North of the border, anyone wishing to buy a gun or ammunition must have a valid licence under the Firearms Act, and to obtain a firearms licence, all applicants must undergo a screening process, which includes a safety course, criminal history and background checks, provision of personal references, and a mandatory waiting period. The law further prohibits military-grade assault weapons such as AK-47s and sawn-off rifles or shotguns. Handguns are generally classified as restricted weapons, while rifles and shotguns are usually non-restricted.

There are only a few purposes for which individuals can obtain a restricted firearms licence in Canada, "the most common being target practice or target shooting competitions, or as part of a collection."

Based on your article and what else I've read, that means that pump, bolt action, and single shot rifles/shotguns are ok. Everything else is pretty much a no go. Sounds like some pretty heavy restrictions, although I did note there is a huge demand for ar-15 style rifles to be allowed in Canada.

But yes, the bulk of our shooting issue is the culture of our country. We are very diverse in culture, as well as familial structure. I would say that our culture and population is unlike any other in the world (except Australia, oddly. from what I've seen, I think they are sort of the USA lite version). Realistically, barring massive limitations to gun ownership, we are not going to stop mass shootings in the USA. I honestly don't think we will stop it then either, what with the sieve of a border we have, guns will just become the new coke/meth. Not to mention AR-15 style rifles aren't exactly hard to build. Other than the barrel and the bolt, most of the other pieces can be hand milled out of semi finished pieces that are completely legal for anyone to have.

Maybe we could do like Switzerland, their gun control seems to work.

As an NZ resident, I am morally obliged to point out that Australia is a horrible place populated by criminals and terrible rugby teams, but I did live there for two years and in reality, it's not actually that bad.

Yes, their government are a shower of complete dickheads both in their own right and in the fact that they have their collective head shoved so far up Americas arse they can practically see the back of uncle sams tonsils. The immigration policy is pretty much barbaric and they seem hellbent on ruining the country as fast as humanly possible. And I haven't even gotten started on how unbelievably racist the country as a whole is (this is a country that only got rid of it's "White Australia Policy" in the 70s).

Border security, while they can be complete arseholes are not nearly as bad as they're portrayed on those TV shows. They do have a lot of idiots flouting the biosecurity laws (Johnny Depp is the least of their problems), but in general as long as you don't make the mistake of not being white, they're far more interested in any fruit you might have than any bills with coke on them. (side note: don't bring cash to Australia, almost every transaction is electronic there).

But the country itself has some great things going for it. Some of the scenery is amazing, the parts of the reef that aren't bleached are stunning, the food in the cities is amazing (as is the coffee, especially in Melbourne and Sydney).

Vegan food, is a chopped up vegans by the sounds of it? At least you know for sure they are grain fed. Then again some might be coke and oreo fed. So best check with your local reptilian overlord reseller.

Yes vegan food can be some awful processed stuff: http://www.peta.org/living/food/accidentally-vegan/

The cool thing about a plant based diet (apart from getting to eat a lot of hearty foods) is that even if you're doing completely for yourself, the animals and planet benefit just as much. It's a win for everyone, even if you hate animals lol.

But you are spot on about the taste buds - once your taste buds re-tune you get to go on an adventure of flavors beyond salt and ketchup

Let's be realistic, there isn't a single video game movie that worked. Some made profits simply because of their name or because they booked a star with a built in fanbase (Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Milla Jovovich), but the movies themselves sucked. Even Mortal Kombat was only good because it was soooo bad. I hesitate to even mention Street Fighter, Doom or Hitman 47. Street Fighter basically killed Van Damme's career, well that and a ton of coke.

Sadly, studios will keep making them because they can eke out a profit off the fanbase at least once or they will waste enough money that they can write it off their yearly profits.

The generic food thing is rather silly since often as not there is more than one brand of food and they taste different. At most one of those brands is being used as the store brand which means the rest will taste different. Sometimes it is totally different as well, the store may contract a major company to make it, but still have their own formula.

Basically store-brand food is just another brand and should be treated as such. It can be very tasty, I'm personally a big fan of Safeway's store brand olive oil, but acting like store brand food is the same as brand name is the same as acting like Coke and Pepsi taste the same. No, it's different stuff, buy the stuff you like the best.

Pollute the water and then sell the clean stuff in bottles. Why not the air we breath as well? In Spaceballs (1987) they stole other planets air, and enjoyed a nice can of Perri-air. A company called Vitality Air sells cans of Canadian air to China. Next we'll be taking the Coke vs. Pepsi air challenge. Which brand has that real healthy air flavor? Now comes in bacon, cotton candy and Grandma's house scents.

Livin' the life [in a man's beard ... sippin' on a coke!]

OK. I actually did drink almost nothing but coke for >20 years, 1-2 cans per day and maybe no coffee, but a lot of milk, and nothing else. I stayed 375lbs the whole time, and I got diabetes. I also didn't develop heart problems or potassium deficiency, but I don't eat bananas.
Obviously everyone's experience will differ.
I drink no sodas, but these days I at least look for water that's made with no cane sugar, and almost anything is less acidic than coke, so I'm doing 'better', but still not good.

OK. I actually did drink almost nothing but coke for >20 years, 6-12 cans per day and maybe up to 2 cups of coffee with too much sugar, and nothing else. I stayed 165lbs the whole time, and I never got diabetes. I also didn't develop heart problems or potassium deficiency, but I do eat bananas.
Obviously everyone's experience will differ.
I still drink mostly sodas, but these days I at least look for soda that's made with real cane sugar, and almost anything is less acidic than coke, so I'm doing 'better', but still not good.

@newtboy ah finally see what you mean. And yes you are right a Coke can would be stable and it could rotate. It is no longer considered a spinning top I think, so that is why the contestants didn't make it that way but for sure it would work.

If the can rotates I think the torque (force due to rotation) is in the same direction as gravity. (Where in the normal spinning top case gravity pulls the cg off center and torque back on.) In the can case both would move the cg back to equilibrium, Ie on center. there would be no precession at all. Every time some small Bump would make the cg move of the center axis it would be pulled back instantly.

I think it would work, and that it would take away the challenge ;-)

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I'd buy him a coke.

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