Yes indeed, it is a horrible subject. I am most appalled by the fact that hollow-point ammunition is now so commonplace.

In WW II the Army and Marines would shoot any enemy prisoner caught with that, or who had filed his ammo. This was covered by a treaty requiring a full metal jacket and banning anything that caused excessive wounds and unnecessary pain.

Even our cops use it now.

I doubt very much that this outrageous claim would be supported by the courts. If it is, then it might indicate that Monsanto has corrupted the judiciary.

If Monsanto wants to protect its patent then it should have made the seeds unable to reproduce themselves. The farmer should be entitled to use any seeds that have grown on his property in the natural way.

The farmer did not make, buy, or sell the seeds, and that should be most relevant to consideration of a breach of the patent.

Breaking News:

You Tube has revealed that the Chinese have secretly developed a human clone machine, and now they are churning out an army that is just too cute to shoot.

Intel video analysts have noticed that the Commie Evil Genius has given himself away by not cloning some short fat ugly ones to hide in the middle ranks, as we and all other armies have to do.

I don’t know what you guys are taking, but I want some.

I still don’t understand how being a competent gun handler gives me more credibility on the dangers of ubiquitous guns in homes. I don’t think that everyone else is like me.

Either that, or the legislators are afraid that the NRA will kill them electorally.

I never really believed the 5.56 thing either, but perhaps they are more lethal because with them you can carry more ammo and shoot more people.

Thanks. I can imagine a family like that. I know people who are even that way about alcohol. If they see a beer in your fridge, they think you are a degenerate. I can handle a beer safely.

And yet, I still think that these people have a right to express themselves on gun control. At the very worst they are only wrong about how guns can accidentally kill people. I don’t think concern about accidental shootings is very high in the gun debate, although it can’t be entirely discounted as being the result of ignorance. Even among trained soldiers accidental discharges can occur, and it is more likely with self-loading semi and fully automatic weapons.

I read most of it. He made some good points, but was very repetitive and dogmatic, so he lost my attention about half way. Perhaps it was just his proud conservatism that got up my nose. I am somewhat irrational about that.

I reject his main theme, which is that if you are going to criticize gun ownership then you really should know a lot about guns – even be expert in handling them. If you don’t have this expertise, then you have no right to speak on the subject.

That’s a complete non sequitur.

Football is not a military skill.

You have a general problem with the Army not making the most of the talents of recruits. Sorry that happened to you, but you took a big risk in joining with that expectation.

Diddums failed a test?

Oh Dear! What a pity. Never mind!

Settle down; grow up; and deal with the way the world really is (rather than as you think it should be) like a mature adult.

Play their silly game and get their silly bit of paper. Then you can do it your way and see how that works for you.

An education is not just about acquiring skills. It is mostly about learning how to think critically. Clearly, you have not learned that yet.

True, but I don’t have to like it, and that’s the way I feel.

IMHO sport is over-rated here. Being good (even f***ing good ) at some sport is not more virtuous, honorable etc that being f***ing good at playing a musical instrument, singing. or acting or painting or programming a computer or video gaming, etc.

It is more fair to treat all these things the same. If they are not part of your military duties then you can’t do them. If you did not know you were so good before you joined up, then perhaps an offer like that could be treated as that is grounds for an honorable discharge, so you can get out and follow your destiny.

When you volunteer for military duties you give up your civilian life and that includes sports teams. Active service military should not have the right to make a commitment to play professional sport, or ever be given the permission to do it.

I don’t believe that there is a PR benefit for the Army in letting him play.

During a recent bout of influenza, a professional pharmacist suggested that I should take Echinacea to improve my immune system.

I was rather shocked because I have always assumed that folk medicine, including homeopathy, health foods, etc, is a departure from medical science that should not be endorsed by a health professional. I did some research, both on Google and asking friends, and could find no credible support for the entire health food industry.

After the latest gun tragedy in Connecticut, the gun control issue debate has to get another kick start. The current situation is just too revolting for good people to tolerate any longer.

We have been through this many times on ON so my position is well known. I think it is too late to get adequate control over gun ownership to make much difference in this country, and it would be hopelessly divisive to even try.

If the Israel apologists want to maintain their outrage about unguided Palestinian missiles, then perhaps they should admit that an oppressed people will use any weapons that they can get to attain their freedom. Americans and Jews should appreciate that better than any other people. Americans because they did it to the Indians (and accepted many incoming unguided missiles in the process); and Israelis because the Jews were treated like this for many centuries.

You want them to use more accurate missiles, then give them some.

Are Radio Controlled model airplanes a nerd-worthy hobby?

I have just taken it up, or more correctly, gone back to it after an absence of 40 years. Back in the 1970s I played with 10ft wingspan gliders having a pod fixed to the top of the wing with a small gas motor and just enough fuel to take it up to soaring altitude. This was a lot of fun, but my aircraft gradually grew heavier under the weight of its repairs until it was not much use as a glider. My last memory of it was screaming towards me, low over a cow paddock as I frantically tried to mentally reverse the rudder and aileron controls. Sadly, one wing caught the ground, it cartwheeled, and stampeded the cattle. There were only balsa wood fragments left after that one, and I handed in my wings in order to spend more time with the new baby.