[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.[/quote]

Eavesdropper: Interesting you should ask. I have a buddy of mine, a former SEAL, who says he’ll kill anybody for a large pizza and a six pack of Michelob. If you throw in a bag of pork rinds, he’ll mutilate the body.[/quote]

Tell him to forget the pork rinds. I’ve got dibs on that part of the job.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.[/quote]

Eavesdropper: Interesting you should ask. I have a buddy of mine, a former SEAL, who says he’ll kill anybody for a large pizza and a six pack of Michelob. If you throw in a bag of pork rinds, he’ll mutilate the body.[/quote]

Tell him to forget the pork rinds. I’ve got dibs on that part of the job.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
You mentioned that I like to fight. I actually don’t. I enjoy debating tremendously and I hate being misquoted. In this case, I found your lack of intellectual curiosity frustrating, especially given your slavish adherence to what amounts to a crackpot (hence my suggestion to do a little digging into Mr. Griffin’s background). Further, you had professionals like SK (CPA) and Davelj (banking and finance) weighing in and offering excellent insights on the subject and you’re retorting with Wiki entries and an added dollop of Griffin.

As with anything else: DIG. Even more important, find the facts. “In God We Trust. Everyone Else Bring Data”. A most excellent tagline, don’t you agree?[/quote]

Alan, I’m going to use your line to make an important distinction to Investor, and others like him.

For people like Allan, myself, and many others on this forum, this isn’t a matter of competition, or who “wins”. We like debate and discussion for its own sake. In the process, we satisfy our intellectual curiosity, and, if we’re particularly lucky, learn something that will impress people at cocktail parties. I personally, have no interest in being abusive to anyone, and go out of my way to be open-minded and cordial. But I get upset by those who are not, and by those who use opinions as “fact” and, in lieu of offering backup, accuse me of “just not getting it”.

I have enough faith in my opinions and philosophies to defend them vigorously, but will readily revise them when provided with evidence that my views are erroneous. I’m not sure that I see where I’m committing a felony by following this practice, or threatening the security of the U.S., but, based on the reactions I get from lots(!) of people, you would think I was. I have relatives that, I swear, call the Department of Homeland Security or F.B.I. behind my back (there’s no question that they’ve repeatedly called the priest) when I venture a differing opinion, or ask them to evidence of theirs.

Allan, permit me to expand your final line, from “bring data” to “bring independent, reputable, and valid data”.

By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
You mentioned that I like to fight. I actually don’t. I enjoy debating tremendously and I hate being misquoted. In this case, I found your lack of intellectual curiosity frustrating, especially given your slavish adherence to what amounts to a crackpot (hence my suggestion to do a little digging into Mr. Griffin’s background). Further, you had professionals like SK (CPA) and Davelj (banking and finance) weighing in and offering excellent insights on the subject and you’re retorting with Wiki entries and an added dollop of Griffin.

As with anything else: DIG. Even more important, find the facts. “In God We Trust. Everyone Else Bring Data”. A most excellent tagline, don’t you agree?[/quote]

Alan, I’m going to use your line to make an important distinction to Investor, and others like him.

For people like Allan, myself, and many others on this forum, this isn’t a matter of competition, or who “wins”. We like debate and discussion for its own sake. In the process, we satisfy our intellectual curiosity, and, if we’re particularly lucky, learn something that will impress people at cocktail parties. I personally, have no interest in being abusive to anyone, and go out of my way to be open-minded and cordial. But I get upset by those who are not, and by those who use opinions as “fact” and, in lieu of offering backup, accuse me of “just not getting it”.

I have enough faith in my opinions and philosophies to defend them vigorously, but will readily revise them when provided with evidence that my views are erroneous. I’m not sure that I see where I’m committing a felony by following this practice, or threatening the security of the U.S., but, based on the reactions I get from lots(!) of people, you would think I was. I have relatives that, I swear, call the Department of Homeland Security or F.B.I. behind my back (there’s no question that they’ve repeatedly called the priest) when I venture a differing opinion, or ask them to evidence of theirs.

Allan, permit me to expand your final line, from “bring data” to “bring independent, reputable, and valid data”.

By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
You mentioned that I like to fight. I actually don’t. I enjoy debating tremendously and I hate being misquoted. In this case, I found your lack of intellectual curiosity frustrating, especially given your slavish adherence to what amounts to a crackpot (hence my suggestion to do a little digging into Mr. Griffin’s background). Further, you had professionals like SK (CPA) and Davelj (banking and finance) weighing in and offering excellent insights on the subject and you’re retorting with Wiki entries and an added dollop of Griffin.

