FlaSoxxJim

Savini was busy working on "Chill Factor" and also just started work on "Loaded Dice and Lowlifes." I always liked Stan Winston and Rick Baker more anyway, though nobody does zombies like Savini.

Yep. But more importantly... Don'tcha want to see me list the 12 cranial nerves?? No, I thought not. That one had a good old-fashioned dirty mnemonic device to help you remember it too, courtesy of the St. Ignatius Jebbies.

No, the lack of a lot of spurting blood is anomalous. The carotid artery has blood flowing through it with enough pressure to be the best place to take a pulse and is less than a foot away from the aortic arch in an adult male. If the heart was pumping, there would be blood spurting once the carotid is severed in someone with a strong heartbeat and it would flow readily at the very least in someone with a weak heart. People bleed to death quite effortlessly if the carotid is severed, as approximately 1/3 of the more than 5 liters per minute pumped from the heart in an adult is directed there. That would not be the case if someone was already dead by the time the carotid was severed. Having declined to watch the video I don't know which orientation the beheading followed. having read graphic descriptions of Berg's head being more sawn off than cut off, it is entirely possible that he expired and his heart stopped before the carotid was cut. Or has my anatomy knowledge gone awry? It has been 10 years since I have had to teach the subject, but I figured I'd retain the big stuff. At least I can still rattle off the 12 cranial nerves at parties, and let me tell you about all the superfine ladies that are impressed by that...

Larry Goetz? The NL umpire from the 40s?? Wow, that is one obscure reference. Or, do you mean Bernard Goetz, aka the NYC Subway vigilante??

And yet the silly Creationists insist we havent' found the Missing Link.

If you mean Private England, the one smiling and pointing at a prisoner's genitals in one image, and holding a leash attached to another naked prisoner in another image, yes I did see that. I do not find it at all hard to believe that this reservist thought she was obeying orders originating from up her chain of command. And her statements were very professional, not singling out any of the higher ups to take the fall. As much as the 'fitting in with the boys' mentality noted in the Hersh piece in the New Yorker must have played a role, I at the same time can't believe the perpetrators would so systematically photodocument their acts (smiling no less, for the sake of humiliating the captors) if those in charge had no knowledge of the goings-on. There is still a lot that hasn't surfaced in regard to why the MPs were ordered to hand the facility operations over to military inteligence, and to who would have had the authority to subvert the chain of command in that fashion. Just today Rummy has made it clear that Guantanimo doesn't have to heed Geneva protocol since the detainees are terrorists and not military nationals that adhere to world laws. From the news account I read, Rummy neglected to comment on Afghan detention and interrogation procedures when asked if they adhered to Geneva, but seeing as the prisoners would be Al Quaida or Taliban which was not recognized by us as a legitimate government (unless WE were trying to point out their failures re Geneva adhereance). Those who should know are indicating that much of what occurred at Abu Ghraib was the typical order of the day in Afghanistan. Is it a big stretch to think that when Abu Ghraib operations were taken over by the GUY RUNNING GUANTANIMO that maybe he brought his Geneva-free mindset with him?

I don't even want to consider that that is a remotely plausible scenario. The lack of blood and physical resistence is odd though. I've this far refused to watch the video because frankly I can't handle it, so I never had a chance to note the lack of blood or apparent resistence. If some more credence is given to this theory and at starts to look like the video had been faked, I'll watch. I don't doubt for a moment that the beheading and the shocking visual document of it is being used to redirect public outrage away from Abu Grhaib and back to the Iraqi/Arab insurgents. But the fact that the video aired first on Arab networks and not in the American media makes it harder to muy into the full-blown conspiracy theory.

Glad to hear you're ok, Cheat, but what unbelievable bulls***. That usher should be canned and security should have been in on it even if the usher didn't bring it to their attention. If other posters, players, etc. here had a clear view of what was going on, security somewhere in the park was certainly also aware of it.

Good for you, Nuke. Just because we don't see the average non-terrorist Iraqi civilians in the newscasts it doesn't mean they are a myth.

I know your true intent was not to categorically declare 100% of Arabs to be praising the beheading or similar acts, but your blanket assessment of the Arab world "dancing in the streets" implies as much, and that is why I labeled the statement as hyperbole. Incendiary, over the top language comes easily in the wake of horrific news, but at the end of the day it is not of much value (other than possible catharsis). As far as those in Iraq and elsewhere in the Arab world standing against this, Kapkomet's post in another thread this morning is maybe the closest thing we have to a first-hand account: Clearly the entire country hasn't taken up arms in the street. And, sure, you would like a courageous few of the "good ones" to speak out in condemnation, rail against it. I assume many are and we do not see it, and I assume many, many more are fearful of retribution against them (old habits are hard to break). Truthfully, of the many Iraqi allies that are working toward rebuilding the country – police and government administrators, etc. – how many have already been killed by terrorists because government buildings and police stations are easy targets and the terrorists see these people as traitors working with the enemy? Still, these low-level ordinary people go out and try to tend to the business of rebuilding their country and their lives. You also note that you have heard some Muslims speaking out against tthe violence, so that is good. As far as "spare me the violence.. pap", no offense taken. And I see Apu has beaten me to a response in very able fashion (as per usual).

The full-on raging hate is evident here, the violence begets violence begets violence begets violence... cycle remains firmly in place. The vindicated attitudes of "see, no matter what we do, the other side is doing much worse" (with subtext: and hence they deserve all the atrocity heaped on them and more) are all firmly in place. But, where is the outrage - or even the acknowledgement - that had US security forces and Iraqi police not detained this man on March 30 as he tried to leave Iraq and held him uncharged and incommunicado for two weeks, releasing him only after his family sued the US government for wrongful imprisonment and then basically dumping him unprotected in the volitile anti-American streets with no safe way home, he would be alive? Nick Berg was a civilian trying to make a buck - maybe not a wise choice but there it is. The vengeful bloodlust to which he fell victim was not of his making. He was kept from getting out when the getting was good, and he was left completely on his own when there was no safe way out. There is US and Iraqi security force culpability here, no? Scott McClellan is so quick to make his statement that this "shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women, and children..." The statement is designed to paint in broad strokes that this bahavior (of despicable, vile, non-government sanctioned rebels and insurgents) is the rule and not the exception for Iraqi citizens. Meanwhile we are incensed if the rest of the world cannot see that the attrocities committed by government-sanctioned, legitimate US military and civilians in a military run prison camp are not indicitive of the American heart and spirit. Nuke, you are way more versed in your military history than I, so I won't point you to books or websites on the issues... But you know that in the last years of Pacific operations in WWII, Allied forces on the islands were matching the unspeaakably inhuman barbarism perpetrated on the Japanese enemy atrocity-for-atrocity... torture, amputation, genital mutilization, even canabalism in the most extreme cases). s*** that makes the Death March of Bataan look tame. Of course Americans are capable of these acts, we are human, and we are mentally not meant to experience the horror of war. As a Westerner, I absolutely think being tortured and killed is worse than being tortured, humiliated, but (usually) not killed. But as a Westerner I also cannot speak to the Islamic mentality that has suggested the humuliation is worse than death because there are afterlife issues involved. We're not part of the culture, we don't get it and never will. But that's all the more reason NOT to screw with these things, leverage that humuliation aspect in a systematic way, when we cannot fathom what the repurcussions might be. It's now coming to light that while the Abu Grhaib (sp) atrocities are a bombshell to us, they have been common knowledge to much of the Iraqi citizenry and we've dismissed the allegations until the mountain of evidence falls on us. Maybe, just maybe this public knowledge of the abuse Iraqi prisoners were receiving at the hands of their 'liberators' has something to do with the insurgency and the rebellion and the hate. But, they are just dancing to your tune. Let the violence beget violence and beget violence and...

I have conciously avoided viewing all of the abused Iraqi images since the first ones broke, and will make damn sure not to look at this one. I have made a point of not viewing video of the 9-11 tower collapses since it happened because in all of this, the visual media sensationalizes and potentially desensitizes viewers to the realities it is trying to portray. I'm glad these unbelievably violent, gut-renching images are available (even the beheading), and I think it is important that new images that emerge - as awful as they are - are also available to the public and to the world. But I know I do not deal well with the stark, brutal visuals. I stick to the text descriptions of events and leave the photos and video to those better equipped to handle it than I.

Not by all fans. Never ragged on him, never will. Glad he's here and glad he's back healthy. It would have been nice to sign him for a million or so less, but we didn't.

Not such a great post, Bob. Shame on those who will suggest otherwise. Of course there are such people in Iraq and the rest of teh Arab world that condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by rebels and insurgents. If you don't believe your statement that - to a person - every Arab is "dancing in the streets" with each American that is mutilated, beheaded, or otherwise savaged then you are using sky-high hyperbole to paint it as black and white when you know it is not. I understand the outrage, I feel outraged as well. But, while violence certainly begets more of the same, it should be universally apparent by now that violence does not and can not justify more of the same.

The Jon Cleese sex ed scene from Meaning of Life keeps coming to mind...

