TMF

I really enjoyed the book. When I heard they were making a movie I knew it would be nothing like the book. They'd have to make it into a 10 part miniseries to cover all that. This will just be a typical Hollywood single hero movie, only with Brad Pitt rather than Keanu Reeves.

You're probably right, but I don't think that a reversing of the races would change my opinion. If Martin were white I'd have the same opinion. I do believe that Zimmerman profiled him, but I don't think that in it of itself is wrong. I suppose if Martin was white Zman may have called the police simply based on his age, time and place unless it was common to see white teenagers walking around after dark in the complex. I think race here is what is affecting people's interpretation of events, on both sides.

I talked to the sporting goods guy at my Walmart the other day regarding .22. He said its the same couple guys every time who show up super early to buy it. So all this "free market" crap is just that. A few folks out there are the ones controlling availability. I don't believe there is such a shortage of ammo, just an excess of DUMBASSES that will overpay for it.

I think very few people were turned from Obama on this. People don't care. The only thing these scandals did was prove some folks right who had been saying this all along.

So, if someone has a different opinion they aren't thinking logically? I'm fully prepared to accept that Zimmerman is innocent. I have not seen that from anyone here who believes differently..... yet folks like me are the closed minded ones?

Sure, but they aren't on the jury and they don't work for the State of Florida.

That's a bunch of bullsh**. I'm from Florida, used to live right there in Sanford less than a mile from where this took place. The Casey Anthony circus took place the next county over a few years before this. There were so many prejudicial stories in the news long before she was charged. Somehow the jury found her not guilty despite the fact that every juror interviewed said they think she is guilty, however they did not think the state provided enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. To say he won't get a fair trial is just a bunch of malarkey being spewed so folks can be secure in their opinion that this is just a huge conspiracy to get whitey.

Haha, bump!

Soooo, a jury means nothing? Are they to be in on a conspiracy?

Haha, now now...

The media is already trying to compare the NSA leaker to Manning. Their cases and causes couldn't be any more different. The leaker at the NSA broke some very serious laws and we may well see him punished severely for it. It will be interesting to see how that plays out it the political arena. I'm waiting to see how this will change the amount of transparency with secret courts when it comes to overstepping the Constitution. It raises a very interesting question... how do you challenge a Constitutionally unjust intrusion if the public is to never know it took place? The center of all this will be the judge(s) who approved these various orders. If not for them this never would have happened. As for the actions of the NSA, they were blessed off on by a judge, so I don't think they hold any culpability here in regard to their actions. As far as they're concerned they were acting within the law, so this whistleblower didn't expose illegal conduct and won't be protected from prosecution. But an interesting thought, what if they don't prosecute him simply because of the media attention here? How destructive would it be to Obama if Holder went after this guy? I figure it'll make Obama look much worse. Either way, I think this will be the story to follow.

Treason. What whistle did he blow? He indiscriminately transmitted as much classified secret/top secret information as he could get his hands on... just for chits and grins. He needs to be hung, publicly.

The post was not meant to be an indictment of video games nor for the purpose of laying blame for all of our society's problems; it was more to show the contrast between what is more damaging for developing minds: shooting water at one another or seeing a graphic representation of a human being having his life snuffed out. No matter how you slice it, for very young children they are having these images presented to them without the proper context. Especially true when young kids can't comprehend the finality of death and the worth of life, to then be subject to images of people being killed willy nilly like it doesn't matter. No, it won't turn every kid into a serial killer, but to say that it doesn't confuse young kids or distort their ability to empathize with another person's worth of life is disingenuous. I choose not to allow exposing my kids to such things until they are old enough to separate reality from fiction. Like it or not, young kids can't do that so well. Case in point, there is the story of the 4 year old that just shot his father dead. The child has no idea what happened or that his actions caused the very permanent death of his father. If you sit that little kid down to play MW3 all day, he also wouldn't understand the difference between that and the killing of folks in reality. At such a developmental stage in ones life I would think it pretty important to prevent them from being exposed. But maybe I'm just all effed up. Seems nowadays folks don't see the issue exposing their kids to sexually graphic television, violent movies, violent and explicit music lyrics, violent video games and programming with vulgar language. I may be the minority on this, and I'm totally cool with that. I don't blame any one piece of modern media on why our society sucks so bad; I realize it sucks so bad because of sh**ty parents and their lack of ability to control the content they expose their children to.

There is a big difference between a young child and a teen in terms of how they interpret that violence. Obviously it isn't just video games, but other media, violent household, etc. There are young kids who are exposed to that and they are usually the little aholes roughing up the other kids on the playground. My son is about 4 and still doesn't have any toy guns other than a nailer in his tool chest. We have taught him about firearms and that they aren't toys and they are not to be pointed at people. Introducing a toy gun into the mix would contradict that, and he is too young to differentiate and understand. When he is older he'll have nerf guns, squirt guns, paintball guns since he will be old enough to understand the context. For now, if he were to be issued a toy gun I would have to worry that he may handle a firearm thinking its a toy. Someday he'll be old enough to know the difference. For violent media, I think it has a huge impact on young kids, but probably not after the age of 10-12. Older kids see that in a different context. Young kids aren't old enough to understand, and it can warp their sense of empathy and predispose them to violence. I could be wrong, but I've seen enough ahole kids to think that I'm not.

And the premise of all this, as per the article, is that toy guns desensitize kids from the gravity of using real guns against people. Never mind that boys have been playing with toys guns for centuries, and only recently has it become a problem in the media. Meanwhile, parents are giving their VERY young children access to extremely graphic and violent video games. I'd like a liberal to explain to be how kids shooting each other with water pistols is more violent and destructive to a child's development than all the violent content they are exposed to on basic television and video games. As a parent, I am much more concerned about having my child exposed to such things.

When you're over in the Sanford area you should rent a canoe and do a morning or afternoon trip down the Wekiva river. There is a launch just outside the town, and you're almost guaranteed to see gators, deer, hogs and other wildlife. It's also a very relaxing ride, and canopied enough to keep the sun at bay.

This isn't secession from the Union; they just want to start a new state. Sounds like they have grounds for it. I'd really like to see this happen.

Seed ticks are the worst. I don't know if I'm allergic or something, but a bite from them is a month of pain. I once was bitten by several dozen in one sitting; I didn't sleep well for several weeks.

Sounds far fetched, but used to happen to Steven Segal all the time.

Yeah, if I made it to the range more I'd probably pick one up off campbellyardsales.com and convert it.

Yep, if some weirdo Europeans decided they wanted to hold a competition with full nudes at Hilton Head and the conservative community reacted, causing them to cover up, then folks in Denmark would be posting about how us ugly Americans are enforcing our values on their lifestyle. Our reaction would be for them to pound sand, since this is OUR country and our choice to allow or not allow something contrary to our values and morals. I care not what Muslim rules are enforced in Muslim countries so long as they're not enforcing it here.

Isn't shoplifting just a misdemeanor unless it's a certain amount of value?

Seen these at three gun comps a lot. The wife said "no".

The moon god can't see through walls. I recall sitting in the office of a community leader in Iraq who was smoking and drinking, during Ramadan. He joked that god could only see him when outside. The translation of that is only other Muslims can see him outside. The deviant things they do behind closed doors is both humorous and chilling.

These policies aren't made by a single person, nor are they made overnight. If a change to the policy must be made there has to be actual RESEARCH backed decision from a panel of really smart folks. It isn't something based on the emotions of people ignorant of the system.... well now it is I guess. Anyone waiting on an organ right now is probably mortified at the judge's order.