As with anything else: DIG. Even more important, find the facts. “In God We Trust. Everyone Else Bring Data”. A most excellent tagline, don’t you agree?[/quote]

Alan, I’m going to use your line to make an important distinction to Investor, and others like him.

For people like Allan, myself, and many others on this forum, this isn’t a matter of competition, or who “wins”. We like debate and discussion for its own sake. In the process, we satisfy our intellectual curiosity, and, if we’re particularly lucky, learn something that will impress people at cocktail parties. I personally, have no interest in being abusive to anyone, and go out of my way to be open-minded and cordial. But I get upset by those who are not, and by those who use opinions as “fact” and, in lieu of offering backup, accuse me of “just not getting it”.

I have enough faith in my opinions and philosophies to defend them vigorously, but will readily revise them when provided with evidence that my views are erroneous. I’m not sure that I see where I’m committing a felony by following this practice, or threatening the security of the U.S., but, based on the reactions I get from lots(!) of people, you would think I was. I have relatives that, I swear, call the Department of Homeland Security or F.B.I. behind my back (there’s no question that they’ve repeatedly called the priest) when I venture a differing opinion, or ask them to evidence of theirs.

Allan, permit me to expand your final line, from “bring data” to “bring independent, reputable, and valid data”.

By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
You mentioned that I like to fight. I actually don’t. I enjoy debating tremendously and I hate being misquoted. In this case, I found your lack of intellectual curiosity frustrating, especially given your slavish adherence to what amounts to a crackpot (hence my suggestion to do a little digging into Mr. Griffin’s background). Further, you had professionals like SK (CPA) and Davelj (banking and finance) weighing in and offering excellent insights on the subject and you’re retorting with Wiki entries and an added dollop of Griffin.

As with anything else: DIG. Even more important, find the facts. “In God We Trust. Everyone Else Bring Data”. A most excellent tagline, don’t you agree?[/quote]

Alan, I’m going to use your line to make an important distinction to Investor, and others like him.

For people like Allan, myself, and many others on this forum, this isn’t a matter of competition, or who “wins”. We like debate and discussion for its own sake. In the process, we satisfy our intellectual curiosity, and, if we’re particularly lucky, learn something that will impress people at cocktail parties. I personally, have no interest in being abusive to anyone, and go out of my way to be open-minded and cordial. But I get upset by those who are not, and by those who use opinions as “fact” and, in lieu of offering backup, accuse me of “just not getting it”.

I have enough faith in my opinions and philosophies to defend them vigorously, but will readily revise them when provided with evidence that my views are erroneous. I’m not sure that I see where I’m committing a felony by following this practice, or threatening the security of the U.S., but, based on the reactions I get from lots(!) of people, you would think I was. I have relatives that, I swear, call the Department of Homeland Security or F.B.I. behind my back (there’s no question that they’ve repeatedly called the priest) when I venture a differing opinion, or ask them to evidence of theirs.

Allan, permit me to expand your final line, from “bring data” to “bring independent, reputable, and valid data”.

By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
You mentioned that I like to fight. I actually don’t. I enjoy debating tremendously and I hate being misquoted. In this case, I found your lack of intellectual curiosity frustrating, especially given your slavish adherence to what amounts to a crackpot (hence my suggestion to do a little digging into Mr. Griffin’s background). Further, you had professionals like SK (CPA) and Davelj (banking and finance) weighing in and offering excellent insights on the subject and you’re retorting with Wiki entries and an added dollop of Griffin.

As with anything else: DIG. Even more important, find the facts. “In God We Trust. Everyone Else Bring Data”. A most excellent tagline, don’t you agree?[/quote]

Alan, I’m going to use your line to make an important distinction to Investor, and others like him.

For people like Allan, myself, and many others on this forum, this isn’t a matter of competition, or who “wins”. We like debate and discussion for its own sake. In the process, we satisfy our intellectual curiosity, and, if we’re particularly lucky, learn something that will impress people at cocktail parties. I personally, have no interest in being abusive to anyone, and go out of my way to be open-minded and cordial. But I get upset by those who are not, and by those who use opinions as “fact” and, in lieu of offering backup, accuse me of “just not getting it”.

I have enough faith in my opinions and philosophies to defend them vigorously, but will readily revise them when provided with evidence that my views are erroneous. I’m not sure that I see where I’m committing a felony by following this practice, or threatening the security of the U.S., but, based on the reactions I get from lots(!) of people, you would think I was. I have relatives that, I swear, call the Department of Homeland Security or F.B.I. behind my back (there’s no question that they’ve repeatedly called the priest) when I venture a differing opinion, or ask them to evidence of theirs.

Allan, permit me to expand your final line, from “bring data” to “bring independent, reputable, and valid data”.

By the way, do you KNOW anyone who practices trepanning? I’m looking for a gift for an ex-husband who has everything.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter][quote=sdduuuude]I met Gary Coleman once! RIP.[/quote]

Me too! Shot some pool with him many years ago. He seemed like a very nice young man — a little shy, even.

It is surprising that his body held out as long as it did with all of his health problems. This is very sad.

🙁

RIP, Gary.[/quote]

You know, that’s the only drawback to coming here to Pigg’s: You snotty Californians never miss an opportunity to remind those of us on the East Coast of your proximity to the stars and glamorous celebrities.

I live near DC. The best I can hope for is bumping into some overtanned congressman picking up his Viagra prescription at the pharmacy. If the planets are all in alignment, I’ll also get the autograph of his hooker date.

In all seriousness and sobriety, I feel bad about Gary Coleman. He was way too young when he died, and his post-celebrity years appear to have been a tortured existence. Despite experiencing little semblance of a childhood, he apparently brought pleasure to millions of people in his young career, and it’s a pity that he couldn’t have had more of that in his own life.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter][quote=sdduuuude]I met Gary Coleman once! RIP.[/quote]

Me too! Shot some pool with him many years ago. He seemed like a very nice young man — a little shy, even.

It is surprising that his body held out as long as it did with all of his health problems. This is very sad.

🙁

RIP, Gary.[/quote]

You know, that’s the only drawback to coming here to Pigg’s: You snotty Californians never miss an opportunity to remind those of us on the East Coast of your proximity to the stars and glamorous celebrities.

I live near DC. The best I can hope for is bumping into some overtanned congressman picking up his Viagra prescription at the pharmacy. If the planets are all in alignment, I’ll also get the autograph of his hooker date.

In all seriousness and sobriety, I feel bad about Gary Coleman. He was way too young when he died, and his post-celebrity years appear to have been a tortured existence. Despite experiencing little semblance of a childhood, he apparently brought pleasure to millions of people in his young career, and it’s a pity that he couldn’t have had more of that in his own life.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter][quote=sdduuuude]I met Gary Coleman once! RIP.[/quote]

Me too! Shot some pool with him many years ago. He seemed like a very nice young man — a little shy, even.

It is surprising that his body held out as long as it did with all of his health problems. This is very sad.

🙁

RIP, Gary.[/quote]

You know, that’s the only drawback to coming here to Pigg’s: You snotty Californians never miss an opportunity to remind those of us on the East Coast of your proximity to the stars and glamorous celebrities.

I live near DC. The best I can hope for is bumping into some overtanned congressman picking up his Viagra prescription at the pharmacy. If the planets are all in alignment, I’ll also get the autograph of his hooker date.

In all seriousness and sobriety, I feel bad about Gary Coleman. He was way too young when he died, and his post-celebrity years appear to have been a tortured existence. Despite experiencing little semblance of a childhood, he apparently brought pleasure to millions of people in his young career, and it’s a pity that he couldn’t have had more of that in his own life.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter][quote=sdduuuude]I met Gary Coleman once! RIP.[/quote]

Me too! Shot some pool with him many years ago. He seemed like a very nice young man — a little shy, even.

It is surprising that his body held out as long as it did with all of his health problems. This is very sad.

🙁

RIP, Gary.[/quote]

You know, that’s the only drawback to coming here to Pigg’s: You snotty Californians never miss an opportunity to remind those of us on the East Coast of your proximity to the stars and glamorous celebrities.

I live near DC. The best I can hope for is bumping into some overtanned congressman picking up his Viagra prescription at the pharmacy. If the planets are all in alignment, I’ll also get the autograph of his hooker date.

In all seriousness and sobriety, I feel bad about Gary Coleman. He was way too young when he died, and his post-celebrity years appear to have been a tortured existence. Despite experiencing little semblance of a childhood, he apparently brought pleasure to millions of people in his young career, and it’s a pity that he couldn’t have had more of that in his own life.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=CA renter][quote=sdduuuude]I met Gary Coleman once! RIP.[/quote]

Me too! Shot some pool with him many years ago. He seemed like a very nice young man — a little shy, even.

