pirana

___________________________________________ In reading your sig line, in this day and age, having sex is about all the danger you would need! Chuck Remember when the worst that could happen is you might have to buy breakfast? -author unknown " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

This goes on my list of signs of mental illness. You absolutely can not be playing with a full deck to think that it is OK to put a live creature up your asshole. And I'm not bashing gays or their behaviors; ANYBODY with a rectal-rodent fetish is at least a couple cards short of having a full set of cerebral hemispheres. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Yes, because this will never turn into a discussion. Round 4,332,443!! DING DING In this corner, . . . wearing the white flowing robes and shoes of a fisherman, . . . weighing in with an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful omnipresence, . . . fresh from victory in several not-very-close-at-all fights in which he absolutely kicked butt on all evil, . . . the maker of the rules, the caller of the decisions, the roller of the dice that never violate the odds - GGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD. And in this corner, . . . the absence of God. Hmmmm. Not very dramatic. No wonder it doesn't sell. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I would like to be a contributing editor for The Burble. Right after I wrap up my transition from Chartered Accountant to Lion Tamer. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I not only have a car on blocks; but also a camper on blocks, and a haywagon on blocks. But my dog sleeps in the entryway of the house. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Get some real help and get over it Do you feel anyone that uses narcotics recreationally needs "some real help" and needs to "get over it." Do you think that there is no such thing as responsible use and that we should all become teetotalers? I would say that "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime". Middle Eastern and SE Asian countries have VERY strong punishments for drug use / drug trafficking. The easiest way not to get in drug trouble is not to do the drugs when you're there. If you can't go a few days, or a few weeks without doing the rec.drugs, I would respectfully submit that you might have a bit of an addiction problem.... pirana 1 - This is pretty much my answer. The phrase "gotta have some" is what I responded to (only) and implies no control which is opposite of 'responsible use'. If you can do without, any time for any length of time, then it's under control. If not, then it's a problem. Rationalize otherwise all you want. Hypothetically, let's assume you enjoy the occasional "recreational narcotic". Could you quit right now and never do it again? If the answer isn't an honest, "of course", then that sounds like an addiction, not a recreational pasttime. I feel the same about pot, liquor or tobacco since you'll ask anyway. It might not be wrong, but it certainly is a position about whether one wants control of those aspects of their lives they want to control versus having something control them. 2 - I hate tea, tee, and totaling 3 - drug use in those countries is a really bad judgement call. If ones chooses to try over there, they really do have a problem. Or at least a really low IQ. Or at least a bad perspective on the relative risks associated with those country's laws. I understand you now. I thought you were making a blanket negative statement about all recreational users. Agreed, if you do the crime, don't complain about the time; know the local laws, and know that most countries have harsher penalties than in the US, and much less chance of due process. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Pot, I'd like you to meet Kettle. Kettle, Pot. Black? However inappropriate some might think it, that made me laugh out loud. Needed that. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

To all Spaceland jumpers. We have one of your pilots (the one only known to us as The Rabbit). He flies real good and we would like to keep him. Please send instructions on feeding and other details of long-term care. He appears to be potty trained, which is a good thing since he consumes copious amounts of liquid refreshment. Please do not alert the authorities, he will be returned unharmed soon. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

SLIPPERY WHEN WET Ok, so that is old, best I could do without engaging much of my brain. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I think we need to give the Nintendo soldier the MMPI before discussing a proposed course of counseling. But if the little bastard is about to wax you, then by all means defend yourself, regardless of anybody's skin color. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Just to expound on previous information. The names are on a permanent set of 5 or 6 alphabetized lists. They rotate the lists, but always start each season with A. They skip certain rarely used letters, such as Q, X & Z. They retire a name if the storm was particularly nasty in terms of death and/or destruction. The retirement of names, and picking of replacements is handled by some sort of official committee that mostly does other stuff. They will certainly retire Katrina, and possibly Rita. They retired 4 names from last year, which rarely happens. Other retired names of note: Camille, Andrew, Francis. You can find all this somewhere on their site, www.nws.noaa.gov. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Hey kingbunky, is that the rodent from Ice Age? Very cool. One of these days I'm gonna spend a little time figuring things out and put a decent pic in my profile. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

