tasksource/blog_authorship_corpus · Datasets at Hugging Face

id int64 5.11k 4.34M	gender stringclasses 2 values	age int64 13 48	topic stringclasses 40 values	sign stringclasses 12 values	date stringlengths 2 18	text stringlengths 4 790k
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	oh ben, your irreverence never fails to amuse me. i'm in love with a girl who has a dandruff.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	yay! the blog is finally posting. happy dead guy day to you too dood. thanks for the shout out, clever J. everybody should start a blog. EVERYBODY DAMMIT
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Since I'm not anticipating checking in over the next couple of days, Happy Lee-Jackson-King Day, everyone!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	and yo, ben, put up some new scat in your secret city. i done sick of them wolves man.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	man, whats you smokin', g?
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Hello, all. Just up from a long winter's nap. Congrats to J & J on the arrivals of the wee ones. Get well soon to J & A. I wanna give a shout out to my cinderella Mir Mad out in Carrot Top, and my to homie Immie Jay, and the man with the plans, AP, and the Mars-meister B, and the world traveller CK, and a real quiet whispa to Silent Walka, and a little shout out to Brother Kor wherever he be....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	PLAGUE LOVE I GOT DA PLAGUE LOVE IT'S A GOOD KINDA LOVE YES I GOT DA PLAAAGUE LOVE
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	And now Johnathan's sick, too. sigh Love is sharing illness with a glad heart.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	ZEE!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	It's just seasonal-affect crap. Lots of chicken soup and fruit juice and sitting on my ass should do the trick. Thank you for the well-wishings!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	sorry to hear that angie-puss. hope you feel better soon!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I was busy watching the backs of my eyelids, choking on my throat and nasal congestion. Would've loved to have seen it, but my Advil Cold & Sinus put me down for the count.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	okay, i'll assume that none of you sorry excuses for ponies did. sheesh.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	did anyone see the karl and maggie show last night? i thought it went well.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	if i could melt your heart. mmmmmmmmmmmm we would never be apart. give yourself to me. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. fleh.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	nay, john - it's happening for everyone. i'm working on fixing it when i have time...
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Am I the only one who is not seeing any of these posts after January 14 on the website?
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	feh. my boat is no longer being rocked. hasn't been for awhile.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	the snow comes like snow in the night snow-like snowish snowy
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	i downloaded it from kazaa - listened to it 10 times so far. i think i need professional help. oh yeah, i already have that - i guess i'm screwed. how about a good ole' fashioned purple hair fusion? I AM FREE!!!! I AM FUCKING FREE!!!!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	yup - i have seen that video and it is good.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Dammit, Mir...you and that song! You got that stuck in my head the other night, and I'm still fighting it. Have you seen the video? It's actually pretty decent, and a lot darker than her usual stuff.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Spoken Don't look at me Every day is so wonderful And suddenly, it's hard to breathe Now and then, I get insecure From all the fame, I'm so ashamed I am beautiful no matter what they say Words can't bring me down I am beautiful in every single way Yes, words can't bring me down So don't you bring me down today To all your friends, you're delirious So consumed in all your doom Trying hard to fill the emptiness The piece is gone and the puzzle undone That's the way it is You are beautiful no matter what they say Words won't bring you down You are beautiful in every single way Yes, words won't bring you down Don't you bring me down today... No matter what we do (no matter what we do) No matter what they say (no matter what they say) When the sun is shining through Then the clouds won't stay And everywhere we go (everywhere we go) The sun won't always shine (sun won't always shine) But tomorrow will find a way All the other times We are beautiful no matter what they say Yes, words won't bring us down We are beautiful no matter what they say Yes, words can't bring us down Don't you bring me down today Don't you bring me down today Don't you bring me down today
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	congratulations john and julie! woo hoo!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	go babies go
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Congrats, John! I'll be thinking of your new lieblings and hoping for them to grow strong quickly so you can get them home!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	congratulations dude!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Julie delivered two baby boys yesterday: Aaron James Robinson, 5 lbs 15 oz, 18 3/4 in @ 15:12 William John Robinson, 5 lbs 9 oz, 19 in @ 15:13 Mom is doing fine recovering from her c-section, and will be up walking around this afternoon.. The babies are in the NICU, currently being treated for acute repiratory distress because of their immature lungs. The doctors are very positive in their prognosis, and they should be removed from assisted breathing devices in the next 3-4 days. After that, once they start eating properly, they will be allowed to come home. Probably in 2-3 weeks, assuming no other complications.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Baby, I remember all the things you taught me... I learned how to laugh, and I learned how to cry Well I learned how to love and I learned how to lie... What are you doing Thursday? :)
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	free money - woo hoo urlLink music CD antitrust settlement and urlLink verification that the above link is legit
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	angie doesn't send me flowers, angie doesn't sing me love songs ........ anymore.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	preach it sister!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	ben is signing the papers for his house tonight - congratulations, ben!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I must take issue with such a sweeping statement -- I, for one, am not 'culturally set up' to do this. I have always been satisfied with my own company -- though the right person can certainly enhance the experience. I recommend planting a garden instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	quote from allan gurganus: We're all culturally set up to look for that one other beloved object who will complete us and satisfy us and sate us and make us look good. But while we're looking for that chimera, that unicorn that will never appear, it's damn good to have lots of friends to console you and to support you and literally to carry you down the steps when you can't walk.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Whoa, it really IS the Original Ranch Dressing! Go urlLink here and click on the 'about us' link to read about the amazing history behind the product that makes America fatter and fatter every day!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I now have True Blue going through my head. And I've been sitting here at my desk doing nothing for like half an hour 'cause my boss won't tell me what I can do, even though I've asked her twice. Blaaaaaahhh. I think I'll go research the history of Ranch dressing.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	i love madonna!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I'm. so. bored.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Uma Therman can't hold a candle to Bea Arthur with a strap-on
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	ben had just made out with ethan hawke and i was getting ready to watch uma thurman strip to 'underneath it all' when the damn phone rang. feh.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Personally, I have nothing against predictable movies. I know a symphony will have four movements; I know sonata form is often fast-slow-fast; I know many pop songs have two verses, two choruses, and a bridge; I know James Bond will win; I know the meal will end with dessert; I know people in romantic comedies fall in love, despite the obstacles in the way. Unpredictability is an attribute, not a virtue.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	chris, i actually saw the film mbfgw - and this was before it became 'popular.' and i was bored out of my mind. it's full of ethnic stereotypes, undeveloped characters, and overall a predictable and trite movie - i have no idea why so many people enjoyed it.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	you are already my soul sister, angie. saw tori last night - it was like watching an angel sing.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	1989 - 'Epic' 1991 - 'Losing My Religion' 1994 - 'Black Hole Sun' 2002 - 'Lose Yourself' My goodness but that 8-year lag was too long. Waiting for the next timeless (for me) anthem....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	'Toe pick!' I like the Cutting Edge too. Probably the only Moira Kelly film that I do. I also like D.B Sweeney, though most people don't. I am very surprised at your list of movies Johnathan. From discussing movies with over the past couple of years, my previous post is what I thought I knew of your movie preferences. Obviously I was just a little off in my understanding. There is only one movie on the list that I have not seen (Purple Rain) and only one I don't care for (The Karate Kid - he makes Luke Skywalker seem like a mature adult). I guess we have more similar taste than I realized. My apologies. Angie - Boys are gross.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I never thought boys were gross.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Some random popcorn movies I consider equal to the Greats: Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, Goldfinger, The Matrix (with reservations), Terminator 2 (the first I consider only borderline popcorn, like Alien or Blade Runner), Aliens, True Lies, Dirty Harry, Ghostbusters, Animal House, Back to the Future, Beverly Hills Cop, Wargames, Trek II, Lethal Weapon. Some random movies many consider bad or inconsequential, that I shamelessly adore: The Cutting Edge, Dirty Dancing, Purple Rain, The Karate Kid, Caddyshack, Rocky III, Big Trouble in Little China, Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, Top Gun, St. Elmo's Fire. Not an art film in the pack, none of them independent, and any one will please me as much as Allen, Fellini, Kurosawa, or Hitchock.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I have not seen the movie, and really had no intention to, but Julie wants to rent it on DVD, so we will rent it at some point. My reason for not seeing had nothing to do with marketing or what studio produced it. Since March of 2000, when my daughter was born, our movie watching has dropped dramatically. Where we used to go to the movies at least every other week, it is know at most one every other month. From memory, the movies we saw last year were Castaway, Blackhawk Down, SW:II, MIB:II, and Two Towers. So far this year, we have seen Chicago. So, that being said, Greek Wedding did not make it onto my extremely short list. This is not meant to offend or insult anyone, but I find it funny that a film that was aparently not good enough for any of the major studios and became such a mainstream success as an independent film, is disliked by the people who usually like the independent films. It kind of reminds me of what happened to U2 when most of us were in high school (and Angie still thought boys were gross). They were liked by a few people (Ben being the one the comes to my mind), and then they got, gasp, popular, and all the people who liked them first suddenly did not want to listen to them. Johnathan and I have pretty divergent tastes in movies. Not necessarily in genres, but in what we find enjoyable. I go to the movie for a couple of hours of escapism, and will usually only have problems with a film because it drags or has gaping plot holes. From my perspective, Johnathan goes to the movies to see a well produced movie, with a solid plot. He does not seem to be impressed with eye candy, but more so with the finer details of the film (what kind of lighting, hard vs. soft focus, camera angles, etc). I, as a fairly mindless member of the general herd, don't notice those things unless they interfere with my enjoyment of the movie. My general rule is that if the critics love a movie, I don't want to see it. I have been burned too many times seeing critically aclaimed movies. As for Jennifer's question about furniture, I have lived in Richmond for 25 years now, and have never heard of the store in question. Now, it sounds like they make very nice, and assumed to be expensive, furniture. I don't want to buy something for my house that I will be afraid to use because it might be damaged, especially now with three munchkins cruising around armed with juice and crayons. So, I will buy stuff from Haynes (at one of their 'best sales ever') accepting that it is not as nice, and almost certainly will not last as long, but then be able to replace it when it wears out, and probably be able to still spend less than a nicer store.