Volvo: Brickboard OPINIONS Forum

Inside job? -posted by- B20Paul.

Sat, 17 May 2008 11:09 GMT

unless you block off the outlet and connect a gauge to the plug.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf you plug off the chimney & measure the pressure, how would that compare to bellows output?%0D%0A%0D%0AMost forges in use today use a small electric blower motor, similar to that in a vacuum cleaner, to provide a steady draft.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou're describing something to make horse shoes with, not a device that could weaken metres long I-Beams%0D%0A%0D%0APistons have been made from aluminum since at least the 1920s. Lighter weight... %0D%0A%0D%0AWhat's your point? Two piece aluminium skirt with forged steel crowns have been available since 1988 & One piece steel pistons since 2000. Mahle's Monotherm pistons are much stronger than old style Aluminum & of similar weight.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand better heat transfer.%0D%0A%0D%0ADon't you mean worse? Drawing heat out of the combustion chamber with aluminium parts has never been a good thing.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt makes no difference how many tons of steel are in a building, if a few critical junctions are heated to the point where the metal softens and begins to slump.....%0D%0A%0D%0AIs that some kind of magic master beam theory? No American steel building has collapsed due to fire alone, but WTC7 managed that in only a couple of hours. There are plenty of buildings with diesel tanks & backup generators in them, have you seen anyone in a hurry to remove them because of the theory that diesel tanks bought down WTC7?%0D%0A%0D%0A

Inside job? -posted by- lee

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:37 GMT

Forget what you've been told.%0D%0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55nQ00gSKC0%0D%0Ahttp://www.debunking911.com/questions.htm%0A--%0ALee 75 244 (80k original miles) 79 242 65 220 project

Inside job? -posted by- Blue Horse

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:21 GMT

A bellows doesn't put out anything like "several atmospheres of pressure" unless you block off the outlet and connect a gauge to the plug. Most forges in use today use a small electric blower motor, similar to that in a vacuum cleaner, to provide a steady draft.%0D%0A%0D%0AUnlike in Australia, wood heat is in common use in rural areas in America, so I have plenty of first-hand experience with it. I can tell you that the draft from a good fire can be just as strong as the output from a forge blower. I can also tell you that, unless they are massively thick and very well constructed, stoves made of steel plate are inferior to those of cast iron. The steel ones warp long before the iron will develop cracks. %0D%0A%0D%0APistons have been made from aluminum since at least the 1920s. Lighter weight and better heat transfer.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe nails regain their strength when they cool off. Remember we're not talking about temper here (which IS destroyed in the heat of a fire) we're talking about loss of strength WHILE THE METAL IS HOT. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt makes no difference how many tons of steel are in a building, if a few critical junctions are heated to the point where the metal softens and begins to slump......

You win -posted by- jguerra3235

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:01 GMT

I will never again discuss political issues here on this board. Most (not all) members here have absolutely no interest in discussing political or social issues. They are only interested in ridiculing others and having a cheering section for their egos. I will still post in the RWD and opinion sections but only non political threads. I feel that arguing with people here is not worth my time. There are many members here that I would like thank. Members who offered intelligent and thought provoking dialog. Not always in tune with my personal views but always intelligent and thought provoking. If anybody still would like to discuss political or social issues with me feel free to e-mail me. Same thing goes for links many of you have posted some really great links. %0D%0A%0D%0AGood luck to everybody.

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- Snootfull

Fri, 16 May 2008 22:54 GMT

I think that what we are talking about really isn't a matter of intelligence but a matter of psychology. People want so badly to believe in things that even the most intelligent are often swayed by belief despite ample evidence contrary to whatever that chosen belief is. We are trained to believe certain things about ourselves as individuals, nations or cultures and those things, whether true are not, become our reality and as such do not often fall victim to reason.%0D%0A%0D%0ANo doubt about it there are certainly those who "get it" as you say but the degree to which "it" is gotten varies by individual and unlike those on the "inside" there is no unity of belief or action amongst most of those on the "outside". Furthermore, those who "get it" do not tend to gravitate toward positions of influence because the nature of our system is such that the people who are most often rewarded with wealth/social influence are generally not the ones who challenge or question the status quo. Americans learn this as children in grade school where those who are rewarded with good grades are the ones who simply keep their heads down and do exactly as they are told while those who who see through what is going on around them and question the order of things are often to be found in detention hall. I can tell you this from experience because I have been on both sides of the issue, when it suited me I played the game and made the honor roll, when it didn't suit me I was every teachers nightmare. What has proven difficult for me as an adult is making my way through a life that I consider pure unadulterated bullshit. I believe most people would consider me to be a "successful" individual yet I struggle incessantly with my own disbelief at the absolute absurdities by which I feel constantly surrounded. Despite my inabilities to see the contrivance of modern life as anything but pure farce, an insane game played for the most ignoble reasons, I have managed to keep my head down just enough to get through it and pass myself off by all appearances as just another "team player" doing his part to further the cause. I often wonder how much easier life would be if I could simply bring myself to accept and believe, if I could just float in the pool of blissful ignorance and be freed of the burden of my judgments and my vision how much more tolerable and righteous it would all seem, if only I could just force myself to believe. %0D%0A--%0D%0A"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- T.Lyttle

Sat, 17 May 2008 02:50 GMT

I grew up in completely different circumstances, yet I am in concurrence with your post. The school I went to did not allow dissent, no matter how polite. I was a poor student, regardless of my very high IQ: lazy, unmotivated, but never rebellious. Any hint of rebellion was met fiercely, at school and at home.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn any case, productivity, curiosity, independent thinking, and innovation saw me through a few careers, the most rewarding was inventing stuff to help the handicapped. It was politics and bureaucracy that put paid to that, hence my contempt for both.%0D%0A%0D%0ABeing rich is very important to many people, regardless of those around them who aren't so enamoured by the wealth displayed by large properties, big cars, and ostentatious houses. My ego doesn't include any of that: I get asked what I would do if I won the lottery, and my answer is simple and predictable, ie, give it all away. "Happiness is wanting what you have", and I have all I want.%0D%0A%0D%0ATo me, the American Dream is more than offset by the American Nightmare, in the form of the IRS!

