livendive

It's pretty much down to Romney and Gingrich at this point, neither of whom scare me much. Gingrich doesn't scare me because he's too slimy to beat Obama. Romney doesn't scare me because, well, I'd actually consider voting for him. Blues. Dave Latest polls show Newt beating Obama In any event I have book marked this post Romney won a majority of votes in Iowa among those who considered ability to beat Obama their primary concern. Newt got what, a third of the votes that Romney did? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

In the absence of a specifically defined variance, I usually assume it's 100%. Blues, Dave Edit to add: I haven't completely cut all my liability exposure in skydiving, but I have stepped a long ways back from the "professional" ranks in the last two years, in large part because I like my house. Fewer jumps, more restrictive on weather/students, and I only jump my gear, and I'm the only person who does so. "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

He also should have let go of it, but I can see why he might have wanted to hold on to it...he was tumbling ass-end over teakettle because he didn't arch either. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

It's not 10 "new" grams of gold, it's 10 grams of gold you got from your borrower who got them from his customers, who got them their employer, who got them from your competitor (another bank). Ownership of those 10 grams switched several times, but they never had to actually move, because that piece of paper (or a corresponding collection of electrons) did the busy work. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

A dollar is essentially a debt, owed by the goverment, to the possessor. Currently, those debts are unsecured, only guaranteed by the US government saying "Trust Me." A gold standard would collateralize that debt with a small amount of gold...a relatively worthless material from a logical standpoint, but which nonetheless has a relatively stable value over a MUCH longer timeframe than the US government. Why do you suppose collateral would prohibit the earning of interest? It seems to me that banks have no trouble charging me interest on my home mortgage, why should I not be able to collect interest from the mutual fund that wants to borrow from my savings? Interest isn't something magical, it's a fee paid for a service rendered. Whether a loan is secured or not has little affect on whether interest is due. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

More Americans have health care insurance, more people are free to serve in the military, fewer of those people will have to go to Iraq, there are fewer Osama bin Ladens (and his friends) in the world. Perfect presidency, not by a long shot, but at least I have to facepalm and blush over my President less often. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That weekend was a blast, and Hippie made it better. Like J said, if there's a party in the sky, it's just been kicked up a notch. Later Hippie, thanks for the laughs, catch ya on the flip side. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I think you'd have a hard time convincing 19th century American negroes and 20th century European jews of this. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Did someone say redhead? I'm marrying a ginger hottie next year...she's apparently not done with me yet. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Whether you're distinguishing black from white or north from south, either way it's divisive. I couldn't care less where someone's ancestors lived well over a century ago, nor which side they supported in an American-on-American war. They're either good people or they're not, and the past they never saw is hardly relevant. What matters, is what statement they're trying to make now, by flying such a flag. I can only come up with two possibilities...either a joking "losers or not, you can't deny we're stubborn" statement, or some sort of support for the ideals for which the confederates fought. Without trying to invoke Godwin's law, I fail to see a substantive difference between sporting a confederate flag or a swastika. Both were symbols for the losing side in a war that had racist roots. I think a concept of free speech should protect such statements, but I'd be no more prone to bragging about being from the south than I would bragging about being from the north, or Washington, or of Polish heritage, none of which are logical sources of pride. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Inappropriate outside of headphones. I'd consider very low volume, mainstream music to be the most controversial background noise appropriate in a work place. Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Air America...these types of things should all be confined to home, car, or headphones. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

The chance of me turning out to be me is almost exactly the same as the chance of me turning out to be someone else, or no one at all. What's so interesting about that? If I pick a number between zero and infinity, it has an equally small chance of being any particular number. However each of the numbers in that infinite set is equally unique regardless of whether I pick it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Politicians of all flavors are bad if they expect their constituents to meet some standard they themselves fall short of. Flaws being roughly equal, I prefer people who acknowledge them to those who pretend they don't exist (my opinion on this is not limited to politics.) Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

As I said, I would consider voting for Romney, I would not consider voting for Gingrich. I suspect there are a lot more people like me than the converse (who would consider Gingrich but not Romney). If you can win without the middle, grats to you. However I'm curious how all those Clinton haters will vote. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

