I would love a AW edition because I have been playing COD since the OG PC days and Call of Duty 1. The best COD memory I have is me and a BUNCH of friends watched a marathon session of Band of Brothers, then in between episodes and after we finished the series we played sessions of COD and our character names were named after people in Brothers. There was this one game where I was the last one left and I was Col. Speirs and I was cowering in a building....my team yelled at me that Spiers would never hide. So I ran out and took out the 3 other people on the enemy team and ran around the block. Keep in mind this was near the end of a weekend long marathon BOB/COD/LAN session

Clikc Click Boom

MMM, you smell that? That's the sweet sweet smell of me pouring the gasoline on the fire. Look at me as I dance around the roaring flames as they dance higher and higher. Now what caused this joyous celebration of all things flaming? Was it a forest fire? No. Was it Chlamydia? NOOO. It was the realization that I should do another blog post about an amendment of the United States Constitution!!


“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” - 2nd Amendment, US constitution

America and the Gun Culture, that is the focus of tonight's talking points. America lives in a gun culture, we do. No I am not going all Michael Moore on you. That guy is a total fascist moron and they way he went about gun in his sadly award winning movie “Bowling for Columbine” was the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with guns. Guns are just fine and as the old adage goes “guns don't kill people, people kill people.” That is pretty much the gist of my argument. But seeing as how people love it when I expand on my arguments, I shall do so.

If you look at the Gun culture in America from a sporting perspective there is nothing wrong with hunting, skeet shooting, or that fun winter Olympic sport where they use guns and cross country skiing. These are all people, with the minor exception of one Dick Cheney, who use the guns are they are intended. The hunting rifle was made to hunt, the hunter hunts with the hunting rifle, so there is no deviation from the gun's original intentions. What people need to realize is that guns are a tool. A Tool by definition, according to Merriam-Webster online, is “a hand held device that aids in accomplishing a task”. So when a gun is used by a hunter to hunt, a police officer to defend the public trust, a soldier to defeat the bad guy, or a father of 4 to defend his house from attacker or burglars that gun is then a tool that is being used well within its reason for existence.

It is when a gun is used outside of those parameters that the gun then becomes a weapon with malicious intent. Say you have a gun sitting on a table in the middle of a room. If a police officer picks up a gun the gun is a tool and there is no reason to fear its use. Now if a murderer picks up that very same gun with the intent to kill, only then is it a weapon.

So where is the evidence that there is a gun problem in America? Look at the numbers. But before I do I should lay out a couple things clearly for the sake of full disclosure: 1.) I was the witness/victim of a violent shooting about 11 years ago in high school, 2.) my basic premise on gun control is that it is not the guns that are the problem but the people using them and what type of guns they are using.

So back to the numbers. If you take the populations of Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Australia, Canada, Brazil you have a population that EXCEEDS the United States by roughly 80,000,000 (380,000,000 versus 307,000,000). The population figures were gathered by various sources that include Google's Public Data, Us Census, Wikipedia, Fox News, and CNN. The numbers were rounded and the data is from several different years, but finding all this data from the same year was a bit daunting.

For both sets, US and international, take the overall population. Divide by 100,000. then take that number and times it by the combined gun death stat (per 100,000) and you see that even with a population 80,000,000 bigger than our own, those 7 countries have together have HALF the gun deaths the US does. Now according to an Episode of the West Wing “Bartlett's Third State of the Union”

“But I do know that if you combine the populations of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Australia you've got a population roughly the size
of the United States. We had 32,000 gun deaths last year and they had 112. Do you think it's
because Americans are more homicidal by nature? Or do you think it's because those guys have
gun control laws.”

So we now go into the area of discussion that sometimes can generate the most debate: Gun control laws in America. Are there enough? Do we need more? Less? Or can we stand to actually enforce the ones that are already in place?

What are some of the ones that are in place? The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 increased the age at which you could legally buy a gun to 21 and created a national licensing system. The Gun Control Act of 1968 regulated the firearms industry and focuses mainly on regulating interstate commerce in firearms. The famous “Brady Bill” enacted in 1993 created the 5-day waiting period so a background check could be conducted on an individual buying a firearm.

But then you have to trust that places that sell guns will follow the laws or don't participate in the black market gun trade. Then there is the issue of gun shows which operate under a different set of rules than brick and mortar stores do. There you don't even need a background check! In some states you can walk in, buy the gun, the ammo, and walk out all in the same day.