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- Bill Bretherton

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:49 GMT

But surely, intellectually smarter Americans (many of whom post here)"get it". Anyone capable of a college degree (as I think of a degree, but I'm not certain on UK/US comparison) must be able to see what's happening. The likes of Matt Groening and Michael Moore, for example, clearly do get it. Groening's sense of humo(u)r and irony are practically British in style. But when something's ingrained in the culture I suppose it's difficult to resist. If a million dollars suddenly falls into your lap, what are you to do? OK, we can all be capitalists to an extent but doesn't the intelligent mind realise that a sensible and just society looks after its people? I mean, I'm not about to give my house away and I believe in personal endeavour, but if a society doesn't care for the poor and needy and disaffected it ends up with delusion, escalating poverty and crime. You can almost understand a guy who has nothing robbing a bank - he sees the corporate bigwigs lining their pockets and thinks "hey, I want some too".%0D%0A%0D%0AThis right wing philosophy - it assumes that wealth creation filters down to the masses and we all get a share. It doesn't care about the casualties - that's their fault. But the world can't progress like that. Look at the current erosion of the world's natural resources. It can't go on. Why don't people get that? Isn't it obvious? We have to wake up. Regards.%0A--%0ABillB

Craigslist warning -posted by- Breadman

Wed, 7 May 2008 03:03 GMT

I look at the pets section daily, I see ads from people who are looking for a dog or cat, not too specific, just "a small dog that wants a large yard with some kids to love on it, stay at home mom, etc." COME ON!, they havent looked at the local shelter, because they would surely find one. Shelter fees are $85-100 but that includes mandatory spay/neuter, etc. SOME of these people (I can tell some ads are written and re-worded by the same people) are wanting a purebred looking dog for cheap to resell for a profit, sell to animal testing labs or to use as baiting for their fighting dogs ( I didn't say pitbulls). I have heard on CL that one guy even brings his little kids to convince the owners that he just wants a family pet, not for the above-mentioned uses. Thats why you should never give a dog "free to good home". Network with friends if you HAVE to give up a pet. If behaviour is an issue, check out my guru Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer, he is magic while using common sense. His methods would work well with small children too! Just give them rules, boundries and limitations. Exercise, disipline(not beatings but tricks,etc and then affection in that order. If you tire your dog out, he won't get into bad habits(usually from boredom). Check out his tv show on National Geographic or check your library for his books and dvds.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor your pets sake, put a tag with your phone number on his collar, even if he's an indoor dog. Its heartbreaking how many turn up at Noah's Ark weekly with a collar but no tags! We are a no-kill shelter but the pound is not, unfortunatley. Remember don't breed or buy while shelter pets die. Damn greedy puppy mills- I see too much neglect and abuse on Animal Planet Cops. Thats not the same as hoarders who have good intentions, but get overwhelmed.I could be a hoarder if I was single but momma keeps me in check,LOL. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnimals deserve to be treated humanely, all they want to do is shower you with LOVE!!!%0D%0A%0D%0AMark%0D%0Ahttp://dog-talker.com/

Craigslist warning...Marc and jguerra - we need a rescue Golder retreiver 2yrs+ -posted by- B.C.

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:33 GMT

Two weeks ago our third Golden had to be put down. Age 12 to 16 (a rescue) her abdominal pain was too much and apparently unfixable.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo - we have one 75lb rescue, looks like part black lab, or doberman, or german shepherd. Lively and full of viss and pinegar. She came from Noah's Ark.%0D%0A%0D%0AShe is still grieving, and we miss the golden, too. If you guys (or another brickboarder) know of one please contact me direct at vbcavenaugh@aol.com. %0D%0A%0D%0AWe are in NW Houston and San Antonio (200 miles) is about as far as we would go. %0D%0A%0D%0AFew conditions - must be house broken and full grown. No papers needed, but would want whatever records come from the shelter. Spayed/neutered, too. %0D%0A%0D%0AAs to Marc's warning, as long as there are humans who are morals-free and me-first-centered, there will be evil done to our animal friends. Part of living in a coarsening society. %0D%0A%0D%0AMany thanks, %0D%0A%0D%0ABob%0D%0A%0D%0A:>)%0D%0A%0D%0A

Craigslist warning...Marc and jguerra - we need a rescue Golder retreiver 2yrs+ -posted by- Flab FC

Fri, 16 May 2008 16:43 GMT

Two weeks ago my my mother was asking me about a home for a lovely pure bred black lab. I can ask her if its still available, but its here in VA. Maybe we can see if their is a way tog et it there without actually shipping it. A freind's father is always driving through here on the way to Texas.....%0D%0A%0D%0AYes, it is housebroken, with all the forgiving temperment and energy you expect in a lab. I think it is about 6 years old.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf you are serious, I will ask my mother about it. The owner had to move into an assisted living situation and can no longer care for it.

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- Flab FC

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:52 GMT

This right wing philosophy - it assumes that wealth creation filters down to the masses and we all get a share. It doesn't care about the casualties - that's their fault.%0D%0A%0D%0ATrickle down economics was aproppriatly named by an older style Republican. Voodoo economics. Stuffing a horse until it drops a few additional aots never does more than feed the sparrows. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe GOP now Neo Con mantra is little bit darker than that, as it is practiced. ( Remember, not all conservatives are Neo Cons, they just foolishly voted for them.)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Neo Con Mantra that really came in with Reagan's comes down to something very simple:%0D%0A%0D%0AIf I have more money than you, I am a better person worthy of extra special rewards. It doesn't matter how I got that money- lying cheating, stealing, killing people in the name of corporate profits. None of that matters. All the determines my value in this society is I have more money. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnybody who has less money is just a loser whiner, and I shouldn't have to share anything that have with them, even though my wealth comes from the society others contributed to. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat is completely different than believing in the growth of wealth, investment, and returns for innovation. The Neo Cons don't believe in innovation unless they personally profit from it. If someone else profits from it, they try and keep them out of the market through lying cheating and stealing. Not by building a better innovation.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd it really is all that simple. Noptice how all the reps leave to become lobbyists now they see they can;t win any more elections?%0D%0A%0D%0A

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- Snootfull

Thu, 15 May 2008 23:08 GMT

Bill, most Americans don't know their arse from a hole in the ground when it comes to economics, social policy or anything else. They like to parrot the words associated with Adam Smith's economic theories with no idea or interest in what they mean or how they are actually applied. They pretend an allegiance to the "free market" and "capitalism" without any clue as to how their system actually works or from whence their abundance comes while they boisterously "hoo-rah" for their own team with no understanding of the game being played. Americans have been trained to believe that subsidizing the security of the common man and his society is wrong, the very idea of which is taboo, while underwriting the desires the elite at great social cost is somehow natural, normal and deserving of the highest regard. For many generations now a great deal of expense and social engineering has been dedicated to promulgating fictions in the minds of the masses and it has worked like a charm the evidence of which is brought forth in this forum all to frequently; up is down, right is wrong and black is white. Such confusion in the minds of so many aids in the furtherance and maintenance of a corrupt social order dedicated to the promotion of undeserved excess for the few at the expense of the many. It is not enough in America for the powerful elite to be powerful and elite the rest of us must also be made to accept the notion that they somehow deserve it. In this way the idea of the "divine right of kings" so long ago cast aside in your nation has been adopted, coddled and nurtured in the hearts of my own countryman. Such eagerly and warmly embraced ignorance will one day result in the downfall of my nation I am certain. %0D%0A--%0D%0A"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

Craigslist warning...Marc and jguerra - we need a rescue Golder retreiver 2yrs+ -posted by- Breadman