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	urlLink DON'T PANIC!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	All right now, Keeng, I never said that I hated MBFGW. I sneered at commercials because they make the screenwriting for both look unworthy of full production, and thus, wasteful. What's more insulting to the poorstarvingartist than wastefulness? (Answer: not much.) (And I apologise for not giving it a fair shake, but read on...) I have to agree with your wry observation about successes making failures of art. I am certainly less inclined to see a movie that's gone mainstream, and yes, it is reverse snobbism. That's one of the unfortunate things that I got with my BFA: the belief that artisanally-produced projects appeal to connoisseurs, not the masses. I admit it's skewed (but tell me: How many pieces of furniture have been purchased in Richmond from Ethan Allen or Haynes or (godforbid) Target rather than at Harrison Higgins, who custom-makes beautiful solid goods right on Broad Street at Lombardy?). It's oversimplified & illogical to infer that I won't like a film because it's popularly acclaimed, yet I do it anyway, because experience has taught me that my taste isn't right in step with that of the general viewing public. Yes, I miss things. Yes, I regret the oversights when I discover & correct them. But I'm a stubborn, reactionary little human, and it's the method, although flawed, that's served me best so far. I know: Judge not lest ye be judged....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	You're right -- success does affect my opinion. I mean...there was a time when I thought Titanic was the greatest American film ever made. Changed my life. Then it made all that money, and boy did that change my tune! And how about Gladiator? My god, what a masterpiece! Then the success, and the awards...I see a clip from it now and I'm filled with unbridled rage. What a crazy monkey am I! Of course, I saw both of these, so my point is undermined....but give me some credit -- the success or failure of any work has no effect on my personal taste. What I am reacting to is marketing -- and I will be the first to admit that my choices are affected by marketing, usually to the negative, since if I see it everywhere, all the time, and I gotta love it love it love it, as has been and continues to be shoved in my face re: Greek Wedding, I'm going to be really turned off, even if it is f*ing Citizen Kane. That may be irrational, and it may be unfair, but it's my choice, and I'm happy to blame it on the studio, and too bad for the filmmaker who let it happen, because if an artist puts his or her foot down, it doesn't have to be that way. I don't like being treated like a six-year-old, which is what the studio has done and continues to do, and it's a shame that what may be a fine little movie bears the brunt of my reaction, but sometimes that's just the breaks in this devil's deal we call art and commerce. Dance too close to media saturation, and you get burned. A lesson for artists everywhere.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I sort of boycotted the film mainly because I don't like 'look, it's funny 'cause their culture is different from our culture' movies. And the ads for the series are...just...awful. Not to mention that the main actress has a face that just makes me want to punch her. So no, okay, you're right. I didn't see it. Call me close-minded. You're probably right. But I also never saw half the Corey movies, which were all the rage at the time, and I don't really feel as though I've missed anything. Maybe I'll see it one day, but I doubt it will change my life. Plus, with my impending nuptuals, I don't want to see a wacky 'everything's going awry' wedding movie. My own family is mental enough as it is.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Ahem. Just how many of you people that are professing undying hatred for MBFGW actually saw the damn thing? And it's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really funny to see how success affects people's opinions. Who are we to be so quick to pull somebody down just because their idea worked? I saw the movie in the arthouse theatre down the street, long before it went wide and 'mainstream' -- and at the time I thought it was clever and well done. I doubt that the movie has deteriorated in quality just because it's popular And my favorite quote from that horrible rant on SUVs that started this newest thread: 'Consider this startling fact: the SUV is the only reason the United States has been unable to comply with the Kyoto Accord on air pollution.' Consider this startling fact: I can make up any damn fiction I want, and as long as I state that it is explicitly a fact, readers will accept it as so (especially if they are already pre-disposed to agree with said fact), even without any type of documentation to back me up. It doesn't matter what I say So long as I say it with inflection That makes you feel that I'll convey Some inner truth of vast reflection But I've said nothing so far And I canm keep it up for as long as it takes And it don't matter who you are If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Hi, y'all. Here's my 2 cents (2 words) on the SUV thread: mass transit. Thank the Holy Ghost that I live in a city that has a system that mostly works. (And yes, JLS, the damn things actually are trucks anyway.) BTW, my cousin drives one - but she bought it after she'd had not one but TWO cars totalled around her in collisions caused by SUVs, after one of which her car had to be sawed in half so that she could be extracted safely. Isn't something wrong here? Why do we have to fight evil polluters with their own oversized weapons? And hey, aren't you mystified about MBFGW turning into a series? I mean, it's cool that they're all working, given today's economy, but isn't that stretching the idea a little thinly? The commercials make it look idiotic. It's a sitcom, I guess, but really. --And you know, I didn't see the movie, either. Didn't need to. Saw half a preview. Now I've seen the sitcom promos. I'm all set. No more doses of Vardalos, parakalos. Pass the feta instead.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	It would be nice if from an emissions standpoint, the SUV was classified as a truck instead of a car. I mean, after all, it really is a truck. That's really my only beef.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	urlLink Report: SUVs pose danger to cars Congressional hearing focuses on safety Wednesday, February 26, 2003 Posted: 1:06 PM EST (1806 GMT) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Congress takes its closest look at auto safety on Wednesday since the Firestone tire debacle nearly two years ago, probing the safety of sport utility vehicles. Regulators, auto makers and consumer groups were scheduled to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on rollover risks, seat belt use and other safety concerns associated with one of the most popular vehicles ever. The spotlight will be on the nation's top auto safety regulator, Jeffrey Runge, who last month stunned the industry by criticizing SUV safety. The administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called for meaningful and swift changes. Concerned about deaths Runge, an emergency room physician who will be the featured witness at the hearing, is most concerned about rollover deaths and injuries in sport utility vehicles, seat belt use, and the threat posed to smaller cars by bigger and stronger SUVs. 'SUVs inflict more harm on occupants than other cars do,' said Brian O'Neill, president of an insurance industry group that will release new statistics on SUV safety at the hearing. The group's report, an analysis of government safety data, will show that sport utility fatality rates have fallen sharply in recent years and are now almost even with passenger cars. But O'Neill said the analysis will also show that because of their size and weight, sport utility vehicles can cause considerable damage to smaller passenger cars in side-impact crashes. Making their case The auto industry aggressively defended SUV safety at a news conference on Tuesday, and plans to do the same before Senate lawmakers. 'SUVs are very safe vehicles,' said Sue Cischke, vice president of safety at Ford Motor Co. She said sport utility vehicles are under attack for some of their most noteworthy attributes. 'They do well in front crashes, side crashes and rear crashes,' Cischke said. 'Unfortunately, many people who are killed (especially in rollovers) many times are not wearing safety belts.' Acknowledging concerns But the industry has recently acknowledged SUV safety concerns that critics have complained about for years, and federal regulators and Congress have sharpened their focus on them. The industry's chief lobbying group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, has released data that auto companies agree with government figures showing the fatality rate in rollovers is three times greater for those in SUVs than for those in cars. Auto makers have also promised to work together to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from weight and size differences of SUVs and passenger cars. Some longer term improvements could involve design changes in one or both classes of vehicles. The car companies are trying to head off regulation, which Runge threatened to pursue if the industry did not act voluntarily. But some critics complain the industry is ceding a little ground now to ease pressure for new regulation and that voluntary design changes could take several years. It can take the government four years or more to approve new regulation. Some Call For Fast Action Joan Claybrook, a former director of the federal auto safety agency and now president of consumer group Public Citizen, says Congress should immediately mandate new rules. 'The industry has known for years about these dangers and has bobbed and weaved to avoid regulation,' Claybrook said. 'The government has also dropped the ball.' Claybrook was also a fierce critic of industry and government action during the Firestone tire saga in which millions of tires were recalled in 2000 and 2001 after tread separations and blowouts were linked to more than 270 deaths. Most of those tires were standard equipment on Ford Explorer SUVs. Congress passed landmark auto safety legislation after that investigation.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	And with the crack of ice breaking on concrete, all her plans and all her schemes collapsed in a single cascade of glittering regret -- only to tumble and pour and pile into an awesome tower of sparkling rage, brilliant and hard and cold under the pitiless winter sun. It was her day -- it had come at last -- and by sundown, the city would cry for mercy.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	You're gonna see your sheba shimmy shake.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I have never seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding -- I just chose to hate it as an act of personal freedom. Sticking it to the man. Giving a shout out. Taking a stand. Mowing the lawn. Boogie nights and Herald Square and all that jazz. Aces.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I'm sure that's nice for some people, but I've about had my fill in life of only realizing something's worth by losing it. I hate MBFGW as well. Can I be a soul sister, too?
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	sometimes the best way to be reminded of something is by its absence.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	oh my god, i hated my big fat greek wedding too! johnathan and i are soul sisters!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	In retrospect, I was pretty much describing the average American in that last post, so to include SUVs was irrelevant. Any opinion I have on the issue is targeted at a kind of person, regardless what they drive. Ultimately I have no opinion about SUVs, except that I personally don't care to own one.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I just think they look cool. shuffle
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	SUVs....for myself, if I had kids I'd prefer the Honda Odyssey. If I want a truck, I'll buy a truck. From what I've experienced of SUVs, the owners have been duped by clever marketing. There's equal or more room to be found in a station wagon or a minivan -- and better value, to boot. People who own SUVs are likely to have gushed about My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and probably think it's an adventure to go white water rafting with their coworkers. I don't care what they drive; but it's generous of them to wear such obvious badges -- makes it easier to see them coming, so I can move to another table at the restaurant. And hey -- they keep Dockers slacks in business, so...God bless 'em.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	john, i'm sorry you're so upset about the loss of the holy ghost. perhaps you can contact god via prayer and he will rehire him. just hang in there, man.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	so true: After several gentle conversations, I have finally gotten my fianc to share his fantasy with me: He wants to have sex on the top of a bunk bed. He says he likes the idea of a restricted space and our bodies being really close. We don't own a bunk bed, but I really want to make it come true for him. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Bride To Be Your fianc wants to have sex in a 'restricted space' with your bodies 'really close.' Where and how were you having sex before his big confession? In the middle of a football field with you in one end zone and him in the other? The first few times you engaged him in gentle conversation, he stalled and hemmed and hawed, and you dropped the subject. If he didn't have any fantasies, he would have said so. I'm sorry, BTB, but your fianc is NOT into bunk-bed sex. He's lying to you, dumbass. No one with a fantasy life that dull requires 'several gentle conversations' to draw him out! There's nothing the least bit shameful, gross, freaky, or repulsive about sex in a bed, bunk or otherwise. Therefore, there's only one conclusion we can draw from your boyfriend's big confession: He's hiding something. The first few times you engaged him in gentle conversation, he stalled and hemmed and hawed, and you dropped the subject. If he didn't have any fantasies, he would have said so, but he didn't say that, did he? So he clearly has some fantasies he was too ashamed to reveal. Then, when it became clear that you wouldn't stop pestering him until he told you something, he made something up. Something safe. Something innocuous. Something that wouldn't scare you off. Something like, oh, 'I wanna have sex in a bunk bed.' Something that, if it were true, he would have told you during that first gentle conversation. What your fianc really wants, BTB, is to be peed on or suck the snot out of your nose or blacken your eyes or wear diapers. Or all at once. Or worse. But, hey, have sex in a bunk bed if you think he's telling you the truth. You can order a cheap one from Ikea and fuck on it until it falls apartabout three fucks should do it. But consider yourself warned: He's hiding something big, and you might want to find out what it is before you marry bunk-bed boy.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	OH MY GOD!!! That is the biggest bunch of one sided, tunnel vision, bull crap I have ever read. He should be a spokesman for Al Gore. In a few hours, when my blood pressure returns to normal, I might fell like justifying it with a few rebuttals. That is, if my head has not exploded in the mean time.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	From the Onion: God Quietly Phasing Holy Ghost Out Of Trinity HEAVENCalling the Holy Trinity 'overstaffed and over budget,' God announced plans Monday to downsize the group by slowly phasing out the Holy Ghost. 'Given the poor economic climate and the unclear nature of the Holy Ghost's duties, I felt this was a sensible and necessary decision,' God said. 'The Holy Ghost will be given fewer and fewer responsibilities until His formal resignation from Trinity duty following Easter services on April 20. Thereafter, the Father and the Son shall be referred to as the Holy Duo.'
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	go bach!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	urlLink BIG BABIES SUV Killers Beg For Mercy PITTSBURGH--For more than a decade, citizens who drive normal-size cars have been bullied, poisoned and murdered by drivers of sport utility vehicles. Now they're being asked to like it. 'Did My Car Join Al Qaeda?' asks Woody Hochswender in The New York Times. 'Where I live, about 100 miles north of New York City, at least half of all the vehicles you see on the road are SUVs or other light trucks. They make a great deal of sense. This is not just because we have plenty of long, steep driveways and miles and miles of dirt roads.' 'According to their enemies,' writes Walter Kirn in Time magazine, 'SUV drivers aren't just road hogs; they're also sociopaths who are overcompensating for deep-seated feelings of inferiority. I resent being psychoanalyzed this way. I'm after traction, not dominance, O.K.?' The road hog set is up in arms over TV ads that call their souped-up steroidwagons anti-Christian, anti-American and pro-terrorist. SUVs have had their windows smashed in Washington, been spray-painted with anti-war slogans in Massachusetts and set ablaze by the lot full in Pennsylvania. Environmental groups sell SUV 'tickets,' and bumper stickers that read 'As a matter of fact, I do own the road,' encouraging activists to stick them on the gas hogs. Opponents call SUVs wasteful, polluting and dangerous to other drivers. Because these fuel-inefficient leviathans now comprise a quarter of new car sales, and big models like the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban only get 12 miles per gallon, all of the air-quality improvements made during the `70s and `80s have been erased. 'But a car's miles-per-gallon rating is only one measure of fuel efficiency,' argues Hochswender. 'Miles driven is another. People who drive light trucks quickly learn not to drive around aimlessly.' He's wrong. There's zero evidence that SUV drivers drive fewer miles than other motorists. And even if some have trained themselves to eliminate frivolous miles, then driving a more efficient vehicle those lesser lengths is an opportunity for further improvement. Consider this startling fact: the SUV is the only reason the United States has been unable to comply with the Kyoto Accord on air pollution. Even more irritating to non-SUV drivers is the sense of being pushed around--and off--the roads by 9,000-pound gorillas. No one needs the results of a formal 'crash compatibility' test to tell them that their Toyota Corolla will fair poorly in a close encounter with a Ford Expedition. The fact is you're more than twice as likely to die in a crash with an SUV than with another sedan. 'Four-wheel-drive vehicles allow workers to get to and from their jobs, and parents to transport their children safely to school, sporting events, ballet classes and the rest,' defends Hochswender. But every SUV added to the traffic on the road decreases the likelihood of someone else's kids arriving alive at school or ballet class. It's basic physics, the law of conservation of momentum to be exact. SUV drivers increase their own security at the expense of other drivers. Ironically, it's even worse than that. SUVs not only endanger the occupants of smaller cars--they kill their own drivers in roll-overs at triple the rate of other vehicles, according to Jeffrey Runge, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's unfortunate if an SUV driver kills himself, but the real issue is what he does to others. Granted, no consumer is innocent. The Gap T-shirt you buy at the mall is produced by children toiling under exploitative conditions overseas. Microsoft software is packaged by prisoner slave labor. Of course, if you were truly virtuous you'd skip even that sexy hybrid Prius and its holier-than-thou 50 m.p.g. rating and just bike to work. But it's hard to argue with Union of Concerned Scientists director Jason Mark's conclusion that, as socially-responsible purchasing decisions go, SUVs 'represent the worst.' Short of opening a shooting range next door to a daycare center, buying an SUV is perhaps the single most antisocial act an ordinary American can commit. And as resentment against this egocentrism coalesces into anger, SUV owners are becoming defensive. Kirn again: 'Nothing takes the pleasure out of driving like the suspicion that at every four-way stop, someone in a fuel-efficient compact is sneering at my moral deficiencies. I want to scream, `But I live on a dirt road! I have a farm! See all the mud on my fenders! I need this rig!'' What I would scream back, if I met Kirn, would be this: 'What did you people do 20 years ago?' Back in the days before SUVs, farmers drove pick-ups and the rest of us drove cars. The soccer mom with a gaggle of kids drove a low stationwagon or slow minivan. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of SUVs are plying our highways and suburban streets. Fewer than one percent will ever be driven off-road. Why are SUV owners surprised that nobody likes them? Americans have long defined themselves by the cars they drive; is it unreasonable to assume that someone who drives an oversized gas guzzler is a selfish, aggressive lout? People buy SUVs because they're imposing, so they can see over smaller cars. Is it shocking that drivers whose sight lines are blocked by these hulking machines, and who are blinded at night by the headlights of great overbearing tailgaters, are resentful? More and more SUV drivers are coming out of stores to find their vehicles 'keyed,' stickered or worse, and SUVs are replacing fur coats as the spray paint target of choice. Sure it sucks, but can SUV owners complain? Vandalizing property is a mere misdemeanor next to willfully endangering other people's lives and hastening the demise of the planet. 'What are we supposed to do now, turn our SUVs in?' asks Hochswender. Well, yeah. And quit whining because everybody hates you. urlLink - Ted Rall
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Thanks to sickness, which teaches us all! Wait....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Thanks to The Powers That Be for sending me Johnathan to take care of me when I'm horribly sick.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Thanks to Mir for getting horribly sick so she could realize my greatness.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	i was feeling really crummy and then i thought - my life is starting to play out like a pretty good woody allen movie. and suddenly, my life seemed better. thanks to johnathan for introducing me to the world of mr. allen.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Equally good advice: Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for a place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come in to look for a King Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music's high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, diggin the Dancing Queen You're a teaser, you turn 'em on Leave them burning and then you're gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, diggin the Dancing Queen
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	indulge me for a moment - 'happiness is a prison, evey. happiness is the most insidious prison of all.' 'that's warped! that's warped and evil and wrong! when you threw me out i went to live with somebody. i...i was in love with him..i was happy. if that's a prison then i don't care!' 'don't you? your lover lived in that penitentiary that we are all born into, and was forced to rake the dregs of that world for his living. he knew affection and tenderness but only briefly. eventually one of the other inmates stabbed him with a cutlass and he drowned upon his own blood. is that it, evey? is that the happiness worth more than freedom? it's not an uncommon story, evey. many convicts meet with miserable ends.' from my favorite novel - 'v for vendetta'
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	good advice from a good friend - this night is yours and every other - it is a good thing to unlock cages. it is a better thing to leave them behind, in whatever form they take.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	i think we can all agree that angie is a wonderful human being and that we all wish her well. good journey, my friend.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	I will keep Angie in my prayers. I hope that the new strategies will prove helpfull. I will never know the physical pain she goes through but know that at least emotionally Angie's and your pain is shared. Peace and long life my friends!
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	The only arrogance I personally see in Bush II is his language which places him and America as the representatives of Good, capital G, and our enemies as representatives of Evil, capital E. This kind of language scares and enrages me, regardless of the speaker. Any other disagreement I have with Bush II et. al. is a matter of philosophy or economics. As to acts of will: I'm not sure that limiting another's options to agreeing or stepping aside is necessarily an accurate definition of non-arrogance. Consider the State planning a freeway or landfill near one's neighborhood; it tells the residents to agree or step aside, and not to stand in the way -- after all, look at all the State does for its citizens! Wouldn't the residents percieve such a policy as arrogant? It seems to me that expecting (or demanding) no one to stand in one's way smacks of a kind of arrogance. Also, I'm not convinced that acts of goodwill are points to be cashed in later when one wishes to act with abandon. I may be wrong; perhaps in terms of history and foreign policy, they are. Did we really defeat the Soviet Union, or did the Soviet Union fall victim to its own geography and internal corruption? P.S. Keep Angie in your thoughts -- the recent flareup of her fibromyalgia continues to cause great pain and sadness. Today's visit to the rheumatologist revealed some new strategies, but no new information. She's truly my hero -- anyone else in her conditions (and they are plural) would have given in to depression, cynicism, and bitterness long ago. That she smiles and sings and laughs and dreams is a tribute to the depth of her courage and the size of her heart, and I'm not saying that just because I love her. If more people could shine a light like hers, the world would be a far better place. May we all learn that the secret to happiness is perspective, gratitude, and the love of a beautiful person.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Good luck to Chirs on the interview. If you interview as well as you debate then you will do very well. As to debates..... intresting one we seem to be having here. Right now I only have one question. Does any one have a extra lung? I seem to hacked mine up this morning. Bleh! [hack, cough, cough] [crawls back to the corner]
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Unless he has been keeping a big secret or been spreading misinformation, no. The pregnancy he has talked about in the past is his sister in-law.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	now, is chris's wife preggers?
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Wow, a debate with more than me and Mr. Wigglepants involved. First, the easy ones Miriam - rest, drink fluids, and don't read Salon (Oh, sorry, that would make me feel better) Chris - Good luck with the interview. Let us know how it went. Also, congrats on the birth of your niece. Ok, here is a very simplistic solution. Develop real, practical, cheap, alternative energy sources. Face it, why did we originally get involved in the Middle East? To protect our oil interests from the Soviets. Now we are there and can't or won't back out and let the people solve there own problems, in part, because we are dependent on the bubbling crude. If you develop a hydrogen car (very easy in theory, tough in execution because of no infrastructure to deliver the H2), our oild demands would drop. I would think that you could also use that technology to heat homes (reducing the need for fuel oil). It would probably lower our nationwide demand for oil to the point that we could provide our own national requirements, or get it from non-OPEC countries. Imagine what that would do for air quality. If that happens, why would we stay in areas that we are not wanted and that don't serve our national interests. That would allow us to pull out of Saudi Arabia, supposedly making the Islamic extremists happy (I'll believe that when I see it), since we would no longer be on Holy ground. BTW, the last I knew, Prince Sultan airbase is out in the middle of the desert, not surrounding Mecca or Medina, but hey, what do I know, I'm just a Christian infidel. Now, to reality. Johnathan, in this case, I don't think we can negotiate on one side and use military force on the other. Concerning Israel, we have limited military presence in Israel, probably just in the form of observers and exchange officers. We (the US) became a target because of our support for Israel. The option of abandoning Isreal and letting things go as the two sides want, would, to me, give the message that we will let the Arabs finish the job Hitler started. I know that is not what you are proposing, but that is how I see a change in our stance playing out. As for giving the Palestinians there own country, that sounds good in theory. But, will Arafat or whoever is the leader use all his resources to prevent Palestine from becoming the launching point and safe haven for organizations like Hamaas and Islamic Jihad in their effort to destroy Israel? His track record is not great so far, thus Isreal's stance on the issue, and I don't see where we can tell Isreal that they have to give up territory to an enemy that is sworn to destroy them. Concerning Saudi Arabia, at this point, we don't have any choice but to have troops there. Prince Sultan is an established base that is currently critical to the implending conflict. The ironic thing is that the base was closed and our troops were removed after the Gulf War. Then, circa 1995, the base was reopened. You know why? Because Iraq was proving to be less than compliant with UN requirements. So, if Iraq becomes democratic, or, as tangentially suggested by my esteemed colleague from the great region of NOVA, the 51st state, we won't need to have troops on what is considered by some to be holy ground. Either because they won't be needed at all or because they will be able to operate from Iraq. In summary, I don't think we can negotiate and retaliate in this case. Imperialist America. I am pretty much a Hawk, but that idea does not sit well with me. If we ever are going to have a world wide government, it must be done through peaceful means if it is to last. Military conquest will not work, because enough people will feel oppressed to overthrow the imperialist aggressors. Lovely Angie, you mean that there is more to America the Mickey D's and Swoosh shoes? Man, I have been living in cave. Seriously though, could you or Chris explain the basis of the 'arrogant conservative President' comment. There are lots of adjectives I would agree with when describing President Bush, but arrogant is not one of them. He expects our allies to either support us (Britain and many other European countries) or get out of the way (Canada), but definitely not stand in the wat (France-Germany). Given all that the US has done for the world and Europe specifically in the last century (led the Allies in defeating Hitler, defeated the Soviet Union without firing a shot), I think we are entitled to at least expect the main benefactors of the US to not get in our way. I don't care if they choose to not get involved for internal political or other reasons. Just step aside. I don't see that as arrogant. Chris, there are many people around the world and quite a few in the US who don't believe that capitalism will help the raise the qulity of life in the world. Many people still dream of socialist or communist states. Enough rambling for now. Lunch was supposed to be over half an hour ago.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Disclaimer: The ideological phallus of which I spoke, or rather the waving of such, refers primarily to government officials of all stripes and the numerous pundits and talking heads who appear in the various media. My present interlocutor, much to his credit and to my satisfaction, throughout my history of knowing him (including in the present argument), has mostly kept his ideological willie safely tucked away in his pants.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Good luck on your interview. I only hope that all these strategies, while relevant to rational opponents, transfer smoothly when applied to irrational opponents. I'm not entirely convinced that the policymakers in control right now fully understand how different it is when your opponent perceives him- or herself as the servant of God. Kind of ironic, when one considers how much a certain party insists on using language that suggests that they, and the country, are...the servant of God. I feel both sides, for or against, are presenting only partially convincing arguments. Both sound good to a point, but then they drop off into the la-la land of kneejerk idealistic political party lockstepping -- I follow along for a while, nodding in agreement, until it suddenly seems to me as if out of nowhere the proponent whips out his or her ideological dick and starts waving it around. I must say, though, that I'm glad we're sending billions to Turkey so they'll let us put a base there. I'd hate to think we could have wasted some of that money on collapsing school buildings, kids without health insurance, or parents unable to tend to their mentally ill children. For now, I'll continue to reluctantly support the 'war,' such as it is; I'll reserve more comprehensive judgment until more time has passed.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Unfortunately, Madonna, you are correct. It is all we're showing them now. See my earlier comments on my opinion of how this administration has handled foreign policy.... And, yes, harmony, we are going to engage a part of the world with the Screaming Eagles. Sometimes, people will only stop and listen when you hit them over the head with a very big stick.... I have to say that the military has become a very effective instrument of exporting the good parts of America. See Dana Priest's new book: 'The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace With America's Military' for more information (and very engaging reading) about how the US military has successfully stepped in and delivered peace and security in places like Kosovo when institutions like the UN have failed utterly. Can you tell how I've been spending my free time? Another interview at 1:00 today -- keep your fingers crossed.....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	My thought exactly. How can we show them that we're about more than just McDonalds and Nike sweat shops and arrogant conservative Presidents when, from my perspective, that's all we're really showing them right now? I'd like to believe that America is so cool for school that we can make the rest of the world like us...and I completely agree that there are a lot of wonderful things about this country that could appeal to many. But I don't think that's the image we're really showing right now.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Question -- 'We must engage the parts of the world that hate us' -- is that what we're about to do with the 101st Airborne? Yikes indeed.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Thanks for the dance response -- I understood it better than the previous post. Curious: So when will we get around to addressing the reason? It seems to me we've been leaving the reason for later since 1948. Which is acceptable, if it has indeed taken these 50+ years to put out the flames (although my amateur eyes don't see the fire getting smaller). How many years does one fight flames until one can reach the oil flow? Analogies Amok -- Am I correct in rephrasing that violent terrorists of any kind flourish because there is very little oxygen (economic growth) in the room, and the terrorists supply a half-opened window; and that in this room, everyone else (the mass population) can't breathe clearly, and thus can't think clearly; and that our intent is to force oxygen into the room, thus allowing everyone (the mass population) to breathe easier, which will allow them to gather their wits, and be happy, thus making the terrorists and their little half-opened window irrelevant?
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	And, and.... Mir -- I hope you are feeling better soon. Drink OJ and sleep -- 's the only way to beat the damned flu. P.S. Whether we are comfortable with it or not, we are the most powerful country the world has ever seen. Do we use that power to shut ourselves off from the world, turn inward and merrily go along, fiddly dee, tomorrow is another day? I think that we are 50 years past the time when the oceans could protect our country from the world (see 9/11). Like it or not, we have the opportunity to raise the world's standard of living, to bring hope, elightenment and cash flow to billions who would never know the joys of good dental hygene or low infant mortality rates, or education (which are the flip sides of consumerism and Jerry Springer). We must engage the parts of the world that hate us, and let them see the things that make our country and our system great, so that they can understand that it is not just about McDonalds and Nike sweat shops and arrogant conservative Presidents. 'With great power comes great responsibility.'
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	urlLink enjoy or not
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	And we are addressing (kida) the deed with Iraq, leaving the reason for later -- but if you are fighting a fire in an oil rig, you have to put out the flames before you can shut off the oil flow....
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	And let's run with the World Dance Party scenario: Yes, we're at a party, and yes, we're playing some pretty rockin' dance music (the remix of Oingo Boingo's 'Dead Man's Party' sounds pretty good to me right now...), and yes, we'd love for everyone to dance. But, no, we're not turning up the music louder. We're only encouraging everyone to have a good time, like any good host, whether they are dancing or not. And the problem is not that there are people who don't want to dance. It's that the kitchen is full of band geeks, D&D freaks, and goth-wannabes who hyperventilate when girls talk to then and wouldn't know how to dance if John Travolta delivered private lessons. And there's a trumpet player who is stirring up trouble with this anti-social crowd because he doesn't like Oingo Boingo, and our intrepid band of misfits is starting to get surly. So -- do you let the party dissolve into a brawl? No -- you do your damnedest to get everyone involved in the party -- because when people are having fun, they aren't plotting to blow up governement buildings. And you take the trumpet player out into the back yard, beat the snot out of him, and ask him to leave the party. Which only makes him more disaffected, but as there aren't but a few sycophant baritone players and a doe-eyed clarinet chick left for him to whip up, it's OK to let them go sulk at the I-Hop down the street. That's my take.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	'I liked Reaganomics a lot -- it's got a good beat and I can dance to it.'
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	well mr. wigglepants, since i have no health insurance, it is difficult for me to see a doctor. i have, however, taken several over the counter medications and pain killers. i am not currently stoned as i am running very low on leaf and may need it later when the pain gets more intense. and i liked your dance party analogy.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Johnathan just much more aptly illustrated the point I was trying to make in my most recent post. Thank you, honey.
589,736	male	35	Technology	Aries	05,August,2004	Miriam -- have you seen a doctor, or are you hoping one will appear in your drug-induced haze?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

