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#501 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 450 weeks ago
For the record I was talking about all gun crime. I think the focus on assault rifles is missing my point entirely.
Anyway I will bow out of this discussion as I'm not American and feel anything I say you have all heard before, and believe me I know the last thing you want to hear after such a tragedy is my mumblings on the subject.
I'll leave you with this editorial from the Sydney Morning Herald:
"It is incomprehensible to us, as Australians, that a country so proud and great can allow itself to be savaged again and again by its own citizens. We cannot understand how the long years of senseless murder, the Sandy Hooks and Orlandos and Columbines, have not proved to Americans that the gun is not a precious symbol of freedom, but a deadly cancer on their society.
We point over and over to our own success with gun control in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, that Australia has not seen a mass shooting since and that we are still a free and open society. We have not bought our security at the price of liberty; we have instead consented to a social contract that states lives are precious, and not to be casually ended by lone madmen. But it is a message that means nothing to those whose ideology is impervious to evidence."
• Demand background checks
• Demand a ban on assault weapons
• Demand a ban on all modifications to convert weapons to semi or fully automatic
• Demand accountability by the Senators and Representatives on the NRA payroll."
#502 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 450 weeks ago
IRISH OS1R1S wrote:Randall Flagg wrote:I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective. Yes, they get huge publicity, yes they’re horrible, but they’re a fraction of 1% of gun murders. Pretending this is more than an extreme outlier isn’t beneficial.
I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective. Yes, they get huge publicity, yes they’re horrible, but they’re a fraction of 1% of gun murders..... of which the U.S. comes 2nd with the highest rates of violent gun deaths in North Africa and The Middle East. With a population of roughly 5% of the worlds population the U.S. holds 32% of global mass shootings.
I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective.
Ah yes indeed, perspective.
Nothing to see here, move along.
And as a non-American, I don't expect you to understand that we value the constitution and don't change laws at the drop of a hat. You want to imply I encourage or am happy with our firearm fatalities. I'm not. I just recognize that the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to own a firearm is an individual right (Heller) and that this right extends to handguns (Chicago). So short of changing the constitution, which if you know anything about our laws, is damn near impossible, the majority of deaths in this country related to handguns aren't going to be impacted by a change of law.
Is that not a problem though? Constitutions can be and should be changed to stay relevant with the passing of time. It is not an immovable object it just needs the will of the people to put pressure on their states/representatives to achieve such a thing.
The question is how big will the bodycount be before you realize?
#503 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 450 weeks ago
I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective. Yes, they get huge publicity, yes they’re horrible, but they’re a fraction of 1% of gun murders. Pretending this is more than an extreme outlier isn’t beneficial.
I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective. Yes, they get huge publicity, yes they’re horrible, but they’re a fraction of 1% of gun murders..... of which the U.S. comes 2nd with the highest rates of violent gun deaths in North Africa and The Middle East. With a population of roughly 5% of the worlds population the U.S. holds 32% of global mass shootings.
I honestly think the first thing to do is put these shootings in perspective.
Ah yes indeed, perspective.
Nothing to see here, move along.
#504 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 450 weeks ago
So Nikolas Cruz, who was not allowed to carry a backpack to class, could legally walk into any gun shop in Florida and walk out with the firepower to do what everyone at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High had feared for years that he might do.
Yep, land of the free and all that eh?
Makes one wonder which countries truly are the "shitholes".
Prayers and thoughts are with the families.
#505 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Video Game Console Thread » 456 weeks ago
Combat is for sure not as fluid as other Assassins games. Much slower feeling and that also goes for the climbing and running, but I think it is intentional. I believe the developers want you to take your time and savour the details, of which there are many. Slowing it down a touch adds a sense of even more volume to the already vast world. With combat, I will say once you master the timing of the parry system, combat becomes really great.
My advice would be not to rush the game as it can be very overwhelming with all the things to do and see. Pick a region and fully explore it and have fun, then move on to another.
Agreed with the modern day stuff. It just gets in the way and zaps you out of the moment. Thankfully they are few and far between.
Edit: Just want to give special praise to the accurate mapping of some of the tombs and monuments. From many years of researching these structures in my youth, I knew the exact layout of some before I entered and it was a beautiful feeling for what was in my mind to be unveiled in the game.
