FlaSoxxJim

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 11:40 AM) It's sad to say, but I didn't need that link to remember the song. Yes, but hopefully now it's stuck in everybody's head all day. . . BWAAHAHAHA!!!

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 01:02 PM) Thank God. The world will be made a much safer place. We'll never have to worry about NYPD Blue ever being able to rebroadcast the episode where they say "s*** happens". You wanna talk about indecency, they should pass some regulation making sure they never replay any NYPD Blue episodes where Dennis Franz shows any part of his fat pasty naked arse on TV. :puke

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 11:33 AM) As long as voting along party lines is not a requirement. Nope, only making campaign contributions. I'm thinking of running for Mayor of SoxTalk, by the way. . .

POPCORN!!! Here's a link to an annoying MIDI file of the first line to jog your memory. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3...corn_Melody.mp3

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:52 AM) I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I believe FoxNews is slanted to the right. But I also believe the major networks, CNN and MSNBC are very left leaning. I didn't realize what thread I was in. I'll delete this post if requested. No need, YAS, we are the Party of Inclusiveness! Welcome aboard!

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 08:13 AM) Patience is a virtue my friend. I think I get what you are driving at YAS, and I agree lots of people formed opinions on this without having all the facts. I also think that poll is misleading because for a lot of people the issue is not an Arab-controlled company but a state-owned company controlled by a government we are politically at odds with, at least rhetorically. Heck, 10% of the American economy is Arab owned, so for anyone who thinks that's a dealbreaker that horse left the barn long ago. Anyway, now we do know some facts, including: - The Dubai deal was rubber stamped at our end BEFORE the sale between the Brits and Dubai even went through. - The deal was approved unanimously by a board on which Donald Rumsfeld sits, yet Rummy claims he was unaware of the deal until after it was approved unanimously. How it could be approved unanomously without his knowledge/approval is a fair question. - The administration ddecided to bypass the legally mandated 45 day investigation before doing the deal. - Secret terms of the deal pointed out above include provisions letting them escape standard legal scrutiny. - Two BushCo insiders have ties with Dubai Ports World. I'll agree there is some irrational/ignorant dissent with the deal, but you have to agree that there are also entirely valid concerns beyond the non-issue of Arab ownership.

I'd say the Golden Mosque bombing is shaping up as possibly the tipping point to all out civil war. Not good.

QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 08:36 PM) They did that because of thier hatred for England, not for any love of the new country. Not entirely true, although the animositty over their defeat in the Seven Years' War was surely a factor. They knew they would have lots of new market opportunities from a grateful new republic. The American cause also struck a chord with the ostensably absolutist French monarchy for some reason. Bottom line though, whatever the reason, they came to our aid just as we came to theirs in later wars.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 07:30 PM) I hereby propose replacing Valentine's day with ice cream and muff diving day. That sounds a hell of a lot cheaper than the traditional Velentine's tradition of Wine-and-Dine-and-Lavish-and-Then-Hope-For-Sex Day.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 06:21 PM) I'm feeling a swing to the Dem side of the aisle. I only wish the party would start swinging to the right, and meet some of the moderate Republicans. Hell, I'd like to have the party swing a little to the right to meet me again. I "dress to the right" if that makes any difference.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 06:31 PM) Yes they are. They actually hate us even though our country has saved their asses a number of times. Do you have any clue as to the countries that helped save our asses during the American Revolution? The fact that the France of Louis XVI took up arms on behalf of American independence should negate your right to hete them by your logic.

Prison Name: "Horse Hung Harry" Soxtalk Name: the somewhat less impressive "Nipple Nibbler"

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) The "conflicts" are almost completely manufactured by terrorists. For the most part this isn't Iraqis killing Iraqis. . . But that is not really the case even though it has previously been presented this way. The non-al-Qaeda, armed Sunni organizations there are by and large indiginous Iraqis. And despite the new softer administration line on the insurgency (they are "nationalists" and rejectionists" now), US military operations are still aimed primarily at Sunni insurgents and not al-Qaeda.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 12:42 PM) On topic, but going with the spin that is happening in my head over this... Our port system right now, for lack of a better description is a joke. Last I remember reading, less than 1% of cargo is really inspected, and many ports lack the capability to check for things such as nuclear, biological, or bomb materials within the cargo. If anyone was really interested or has been listening over the last few years, I have listed our ports as one of the two biggest potential "easy" terror targets within the US( the other being our nuclear power plants). To me, I think the US is in a hurry to get out of the port authority business because they know that is would be incredibly expensive to do what the really need to do to make our ports truely "safe", and that with the budget tightening going on, they know they can't get the money to really do it. Everyone is so focused on the airports, airlines, etc, that you never hear many of the other prime targets being talked about, and I think this is a big part of wanting to get this sale done. I really believe the US wants someone else to blame when (notice not "if") the holes in our port security get used against us. As far as who would get blamed when something happens, you know the buck won't stop with the contracted companies. It will stop with the government that approved the contracts. You are right about the lack of container inspection, but at least for the one dock at the NY/NJ port that is going to ba taken over by Dubai Ports World, the numbers are not quite as bad as you or I had heeard. A very good NPR piece this morning on that dock stated that all of the containers go through nuclear inspectors, and if they get a hit they run a second scan with a different set of equipment. They said that almost 10% of the containers also get further spot check inspections, beter than the

