1BC Civ Forums / Off Topic Discussions / More Than a Game, Civ in Real Life / Politics & Religion / THE LIBRARY / Latest Posts

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:40:04 GMT

[quote][b]Locus Coeruleus (9/18/2008)[/b][hr]Well, doc, you are in Massachusettes right....or Connecticut, or somewhere up there in New England. Chances are, if you vote for McCain or Obama or someone else, that Obama is going to win your states electors. I, on the other hand, am in Mississippi, and I am certian McCain will carry this states electors. I am still going to vote and take it seriously, but here is one thing I agree with you on, it is the scariness of Sarah Palin in the White House. It's really too bad. I would have certainly voted for McCain against Gore in 2000, and I seriously doubt he would have gone with someone like Palin back then, well, she wasn't even on the scene, but that's besides the point.

Really, the way I see it, this election boils down to a handful of states, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado.....maybe Ohio and Missouri too. Quick! Move to one of those states, get registered! Then your vote will truly matter!!!!![/quote]

So true.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:35:42 GMT

Well, doc, you are in Massachusettes right....or Connecticut, or somewhere up there in New England. Chances are, if you vote for McCain or Obama or someone else, that Obama is going to win your states electors. I, on the other hand, am in Mississippi, and I am certian McCain will carry this states electors. I am still going to vote and take it seriously, but here is one thing I agree with you on, it is the scariness of Sarah Palin in the White House. It's really too bad. I would have certainly voted for McCain against Gore in 2000, and I seriously doubt he would have gone with someone like Palin back then, well, she wasn't even on the scene, but that's besides the point.

Really, the way I see it, this election boils down to a handful of states, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado.....maybe Ohio and Missouri too. Quick! Move to one of those states, get registered! Then your vote will truly matter!!!!!

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:26:25 GMT

Indeed the initial prospect was adventurism. But glad to hear the cold-realities have set in for you.

I wish McCain had not made the abominable move of putting a putrid fundamentalist on his VP spot. But I'm not gonna wallow in my displeasure. I'm going to face the unpleasant cold reality that if I don't want a fundamentalist creationist bimbo in the White House, I just might have to go ahead and vote for a disgustingly unqualified, racial-identity-game player poser of a liberal charlatan in the White House instead.

Reality is not as nice as ideality, but at least it pays the bills! :D

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:26:02 GMT

[quote][b]Scipio Africanus (9/17/2008)[/b][hr]Yes hopefully history will show the Good General to have been a primary force in the eventual full-fledged democratization of Iraq, and a milestone in the shift of Middle Eastern History . . . we should know for sure in 100 or 150 years . . . but lets not forget, were it not for the adventurism of the Bush Cabinet Vulcans hypothesizing the ability of the US to successfully nation build, the Good General would never have had the opportunity to prove his unique and exceptional worth for assisting the final outcome.[/quote]

Sorry doc, I will not follow you that far. Had Bush and his bumbling imbeciles not botched the management of the war in the first place, had he actually listened to his generals on the ground initially, when they requested more troops right off the bat, well then, we might not even be talking about how General Patraeus came in and rescued things. It would not have been necessary.

Moreover, Iraq was the wrong battlefield. The enemy was not in Iraq it was in Afghanistan. The objective was not nationbuilding, it was getting rid of Saddam Hussein. Spreading Democracy to the Middle East was not the goal, but if you want to talk about Democracy in the middle east, Democracy in the middle east is what gives legitimacy to folks like Hamas in Palestin, to Hezbolla in Lebanon and Ahmadinejad in Iran.

Like I said, I was against this whole affair initially, but once the reality of the situation was apparent, you betcha I want to see USA et al see it through to victory. No other result would be acceptable.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:19:04 GMT

*strikes petulant "***y" pose with arms crossed*

And where have you been!? Out so late!? Out with the boys I guess!!?? Is that liquor I smell on your breath!? :w00t:

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:15:19 GMT

The Great Owl is back!

