pirana

I got some in my Cracker Jack at the basketball game the other night. In the form of a bunch of peanuts that wreaked havoc on my next poop. I think poop will be my Word For The Day. I was explaining to my daughters last night that they should NOT let the dog lick their face. He eats poop! So then my wife parrots some BS factoid somebody laid on her about how dogs mouths have fewer germs than people. I asked how that helped with the poop smeared on the dogs lips and nose, or the soiled cat litter hanging on his chin and whiskers. (He digs cat poop out of the litter box for a regular snack). And she wonders why his farts are so God-awful? Did I stray too much on that one? " . . . 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

only for fundies. Catholics & many mainstream protestants don't use the Bible as a science textbook. Agreed. It is mostly lunatic fringe that interpret the Bible literally. And the science-is-just-another-faith crowd are just people who know little to nothing about the history of science or science methodology. The problem lies in the fact that a few fanatics and ignorants often make so much noise that they can carry the day, catching the more informed and typically more reserved mainstream off guard. The lesson is that if you care about this stuff, you gotta make some noise and call the bullshit what it is instead of being nice, and friendly and polite and a candyass. I threw in candyass on the end there just to step out of character, you know - take a walk on the wild side. Not aimed at any individual. " . . . 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

In general, I agree. I try to not get emotional in thinking seriously about this stuff, but it sometimes happens. Even for a Borg. My longstanding opinion is that predatory type crimes that result in damages beyond a certain threshold deserve permanent removal. Since I do not think life with a little l is sacred, my preference for removal is extermination. Life with a big L must be preserved in all it's splendor, but individual lives are disposeable if they do a serious enough job of breaking the social contract. I know, the devil is in the details. What is the threshold of criminal activity, the standard for evidence, the safeguards against abuse, the method of extermination, etc? Important stuff, but shouldn't stop us from implementation. I'd volunteer to help make those determinations. We need to make becoming a predator an extremely unattractive option. The way the rules are set up now, only those that would never be a risk for it are detered - if that makes sense. Kind of like the sign in the shower at the health club asking people not to pee in the shower. The bozos that would do that are going to do it anyway. Many of our laws mean little to nothing to criminals because they have no teeth - the laws, not the criminals. " . . . 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

Mistrust those in whom the impulse to punish is strong. -Friedrich Nietzsche Interesting quote. Considering who it is from, I wouldn't trust it at all, and would dvocate punishment for those that use 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

Really? I've never heard of those as being safety hazards. Have any of those ever really caused a horseshoe? I'm not saying you're wrong. I just have a lot of years jumpmastering and I've never been briefed that those were dangerous. Wouldn't it take one huge honking piece of velcro to keep a thrown pilot chute and/or bridle in place at 120 MPH? " . . . 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 was kinda wondering the same thing. Amazing coincidence he had this problem high enough to be able to perform that manuever. Or incredibly lucky. " . . . 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

Actually, to make a very narrow point, I believe that most average, ordinary people are born with sufficient raw intelligence to absorb the education and practical training needed to become reasonably capable doctors or lawyers, given enough time and opportunity. But...that's not the point of the thread. Agreed. I'd say at least the simple majority (most is too vague and probably overstated) COULD do it. The bigger factor is being willing to do the work. Because I also firmly believe at least the simple majority (maybe most fits better here) are not willing to do the work it would take to pass advanced biology, anatomy, chemistry classes and the like, much less do all of the other work it takes to become a doctor of any kind, much less a good doctor. Laziness is inherent in humans. How we personally manage it largely determines where we end up. Along the spectrum there are those at one end who will do whatever it takes, damn the torpedoes, no holds barred, outta my way types; and there are those at the other end of the spectrum who are so fucking lazy they keep a warm 12-pack on the floor next to the couch because having a cold one is not worth the work of getting their fat ass off the couch. It's a choice, and whatever a person chooses is OK. But the warm 12-pack crowd should quit complaining about what the outta my way crowd makes. And that is what the thread has evolved to. The warm 12-pack crowd somehow thinks they are as valuable. They also think it is good business practice to hold immobile heavy industry hostage and demand to be paid $35 per hour to insert bolt A in hole C. Then they don't get the link when said industry manages to drop them like the dead weight they are. "I've been putting bolt A in hole C for 25 years! How can you do this to me?" Very easy to do when the true competitive market value for putting bolt A in hole C is about $6 per hour. And paying CEO's the same as the people on the factory floor? Please, is anybody really that naive? " . . . 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

Does that give the dad legal status. IIRC, born in the USA makes you a citizen, right? So would they actually deport the dad and allow the kid to stay?parentseans " . . . 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

Agreed. A corpse would be a better option than most of the candidates - from either party. " . . . 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

Other mysteries about Home Depot: * why don't they check your zoning permits * why don't they ask to see your electrical / plumbing / etc licensing Houston has no zoning. That is why housing is cheaper here than other cities. And why would HD care about trades licenses? Do they really not have ANY zoning? When I was studying city planning in the 80's, Houston was always held up as the poster city for bad planning. There were field excursions to go see in person everything a city should not be. " . . . 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

