miked10270

Almost certainly so if she's from the Irish side of the O'Barmagh Family! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

What is this "Banned" of which you speak? The serious debators still seem to be here... Perhaps the missing are those who take the debates seriously. And, of course, the "Master-Debators". Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Here's the text of the article - McCain's concession speech to Barack Obama. OR... Barry O'Barmagh as he's known to the Irish Vote. Mike. I have had my victories. Just not tonight... By Christopher Buckley Published: October 29 2008 19:23 | Last updated: October 29 2008 19:23 Note: some years ago my phone rang. “Chris? It’s John McCain, and you’re really going to regret taking this call.” He was to be the featured speaker at the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, at which the media and politicians pretend for one night of the year that they like each other. I told him that I did indeed regret taking his call – writing 20 minutes of stand-up takes, well, a while. Senator McCain did not call me this time but I thought to volunteer a draft of a concession speech for him next Tuesday, in the event. My friends, thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. I have just called Senator Obama to congratulate him on – (Boos. Shouts of “Terrorist!” “Arab!”). No, no, please – none of that, now. Let’s all just breathe into a paper bag and calm down. OK. As I was saying, I have just called President-Elect Obama to congratulate him on a – it would appear – decisive victory tonight. Looking on the bright side, it looks like I’ll get to go to bed a little earlier than I’d hoped to tonight. To tell the truth, I’m so tired after this 22-month (looking away from TelePrompTer) clusterf ... after this very long campaign that I won’t even have to take a sleeping pill. My friends, this is a historic night. Tonight America elected its first African-American president. I’m proud of my country for doing that, though I kind of wish it hadn’t done it on this particular November 4. But no, seriously, I congratulate Senator Obama on a tremendous achievement. And I congratulate the country. Tonight, America has shown that it truly is the land of limitless opportunity. If a self-described “skinny black guy with big ears and a funny name” can become president of the United States – well, my friends, I guess there’s hope for just about anyone. Who knows, maybe next time it’ll be a Martian or some other type of little green man off a spaceship. Well, as that great philosopher, Yogi Berra, said when someone told him a Jewish man had been elected mayor of Dublin: “Only in America.” My friends, we fought a good campaign. (Looking away from the TelePrompTer) Well – no, actually ... you know, it’s kind of liberating, losing. Because now I can go back to what I used to like to engage in – straight talk. Remember those days? So, no, it wasn’t such a good campaign, was it? If it had been, I’d be standing up here doing a “power dap ” with Cindy and announcing that Joe Lieberman was going to be my secretary of defence. My friends, now is not the time for recrimination. There will be time for that. Like tomorrow morning. For now, let me just say, I thank you for your tremendous effort and hard work. I could not have done this without you all. I’m just sorry that so many of you will now not get patronage jobs in the federal government. I would like to thank Governor Palin for her (looking away from TelePrompTer) ... well, OK, maybe that wasn’t such a smart choice, after all. But look – did you really want Mitt Romney? Heck, I wanted Joe Lieberman. He’s Jewish. “Only in America”, right? But, foolishly, I let my so-called “brain trust” (makes quotation mark sign) talk me out of that. Good move, McCain. They said: “Governor Palin will appeal to the base. We need the base.” The base (sighs heavily). In other words, the same people who were credulous enough to believe Karl Rove’s [expletive deleted] robo-callers in South Carolina back in 2000 that my adopted Bangladeshi daughter, Bridget, was my love child. The base. Well named, aren’t they? You’ve got to appeal to them, they told me. Well, my friends, I guess this time around I was the credulous one. Because I bought into their brilliant genius idea that my running mate should be a ... (sighs) . . . Oh, well, what’s the use. As she would say, go tell it to the fruit flies. (Returning to script.) So let me thank Governor Palin for ... all that she did to me. For me, I mean. Little Freudian thing, there. My friends, the motto of my campaign was: “Country first”. And that will remain my motto in the days ahead. I am a flawed man. I have never pretended or said otherwise. I ran a flawed campaign. I was not, as Shakespeare or one of those other writer jerks used to say, “to my own self true” or however the hell it goes. But I have been in the service to my country since I was 18 years old. And I am now 72. So that’s my record and, I hope, my legacy. Service to country. And whatever mistakes I have made, and there were mistakes – like accepting public funding for the campaign, when my opponent ... whatever. Well, look, I’ve had my victories. I just didn’t have one tonight. My friends, in what years remain to me, I will continue to fight the good fight in Washington. I just won’t be living in that nice government housing down there on Pennsylvania Avenue. But I’ll be in Washington. Oh, yes. Along with my fellow – sheesh, what a night – 38 Republican senators. You know the story of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. They didn’t have it so easy, either. I and my fellow Spartans will be the only thing standing between the taxpayers and an army of big spenders. When the Spartans were told that the Persian army was so numerous that their arrows blotted out the sun, one of the Spartan captains said: “Great! Then we shall have our fight in the shade!” Well, my friends, as someone who’s had skin cancer, let me say, fighting in the shade suits me just fine. Tonight I pledge that I will fight. And to my last breath. I’m a tough old bastard, you know. And it’s going to take more than a landslide to keep me down. Thank you. God bless President-Elect Obama. God bless my good friend Vice-President-Elect Biden. God bless you, even you jerks in the media. And God bless the United States of America. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

