America... Watch Out!

"One of these days Laura, I'm gonna punch you in the face"...

I miss "That's My Bush"....esp. that little take-off of The Honeymooners! (Wow, I *am* old, LOL!)...

THe problem with gas prices being so high (at least here in the States) is that *everything* gets shipped via tractor-trailer...which increases the price of every product you buy...leaving less money for "important things", like say, theme park visits... ;)
*** Edited 8/30/2005 4:23:11 PM UTC by rollergator***

Ding ding ding ding!

And the winner of the 'Republican with a Brain' award goes to Redman...the only person who could figure out I don't give a rip about right, left, up down or (with a few noted exceptions) pretty much any of you!

Meanwhile amongst those less perceptive....

HeyAren'tYouRob: Knowing people out there doesn't give your opinion one ounce of weight. Frankly, if they did? Yours would be insignificant compared to mine. A co-worker and long-time reservist who can barely walk down the hallway to get his things from the printer just got back after two tours. So did one of my best friend's husband--a career recruiter and reservist about to retire who had to leave right after he bought a house and his wife gave birth to twins. From six months old to two years of age, they only heard Daddy's voice. The tolls of war extend far beyond body counts, folks missing limbs or PTSD.

But honestly--if anybody should be POed at Bush, it should be the actual conservatives he claims to represent. Under Clinton, Playette got streamlined and redesigned right out of her semi-cushy government job and had to bump a secretary to keep employed. Under Bush? Here's a raise! Here's another! Stay the course! Funny, isn't it?

-'Playa

---

The tolls of war extend far beyond body counts, folks missing limbs or PTSD.

---

They also extend only to those who volunteer their service.

The single biggest pet peeve I have about the military and/or war is when those who volunteer to do the job get called out on it and then complain.

Call me crazy, but I never joined the military (even though, oddly enough, my family has a fairly long line of males who've served) mostly because I have no desire to personally go and risk my life for this country. I'm a pussy.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who are willing to make that sacrifice for all of us. Just don't wonk about it when you get called out on your offer.

You sure won't hear my brother complain. He spent a year in Iraq and thankfully came home to us safe and sound. He's seen more death and destruction than anyone could ever fanthom......stuff you don't see on the news.

Even though he is getting out of the service (finally!) and going back to school you won't hear him complain about anything, except complainers. ;-) He signed up and knew what the risks were.

So Gonch, does that mean anyone can kick your butt? ;-)

-Tina

*** Edited 8/30/2005 4:45:46 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

It's a little less cut-and-dried when your tour gets extended, extended again, stretched a little more and then Hey! Guess where you'll still be next month...

And Mom, Dad, Uncle and your unborn children don't line up to sign off when anybody enlists. So I'll stand by the whole 'toll extending' thing.

As for signing up for anybody's conflict--oh yeah, count me out, too. Except a few good jokes at the expense of the high-pitched, bunched-of-shorts and whiny. It's just too easy.

-'Playa

Good for your brother. That's great to hear.

And yes, you could take me in a fair one-on-one girlfight...easily. :)

EDIT - Reply meant to be to Tina's post, 'Playa slipped one in.

*** Edited 8/30/2005 4:46:30 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

I remember my one flirtation with the service. I had thought very briefly about applying to the Naval academy for college. Free school? Why not!

Then I went for my physical. It's an impressive experience---you are checked literally from stem to stern---what you normally think of as a "physical" plus eye exam, hearing test, dental checkup, etc. etc. etc.

Of course, through all of this time, you're like a hog being put through a processing plant straight out of Upton Sinclair's "Jungle." Wasn't particularly appealing. There was also plenty of hurrying-up-and-waiting, during which time I met several men and women who were already in the service, at varying levels of accomplishment and time in service. Almost no one said that Annapolis sounded like a good idea. A few people suggested I consider the Air Force instead of the Navy, because they had newer toys. Most people looked at me like I was a flipping idiot.

That's all I needed to know. I sent a polite letter to my congressman rescinding my request for a recommendation, and enrolled at the People's Republic of Berkeley instead. Talk about your 180-degree-flips.

Finally, the "volunteer-only" thing is a little dubious. There have been plenty of servicemen and women who have completed their contracted-for tour of duty, but have been unable to leave the service. I suppose you could argue that the fine print always said that this was a possibility, but that's putting a pretty fine point on it.

He's been in the Army and National Guard since he graduated high school (11 years ago.) He pretty much went in to stay out of trouble (and it worked..lol). He's travelled all over the world and he has no regrets, but I think he's seen enough/did his time.

Don't worry, Gonch, I am a wussy too. Maybe between the two of us we could whoop someone's butt (and then run like hell!) ;-)

-Tina

*** Edited 8/30/2005 4:52:51 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Brian: With a flip-flop like that, you could run for President! ;)

*Looks for someone else to hide behind as well*

Oh wait, that's right. I actually used the TRUTH to prove my point and what do you do? You hide behind Redman and defend yourself that you don't care about either side of the arguement, yet you try to come up with a compelling statement to defend your position but you are afraid to admit it.

Here, let me copy, paste it for you incase you decide to edit your post...

"The tolls of war extend far beyond body counts, folks missing limbs or PTSD."

I have an opinion. You have yours, however, when you try post false facts with NOTHING to back it up, have the expectation for that to be challenged. Again, I'll save your finger from scrolling your mouse...

"Uhhhhhh, cuz maybe the war for oil wasn't about making it CHEAP. Ya think? Politician from Texas, anyone? Hello? Anybody home? Duuuuuuh?

George Bush? George Bush? Who'd bother ranting about President Beeblebrox?

Douglas Adams' fiction has finally become true. He doesn't wield power--he draws attention from those who actually do"

Hmm... There's a reason why fiction is Fiction.

fic·tion (fkshn)
n.

1. An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented. The act of inventing such a creation or pretense.

A lie.

A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. The category of literature comprising works of this kind, including novels and short stories.

Law. Something untrue that is intentionally represented as true by the narrator.

Imagine that...

And don't worry, I'll help others out with your predictable TON arguement that you are sizzling up.

I'm out here to get attention because I'm a very unhappy person in life and I need to post on CB to fulfill my purpose in life.

Now for those who actually know me...

~Rob Willi

The single biggest pet peeve I have about the military and/or war is when those who volunteer to do the job get called out on it and then complain.

Preaching to the converted, Gonch! I don't care where you're sent, how long you go, etc., etc. You sign up for the military, be prepared to be the countries next casualty, regardless of the cause. Sign up for the free stuff, Get an all expenses paid trip to somewhere you don't want to go as a bonus.

I hate hearing someone complain when they 'reap what they sow'...

Ahh, you managed to touch on the biggest of all of my problems with it, Brian - the free hook-up.

The worst of the worst is when you hear, "He just joined to get an education (or money for college, or training for whatever) and now he's risking his life in Iraq..."

Great, you wanted the freebie from the government, but when they call you out and flip the game on your ass, it's a problem?

Arrrrghhh! It drives me nuts.

How hard is it to understand what you're getting yourself into?

---

It's a deal, Tina. If things ever get heavy at some weird coaster event, I'm finding you - as long as you won't laugh at me when it's all over and I'm short of breath and crying huddled under my car in the parking lot asking every five seconds, "Is he gone? Is he gone?"

I hear ya, Gonch. It's a parent's job to get up out their easy chair, smack that form outta their hands and chase them around the block just for thinking about it in the FIRST place.

As for Bush vs. Beeblebrox...

---

He doesn't wield power--he draws attention from those who actually do.

---

Never mind Douglas Adams...you only had to watch the vice-presidential debates to figure that out. I mean REALLY.

-CO

*** Edited 8/30/2005 5:09:41 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

'Short of breath', Gonch? Ya Smoker! Stop complaining about the consequences ;).

Not trying to get that started up again...

(in case you all didn't know, i'm sure Gonch did, that was just a friendly jab)

Watching Smith get blasted if endless fun, and has been adequately covered, however...

---

Jeffrey R Smith said:
I can’t imagine that any reasonable person believes that driving a large vehicle is as socially inappropriate as gouging one’s eye in public…?

---

See, the problem with your argument is that Americans tend to feel entitled to do whatever the hell they want in the name of freedom without looking past their own nose to decide whether or not they should. We talk on here about personal responsibility all of the time, especially in the context of park safety, and yet it shouldn't apply to everything we do in our lives?

I remember back in the day when most garbage wasn't recycled at all. People were pissed off about having to recycle. These days you can't buy a can of soda or a newspaper that isn't partially or entirely made of recycled materials. It's a surprising case where Americans took responsibility for their environment.

But after the tree hugging, we went the other way with our obnoxious huge cars. Sure you have a right to own one, but I think you're irresponsible for doing so. Our entire economy is dependent on oil, and seeing as how we don't produce a lot of it ourselves, that's a very bad thing. (And don't bring up drilling in Alaska. Not only would it barely make a dent, but it would take decades to ramp up production and make that dent.) If there was some catastrophic nuclear event in the Middle East, we'd be screwed. Then you could enjoy the freedom of waiting at a pump for hours and paying $10 a gallon while you wave the flag. That's real patriotic.

Isn't that the great irony? If people really cared about the United States and future generations of Americans, people would get their heads out of their asses and take a careful look at the world you're potentially leaving them. Sadly, this is not what people are doing.

And what floors me is that the big oil companies are all spending a ton of money researching other energy sources, because they know it's a finite resource, and their futures depend on the next big thing. American consumers just bury their heads in the sand.

---

Ahh, you managed to touch on the biggest of all of my problems with it, Brian - the free hook-up.

---

Yeah, and "free" part was really overrated. Even at its most expensive, I paid less than $2000 per year for tuition at Berkeley, and got what was arguably a better education, plus no waiting for that silly term of service to end before starting gradual school.

*** Edited 8/30/2005 5:20:29 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

Watching Smith get blasted if endless fun, and has been adequately covered, however...

Who all is blasting Jeffrey? I see 2? As for the SUVs being irresponsible, I live in an area where a good 60 percent of the roads to get to peoples houses are not paved, and you seriously can't get a car up them. I'd love not to have to have an SUV to get home, and once I move, I won't. But I have to have a 2 door 4 seater. Everyone has different circumstances. The metro just wouldn't make it up here.

I agree that most people that have them are irresponsible. But some people are justified. Not those living in a city, however...

Just so everyone's aware.... bipartisanship is not dead. As evidenced by the fact that PA's legislature joined hands across the aisle to give themselves raises ranging from 16 to 34 percent in the most recent budget. Just to show they're not totally self-centered, they got raises to judges and department heads too.

In the process, they "forgot" to address things like property tax reform that people really weren't too concerned about anyway. When it comes to flipping off the constituents, both parties do it so well and so synchronized, it looks like a frickin' line dance.

In the immortal words of Richard Pryor, mock-campaigning for political office in Brewster's Millions, "Hey, we're all [bleeeeeep]s!"

And they are.

-CO

I am currently driving a 2004 Ford Explorer. Over the last several months, I have been getting a pretty consistent 21 MPG. My last vehicle was a Ford Taurus. That car consistently got 25 MPG. What a difference, eh! My daily commute is 20 miles each way. 200 miles a week for work. Let's say gas is $2.75 a gallon. That means that the Explorer is costing me about $17 more a month than the Taurus would for getting to and from work. Granted, most environmentalists would think that the Taurus is also evil, but they'd want me to use a hybrid bicycle.

When I purchased this vehicle, I made what I felt was the best decision for my situation. Some seem to think that unless you're off-roading, there is no point to the SUV. From a practical standpoint, I could have really used a pickup truck. Between my own family, helping out my parents and my brother, and doing things for the church, I frequently find myself hauling all varieties of things. But, with a 3-year old, the pickup was out of the question. We did consider a mini-van, but felt the SUV more closely meet our needs.

Despite popular opinion, the Explorer has nothing to do with my ego, I'm not a chest-pounding American and I don't hate the earth. If those were the reasons, I would have bought a Hummer. :) When all the facts were in, at that point in time, that was the best choice for my family and my situation. A few years from now when it's time to buy another vehicle, I'll jump at the chance to buy a hybrid - if it's the best option for me. Who knows? Maybe at the time my best option will be a mini-van ... or something else.

I don't complain about the cost of gas (though everyone around me seems to). I always tell my wife, "gas is what it is." I think the constant fluctuations in price are a bit strange ... and I think there are too many taxes on gas ... but you'll never hear me complaining about how high it is.

I wish public transportation was a better option in Cleveland. Right now I'd have to drive 15 minutes to get to the nearest park-n-ride, where I'd have to get on the bus to finish the 35 minute commute. I love the Metro in DC. If something like that was in Cleveland, I'd use it all the time. Not because I want to save the earth, but rather to make the most of my time.

While I feel no guilt for the choice that I made (and maybe I don't represent that typical SUV owner) ... it gets a little old for people to keep telling me that I'm careless for buying a "tree killer" or make assumptions based on their limited view of who drives an SUV.

*** Edited 8/30/2005 5:57:41 PM UTC by Gemini***