Cram wrote on Feb 25, 2021, 21:34:
Was hoping his 3rd Alice game would happen.

I don’t replay many games but both Alice games I’ve played through multiple times. Just liked the vibe and story line. When I saw the Cheshire Cat for the first time in the first game’s teaser trailer I was pretty much sold at that point.

Having a third installment would have rounded out the story nicely.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 12, 2021, 08:56:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 22:56:
Dude, you're right, we won't meet in the middle because you're not going to budge...

You've utterly failed in this discussion and you will continue to fail in further discussions until you understand how negotiations work. As someone claiming to have a successful business, I find it difficult to believe that you're unaware of negotiable and non-negotiable clauses which must balance to achieve a successful negotiation.

I had no intention of changing minds, my goal was to bring my perspective to what's going on which I believe I have done so with the hope that someone else may gain some perspective of their own. If this was lost on you, then it was not my failure, but yours.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 22:30:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
Have you actually ever heard someone say that or are you projecting?

Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out of my way to type it. It and the standard variation of "Billy's parents should just work harder" bullshit. Guess where that bullshit came from? "Conservatives". The same "conservatives" who preach about the sanctity of life...so long as it only applies to the unborn.

Also, you might want to look deeply within before you accuse others of projecting or, perhaps, get to know them a bit better before you make asinine statements. But you do you. Also, learn your logical fallacies. As Beamer pointed out, that could have been construed as a strawman...if I hadn't actually heard it said with my own fucking ears.

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
In regards to health care, do I believe it's a right to be given free healthcare for everyone? No, I don't.

Then you and I would have no common ground to meet on, thus making it impossible to "meet in the middle" anywhere. I find it to be a moral requirement that the sick, injured, and dying are cared for regardless of their ability to pay while also not being hounded in to destitution or medical bankruptcy for seeking out care. Do you think the stories about people dying from being able to afford insulin, for example, are just a clever trick dreamed up by the media? Or the stories about people doing caravans to Canada to buy it in bulk where it is ridiculously less expensive and can be bought over the counter? The same formulations (i.e. Lantus, Novolog, etc.) that are prohibitively expensive and out of reach here in the States?

ACA was always hot garbage but it was the Republicans who poisoned the well so badly that nothing truly effective would come out of the attempt. However, that is no excuse to throw up our hands and say "It's impossible" when literally every other first world nation has figured it out to varying degrees and posseses a functional national healthcare service.

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 19:39:
Here, I'll throw a few more tidbits about me: I'm not white, I'm hispanic; married, father of two. I graduated Summa Cum Laude after dropping out of school after 1.5 years of a failed college experience (1.2 gpa) and went back to finish my degree after working odd-and-end dead-end jobs. I now have built and own a successful business for 15 years now.

Cool. I'm a Caltech burnout and dropout who started my first business at 14. Do we need to stand up so people can clap for us or are we just supposed to stand around patting ourselves on the back? All of that was self-aggrandizing and pointless in the context of the current discussion.

Dude, you're right, we won't meet in the middle because you're not going to budge, but keep blaming everyone else. Bad thing? Republicans! It's the evil, greedy, REPUBLICANS!!! Sorry I don't believe you that someone told you that "Billy can die". Can I prove it, of course not, but if they did, you should know better than to base millions of people off of one single person's opinion. Don't be so dense and close-minded.

Bottom line, I don't trust the government to control the health of the nation, they can't even control their spending...

Caltech burnout/dropout? Ok, good job but so much for having an actual discussion. Did you learn the art of conversation and debate at your time in school? I guess you be you, too. (which is one of the dumbest thing I ever hear people say)

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 20:05:
I'll take you at your word on that. I know those kinds of situations did happen to some people.

I'm not part of a "some", there were a lot of people it happened to. Fortunately for you it worked in your favor, for a lot of us, it did not. So....

Also, they reported the numbers for the amount of people who signed up but little was said about the amount of people who couldn't even afford pay the first month; it was astounding.

Don't have the time to go down this road, introducing my 12-year-old to Stranger Things for the first time, S1E3 right now. So if you excuse me....

