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This must be a recent change of heart. You have, in the past, stated that Single Occupant SUV Operators should be fined...something like $500 or $1000. FallRate

Ahh, it may be myth, but it's not like fretting about it isn't worthwhile. Asimov's analysis of Genesis comes to mind...Good stuff! FallRate

Kallend, are you always grumpy? You wanted Rumsfeld gone...he is gone. Be happy. FallRate

No. That's the promise that many Dems made (to leave) if it didn't go their way. I seem to recall something along the lines of "don't let the door hit you in ass". Unfortunately, it appears that most of the Baldwinians stuck around. I suppose it's a bit like a suicide attempt on the part of an asshole. Sure, that person gets attention, but most everyone just hopes that the next time this person will get his or her entire head in front of the shotgun. FallRate

I don't think ecofreaks generally utililize combustion engines for recreation. So Kallend is most likely not an ecofreak, or at least not a devout ecofreak. At most, Kallend is more the part-time (half-hearted) ecofreak. Is there such a thing as an Evangelical Ecofreak?...a "do as I preach, not as I do" type of ecofreak. FallRate

This reminds me of a joke... A farmer in rural Ohio recently won the lottery. When asked what he planned to do with the money, the farmer answered: "I plan to just keep on farming...'til the money's all gone." FallRate

I won't make a judgment as to whether or not this is right or wrong because I do not know. But the November elections are just one step in the process of selecting our officials. We may have no good choice or no real choice, but we do have the ability to participate in the process in its earlier stages. With so much energy spent on getting people to the poles, which is usually a partisan activity, we overlook the most important element: the selection of candidates. We are drilled with the notion that if more people voted then the political system would be better for it. I don't see it. But if more people became involved in selecting candidates, I'm guessing, we would have fewer incompetents and criminals in office. Try to imagine the day when "I don't know who to vote for because they both suck.", is replaced by "I don't know who to vote for because they are both exceptional candidates." Well, it's not impossible. *shrug* FallRate

Ehh, just take it as a sign that you are a good Daddy. FallRate

It may not be the case, but I'm guessing that this all occurred to you during an umpteenth viewing of Finding Nemo with your son or daughter. FallRate

This sounds like par for the course, concerning goverment offices. This past year I had to get a new driver's license in Michigan...after three visits (40 miles each trip) to the Secretary of State office and a three week wait I was all set. FallRate

Yes, but if you were to post child porn and at the same time point out that a certain individual is an ass, it would be gone in 2 - 3 minutes. FallRate

Yes, as affirmative action has become institutionalized racism, cultural bias and gender preference, it certainly seeks to end that. That is Orwellian. It is unfortunate that most people have come to believe that civil rights apply to only certain groups of people. Once again, there was no fraud. If there had been, the issue would have been blocked. Apparently my original response to this was unclear. First, this statement is disingenuous (bullshit). It would have you think that the court recognized fraud but thought it OK. That was not the case. The judge voiced an opinion which was that he felt the signatories may not have understood the implications of this proposal. But, while the judge may have found this to be unfortunate, he found there to be no violation of the Voting Rights Act. So, in contrast to what the quoted statement suggests, the judge would have liked to bar this issue but he could not, because there was no fraud. FallRate

They were not found to have committed fraud. The judge who ruled on this stated that he believed the group mislead the signatories (a contentious statement) but that there was no violation of the Voting Rights Act. Unfortunately, affirmative action has become synonymous with preferential treatment, but there are many other paths that affirmative action can take. If a university decides to widen its line of sight when selecting a student body by looking in places in normally would not, to find equally talented individuals, then that is a good example of affirmative action. If steps are taken to give individuals a real chance at developing their talents by intervening early in their education to put them on a level playing field, then that is a good example of affirmative action. Neither of these efforts would be barred by this ballot issue. There are better ways to foster the talents and improve the lives of those who are traditionally the focus of affirmative action than to simply assume they are inferior and give them extra points. FallRate

The "art of the sound bite" has degraded the American intellect and political system. It was recognized at the outset that while the Internet can be a great source of information, its capacity for misinformation is limitless. I'm hoping that the Internet won't rival its predecessor by inducing the same level of degradation. Discuss. FallRate

