Douva

The way I am coming to understand your interpretation of the rules, posters are not allowed to in any way suggest that a person or his/her views are anything but beneficial to society and the universe as a whole--Does that just about sum it up? Is that the way you view the people whose discussions you moderate--as deviants always looking for a way to undermine your authority? Do you really think my goal is to find a way to cast aspersions without facing reprimand? I dislike personal attacks as much as anybody--They ruin debates. The only thing worse than a personal attack is somebody on a "personal attack" witch hunt. I view your approach to this matter as a simple case of your own political correctness run amuck. I believe you have made the same mistake people have been making throughout recorded history--You reacted to a social problem by rushing in the equally erroneous extreme opposite direction. I think moderators, of all people, should understand the concept of moderation. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

That's a pretty arbitrary definition, isn't it? If I had said, "You are hurting America," but left out the valid metaphor, would that have been okay with you? It still starts with "you are," and some might argue that claiming someone is hurting America is disparaging. Would it have been all right with you if I had said the poster's attitude made her like a virus? The difference seems like touchy-feely semantics to me, but maybe that is what you're looking for. With all do respect, yours is a very weak definition. A response such as "a comment that serves only to belittle another person without contributing to the topic of discussion," would have been a much better answer, but it wouldn't have supported your deletion of my post or your libelous accusations that I resorted to a "personal attack" in a debate. I would go as far as to suggest that perhaps you are unqualified to moderate this newsgroup, but I'd hate to risk misusing the "you are" phrase. --W. Scott "Douva" Lewis I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

You've reiterated the obvious rule that personal attacks aren't allowed, but you still haven't shared your definition of a "personal attack." I'm still not quite sure how a metaphor pertaining to the topic at hand, however distasteful you may find it, constitutes a personal attack. I hope you don't take this as a personal attack, but I think you may be operating under too broad an interpretation of the rules. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I would like for you to define a "personal attack." In my previous post I equated my opponent to a virus--contributing nothing to her host but still feeding off it. That's not a personal attack; it's a metaphor. A personal attack makes an unsubstantiated slur against an opponent, completely unrelated to the topic of discussion. If I had made a derogatory comment about her intelligence or her appearance, that would have been a personal attack. Comparing the effect her apathetic approach to citizenship has on the United States to the effect a virus has on its host was not a personal attack; you simply didn't like and/or agree with it. If you want to delete my posts because you don't like what I have to say, I suppose you have that right, but don't accuse me of stooping to the level of personal attacks. Blue skies, W. Scott "Douva" Lewis I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Apparently Bill Von didn't like something I had to say, so he deleted my post. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Congratulations, you have identified one of the many hypocrisies of the two hypocritical leading political parties. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

