packsaddle

You know, for some reason I have always thought that Moosetracker was female, not that that matters much. I just like to get SOME things right. Clarification please?

JoeBob, I understand what you're saying and I also think that adding a thong probably would NOT be much of an improvement. But if that was your answer to my question, I'm sorry...I just don't 'see' how naked people running around town (regardless of how attractive they are) would cause San Francisco to be a really expensive place to live. Interesting, perhaps, up to a point. But expensive? I just don't get it.

Why is it so incredibly expensive to live in San Francisco?

I'm trying to figure out where the 'race card' is. Help me out. Edit: OK, found it. Blather on...(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

I could argue that it is perfectly designed for a goal of bureaucratic bloat...which of course can ONLY be managed by obscenely-paid professional administrators whose success thus confirms their convictions that the program should also reflect the 'professional' management characteristics of the organization.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

We are indeed blessed. I know persons for whom the greatest stress is finding out that a certain style of garment is out of stock for the another week. I don't minimize things like that because that is basically what we've fought and died for, right? The freedom and comfort of secure lives devoted to all the pleasant things our society has at its convenience? And the freedom to complain about things that really are inconsequential compared to what people in other places endure. Eamonn, you ,especially, really do have an occupation which contains serious stress. But you are in that by choice. With the stroke of a pen, you could shed that stress. Even our volunteer armed forces who are risking and occasionally paying with their lives, do this by their choice. But I'll also give them the credit due for surviving seriously stressful times and actions. Otherwise, there aren't many of the rest of us in these threads who have even the remotest idea of what real stress is, or of what life is capable of surviving. "Bok said he was captured by the raiders and, along with two little girls, was placed on a donkey and carted north. "The girls were crying, and when they did not stop after being told to do so, a soldier pulled out his pistol and shot one of them," he said. "The other girl kept crying, and then he shot her." Bok was taken to Kirio, he said, where he was given to an Arab man, who presented him to the entire household. They all beat him." "Women and children abducted in slave raids are roped by the neck or strapped to animals and then marched north. Along the way, many women and girls are repeatedly gang-raped. Children who will not be silent are shot on the spot. In the north, slaves are either kept by individual militia soldiers or sold in markets. Boys work as livestock herders, forced to sleep with the animals they care for. "Some who try to escape have their Achilles tendons cut to hamper their ability to run. Masters typically use women and girls as domestics and concubines, cleaning by day and serving the master sexually by night." "Young black, boy slaves are repeatedly gang-raped by their Arab masters. While previous reports on slavery have focused mainly on the gang-rape of female slaves, sociologist and investigative reporter, Maria Sliwa received testimony from numerous boy victims of rape." "This type of sex is very strange to us," said recently redeemed slave Deng Deng. "Many times during rape boys would cry so loudly that the Arabs would stuff rags in their mouths so they could not be heard. I witnessed this often. If you refuse [sex], sometimes they would shoot you." I am sincerely thankful that we have the luxury of stuffing our faces while complaining about back-ordered clothing or office politics, and then dropping off to sleep in front of a televised football game.

We would end up with an academic equivalent of this situation if we allowed students to determine their own curricula. We don't, at least not here. But you're IN the situation already and need to find a way to do things differently. I think Kudu has outlined a way out of this very nicely. I plan to print your original post and Kudu's reply to hand out to new leaders and parents. It is a really nice example to think about. Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention.

Thanks for the link. My grandsons are not old enough to do these things yet but I'll bet they will enjoy watching these videos and thinking about adventures they can have.

Horizon, "...we need our committees to survive." Man, after AZMike's illumination of similar corporate 'activities', I'm surprised at a confession like that. But it is REALLY interesting. Maybe I need to reconsider a return to my old Presbyterian Church?

But Horizon, aren't you worried about the possibility that your son will become a....Presbyterian?

Nope, I've bombarded them with worse in the past and survived (administrators as percentage parasites). No fear. Maybe I won't be asked to attend those worthless meetings anymore. 'In their hearts they know I'm right'

"Corporations don't really make decisions, ...blah, blah, blah, ...will my masters think my decisions have resulted in a profit or a loss for the company?" I REALLY liked this. Thanks AZMike, I'm going to quote a slightly modified version of that one particular part at the meeting I have to attend today..should be fun.

"Right now Irving seems to be a ghost town." Reminds me of a movie..."I see dead people..."

Brewmeister, I am just quoting some of the people I heard responding to the court decision back in 2000. Here's the really cool part: today, those same individuals claim to support the Tea Party. Delicious!

I think he refers to the 5 out of 9 justices who shut down the Florida recount and ended the right to vote...or something along those lines.

Yeah, and to make matters worse, NC mistakenly killed one of the best generals the South had. That didn't work out well either. South Carolina, I guess, did the dragging for the most part. It didn't work out well for them either. OTOH, the apocalyptic stupidity that allowed them to start the war is still evident...who knows? Georgia is too dominated by that bloated den of iniquity with a so-so baseball team - never gonna happen. Alabama and Mississippi...who cares? Texas? Oh please, please... Edit: yeah, that was a pretty stupid comment from Chris Matthews. Any chance he's from SC? (This message has been edited by packsaddle)

Actually that question was mostly for Callooh! Callay!

So....are you saying the current status is NOT a 'good' thing?

Yes, it is a good thing that some mere pimple on the landscape can wield undeserved influence on the democratic process.

This is the 'fun' thread, right? Moosetracker, it might have been 'before your time' in these forums but a while back Beavah jumped down my..uhhh...throat for applying the M-word to various concepts that I consider to be, well, things the M-word can be applied to. He basically said I wasn't allowed to apply the M-word to anything because it ALWAYS would offend SOMEONE's sensibilities, or some such... Anyway, because Merlyn noted Twain's association of Hell with Texas, I decided that it would be safe to apply the M-word to....Texas. But NOOOOOOO, now YOU have proven Beavah to be correct. I can't even facetiously apply the M-word even to Texas!..without getting some cockamamie response from someone...like you. No fun in M-word-ville I suppose. Beavah is right. NO person should EVER at any time EVER apply the M-word to anything.

Texas is a myth.

As I understand it, the objection is to the fact that the 'state' would force a woman who has already made her decision undergo this invasive procedure against her will...if she wants to terminate the pregnancy. That absence of choice thing qualifies it as a form of rape in some persons' minds, including mine.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

Aw, Moosetracker, there you go taking this stuff seriously. You're going to spoil the fun.

I've decided to sign the Texas one. Maybe Alabama and Mississippi too. What fun!

Texas wants to secede? Bye! See ya! That is the one state that would be really easy to sever from the grid. Sorry Trevorum, you might want to sneak across the border before it becomes official. Edit: snicker, snicker, I guess we get to refer to you as Maggottracker from now on. I mean seriously, who is going to object to losing Alabama or Mississippi or South Carolina? OK, I can see Georgia as a good state to keep in the Union. And I'd be willing to bring my passport to get a good bowl of gumbo in La. But Arkansas? Really? North Carolina...I'd hate to have to use a passport to hike the AT. Tennessee? C'mon Vols, you're not going to be able to afford Oak Ridge, much less the TVA. It'll never happen for Florida...you-know-who would be in the majority and probably take over completely. No secession going to happen there. What's that term Beavah is fond of? 'Nutters', yeah, that's the one.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)