Spaceman Spiff

I think you're onto something.

I don't agree with everything you've said. Both you and I can watch Bourne shoot up the bad guys and not go on a murderous rampage. Many college kids can play COD all night and not reenact the gameplay in real life.

But society has changed.

My line of thinking is that it has to do more with the media. Something that you spoke on. Everyone has a stage. Generation selfie. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame and doing this gets the point across loins and clear. When the news cycle covers everything from Obama to Kardashian to high school football, people know that sensational acts will give them fame. This is an extension of that. It's how society is training people.

The news used to be limited to a few channels and for a couple hours a day. Now it's 24 hour, everywhere. The news is more sultry, more violent and more inaccurate than ever.

People can tell that movies and video games are fake. But when click bait articles become people's main source of current event information, it skews their mentality.

Society has changed for sure, but I also think it starts at home with family.  Another thing that has skyrocketed over the years is the divorce rate.  Medication for kids, anti-depressents.  

Sounds like good old conservative family values, doesn't it? Cheesy and as easy to mock as it is, I bet coming from a good, stable environment is a pretty good deterrent for this.  

Good post Spiff.

 

Nice, level headed post that I generally agree with.  I would love to have a gun owning society that doesn't commit awful crimes.  We had one for a long time.

We sure did.

Something's happened in the past...50 years?  An increase in violence in the movies we watch (as I'm typing here I'm watching Jason Bourne shoot up a bunch of bad guys trying to kill him), video games, music....media sensationalism.  I do think there's an aspect of most of these shootings which is the outsider that wants to be heard.  The nerds that got picked on who want revenge against the popular kids and athletes, the socially awkward kid who locked himself in his room and played Warcraft who was just overall anti-social.  

Everyone can be heard these days, everyone has a voice.  There's facebook, there's twitter.  But if you really want to get noticed, it's sure to get some media attention if you commit a heinous shooting.  I guarantee there's some people out there today who saw this on TV all day and got the crazy idea to do something similar in their head.  

I think it all has to do with some combination of everything above.  We didn't have those things 50 years ago, but we do today.  They're not going anywhere so the question then becomes how to work with what we have to prevent more of these things from happening.  Sadly, the answers aren't going to be easy.  

I drank beer before I was 21. But it sure was easier to acquire after I turned 21. It didn't prevent booze from falling into my hands. But it sure did limit it

Sure, but I bet if you rrrreaaalllly wanted that beer before you were 21 you knew exactly where to go to get it.  

Prohibition just doesn't work.  It hasn't worked for alcohol, it hasn't worked for drugs.  Anyone in here who's smoked a joint or had a beer before age 21 can attest to that.  

I think the answer to most problems starts with education.  Sadly, the NRA would be the first place to go to educate people on gun safety but anyone who isn't way conservative just scoffs at that idea because NRA=awful lobbyists, not my party, right wing assholes, etc.  It's more fun and easier to paint them in a negative light than look at what they have to offer.    

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  My dad grew up on a farm in Delaware, hunting all the time.  I grew up with it, too, not to the extent that he did but I've been on my fair share of hunting trips.  I like shooting birds, big game freaks me out.  

Growing up, the guns were always in a giant safe, I never knew the combination and I still don't.  I heard over and over and over that they're not toys, they're not to be played with, I'm not to show them to my friends, always treat it like it's loaded....I can't tell you how many times I heard that.  

Surprise, surprise, I've never had a gun accident and I've never had the urge to shoot up a school.  It's also not surprising to me to hear people who've never been around guns to say how much they hate them, they should be banned, etc.  That's fine, I wouldn't expect them to say anything different.

I just wonder what'd happen if people took the time to explain to kids that guns aren't toys, to teach them the same lessons that my father taught me and that hundreds of thousands of parents have taught their kids.  Even if you're anti-gun, do you take the time to tell your kids about them?  Do you take the time to say, "Hey, if you're at a friends house and your friend goes searching for his dads gun you get the hell out of the house?"  Or is it just easier to say "BAN GUNS!" and get all excited for a few days until the next shooting happens?

