The off topic thread 3.0

[Genesis67]

That's culture for you. It's very ingrained into their psyches, something they had pride in.

The biggest problem is how gun control is going to be implemented, especially with a organisation as influential as the NRA, who are also quite 'generous' in their political support. We're talking 350 million Americans, and some very much in love with their guns.

It can be implemented, even though it will take a long time before an acceptable level can be reached (try implimenting in the areas that don't want gun control. I think if you want to convert Republican country, start with Austin). But the first thing that needs to be changed is the culture (let's face it, resistance is going to be huge).

It is important that education is just as much a part of it when implementing said controls, that's how one will turn around that thinking and make guns an unacceptable part of society

They pride themselves on the 2nd amendment, claiming it a right, but here's the thing... that's an amendment. It can just as easily (on paper, at least) be amended.

It's ironic that this shooting just happened to be in a church of all places. You would think that if action was going to be taken, it would be now.

The interesting part of of that stat is that the CDC estimates that only 7% of Americans hold something like 80% of their guns.

The NRA voter base isn't that large, it's just INCREDIBLY motivated.

 

[Genesis67]

It's ironic that this shooting just happened to be in a church of all places. You would think that if action was going to be taken, it would be now.

Not sure I agree. If 20 pre-school kids and 6 teachers (Sandy Hook) can't get change to happen, I'm not sure what can.

 

[Genesis67]

With mental issues.

Please, I'm asking nicely, for everyone's benefit, do NOT get me started on how mental health is dealt with over there.

Please.

 

[RPCB]

It's such a classic.

Lost World and JP3 were ok. Jurassic World very good but nothing beats the original. The special effects for what...1994?? were spectaular.

Particularly the scene when the T-Rex breaks through the gate.

Who wouldnt like Wayne Knight portraying Newman in Jurassic Park?

It’s not the TV viewing. The almost endless amount of footballers (auto)biographies. There’s your time consuming activity, that and scrabble of course.

Anyone can write an autobiography. Take Wayne Rooney for example. He can’t even speak English properly.

Also, David Beckham. He penned his first before he turned 30. I’d say he was still stupid at that stage.

When it's a colored person it's terrorism, when it's a white guy shooting people up it's a lone wolf

How many lone wolves do you suppose that makes in America now? A hundred, thousand?

A farming community was targeted? At this stage I am wondering if the gun nuts would just shrug if it was their own family members slaughtered. You do wonder sometimes.

But hey, as long as the media can focus on any one word that Donald Trump might say. Last weeks word was “Animal”.

 

[SM]

Who wouldnt like Wayne Knight portraying Newman in Jurassic Park?



Anyone can write an autobiography. Take Wayne Rooney for example. He can’t even speak English properly.

Also, David Beckham. He penned his first before he turned 30. I’d say he was still stupid at that stage.



How many lone wolves do you suppose that makes in America now? A hundred, thousand?

A farming community was targeted? At this stage I am wondering if the gun nuts would just shrug if it was their own family members slaughtered. You do wonder sometimes.

But hey, as long as the media can focus on any one word that Donald Trump might say. Last weeks word was “Animal”.

You do know that most if not all celebs don't actually write their autobiographies right?

 

[RPCB]

You do know that most if not all celebs don't actually write their autobiographies right?

That’s true. And thank God for that, otherwise they’d be unbearable to go through. [emoji16]

 

[Cooldude]

A farming community was targeted? At this stage I am wondering if the gun nuts would just shrug if it was their own family members slaughtered. You do wonder sometimes..

Nah they'll go on a Taken style solo hunt for revenge, those gun nuts love that shit.

 

[elhadjihenry]

The biggest problem is how gun control is going to be implemented, especially with a organisation as influential as the NRA, who are also quite 'generous' in their political support.

 

[jd2010]

Been discussing a potential move down to Melbourne after the wedding with the missus, but dunno which suburbs in Melbourne would be best/most affordable. Anyone got some advice? #JustCruyffThings

I just moved back. I've gone the other side of town to where I'm used to. In the SE now, after living across the road from the beach for the last two years it'll be nice to still be close to a nice beach. Depends what you're looking for really and where you'll be working

 

[jd2010]

PT wise the south is good for trains, north has less trains but more trams, east a little bit more limited and the west has fewer train lines and is pretty reliant on buses.

