Zenister

although I think its stupid I really cant see anything wrong with it in the context of what many other hunters do.. traditional fisher men complaining about people using guns (or bows even, which I have to admit to having tried (unsuccessfully) at one time) isnt much different than the guy with the spear complaining about those 'new fangled inventions' used by hunters with guns. IMO everyone in any hunting/fishing endeavor should be forced to use tools made and powered by their own skills and muscle. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

lol.. I cant say I agree with it much but the look on that Cat's face when the guy first approaches the open door was priceless.. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

This article explains exactly that reasoning pretty well... depending on Job, location, serious relationships on either part the 'fuck buddy' lifestyle falls apart eventually, for those who feel the HAVE to continue life that way there is the prostitute option. http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/03/12/2008-03-12_if_you_think_your_guy_has_never_been_wit.html TBPH I really cant understand why its not legalized and regulated along with every other vice, far better to admit the issues openly and attempt to deal with them directly than to force it into the criminal realm of control. I've never had to resort to that route myself, but once I become old, ugly and the charming bastard routine doesn't work on 22 year old college students any longer..... one might be tempted. Until then I'll just give shuttle rides to hot skydiver chicks ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

she is reasonably hot, so depending what the TM leeches looked like at her DZ maybe that was the problem. http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/NY-Gov-Eliot-Spitzer-Eliot-Spitzer-MySpace-The-New-York-Times/ss/events/pl/031008nyeliotspitzer/s:/ap/20080313/ap_on_re_us/spitzer_call_girl/im:/080313/480/859a47738d004b0a9856dfbce8d47004/ ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Oh I'm certainly not supporting General's as a whole as Ive met very few officers above O5 I have much respect for (and I deal with far more than I wish to on a regular basis. Supposition is frontal lobotomies performed at Command and Staff Colleges that only few manage to avoid receiving (the lobotomy)) and I'd say generally (pun intended) I agree. Few seem to have real concerns beyond the extent of the effect their decisions have on their career. This is an effect of the 'zero defect' mentality that has been prevalent in the last few decades for military advancement. Basically any behavior that might leave a black mark on your record screws your career and the tendency towards documentation of every minor incident (vs dealin with it at the lowest level possible) means only the 'squeaky clean brown nosers' who played it safe their entire career make the highest ranks. Unfortunately the same 'squeaky clean' applies to pretty much every public official as well, which doesn't leave much in the way of real leaders (those willing to take risks and make political 'suicide' decisions for the good of those they lead) at the upper echelons of either structure. Edit:Good article, but nothing new unfortunately though itt does emphasis my original point in this thread. More Military leadership needs to be candid (publicly if necessary because their professional opinions are ignored out of political motivations) about the means and measures required to accomplish the missions proposed by the civilian leadership. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

This... There were far better means to deal with the 'Saddam problem' than outright invasion. Unfortunately there would be no 'glory' or 'war presidency' associated with using the 'right tool for the job' Now? we have to do what we can to fix the mess we've made, and find a way to do so that doesn't cripple our economy, our military, or what little respect we have with the rest of the world's population. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

A military officer I was talking to compared them this way "Vietnam was a War that was portrayed to the public as a police action. Iraq is a police action that is being portrayed as a war." Soldiers are trained to fight wars, with a clearly defined enemy and objectives. Finding criminals hidden in the mass of a population is job for police who understand the culture, speak the language and do not make the basic mistake of treating everyone they meet as if they are the enemy. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Zenister is always right, except when he is wrong, which seems to be quite often. Never admitting you're wrong doesn't make it so. Ask the Dixie Chicks if they have "complete control over their performances". You may say that they do, but the almighty dollar taught them a lesson they've not forgotten. Their method of performance changed when the audience stopped showing up. So who's in control of their performances again? Asserting someone is wrong when you cannot logically defend your own position doesn't make you right either, no matter how many badly phrased swipes you take at your opponent. the Dixie Chicks are very much in the vein of 'bubble gum entertainment' so it is to be expected that they (and their audience) react negatively when confronted by that which is outside their expectations of 'disposable fluff'. It is one of the compelling differences between Art/Artists and 'mere' Entertainers. The Artist's primary goal is expression of a point of view (not necessarily that of the Artist even) entertainment 'value' is secondary and may not be present at all. The Entertainer's primary goal is the acquisition of money from the audience. Great Art can certainly be entertaining but entertainment rarely achieves the same level of respect (or longevity) as Art and is usually forgotten when the 'flavor of the moment' passes. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