Burrito of Peace wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 18:38:
My last example is healthcare. If someone says to me "It sucks little Bobby's parents can't afford insulin. He can just die." Then I know I will never reach the fundamental start of a resolution when it comes to the health, healthcare, and wellbeing of my fellow man with that individual. It's the anathema of common decency.

Have you actually ever heard someone say that or are you projecting? In regards to health care, do I believe it's a right to be given free healthcare for everyone? No, I don't. Does someone have the right to have access to health care, yes. No discrimination, yet the "affordable" part starts getting iffy as to what's considered "affordable" to whom. Prior to the AHCA, we paid $750 / month for a family of four where we only went to the doctor once, maybe twice a year; we've done our best to maintain a healthy lifestyle (eating, exercise, etc). Afterwards, it shot up to $1400 / month for the same coverage. Yeah, we "liked our plan" and "we could keep our plan" but forget about buying food anymore. It was basically a tax hike that we had no control over and got penalized when we couldn't afford it. We basically had to reduce our plan to the absolute lowest coverage we could possibly get which was basically no coverage at all but still had to pay $850 / month.

1) Do you believe, as Gina does, that Trump lost the election because of voter fraud? If so, what actual evidence do you have that supports that?
2) What sources do you use that are reliable - meaning that they at a minium fact check their information and they offer corrections when they're wrong. Do you stop believing those sources when you find out that their facts are sometimes wrong and they don't correct themselves when they discover so? Or would you choose to continue to follow those news sources even knowing that they willingly provide factualy incorrect information?

1) no I don't believe there was voter fraud, but would it surprise me that there was, sure. Just like what was accused in 2016 just the opposite way. But I'm not whining about it. I have not denounced Biden as president and I won't be a "Never-Biden" because he was elected, time to move on; I've got a business to run. Hasn't this already been settled? Why is this still a thing? Honestly kind of surprised it's still being brought up.

2) To be completely honest, I don't pay attention to national media as the bias is excruciatingly painful to watch. My wife will watch a little more national coverage so I am exposed to it. I will randomly look at CNN, NYT, Fox, WaPo, MSNBC, NPR, BBC if a major story breaks to get the wide range of exposure which is why I see the bias because everyone has so many different takes on the same event because pandering. What I mostly watch is local news since it directly affects me more.

I think what wears me out the most is the lack of what we're doing now. I opened myself up for questions, made myself vulnerable to everyone so I'll be curious the amount of retribution I'll incur. (OMG, YoU aCtUaLLy wAtCH FoX tO bE beTtER iNforMeD oN aLL aNgLeS?!?) Hopefully more will be willing to do the same. With that said, you only know me about the two questions I've answered but can you really know me and the opinions I make based on a few posts on Blues? You either need to walk a mile in my shoes OR have some semblance of respect that my opinions are built upon 40+ years of experience living on this earth and I may know a thing or two. Just as I respect that your opinions are based on your life and I have no right to look down upon them. I just hope we can all do the same...

Here, I'll throw a few more tidbits about me: I'm not white, I'm hispanic; married, father of two. I graduated Summa Cum Laude after dropping out of school after 1.5 years of a failed college experience (1.2 gpa) and went back to finish my degree after working odd-and-end dead-end jobs. I now have built and own a successful business for 15 years now.

Bodolza wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 18:19:
Something else I've been seeing a lot of lately from conservatives online is claiming victimhood for their beliefs, but as soon as those beliefs are questioned by someone, they disappear from the conversation. It's hard to have an actual discussion about what you believe if only one side is willing to participate.

That's a strange things to state and leave it at that. Do you actually have questions? Or are you using this as a way to "call people out"? Honestly, I don't hear many sincere questions around here, mostly a lot of out-of-context deflection and the overabundant use of "strawman"; almost like it's Life's Word of the Year.

Verno wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 17:12:

Opinions are nothing special and people latch onto their own too much as if holding one automatically makes them immune to criticism. I think more people should probably start having this attitude if we want to reverse the decline of our nation and make no mistake, we are in decline due to this polarization.

Completely and wholeheartedly agree, it will require a meeting in the middle meaning both sides need to be willing to have enough courage to understand one another. IMO, if anything needs to be defunded, it's the major news networks/entertainment industry (that line is getting blurred between the two these days) if we're talking about people thinking their opinion means more than what it really is.