Fri, 16 May 2008 08:20 GMT

Bob, Sorry to hear about your baby. I will check the "inventory" at Noah's Ark this week but I haven't seen one there lately- but new ones come in all the time. CAP is a much larger facility on I-10, thats where we got Junior 10+ years ago. - they send out as many as possible to foster families to avoid keeping them shut in small kennels all day. I'll check petfinder.com and a golden rescue. I WILL find you some candidates to choose from. BUT, you DO need to wait a few weeks until you can move past the grieving stage before bringing another dog home. Especially a younger dog. They will pick up your sadness as weakness and try to claim the alpha spot. Noahs Ark is having a festival on June 7th. Bring your other dogs to see demos from the frisbee club, etc, eat some BBQ. Also a pet psychic will be there and mobile groomers, many other vendors too.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.noahs-ark-sanctuary.org/Adoptathon.htm%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm - a tear jerker for sure, but crying is a healthy part of healing.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.gbgrr.org/ Golden Beginnings Rescue in Houston - I just looked and they have dozens to choose from, all should be fixed according to the law. Looks like most of these got away from home- probably no tags on their collar, Goldens aren't the best for finding the way home....%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AI talked to the owner of PVS last week and he said the main thing to look for in an older Volvo or any car is service records! I'm on the hunt since my son totalled the Tacoma. We are renting a car out of pocket since I was too cheap to get the rental reimbursement- who would ever need that?!? I also will be increasing the minimum coverage to 50-100-50 liability and recommend everyone to do that.%0D%0A%0D%0AMomma saw a 544 stretch taxi on ebay she fell in love with, but it ended at $10,500 with reserve not met. Oh well back to reality...%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AOnce again, sorry for your loss. Mark

So, is that a compliment? -posted by- Bill Bretherton

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:16 GMT

Well I only seem to have offended two people, JG and one other I presume. I'm not "hard left" by the way. I'm more of a British liberal. I'm all in favour of private enterprise for production (of goods and services) so long as it's regulated enough to prevent out and out profiteering. You don't want to suppress innovation and improvement and, I guess, that needs healthy competition. But how does one man justifiably make millions of pounds / dollars? It doesn't seem right, to me. Sure, we all want a "nice" house and maybe an acre to go with it (well, not here, we don't have enough acres, but you do). But there must be a limit to one person's take of the world's riches, surely.%0D%0A%0D%0AHell, I'm preaching to the converted here, aren't I. Although, I don't know what BB liberals really think of the concept of "nationalised" services. I think that public services are better nationalised i.e. public transport, health, energy supplies, water and sewage. Having said that, all of those have gradually been privatised here - Mrs. Thatcher's legacy. And not for the better IMO. Prices MAY have been kept lower due to the competition but I doubt it. Take our railways - used to be British Rail, now there's countless companies operating. All with lawyers fighting each other, compensation claims, blame avoidance etc. Doesn't work for me. But I can still go to the doctor's surgery tomorrow for free - that's got to be worth something. A developed society should be taking care of its people. I don't mind contributing to the pot if it keeps my neighbour alive.%0D%0A%0D%0AWe'll never have equality under any political system, but I reckon I'm supporting the best compromise. Hey, I found this quote from "Wiki" while trying to educate myself on the "American Dream". I love it:%0D%0A%0D%0A"I arrived in America thinking the streets were paved with gold. I learned 3 things: 1. The streets were not paved with gold, 2. The streets were not paved at all, and 3. I was expected to pave them." - Unknown Italian Immigrant%0D%0A%0D%0ARegards (and give me a "thumbs up", damn it!)%0A--%0ABillB

Ene the WSJ accept the truth now. -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:29 GMT

They might not like to, but I think they are seeing their subscriptions decline, watching the economist say" get over it, its real" and are having to allow in those talking about the different economic reality. the reality that handing all the returns to the CEO's has NOT benefited this country, and has sent us down the tubes economically.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe only problems is it presumes only the field workers are taken advanatage of, while forgetting that plenty of white working Americans have gotten the shaft as well.%0D%0Ahttp://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121072656227790335-lMyQjAxMDI4MTEwNDcxMjQ2Wj.html

Oh my, the inoffensive Brit has dared to offend has he? -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:01 GMT

I think you stated something strong in about as inoffensive a manner as possible, and still you get 2 thumbs down.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich goes to show, those of the 'other' persuasion are not really offended about the lack of 'quality' in the discussion, they are offended that their very destructive point of view isn't appreciated.%0D%0A%0D%0ABecause, you know...you are right. While we absolutely do have true 'lefty socialists' -such as Kucinich, they are rarely into nationalizing things, and the Democratic Party never has been into nationalizing. Yes, we got the New Deal, and SS, but the New Deal was always meant to be temporary.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou m ay watch with pleasure that the GOP cannot win an election right now even in VERY deep 'conservative' locations. Thats because most traditional conservatives are much more in the line of a Hickabee- and their comes a point where they recognize that the GOP is not run by people who do not care about the US, and are only interested in lining their own pockets. The only people supporting them are ones who are getting to line their pockets, or ones like JG suffering extreme cognitive dissonance.

When is it too late to switch to Synthetic Oil? -posted by- evangelos

Wed, 14 May 2008 02:13 GMT

Hello all. Years since I've been here. With the Fjord buyout and need for mini vans and all, the only volvo I have left is my wife's '69 1800. But, when it comes to car knowledge, this is still the place.......%0D%0A%0D%0AThis question is about Toyotas and Synthetic oil in general.%0D%0A%0D%0ACar 1) Rav 4 with 4 cylinder motor - 16 K miles.%0D%0A%0D%0ACar 2) Sienna with V6 motor - 20K miles.%0D%0A%0D%0AIs it too late to switch to synthetics? Any input welcome.%0D%0A%0D%0AThanks%0D%0A%0D%0A

When is it too late to switch to Synthetic Oil? -posted by- alschnertz

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:54 GMT

With that low mileage on both cars you will have no problem switching to synthetic.%0D%0A%0D%0ALikely to pick up a 1/2 mpg or so too which will almost pay for the additional cost of the synthetic over the oil change interval. Assuming you do the oil changes yourself.%0D%0A%0A--%0ATom - '60 544, '68 220S, '70 145S, '86 745T, '06 Mazda MPV

hehe. I see a thumb down already. Best watch for the next little bird splat. Weee! -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 04:29 GMT

Relocation HELL, finding temporary housing (the left wing rental conspirancy) -posted by- Jorrell

Sat, 3 May 2008 05:58 GMT

Wow, what a ride, 10 years on the last job, survived three rounds of layoffs (staff dropped from 200 to 20 over that time), so it was time to find new employment. Note to ALL, if you have an EE degree, there aren't any jobs in the Winston-Salem NC area! %0D%0A%0D%0ABeing a wire bender (EE), this layoff meant mandatory relocation unless I could afford 300 miles of fuel every day to commute along with two hours each way. Since relocation means selling a house, that means I have to find rental property with a short term lease until the house in W-S sells. FWIW, the new job is in Raleigh, NC.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow for the funny/stupid part... apartment rental "associates" sound great when you talk to them on the phone, ie, they tell you what you want to hear. They want to wait to tell the "truth" until you are on their property! How do they get you to that point??? simple, they pull a Clinton and lie/omit! Here are some doozies I ran across while trying to find a 3 month lease with two Boxer dogs:%0D%0A%0D%0A1: Sure, no problem we do 3 month leases on a regular basis (stated over the phone). Upon arrival and face to face conversation, yes, we will do a 3 month lease, but only after you have lived here for 12 months!%0D%0A%0D%0A2: Over the phone, sure, two dogs, 3 month lease no problem, as long as the pets weigh under 65 pounds. Once on their property, their first question was how much do your pets weigh... my response, 45 pounds and 60 pounds... rental associate chick with a nasal high-pitched voice barely audible by dogs says: Oh my, our pet weight limit is the total weight of all pets, not individual weights! My response was crude but simple, "do you have children?", her answer was yes. I asked how many children she had, her answer was "five". I then asked her if any of them weighed over 65 pounds, she said no (hard to believe). Then I asked if her children's combined weight exceeded 65 pounds and she said yes. I followed up with one last question... which one of your kids do you want to keep as it is obvious that the other four have to be euthanised. She was disgusted with my comments and I left, strangely though, an hour later she called and said "okay we will allow both dogs". I was so PO'd at that point that I told her to figure out how to be human, not just a used car salesman... She still couldn't tell me which kid she would save/not kill.%0D%0A%0D%0A3: Yes, we will do a 6 month lease and allow pets no problem (over the phone). I visit them, 6mo no problem, if you have pets, one must be a cat, one must be a dog, beyond that, there are "breed restrictions" nothing over 40 pounds and it can't be "mistaken" for a pit bull. Yeah right, try meeting that criteria with two BOXERS! Am I supposed to glue a raccoon tail to one of our Boxers so he looks like a cat? This sucks, dog breed discrimination should be the new political hot button issue!%0D%0A%0D%0AThat being said, the apartment I signed up with was honest front to back, no surprises, expensive yes, but at least they didn't lie to me!%0D%0A%0D%0AFinally a question, who else has rental-hell experience to share along with the solution(s) you came up with.%0D%0A%0D%0Ajorrell%0D%0A%0A--%0A92 245 250K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

pets -posted by- c. a.

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:18 GMT

Having pets is close to having kids (or family) for many of us. I know that for me, my four-legged "family" is the reason I am still alive. They give me love and support no matter how I am feeling. I don't have to put a brave face with them.%0D%0AFanny, my 6 year old Golden, I have trained as a Service Dog for me, and Emma, my 13 year old, will cross the rainbow bridge soon. She has a tumor on her that is huge; despite she has a merry disposition and plays ball and enjoys life. When she doesn't enjoy life I can give her a mercical end on my living room floor. I wish I could do the same; but I legally have to go though in all. %0D%0A`

pets -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 03:23 GMT

CA, I suspect that most landlords would make exceptions in your case. They are not inhuman, they simply have had to rip out a lot of carpet and suffered higher levels of damage due to pets. %0D%0A%0D%0AJorrell is not in your position, nor did he address the situation in a manner that might have gotten him some negotiating power with the landlords. His behaviour had nothing to do with his health, or that of his pets, but his own sense of self righteousness. %0D%0A%0D%0AThere is a difference. %0D%0A%0D%0AI have a dog. A small one because well...they travel better for just the reasons Jorrell mentions. Travel bags serve as crates, hotels/residencies/apartments allow them. They can fit on planes under my seat where it is safe and comfortable, and I know they are OK. Sometimes they have to get left behind. When I went to the Black Sea in 2004 for the summer to sing, he had to say with my father. His dog andf mine bonded, and so, he spends most of his time there now. %0D%0A%0D%0AWhy? I can't part them from such a healthy relationship. But hey, he was on stage with me in this latest production. It all works out, if we try. %0D%0A%0D%0A

When is it too late to switch to Synthetic Oil? -posted by- Jorrell

Thu, 15 May 2008 03:10 GMT

I'm sure I'll get bashed for this, but as long as the engine isn't blowing oil smoke, or has a hole in the block from a tossed rod, synth is the way to go.%0D%0A%0D%0Ajorrell%0D%0A%0A--%0A92 245 250K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

When the gaskets have become goo...... -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:19 GMT

Seriously, neither of my cars started with synthetic, and to be honest, I decided to see what would happen if I used regular oil during periods when I was doing average driving.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah...there IS a difference.%0D%0A%0D%0AI use synthetic on one of my cars after it had had a real bad moment with one of nephews, and the engine had oil cooked inside. It cleaned it out, and the car was fine. %0D%0A%0D%0AI have used it in other older cars and watched it really clean the engines out and they were fine.%0D%0A%0D%0AI think the question about synthetics is that when a car has gone a LONG time, that the cleaning effect of synthetic loosens 'gunk' from around old seals/gaskets that are keeping tight because of that gunk. So, the old gaskets begin to leak.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou should be fine at that mileage.

Holy SH$T -posted by- evangelos

Wed, 14 May 2008 02:34 GMT

It says my last visit was in December of '69. Wow! Were the 70's cool? I missed them.

Holy SH$T -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:13 GMT

I thought they were perfectly horrible, and detested the bell bottom tuffskins my mother got me a few times. After that it was just levis for me.%0D%0A%0D%0AI do recall being a little stinker with one of my classmates though. Geena Farnum was her name, and I think she decided to be a hairdresser. Anyway... We had a lunchroom monitor a little on the hefty size who wore some BELLbottoms. Geena and I decided we had had enough of the bullying one day, and laid some traps:%0D%0A%0D%0AKetchup packets with pinholes in them. %0D%0A%0D%0AShe wasn't watching, and sure enough, she stepped on them and they squirted right up the inside of her pants legs. %0D%0A%0D%0APriceless.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd she didn't take Visa......

Blues on the radio? You bet! -posted by- MittenHed

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:39 GMT

A local head-banger station went under a couple of months back. It is owned by one of the very few huge corporations that control the airwaves hereabout. Some of the DJs from the other stations have put together blues programming 24/7 with no commercials, and the station has been blasting out the blues ever since. 93.9 for anyone within reach...%0D%0A%0D%0AThe station has been sold, and this programming will be continued on the web. The air-sample is far better than any blues stream that I have found. Email them at mainebluesproject@yahoo.com to encourage them. Everyone who loves the blues and is online will be able to hear it. %0A--%0A01 V70 2.4 M5 and a Mini

Blues on the radio? You bet! -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:08 GMT

I thoroughly enjoy old stull down on the bayou blues. Is that what they play?

You win -posted by- alschnertz

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:31 GMT

It is too bad.%0D%0AI've been watching here for years with little input. And that is not what "Opinions" is supposed to be about in my opinion.%0D%0A%0D%0AMostly because I seem to have a hard time stating my opinions in a coherent manner. What I hear in my head just never comes out the same when written. That makes for easy fodder for others who can give their opinion in what appears to be a better argument.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat I have seen is that this forum goes through these stages every few years. Can only think of two people here whose opinions come across as elitist and I just cannot stomach. But for some reason I still read them. I shouldn't, they remind me too much of people I have to deal with on a daily basis.%0D%0A%0D%0AI find the other forums much more enjoyable and respectful too.%0D%0A%0A--%0ATom - '60 544, '68 220S, '70 145S, '86 745T, '06 Mazda MPV

You win -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:06 GMT

FWIW, I have never found you to be incoherent.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever, whats going on here is someone is being a stinker, and then calling the person who raises a fuss the bad guy. Sorry, thats really not going to fly after a while. Adults take responsibility for what they do.

You win -posted by- c. a.

Wed, 14 May 2008 05:24 GMT

I feel badly that Opinions has sunk so far in terms of civil discourse. I thought people would want some opinions from a person in the trechins. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis goes along from right to left.

You win -posted by- Flab FC

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:03 GMT

Opinions hasn't sunk that far. Plenty of us share opinions with civility. %0D%0A%0D%0ABut some of us won;t take sucker punches anymore. Bullies always count on the other person being polite, so they can get their way. That's exactly what the GOP has been doing, and its lead outr country into the crap hole it is now.%0D%0A%0D%0ANo one ever has to keep taking sucker punches Cynthia.

Win what? -posted by- Bill Bretherton

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:30 GMT

Nobody ever wins, do they. Most people on here have liberal tendencies so why are you surprised or fed up with their reaction? As a Brit, I see US politics as follows - you have two parties, one is right wing and the other is Republican. I fully understand why others here have absolutely no time for the "GOP". How can anyone with a brain and on a comparatively low income possibly support them? Man, it doesn't make any sense, it just doesn't. Your GOP are all about big business, power of the dollar, winner takes all, being poor and ill is the person's fault etc. This "American dream" crap really is crap. Sure, anyone is entitled to "make it" but, if everyone did, then a beer would cost $100 so you'd all be poor or average again. Winners and losers - your political system thrives on that. Even the Democrats aren't much better as I see it. They wouldn't know a social care system (as we have in Europe) if it hit them in the teeth.%0D%0A%0D%0AI could go on but my point is that anything the GOP do is about money, money, money (did I mention money). Together with that goes corporate corruption. You're riddled with it over there. And they use religion as a means of controlling the way (some of) the population think. So how can you expect the liberals here to have even the slightest regard for the GOP and your views? I'm with them all the way. Regards.%0A--%0ABillB

Be careful what you name your dog! -posted by- Breadman

Wed, 14 May 2008 21:51 GMT

You know, anyone who has a dog usually names them Fido or Rex or something. Well I called mine Sex. Sex is a very embarrassing name. One day I took Sex for a walk and he ran away from me. I spent hours looking for that dog. A cop came along and asked me what I was doing in that alley at 4am, I said I was looking for Sex- my case comes up next Thursday!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0A One day I went to city hall to get me a dog license for Sex, and the clerk asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted a license for Sex and he said he€™d like to have one too! But I said this is for a dog and he said I don€™t care how she looks. And I said you don€™t understand, I€™ve had Sex since I was 2 years old and he said boy, you must have been a strong baby!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0AWell, I decided to get married and told the minister I wanted to have Sex at the wedding and he said to wait until after the wedding. I said Sex has played a big part in my life and my whole lifestyle revolves around Sex. He said he didn€™t want to hear about my personal life and wouldn€™t marry us in his church. I told him everyone coming to the wedding would enjoy having Sex there. The next day we were married €“ by the justice of the peace, and my family is all barred from the church!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0AMy wife and I took the dog on our honeymoon and when we checked in the motel, I told the clerk I wanted a room for my wife and I and a special room for Sex. The clerk said every room in the motel is for sex, and I said you don€™t understand, Sex keeps me awake at night. And he said ME TOO!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0AOne day I told my friend I had Sex on tv and he said you showoff! I told him it was a contest. He told me I should have sold tickets!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0AWell, my wife and I separated and we went to court to fight for custody of the dog and I said your honor, I€™ve had Sex before I was married and he said ME TOO!%0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0ANow I€™ve been thrown in jail, married and divorced and had more trouble with that damn dog than I ever gambled for. Why just the other day I went for my first session with the psychiatrist and she asked me what the problem was. I said hell, Sex has died and left my life. It€™s like losing your best friend and it€™s sooo lonely. The doctor said look mister, you and I both know sex isn€™t man€™s best friend, go get yourself a dog!!!%0D%0A

So, was it lying or omission about the WMD's in Iraq? -posted by- Flab FC

Mon, 5 May 2008 03:41 GMT

He has the right to disagree with their choice. He does NOT have the right to abuse them simply because their policies inconvenience his life - or the life of his pets - for which they are not responsible. %0D%0A%0D%0AThose people were not saying he should kill his pets, so his suggesting they kill their children if he has to kill his pets is about as pathetic as it gets. %0D%0A%0D%0AI am QUITE sure you see the difference, so don;t somehow try and pretend what he was even remotely reasonable in the course of adult thought. Especially coming from a man who professes himselfto be "Christain" in his daily practices. A comment like that to someone around here could easily land you in jail.%0D%0A%0D%0A

Win what? -posted by- T.Lyttle

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:16 GMT

I notice that most of the fighting about US policies come from the 2 camps outlined by Bill: the right wing and the farther right. Any true perspective seems to come from outside, which is only logical. Looking in on a system that doesn't affect one personally allows for impartial views IMHO. Whether Americans see these views as helpful seems to depend on how open-minded they are; clearly some of them consider open-minded as having a hole in the head.%0D%0A%0D%0AMost people find US politics important because they affect everyone who deals with the US, either in friendly terms or as enemies. I only live 6 miles from the US border, but there is so much about the US system that makes me nervous that I haven't crossed that border in years. Tell an American that, and they are bewildered...

Craigslist warning -posted by- MTerry

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:57 GMT

Even though our cocker spaniel probably came from a puppy mill, I'm glad we got her because we probably saved her anyway. She came from a pet store where she had been for 3 1/2 months. She was marked down 2/3 and the people there said they we getting ready to send her back to the breeder. Hmm... I wonder what happens to an unsalable un-spayed female dog that gets sent back to the breeder? Probably not a good life. All because she's not "perfect." She's basically like Danny DeVito in the movie Twins. All the things they try to breed out of cockers, she's got. Her coat's wrong, she has no tail, and she's quiet and docile. In other words, the perfect dog.

UK Volvo forum suspended -posted by- Bill Bretherton

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:46 GMT

I have just attempted to visit the forums section of volvoclub.co.uk, the UK equivalent of BB but run by a group of people rather than one individual. The following message appeared:%0D%0A%0D%0A"It is time to release details of the events that led to the recent closure of this forum.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn 22 February 2008 I received an email from the owner of a garage that said, €œI have just come across some very defamatory comments regarding my business on this forum site.€%0D%0A%0D%0AThe matter was investigated and the relevant thread removed from public view, and as a result I made the statement that posts about poor work done by garages would not be made. This was made after taking legal advice, advice that said the Volvo Owners Club, owners of the forum, could be held liable. The initial action taken by us did not resolve the matter, and it is still unresolved at this time. Hence, we cannot make any further comments.%0D%0A%0D%0ASuch legal action could be very costly and possibly exhaust the club funds. If the costs exceeded those funds the directors themselves could find themselves having to pay out of their own money.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy statement precipitated a torrent of abuse on this and other forums and some was not from members of the Volvo Owners Club.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe comments made on other forums, comments that have been passed to us were often defamatory and insulting. It is clear there are some people who have no consideration or respect for others. They seem only to want to insult others and disrupt the forum. I think we all agree with freedom of speech, but it can only be within the laws of the land.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AWe, the Board of Directors of the Volvo Owners Club, decided that the best course of action would be to close the forum as we felt the name of the Volvo Owners Club was being tarnished. This was done last Saturday evening.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe insults and abuse against us have continued on some other forums, and it is clear from the comments that some of those people will attempt to get back on this forum and possibly continue their campaign of disruption.%0D%0A%0D%0AI hope it is clear now why the forum was closed, and how the irresponsible actions of some can have far reaching implications.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt may not now be a case of €œwhen€ the forum will reopen, it may be, €œif€.%0D%0A%0D%0ARobert Isaac%0D%0ADirector%0D%0AOn behalf of the Board of Directors%0D%0AVolvo Owners Club%0D%0A%0D%0A26 March 2008"%0D%0A%0D%0AYou may have no interest in this but it came as a shock to me - a friendly forum, just like this, that should be entitled to members' opinions. And now they're scared of litigation. Sometimes the world stinks. Regards.%0D%0A%0A--%0ABillB

UK Volvo forum suspended -posted by- Bill Bretherton

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:09 GMT

Thanks, I've also read it myself. Here's hoping the forum will re-open soon. It's especially good for diesels (I have a V70Tdi which you don't have in the US of course). It's good of Jarrod to offer security consultancy. Regards.%0A--%0ABillB

UK Volvo forum suspended -posted by- MTerry

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:45 GMT

Yeah, I went there when I was converting my 740 to a 5-speed. There are so few manual transmission cars here, I went to Europe where they're more popular for answers.

Relocation HELL, finding temporary housing (the left wing rental conspirancy) -posted by- JSBB

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:52 GMT

I hated renting. In hindsight, it was mostly my pride that led to trouble. I hated not having control over so many things. Now that I have that, I sometimes wish I had less (especially when I'm tired).%0D%0A%0D%0AYou'll find a way to make it work. Good luck.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Jarrod%0A--%0AThe trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. €”Bertrand Russell

A mantra for you -posted by- JSBB

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:41 GMT

How do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0AHow do I know what I know?%0D%0A

You win -posted by- JSBB

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:46 GMT

You do not appear to be a man in search of knowledge. You appear to be a man in search of validation of dark feelings.%0D%0A%0D%0AAre you haunted? Who says there's a bogeyman? Is it real?%0D%0A%0D%0AOur culture is sick. You might be infected. Ask yourself where you might be getting exposed.%0D%0A%0D%0A-J%0A--%0AThe trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. €”Bertrand Russell

McCain's Health Care plan -posted by- Snootfull

Wed, 14 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Mike,%0D%0A%0D%0Awww.surfthechannel.com%0D%0Awww.sidereel.com%0D%0Awww.freetvonline.com%0D%0Awww.watch-movies.net%0D%0Awww.mininova.org%0D%0Awww.thepiratebay.org%0D%0A%0D%0ATo hell with tv! To hell with commercials! To hell with 57 channels and nothing on! To hell with movie theaters, DVD rentals, cable bills and digital converters! The internet has it all!%0D%0A%0D%0AThe next time you're watching "Frontline" check out the episode "The Farmers Wife". I got pissed watching it because the show clearly demonstrates the "welfare" attitude so prevalent in the agricultural community. The couple in the documentary act like everyone else owes them something because of their poor decision making and unwillingness to adapt to reality. When the farmer doesn't pay his bills and the guy he owed money to dared to say something about the fact that he hadn't been paid the farmer got all indignant and used that as his excuse for why he wasn't paying the guy! Meanwhile, of course, Mrs. Farmer is dropping kids like there's no tomorrow while Mr. Farmer is out racking up as much debt as he can (government subsidized of course) while trying to live his fantasy. I say give up the dream world and get a job like everybody else!%0D%0A--%0D%0A"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

McCain's Health Care plan -posted by- jguerra3235

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:52 GMT

I have really missed out on some discussions. I have been very busy. My wife "suggested" that I install new floors in our house and my job has been very hectic.%0D%0A%0D%0AI get propaganda e-mails from all three Presidential candidates. Yesterday I received one from John McCain about his health care plan. I am enclosing his letter and links to his plan. I am curious to hear what other people think of his plan. I have previously expressed my support of the Healthy Americans act proposed by Joe Liberman, other Democrats, and Republicans.%0D%0A%0D%0AI am eager to hear different points of view expressed in an adult and respectful manner. So hopefully we all can refrain from personal attacks.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A"My Friends, %0D%0AToday, there are 47 million uninsured individuals in the U.S., and nearly a quarter of them are children. High costs and limited access are the underlying, fundamental problems in our healthcare system.%0D%0A %0D%0AAs you know, both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are touting outrageously expensive and unrealistic universal health care plans - a government monopoly over health care. %0D%0A%0D%0AUnlike my opponents, I do not believe that all of our nation's problems can be solved by turning control over to our government, with all the tax increases, new mandates and government regulation that come with that idea.%0D%0A %0D%0AToday, our campaign began running a television ad focused on health care - that you can view by following this link - to ensure all Americans hear the truth about how I plan to tackle the challenges facing our nation's health care system. To ensure this important ad is aired in as many markets as possible, I'm asking for your immediate financial assistance.%0D%0A %0D%0AI believe the key to real reform is to restore control over our health care system to the patients themselves. Americans need new choices beyond those offered in employment-based coverage.%0D%0A %0D%0AThat's why, as president, I will seek to encourage and expand the benefits of Health Savings Accounts, tax-preferred accounts that are used to pay insurance premiums and other health costs. These accounts put the family in charge of what they pay for.%0D%0A %0D%0AIn addition, I will reform the tax code to provide every family the option of receiving a direct, refundable tax deposit - effectively $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 cash for families to offset the cost of insurance.%0D%0A %0D%0AThe reality is that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, in their haste to garner support for their so-called "solutions," are promising more than they can deliver. And, once again, they are simply out-of-touch with the real problems facing our health care system and how to solve them. %0D%0A%0D%0AHere are the facts: Under the Democrats' plan, we will have all the problems, and more, of the current health care system - rigid rules, long waits and lack of choices - and we risk degrading the system's great strengths and advantages, including the innovation and life-saving technology that make American medicine the most advanced in the world.%0D%0A %0D%0AMy friends, this is not my definition of real reform. I hope you will join me in my fight to tackle the real problems facing our nation's health care system by making a contribution of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, or $2,300 to help fund this important ad. %0D%0AI hope to hear from you soon. %0D%0ASincerely,%0D%0A %0D%0AJohn McCain"%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AMcCain's Health care link%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2edb527cf.htm%0D%0A%0D%0A

McCain's Health Care plan -posted by- mike t

Thu, 1 May 2008 15:33 GMT

Bob%0D%0A%0D%0AJust watched the Frontline report on the web. VEry good report... now I'm really pissed off about healthcare!! BASTARDS!!!!!%0D%0A%0D%0ADidn't realize it was available online. I 've been missing a lot of stuff because I refuse to watch TV.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow I'm gonna watch all the rest of the Frontline specials I've been missing. THe information age hits Finley Hill!!%0D%0A%0D%0ATHANK YOU!!!%0D%0A%0D%0AMike%0A--%0A64 220 (RIP, now he's parts on the hoof) - 65 220 - 68 220 (almost ready for the road), and a 66 130 (35k miles last year)