If you're basing that comment SOLELY within the confines of their profession, then I agree. I think you are adopting far to narrow a definition of what the profession of Artists really is, and so relegating Art and Artists to the limits of 'bubble gum entertainment'. The public absolutely has the right to 'vote with their feet/dollars' but they do not have the right to dictate the contents of the performance. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

We need more military leaders who WILL 'cross the grain'. No, that would be bad for the military. Bad for the military is using it in ways it has not trained for. Bad for the military is dismissing the legitimate military concerns because they are political liabilities to reelection. Bad for the military is not letting the professionals decide the means and resources needed to accomplish a proposed mission and instead imposing civilian preconceptions on military operations. Bad for the military is more and more of those who would be career professionals leaving because they, their professional opinion and the needs of the force disregarded continually by the politicians who's asses are never being put on the line. when those things occur it is BETTER for the military and for military leaders to express EXACTLY how they are being subverted for political ends. To many have forgotten their primary responsibility is ultimately to the public (through the structure of the government) the constitution and the soldiers who serve under them, and not to the man or any party's political ambitions. Calling a 'spade a spade' especially when it causes a public uproar that may prevent the civilian administration from 'using a sword as a hammer' is an attribute greatly to be desired rather than resigning and allowing leaders with less competence (and more politically motivated) to accept a misguided mission with inadequate resources to succeed. The millitary phrase that applies in such situations is 'being set up for failure' and has been happening far to often under this administration. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Bull - I paid to hear them sing a song, not give a speech. If they want to give speeches, they need to quit singing and become politicians. no you paid to see them PERFORM in whatever manner they as Artists chose to perform. You audience have no say whatsoever over the content of their performance, be it spoken, video, musical etc... anymore than you have control over what songs, what arrangements or what instruments they play they chose to play. The Artist always retains COMPLETE control over their work (the performance) if you cant accept that, then there is always prerecorded material you can pause, rewind, replay at will, so stay home with your DVD/Stereo player. it is arsine as an audience to attempt dictate to the artist what they will or will not do in their performance. You have to accept the fact THEY are in control, not you. The fact you have no idea what you are in for is what makes live performance worthwhile. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Got to love silly lopsided tests that attempt to fit diverse behaviors into either/or categories. Based on the variability of my 'real' answers I'm between 37 and 53 which proves exactly how worthless such simple assessments actually are. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I think a fair trade is to give roadhead to the fabulous guy that picks me up at the airport... hmmm when is your next trip to Eloy anyway ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

We need more military leaders who WILL 'cross the grain'. More military leaders need to recognize they have an equal responsibility to not throw away the lives and efforts of the subordinates in an attempt to appease their political masters, that the oath they swore places the Constitution over and above that of the CINC and that is where their priorities should lie as well. Time has only proven the fact that "Eric was Right" amazing how [not to substitute] 'the opinions of politicians for the judgments of our military commanders' is the phrase of the day when the expert opinion agree (search around/fire enough experts till one will agree) with the politicians desires and yet "far off the mark" is the phrase used when the experts opinion disputes/discredits the predefined political goals and assumptions. if anyone ever wonders why many of the 'best and brightest' decline to join or to remain in military service, there is no farther to look than the little real respect they get from those who's preconceived agendas they are called on to defend and die for... It is sad that the military culture has long had a practice of 'leave quietly'. More and more of late that line does seem to be breaking line (at least with those who have the luxury of being retired. unfortunately it is too little, too late to do much to stem the tide of soldier's blood and tax payer money being wasted in Iraq. We need more people willing to 'speak truth to power' vs the 'shut up and color' attitude that prevails. The military should have complete authority in how to fight wars and leave the civilians to the decision of when and if to fight them. If/when the 'cost' politically, economically and militarily is to high, then the honorable path is to defer to the Military, or not give them the mission anyway and ask them to 'Do more with Less' as is always the case. This illustrates how little honor our current administration (and pretty much all politicians) actually have. Respect must go both ways or it means nothing at all. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I'd be all for that in the US as well.. oh wait... have you seen the people that end up on juries??? hmm on third thought as long as the system is structured so that it is impossible for the politicians to do more than enforce some basic protections vs each other it might work, but I cant imagine how complex such a system would be to design and implement. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

