About two or three years ago, I answered the phone at the restaurant where I was working. The woman asked for (I'll call him) John Smith, and I replied that he wasn't there yet, but I could take a message. She told me that Mr. Smith had been selected as a Local Businessman of the Year, and was being invited to come to DC to receive his award. I was immediately skeptical; if you knew John, you'd know that he's no "Businessman of the Year" candidate. I gave him the message, though, and he was ...
The recent edition of Rolling Stone had an interview with '60s radical and gonzo artist extrordinaire Robert Crumb. If you've never heard of Crumb, he's known for his outlandishly weird and often sexually explicit comic art. See the link for examples. It seems that Mr. Crumb left American shores some years ago, disappointed with the rise of neoconservatism in the '80s, and has spent the last two decades living in France. From there he still creates his zinging "indictments" of American cultu...
(This article comes out of a conversation I had at work the other night. Forgive me if it rambles. It's not all that well thought-out, really, I admit) The position of the feminist community and the anti-porn groups has always been that porn is not only degrading to women, it exploits them, as well. Though I hesitate to use porn as an example of women's place in the modern working-world, I must say that the women who act in porn movies are well compensated for their "efforts". That is no...
I read the posts on these forums and atively participate in a lot of the debates. I'm glad I found JU; it's fun to come here and read what others think, then jump in with my own opinions or ideas. I only have one problem: I can't debate well. I never could, really; never been good at arguing. This is because, I think, I work from a more visceral, rather than logical or intellectual perspective. I know what I like, in other words, and I defend and debate from there. I really wish I could ...
What upsets you the most about the Schiavo case? 1. That's she's being let die, at all? 2. That she's being starved to death? 3. That the Right is turning this into a right-to-life issue and using it as political leverage? 4. That the Left would just let her go without any reservations at all? I think that about sums up the majority of what I've been seeing on the threads. If I get any posts here, I'll try to keep track and let you know, if you're curious.
I often see articles on here, posted by a particular person who prefers, it seems to type their articles in French. Now, not to seem too terribly intolerant of such diversity, but I have to wonder why this is, when the seeming vast majority of users here speak, or at least type in, English. The French-speakers seem to be in a very small minority. This, in turn, makes me wonder what the hell they're talking about that has to be so exclusive. And why would you post articles on the open for...
Can anyone tell me a current market value price on a harcover collection from 1990 called "Stacked Deck: The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told---Expanded Edition". It's a purple book with a picture of The Joker with a silhouette of Batman behind him in a window. I can't seem to locate it on the pricing sites I've visited. I'm curious to know, as I may have to be unloading some of my stuff on eBay in a bit, if I don't get back to work soon. Thanks for any help.
I won't go into the reasons for it, but blame my wife....I do like to watch American Idol. Leave it at that. That said, I have to say that Mikalah Gordon has got to go. I'm tired of her Fran-Drescher-esqe whine and the whole Long Island Princess act. She even looks a little like Fran Drescher, actually. Oh yeah,she can sing when she tries, and she's definitely a hottie....a body like a shit brickhouse and a cute smile and face to step on puppies for (yeah yeah...she's only 17...so what? ...
What, exactly, would be so wrong if we DID succeed in bringing democracy to Iraq, and perhaps then, by example, the entire Middle East? Why do you lefties seem to so fiercely deny that that's what we're up to, and if it is, that we're terribly in the wrong to do so? I'd like some clarification on this point. What's so wrong with wanting to give people their own voice, their own choices, self-determination? Especially after so many years under a brutal dictator whom we supported. If it is...
Like all of you out there, I’ve noticed a huge jump in gas prices over the last months and weeks and especially the last couple of days. Gas here has gone from between $1.89-$1.97 per gallon for regular unleaded three days ago, which was bad enough, to between $2.15 and $2.20 today. We all know that this is ridiculous; is there really any need for gas prices to be this high? No. We have more than enough of our own oil, which we could be using for ourselves and telling the Arabs to go piss u...
See link for picture of "suspect". Manhunt on for Georgia courthouse killer Rape suspect allegedly kills judge, court reporter, deputy in Atlanta John Bazemore / AP The Associated Press Updated: 3:32 p.m. ET March 11, 2005ATLANTA - A judge presiding over a rape trial was shot to death Friday along with two other people at the Fulton County Courthouse, authorities said. A fourth person was critically wounded and the suspect, the defendant at the trial, remained at large hours later...
~~"and just as a matter of fact the US did not precipitate the fall of the USSR and its allies"~~ ---zergimmi “Unless you want to count the massive military and cruise missile buildup Reagan pulled off in Europe in the 80s that bankrupted the USSR. That caused it and the rest of its subsidiary nations to fall just like the dominoes we were so afraid of for so long in Asia, and allowed the people to overthrow their governments.” The above quote and reply pairing were taken from couchman’...
Let's say, just for shits and giggles, that, given the proper passage of time (after all, anything good is worth waiting for....instant gratification is a nice thing to desire, but it doesn't happen often), say....20 years or so, democracy has blossomed like a beautiful rose in the desert nation of Iraq. Let's say that the people have, in that time, come together and made nice, building a strong, unified country in the middle of theocratic and military dictatorships. Let's say that their eco...
I love ghost stories, and actively look for them online. I've found a couple pretty good sites over the years. Good goose-bumple-makers. See the link for my favorite (they also published the tale related below). Have you ever actually seen or experienced a "ghostly presence"? I have. I used to work Maintenance in a hospital that had several ghosts, and I "experienced" (though I didn't actually "see") two of them in my time there. Others were told to me by coworkers and the medical staff. F...
2,000 Demonstrate at Iraqi Bombing Site By RAWYA RAGEH BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - More than 2,000 people demonstrated Tuesday at the site of a car bombing south of Baghdad that killed 125 people, chanting ``No to terrorism!'' An Internet statement purportedly by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq group claimed responsibility the bombing. A French journalist abducted nearly two months ago, meanwhile, pleaded for help in a video that surfaced Tuesday, saying she was in failing hea...