*passes out cigars and busts out the beer bong*

Glad to see you around again, sir! :cool:

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:04:45 GMT

Yes hopefully history will show the Good General to have been a primary force in the eventual full-fledged democratization of Iraq, and a milestone in the shift of Middle Eastern History . . . we should know for sure in 100 or 150 years . . . but lets not forget, were it not for the adventurism of the Bush Cabinet Vulcans hypothesizing the ability of the US to successfully nation build, the Good General would never have had the opportunity to prove his unique and exceptional worth for assisting the final outcome.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Black Owl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:19:30 GMT

I never argue pure logic. Especially when I happen to agree!;)

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:13:07 GMT

Let's face it. General Patreus saved a dire situation in Iraq. I said it in another thread and I'll say it again, I think it is difficult and wrong to say one man is solely responsible for getting the trains back on the track in Iraq, it was a joint effort, but prolly no man had more to do with it than the recently promoted General. I may be left leaning, and I didn't support the war initially, but there is no way I want to see it end the same way Vietnam ended, that was disgraceful. Plus I am getting sick and tired of all the partisan bickering (isn't that what this place, the library, is all about...non partisan bliss? :) ) and no institution represents non-partisanship better than the military.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Black Owl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:08:24 GMT

LC--I saw it first in a message I didn't get to answer till now. Frankly.....I'm shocked!!!:D :D :D

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:04:57 GMT

Welcome back, good sir. ;)

Check out my new advatar!!! :)

RE: THE LIBRARY

Black Owl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:12:07 GMT

With much chagrin and and a bad pair of reading glasses!:P

RE: THE LIBRARY

Tosk — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:04:03 GMT

Put another log on the fire The OWL is back!!! :D:D:D

RE: THE LIBRARY

Black Owl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:02:14 GMT

Heck, I'm shocked the library survived! And most enheartened!

RE: THE LIBRARY

Comedy Dave — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:16:21 GMT

The Golden age ran out of turns. We need to sacrifice more great people.

Maybe that's where some of the members went?... :P

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:10:59 GMT

[quote][b]Scipio Africanus (9/16/2008)[/b][hr]Cleo do you keep tabs on all the AOL 1BC members!?

And BTW, where is Tosk!? Where is Konrad!? Where is Artymus!?

I thought 1BC was undergoing a frickin' Golden Age earlier this summer???[/quote]MAYBE! :D

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:50:41 GMT

Cleo do you keep tabs on all the AOL 1BC members!?

And BTW, where is Tosk!? Where is Konrad!? Where is Artymus!?

I thought 1BC was undergoing a frickin' Golden Age earlier this summer???

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:41:08 GMT

[quote][b]Nuclearcow (9/16/2008)[/b][hr]I miss the owl. Has anyone heard from him?[/quote]He's away for a little while. I'm sure he'll be back one day. :)

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:19:06 GMT

I miss the owl. Has anyone heard from him?

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:28:02 GMT

Where is Black Owl? I miss him.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:33:51 GMT

Of course not. I'd quote myself from above, but I don't do that in the Library. :D

I am only poking fun at people who copy millions of others who have the exact same tattoo in the same place as millions of other people. But then again, maybe I'm a touch cynical on people blindly following the masses because something is supposed to be cool. Where's that pipe?

-M-, thanks... I think? :P

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:46:30 GMT

[quote]but as they say: a tattoo is forever![/quote]

uhhhh.... no it's not! :P

and NC, surely you realize that not everyone gets a tattoo because they think it's cool or because they are trying to be original.

RE: THE LIBRARY

-M- — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:05:57 GMT

Sir Cow... you are indeed as wise as you are old.

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:42:20 GMT

I remember the topic of tattoos coming up on 1bc before and said something similar. I tend to think like Scip on this one. The ones that come to mind are the tribal tattoos so many guys have going around their biceps and butterfly tattoos on a girl's lower back. 'Cuz its COOL to do exactly what millions of other people do to be original. Belly button piercings on girls. Gee... THATS original! (at least not permanent) But, I think thats a sign of me slowly turning into an old man. :P When my kids watch the Disney channel, it irritates me a little to see all the long 70s-style hair on boys. Not long as in long in back, but just poofy, scruffy hair. I realize I sound like an old man. lol. Ah, well.