#506 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Video Game Console Thread » 456 weeks ago
Playing Assassins Creed Origins at the moment and it has to be hands down the best designed open world game alongside Zelda Breath of the Wild. The attention to detail is astounding, especially if you are interested in ancient culture, religions, architecture etc. Roaming through the world you are amazed at the temples and monuments, but look closer in the towns and villages and you can see the proccess from beginning to end, right down to villagers baking bricks in the sun. These developers did their research big time. Even how the character shoots his arrow whilst gripping multiple extra for reload in the same hand (a technique not fully understood until the last decade). That is something most movies and even documentaries never show.
A small criticism may be the world is too big, but I like it. Makes it feel more real for me.
9/10
10/10 if you are a history buff.
#507 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Video Game Console Thread » 456 weeks ago
I already have a PS4. I'm thinking about buying an xbox one since the price seems to be coming down mostly to use as a blue ray player, but I could certainly use it for gaming too. Any pros/cons vs the PS4 that I should be aware of?
If you already have a PS4, then just get an XBONE. I had a PS4 and uprgaded to Pro. The difference in most cases is minimal. XB will give you an UHD Bluray player and there are some really good exclusive games on it too.
#508 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Star Wars Thread *NO SPOILERS ALLOWED!* » 458 weeks ago
Decided I was done working at 2:30 and went to see the movie. Missed all of 5 work emails in the process, so that was a good decision on my part.
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#509 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Star Wars Thread *NO SPOILERS ALLOWED!* » 458 weeks ago
NO SPOILERS.
I think a lot of the disappointment from some people is because they are expecting/wanting something that no director or writer can ever live up to, which is your childhood. If you go in to this movie expecting something to blow you away as the originals did when you were a kid, you will be forever disappointed. Not because the movie is poor, but because you are no longer a kid. I brought my son to watch it and he never shut up about it for 2 days after, he loved it that much.
I think some of you are forgetting your innocence when you first seen these movies and forget kids today still have that innocence. For me, I learned from the prequels to not expect the unachievable and just sit back and enjoy it for what it is. A light hearted feel good movie that primarily is aimed at a younger audience. Don't overthink it folks. Just relax and enjoy.
For what it is worth, I was going to walk out of this movie in the first 40mins, but it redeemed itself after that. A roller coaster ride from 40(ish) mins on-wards and it never let up from then.
This movie is divisive, but I think intentionally so. I mean didn't we all love dissecting the originals for 40 years? You will do the same with this movie.
Star wars never was intentionally the grand opera it ended up been. It was similar to G'N'R in a way, the right time in the right place "Lightning in a bottle". It was originally a movie aimed at kids and wasn't expected to be the giant it became. What I learned from my kid was in his young mind, the force is still strong!
My 2 cents. Leave your over critical and analyzing head at the door and enjoy the ride for what it is.
I rediscovered my innocence and I liked it.
#510 Re: The Sunset Strip » The Star Wars Thread *NO SPOILERS ALLOWED!* » 458 weeks ago
Rex wrote:This movie is great to look at, and it has some amazing moments. Along with that are some bs moments. A lot of plots just go nowhere in this movie, and some things are completely forgotten from the previous film. You can definitely tell which characters the writers just didn't care for. I'd give it a 6/10 because it had more good things than bad, but wow definitely not what I was expecting especially after all of the rave reviews.
Some of the characters introduced in Force Awakens were terrible; that’s why their stories are treated the way they are.
This is a great Star Wars movie because the original Star Wars films were unpredictable. Ben dying; “I am your father”; Lando’s double-cross; Vader redeeming himself: All unpredictable.
Many people are upset at Last Jedi because of our own expectations we had for it. On its own, it’s a fabulous movie. As a Star Wars movie for folks who expect the safe stories of the prequels or Force Awakens, it’s a slap in the face.
As for plot, i think it’s a pretty original idea for Star Wars.
I always ask folks this who attack Star Wars plots: What was the plot o Empire in one sentence? It’s my favorite and most everyone considers it the best, but there was no real plot whatsoever.
^^This.
I am at a loss as to why folks hate this. Did you want a remake?........................
I loved it personally and can't wait to see where this new direction goes.
I'm off to watch it again in 3 hours. 
