IndyMark

Yes, because all teachers and public schools are illustrative of this.....and private schools are completely perfect. Your logic is so impressive. Oh, the horror of any child being educated in a public school. Again, I thank you for that post......not sure if I feel dumber or, actually, smarter by that.

Post. of. the. year. As a moderate independent, I wish more dialogue would end with this concluding statement. But, nope....for some reason most here either feel compelled to showcase a machismo only possible behind the strength of a keyboard or rudely insult an alternative view probably because their own position cannot withstand debate. After reading many threads in this forum over the last few days (after about a 3 year hiatus) I conclude: (a) I feel dumber after reading most of the threads (b) while some of you guys/gals are funny, you also exhibit tendancies of bullying with how you target in one some posters and simply do not let go with the over the top summaries.............I am not judging just objectively concluding. Carry on. Oh, one last thing......it is also clear if you always take a chance to reduce politics down to 'us' versus 'them' (D vs. R) then the joke is actually on you.....the two party system has failed us.......radical politics of both sides are taking us down a road that I am quite confident no one really wants to go down. But, please continue defending the indefensible......at some point, us moderate independents will be waiting with open arms.......

Not sure what 'sites' you visited (let me applaud you for doing that) but a more peer-reviewed, historical, and research-based line of research would have been helpful to you. As clearly, blackface had at it's core the parody, mocking, and stereoptyping of blacks.....by whites....certainly, some could argue there eventually came a time it was not that, but sadly that is the genesis. Hence the reason....like another poster said, while time can heal wounds, not sure the swastika will be fully embraced by those of Jewish decent any time soon. So your wish to have us get over stuff is a bit under thought. Also, you actually do not bring up a good point....your intuition tells you WHY blackface is offensive and you speculate an answer......suffice it to say just because you believe it, does not mean it is true. Yes, even if you asked 5 of your co-workers / family / friends. There is a key axiom that says the plural of anecdote does not equal data. PS - I get that for some people facts and data are 'mumbo jumbo' but really nothing is more harmful than believing intuition is good enough.....only in emergency situations. Beyond that, intuition is a horrible navigator of fiscal, social, or legislative thought.

This. My son cannot wait until the schedule comes out and wants to know which game we are going to.....and he has seen some pretty crude behavior the previous years....yet, I prepared him for that and dealt with it as it occured. He loves seeing his relatives at this annual event and all that goes with it.....Wings the Saturday night before the game, the fieldhouse game morning, hanging out and throwing the football in the parking lot pre-game......the absolute amazing energy in the stadium as the players are introduced right through kickoff (that is probably the most imprinting thing for him)......getting a new jersey/hat....the food....walking around the street vendor area.....all that....too many good things to see. I would like to think these life experiences (within the context of solid parenting) will help him see right from wrong and avoid being so fragile from living in a sterile environment where he is only exposed to pretty shiny things......that typically never ends well. Again, could not imagine depriving him of a Bills week-end.......and game day experience.

Yes, lots of hypocrisy in this thread and our society, generally. But that is where smart and intentioned parenting comes in, to help your child seperate the wheat from the chaff....not easy but the joy is in the journey.

Agree 100% with the bold statement........also, I am glad you acknowledge you gained a new perspective by doing a bit of back reading on blackface. That was sort of my point earlier; just because something is intuitive does not, in fact, make it right. My issue is that some people think that if it makes sense to them and they think it is ok, then that means it is ok or, worse yet, they are right in their thinking. We need a bit more critical thinking, reflection, and research in our everyday lives to base decisions on. Again, with this case, the slightest of critical thinking indicates the child had a biography with a picture, he was holding, for the wax museum....thus, the blackface was not needed. At best, painting his face black is simply goofy.....and that is at best. Really, it would have been nice if the parents would have actually, well, parented the child in this case....but nope, they go to the default 'my child is the victim' mindset that is so pervasive and that so many (on this board) vilify. Ignorance does not serve this situation particularly well; poor kid.

I am not confident of that. And really, if this is the typical 'us' versus 'them' type thought we, as a society, really need to either grow up or re-take a few history courses. The fact the child had a poster with a picture of MLK as part of his wax museum makes most evident that the face paint was not needed. I try to be balanced by articulating a lot of blame....but it can be easily argued the parents (and child) really fumbled the ball. I am a bit disturbed by their quick 'My child is a victim' mentality.........again, another example of self-victimization....ironic on several levels.

Lots of blame to go around.......first, unequivocally, a stupid move to let a kid go to school in blackface. Cannot argue that....collosally dumb, short sighted and pathetic - poor parenting on several levels. Similarly, calling the child out in front of classmates equally stupid. This is a prime example of one poor decision following another. There is no PC-element to this.....no fragile egos, beyond those thinking that the child or parents have no blame and it is all on the school.....sorry, lots of blame to go around and there is no good defense for any of the actions.

Just to pile on....I echo Maddog69, Jauronimo, and Stevewin (and a few other previous posters).....absolutely take your children to a Bills regular season game. I have been taking my son since he was 7 and am glad I started this annual trek back to Buffalo......this fall will be our fourth trip. A little preteaching about what to expect (and really ignore) goes a long way. Not sure that a lot that he sees at a Bills game (including pre and post game) will ever be replicated anywhere in his everday life (language included) but that is the beauty of these excursions..... A Bills game-day experience will reveal the best and worst of Bills fans....enjoy the moment with your son (daughter), soak it in, know that you are building memories and possible a tradition that will bond you for a lifetime.....you will not regret this at all.

Week 1 9/9: Buffalo Bills at New York LOSS Week 2 9/16 Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 3 9/23: Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns WIN Week 4 9/30: New England Patriots* at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 5 10/07: Buffalo Bills at San Francisco 49ers LOSS Week 6 10/14: Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals LOSS Week 7 10/21: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 8: BYE Week 9: 11/04 Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans WIN Week 10: 11/11 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots* LOSS Week 11: 11/15 (Thurs) Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 12: 11/25 Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts WIN Week 13: 12/02 Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 14: 12/09 St. Louis Rams at Buffalo Bills WIN Week 15: 12/16 Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills LOSS Week 16: 12/23 Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins WIN Week 17: 12/30 New York Jets at Buffalo Bills WIN Ok, 11-5......honestly, with my first blush response, I had us at 13-3....yet that just seemed hard to comprehend.

Yes, Indy from a perception point of view made out well with the SB....financially, not even close......and people forget, Lucas Oil Stadium has to be counted as a cost against any income from the SB......but, that would introduce facts into a volatile and myth-based conversation. My bad. Summing up, the SB is not a moneymaker; tourism in the form of an art/culture, historic landmarks, athletic venues certainly help with an economy......

Slow down....the statement was made Indy profitted 3 Billion dollars......impossible. Comical. Call it what you want....but it simply is not the case. Comparing the 500 to the Colts was sloppy. The 500 was started with PRIVATE Funds and has been maintained that way. The Colts? Not even close - the Colts have SOCIALIZED the costs and PRIVATIZED the profits. And really back to point, the superbowl is not a profit maker for a city...... I get the passion, but not only are you comparing apples to oranges, but the facts presented were wrong, misleading....etc.

I have to assume this is a joke.....even if listed in 'Millions'......Indy acknowledges a loss by hosting the superbowl. This is irrefutable. Now, did 'Millions' (tens if not hundreds) of dollars exchange hands during the course of pre-, during-, and post- superbowl activities? No doubt......yet it cost Indy and well, really, the taxpayers of central Indiana a whole lot to host the event. But anyone who even remotely considers Indy as profiting from the superbowl is really out of touch with Economics 101. All things considered....prestige, notoriety, movers/shakers being impressed, direct/indirect gains, blah, blah, blah translates to really no profit for the typical person.....

Not to take anything away from that absolutely horrific story above, but as I was exploring that site I stumbled on the story below. Taken together, it is remarkable how pathetic some elements of our society are. First, let me be clear, there are no words to describe that human loosely labelled as the 'parent' (in name only) of that poor 12 year old girl.....none....if the story plays out as first reported, the death penalty would seem fitting. On a lighter note, yet, still pathetic, with regard to the guy at Disney, I wondered: (a) I simply cannot believe he was 53 years old. He looked late 60's, outside of looking about 11 months pregnant - but really what a pathetic excuse for a man...... (b) I wish I would have been there during his visit, individuals like that do not deserve the mercy he was shown - again, he deserves to be brutalized until he has a come to jesus moment or death.....pathetic; again, who in the hell does that? Sure he looked dumb and probably was inbred, but really?? http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-attacks-disneyland-employees-customers-repeatedly-pepper-sprayed-article-1.1025692

At least you acknowledge you would be guessing. Thanks for that. But, in my opinion, the individuals on the field any given Sunday (or Sat or Mon or Thursday) contribute more directly and heavily to the actual W - L record than anyone in the front office including the owner. Do you disagree?

Wanting Polian in Buffalo is laughable.....yes, the Polian-ites will assign the Colts winning record over the last decade to him, yet Manning had a way more significant impact on their record then did Polian. To credit Polian as the sole reason for success is a bit myopic and dramatic. Next, Polian-ites are conveniently forgetting that by bringing Polian back you also get his son.....which (by some pretty clued-in accounts) is almost a bigger reason why the Colts severed ties with Bill......it is emerging that Chris was not that well respected or thought of and coupled with Bill's overly thin and sensitive and insecure skin that the climate at Indy was unhealthy. If Polian was that great, where was Mannings effective back up (ala Frank Reich)? Not to mention the weak recent draft history....... While it is understandable some have fallen in love with Polian (and given the Bills pathetic record - it is easy to do), that does not mean Polian would be a cure all. Clearly without a doubt he is overrated; again, a teams record cannot be assigned to the GM. Case in point?....who is the GM in New Orleans or Detroit? Quick, anyone?...did not think so.......sure you can google, but that does not count.

Whaley was never in the running and is not on the final 7 list of Irsay's........just sayin'......

Ironic, in that the disgusting example you cite above (and it is disgusting) is a pure and strict definition of liberty. May need another word here chief.........