Then there are the wide variety of the types of guns that private non-military citizens like Uncle Cletus can get their hands on. Take for instance this beauty: The HK 21 UBF Shorty Belt-fed Machine Gun for only 40,000$. http://www.impactguns.com/store/MGT-HK21SHORTY.html Described as a rare “beauty,” this gun can send rounds down range at a whopping 850 rounds per minute.

For the low low price of only 2500$ you can get a working copy of a German MG42, the M53 Belt-Fed Semi-Auto 8mm Rifle. Http://www.centerfiresystems.com/rifle-m53.aspx

Then there is the grand daddy of them all. The Big One. The mother of all weaponry. The machine gun that is over 75 years old, been in more wars than any gun on the planet, and is nicknamed “Ma Deuce.” The Browning M2 .50cal machine gun. This ground shaker has been in service since 1933. If you ever seen this thing fired ,live or on TV, you know that this thing can put down a world of hurt on a target. AND GUESS WHAT? Uncle Cletus can own it for only $32,000!!!!
http://www.impactguns.com/store/MGT-003794.html

I mean seriously people, and I'm talking to the gun people out there, can you honestly justify someone owning this gun? Someone like Ted Nugent can argue about private citizens owning weapons like that by saying:

“I don’t need a piece of paper or a court to tell me, a free citizen of a free country, that I can’t defend myself or my family while at the same time forcing me to pay for an armed security force to come along and clean up after something goes wrong. The most basic thing that makes me free and safe is my ability to protect myself from those who would try to take away my liberty or my life.”

As much as I like Ted Nugent, and I think he's awesome, I think he's drank too much moonshine on this one. I mean who does he expect to come after him to such a degree that he would need something like any of those guns or maybe a MP5 Sub Machine Gun with attached Silencer? The Russian Army? If that's the case then we better get our asses to the hills and call ourselves the Wolverines right quick.

And unless you are going up against one mean bear who happens to have superior agility to that of a leopard and is well versed in hand to hand combat, I doubt you need an AR15 semi automatic assault rifle. Does the bear know kung-fu?

But James, what about personal defense you ask? Again, as long as the person invading your house is not a highly trained assassin you need not to worry about anything meaner than a pistol or rifle.

As for the people who argue that the 2nd amendment gives them the rights to these weapons. I say to you this, yet another great quote from the West Wing:”TOBY- It says a well-regulated militia, being necessary for the security of the free state...the government shall not infringe. The words regulated and militia are in the first sentence. I don't think the Framer's were thinking of three guys in a Dodge Durango.”

You have to keep in mind that this was written during a time when the colonists feared invasion from foreign powers like England. When it was necessary for ordinary individuals to take up arms in defense for the country. The Revolutionary War was pretty much fought by farmers and average men with minimal training. It was not the ideal of a standing formal army that we have today. So the 2nd amendment makes sense in this time.

Now not so much. I'm not saying strike down the 2nd amendment. I actually have no problems with guns. Just certain types of guns being in hands they don't belong in.

So as you read this sitting in your comfy chair, iced tea to your left, and your freshly cleaned over/under rifle by the bookshelf, ask yourself this: Am I doing the right thing? Am I practicing responsible gun ownership?

What we need to look at is the nature of the gun culture in America. We need to analyze what kind of message we send to people when we allow ourselves to own guns that most military units would love to have. If you are a hunter, sport shooter, or Olympic athlete and are doing the safe responsible thing, then more power to you. But if you are the guy who lives off a dirt road with a basement filled to the brim with enough firepower to arm a small country, then I have to wonder what your trigger is.

And that's tonight's talking points

Honorable mentions to the last section

1. Dead Poets Society - at the end when all of the students stand up on their desks saluting their fallen leader Keating played by Robin Williams. Oh Captain, my Captain......

2. Braveheart - FREEEEEDOM!!!!

the rest: 300, Gladiator, Brian's Song, I am Legend

10 best.... WARNING SPOILERS

It seems like everyone does these and some lists of the 10 <15, 25, whatever> best are good and some are bad. Recently Entertainment Weekly did a list of the 25 best tearjerker moments in cinema----- so lo and behold I felt the need to knock a few of those out of the way. Hopefully this causes a lot lest strife than the last post:

Top 10 Tear Jerking moments in film :

1. Top Gun - This entire movie fits the 80's very well. Its macho and cheesy as hell. But this gets a sucker punch to the pastel colored balls when every man's favorite side kick Goose dies when the plan him and Maverick are in goes into a flat spin and they are forced to eject. Goose shoots right up into the ejected canopy of the F14 and dies. Saddest macho moment....