If looking at houses within 20km of the city then you'd be looking more north/west and trying to find a suburb that hasn't exploded yet, most of the inner suburbs of the east and south have already boomed and you need 1 million+ to get a detached house. Townhouse/unit could still be an option though. South/east are more quiet/family suburbs once you get out that far, inner north is a bit more "happening" and the west is still fairly industrial but picking up in terms of culture and liveability.

For ~800k you could just about take your pick of suburbs for an apartment, could find a nice 2 bedder in Richmond/Collingwood/Fitzroy and probably walk into the CBD while having the best in terms of bars/restaurants and culture.

Getting a house on a block of land is how you will really make money out of property though. Anything in the south along a train line or nepean highway will go up significantly over the next 10 years, or something in the inner west that isn't too far from the city will certainly have the potential to explode (ie: West Footscray), although not the greatest place to live right now it could be worth it in the end.

just moved to mordialloc surprised by how cheap it is out there compared to Auckland!

 

[Sozabarus]

Finished Stranger Things 2. Brilliant again.

 

[jod23]

In a previous post, I mentioned my darling wife. Amongst the many things I didn't mention about her is that she's a Yank (Michigander). We kept her house in the little country town from which she stems, and we travel back and forth 4 or 5 times a year to see family. So I've a fair chunk of experience with their culture these days.

The thing that is hard to get thru to people is that when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, even the most prodigiously left-wing socialist American has a blind-spot to it. I'll use her as an example. She's educated (working towards her psych doctorate), worldly and well traveled. She understands how inferior the US education and health systems are to the rest of the western world because she's used them. She's been a victim of violent crime, and even works in the criminal justice system. Her sister lives in Las Vegas, less than 5 minutes drive from that concert.

Despite all of that, even she has to stop, pause and think for a second when the Gun Control discussion comes up. Despite all that, despite all the time she's spent here, even she refuses to accept that gun control is an option in the US. It drives me mad.

We talked before work this morning (I'd read about the massacre on CNN). She asked me what I thought, and my reply was pretty much exactly the same as roo2macca. "Meh". To which she gave me a mouthful for not taking her country's pain seriously. All I could reply was "Well, you guys don't seem to take it seriously, how the hell do you expect the rest of the world to?"

As you can imagine, the subject of guns is pretty much the one subject we can't/don't talk about.

Yeah I get it. I have some American friends. Bright, intelligent people who I thought would be on the obvious side that guns in America are a problem. But to my surprise they dont think they are. They ramble on about it's the people. People pull the trigger.

Which I agree on. So if you have so many crazy people, why make it so easy for them to get guns.

They just dont get it. I dont think their is any helping America and gun control and yes I too was... meh at the latest shooting because it just happens almost every.... other.... day.

 

[jod23]

Not sure I agree. If 20 pre-school kids and 6 teachers (Sandy Hook) can't get change to happen, I'm not sure what can.

Did Sandy Hook really happen?

That was a strange one.

 

[jod23]

Finished Stranger Things 2. Brilliant again.

Yep. Just a perfect show. Love both seasons.

 

[SM]

Did Sandy Hook really happen?

That was a strange one.

Huh?

 

[elhadjihenry]

just moved to mordialloc surprised by how cheap it is out there compared to Auckland!

Yep that area or further down the highway is where most of my friends are buying houses. Some nice restaurants/cafes popping up in Mordialloc it's on the improve!

 

[elhadjihenry]

Huh?

Think he's referring to some of the conspiracy theories that it was a hoax.

 

[Loonerty]

Did Sandy Hook really happen?

That was a strange one.

Oh jod please.

 

[glenferry23]

In a previous post, I mentioned my darling wife. Amongst the many things I didn't mention about her is that she's a Yank (Michigander). We kept her house in the little country town from which she stems, and we travel back and forth 4 or 5 times a year to see family. So I've a fair chunk of experience with their culture these days.

