Guard Dog

Your thumbs will be just fine Pop. Unless the US enters another two front world war (like 1941) you will never see the draft rear it's ugly head again. Believe me, the military does NOT want another draft. The reason it is so effctive is because it IS all volunteer. It doesn't not suffer the considerable morale problems that come with conscription. Besides, McCain has been one of the biggest advocates of turning away from the the 3 Bs (boots beans bullets) of defense spending and developing unmanned systems like the Predator and that new remote controlled robot, I forgot the name of it. Come to think of it, you were hyperventilating about the draft after Bush was reelceted on 2004 too. It did not happen. This thing with Iran is a whole lot of nothing too. McCain is not stupid, he is not going to want to wade into Iran with Iraq finally starting to stabilize. Unless they do something dumb like give a nuke to Al-Qeada all that will ever come of it is saber rattling and posturing.

You might want to reserve judgement on that one. The LOTR movies actually got finished. I kid.

Nationals Ballpark a Sight to Behold I must say I really like the current trend of baseball only stadiums. This game just does not work on football fields. Plus don't you hate watching football games with infield dirt in October. The new Nationals park looks really nice but it's got nothing on the one they are bulding in Tampa. http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/column...ory/512051.html This is a cool story. And I don't think Texas will have that many cool stories this year.

Fins promise open competition for QB, won't rule out Ryan The Fins need a QB like I need a hole in the head. If they blow that #1 pick on Matt Ryan that would be dumb. Hank Goldberg predicted a trade with Dallas for their #1 and #3 and Kyle Kosier on the radio today.

This is sad. I broke out and flipped through my old 1st ed books (yes I still have them from back in middle school) in his honor. He wrote or collaborated on every one. Like a few other mentioned he left a pretty lasting legacy behind.

I just got home today. I went to a job interview in Atlanta Ga. last Friday and a different one in Cheyenne WY on Monday. The comapny in Cheyenne sent an offer letter today. It was in my email when I got home. But the job is in Casper. Anyone know anything about that area?

Here is a "Tempest in a Teapot" McCain

Taks, ever try Road Dog scottish ale from Flying Dog? They are almost a home town brewer for you so I would guess you have. If so what did you think of it? Personally, I liked it. It's clean and smooth without an after taste and has a malty flavor. The only thing that stinks it it's a little hard to get down here. It seems all the local distributors carry only their India Pale brand that I can't stand.

Don't mistake the Drudge Report for real journalisim. All they do is link news stories other people wrote for other sources. Even when they do pass off work as their own, it came from somewhere else. Like the Monica Lewisnki thing that drudge is credited for breaking. All he did was buy it from the Enquirer whose reporters where angry that their rag was not going to run it. If Prince Harry's deployment was on drudge, it was common knowledge somewhere. On another note I think it is extremely cool that the blood of the old lions can still be found in the royal house!

Well, what do you know! Enoch and I finally agree on something! But you see, he hit me with a perspective I had not thought about before and it changed my mind on the issue. That is the value of debate. When it comes to political discussion there are two kinds of people kool-aid drinkers and critical thinkers. I'd like to think I'm one of the latter. Kool-aid drinkers think what the think but never ask themselves why. They know little about opposing viewpoints and reject all counter arguments out of hand without ever considering the logic behind them. We have a few here. They are given to hyperbole and often just repeat talking points they heard or read elsewhere. These are the people who get angry when you disagree with them and get nasty and insulting when you start challenging the strength of their beliefs. They get hostile because they cannot intellectually argue why they believe the way they do and frustrated because if they can't explain why they think that way they cannot ever convince YOU to think that way. So when it happens just laugh because you know you're smarter than they are! I don't think I have ever really tried to change someones mind on any issue. I just want them to see the logic of my argument. If they do they might find a flaw in their own belief and change their mind themselves. It has happened before.

For some reason i always had you pegged as a Bass drinker. Never heard of it. You have never had a Black and Tan?

ARGH! This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. That was just an example. Please please do NOT open that can of worms! This thread is about govennment not science or religion.

I understand where you are coming from. But I look at it in a different way. People like me go looking for someone who disagrees with them and wants to discuss it. I frequent forums like this one and libertypost.org because I find the political forums on the internet are extremely monolithic when it comes to ideology. For example, I've been banned from freerepublic.com and democratunderground.com because I go there and try to debate politics, not to rant and have everyone agree with me. However most forums (like those two) will not tolerate opposing viewpoints. That to me is depressing because if you never hear someone else

I thought is was self evident that such a letter should be substantive and concerning a policy issue the respective politicians are facing not some how-ya-doing friendly letter. Apparently I should have spelled that out. I'm curious, do you have an actual reason to believe that or is it just a reflex response from the inside-the-beltway ivory tower? I have worked with politicians on the state and federal level and found one to be much the same as the other. By local you mean state because all states decide the educational curriculum for that state, not the local school board. Prior to federal curricular guidelines most states (I'd think all but have no evidence to prove it) formed their education curriculum based on what the state universities and colleges expected incoming students to know. I really don't see how that process can be improved upon especially since college admissions, the SAT and ACT are not taken into consideration under current guidelines of Clintons Goals 2000, and Bush

Dolphins Ponder What to Do With No 1 Pick The Fins have so many needs that in an other years a trade down would be a no brainer. But this year the quality really falls off after the 12th pick or so. IMO thir biggest areas of hurt are the O-Line, D-Line and Secondary. Thier offense isn't terrible they just had a ton on season ending injuries early on. They other problem with trading down is there is no one team with a bushel of picks to offer.