...would also get my consideration if he won the nomination? In the last election, my primary season donations were split pretty equally between the Obama and Paul campaigns. Then Palin entered the fray and my subsequent donations voted against her. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

It's pretty much down to Romney and Gingrich at this point, neither of whom scare me much. Gingrich doesn't scare me because he's too slimy to beat Obama. Romney doesn't scare me because, well, I'd actually consider voting for him. Blues. Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Actually no, I'm talking about fundamental purpose. A corporation exists to make money. A government exists to protect the people who form it from outside threats and from each other, and to provide whatever services its people deem necessary. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I agree, it's been Romney's to lose for quite some time. All he has to do is keep his head down while the others continue to draw fire, both external and internal. Perry and Bachmann never really stood a chance. Paul and Cain are smart but probably unelectable. Newt probably can't beat Romney and certainly can't beat Obama. I wish Huntsman and Santorum had made a better run at it, or Christie had thrown his hat in the ring. Romney seems to me to be the only one standing that can beat Obama, and it probably hinges on who he picks as his running mate. Barring a Ross Perot entry, a centrist running mate would probably tip the scales in Romney's favor. Alternately, an intelligent appeal to the right of his demographic (Ron Paul?) could keep him in firing range while letting him try to pull from the center. A Palinesque choice will give Obama another four. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

No, it's a government. No. Without regard to the mentally ill comment (not sure what you're referring to), the common sense interpretation of a "person" is a "human". Other species and other entities that are not human are automatically excluded from the definition. I'd argue that the biggest distinction is purpose. Also, the roles, responsibilities, authorites, and accountabilities are all sorts of out of whack between the two entities. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

My point was that people die every day, doing all manner of things. The person who dies at the site of a protest is no more or less significant than the person who dies at a family gathering, or on the way to work. They were doing whatever they do, and they died...it doesn't make the activity responsible for the death. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Someone told him something bad about someone who was not in his organization, and hadn't been for years. He reported this to his superior, and to the guy in charge of campus police. You consider this helping to cover up? Next you're gonna tell us that Paterno basically held the kid down. I've had people tell me stories that included them personally committing criminal acts (as opposed to just witnessing them) and I didn't call the cops. According to you, this makes me guilty of covering up those crimes. Of course, that would mean that you should be calling the cops on me, or be guilty of the same offense. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I will remember this line in the next gun bad thread Cool by me, I'm in the pro-gun crowd. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

There have been three heroin overdoses in Canada (one of them was fatal) and now a fellow in Vermont decided to blow his brains out while attending his local "Occupy" squatting event. http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/11/11/vermont-occupy-protester-dies-from-self-inflicted-gunshot Other people died while skydiving, while having sex, and even while on the toilet. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Joe Pa has been an upstanding model. Yes - model. It's not tarnished because somebody was a sick bastard. Had Joe Pa acted appropriately when it happened, he would STILL be an upstanding model. "He turned in his defensive coordinator. Sandusky? No way! He’s been the coordinator for 15 years and is as well loved as anybody in college football. For raping a boy? WOW!” Pa would be the upstanding model for doing that. Risking his defense for doing the right thing. He didnt do the right thing. Now there are 40 counts that Sandusky faces. You realize Sandusky hadn't been a coach for three years prior to this incident? He didn't work for JoePa when this happened. Also, I've read that Schultz (who JoePa *did* tell) oversaw campus police at the time. Could Joe Pa have done more? Yes. But it's McCleary who had the power to stop it, and the only one with first-hand knowledge of the crime to assist police/prosecutors. Yet he still works for Penn State and JoePa takes the fall, despite seeing nothing (that we know of). Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

What he said. Someone allegedly saw Sandusky raping a young boy. THAT PERSON should have a) stopped it and b) called the cops. Instead, they told Paterno. Not having seen it himself, and the perp not having worked for him for years, he did the logical thing and told his boss. Calling cops with "I heard such & such" isn't something many of us would do either. Paterno got crucified on this deal, and for no real good reason. It's a damned shame that someone who's been such an upstanding model for the sporting community (literally one of the only people in that industry whom I respect) has his entire body of work tarnished, his good deeds negated, solely because someone else was a sick bastard. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)