EricTheRed

where were they during the oil for food program? Probably not paying enough attention. my point was that every organization large and small is plauged by theft and corruption. Should we eliminate all 7-11s because some of the clerks manage to steal from the till? Should we not allow trading on the NYSE because some traders cheat? The UN is far from perfect, but so is the US (how about Haliburton overcharging for services to the US army?) Give me a viable alternative, and I'll support eliminating the UN. Until then, it's a better plan to try to change the current system so it's tougher to cheat. Do you think that just because Nixon (Clinton/Bush-take your pick) was a crook we should have eliminated the Executive branch of the US government? Or just make it tougher for the next guy to cheat? illegible usually

I voted no, I do not think they can be trusted with all that money. That's why there are auditors and oversight committees. I think that almost everyone (with the possible exception of my mother) will cheat and steal if given enough incentive and opportunity. How bout it? Ever cheat? On your taxes? On a test? Speed? Flirt with someone at a party when you shouldn't? Doesn't mean you can't work with a crook, you just have to realize that you are dealing with an individual that has their own interests in mind as well as those of others. I'd be willing to bet that there never has been and never will be a completely non-corrupt politician or world leader. Just like the existance of GOD though it's going to be tough to prove! illegible usually

I agree that Debka is a slanted source. I was actually more concerned for our people currently in Iraq. i don't really trust the Syrians to not lose a few portable missles and would hate to see them used against our guys. As explored in the Salvador option thread, I think it's very risky to go into Syria, and don't think that we will, but it does allow a refuge for the insurgants (or whatever you want to call them) I also don't think that Putin would have a single night of lost sleep about the US getting all tied up in a protracted fight in the mid east. It would probably serve his goals in consolidating his power base (and becoming the newest Czar) if we are too busy to bother with them. It's highly possible that Putin wouldn't even mind another go at the cold war, in a different setting. The Russians are a very proud, strong and resilient bunch and I think overall they would enjoy being the worlds #1 superpower. While we are accumulating record debt, they are quietly paying off theirs. If the cold war does start again, I doubt we could spend them under the table like Reagan did, and I think Putin knows this. Also, instability in the mid east just makes the russian oil industry fatter, bringing them more (and us less) $$. At least China may keep the old soviets restless with some fancy new weapons just to the south. illegible usually

who said this war (Iraq) could never be like Vietnam? A couple of recent developments to consider here that might complicate matters... and …Disturbing reports were coming out of the Russian capital Wednesday, January 12, about Russian president Vladimir Putin’s plan to accede to Syria’s request for advanced weaponry during president Bashar Assad’s visit to Moscow on January 24… …On table are Russian SA-10 air defense system of type protecting Moscow and SA-18 shoulder-launched anti-air rockets that could reach Iraqi guerrillas… …The SA-18 “Grouse” is a highly effective shoulder-held missile. If it reaches Iraqi guerrillas it will constitute a direct threat to US troops… From debka.com illegible usually

Agreed Bill, I'm not saying that it takes a great deal of skill but it does require a much more significant outlay of resources and manpower to plant bombs this big. To me it shows that the "insurgants" are being at least tacitly supported by the local population. It clearly show an escalation of firepower in the IED's being used. I hope they don't have access to many more bombs. illegible usually

I certainly understand this but isn't it kinda tough to hide a 1000 lb bomb? Not to mention that it takes more than a couple of guys and a packpack to move it around. illegible usually

Looks like putting armor on Humvees might not help much if there are more of these... http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=12385 BAGHDAD - Two US soldiers were killed and four wounded Monday when a bomb blast ripped through an Abrams tank in southwestern Baghdad, the US army said. "A patrol reported striking an improvised explosive device, destroying an Abrams tank. The wounded were evacuated to a military medical treatment facility," the 1st Cavalry Division said in a statement. illegible usually

by not having voted I think you should abstain from criticism for at least 4 years. Consider it your penance. illegible usually

Unless they still use rock and sticks as their primary tools. The primative tribes on the islands apparently knew enough to watch the animals and the sea and knew from their folklore to head to higher ground. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6786476/ illegible usually

Here's what Desmond Tutu recently said regarding out freedom of speech. It's kinda sad to me that we compare with the aparthied government of SA. We should strive to be better. We don't need to listen to what people have to say if we don't like it but to actively try to silence them is just wrong. illegible usually

Sounds like police assisted suicide to me... illegible usually

The whole "found" thing is a mis statement. The ballots were there, they had just been kicked out as rejects by the computer, and had been set aside. There always a lot of rejected ballots for one reason or other. The big dispute is over a bunch that were kicked out due to a database error. The ballots were legal, but were rejected due to a mistake. The argument over whether they should be counted in the final total goes on... How about we give Rossi and Gregoire each a single shot black powder pistol and let them settle it the old fashioned way. Maybe we'd get luck and they would both "win"

I have a big bucket of pennies you can count. I'd bet you a beer if you count them three times you would get three different results. Many counties here in WA still use the punch cards, those readers are known to have a pretty sizable error rate when compared to the margin of victory. How about we just make a rules that says whenever the election falls within the statistical margin of error, we let the winner of the superbowl decide who won? Would be more fun that way. illegible usually

I jump in my dry suit liner. Built just like a jumpsuit except no grips and its fleece lined. Very warm. illegible usually

I agree with you there. Medical records should be private. A person that has been found incompetant or insane, however should have a bit more problem with it. I'm actually OK with her killing herself (her choice) and am glad she didn't decide to off anybody else in the process. illegible usually

The lawsuit is frivolous. The fact the Texas and 37 other states want to let people with serious mental illness own guns is also a bit funny. illegible usually

That, and they need to drink more beer, and skydive more. illegible usually

Agreed that a hard drived based system is not practical. It still has moving parts. I'd be curious how it actually works with a high speed flash card. Counting down to totally solid state... Till then my 330 will have to do illegible usually

Lookie here... http://www.jvc.com/presentations/everio/overview/index.html too bad it's a JVC. This thing is tiny. I wonder how a microdrive handles freefall. It uses CF also though. I played with one at goodguys on Friday and it seemed pretty robust. No LANC, Firewire out only. illegible usually

"The more attention paid to television news, the more you fear terrorism, and you are more likely to favor restrictions on civil liberties," Kill your TV. illegible usually

Well no, not good for ballistic ammunition but I was just showign that metals, even non-exotic ones, can be produce a lot of energy. While Al might not penetrate armor, it could easily be used in a very effective, light, compact and non-detectable (by current tech) suitcase bomb. I read one paper that was saying they were getting somewhere around 2X yeild as compared to HMX. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMX Makes pretty damn good rocket fuel too if you can keep the engines from blowing up. illegible usually

You don't even need heavy metals for some pretty spectacular results Check out http://www.qsinano.com/aluminum.html Commercailly available, and a great yeild. illegible usually

I stand corrected. "Values" it was. Still has little to do with: Missle shields Social Security Iraq ... or any of the other issues illegible usually

What's that? Exit polls showed that the reason Bush was re-elected was based on "Character" not issues. I've yet to see his character agenda. (outside of maybe appointing some pro-life judges and supporting a ban on gay marriage) illegible usually

To http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6692249/ Yikes! illegible usually