oh ben, your irreverence never fails to amuse me. i'm in love with a girl who has a dandruff.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

yay! the blog is finally posting. happy dead guy day to you too dood. thanks for the shout out, clever J. everybody should start a blog. EVERYBODY DAMMIT

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Since I'm not anticipating checking in over the next couple of days, Happy Lee-Jackson-King Day, everyone!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

and yo, ben, put up some new scat in your secret city. i done sick of them wolves man.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

man, whats you smokin', g?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Hello, all. Just up from a long winter's nap. Congrats to J & J on the arrivals of the wee ones. Get well soon to J & A. I wanna give a shout out to my cinderella Mir Mad out in Carrot Top, and my to homie Immie Jay, and the man with the plans, AP, and the Mars-meister B, and the world traveller CK, and a real quiet whispa to Silent Walka, and a little shout out to Brother Kor wherever he be....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

PLAGUE LOVE I GOT DA PLAGUE LOVE IT'S A GOOD KINDA LOVE YES I GOT DA PLAAAGUE LOVE

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

And now Johnathan's sick, too. *sigh* Love is sharing illness with a glad heart.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

ZEE!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

It's just seasonal-affect crap. Lots of chicken soup and fruit juice and sitting on my ass should do the trick. Thank you for the well-wishings!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

sorry to hear that angie-puss. hope you feel better soon!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I was busy watching the backs of my eyelids, choking on my throat and nasal congestion. Would've loved to have seen it, but my Advil Cold & Sinus put me down for the count.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

okay, i'll assume that none of you sorry excuses for ponies did. sheesh.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

did anyone see the karl and maggie show last night? i thought it went well.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

if i could melt your heart. mmmmmmmmmmmm we would never be apart. give yourself to me. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. fleh.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

nay, john - it's happening for everyone. i'm working on fixing it when i have time...

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Am I the only one who is not seeing any of these posts after January 14 on the website?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

feh. my boat is no longer being rocked. hasn't been for awhile.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

the snow comes like snow in the night snow-like snowish snowy

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

i downloaded it from kazaa - listened to it 10 times so far. i think i need professional help. oh yeah, i already have that - i guess i'm screwed. how about a good ole' fashioned purple hair fusion? I AM FREE!!!! I AM FUCKING FREE!!!!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

yup - i have seen that video and it is good.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Dammit, Mir...you and that song! You got that stuck in my head the other night, and I'm still fighting it. Have you seen the video? It's actually pretty decent, and a lot darker than her usual stuff.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Spoken Don't look at me Every day is so wonderful And suddenly, it's hard to breathe Now and then, I get insecure From all the fame, I'm so ashamed I am beautiful no matter what they say Words can't bring me down I am beautiful in every single way Yes, words can't bring me down So don't you bring me down today To all your friends, you're delirious So consumed in all your doom Trying hard to fill the emptiness The piece is gone and the puzzle undone That's the way it is You are beautiful no matter what they say Words won't bring you down You are beautiful in every single way Yes, words won't bring you down Don't you bring me down today... No matter what we do (no matter what we do) No matter what they say (no matter what they say) When the sun is shining through Then the clouds won't stay And everywhere we go (everywhere we go) The sun won't always shine (sun won't always shine) But tomorrow will find a way All the other times We are beautiful no matter what they say Yes, words won't bring us down We are beautiful no matter what they say Yes, words can't bring us down Don't you bring me down today Don't you bring me down today Don't you bring me down today

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

congratulations john and julie! woo hoo!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

go babies go

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Congrats, John! I'll be thinking of your new lieblings and hoping for them to grow strong quickly so you can get them home!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

congratulations dude!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Julie delivered two baby boys yesterday: Aaron James Robinson, 5 lbs 15 oz, 18 3/4 in @ 15:12 William John Robinson, 5 lbs 9 oz, 19 in @ 15:13 Mom is doing fine recovering from her c-section, and will be up walking around this afternoon.. The babies are in the NICU, currently being treated for acute repiratory distress because of their immature lungs. The doctors are very positive in their prognosis, and they should be removed from assisted breathing devices in the next 3-4 days. After that, once they start eating properly, they will be allowed to come home. Probably in 2-3 weeks, assuming no other complications.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Baby, I remember all the things you taught me... I learned how to laugh, and I learned how to cry Well I learned how to love and I learned how to lie... What are you doing Thursday? :)

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

free money - woo hoo urlLink music CD antitrust settlement and urlLink verification that the above link is legit

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

angie doesn't send me flowers, angie doesn't sing me love songs ........ anymore.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

preach it sister!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

ben is signing the papers for his house tonight - congratulations, ben!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I must take issue with such a sweeping statement -- I, for one, am not 'culturally set up' to do this. I have always been satisfied with my own company -- though the right person can certainly enhance the experience. I recommend planting a garden instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

quote from allan gurganus: We're all culturally set up to look for that one other beloved object who will complete us and satisfy us and sate us and make us look good. But while we're looking for that chimera, that unicorn that will never appear, it's damn good to have lots of friends to console you and to support you and literally to carry you down the steps when you can't walk.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Whoa, it really IS the Original Ranch Dressing! Go urlLink here and click on the 'about us' link to read about the amazing history behind the product that makes America fatter and fatter every day!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I now have True Blue going through my head. And I've been sitting here at my desk doing nothing for like half an hour 'cause my boss won't tell me what I can do, even though I've asked her twice. Blaaaaaahhh. I think I'll go research the history of Ranch dressing.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

i love madonna!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I'm. so. bored.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Uma Therman can't hold a candle to Bea Arthur with a strap-on

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

ben had just made out with ethan hawke and i was getting ready to watch uma thurman strip to 'underneath it all' when the damn phone rang. feh.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Personally, I have nothing against predictable movies. I know a symphony will have four movements; I know sonata form is often fast-slow-fast; I know many pop songs have two verses, two choruses, and a bridge; I know James Bond will win; I know the meal will end with dessert; I know people in romantic comedies fall in love, despite the obstacles in the way. Unpredictability is an attribute, not a virtue.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

chris, i actually saw the film mbfgw - and this was before it became 'popular.' and i was bored out of my mind. it's full of ethnic stereotypes, undeveloped characters, and overall a predictable and trite movie - i have no idea why so many people enjoyed it.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

you are already my soul sister, angie. saw tori last night - it was like watching an angel sing.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

1989 - 'Epic' 1991 - 'Losing My Religion' 1994 - 'Black Hole Sun' 2002 - 'Lose Yourself' My goodness but that 8-year lag was too long. Waiting for the next timeless (for me) anthem....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

'Toe pick!' I like the Cutting Edge too. Probably the only Moira Kelly film that I do. I also like D.B Sweeney, though most people don't. I am very surprised at your list of movies Johnathan. From discussing movies with over the past couple of years, my previous post is what I thought I knew of your movie preferences. Obviously I was just a *little* off in my understanding. There is only one movie on the list that I have not seen (Purple Rain) and only one I don't care for (The Karate Kid - he makes Luke Skywalker seem like a mature adult). I guess we have more similar taste than I realized. My apologies. Angie - Boys are gross.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I never thought boys were gross.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Some random popcorn movies I consider equal to the Greats: Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, Goldfinger, The Matrix (with reservations), Terminator 2 (the first I consider only borderline popcorn, like Alien or Blade Runner), Aliens, True Lies, Dirty Harry, Ghostbusters, Animal House, Back to the Future, Beverly Hills Cop, Wargames, Trek II, Lethal Weapon. Some random movies many consider bad or inconsequential, that I shamelessly adore: The Cutting Edge, Dirty Dancing, Purple Rain, The Karate Kid, Caddyshack, Rocky III, Big Trouble in Little China, Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, Top Gun, St. Elmo's Fire. Not an art film in the pack, none of them independent, and any one will please me as much as Allen, Fellini, Kurosawa, or Hitchock.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I have not seen the movie, and really had no intention to, but Julie wants to rent it on DVD, so we will rent it at some point. My reason for not seeing had nothing to do with marketing or what studio produced it. Since March of 2000, when my daughter was born, our movie watching has dropped dramatically. Where we used to go to the movies at least every other week, it is know at most one every other month. From memory, the movies we saw last year were Castaway, Blackhawk Down, SW:II, MIB:II, and Two Towers. So far this year, we have seen Chicago. So, that being said, Greek Wedding did not make it onto my extremely short list. This is not meant to offend or insult anyone, but I find it funny that a film that was aparently not good enough for any of the major studios and became such a mainstream success as an independent film, is disliked by the people who usually like the independent films. It kind of reminds me of what happened to U2 when most of us were in high school (and Angie still thought boys were gross). They were liked by a few people (Ben being the one the comes to my mind), and then they got, gasp, popular, and all the people who liked them first suddenly did not want to listen to them. Johnathan and I have pretty divergent tastes in movies. Not necessarily in genres, but in what we find enjoyable. I go to the movie for a couple of hours of escapism, and will usually only have problems with a film because it drags or has gaping plot holes. From my perspective, Johnathan goes to the movies to see a well produced movie, with a solid plot. He does not seem to be impressed with eye candy, but more so with the finer details of the film (what kind of lighting, hard vs. soft focus, camera angles, etc). I, as a fairly mindless member of the general herd, don't notice those things unless they interfere with my enjoyment of the movie. My general rule is that if the critics love a movie, I don't want to see it. I have been burned too many times seeing critically aclaimed movies. As for Jennifer's question about furniture, I have lived in Richmond for 25 years now, and have never heard of the store in question. Now, it sounds like they make very nice, and assumed to be expensive, furniture. I don't want to buy something for my house that I will be afraid to use because it might be damaged, especially now with three munchkins cruising around armed with juice and crayons. So, I will buy stuff from Haynes (at one of their 'best sales ever') accepting that it is not as nice, and almost certainly will not last as long, but then be able to replace it when it wears out, and probably be able to still spend less than a nicer store.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

urlLink DON'T PANIC!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

All right now, Keeng, I never said that I hated MBFGW. I sneered at commercials because they make the screenwriting for both look unworthy of full production, and thus, wasteful. What's more insulting to the poorstarvingartist than wastefulness? (Answer: not much.) (And I apologise for not giving it a fair shake, but read on...) I have to agree with your wry observation about successes making failures of art. I am certainly less inclined to see a movie that's gone mainstream, and yes, it is reverse snobbism. That's one of the unfortunate things that I got with my BFA: the belief that artisanally-produced projects appeal to connoisseurs, not the masses. I admit it's skewed (but tell me: How many pieces of furniture have been purchased in Richmond from Ethan Allen or Haynes or (godforbid) Target rather than at Harrison Higgins, who custom-makes beautiful solid goods right on Broad Street at Lombardy?). It's oversimplified & illogical to infer that I won't like a film because it's popularly acclaimed, yet I do it anyway, because experience has taught me that my taste isn't right in step with that of the general viewing public. Yes, I miss things. Yes, I regret the oversights when I discover & correct them. But I'm a stubborn, reactionary little human, and it's the method, although flawed, that's served me best so far. I know: Judge not lest ye be judged....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

You're right -- success does affect my opinion. I mean...there was a time when I thought Titanic was the greatest American film ever made. Changed my life. Then it made all that money, and boy did *that* change my tune! And how about Gladiator? My god, what a masterpiece! Then the success, and the awards...I see a clip from it now and I'm filled with unbridled rage. What a crazy monkey am I! Of course, I saw both of these, so my point is undermined....but give me some credit -- the success or failure of any work has no effect on my personal taste. What I am reacting to is marketing -- and I will be the first to admit that my choices are affected by marketing, usually to the negative, since if I see it everywhere, all the time, and I gotta love it love it love it, as has been and continues to be shoved in my face re: Greek Wedding, I'm going to be really turned off, even if it is f*ing Citizen Kane. That may be irrational, and it may be unfair, but it's my choice, and I'm happy to blame it on the studio, and too bad for the filmmaker who let it happen, because if an artist puts his or her foot down, it doesn't have to be that way. I don't like being treated like a six-year-old, which is what the studio has done and continues to do, and it's a shame that what may be a fine little movie bears the brunt of my reaction, but sometimes that's just the breaks in this devil's deal we call art and commerce. Dance too close to media saturation, and you get burned. A lesson for artists everywhere.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I sort of boycotted the film mainly because I don't like 'look, it's funny 'cause their culture is different from our culture' movies. And the ads for the series are...just...awful. Not to mention that the main actress has a face that just makes me want to punch her. So no, okay, you're right. I didn't see it. Call me close-minded. You're probably right. But I also never saw half the Corey movies, which were all the rage at the time, and I don't really feel as though I've missed anything. Maybe I'll see it one day, but I doubt it will change my life. Plus, with my impending nuptuals, I don't want to see a wacky 'everything's going awry' wedding movie. My own family is mental enough as it is.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Ahem. Just how many of you people that are professing undying hatred for MBFGW actually saw the damn thing? And it's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really funny to see how success affects people's opinions. Who are we to be so quick to pull somebody down just because their idea worked? I saw the movie in the arthouse theatre down the street, long before it went wide and 'mainstream' -- and at the time I thought it was clever and well done. I doubt that the movie has deteriorated in quality just because it's popular And my favorite quote from that horrible rant on SUVs that started this newest thread: 'Consider this startling fact: the SUV is the only reason the United States has been unable to comply with the Kyoto Accord on air pollution.' Consider this startling fact: I can make up any damn fiction I want, and as long as I state that it is explicitly a fact, readers will accept it as so (especially if they are already pre-disposed to agree with said fact), even without any type of documentation to back me up. It doesn't matter what I say So long as I say it with inflection That makes you feel that I'll convey Some inner truth of vast reflection But I've said nothing so far And I canm keep it up for as long as it takes And it don't matter who you are If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Hi, y'all. Here's my 2 cents (2 words) on the SUV thread: mass transit. Thank the Holy Ghost that I live in a city that has a system that mostly works. (And yes, JLS, the damn things actually are trucks anyway.) BTW, my cousin drives one - but she bought it after she'd had not one but TWO cars totalled around her in collisions caused by SUVs, after one of which her car had to be sawed in half so that she could be extracted safely. Isn't something wrong here? Why do we have to fight evil polluters with their own oversized weapons? And hey, aren't you mystified about MBFGW turning into a series? I mean, it's cool that they're all working, given today's economy, but isn't that stretching the idea a little thinly? The commercials make it look idiotic. It's a sitcom, I guess, but really. --And you know, I didn't see the movie, either. Didn't need to. Saw half a preview. Now I've seen the sitcom promos. I'm all set. No more doses of Vardalos, parakalos. Pass the feta instead.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

It would be nice if from an emissions standpoint, the SUV was classified as a truck instead of a car. I mean, after all, it really is a truck. That's really my only beef.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

urlLink Report: SUVs pose danger to cars Congressional hearing focuses on safety Wednesday, February 26, 2003 Posted: 1:06 PM EST (1806 GMT) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Congress takes its closest look at auto safety on Wednesday since the Firestone tire debacle nearly two years ago, probing the safety of sport utility vehicles. Regulators, auto makers and consumer groups were scheduled to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on rollover risks, seat belt use and other safety concerns associated with one of the most popular vehicles ever. The spotlight will be on the nation's top auto safety regulator, Jeffrey Runge, who last month stunned the industry by criticizing SUV safety. The administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called for meaningful and swift changes. Concerned about deaths Runge, an emergency room physician who will be the featured witness at the hearing, is most concerned about rollover deaths and injuries in sport utility vehicles, seat belt use, and the threat posed to smaller cars by bigger and stronger SUVs. 'SUVs inflict more harm on occupants than other cars do,' said Brian O'Neill, president of an insurance industry group that will release new statistics on SUV safety at the hearing. The group's report, an analysis of government safety data, will show that sport utility fatality rates have fallen sharply in recent years and are now almost even with passenger cars. But O'Neill said the analysis will also show that because of their size and weight, sport utility vehicles can cause considerable damage to smaller passenger cars in side-impact crashes. Making their case The auto industry aggressively defended SUV safety at a news conference on Tuesday, and plans to do the same before Senate lawmakers. 'SUVs are very safe vehicles,' said Sue Cischke, vice president of safety at Ford Motor Co. She said sport utility vehicles are under attack for some of their most noteworthy attributes. 'They do well in front crashes, side crashes and rear crashes,' Cischke said. 'Unfortunately, many people who are killed (especially in rollovers) many times are not wearing safety belts.' Acknowledging concerns But the industry has recently acknowledged SUV safety concerns that critics have complained about for years, and federal regulators and Congress have sharpened their focus on them. The industry's chief lobbying group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, has released data that auto companies agree with government figures showing the fatality rate in rollovers is three times greater for those in SUVs than for those in cars. Auto makers have also promised to work together to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from weight and size differences of SUVs and passenger cars. Some longer term improvements could involve design changes in one or both classes of vehicles. The car companies are trying to head off regulation, which Runge threatened to pursue if the industry did not act voluntarily. But some critics complain the industry is ceding a little ground now to ease pressure for new regulation and that voluntary design changes could take several years. It can take the government four years or more to approve new regulation. Some Call For Fast Action Joan Claybrook, a former director of the federal auto safety agency and now president of consumer group Public Citizen, says Congress should immediately mandate new rules. 'The industry has known for years about these dangers and has bobbed and weaved to avoid regulation,' Claybrook said. 'The government has also dropped the ball.' Claybrook was also a fierce critic of industry and government action during the Firestone tire saga in which millions of tires were recalled in 2000 and 2001 after tread separations and blowouts were linked to more than 270 deaths. Most of those tires were standard equipment on Ford Explorer SUVs. Congress passed landmark auto safety legislation after that investigation.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

And with the crack of ice breaking on concrete, all her plans and all her schemes collapsed in a single cascade of glittering regret -- only to tumble and pour and pile into an awesome tower of sparkling rage, brilliant and hard and cold under the pitiless winter sun. It was her day -- it had come at last -- and by sundown, the city would cry for mercy.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

You're gonna see your sheba shimmy shake.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I have never seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding -- I just chose to hate it as an act of personal freedom. Sticking it to the man. Giving a shout out. Taking a stand. Mowing the lawn. Boogie nights and Herald Square and all that jazz. Aces.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I'm sure that's nice for some people, but I've about had my fill in life of only realizing something's worth by losing it. I hate MBFGW as well. Can I be a soul sister, too?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

sometimes the best way to be reminded of something is by its absence.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

oh my god, i hated my big fat greek wedding too! johnathan and i are soul sisters!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

In retrospect, I was pretty much describing the average American in that last post, so to include SUVs was irrelevant. Any opinion I have on the issue is targeted at a kind of person, regardless what they drive. Ultimately I have no opinion about SUVs, except that I personally don't care to own one.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I just think they look cool. *shuffle*

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

SUVs....for myself, if I had kids I'd prefer the Honda Odyssey. If I want a truck, I'll buy a truck. From what I've experienced of SUVs, the owners have been duped by clever marketing. There's equal or more room to be found in a station wagon or a minivan -- and better value, to boot. People who own SUVs are likely to have gushed about My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and probably think it's an adventure to go white water rafting with their coworkers. I don't care what they drive; but it's generous of them to wear such obvious badges -- makes it easier to see them coming, so I can move to another table at the restaurant. And hey -- they keep Dockers slacks in business, so...God bless 'em.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

john, i'm sorry you're so upset about the loss of the holy ghost. perhaps you can contact god via prayer and he will rehire him. just hang in there, man.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

so true: After several gentle conversations, I have finally gotten my fianc to share his fantasy with me: He wants to have sex on the top of a bunk bed. He says he likes the idea of a restricted space and our bodies being really close. We don't own a bunk bed, but I really want to make it come true for him. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Bride To Be Your fianc wants to have sex in a 'restricted space' with your bodies 'really close.' Where and how were you having sex before his big confession? In the middle of a football field with you in one end zone and him in the other? The first few times you engaged him in gentle conversation, he stalled and hemmed and hawed, and you dropped the subject. If he didn't have any fantasies, he would have said so. I'm sorry, BTB, but your fianc is NOT into bunk-bed sex. He's lying to you, dumbass. No one with a fantasy life that dull requires 'several gentle conversations' to draw him out! There's nothing the least bit shameful, gross, freaky, or repulsive about sex in a bed, bunk or otherwise. Therefore, there's only one conclusion we can draw from your boyfriend's big confession: He's hiding something. The first few times you engaged him in gentle conversation, he stalled and hemmed and hawed, and you dropped the subject. If he didn't have any fantasies, he would have said so, but he didn't say that, did he? So he clearly has some fantasies he was too ashamed to reveal. Then, when it became clear that you wouldn't stop pestering him until he told you something, he made something up. Something safe. Something innocuous. Something that wouldn't scare you off. Something like, oh, 'I wanna have sex in a bunk bed.' Something that, if it were true, he would have told you during that first gentle conversation. What your fianc really wants, BTB, is to be peed on or suck the snot out of your nose or blacken your eyes or wear diapers. Or all at once. Or worse. But, hey, have sex in a bunk bed if you think he's telling you the truth. You can order a cheap one from Ikea and fuck on it until it falls apartabout three fucks should do it. But consider yourself warned: He's hiding something big, and you might want to find out what it is before you marry bunk-bed boy.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

OH MY GOD!!! That is the biggest bunch of one sided, tunnel vision, bull crap I have ever read. He should be a spokesman for Al Gore. In a few hours, when my blood pressure returns to normal, I might fell like justifying it with a few rebuttals. That is, if my head has not exploded in the mean time.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

From the Onion: God Quietly Phasing Holy Ghost Out Of Trinity HEAVENCalling the Holy Trinity 'overstaffed and over budget,' God announced plans Monday to downsize the group by slowly phasing out the Holy Ghost. 'Given the poor economic climate and the unclear nature of the Holy Ghost's duties, I felt this was a sensible and necessary decision,' God said. 'The Holy Ghost will be given fewer and fewer responsibilities until His formal resignation from Trinity duty following Easter services on April 20. Thereafter, the Father and the Son shall be referred to as the Holy Duo.'

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

go bach!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

urlLink BIG BABIES SUV Killers Beg For Mercy PITTSBURGH--For more than a decade, citizens who drive normal-size cars have been bullied, poisoned and murdered by drivers of sport utility vehicles. Now they're being asked to like it. 'Did My Car Join Al Qaeda?' asks Woody Hochswender in The New York Times. 'Where I live, about 100 miles north of New York City, at least half of all the vehicles you see on the road are SUVs or other light trucks. They make a great deal of sense. This is not just because we have plenty of long, steep driveways and miles and miles of dirt roads.' 'According to their enemies,' writes Walter Kirn in Time magazine, 'SUV drivers aren't just road hogs; they're also sociopaths who are overcompensating for deep-seated feelings of inferiority. I resent being psychoanalyzed this way. I'm after traction, not dominance, O.K.?' The road hog set is up in arms over TV ads that call their souped-up steroidwagons anti-Christian, anti-American and pro-terrorist. SUVs have had their windows smashed in Washington, been spray-painted with anti-war slogans in Massachusetts and set ablaze by the lot full in Pennsylvania. Environmental groups sell SUV 'tickets,' and bumper stickers that read 'As a matter of fact, I do own the road,' encouraging activists to stick them on the gas hogs. Opponents call SUVs wasteful, polluting and dangerous to other drivers. Because these fuel-inefficient leviathans now comprise a quarter of new car sales, and big models like the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban only get 12 miles per gallon, all of the air-quality improvements made during the `70s and `80s have been erased. 'But a car's miles-per-gallon rating is only one measure of fuel efficiency,' argues Hochswender. 'Miles driven is another. People who drive light trucks quickly learn not to drive around aimlessly.' He's wrong. There's zero evidence that SUV drivers drive fewer miles than other motorists. And even if some have trained themselves to eliminate frivolous miles, then driving a more efficient vehicle those lesser lengths is an opportunity for further improvement. Consider this startling fact: the SUV is the only reason the United States has been unable to comply with the Kyoto Accord on air pollution. Even more irritating to non-SUV drivers is the sense of being pushed around--and off--the roads by 9,000-pound gorillas. No one needs the results of a formal 'crash compatibility' test to tell them that their Toyota Corolla will fair poorly in a close encounter with a Ford Expedition. The fact is you're more than twice as likely to die in a crash with an SUV than with another sedan. 'Four-wheel-drive vehicles allow workers to get to and from their jobs, and parents to transport their children safely to school, sporting events, ballet classes and the rest,' defends Hochswender. But every SUV added to the traffic on the road decreases the likelihood of someone else's kids arriving alive at school or ballet class. It's basic physics, the law of conservation of momentum to be exact. SUV drivers increase their own security at the expense of other drivers. Ironically, it's even worse than that. SUVs not only endanger the occupants of smaller cars--they kill their own drivers in roll-overs at triple the rate of other vehicles, according to Jeffrey Runge, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's unfortunate if an SUV driver kills himself, but the real issue is what he does to others. Granted, no consumer is innocent. The Gap T-shirt you buy at the mall is produced by children toiling under exploitative conditions overseas. Microsoft software is packaged by prisoner slave labor. Of course, if you were truly virtuous you'd skip even that sexy hybrid Prius and its holier-than-thou 50 m.p.g. rating and just bike to work. But it's hard to argue with Union of Concerned Scientists director Jason Mark's conclusion that, as socially-responsible purchasing decisions go, SUVs 'represent the worst.' Short of opening a shooting range next door to a daycare center, buying an SUV is perhaps the single most antisocial act an ordinary American can commit. And as resentment against this egocentrism coalesces into anger, SUV owners are becoming defensive. Kirn again: 'Nothing takes the pleasure out of driving like the suspicion that at every four-way stop, someone in a fuel-efficient compact is sneering at my moral deficiencies. I want to scream, `But I live on a dirt road! I have a farm! See all the mud on my fenders! I need this rig!'' What I would scream back, if I met Kirn, would be this: 'What did you people do 20 years ago?' Back in the days before SUVs, farmers drove pick-ups and the rest of us drove cars. The soccer mom with a gaggle of kids drove a low stationwagon or slow minivan. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of SUVs are plying our highways and suburban streets. Fewer than one percent will ever be driven off-road. Why are SUV owners surprised that nobody likes them? Americans have long defined themselves by the cars they drive; is it unreasonable to assume that someone who drives an oversized gas guzzler is a selfish, aggressive lout? People buy SUVs because they're imposing, so they can see over smaller cars. Is it shocking that drivers whose sight lines are blocked by these hulking machines, and who are blinded at night by the headlights of great overbearing tailgaters, are resentful? More and more SUV drivers are coming out of stores to find their vehicles 'keyed,' stickered or worse, and SUVs are replacing fur coats as the spray paint target of choice. Sure it sucks, but can SUV owners complain? Vandalizing property is a mere misdemeanor next to willfully endangering other people's lives and hastening the demise of the planet. 'What are we supposed to do now, turn our SUVs in?' asks Hochswender. Well, yeah. And quit whining because everybody hates you. urlLink - Ted Rall

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Thanks to sickness, which teaches us all! Wait....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Thanks to The Powers That Be for sending me Johnathan to take care of me when I'm horribly sick.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Thanks to Mir for getting horribly sick so she could realize my greatness.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

i was feeling really crummy and then i thought - my life is starting to play out like a pretty good woody allen movie. and suddenly, my life seemed better. thanks to johnathan for introducing me to the world of mr. allen.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Equally good advice: Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for a place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come in to look for a King Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music's high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, diggin the Dancing Queen You're a teaser, you turn 'em on Leave them burning and then you're gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You're in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, diggin the Dancing Queen

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

indulge me for a moment - 'happiness is a prison, evey. happiness is the most insidious prison of all.' 'that's warped! that's warped and evil and wrong! when you threw me out i went to live with somebody. i...i was in love with him..i was happy. if that's a prison then i don't care!' 'don't you? your lover lived in that penitentiary that we are all born into, and was forced to rake the dregs of that world for his living. he knew affection and tenderness but only briefly. eventually one of the other inmates stabbed him with a cutlass and he drowned upon his own blood. is that it, evey? is that the happiness worth more than freedom? it's not an uncommon story, evey. many convicts meet with miserable ends.' from my favorite novel - 'v for vendetta'

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

good advice from a good friend - this night is yours and every other - it is a good thing to unlock cages. it is a better thing to leave them behind, in whatever form they take.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

i think we can all agree that angie is a wonderful human being and that we all wish her well. good journey, my friend.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

I will keep Angie in my prayers. I hope that the new strategies will prove helpfull. I will never know the physical pain she goes through but know that at least emotionally Angie's and your pain is shared. Peace and long life my friends!

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

The only arrogance I personally see in Bush II is his language which places him and America as the representatives of Good, capital G, and our enemies as representatives of Evil, capital E. This kind of language scares and enrages me, regardless of the speaker. Any other disagreement I have with Bush II et. al. is a matter of philosophy or economics. As to acts of will: I'm not sure that limiting another's options to agreeing or stepping aside is necessarily an accurate definition of non-arrogance. Consider the State planning a freeway or landfill near one's neighborhood; it tells the residents to agree or step aside, and not to stand in the way -- after all, look at all the State does for its citizens! Wouldn't the residents percieve such a policy as arrogant? It seems to me that expecting (or demanding) no one to stand in one's way smacks of a kind of arrogance. Also, I'm not convinced that acts of goodwill are points to be cashed in later when one wishes to act with abandon. I may be wrong; perhaps in terms of history and foreign policy, they are. Did we really defeat the Soviet Union, or did the Soviet Union fall victim to its own geography and internal corruption? P.S. Keep Angie in your thoughts -- the recent flareup of her fibromyalgia continues to cause great pain and sadness. Today's visit to the rheumatologist revealed some new strategies, but no new information. She's truly my hero -- anyone else in her conditions (and they are plural) would have given in to depression, cynicism, and bitterness long ago. That she smiles and sings and laughs and dreams is a tribute to the depth of her courage and the size of her heart, and I'm not saying that just because I love her. If more people could shine a light like hers, the world would be a far better place. May we all learn that the secret to happiness is perspective, gratitude, and the love of a beautiful person.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Good luck to Chirs on the interview. If you interview as well as you debate then you will do very well. As to debates..... intresting one we seem to be having here. Right now I only have one question. Does any one have a extra lung? I seem to hacked mine up this morning. Bleh! [hack, cough, cough] [crawls back to the corner]

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Unless he has been keeping a big secret or been spreading misinformation, no. The pregnancy he has talked about in the past is his sister in-law.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

now, is chris's wife preggers?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Wow, a debate with more than me and Mr. Wigglepants involved. First, the easy ones Miriam - rest, drink fluids, and don't read Salon (Oh, sorry, that would make me feel better) Chris - Good luck with the interview. Let us know how it went. Also, congrats on the birth of your niece. Ok, here is a very simplistic solution. Develop real, practical, cheap, alternative energy sources. Face it, why did we originally get involved in the Middle East? To protect our oil interests from the Soviets. Now we are there and can't or won't back out and let the people solve there own problems, in part, because we are dependent on the bubbling crude. If you develop a hydrogen car (very easy in theory, tough in execution because of no infrastructure to deliver the H2), our oild demands would drop. I would think that you could also use that technology to heat homes (reducing the need for fuel oil). It would probably lower our nationwide demand for oil to the point that we could provide our own national requirements, or get it from non-OPEC countries. Imagine what that would do for air quality. If that happens, why would we stay in areas that we are not wanted and that don't serve our national interests. That would allow us to pull out of Saudi Arabia, supposedly making the Islamic extremists happy (I'll believe that when I see it), since we would no longer be on Holy ground. BTW, the last I knew, Prince Sultan airbase is out in the middle of the desert, not surrounding Mecca or Medina, but hey, what do I know, I'm just a Christian infidel. Now, to reality. Johnathan, in this case, I don't think we can negotiate on one side and use military force on the other. Concerning Israel, we have limited military presence in Israel, probably just in the form of observers and exchange officers. We (the US) became a target because of our support for Israel. The option of abandoning Isreal and letting things go as the two sides want, would, to me, give the message that we will let the Arabs finish the job Hitler started. I know that is not what you are proposing, but that is how *I* see a change in our stance playing out. As for giving the Palestinians there own country, that sounds good in theory. But, will Arafat or whoever is the leader use all his resources to prevent Palestine from becoming the launching point and safe haven for organizations like Hamaas and Islamic Jihad in their effort to destroy Israel? His track record is not great so far, thus Isreal's stance on the issue, and I don't see where we can tell Isreal that they have to give up territory to an enemy that is sworn to destroy them. Concerning Saudi Arabia, at this point, we don't have any choice but to have troops there. Prince Sultan is an established base that is currently critical to the implending conflict. The ironic thing is that the base was closed and our troops were removed after the Gulf War. Then, circa 1995, the base was reopened. You know why? Because Iraq was proving to be less than compliant with UN requirements. So, if Iraq becomes democratic, or, as tangentially suggested by my esteemed colleague from the great region of NOVA, the 51st state, we won't need to have troops on what is considered by some to be holy ground. Either because they won't be needed at all or because they will be able to operate from Iraq. In summary, I don't think we can negotiate and retaliate in this case. Imperialist America. I am pretty much a Hawk, but that idea does not sit well with me. If we ever are going to have a world wide government, it must be done through peaceful means if it is to last. Military conquest will not work, because enough people will feel oppressed to overthrow the imperialist aggressors. Lovely Angie, you mean that there is more to America the Mickey D's and Swoosh shoes? Man, I have been living in cave. Seriously though, could you or Chris explain the basis of the 'arrogant conservative President' comment. There are lots of adjectives I would agree with when describing President Bush, but arrogant is not one of them. He expects our allies to either support us (Britain and many other European countries) or get out of the way (Canada), but definitely not stand in the wat (France-Germany). Given all that the US has done for the world and Europe specifically in the last century (led the Allies in defeating Hitler, defeated the Soviet Union without firing a shot), I think we are entitled to at least expect the main benefactors of the US to not get in our way. I don't care if they choose to not get involved for internal political or other reasons. Just step aside. I don't see that as arrogant. Chris, there are many people around the world and quite a few in the US who don't believe that capitalism will help the raise the qulity of life in the world. Many people still dream of socialist or communist states. Enough rambling for now. Lunch was supposed to be over half an hour ago.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Disclaimer: The ideological phallus of which I spoke, or rather the waving of such, refers primarily to government officials of all stripes and the numerous pundits and talking heads who appear in the various media. My present interlocutor, much to his credit and to my satisfaction, throughout my history of knowing him (including in the present argument), has mostly kept his ideological willie safely tucked away in his pants.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Good luck on your interview. I only hope that all these strategies, while relevant to rational opponents, transfer smoothly when applied to irrational opponents. I'm not entirely convinced that the policymakers in control right now fully understand how different it is when your opponent perceives him- or herself as the servant of God. Kind of ironic, when one considers how much a certain party insists on using language that suggests that they, and the country, are...the servant of God. I feel both sides, for or against, are presenting only partially convincing arguments. Both sound good to a point, but then they drop off into the la-la land of kneejerk idealistic political party lockstepping -- I follow along for a while, nodding in agreement, until it suddenly seems to me as if out of nowhere the proponent whips out his or her ideological dick and starts waving it around. I must say, though, that I'm glad we're sending *billions* to Turkey so they'll let us put a base there. I'd hate to think we could have wasted some of that money on collapsing school buildings, kids without health insurance, or parents unable to tend to their mentally ill children. For now, I'll continue to reluctantly support the 'war,' such as it is; I'll reserve more comprehensive judgment until more time has passed.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Unfortunately, Madonna, you are correct. It is all we're showing them now. See my earlier comments on my opinion of how this administration has handled foreign policy.... And, yes, harmony, we are going to engage a part of the world with the Screaming Eagles. Sometimes, people will only stop and listen when you hit them over the head with a very big stick.... I have to say that the military has become a very effective instrument of exporting the good parts of America. See Dana Priest's new book: 'The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace With America's Military' for more information (and very engaging reading) about how the US military has successfully stepped in and delivered peace and security in places like Kosovo when institutions like the UN have failed utterly. Can you tell how I've been spending my free time? Another interview at 1:00 today -- keep your fingers crossed.....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

My thought exactly. How can we show them that we're about more than just McDonalds and Nike sweat shops and arrogant conservative Presidents when, from my perspective, that's all we're really showing them right now? I'd like to believe that America is so cool for school that we can make the rest of the world like us...and I completely agree that there are a lot of wonderful things about this country that could appeal to many. But I don't think that's the image we're really showing right now.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Question -- 'We must engage the parts of the world that hate us' -- is that what we're about to do with the 101st Airborne? Yikes indeed.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Thanks for the dance response -- I understood it better than the previous post. Curious: So when will we get around to addressing the reason? It seems to me we've been leaving the reason for later since 1948. Which is acceptable, if it has indeed taken these 50+ years to put out the flames (although my amateur eyes don't see the fire getting smaller). How many years does one fight flames until one can reach the oil flow? Analogies Amok -- Am I correct in rephrasing that violent terrorists of any kind flourish because there is very little oxygen (economic growth) in the room, and the terrorists supply a half-opened window; and that in this room, everyone else (the mass population) can't breathe clearly, and thus can't think clearly; and that our intent is to force oxygen into the room, thus allowing everyone (the mass population) to breathe easier, which will allow them to gather their wits, and be happy, thus making the terrorists and their little half-opened window irrelevant?

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

And, and.... Mir -- I hope you are feeling better soon. Drink OJ and sleep -- 's the only way to beat the damned flu. P.S. Whether we are comfortable with it or not, we are the most powerful country the world has ever seen. Do we use that power to shut ourselves off from the world, turn inward and merrily go along, fiddly dee, tomorrow is another day? I think that we are 50 years past the time when the oceans could protect our country from the world (see 9/11). Like it or not, we have the opportunity to raise the world's standard of living, to bring hope, elightenment and cash flow to billions who would never know the joys of good dental hygene or low infant mortality rates, or education (which are the flip sides of consumerism and Jerry Springer). We must engage the parts of the world that hate us, and let them see the things that make our country and our system great, so that they can understand that it is not just about McDonalds and Nike sweat shops and arrogant conservative Presidents. 'With great power comes great responsibility.'

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

urlLink enjoy or not

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

And we are addressing (kida) the deed with Iraq, leaving the reason for later -- but if you are fighting a fire in an oil rig, you have to put out the flames before you can shut off the oil flow....

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

And let's run with the World Dance Party scenario: Yes, we're at a party, and yes, we're playing some pretty rockin' dance music (the remix of Oingo Boingo's 'Dead Man's Party' sounds pretty good to me right now...), and yes, we'd love for everyone to dance. But, no, we're not turning up the music louder. We're only encouraging everyone to have a good time, like any good host, whether they are dancing or not. And the problem is not that there are people who don't want to dance. It's that the kitchen is full of band geeks, D&D freaks, and goth-wannabes who hyperventilate when girls talk to then and wouldn't know how to dance if John Travolta delivered private lessons. And there's a trumpet player who is stirring up trouble with this anti-social crowd because he doesn't like Oingo Boingo, and our intrepid band of misfits is starting to get surly. So -- do you let the party dissolve into a brawl? No -- you do your damnedest to get everyone involved in the party -- because when people are having fun, they aren't plotting to blow up governement buildings. And you take the trumpet player out into the back yard, beat the snot out of him, and ask him to leave the party. Which only makes him more disaffected, but as there aren't but a few sycophant baritone players and a doe-eyed clarinet chick left for him to whip up, it's OK to let them go sulk at the I-Hop down the street. That's my take.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

'I liked Reaganomics a lot -- it's got a good beat and I can dance to it.'

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

well mr. wigglepants, since i have no health insurance, it is difficult for me to see a doctor. i have, however, taken several over the counter medications and pain killers. i am not currently stoned as i am running very low on leaf and may need it later when the pain gets more intense. and i liked your dance party analogy.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Johnathan just much more aptly illustrated the point I was trying to make in my most recent post. Thank you, honey.

589,736

male

35

Technology

Aries

05,August,2004

Miriam -- have you seen a doctor, or are you hoping one will appear in your drug-induced haze?