McCain's Health Care plan -posted by- Poorgie

Sat, 10 May 2008 04:23 GMT

Nah...I don;t think so. -posted by- Flab FC

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:07 GMT

Although your post does offer significant contributions to the discussion, you needlessly dilute them by starting off your reply questioning the writers intelligence, your sophmoric treatment of Senator McCains name, and tactlessly accusing the author of being a liar.%0D%0A%0D%0AUm...I find any commentary from you passing judgment on the quality of an arguemnt....humorous. When you start making highly 'intellectual' and scholarly discussions here, then you can pass judgment. So far, you have chosen to remain aloof from doing that. %0D%0A%0D%0AAs for John Mccain, I say the same thing. When he actually offers a scholarly, accurate, and economically based discussion comparing his plan- other than repeating ideology, mch less lying, ye lying - I will give him the dignity of a conscientious reply. As for respect, he lost mine when he sold out to the neo-cons against his own principles to get the nomination.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe plan they are offering the American public would hardly include the same coverage that any of the three senators recieves. A guppy and a shark are both fish, that doesn't make them the same.%0D%0A%0D%0AExcept that is exactly what was stated during the Democratic debates. So, if you have prrof to the contrary, please present it in the SCHOLARLY ORGANIZED fashion you seem to the think.%0D%0A%0D%0AFrom Hillary's site:%0D%0AIf you want to change plans or aren't currently covered, you can choose from dozens of the same plans available to members of Congress, or you can opt into a public plan option like Medicare. And working families will get tax credits to help pay their premiums.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/healthcare/%0D%0A%0D%0AHmmm....ok ok, Congressional reps aren't Senators, but Senators are a part of Congress the 3rd body of government. So are you suggesting that those plans are a guppy (Reps) versus Shark (Senate)? And if those plans are so horrible, why do our esteemed Reps pay for them?%0D%0A%0D%0ALets go to OBAMRAMA"S SITE:%0D%0A "Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care."%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/%0D%0A%0D%0AOK, I admit,this is nothing more than Hillary light, which is one reason why Obama has always turnd me off. he's a 'yeah me too' kinda guy, who waters things down a bit, because he is afraid to actually stand his ground on something, and of sounding like what he is; a Moderate Democrat unwilling to take the final steps to truly be a progressive.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo...please tellme where I am wrong. Based on those sites, John McCain is at best, a selfish hypocrite- par for the GOP leadership- and a downright liar at the worst. Based on his track record in this election, we'll give him 5 pinnochios for his statement.%0D%0A%0D%0ABUT...Mr higher than thou scholar, if you can prove otherwise, please state using appropriate citations and references, as well as economical arguments to justify your statement.How will what we get only for guppies...%0D%0A%0D%0AI bet you won;t bother. Its far easier to come in like JG with a holier than though pointing finger, and slink away, than actually know something.%0D%0A%0D%0A

Don't give up that easily. This section is opinions after all. -posted by- MORMIT

Wed, 14 May 2008 03:24 GMT

I haven't agreed with you on recent postings but that is no reason to avoid giving your opinion. Sorry others disagree with you. Maybe the weight of their arguement is stronger. They are not attacking you personally but they have their own opinion they feel they can support. If you are wrong you are just wrong. Learn and adjust. Don't thow a fit. Win me over with the strength of your arguement.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe way I see it as a former Libertarian/Republican, the Republicans have a better PR machine....that's all. John "Maverick" McCain is now comming late to the environmental protection party with the new found blessings of the religious right. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/13/mccain.environment/index.html%0D%0AI wonder if he will also dust off the Balanced Budget Amendment the Tax Cutters have forgotten about. Fiscal responsibility?? NOT a Republican trait these days.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt might take them another 20 years to figure out a single-payer healthcare system is in the country's best interest. %0D%0A%0D%0AToo bad they are such slow learners.%0D%0A%0D%0Amormit%0D%0A--%0D%0A02 S40 , 98 V70 T5 Koni FSDs, IPD swaybars and HD Endlinks, 85 245DL 278,000mi V15cam It takes a licking and keeps on ticking

Gore Vidal anybody? -posted by- B20Paul.

