Guard Dog

Thanks. I love collector edition books. I have many. But not enough yet to cover a wall. But soon!

That is a really nice edition. I always loved Dune. Up until book 3 at least. After that it REALLY lost it's way.

No I certainly wouldn't say that! Like the old saying goes, Republican Democracy is the worst political system of all, except for all the others. But one would hope that citizens would be responsible enough to educate themselves on what is really going on before casting a vote!

Memphis 99 Golden State 89 GO GRIZZ!

I'm curious. The vast majority of the folks who post on this board are intelligent and well educated (sometimes even both ). How many of your parents read to you? I'm not making a point or searching for anecdotal evidence of anything. I'm really curious. Both of my parents read to me, usually from the bible or some "classic" stories. My dad spent a year reading Treasure Island to me before I was old enough to read on my own. I vaguely remember that to this day. They did the same for my younger brother too. I can't ever remember a time since I was a kid when I wasn't reading a book.

You haven't started hating your customers yet? You will! I had a teacher at a school I designed and installed a Wi-Fi-wiMAX system for two years ago approach me and ask why they could not connect their phone to the school network. She handed me the phone and it was a Nokia 6630. I told her that phone is twelve years old. 802.11 wi-fi was a very new thing then and most phones didn't have it. Her reply, delivered in a huff I might add, was that why could all of her colleagues connect their phones then? Thank God she was a music teacher, had she been a math, science, or economics teacher I'd have been worried.

Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ? http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. The issue I have with this view is everyone seems to be absolved of responsibility for the creation and impact of ISIS except for the West The Iraq government who marginalized the Iraq Sunni's get a pass Assad the brutal dictator of Syria who is responsible for the protracted civil war in Syria which allowed the actual creation of ISIS gets a pass The Russians and Chinese who also have vested interests in stability in the region get a pass The Middle East themselves gets a pass from having to meaningfully address ISIS But when the USA intervenes to stop genocide its seems to be meddling and or is seen as cleaning up a mess of it own creation...which I dispute So no pass for Western countries, just judgement What we need is a modern day version of the Monroe Doctrine. Everything east of the Azores and west of Attu Island are not our problem. No aid, but also no intervention. But we are getting off topic here a little bit.

No, the only thing "socialist" about Obamacare is the mandate. Namutree nailed it when he called it a socialist/capitalist hybrid in that is uses the force of law to compel everyone to participate in a capitalist venture. And that is really the most heinous thing about it. It compels every citizen, as a requirement of citizenship, to enter into a private contract with a third party. It forces you to buy something. I'm not saying it's not something important but that should not matter. It has never been a crime to do nothing until that passed. It really sets a terrible precedent. Especially considering at the time the Federal Government had an ownership interest in GM and a few other companies. It's only another small step to force everyone buying a car to buy a GM car.

The way Obamacare was passed is a prime example of one party having full control over the government. That is NEVER a good thing no matter which side you count yourself on. But mandatory crappy health insurance does not incite passion. But kicking down doors and seizing firearms will be a whole horse of another color. I truly believe mandatory gun control will shatter the country.

[citation needed] Oh for God's sweet sake do you think for a second I could not provide a link blizzard of pundits, politicians, wise and learned folks who agree with my analysis? After all this debate has only been going on here for the last 80 years or so. Ever since the "New Deal". Of course IMO the idea of using welfare to create a "dependent class" was a result (intended or not) of the Great Society and the War On Poverty under LBJ. Imagine this, every month I give you just enough money to survive and subsidize your groceries and utilities. Entry level jobs will pay you less even though you will earn more in the long run. But since it's always easier to do nothing than do something you would keep doing nothing and the welfare keeps coming in. If you want more money, have another kid and you'll get more money. Sure that kid will probably not be able to afford college because you sure are not saving anything but what the heck when his time comes he can go on welfare too. And all you have to do to keep the money coming in is to vote for me. And to be sure you do I remind you every election that my opponent wants to cut your welfare. See? Not that hard to figure out is it? Of course I could also provide a link blizzard of people who disagree because there are multiple sides to anything in politics but the opinions of those who benefit from the labor of others to whom they contribute nothing hold little weight with me.

The horror! The horror! Like everything else it's a fine thing in moderation. We left that behind in the days of LBJ. Welfare used to be about helping people who needed it. Now it's about creating a dependent class of reliable voters to the people who keep the checks coming no matter the cost to the ones who actually work for the money. This is a true statement: "Every dollar someone receives without working for someone else worked for without receiving it."