dq, I like your snapshot, but the ugly guy in the green hat has gotta go. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Get some real help and get over it Do you feel anyone that uses narcotics recreationally needs "some real help" and needs to "get over it." Do you think that there is no such thing as responsible use and that we should all become teetotalers? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I think there are many people you might describe as racist that just do not know any better. Race, along with language and religion, are the 3 first level determinants of culture. If something like racist behavior gets ground into you while growing up, it is very difficult to shed. Kids brought up in racially charged environments truly stand the risk of not knowing any better. Been there and lived it myself. My approach to racist people is to seek to understand them, and try to provide experiences that will cause them to examine their beliefs. If you just label them as wrong, the conversation ends and they just go about their lives raising the next generation of racist little humans. The cycle can only be broken by someone in the chain experiencing something that causes them to examine their beliefs and change them. It happened for me when I was 18 in a confrontation that I remember as if it were yesterday. (It was 32 years ago). You can not make people change by lecturing them or making them wrong. You become a catalyst for change by providing people an experience that causes them to question their beliefs. A very fitting thing for skydivers to do, don't you think? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

No comment on the conspiracy angle and whether or not there exists state-sponsored persecution of tourists; but . . . You gotta be numb in the brain to carry drugs in a foriegn country these days. And to carry them thru an airport - you should be jailed for stupidity. If you gotta have some recreational narcotics, procure them, indulge on the spot, and be done with it. Even carrying them around in a tourist area is just not very smart. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Good observation. There are lots of people who live a life of good intentions, but who could not critical-think their way out of a paper bag. Which is why we need to have Democracy and Liberty; or as I heard it put once: Democracy is 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. Liberty is having the wolves show up for dinner and getting surprosed by one well-armed sheep. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

An excellent example of why I respect people's beliefs in God, or whatever higher powers they ascribe to, as a means to guide them in matters of concience. Too bad some of the dogma attached to her chosen faith were cause to exclude you from her life. I too have lost old friends because I got really tired of hearing them tell me how sad they were for me because of my chosen beliefs, that they were constantly praying for me, that someday I would see the light, etc.... Life is full of tough calls. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I agree. I think it would make the most economic sense in the long run. Unfortunately, the decisions on what to do are going to be based largely on emotional arguements. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

So you get conspiracy wackos on this site too. At badastronomy.com we call them woo-woo's. I'm convinved there's a link between the 2 terms (woo-woo and whuffo). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Cheap oil is subjective terminology. Depending on a person'e financial situation, cheap oil is already gone, or for someone else oil could be $10 per gallon and still be cheap. And yes, the price will eventually force faster rates of development of alternatives - that is how markets work. But that is a long term development. This is a short term situation. As long as there is enough coming out of the ground to keep up with consumption - development will be slow. When the price begins to rise, not because of a short-term crisis, but because the actual long-term supply is getting more expensive to extract, then the rate of change will increase dramatically. And I agree that Bush will see it as a political issue. That was my point in saying they will do what they have to. Implied was to mitigate political damage. Sorry to be long-winded; but in short, do not expect rapid increase in long-term development of alternatives because of a short-term crisis caused by weather/climate. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Sounds too much like the "experts" that said they were staking their reputation on the Dow falling below 6000 after 9/11. Didn't happen, too many buffers in place these days. Same thing with oil. You can also bet Bush and his crew are already planning for it - chatting up with their Saudi cronies. As goes the price of oil, so goes the economy and this administration and the party's chances for holding big offices. They will do everything in their power to keep the price from spinning out of control. And they have a lot of power to spare. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I'm closing in on 400 and stepping out is still an amazing rush; almost scary - but not the fear kind of scary, more the nervous and excited scary. I love that last few moments when the door is opened and you're at the edge. I had an exciting AFF1 also. Got put into a huge puffy cloud right at line stretch, circled right until I came out the bottom, couldn't find the DZ and couldn't hear jack on the radio, finally found the DZ, then had to make a decision on whether or not I'd clear power lines, and did a cross-wind off DZ landing. Thought I'd top it off by standing up but had to slide on my butt. I was high for days!!!!! If I only knew then what I know now, I would've had a lot more fun with that cloud. As long as your fears do not cause you to brain lock, they will serve as part of your incentives to do the right things. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Oh, oh, oh! I got it! It's like heterosexual and homosexual. And also like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Yeah, that's it! " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Being a shape-shifter would be damn convenient if you ever had a double mal. Ruffle up my sleeve and presto, I'm a perfectly inflated canopy. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley