The Fanatic's Forum

Quote

2006-12-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

"Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and cry at a funeral ? .......It is because we are not the one involved."

Mark Twain

What happened to Officer friendly ?

2006-12-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

I really do have a deep respect for "the thin blue line" but these angry disgruntled cops today are really starting to scare me. They all seem to have this "us against them" attitude that does not just target the criminal element but the whole civilian population.
I have been very disappointed lately to learn (through blogging in the comment section of the local newspaper) that our community is full of angry, hateful, and immature police officers who assume anyone that disagrees in the least with a certain police policy, or tactic, must be a no good low life.
I long so much for simpler times. When good was good, and bad was bad, and everyone with a little common sense could tell the difference.

To all the haters in the world............

2006-12-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

You really suck.

Quote

2006-08-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

"Everybody pities the weak,.......but jealousy you have to earn."

Arnold Schwarzeneggar.

Let's keep some perspective here

2006-08-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I'm just as disappointed with Mel Gibson as anyone else. I mean the cat's out of the bag now. He really is a anti-semite bigot and I really thought he was better than that.
But that's no excuse for the way the media has crucified him and shamelessly tried to drum up sympathy for Hezbollah.
Mel showed his true self and made some unforgivable racist comments.
Hezbollah deliberately targets and kills Jewish civilians with it's rockets every day, all while cowering behind innocent Lebanese civilians.

Who would you say hates Jews more ? Who deserves more of a raking in the media for their racist actions ?

Let's put things in very simmple terms.

2006-08-08T03:43:00.000-07:00

If Hezbollah lays down it's arms and stops fighting today...........no more violence.
If Isreal lays down it's arms and stops fighting today..........no more Isreal.

Do you see the difference there ?

U.S. Grand Prix

2006-06-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well I've been waiting for this all year and it is finally here. After last year's fiasco I'm really looking forward to seeing an actual race again.
There really isn't anything like Formula One racing. You really are seeing the razors edge of racing technology when you see those cars run. And the drivers are working their ass off for the entire race no matter what position they are running in. The average driver who finishes a formula one race will shift gears over 3000 times during the course of one 90 minute race. All while constantly wrenching the car from left to right through the hairpins, doglegs, and chicanes.
You will see people from all over the world. People from every continent representing literally hundreds of nations all over the world. They will assemble here on this hallowed ground of motorsports known as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

And I will be there with them.

Grant's birth place

2006-06-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

On the way home to Indy from Maysville yesterday I took the old river road(hwy52) back to Cinci before picking up int.74. We stopped in a little town in Ohio called "Point Pleasant" which is where Ulysses S. Grant was born.
The Grant home is still there and there is small but very nice little park across the road with beautiful veiw of the river. I've always felt a connection with Grant since it is passed down in my family that we are somehow distantly related although I'm not certain of this.
Mark twain once wrote of Grant,"I did not admire him for winning the war as much as I did for ending the war".

My favorite presidential quote

2006-06-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

There are many great quotes by the men who have served as president. Some are very moving, some are very sobering, and some are just down right funny. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, JFK, and Ronnie Reagan always come to mind as some of our greatest orators.
But my favorite quote has to be a simple sentence once uttered by Warren G. Harding.

"This damn job'll kill ya"

I'll bet many who have occupied that office have had the exact same thought.

Apologies to my homies

2006-06-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for sluffing off so bad here these last several months but a busy schedule and a bad case of the Bla's has kept me away from the blog scene.
I'll be in beautiful Maysville, Ky this weekend.
I really can't think of a more beautiful and historic place to inspire the thought process and wash away the blues.

Quote

2006-05-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

"An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war."

Mark Twain.

Immigration intimidation

2006-04-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well it's finally happening. People are finally pulling their heads out of the sand and taking a look at how badly we have handled the issue of immigration. Unfortunately our president has been one of the biggest slackers on this issue. I think the reason is obvious though when you look at the percentage of latinos who voted for Bush.
We are a nation of immigrants. Even the so called "Native Americans" immigrated here from Asia not that long ago. So we cannot totally prejudice ourselves against all immigration but, we do need to find a way to control it much more strictly.
It's not fare that millions of Mexicans can pour over the border illegally when there are thousands and thousands of good people all over the world waiting patiently to legally immigrate here. They are even willing (and most of them already have) to learn to speak our national language.
I will post more on this later. Any thoughts or comments are greatly welcomed.