"Mohammed Brand Pork Products!! Now available in Mecca, Medina, Birmingham England, and Dearborn Michigan!!" You do realize you are gonna get us all fatwaed. Maybe we're onto something. Maybe the whole Islamic extremist thing is really just a portion of the believers who are just THAT pissed off that we do not take their religion seriously. They have basically issued a fatwa on all who don't buy their particular brand of religion. Has this been said before? Haven't the extremists said so much themselves - saying that all infidels must die - even nice ones and little babies and old grandmas too senile to know what Islam is? " . . . 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 need to be still and quiet. Get a bunch of people and do a 'drive'. Then you can move around and be as loud as you want. By the way, you may want to weat some flourescent orange instead of that camo on the first day of buck season. I've spent a few afternoons on my porch watching a large group of hunters drive the deer out of the woods. It's kind of funny, and my guess is they are doing it all wrong. They show up in a caravan of pick-ups and park them all in the ditch. Even though there is a place for them to pull off, they use the ditches. I think people that drive trucks around here just get a manly feeling when they park in the ditch. Must be the "We don't need no stinking parking lot" crowd. So they leave a few guys on one end of the woods, pile back in their trucks and go to the other end. I'm guessing they are driving the deer when I see them all come out of the side where nobody is waiting and prance off towards the river. I says to my wife "Those guys shure are good at driving deer; right across our property and down to the river - without even firing a shot. They must be experts." " . . . 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

Does it make any difference? They're all crooks and liars and thieves. The purpose of this thread is purely politics as a spectator sport. But, since I cannot avoid the bait, do you think the results of the 2000 presidential election made no difference as to the path the world has taken these last seven years? A very good point. I used to be a cynic to the point of saying it does not matter. After this administration, I now believe who is President strongly influences the flavor of the fucking mess we have to endure. I'm not a lefty either, actually rather conservative in my leanings. The category I fit in best is Libertarian - but I don't even like that label all that much. For the record I prefer a more centrist mess and will never vote for a Republican unless they can put up a candidate that is not claiming to get their direction from God, or astrology, or any other supernatural nonsense. I think the only thing keeping us from being the laughing stock of the political world is the fact that about 3/4 of the US now realizes what a huge fucking mistake we made electing this silver-spoon, Bible thumping (the jury is still out on Evolution - you've got to be fucking kidding!), war-mongering (how many years ago did he claim "Mission accomplished" while yucking it up in a photo op on a carrier deck?), fake cowboy (raised in Massachusetts & went to Harvard, but puts on the cute cowpolk act). It does make me feel special to know I am living in a historically significant time - during what will probably go down as one of the goofiest Presidents we ever elected. " . . . 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 the presence of criminal charges makes the comparison fail. Not to mention the consequence of lashings. That culture needs some sort of Enlightenment, Renaisance, or something to bring them out of the Dark Ages. " . . . 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

Someone should start a movement to have stickers inserted to alert readers that there are alternative "theories" to all things religious. " . . . 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

Aren't there a lot of people given the same name? " . . . 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

Right, more correctly: All organisms are born on a mission to survive and reproduce. All natural decisions they make are directly or indirectly related to that motive. All organisms struggle to survive. Struggle might be a little strong. I haven't really struggled since I left the womb. A few tight spots here and there along the way - but I wouldn't call life a struggle; just a little work here and there. Now the innocents in Somalia, Darfur, etc; that's struggling. But even that is a localized situation. On a macro scale, the human species is not struggling. It appears the danger of us becoming extinct anytime soon is very very small. On a micro scale, some coast, some work, and some struggle. Same as it ever was. " . . . 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 be absolutely sure of your target before pulling the trigger. It looked kinda like a deer, or seemed like a deer, or moved like a deer is not good enough. Make sure it is clearly recognizeable as a deer and nothing else. It amazes me that every year there are several people in just MN & WI alone killed by fellow hunters who were too quick to the trigger because "I thought it was a deer." I'll bet every one of them, like most hunters who have yet to shoot someone by accident, thought it was a mistake they couldn't possibly make. " . . . 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

On the micro side of things, it isn't a matter of selfishness or not - just a matter of personal preference of what you decide to do with your life. If there are people that think their personal decision to not have children will somehow save the planet - whatever that means - then maybe it is best their genes are not passed on. The planet will never need saving or be saved by humans. Quite the opposite - the planet might save us. On a macro scale though, it's called survival of the species and let's hope not having children doesn't suddenly start appealing to everybody. " . . . 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

Oooh- does that mean you believe that reports of the National Academy of Sciences are the best science we have? If you support a report from them, bad science, if you think thier report is bad science, it is the truth Maybe I'm not understanding the statement (I am thrown a bit by the sentence structure). Are you saying the NAS practices bad science? All of the time? Part of the time? Or that we should be able to tell when it is bad? " . . . 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

Do you not really feel like trying today? That's weak, even for you. (we are skiing this year. slopes to open a week or two after Thanksgiving) It was a weak attempt, at humor. EDIT: I think I heard on the radio, at least a week ago, that Taylor's Falls was already open. I know Trollhaugen was open last weekend - though I won't go there again. " . . . 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

If you come into my house you will face the business end of an AK. So I say yes, in most cases it is OK. Many burglaries turn into rapes and murders and you never know when that can happen. I got the impression they were running away well before he fired shots. He didn't shoot them because he was threatened - he shot them to keep them from getting away. " . . . 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

Criminal mischief? Has anyone the foggiest idea what that mean? In Texas? It probably means you can kill non-white people at will if they piss you off for any reason. " . . . 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

But seriously; I've had a few minor things. Nasty bruising in the armpits and front of shoulders from hard openings on a Dolphin/Falcon combination. A not terribly well fitted container and a snappy canopy - bad combination if you are looking for gentleness. " . . . 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

Point them where? " . . . 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