. So are their cars! Yes. But they're Welsh!... Genetically incapable of colour co-ordination, but plenty of extra toes. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

The two Presidential Candidates, Them, their target states, target voters, finances... Oh, and the issues, in case anyone's interested in such minor stuff. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7643755.stm Hopefully, being the Beeb, it'll be less partisan than most, assuming Russel Brand hasn't left any messages on John McCain's answering machine! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

The PPK was, in fact, the gun Ian Flemming picked for Bond to use, but that was over 50 years ago... ..., the PPK does make a reappearance in the next Bond movie as well, but the P99 is still Bond's main weapon. I'm pretty sure the armourer said "Walther PPK, 7.65mm" as he handed Bond a Mauser HSC I'm pretty sure that Bond's gun "remains" a Walther PPK(Pistole Parabellum Klein) regardless of what he's actually carrying!? Robbie Coltrane with Pierce Brosnan cocking a gun to his head; "Ahh... Walther PPK, 7.63mm. Only two people use them, and I remember killing one of them." Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I don't agree with that premise. Concur. However, I'm somewhat confused by the whole "Voter-Registration-Thing" you have. Here in Britain we have automatic (compulsory?) voter registration with each house required to submit the names of everyone resident there of voting age in response to a request from the local authority. 'Said local authority is responsible for compiling an Electoral Roll for their area divided by address. Unsurprisingly, the roll is used for other purposes such as property taxation. When an election or referendum comes up, people living in the area are all sent a polling card to their registered address. Only those on the register can vote. When attending the designated (local) Polling Station, voters must declare who they are and can vote (once). There is a (convoluted) way to check how an individual has voted to cover Personation or other voter fraud. Not perfect, but I feel a better system than the US one in that all voters are registered. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Thanks. This is also an unashamed bump since I've been told that "something" is added to the pic every day until 4/11.

...and the attendant overly loud firework or "visits" by Cletus & Wayne... Meet President Palin SOme of the stuff needs clicked several times... ANd leave the red phone 'til last! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

doesn't it depend (in practical car-engine terms) on the degree of modification to the engine in favour of one fuel or another? For example, the Ethanol variant of the Koenigsegg produces some 20% more power than the equivalent petrol engine. While consumption may rise, isn't this immaterial at 400+kM/h? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Not on my end. I gave up food first. Good man! Remember that Ale's made of Hops & Barley & Stuff... So it counts towards your "5-a-day".

This echoes an earlier post by Skyrad. Most of us are mixed, exceptionally so in my case, yet I see myself as a Mak'em / Pink-Panther, living in Scotland. It seems that we're not so much being told what Obama is (or sees himself as), but ALL the things he is, which is contradictory, confusing and leads to mistrust. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

WHile he is being presented quite literally as all thing to all men, then surely it's both, with the emphasis by his party on it being something he stands for. He's being touted as the Black/White/Mixed/Muslim/Catholic/Protestant/African/Irish/American candidate. That's too many people and I wish he'd tell us how he sees himself, but I suspect his party won't allow him to in case it alienates some voting block. I think it was in one of the National Treasure movies where the 'President' was making a speech about his family & himself and linking it to Electoral College Votes. That's what Obama seems to be doing, only for real and it leaves me feeling cynical and suspicious toward him. Yes. Ouch! The implication is actually more insulting than an outright accusation. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Please bear with me while I attempt to answer multiple points: Skyrad, I'm not suggesting the Maggie was "bad", I personally admire her and her achievements. My point was that she promised to be a unifying and harmonious leader in her famous "Where there is... Let us bring..." speech of 1979. She then proved to be divisive and confrontational. History will never reveal how Jim Callaghan would have responded to the 1982 Falklands Invasion, but he averted a similar incident in 1978 much more elegantly without loss of life, etc... Also, remember that by 1982, "Maggie's-Medicine" was so unpopular with the electorate that (in the words of John O'Farrel): "Nothing short of winning a war would restore her popularity!" Squeak, When something seems too good to be true, it's generally proved to be neither! Jakee, I was citing his ethnicity as an example of how I just can't seem to get a hold on what Obama & Err... actually stand for... Well... They stand for "Change" and "Healing" of course, but it all gets a bit vague once you're beyond the platitudes. Shropshire, You may well be right about his espousing "American-Socialism" being confusing to us Brits & Euros. Perhaps it's just easier for us to understand McCain & Palin. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

