They weren't produced until the late 1890s. You definitley get points for calling me out on that. I used the term "semi-automatic" when I should have just said assault rifles. It's the ability to pop off so many rounds in such a short period of time that concerns law enforcement.

Before I say what I have to say, understand that I am a supporter of the 2nd. I am not afraid of firearms, guns don't make me nervous (but some of the twits on the other side of the barrel do). Up until a couple of years ago, I owned several. In other words, if you're trying to paint me with anti-gun rhetoric, look elsewhere. As for the MH815's post: Nah, that's too easy of a scapegoat. There is only evidence that violent games make people who are already unbalanced more aggressive. But not violent. Other western countries play the same violent video games, watch the same violent movies, and listen to the same music, yet mass shootings are uniquely American. Why is that? What is the difference between us and darn near everywhere else? I'd say it's because of our laws. Other countries allow people to petition a court to have a person who has shown signs of causing harm to himself or others to have their firearms confiscated. That gets proposed in this county and people go stooopid about "the feds coming to take our guns away." Law enforcement supports bans on semi-autos but for some reason the NRA - the marketing arm of gun manufacturers - have people believing they are weapons for "sportsmen." As President Reagan said while he was in office, there is no legitimate sporting reason a sportsman would need a semiautomatic. A little common sense is desperately needed and sorely lacking...

He doesn't represent my district but here in Virginia he gets a lot of attention, that's for sure. Cantor's not just another one of those I'm-for-small-government-unless-I-don't-like-what-you're-up-to guys, he's also a scumbag.

Yep. Our policies and our presence have made a mess of an already messy region...

Agreed. I just don't think hockey is a sport that lends itself to replays - it seems sports with intermittent action like football and baseball are better-suited to have a replay system.

Sorry, thought I read you saying Iran was the start of it. And I promise, I'm not trying to argue with you, but I think most people would argue al-Qaeda rose from the ashes of the Mujahadeen after the US ceased its promised support and left them hung out to dry during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan...

Our laws demand as much as they are written with words like "persons" and "people" and rarely the word "citizen." This implies that citizens and non-citizens are supposed to receive equal protection under the law. Agreed. The Bush and Obama administrations claim that because they were not captured members of an enemy nation's armed forces, terrorists do not meat the criteria to deemed POWs and receive the protections afforded POWs under the terms of the Geneva Conventions. As that's the case, shouldn't it follow that we would adhere to criminal law when dealing with suspected criminals? And in accordance with the 6th Amendment, charge them or let them go. If charges are brought, give them a speedy trial. If, pursuant to the terms of the 6th they are found guilty, carry out the punishment. Otherwise, they walk. That this nation can round up people who don't like us and stick them is some gulag somewhere is sickening to me. That used to be one of the things that separated us from the Soviets...

You didn't ask me, but I certainly think we've been on the receiving end of the worst of it. FDR caved to the interests of the oil industry on the Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement which was supposed to stabilize oil supply and pricing. After the Arab-Israeli War ('47 or '48? Don't recall and too lazy to look it up), Israel seized 60% of the land that was allocated for an Arab state and claimed it as their own. The US was the first nation to recognize this land as part of Israel - something no Arab nation has done to this day. A couple of years before Iran, the CIA got a practice run in Syria where they propped up a guy who threw political opponents in prison. Because "democracy." I'm not so sure I agree with the premise that Iran is what started it all. It played a Fucillo huuuge part, for sure - and is probably the straw the broke the camel's back (no pun intended) - but I think claiming that's where it all began is something of an oversimplification - history doesn't occur in a vacuum.

I'll say one thing, you are a fine copy-and-paster. Unfortunatley, it's all kind of moot because I don't care who wrote what in a letter to so-and-so, what's in a state Constitution, or what was said in a farewell address. Note that I did not claim the US wasn't founded by people who, for the most part, held Christian beliefs (although deism was probably more popular among the founding fathers than revisionists would like to admit). Think about it: If Jell-O was founded by a guy who held Christian beliefs, does that make Jell-O a "Christain company?" You don't have to like it but per Congress the US is not and never has been a Christian nation. To say otherwise puts you at odds with the law.

I'm paraphrasing here but "The United States is not and never was a Christian nation." -Treaty of Barbary, 1798 I agree with your larger point though. It's hard to believe that prior to that they looked upon us favorably as we built schools, infrastructure, provided education - kind of all the stuff we should be doing now, actually... Doesn't take long for stuff to get pear-shaped, does it?

Put bluntly, if I am understanding you correctly, you are wrong. -Neither of them make reference to any rights being God-given. -The Bill of Rights sole purpose is to limit the role of government and prevent it from infringing upon the natural rights with which all men are born, not to grant people freedom.

I guess you missed the story about the two little girls and mother killed by the "man" of the house in a drunken rampage. The sheriff, in speaking with reporters, called the scene behind him another "everyday USA" mass killing.

We have to give them a reason to soften and relax their ideology. They say travel is the executioner of bigotry and in a similar vein, if we show them how to farm, provide them with food, teach them how to read, and whatever other social assistance we can provide, it would go a lot further with the young and next generation than droning the ###### out of a family wedding ceremony does. Some are beyond reproach, but I'd bet many more are not. Just my thoughts on it...

Believe it or not, a movie quote (albeit an awesome movie) perfectly addresses the inanity of fighting a war of ideology with weapons: "Beneath this mask there is more than flesh Mr Creedy. Beneath this mask there is an idea. And ideas are bulletproof."

A little disappointed; it would have been a lot more fun if Pierre Maguire got the gig... NBC ProHockeyTalk ‏@ProHockeyTalk 7m Report: Jim Rutherford will be Penguins’ new GM http://wp.me/p14QU5-9MNi

One of the few times I can feel good about most people thinking it's gotta be in or around NYC because it's in New York. The fact that that "lady" is a resident of a suburb of my hometown is embarrassing.

I think they have to live in Qatar under what amounts to a house arrest with surveillance, and I heard that any family who comes from Afghanistan to visit cannot leave Qatar. That being the case, the amount of damage they could do to US interests has got to be pretty limited. And with a couple of US air bases and an army base in Qatar, I can't imagine any of the 5 could fart without the US intelligence apparatus knowing.

One thing I've always wondered: Why is it that other western nations can watch the same violent movies and TV shows, listen to pretty much the same music, read the same violent comics (er, graphic novels), and play the same violent video games - but not have the death-by-gun rate the US does? What is it about us? What does that say about us?

There is a higher percentage of people in Buffalo who are hockey fans than there is in LA?

...says the guy will win the Sabrespace bracket challenge when this series is over. (Congrats on that, btw)

I don't mind having to speak a little louder but I'm not a big fan of seeing cover bands in bars. They're too loud and oftentimes aren't that good. But if it's din of a bar full of people, I'm okay with it. One of the reasons I have a regular spot I go is that I've gotten to know all the bartenders pretty well - several of us have hung out away from the bar. And the advantage in that is that I absolutely HATE waiting for a drink. And when your friends are the bartenders, you don't have to.

I actually mentioned that last night and she seemed receptive to helping me out. And as an aside, I'd hate to have you guys think I'm a total pig. She was something of a bigger girl when we started dating but now her entire body composition and shape has changed... I should probably admit that I was exaggerating some in my original post. I think a lot of the tats I see were bad ideas that actually happened* and I do lie to people in that white lie kind of way when they proudly show me their ink, but the truth is, I'm more of a live and let live guy. If a person likes their tat, that's all that matters because Lord knows he didn't get it to impress knuckleheads like me. *True story: While hanging out and drinking beers and swimming with a few people I saw a dude with a tat on his lower back spells out his last name. His last name is "Tarbox." For his sake I hope he never ends up in jail.

No need to apologize, I'm sure it's awesome. ;) My girlfriend also has a "don't-call-it-a-tramp-stamp" tat of a butterfly. Of course, now it looks more like a bumblebee.