That's the beauty of poetry (and lyrics). My current sig line was written about homelessness. I used it to mean something else completely. I cant say that "well this is what it means to me" as opposed to "what it is actually written/intended about" is a quality to be desired. Ex:There is a youtube video put together by a young soldier to the APC song "Counting bodies like sheep.." of various gun camera/explosions etc that apparently he thought were cool all IN SUPPORT of the Iraq War. I've seen the same attitude in many other soldier (particularly metalheads) which always makes me wonder "have you actually READ the lyrics"??? the irony is staggering, but simply proves the point that people only hear what they want to hear and dismiss everything else that disputes their personal myopic view point. It takes a commitment most are not willing to make to maintain a flexible mind, one open to challenging view points and to read/listen for WHAT IS THERE as opposed to what you WANT to be there. Expecting an artist NOT to express their viewpoint on stage on anything because it might 'ruin your enjoyment' is a rather ignorant position to take IMO. It destroys the purpose of Art entirely and reduces it to 'bubble gum' (to be consumed and disposed of) ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Lawsuits from the Ministry of Silly walks will be filed shortly for copyright infringement. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

No. Might want to look into the claims of the man who stated he could 'read' record grooves simply by looking at them... then look at Randi's attempt to disprove him. Perceptive ability varies widely, why is it hard to imagine some can perceive what others cannot? ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

another tribute. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

That depends on what you mean by the word energy (probably the most misused word in the English language). I doubt you simply mean the capacity of a physical system to do work. No I mean exactly that. The only stipulation being I believe there are forms we've learned to observe, measure and control (to an extent) and those we have not. but ofc the word 'work' itself is relative to the scenario under discussion in addition, I would strike the word physical (an equally misused term in this regard) from your definition. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I'd say ask TJ and Dusty Smith directly.. ive seen some video that looks very much like it CAN happen with skydiving canopies.. they were certainly doing quite a few things that I'd only thought paragliders capabile of doing. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Eggs are one of the more 'structurally sound' 'designs' in nature, it takes point pressure to break one, depending on angle and velocity I can easily see how your example could occur. (ever done the egg drop experiment in college? light bulbs would never survive.. in addition it had to unscrew multiple turns to fall in the first) The comparison to a light bulb (which nearly anyone can break with a simply squeeze if the are so inclined) doesnt fit. (try that with an egg, dont use the point pressure of your fingertips) you were in a crowded building and sound propagation is a pretty well understood fact. I was alone in a large building playing Bass loud enough to cause hearing damage. During full rehearsals you pretty much could only count on only being able to communicate through lip reading. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Ive seen an auction type that uses a 'less than a Day' and 'less than an hour' means to prevent sniping. It seems to work pretty well as they have some means of randomizing how early or late they change to 'less than an hour' so you cant sit with a stop watch and try to beat the system either.... ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I'd love to know the 'rational explanation' for this.. I was playing bass late one night in our studio loft ((above a friends retail store, the building was one of the older ones downtown and had been rumored to be haunted for years) The studio was actually a radio station in the early 50s) Since I was the only one there I was cranked up waaaaaay louder than usual literally rattling the walls.. a couple times that night I could have sworn I heard a womans voice call my name, right behind my ear... I'd stopped several times, and even walked around the whole place when I paused for a beer and smoke break.. so back upstairs i'm wailing away again when I very clearly heard glass shatter (which i sort of can understand, as it is a completely different frequency range so..) thinking I broken a window or some expensive vase down stairs in the shop I stopped playing and walked out to see what I broke.... I didnt find anything walking around checked all the windows and stuck my head out into the street thinking someone might be breaking in nearby....until I went back upstairs and found a light bulb in the corner of the stairwell that had fallen some 18+ feet from the ceiling to the floor (I know I'd replaced them before and it was quite a pain) and NOT BROKEN. I'm all about rational explanations, but I still cannot imagine how that bulb (even if it wasnt screwed in properly which i'm fairly sure it was because it was on earlier) fell 18+ feet to a hardwood floor and didnt break, and I really dont know what it was I'd been hearing on and off all night, and particularly what I'd heard break right before than made me stop... what I DO BELIEVE is that there are many types of energy and many ways of manipulating that energy we have yet to understand... there is no such thing as 'super natural' there is simply 'nature' we have not grasped the edges of yet. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Very harsh, but, well, also very funny. along those lines.. this came from RPG.net Jokes aside the world would have never been the same without him. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.