But at the same time, there have been a couple of times that I have been seriously tempted to get one a bit more personal to me where no one but me and my wife might see. I almost got a "Wolfhound" tattoo with several other guys after basic training, but was smart enough to realize that basic training was quick and I'd probably never see these guys again, or be a "Wolfhound" again. Several guys wanted to go get one together, but I passed and am glad.

I was reading on Taoism several years ago and liked a lot of the concepts of it and liked the deeper meanings and thoughts behind the Yin/Yang and was tempted to get one at one point, but am glad again that I passed on that. I have been tempted at times to get a religious/spiritual type symbol tattoo (out of noticeable sight), but tend to find truth in all and haven't found one that feels quite 100% 'right' so I wisely passed.

So, I guess I think getting the exact same design in the exact same place as millions of others is really, really dumb, but I guess I kinda like the personal tattoos that have some deeper personal meaning like ddmagnan said.

But as Scip said, we're just sharing opinions, so it really doesn't matter. :w00t:

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:47:06 GMT

Nope, stupid is as stupid does. :P

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:34:35 GMT

It may not matter, but I ask, are tattoos any more stupid than anything else people do?

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:29:27 GMT

Well, frankly, to me it is all of them, but if you guys think your's are cool then I can go with "some of them." You guys can't possibly do something stoopid; I know I sure can't so, it must be the latter!

At the end of the day, the topic, like this thread, this site, and this game, simply do not matter! :)

ADDIT: waitaminute . . . I just rememembered I HAVE done something stoopid. Sheesh, hate to be reminded, but it just popped in my head from the experience about a week ago.

Was clearing up some packed boxes (amazing how moving causes you to shuffle through all the detritus you call "your stuff") and came upon this photo album. My Mom had put it together before she croaked, and had asked me to provide captions for all the pics.

Mostly pics of all my loser relatives (drug addicts, convicts, serial killers, suicide 'victims,' tattoo parlor attendants . . .) but the last 1/3 or so of this photo album was a mortifying section that felt like the icy ice pick of my mother's wit striking ironically from the grave.

It was about 3 pages full of pictures of me and this chick I used to date (this must've been 10 years ago). I was SO sure "she was the one," and my Mom just sorta shrugged her shoulders. Turns out she was right. Old Jeannine broke up with me as soon as she had it fully figured out that she could not mold me into the obedient little "bread winner" lap dog that she had in mind. I was heartbroken for about 5 minutes, then I got on with it. In any event, included with the sappy-arse photos of me with this long-legged man-killer ice-queen, were _POEMS_ that I wrote in her "honor." Now THAT was stoopid. Probably not as stoopid as getting a tattoo, cause you can always dump the beotch, or shrug your shoulders and move on when she dumps you, but as they say: a tattoo is forever!

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:07:26 GMT

[quote]What the heck!? I KNEW it!! [Crazy] No wonder you guys have been so quiet in here the last 2 days. This was the quietest P&R I've seen in a while. NO WONDER![/quote]

I was busy entertaining our old friend Ness and his family for the weekend as they passed through the Southland on their tour of the USA. it was a rockin' good time. No time for the 1bc.

yeah, Scip, you say first that all tattoos are stupid, then you happen to say only some of them are. Well, which is it? :P

I happen to have a tattoo of my Alma Mater logo on my shoulder blade that my cousin and I got together on the same location after we had nearly completed our collegiate studies together at the Michigan State University. Does that make me a poser??? :P

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:55:42 GMT

I wear my tattoos "on the inside" of my skull :D

My opinion is just my opinion; don't take it too seriously. I'll admit they can actually look kinda cool sometimes. I'll bet yours are in that category . . .

The problem really is when posers get them I guess. I'm remembering a line from a book on the Navy SEALS I read a few years back. Can't remember which one, but if folks are curious I can scrounge it up . . .

