I think that's debatable — what you call moral I might still consider psychological — but I agree that the common conception of a mentally ill person (as someone vulnerable and crippled by their mental state) probably doesn't describe someone with the wherewithal to gather weapons and plan a mass murder.

The macho fantasies that pervade popular culture and provide the emotional backdrop of the good guy hero fantasies that gun advocates like to spread have nothing to do with the actual utility of firearms.

That makes a lot of common sense. A journalist is neither trained nor motivated to guide the child's processing of the traumatic event. The parents who let them talk to the press probably aren't thinking straight either.

I have a kindergartner too. It's not an abstract concept to me either. AT ALL.

Unhealthy? Not for me (or you, or any other stranger) to say.

I don't claim to have any special knowledge of this case. It just seems self-evident to me that mass murderers are highly likely to be mentally ill.

My usual rejoinder to "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is that people can be violent psychopaths, and that's why they shouldn't have guns.

Would be nice if people would just shut themselves down when too much sickness builds up, but it doesn't seem to work that way.

I understand what you're saying, but the fact that everyone you met in hospitals and the like was getting treatment means you can't know what they'd be like without that treatment.

I'll agree to disagree because it's all conjecture, but maybe if the shooter had been in a psych facility getting treated, he wouldn't have become the monster he was.

Yes, fuck guns and the macho fantasies they rode in on.

I'm Finnish-American (and so is Matt Damon, woot). We did things Christmas morning style, but my mom, whose parents were immigrants, not only opened presents on Xmas Eve, but would have a visit from Santa himself (my great uncle, dressed as Santa).

I'd bet my bottom dollar that anyone who buys a baby "beautician" outfit has a close family member in the business — in as much as people who work in salons and spas wear any type of uniform anymore. It seems as outdated as wearing a taxi driver's uniform.

Word. Who doesn't have a shitload of old, useless cards? But little kids love acting out paying for things with pretend cards. They see it's very important grown-up thing to do.

I let my daughter do that too, as soon as she was old enough not to eat it or put it in her eyes. She's a tween now and still loves lip balm too.

I'm a fan of garage sale/thrift shop purses for this kind of play. A set of toy keys, a little unbreakable mirror, a toy cell phone, a garage sale wallet with pictures in it, tissues, and maybe a toy lipstick or hairbrush too. Fun fun fun.

There can definitely be too much of this stuff but, as a parent and person who hangs out with little kids: the basis of these toys is that babies love to mess around in people's purses and makeup bags. So it's an effort to give them a lipstick to play with that won't give them lead poisoning, make a huge mess, etc.

Hey, that's great. And it is useful in the course of real life not just to have a basic introduction to using tools but, more importantly, not to feel intimidated about solving problems by yourself with tools, blueprints, electrical components, etc.

What I find really weird in that sentence is that Craig's pecs aren't erstaz, they're really his pecs. While Connery-Bond's ability to dispatch bad guys without breaking a sweat is entirely escapist fiction.

You know, Sean Connery was a size 14.