A lot of people in this country keep AKs and various automatic weapons. I know some personally. If guns were the problem, we'd have massacres every week. I wish more people were armed AKs or other good guns. It would be the check that Ammendment II was intended to be-a check against State tyranny. The anti-federalists understood correctly that one of the first steps in enslaving people is to disarm them.

Indeed. An armed society is a polite society. I learned to use a shogun at age 12. With proper training, a gun is as safe as any other tool. It's not the typical gun owner you have to worry about, though. Those of us who own guns take safety VERY seriously.

Yeah, but some lost fingers and ears. Their parents are stuck helping them with disabilities they'll never fully recover from. But that's beside the point. The point is that gun control not only didn't prevent this tragedy, it left people without tools to adequately defend themselves.

Cars kill many times as many people as guns do. Why don't the same people who hate guns demand vehicles be banned? Both propositions are equally absurd.

Not to me.

The Orthodox and Catholic churches consider her a Saint. She is generally more venerated than worshiped.

Note private gun ownership is illegal in China. These kids were sitting ducks. The gun-grabbers will disappointed to learn about this story.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/12/22-kids-slashed-in-china-elementary-school-knife-attack/

What was supposed to be another day of learning at an elementary school in central China instead turned to one of terror, as a man slashed 22 children and one adult with a knife.

The injuries were gruesome, and reportedly include cut-off fingers and ears, but this story had a different outcome from the massacre 8,000 miles away in Newtown, Conn. Everyone survived.

Read More: Cries for Gun Control After Shootings Yield Few Policy Changes

Private ownership of firearms is banned in China, making gun crimes rare in the country, according to the Chinese government’s official English language website. Pistols and revolvers are permitted for hunting, and only with permission.

Instead, knives have become the weapon of choice in China. While the United States combats gun violence, China has dealt with a spate of knife attacks in which the victims, while scarred, often survive.

Read Full ABC Coverage of Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

Massacres in public spaces in the United States are most often carried out by white men between the ages of 15 and 25, according to FBI profilers. In China, the knife-wielding assailants are predominantly middle-aged men, who are dissatisfied with their lives and resentful toward society, Yang Yongchao, a psychologist at Zhengzhou No 8 People’s Hospital, told the China Daily.

Min Yingjun, 36, was arrested for the knife attack Friday morning at Chenpeng Village’s Wanquan Elementary School. Local officials said he may be suffering from a psychological illness.

On Thursday, a man was arrested after cutting the faces of several female passengers on a Beijing subway, China Daily reported.

The man, whose surname is Hu, reportedly wanted “revenge on society” after being scorned by a former girlfriend.

While China deals with its crimes at home, the country has largely been critical of U.S. gun violence.

Live Updates: Conn. School Shooting

In its annual human rights report, released in May, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York condemned U.S. gun ownership.

“The United States has mighty strength in human, financial and material resources to exert effective control over violent crimes,” the report stated. “However, its society is chronically suffering from violent crimes, and its citizens’ lives, properties and personal security are in lack of proper protection.”

Not as true as would have you believe-nor is he axiomatic.

He's new around these parts and will be hazed mercilessly.

Just my beloved, naughty Santa's helper luv2 so far. But I slept in today. It was cooolllld this morning!

Slide is fun! :) One of these days I'm going to get around to picking up a slide bar from Amazon so's I can play my acoustic guitar lap steel style.

In my experience, cutting fat does nothing to help in losing fat/weight. Fat is the best source of energy you can metabolize. (whale fat used to be used in lamps) When you adjust your diet and lifestyle, over time you will want to up your fat intake in accordance with your activity level. Keep your sugar and carb intake low. Carbs (aside from veggies) spike your insulin and tell your body to gain/retain fat.

What's wrong with us older guys? I'm only 30. Now you've gone and hurt my feelings and made me feel old.

I had a teacher, but I've taught myself so many instruments I could teach myself that if I wanted. Advice-learn to read music. Not only will it improve your playing/writing, you will be able to articulate your ideas well to other musicians you want to play with. Also learn a lot of standards in as many genres as possible. And LISTEN. Too many players have a tin ear and sound out of tune. Singers are notorious for going out of tune, but it happens to guitarists too.

Also learn the standard chord progressions (like I-ii-IV-V-I, and so on). You'll use them all the time because audiences are so used to them that they'll be used to them and you can use this common knowledge to please and surprise listeners. (it's often nice to throw in color chords like V7/V)

La Cucharacha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgmARwtptoo&feature=g-user-u

I know this is old news to some, but I just got around to watching it. Gives me the giggles.

il Troubadour

Teddy Grahams

aww, thanks, y'all! ~hugs~ I still have 6 more sections before 1st degree black belt, but I'll probably do it relatively soon at my current rate of progress. I reckon I'm going to register my rank with the USMA when I make it to first degree. There are fees and hassles that go with that, so I'm going to put it off a while.

Stop dating girls and start dating women. They're still a pain sometimes, but not nearly so much as girls.

I know a lot of people who own AR's and AK's and various other weaponry, and I'd trust them before the cops any day. It's unfortunate that more people don't understand that the purpose (well, one of them) of the second amendment is to allow citizens to protect themselves from government force foreign and domestic.