2. Rudy - I have seen this movie bring room full of men to tears. The one moment is when Rudy final takes the field as a football player for Norte Dame. The buildup to this moment is what makes its a memorable one. He is told he isn't good enough, he sacrifices his dream to start a life, loses best friend in an accident, goes to community college, works at the ND stadium, finally gets accepted to the school, gets onto the practice squad, earns a spot on the team, and after his team mates threaten to walk over Rudy not being able to dress for his final game gets to dress. Then in the final moments of the game when the crowd begins it's iconic chant for Rudy, the music swells, Rudy takes the field, and then sacks the opposing QB --- his only recorded stat at ND ever, and gets carried off the field.

3. Schindler's List - The entire movies could easily fall under this category. For me though, the moment that stuck out the most, is when Schindler realizes the girl in the red coat has fallen victim to the Nazi Regime.

4. Saving Private Ryan - The final 15 minutes. The squad holds down the German bridge against overwhelming odds. In some of the grittiest cinematography I have ever scene, this moment plays out in bold realism as the fight boils down to Tom Hanks firing his pistol at a tank, when he is already mortally wounded and his entire squad is dead, save for Ryan and the coward. Then the film forwards in time to Ryan kneeling besides the grave of Tom Hanks at Normandy beach, in tears, coming to terms with the events of the film.

5. Steel Magnolias - I'm not a big chick flick fan myself but occasionally one comes along that is futile to ignore. This one has an impressive cast that includes Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah to name a few. So the scene is that the daughter of Sally Field, played by Julia Roberts, had died after sub cumming to diabetes. All of the women are with Sally as they are at the funeral and Malinda (Sally Fields) comes mentally undone as she has to bury her own child. It is a memorable and moving scene seeing the mother go through such a thing which is only elevated by the stellar performances by the women. And in a moment of sheer brilliance the sadness is dashed when Olympia Dukakis shoves Wheezer at Malinda and tells her "slug her, punch her lights out."

6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Say what you want but the funeral scene after Spock goes out like a pimp and sacrifices himself to save the ship moves even the most stoic of nerds to tears. "Of all the souls i have met on this journey, his is the most......human."

7. Gettysburg - The entire sequence in which the Southern travels a mile over open ground into union fire from three sides, gets massacred, and limps back to base.

8. Armageddon - Ok, this movie is not the greatest in terms of plot and you won't see it on any Oscar lists in this lifetime. But it's a Michael Bay movie, so you shouldn't have been expecting any of that anyway. The moment for me in this film isn't the part where Harry sacrifices himself so that he can not only save humanity, but his friend AJ so he can marry his daughter. It's not even the scene where Grace says a teary good bye to her father Harry as he tells her he loves her and will always be with her over the satellite. For me it is the moment after the surviving crew members return home and everyone meets on the tarmac. Here you see the son of Chick run up to him to hug him. This stands out cause earlier in the film Chick tried to visit his son and was met by his ex-wife who told him not to come around and told the son that Chick was a salesman. Then that is followed up by AJ giving Truman the mission patch that Harry gave him before he died and the missing man formation that flies overhead.

9. Glory - Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher. This impressive cast tells the story of the 54th Mass Regiment of the Northern Army during the Civil War, the first all black regiment. This brilliant and gripping epic concludes when the 54th takes the lead on the assault on Fort Wagner. Bravely charging straight into enemy cannon fire, they make it all the way inside untill they are overwhelmed by enemy forces and all men are killed. The moment hits home when the movie shows the Confederate soldiers burying the men in a mass grave and the limp bodies tumble over each other and the movie states that the Fort was never taken.

10. Rocky Balboa - The classic underdog story is back when the Italian Stallion tries to prove he is not some old dog waiting to be put down and agrees to fight in one last match against the current raining champion. After a long and arduous struggle the match ends and much like the first one, Rocky's opponent is declared the winner despite the crowd clearly leaning in Rocky's corner.

The 1st amendment

It's Sunday, have you sacrificed your goat today? Have you knelt towards mecca? Have you worshiped Selene this hour? Have you worshiped God your lord and savior? This is only a mere sampling of the tons of different religions that exist withing this country. But those who practice those religions, the goat one was an exaggeration, live by the belief that there is a constitutionally protected right to practice their respective religion. No matter how far to the fringe your respective religion might be or even how mainstream it might be; you want do so freely. People might have their opinions or make comments, but no one has the right to FORCE you to quit doing so or make you change, granted that you are doing nothing illegal.