1. While this behavior is not unique to Buffalo, it is not completely illustrative of all stadiums......I have been to (a) Lambeau (b) Qualcom © Hoosier Dome & Lucas Oil and (d) Cincinnati.....(all in Buffalo gear) and without a doubt, Buffalo fans can be the most liqoured up, profane, blisteringly stupid fans around.....HOWEVER, by and large, Bills fans can also be the BEST (kindest - too many great stories to share). 2. If the overall expecation is that football games, attended to live, are to be profane-laced, drunk-fests, with the end-goal of fighting and "what do you expect"........then, those who believe that are fairly dumb and not worth engaging in a debate on the topic. 3. That said, I have taken my 9 year old son back to Buffalo for the last 3 years for a Bills game and my job as a parent is to educate him on being able to seperate the wheat from the chaff; so to speak. Sure, there are dumb drunks who you ignore......but the vast majority of fans are well intended, solid football fans who want to enjoy the game day experience....and remember it; without being arrested or in a fight. Basically, you will see all types son, so no worries, ignore the idiots and have a good time. Really, I cannot tell you how many Bills fans "lookout" for my son when we are either walking in the overcrowded concourse to find the food line or restroom, or who when we are walking across the tailgate lots and toss a football his way for a quick throw and catch, or even while standing in-line for the port-o-lets if some dumb drunk starts laying out the "F" word or is so drunk they cannot even stand.......really, I have not had to fight a fight when many presented themselves....my Bills brethen (whom I do not know) have done that for me (or really, my son)- I NEVER hesitate in taking my son to a Bills game (again starting when he was 6).......too many good things to experience......

This. If the first choice of the draft was about selling tickets (de facto RW) then a QB would have been it. Why? The AVERAGE Bills fan NEVER heard of CJ Spiller, never seen him play, and would not be able to select him out of a lineup with two other college football players. How is this a draw for tickets? Plus, knowing the average Bills fan is clamoring for OL or DL help, going for a RB seems a bit 'out of touch', no? Tebow = sells tickets out of curiousity Clausen = sells tickets out of promise/potential OL / Dl = sells tickets out of addressing a need. RB = does not sell tickets......yet....but this pick will over the long haul While the original question is a fair one, imo, evidence clearly points to this being a Gailey/Nix pick with RW not being an issue.

I had assumed it was not part of the show (I posted the below on about page 44 or so)....admittedly I thought it was more than transitional filler......and still believe it had impact in showing the "structure" of events without the human activity. Kind of like when you move out of a house that held a lot of memories and yet when you go back in to triple check you did not forget something, the empty house evokes a lot of memories and strong emotions; while not being active at that moment. Plus the relative silence (albeit white noise) just amplifies those emotions......not sure how they did not see that coming (actually causing more emotion than not)...anywho.....a great way to end..... (e) I think the scene with the aircraft wreckage, after the light, was not really part of the show.....I think it was a panning shot from the 'show' to 'us' - with no link to the storyline........a powerful 'nod' to the imaginations of all for us to ruminate over in perpetuity - for us to make our own story.

....among the profound 'quotes' and/or scenes last night, at least for me: (a) Eloise when asking (very protectively) Desmond if he is here to take her son and he replies "Yes, but not with me....." - that was an amazing interchange that revealed a lot and helped me resolve a lot about the show. Great. (b) Agree that the scene with Sun, Jin, and Sawyer in the hospital room - what a compelling scene.....and they left without touching.......and with the audience hoping/expecting that touch and then to realize they withheld the touch so he could touch Juliet......another epic moment. © When Locke tells Jack that he "does not have a son......" the look on Jack's face spoke a million words. (d) Any scene with Kate in it last night.....she delivered an award winning performance - mostly without words. (e) I think the scene with the aircraft wreckage, after the light, was not really part of the show.....I think it was a panning shot from the 'show' to 'us' - with no link to the storyline........a powerful 'nod' to the imaginations of all for us to ruminate over in perpetuity - for us to make our own story. ...that is all for now.....whew

Sep 12 Miami Win Sep 19 @Green Bay Win Sep 26 @New England* Lose Oct 3 N.Y. Jets Win Oct 10 Jacksonville Win Week 6 BYE Oct 24 @Baltimore Lose Oct 31 @Kansas City Win Nov 7 Chicago Win Nov 14 Detroit Win Nov 21 @Cincinnati Win Nov 28 Pittsburgh Win Dec 5 @Minnesota Lose Dec 12 Cleveland Win Dec 19 @Miami Lose Dec 26 New England* Win Jan 2 @N.Y. Jets Lose

...what he said. I believe the 'average' Bills fan - again AVERAGE fan, who is NOT a draftnik, would not have been able to identify CJ Spiller out of a line up of 3 footbally players. And in fact, for the AVERAGE fan, NOT draftnik, the idea we drafted a RB probably would make one not buy tickets. So, I think the Spiller pick is one of complete intent to build a better team. Tebow would sell tickets, Spiller will once he scores on a play covering more than 50 yards, which will be in game one.

Absolutely; regardless of wins or losses the Bills are always great to watch. If good, watch in real time; if bad, DVR so I don't feel like I wasted a Sunday.