Valsuelm

Watched Harakiri last night. Good flick.

My apologies. I misinterpreted your 'To British eyes...' statement in that regard.

As I have said before. Our policy in Syria is dumb; we never should have backed the rebels. Our backing rebels in Libya & Syria has really backfired. I hope Washington actually gets it this time. I would love to see if a Republican come to power in America and do anything different to Obama in respect to Syria or ISIS So in other words ignoring the UN security council vote and attacking Syria directly and then somehow putting troops on the ground against ISIS Its so easy to criticize the incumbent president of any country A republican? Some republicans didn't want to back the rebels at all. I think you are referring to a neocon. Yeah, they would be even worse than Obama. I have watched numerous interviews from prominent Republicans like John McCain who have said that Obama needs to be forceful and direct in places like Iran and Syria around the military options, I'm not sure if you consider him a Neocon? Technically he's not really a 'Neocon', but 'Neocon' or not, McCain is indeed probably worse than Obama in the foreign affairs department. He's a superficial POS that will say and do anything to remain in power, and gets his marching orders from various folks/entities in what's considering the 'military industrial complex'. While he certainly isn't alone in that respect on Capital Hill, McCain is up there with Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and few others on the sociopath/psychopath scale. Surrounded by a few hundred other superficial pathologically lying treasonous sh*tbags, he certainly stands out as a shining example sparkling sh*t. In other words: The guy is a despicable example of humanity, and among the worst there is on Capital Hill.

I know more than a few people on your island that do understand and appreciate American politics, so you don't speak for all British. You are correct in that both major parties are essentially the same at the end of the day, but so are the two major parties on your island, as well as in most other nations. In most regards, at the national level, it's the illusion of choice, not actual choice. The word 'liberal' in the context of politics was perverted a long time ago, and nowadays if one looks under the facade it means something far from it's original and true meaning, one that was synonymous with 'free'. Thinking along the political line of left, right, center is thinking in a box that was manufactured for you and designed to divide and conquer. They don't. You're just buying into some propaganda that says they do. Many just don't think the government should be involved in it. And many more that are ok with government involvement don't think the current involvement in the form of 'Obamacare' by the government is a good thing. Almost no one is against healthcare in the US.

Forget the movie, read the book.

Not gonna happen. Republican 'leadership' is bought and paid for by the same people who bought and paid for Reid and Pelosi. They are seriously corrupt and incompetent people, as well as anything but real leaders. If McConnell and Boehner are replaced, which I don't see happening, then perhaps we'll see the Repubs do something meaningful. Sans that, it's just going to be more of the same BS.

Obviously older people are bored and have nothing better to do than to vote ? No. Older folks are generally more informed, and also less likely to be 'bored'. Being bored is something that only happens to mentally lazy folks. That it's so acceptable and common to even say 'I'm bored' these days speaks to just how mentally lazy so many people are. Younger people are generally less informed, and less likely to get involved as they generally think they have less skin in the game. This has always been the case, but it is more and more true as time has gone on these last few decades. Older people are also generally more inclined to have the teensy bit of discipline it takes to go to the polls, whereas younger people are more inclined to have entertaining themselves as their priority of the day and be busy doing that.

No. That's propaganda. Few people are voting along those lines. I imagine if you lived in the US, you might, as you suck up propaganda and splurge it out as if it's fact a heck of a lot, but CNN is talking out of their ass on this. As for the Republicans winning the senate, and gaining their largest majority in the house since WW2 this line is applicable: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

I'd say so yes. And I'd edit your spoiler out as I have done.

Thanks for reminding me about that documentary I had all but forgotten (supressed everything) about it. Jesus christ, few things in my life has made me more enraged about the level of injustice portrayed in that one. The grandparents though had such strength of character that was nothing but admirable. Yea... I'd say that unless there's something wrong with someone it's a story that will enrage them as well as jerk some tears out. The very sad thing is that, tragedies are commonplace in court systems worldwide in how the system greatly damages or destroys people's lives and sometimes quite literally gets people killed. It's probably best in the U.S., but there are still many very serious issues here, especially in 'family courts' in most or all states. So many people are brainwashed by oh so much propaganda into thinking the system works. That the police always get the bad guy, that the DA competently prosecutes the bad guy, that the police and the DAs are the good guys, that fair trials are the norm, that even indigents get good representation, that innocent people don't get arrested or convicted. That lawyers on all sides are even competent (they so often aren't). That 'experts' on the stand actually know what they are talking about. These myths and others, and the belief in them by so many people that perpetuates so much insanity on a daily basis grounds up people by the millions, and spits them into prison, into shattered lives, into graves, into pure hell, and other seriously unfun things. Zachary's grandparents awed me, and in a good way. Aside from being enraging, and a tearjerker 'Dear Zachary' is an eye opener and positively inspirational in a way. A very well made film. Some good news (spoiler for anyone who has not seen "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" (I really don't recommend opening this spoiler up unless you've seen it)):

You are not quoting properly. You do not attribute to where/whom the words you quote are from. Use '"" all you want, but cite correctly if you're going to do it that way. That said, format and ease of read for those you're writing for matters. The quote boxes provided by the forum are much superior to "" in the ease of read department. Using them is not 'dumbing down' for the internet, not using them thinking that they are somehow 'dumbing down' is being what you're trying to avoid: dumb. Learn what a troll is. I'm certainly not trolling.

