Texsox

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 02:20 PM) Not quite. if it was controlled by the pirates, then I guess it cold still be considered a pirate vessel, epsecially if they were on it and armed. "The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar," the ministry said. The Indian frigate returned fire, setting the pirate ship ablaze and setting off explosions on board, the statement said." Fair game for return fire. Except they had innocent hostages on board. Shouldn't that get factored in somehow?

Professional, thorough, well prepared. They arrived a couple minutes early. I must say, I am pleased so far.

I will be getting my first taste of working with FEMA. This should be an eye opener. So far I have been very impressed with the completeness of the initial inquiry and the preparedness of the gentleman I spoke with.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:53 AM) I wasn't really attacking the Boy Scouts (I used to be one and my gay, atheist brother is an Eagle Scout!), just providing a directly comparable example that the Supreme Court has already ruled on. I dislike the "don't ask, don't tell" policies in regards to both homosexuality and religious belief, but I don't have a problem with the organization as a whole. These policies apply to both leaders and youth members as far as I'm aware. I didn't see it as an attack and trust me, I've seen a few of those. BSA units are primarily chartered by religious groups (AKA customers). BSA performs a youth ministry function in most units. So believing in a higher power seems reasonable. My biggest complaint I have are the BSA members that turn around and cry when other organizations cut off funding, stop allowing BSA access, etc. because they are standing up for their values. If you want people to respect your organization and values, then you have to respect theirs. And finally, Boy Scouts are not a uniquely American institution. The World Organization of Scouting Movements (WOSM) was started in England a hundred years ago. In most countries there are multiple Scouting Associations, each with its own membership standard. Even in countries with one association, it is usually co-ed and without some of the draconian measures we follow in the US.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 10:10 AM) We call it papyrus. And stay the hell off it!! How did you smoke papyrus?

QUOTE (YASNY @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:44 AM) You know, Mike. I do believe there was a conspiracy. Oswald had the means, skills and opportunity to do it. But the most convincing piece of evidence to me was a photo taken on Air Force 1 right after LBJ took the oath of office. Johnson has just turned his back to the camera and is looking toward a guy whose name escapes me, but as the photo is snapped this guy is winking at LBJ. It's hard to read anything in that under the circumstances of time and place as anything other than "Mission accomplished". How about "I have faith in you doing your best. We will get through this".

QUOTE (YASNY @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) If they get that 60th senate seat, he'll effectively have a blank check to do implement any and all of his 'agenda'. And throughout our history, even in that situation, the in party still bows to the out party and there is always compromise. Plus, they have to answer to the voters. Put in a draft, and they will be out in two years and the new Congress will over turn the draft.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:10 AM) Yeah, but $20 in 1963 is like $45,000 today, right? It was, as I understand it, not quite bottom basement cheap, but for that price, you would have been hard pressed to own a Remington. Remington rifles were going for $40 and up at the time.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:08 AM) I believe the weapon was an Italian-made carbine bolt action rifle. Not exactly high end sniper gear, but at 270 feet, hitting a human silhouette should be relatively easy for a trained shooter. 270 feet with a pistol on the other hand would be tough. Mail order, he paid less than $20

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:05 AM) 90 yards is really nothing, if we're talking about a rifle and not a handgun. If I'm looking at the silhouette of a human, I can pretty much automatically hit it if I'm given enough time. I think it's also safe to say that anyone who knows how to fire a rifle can do it pretty easily too. The other issue was the time he had, many conspiracy buffs believe he could not have gotten off three shots in the time allowed. It is also suspect that he missed on one and then made two solid hits on the follow up. I've seen this with novice shooters who do better on their second and third shots on a deer because they are reacting and not thinking. However, for a trained marksman like Oswald, I am troubled by that. Unless he had second thoughts as he squeezed the trigger on the first shot.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 09:01 AM) Now were there people forcing/asking him to do this? That I don't know. No doubt in my mind he was a fan of communism, but I think he was a bigger fan of wanting the notoriety.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:33 AM) That was kind of random. He's on a roll . . . It is interesting that many GOPers believe Obama will accomplish far more of his "alleged" agenda than any other President in the history of the US. From taking all our guns, turning us into a Muslim country, allowing terrorists to take over the US, instituting a draft, etc. They have more confidence in Obama than most Obama supporters. Quite amazing.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:19 AM) I wonder how many Obama voters will be happy when they receive their draft notice. Ain't gonna happen. Remember all that royalty in congress? This will not allow their sons and daughters to be drafted.