The thing that is hard to get thru to people is that when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, even the most prodigiously left-wing socialist American has a blind-spot to it. I'll use her as an example. She's educated (working towards her psych doctorate), worldly and well traveled. She understands how inferior the US education and health systems are to the rest of the western world because she's used them. She's been a victim of violent crime, and even works in the criminal justice system. Her sister lives in Las Vegas, less than 5 minutes drive from that concert.

Despite all of that, even she has to stop, pause and think for a second when the Gun Control discussion comes up. Despite all that, despite all the time she's spent here, even she refuses to accept that gun control is an option in the US. It drives me mad.

We talked before work this morning (I'd read about the massacre on CNN). She asked me what I thought, and my reply was pretty much exactly the same as roo2macca. "Meh". To which she gave me a mouthful for not taking her country's pain seriously. All I could reply was "Well, you guys don't seem to take it seriously, how the hell do you expect the rest of the world to?"

As you can imagine, the subject of guns is pretty much the one subject we can't/don't talk about.

It can be extremely difficult having a rational discussion about gun control with Americans. They're predisposed to it. Conditioned to gun ownership. Almost indoctrination. Not all of them of course but a vast majority in my experience.

Still recall the first time travelling to some of the southern states and seeing people, very casually, lay their gun on the table. Or opening their bag or jacket and seeing 'their piece'.

Just like we do when we step out here, we usually bring the essentials. Keys, wallet, phone etc. There, its keys, wallet, phone, weapon. Just a completely different mentality which is so baffling to understand from outsiders.

And once again, it seems nothing will change. Another gem of a quote from Trump:

"This isn't a guns situation. I mean we could go into it but it's a little bit soon to go into it," he told reporters while on trip to Asia. "But fortunately somebody else had a gun that was shooting in the opposite direction, otherwise ... it would have been much worse. But this is a mental health problem at the highest level."

 

[Genesis67]

Which I agree on. So if you have so many crazy people, why make it so easy for them to get guns.

That's the critical point, right there.

The population, as a near whole, seems unable to make the logical leap that is "If you have item X, and item X's only purpose is to cause harm, and it has no other functional purpose (i.e. you can't use it to serve cheese), and item X is regularly used to cause said harm, to the general populace, then even though it IS a PERSON pulling the trigger, then surely making item X harder to access will help?"

(Yes, I'm aware the grammar there is awful. I'm just trying to make a point).

 

[bok_party]

It can be extremely difficult having a rational discussion about gun control with Americans. They're predisposed to it. Conditioned to gun ownership. Almost indoctrination. Not all of them of course but a vast majority in my experience.

Still recall the first time travelling to some of the southern states and seeing people, very casually, lay their gun on the table. Or opening their bag or jacket and seeing 'their piece'.

Just like we do when we step out here, we usually bring the essentials. Keys, wallet, phone etc. There, its keys, wallet, phone, weapon. Just a completely different mentality which is so baffling to understand from outsiders.

And once again, it seems nothing will change. Another gem of a quote from Trump:

"This isn't a guns situation. I mean we could go into it but it's a little bit soon to go into it," he told reporters while on trip to Asia. "But fortunately somebody else had a gun that was shooting in the opposite direction, otherwise ... it would have been much worse. But this is a mental health problem at the highest level."

I love how Americans say that it's never the right time to talk about gun control/situation immediately after an incident but then they never ever bring it up again. Then another massacre happens and they say it again. Rinse and repeat. When is it the right time America?

 

[Genesis67]

I love how Americans say that it's never the right time to talk about gun control/situation immediately after an incident but then they never ever bring it up again. Then another massacre happens and they say it again. Rinse and repeat. When is it the right time America?

It's the #1 NRA approved reply.

"No no, let's not politicize these 'tragic' deaths....."

 

[jod23]

Oh jod please.

I love a good conspiracy theory and there was a lot of weird stuff that went on with Sandy Hook if you just do a bit of research.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Americans love guns, law won’t change, after all these shootings they’ve had and still no change, why would they now?

 

[Latro]

I love a good conspiracy theory and there was a lot of weird stuff that went on with Sandy Hook if you just do a bit of research.

You need to stay off Infowars