Gas $3 a gallon by the end of year.

Re: Re: Bracing for the Debate on Tasteless Humor?

I think I was suggesting that if I ever hope to do all of those graduate degrees on my wish-list, I had best plan on living well past age 60.

Oh, and what should I do the additional master's in?

 

Wow, if he did meet with her it must have been within the last few days?

Out here in Cali, Cajones refers to ones family jewels.


Abner

Take care Decimon!

 

Re: Bracing for the Debate on Tasteless Humor?

Maybe even better than Samuel Adams?


Abner

 

Last few years.

Cojones.

Cajón = box. Course that could refer...nevermind.

 

Re: Re: Re: Bracing for the Debate on Tasteless Humor?

I bet you will outlive us all Ted! Who else would I have around to make me spit out my Sam Adams!



Abner

 

Gotcha!

See! Right there! That's it! That's what the Right does, and precisely how it does it. In that simple comment is illustrated the Right's way of disingenuous misstatement. It's truthful, but it's not accurate. There's a difference. And, dammit, Democrats don't do it, I don't care what anyone says. There's a sliminess about the way the Right approaches certain comments that one just doesn't see among those on the Left. I'd rather be flat-out lied to than slimed.

Yes, Cindy Sheehan did once meet with President Bush... back before she had his number.

From an AP news story on the subject:

• Before her son was killed in Iraq, before she began a peace vigil outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, before she became an icon of the anti-war movement and the face of grieving mothers, there was a time when Cindy Sheehan’s life was, by all appearances, incredibly normal.
  
  She grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, and married her high school sweetheart, Patrick Sheehan. They had four babies, one almost every other year. They drove their growing clan in a huge, yellow station wagon nicknamed the “BananaMobile.” She volunteered at a Vacaville church and later, as the children grew, she worked there.
  
  Normal life ended for Cindy Sheehan in April 2004, when her oldest son Casey, 24, a father of twin girls, was killed in Iraq.
  
  First, she says, “I was a Mom in deep shock and deep grief.”
  
  Then, two months later, came what she considered to be a disturbingly placid meeting with President Bush. While she found him to be a “man of faith,” she also said later that he seemed “totally disconnected from humanity and reality.” And when she later heard him speak of soldiers’ deaths as “noble,” Sheehan felt she had to do something.
  
  “The shock has worn off and deep anger has set in,” she said.
  
  Sheehan co-founded an anti-war organization and began talking, demonstrating, speaking at a congressional hearing. She got a Web site, a public relations assistant (financed by an anti-war group), an entourage of peace activists and a speaking tour.
  
  But while her message was strong and widely disseminated, she didn’t become world famous until about a week ago when, after speaking at the annual Veterans For Peace national conference in Dallas, she took a bus to Crawford, Texas, site of Bush’s ranch, to have a word with her president.
  
  For the record, here’s what she said she wants to tell him: “I would say, ’What is the noble cause my son died for?’ And I would say if the cause is so noble has he encouraged his daughters to enlist? And I would be asking him to quit using Casey’s sacrifice to justify continued killing, and to use Casey’s sacrifice to promote peace.”

The story continues, but I just wanted everyone reading here caught-up on at least that much of it; and because it's all I need to make the point I'm about to make...

decimon knew damned well what Abner meant; that he meant that Bush43 didn't have the balls to meet with her now that she has something different she'd like to say. But he deliberately misstated it by saying something about it that was, technically, true; but which didn't accurately reflect the whole situation, all things considered. That, in and of itself wouldn't be so bad as long as the short version agreed with the long one; but, of course, that's nearly never the case.

That's how the Right plays it. decimon counted on Abner's confusion. He could have told him that they were, in fact, talking about the same woman, but that would have blown it for him. He, like all those on the Right, count on the bulk of those in witness not really knowing enough details about a given situation to determine where the truth lies, and then they find a way to talk about it that may not technically be a lie, but which grossly misstates the situation, all things considered; and does so in a way that inures to their benefit in the minds of the vast majority of middle Americans that are too busy, fed-up or just plain disinterested to bother to take the time to find out what's truly up. And why not! Most Americans don't keep up with what's going on. If they did, they'd be marching on the White House with tar and feathers. The Right count on a dumbed-down America that requires newspapers to be written at an 8th grade level, and then doesn't read them anyway; or that watches Seinfeld on the local UHF station instead of the 11:00 news on one of the network affiliates.

Thank you, decimon, for doing what comes naturally to your ilk. It makes making the point so much easier for those of us on the Left!

And don't wish him a good weekend, Abner! Er... well... I mean, you can certainly wish him well... but just do so knowing that he played you... like they all do whenever they get the chance.

 

Re: Re: Bracing for the Debate on Tasteless Humor?

Ya din't spit any more Sam Adams all over yer dawg, now dijuh? Or is she still hiding behind the chair?

 

To me the President, any President is merely a overpaid public employee. They are not god, or king, just one of over a million public employees whose single function in life is the serve the people. Public employees who forget that -- alll the way from the President to the guy who clears the trash on the side of the roadway - have no business on my tax dollar.

With that said, the President should meet with Cindy. Of course it is a no-win situation. All positions of authority and responsibility carry the same burden (from CEO, to cop, to of course the President).

I want him to tell her to her face why if this is such a noble cause, why isn't he encouraging his daughters to suit and and fight for the cause? (and I am not interested in what anyones elses answer to this is - just the President). Will Cindy change the President's mind? Of course not - it would take losing a member of his own family for that to happen.

In this situation, the President has nothing to gain, but everything to lose.

 

Like as in box lunch? Could be.

 

Re: Gotcha!

Excellent points and observations Mr. DesElms. I wished Decimon well, partly because I guess I now he is no dummy and he knew exactly what I meant! You summed up the scenario much better than I did, however. I guess the short of it is Baby Bush doesn't have the huevos to speak to a distraught mother right now! Not in the past! And you are correct, our brothers and sisters to the right are experts in mincing/manipulating of words.

Having said that, I guess I kind of like Decimon.

Abner

 

Re: Re: Re: Bracing for the Debate on Tasteless Humor?

No, Nikita is too smart. After that last incident, she stays behind my office chair.


Abner

 

Re: Re: Gotcha!

I do, too. I just have to keep reminding myself that he's one of the Republican misguided. If he weren't merely misguided, I'd have to not like him. So I just keep telling myself that he, along with all other Republicans whose politics I choose not to cause me to dislike them as people, are merely misguided.

 

Re: Re: Re: Gotcha!

Yes, I must agree with you on this also. I do not understand people voting against their own self interests. Do they own Corporations? Can they take advantage of corporate tax cuts/welfare? I guess I could kind of understand that if you owned a corporation. But the average Joe voting against himself? Pure stupidity! Voting against unions! Pure stupidity. Does the average man/woman think the corporations are representing them? If they do they are idiots!

All I can say is people will eventually see through the fog.

Take care Mr. DesElms,

and keep up the good fight!

Abner

 

Re: Gotcha!

I'm not on the Right. Or the Left, for that matter.

Left - Right is not the political spectrum but the arc of tyranny in current parlance. I am not on the arc and am libertarian if anything.

Democrats don't mislead? Like scorpions don't sting.

 

Re: Re: Re: Gotcha!

Not Republican. And not misguided like the suggestible Abner.

And word count does not better an argument, Gregglorious.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Gotcha!

Oh please Decimon! Abner misguided? Why? Because I did not follow up on a question to something you wrote? Perhaps I did not feel it was necessary? Maybe I was busy with real life issues and did not care to respond to your sarcasm? Or maybe it is because you have everything figured out, and your opinion is the only correct one?

Please Decimon, let's not forget this is a forum of opinion. OPINION, that's all. Based on certain events in ones life, everyone has a certain bias, including myself. Does this make anyones opinion wrong? No! Thus the saying by a very wise man, " I have never heard a wrong opinion". Come now, let's not take ourselves too seriously.

I think the sarcasm directed at Gregg was uncalled for also. He called you on a play and you did not like, thats all.


Abner

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Gotcha!

Indeed. And opinions stated are opinions challenged.

Nor does bias make anyone's opinion right.

He misrepresented me and I do not tolerate that.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Gas $3 a gallon by the end of year.

I think that our public-transport prices are more equivalent than our gas (petrol) prices.

I live in-between San Francisco and San Jose in the "Silicon Valley" area. The city of San Jose is having a big music festival this weekend. So yesterday I rode CalTrain, our local commuter line, down to SJ. Ten bucks for a day pass! (They do sell monthly passes that include modest discounts.)

I'm probably gonna do it again today. (Glutton for punishment: Commuter S&M.) SJ has streets blocked off all over downtown this weekend and stages set up with free music. Most of the bands are pretty bad, but if you don't like what you hear one place, walk down the street and discover something else. I heard a truly dynamite blues band yesterday. So factor in all the free tunes with the astronomical CalTrain fares, and I probably still come out ahead.

 

You could always use the beautiful Santa Clara VTA buses.