Anyway, the guy who wrote it was a Captain and had trained in the first batch of SEALS back in the 60s, so he was probably in his 60s himself. But in the early 2000s he went through training with one new cadre. Two comments in the book that stuck with me. (a) he commented on how many of the candidates were enormous iron-lifting types; gigantic pecs, and arms, huge triangle torsos set on top of thick powerful football player legs . . . IIRC, it was his observation that these guys had a HIGHER than average rate of washing out, and it was the average-size wiry, high-cardio-capacity guys who tended to fair much better.

That reminded me of the standard weight room culture in the U.S. (and based on my experience in Botswana, maybe everywhere that weight rooms get set up?). A few enormous, grotesquely muscled types who are the role models for all. Most folks paying more attention to watching other guys, and seeing if they are being watched, and making sure they don't "lift too little" and consequently choose weights for any given workout that are probably too heavy for their actual goals, and consequently wind up doing 6 to 9 reps and that is it. Related to this, I know that the two muscle group once per day approach and shooting for exhaustion at 8 to 10 reps is widely used; great if you're a football player, not so great if you want to do anything else . . .

Me I go for full-body workouts, once to 1.5 times per week (giving enough time for it to heal up): chest (1-2 sets, alternating flat, incline, decline sorta randomly), back (also with dumbells only 1 set only), shoulders (3 sets with only about 5 or 7 pounds), lat pull (1 set of 25 or 30), bis and tris (1 to 2 sets alternating the curl bar, straight bar, dumbells, and preacher seat pretty much on the whim of how I feel), squats, leg curls, let extensions, bicycles, situps, some kinda forearm workout, maybe sometimes a bit of something extra if if feels like that group could use it, 10 to 20 minutes of cardio . . . I bike to work about 4 or 5 times a week, so I'm getting plenty of cardio . . . Basically, I try to do resistance training the way your body would actually naturally get worked out in a "natural" human setting (hunting, fishing, gathering food in a hunter-forager kind of context): whole body for about 1 to 1.5 hours, fairly low weight, fairly high rep (20 to 30 reps on each set, and only 1 to two sets of each). I came up with this based on going to weight rooms since I was 16, watching what others do, reading various books, and studying human biology and natural history. I know of no one else who does any workout quite like this, and I don't really care. Most guys care MOST about doing something that is proposed by someone else, and being seen doing it.

(b) the Navy SEAL book author also commented on Tats. He commented that, there were a lot of candidates with Tats, and they were disproportionately washouts.

So, there are probably some very cool people with tats, who did it to be individuals, and because it was a ritual, and sign that means something very deeply to them. But the Navy SEAL (and my own opinion) suggest that: there are a lot of poser wannabes with Tattoos.

It is THOSE particular tats that are Stoopid :P

RE: THE LIBRARY

Tosk — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:47:17 GMT

"Tattoo" Bruce Dern and Maud Adams darn good flick.

I'm totally neutral ... I could care less one way or the other.

Best cartoon I saw that I thought was hilarious,

Old guy standing in front of a mirror with his bicep flexed looking at a tiger tattoo ...
Next frame a younger person behind him is looking at his arm and asking why he had a tattoo of a pile of cat do do on his bicep.

Well I thought it was funny! :)

I collect rocks ... Oh wait that was Joe Pesci in "With Honors" ;)

RE: THE LIBRARY

ddmagnan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:16:26 GMT

Yah, don't be bad mouthing tats. I have four myself. I would say tattoos that are gotten to be "cool" are stupid. I got mine while traveling around the world in the Marines and they all have a special meaning to me. I choose all the designs with care and they are all originals. They are like permanent souvenirs of my journeys in life.

One from South Carolina where I went to MOS School and the last stop before entering the fleet.

One from Guam where I went on on vacation with an ex.

One from Minneapolis where I grew up.

One from Japan where I spent most of my tour. There is a good story behind that one as it isn't easy getting a tat in Japan. At least when I got mine. Things are changing some nowdays in Tokyo at least.

I would have liked to get one in Thailand. Plenty of oppurtunity, but just too dangerous. I didn't like the cleanliness of the parlors over there and the high rate of Aids in the population.

I will not bore you by getting into the details of the designs and the reasons behind them. The point is for many people right now getting a tattoo is the trendy, cool thing to do. However for others like me it is a deeply personal form of artistic expression. All mine are covered up when I wear a t-shirt so almost no one ever sees them.

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:38:03 GMT

[quote][b]Scipio Africanus (6/30/2008)[/b][hr]Right, you got me goin' on that one Nukau. Tattoos are _STOOPID_ all of 'em.

If you are not a native Trobriander, full-blooded Celt mystic, or are in any other way a "tribal" poser, a tatoo is stoopid.

Piercing is pretty stupid too . . .[/quote]WHAT?! I would never date a man without tats. They are just too sexy. :D

RE: THE LIBRARY

Scipio Africanus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:37:16 GMT

Right, you got me goin' on that one Nukau. Tattoos are _STOOPID_ all of 'em.

If you are not a native Trobriander, full-blooded Celt mystic, or are in any other way a "tribal" poser, a tatoo is stoopid.

Piercing is pretty stupid too . . .

RE: THE LIBRARY

Nuclearcow — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:00:05 GMT

*walks in the room and sees everyone stoned and passing around an opium pipe*

What the heck!? I [b]KNEW[/b] it!! :crazy: No wonder you guys have been so quiet in here the last 2 days. This was the quietest P&R I've seen in a while. NO WONDER!

*steals the pipe from Jerm and hands out Hershey's chocolate bars to everyone*
"BAD JERM! BAD!"

*tries to think of something back on topic*

Pet peeve. I really don't like it when people say they are giving 110% of their time, or effort, etc. You can only give 100%! Stop saying that!

Another. "From 1 to 10, with 10 being perfect, (whatever) is an 11." Dang it! Thats stupid! :P

Calling someone 'sir' and hearing, [i]"Don't call me that, I work for a living, har har har har har! HAR har har har har."[/i] Umm... that wasn't funny the 1st time I heard that, 100 "sirs" ago.

Another one. Men who do or say stuff for no reason other than to show how macho, manly, etc, he is. Drive a Harley, Dodge Diesel pickup with jacked up tires, smokes cigarettes, talking tough about EVERYTHING and talks down to other not-so-stereotypically-macho people/things/etc.
"Wow. You're so cool." :ermm:

RE: THE LIBRARY

RabiAkiva — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:29:31 GMT

If you cannot call it a scam, call it a sham. (Unless it is spam)
**Puts the whiskey down with a slam and says:"stam!"**

RE: THE LIBRARY

jerm — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:07:03 GMT

It's a scam because it is misleading. We were (apparently) sold on the idea based on a false premise. Along with everything dd said, they've actually found that clearing the land for corn or any crop or whatever actually releases more carbon into the atmostphere than it will make up for and it will take something like 30 years for it to run in the positive. This was an article I read in the Journal Science (sorry I can't link to it :w00t: ), not some talk show. I think I discussed it in the "Global Warming Thread". Perhaps "scam" is not a perfectly accurate term but it feels right. ;)

RE: THE LIBRARY

Locus Coeruleus — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:33:29 GMT

That's fine and good regarding the ethanol scam, dd, but, calling it a scam, doesn't that imply it is deceptive or misleading, or trying to take advantage of someone for monetary gain whilst not being wholly illegal??? This thing you describe doesn't sound so much like a scam as it does a lack of quality foresight and proper planning....

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:04:16 GMT

[quote][b]ddmagnan (6/26/2008)[/b][hr]For some reason the Joe Nichols song just popped into my head Cleo.[/quote]Well that's pretty accurate :D

RE: THE LIBRARY

ddmagnan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:00:26 GMT

For some reason the Joe Nichols song just popped into my head Cleo.

RE: THE LIBRARY

cleopatra143 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:46:26 GMT

[quote][b]Nuclearcow (6/26/2008)[/b][hr]E-gads, men! A little smoking, drinking and donuts (and 2nd hand smoke from Jerm's hash-pipe!) and you all get all sexual on us!

*Whispers to Jeeves, pass Cleo a cigar, donut and a rum and coke, would ya?* :D

Thank you ddmagnan for getting that back on topic. :P[/quote]
[i]*gag, choke, sputter*[/i]
Sorry, non smoker but if you have some patron and chocolate... :D