Hey Pop, remember what we were saying about dirty campaign tricks? Does this count? I'd say yes. http://www.drudgereport.com/flashoa.htm

Man, was I right about this or what? http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/24/mcc...ance/index.html

I have never cared for Corona. I like it even less when I founf out it wan't even made in Mexico anymore. It's made in El Paso now. Well, I guess there isn't much differencce any more. The best Mexican beer is Dos Equis and Nocha Buena. That second one is hard to come by, it's not for export.

This is too funny. This I have to see! Marlins to Create All Male Plus Size Cheerleaders

Hayes and DC 2000 immediately come to mind, stupid facts. Luckily failing your poli sci course means winning at life. The popular vote of the STATE the electors came from. Read the entire thread, context matters!

I tried that a few years back but I never could get it right. It was always way over carbonated and tasted like beer flavored champagne. I never could get the hang of it. My favorite brands are Sam Adams, Guiness, and Spanish Peaks but when cash is tight a plain old Budweiser will do.

I drank beer, played with the dogs, and posted on internet forums all day. Mainly political forums plus traded posts with a few here. I just lit the charcoal on the grill for two center cut pork chops I have marinating in cranberry juice and apple brandy and some vegtable ke-bobs. Then I'm going to watch the Panthers blow another game against the Flyers on TV.

To that point I will counter by posing the same challenge to you as I did to Sand: Write one letter to your State Senator and another to one of your US Senators and see which one responds to you. The answer there should be self evident. The legislators and bureaucrats elected from the smallest voter pools will be most in tune with the needs and issues facing the people from those pools. I have no argument with that concerning issues like pollution and transportation where more than one state is affected. However when it comes to Education, Health Care, social issues, etc, what is good for the New York Goose does not work for the California Gander. For example Florida raises money through property tax and sales tax. The Department of Education Organization Act of 1980 then requires the state to pay part of that to Uncle Sam to fund the Department of Education which turns around and pays that money back to the States to fund education programs. Really is just feeds a bureaucratic machine who's appetite for money knows no limit. Now the DOE has the ability to withhold money (that the state raised in taxes) from the state if the State Secretary of Education (who is elected) does something the US Sec Education (who is NOT elected) does not like. Now with the No Child Left Behind act it is even worse. Now the DOE can target a single school in a single school district for a funding cut. Enoch, the local school board whose members were all locally elected has been effectively neutered buy a Washington Bureaucrat who is not elected therefore accountable to no one. I realize you are a Washington guy but as a lawyer, as an educated American, can you not see how someone would have a problem with that? To make matters worse, the US Constitution does not mention the word "Education" or allude to ANYTHING that can be construed as Education, so where does the Federal Government get this power? From nowhere, it takes it and what can one do? Nothing, really especially since five of the nine wise souls on 1st ST in DC have no heartburn with the Federal Government exceeding Constitutional limitations. That is just one example, I have many others. I know Libertarian ideology leaves you scratching your head but you need to separate Libertarian ideals from the Libertarian party because believe me they are no longer the same thing. Much like Conservative ideals and the Republican party.

Sand.... do you know what Federalism even is? Let me explain. Political power within any political entity is a zero sum game. Every one has equal share (anarchy) or one person has it all (autocracy) or it is somewhere in between. In the Federalist system the majority of power is supposed to remain at the lowest level, therefore closest to the voter so the voter has more political control over the issues that impact them directly. You live in Iowa, the government with the most power over Iowa should be in Des Moines where the people understand Iowa and it's needs, not in Washington where they do not. If you want to try a little experiment, write a letter to your State Senator and to one of your US Senators and see who gets back to you. The US constitution spells out EXACTLY what the role of the Federal government should be, the 10th Amendment then says all power not assigned to the federal government belongs to the states. Remember a while back I pointed out adamantly that is a single state chose to provide free health coverage to it's citizens I would have no problem with it, but if the Federal Government tries to do it I would fight against it, donate against it, vote against it at every turn? That was whay I was getting at.

Enoch you just summed up in a single sentence why I dislike and will not vote for democrats. Ever since FDR they have been working actively to erode the 10th amendment and have not even paid lip service to the concept of Federalisim. Granted the Post-Reagan republicans have been little better but when I must choose between fast decline and slow decline I must opt for the lesser of the two and vote for slow decline.