pirana

Smoking while pregnant is about as irresponsible as a soon-to-be-mom can get. It's just outright ignorant - and this girl takes it a step further by defending it. Who's more fucked up? For now, absolutely it is the parents. I work with wayward kids quite a bit (or did so up until recently). In at least 90% of the cases, I feel I already know the parents before I meet them. It is very little surprise to find that in most cases the parents are total trash. Who will be more fucked up? Again, in most cases, without early and dramatic intervention on somebody's part, these kids will quickly catch up to their parents in the race to wear the crown of ignorance. Bank on 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

One word: Outlier. When studying populations, averages are what count (to keep it simple). On average, better education, especially of the kind that gets degreed, is directly positively correlated to higher income. So are some other things, such as hard work. Not to take away from her individual effort and accomplishments, but she is way off the norm with those stats. Good for her. " . . . 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

You're killing everybody's buzz. When all the religious people of the world find out that all religions have a common origin, they will set out to conquer one another instead of peacefully chanting. Oh wait, we've already reached that point. " . . . 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

Gads, more incredibly obvious findings. So people of higher intelligence do worse on tests when they are under pressure than when they are not. And less intelligent people score low also, but are not as effected by the pressure. (I'm going to assume that the high capacity folks still scored better than the low capacity people, but that is not explicitly stated). They could have saved a lot of time and money and just asked me. " . . . 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 wouldn't be worried about the slippery slope. Cops will pull over whoever they want no matter what. I've known a couple officers (including my stepdad) and it is far easier for them to just make something up, like you did not come to a complete stop, or you crossed the yellow line a couple miles back, or whatever. They do not need this law to pull over whoever they want. " . . . 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

What is "notorious cohabitation?" " . . . 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 don't think it's dumb for a cop to be able to read what State a license plate is from, so they can trace it. However, if it's used as an excuse to abuse people for other reasons, then that will need to be slapped down in court. Simple solution: Remove the license plate frame, and remove the cop's excuse! ________________________________ Well said! Chuck That's way too simple and easy for the whiny-ass crowd that feels strongly about the need to use their cutsie saying license plate frame. " . . . 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

None. Which is why a person can, and should be ticketed for those things. But not searched. If however, in the process of getting ticketed for those things, evidence of other crimes is found, then they probably will get searched and get the book for that too. " . . . 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

He is so absud that it is almost to the point where anyone who defends him needs examination as much as he does. He's behaving almost as badly as Reagan just before he finally admitted to his dementia. " . . . 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 can't even begin to get into this thread. I'll just say that I agree with your above statement. These folks are bad. They assume massive executive power, they won't allow any checks and balances, and if you question them then you get attacked. There is no transparency. Everything has been reduced to "I can't tell you, just trust us. It's for your own good". These are troublesome times. I heard someone put it very succinctly not long ago: "Beware of those who display a disdain for the purifying power of sunlight." " . . . 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

That's because they are being recorded, at least some of them. I would not be surprised to learn that close to that portion of adults had been recorded by some government agency or another at some point in their lives. Got pulled in for grilling once when the cops were investigating a person on the fringe of one of my groups of friends at college. This was a small-time coke dealer, and they had a big photo album with pictures of everybody this guy hung out with even marginally. I'm sure his telephone was tapped also. If they go that far for a guy selling bits of pot and coke, I easily believe they would go overboard (as they should) to keep tabs on terrorism. If you do not want to be recorded, stay off the telephone. More and more companies record all calls in to their organization now, and the threshold for size of companies doing it is moving down very steadily. Even private parties are beginning to get into the act. It's getting cheaper all the time and is far less regulated than most people 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

I don't have an opinion. I just do whatever Rush says. " . . . 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

Reminds me of some guys that dressed as nuns on Halloween many years ago. Had NWG embroidered on their frock (or whatever you call it). Invariably, everyone they bumped into asked them "What's NWG?" To which they'd throw open the frock revealing toy guns and shout repeatedly "Nuns With Guns" as they pretended to fire them over their heads. Don't know wheere they got the idea, but they were so ahead of the times. " . . . 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 thought that one was a champ too, until I pulled up Chopper on the OnDemand last night; Eric Bana as an infamous Autralian criminal from a few years back, sits down in a chair and orders a fellow inmate slice off the backs of both of his ears just so he can get transferred to another cell block. (WARNING: DO NOT be eating Graham crackers and raspberry jam while you watch it. Trust me. ) The "Made me walk out of the theater" Award goes to: Robert DeNiro biting a chunk out of Ileana Douglas' cheek before breaking her handcuffed arm in Cape Fear. Even my ex knew something was wrong because I never have to go pee during a movie. But are we talking about visual violence, psychological violence or blood and gore? Personally, I put those in three separate categories. I despise visual violence, but I'll watch it in the context of a good story and good acting. Deliberate gross-out, inventive dismemberment crap, where the writers just seem to sit around getting high and figuring out foul new things to do to the human body, I avoid entirely. Now for straight up psychological violence, Malcolm McDowell invading a home, beating an old man, and raping his wife in front of him -all while singing "Singing in the Rain" mind you- flat out scarred my then teenaged ass. Must be Clockwork Orange. " . . . 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