My thoughts and heart are with the family, and with all families affected by the war. Personalizing the losses makes them almost unbearable. Multiply that times ca. 2500 milittary casualties, ca 30,000-100,000 Iraqi casualties, and tens of thousands of life-altering injuries and it is beyond imagining. And it is just one violent conflict in a world of violent conflict wrapped in a history of violent conflict. We are a f***ed up species.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 12:00 PM) Yea - the thing is - now the civil war junk is really starting to be pressed. It amazes me how far these "peace loving" Muslims are going to try to start the Civil War - and then blame the Americans for it, and more specifically George W. Bush. You know what? I don't blame the administration responsible for the sectarian conflicts we are seeing now. What I do entirely blame the administration for is for being so naive (at best) or unconcerned with reality to have dismissed outright the possibility of such conflicts from the outset. It comes as a surprise to nobody except the administration and the intel agencies (at least that is the party line) that civil war has essentially erupted. As for the mosque destruction itself, it is the third high-profile attack on a Shiite site in as many days and is a step closer to all out civil conflict. The tombs of two Shia' holy men are located there, and it certainly won't do the cause of Iraqi unity any good.

QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 11:03 AM) You both make valid points....but with all due respect...none of that informatoin was available when this story first came out. All people heard was UAE was taking over 6 ports and everyone started screaming NO WAY. I DON'T LIKE THIS. THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. etc etc etc.... Which to me says everyone was doing it based on this being on arab nation...first and foremost. For me the issue has always been about the hypocrisy (sp?) of the adminsitration on this issue first and foremost. The nations of the world are "either with us or against us." We used suspected ties to terrorism as partial reason for the Iraq invasion. Now, we're giving a lucrative deal to a company owned and controlled by a government that has provided funding to El Quaida, from a country that some of the 9-11 hijackers travelled throuugh to get to the US, and one of a handful of countries (Pakistan and Saudi Arabia being the others) that recognized the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan government. How's that for ties to terrorism? I truly don't think the move compromises our security in any way, and a good NPR piece this morning supported this belief. But I'd like aomwone who thinks reservations aboutt this deal are unfounded to square the "with us or against us" rhetoric with the fact that we are giving a company owned by a state with KNOWN ties to terrorist organizations a $6 billion dollar contract.

It would sure be a kick in the pants if it was true. Can't flush him out of Tora Bora? Hell, maybe we couldn't flush him out of a Dubai hospital bed.

QUOTE(mreye @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 08:57 AM) Jim, I apoligy. We've had some major cuts here at work and I've moved up 2 positions in power , but none yet in money . Needless to say, I've been extra busy. I'll try to get on it some time today. Hell, I'd just take a dive if I were you. Seriously, congratulations (??) on the unfunded promotion.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 11:11 PM) I'm uncomfortable just reading everyone's posts. And I'm sure my reference to smeggy build-up helped a lot. I did try to be as tasteful as possible in my description, but some topics you can only do so much with.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 08:49 PM) It looks like the debates are slowly dying. Are you four giving up? I'm not sure about my worthy monocular opponent, but I am planning on finishing the round if/when it comes back to me.

Happy Happy!

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 01:09 PM) ".... two doctors have recommended the procedure to prevent recurrent infections." Um, where's the problem? It's not like he's having it done for cosmetic reasons. They didn't spell out the extent of the "infections" though. Your garden variety bacteria-induced smeggy buildup might qualify as an infection in the eyes of the mother and the doctors writing the opinions. Don't know that's the case for sure. maybe the kid is just personal hygeine challenged.

QUOTE(Drew @ Feb 20, 2006 -> 11:56 PM) I *heart* my 12" Powerbook G4 and 20" Cinema Display. My Tangerine iMac is just a relic of the dot-com era. Santa brought my 8-year old a tangerine iBook for Christmas this year because he got for a song and was able to vulture an Airport card for it. Now i'm jealous because it has a way better wireless range in the house than my G4 Titanium PowerBook. The antenna in the iBook is like three times longer than what's in the Titanium so that probably explains it.

QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Feb 20, 2006 -> 11:53 PM) I love my G5. And my G4. And 2 of my 3 G3's. However, the Classic is just a paperweight now. Paperweight? How come it hasn't become a Macquarium yet??