Further, there are a lot of people that think they know what a gun being fired sounds like.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 07:40 AM) To my understanding, they do not because they are a private club, not a public for-profit business. The Boy Scouts can exclude gays and atheists. Just to be accurate, Boy Scouts has never excluded a youth member for being gay that I am aware of. Also, you can count on one hand, with some fingers left over, how many gay adults have been removed. Basically it's "don't ask, don't tell". I think most everyone here knows how I feel about it, and it is which is the better vantage point to help change, from within, or from outside. I've always felt both. And it is only in a couple of the programs that either issue comes into play. BSA has several divisions, including the fastest growing, that do allow gays and atheists, (and girls). We have excluded adults with felonies, drunk driving convictions, molestation accusations, pornography, etc.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 07:15 AM) How many people have actually ever been to the location that this happened at? The one thing I will say is how small the area really is. Oswald shooting from the book depository would have had a perfect shot, at a slow moving target, with nothing in his way, and not a long range. Also with the buildings there, I could really see how people could think there were multiple shooters. Noises echo in areas like that pretty easily, and it becomes hard to tell where exactly they came from. Most researchers peg the number at about 90 yards. Less than half the distance that Oswald was proficient while being trained in the US military. They talk about him living in Russia for a couple years and his trip to the Cuban embassy, but the guy was wacked by most accounts. Sadly, his best training was by the US military. Much like we trained other mass and serial killers.

Interesting. So the Daughters of the American Revolution has to allow men?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 07:07 AM) Hmm.. And since Jim was actually there, I think we have to trust him. Ziiiinnng! I never get tired of Jim is old jokes.

The last time I really studied anything about it the spiral ramp theory seemed to make the most sense. Or as it should be known, tens of thousands of slaves using a spiral ramp theory. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 10:38 AM) I love that there is a "bacontoday.com" website. That warms my artery clogged heart.

One gunman killed the President and hit the Governor. If there was any others shooting, and I do not think so, they missed and their bullets were never recovered. Stone, admittedly, took many artistic liberties with the story and it has left many people with information dancing around their brains as fact, which, at best, are unsubstantiated claims and at worst, are outright falsehoods.

The most liberal or most conservative President will barely push America a little to the left or a little to the right. We have too many checks and balances to allow for anything more.

We do place different values on different animals. We routinely kill rats with little regard to the method. City workers in Chicago would club them to death, not certain how they do it today. Then we have the animals that are tasty. A modern slaughter house is not cruelty free by any means. But when that nice roast or steak is on the table, do we really worry about how the animal lived and died? Hint: Most of the time, a deer lived a better life and died easier than a cow or steer brought to market. Then we have the billion dollar industry for pets. Cute little coats, painted toe nails, groomers, walkers, beds, gourmet food, you name it and the sky is the limit for some animals. Finally we have humans that had the misfortune to be born in poverty, or in the wrong country, or of lesser intelligence. They may suffer from a mental or physical defect. Often times their lives are no better, or even worse, than many animals. No answers. The scale is difficult to balance.

If anything, you could blame the people he met on the internet, but that's like blaming the telephone or USPS.

Royal blood could also be that it seems to take an education at an Ivy League school or a military academy to qualify. I said at the beginning, and have seen much that confirmed my belief that this was the best choice of candidates in my lifetime. I would have been equally confident in either candidate. Items like this just reinforce my opinion.