Pro logic dude. You'd last real long in a debate class. That was hyperbole Longknife. It automatically fails any logic check. Don't get me wrong I do like (and often employ) a well thought out and logically sound argument but it seldom makes good forum chatter. Sometimes it feels good to just shout out "Well f--k them!"

In the American parlance feel free to mentally "find and replace" SJW with Democrat. Because while all Democrats are not SJWs, in the US all SJWs vote Democrat. So by empowering Democrats we are empowering SJWs. I can agree with that and its amazing how well the USA has done since " SJW" have taken over running the government? Compare the USA under Bush to it now and the last 8 years under Obama...are we really going to say things were the same or better overall under Bush? So SJ influence is not always a bad thing? Yes. Pretending otherwise is folly. All questionable programs that people disliked under Bush have vastly expanded under Obama. The amount of corruption that Obama has presided over has NEVER been seen in the executive and is EXACTLY what I predicted when I heard the dem primary frontrunner was a Chicago pol. Not to mention the idiocy with Iran and his refusal to defend the Marshall Islands flagged ship. It's ****ing disgusting. Interesting well I would like to hear other opinions from other American forum members The question is a simple one " is the USA the same, better or worse off under Obama than Bush after 8 years " ? More of the same. Warfare abroad, welfare at home. Only Obama is giving us warfare at home too. Our last decent president was Clinton. And he only came around after the Repubs swept into Congress in '94. The thing about Clinton he was a machine politician. He was pragmatic enough not to try to ram something down our throats when he knew we didn't want it. Obama is an ideologue, a "true-believer". He is a advocate for an all powerful state and an opponent of Federalism and has worked hard to bolster on while undermining the other. People like that seldom make good presidents. That is another reason I am so opposed to Hillary, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, etc. There is an arrogance about them. They truly believe they are smarter than everyone and no they are going to MAKE us do it their way. The ironic thing is I didn't like Clinton much. I never cared if he was boffing an intern. I was more concerned that she was unattractive to risk so much over. And Clinton never did have a close association with the truth so I never cared much for him on that note too. But if I could have him back right now in place of what we have now I'd take it.

In the American parlance feel free to mentally "find and replace" SJW with Democrat. Because while all Democrats are not SJWs, in the US all SJWs vote Democrat. So by empowering Democrats we are empowering SJWs.

Yeah, I doubt that. They can't even get a background check through. You really give the democrats way too much credit. If Heller V DC had been decided the other way they might have been able to get it without a messy legislative process. One justice would have turned that decision. The left has used the judiciary to shove through the back door what they could never get through the front.

This is an example of the intellectual left run amok. A case study of why these people should never be voted into in kind of political power to ACT on it. Otherwise reading to your children won't just be discouraged, it will be illegal, Or worse:

Children whose parents read to them are more likely to enjoy reading themselves when they learn how. I can't imagine a better gift to give your kids than that.

I spit up my coffee when I read that!

Hey, what kind of porn you watch is your business. Best zinger ever!

This is a long article. But it is interesting in the conclusions they draw. I'll sum it up this way "Don't read to your children. It enhances their development and puts the children whose parents don't interact with them at a disadvantage" It is interesting to note that rather than encourage all parents to interact with and enhance the development of their children they would rather discourage those who do to apologize to the children of the ones who don't. That is social justice in a nutshell. Reduce everyone to the lowest common denominator. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/new-family-values/6437058

Famous Jameis takes the field today for rookie mini-camp in Tampa. I'll be watching the film on their site tonight.

I am marginally supporting Rand Paul. Much as I like Ben Carson and Carly Fiorino I don't see the sense in giving someone the top job in politics who have no experience in politics. I'd vote for Scott Walker too if he gets nominated. Any of the others, no way. An hell will freeze solid before I ever cast a vote for one of those miserable, filthy, freedom hating democrats. But to tell the truth beyond judicial appointments (which is a big deal) whoever is in the White House will matter less than who is in congress.

Rare the Wold photo not taken by Wold, who is the photographer and where is your puppy. Careful Wold, you're scaring Bruce!

Very busy lately. Between work and turning my place into a semi-self sustaining farm has occupied my every waking moment. I've got a five acre garden now (rather than a few square meters like before) plus I'm building a larger and nicer storage shed out of the useable remains of the one that was ruined ion the flood two years ago. I was considering building one with horse stalls to let out.

I haven't been following this lately. It looks like they are doubling down on every bad thing.