livendive

You say "admittedly" like its a bad thing. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I can't remember the last time I submitted a ballot with no votes for an "R" candidate, if ever. I try to vote for a person, not a party. Given that Democrats often espouse a kinder, more compassionate perspective than Republicans who generally seem more selfish, I'd guess my average probably splits somewhere around 45% D, 30% R, and 25% I/other. I consider my vote completely up for grabs in any election, and would have given McCain a much harder look if he'd picked someone better than Palin. In this case, I like Obama more than Romney at this point, but if the latter were to pick Paul as his running mate, I'd reconsider, and Rice could maybe win it for him too. Both bring some different sets of positives and negatives. Another run-of-the-mill white male GOP zombie will not gain Romney much. He needs to add some color, either literally or figuratively. My preference would be that he adds someone who thinks different than him, but someone who simply talks or looks different might be enough. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Incongruity? I'm not surprised that anyone poor enough with analysis to buy a Smart would think that there was anything to impeach Obama over. This. "Smart cars" are a laughable contradiction in terms except for the very few who benefit in terms of parking availibility. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

There is a victim who said they were molested. That is the entirety of evidence in almost all cases of child molestation. In either case, I consider it wholly irrelevent to the charges against Zimmerman. As for the self-defense claim, I wonder if the pro-Zimmerman crowd would have similarly supported Trayvon if he'd been armed and shot the guy who was chasing him. I do hope Zimmerman gets a fair trial, and right now I'm not seeing enough evidence to convict him. I do also wish these two had been equally armed, either both with guns or both with just fists, if for no other benefit than my ears due to all the screaming from both the pro- and anti-gun nuts. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

While the general leanings of the institution are certainly liberal, I'd guess that that qualifications of the authors to discuss the economy are substantially better than the average Speaker's Corner denizen, and the information conveyed in that report is likely much more reliable than anything you or I or anyone else here has to say. I laugh at the vocificerous statements shouted in this forum on the economy and the environment, as the loudest people are usually the least qualified to opine with any authority. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That's twice in this thread that you've gotten me to laugh out loud. I do actually know what the words macro and micro mean, I just wasn't getting the relevance to this exchange. My vocabulary is both qualitatively and quantitatively robust, and I'm surprised to see that at least one person who's been reading my posts for years thought otherwise. I do agree that Winsor's linguistic calisthenics are always pretty entertaining. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

After all your ranting, you say this? A valid point. The thought did cross my mind that I was being somewhat hypocritcal by using antagonistic speech to denounce what I perceive as an ongoing trend of callous and distinctly "un-christian" statements by Ron. I probably should have taken the time to be a bit more PC in my criticism. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

So now we have a few self-appointed anti-religion luminaries following Ron around and bastardizing other threads. Nice.... You guys....get a life. He popped into this thread with a "me and mine will serve the Lord". I was merely pointing out the ridiculousness of that statement in comparison to his other opinions. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Sounds just like like your 'Merikan politicos yet you put your full faith in them. Go figure "It's OK for my 'Merikan politicos to fuck me because I appove of all of it." It's where we are today. Thanks. I don't really get the lingo, and I think you might have me confused with someone else, so I'll just let this pass. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Literally LOL! OK, you simply must humor me with why you think I want or need your protection, and tell me how you're keeping me safe. After that, well, just get over yourself, because adherence to dogma instead of finding your own path makes you more of a sheep than a sheepdog. Also note, the uniquely callous brand of religion you promote is unlikely to attract as many followers as the kinder, more compassionate versions promoted by your peers. Honey will catch more flies than vinegar and all that. Blues, Dave You made a comment on the macro level and I responded on the macro level. Now you come back on the micro level. You Liberals are a slippery bunch I tell ya'. In Apr 09 I started out with positive messages and was attacked. So I changed my tactic and started giving back as I get. In the past you have been extremely antagonistic. Here lately you have been bordering on moderate. I can hold my own either way. "Eyes on the olive branch with arrows at the ready." I don't know about any macro/micro levels, I was just asking how the heck you think I'm criticizing you for keeping me safe. XD I do remember you used to post more moderately, with a somewhat traditional Christian tone. I don't recall being particularly antagonistic toward you until this exchange. As popsjumper pointed out, it was probably ill-advised, but the message you've been selling for the last year or so is not something I'd imagine *anyone* wanting to buy. If you're going to be a spokesman for Christianity, my advice (take it or leave it) would be to bias your opinions in a christ-like direction. Assuming he existed (which I do), he was by all accounts a pretty righteous dude...peace, love, kindness, etc. Pretty much the opposite of what you've been preaching lately. Or are you just going all old testament on our asses? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Literally LOL! OK, you simply must humor me with why you think I want or need your protection, and tell me how you're keeping me safe. After that, well, just get over yourself, because adherence to dogma instead of finding your own path makes you more of a sheep than a sheepdog. Also note, the uniquely callous brand of religion you promote is unlikely to attract as many followers as the kinder, more compassionate versions promoted by your peers. Honey will catch more flies than vinegar and all that. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That's kind of you but if I were interested in recognition or thanks I'd have bragged about my activities in Speaker's Corner. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I agree with this. I think there's some value in the executive having the ability to nix all manner of silliness that comes out of Congress, but there would have to be an avenue of overriding any Presidential abuse of that authority. Overall, it seems to me that the House is most prone to oddball attention-grabbing legislation, with a fair amount of horsetrading frivolous crap. The Senate usually seems a bit more respectful of their opponents, and a bit less prone to weird legislation, but when they go south, it's in actually nefarious ways rather than the simple childishness of the House. The President usually strikes me as the most mature of the bunch, but all three factions seem about equally prone to pork. So long as Congress can knock the Presidents dick in the dirt if need be, I think it'd be cool for him to be able to clip their bickering, horsetrading, and totally unrelated riders from the crap they try to pass as logical and wise legislation. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I can see where it it might be construed as a personal attack, but it really wasn't actually intended as such, at least not in a "what a jerk" sort of way. My intent was more of a "coughcoughbullshitcough" sort of response to the whole "serving the Lord" claim, as I see a lot more kind and compassionate fervor from Christians (and atheists, Muslims, Jews, etc) who are not so vocal about their religious beliefs. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

