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Looks like I won't be eating anything today. FallRate

Thanks Clay! FallRate

Umm, how about: "I don't like you. But don't worry. It's not you, it's me." FallRate

I missed the explanation of the order of numbers and don't feel like searching earlier threads. Someone please explain which numbers represent what. Thank you. FallRate

Funny thing about Darwinism and Evolution is that quite often the "simpler" (dumber) life forms win out. Funny thing about humans, they tend not to simply lie down and die when they are supposed to do so. FallRate

"Ladies of the evening" are quite convenient if you want your little hobby to remain annonymous. But these women tend to develop a good radar for detecting our fondness for "alternative activities". If you find yourself in a really bad slump, you can try switching to young men for a few adventures. Migrant workers (such as packers) make for excellent pickin's, but it's best to go for "male, Muslim extremists between the ages of 17 and 60. Apparently no one misses them. This not only helps to break up the monotony, but can be helpful in disrupting any identifiable pattern you may have developed. FallRate

I'll give it a try! FallRate

It may be the case that the majority of serial killers are white males, but this would not be the case in a park. Everyone knows we rarely find our victims in parks. Bus stations and Denny's restaurants. Those are the prime spots. FallRate

Roast eh? You wouldn't happen to know how to do a beef roast without turning it into a fat lump of leather, would you? Anything other than a rib roast and the only option I have is to wait until it cools and make shoelaces out of it. FallRate

True, my laughs are usually more hearty when triggered by a gibe aimed at Democrats, as opposed to Republicans. But that can be understood by the fact that they, the Democrats, tend to provide us with a much higher grade of comedic material to ponder. But that is not to say that the Republicans are in any way lacking in their ability to show us just how ridiculous humans can be at times. Just think "Reaganomics", "Flag-Burning", "Family Values", "Dan Quayle", etc... And speaking of the "sometimes-painful process of thought"... To assume that I am a Republican based on my previous post, or any post I have made in these forums, would not only be an incorrect assumption but also indicative of a willingness to oversimplify your impression of other's political viewpoints based on specific opinions. My "political" opinions are not predicated on any party's platform. Now, to explain my post in more detail. This parable we have been presented with is not a simple joke aimed at "bleeding-hearts". It illustrates the fact that while we have attempted to take greater action in securing for everyone a greater quality of life, we have ignored the single most important factor in the determination of whether or not a person will succeed in achieving a greater quality of life. And that is personal responsibility. If we continue to portray every individual in an unfortunate situation as an innocent victim of our society's inherent cruelty then we will never remedy those unfortunate situations. This story illustrates a problem that is easily identifiable. That is that the situation the Grasshopper has found himself in is avoidable and is not the fault of the Ant. So to blame the Ant would be wrong and to take from the Ant would be wrong. It will also do nothing to prevent a future unfortunate situation. Unfortunately, blame is a common route taken by some who wish to improve unfortunate situations in our society (cliche Democratic viewpoint). BUT (and I imagine this is what irritates you Bill)... The idea that the Grasshopper has made free choices and must live with the consequences of those choices with no regard for his well-being from the rest of his community (cliche Republican viewpoint), is ultimately not in the best interest of the community. (The story neglects to point out that after one night of being cold and hungry the Grasshopper realizes he is much bigger than the Ant, and subsequently eats the Ant after taking up residence in the Ant's comfortable home.) And it also happens to be damn insensitive. Yes, "caring" is not some stupid liberal ideal. It happens to be a good thing. (My opinion...and I stand by it.) Ultimately it comes down to "giving a fish or teaching to fish". And seeing as it is simpler and much less time-consuming to give a fish, the majority of our increasingly fast-paced society who do "care" are opting for this quicker "solution". And quite often they are asking or demanding that others sacrifice their own fish to fuel what has become an ongoing problem. My characterization of your response to this post as an "irrational rant" is one I will stand by. But I did not mean it to be insulting, or to have indicated that I took offense. Obviously the tone of the original post was critical of those who are overly "sympathetic" to the point that they do more harm than good. Your post was, as I read it, an example of excessive self-interest and its equally negative consequences. But this is not a question of either/or. It is not a case of give a fish or don't give a fish; care or don't care. The point of the story is that misguided "caring" can be detrimental. That does not mean that caring for others is wrong. But it leads us to ask of ourselves: "How do we best care for others?" FallRate