Big basketball weekend here in Indy !!!!!!

2006-03-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Final four baby !!! This town will be rockin all weekend. And, we just had the announcement today that Kelvin Sampson will be coming from Oklahoma to try and revitalize our IU hoosiers basketball team.
I'm a little concerned over the looming NCAA investigation into Sampson's recruiting tactics but hopefully we can clear that up quickly and get on with the program. All in all I think he's a good coach and a good choice for Indiana.

Canadian seal hunt

2006-03-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

Normally you won't find me siding with the tree huggers and grass eaters very often but, this event actually bothers me quite a bit.
I am a meat eater. Contrary to the grass eaters, I think humans are meant to be omnivorous. I think that's why we have evolved so quickly.
I am also an occasional hunter but I believe in taking only mature animals who are not currently engaged in their reproductive season. I believe in hunting only when the local wildlife agencies agree that the local population of certain wildlife is healthy enough to sustain a controlled hunting season.
I firmly believe in quick humane kills. Your skill as a hunter and your choice of proper equipment should always ensure instant death. An animal should never have to endure prolonged pain or suffering at your hands. And shame on anyone who kills an animal and lets any part of it go to waste.
Clubbing young seals to death ??? Come on people. What kind of person could do this. Who in the hell buys seal fur ??? I see a lot of fur coats here in Indy during the winter months but I've never seen any seal fur.
This seal "hunt" in my opinion is not a "hunt" at all. It truly is a massacre just like the grass eaters say.

Bumper sticker

2006-02-27T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'd rather hunt with Cheney than ride with a Kennedy.

Excuse my absence

2005-10-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I seem to have had very little time or desire lately to sit down and write about anything. There are lots Fall activities going on and I really like to enjoy this time of year to the fullest. The beauty of Autumn is very short. We go from the peak of glorious color to the almost depressing drab of bare-naked trees and brown grass in about three weeks here.
I'm confident though that very shortly I'll have nothing better to do and I'll settle back into a groove of boring everyone with my daily musings.

Maybe things weren't that different a hundred years ago.

2005-10-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

"It is a free press......There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none to protect the people from the press."

Mark twain

Rodney King all over again

2005-10-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Actually it's even worse this time. We're not talking about a fleeing suspect who drove a hundred miles per hour in a death defying escape attemp and then when finally pulled over and confronted with armed officers still proceeded to portray aggression. This time we're talking about a retired school teacher returned to his home town after the worst hurricane in U.S. history to see if anything was left of the several properties that he owns in the New Orleans area, and this is what he's confronted with. Obviously, a frustrated, out of control police department, who has apparently decided to take their frustrations out on the citizens of New Orleans.
I was so mad after watching this video that I just wanted to break something. After all these people have been through, to think that this is what they're coming back to. It's disgusting and if New Orleans law enforcement has learned anything from what happened in L.A., then they had better make this situation right.
These officers should be fired and put in jail for assault. The victim should be paid compensation for his injuries, his suffering, and the humiliation he suffered at the hands of these animals.

Your favorite scream

2005-10-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

A popular movie magazine just took a poll of it's readers as to which horror flick was their favorite of all time. The winner was the 1974 classic "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I have to agree that this was top notch horror but, I think my top pick of all time would have to be "The Shining". Something about that movie and the great cast of actors allow me to watch it over and over and not get bored with it.
What's your favorite horror movie ? Psycho maybe? Halloween? Friday the 13th? or maybe dawn of the dead?

That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more.

2005-10-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well I apologize in advance to all commenters but, I will be activating the word verification option in the comment section of this blog. The son of a bitch spammers have finally gotten to me. I've been ignoring it up until now, but it is obvious the problem is getting worse.
So, hopefully this won't discourage any of you from spouting off or contributing to the conversation.

Quote

2005-10-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance."

George Bernard Shaw

Bennett's back !!!!

2005-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does it appear that Bill Bennett just has an over-powering need to be in the spotlight from time to time even if he has to say or do something really stupid to achieve some exposure.
Now of course , the liberal media has totally taken his statement out of context and is ramming it home, scoring every point they can with it.
Can you really blame them? Hell no you can't !!
Now, lets look at the facts of Bennett's statement and see where the press begins their magic show.
A caller to Bennett's radio show had just suggested that Roe-v-Wade decision actually had a negative effect on social security. If abortion was illegal then we would have more people paying into social security and would not be experiencing such a shortfall.
Bennett then makes his now infamous statement that you could also say that aborting black babies would cause the crime rate to drop. He DID go on to say though that to do so would be totally immoral and reprehensible.

The fact of the matter is, that the IMMORALITY of abortion is much more of a factor in Bennett's eyes than losing tax revenue. The best way he could think of to drive this point home was to put abortion in the grossly immoral context of aborting black babies to lower crime rate.

I wonder if you banned the sale of black beans, if it would cut down on the amount of methane gas in the atmosphere.
Now that was silly and stupid. What Bennett said was silly and stupid. And to blow it up into the mess that media has made it, and to even try and draw a line to the president somehow(even though Bennett has never worked in the current admin.)is stupid and silly.

I'm back !!

2005-09-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

Took a little "vacation" here the last week or so. That's why you have'nt heard from me in a few days. I'll be posting soon though. There is certainly no shortage of things to spout off about.

Quote

2005-09-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

" Experience is one thing that you cannot get for nothing."

Oscar Wilde

FYI car buyers

2005-09-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

If you've been shopping around for the best price on a new car then surely you've been able to find it here in recent months. With all of the "big3" U.S. automakers offering employee pricing plus significant cash rebates, and low financing rates, this really has been a great time to buy a new car. Unless you can afford to pay cash for a newer model used car, you probably aren't going to save much money over a new purchase due to higher interest rates on used car loans. Also, in order to have peace of mind concerning maintenance issues you'll probably have to purchase a warranty extension of some type for your used vehicle which can significantly add to the expense.
Now, here's the catch on these discounted new cars. You knew there had to be one, right ?

The "black book" whole sale prices of all cars being sold during this period of big discounts and big rebates are being adjusted to reflect the lower new car purchase price.
The "black book" price is what the dealerships go by to determine what your car is worth once you decide to trade it in. So they might be taking a little bit of a hit right now but in a couple of years when people start trading in on newer models again, they're going to get you back.
If you take two identical cars, same make,model,year of manufacture, same color, same options, same STICKER price, one is sold during this discount period and one is sold either before or after this discount period, the one sold during the discounts will be worth a lot less on the trade-in market. Even though they are identical autos, they're not going to give as much for that vehicle.
So my advice is, if you're taking advantage of a lower price on that new car now, then drive the wheels off of it and keep it till it dies. If you don't, then all that money you saved when you purchased, will be lost in the end.

Summer is leaving.

2005-09-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working day shift for the last couple weeks now so I'm up and out the door around 04:30. There has definitely been a noticeable change in the air, just in that short time. The cool crisp air of Fall is creeping in, and the warm wet air of summer is in retreat.
I think back to when I was younger the end of each season always made realize how much I hate Indiana. The unpredictable weather, the hot, humid, sweltering summers. The long distance to the cool, calming waters of the ocean.
Now things seem to have changed for me. I take a lot of comfort in our distance from the sea and some of the dangers that come from it. I relish observing the changes in the seasons and how all living things make their preparations for the coming of the next season.
I would be bored out of my mind with weather that stayed pretty much the same year-round, or for long stretches at a time.
That old saying we have here in Indiana IS true. "If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes, it'll change".
You know what? I really love Indiana.

Quote.

2005-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

"Men have become the tools of their tools".

Henry David Thoreau

By the way,

2005-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

I found the info about my last post in the Montreal Gazette. (in case you were wondering)

Keep your eyes open for this.

2005-09-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Joe Williams Sr. a Canadian from Winnipeg, might just end up being known as "the man who saved the world". This guy who has made his fortune managing McDonalds and Burger King franchises has now entered into a completely different realm.
Mr. Williams has apparently designed, built, and is well into test phase of a Hydrogen generating module that will be able to be attached to ANY automobile.
The H2N-Gen is smaller than a DVD player, simple to use, and could possibly make the Kyoto protocol obsolete when it hits the market. If this thing takes off, Mr. Williams could very well be the next Bill Gates, or bigger.
The H2N-Gen feeds from a small reservoir of distilled water and using electrolysis, creates hydrogen and oxygen gases which are then fed into the auto's intake and mixed with gasoline vapors. It's a fact that introducing hydrogen makes a cleaner burn but, the difficulty has been finding a safe way to do this.
Because the H2N-Gen only makes hydrogen in small amounts, and only as needed, it does away with dangerous hydrogen storage vessels.
This could cut your vehicles fuel consumption by up to 40% and cut down on pollutants by up to 90%.Tests so far show that the unit should last about 10 years and you only need to refill the distilled water reservoir about every 80 hours of drive time.
Testing continues and unforeseen problems could occur. Every thing looks good to go right now though and if it stays on track, Williams is hoping to make this device available in about a year.
Let's keep our fingers crossed on this one. And, hope the freakin oil companies don't find a way to nix this.

Why do people love to hate Notre Dame ?

2005-09-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that no matter if N.D. is doing well, or poorly, the national news media is almost always negative.
If the Irish are on a roll and having a good season, the headlines will be something like,"Notre Dame sells it's soul for football glory" or "Irish set aside their values for gaines on the grid."
When N.D. isn't doing so well they get jumped on for having such stringent academic requirements, and for taking on such difficult schedules, or for having to break in a new coach. The point is they're damned if they do, and damned if they don't.
One writer over the weekend(writing for"The Michigan Daily") tried to tie it all into the "luck of the Irish". The only reason N.D. does any good is because they are the most lucky team in the NCAA. Can you believe that crap ?
Call me paranoid but I truly believe that when you cut all the way down to the roots of this, it's plain old fashioned Catholic bashing. That's right, Catholic bashing. It seems to be the only "openly acceptable" form of bigotry left.

Shopping for news

2005-09-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

I think most of you who know me are aware of my contempt for the news media. They are 90% far left wingers, and they shamelessly use their influential position to guide unsuspecting people in the direction of their ideology.
We MUST continually be vigilant and insist on hearing ALL sides on any given issue. The sources of information available today are almost endless. We have cable TV, we have internet access, and we have a diverse spectrum of news on public radio.
If you are reading, watching, or listening to just one source of news, and treating it as gospel, then you are doing yourself a great injustice.
In this day and age of sensationalism and ratings competition you should be aware that the news media does not have your best interest in mind.
Always be wary, listen to several sources, and BE OBJECTIVE.

Chinese proverb

2005-09-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I might remember. Involve me and I'll understand.

Finally, a hero emerges.

2005-09-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore (pronounced AHN'-ur-ay) arrived after Katrina with a can-do attitude and a cigar in his hand. He was first to direct troops to point their weapons down in respect for a stunned and stranded population. He is head of the military's Joint Task Force Katrina. Honore is also a La. native. He was born in his parents home in Lakeland, La. and grew up poor with his 11 siblings. He's now been thrown into the middle of this finger-pointing fiasco and has managed so far to earn nothing but praise. He has won the respect of all with his compassionate approach to residents and his colorful way of instructing troops. A southern La. drawl, and a heapin helpin of profanity have earned Gen. Honore the nickname of " The Rajin Cajun".
Honore seems to be winning over even the harshest critics. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said," He came off that doggone chopper and started cussin, and people started moving. I'll give the president some credit on this one, he sent one John Wayne of a dude down here that can get things done."
Honore views Katrina as "the enemy" that pulled a classic military maneuver, and executed it perfectly. She sped onto land with overwhelming force and surprise, then knocked out communications, electricity, water, and roads. She left a wasteland incapable of supporting it's residents in her wake.
Well it's time for a counter attack, and Honore sounds like just the man we need leading it.
"I don't try to be tough" the Gen. says, " as long as the job is getting done, I have nothing but praise".
Let's hope the bureaucrats in Washington will let him get the job done.

How true

2005-09-09T02:59:00.000-07:00

Whether it is that you think you can, or that you think you can't, you are usually right.

Henry Ford

Governors around the country worried about Katrina fiasco

2005-09-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

Governors from all over the country have been horrified by the scenes from Katrina's aftermath. Mainly because they're thinking, "that could have been me", totally unprepared for devastation on that scale and no way of cutting through the bureaucratic red tape in order to speed up the process.
Let's not forget here that the devastated area is 90,000 square miles. I repeat; 90,000 square miles. That is roughly an area the size of Great Britain. Absolutely mind blowing !!!
No nation on the face of this earth is prepared to deal with a disaster of that magnitude. The fact that we have been able to get in there and accomplish what we have already is truly incredible. And, the people who are already using this tragedy to further a political agenda,(while the rescue effort continues, and while bodies are still lying on the ground)are truly shameless scum of the earth.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas was quoted as saying,"What is potentially harmful about this situation is that people lose faith in government's ability to protect them.
Well, I happen to think that's a good thing. We have all become way too dependent on government. We should be more prepared to handle things on our own. We should think twice about living in coastal areas that lie 12 feet below sea level !!
She was also quoted as saying,"I hope we can use this opportunity to demand more of government."
She should finish that sentence by adding,"and in turn government will demand more of you in the way of tax dollars" because you know that's just the way it works.
The sad truth here is that while the 9/11 tragedy showed true leadership from our president and New York mayor Giuliani, Katrina's deadly wind and water produced no political heroes. She really got the best of everyone.

Quote !!

2005-09-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."

Pablo Picasso

Apple will make big announcement today.

2005-09-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

No one seems to brag of 100% confidence but the consensus is that Apple will announce a cooperative effort with Motorola resulting in a cell phone capable of downloading and playing music from Apple's Itunes site.
I really hope it does well. My opinion of Apple has sky rocketed recently with my purchase of an Apple Mac desktop. It's the most wonderful machine I've ever had the pleasure of using. Everything works just like it should. No worms. No viruses. No pop-ups. I'm in Heaven. :)

Helping hands from around the world

2005-09-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased with latest news of all our world allies, and non-allies, who are offering our nation assistance in this trying time. Even some nations who's governments are in bitter disagreement with ours at this time, are showing that they are willing to set this aside for now and help the suffering. Don't get me wrong, I realize that there is also strong economic reasoning behind helping us back onto our feet quickly also. It's a fact that if the U.S. economy suffers, the world economy suffers also. I still believe though that there is a genuine outpouring of empathy and caring, especially among the citizens of these nations if not so much by their governments.
Great Britain is sending half a million individual food rations. France has pledged tents,cots, and cooking equipment. Germany has already began shipping 25 tons food items. Italy is sending baby food,blankets, and water purification equipment. Kuwait has pledged 500 million in oil products. Quatar is giving 100 million cash. Canada is sending military dive teams to aid with repairs. S. Korea has pledged 30 million. China will give 5 million and Japan has sent a disaster rescue team with supplies. India is donating 5 million and is sending medicines and water purification equipment. The Philippines are sending teams of doctors and sanitary engineers. Even Cuba and Venezuela have offered to help.
Thanks to all these nations for your much needed help. We will certainly return the favor if ever need be.

Quote for today,

2005-09-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

"If you are going through hell,.......Keep going !"

Sir Winston Churchill

Politics as usual even in this time of tragedy.

2005-09-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Speaker Dennis Hastert questioned the wisdom of rebuilding a city that sits on the coast and lies 7 to 12 feet below sea level. He did this in an interview with an Illinois news paper yesterday.
Of course, immediately, the Dems started jumping in feet first to play upon peoples emotions over this. And, of course, the media has been very eager to assist in assailing Hastert.
Now, I really don't think that this is any time to be talking about whether or not, or how to go about rebuilding New Orleans. I do think it was a mistake for Hastert to talk about it when we are still in rescue and evacuation mode.
I still have to agree though that we need to start using some common sense on where we build our homes and businesses. New Orleans is an age old historic site. It plays a major role in the history of our nation. We still need to ask ourselves though, if we can improve this city to withstand this type of storm in the future.
If the answer is no, then we need to look at other options. We can't keep setting ourselves up for tragedies like this.

Quote

2005-08-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

"Many will say,"How hard it is that we must die". This seems very strange coming from the mouths of those who have had to live".

Mark Twain

Let us pray for our fellow Americans.

2005-08-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, we ask that you bring the souls of our brothers and sisters (lost in the hurricane) into your kingdom, and grant them everlasting peace. We ask that you help us in our mission to bring relief to those who are left alive, but have lost everything.
Please bring peace and comfort to those who have lost loved ones, and soften the hearts of all Americans so that we may grow closer to you in this tragedy and not become bitter or spiteful.

Tonight's thought,

2005-08-27T02:03:00.000-07:00

"Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we CAN imagine."

Sir Arthur Eddington

Heads up sky watchers !

2005-08-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks will offer some great planet watching opportunities for North Americans. The orbits of Earth and Mars are bringing us very close together right now. This is a very unique chance to see Mars closer and brighter than most of the past generations of humans who have lived and died here on Earth.
Just look above your Eastern horizon around 10:00pm or so and you won't be able to miss the big bright yellowish "star" hanging there in the night sky. It's Mars ! And this will be the best look you'll get in this lifetime, so don't miss it.
Also, just after sunset look to your West and you'll see two very bright "stars" just above the horizon. These two beauties are Jupiter, and Venus. They will appear closer and closer to each other until they almost seem to "kiss" on Sept. 1st.
If you have trouble picking out planets from stars, just remember that light from stars(because they are so far away) tends to brighten and fade, giving them a "twinkling" affect. Planets on the other hand are usually a dead steady light.
Happy sky watching !!!

The quote.

2005-08-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

"The thug is well aware that loudness convinces 60 people where reasoning convinces but one."

Mark Twain.

Don't get Grandpa started, now dang it !

2005-08-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Those of us who are fortunate enough to have had grand parents around, and spent any time listening to them, know how elderly people can be. Today's oldfolks are a generation who grew up in a depression. They were hardened into men and women in the furnace of a world war. They are set in their ways and don't care to stay up on or abide by the complicated etiquette of modern society.
Pat Robertson's rant about "taking out Hugo Chavez" is just Grandpa spouting off about how we would have "taken care of things back in his day". That's the way a whole lot of grandpas are. We don't agree with a whole lot of what they say, but we can't help but love them anyway. We don't take their radical ranting seriously, and nobody else does either. Let em blow their top, get it out of their system, and then everybody can forget about it.(including grandpa)
I guarantee you the majority of Robertsons followers see this for what it is. Once again, it is the media feeding the fire here, making a big deal of nothing, influencing your perception.

Video games/Video shames

2005-08-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

This topic seems to keep popping up in discussion lately. Grand Theft Auto(San Andreas) being the latest and greatest, is the one most often referred to.
Now, I'm not for censorship, but that doesn't mean the premise of this "game" is'nt a little bit disturbing to me. The committing of serious felony crimes, enveloping one's self in the criminal world of drugs and thievery, killing law enforcement officers, or even working your way up to killing National Guardsmen. Oh, and then there's the "sex" thing going on there too. Sex with animated cartoon characters ? Come on now people, this is'nt just harmless pixelated fun, this is mental illness. Well, is'nt it ?
I guess I'm showing my age here and the differences in people divided up by the generation gaps. I just can't understand why you want to be the bad guy.
How about a version of GTA where you can choose to be the cop. You can kill all the gangsters, thugs, and pimps you want to, then talk a prostitute off of drugs and off the street, and have sex with her because she actually LIKES you.
I wonder how many people would choose that option more often over being the bad guy ?
Like I said earlier, I'm not for censorship and would never support a ban of GTA or similar games, but that still does'nt make me feel any more comfortable with the fact that there is such a huge demand for this type of product in the market.