No, because as a citizen of a country you are part of a "team," and that's the way the team works. You don't get to not pay your taxes because you don't like where the money is going, you don't get to abstain from jury duty because you don't believe in the death penalty, and you don't have an inherent right to decide when, where, and if you sacrifice for the right reap the benefits of living in an affluent western nation. This "#%@&, you! You're not the boss of me," attitude is relatively new, historically speaking. Traditionally, it has been understood that when your leaders decide something is worth fight for, you fight for it, and if you disagree strongly enough with the leaders, you fight the leaders. You don't just sit at home sipping lattes, watching five hundred channels of cable television, relaxing in your comfortable seventy-two degree climate controlled study; complaining about it on an Internet newsgroup. One of the unfortunate facts of living in a "civilization" is that you have to be part of one of these teams. You don't get to just go and do as you please--That is called "anarchy." Fortunately for all of us living on the team called the United States of America, we actually get to elect the leaders who make the laws, and if we don't like the laws they're making, we get to vote them out of office. That's a luxury the common man hasn't had throughout most of recorded history. This arrangement generally keeps us from having to fight our own leaders, since we have another way of ending their rule. Today you might have to fight for a cause you don't believe in but I do, and tomorrow I may have to fight for a cause I don't believe in but you do. It's called "majority rules." If you find yourself invariably in the minority, you can always seek out a country more in line with your way of thinking, or you can try living in a cave where nobody can find you. One of the great things about this country is that even the minority has rights and a voice. However, they still have to abide by the rulings of the majority. The only thing the majority can't rule against is the "inalienable rights" laid out in the Constitution. Only having to fight when you agree is not one of those rights. Sorry, I disagree. I am not willing to fight a fight I don't stand for. Just because some "elected" (and I say that VERY loosely) official decides to go to war, does not mean I will go. Yes, I pay taxes, but they pull that money out of my check. I do not willingly send it to them so that they can stuff most of the money in thier greedy pockets. I will not fight a war for these assholes if I don't believe in it. Furthermore, they can't make me. Unless they somehow take over my brain, they are not going to get me to go over to Iraq shooting and bombing. I'd sooner be deported. It is not worth my energy to fight the politicians. It is a battle to be lost. It would be like voting in the election; No matter what the vote, Bush wins anyhow. Angela. So, basically, you're a revolutionary. You refuse to follow the ruling party and wish to see the current system of government replaced by one you deem "better." Unfortunately, you are a weak, lazy revolutionary whose efforts at social reform amount to sitting idly by proclaiming, "They can't make me," like a rebellious infant. Either fight the system's wars or fight the system, but be prepared to die, either way. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I saw this one a couple of days ago on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you're not familiar with the show, it stars Larry David (the co-creator of Seinfeld and inspiration for Jason Alexander's character George) as himself in his day-to-day life. ------------------------------------------------------------ ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY Sir, can you think of any reason why you would be unable to reach an impartial verdict regarding this case? LARRY DAVID Well, I'm not sure that I could be impartial, being that the defendant is a Negro. CUT TO: Larry David walking out of the courthouse, smiling. ------------------------------------------------------------ Maybe it was the wrong reaction, but I was just rolling on the floor laughing. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

No, because as a citizen of a country you are part of a "team," and that's the way the team works. You don't get to not pay your taxes because you don't like where the money is going, you don't get to abstain from jury duty because you don't believe in the death penalty, and you don't have an inherent right to decide when, where, and if you sacrifice for the right reap the benefits of living in an affluent western nation. This "#%@&, you! You're not the boss of me," attitude is relatively new, historically speaking. Traditionally, it has been understood that when your leaders decide something is worth fight for, you fight for it, and if you disagree strongly enough with the leaders, you fight the leaders. You don't just sit at home sipping lattes, watching five hundred channels of cable television, relaxing in your comfortable seventy-two degree climate controlled study; complaining about it on an Internet newsgroup. One of the unfortunate facts of living in a "civilization" is that you have to be part of one of these teams. You don't get to just go and do as you please--That is called "anarchy." Fortunately for all of us living on the team called the United States of America, we actually get to elect the leaders who make the laws, and if we don't like the laws they're making, we get to vote them out of office. That's a luxury the common man hasn't had throughout most of recorded history. This arrangement generally keeps us from having to fight our own leaders, since we have another way of ending their rule. Today you might have to fight for a cause you don't believe in but I do, and tomorrow I may have to fight for a cause I don't believe in but you do. It's called "majority rules." If you find yourself invariably in the minority, you can always seek out a country more in line with your way of thinking, or you can try living in a cave where nobody can find you. One of the great things about this country is that even the minority has rights and a voice. However, they still have to abide by the rulings of the majority. The only thing the majority can't rule against is the "inalienable rights" laid out in the Constitution. Only having to fight when you agree is not one of those rights. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

I already contribute in some way it's called approximately 25% of my paycheck. I'm 25 and if I were somehow still eligible by the time the draft actually got reenstated (which I doubt will happen), and was drafted, then I guess I'd just have to pretend to be gay for a little while. I rather pretend that I like men, than pretend that I'm ok with contributing to someone's death. Unfortunately, this was tried pretty frequently during the Vietnam War, and it doesn't work. The draft board is a little smarter than that. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