And what self-respecting welfare mom would spend that much on dinner. There are loads of options that would feed 16 kids for less than half that amount. " . . . 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 thought it was going to be a thread about the Green Bay Packers. How disappointing. I was looking forward to the jokes from all the psuedo-macho types who fantasize about having sex with Brett Favre. " . . . 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

Like your signature line. My current screensaver: "Life is not fair. Life is not unfair. It just is. Equip yourself to deal with 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

I've definitely been watching too many kids movies the last few years. Except for a few of the oldies, I have not seen many of these. I did see a couple fo the Faces of Death videos about 20 or so years ago. Some of the scenes were pretty nasty - and made me squirm more than anything done by Hollywood, if for no other reason than just knowing it was the real thing. " . . . 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

Saw this show for the first time. I'd heard a lot about it, and even though I knew it wasn't my cup of tea, had to see what all the fuss was about. Interesting. I understand why the contestants would be excited, but I don't get why anybody would watch it. Didn't Ed McMahon run this genre into the ground already with Star Search (or something like that?). That and my strong feeling that the world is hardly in need of another mediocre pop singer. Does that Simon guy like anybody? His schtick got old for me in one show, how can anybody tolerate him for season after season. " . . . 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

Soo you must be upper 90's, maybe over 100? " . . . 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

Allow people to post to a thread without having to quote someone or reply to a specific post. Keep the Quote and Reply buttons, but add a test box & quick post button at the bottom of each page where a person can type in a post, then just clicky on the Quick Post button. " . . . 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

Without our presence, they would go down like a paper shack in a tornado. They can't even establish order WITH our presence. I get the feeling GWB knows there is no graceful exit and is resigned to simply handing this off to his successor. This will be his legacy and there's nothing he can do to save it now. It'll be interesting to see how historians look back on this once the emotions die down. My guess is that it will be viewed as a nasty, but understandable, blemish on our record. " . . . 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 don't care where the stuff is made, or even that it may be crap. If people want WalMart quality, that's their choice. Their WalMart particle board coffee table is probably a good deal. It costs $20 and will last a few years (unless somebody spills on it and it gets good and soaked, in which case it will turn back into a pile of wood shavings). My coffee table costs a couple hundred and will last for many, many generations unless the house burns down. Get what you pay for - no beef about that. What I dislike about WalMart, and what I consider the weakness of a purely market-driven economic system, is that once an organization or person reaches a certain critical mass, their influence can actually reduce the positive effects of free market forces. It's like it has become a race to the bottom. A race to see how cheaply they can sell stuff. And winning that race means putting pressure on all elements of cost, regardless of any outcome (other than losing sales). Employee benefits is a good example. I can accept that a civilized society will to some extent subsidize health care for their unemployed. But here we have an employer that, by design, provides a benefit plan that drives at least the simple majority of their employees to welfare for their health care needs. Who do you think is footing that bill? How ethical is it to coach your employees on how to take advantage of subsidized health care so that they can sell toilet paper for $.03 less per roll than their nearest competitior? There is a reason for laws against predatory pricing and other monopolistic practices. WalMart (and others) have been flirting with and skirting these laws in order to squeeze every last increment of cost out of their system. That, and the quality of all but the most utilitarian of goods they carry will keep me away for the foreseeable future. " . . . 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

Are you serious?!?! Even the most hard core democrats agree that a sudden withdrawl would throw the country into chaos and civil war. Sorry, this one isn't even worth debating.... Jeff They are headed towards civil war whether we withdraw suddenly or slowly, today or 20 years from now. The kind of hate they have transcends generations. We will have to, for all practical purposes, commit to very, very long-term occupation (way beyond our lifetimes) in order to stave off a civil war in Iraq. But long-term occupations are not the modern tools of control, puppet governments and economic slavery are, and cost less. We will leave when someone else is in place to do our work for us. " . . . 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

... And I want to know why the Feck they're still there!? I supported the war! I still do! I honestly believe that Iraq HAD to be liberated from the Ba'Athists & Saddam Hussein! I quite frankly didn't give a Flying-Feck about the WMDs or lack thereof. This was (at first) a matter of liberating the Iraqi people and giving them the opportunity to make choices about their future. Well... Job done. Hussein & the Ba'Athists are toppled. Towns & cities are under control of an elected council. National elections have been held. The core of a new Iraqi police & military have been trained in neighbouring countries.... Time to come home and leave the Iraqi's to the self-determination which we are so fond of preaching. Unless, of course, our troops are still there to follow some half-arsed hidden agenda to match the half-arsed plan!? Mike. Exactly my point. If the goal was to bring down Sadam and rid the country of WMD, then we are done. Should go home, right? Can't leave yet though. We need to leave behind a relatively stable government that is under our control, and preferrably very deeply in debt to the USA. It's how we got the House of Saud under our thumb. " . . . 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