Verno wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 17:12:

Also let's all move away from labels - for example calling people ignorant is not going to move a discussion anywhere productive.

Ignorance is not a label, it's a lack of understanding. I know I'm ignorant about a number of things but I know better than to start shouting loudly as if I'm the expert. This nation is polarized because of an extreme talent for ignorance who, as a result, belittle and then pile on. This mindset is exactly what Gina Carano is speaking of.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

wow, does history have a tendency to repeat itself. The rest of that quote is incredibly disturbing....

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 16:30:

sliv wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 16:19:
Honestly, the amount of hatred I've seen just on this board alone the past four years for anyone who voted for Trump; makes me truly question the future of the human race. Where's all that unity I keep hearing everyone wants? I guess it's just easier to remove the differing opinion than actually hear why half of the US doesn't think like you.

To repeat:

Mr. Tact wrote on Jan 9, 2021, 22:57:
Hey, I do what I can. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I completely understand why people voted for Trump in 2016. Most people pay far less attention to politics than I do. Most people are busy living their lives, paying their bills, they don't know jack shit about politics -- they know they don't and that's fine with them. They didn't know Trump was a charlatan, who lies like a rug, who cares as much about the working man as he does mud on the bottom of his shoe. They listened to Fox, Rush, Hannity, and the rest of it and believed.

But if after four years of what Trump has said and done, you still believe he deserves your vote -- you're lost to me. You clearly have no connection with reality. Yes, I believe over 75 million US citizens have no connection with reality, in politics. Do I believe they should be gunned down? Of course not. However their ignorance is weighing this country down. And frankly, I don't have a lot of concern for them. Maybe that makes me a horrible person. So be it.

So what office do you hold in Washington? I'd be curious to know the source of your raw, untampered, unbiased information you receive that isn't fed to you. From what I've seen, people find the news network they agree with and tether themselves to it. There's bias everywhere for the need of the mighty click. Unless you are personally witness to every conversation, every press conference, you will be fed biased information. Context is everything and the news knows this.

Just because you don't believe people shouldn't be gunned down doesn't mean you think any less of them and in the next breath question whether you're a horrible person. The world has been full of ignorance, everywhere, just like you're ignorant about the opinions of the opposite side. You're just assuming based on your belief system that if someone doesn't vote for the Democratic party, they're weighing the country down. Sounds pretty ignorant to me.

Mr. Tact wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 14:34:

Cutter wrote on Feb 11, 2021, 14:20:
Is she pro-Trump?

Which doesn't directly make her "pro-Trump", but it certainly indicates her separation from reality -- generally a prerequisite for being "pro-Trump".

She didn't say who she voted for but Hollywood doesn't allow for such a thing as an acting conservative. Seriously, why is that?

Honestly, the amount of hatred I've seen just on this board alone the past four years for anyone who voted for Trump; makes me truly question the future of the human race. Where's all that unity I keep hearing everyone wants? I guess it's just easier to remove the differing opinion than actually hear why half of the US doesn't think like you.

Regardless, if any of you actually put the words you've said here into any kind of action... The Nazi's just decided to make that goosestep and you're cowarding behind your keyboards; your mindsets are still the same. How do you convince a nation to commit mass murder? Make them believe the others are not or lesser-than human and don't deserve to share the same planet. Gosh, that all sounds really familiar from the party of love and unity.

Haven't played the first Tomb Raiders in a long time so this will be fun to revisit.

I do particularly like the line item: "Adjustements of the body shape of Lara for something a little bit more realistic". All it needs is an *ahem* between the 'more' and 'realistic'. At least, that's how I read it.

It was pretty fun, up until that damn ice island.

Same. Had to look on a website to see what they said to do since you can't just go anywhere and realized there's really only one way up and it's very winding all the way around until you reach some of the discovered zones so you can fast travel. It was annoying just the first time up and then once I got to the top, I could hit all the side quests by gliding down from a fast travel points hitting the vaults first since those become points once beaten.

the puzzles that involve a lot of platforming. They can be a little annoying.

Yeah, I agree. I got to the point I was hoping a Vault was a more simple battle vault instead of all the platforming. Once I got the Herakles heavy lifting and the Phosphor clone godly power, that helped a lot since I could just grab a heavy block and if I just needed a light weight, I could just clone on it and I'd be on my way. Made some of the more infuriating puzzles a bit easier.

