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Tuesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Mon Apr 17, 2006 at 11:55:36 PM EST
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It's time for the Tuesday Open Thread. The TL kid popped into town for a few days, and if there's anything I'd rather do than blog, it's hang out with him. Markos of Daily Kos is also in town, and of course I want to hang out with him too. I'm even going to be out and about by 8:30 a.m. to attend a coffee klatch with him at Progress Now at 9:00. So my blogging may be close to non-existent until this evening.

Join us tomorrow from 8:30 until 9 a.m. for an interview with Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of DailyKos.com, live from the ProgressRadio webcasting studio. DailyKos is America's top blog, drawing more than 1,000,000 visitors each day. Tomorrow, beginning at 8:30 a.m., connect with Markos and ask questions at this web address. And if you're in the Denver-Boulder area, here's Markos' schedule.

Hopefully, TChris or LNILR will pop in a few times, and I may as well, but just in case you end up here on your own with little or no guidance or new posts, just use the comments as a place for you to have some fun.

Markos will be reading at the Tattered Cover LoDo -- and is the key guest at Drinking Liberally -- on Wednesday --I hope lots of you local readers will come on down and say hello.

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    Tuesday Open Thread | 72 comments (72 topical)
    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#1)
    by Johnny on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 12:36:24 AM EST
    Pujols became the 21st player in MLB history to homer in 4 straight games tonight.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#3)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 04:11:03 AM EST
    "Ministry of Truth" attacks American journalists
    ...in addition to using the media to concoct favorable propaganda, the Bush administration maintains an office in the State Department that keeps an eye on American and other journalists and does not hesitate to attack them for straying from the party line. To show how much censorship exists in America today, this journalist would have likely never known about the existence of a one-man office in the State Department that acts to debunk and attack anything the Bush administration deems is false. Thanks to a recent report by veteran America watcher and journalist Jyri Raivio in Finland's Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, it can now be reported in the United States that the State Department uses taxpayers' money to attack American journalists who refuse to parrot the Bush administration's disinformation and propaganda.


    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 06:02:57 AM EST
    I may have to retract my statement yesterday Johnny...Pujols looks like he's well on his way to another MVP. Pedro Martinez notched his 200th win last night in another Met victory. Thank heavens for baseball to distract us from the state of the union and the world.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 06:45:12 AM EST
    rMatey, I used to put toothpicks in the door locks of the cars with alarms that kept going off outside my window every night. And break off the part that sticks out. There's my easter confession. ;-)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 06:53:36 AM EST
    The BMW guys don't bother me...it's the desk jockeys driving Ford F5000's who can't handle a car that big, causing chaos in every parking lot, taking up two spaces, etc. Jusy yesterday I saw a guy driving the land version of the QEII take 20 minutes to pull out of a parking space. If you are going to be a gas glutton at least have the courtesy to be able to handle the vehicle you are driving.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#5)
    by rMatey on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:12:53 AM EST
    Is it me, or are the BMW drivers really all a bunch of a**holes? They drive in the passing lane, never moving over - lookit me - lookit me. And when the p*nis-challenged people do park, they do it in a fashion against the lines of the parking spaces. Guess I'll have to continue working on their attitudes with the super glue and the roofing nails.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:15:00 AM EST
    Have a question about the Al-Arian plea agreement, It is said he pled guilty to "helping Shallah by lying to a St. Petersburg Times reporter about his knowledge of Shallah's connections to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and "falsely stating there was nothing Shallah had done while at WISE to indicate any (PIJ) political affiliation." So, is it possible lying to a newspaper reporter is now a federal offense?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#8)
    by jen on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:44:28 AM EST
    and driving a huge honking suv/van/minivan does not exempt you from the need to be aware of other vehicles on the road. Things like checking to see if there is any oncoming traffic before you turn left across FIVE LANES OF HEAVILY TRAFFIC would be nice.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:02:19 AM EST
    rMatey... As an ex- BMW driver I can tell you that kind of driving isn't reserved just for them. Not moving over is a big pet peeve of mine and in fact, here in Illinois, you can now be ticketed for that. I'm sure I'll be called racist for this...but I find black women are the biggest offenders of this practice. So, it's more an attitude ( I do own the road) than a car type. Kdog... I agree 100%. Most people in those big honkin SUVs have no clue how to handle them. Then, put a cell phone in their hands and look out ...!

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:10:46 AM EST
    I'm sure I'll be called racist for this...but I find black women are the biggest offenders of this practice. So, it's more an attitude ( I do own the road) than a car type.
    You are a complete moron for posting this. You obviously want to cause turmoil in this thread.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#11)
    by aw on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:32:57 AM EST
    "Ministry of Truth" attacks American journalists
    In 1994, Leventhal took on the Los Angeles Times over its story about the kidnapping of poor children from poverty-ravished Latin American barrios for the purpose of organ harvesting. Ugh. Why would the US have an interest in countering that kind of story? Is there some kind of special organ bank for the rich or something?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#12)
    by jen on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:38:05 AM EST
    Just fyi everyone and I mean EVERYONE riding in the left lane is the slow person in the left lane. (to somebody)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#13)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:54:08 AM EST
    It's not race, or gender, or any of that. There are people with little common sense all around. But my driving pet peeve is tailgaters. Especially jacked up, 4WD Ford Bombadiers with a half dozen of the million candlepower halogen pressurized search lamps reflecting in your two rear view mirrors and leaving permanent scars on your retinas.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#14)
    by BigTex on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:54:25 AM EST
    Right on Kdog. To add to the problem, they also have no concept of what a lane is. When one of those overly large vehicles spills into a second parking space at a pay parking lot, they should have to pay for occupying both spots. Too bad parking attendents don't take initative and help put an and to the problem. Interestingly, this phenominan is proving that environmentalists are wrong about high gas prices driving down gas usage. Sales of huge gas guzzlers are still rampant, and people aren't trading down to more economic vehicles.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#15)
    by Dadler on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:54:59 AM EST
    Tom Cruise is planning on eating the afterbirth of his baby with Katie Holmes. Can someone please do something about this guy? Shut him up? Anything?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#16)
    by squeaky on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:00:48 AM EST
    Dadler-Must be some kind of 'alien' thing.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#17)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:01:30 AM EST
    We've just reached 3.00 a gallon again Tex....eventually it's gotta start to sting. Then again, gas is still cheaper than bottled water. It all depends on how much people value I'm still in the habit of saying "10 dollars regular". More than once I've done it lately, realized I'm only getting around 3 gallons, go back inside and get another 20. I'm no economist, but the fix has gotta be in on gas prices...what's the excuse this time?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#18)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:01:58 AM EST
    Does your vehicle reflect your personage, like your home? Or is it just a car?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#19)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:04:32 AM EST
    Kdog, Are we now seeing the advantage to confrontation with Iran and Venezuela?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:26:18 AM EST
    Exxon sure he is Che. Profits up Up UP!

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#21)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:28:29 AM EST
    Dadler - I think we should work on shutting up the A-holes who think we should care what Tom Cruise does. Present company excepted.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#22)
    by Dadler on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:41:55 AM EST
    Jondee, Agreed. Forgive me.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#23)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:49:44 AM EST
    Daler - 200 hail Marys and 50 our Fathers. And let me take you on a camp out.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#24)
    by Peaches on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:52:28 AM EST
    Interestingly, this phenominan is proving that environmentalists are wrong about high gas prices driving down gas usage. Sales of huge gas guzzlers are still rampant, and people aren't trading down to more economic vehicles.
    That would be economists, not environmentalist who predicted such a phenomenon. But, Tex, have you seen how GM and Ford have been doinng lately. The SUV sales are not increasing and the demand for hybrids and sedans have increased with increasing prices, they just have not increased that much. If you remember from your economics courses there is somethin called elasticity of demand. Then there is the short-term and the long-term. Economists argue that the demand for gasoline is inelastic in the short-term -- meaning demand does not fluctuate much with the price-- but elastic over the longterm as market forces adjust to prices. We are still in the shortterm for high energy prices and prices are still rising.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#25)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 10:42:25 AM EST
    aw: Is there some kind of special organ bank for the rich or something? Probably. Cheney's shriveled little black heart obviously up and died a long time ago. What's keeping him going?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#26)
    by BigTex on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 10:46:21 AM EST
    I'm no economist, but the fix has gotta be in on gas prices...what's the excuse this time?
    No argument here. In the wake of Rita back home suddenly every gas station in my hometown was charging the same - something that has never happened before - and were all charging at least a dime higher than immediatly prehurricane. The oil companies are involved with collusion. However, where are the local DAs? Why aren't they launching collusion investiagions? Peaches - is this a real increase, or simply a cyclical increase? It happens every spring into summer. Gas prices have a part in that, but it is not the gloom and doom predictions that environmentalists make. Now, I know some of the economists have made the same predictions, but environmentalists (and for the record I'm the current vice president, and president elect of the school's Environmental Law Society, I'm not an antienvironment type of guy) make the same claims when pushing for higher gas taxes. The spike in hybrids will increase the number of hybrids on the roads, but it's not going to reduce appriciably the number of gas guzzlers on the roads. Sad thing is, Congres could at will pass legislation making hybrid engines mandatory on all vehicles. That would increase fuel efficiency 7%. That number is small looking, but equates into billions a year in imports not needed.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#27)
    by Peaches on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 11:01:38 AM EST
    Now, I know some of the economists have made the same predictions, but environmentalists ... make the same claims when pushing for higher gas taxes.
    Big Tex, Not some, but all economists. It is the mainstay of neoclassical theory. The law of demand. Prices rise and demand falls. When talking about elasiticity, just about every introductory econ text, uses gasoline as an example when explaing the difference between short-run and long-run elasticity of demand. What economists argue over is when the short-run ends and when the long-run begins. Thus, We have John Maynard Keynes famaous retort to his fellow economist, In the long run we are all dead. What we are seeing over the past year is not just a seasonal increase in gasoline prices but an shortage in excess capacity (supply) needed to meet increasing demand for oil world-wide. Thus, prices respond quickly to news which might affect the near-term supply of oil in the market. If an environmentalist makes the claim that an increase in price would lower demand, this would not be desputed by any econmist. The question would come about when demand would respond and how much of an increase. Prices are on an upward trend. Demand will eventually respond. The question is will it respond fast enough. Environmentalists probably are answering that it is not responding fast enough, so they would like to see a tax added to it. This tax could also be defended by many, if not most econmists. The revenue from the taxes could be used to finance research in alternative fuels and it would also lower demand quicker, according to economic theory.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#28)
    by jen on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 11:04:15 AM EST
    Premium has already gone past 3$. This means they days when I could fill up on pocket change are long gone :( now when I pull in to the gas station on my lil honda scooter I have to have at least 3$ *Deep Sigh*

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#29)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 11:18:58 AM EST
    Macro... You are a complete moron for posting this. Sorry I offended you...it's just an observation of mine. Big Tex... The oil companies are involved with collusion. However, where are the local DAs? Why aren't they launching collusion investiagions? The real sad thing as that this has been going on for many years. Gas prices ALWAYS fluctuated weekly, (remember gas wars? - talk about a thing of the past!) but most people didn't care much when prices went from 32 cents a gallon to 37 cents. Now, when it's from $2.60 up to $2.95 in one or two days... it gets noticed.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#30)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 11:24:34 AM EST
    Sorry I offended you...it's just an observation of mine.
    You didn't offend me. I was pointing out the idiocy of your post and blatant attempt to cause turmoil in this thread.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#31)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 01:45:09 PM EST
    I thought I would try my hand at link formatting by posting this little piece of "well you go right ahead" As I understand it, and as nature understands it, the actions described are solely undertaken by the female of the spieces. Given the bizarre nature of the relationship I do have a problem deciding

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#32)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 01:48:21 PM EST
    What an abject failure am I. It should have said "Who is the bigger tit" Here's the link.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 01:55:35 PM EST
    who is the bigger tit

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 01:57:25 PM EST
    Nearly there, it's the tom cruise story.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 02:20:20 PM EST
    Macro.... and blatant attempt to cause turmoil in this thread. LOL.. Any opposing view point is seen as a "blatant attempt to cause turmoil in this thread". Besides... like I said, I just voiced an "observation" of mine. Nobody else commented negatively.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#36)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 02:24:58 PM EST
    Oscar, Your link came through fine. Congratulations. If you figure out haloscan, call me.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#37)
    by rMatey on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 02:29:18 PM EST
    Well, I guess I'm a failure at getting all of the Beamer drivers all riled up. And I do agree that there are many bad drivers out there. I drive a mini. Live in a nice home. I'm just not Compassionate Conservative.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#38)
    by jen on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 02:32:22 PM EST
    Did BB just mistake "studiously ignoring" for "unvoiced aproval"?? ickypoo

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#39)
    by aw on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 02:34:50 PM EST
    But placenta-eating is considered normal in some cultures. Various recipes include one for placenta lasagne. Some say eating it helps avoid post-natal depression.
    Maybe that's why I felt blue after having a baby--they didn't offer me the placenta. I wonder if the government will do a study on that?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#40)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:31:03 PM EST
    I too am sick of hearing about Tom Cruise. He was awesome as Ron Kovic though.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#41)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:34:24 PM EST
    LOL.. Any opposing view point is seen as a "blatant attempt to cause turmoil in this thread". Besides... like I said, I just voiced an "observation" of mine. Nobody else commented negatively.
    This...
    As an ex- BMW driver I can tell you that kind of driving isn't reserved just for them.
    ... is an opposing point of view. This...
    I'm sure I'll be called racist for this...but I find black women are the biggest offenders of this practice. So, it's more an attitude ( I do own the road) than a car type.
    ... is a deliberate attempt by you to cause turmoil in this thread. You singled out black women and made a comment about their attitude. People who post in a progressive blog tend to get a bit touchy about these things; and many people would consider your comment racist. So in short, you were trying to cause a problem. Jen is correct to state...
    Did BB just mistake "studiously ignoring" for "unvoiced aproval"?? ickypoo
    ... in response to your following comment:
    Nobody else commented negatively.
    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#42)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:35:40 PM EST
    Halo who? You're asking the wrong dude. I have mentioned it before, but until quite recently I lived the previous twelve years on a boat. 12V oil lamps and no puters. Having said that I wish I had gotten into these things years ago, I think they are the single most important piece of kit since the wheel. Now for a little herasy. Would y'all stop whining about the price of gas. Cheap energy is not a fundamental birthright. UK prices are running pretty much $6+ per US gallon. Of this 61% is tax. I realize your prices are governed by market forces and corperate profits rather than taxation, If it could be relied on to spend it on universal health care as opposed to another war. What would 50c or a dollar a gallon taxation buy in the way of said health care? You are going to have to take the pain sometime and it should be goverment responsibility to impliment a program of steady increases that business and the economy can absorb without causing chaos. In the long run it would benefit the country, the planet, and if the money raised were put to social programs, the people. I'm just going to visit Utopia, my magic carpet hasn't had a spin recently. It's a thought though.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#43)
    by jen on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:40:20 PM EST
    Look out, Oscar, I think I'm gonna hug ya.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#44)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:46:05 PM EST
    Sounds good to me, but I aint no cheap pick up yaknow.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#45)
    by Peaches on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 03:53:58 PM EST
    I realize your prices are governed by market forces and corperate profits rather than taxation,
    Oscar, good points, but concerning the above, some folks would charactrize our prices being guided more by gov't subsidies than market forces. If oil prices reflected the cost of military expenditures needed to secure oil reserves around the world, surely they would be as high or higher than they are in Europe. We also hand out a fair share of subsidies to tyhe oil companies for exploration and drilling on public lands.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#46)
    by roy on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 04:01:29 PM EST
    Oscar, You're not going to get much traction here. Taxes are only popular if they're adequately "progressive", meaning we can make the wealthy pay everyone else's way. Plus, folks would rather focus on blaming the high price of gas on the $0.30 per gallon profit Exxon makes than on the $0.40 cents per gallon in tax at the pump. Not counting the income tax every business in the chain pays on its profits.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#47)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 04:01:59 PM EST
    Peaches, it never ceases to amaze how your economy stays afloat, I know the US is rich. I'm far from an econamist but the rate that the government is squandering money is beyond comprehension. How can a country be so rich when it seams to only have one company that it relies on. (Haliburton)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#48)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 04:10:18 PM EST
    Heading to the tv, a rare ocasssion. Brando in Streetcar, number starting to take effect, i can tell by the spelling. Thought I might leave a few words I wrote one night on the boat. Play nice now REFLECTIONS. The tide is high, No tempest tonight, No hint of wind, I float on languid pool of black. The birds make no calls, No fish disturb the night, Perhaps they reflect my mood. The pipes play gently, But little solace I find in their Mournful tone. Tonight I sit swathed In your birthday gift. It warms and comforts me. Your fragrance, lingering from It's very fibres. Where now Is the peace Of my old friend Called solitude. Northernpoet.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#49)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 05:13:15 PM EST
    Comments at Talk Left

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#50)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 05:13:39 PM EST
    Are much better than at Daily Kos

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#51)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 05:14:02 PM EST
    Get my point?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#52)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 05:52:50 PM EST
    Jen: Did BB just mistake "studiously ignoring" for "unvoiced aproval"?? ickypoo Yep...

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#53)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 06:17:38 PM EST
    BB, Not moving over is a big pet peeve of mine and in fact, here in Illinois, you can now be ticketed for that...is describing an action that bugs you, and how the law deals with it. No problems there. I'm sure I'll be called racist for this...but I find black women are the biggest offenders of this practice. ... is an unsupported generalization stereotyping black women and implying that non-blacks (or non-women, or both) are superior. It is a racist remark. It really peeves me when people in front of me walk halfway up the escalator and stop. I don't know why, it just does. All kinds of people do it. Blacks, whites, asians, arabs, jews, probably martians too... but if I say I find martians are the biggest offenders of this practice I am making an unsupported generalization stereotyping martians and implying that non-martians are superior. It is a racist remark. Racism: The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. But, you don't need me or anyone else to tell you this. You knew it before you made the remark...

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#54)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:03:23 PM EST
    Thats givin him the benefit of a doubt. Something tells me B.B's not exactly the reflective type.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#55)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:09:59 PM EST
    BB: Let's say that you take a steno pad with you the next time you're driving. Now, let's say that you put a collumn for every race on the pad and then place tally marks under the appropriate heading each time you spot someone driving slow in the fast lane. For the sake of argument, let's say after two weeks that you observe 20,000 examples and that your experience leads to the conclusion that elderly caucasian men are most often the offending group. Can you seriously infer that all caucasians are genetically/intellectual prone to being inconsiderate drivers? Of course not. You could have an argument if you could somehow prove that the overwhelming majority of those elderly men in your sample were visually impaired. You could have an argument if you could prove through psychological profile that all of those drivers are culturally pre-disposed to being inconsiderate. These are acceptable in the realm of science and statistics. But racially biased theory is inherently flawed. It speaks more about the observer than the observation. Next time, forget the color of the person and tell them that they're inconsiderate in a manner that best suits the situation (i.e. flip them a bird and get over it.)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#56)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:18:06 PM EST
    Jondee: Thats givin him the benefit of a doubt. Something tells me B.B's not exactly the reflective type. Maybe, to both, Jondee... I'm not without my faults or shortcomings either though, and I have had some good conversations in past with BB. If there is a scale to these things there are others here much closer to the end of the scale where there is absolute refusal to reflect. I don't think BB is at that point... at least I hope not.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#57)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:25:32 PM EST
    BB, I don't think you're a racist for makin' that remark. In fact, I don't think you're a racist at all. You're more of an ignorant bigot than a racist. You say dumb stuff like that, try to hijack threads and cry "oh, everybody will be out to get me now for bein' a racist and misspellin' everything," except you would have misspelled two or three words in the process. Jeepster, JR, JRT and Jim do the same thing. They're just marginally better at it than you are.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#58)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:26:54 PM EST
    Posted by edger April 18, 2006 08:18 PM
    Jondee: Thats givin him the benefit of a doubt. Something tells me B.B's not exactly the reflective type.
    Ya kinda have to cast one in the first place to be the reflective type, don't ya?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#59)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:33:37 PM EST
    True, Charlie. But I don't think BB has quite backed himself into the corner that Jeepster, JR, JRT and Jim usually do. Close, but not quite completely yet. I don't want to box him in with no way out, you know?

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#60)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:34:59 PM EST
    I might be making a mistake here, but like I said, I'm not without my faults or shortcomings either...

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#61)
    by squeaky on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:43:01 PM EST
    charliedontsurf1 said:
    BB, I don't think you're a racist for makin' that remark. In fact, I don't think you're a racist at all. You're more of an ignorant bigot than a racist.
    I am falling off my chair laughing. Good one.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#62)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:44:24 PM EST
    That "commie liberal " crack earlier didnt exactly raise his stock, but, I suppose we might be able to reason through a lotta these things if we have the patience.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#63)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:47:20 PM EST
    Squeaky - The boy has some chops.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#64)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 07:51:52 PM EST
    Charlie, I was just remembering an exchange you had a while back with Big Tex. Something about 'quite an awakening'. I tried to google it just now but I can't find it... but you taught me something there about teaching, and about encouraging people to learn and grow... Thank you!

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#65)
    by squeaky on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:02:19 PM EST
    Jondee-No sh*t, I am still laughing.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#66)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:17:35 PM EST
    Besides, I just looked through the pockets of the shirts in the closet that I haven't worn for awhile, and I found a couple of 'second chances' in there that I never used, and they are still good - they haven't hit their expiry dates yet either. So I figure I might as well give them away. Maybe BB can find a use for one of 'em. I have friends that I hope I can always borrow one from in future if I need one. Who knows, I might even end up with another friend out of the deal. I can always use more friends. ;-)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#67)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:25:39 PM EST
    I always did like the Bertrand Russell quote in the masthead of The Anonymous Liberal blog. :-)
    "The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment."


    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#68)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:52:18 PM EST
    Thanks, fellas. As for BB, the boy just fell in with a bad crowd. We'll just have to do our best Father Flanagan's to get him back on the straight and narrow. He's just gotta want it.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#69)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:53:16 PM EST
    Process and reality. Like his old friend Whitehead. Russell almost always walked his talk too. We could use a few like that today. Needless to say.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#70)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 08:57:24 PM EST
    Charlie: We'll just have to do our best Father Flanagan's to get him back on the straight and narrow. He's just gotta want it. You got that right. He's at bat now... it's up to him to either knock it out of the park, or strike out.

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#71)
    by Edger on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:00:02 PM EST
    You guys are great. You girls too. I'm beat, been a long first day back at work after 4 days off... time to crash. Old, you know? ;-)

    Re: Tuesday Open Thread (none / 0) (#72)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Apr 18, 2006 at 09:01:33 PM EST
    Hey, at this point, I'd just like to see him take the damned bat off his shoulder and foul a couple off. He's gotta stay alive and keep his head above water. Stop buyin' into all that bigoted bs. I'm outta here. See ya tomorrow.

    Tuesday Open Thread | 72 comments (72 topical)