2011 is Nearly Done — Was It A Good Year?

As the final week of 2011 comes to a close; I like many folks have another year to look back upon and wonder “was it a good year?”
Right now, with the Holidays and conversations we have had with family members/friends; let me just say it has been a year for many struggles, many shocks, and many unexpected events.
Will you make a resolution for the next year to “be a better one”? Or is that something you feel is under someone else’s control?
Fuel prices continue to fluctuate, food prices continue to rise; everyone still has their dreams, and pray for things to be better — if not perfect, at least “better” for 2012.
The best quote I heard the past week, is from a film — “…If you believe you are free, then we can succeed” (paraphrased, but the ‘spirit’ of the quote remains).
My goal for the next year?
To post as often as I can to each blog I have active online.
Some are serious, some are craft-related; others delve into my ancestral past, and even a couple share whatever might be on my mind at that point in time.
Tonight, my prayers are for kin in North Carolina; my hopes are with everyone who still is pursuing their dream(s) — no matter how much people around them try to get them to “settle for comfort”.
My voice is a simple post on my blog, and my loves are many.
So if you feel something needs to be said or done; at least put your feelings into a notebook. No one else has to see or read it at present.
The real purpose is to show the future generations how we view our world, as it now appears — and how it affects everyone who is presently living. Too big an audience for you?
Then start more on a personal level — choose a dear relative or friend you do not see in-person very often, and direct your writings to them.
Just a few sentences each time you post/write in this ‘journal’ will quickly add up.
This is just my thoughts on a LATE December, LATE night post — if you think “free speech” is still important, put those thoughts in to writing.
Take care, and say a short prayer for those who can not be at home tonight.
- Cathy (weavercat@gmail.com)

 

Violent Video Game Law Ruled Unconstitutional — Video Games — InformationWeek

Violent Video Game Law Ruled Unconstitutional

The 2005 law prohibited the sale of violent video games to anyone under 18 and imposed a fine of as much as $1,000.

By Thomas Claburn

InformationWeek

February 20, 2009 07:22 PM

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Friday struck down a California law that restricted the sale of violent video games to minors, asserting that the state does not have the right to control minors’ thoughts.

The law was signed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2005 but never took effect; it was immediately challenged by the video game industry.

It called for prohibiting the sale of violent video games to anyone under 18 and imposed a fine of as much as $1,000 for anyone caught selling video games in violation of the law.

The law was designed to restrict violent content through the same criteria used to restrict obscene sexual content. As the court saw it, the state was offering “an invitation to reconsider the boundaries of the legal concept of ‘obscenity’ under the First Amendment.” The court declined to accept that invitation.

As Judge Consuelo Callahan observed in the 3-0 ruling, other courts have established that videos containing violence but not sexual content cannot be obscene under the law.

The state argued that the restrictions were necessary to prevent psychological and neurological harm to minors who play violent video games. The U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged that the state has a compelling interest in preventing such harm to minors.

However, Callahan’s opinion makes clear that the three judges considering the case have seen no compelling scientific evidence that violent video games are harmful to minors.

…. (Click link for MORE)

via Violent Video Game Law Ruled Unconstitutional — Video Games — InformationWeek.

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Okay, how do you know what a teenager is thinking?

– CAA