I'm up to the point of fighting Typhon but going through buffing myself to make things a little easier. Getting Ambrosia and Zeus Lightning to get my health and stamina higher. And working on maxing out armor. I use the axe and arrows more than I do the sword. Also trying to find the legendary mounts as well, some are pretty sweet looking.

I will say I've worked pretty hard on a vault, especially to get the chest within, and pretty disappointed when I get a visual weapon as opposed to something new. It is a really great game though, got it on sale at Best Buy and surprised it hasn't gotten much more love. Maybe the strange name is a deterrent.

With that said $40 for a DLC is a bit steep when I got the game for $25 so not sure I'm going to get that just yet. Hopefully it will go on sale at some point.

Same with LN1, though I never finish it. I'm finding out I'm a hard sell on completing games these days. Too many other things to compete with and if the game doesn't truly capture me within a few hours, I rarely go back to it. It's also pretty disheartening when my kids are better at video games than I am now. Circle of life...

I've been playing through Immortal Fenyx Rising lately and have really enjoyed it; more than I thought I would as I tend to lose interest when an open world is too vast weakening the storyline. And the added bonus of removing the exclusivity with a single developer can only mean more ideas and creativity. As long as the quality standard stays high.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Jan 12, 2021, 18:22:

sliv wrote on Jan 12, 2021, 16:47:
Though, I'm sure a lot of you all are probably pretty nice in person, too bad we don't get to see that side of you.

I assure you that I am just as much of an asshole in person as I am on here.

Beamer is right when he said we are discussing and opining on issues that are infinitely more important than video games, consoles, and other such meaningless trivialities. Can you legitimately argue that the scarcity of video cards and their current outrageous prices are more worthy of discussion than the armed insurrection that occurred at the Capitol just six days ago? Or the continued lunacy of Trump and the very real danger he represents to the republic and our democracy? Or the now hundreds of examples of social inequality that we have witnessed over the last handful of years?

There comes a point where you can't bury your head in the sand and hope to wave it all away because you don't want to deal with it. When something becomes a problem of such a staggering nature, it is going to seep in to everything until it is resolved.

Hmm... nice... lot's of friends huh?

I guess "time and place" would be my response to this. Yes, it's the hot topic right now (time) but does it really need to be all hashed out here (place)? Again, I said I try to find escape from it all but politics have infested pretty much everything and it'd be nice to talk about something else, but it sounds like that's all people want to talk about (exhibit a: comment counts). So be it. I'll just move along. BTW I'm pretty sure people changing their political opinions from what they read on a gaming website is batting at .000.

Beamer wrote on Jan 12, 2021, 15:13:

Tomas wrote on Jan 12, 2021, 15:04:
It's a good thing we have places like bluesnews where we can make sure our opinions are correct.

With this post, you're one step away from calling us sheeple.

I would take a step towards over the past decade Blues has basically turned into an echo chamber itself where I can hardly read the comments anymore without dying a little inside; so toxic. When I do go in I already know what to expect, and my expectations have yet to be unmet.

I remember the days when the disagreements had to do with the actual gaming industry (PS vs Xbox, Nintendo vs Sega, nVidia vs AMD) where both sides could have an opinion and still be able talk to one another with some semblance of respect. Those days are sadly gone, or maybe it's just pure Mandela Effect and wishful thinking. I do know what we have now is a bunch of anonymously tough-talking keyboard warriors with a megaphone wearing earplugs. Though, I'm sure a lot of you all are probably pretty nice in person, too bad we don't get to see that side of you.

Blues was my escape from all the other crap in the world. Do we really need Twitter and FB news here? "If it bleeds, it leads", I guess. Shoot, comment totals alone tell you all you need to know.

Beamer wrote on Nov 5, 2020, 13:42:

sliv wrote on Nov 5, 2020, 11:45:

Beamer wrote on Nov 5, 2020, 10:13:

So you still won't answer the question, only now you're angry at cities you've likely never even been in.

Ok, so you won't have an honest discussion, and you'll just keep throwing things out to see what sticks. Thank you. To the ignore list you go.

