tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post8366162125311058003..comments2024-03-28T06:32:24.557-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: Obama’s bumps in the roadDeuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-52243299487341352632012-09-26T01:23:49.800-04:002012-09-26T01:23:49.800-04:00The extraordinary images of plankton under the mic...<i>The extraordinary images of plankton under the microscope inspired artists and writers who were invited on board the Tara to share the experience with scientists and crew. Etienne Bourgois, son of Agnès Troublé, who persuaded her to invest in environmental causes, said his mother wanted the ship to be "scientific and cultural".<br /><br />"It is important that we find ways for the message – of how human life depends on the oceans – to reach people," he said. "That message is: we have to change the way we live in this planet.<br /><br />The Earth will always be here, but it is a question for us – how are we going to live on this planet in the future?"</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-5046770100658264872012-09-26T00:29:23.406-04:002012-09-26T00:29:23.406-04:00In its annual report to Congress on Chinese milita...<i>In its annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, the Pentagon said some components of China's first indigenous aircraft carrier may already be under construction. The first of several indigenous carriers isn't likely be ready until after 2015, the report said.<br /><br />Chinese aircraft carriers are the cornerstone of a multidecade effort by Beijing to modernize its forces. China's military spending in 2012 is forecast to rise to 670.2 billion yuan (about $106 billion), an 11.2% jump over spending a year earlier, according to government figures.<br /><br />Other Chinese military advances that could counter the U.S. include the development of specialized missiles designed to target large ships, such as U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the Western Pacific. One antiship ballistic missile under development, the DF-21D, has a range of more than 1,500 kilometers, or 900 miles, according to the Pentagon.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-42346675860387175102012-09-25T22:13:04.846-04:002012-09-25T22:13:04.846-04:00Dull?
Yeah!
I miss all the blood in the water.Dull?<br /><br />Yeah!<br /><br />I miss all the blood in the water.Ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16688752302081088907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-78287379278801419782012-09-25T20:23:05.210-04:002012-09-25T20:23:05.210-04:00.
Good to see you're hanging in there Allen.
....<br /><br />Good to see you're hanging in there Allen.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-10138770393949939792012-09-25T18:58:12.251-04:002012-09-25T18:58:12.251-04:00Dragster Camera Man<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-z2xaffa6A" rel="nofollow">Dragster Camera Man</a>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-90412892211567319942012-09-25T18:52:27.982-04:002012-09-25T18:52:27.982-04:00Seagulls On Laxatives<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suYz5SHFHyA" rel="nofollow">Seagulls On Laxatives</a>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-37531632656516528142012-09-25T18:47:47.907-04:002012-09-25T18:47:47.907-04:00On this day in 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court swore ...On this day in 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court swore in Sandra Day O'Conner as the first female justice.samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-61803401798041737842012-09-25T18:46:08.233-04:002012-09-25T18:46:08.233-04:00A vaginal whitening wash that promises to make you...<i>A vaginal whitening wash that promises to make your private area 'safely fairer within four weeks' has hit the beauty market in Thailand.<br /><br />...<br /><br />'This product is being launched in India post clinical trials conducted among women of all age groups under dermatological control.<br /><br />'18 Again has the power and the potential to break the shackles and redefine the meaning of women empowerment altogether.'</i><br /><br />samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-14952288966733252912012-09-25T18:42:41.863-04:002012-09-25T18:42:41.863-04:00If you think getting fired as a referee for the Li...<i>If you think getting fired as a referee for the Lingerie Football League means you’ve lost the best job imaginable, have no fear — you can always get a job officiating NFL games.<br /><br />The LFL had been keeping silent about the replacement referees in the NFL until early Tuesday morning.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-17482760986752978652012-09-25T18:40:55.863-04:002012-09-25T18:40:55.863-04:00Floods in Bristol earlier forced the closure of a ...<i>Floods in Bristol earlier forced the closure of a blood and plasma unit while two schools remained closed in Shropshire and train services to Hereford were disrupted.<br /><br />Meanwhile an inquest heard that an account manager died instantly when she was hit by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens as she was walking with friends at the weekend.<br /><br />Erena Louise Wilson, 31, who was born in Wellington, New Zealand but lived in London, received “non-survival head injuries” when she was hit by the Lebanese cedar branch at the Royal Botanical Gardens in south west London on Sunday.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-51659756600548933552012-09-25T18:09:50.744-04:002012-09-25T18:09:50.744-04:00This week's diplomacy will focus on ways to ad...<i>This week's diplomacy will focus on ways to address the growing humanitarian crisis. Jordan has absorbed 200,000 refugees in recent month, and Syrians are also escaping the fighting by fleeing into Turkey and Lebanon.<br /><br />Arab officials are worried this exodus could accelerate early next year as the Syrian government's resources dwindle.<br /><br />"We need to be prepared for the worst," said the senior Arab diplomat attending the U.N. event.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-31374633973207733662012-09-25T17:49:36.478-04:002012-09-25T17:49:36.478-04:00Re: Allen
It must really be dull :-)
Oh, it'...Re: Allen<br /><br />It must really be dull :-)<br /><br />Oh, it's still Israel 13 and nutters 0<br /><br />Have a nice evening you chosen few.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-23827200599857380412012-09-25T17:29:52.560-04:002012-09-25T17:29:52.560-04:00Now, I'm going to put my "One-Trick Peak ...Now, I'm going to put my "One-Trick Peak Oil Pony" hat on, and give a link to an incredibly well-researched analysis of Bakken Field production that reinforces my oft-stated opinion that, not only will N.D. Never reach a Million barrels of oil/day, it might not even get much past 750,000 bpd.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theoildrum.com/node/9506#more" rel="nofollow">The Red Queen pumps oil</a>Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-21916157132111172812012-09-25T17:04:14.661-04:002012-09-25T17:04:14.661-04:00.
And you provide the low-hanging fruit.
:)
..<br /><br />And you provide the low-hanging fruit.<br /><br />:)<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-46035815910518049472012-09-25T14:32:54.433-04:002012-09-25T14:32:54.433-04:00You know what is the most blatant PC crap in the U...You know what is the most blatant PC crap in the US? It is the blind patriotic worship of the military and all their sacrifices.Ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16688752302081088907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-39632582704136685732012-09-25T14:24:11.636-04:002012-09-25T14:24:11.636-04:00I thought I was a "one-trick ethanol" po...I thought I was a "one-trick ethanol" pony. Now you say I'm a "one-trick racism" pony.<br /><br />I'm beginning to think that "your" only trick is bitching.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-89926233777066149492012-09-25T14:21:32.578-04:002012-09-25T14:21:32.578-04:00I'm going to be very grouchy for a day or so....I'm going to be very grouchy for a day or so. I have about six or seven hours of "tax-work" in front of me, and I'm looking for someone whose throat needs cutting. I'm even considering my own. :)Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-64686577993707273142012-09-25T14:20:07.061-04:002012-09-25T14:20:07.061-04:00.
It merely reflects your simplistic thinking.
I....<br /><br />It merely reflects your simplistic thinking.<br /><br />Instead of pointing out the irrationality of Bob's argument, you take the lazy way out and call him a racist. Perhaps that scores some points around here. After a while, I doubt it. It's the same as WiO's love of the word Nazi.<br /><br />As I pointed out in my response to your posts yesterday, you have become a one trick pony. Disagree with Obama's policies? Racist. Culturalism? Racist. Disagree with Obama's new views on gay marriage? Racist. But what the hell, why argue when you can label?<br /><br />As for the light, I don't smoke.<br /><br />My wife is calling me to go to home depot but I'll be glad to answer any response when you get back.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-78377476652176245252012-09-25T14:09:53.085-04:002012-09-25T14:09:53.085-04:00.
Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.
I do....<br /><br /><i>Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.</i><br /><br />I don't know if I'm obsessed since I do think about other things; however, it is safe to say I do have a strong, fixed opinion on it.<br /><br />As for intent, I'll admit my comment was sloppy word choice, or at least, incomplete. I am opposed to hate crime laws for a number of reasons. First, they can subject a person to double jeopardy. There are criminal laws involved in most of these cases. The hate crime case is decided after the criminal case. It is a political decision and it punishes thought crimes. The laws create 'special' classes of victims. As such, two people guilty of exactly the same crime can be punished differently (something the same people who support hate crime laws criticize when it comes to the sentencing of minorities vs. whites). It goes beyond violations of 1st Amendment rights and attacks what a person thinks. You are going beyond justice and into the realm of political punishment. One more step on the slippery slope.<br /><br />They are very PC since you have a group of 'elites' telling people not only what they can do but also what they can think.<br /><br />. <br />Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-47999934936829256342012-09-25T14:08:42.059-04:002012-09-25T14:08:42.059-04:00Who was that old Supreme Court Judge that said, &q...Who was that old Supreme Court Judge that said, "I can't Define pornography, but I know it when I see it.?"<br /><br />When Bob starts throwing around totally irrational hyperbole such as "Obama is a Kenyan-born Muslim, and is out to Destroy America" I have to ask myself why this admitted racist is saying these things, and does it have anything to do with the fact that he IS a racist?<br /><br />It seems to me that the connection is obvious, and thus, Important.<br /><br />Got a light?Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-67498138873099808022012-09-25T13:38:53.748-04:002012-09-25T13:38:53.748-04:00.
Bullshit. You're throwing around a term &#....<br /><br />Bullshit. You're throwing around a term 'racist' is meaningless because it is subjective. It is your opinion. You haven't defined what a racist is. As I said, it's a lazy man's tool.<br /><br />The UN has a definition for 'racial discrimination'. They don't even try to define what a 'racist' is.<br /><br />You said yourself, "That said, it's a rare bird, indeed, that isn't just a little bit racist." So what it comes down to is your opinion on what can be regarded as a "true racist', a subjective opinion not an argument.<br /><br />I give your throwing around the term 'racist' about as much respect as I give WiO or Allen throwing around 'anti-semite' or Bob throwing around the term Nazi. All vitriol, no argument.<br /><br />Nice try; no cigar.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-8314112777190334532012-09-25T13:38:16.727-04:002012-09-25T13:38:16.727-04:00Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.
You als...Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.<br /><br />You also wrote "determine what was going through a man's mind as he commits a crime." Interestingly enough intent is a very important concept in law. <br /><br />"A determination to perform a particular act or to act in a particular manner for a specific reason; an aim or design; a resolution to use a certain means to reach an end.<br /><br />Intent is a mental attitude with which an individual acts, and therefore it cannot ordinarily be directly proved but must be inferred from surrounding facts and circumstances. Intent refers only to the state of mind with which the act is done or omitted. It differs from motive, which is what prompts a person to act or to fail to act. For example, suppose Billy calls Amy names and Amy throws a snowball at him. Amy's intent is to hit Billy with a snowball. Her motive may be to stop Billy's taunts.<br /><br />The legal importance of what an individual intended depends on the particular area of law. In contract law, for example, the intention of the parties to a written contract is fixed by the language of the contract document.<br /><br />In Tort Law, intent plays a key role in determining the civil liability of persons who commit harm. An intentional tort is any deliberate invasion of, or interference with, the property, property rights, personal rights, or personal liberties of another that causes injuries without Just Cause or excuse. In tort an individual is considered to intend the consequences of an act—whether or not she or he actually intends those consequences—if the individual is substantially certain that those consequences will result.<br /><br />Basic intentional torts include Assault and Battery, conversion of property, false arrest, False Imprisonment, Fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and Trespass. It is ordinarily not necessary that any wrongful or illegal means be used to accomplish the negative result, provided the wrongful conduct was intentional and was not accompanied by excuse or justification.<br /><br />In Criminal Law the concept of criminal intent has been called mens rea, which refers to a criminal or wrongful purpose. If a person innocently causes harm, then she or he lacks mens rea and, under this concept, should not be criminally prosecuted.<br /><br />Although the concept of mens rea is generally accepted, problems arise in applying it to particular cases. Some crimes require a very high degree of intent, whereas others require substantially less. Larceny, for example, requires that the defendant intentionally take property to which the person knows he or she is not entitled, intending to deprive the rightful owner of possession permanently. On the other hand, negligent homicide requires only that the defendant negligently cause another's death.<br /><br />Criminal law has attempted to clarify the intent requirement by creating the concepts of "specific intent" and "general intent."<br />...<br /><br />http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/IntentAshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16688752302081088907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-17275220639515795042012-09-25T13:04:35.038-04:002012-09-25T13:04:35.038-04:00Ah, horseshit. Calling a racist a racist is Not a...Ah, horseshit. Calling a racist a racist is Not an ad hominem attack. Calling a racist a racist is merely being "descriptive."<br /><br />Let's go to the definition.<br /><br />An ad hominem (Latin for "to the man"), short for argumentum ad hominem, <i>is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or <b>unrelated belief</b> of the person supporting it.</i><br /><br />The key word being, <b>"Unrelated."</b><br /><br />If it is obvious that the person's "Racism" is <b>related</b> to his argument, then reminding the audience of that person's racism is Not unrelated to the thrust of the argument.<br /><br />Nice try; no cigar.<br /><br />Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-6343605209911135152012-09-25T12:41:23.862-04:002012-09-25T12:41:23.862-04:00.
I deal with arguments. Labels and motives mean....<br /><br />I deal with arguments. Labels and motives mean little to me.<br /><br />IMO, calling someone a racist is a cheap ad homenem, be it true or not. By using a phrase with the negative connotations implied by 'racist' you merely try to belittle a person's argument without ever really addressing it. The same for Nazi, anti-Semite, homophobe, and all the rest. It's a lazy man's tool.<br /><br />Taken to the extreme by the PC pricks in this world we have already started to try and regulate thought and free speech in the name of universal comity. It doesn't work. It only leads to absurd contradictions due to its perverse nature.<br /><br />Nazi war criminals weren't hung because they were racist. They were hung because they were murderers. Yet, in the US today we have 'hate crime' laws were some official on a subjective basis tries to determine what was going through a man's mind as he commits a crime. In the EU, it is worse. In 12 countries, you have 'holocaust denier' laws where a person can be sentenced to years in prison for publicly stating his belief that there was no holocaust, this even if he later says there actually was one. The perverse quality of the law lies in the fact that while the guy can go to prison for stating there was no holocaust, he walks free when stating that there actually was a holocaust and that he thinks that was a good thing.<br /><br />As I said, perverse logic on the part of PC pricks.<br /><br />I'm glad that I live in the US where there is still some semblance of 1st Amendment rights, even though some officials continue to belittle those rights with their craven apologies for satirical videos and cartoons.<br /><br />The UN, the EU, the ME, much of the rest of the world is lost on this issue. Makes me want to puke.<br /><br />.<br />Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-15859741771038256752012-09-25T12:08:52.825-04:002012-09-25T12:08:52.825-04:00As in most (all?) of life, we're dealing in &q...As in most (all?) of life, we're dealing in "degrees," I'd think.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.com