I must admit your are correct. This is the quote I remembered...http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=236352;search_string=state%20sponsored;#236352. You stated that "The only state-sponsored terrorists I know of right now are from Israel, Pakistan and India (both of the latter in Kashmir.)" I haven't read this in over three years...so, fuck me for inaccuracy. My bad...and my apologies. FallRate

That is a purely disingenuous statement. You expected better from a country you proclaimed to be the world's only terrorist state!? (If you would like, I can search for the thread where you made that statement.) I smell a bit of bullshit....Ahh, I smell a lot of bullshit. Here's an idea: take an actual position before attempting to condescend. It tends to come off as less pompous. FallRate

Hmm...strangely I was just thinking that this "let's post a link to a news article and add a vacuous tag line" shit, has to stop! To avoid this being no more than a snide remark... I will add that your opinions on any of the subjects you introduce to SC may in fact be the opinions which achieve pure sense, align the planets and enable the manifestation of world peace. But this will require a bit more than a link and an edgy blurb. FallRate

I'm thinking it's time that we put down the remotes...cancel the season tickets...take down the posters...rip the bumper stickers off the car...grab a ball, puck, bike, whatever and actually start participating in sport. Grab a kid and throw a ball. And instead of drilling that poor soul with the basics of whatever sport we happen to prefer, make sure she gets some exercise and still has enough energy left to do her homework. (Of course, I do realize that I am preaching to the converted. If there is one common thread among skydivers, it is the unwillingness to sit back and derive gratification solely from the accomplishments of others.) Just a thought. FallRate

Primaries are purely partisan. You have in no way been disenfranchised. If you would like to cast a vote in favor of a particular candidate, register under that candidate's party and vote for that person. The rules governing primaries are designed to prevent spoiler votes from degrading the opportunities of the stronger party candidate. An example that comes to mind is that in the last Presidential run, the Republican candidate was locked in (Bush), and if not given the protection of partisanship all Republicans could have voted for the weakest Democratic contender in the primaries (Al Sharpton) knowing that their own candidate (Bush) would make the ticket. This would have ensured a Republican victory in the general election (if Sharpton actually recieved the Democratic nomination). If you would like to see a particular third-party candidate on the ballot, then become active in that political party's process of nominating candidates. If you favor a candidate with no solid political affiliations, you can actively support that person in many ways. It may seem futile, but you can proudly declare that you took a greater part in the election process than most Americans will ever endeavor to undertake. FallRate

Ahh, the expected platitude. You could have offered an opposing viewpoint, but instead you offered non-sequitors. If you want answers... Robertson's quote: "You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. " Does Robertson have the power to actually facilitate an assassination by wishing for it? Quite doubtful. Juxtapose this with the Ayatollah commanding the assassination of Salman Rushdie for writing a book. I hope you do not honestly fail to see the difference. I know that we tried him and executed him. Not pleasant, but certainly proof that he was viewed as a terrorist, with zero lenience granted for his ethnicity or citizenship. This reminds me of Michael Moore's description of the invasion of Iraq as an invasion of a sovereign nation, which is an absurdity. The answer is no. Hussein's government had absolutely nothing resembling a right to exist. It was a government permitted to exist in the aftermath of a war begun by that government and a war which that government lost. A war which began with that government's actual invasion of a sovereign country. Hussein's government existed under the terms of a cease-fire. Terms which Hussein's government grossly violated for over a decade. While being so quick to berate skydyvr, you missed the fact that he made a very good point. You often speak of shades of grey, dismissing the idea of black and white...which I agree with. But as you have continued to preach this mantra it seems you have lost the key idea: that there are shades. In each of these questions you have implied equality, but the shades of difference are strikingly discernible. FallRate

"Meringue" should be on that list. FallRate

Excellent attempt at misdirection! While one of your posts does depict a homicide (by U.S. hands...which resulted in a court-martial) which most here would believe to be disgusting, none of your links even hints at anything regarding a regular killing of prisoners by torture. You failed. Try again. FallRate

Ahh. The "I have a strong belief based on something or other I am not at this time willing to make even the slightest effort to substantiate" retort. Brilliant!!! FallRate

Please cite your examples. FallRate

This criticism brought to you by a guy who refers to Iranians as Arab. FallRate