archenemy

please share w/ me any secrets you discover... Why, do you have kids? 2 - had a significantly harder time getting out last year, in part b/c my son was so young - the year before though when it was just my daugher was wild fun though so i'm hopeful it'll get better soon RuMR seems to have succeeded in the kids/climbing venture.

Ballroom.

I don't understand why folks consider the fact that Gore isn't a scientist a negative for this information. Most of us are not scientists. Most of us don't understand the scientific jargon used in science based journals. That's why it's helpful when a non-scientist who has spent years understanding the science and spent years finding a way to present the information to other non-scientists is such a positive thing. His presentation is undeniably moving and educational. His passion for his convictions helps his presentation; it is too bad some folks downgrade his heartfelt belief (resulting from his intensive investigation) as simply "slanted information".

kevbone puts the "tard" in mustard.

mustard.

Yeah, but yer funny.

Good point.

My guess is you can't admit when you're wrong. We were talking about Sadam being put to death - i.e. capital punishment. But you can keep moving the goal posts if it makes you feel better about all this nonsense. Did you really forget this quote/question? All these other options that everyone who is soooo smart talks about--where are they in use? Where are all the smart people living happily without any violence (including the threat of violence) in their culture? If that works so well, why aren't we all doing it? And I can certainly admit I am wrong. I am wrong in thinking that we were discussing something important--our views toward violence. You labeled it as "nonsense"; so I guess I am wrong. My bad.

Scandinavia, Holland, Britain - many European countries have outlawed capital punishment and yet the violent crime rates have not gone up and in fact are lower than what we see here in the US. There are other systems and they work. Furthermore, subsequent decreases in violence cannot be attributed to this change in policy. Most often, decreases in violent crimes (I mention these because they are most often the common capital crimes)are attributed to increases in economic and political security. You asked for an example and I gave you one. I didn't argue about cause and effect. Face it - there are other models of criminal justice that work and that do not involve capital punishment. End of story. My guess is that you may jump to conclusions a little quickly. I believe the example was for other options to violence. Capital punishment is not the only form of violence. Scandinavia came into being by birthing itself in one of the most violent campaigns the world has seen. Your example does not match the request in the least.

Scandinavia, Holland, Britain - many European countries have outlawed capital punishment and yet the violent crime rates have not gone up and in fact are lower than what we see here in the US. There are other systems and they work. Do a little homework before throwing your hand up in and saying "Earth is violent, we need to kill the killers." Here in the US, you are MUCH more likely to be put to death for killing a white man than a black man - what does that tell you? There are also several well documented cases of people being exonerated for crimes after their executions. Is that really the system of criminal justice you want to defend to fulfill a need for revenge? If homework is learning about history, you may wish to read a little about Scandinavia honey. First of all, a number of the countries in Europe only outlawed capital punishment because it was required in order to become a member of the EU. It was not because they suddenly became enlightened. Furthermore, subsequent decreases in violence cannot be attributed to this change in policy. Most often, decreases in violent crimes (I mention these because they are most often the common capital crimes)are attributed to increases in economic and political security. Countries in the EU enjoyed this increase--as far as I have heard. I lived there before the EU was around, so that part I can't speak from first hand knowledge. What I can say from first hand knowledge is that even though Scandinavia has a brutal violent history, they have been pretty calm and safe during my lifetime--even before outlawing capital punishment. As for black and white crime: that is a different discussion altogether. That is not an issue here, I believe. And as for your statement that I am defending the system; you have deeply misinterpreted my intentions here.

590 RPL lovely.

Well said.

Yes, especially if it's filmed and posted on youtube.

Woo hoo! I just got me a Sage this year!!! A thing of beauty, I love it and would take it with me everywhere if I could just so I could look at it when I wanted to. Truly wonderful. The action is so different from my other rods that it is taking me a bit to get used to it, but I love it. Did I mention that I love my Sage?

Ah ha!

This is my puppy, asking some tough questions.

And how did they control the area? Through violence. All these other options that everyone who is soooo smart talks about--where are they in use? Where are all the smart people living happily without any violence (including the threat of violence) in their culture? If that works so well, why aren't we all doing it? And how would we get rid of all those nasty violent people in our non-violent utopia? What are the options for dealing with them? As for dooming ourselves to living in a culture of violence---I don't know where you live, but here on Earth, that's pretty much how it is. I'd like it to be different, but it ain't. And I wish I knew how to fix it, but as Jack Handy says, "you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first".

Wow, you can really see how his head is just barely connected to his body.

assicle

G-man: He won't need those silly things, as long as you don't "make" him go alone again. "Ever since that day on Mount Baring, I have resolved to go climbing with someone else for safety. Don't make me go solo guys. I am not really any more dangerous than other climbers out there." --Jamin Frankly, I really think he should accompany Arc on Thermogenesis. If nothing else, he can be the stat keeper for the TR.

with a stick up his ass.

Somehow I doubt that judges often come from poor families.

Most likely. Although I am not settled on the issue of capital punishment, I do think about how I would feel if I were the one directly affected. For example, while I was reading "The Rape of Kuwait" years ago, I couldn't help but think that these people had the right to feel vengance toward Saddam. What would be the option? Let him languish in jail after the horrors he and his sons put others through? Maybe this is acceptable, maybe not. Maybe it is acceptable to inflict the ultimate punishment on someone who commits such horrors over and over again to person after person. Maybe not. But I can't help but think that if the person I loved most in the world were tortured to death by someone like Saddam, I would most likely seek vengence. Maybe I am simply unevolved. Maybe I am the product of my environment. Maybe I am only human. A barbaric one at that. And although it is easy to sound idealistic in the relative safety of my home; I know from personal experience that when I am threatened, I respond with full force. I know that when someone I love is harmed, I go to whatever lengths I can to be sure that the one who harmed them is punished accordingly. Call me petty, I can live with that. I cannot live with the feeling that I simply said, "You're a bad boy" to someone who systematically harmed people for years--I can't even do that to someone who only harmed me or my family.

There is a certain financial incentive-- $160+ a year. I would greatly hope, however, that financial gain is not in the top three reasons to serve the public.

supposed inevitability? No supposition there, unfortunately.