I can't speak for NYC, never been there. I can't speak for CA now, I was born there but moved away when I was 9. I can speak for Texas, specifically Austin area where it's grown from just Travis County being blue in a sea of red to the two surrounding counties turning blue this election that have grown a lot over the past 10 years. We're getting a lot of tech jobs here which is great but the other areas that are not so great have become major problems. The homeless camps here are incredibly sad to see; these all started just recently when public camping was deemed legal by the city council (you can guess which direction they lean politically). The transit infrastructure is a complete disaster. No one can have an opinion anymore without being canceled by the young and brightest graduating from UT. But HEY! we're turning this area even more blue! Wooo!!

We hear native Austinites regularly say Austin isn't the same https://www.statesman.com/interactive/news/local/austin-skyline/then-and-now/">as it once was. I've been here since '98 and have seen the growth first-hand. Where I live now used to be out in the middle of nowhere, now we're completely developed and everything is expanding well beyond us. Large tech companies move in, where do you think they're hiring people? They're not growing them in-state, they're telling people in Silicon Valley that you can move here and buy/build a massive house for a 10th of what it costs in California. Trump didn't win Texas by much so make this state blue and you have yourself 38 more electoral points. Nobody would be talking about Michigan, Arizona or Nevada today.

But as long as the rules fits what you want, then let's change the whole thing. We'll just make sure all the farmers, gas & oil workers continue to work their tails off to put food on the table for them (and you) and encourage them to start popping off more kids and more mouths to feed to keep up with the rest of the country just so they don't become increasingly irrelevant.

Adding people to the ignore list you don't agree with = safe space

Who shut down the institutions that used to house the homeless?

Institutions weren't shut down, they never were made. The city council thought it best to let the homeless population be more visible in the city so they've come out of hiding; there's lots of green spaces here. I guess they think if we see more of them we'll be more prone to make more affordable housing. Problem is it's affecting local businesses as the homeless are getting more aggressive since it's not illegal anymore.

Austin has historically received a lot from visitors with ACL, SXSW, Dell, the music scene in general, etc. There hasn't been a pro sports team until Austin FC was approved starting next year. They rely a lot on visitors coming to the downtown area but with tents and trash under ever underpass, electric scooters littered everywhere, it doesn't make it very desirable. I don't ever bring out-of-town visitors downtown anymore.

What's odd is, anytime something new is voted on, take Austin FC for example, they found a unused patch of empty land that's been sitting for years and years to build the stadium. Opponents quickly found a new's camera complaining the land should be used for affordable housing. Why all of a sudden did this empty lot become so wanted by so many different groups? It had been sitting for years but until someone wanted to build on it, they used homelessness as a scapegoat. Shouldn't there be affordable housing being built right now in other areas of town? East of Austin there's plenty of land. We don't have a state income tax so our property taxes are through the roof which I'm sure is paying for something, and it sounds like affordable housing isn't part of it. I know our schools here get a very sizeable chunk. If they really wanted to fix the homeless population they could do it today but it's only brought up when it can be used as an excuse to fight something else.

I'm not homeless and have tried my hardest never to be so I don't know what a homeless person goes through everyday; their specific situation, mental state, addictions. I do think some people are just lazy. I know people who if they had opportunity to get something free instead of put an ounce of work for it, they would. And I also know there are a lot of jobs around here, really basic jobs. Just this week our trash collectors had to move to an electric arm on the truck which takes three times as long because they couldn't keep the human collectors employed.

Beamer wrote on Nov 5, 2020, 10:13:

So you still won't answer the question, only now you're angry at cities you've likely never even been in.

Ok, so you won't have an honest discussion, and you'll just keep throwing things out to see what sticks. Thank you. To the ignore list you go.

I can't speak for NYC, never been there. I can't speak for CA now, I was born there but moved away when I was 9. I can speak for Texas, specifically Austin area where it's grown from just Travis County being blue in a sea of red to the two surrounding counties turning blue this election that have grown a lot over the past 10 years. We're getting a lot of tech jobs here which is great but the other areas that are not so great have become major problems. The homeless camps here are incredibly sad to see; these all started just recently when public camping was deemed legal by the city council (you can guess which direction they lean politically). The transit infrastructure is a complete disaster. No one can have an opinion anymore without being canceled by the young and brightest graduating from UT. But HEY! we're turning this area even more blue! Wooo!!