Ah....the quote.

2005-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing else annoys them so much."

Oscar Wilde

Now here's a good Idea.

2005-08-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Drug companies today must test their way through thousands of chemical compounds to find just one safe, effective, and marketable compound.
They spend on average 10-14 years and 800 million dollars on each drug approved for sale to the public.
Hurel Corp. in Califonia has come up with really cool invention that should save tens of millions of dollars in R&D costs and even save the lives of millions of animals too.
Hurel has patented a microchip-like wafer with multiple internal chambers lined with live mammalian cells from heart, lungs, liver, and other systems from animal and human cell lines cultured in laboratories.
Drug candidates are pumped through the cell compartments. The Hurel wafers mimic the physiology of mammals allowing researchers to tell immediately if a compound is toxic or ineffective.
This could eventually cut way down or possibly even eliminate early phase toxicology studies on live animals.
This could add up to a savings of 50-250 million per drug compound and save the lives (and suffering) of millions of mice, rats, and bunny wabbits.

Hmmmm.......

2005-08-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

"There are two things that are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not absolutely sure about the universe."

Albert Einstein

tisk,tisk,tisk,....Pat,Pat,Pat.......

2005-08-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin ! Sen. Patrick Leahy has fired the first real shots in the Senate approval process for nominee John Roberts. The senator says that Roberts holds" radical views" and is "among the most aggressive on reversing decades of policies on civil rights,womens rights, privacy and access to justice.
Come on Pat, you're taking it too far. It is now clear to me from watching these processes over the years, that no matter how "middle of the road" you might think you are, there is someone out there that will think you're a "radical". In Sen. Leahy's case, apparently anyone to the right of HIS thinking is a "radical.

How about a little humor in our quote for the day ?

2005-08-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

Here's to abstinence.
"Total abstinence is so exellent an endeavor, that it cannot be carried to too great an extent. In my passion for it I even carry it so far as to abstain from total abstinence itself."
Mark Twain

Biden-vs-McCain in 2008 ?

2005-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

The names of both senators, Biden and McCain have been thrown around alot lately as possible presidential candidates for"08" but niether one will give us the yeah or neah at this time. Biden says he is still investigating whether he can get the money and the support for a viable candidacy while McCain says he's just waiting until after the "06" elections to make his decision.

Personally, my line of thinking is more along the lines of Clinton/Bayh-vs-McCain/Rice. Whatta ya think? ..huh.......huh.

Today's quote,

2005-08-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it".

Henry David Thoreau

North Korea top-notch on insults.

2005-08-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), is the only official source of news approved by the North Korean government headed by Kim Jong Il. Apparently, they are also the most skilled agency in the world in the Stalinistic style of hate propaganda. Their main problem is though, they use so much of it that it actually becomes funny after reading so much of it, and you are no longer able to take it seriously.
A new web site (www.nk-news.net) has over 50 megabytes of KCNA's hardcore Stalinist propaganda.
You can use nifty key words and phrases in the site's search engine like,"burning hatred" to bring up articles on Japan, Yankees,"Imperialist Ogres", and" Class enemies".
Pesident Bush is most often referred to as the "human scum".
Then if you really feel like a good laugh out loud, try the "random insult generator", it's hysterical.

Quote by Thomas Mann

2005-08-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

"A great truth, is a truth who's opposite is also a truth." For example, you could say it's good to be King but, It can also be a terrible thing to be the King, with the weight of a nation riding on your shoulders.

You go Gary !

2005-08-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Gary, Indiana was rated the second most liberal city in the country by the center for voting research. Gary was second only to Detroit in obtaining this badge of honor among liberal voters.
The San Francisco bay area was the most liberal region in the country with 3 of it's cities making the list. (no suprises here)Berkeley came in at #3, Oakland at #5 and San Francisco at #9.
The researcher heading up the study says these cities are not heading up a growing trend though. In fact they are more like a group of penguins huddled together on a slowly melting iceberg.

