lostfan

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 08:58 PM) The only thing that really stops Israel from really fighting with their neighbors is relations with the US. If they felt that the US had abandoned them, I have 100% belief that they will pull out all of the stops next time they are attacked. There would be no reason for them to take all of the extra measures to stop civilian casualties. This scenario is never going to happen. The US will never stop supporting Israel whether we, the Arabs, or whoever else likes it or not unless something extreme happens.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 04:43 PM) First, if you think that by hiring BBC journalists that somehow lends them an air of respecability, you are mistaken there, The BBc is more liberal there than PBS and NPR is here. Second, as for the 'cradle of civilization thing, they have become the armpit of civilization to their own lack of willingness to get with the program and live in the 21st century. Their whole belief system and culture needs to get out of the 12th century. Quit living and acting like dogs and maybe they wouldn't be looked at as dogs. If they are so ashamed at being so far behind, then build somethign instead of blowing things up. So it only took one week for you to take cues from the new president... Was that intentional?

I've been living here since 2005 and I still don't know which channels are which in Baltimore, and it gets worse on my cable where I pick up both the Baltimore and DC versions of the channels. All I can remember is that Fox is 45. I guess NBC is 11? s*** I don't know. As far as I'm concerned it'll always be 2, 5, 7, 9, 26, 32, and 54. lol.

I talk really loud, especially when I get excited. I can't help it, I just have a lot of bass in my voice and it carries.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 11:46 AM) LOL, I just had the same argument on talkbears about "lets hire all the 85 bears OMG!!!" Because, you know, as long as there is a representative on the team then they will win the superbowl. And we also need Ditka because of his fire and passion Ugh I hate "fire and passion" vs. "players coach" arguments. The fanbase always seems to want the one they don't have when they're losing, and they always love the version they have when the team is winning.

I'm not gay, but for some reason homophobes really irk the hell out of me. First off homosexuality is not contagious, you're not gonna catch the gay by being near a gay person or by touching them, and they're not itching to spread this apparent "horrible disease" to you either. Secondly, just because they're gay and you're of the same gender, odds are they're probably not fantasizing about having sex with you every time they see you. Not any more than straight people would, anyway.

I hardly ever answer my house phone. I used to, but my wife took over my phone and lost 2 of the 3 so it's not worth the effort. If you really want to talk to me either call the cell or send me e-mail.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 11:26 AM) I'm cautiously optimistic about what George Mitchell could accomplish. BUt boy, I hope we don't get the worst out of the Israeli elections. Another conservative Israeli government? Yeah that would suck.

I want to know though, how many teams have a 3-4-5 that's not slow? #3 hitters who can steal 15-30 bases aren't exactly in excess, but sometimes people get carried away and talk as if we should have 3 or 4 of those guys in our lineup.

It's pretty hard to get a word edgewise in the Arab political discourse when b****ing about Israel dominates everything. Another (greatly oversimplified) reason the Israel/Palestinian thing has such strategic importance.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:41 AM) How many years have they been telling people about this. How long have the rebates been out. Yet last minute people complaining about how they can't get a rebate form is going to move this. They will move the date again when the same people don't move forward again. Agreed. It doesn't matter how long it's going to be postponed, there will be people scrambling behind it once it finally goes into place.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 11:07 AM) al arabiya is pretty legit. There are huge differences in reporting language between al jazeera english and al jazeera arabic but from what I studied of al arabiya it is far less gory than al jazeera, but clearly middle east framed in the same way american media is western framed. Al arabiya, like qatar al jazeera, will only criticize outside governments, not their own, however. They have, like, no way of figuring out their ratings too, which I found interesting. I guess its really hard to get a census in Saudi Arabia. I had a guy once tell me he preferred Al-Aribiyah to Al-Jazeera because "those guys are killing me."

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 11:04 AM) I think it is a great plan. The housing industry is the problem with the economy. Anything that would allow a homeowner to cut their payment, if Sen. Ensign's figures are correct, by $400/mo or more, is an instant tax cut without the stigma of a tax cut. The amount of money that would flow into the economy from this would be substantial. I suppose a drop in revenue to stabilize things is better than just seeing more foreclosures where they'll lose the money anyway. I wonder how this idea will get received?