The site is an oldie but a goodie. I particularly like the webmaster's paragraph introducing his hatemail page:

Ah, I know Samichlaus well. I have a four pack in reserve and hopefully at least one of them will make it to Christtmas next year for the annual side-by-side tasting of the new and old vintage (We do the same for Sierra's Celebration and Bigfoot, yumm). Sami actually was not produced for four years a little while back while the original brewery (Hürlimann) folded and was bought by someone else. They still brew it once a year, age it for almost a year and then package it for distribution at Christmas. The new owner did not revive another pretty good beer by them called Hexenbrau ("wiitched brew") that was only brewed on full moon nights. Hacker's weiss is as good as it gets in teh daily bread department. I'm slightly more of an Oberdorfer fan, but that is probably because I always liked their swingtop bottles for putting homebrew in. Oktoberfest is as good a reason to get on a plane as any - Don't let your friends have all the fun. Just sedate yourself for the flight.

Nasty good you mean... right?

Indeed, Gleason, it sounds like you and I could do some serious damage on a beer hunt/pub crawl. The quest for better beer and the call to converting the macro-will masses is important and difficult (not to mention thirsty) work. You might be right about Blue Moon but I don't believe so. It's currently brewed out of their Tennessee brewery – not Colorado. The duplicity is entirely intentional, ala' Miller and the Plank Road "brewery" Icehouse scam. The first national distribution of Blue Moon ales was 1995 and I've not been able to find a micro precursor., but I'll keep looking. I know there was a Blue Moon Brewery in Norfolk, England that operated for a very short time in the late 90s, but Greene King (the Abbot Ale people) had taken that over a few years back. There are some really good wits out there, though I agree any port in a storm is welcome and a Blue Moon tap handle is good to see among the dregs offered at a lot of places. Celis white beer was among my favorite all time brews, and Hoegarden is as close as any I've tried to that flavor profile. Don't sell the Grants IPA short until you've had a couple. Though not as hoppy as the historical versions or the "double-!PAs" soem of the pubs are doing now, it's hopping is up close to 60 IBUs. Bert Grant, who just died like two years ago, was one of the leaders of the microbrew revolution, and he put Yakima on the map as far as the hophead haven it is today. Grants Scottish Ale is really nice if you haven't had it – enough malt and alcohol in the bill to pass as maybe a Scottish 80-shilling, but with that signature west coast hopping rate to tell you where it came from. Their Celtic Ale is good enough, their Perfect Porter and Russian Imperial Stout are among my personal favorites, and their American Wheat is honestly one of a handful of American wheats I care for (Pyramid and Sierra being probably the other two). I have not had the pleasure of sampling either the Bear Republic or the Founders offerings. They are now on the ever-growing list of brews to seek out and drink, thanks. Kudos on finding the Great Lakes stuff. Burning River is very nice, as is the Fitzgerald Porter and the Dortmunder Gold. I had the best walleye dinner of my life at the Great Lakes brewpub in Cleveland back in 1999 on a night in which the Sox later got mercilessly pounded at the Jake. La Trappe is probably my second fave of the Tappist brewers after Chimay and Orval. Quadruppel, huh? You like some afterglow to your Belgians. I just got a 4-pack of St Bernardus 12 last year through the Michael Jackson monthly offerings (you're probably the only one here who would know who the IMPORTANT Michael Jackson is). Celebrator is indeed wonderful. We decorated a little tabletop Christmas tree with a bunch of those little plastic Celebrator goats that hang off the bottles we had ammassed over the years. My wonderful wife (a fellow beer head who has willingly been dragged across England and Ireland in search of the perfect pint) bought us tickets to one of them fancy brewpub dinner and beer tastings several years ago where Mr. Jackson was the guest of honor. Other than the headbrewer at the pub, my wife and I were really about the only ones in attendance that had much beer knowledge as per style histories, etc., so I got to drink and speak with the man at length and it was a fun evening. I'm looking forward to coming into Chicago in June to get my fill of the increasingly noteworthy Midwest offerings. I've tried unsuccessfully for the last three to make it in for the Real Ale festivals Goose Island puts on (February-March is during my teaching semester), but hopefully I can make one. I have yet to make it to Denver for GABF, but as soon as my little ones are old enough to stay with Grandma and Papa for a week I'll get there. Cheers.

You share a birthday with James Marshal Hendrix. In case you cared.

Abstinance-only "education" does not cut it today pure and simple, PA. Other than that, I concur with everything in your post. And please note, no green...

Yeah, i won't bother with a % breakdown and all, but as far as "all" music from that era being timeless I have two words for you: Tiny Tim.

Have a good one, Show!

Cool Handle, Poppy! I am interested in seeing Diaz get the call and hopefully pitch this weekend.