Wed, 7 May 2008 19:03 GMT

Gore Vidal says Bush has let loose a war machine%0D%0A%0D%0AAustralian Broadcasting Corporation%0D%0A%0D%0ABroadcast: 03/05/2008%0D%0A%0D%0AReporter: Virginia Trioli%0D%0A%0D%0ADemocrats elder statesman Gore Vidal talk to Virginia Trioli comments on the political situation in the United States.%0D%0ATranscript%0D%0AVideo unavailable.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI, PRESENTER: Well now to our interview with a lion of American letters and Democratic politics, Gore Vidal.%0D%0A%0D%0AHe's agreed to speak to us, coincidentally, on the fifth anniversary of George Bush's ill-advised boasts of "mission accomplished" in Iraq, and as we know, the mission is in deep trouble, with the accomplishments quite dubious.%0D%0A%0D%0AGore Vidal, now 82, has penned a huge literary catalogue, which has seen him assay America's past, analyse its national psyche and constantly remind his country of its misadventures.%0D%0A%0D%0AI spoke to him earlier today, when he joined us from his home in California.%0D%0A%0D%0AGore Vidal, welcome to Lateline.%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, happy to be on such a line.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Gore Vidal, you've watched Democratic primaries for decades now: so just who do you think will be standing on the podium in Denver in just a couple of months time accepting the Democratic Party's nomination.%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: It's almost a toss of a coin now. They set out to wreck Senator Obama and it's just been a royal mess all the way through. Of the two, I prefer her, in the sense that she knows more what she's doing. His mishandling of the Reverend whatever he's called doesn't bode well for a conduct of, you know, difficult negotiations. So, that is a mess.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: How do you account for this situation - this real mess - for the fact that these two very able candidates have been able to take part in this knock down, drag out contest? How do you explain that?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Dare I say ambition? It is - she's quite experienced and I would feel contented with her as President. I don't know about him. He's inspiring, but then many people can do that. Even in a vacuum, they can inspire you, sort of. He doesn't know how rough it is. You know, all those things that she was saying about him, which everybody thought she was being mean-spirited and so on and exaggerating the perils of the Republican machine - she wasn't. These are dreadful people. You know, this isn't real politics. What you've got here is something - a war machine has been let loose on the world by Mr Bush and he's going to see to it that after he leaves office, the United States remains at war. And he set it up so that there'll be all kinds of things going wrong, all sorts of revenge to be taken. And I think, you know, what is it Tacitus said? "They made a desert and they called it peace."%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: The Democratic Party itself is charged with the very important task of knocking heads together, making this less of a mess, getting super delegates to pledge and the like. Why have they been seemingly standing on the corners, on the edges of this debate, ringing their hands?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: The Party machinery has not worked since 1945 which is when the United States conquered the world rather absent-mindedly, and we ended up with Japan, we ended up with Germany and we'd won everything there was worth winning in the world. Since then, there has been no plan, no brain to the party, Truman was the beginning of the end and he made - he started the Cold War. That's mostly his doing. And then you had a bunch of public relations people posing as the Republican Party.%0D%0AAs bad as the Party is, it's not really quite as bad as these people like Karl Rove, that you may have heard of out there in the Pacific, who was a man who understood how to smear people. He was a merchant of slime. So, everybody was somewhat wounded by his long stay as the counsellor to George W. Bush. So, we are left with a kind of wrecked Republic. Bush saw to it, with his curious little Attorney General Mr Gonzalez. They left us with really no Bill of Rights any more, which means no Republic. And, we are sort of naked to the world now. And nothing can make any sense because everything is dislocated. Then they trot out McCain, a man who's only distinction is his plane was shot down. Well, many other people have had their plane shot down. He's introduced as a great hero and a great patriot. In a well run military - which we haven't had for quite some time, thanks to George Bush - in a well run military, he would have been court martialled for losing his plane and five years a prisoner, I'm weeping for him. Oh, God, how brave he was! Did he volunteer to be a prisoner? Who knows? He's a weird enough figure and all he can do is babble on and on a lot of nostrums that are just so dated. I mean, he sounds like cobwebs when he speaks.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: John McCain is of course the presumptive Republican candidate. If you're right, if after the toss of the coin, Hillary Clinton gets it, is she the one to beat John McCain?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Oh yes. I think she could. She's more intelligent than he is. He is extremely stupid and he's a slow study - you can't teach him anything. I've heard recently him on the economy. Republicans, the far right, was much more intelligent, even than what he has to say today. He's talking early Herbert Hoover talk, which was not one of our triumphant Presidents domestically. Well he - there's nothing to him, but they know how to smear. We'll discover Osama is a, I don't know, a secret spy for - what he loves talking about is anti-Western militant Muslims on the march. They're coming, they're coming, they're coming. The favourite lie, which was begun by Bush and his vice-President, Cheney - the biggest lie of all - and most of our people believe if, because they have had little education and no media that they could trust: "If we don't fight 'em over there, we're gonna have to fight 'em here. He he he he." And you listen to this little mad man, he's like a yapping terrier, our President, and it is so unworthy of a serious people who once had a very serious republic and a rather serious empire, to have somebody like that aiming for the consulship? - No.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Gore Vidal, talk us through the intriguing class divide that seems to have opened up during the Democratic race, where in state after state, wealthier, better educated voters are actually flocking to Senator Obama, whereas poor, less educated voters seem to be siding with Hillary Clinton. How do we account for this and does it any of that surprise you?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: No, we're a class ridden country. Just because we are not as bad as the mother country doesn't mean we're not pretty bad when we got onto that. Wicked, as they might say in class. No, it's a society based on Mammon, of course, based on money, but money is very important and that's what people dream about. That's what they think about. That's how they measure themselves and their own worth and that of their competition.%0D%0A%0D%0AObama just came swiftly out of nowhere, which was a relief to those of us who care about the Republic, and at first he seemed a very good thing. Then he gets trapped by these slime merchants of the Republican Party. That's all they do. But they want more Government contracts, they want war. Think of all the money that is accumulating now just from the oil. That is being collected and sold sensibly by Iraq, as it belongs to them. And now, suddenly, the Iraqi Government, instead of being beggar with a tin cup, is rich. Well, don't think Cheney and his friends with Haliburton company aren't going to get that money. He went over at a time when they were holding serious political talks in Baghdad. And his visit was to ensure that one thing that they would agree to when we left the country, they would agree to putting on the open market their oil. This meant there'd be a special deal whereby the vice-Presidents company was gonna get his hands, their hands on it. All the oil. It was to be ours. We fought a war for this. Well, we didn't win the war and we have no right to it.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Do you think Bill Clinton has been a plus or minus in Hillary Clinton's campaign?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: He's a plus - without him she wouldn't be a candidate. He's a political master. Even now, when he gets out there, he knows how to touch the public mood. He's a great natural politician and the public memory of him is fond. The Clinton administration - I mean, we have the slime merchants who will go on and on and on about sex, presumably because they've never had any, and they'll throw that at him, but, no, he's history now. And she's very lucky to have him around.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Well, there's been some criticism that he hasn't adjusted well to this very gaff-centric campaign. A media that focuses on the gaffs and on when he might raise his voice or lose his temper - that's what goes to air and that's seen as a distraction and not helpful for Hillary Clinton. What do you think?%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Viewers get used to it. I mean, every voice is now raised, particularly when the Presidency is to be the prize at the end. And he's behaved very cleverly. He's got her all sorts of support that she would not have had otherwise. She turned out to be an extremely good practitioner of politics. Including she even knows how to smear too, which is not attractive, but ... . We're not looking for attractiveness, we're looking for a competent President and I would trust her over Obama because I know nothing about him and nor do we have a chance. Look at these debates. Look at what CNN is dumping on us. You can't get any information about anybody because nobody's allowed to talk. They're too busy interrupting with outrageous news. And now we have a the latest pew poll, stuff like that. Everything, as they say, in Washington is process and nothing is material. Well, we're getting a lot of process, and anyway we've lost the Republic. It's gonna take two generations to get back what has been discarded and shredded by the Bush Administration - at least two generations.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: But, Gore Vidal, Senator Barak Obama has spent a great deal of time trying to tell us about himself. He's committed himself to print, written a book, he gave just recently one of the most important speeches given on race in US history. Surely we know enough about him by now to form a view on whether he'd be a good candidate or not.%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Well, if you're not listening, you're not going to pay much attention to what he has to say. Yes, that was a great speech he did on race and it had absolutely no effect here. Hardly anybody spoke about it. Now, if we had people who were interested in anything, I'm talking about journalists now - who are only interested in how much money somebody has raised: where did it come from? - then we're gonna get private life. And now, we're the most religious nation on earth - that's why we kill so easily. We're sending people to heaven. And because we are now terribly, terribly religious in a sense that no proper American ever was when I was young - I was in the Second World War. I never heard a religious word out of anybody, nor a patriotic one. They accepted the fact that our politicians were generally rather low grade and that we just had to live with them and hope that things would evolve better post-war.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen we got Bush.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Gore Vidal, do you see that anything significant will change in America with a Democrat in the White House.%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Well, it'll be very tough because whatever happens, we ran out of money. We're set for another war. There are contingency plans for dealing with Iran and so on. I don't think we have the capacity for it, as stupid as the new group may well be, I don't know. There's a - it isn't going to work.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf we get a Democrat - these parties never meant anything, it's very hard for me to interpret that for foreigners. It was a game that was played at home. It's king of the castle, it's called. Who's gonna be that? And then it got really sordid and this was after every great war, starting with the revolution, indeed, and then with the civil war, World War I, World War II, there've been periods of extraordinary corruption because all the money is going to Washington to buy guns and all the propaganda is going to get the people excited so don't fight 'em over there, you're gonna have to fight 'em here. And the people are just, I mean, they're like half-wits. They pretend they believe it. After a while, they realise they're being lied to, yet again. So, you can be optimistic or you can't be. It depends on whatever the weather, the zeitgeist is. Otherwise, our game is pretty much up.%0D%0A%0D%0AVIRGINIA TRIOLI: Gore Vidal, a great pleasure having you on Lateline. Thanks so much.%0D%0A%0D%0AGORE VIDAL: Well, you're very welcome.