RhondaLea

I didn't say that. But I've never done anything that can't be fixed. Murder cannot be undone. No matter what good you do, you still need to atone for the evil you do. Part of atonement is accepting the punishment. I don't think hate is required. No, they aren't. They lack the essential qualities of a human being. Not all sociopaths are killers, but all sociopaths, by definition, disrupt the lives they touch. Usually in such ways that to some of their victims, death would be preferable. Should Osama bin Laden have been put to death before 9/11? The lack of redeeming features does not do harm to you or anyone else. This is not about personal taste. Sociopathy is NOT a mental illness, it is a personality disorder. If it were schizophrenia, we'd be having a different discussion, but it's not. Ultimately, sociopathy is a choice, not the result of a biochemical imbalance. It is exactly about killers playing a system. And we just plain old disagree. Sociopaths are not human, and the sooner we weed them out, the healthier we all will be. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Until he changes that damned avatar, I'm not saying a single nice thing about him. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

No one is innocent. We all have a lot to answer for as we go through our lives. That's not the same as making a decision to take the life of another person. Second degree murder and manslaughter are not capital crimes, so it is possible to kill another human being and not be put to death. Both of these charges are a recognition of the reality that it is possible for one to cause death as an unintended consequence of one's acts. Capital punishment is reserved for those who coldly and calculatingly choose to take the life of another. Not everyone who wears the body of a human being is human. Some "people" are no more than rabid animals, and while we would not hesitate to put down a rabid dog, we shy away from putting down a creature that is less human than a dog because it wears a body like our own. Without empathy, we are not human. But it is a waste of energy to put any action behind one's empathy on behalf of a sociopath. They don't feel what you feel. You are a cardboard cutout character to them--subhuman and only worthwhile to the extent that you are useful. It's difficult for people to understand, which is why so many do-gooders end up bitter at the result of their good works. Sociopaths cannot be fixed, and they will do harm again just as soon as it suits them. I've mentioned before that I've worked in a criminal practice a couple of times in my career. In that context, I've had to deal with clients who were facing the death penalty. I have found them to be quite likable. That's the protective coloration of the sociopath at work. Such people can and will do anything to further their own cause. Anything. I know it's hard to comprehend but that's just the way it is. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Varley has done more than one hot woman. McCaffrey/Nye and McCaffrey/Scarborough both had some pretty good women. And what about Rowan? For the life of me I can't remember Lunzie Mespil. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

And the reason for that is she isn't on that list at all. I fully expect a guy to love his base or skydiving rig more than me. That's not a problem. But people take care of the things they care about, and when a person plays second-fiddle to everything, especially if it appears to be a sudden turnaround (later in the relationship, after the thrill is gone), then it's going to turn into a problem. Me, I pursue a lot of solitary activities, and when I'm in the middle of one of them, I want to be left alone. So I understand a certain amount of self-centeredness. But if the message that you consistently give to another person is "I don't have time for you; this is more important than you" and "this" is something different every time, eventually that person will get the message and go away. It's not about jealousy. It's about the reality that certain men present to the living, breathing people in their lives. It doesn't take all that much effort to show someone you care about them. If you can master that skill, you'll have plenty of time and love to lavish on the inanimate objects in your life. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Really? If a man walks up to your child and snaps it's neck in front of you killing it you don't think he should get the death penalty? Does killing him bring back the child? No. Does killing him give him any sort of way to pay back his debt to society by becoming a productive citizen? No. Does killing him actually do anything positive apart from quenching the instinctive thirst for blood we all posess? No. It prevents him from doing the same thing again. It removes a failed experiment in humanity from the culture dish. I don't view the death penalty as a deterrent. I see it solely as a way of permanently removing from society those who are unfit to be members of that society. The only thing that gives me pause about the death penalty is the possibility of making a mistake and executing an innocent man. I don't think that in this case, that innocence is an issue. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

rl, i thought you were going to train me Well...there's no doubt you need training. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Enough for a beer. So? Which way do you want me to vote? Edited to add: if he's pretty, all bets are off. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Many of his books were juveniles, but if you found them simplistic, you weren't paying attention. Did you ever read any of his short fiction? His essays? I ran into Heinlein when I was around 15, and he had a profound influence on my thinking--mostly because what I learned from him was how important it is to think, to try out new ideas. And the one thing all of his characters have in common is that they never, ever give up. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