"It doesn't matter whether you're selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or 'How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.' That doesn't make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are--just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore; it's a pitch. And you're not a human being; you're a marketing rep." (Danny DeVito as Phil Cooper in The Big Kahuna, written by Roger Rueff) In a past life I was a very devoute Christian, and I knew a lot of people who seemed to get a lot out of these types of mission trips. Unfortunately, the church's propensity for turning followers into some pious variant on Amway salesman was more than I could take. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Here is a really interesting article I found on conscription ("the draft") in the United States and abroad. http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1571/6_17/72272413/p1/article.jhtml?term= I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

This has been a hot topic of discussion between my sister and me--She's 21, and I turn 24 in two days. Here is my take on it: I support mandatory service; I always have. If this bill passes in the next year or two, I'll probably enlist, regardless of whether or not I'm still eligible (still young enough) to be drafted because I don't want to see my younger friends and family serving while I enjoy the luxury of having been born a year or two earlier. With that said, I don't want to join the military. I'm 24, working on a career, and no longer interested in joining the military. If this had come along five or six years ago, that would have been a different story. Unfortunately, that's my problem. The timing would be bad for me, but I'd just have to deal with it. The draft has always been an inconvenience. It has always interrupted people's lives. Elvis was drafted. You don't think Elvis had some other things going on in his life? I am completely against the idea of "alternative service." "Alternative service," like all exemptions, would eventually become an escape clause for the wealthy and the well connected. The poor kids would still be scrapping it out in the trenches while the George W.'s were off baking cookies with inner-city children. "Mandatory service" should mean mandatory military service for all. It shouldn't be a military draft for some and a community outreach program for others. Conscientious objectors could, as always, be put in noncombatant roles. I do applaud the exclusion of most other exemptions from the bill. A lot of people don't realize that the college exemption was done away with decades ago, and many other so-called exemptions, like the "last remaining son" exemption, are just myths. Basically, the current bill simply says that everybody serves--no exceptions. The biggest hurdle this bill is going to face will be public outrage. Most of the generation "Y" crowd is a little too concerned with their own lives to be worrying about foreign affairs and national security, and you can bet your sweet bippy that very few parents are going to want to face the prospect of their babies being sent off to war. I predict this will be the most divisive issue in the last hundred and twenty-five years or so of American politics. But then again, maybe I'll be proven wrong. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

That's one of those lines that sounds good but isn't really true. Another good example is the old Texas reply to anyone who points out that Alaska is now the largest state--"Just wait 'till all the ice melts." The truth is, the Alamo defenders had numerous opportunities to escape. There were wide gaps in the Mexican lines and plenty of natural terrain to use for cover, if they wanted to make it to safety. Instead they chose to stay and fight. Strategically speaking, they didn't accomplish anything by staying and dying, but it did make a nice battle cry for the battle of San Jacinto. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

and the radio reception between El Paso and Dallas... and the fact that every beach in the state has brown water and tarballs. Don't forget the lack of gas stations between San Antonio and El Paso. You basically have to stop at every gas station to avoid being stranded in the middle of the desert. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Sorry then. I misunderstood what he meant. *** And when they (Texas) were adopted into the Union, they insisted that they retain the right to secede if they ever wished to do so in the future. As far as I know, no other state has that clause in their Constitution. That is why the Civil War was fought a few decades later on. *** I believe what he meant was that the Civil War was fought because the other states tried to secede without the legal right to do so. I'm pretty sure he wasn't claiming that the Civil War was fought over a clause in the Texas constitution. --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Despite the fact that most Texans think the world and it's history revolve around them, ummm, it doesn't. Secession of southern states was just one of many issues leading to the start of the civil war, but Texas played a lessor role in successionary politics. In the entire Civil War, less than a handful of significant battles took place in Texas, so it doesn't look like anyone wanted them then either. I believe they still teach that Texas is the largest state in America down there too At least my old college roomate from El Paso seemed to think so. A. I don't think John Rich's comments in any way insinuated that Texas was the cause of the Civil War or a major contributor to the Civil War. It wasn't. Texas was not a plantation state, so it wasn't as big a deal to us. There was actually a time when the Texas government wasn't sure whether it would side with the North or the South. In the end, they joined the side that most closely matched their ideals (some of which were very screwed up and others of which were really pretty solid). B. Don't assume anything about Texas school systems based on your one bumpkin roommate from El Paso. Our social studies books say the same thing as everybody else's. C. I'm pretty sure this thread started as a joke. Some of the comments made show real ignorance and contempt for a large, diverse body of fellow Americans. As I've said before, it never fails to amuse me the way the enlightened have no problem throwing around stereotypes when it comes to Texas. They'd set their mothers on fire before putting down one gender, race, or religion, but the second most populous state in the United States is fair game. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

