Today's raw food experiment: raw taco. Actually, much better than I'd expected.

Somehow I had myself listed as Overweight on OKCupid. Huh.

I personally hate the things from somewhere at or perhaps beyond the Teppy end of the bench, and would happily see every last one on earth melted down into a giant steaming pile o' slag.

I say ban guns, legalize drugs. Again, I know that makes me wingnutty, but, well, that's not so bad.

Because out here in the West, you still have a LOT of people who hunt for game for food purposes. We used to watch a guy's chickens and get deer meat in exchange. (I have noticed that progressives in the Western US seem to have differing opinions on guns than progressives east of the Rockies.)

I do understand the hunting POV -- do they use rifles? I think if I lived in the West, it's likely I'd be okay-ish with hunters having guns.

Yes, they are a tool that can kill but so can most any other tool. As an extreme example: you wouldn't lock up your aluminum tent poles but many people have electrocuted themselves by accidentally or purposely touching a tent pole to a power line.

But Laga, guns aren't used for shelter the way tent poles are. They are used for killing. That is the reason they're made. Target practice might be fun, but AK-47s are made for killing and nothing else.

Thank you, javachik. When gangbangers and drug dealers (hello to the sterotypes, I know) start killing people by going camping with them, then perhaps I'll start to regard tent poles as being in the same category as automatic weapons.

I wonder how many people die by tent pole every year, compared to guns.

I'm amazed at how many gun accident stories start with, "He thought the gun was unloaded."

Which is why people who know any fucking thing about guns know that you always treat a gun as loaded, and you never point a gun at somebody unless you intend them to be dead.

I don't understand why people who are against guns would have them.

Again, I know that makes me wingnutty, but, well, that's not so bad.

San Francisco flavored wingnutty.

Again, I know that makes me wingnutty, but, well, that's not so bad.

San Francisco flavored wingnutty.

Is that a smoky BBQ flavor, or more of a tangy citrus-soy blend?

How do non-gun-at-all people feel about the "well organized militia" bit?

Out here it's amazing to me how many people have guns (everyone) but so far as I can tell the hunter types are all fanatical about proper gun safety and storage and education. For them it's part of the mountain self-reliance thing.

It's weird for me, because even before I was any flavor of lefty, I was pro gun control. It was actually my first exposure to partisan politics and I found it very startling.

And these days I'm a pacifist, but a cynical one, and I agree that I would like to know how to handle a gun. Actually, I'd rather be like ita and know how to disarm someone, but there's a lot of ow between me and getting to that point, so I don't know how. But in my line of work, it comes up, and I wish I were less ill-prepared.

I say ban guns, legalize drugs. Again, I know that makes me wingnutty, but, well, that's not so bad.

I'll sit on this wingnutty bench.

My father taught us how to use the guns, but I haven't handled one since I was a kid. I understand the use of guns for hunting and the enjoyment of shooting targets in sport. And yet if given the opportunity I would do a Nox thing and make them all disappear.

I wanna see some gangbanger strutting along all hip with a loaded crossbow stuck in his waistband. See how cool he feels with razor-sharp steel aimed at his crotch with a 100-pound-pull cocking mechanism involved.

Is that a smoky BBQ flavor, or more of a tangy citrus-soy blend?

It probably involves arugula. Or sushi.

How do non-gun-at-all people feel about the "well organized militia" bit?

I suspect if I were elected President I'd be lobbying for a repeal of the 2nd Amendment.* Not to ban guns altogether, but having them constitutionally protected for civilians freaks me out more than a little bit. (I'd be happiest if guns were treated similarly to cars - completely legal, but you do have to be licensed to own or operate one BECAUSE THEY CAN KILL PEOPLE.)

*Far from the only reason I will never ever be President, but definitely On The List.