This is the basis of the most misused and misquoted passage in any federal document in existence. This passage is one that is used more now as a shield to push and accomplish goals and ideals: The First Amendment. Out of all the amendments to the constitution this is the one more fought over and used as a tool. So why is this? What is the actual meaning of the 1^st amendment? Why is now more important than ever to make sure that this egregious error be corrected? Hopefully by telling you what I believe to be true, it will make you think.

Part 1:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

Amendment number 1. The first. The opening statement. The first pitch. Anytime you have something in the beginning whether its a song, a book, a movie, or in this case a federal document, the first thing that someone sees or hears is the clincher. The attention grabber. The thing that draws people in and compels them to continue reading. When the 1^st amendment was ratified and attached to the Constitution in 1791 this was the first amendment they put on it. We know by studying history that what the 1^st amendment is hitting at is the core of the values upon which this country was formed. The early colonists and residents of Jamestown wanted to be free from the rule of Great Britain and the church of England. So flash forward to 2009 it is only fitting that with so many more mainstream religions in the world today that the 1^st be the most crucial amendment.

But it seems to be getting more difficult to freely exercise one's religion now. Schools can't mention Jesus, school choirs can't even use Christmas songs in them that mention Jesus or God, which narrows it down to everything ever used on those stop motion animation Christmas special from the 60's and 70's. It's even offensive to some people to use the phrase Merry Christmas due to the first 6 letter of the second word. Never mind the fact that: a.) if you are saying this from a religious perspective that you are wishing someone good tidings and cheer in this season that celebrates the birth of our lord and savior whether they are of a christian faith or not. b.) If you are saying this from a non-religious perspective that you are simply wishing that they have a Merry (as in happy or joyous) Christmas (the time of year from Thanksgiving to New Years). So never mind you are doing something positive unto your fellow man and the planet, you are being evil for cramming religion down someone's throat by uttering mere words. You didn't force a bible in their hand, you didn't kidnap them and throw them into bible school, nor did you barricade them inside a church...... you did something far worse! YOU LOVED YOUR FELLOW MAN!!! (please not tones of sarcasm in the previous sentences)

One of the other common examples of the alleged existence of separation of Church and state is the pledge of allegiance. While I was growing up I simply said the damn thing. I never felt like I was under the gun or forced to do so even when it came down to the “under God” part. But now I can't say that because little Ricky is having Christianity rammed down his throat because of a word. I don't understand how this is a problem. There aren't armed guards going down the aisles making sure every kid says those words. There is nothing stopping a child from simply mumbling random noises instead of the words when they get to that part. Or even they could simply pause while the other kids say those words. I also even wonder if the term God can't simply have the meaning changed to whatever God, person, or deity you worship. You can say under Allah. Under Mohammed. Under Selene. WHATEVER. Or maybe the terms God means whatever God you worship. The point is that there is no one forcing you or today's children to say them. If there is then that person should be fired.

Why do we care so much about what the other person does? I mean as long as they are not holding you by gunpoint to do what they are doing, who cares? I think this whole culture of supressing anything that is different especially if its christian is ridiculous. Which brings me to Part Two.....

“Or prohibiting the free exercise there of”

This will be a very short part. This is the part of the amendment that so many PC-oriented people seem to forget. This means that if George Bush or Barack “Fly Assassin” Obama wish to end a speech with the phrase “God Bless America,” then they have a constitutionally protected right to do so.

In an episode of the wonderful show “The West Wing” entitled “Red Mass” The president's aid, Charlie is helping out a young man, Anthony, in a Big Brother sort of way. Charlie remarks about Red Mass and explains that it is a special service that is held the Sunday before the First Monday in October in which the Supreme Court Convenes. Its is attended by the Supreme Court itself the Cabinet, members of Congress, and the President. Anthony calls in to question the service and how it might violate church and state.

Charlie later asks this of the President, played by the brilliant Martin Sheen, who responds: “And so how isn't it a Constitutional issue? It is, but sometimes you say, "Big deal." It was the intention not to have a national religion, not to have anyone's religious views imposed on anyone else, and not to have the government encourage a national display of piety as a substitute for real action.”

What he is saying, at least to me, is that it's OK for Red Mass because even the President, Supreme Justices, and Cabinet members are human beings. So for one group to say that it's not right for them to do this and infringe on their right to freely exercise their religion is not what the framers had in mind.