We hear native Austinites regularly say Austin isn't the same https://www.statesman.com/interactive/news/local/austin-skyline/then-and-now/">as it once was. I've been here since '98 and have seen the growth first-hand. Where I live now used to be out in the middle of nowhere, now we're completely developed and everything is expanding well beyond us. Large tech companies move in, where do you think they're hiring people? They're not growing them in-state, they're telling people in Silicon Valley that you can move here and buy/build a massive house for a 10th of what it costs in California. Trump didn't win Texas by much so make this state blue and you have yourself 38 more electoral points. Nobody would be talking about Michigan, Arizona or Nevada today.

But as long as the rules fits what you want, then let's change the whole thing. We'll just make sure all the farmers, gas & oil workers continue to work their tails off to put food on the table for them (and you) and encourage them to start popping off more kids and more mouths to feed to keep up with the rest of the country just so they don't become increasingly irrelevant.

Adding people to the ignore list you don't agree with = safe space

Jivaro wrote on Nov 4, 2020, 16:30:
The Electoral College (1787) and fax machines (1843) .....both are antiquated and obsolete. I have no idea if the EC must go or simply be changed, but I think it is pretty obvious something has to change.

By your logic, U.S. Constitution (1787). A year doesn't just make something obsolete because you don't like it.

no matter who wins the EC has to go. 61 percent of Americans support its abolition.

Let's look at this worldwide:
Here are the 10 most populated countries as of July 1, 2020
1. China 1,394,015,977
2. India 1,326,093,247
3. United States 329,877,505
4. Indonesia 267,026,366
5. Pakistan 233,500,636
6. Nigeria 214,028,302
7. Brazil 211,715,973
8. Bangladesh 162,650,853
9. Russia 141,722,205
10. Mexico 128,649,565

and if we had to elect one world leader, do you think the US and anyone below would have much to say? China and India's population numbers are staggering. What do either of those countries care about what happens here? The President should not be elected by a handful of heavily-populated counties that negate the rest of the country that they could be clueless about. The rural areas would be hit hardest where they would have zero representation. Sounds familiar. Oh, and I wonder what parts of the country our food supply comes from? It sure isn't LA or NYC.

Might doesn't always make right, just like the 61% you say who want to abolish it. Adding warm bodies doesn't automatically increase intelligence or understanding. 10 sheep or a 10,000 sheep; it's still just a bunch of procreating sheep.

For the election itself, I don't believe one man can make or break an entire country. Trump didn't cause this civil unrest; it's been going on for years/decades, he helped expose it by people becoming more vocal either for or against him. How close was the Bush/Gore election? Hanging chads, anyone? If Biden wins, you can't seriously believe that all of a sudden we'll be singing kumbaya in a giant country-wide song circle? Please....

I'll take the gaming community as an example. I would say this community adopted technology and access to instant information sooner than most of the world in the early 90's/2000's. Why? Because we built computers which was somewhat taboo for the average household and very expensive. Having witnessed this first-hand and now a father, I've been careful to shield my 8 and 11 year old boys from the toxic environment the gaming community is. It hasn't changed in 20+ years; just keeps adding new members. My boys are fascinated with electronics, computers, VR, etc which has a heavy online element and they've already witnesses the condescending nature that many/most/all? gamers tend to have. My only guess to why is we felt informed with the loving blanket of information wrapped around us 24/7.

Now everyone has a computer in their pocket, 24-hour news cycles, instant access to as much real or fake information so now everyone has the opportunity to act condescending to each other just as gamers have for 2.5 decades. Facebook? That's basically an online forum now where (like this thread) anyone can call anyone an idiot and be completely okay with half the US population completely vanishing, Thanos-style, just because you don't agree with them.

It really is sad and appalling and regardless of what you think one elected official won't be able to fix it. Civil War? We very well may be on our way to repeating history. UNLESS, grown adults start acting like it and learn to have real conversations (not shouting matches armed with torches and pitchforks) with those that you don't agree with which very well means opening up your decades-old, closed minds just a smidge. A little perspective would do all of us well.

** Though I am little curious how well the countless hours of COD played all these years will help if the bullets really do start to fly.