A lot of you guys aren't talking about women in science fiction (fantasy, most of it), but about the actresses who portrayed them. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

It was probably this: Woman Discovers She’s Pregnant After Parachute Fails Imagine jumping out of an airplane and having your parachute fail, but you somehow survive the impact. That's what happened to 21-year-old Shayna Richardson of Joplin, Mo., while she was skydiving in Siloam Springs, Ark. in October. She was taking her first solo jump when her parachute didn't open and then her reserve parachute didn't fully open either. Richardson landed face first in a parking lot. Her instructor caught it all on tape. Richardson explains what happened next, "In the hit, I eggshelled my entire face. Everything through here got eggshelled and I broke my pelvis in two places and broke my fibula in my right leg." During the weeks of surgeries, doctors found out Richardson was also two weeks pregnant. Now, 10 weeks after the fall both Richardson and her baby are on the road to recovery. Her baby is due in June and Richardson says she hopes to be skydiving again by August. And another article about the same event: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_346193211.html If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Clemency is a free pass. The atonement he has made is only a part of the debt he owes, not a release from the consequences of his acts. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I think his point was that it's less expensive in the long run to alleviate the underlying social problem than to clean up in the aftermath when it blows. We apply an awful lot of bandaids to hemorrhages. It's a waste of bandaids. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Rewriting history is offensive. We need to know where we've been to understand where we're going. Lenny Bruce notwithstanding, I cringe every time I hear that word, but it's not the word itself that's the problem. It's the attitude behind it. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Much to the disappointment of others who have thought the same, I am that only in the immediate presence of handcuffs, gags and blindfolds. Afterward I turn into Sharpie Corners. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You have aroused my interest. I haven't found that many people into Heinlein, much less women who apreciate Sci-Fi. I've read everything he's ever written at least twice, and some of it five or ten or more times. Obsessive, I know, but over a thirty-two year period, it isn't that much reading time. I don't read much but science fiction, except when there is no science fiction to read. And then I read fantasy. Where do you think I get all my weird ideas? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Just because someone atones for the wrong they've done does not mean that person gets a free pass as to the consequences of their actions. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You're relentless. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I think you should coach Peter. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Gee, my name was in the subject line and everything, and the "in reply to" link took me back to my post. Nope, sorry I just didn't reply to you, but you made me do a double take. You are confused. You're right, I am. I thought you had replied to my post, but you were actually replying to Walt's reply to me...yada, yada, yada. Sorry. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

All of Heinlein's women. All of Catherine Asaro's women. Elizabeth Bear's Jenny Casey. Kage Baker's Mendoza. If we're including fantasy, then Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Baker and Meredith Gentry, and Jacqueline Carey's Phèdre nó Delaunay. But not, IMO, a single one of the women you named. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

And that works for you, so it's all good. I figure people should believe whatever they want, as long as part of their belief doesn't include shoving it down the throats of those who believe differently. I object to proselytizing for atheism as much as I object to proselytizing for one's religion. Although this may seem a gratuitous swipe at your post, I figure that it's only fair given that I whacked Windcatcher et al. for doing exactly what you just did. To me, it's just as distasteful from one side as it is the other. rl P.S. to micro: Yes, Michael, cavemen had religion, of sorts. At the very least, they had spiritual beliefs. (I can't really tell if you're being a smartass or not, so I took it as straightforward incredulity. If otherwise, feel free to make fun of me.) P.P.S. Avery can witness to me any hour of the day or night. It's not going to change me, but anything he has to say, I listen. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

What part of my post did you not understand? rl When I'm talking to you you'll know. Gee, my name was in the subject line and everything, and the "in reply to" link took me back to my post. Silly me. I must be confused. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

For me, all of it I'm just glad you're not Fortson. I always thought well of him. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

What part of my post did you not understand? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb