Ranting and Raving

Posted by: Stormdragon

Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 11:12 AM

Here's a thread where you can rant and rave and complain about random aspects of life. Get your frustrations and emotions out here!
I'll start. I'm tired of high school drama. It's all too darn superficial, trying to impress peopel and make the "right" people like you(I actually don't do that but my best friend does and the "Right" people don't include me or his and my other real friends, just the jocks and preps and trouble makers). Then theres all the he said she said crap that always seems to cause problems and get in the way of things(like love!). Oh oh, and then there's the superifical girls who take relationships as meaningless flings! Ok I'm gonna stop now!
Now what's your problems?
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 11:59 AM

I despise fanaticism of any kind.
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:05 PM

I'm tired of negativity.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:07 PM

Bad drivers:
  • Use your turn signals
  • Slower traffic keep right
  • Stay in your own lane
  • Heed to the right of way
  • Don't cut people off and go 15 Mph slower than them
  • Don't drive if you're a [censored] idiot
  • Many, many more that I can't think of right now
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:13 PM

Quote:

I despise fanaticism of any kind.




Yeah, that's a big one for me to. Specifically intense narrowmindedness, I mean you don't have to agree with everything, but not everyhting has to be your way or the highway.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:13 PM

Quote:

I'm tired of negativity.




Your being negative about negativity, how ironic.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:35 PM

I hate it when you date a girl just before the exams and then realise you'd better cool it down for a bit till they're over. That's really p*$$ing me off right now. Oh, and why the f**k is it that cinema's make 'great' dates but then you can't talk because then you'd talk through the movie?!! WTF is the point in that then?!!?!! And why is it that there's never a good movie on when you take a girl out?!! Never a ruddy romcom when you need it, but then when you want something actually intellectualy stimulating, suddenly you can't move without bumping into a poster of that smirking git Hugh Grant?!!!?!!!?!??!?!?!!!

*starts tearing clumps of hair out*
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 12:39 PM

Hint: VCR/DVD player, Blockbuster, and a list of 'chick flicks.'
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:15 PM

I'm with Joel ... I hate bad drivers wtih everything he said.

And I hate people that have to keep up with the Jones's. Live your own dam life and stop comparing yourself to others. Why go in debt to make it appear you have everything in life.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:43 PM

Quote:

I hate it when you date a girl just before the exams and then realise you'd better cool it down for a bit till they're over. That's really p*$$ing me off right now. Oh, and why the f**k is it that cinema's make 'great' dates but then you can't talk because then you'd talk through the movie?!! WTF is the point in that then?!!?!! And why is it that there's never a good movie on when you take a girl out?!! Never a ruddy romcom when you need it, but then when you want something actually intellectualy stimulating, suddenly you can't move without bumping into a poster of that smirking git Hugh Grant?!!!?!!!?!??!?!?!!!

*starts tearing clumps of hair out*




What you do is yu go watch a very scary movie with them so they cling to you a lot!
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:46 PM

Quote:

I'm tired of negativity.




LMAO!!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:48 PM

We all need a chance to vent a little bit and get some emotion and frustration out once in a awhile. It's like anger, if oyu bottle it up for too long, it eventually explodes in a very destructive manner.
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:52 PM

And probably a good reason for the new 'General Talk' forum. My comment was actually ranting about stuff in my personal life...not sarcasm. An unintentional entendre?
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 01:56 PM

I wish I was perfect so I wouldn't feel guilty about complaining about other people.
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 02:04 PM

'If wishes were horses, beggers would ride'...as the old saying goes.

If we were perfect, I suspect there would be no reason for being here.
Posted by: McSensei

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 02:10 PM

"If we were perfect, I suspect there would be no reason for being here"

I'll just leave then shall I??
Posted by: Cord

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 06:28 PM

Quote:

Oh, and why the f**k is it that cinema's make 'great' dates but then you can't talk because then you'd talk through the movie?!! WTF is the point in that then?!!?!!




Oh dear. What is the world coming to. You have such a lot to learn young Jedi

The 'respectable' take on this, is that movies make good first dates as you catch the early show, then go for a meal, and you have instantly got something to talk about- makes things more natural, and less ice to break.

The less respectable plus points of a cinema date involve the back row of seats, darkness and not watching the movie at all

Ranting eh? If i start i wont stop, there arent enough hours in the world to get everything off my chest, most of its political or at least would be defined as such by this sites rules, so best I save my soapbox speeches for my colleagues on night shift. we put the world to rights every shift, yet its all gone wrong again by sun up
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 06:37 PM

That's what this thread is here for Cord, to get are frustrations off our chests, just so long as we can stay under control and don't verbally thrash each other. It's important to have a chance to get out our frustrations, rant and rave and vent a little bit. That's the main reason I started this thread, to have a place to just unload about things. As long as we act like reasonable men, and we'll do fine.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 11:46 PM

I absolutely abhor people who don't spell-check their posts on internet forums.

HINT, HINT!!!!
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 11:49 PM

Man do I hate when I'm raring and ripping to go and there is nobody there to grappling with. We learned some great techniques today such as riding knee near arm bar and riding knee far arm bar, plus learned the counter for these and then were allowed to free grapple and I was only able to work out with my initial partner. I was so looking forward to rolling for hours and that didn't happen. What is with people ... they know grappling is my day so show up. Jeezzz!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/10/06 11:59 PM

I know exactly how you feel, whenever I want to do some hard, solid, full contact sparring or live grappling, nobody ever wants to train. I got one guy who regularly wants to train, and even he sometimes doesn't feel like it, and he's leaving to his native country on the 24th. Who am I supposed to train hard with then?
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 12:00 AM

Quote:

I absolutely abhor people who don't spell-check their posts on internet forums.

HINT, HINT!!!!




Yes mother, err, I mean dad, err, Joel, sorry!
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 12:04 AM

Cord?
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 12:15 AM

Ah crud, why do I keep mixing people's names up, darn it.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 12:25 AM

Here's my rant for the day.

I work with a guy who trains in Shorinryu,good style,if it's trained right. He is a ten year student and a sandan(3rd degree). He is also arrogant and condescending. Our conversations go along these lines.

B- "Hey Mike,been working out?"

M- "Yeah,we had a seminar this weekend on tuite.Do you know what tuite is?"

B- "Um,you do know I've been in ma for a while,right?"

M- "Tuite is grappling and joint locks."

B- "Aren't joint locks considered grappling?"

M- "It was a good seminar,you should have been there."

B- "Maybe next time. Would you like to get together with my group and spar or something? Maybe you can show me some weapons forms?"

M- "I'll tell ya what I know literally just about all of them. I'm so saturated with knowledge it's almost boring. I don't spar anymore because people got hurt."

B- "Saturated huh? But,you don't spar?Maybe we can go over some groundwork?"

M- "I don't do groundfighting,I don't think there's anyone who could take me down and if they did they'd be hurting when they got there."

B- "Ofcourse,but you don't spar......"

M- "I've got some techniques that can't be countered,I'm saturated I tell ya,there's not much I can't show you."

B- "Ok,have a good one Mike...."

I've been to his school twice,both times everyone stood around discussin all that they knew.Then we did some kata and weapons forms. The talking took up more than half the time though.
I've offered for him to visit my school many times,but he says he "doesn't get out that way much.." Yeah right,whatever. Keep 'training' ....

Anyone have any good smartass comments I could send his way?
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 12:45 AM

School sucks... I'm pretty sure I won't be using any kind of Calculus in my life but noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo its important...grrr... summer school.
Posted by: Cord

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 02:44 AM

Quote:

M- "I'll tell ya what I know literally just about all of them. I'm so saturated with knowledge it's almost boring'

Anyone have any good smartass comments I could send his way?




how about 'geez mike, there is no 'almost' about it'

or look off in the distance to your left, kind of phased out- you not paying attention will be noticed immediately. when he calls you on it just snap back to focus and say 'you just reminded me, I have to get horse manure for the garden on my way home'

or, 'you know mike, and I mean this with all due respect, WOULD YOU MIND AWFULLY JUST FU*KING OFF!!!!'

or you could just straight up shoot for him mid sentence, take mount and then say 'sorry, I missed the last bit, what were you saying? '

god I have no patience for this sort of blow hard in any walk of life. i give you credit for even talking to him.
Posted by: RossKo

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 07:51 AM

My gripe,

Girls who praise you with compliments about you always going to the gym and being fit and how your martial arts makes them feel safe so that you start going out with each other, then they wait until its too late and your in love before they try to change you completely and stop your martail arts and gym training. Especially if like me only do these activities when she's busy like at work or at a dancing class or whatever anyway. Even worse still if its only cos she's paraniod that you'll meet a girl whilst beasting yourself and torturing yourself with some kind of training!! Even though you love her too much to even look elsewhere!! How are you supposed to balance the things in your life when they all need so much attention!!!!

By the way that wasn't supposed to be sexist, I'm sure there are men out there who do this to their girlfriends who train!
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 07:56 AM

Here's one: 'Since you're so good at TALKING MA, you really should consider contributing to an internet forum. Bullshido, perhaps?'

Quote:

Anyone have any good smartass comments I could send his way?


Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 08:52 AM

Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 11:54 AM

Give him a good stiff right cross to the jaw and see how he reacts.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 01:30 PM

back to ranting and raving. Lately my bad experiences with girls I've had feelings for, especially a very recent one, and having those relationships and experiences all turn out badly for me, is really hitting me hard for some reason. I don't know why but I'm suddenly all depressed about it. It's really painful.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 01:58 PM

Quote:

back to ranting and raving. Lately my bad experiences with girls I've had feelings for, especially a very recent one, and having those relationships and experiences all turn out badly for me, is really hitting me hard for some reason. I don't know why but I'm suddenly all depressed about it. It's really painful.




Punch the pillow! Beat the bag!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 03:20 PM

Oh yeah, i plan to do a whole lot of that tonight in class, and I'll probably get a hard workout in after school today.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 03:23 PM

And listening to lot's of Evenescence and Linkin Park.
Posted by: Cord

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 04:12 PM

Quote:

And listening to lot's of Evenescence and Linkin Park.




good grief, thats enough on its own to make me depressed. Listening to either of them is punishment for shoplifting in some countries.

If you are going to mope over women, then do it properly. You need Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, and 'downward spiral' by NIN, not awful pop rock. You may also wish to read an anthology of short stories by charles Bukowski by candlelight whilst drinking a good bottle of single malt. Man I forgot how much fun a broken heart can be. I am almost sorry I am happily married
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 04:20 PM

Your crazy Cord.
I haven't heard of of those guys(except Johnny Cash, that's some dam good music"I fell in to a burnin ring of fire,I fell down down down and the flames went higher, and it burns burns burns...)
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 05:16 PM

Cord, sorry but I'm with StormDragon on this one. Linkin' Park and Evaneseance rock dude. Johnny Cash is for old farts like my Dad ... though I respect the man, just not my cup of tea. I watched "Walking the Line" and I heard his family thought that this was a good recreation of his life ... however I would not listen to his music on a daily basis.

Maybe the problem is the big lake between us. Maybe you are just getting Johnny Cash now and with in about 20 years you will get these guys. Are you guys still using strings between cans there? I do remember you saying you have slow dial up internet ... that went out in the mid to late 90's dude ... see what I mean.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 05:47 PM

Linkin park and evanescence are for whiny 13 year olds... sorry but thats the way I see it. Put on some Rolling Stones or at least something that deals with material thats more than "i feel lonely at school." P.O.D., while not one of the bands i like, has better material and hey..and that track "will you" is okay I guess. If all fails...blast the heaviest thing you can come across and do something violent! but keep it legal.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 06:18 PM

I'm not a whiny 13 year old, I'm 37 ... though I always feel like I'm 16. I guess you are as young as you feel. If you want to feel like and 50 year old fart then go for it. If you want to feel alive like you were or are ... then rock on dude.
Posted by: Reiki

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 06:24 PM

aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!


bloody digital phone systems......

now I have callers falling in a black hole with no way to return

and a bunch of whiney people who can't/won't read the help section because they are mouse impaired and don't realise they should CLICK on HELP....

at least I can hit someone hard at the training camp tomorrow to get it outof my system!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/11/06 07:00 PM

That's funny Mr. Heretik, I turn 16 in July. Most people rate me as being around 20-22 in mind. Maybe emotionally I'm 13, I don't know.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 12:10 AM

A name like Mr.Heretik is for whiny 13yr olds.........


I hate training injuries!!!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 12:25 AM

Yeah, what he said!
Anyway, one hting that annoys me(thankfully it doesn't happen often) is when we do partner drills with the pads and I get partnered with a very small child. Last time that happend we were practicing side kicks and I kicked the pad the kid was holding with about .5% of my maximum force if that and knocked him back a few feet and decided after that to have him kick the pad and me hold it. I guess it's nice though to be able to work with the kids, that's always fun. They really are good kids.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 03:46 AM

Quote:

Your crazy Cord.
I haven't heard of of those guys(except Johnny Cash, that's some dam good music"I fell in to a burnin ring of fire,I fell down down down and the flames went higher, and it burns burns burns...)




You don't know who Leonard Cohen is?!!! Get thee to a record player young man! Cord is correct, if you want to mope over a girl, you can't beat Cohen and Cash... They're pretty much the most depressing artists you can find, but with good lyrics unlike Linkin Park's 'There's voices in my head' garbage
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 12:46 PM

I really like Cash, but I'll have to see about Cohen.
Maybe I'll check him out. What's the style and era?
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 03:32 PM

It's acoustic guitar + voice, from the late '60s, early '70s. I recommend 'Songs From a Room', my favourite record of his.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 04:04 PM

I can't stand it when people quote a long post in it's entirety with nothing to add but a couple of sentences.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 07:33 PM

Yeah I'd neeeever do anything like that!
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 07:39 PM

I have nothing to rant about. My issues are either completely resolved, or, I take certain comfort in the fact that life is completely perfect in it's imperfection.

All is but experience, neither good nor bad. Only thinking makes is "so" (yeah....paraphrasing Shakespeare there).



-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 08:18 PM

Thanks for oyur input JKogas. Now to some more ranting and raving. I don't like homework, it just stinks, am I right, or am I right?
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 09:46 PM

Quote:

A name like Mr.Heretik is for whiny 13yr olds.........




that one may have stung a bit lol
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/12/06 10:06 PM

That's the idea.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/13/06 07:46 PM

Ok,a guy who trained with us several years ago has stopped back by a couple of times this year. He says Randy and I are way too easy on the students! What? Where the F*** have you been assmonkey? You come for a total of two stinkin hours in all this time and make your stupid false observations!! Get the fu88 out!!
Posted by: ScottO

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/13/06 08:49 PM

I walked in a puddle and my shoe was wet and then it soaked through to my sock!

I'm jealous of Red Hot Chili Peppers for making such songs to the point I'm becoming frusturated!

I need to get out of New York!

I need to do something about my hair!

I actually don't think I will be training in Martial Arts as long as I thought I would be somewhat years ago.

Writer's block sucks the big one every night for money.


Oh and I might have to put my dog down soon
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/13/06 09:13 PM

That sucks. What's htis about not doing martial arts much longer?
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/14/06 07:25 AM

REVISION SUCKS!!!!!! !!!!!!

That's a lot of smileys, it makes me feel better...
Posted by: jc4199

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/14/06 10:08 AM

Quote:

Bad drivers:
  • Use your turn signals
  • Slower traffic keep right
  • Stay in your own lane
  • Heed to the right of way
  • Don't cut people off and go 15 Mph slower than them
  • Don't drive if you're a [censored] idiot
  • Many, many more that I can't think of right now





and dont sue the people THAT YOU HIT.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/14/06 01:29 PM

Know what stinks? I tried submitting this thing 4+ times last night and couldn't get it through. Stupid forum errors.

What I hate is waiting ... waiting for anything and especially waiting for this phone call for surgery on my knee. Just phone me and fix this knee and let me get to healing so that I can get back to training. Things are getting more serious and the pace is picking up and I'm being held back. I don't want to push so hard and then get the call and all my hard work and adapting is for not. Funny thing is, once I do get the call and go in, I will probably feel like it was too soon. Go figure?
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/14/06 03:01 PM

Yeah, those errors got on my nerves to. You know what I hate, getting beaten at something, especially martial arts. Last night I boxed with a friend of mine and he really wooped my tail. Sure, he says it was equal and I did land some pretty darn good shots but he landed more and they did more damage. I hate losing.
Posted by: onb

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/15/06 02:40 PM

Rants & raves!?!?

Ok, well I tore my hamstring at last years tournament, it got betterish in time to be retorn at this years tournament, then while it was healing I hyper extended the knee on the same leg... now that I've taken time off to heal both of those... I seem to have developed a pulled muscle in my right @$$ cheek! I figure I should just amputate it... some where just below the clavicle. grumble grumble
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/15/06 03:11 PM

I feel your pain. Actually I don't but, I feel bad for you anyway.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 12:56 AM

Don't you love it when someone tells you their problems,you put yourself in their shoes and try to give them advice that would help and instead of taking the advice they have the same problem over and over!!! FReakin hardheads!!!!

and I still can't hardly feel my damn extremeties!!!!!!
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 01:59 AM

Quote:

Rants & raves!?!?

Ok, well I tore my hamstring at last years tournament, it got betterish in time to be retorn at this years tournament, then while it was healing I hyper extended the knee on the same leg... now that I've taken time off to heal both of those... I seem to have developed a pulled muscle in my right @$$ cheek! I figure I should just amputate it... some where just below the clavicle. grumble grumble




Get that knee checked out as I hyperextended my left knee and found out I tore my ACL completely off. And the pulled muscle in the right @ss cheek ... I know where you are coming from. In December of 2004 I did something similar and am still living with it. My sports doctor said that this is part of the hamstring ... though I didn't know it went that high. I have to extra stretch this before doing kicking drillings but I still live with it.

I feel for you.
Posted by: onb

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 09:23 AM

Derek & StormDragon... thank you for feeling (for) my ass.
I figured it was some how still attached to my hamstring problems... but they've cleared up (in the thigh) now its just a pain in the @$$.



New Rant:

Last Night: I show up half way through the beginner class to start stretching and warming up extra well cuz i've been out injured for about two weeks now... so they start their free sparring and I'm called up to work with the HUGE kind in class. (last year he was 5'4"... this year he's 6'1") and he's still only 12 or 13 !!!

Anyway, he is a big scare-d-cat and we've been pushing him to close the gap and get in closer, work with this skills move faster all these kinda good things. Usually, when I spar against him he stays about 3-4 feet away so really it's a kick the air exercise... well I'm so used to him being far I throw my kicks with some power... well what does he do? For the first time in... well ever... he listened and actually closed the gap. Unfortunately he closed it with a fully open straight on approach right smack into where i'm gonna be kickin' So I did a back kick nearly full power right at his belt line. What does he do?.... jumps up about 4". AAAARRGHHHH!

Now I'm the big bad meany adult who kicked the kid with some power right in the junk. "Hey everybody, I'm a big bad meany again!" What a time for him to start listening to people

NOW - To make it even worse... now instead of baing 3-4 feet away he's 6-8 feet away and flinches even then!!! I just pushed his developement further back than it ever was

Drives me nuts!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 12:26 PM

Next time you spar with him and he won't get close chase him down and slam some hooks and uppercuts and shovel punches into his body and head. Unload on him and pressure the crap out of him, don't let him stay away. Make him have to fight.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 12:39 PM

Quote:

Next time you spar with him and he won't get close chase him down and slam some hooks and uppercuts and shovel punches into his body and head. Unload on him and pressure the crap out of him, don't let him stay away. Make him have to fight.




You trying to give him a nervous breakdown SD?
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/16/06 12:43 PM

If you don't put the kid under serious stress he'll never toughen up and fight back, sometimes the only way to teach someone is with a little tough love, just not too tough.
Force him to adapt and defend himself. Eventually he'll get sick of being knocked around and learn to really put up a fight. It worked with a friend of mine. Or he'll get sick of being knocked around and just leave, then you bring in some serious encouragement.
Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/18/06 02:48 PM

Just slammed the phone down on the reciever at work and swore a blue streak. Anyone else have 'issues' with their kids' school teachers? I've got one in particular, a real lying, burnt out hack...uncooperative...a real piece of work.

I can't shoot her...and I'm so frustrated I feel like shooting myself!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/18/06 03:09 PM

What's the story with this teacher?
Posted by: onb

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/18/06 03:18 PM

Harlan,

As a martial artist, you shouldn't shoot someone... be more civilized and go kick the wench in the head

onb
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/18/06 03:36 PM

Quote:

What I hate is waiting ... waiting for anything and especially waiting for this phone call for surgery on my knee. Just phone me and fix this knee and let me get to healing so that I can get back to training. Things are getting more serious and the pace is picking up and I'm being held back. I don't want to push so hard and then get the call and all my hard work and adapting is for not. Funny thing is, once I do get the call and go in, I will probably feel like it was too soon. Go figure?




Okay further to my rant. I phoned them and "I'm on the list". I am to call back in 6 months ... 6 MONTHS. I was told that they still have people waiting from July 2005. I could get this done with another surgeon but this surgeon is one of the top and also is the surgeon for the Edmonton Oilers; he knows what he is doing. So I'm going to push myself to train hard, I will regret much of it due to the pain, I won't be able to do many things because of this stupid knee ... but onward and upward.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/18/06 07:49 PM

Knees are bad, very very easy to injur. That's the main porblem with snap kicks.
Posted by: onb

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/19/06 09:58 AM

New Rant for me:

I HATE THIS THING --->

It drives me insane! Every time I see it I want to tear my hair out! Moderators, please make the "owned man" go away

I just saw a post where someone used it about 7 times in one line... EEEEK an entire line of dancing "owned men". Maddening!
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/19/06 01:15 PM

Couldn't agree more, it's a rude statement anyway. And, yes, bin does seem calculated to annoy
Posted by: JasonM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/19/06 01:26 PM

Man, that is probably my biggest hatred...And you names all the things I hate...How hard is it to turn on a turn signal? Or if you are going slow, get to the right lane? I don't get it....whew, I feel better...:)
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/19/06 09:12 PM

I love this thing>
-# It's awesome! and htis one>

edited for annoying use of owned man,lol.
Posted by: Reiki

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/22/06 06:58 PM

We all need this to rant in so made it sticky so we don't have to keep scrolling to find it.

Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/23/06 12:18 PM

One of my closest, best friends is an exchange student from Kazakhstan who's been living in the states for 9 monthes and wednesday he's going back, and I'm really bummed about it. I plan to visit him some day in a couple years, but I'm still down about it.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 02:46 AM

Well, tonight was the last time I'll see one of the best friends I've ever had or known, for several years until I'm like a high school senior or college freshman or somehting, and I'm really sad about it. Heck I even shed some tears(Yeah I know I'm over sensitive, what of it).
By the way, can we get an emoticon that really expresses sadness better than that stupid frowny face? We need something a bit more expressive.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 04:19 PM

Quote:

By the way, can we get an emoticon that really expresses sadness better than that stupid frowny face? We need something a bit more expressive.




No, that would depress me far too much.

Why the hell is eating too much such hard work?!!!!!
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 04:55 PM

[rant]
MA threads in forums that make me want to throttle someone's neck:

* any topic with any the following words in it's title: Age, Belt, Best, Bruce, Master, Ninja, Deadly, Numchuck, Hachimaki and Street.

* threads where the poster doesn't accept any answers to the question/advice they were asking.

* any thread which is started by a 10th dan who is younger than 60.

* any thread which is started by a 10th kyu who is older than 60.

* anyone asking advice about commiting a crime, misdemeaner or felony.

* someone who starts a thread but never responds to it.

* good threads that somehow get deleted.

* horrible threads which never get deleted.

* threads that are nothing more than rants.
[/rant]
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 07:16 PM

Now that's funny Ed, you dislike threads that are nothing more than rants and your last post was nothing more than a rant.
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 07:57 PM

hi storm! welcome to ironic humor!

just thought of another:

* posts that point out the mind-numbingly obvious.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 11:35 PM

I wasn't sure hte mindnumbingly obvious was obvious to you.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 11:38 PM

Quote:

I wasn't sure hte mindnumbingly obvious was obvious to you.




Once again,obvious.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 11:41 PM

Hey guys, relax I'm just kiddin around, no harm no foul.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/24/06 11:46 PM

Sure buddy!

*kicks stormdragon in the balls*
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/25/06 12:02 AM

Did my humor really warrant that? 'falls to knees holding crotch talking in a high pitched voice'
Posted by: Kosh

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/26/06 04:14 PM



Last few posts are hilarious!!!! Can`t stop laughing!!!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/28/06 05:53 PM

Yes, I get that a lot. Glad you like my work.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/29/06 06:41 PM

I got somehting to rant and rave about: Cord and his old person/grandparent sex talk! uck
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/30/06 12:59 PM

ok everyone...something to rant and rave about...

The first online black belt course:
http://www.thedigitalmaster.com/

welcome to a new low.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 05/30/06 01:27 PM

What a joke. Anything for a buck I guess, eh.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/11/06 06:02 PM

I just got dumped...
Posted by: Reiki

Stupid bloody power cuts... - 06/11/06 09:51 PM

ok so today we have 120km/hr winds and the mother of all powercuts so that I had to send everyone home at midday cos we had no power, no lights, no heating and no phones.



it sux, I HATE winter.

I did all the "tidy up the office" stuff that I could, then finally decided we would all be better off at home.

So we all went.

At least at home I have a working pc, heat and light and I dont have to listen to the constant beeping of the alarm system ups, server ups, phone system ups and other ups without power.... it'll be a nightmare tomorrow though once it all comes back up to speed.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Stupid bloody power cuts... - 06/12/06 01:53 AM

Quote:

ok so today we have 120km/hr winds and the mother of all powercuts so that I had to send everyone home at midday cos we had no power, no lights, no heating and no phones.



it sux, I HATE winter.

I did all the "tidy up the office" stuff that I could, then finally decided we would all be better off at home.

So we all went.

At least at home I have a working pc, heat and light and I dont have to listen to the constant beeping of the alarm system ups, server ups, phone system ups and other ups without power.... it'll be a nightmare tomorrow though once it all comes back up to speed.




Must be hectic working in the Shire.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 02:12 AM

I love being a parent,but being a single parent that works nights just plain SUCKS!!!!
I drop my kids off at their night babysitter,then I work all night,then I pick my kids up from their night babysitter and take them to the daycare,then I sleep(usually very little),then I get up and go get my kids,but only for a few hours before it's time to drop them back off so I can go back to work!! AARRGGGHHHHH!!!!! Is there no end!! Not to mention that daycare for two little ones is friggin outrageous!!! H E L P.......

At least I have a job and am able to afford daycare etc....It takes a toll on my kids as well,that's what really gets me.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 09:17 AM

I feel for you Brian. Just make sure that time you spend with them is quality time and you explain to them the reasoning behind everything and that you wish you had more time with them. Have a special celebration day once a month that you do something extra special, those are the things they will remember for a life time.
Posted by: oldman

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 01:20 PM

EFFINGGDAMCOCKBITTINASMONKIES IRS
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 01:27 PM

Quote:

EFFINGGDAMCOCKBITTINASMONKIES IRS




Ditto. My wife is self-employed and doing (having them done? ) her taxes every quarter is a real PITA.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 07:43 PM

Quote:

I just got dumped...




That's tough man, I feel for ya.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 07:47 PM

Quote:

I love being a parent,but being a single parent that works nights just plain SUCKS!!!!
I drop my kids off at their night babysitter,then I work all night,then I pick my kids up from their night babysitter and take them to the daycare,then I sleep(usually very little),then I get up and go get my kids,but only for a few hours before it's time to drop them back off so I can go back to work!! AARRGGGHHHHH!!!!! Is there no end!! Not to mention that daycare for two little ones is friggin outrageous!!! H E L P.......

At least I have a job and am able to afford daycare etc....It takes a toll on my kids as well,that's what really gets me.




That's a tough situation, my mom and I were in that situation for several years and it was tough. Derecks got the right idea, and let me include this, set aside a full day if you can just to spend with your kids, it would really help I think.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/12/06 09:40 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I just got dumped...




That's tough man, I feel for ya.




Yes.. now give me a hug.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/13/06 06:39 AM

Here's the closest thing to a hug on here, unless you'd rather this:
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/24/06 02:32 PM

WEll, I just got back from my 7 day cruise to Alaska. I met some great people and had some great times. I have like 17 or 18 new friends. But, one depressing hting hAPPEND thOUGH. i MET THIS GIRL AND WE BECAME ROMANTICALLY INTERESTED IN EACH OTHER, BUT THEN THIS OTHER GUY CAM Along and decided he was interested in her, and he started flirting with her, and getting all touchy feely with her and stuff. Yeah, he pretty much stole the show. He then got the goodbye kiss, with tongues, need I say more.
He apologized for screwing me over and I apologized for talking trash behingh is back so we're cool and he's actually a great guy and I like him, he's really similar to my best friend Joe, which is probably why I like him so much. IT was still frustrating htough.
Posted by: still wadowoman

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/24/06 06:43 PM

The Cold.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY HATE THE COLD.

I never whinge if I'm injured, if I'm ill or if I'm upset but I whinge like a baby if I am cold.

I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT!!!
Sharon
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/24/06 07:00 PM

Cool Stormdragon. The away time left your typing skills all over the place, you must have had a great time. Still under the influence?

Sharon, tell you what, come over to Canada during our cold months and enjoy -40 Celcius (-40 F). Then when it is -10 Celcius (14 F) we think it is warm and wear T-Shirts. Oh and that temperature, that is without wind chill. Wind chill make it even more colder.
Posted by: Leo_E_49

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/24/06 08:38 PM

I HATE moving house. I've had to move house 3 times in the past 3 years and I've grown to hate it with a passion!

Not only does it take a HUGE amount of packing and unpacking but the new place is NEVER finished. Last time I moved the sockets in the new flat were hanging out of the walls and I had to sleep on a mattress. Then there's the setting stuff up and finding out that the water doesn't run or the phone sockets don't work. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

Also, as if to add insult to injury, there's ALWAYS at least one company where you forgot to change your address so you end up with a phone call asking why they haven't received bill payments or something. Then there's the 4 hours spent on the phone actually transferring every single account you've ever signed up to to your new address. Only to find that your landlord has DECIDED TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS FROM 172 TO 172a and you have to do it all over again! Not to mention your bills being sent to your old address so anyone has access to them.

Maybe I'm just disorganised, but I wish I could just pay someone else to do all my account transfers and moving house for me, while I go sip coffee in a cafe.
Posted by: still wadowoman

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/25/06 09:57 AM

Brian,

Totally relate to the working single parent thing - between working and taking care of my gang I am permanently exhausted. My eldest two are 17 and almost 16 but they still need as much attention as they did when they were toddlers (probably because they are guys ). My baby is almost 12 now and needs a full time taxi driver to take her to all her different sports (footbal, rugby, rounder, cricket, netball, basketball and athletice) as well as her blossoming social life.

Luckily I am one of those people that don't need a whole lot of sleep, but it is tough sometimes.
Sharon
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/25/06 10:12 AM

don't even get me started with the taxi driver thing! lol I have a 12 and 11 year old that always seem to make plans with their friends (who each live on opposite ends of town) at exactly the same times.

this year was teaching them a bit of self-sufficiency - riding bikes to Aikido class, actually walking (imagine that!) to places they need to get to.
so thats lightened the load a bit.

when did that 'parent taxi service' happen anway? the only time my parents would give me a ride was if I needed to visit the emergency room. lol
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/25/06 04:15 PM

Quote:

Cool Stormdragon. The away time left your typing skills all over the place, you must have had a great time. Still under the influence?

Sharon, tell you what, come over to Canada during our cold months and enjoy -40 Celcius (-40 F). Then when it is -10 Celcius (14 F) we think it is warm and wear T-Shirts. Oh and that temperature, that is without wind chill. Wind chill make it even more colder.




Dereck, ny typing skills were crap to begin with, people complain about them to me all the time when they see how I just hunt and peck with two fingers. The cruise only made them worse. Yes, I'm under the influence of anger and frustration that girls today are only interested in guys who are like another girlfriend, not a real man, in the words of my hero R Lee Ermey.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/25/06 05:40 PM

Remember, just sit back and it will happen on its own. You try to hard and you will get fustrated. It is like playing video games and you get stuck on a level. The harder you try the more you screw up and even cannot go as far as you did previous. Then when you are relaxed and come back at it you some how get it done and feel great. The same thing with finding a girl. IT WILL HAPPEN and usually when you are not looking for it. Good things sometimes take time and are worth waiting for.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/25/06 06:13 PM

Dereck, your advice and wisdom is much appreciated, thank you.
Posted by: trevek

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/26/06 05:28 AM

I'd like to complain about apathy, but I can't be bothered at the moment...
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/26/06 06:11 AM

Quote:

Brian,

Totally relate to the working single parent thing - between working and taking care of my gang I am permanently exhausted. My eldest two are 17 and almost 16 but they still need as much attention as they did when they were toddlers (probably because they are guys ). My baby is almost 12 now and needs a full time taxi driver to take her to all her different sports (footbal, rugby, rounder, cricket, netball, basketball and athletice) as well as her blossoming social life.

Luckily I am one of those people that don't need a whole lot of sleep, but it is tough sometimes.
Sharon




Whew. I was having a rough day then,wow. I'm working through it,but it is hard. Do you have any idea how expensive childcare is??!!! Especially for 2-4yr olds!! Yikes! It's $100 a week each easily at some places. I make too much to get any help,but not enough to be able to afford it. My poor kids think the babysitter is their family!!

Don't even get me started on gas prices!!

Posted by: RazorFoot

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/26/06 08:02 AM

I can not stand pompous, racist, hypocritical, self promoting, stalking, trying to cheat on their wife, expelling people for no reason, two-faced, belt factory running, 10th dan liars.

Other than that, I'm cool.

Scottie
Posted by: Leo_E_49

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/26/06 10:26 AM

Quote:

The same thing with finding a girl. IT WILL HAPPEN and usually when you are not looking for it.




I totally agree! One week after I finally stop looking and decide to just get on with my life and I find the girl of my dreams. We're dating now and she's sooooo much more interesting and fun to be around than anyone I've ever met before.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/26/06 01:30 PM

- Bonus, good for you.
Posted by: RazorFoot

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/28/06 11:59 AM

I am not terribly fond of getting a sales call on a Saturday morning at 8:00 AM when it is the only day of the week I can possibly sleep in.
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Ranting and Raving - 06/28/06 02:08 PM

ATTENTION ALL SALES PEOPLE! PM ME FOR RAZOR'S PHONE NUMBER!!!!
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/03/06 02:44 AM

Cancel the account.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xIVZ9b0RgmY
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/03/06 03:55 AM

I would bet Matt would cancel your FA account quite quickly if you asked him.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/03/06 12:28 PM

I hate it when you go to Subway and ask for "a little bit of lettuce" on your sub, and they give you half of a head of lettuce.

If I wanted a salad, I'd have asked for a salad.

And the [censored] spinach costs extra.
Posted by: RazorFoot

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/03/06 12:47 PM

It never fails. On the day of the week that you wear a nice dress shirt to work, you get pulled in to do one of the worst grunt jobs imaginable. You dont mind that because it is part of the job (management gets dirty too if the problem is big enough) but losing the shirt, man, that sucks. The stains never come out.
Posted by: budobrubbie

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/04/06 09:52 PM

How about when you turn on ESPN, MSG or any of the other formerly interesting sports networks, expecting to watch baseball, or hockey, or some other physical activity that even remotely resembles athletic competition, and all that's on is freaking POKER!!! And, just to make matters worse, it's CELEBRITY POKER!!! Just what I want to watch...a bunch of rich, pampered, self-absorbed nit-wits and their mutual admiration society, gambling with some wealthy sponsors money. These days, sports television SUCKS!!!
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/04/06 11:43 PM

I went to coney island this morning for the annual 4th of july hot dog eating contest. I didn't plan on winning, since I eat very slowly and get full quickly.. but I thought it would be fun to compete. BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET ME BECAUSE I'M NOT 18!! SAFETY PURPOSES?!!!

I highly doubt that I will eat my myself to death..plus I'd love to have free hot dogs.. could use the weight.

On the bright side, it was cool to watch Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi eat 53 and 3/4 hot dogs in 12 minutes, setting the new world record.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/05/06 12:03 AM

Most people have to win regional qualifiers to get onto the show. I don't think they let anybody just walk up and get on stage to chow down.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/05/06 12:05 AM

Well then expect to see my amateur debut next year

Gonna start practicing now.
Posted by: exceptionist 2

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/05/06 12:58 AM

I don't know if I should...I have never..oh why not. I absolutely and utterly despise incompetent leadership. Some people should seriously eat a bowl of ebola-o's for breakfast then come to work just in time to expire beneath my grinning face. Hell, let's just say incompetence in general, anybody that suffers from it should be doused with hot grits. And anyone more arrogant than me should also slap themselves involuntarily for 3 hours straight. Grouchy fastfood cashier's, and overly watchful store clerks can play in traffic. Politicians and the mainstream media and Bill O'Rielley can take a walk....in Afganistan...alone..dressed like Uncle Sam shouting "We want you" in Arabic. Disrespectful children, unfit mothers, deadbeat dads are held in enormous amounts of disdain. I will one arm napalm punch a bigot in the face if given the chance at the rare case of overt racism, black, white, asian it doesn't matter, everybody will get a taste of fried fat fist. Extremely long forum posts, responses that actually are more sound than mine, and cooler screen names suck major glute. Getting beatdown by a noob in Halo 2, Cigarette moochers, going $10.01 at the gas pump, nosey mofos, and gossipers are filthy evil cretins, who are a cancer to the planet, and should have perished with the last ice age.

Ahhhhh.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/05/06 01:16 AM

...somebody really knows how to vent.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/05/06 12:52 PM

Is it that bad in Japan??
Posted by: exceptionist 2

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/06/06 07:32 AM

....after reading my own post...umm yeah. By the way Brian, the country of Japan is probally the best country I have ever had the honor of dwelling. People, food, cars "skylines, silvia's, cedrics oh my." Gotta leave Nippon in 2 months...
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/08/06 02:40 PM

Quote:

I don't know if I should...I have never..oh why not. I absolutely and utterly despise incompetent leadership. Some people should seriously eat a bowl of ebola-o's for breakfast then come to work just in time to expire beneath my grinning face. Hell, let's just say incompetence in general, anybody that suffers from it should be doused with hot grits. And anyone more arrogant than me should also slap themselves involuntarily for 3 hours straight. Grouchy fastfood cashier's, and overly watchful store clerks can play in traffic. Politicians and the mainstream media and Bill O'Rielley can take a walk....in Afganistan...alone..dressed like Uncle Sam shouting "We want you" in Arabic. Disrespectful children, unfit mothers, deadbeat dads are held in enormous amounts of disdain. I will one arm napalm punch a bigot in the face if given the chance at the rare case of overt racism, black, white, asian it doesn't matter, everybody will get a taste of fried fat fist. Extremely long forum posts, responses that actually are more sound than mine, and cooler screen names suck major glute. Getting beatdown by a noob in Halo 2, Cigarette moochers, going $10.01 at the gas pump, nosey mofos, and gossipers are filthy evil cretins, who are a cancer to the planet, and should have perished with the last ice age.

Ahhhhh.




You are a very unhappy individual. And I thought I was bad.
Actually you mentioned all the stuff I didn't feel like posting.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/13/06 12:06 AM

Its impossible to find the right shoe size!

If the shoes are too big, then the back of your foot slips out and into the shoe, and it feels like your ankle is getting sanded down! If the shoes are too small, then every step you take drives the shoes one milimeter deeper into your achilles tendon, and it doesn't feel better for weeks.

I bought some that were too small... and what do I see when I look at the receipt? No exchanges, returns, or refunds on footwear! Argh!

I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!
Posted by: ThomsonsPier

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/13/06 05:28 AM

A guide to self service shoe shopping, as seen in my local Brantano branch:

1. If they hurt like hell, they're too small.
2. If they fall off, they're too big.

Why, oh why, oh why, oh why, oh why, <edited for reasons of space> oh why does nowhere sell half sizes any more?
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/13/06 10:22 AM

12 is too small 13 is too big in some shoes,but fits in tennis shoes. Different brands sizes are different. Give me a 12.5!!
Wal-Mart doesn't carry a 36" length pants either!!

Posted by: harlan

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/13/06 10:34 AM

That's because they are all in my Walmart...up North. They don't sell here because apparantly most of the customers are under 5'5''.

How is it that the supposedly most successful retailer in the world, the largest non-governmental employer in the world, can't manage to stock it's stores correctly?
Posted by: Crash

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/13/06 10:49 AM

"You know what really grinds my gears? people in the 19th century, why don't they get with the freakin' program?!"
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/19/06 01:06 PM

Heat waves are always fun.

EDIT: In other news...peewee's playhouse is being exploited on adult swim!!! The madness!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/21/06 04:36 PM

I hate doing hard grunt work and labor out in the hot sun for several hours with no real break other than a couple water breaks, and wearing heavy work boots that are hot! And then smelling like BO that's been festering in the hot sun all day and mixing with dirt and dust and other crap.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/21/06 05:25 PM

I hear you StormDragon. Just thank your lucky stars you are not in my shoes. I have to sit at a cubicle in an air conditioned office all day. Then they make me work for 7.5 hours a day, 5 days a week and only give me 2 each 15 minute breaks and 1 hour off for lunch. Who do they think they are ... what ... is this a sweat shop or something.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/21/06 10:15 PM

Very funny Dereck! Smartass
Last summer I worked about 6.5-7.5 hours per day for about a week or two, digging ditches, shoveling river rock, moving stuff, weed wacking and various other jobs out in the hot sun (90-95 degree wheather) with 3 or 4 breaks (including about half an hour to 45 minutes for lunch) and i went pretty hard. I hate that kind of work but it's all I ever seem to do for some strange reason, and I guess I'm pretty good at it. It's something though.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/22/06 03:03 AM

Not to worry, many of us had to do similar things. During high school I worked at a gas station for 2 years before going into contruction ... who my boss's daughter became my girlfriend and then my wife (long story). Anyways I had to do a lot of stuff that was insane such as jack hammering, digging, sand/bead blasting, laying membrane, laying cement, etc. A lot of this was at odd times of the day and some days were 16 hours days. I never appreciated a shower or sleep until I did this. I hated my boss (father-in-law) and the foreman (brother-in-law) but now I'm a part of the family. However I could not work for them so went to work for my dad being a cabinet maker for years and ended up not being able to work for him either so where I work now is where I have been with March 1 being the start of my 19th year.

Many of us had to do grunt work for bottom dollar before and it is just a transition in our lives until we find something better. Those jobs helped to define who I was today and though I sit at a desk it does get hard, just mentally. Backstabbing, office politics ... you name it, I would sooner go back to manual labour. I started in our manufacturing facility and then was promoted to Shipper/Receiver and took on many responsibilities later on which included running the plant when the Plant Manager was on holidays. I've hired people and have the best track record at my work for hires. I was then promoted to the front office for Inside Sales and Marketing and I have done many other jobs besides this. I was sent to school for Marketing by my work plus countless of other courses. I am the 5th for senority in my company and am the only person to have walked in the shoes of almost every position including plant, shipping, plant managing, lab work, inside sales, marketing, customer service, outside sales, servicing, invoicing, account set ups, costing, etc. They have found me to be very valuable but I had to work my way up the ladder. Sometimes I consider coming into the office a "demotion" but all of this has help to define me as an individual. I have taken from work as much as I have put into it so we both have benefited. You will also have similar experiences. My suggestion, always push to be more and don't settle. Strive for more and push for more and make yourself more valuable and hopefully others will see that and reward you for it.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/22/06 06:56 PM

I guess oyu're right, most everyone ( With a few exceptions) have to start off with hard, boring grunt work for low pay. Actually I just got a job for a granite company where I get to carry around and haul large heavy objects around all day. I'm actually kind of excited it's just what I'm good at (Besides fighting of course, and arguing!lol) and they're supposed to start me off at 8 dollars an hour so I took the job without question. Only problem is I have to get up at around six am and go to work at 7 and I get off at 3:30 I think, but you know oyu take the good with the bad. That kind of job is right up my alley. I'll get decent pay, experience, and even bigger muscles! Yay!
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 12:52 AM

I hate when I can't get on myspace and talk to my girl or write down her cell number because it's in one of my messages and myspace is having stupid errors becuase the dee de de tech. unit is full of dumbs**** who can't figure their proplems out which is supposed to be what they're good at!!! BAAAAHHHHH!!!
btw Dereck, I found a really great girl. You were right all along. Great huh.
Posted by: Dereck

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 11:09 AM

Good for you Stormdragon ... job and girl.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 11:16 AM

I dislike 90% of traditional martial arts. I dislike how people believe that "demonstrations" of their art against willing and cooperative participants (ukes) equal fighting ability.

Ever seen Mande Muda silat? The upper echelon of that art can't roll competitively with BLUE BELTS in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Hell they probably couldn't handle high WHITE BELTS!

Yet people continue to believe that there are no "unrealistic" techniques or methods of practicing.

Boolshit!

I cite Mande Muda as an example of what I'm referring to. It really doesn't end with them.

Though "style" has nothing to do with it. HOW people train is the key.





-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 02:29 PM

Jkogas, MMA and live training is essential, don't get me wrong, but traditional training with kata has it's place. I agree that training against an unresisting partner is no good but only after you are no longer a beginner. Until you reach the advanced levels it is important.
And thank you Dereck.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 03:15 PM

I disagree with the notion that kata is important or a required practice.

Most of my guys come in as complete beginners and never do kata or any other forms. However they develop complete games in spite of this. In fact, they develop them even quicker than if I were wasting their time with unnecessary trappings and rituals (kata,etc.) often found within more traditional martial arts.

I personally haven't performed a kata in 20 years, yet my game has only improved with each passing year. In fact, it's been the alive training with partners that has been solely responsible for my progress.

If you enjoy kata, great. Just don't try and tell me its necessary. That would be like saying that you can develop grappling skill by wrestling with yourself, which is of course absurd. The same people who believe that are the ones who believe that wrestling with a grappling dummy improves your ground game. Again, there is no relationship with a real human being.

With ANY form, there is no relationship with a 'live' human opponent. Just because one is a beginner, doesn't mean that you can't train alive from day one. Aliveness isn't brutality.

THINK about it.



-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 04:36 PM

Good for you Jkogas, and you know what, I practice kata all the time and I've only become a better fighter. Kata isn't meant to make you a great fighter, it's meant to teach you the techniques and principles required to be a great fighter. You then need to put those techniques and principles into practice through "live" training. Just because YOU or a few of your friends are decent fighters without kata doesn't mean kata is no good and is worthless. I train live all the time and I use kata, and I'm an excellent fighter. Nobody is claiming that kata practice alone makes you a good fighter, it's just ONE of the many tools you can use. Stop trying to shove oyur way of thinking down our throats, maybe your way isn't THE way or just isn't right for us.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 07:45 PM

Stormdragon wrote
Quote:

Good for you Jkogas, and you know what, I practice kata all the time and I've only become a better fighter.




Quote:


Kata isn't meant to make you a great fighter, it's meant to teach you the techniques and principles required to be a great fighter.





So apparently, you’ve become a great fighter in SPITE of your having practiced kata.


Quote:


You then need to put those techniques and principles into practice through "live" training. Just because YOU or a few of your friends are decent fighters without kata doesn't mean kata is no good and is worthless.




It’s a few more than just me and a “coupla friends“.

However, the fact that one can become a competent fighter WITHOUT kata, only proves that it isn’t necessary - which has been the only point that I’ve been making.


Quote:


I train live all the time and I use kata, and I'm an excellent fighter. Nobody is claiming that kata practice alone makes you a good fighter, it's just ONE of the many tools you can use.





You’re sort of making my point in that sentence whether you realize it or not.

There are only so many hours in a day that you can train (unless you have a trust fund and don’t have to work). With so many tools available, taking the more efficient of them becomes important (to some of us). I prefer to develop a person’s skill as quickly as possible and see no reason for delaying that whatsoever. There’s just no point.


Quote:


Stop trying to shove your way of thinking down our throats, maybe your way isn't THE way or just isn't right for us.





Hey Stormdragon….take a look at the thread title there bro. What’s it say? By the way, you should know because YOU'RE the one who created it.

So that's what I'm doing.

And since when has expressing one’s opinion become “shoving your way of thinking down your throats”? If YOU feel that is what’s happening, perhaps you should do some soul searching. Maybe what I’m saying is hitting a nerve for a reason.

You’ll notice that I always say what’s on my mind. I try and be respectful yet honest with my opinion. I also say that if you enjoy something, that you should do it. However I’m NOT going be a member of this or any OTHER forum and see people say that kata is a necessary element in the development of a competent fighter. That’s complete nonsense in my opinion. Not one person has made a credible argument otherwise.




-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 09:16 PM

So your saying that some of the greatest fighters in history such as Mas Oyama, Choki Motobu, Bushi Matsumora, etc. didn't get their skills from kata when that is about 80% of what they did along with striking the makiwara post, punch bags, and so on? Mas Oyama and many fighters he trained defeated many muay thai fighters and even took a championship with them before. Kata and prearranged sparring was a staple of their training.
In fact, why the hell does anyone practice kata anymore if it's so worthless...? I only invest in training methods that will make me a more effective fighter and to further my practical fighting knowledge. If kata was worthless I wouldn't bother with it.
Kata is a compendium of the most effective techniques and tactics known by various masters and experts throughout history and were designed to give a person practical fighting skills that would work in real situations. Why would they do that if kata is worthless? Kata gives you the knowledge needed, and you then must take that knowledge and practice it live, which is where that form of training comes in, so yeah it's not requierd but it does a lot of good. Ask any traditional martial artist on here.



[edited for excessive quoting
-Joel]
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 10:05 PM

Quote:


So your saying that some of the greatest fighters in history such as Mas Oyama, Choki Motobu, Bushi Matsumora, etc. didn't get their skills from kata when that is about 80% of what they did along with striking the makiwara post, punch bags, and so on?





That was THEN, this is now. Perhaps they didn't have the best competition surrounding them. Perhaps everyone else was doing a version of kata themselves. We just know better now.

No boxer is going to do kata. No wrestler or Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter will do kata. Why do you think that is? Primarily because its a waste of precious time.

What *I* believe is that the MODERN era is producing better fighters than at any other time in history. I believe that more recent training methods and principles are doing a far better job than ancient and obsolete methods. We should strive to evolve and not live in the past. I like taking what is available today and eliminating that which can be eliminated. That is to be efficient, which is key.

Basically I’m saying that while those men were “probably” good, going by what you “hear” (the gospel spread by people of the same faith -- ‘karateka in other words), we probably have a LOT more good fighters than at any other time. Today’s athletes are better. Fight training is better.


Quote:


Mas Oyama and many fighters he trained defeated many muay thai fighters and even took a championship with them before.




I’m quite sure that many muay Thai fighters have defeated karate guys as well. Basically what this means is that Mas Oyama was able to develop his skill in spite of his kata practice. I’m sure he was more than a little unique in other attributes and characteristics. I am also quite sure that Mas Oyama spent time actually fighting and sparring as well, which likely had quite a bit more influence on his fighting ability, at least as far as what you hear.

Quote:


Kata and prearranged sparring was a staple of their training.




And I'm sure that it wasn't the only thing they did. Imagine that if they had only dropped kata, they'd have developed into competent fighters even more quickly than they did.


Quote:


In fact, why the hell does anyone practice kata anymore if it's so worthless...?




Tradition for tradition’s sake. That and they simply don’t often know any better. The majority of martial artists don’t even fight, so how would they know that what they’re doing is worth a crap anyway. They wouldn’t. Many (if not most) martial arts instructors don’t even fight. And by that, I'm not talking about the UFC, or pro-am boxing. I'm talking about gearing up and going at it. Hard.

Point sparring isn’t fighting.


Quote:


I only invest in training methods that will make me a more effective fighter and to further my practical fighting knowledge. If kata was worthless I wouldn't bother with it.





You sure about that? I don’t think you’re reading half of what I write. You’ve not even tried to counter any of my arguments.

Quote:


Kata is a compendium of the most effective techniques and tactics known by various masters and experts throughout history and were designed to give a person practical fighting skills that would work in real situations.





I think a lot of karateka would both agree and disagree with that statement. I understand that kata is a compendium. It’s a catalog of sorts. It does NOT teach fighting ability. It doesn’t and can’t because there is no relationship with a live, resisting opponent. I’ve said that at least three times. Either debate that point or stop trying altogether.


Quote:


Why would they do that if kata is worthless?




Because many simply either enjoy kata, or don’t know any better. Many probably realize that it isn’t a fight training tool.

Asking ME why people would do kata if it was worthless is pointless. It doesn’t make your argument.

Let me ask YOU a question: Why would nearly a thousand people follow Jim Jones to Guyana and drink cyanide laced koolaid? Because they were brainwashed and didn’t know any better. Many of them were reasonably intelligent people as well. It can happen to anyone.


Quote:

Kata gives you the knowledge needed, and you then must take that knowledge and practice it live, which is where that form of training comes in





Ok, lets take that. First of all, you don’t need kata to give you the knowledge needed. Secondly, you can start gaining that knowledge and, develop skill at the same time by practicing it “live”. There is no need in doing something against the AIR. You’re not going to APPLY it against the air. You’re going to apply your technique against a live, resisting human being. Why not learn and develop your skill against one? Sounds only logical.


Quote:


, so yeah it's not required but it does a lot of good.




So you admit that it isn’t required. That’s good because we’re making progress. But I disagree that it does a lot of good when:

* It wastes time IF, skill in performance is one’s primary objective
* It has no relationship with a real human opponent
* It exists in a pattern (no fight happens in a pattern so why should we train in them?)
* We can obtain benefits quicker using other methods that DO have a direct relationship to a real human being.

Kata, in my opinion, doesn’t make any sense. If it did, *I* would be the first to sign on brother. Of course, that will be a cold day in hell.


Quote:


Ask any traditional martial artist on here.






Uh bro…I just said earlier that I basically didn’t agree with a lot of traditional martial arts practices. What makes you think that I’m going to change my opinion by asking another traditional martial artist?



Ya know, I just saw on your profile that you're still in high school. That kind of explains a lot. I've been training longer than you have been ALIVE. Don't you think you really need to be around a bit longer than you have before you start to come to these concrete conclusions?

Live a bit bro.



-John
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/23/06 11:02 PM

I hate it when people derail threads with stupid arguements.
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 12:21 AM

Joel, I don't think it's that dumb. every time I re-visit this topic I realize something else.

SD: you might be hoping. think of kata study like different kinds of painings. you've got paintings ranging from ultra-realistic that look like photographs to painings that look like a baboon with paint on his ass sat on some canvas. Then there are the painings that are inner reaching thru outward expression, etc. painting for the sake of painting.
Most Karate is kata study for the sake of kata study. a relatively small percent train kata in a way that would prepare students for the type of resistive training JK is talking about.
I think you may be making the common mistake thinking non-kata based type of training is just brawling, and somehow your neatly sequenced and sophisticated responses will take care of any situations.
Where are the fighting clips of Funakoshi, Nagamine or Miyagi, and the 20th century Masters and founders? and where are the kata-based fighters in the cage making millions on pay-per-view? there aren't any. but there are plenty of stories. so when you first start a kata-based Art, it is upon faith that: A. it works and your instructor can teach it well. and B. you'll someday reach the level you imagine reaching.

If I could do it over, I'd FIRST learn how to fight with boxing, grappling and wrestling...THEN I'd take a look at kata study from a qualified instructor as oppossed to the kata dancing most dojos have as a sort of moving meditation towards inner growth. Nothing wrong with it, if thats the goal. Just don't fool yourself or others into beleiving you are training to protect a castle when what you actually might be training is Karate yoga to protect a castle in the sky.

A disclaimer: I'm not cutting down kata practice or the founders of kata-based Arts, most of the founders did training outside of kata study. namely grappling and boxing. they started with solid fighting strategy, THEN interpreted kata....so of course it worked for them. They were trying to encode principals which they learned the hard way as a mnemonic gesture.
someone coming into a dojo from off the street with no fighting experience would have a looooong road ahead learning how to fight by kata study alone. again, unless the instructor specifically trains students to reach that goal. I suspect it would be a small percentage and hard to come by.

and how beneficial is that goal to you? do you need actual fighting skill for occupation? maybe. live in a rough neighborhood? get in alot of bar fights? want to impress your friends next time there is a spat over a girl?

personally I don't want to train to be a good fighter - I want to train for the fun of it, figure out how kata works for the sake of itself and while I'm at it, to maybe get lucky by developing a good split second reaction to a situation.

JK: wassup?
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 12:22 AM

So I take it you're saying NO traditional MA'ist could ever possibly beat oyu in a fight? Yeah ok, right. Keep dreamin pop's.


[edited for excessive quoting. Storm, if you're going to quote an entire post, especially one that long, have a point other than a 2 line insult.

-Joel]
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 12:38 AM

Ed, it's stupid because it's not on topic with the thread. If they want to argue about kata, do it in the kata section.


BTW, I also hate it when people quote very long posts and only add a little quip of their own at the end, it wastes space and is annoying as hell.
Posted by: Ed_Morris

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 12:40 AM

sounded like a bunch of ranting and raving to me. and you beat me to the edit job, I was going to edit out that long annoying quote too.

on topic: I hate the color turquoise. even the name of that color is annoying.
Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 12:42 AM

Ranting and raving back and forth....I guess so.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 07:13 AM

Quote:

Ed, it's stupid because it's not on topic with the thread. If they want to argue about kata, do it in the kata section.





Joel,

Don't think its stupid at all. I've tried to make my points as intelligently as possible.

I don't visit the kata section often. I don't because it's their turf and I don't feel like "shoving my opinion down people's throats." I like to give those kata folks a LITTLE freedom from the critical voice. Out here or anywhere else and they are free game brother.

Originally I was only going to post ONE "rant" about kata, which was then argued by Stormdragon. I'd have left it alone otherwise. And I also hadn't realized I was dealing with a highschool kid.

But I'm not apologizing for taking a thread about nothing off topic.


-John


PS: I thought the long annoying quote sucked too.
Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 07:46 AM

I think it takes many years to realize what works for you,kata or no kata.

Kata does not equal fighting,anytime,anywhere.

I like kata,but only need a few for myself.I haven't found a good reason to go into more kata except out of sheer boredom.

I hate it when people don't want to let other people train how THEY want!!
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 05:43 PM

I hate it when I walk into an all-you-can-eat-buffet and all the overweight regulars and their obese family members look at me like I'm invading their territory(I struggled to go up to 124lbs). I enter the chinese buffet in the middle of a track change, so instead of hearing their solid gold oldies, they hear the bell from the door and I get tons of eyes looking at me.

Once I start walking to my seat(alone at that ), people look at my half-full plate and give me weird looks as I pass them by... and there are more vegetables in it than anything else... which must be blasphemous to them since all their plates have all kinds of greasy fried foods on them, with diet coke to go with them. I'll stick with my water and normal proportions before I venture to the dark side. If I wanted monster proportions I'd visit the cheesecake factory(I still have yet to finish the chicken salad sandwich in one sitting).

Grr not everyone is an endurance eater..

EDIT: I don't mean to be rude or offend.. but it has happened to me on more than one occasion and is annoying.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 07:27 PM

Quote:

insert longass quote here. the points in which will not be referred to in the least.




so you don't like me quoting a bunch of stuff and only replying to a little of it eh? Well I'll do it again! How do oyu like that, huh! lol I'm just kidding.
Ed, oyu make a great point I never htought of. I guess it is best to start with completely and obviously combat oriented systems and venture to kata to see H2H from another angle. Thanks for that perspective.
Joel, I think you cut out some of the stuff that I had said, but oh well.
JK- Why do you keep talking about my age????
I take what I know form the experience and knoiwledge of people far older than me as well as my own experience. Don't underestimate me because of my age ok. Too many people have made that mistake and now it's just irritating me. this dancing owned man is great! lol
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 09:16 PM

Quote:

.
JK- Why do you keep talking about my age????
I take what I know form the experience and knoiwledge of people far older than me as well as my own experience. Don't underestimate me because of my age ok.





I'm not underestimating you man. But you have to be older and wiser before you can be older and wiser. Perspective is just not always bestowed upon the young.

By the way, I never said that a traditional martial artist couldn't beat me in a fight. Anything is 'possible'.


Quote:


Too many people have made that mistake and now it's just irritating me.





Irritating like impetuous young guys without a lot of real world experience that think they know it all?? Is that what you mean???




-John
Posted by: Mr_Heretik

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 09:27 PM

Settle down you two!

Posted by: JoelM

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 10:13 PM

Quote:

Joel, I think you cut out some of the stuff that I had said, but oh well.





Nope, I looked at every word comparing your quotes to John's posts. Making such a big edit I was sure to do it right.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 10:46 PM

Oh, well I might of accidently forgot some stuff. Oh well.
I understand where you're coming from JK, and sorry for my rude attitude. Truce?
I just got out of TKD class, and for the second hour we did nothing but boxing, kickboxing, BJJ, and stand up grappling, all live. It reminded me of how important live training is.
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/24/06 11:16 PM

Stormdragon wrote
Quote:

I understand where you're coming from JK, and sorry for my rude attitude. Truce?





Storm -

Of course bro, but there really is no reason for a truce because I wasn’t antagonistic with you and I hoped that would come across. I was trying not so much to attack your views, but to merely provide my own. It can be a fine line to walk at times.

But again, no hard feelings man. Understand that I never intended to come across as wrathful or irate. That wasn’t the case but sometimes might appear that way as I tend to debate with great zeal. It’s all good. Just don’t shy away from speaking your mind or establishing your own views here. It wouldn’t be any fun if people were afraid to express themselves and their beliefs. I would never want that to happen.


Quote:


I just got out of TKD class, and for the second hour we did nothing but boxing, kickboxing, BJJ, and stand up grappling, all live. It reminded me of how important live training is.





Glad you enjoyed yourself. Enjoy your life man and have fun because it passes you by faster than you realize. Train hard and live hard (the right way, fighting the good fight). Don’t take yourself, training or your life TOO seriously. Enjoy every step of the way and don’t take MY word for ANYTHING. Discover your own truths.

Cheers!


-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/25/06 02:19 PM

Posted by: BrianS

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/25/06 02:23 PM

Oh good grief you two..get a room.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/25/06 07:36 PM

I'm sorry but I just can't help my feelings for JKogas!
Posted by: JKogas

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/25/06 09:22 PM

Quote:

I'm sorry but I just can't help my feelings for JKogas!





*note to self: never agree to roll with Stormdragon...*



-John
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/25/06 09:55 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I'm sorry but I just can't help my feelings for JKogas!





*note to self: never agree to roll with Stormdragon...*



-John




Very funny.
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/26/06 10:21 AM

I hate happy endings Too damn chliche
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/26/06 02:24 PM

Yo mama's too damn cliche!
Posted by: Tom02143

Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/28/06 10:12 PM

I am sick of:
  • idiot pedestrians who cross on the green light and then drag their asses across the street like the rest of the world owes them a goddamned favor.
  • shows that report on celebrities. i could care less about who has come out of the closet or who had plastic surgery or what someone was wearing on the red carpet.
  • the horrific mismanagement of the Big F***ing Dig in Boston. Money talks, corruption walks.
  • people that mistreat animals, children or elderly people.
  • Rain.....I have already had to deal with a flooded basement and it seems that not a week has gone by here in the Northeast USA where we have had rain. I secretly believe that this part of the country has moved to Southeast Asia in time for the rainy season. Had quite enough rain, thanks all the same Mother Nature.


    That felt good! Thanks Stormdragon!
  • Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/28/06 10:31 PM

    tGlad oyu could have the chance to get all that out Tom.
    At least oyu didn't have a forest fire wipe out 2600 acres of land though. I wish we had lot's of rain over here on the northeast.
    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 12:29 AM

    I hate we don't have a spell check for the writing-impaired posters.
    Posted by: Mr_Heretik

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 12:55 AM

    Is that supposed to be ironic?
    Posted by: JoelM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 02:51 AM

    No, that's just the truth. It would be ironic if he mipselled something.
    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 01:07 PM

    I just had some lady bitch me out at work because she JUST NOW realized her 1999 car did not come with a cassette player. Now, I'm all about customer service, but if it took you 7 FRIGGIN YEARS to realize that your car is missing something......

    Hard to tell if she is just stupid or a liar.
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 01:59 PM

    I hate the fact my cat is meowing like the world's ending and he just WON'T shut up and I don't know what the hell he wants!

    (I have a feeling he's in heat, since he's been checking out the female cats running around outside...then again I don't have much experience with un-spayed males.)

    Still...stupid cat. I'd smack him if he wasn't so darn cute.
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 02:33 PM

    I'd smack MYSELF if I wasn't so darn cute!
    Posted by: Just1Mike

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 08:10 PM

    Go and smack the bunheads who talk nonstop on their cell phones in fast food lines. And then can't form a complete sentence when it's their turn to order. "Yeah, gimme a..umm, I wanna umm..*SMACK*


    Good Luck!
    Mike.
    Posted by: Tom02143

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/29/06 09:51 PM

    what bothers me even more are the people who find it necessary to continue or even start a cell phone conversation while they're droppin' a deuce in the stall next to you!

    Storm- sorry about the fires. if we had a long enough hose and the right amount of leverage..........
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 12:36 PM

    I'm sick of (Fires for one) and sarcastic a**holes who just want to critisize you and won't give oyu simple straight answers to simple straight questions. See the meditation/zen forum under the thread "Question on answers."

    --------

    There are no simple straight questions in this life mate.

    You *should* know that by now.

    if its Zen then an appropriate response in my book would be something like <<meditate on that grasshopper....>>
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 01:06 PM

    If we are going to rant, I'm on the cell-phone haters list... I can't stand people who just can't put them down. These dumba$$es that try to drive, dial a cell phone, and read a map at the same time are the worst. We even had a guy in our gym that couldn't put it down long enough to "do the machines"... he just kept talking and calling and holding up everybody else in the place because he had something that couldn't wait the 2 minutes it took for him to do his routine and get out of the way.

    I also can't stand people that think they can direct traffic out of their cars... they hold up 5 miles of traffic to let people out of a driveway, when if they just went on, they could get out on their own.

    I also think the highway department needs to explain what "yield" means to 90% of the drivers out there... they think that means YOU're supposed to yield because THEY have someplace to go. ARRRRGGGHHHH!

    The only thing that medical science should be working on right now is a "brain transplant" for the idiots aforementioned... they are the bane of the planet... and, unfortunately, they reproduce...

    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 01:18 PM

    Easy, easy, my girlfriend talks on the phone while driving.
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 03:42 PM

    No disrespect intended, but I'm betting that nothing she has to say or listen to can't wait until she gets where she's going. If it's that important, she should turn off and finish the conversation and then drive. Statistically, talking on the telephone causes as many accidents as drunk driving.

    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 03:57 PM

    Good point.
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 04:59 PM

    My girls birthday is today. I got her little errings with red stones matching the month of her B-day which is July. She likes red but her favorite color is blue... NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
    Posted by: JoelM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 08:30 PM

    http://www.gemstone.org/gem-o-rama/gem-o-rama_birth.html

    Your birthstones: July 30

    Modern birthstone: ruby
    Zodiac gemstone for leo: onyx
    Ancient traditional birthstones:
    Hebrew: onyx
    Roman: onyx
    Arabic: carnelian
    Hindu: sapphire
    Polish: ruby
    Russian: ruby
    Guardian angel: verchiel
    His talismanic stone: sapphire



    http://www.jewelrymall.com/birthstones/july.html
    Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22)
    Birthstone: Tourmaline (Pink or Green), Sardonyx (White or Brown), Onyx (Black)
    Planetary Stone: Rock Crystal (White, Clear)
    Lucky Charms: Peridot (Green), Onyx (Black), Amber (Yellow)
    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/30/06 11:17 PM

    I walked into a Canadian Tire (large surface store) the other day wearing a red shirt. Employees are also dressed in red. A lady came up to me asking me a question, I told her I didn't work here, and she replied, well you're wearing a red shirt, and she made it sound like I was at fault for wearing a red shirt in a Canadian Tire. I was so surprised at her arrogance, I couldn't even come up with a stinging repartee. I just stood there shaking my head in disbelief.
    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/31/06 01:02 AM

    Good old Canadian Tire. I have a red shirt so will have to give that a try.
    Posted by: JoelM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 07/31/06 09:02 AM

    I hate it that after I get sick I get cold sores. Like it's not enough to be miserable for 2-7 days that I have to deal with that crap on my face for another week?
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/01/06 09:55 AM

    You wanna talk about bad drivers? I haven't been to a single country with drivers worse than Lebanon's. They back up without looking where they're going, it is considered an absolute SHAME if you stop at a traffic light, they don't pause at *all* before going into an intersection and they're notorious cell phone yakkers. And don't get me started on them zooming up one-way streets from the wrong direction. They do it so much that I only know the word for this transgression in Arabic. My mother's cursing abilities have been polished up considerably from driving there, hehehehe.

    Being Lebanese myself, I can't be too harsh. I still love 'em all the same...who cares that the passenger side of the car I usually sit in has been very nearly rammed into by crazy drivers? More than once?
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/02/06 12:51 AM

    You're Lebanese? I'm a member of the Lebanese-American Tae Kwan Do Federation.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/02/06 10:53 AM

    Amen!

    My list:

    Cell phone talkers while driving

    rubber neckers

    driving slow in the fast lanes.

    working in customer service field, like a drive through and not speaking english. Sorry if this one offends, but it the truth. When I was in korea, in order to get around and commnicate I learned korean. Same thing should go hear. Also, if the person it not good and Englsih, dont' stick them in the drive through. And, the worse is when I want to speak with a manager cuz I can't understand the employee, the manager speaks less english. UGH!
    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/02/06 11:59 AM

    Use your signal lights you A-HOLE.

    You want to drive that slow then drive in the ditch. You are lucky I don't have a push bar on the front of my truck or that is where you would be.

    See these lines on the road, they indicate lanes .. drive in one!!!!

    Merge does not mean stop, enter in those open holes between cars!!!!

    You want to drive that slow while talking with a cellphone in your ear? How about pull to the the side of the road so I can stick my foot up your ass!
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/04/06 08:50 AM

    Whoa, calm down there Dereck!

    Though, I must admit, there's a lot of furious anger towards horrible drivers. We must form an MA force of us forum members. We'll stake out on streets and highways and take out any idiot driver that is out there doing something that ticks us off. We'll even make Dereck our leader!


    Oh, and Stormdragon...yeah I'm Lebanese. I didn't know there was a Lebanese-American TKD federation, though I'd fit perfectly in it seeing as I'm Lebanese-American. (Born in the States, though I never really lived there. Incidentally, I'm also Canadian. Proud owner of THREE passports!)
    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/05/06 12:59 PM

    I hate people.






    I needed to get that off my chest, thanks Storm.
    Posted by: ANDY44

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/05/06 02:10 PM

    However I’m NOT going be a member of this or any OTHER forum and see people say that kata is a necessary element in the development of a competent fighter. That’s complete nonsense in my opinion. Not one person has made a credible argument otherwise.


    However, the fact that one can become a competent fighter WITHOUT kata, only proves that it isn’t necessary -




    Interesting

    Depend what kind of fighter a person is and where they have areas that needs to be worked on.
    Kata can give the answers to these areas or rather bunkia from kata.
    Interesting but werent ju jitsu techniques recorded in kata?

    Then the devolpment of judo from ju jitsu?

    Then the BJJ devloped from a practioner of judo plus other fighting styles?

    So in effect some where along the line kata played a part in recording techniques?





    Fighters can be trained with out kata
    I have done a reversal and have now started training kata and bunkia for a specific goal and a different approach to fighting.

    Note I said fighting not dancing around or learning kata for a grading.

    Storm dragon has a valid point if the person teaching the martial art is of a high enough calibre to enable kata techniques( the ones that work) to be used in fighting

    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/05/06 03:00 PM

    And this planet is a f--king circus.



    I'm done.
    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/05/06 03:14 PM

    Still mad about the red-shirt thing, eh, Ride? Just do what I do when things get screwy. I think of of Carmen Electra.


    Ahhhhh......All better now.
    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/05/06 03:16 PM

    What, no pic?
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/06/06 07:55 AM

    I couldn't agree more with Ride about the circus this planet's turning out to be. One...bloody...deadly...FREAKIN'...circus.

    Thank God I don't have a gun or I'd be using it on someone...

    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/06/06 12:11 PM

    The real question is; are we the clowns or the circus dogs?


    Anyway, this will all change when the perfect virus is unleashed. MUHAHAHAHAHA!
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/09/06 09:56 AM

    How about lack of privacy? Not that I don't want people to know that I'm a do-gooder, or anything.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/techno...2b/ztSyETINCiGQ
    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/10/06 12:41 AM

    I hate when I work out and afterwards I go to take my protein and there is no milk and I have to drink it with water.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/10/06 07:32 AM

    I like mine with Water.
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/10/06 09:17 PM

    Don't be picky vDereck, watery protein aint so bad, I have that way pretty often.
    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/24/06 01:01 PM

    Anyone using a circular saw before eight on a Saturday morning should be executed without trial.
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/25/06 10:23 AM

    Quote:

    Anyone using a circular saw before eight on a Saturday morning should be executed without trial.






    ...I just liked the way you said it...
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/25/06 11:32 PM

    I hate sititng on im or the phone with someone and having no clue what to talk about. and I hate racists.
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/26/06 05:09 PM

    The electricity and the water got cut off in my house today. I'm in Qatar at the moment--a tiny country near Saudi Arabia. In August. I was practically swimming in sticky sweat and my clothes were becoming permanent parts of my skin. My family and I had to beat it to the nearby mall just to get some air conditioning.

    I...HATE...HUMIDITY. I can stand dry heat. Dry heat is okay--not great--but okay. Humidity can burn in hell. (Does that even make sense? Ah who cares--as long as it got my point across...)

    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/26/06 05:30 PM

    I know how you feel, I live in new jersey for 2 years where it would be 85-95 degree heat in the summer with around 90-95% humidity. Brutal stuff huh.
    Posted by: Christie

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/27/06 10:52 PM

    I hate that when I walk through downtown Toronto I am asked for change every few steps. I don't hate that I'm asked, I hate that I can't help them all. The "sorry, I don't have change" line has become an autopilot response. That in itself bothers me. Usually I don't actually have change but when I do have something to give I go on autopilot and not realize it until after I've walked past .. and then feel bad.
    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 09:32 AM

    Christie, can you spare a dime?

    Toronto is a big city and things like that happen. It happens in Edmonton as well and I'm sure many other places. I feel bad for the people who are really down on their luck but not all of them are and that is the bad thing.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 10:07 AM

    I am starting to not like paying for a UFC event.

    Dang Dana White.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 10:18 AM

    Begging rings are the newest scam in my area. For the past few years, there have been an increasing number of 'down and out' folks standing at motor intersections with placards that read 'homeless' or 'have kids' or 'veteran' (that one bugs me the most). At first, I thought it was some kind of research project (as I live in a college town). However, one day I was traveling through various towns within a 50 mile area...and noted that a woman who had been at my local mall one day...was now about 50 miles away. I caught on: they are being dropped off for the day, and moved around. I informed the police...and guess what: the so called 'veteran', this thin, old man, had been picked up and interregated by the local police. Apparently, never served a day in his life, had a record...and after investigating...looks like most of these 'poor folks who are down on their luck'...have records.

    So, when I pass them by, I roll down my window and offer them the bottled water I have in my car. After all...standing all day in the sun and the traffic must make one thirsty.

    Quote:

    I hate that when I walk through downtown Toronto I am asked for change every few steps.



    Posted by: Ed_Morris

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 11:44 AM

    Is that the guy that hung out at the hadley mall parking lot entrance? his sign said 'vietnam veteran. need help.' or something...and I noticed him there every saturday. Even the youngest vietnam vets are at least 50 years old now and this guy looked in his late 30's but with an unkept beard.

    there is another group that hangs out under the northampton train overpass. 3 guys and 1 woman all 30-ish and they have a pet dog. they politely ask for change to everyone walking by. I'm thinking...how do they afford to feed the dog?
    I go into a local liquor store one day, and there is one of them returning empty beer cans buying a 6-pack, beef jerky, smokes, nip bottles and scratch tickets.

    down and out, my ass. these people are lazy partying grifters.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 11:58 AM

    Yup. It just says 'veteran'.

    Unlike other countries, I don't think that folks in the USA are used to the idea or the sight of beggars. So...what is the difference between a beggar and a grifter?

    Personally, even if it is a con, I have gotten some benefit from these people. It is an opportunity to examine myself via the discomfort I feel.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 11:59 AM

    My wife told me about an instance where a guy was begging for money and from beggging he was making loads of money and driving a benz. Man, if it is that easy I should leave my job and beg. NOT
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 12:06 PM

    What is wrong with begging?

    'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.'
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 12:09 PM

    Isn't a stranger coming up to you for money, begging? I refer to begging in the sense that yall stated. As far as people pretending to be someone they are not for personal gain or profit.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 12:12 PM

    Is one diminished less by giving to a poor man?

    In other words...why does one even give to others? Surely, $1 has little impact in the life of a truly destitute (but of course, deserving) person? If giving is somehow 'harder' to do when the recipient seems unworthy...how much more useful the insights!
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 01:03 PM

    hhmm, not sure where you are going. Since my intital statement was about someone making serious loot from going up to strangers and asking for money.

    I for one give when I can and have no problem with it. In DC we have our fair share of homeless and people looking for cash on the metro.

    Sure one dollar is nothing. But several hundred thousand dollars is huuge. Which could be achievable considering the amount of commuters going in and out of DC daily is about 500K. Or something close to that.

    Not sure if you are questions me and my morals or just making a generalized question.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 01:08 PM

    Not questioning you, or your morals. You just got me thinking...in my typical female, off-tangent, roundabout way.
    Posted by: Christie

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 01:36 PM

    Quote:

    Not questioning you, or your morals. You just got me thinking...in my typical female, off-tangent, roundabout way.




    It's that kind of thinking I do everytime I pass them.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 01:40 PM

    Whew, okay. Now it makes sense.
    Posted by: JasonM

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 01:41 PM

    Here is a rant. I sometimes hate the internet in regards to email, chatting and message boards. It is sometimes hard, for me, to understand what someone writes. And I mean what they are feeling, were they joking, serious. I guess that is why smileys come into play.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 02:12 PM

    I hate this icon:

    Posted by: Ed_Morris

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 02:23 PM

    I have a hard-fast policy that I stick to thats based on logic: I don't give cash handouts. reasons 1. How do I know they aren't saving up to buy something which does more harm than good for them? often cases, they are alcoholic and/or drug users...I'm not part of the solution for them by being an enabler. 2. Healthy, honest people who are down and out can cut lawns, deliver papers, or even volunteer work can get you your next meal, etc. It's their choice to ask for change instead of making it. 3. for true veterans of war, the VA needs to take care of them particularly if the family is not around - it's a moral promise/contract the government made for their service. isn't it? sounds harsh, but thats the way it's suppossed to work. can you imagine a single mom with child asking for change? social services would take the child away from the mother faster than a veteran could get a cup of coffee. If I see someone with a veteran sign who looks like they could be a vet, I talk to them and make sure they know where the closest VA is.

    A vet living on the street is as unacceptable as a homeless child and as unacceptable as tax cuts during war while reducing VA benefits. when the heck is the other half of the US going to wake up?
    http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082406R.shtml

    hello?? red-state bible-belt people...can we get some logic voted back in office please? faith-based economics just doesn't cut it in a global economy. what happens is the upper class people with the most 'faith' (in the candidate) get all the money in tax cuts - the middle class working poor of soldiers, teachers, police and basically all the people making the country run day to day, get hosed.

    follow the money...it really is that simple.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 03:42 PM

    Follow the money...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/world/...artner=homepage
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/28/06 05:50 PM

    Quote:

    Here is a rant. I sometimes hate the internet in regards to email, chatting and message boards. It is sometimes hard, for me, to understand what someone writes. And I mean what they are feeling, were they joking, serious. I guess that is why smileys come into play.




    I have hte same problem.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/29/06 10:08 AM

    Can't stand the practice of polygamy.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060829/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_arrested

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5297990.stm

    Heh...no more 'Big Love' for you, buddy.
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/29/06 06:28 PM

    Sick [censored] couldn't say no to his own screwed up desires. And of course couldn't help following in his fathers footsteps. What confuses me is why didn't the reasigned husbands and fathers just tell the [censored] to f*** off. If some jerk extremist told me I was being reasigned and having my family given over to someone else, I'd say f*** you, and pull out my .357 and give him three seconds to rtemove himself from my property with his nuts intact! It'd be old fashion redneck justice!
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/29/06 10:18 PM

    Quote:

    hello?? red-state bible-belt people...can we get some logic voted back in office please? faith-based economics just doesn't cut it in a global economy. what happens is the upper class people with the most 'faith' (in the candidate) get all the money in tax cuts - the middle class working poor of soldiers, teachers, police and basically all the people making the country run day to day, get hosed.

    follow the money...it really is that simple.




    Ed,
    when was the last time a poor person offered YOU a job? People who don't want to see "rich" people succeed are only cutting their own throats in the job market, and I can't see much philanthropy from poor people either... they might share, if they're trapped in the same circumstances, but not give anyone an outright gift to keep them going.

    As for the "red-state Bible-belt people", I never will understand how you "blue state drooling liberals" seem to think you've got all the answers when your taxes are more than the income of some countries, and you live waiting for the next government handout in order to survive. As for
    Quote:

    can we get some logic voted back in office please?


    I assume you mean demo-rats... like our former first mistress Komrad Klinton... or her drinking buddy, the ever-popular RINO John McCain who admitted to South Carolina voters that he lied big time when he was here because he thought he'd beat George Bush who was depending on the truth to win here.

    And by the way, it isn't "faith-based economics" that just doesn't cut it in a global economy... because it's "faith based charity" rather than welfare that's where the rub comes in to people who think government is supposed to solve every problem they have... and will never be satisfied with the answers, because government never solves anything... they simply move to the next stage of it.

    If anybody's getting hosed in the current economy, it's because they're too lazy or dumb to go find a job. To have taken the hits that this country has taken in the last 10 years and still be rocking along like it is, is amazing... and it's because people are taking advantage of those "rich people's" investments in businesses and trade to keep the economy steaming along. There's no way to give government handouts to lead to prosperity, because government doesn't run off it's own income... it runs off everyone else's... and in order to give you something, they have to take it away from someone else... economics 101.

    As for "poor teachers", you need to check the expenditure records... more money is spent on education in this country than anywhere else in the world, but they don't spend it on education... they spend it on social engineering. If half of what is spent went to education, we wouldn't be 33rd in the world in math and science...

    You're right when you say "follow the money"... and if you want to follow it right now, try the international banks that are sucking this country dry... foreign corporations that are taking the wealth of this country and returning nothing except a higher trade deficit for our good will.

    Since I live in one of those "Bible-belt" states, you might find it interesting that it was the "other party" who arranged all the deals with China to undermine the textile industry in America, and our former Komrad Klinton who gave the okay for allowing state secrets to be passed over to the Chinese and other communist countries who are now threatening us with our own technology. He also allowed Muslim operatives to work in our defense industries and have clearances which allowed them to hack into our defense department files for our satellite information. Is that some of the "logic" you want returned to Washington?

    Right now, we're fighting terrorist enemies on foreign soil... give guys like you want elected a chance, and you'll be fighting them in an effort to go to your grocery store... Whether or not you want to declare it, we're in World War III, and "engaging the enemy" doesn't mean talking to them... it means decimating them. They are like arguing with a bear... when you stop talking, the bear will still kill and eat you... and until everybody that wants "sanity returned to Washington" understands what's going on in the world, and that these people want you dead, along with your family and your friends, we will continue to fight muslim facists, and only America will be the victim of its own stupidity... the facists know it, and are making all in America who want to "engage" them their willing accomplices...

    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/29/06 10:50 PM

    Quote by WT -

    Quote:

    If anybody's getting hosed in the current economy, it's because they're too lazy or dumb to go find a job.




    Gross over-simplification there. Enron? It's not dumb or lazy when you are lied to by the people that you work for. I agree with you that simple-minded hatred of the rich is pointless, but with a culture of tax avoidance schemes that lesser-income folks are not privvy to, you see where (earned) resentment can come from.
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/30/06 12:05 PM

    There will always be criminals if there's money to be stolen, but that's not the fault of government... it's people's individual choices that make them crooks. As for the tax avoidance "schemes", it's a matter of how you handle your money... not how much you have. Anybody in America can start a business and utilize the tax breaks available to them.

    One of the great misconceptions in this country is that our constitution is a "bill of rights"... it's a document directed at allowing government to tax trade and establish treaties. The bill of rights was an afterthought (and a damn good one), but the constitution itself is primarily a taxing authority document that shows how businesses should be set up and taxed.

    Most of our problems are from corporations outside the U.S. that come in and suck the wealth out of our industries and then shut them down when their markets fail. If we actually had "fair trade" it would be different, but profiteers are profiteers... and we just keep electing people too stupid or self-centered to protect American interests. Our border with Mexico is a prime example...

    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/30/06 01:48 PM

    Quote by WT -

    Quote:

    and we just keep electing people too stupid or self-centered to protect American interests.




    Well, I will certainly agree on that one.
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/30/06 10:30 PM

    Matt,
    the perfect ballot would have "none of the above" on it, which would force some of these politicians to make the right choices. We keep electing the same people back to office and getting the same results... and there's not really much difference in the actions between donkeys and elephants... but if "nobody" was elected to represent the district, pretty soon, somebody would get the message that what they do up there does matter, and that people hold them responsible for it. The way the system works right now, once somebody gains a seat in congress or the senate, they are almost invincible unless they murder their grandmother under a streetlight in front of a crowd of reporters... and only then if they don't have a good story to sell to the media...

    I didn't elect any of these people to have them direct the border patrol to stop doing it's job... or the courts to stop prosecuting certain crimes... and I'm mad as hell about it, but just being mad doesn't solve the problem. You have to mobilize people to make elected representatives know what the public sentiment is... and more than just "saying so"... it has to be expressed at both the ballot box and in the press. I might be too old to make a good protester, but I write a mean letter to the editor... and if I can't get one printed, I can buy the space to print it privately by buying ad space.

    None of that has to do with which state I live in, or whether or not I live in the Bible-belt... it has to do with choices that should be politically made that are correct but aren't...

    You can't tell 15 million people to ignore our laws and reward them with amnesty, food stamps, free medical care and citizenship, and then tell the rest of our society to follow the law and expect them to do so. If people are getting hosed in this country, it's because they don't enforce their will on their elected representatives... and they know that election day is less than 90 days away.

    Even as an "election organizer", I don't tell people how to vote... only to vote in people who will do the right things for our country. If you listen to the media, America is the harbinger of every sin in the world, but they never give credit for doing anything good... but they are quick to take sides against us and side with terrorists, who have learned to play them like a violin. If ANY of our politicians would learn that Americans expect better of them, they would get better results... so like your tag line says... if you want better results, look in the mirror.

    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/31/06 12:06 PM

    Quote by WT -

    Quote:

    We keep electing the same people back to office and getting the same results... and there's not really much difference in the actions between donkeys and elephants...




    I really do agree with you there. Only the fringes are different (sort of; they're both crazy) - the rest of them are business as usual.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/31/06 12:07 PM

    I say...'Elect Me for President'. I promise to be a beneficent dictator.
    Posted by: harlan

    How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 08/31/06 07:48 PM

    What did Rhett Butler say? 'There's more money to be made in war, and the downfall of a civilization, than the building of one'?


    http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editori...?p1=MEWell_Pos4
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 08/31/06 10:05 PM

    Harlan, this isn't directed at you, but I read that tripe article you linked... this is my response...


    "MORE THAN 2,600 US soldiers have died in Iraq."

    No question there… and more people are killed riding motorcycles in America each year than have been killed in Iraq in the two years of war…

    "Iraq's civil war is on pace to kill 25,000 to 30,000 civilians by year's end."

    First of all, there is no civil war in Iraq… there is a counter-insurgency that is fueled by every Muslim terrorist country in the region. The Sunni’s and Shites have been doing battle since the 7th century, so this isn’t anything new… but characterizing it as a “civil war” is very simply lying through your teeth.

    "All of this madness to stop a madman, Saddam Hussein."

    What madness are you speaking of? This is a military action to enforce UNITED NATIONS resolutions that were not being enforced by the body that issued them… 17 of them, if I remember correctly.

    "The litany of US mistakes and excessive force has the Pentagon commissioning at least two secret strategy studies in Afghanistan and Iraq."

    What “excessive force” is being referred to… having superior weapons and better soldiers? The only mistake that has been made in Iraq is in allowing reporters to be imbedded with the troops and getting immediate mischaracterizations of the events and facts.

    "There is no evidence of a contractor having a soul in the 13th annual Executive Excess CEO survey by the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, and the Boston-based United for a Fair Economy."

    And what does that have to do with anything? The “progressive think tank” is primarily a pro-communist front organization, as is the Boston-based “United for a Fair Economy”. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that companies are in business to make money. There is not one thing that requires them to “have a soul” or only make a profit if it’s “fair” to their competition or whoever the communists think should have equal shares of their effort.

    "``Did this surprise us? No, because we've been watching since Sept. 11," said Betsy Leondar-Wright, communications director for United for a Fair Economy."

    No, It doesn’t surprise anyone… so what’s your point? It’s easy to sit back and criticize from afar in a soviet-style ‘think tank’ while someone else does all the work and takes all the risks… i.e., soldiers, government contractors, aid agencies. What exactly does “United for a Fair Economy” have invested in the war… other than criticism of the American economic system?


    "``While the rest of us were worrying about terrorism and mourning the people who died, the CEOs were maneuvering their companies to take advantage of fear and changing oil supply, not just for competition but for personal enrichment.""

    That makes me feel great as an investor… I’d want the S.O.B. fired if he was looking to subdivide the profits of the company with “everyone” as UFE suggests…

    "The pay gap between the average oil and gas CEO and the average oil worker is 518 to 1."

    And the pay gap between “think tank members” and the average oil worker is ??????????????

    "The report said ``democracies decay when one segment of society flourishes at another's expense." Leondar-Wright said, ``It is now at the point where we have lost any sense of proportion. There is no sense of shared sacrifice, no sense that we're all in this together."

    I couldn’t agree more… when one segment attempts to usurp the hard work rewards of one sector of society and distribute them to the non-worker classes, the society goes into the toilet. The sense of proportion that is lost is that work is required to make money, and those that don’t take part in the operations don’t deserve one red cent of the profits of anything done to support the troops, the war, or the businesses that are contracted to go into the war zone and conduct business…. But since you mention the “sense of shared sacrifice”… what has UFE contributed to the war effort other than criticism?

    My Commentary:

    As the son of a soldier who died in service to the American ideal, it is both offensive and slanderous of those taking advantage of their freedoms to deface America with their tripe and lying accusations. If you think America is such a bad place, it’s clear that the borders are open, so take a hike... and go wherever you feel more comfortable… there are hundreds of third world countries where you can go … but you’ll have to learn to shut your mouth, because you can’t slander the country there and be allowed to live.

    You’ll need to get all your praying done before you leave as well. Many of them don’t allow freedom of religion, but since you’re so insincere about everything else in life, I don’t think that will be a problem.

    Unless you go to Europe, you won’t have the government handing out a living to you, unless you join their military, and if you’re sincerely disgusted with the actions of American soldiers in defense of our country, you’re going to fail right out of the box in attempting to “do your duty” for a third world army. The African nations are really good at enforcing military rule in places like Somalia and Darfur… but you might starve to death if you’re in the wrong warlord’s group.

    Since you have an issue with how much money is made by legitimate businesses during wartime, why not agree to work for free in your new country? I’m sure you would be welcomed warmly…

    Posted by: MattJ

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 08/31/06 10:39 PM

    Quote by WT -

    Quote:

    First of all, there is no civil war in Iraq…




    While you may be technically correct in the sense that a civil war has not been declared, even the top American military people agree that all-out civil war is a likely possibility, and that what is going on now could be considered the precursor.

    Quote:

    "All of this madness to stop a madman, Saddam Hussein."




    My question is not why are we there - my question is why did we not finish "stomping Saddam's guts out" (to paraphrase the DI in "Full Metal Jacket") back in 1991. Or the numerous violations (firing at Allied air patrols, etc) that occurred after leaving SH in power after Gulf War 1.

    Plenty of LEGIT reasons to do the job then, and with international backing - unlike the ineffective arm-twisting that was done to create the current "allied" force.

    Quote:

    There is no evidence of a contractor having a soul in the 13th annual Executive Excess CEO survey by the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, and the Boston-based United for a Fair Economy.




    Communists or no, certainly a democratic and free-market oriented person like yourself would have to question the MANY no-bid contracts that were awarded to Haliburton and other FOC's (friends of Cheney). Those types of actions certainly make this ring very hollow:

    Quote:

    when one segment attempts to usurp the hard work rewards of one sector of society and distribute them to the non-worker classes,




    Seems like a lot of usurping going on in the other direction to me.
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 08/31/06 11:17 PM

    Matt,
    I agree that there are other viewpoints, but the one question that keeps surfacing to me is "who has the facilities and abilities to do the job that Halliburton is doing in Iraq if they don't do it?" The correct answer there is "nobody"... so those opposed to anything supporting the war effort paint a target on "no bid contracts" and the like to make it sound like something is being stolen from somebody... it isn't...

    There isn't another company in the world with the resources and experience to do what Halliburton is doing in Iraq and Afghanastan to rebuild infrastructure. While there are a lot of companies that can do it "stateside", they can't function in a war zone, and don't have the corporate will to go into war zones and do that work.

    It's easy to sit in your nice, comfortable chair and criticize that work, but it's a little different when you're sitting in a tent in the desert dodging insurgent attacks while trying to rebuild somebody else's country. I was offered multiple jobs in the Middle East, but it didn't take anything other than the Ayatollah Khomeni's little takeover of Iran to show me what the $10,000 per month would be spent on... bomb shelters and armament... My friends that went there were lucky to come back alive... and not one of them has any desire to go back...

    While everybody has a lot of criticism, I don't see many answers of how to do it better coming out... and I, for one, do not criticize a guy who's building a barn unless I've been helping... If I think he's wrong and I've got time invested in it, I can criticize... but armchair quarterbacking is easy. Why, because you never have to get in the game and do it yourself...

    If the war in Iraq and Afghanastan is lost, you'll get your chance to get in the game... but over here instead of over there... Criticism always depends on whose ox is getting gored...

    I don't have any ax to grind with anyone... I just don't like to have the truth twisted and misrepresented the way the press has reported this war. Calling these terrorists "freedom fighters" and charaterizing the inter-religious conflict as a civil war is pure b-s. It's a power struggle, and the press is too stupid or misdirected to even see the truth, much less report it accurately.

    ... and by the way... civil wars aren't fueled, funded, and armied by people outside of the country... civil wars are fought by the people who actually live there. This is a war that is being funded and fueled by Iran, Syria, and every other two-bit collection of despots in the Middle East.

    Calling them "freedom fighters" is like giving Jeffrey Dahmer an award for population control...

    Posted by: rideonlythelabel

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 08/31/06 11:49 PM

    Quote:

    No question there… and more people are killed riding motorcycles in America each year than have been killed in Iraq in the two years of war…




    Well, I guess that suddenly makes all of the soldiers' death insignificant.

    Did you know that they estimate the total number of people to have ever died to 100 billion? What does it matter you ask? Precisely nothing.

    So what if more people die riding mortorbikes than going to war? Every death is a tragedy in itself, regardless of the number of people who die while riding motorbikes.

    And what about all the thousands of civilians that died? Don’t give me this B.S. about smart bombs, even the most conservative estimates are in the tens of thousands. Of course, it’s likely that more of them were killed by the insurgents and the criminals than the US army. That do not make them any less dead. Who knows how many would have died under Saddam’s regime? Maybe more, but probably less.

    Quote:

    If you think America is such a bad place, it’s clear that the borders are open, so take a hike... and go wherever you feel more comfortable… there are hundreds of third world countries where you can go … but you’ll have to learn to shut your mouth, because you can’t slander the country there and be allowed to live.




    So, is there freedom of speech in the U.S. or not? Cause according to you it seems one has to leave if he is expresses discontent with the government.

    Quote:

    Most of our problems are from corporations outside the U.S. that come in and suck the wealth out of our industries and then shut them down when their markets fail.




    Are you for or against free trade, in the end? U.S. corporations make a lot of money in other countries, money that is spent in the U.S. by the U.S. owners, sucking wealth out of other countries and bringing it into the U.S. By the way, this is true of every industrialised country, not just the U.S., but you still have to choose, for or against free trade, cause you can't have the butter and the money.

    Quote:

    There is not one thing that requires them to “have a soul” or only make a profit if it’s “fair” to their competition or whoever the communists think should have equal shares of their effort.




    Contradict yourself much?

    Quote:

    What “excessive force” is being referred to… having superior weapons and better soldiers? The only mistake that has been made in Iraq is in allowing reporters to be imbedded with the troops and getting immediate mischaracterizations of the events and facts.




    That's convenient. Every pro-war article is the objective truth, while every anti-war one is nothing more than left-wing propaganda.

    Those massacres never happened did they? And neither did the human rights violations in the prisons?

    You're right, it was a huge mistake to let the people have access to information.

    Quote:

    foreign corporations that are taking the wealth of this country and returning nothing except a higher trade deficit for our good will.




    Astronomic war spending is in no way responsible for the massive deficit. It's the foreigners' fault.

    Quote:

    Anybody in America can start a business and utilize the tax breaks available to them.




    Yeah, except that you need money to start a business.

    Quote:

    What madness are you speaking of? This is a military action to enforce UNITED NATIONS resolutions that were not being enforced by the body that issued them… 17 of them, if I remember correctly.




    You're warping the facts. No U.N. resolution ever approved of the war. In fact, the war is a breach of international law (not that anybody is going to do anything about that). It's true though that there could not be an U.N. resolution approving of the war is because France said they'd use their veto against it.

    By the way, I'm not anti-US, there are arguments to be made in favor of American policies, it's just that your posts were so one-sided that I had to play devil's advocate.

    Blablablabla you know exactly what is happening in the US and the entire world? The strong are screwing the weak over. It's the way it's always been, in every country, since the first man picked up a rock to smash his competitor's skull. The US is not better or worse than any other country, it's humanity as whole that is a steaming pile of s--t. And I'll include myself in that.
    Posted by: Ed_Morris

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 12:40 AM

    some of your points, I agree. and the article was unfair to compare soldiers dying and profit margins for obvious left-wing political agenda.

    however, you are equally taking a cheap-shot by saying just because we aren't doing the dirty work, then we should have no opinion. That's undemocratic BS designed to silence opposition using guilt-trips - old tactic - doesn't work here in the northeast. Look at the signatures on the constitution sometime....not all had battlefeild experience, yet I'd say they had a pretty LARGE say in things, wouldn't you agree? by your own definition of who has the right to have say in things, then Bush is just as much an armchair quarterback as anyone on this thread...except, I actually was present for all of my 4 years of military service. Ben Franklin should have shut his trap and stuck to flying kites...right?

    I love the rationales that come out after the fact on Iraq....so is it your opinion that we did the right thing by not pursuing the terrorists, doing an about face and attacking a sovergn nation that had NOTHING to do with 9-11? and as time goes on, yet more and changing justifications for staying there is in order? I realize Bush isn't old enough to remember the lessons of Vietnam and it doesn't help that he avoids reading anything other than childrens books...but you seem intelligent, whats your excuse?

    you were an officer of the law, right? and everyone agreed at one point of the US being the 'worlds police'...remember that? so lets put the Iraq war in those terms. Lets say you are a cop on active duty and witness a man asaulting 'his woman', you chase the suspect down the street but you are told to break off pursuit. against your will, you comply. you've saved the day, yet you still feel the nagging sensation of that bad guy still being 'out there'. you serve your term and are forced to take early retirement against your will but comply. eight years later, you are asked back on the force with your first assignment to track down a recent murder suspect. during your assignment, you alter your orders and instead track down the guy that got away eight years ago. when asked why you did this you say you had reason to beleive HE was connected to the murder suspect....but never give those reasons. The police force trusts you and gives you a blank check to storm the guys house. no connection to the murder suspect is found, but the guy is taken in anyway for the domestic crimes he committed a decade ago.
    You convince the police force to write another blank check along with a squad of officers to stand guard at the house to protect the other people living there from being attacked by the murder suspect and his friends. while you are there, you insist that the inhabitants use electricity/water/gas/oil provided by the company of your choosing during the reconstruction of their infustructer that was destroyed during the storming. you call up your contract friends and tell them they 'got the open bid'. (progress always seems slow, no reports or bills are produced of its progress - there is always 'much to do'.)

    { Taking back France and invading Germany only took 3 years...but this task in Iraq with modern technology somehow is much more involved and 100 times more expensive. }

    meanwhile, the murder suspect and friends are organizing against a common enemy...you. every once and a while, you get a driveby shooting from them increasing in frequency and intensity the longer you stay at the home. some of your guys die, many more civilians living in the house die.

    Increased criticism from 'armchair warriors' who happen to be paying that blank check, force you to do something to make it appear as their money is not wasted. Instead of initially concentrating on resolving a murder, the tasks at hand for you now is:
    * having to tell your contractor friends they are out of a job. but tell them not to fear, there are 'other houses' that are in need of 'protection' in the future.
    * restore utilities control to the inhabitants.
    * train civilians into guards to protect the house.
    * track down the now much larger gang affiliated with the murder suspect.
    * accuse another house of harboring the murder suspect.
    * convince people on the police force and the blank check payers that the assignment is going well.


    no. It really is THAT simple of whats going on. hmmm...maybe the article wan't that far off-base after all.
    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: Ranting and Raving - 09/01/06 05:52 PM

    Quote: Well, I guess that suddenly makes all of the soldiers' death insignificant.

    Of course not, and its ridiculous to think that the comparison was made in that framework… it is a matter of numbers of people dying in obviously dangerous circumstances and those dying in what we would consider normal daily activities. During WWII, America lost over 200,000 troops in one day, mostly due to a training exercise gone bad… so if you want to compare “war deaths” to “war deaths”, look at some real numbers instead of acting like 2600 is a shocking figure for a two year war.

    Quote: Every death is a tragedy in itself,

    The only part of that argument you got right.



    Quote : So, is there freedom of speech in the U.S. or not? Cause according to you it seems one has to leave if he is expresses discontent with the government.

    Absolutely, there is freedom of speech… the problem is that many of those speaking, as your slant takes it, “never quite gets around to telling the truth”. This government does a lot of things that I dislike, but I don’t have to lie about them to make them appear worse than they are… the misdirection of information by the left in this country is God-awful, and while we have freedom of speech, the part that’s missing on both extreme sides is truth…

    Every conceiveable news story that has come out of Iraq and Afghanastan has been a pack of lies from the media, and you can tell it’s coordinated because they all use the same “catch phrases” to report the stories. They depict American soldiers as thugs and killers, while glamorizing terrorists and insurgents as “freedom fighters” . The story out of Haditha is a good example…

    Quote: Are you for or against free trade, in the end?

    Try FAIR trade… not where our goods are taxed at 1000 percent of the value of the goods coming in from another country in order to ship something there. A $10 item is taxed at 35 percent, for instance to go to XXX country, but the goods coming from that country are only taxed at 3 to 5 percent of their value to enter the U.S. Volume has something to do with it as well, so we can’t match or compete with countries where they import only 1 percent of what we import from them and multiply our taxes to ship there. If you’re looking to find where American workers are getting screwed, that’s the first snapshot…

    Quote: Contradict yourself much?

    No, but if you twist what I say a few more times, I’m sure you can…



    Quote: Those massacres never happened did they? And neither did the human rights violations in the prisons?

    Which massacres are you talking about… the one at the World Trade Center… the Embassies in Africa and Beiruit… the U.S.S. Cole… the gassing of the Curds? Let’s see… those were unprovoked attacks by Islamic Facists that killed thousands of people. Do you think you can seriously compare that with prison guards making prisoners do stupid things that got the guards put in prison? If you think so, you’re way off base...

    This is a war… not an encounter group session. People die and get killed in wars. Mischaracterizing it and trying to make everything the American forces and the allies are doing look like blasphemy is where the real blasphemy is found. Like most of the reporter- journalists, you seem to support the idea that it’s okay to sensationalize the facts to make somebody look bad as long as it supports you theory, but if you find out the facts are different later, you want to print it on the back page of the classifieds.

    Quote: Astronomic war spending is in no way responsible for the massive deficit. It's the foreigners' fault.

    War spending is part of it… but if I remember correctly, it wasn’t America that flew airliners into the World Trade Center to get all this started. You can blame whoever you wish.


    Quote: Yeah, except that you need money to start a business.

    People take out loans to start businesses every day. Some start small and grow their businesses into whatever they become… others build a small businessl sell it, and take the profits to open other businesses. There’s more venture capital out there than people can spend, which is why venture capitalists are so rich…. They are looking for the “next opportunity”, and if you have a business idea, they are more than willing to fund it if it’s a sound proposition.



    Quote: No U.N. resolution ever approved of the war.

    All 17 of the resolutions that Saddam Hussein ignored allowed for military action to enforce them, as did the terms of surrender of the first Gulf war. If you’re going to quote history, at least be accurate.

    Quote: In fact, the war is a breach of international law

    Again, read the previous 17 resolutions and the terms of surrender negotiated by Gen. Schwartzkoff, and you’ll find ample information to accommodate military actions against Iraq.

    Quote: By the way, I'm not anti-US, there are arguments to be made in favor of American policies, it's just that your posts were so one-sided that I had to play devil's advocate.

    That’s fine… you’re entitled to be wrong… Seriously, I don't have a problem with anything except the characterizations of our involvement and the false reporting that's going on. While there's a political element to many things, politicizing the war ought to be a capital offense. Too many people that are lefty's want everyone to think America is the evil in this situation... and while imbedded reporters are there to report things as soon as they happen, it would be much better if they bothered to tell the truth.


    Posted by: wristtwister

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 05:59 PM

    Ed, you said:

    Quote: however, you are equally taking a cheap-shot by saying just because we aren't doing the dirty work, then we should have no opinion.

    No, what I said is that unless you have a vested interest and effort in the outcome, you shouldn’t be criticizing the work. I don't have much truck with the actively uninvolved...

    Quote:
    so is it your opinion that we did the right thing by not pursuing the terrorists,

    Where did that come from? I thought that’s what was going on in Afghanastan and Iraq… cutting off the “head of the snake” if possible. “Pursuing the terrorists” where they are is what this is all about… but don’t worry, if things go your way, they’ll be in your neighborhood next, and you can fight them on your own turf... and believe me, they're on their way...

    I don’t know where you came up with that scenario that followed, but it was not only rambling and incoherent, it didn’t make any sense in the context of what’s going on in the war on terror. We’ve actually been fighting Islamic Facists since General Pershing was in charge of the Phillipines, so trying to make it appear as something that just came up with the Bush family is ridiculous.

    I certainly don’t agree with everything this administration is doing, because you can’t have security in America by sending your soldiers to foreign countries and leaving our borders unguarded and open. You also can’t have it by waiting for the United Nations to ever accomplish anything… They have become the most useless and insignificant organization in world diplomacy, and while they “talk a good fight”, they are primarily a socialist front organization that is both anti-U.S. and pro-terrorist. The only thing they do well is distribute food (if they don’t steal it first).

    Quote: Taking back France and invading Germany only took 3 years...but this task in Iraq with modern technology somehow is much more involved and 100 times more expensive.

    It also took 3 million soldiers with a blank check to bomb, shoot, and kill anything that moved during WWII. This modern day operation is more surgical and sophisticated, and not being fought against an army that is uniformed and easily identified.

    Given the same license, our country could drop a couple of “crowd pleasers” on them and decimate their entire civilization to show them we’re serious… but as long as everyone here is whining about “civilian deaths” and how we’re treating the poor terrorists, this crap will continue. The way you win against terrorists is to kill them and kill them all….

    Take a look at the video “Blackhawk Down”, where the American pilot was talking to the warlord’s chief terrorist… he makes the statement that “In Somalia, killing is negotiation…” That puts it into perspective for you, and as long as one terrorist is left alive, this problem will continue…

    And just so you know, terrorism isn’t “criminal activity”… it’s terrorist activity, and if you treat a terrorist with “legal authority”, you only postpone their next attack until they get out of jail. You deal with terrorists by sending them and their associates to the graveyard. Like capital punishment, it practically stops repeat offenders.

    This is a war for the survival of our way of life… and unless you want to join the Muslims and convert to making this same kind of activity your life’s ambition, you might want to be a little more supportive of what’s being done in your behalf. I guarded 21 black Muslims that had been arrested when I was a cop, and I got an “up front” look at what they believe and how they think… and if you think there will ever be a negotiated settlement to anything concerning them, you’ll just be another one of their victims. They are trying to revive a 7th century religion and make it the “new world order”, and if they are successful, there will be genocide like the world has never seen before.

    Posted by: Dereck

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 06:24 PM

    Ranting & Raving Thread or Debate Thread?

    Probably why religion and politics are not suppose to be discussed as everybody has their own opinion and to much misinterpretation is done. We should also include taxes and spouses on this list.
    Posted by: Karateka13

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 08:13 PM

    Quote:



    This is a war for the survival of our way of life… and unless you want to join the Muslims and convert to making this same kind of activity your life’s ambition, you might want to be a little more supportive of what’s being done in your behalf. I guarded 21 black Muslims that had been arrested when I was a cop, and I got an “up front” look at what they believe and how they think… and if you think there will ever be a negotiated settlement to anything concerning them, you’ll just be another one of their victims. They are trying to revive a 7th century religion and make it the “new world order”, and if they are successful, there will be genocide like the world has never seen before.






    I have tons to say on the U.S./Iraq subject thing, but I won't get into it. I don't like arguing politics on this site because there's other sites I go to for that...and it already drives me nuts...

    In any case...Wristtwister...please don't say "join the Muslims and convert to making this same kind of activity your life's ambition...". I wouldn't have minded "join the terrorists" because that's what they are. A terrorist may be Muslim but not all Muslims are terrorists. I should know, I'm one myself and part of a HUGE family of them and last time I checked, neither I nor anyone in my family wanted to blow up buildings or kill people who were of a different religion and way of life than ours.

    Look, I know you probably didn't mean to generalize, and I know you're entitled to your opinion, which I have few problems with. But, to paraphrase you, you don't mind criticism when it's the truth. And it's the truth that not all Muslims are terrorists hell-bent on making some "new world order". I know I don't. And I know scores of people who don't. And I know there are millions of other Muslims whom I don't personally know that don't. So it's offensive when such a large group of people are generalized. That's like me categorizing Christians as hard-headed, murderous racists based on my knowledge of the KKK.

    Just wanted to get that clear. Thanks...
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 08:18 PM

    I don't have time to read this thread closely right now...but am closing it for a cool down. If I find that it contains obvious bigotry...it will remain closed. There are other MA sites that cater to closed minds.
    Posted by: Stormdragon

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/01/06 11:55 PM

    No more political talk please. Now, for the important stuff, I'm sick of stupid annoying freshan with underdeveloped prefrontal lobes.
    Posted by: Ed_Morris

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/02/06 12:02 AM

    sorry Harlan, I just opened this back up...if it heats up too much for you, then I won't override the lock again.

    I'll continue in 'political thread of fury' what I was going to write.

    [edit]
    After reading it thru again, I see the bigotry you were referring to Harlan. The one equating particular religions to terrorists.

    I appologize to any Muslims reading, on behalf of 'wristwister' for making such sweeping and religeously racists comments. I assure you, his view is not that of the majority of the forum.

    this is why politics and religion are very guarded topics here...sometimes we get extreamists giving their view.

    in reconsidering Harlan's decision, I realize it was the right one to lock the thread.
    Posted by: harlan

    Re: How about wartime pay caps on profiteers? - 09/02/06 09:10 AM

    I'd like to point out that Wristtwister made a public apology after rereading his comments. I consider the matter closed.