HuskyCaucasian

New GOP Chair... If you dont walk the party line, you're out! Deep Thought: If this is the new party philosophy... then it's a good thing McCain ran when he did. While I dont think he was much of a Maverick during hte campaign, he sure was one before... and with this new "walk the party line" mentality, he'd never have a chance.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 4, 2009 -> 06:42 PM) NSFW. O'Reilly Vs. Bale. Peter Griffin vs Bale:

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) Eliza Dushku is super hot, but good lord she picks some stinkers. I loved her in "Tru Calling"

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 10:46 AM) I see a few misconceptions in this thread... For one, I don't think the issue is "get it now", at all. In fact, high speed rail will get you there a lot faster than a car, and sometimes even a plane ride, for a lot of intercity routes. I think the real issue with Americans is the perceived concept of "freedom" and "control" that goes with a car. As for speed, let me illustrate. Look at one of those high speed corridors - the one that goes Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-LaCrosse-Minneapolis. I happen to drive to the LaCrosse area a few times a year. From downtown Chicago, it takes 5 to 6 hours to drive to LaCrosse, depending on traffic. Right now, if you take the Amtrak, it takes about 4:45, so under 5 hours. Its already faster, but a little bit. Now, make that a high speed corridor, which increases speeds in the open by 40mph, and its suddenly 3.5 hours or maybe 4. Now, its a LOT faster to take the train. Same applies to other cities on that line - going to MIL, MAD, MSP... all significantly faster. Oh and, if you fly to MIL or Madison or LaCrosse or MSP, by the time you factor in commuting to the airport, waiting in lines, getting their early for check in and security, flight time, taxi time, and a high probability of delays... and the train is ALSO faster than flying. The issue is control. Americans have this idea that by driving a car, they have more "freedom". And it is sort of true, in terms of your ability to go places off the train lines. I hear this reason from people who make the stupid decision to commute to downtown Chicago via car. They say "I have control, I don't have to wait 10 minutes for a train". Never mind that it takes them longer, costs them hundreds of dollars more a month in parking and gas, and they have no freedom whatsoever during the commute (whereas on the train you can read, work, whatever). Their concept is, they have "control". That is the mindset you'd need to get past. Not speed. One other caveat - Amtrak is not price-competitive on some routes. That would also need to be addressed. Excellent post.

For what it's worth: The Dharma logo on Jin's jacket does not match any of the known logos.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 09:58 AM) That would be something like a full day on a train, correct? I don't know that Americans are ready for that. They want to be there now, which is why the car wins out over the train most of the time. i totally see that point. We... as Americas... have become way too "give it to me now".

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 09:50 AM) You would have to convince an entire culture to shift how they move. This country is 100% about the car. Unless you can change that, you are going to have a really tough time pitching anything that isn't automotive related. People want to be able to jump into their cars and go. Locally, yes. but many people prefer to fly to take business trips and vacations. My wife and I have friends in St. Louis who we'd love to go and visit more often. but there is no way we can afford to fly... and the idea of driving 5 hours for a weekend visit isnt enticing. However, a 4 hour train ride where we can play card,s read, or nap... now that is enticing. And if there was a way to link the Chicago hub to the Florida hub and have some sort of a high speed line from Chicago to Orland (DIsney)... man, I'd be in heaven.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 09:48 AM) but, in what time could a return be made on that investment? oh no doubt. I think... if I remember properly... at the time I was trying to figure out who would want to take the risk. It would almost have to be 100% government funded because of the extreme costs and the need to keep the system standardized across the country.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 09:41 AM) I dont really have time to read through all the articles, but I'm just gonna say that I would love if we had a large system of high-speed rail travel in this country similar to that of Europe. I have an interesting point of comparison here. My wife sells European Rail for a living and she cant begin to tell you how embarrassed she is of America's rail system. It's a total disgrace. Europeans are totally shocked when they come to America. "Plane? Who flys by plane? I have to drive from Chicago to St. Louis?" I have been a big proponent of completely replacing our current system, but it's just WAY too expensive. I cant find it, but I used the LA-Las Vegas rail line proposal and extrapolated those numbers out for a nation wide system. As a rider, it was cheaper than flying.. about half as fast... but expensive as hell to build.