I suppose you think Casey Anthony should have been convicted as well? The fact is that the jury decided correctly in both cases. If you believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty that is. A jury is not supposed to convict unless they have no doubts a person committed crime X. Often juries convict when they do have doubts, the reasons for this are varied, but a good defense attorney, which both O.J. and Casey had will make sure that jury knows that if they have doubts they shouldn't be convicting. Was O.J. guilty? At the time it certainly looked like he was, even moreso than Casey, but given the evidence presented at both trials I'd have voted to acquit myself. You don't convict someone if you think they did it, you convict someone if you know they did it and their rights were not violated in the process. The former is often evil, the latter often what needs to be done. [Note that the judge, many of the police, and some of prosecutorial team on the O.J. case were unprofessional and incompetent and the defense team ran circles around them all. This was not so much the case with the Casey Anthony case though.] On this front I highly recommend everyone watching the following two documentaries: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/real-csi/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/forensics-on-trial.html They both dispel commonly accepted myths about forensics that are put forth as fact again and again in movies, TV, on the news, etc. They also discuss O.J. and Anthony's cases, among many others.

The Canadian 'justice' system can make the U.S. family court system look like a fair, reasonable, and good system. I urge everyone here to go find and watch "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father". I also highly recommend not reading up on it until after you've seen the film. It speaks volumes about the subject of this thread, and is a very good film to watch. Also, Volourn, can you please quote properly? I stop reading your posts where you quote people after the first line or two as much of the time I don't know who you're responding to, the quote is taken out of context, and not knowing who you're responding to I can't go find that context.

Who do I talk to about stopping this stupid policy of closing threads due to length? I PMed a mod a year or so ago and asked why and their response was basically: 'Well.. we've just always done it that way.' It's really a retarded policy. Really.

They are good enough that I consider them to be honorary even-numbered Trek movies. !!!! Star Trek 5 was a masterpiece in comparison.

Is this like one of those things where Trekkies didn't like it but everyone else did? I mean I like Star Trek, but I'm nowhere near a Trekkie. A 'trekkie' is a relative and subjective term. Kind like a 'druggie'. Many users of drugs X wouldn't consider themselves a druggie, but others might after just hearing of or seeing them do it once. Same for 'trekkie'.

Which was horribad on varying levels.... Namutree says he thinks the movie will be ok so long as Lucas is kept away. Well, the fact that he does have some creative input aside, I'd agree with that sentiment in general. I'd also say they might be ok so long as JJ is kept away as well. As bad as Lucas is he at least has some good original movies under his name, albeit all were over 20 years ago now. J.J.'s got ok at best movies under his name with not one of them being original. I figure I got about as much chance at winning the lottery as Ep 7 being good. Possible, I'm hopeful, but I'm not planning on it.

In honor of Tel Aviv's avatar, one of the greatest movies of all time, and a damn good song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od_6M8cFdUA

The only thing that perks my interest even a little is seeing the original cast in action. However, I will likely refrain from seeing it until I get word from some trusted folks that it's actually good. I doubt that word will come and fully expect Han, Leia, Luke, et al to be **** upon over and over by Abrams, Disney, et al. Given the many of the people behind the movie, I expect this new trilogy to make the prequels look good. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

I hold the value of the life of dogs I've had in my life above those of many people I have met, and most I haven't met. As do a great many others who have dogs. That said, the police dog should not have been there, the guns should not have been out, and so on. It was murder. It happens very often. In the couple days this has been discussed police have probably killed a couple of people in cold blood somewhere in the US, and assaulted countless others. The local DA almost never prosecutes, even when there's mountains of evidence against the offending officer. There are some good cops out there, but they really are rare in most police departments. Serpico rare. While most cops might not commit murder, a great many do assault people, and most do look the other way when their co-workers kill, assault, steal, blackmail, frame, etc. Corruption is rampant in militarized police department X, pretty much everywhere. A lot of people are bamboozled by decades of pro police propaganda though. On the news, on TV, in the movies. The police are the good guys, there to protect and serve! I once thought they were the good guys too. Until I saw with my own eyes how they weren't many many times over.

Solution, fire anyone who fired their gun, and don't rehire anyone else. Most police departments are way overstaffed. Also, disarm your average cop. There is no good reason they all are armed with weapons that are primarily lethal. Arm the populace, not government thugs. I'd wager a proper ballistics report was not done, in which case fire all those that would/should be responsible for doing one. Prosecute the policemen who fired more than one round, or can be proven to have actually hit the subject with a round from their gun, for murder. If the evidence isn't available due to a lack of a proper investigation, dissolve the police department, sell it's wares, award all proceeds to the family of the man, and issue an injunction barring that municipality from forming another police department for a period of at least 20 years. Likely none of the above will happen, and the police will get away with murder. That's the norm these days in police state USA. Oh... and possibly most important of all. Repeal all legislation that gives any government worker immunity from anything (an amendment forbidding immunity clauses for government workers is one of the few I'd add to the US Constitution). Then in the future we can prosecute the DA for helping cover up a murder, rather than doing their job.

Separate but equal. No... then we'd have activists in a few years complaining of how one pavement is in a superior position than the other, or in better condition. There is no satisfying these wackoloons.

It is not harassment. I do not know an 'SJ code' is, but I wager I'm probably better off for it as it sounds like some kind of cultural marxist BS. The video is not worth discussing as it's edited, and the people posting it obviously have an agenda around it. Sadly, people fall for this contrived BS.

Wrong. The first step to being a rapist is being a man. Only in the minds of feminists or manginas.