Cantousent

'69 Anyhow, I remember disco. Now that sucked. However, I danced disco. Hell, I go dancing with the wife. Not just slow dancing, either. Hmm, I wonder if I can find a picture somewhere.

Damned hippy.

I'm Eldar's better nature. Please continue to respect the original poster.

I worry constantly about my dad. He's old. He's forced to use a walker and he can barely get around. His mind is sharp as a razor, but his body is failing him. ...And I remember when he towered over me at 6'4". I think it's good that you shared this with us. When my dad dies (and he and I are both too old to say "if my dad dies") I'll be here sharing my grief. A toast: to your father. It's all over too soon.

I'd like to say thanks to one and all. Swine! Anyhow, back from vacation and I'm so happy and relaxed, the drinks are on me.

I agree that gambling is bad altogether. However, enforcing guidelines on online gambling is harder, especially where the parties involved cross state or national boundaries. It's a matter of regulation. Frankly, I don't like gambling in any form. Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't rail against it or make it my number one priority in life. I'll go to the tables and spend five dollars gambling on rare occasions. Where it is legal, I might actually gamble every now and then. However, easy access to gambling leads to problems for a substantial number of citizens. I'm not the problem. Most folks here aren't the problem. ...But gambling is bad news. State run lotteries at least keep the money in the country. Of course, that doesn't mean that the money in the country helps the state or local community in the least. Las Vegas is a black hole for money from surrounding states that could be used at home. In fact, the money folks spend in Las Vegas could be used to support the local economy as well as increase the local and state coffers. Instead, it enriches Vegas.

Very funny. Stewart always delivers. He's a rare exception: a politcal funny man who is more funny than political. That said, gambling is bad for a community. Well, I guess it's good for Las Vegas because it let's the community there siphon money away from the community here. However, gambling causes a lot of mayhem. It's something that needs careful consideration. Just ask Las Vegas metro.

No, we are not. I hope, fervently, that they will not kill us, either.

I don't care, as long as the devil doesn't advocate genocide or slide into hate speech, we can argue with either him or his council all night.

Leave your mothers out of this, dammit. No need to beat up anyone in this thread. Hell, I think the internet is a great example of society. There are very few restrictions to keep folks from being as nasty as possible and yet most folks are actually prety decent to one another. At any rate, I'm might have to prune a few of the posts here just to keep up the law and order aspect of this board. That way, we'll never know if we're nice or if it's fear of the "law" that keeps us from being animals. EDIT: I've ammended my post after some thought.

Why would we remove our "facade of civilization," Hades? Listen, I'm taking your suggestion seriously, but the very existence of civilization proves that we have it in ourselves to be law abiding. Not only are we capable of living within a civilization, but we thrive in such circumstances. Sure, we can revert to our baser instincts. We can also rise above them.

I dunno. How many people in this thread have actually killed someone? We're pretty good at acting against our instincts, it seems to me.

Great, then he needs to quit baiting himself! Seriously, we don't have a problem because there isn't enough hate. Saying that the only way to resolve our problems is to kill each other more efficiently is just nuts. Israel, as a state, is no more of a problem than any number of states that have existed in the area for thousands of years. Hell, take Jericho for example. Thousands of years of warfare before even Judaism.

Could we please refrain from baiting one another in this thread? At least you haven't called for genocide against Muslims yet, Don. Still, try not to get diverted into hate speech. On the other hand, there was plenty of turmoil before Islam. Hell, there was turmoil in the middle east well before Christianity, let alone Islam.

I'm considering it. I'll wait until I'm back from vacation.

You know, I disagree with you and Gorth so often, but I really appreciate your posts. hahaha

I think most people who are not directly affected by the conflict will agree that the situation isn't good. The same people, when asked about how to solve it, will be at each others throats, disagreeing about what is the best way to solve it <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Eldar the members sees the irony and appreciates it. Eldar the mod says, different strokes for different folks, but no genocide today! :Eldar's enigmatic icon:

I see that as another problem, Gorth. The lands in that region are "ancestral" to so many people, it's war-bait no matter who's in control.

Israel as a state is rather different than Jews as a people. That I will grant. The question as to who is right or wrong is a different matter. However, the reason Israel continues to exist, as opposed to other forms of Imperial colonialism, is that the Jewish people emmigrated to Isreal in sufficient numbers to control the land. There's simply no way to dislodge them at this point. In fact, if the Jews were forced out of Israel, it would cause just as great of problems in the world as the situation we currently face in the Middle East. As you said, the region has been in turmoil for a long time. In fact, the region has been in turmoil for thousands of years. I doubt if we can lay the blame for all of that on the Israelis.

Just waiting for the clarification, Hades. Don't want anyone to think that we're letting folks call for genocide on the boards. As for the solution. There're many solutions. Clinton and co. came up with a viable solution. It's not that genocide is necessary. In fact, genocide is unlikely. I mean, do you really think one side or the other will be able to kill all of the other side? Not a chance. So saying that the only solution is genocide is essentially saying there is no solution at all. That, my friend, might be the case. However, I was a bit uncertain how to take this comment: "Only through total genocide can their be peace." followed closely by this comment: "Israel should go. Go far far away and never come back." I don't like that uncertain feeling. Thank you for making your thoughts clearer.

Oh, there are a lot of factors involved, but we should be leary of using post facto judgements to overturn the results of something as important as the World Cup. The authority should only undertake such measures when the circumstances leave no other viable choice. Otherwise, victory will be more the result of clever argument rather than skillful play.

Please refrain from advocating genocide on the Obsidian boards. In other news, the power-mad moderator, El-Dar, plans on smiting board members who can't control their more exuberant genocide lovin' tendencies. Litigious use of genocide will not protect you from El-Dar's loving rays of cleansing. I'm sure Kaftan would like to see his thread remain open until it reaches the thread length hall of fame.

I agree with Vol. BIS was great, but Obsidian has moved out of the BIS shadow. I'm sure the people who went out and took a chance on a new company would rather move beyond BIS. Obsidian is a new company. Maybe it was built on a foundation of BIS practices, principles, and talent, but now it is Obsidian. To tie Obsidian to the glory of BIS means that we must tie Obsidian to the downfall as well. The goal of Obsidian is not to be as great as BIS. It is to be greater. It's to move beyond the shadow of the past into a bright new future. God, I love cliches.

Ah hell, this is the internet. You can live anything down. Don't listen to my MtG playing doofus friend. However, we will still joke about it every now and then just for the hell of it. Why not? Hey, the biggest compliment in the internet is to make it back into the fold with a long standing running joke attached to your name. As for these ridiculous tatoos, why get one in the first place? If you're ever on the run from the law, there's nothing like a distinguishing feature that's easy to identify. Silly damned things, these tatoos.

We already aid Israel in many substantial ways. It is, if I'm not mistaken, the recipient of our largest foreign military aid package. Follow, if I remember correctly, by Egypt. I agree with Kaftan in that the violence there has no end in sight. If Palestinians didn't take the deal that Clinton helped broker, there is no deal to be made.