This popped up on Huff-Po and I thought I would pass it along for discussion: Here is the flaw in part of their argument which is actually stolen from another site... If you click through all the links and actually got the Department of Transportation website, you see that the map dates to 2002... under the Bush administration... and parts of it date back even farther. So, the map is probably not very accurate.. they just failed to fact check it. But I thought it might make for some good debate.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 09:05 AM) try www.justin.tv/ enter Academy Awards or 81st Academy Awards in search cool. thanks. that... ummm... cant be legal. lol

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) Wackjob Alan Keyes: "Obama is a radical communist... he is going to destroy America" And it continues: Sanford compares Obama admin to Stalin, Weimar

I missed the entire ceremony driving home form Iowa. Is there anywhere Online that I can watch it?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 08:01 AM) Well Charles Hapgood, author of Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings (which i read when doing research for a paper on pre-Columbian Atlantic voyages...fascinating topic actually) once laid out an argument for Atlantis in Antarctica. The basis dealt with the perception that the Piri Reis map shows an un-glaciated Antartic coastline, thus providing evidence of an ancient civilization that was around to originally draw it. Reis then made his copy from existing mappamundi blah blah blah. I dont buy it, at all, but there are some who believe the Atlantis in Antarctica argument is possible. It's been a while since I read up on this, but there is a belief among some scientists that there was a massive "tectonic shift" in which the entire crust "shifted" as one. Moving a then tropical Antarctica to the south poll. I havent seen much scientific proof of this though.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 02:44 PM) Have any of these guys ever gone to Google and typed "obama birth certificate"? Meghan McCain: The GOP isnt tech savvy

QUOTE (lostfan @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 07:18 PM) Eh, nevermind the blunt and borderline crass bit of reality there, but why on earth would he think Obama would nominate a conservative judge? Maybe my memory is wrong, but I thought Obama has expressed interest in keeping the supreme court "balanced". Basically, lean it to the left, but keep it 5-4... no "activist" supreme court. I may be totally wrong or misheard him.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 01:45 PM) <!--quoteo(post=1837148:date=Feb 20, 2009 -> 10:47 AM:name=Athomeboy_2000)-->QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) <!--quotec-->Wackjob Alan Keyes: "Obama is a radical communist... he is going to destroy America" And to add to it: Apparently Keyes has a friend... GOP Sen. Shelby Questions Obama's Citizenship I'd be glad to share with Sen. Shelby Obama's birth certificate... but we all know that facts never gets int he way of a good conspiracy.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) Wackjob Alan Keyes: "Obama is a radical communist... he is going to destroy America" And to add to it:

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 01:53 PM) Cayce is really an interesting figure. The finding of the Bimini Road really made people look at his predictions again. and it ended up that the Bimini Road was nothing more than an ancient dock that is in no way related to Atlantis. I do like Cayce. I think he's fascinating, but his predictions arent standing the test of science any more.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 01:39 PM) Id love for Atlantis to be found, but I think that the island of Santorini is most likely what Plato was referring to. agreed. I think a lot of the Atlantis stuff is way over blown and Edger Casey didnt help any.

DRAT!!! False alarm...

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 11:39 AM) since the governor's office has nominating authority, it would seem that in absence of contravening, specific law, it would also have the authority to recall them. Maybe I am looking at this wrong, but once he is appointed... it's done. He's the senator. Since Illinois doesn't have a recall process, the only option is to wait it out. Now, i dont know if Burris can be impeached or found guilt of some crime, that might change things. but as the Gov, i think his relationship to a state senator is appointing one.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 11:36 AM) Link. This is getting into very messy territory now, in terms of who has what authority. Well, Quinn has no authority. But the more public pressure you put on a person, the hard life becomes for that person. In a situation like this, the harder you push back, it becomes less and less likely you will be vindicated.

Breaking: Pat Quinn is asking Burris to resign.

A second grid? Located 220 miles from the first. The second is far less interesting than the first.