General update/bitching
So much shit to talk about, so little time and so much laziness 
I’ll keep it brief and hit a big range of local and national stories, as most are so goddamn simple they really don’t require me to elaborate.
Grand Theft Auto 4 - Kids don’t do stupid shit because of violent video games. Kids do stupid shit because they either have mental issues, or environmental factors. The ability to separate fact from fantasy is an indicator of maturity. If your children aren’t mature enough to make this differentiation, it’s your job as a parent to control the content of their entertainment. It’s not society as a whole’s responsibility to make sure that all entertainment is suitable for all people of all ages. When did we become a society that’s so incapable of controlling a child’s recreationtional activity we need to make every entertainment venue child safe? Most of the population is adult right? What’s wrong with entertainment that caters to adults?
Disclaimer - I don’t game at all, they could stop making video games today, and while I would disagree in principal, it would have 0% effect on my life.
Edit - New story reported so I have to bitch about it: A new related story that annoys me: Some douche tried to steal some copies of GTA4 by macing the clerks and running out. Security chased him on foot and caught and arrested him. CBS morning news anchor: “…may have been influenced by the game”.
What? I would find it a lot more likely he was influenced by poor parenting, bad or no role models, or simple stupidity, greed, jealousy, or poverty. While I agree with the law in principal, I’m increasingly annoyed by the use of allegations, carefully worded to avoid litigation, that are simply unfounded speculation. People don’t hear the subtle disclaimers like “may, allegedly, might have, reportedly, possibly” etc, and assume that if the anchor mentions it, it must be in some way founded, which is almost never the case.
Obama/Pastor - Pastor dude is an attention whoring moron. Fuck him. Stop giving him attention, it’s obvious he’s actively seeking it.
Polygamist compund - Shut the fuck up about separating kids from their parents. It’s pretty clear that illegal activity is taking place, it’s within their responsibilities to remove minors from the situation until everything is cleared up. Don’t wanna lose your kids? Don’t move them into a wacko communal religious compound.
Random thoughts on local memphis news:
1. Stop putting people on TV to talk about how they were blessed by god when they survived a tornado that destroyed their home. Why did god destroy your home? Are there different degrees of blessed? Why do people have such a problem with accepting simple statistical luck? If I punch you in the stomach, will you thank me for not punching you in the face? Then why apply this logic to your favorite deity?
2. Stop fucking using scare tactics to promote your shit stories when it’s a slow news day. “HOW CROOKS WILL USE YOUR MAILBOX TO RAPE YOU!!!!1one” (paraphrased). There are any number of ways to mark a house as a target for a robbery, namely simply fucking telling your partner in crime “Hey, this one looks good!”. Stop trying to make already xanax-adled housewives have another source of angina every time they see their mailbox flag up.