You're still pissed about Davy Crocket's "You can all go to hell; I'm going to Texas" line, aren't you? --Douva PS. Didn't the Tennesseans all die at the battle of the Alamo? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Beaches. Mild winters. Worst music in America Really? What music would you be referring to? I'm sure the hosts of the South by Southwest Music Festival (one of the largest multi-genre music festivals in the world) would be surprised to hear this, as would the producers of Austin City Limits. If you're talking about country music (Sure, everybody knows that's all Texans listen to, right?) maybe you should come to Texas and actually check out a few radio stations or, better yet, visit one of the many live music venues in Austin (the "live music capital of the world") before making a rush to judgment. Yeah, everybody from outside of Texas hates that. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with having pride in your own state, so long as you don't disparage anybody else's state. Unfortunately, people from all over the country, including Texas, have a nasty habit of treating states like high schools and "knocking" every state but their own. How many tractors have you seen first hand in Texas? What part of Texas were you in? I seriously doubt that Texas has as many tractors per acre as many other states, such as Kansas. A good portion of Texas is either desert or hill country. So, we have a few agricultural regions--Sue us. If you dislike it so much, stop wearing cotton. Blue skies, Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Oh, come on, you know you'd miss us. Why would we want to secede? I like the U.S. Oh, sure, there's a lot of stuff that annoys me, but the same stuff would annoy me in the independent Republic of Texas. Just stick it out a little longer; either the bombs will start flying, the grid will go down, the system will collapse, and it won't matter what country we're a part of because we'll all live in an anarchic post-apocalyptic world, or some issue as divisive as slavery will come to the forefront, and we'll have a real civil war. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Okay....don't turn....maintain your heading.....bend forward....throw it BACK; we don't want a horseshoe....wait for line stretch....now bring your knees up; we don't want a crotch grabber....grab the risers, and control the heading; we don't want to end up under the next group out....CLEAN OPENING....colapse the slider.....grab the toggles....Thanks for the ride, God....now, let's get ready to land this thing.... I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

"I'm Talking Tina, and I'm going to kill you." Uh...yeah...I've got all sorts of satanic stuff at my house. I bet my "satanic electric can opener" will fetch a nice price after I regale the bidders with the story of what it did to my cat. How about we take up a DZ.com collection to buy it and take it on a little airplane ride? I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

Or he could have just thought she was trying to rush him to finish, and he was trying to appease her by letting her know he was almost done. I really don't think that one sentence proves anything. However, having read the more detailed article, it does sound like he probably raped her. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

You are right, and I should have been clearer. I didn't mean that we should all act however we feel like acting. As you stated, people do have to resist their natural selfish tendencies and sexual urges. My comments were directed more along the lines of people who criticize men for not being "sensitive enough," and other similar complaints. Though some men really are insensitive jerks, I think the people making these requests are all too often just asking men to act like something other than men. I've known plenty of caring, unselfish guys who were not what I would call "romantics." Too many people (both male and female) act like masculine tendencies are evil or wrong. I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

After blowing up my Sabre 135 doing a standup opening on small skyboard, I went to a Sabre 2 120 and never looked back. The openings rock. --Douva I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.