To be quite frank: The words “Separation of Church and State” do NOT appear in any federal document. I think people are wound too tightly and should simply live by the principle a wise old ethics teacher once taught me: Be nice. It doesn't matter what God someone worships. It doesn't matter to what flag they pledge allegiance. It doesn't matter if they are christian, Nudist, Mormon, Atheist, Wiccan, or Methodist. As long as the person is not imposing their views on you or is forcing you to watch or participate: Why do you care? If people would let people be in peace, I think the world would be a lot better off. Unfortunately a lot of us have the opinion that we have a right to know what people are doing in their own lives. But I wonder how they would feel if the microscope was on them for awhile?

And that is tonights Talking Points.....

For the last time......

Fox News is not the only news that has a bias or agenda. MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC - ALL OF THEM answer to editors and those editors answer to shareholders.

People like to bash Fox News. They are the bad guy. That is the popular thing to do. But can you honestly sit there and tell me that they are the only channel with blood on their hands? Whether you watch Olbermann, O'Reilly, Cramer, or whoever. They have a spin. When you watch something and learn something, you have to take into account your source. You also have to take a grain of salt with everything they say.

Olbermann himself said ON AIR on HIS OWN SHOW that the reason he has it out for Fox News is that Rupert Murdoch fired him from Fox Sports for reporting that the Dodgers were going to be sold. Rupert Murdoch as you might know owns Fox News. So he admitted ON AIR that he has a personal bias against Fox News. As someone who was taught that when bias is found, all future information is tainted by said bias; everything Olbermann says HAS to go under the micorscope of "Is he saying this simply because he hates Rupert Murdoch?"

Whatever you take away from this, take away this: No news source, political pundit, or comedian is above bias or influence. Such is the simple nature of things. When you watch Olbermann or O'Reilly, please do so, then take that information and read/watch MULTIPLE sources about the same story and then ask yourself what sounds true to you?

Swine Flu and the Curse of the Susan Boyle

There is something I do not get. Everyday a select few of the people living in this country and on this planet do something that many do not. They put on a uniform. This might sound like something simple, but a uniform is more than just clothing. It is a symbol of the pride these individuals take in their jobs. I don't just mean military either. This pertains to police, sheriffs, military, doctors, nurses, Fire, EMT, etc. Anyone who has taken an oath to protect and serve their fellow man.

And yet, some woman in England comes along and sings a song from the Wizard of Oz and we can't stop tossing each other off about it? I mean she didn't save a life, cure cancer, stop war, or end world hunger. But yet she is already being promised more money than most of us see in a lifetime, guest spots on Oprah, Larry King. All of this wealth and fame gets dumped on her..... and for what?

To me it boils down to a really bad case of celebrity worship. I understand to a certain extent that it might be a case of people seeing themselves in this person or that if she can do it so can I. But I also see it as a part of the same problem that other aspects like Celebrity "news" or gossip inhabits. OMG, Britney Spears was spotted at a Hollywood Starbucks! VIDEO AT 11! Teri Hatcher shops for baby clothes! TWITTER YOUR FRIENDS! And whats this? Jerry Seinfeld walks his dogs? Gather the round table of experts!

Why are we as a society so wrapped up in other people doing the EXACT SAME THINGS that you and I do? Is it because they are rich? Is it because they drive Aston Martins instead of Pintos? Is the coffee that Spears gets from that Starbucks any different than the person who ordered theirs right after her?

Now a friend, with whom I've had this conversation with, has told me this is because the firemen and police,military, etc are doing what is expected of them. That this is their job. That it's "all part of the plan. To quote the Dark Knight: "If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan." But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!"

Here is what bugs me about that. What these people do, while it is their jobs, its not just a regular job. You don't lose your life changing the toner on a copier. You don't become paralyzed by filing the wrong file. What these people do is far more dangerous. If it weren't for these people "just doing their job," the world would be a much scarier and darker place than it even can be now.

Now I know we have holidays and stuff to remember these people by, but unless to regularly see the memorials, or do more on Memorial Day than mow your lawn... once the time passes most of us barely give it a second thought. But yet we have the very idea that Susan Boyle singing is important, and we have it crammed down our throat, it fills the 24 hour news cycle, she appears on Oprah, and yada yada yada.

Then again maybe that's the point. Maybe these people are meant to do these things so that we wont have to think about the bad things. I think that sucks though. I think it will make us complacent and lethargic as a society.

Maybe i'm just rambling.......