With a preference for killing worshipers of other gods, condemning queers to eternal damnation, and making absolutely positively sure that poor people don't get medical care on your dime? Nice lord you serve there. Blues, Dave We don't do that. It is your lack of actual knowledge. You are just guessing at what you think we do. You have been doing that for several years now. Are you sheltered? I'm not guessing at anything Ron, my opinion of your brand of religion has been entirely formed by opinions you've expressed here. Do I think you personally go out killing Muslims, banishing gays to eternal damnation, or denying quality healthcare to the poor? Of course not. You just argue in support of those positions. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

wtf have you actually done to encumber the purposes of westboro? I highly doubt nearly as much as Ron... We're out their getting our hands dirty while you people sit on your ass and just bitch and moan. Ron has specifically blamed the gays for the existence of Westboro and admitted to holding opinions very similar to those they express. His claimed differences with them are a) their pulpit (funerals of vets, etc) and b) the fact that they don't allow for forgiveness, whereas he believes gays can be forgiven (but they still need to stop sinning). He has, in a thread about giving healthcare to the poor, said he thinks our goverment should prioritize wiping out Muslim terrorists with thsoe dollars. Basically in most instances where one can choose between "what would Jesus do" and "what would Rush Limbaugh do", he goes with the latter. If that brand of Christianity qualifies as getting one's hands dirty, I'd rather keep mine clean. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

With a preference for killing worshipers of other gods, condemning queers to eternal damnation, and making absolutely positively sure that poor people don't get medical care on your dime? Nice lord you serve there. Blues, Dave Sometimes you can't fix stupid, Dave. Come on, guys. That was out of line. Pretty well every mainstream religion condemns killing and/or does not promote killing for religious reasons. There are gay and lesbian ministers in the Christian faith and many others. And the healthcare issue is not a religious issue at all. I have my own issues with organized religion, but this broad brush, insulting and distorting condemnation doesn't give me any faith in atheists having a good answer either. My brush had a rather fine point on it, specifically thinned by Ron's own statements in this forum. For example, I'd agree that most mainstream Christians would disagree with the message that Westboro Baptists espouse, and not just the methods by which they preach it. Ron? Not so much. So while it's all well and good for him to claim "serve the lord", either he has a different lord than most, or an odd way of serving him. Preferring our tax dollars go to killing Muslims than curing the sick is, well, not very Christian imho. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

With a preference for killing worshipers of other gods, condemning queers to eternal damnation, and making absolutely positively sure that poor people don't get medical care on your dime? Nice lord you serve there. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Didn't we already have that? Last I checked, you could claim tax credits for GoodSense upgrades to your home, or buying a hybrid car, i.e. spending money on things deemed good for society. If healthcare coverage is deemed similarly good for society, how is providing a tax exemption for purchasing it different? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

My vote goes to a certain attention whore sheriff from Arizona. I mean, since aliens aren't human, the whole "all men are created equal" thing doesn't apply, and he's free to do whatever his little heart desires. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

ah yes... the typical line from people who think that what states do is equivalent under the constitution to what the federal government does. What part of "very similar" confused you? Are your only concerns related to constitutionality, not cost/benefit? Because if so, I suspect the President and the Supreme Court might have the edge on you there. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

When Obama was running for election in '08, two of his major selling points in my book were intelligence and a background in constitutional law. Two high-profile rulings this week by court with a conservative majority, and both completely or mostly agreed with Obama's position. Of course all the true constitutional law scholars of The Bonfire know better than those amateurs... Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

He's got my vote. He certainly hopes so, or he wouldn't be pandering to folks like you who are opposed to a plan very similar to one he himself implemented. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Agreed. Whether it's giving the money to defense contractors to design new weapons, environmental firms to improve renewable energy technologies, educators to improve the skills of the youth entering our workforce, or medical workers to take care of patients with less money in their account, the money is still being spent. The question is how we should prioritize such disparate interests. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Yep We will not see a SC beat down like we would have had the ruling gone the other way At least one side practices civility[/reply lol! Maybe one side of a 64 sided dice, but if you're still reducing the population to D's and R's, you're woefully mistaken. A claim of civility by either of those groups would be laughable if it weren't so depressing. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)