Got gas ?

2005-08-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

Gas prices hit $2.55 per gallon yesterday in the Indy area. I don't know about you but, it's starting to hurt. I think people have pretty much already made all the adjustments they can make to compensate for the increased amount they are spending on petrolium without slowing the economy.We all find ways to spend less on our other needs, and then we start cutting out the non essential goods and activities. I have just one more option, and that is to give up my nifty little Honda SUV(which gets 20 city and 28mpg highway) and go back to a civic, or a similar gas sipper, that gets 35mpg or better.
The problem is,I'm not exactly built for cars like that. I have two teenage boys who need alot of leg room too. But we will do what we have to do.
I really see a major economic downfall coming. We are a rich country. Even our poor people are considered to be some of the richest people in the world. We have been compensating very well for the increase in what we spend on transportation. I think now though, that we are reaching the end of our rope, and some major changes are getting ready to happen.

Robbing the grave.

2005-08-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I have a real hard time understanding how we just can't get the votes in congress to repeal the damn death tax.
I don't know about you, but I've never met one person yet who thought that the government should be able to swoop in after you die and take another big chunk of the money that you've already been taxed out the kazoo on.
Think about it. You've paid income tax, capital gains tax, sales tax, fuel tax, property tax, etc. etc. It's a wonder there's anything left at all. Then, if you do have anything left at the end of your earthly existance which you choose to pass on to a deserving(or sometimes undeserving) loved one, there they are, back again for even more.
It's truly disgusting to think about.
This unjust, un-American, evil practice of picking the pockets of the dead must stop. Maybe we could reach a compromise and at least lower it to less than 10%, and have it apply only to large estates over a million dollars.
I've told my father to party his ass off. The worst thing that could happen to him is if he died with one stinking dollar left in his pocket. I don't need it, and the fatass vultures in Washington sure as hell don't either.

I can't hear you ! Not quite like you hear me anyway.

2005-08-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sheffield University in Northern England is starting to report results on experiments studying the different ways which men respond to male and female voices.
The female voice has a more complex range of sound, and is inherantly more melodious. Apparently this causes a female voice to register deeper into the auditory section of the male brain. This is the same area of the brain that responds to musical stimulation.
On the other hand the male voice triggers a much simpler mechanism in the brain which allows for a faster response.
So, you see ladies, were not ignoring you , were just taking in the beautiful melody of your sweet little voice. (I think)

You can't just let 10 billion barrels of oil go waste !

2005-08-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Why do these environmentalists think that we can't drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and still maintain the integrity of the ecosystem ?
Why in the hell even have that huge chunk of realestate if we can't benefit in the least from it's vast natural resources. Me and and about 250,000,000 other Americans are never going to be able to travel to this freakin place . Nor would we care to even if we could. But we sure could use some help at the gas pump as soon as possible.
The people of Alaska want and need this to happen. They live there and know better than anyone that we can benefit from the state's vast resources and still maintain a healthy environment for wildlife. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska says her state's delegation is determined to push for the opening of the ANWR for drilling as soon as possible.
This will mean good paying jobs for Americans and a little bit less dependance on foreign oil.

Scuttle the shuttle ?

2005-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or, is anyone else getting frustrated or losing interest in the space program ? A good friend of mine jokes that "NASA" now stands for "Not About Space Anymore".
It seems that the shuttle can't make it into orbit anymore without suffering some sort of concerning damage.
I think it's pretty obvious that it's been taking damage during launch all along and we've just been very lucky.
I do not think we should ground the program again though. We have a commitment to the ISS project and therefore we have a commitment to the world. As long as we have a 90% plus reliable vehicle, and no shortage of brave individuals willing to accept those odds and continue the necessary work of space exploration, then we should keep flying.
We should also be on the fast track right now to getting a better, safer, vehicle to replace the shuttle.