So much time is spent these days making sure that people are educated for various things.  I keep seeing online how people need to be educated about LGBT lifestyles so those people are accepted by society (as they should be).  But that makes people feel good, it makes them all warm and tingly inside to make sure others are accepted in society and that's a fairly easy thing to promote.  But there's never an attempt to teach people about firearms and gun safety.  

Gun safety, by the way, doesn't just mean when the gun is in your hand.  It means where it's stored and who has access to it.  Out of all these shooting I'd be really curious to know how many of the shooters have gained access to their guns legally, the right way as opposed to purchasing it on the black market, finding it in someones closet or some other way.  

I was cleaning out my boat in the spring.  I reached into a compartment and pulled out my spot light.  For some reason I grabbed the light head and not the handle.  I sit it on the floor, look down and there's a freaking black widow on the handle. It would have nailed me if I'd have grabbed the handle.  Spiders never really freaked my out, but that gave me the heebie jeebies for sure.  

 

 

 

**** that ****.  I live in an apartment building, 2nd floor way up off the ground which is awesome cause there are no bugs or spiders to be found...but even I have my feet up off the ground after seeing that.  

Actually tarantulas aren't often the kinds of spiders that wander into houses. They're ambush predators and tend to find a hide/burrow/tree (depending on the nature of the tarantula type in question) and just stay there. They're big but they're also very fragile and most tend to be rather timid and non-aggressive.

Sounds awesome.  Good luck with that pile of dirty clothes if that ****er gets out.  

Walking out of the TV, they had ESPN on the TV with Chris Carter on Mike/Mike talking about the Skins. I thought two things.

 

#1. How is Chris Carter not suspended right now for his NFL Rookie comments?

 

#2. Opinions = Assholes. We all got them. Being a former player and current jerk doesn't make you any more qualified than my grandmother who passed almost 5 years ago. 

 

Give me stats, other examples of this type of thing, break it down with commonsense. Not emotion.

I think I'm the only one who wasn't bothered by what Carter had to say.  He made the mistake of saying it to an entire group of people that was being recorded, but it was the same thing he'd probably say to any one of those rookies in a private environment.  I don't necessarily think it was bad advice, either.

It amazes me how people just love to bash the DC sports talk radio.  It's like a favorite past time.  If you go by this thread, everyone on every station is a horrible asshole who should jump off a cliff, yet somehow people are paying attention and they're getting ratings.  Chad Dukes must be like the Nickelback of DC sports talk radio.  Everyone hates him, no one listens to him but apparently he's still getting ratings.  

Who started Narcos?

Because it's all bandwagon and the media perpetuates it with their filth. People hear what they hear on sports talk and latch on and that's how a bandwagon gets started. 

This negative DC Sports Talk scene is responsible for being the catalyst that provokes this city into an ugly monster of hatred and negativity where there are no bright spots or hope or optimism whatever. 

I agree with this.  I've often wondered how much stuff like the firing of a manager/coach and the benching of a player picks up steam. I think a lot of it has to do with sports talk radio.  If they don't start it, they certainly ramp it up and add flame to the fire.  

I'm still loving Halt and Catch Fire on AMC.  

I'm not sure what's a bigger DC pastime, talking about the Redskins or talking about people on the radio who talk about the Redskins.  

Durant is the second best player in the league and when healthy is the only thing remotely close to Lebron. If we have a shot at Durant we need to take it.

Do you still take a shot at Durant if he's hobbled with the same foot injury this year?

They aren't exactly betting the farm on one guy though.  A lot of guys just don't want to come here and there's pretty much nothing management can do about that.  Wall, Beal and Porter is one hell of a nucleus if they play the same way they did in the playoffs. But the reality is the franchise has waited this long and one more year to at least see if we can get Durant is more than worth it.  

I don't understand...how is what you just outlined not betting the farm on one guy?  Porter played well in the postseason but I don't think anyone should write him in as a sure thing.  You're right, its a great nucleus if they do play like they did in the postseason, though.  