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) And the perception is that as soon as they get some "free money" they run out and buy toys they don't need. It makes it look like they haven't changed a damn thing. It's probably unfair too, but that's what it looks like to the average taxpayer. I'm surprised that some execs haven't figured this out yet.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) So what kind of odds will I get for a TARP III and TARP IV this year. Also, Sen. Ensign was on CNBC this morning and said the Repubs would like to put a plan in place that would allow every homeowner to re-finance for 4%. Every homeowner would qualify. On avg., he said it would save the homeowner $400/mo. What do you think of this plan? It sounds pretty excessive to me but if I could drop from 6.25% down to 4 hell I'd jump all over that s***.

Fair or not, perception is reality.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:36 AM) Ugh. I realize that "BAILOUT" is the word of the day, and that it's taxpayer funded... but they have no right to tell them how to do business. You see how this looks though right? A company is in financial trouble, takes a large chunk of taxpayer money, and then any large non-essential purchase it makes will have the appearance of being funded by taxpayers.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:30 AM) While I agree a leadoff hitter is only guaranteed to leadoff once a game, you want guys who have a tendancy to get on base more than average hitting in front of your better hitters who can drive them in, and they usually are in the middle of the line-up. I will still be in shock if KW doesn't acquire a real leadoff hitter. Plus, this guy who you'll want to get on base a lot (regardless of how fast he is) is going to have the most PAs of anybody on the team so it's just simple logic if you put them in front of big bats.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:16 AM) You'd think that after the Big 3 pulled their corporate jet stunt to D.C. that these execs would use a little more discretion. Yeah really. Sometimes they have the nerve to get pissed off when the media puts them on blast, like they don't see what's wrong with it.

Wow, I didn't think that was actually going to work.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 09:57 AM) I have never seen his plays because I assume Madea is in all of them and I cant stand that character. Not to mean this in a disrespectful way but it seems that his work is only for middle aged african american women to enjoy. I think that's fair to say. More like black people in general though with an emphasis on women.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 09:43 AM) He is so unfunny it makes me want to puke. The people that are into him can tell you every line from his movies verbatim and its even more disgusting. Actually his plays, when you factor out the annoying gospel singing, are f***ing hilarious. The movies tend to follow the same cheesy formula and they're getting old though. That said his TV show is just not funny to me at all, I don't even chuckle when I watch it which is hardly ever (he had to bring in Madea to make it funny which is desperation).

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 08:59 AM) Does anyone make a habit of exchanging coins at a Jewel or Dominicks for money in those coin-star machines? I did yesterday and was honestly ashamed of myself. It's just the whole experience of entering a crowded store with a tin can full of coins. Not to mention they rape you 9 cents for every dollar put in. When I pressed the button to begin the coin-star machine had its volume at maximum (or so it seemed), so everyone in the store could probably hear me going through this. Then the machine began counting the coins, which seemed to be even louder than the speakers guiding me. All the while I'm standing there guiding coins from a tray into this slit in the machine. It was a bit demoralizing haha. I almost expected everyone I know to be in Dominicks that day. lol take a kid with you, should make you feel better

He's capitalizing on his momentum and getting America's message out there while he has credibility (Bush lost the ability to do this some years ago which is why either he never did, or when he did things like this nobody listened). If there is one thing that AQ and associated groups are significantly better at than us, it's media manipulation.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 05:35 AM) -Anyone using a variation of "should have put a ring on it" to describe someone breaking up. People who, in general, are not creative enough to use regular language and borrow all of their language from pop culture, this being one example. I hate that too. QUOTE (juddling @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 08:39 AM) Relating to first point, i can stand these kids (and i mean people up into their late 20's at times) who have to wear the baseball cap backwards or off to the freakin' side. I want to slap it off their heads and tell them that they look like a HUGE douchbag. Though I feel they probably know it. Black guys can get away with this as George Carlin said, but he also said once you're old enough to qualify for Social Security that it's time to turn that motherf***er around to the front.