It is surprising that his body held out as long as it did with all of his health problems. This is very sad.

🙁

RIP, Gary.[/quote]

You know, that’s the only drawback to coming here to Pigg’s: You snotty Californians never miss an opportunity to remind those of us on the East Coast of your proximity to the stars and glamorous celebrities.

I live near DC. The best I can hope for is bumping into some overtanned congressman picking up his Viagra prescription at the pharmacy. If the planets are all in alignment, I’ll also get the autograph of his hooker date.

In all seriousness and sobriety, I feel bad about Gary Coleman. He was way too young when he died, and his post-celebrity years appear to have been a tortured existence. Despite experiencing little semblance of a childhood, he apparently brought pleasure to millions of people in his young career, and it’s a pity that he couldn’t have had more of that in his own life.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=afx114]Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.[/quote]

Love the Obamameter!! Many thanks for the link.

I was really pumped when the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania came up with the FactCheck.org website. Brilliant idea! Most of our political leaders and their staffs likewise thought so, too, utilizing FactCheck regularly in campaigns, legislative battles, and press releases….until facts came up that were not necessarily in their favor. Now we have a number of similar sites from which you can choose, depending on your particular brand of bias. Oh, well. It was great while it lasted.

In regard to the legislation, mine was an attempt simply to demonstrate the extreme divide along party lines. I have no delusions that any of those battles were easy. As for a change in the balance of the Senate and House, I wish I had your faith. In my eyes, a significant number of Republicans winning the seats of incumbent Dems will confirm what I suspect: that the evidence that the Republicans are drawing large paychecks for obstructing legislative progress hasn’t registered in the brains of American voters, or it simply doesn’t bother them. I’m not sure which of those bothers me more.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=afx114]Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.[/quote]

Love the Obamameter!! Many thanks for the link.

I was really pumped when the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania came up with the FactCheck.org website. Brilliant idea! Most of our political leaders and their staffs likewise thought so, too, utilizing FactCheck regularly in campaigns, legislative battles, and press releases….until facts came up that were not necessarily in their favor. Now we have a number of similar sites from which you can choose, depending on your particular brand of bias. Oh, well. It was great while it lasted.

In regard to the legislation, mine was an attempt simply to demonstrate the extreme divide along party lines. I have no delusions that any of those battles were easy. As for a change in the balance of the Senate and House, I wish I had your faith. In my eyes, a significant number of Republicans winning the seats of incumbent Dems will confirm what I suspect: that the evidence that the Republicans are drawing large paychecks for obstructing legislative progress hasn’t registered in the brains of American voters, or it simply doesn’t bother them. I’m not sure which of those bothers me more.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=afx114]Very good point eavesdropper. But you make it sound as if getting those passed were a cakewalk due to the Democratic majority. Are you arguing that they should have been easier to pass? In hindsight, perhaps they should have been. But it’s clear that they were battles. Were they battles due to the president’s political inexperience, or were they battles because the Dems, while a single group, are a diverse coalition of interests, much more so than the Reps? Is a president’s performance based on how many of the opposite party he can bring on board or is it based on the overall ability to bring diverse interests together to get shit done? We can also refer to the Obameter for some insight: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

No doubt the true test will be when he doesn’t have a majority. And based on what we’ve seen from the Reps so far, it doesn’t look like he will get much help from them. However, there could be more pressure on them to actually get stuff done since their votes will actually matter this time.

Time will tell.[/quote]

Love the Obamameter!! Many thanks for the link.

I was really pumped when the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania came up with the FactCheck.org website. Brilliant idea! Most of our political leaders and their staffs likewise thought so, too, utilizing FactCheck regularly in campaigns, legislative battles, and press releases….until facts came up that were not necessarily in their favor. Now we have a number of similar sites from which you can choose, depending on your particular brand of bias. Oh, well. It was great while it lasted.

In regard to the legislation, mine was an attempt simply to demonstrate the extreme divide along party lines. I have no delusions that any of those battles were easy. As for a change in the balance of the Senate and House, I wish I had your faith. In my eyes, a significant number of Republicans winning the seats of incumbent Dems will confirm what I suspect: that the evidence that the Republicans are drawing large paychecks for obstructing legislative progress hasn’t registered in the brains of American voters, or it simply doesn’t bother them. I’m not sure which of those bothers me more.

[Author]

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