Guys not wanting to come here is an excuse.  Pierce wanted to come here.  Historically this is a bad franchise and it's not in one of the NBA's big sexy markets like LA or NYC.  But it can change, look at what Dallas has become over the years.  They have a dynamic owner who isn't afraid to spend and treat his players well.  Suddenly, it's a destination.  San Antonio has had a great run despite being a place that isn't a major media market.  They've kept a core nucleus together for a long time.  

Just today, apparently LaMarcus Aldridge wasn't impressed with the Lakers pitch.  Durant stayed in OKC.  There are guys out there that'll want to play in off the beaten path cities.  The Wiz just have to try a little harder and get more creative than most.  

Anyway, I'd stay away from Durant and his foot.  Too risky.

Bummed about Paul Pierce but it was a good one year deal and I'll be rooting for him in LA.  More bummed about what the Wiz are seemingly doing which is trying to stay afloat in a weak Eastern Conference and hope for Durant next summer which I think is a big mistake for two reasons:

1:  Don't put your eggs in one basket.  

2:  I don't trust the foot injury.  I don't care what anyone says, it sounds like something that could linger.  The NBA history of big men with oddball fractures is long.  Bill Walton comes to mind immediately.  I just don't trust anyone in the NBA with foot/knee fractures.  Look at Greg Oden, too.

Reading up on Durant's specific foot injury on Wikipedia:

 

 

For several reasons, a Jones fracture may not unite. The diaphyseal bone (zone II), where the fracture occurs, is an area of potentially poor blood supply, existing in a watershed area between two blood supplies. This may compromise healing. In addition, there are various tendons, including the peroneus brevis and fibularis tertius, and two small muscles attached to the bone. These may pull the fracture apart and prevent healing.

I just don't think it's a good idea.  The Wiz should be concentrating on building a deep, well rounded team....not waiting to bet the farm on one guy.  

The Avengers.  Blah.  

I felt like I'd watched the first one all over again.  It was so formulaic.  Starting off with happy times, a big bad enemy comes along and there's some strife, they fight amongst themselves and then band together to beat him in the end.  I'll be surprised if the third one (assuming they're making a third) veers from that path.  

I'm probably the only one that's liking Halt and Catch Fire on AMC.  Takes place in the early 1980's, Silicon Prairie....Texas technology hub.  First season was solid, not spectacular and the first three episodes of season two are much better.  It's not filling the void of Breaking Bad or Mad Men but not much could.  

That was some dirty **** by Bogut.  

Once again, why the **** do they let ppl sit that ****ing close??

Its not just the NBA, cameramen for NFL games are close.  Next time you see fed ex field, look at who is right past the endzone.  Last year Riley Cooper almost took my feet out by sliding into me.  

Baseball, same thing.  The wells next to the dugout, any cameraman can get taken out with a nasty line drive there.  

Oh ****, I hope LeBron is ok.  He's bleeding like a mother****er.

I hate his guts

I wouldn't go that far, but there's something about the guy I just don't like.  Something about the way he talks and when he's been down in the series and not performing well, his body language sucks.  

Am I the *only* person out there who doesn't like Stephen Curry?

I don't know if it's been posted, but they are putting out a remake of Point Break...... :angry:

 

@$%@^!#$^@%^%^@#$^@#%$@%$$%$!^^*&*(%*&@&$&*($#@%!#@

Trailer here:  http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/26/8664093/point-break-remake-trailer-first-stunts

They've greenlighted a Kingsman 2.

I saw Mad Max: Fury Road - I'll give a C-.    It had some moments. Charlize Theron was badass in that movie.  She gets an A+.  Didn't really give **** about Max: Tom Hardy.  I just didn't get the same feeling that others did with this movie.

I saw it too and I had the same kind of thought about Hardy's character, I'd give the whole movie a B+ though, probably because I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.  Then again, it's an action film, I can't expect to care too much about great acting and awesome character development.  Loved the action, the lighting, the colors used.  

What are you guys expecting from Otto Porter moving forward?

K, so which ESer did it?

How can they not have a legit backup PG?