So you dont like him because he is representative Not exactly. I don't like him because all he seems to be doing is showing us how "representative" he is. McCain & Palin are transparent whiule Obama & Err... are deliberately opaque. To descend into a metaphor: I see McCain & Palin like a jar of pickles. It says Pickles on the label, and you can see into the jar - it contains pickles; Obama & Err... are like a tin. The label says it contains Ambrosia made with the Milk of Human kindness, BUT... You've got to buy the tin before you can open it and see what's really inside. Billvon made an excellent post about a previous American election which was won by the less hated candidate who tirned out to be not what he seemed. From a British point of view, remember how "Healing & Uniting" Margaret Thatcher promised to be in 1979? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

That's my point. You are who you are, I just don't feel that Obama is being who he is! He's being who the focus groups feel a post Bush president should be! At least with McCain & Palin, you can see who they are, warts and all. Obama and err... seem to be conducting a campaign based entirely on doing no wrong and not getting ANY disapproval. To me this just makes McCain & Palin seem more honest & open - the electorate may not agree with them on everything, but at least they know what they're getting. Meanwhile, Obama & Err... seem to be campaign on making it impossible to disagree with them on anything. Hence the mistrust on my part. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

My own problem with him is that he's such an anodyne candidate. Carefully designed to appeal to each & every voting block. Take, for example, his ethnicity: He's American (tick) and black (tick) with roots in the Muslim (tick) and Christian (tick) faith. His family come from Africa (tick) through Hawaii (tick) and now Ireland (tick). It's almost like the Democratic Party decided to genetically engineer and brainwash the perfect Presidential candidate to be and say all thing to all voting blocks. I wonder what he's really like? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Y'All'll catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. Great Britain didn't rule a massive empire with 2 blokes and a dog by coercion... it was done by "cuddling". We all know how (former) colonies react to coercion. So Yeah... Play nice. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

So, I'm guessing that like so many of us, you have no problem believing in God, nor any problem in adhering to Christ's teachings, BUT major problems with organised religions and their attendant hypocricies.

But... Can someone who is tolerant of intolerance truly tolerant?.. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I'd more suspect the article is rhetoric since the $US remains the worlds Convertible-Currency and is the payable currency for oil & T-Bills. I wonder if this is an attempt by the Chinese Government/Economy (same thing, innit) to screw a bonus on their T-Bill holdings or to pressurise OPEC (via Iran) on their production fixing? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Then may I ask how you define your good Christian values? Are you a member or follower of a particular church or branch of Christianity? If so, does your Church define your values? or are you a Vaguely-Christian who tries to interpret his teachings personally and deliberately without guidance? Perhaps with hindsight Kallend may have stated "Good Catholic Values", but it is apparent that Un-Christian behaviour is certainly not confined to the Catholic Church. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

"Think of the children!" "I know nothing about this, but speaking as a bigot Mother..." "WILL NO-ONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!" This sort of argument proves that "Patriotism" is no longer the last resort of a scoundrel, it's now "concern for The Children" (of others, usually, ANY children, whether actually existent or not, which furthers their argument). Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

It seems he even sabotaged your post by stealing one of your little square brackety things! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

So, this november, how would you vote in This Election which is surely more important than some minor former colony choosing it's tribal leader. Links to the various candidates parties are: Lindsay Roy (Labour) Peter Grant (SNP) Maurice Golden (Conservative) Harry Wills (Liberal) Morag Balfour (Socialist) Kris Seunarine (UK Independence) Louise McLeary (Solidarity) Jim Parker (Senior Citizens) This election, although in Scotland, is to (s)elect a Member of Parliament for Westminster. While an individual is being elected, this is seen an a vote for a party rather than a person. Considered comments please!!? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.