Contrary to popular opinion, a rational argument does not necessitate an irrational rant in response. FallRate

The idea of Clinton having been our President is quite unbecoming. He really should stick to what he is good at and become a used-car salesman. For all those who feel Clinton was a good and dignified President, please remove yourselves from our gene pool. Thank you. FallRate

Seinfeld say: "Women do not respect salad eaters!" FallRate

So did Jonny get his AD's while in Florida? Figure for him, it's simply a matter of taking the tests. Jonny rocks! FallRate

That is funny. An Israeli invasion of Palestine? They did take control of land in Egypt (the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula), Jordon (the West Bank) and Syria (Golan Heights) AFTER defeating the three countries in a war started by these three countries. Spoils of war. The Arabs should be happy the Israelis stopped where they did. And as for Israel's unwillingness to "simply" give back the land, UN resolution 242 (November, 1967) would have provided for the return of this land if the Arab states would have promised to recognize Israel and respect its borders. The Arabs refused this, promising a continued fight against the existence of the Israeli state. I'm not a huge supporter of Israel, but the idea that the current situation is entirely the fault of the Israelis is, quite simply, idiotic. FallRate

Do you have a divorce lawyer? FallRate

5,500 men!? It would have to suck to be #5500!!! Oh yeah, I'm buying stock in Masengil (spelling?)!!! FallRate

A chalkboard? If it's a pager, you're right: the answer is bullshit. FallRate

The recent debate has been sparked by the lifting of restrictions on Tandems for people under the age of 18. There is no reason for an AFF course for a 16 year-old to be "hush-hush", it violates no laws or BSR's. I know a few people who completed their training prior to turning 18, and have seen quite a few more doing static-line and AFF jumps. But DZ's do have the right to decide whether or not they will allow minors to jump at their facility. FallRate

They let a sixteen year-old live in Sweden!? For several months!? How extreme is that!? The next thing you know there will be an epidemic of youngsters being sent to and from different countries in some sick and twisted form of human "exchange". First skydiving, now this? What is the world coming to? FallRate

A friend of mine gave me a Burmese Python. The most docile of the pythons, but also the largest. When he first gave it to me it was about two feet long. After reading that it will most likely grow to over ten feet I decided it probably wasn't something I could keep. Ball Pythons remain smaller, but they tend to be a little less friendly. You don't have to feed the snake live mice. They do very well on pre-killed mice and it is healthier for them in that you don't have to worry about bites and cuts that the mice might inflict on the snake, which can lead to infections. Also, and this is what I switched to, you can feed them raw chicken wing pieces, just keep them frozen and thaw them out as needed. It's best to remove some of the bone to aid in digestion. The down side of a full grown Burmese Python is not just the size but the appetite. Mice and chicken wings become simple appetizers as the snake will need something along the lines of a whole chicken or large rabbit to make for a good sized meal. It's also good to keep in mind that snakes are not the most intelligent of creatures and pretty much see all other animals as a potential food source. This includes dogs, cats and the neighbor's children. Not to mention yourself, if you should neglect the feeding schedule. Oh yeah, they are fun to play with. But don't expect it to come to you when you call its name. :) FallRate

I'm thinking somewhere in western Minnesota they trade their ponies for donkeys. FallRate

I haven't received the new issue yet. Apparently all mail going to North Dakota is routed through South America. There must be some reason why I'm always the last to get mine! FallRate

Yep...Perhaps a bit extreme, but would probably be quite effective. FallRate

Phree, it seems Dave understood what you meant. His point seems to be that the rioters were terrorists...I agree with him. FallRate