John Adams

This is, for me, one of the hugest problems we face today: The people who have no intention of working. I work with some families in inner city Philly helping with dependency issues. So assume they are the poorest people you can know. I observe the support system that has stopped even asking if people work. And if someone has to seek work to get some benefit, the support system merely helps them check the "seeking work" box. When I ask these families if they work, it's as if I'm a dog talking. They give me the most baffled look. There is an entrenched--and I mean deeply entrenched--sense that they do not have to work and will be provided for. This mindset is toxic. It's almost impossible to break a child from it into anything resembling productive. These people aren't drug-abusers though they often do drugs). They aren't dealers. They aren't criminals (beyond petty ****). They are just a class of people who will not work because they don't have to. How we break this is slightly beyond my social engineering background. But I'd sure like to see social welfare tied to work of some sort.

Link to the one you got. We'd all love to see it...assuming you can break away from it.

No one here has said that. You'll have to ask someone who cares.

Your assertion that "there's no atheists in foxholes" is wrong. That's what you don't get.

You're right. We don't get the same feelings. But again, flip around your pity and "feeling sorry." Does it offend you if I say that I feel sorry for you that you believe in a make-believe person? It should because it's offensive and belittles your beliefs. Understand that I'm not saying you'll harbor doubt about your faith if I say that. Just saying that you'll be annoyed and think I'm being a jerk to equate your god with the tooth fairy, Zeus, and Santa's elves. Or turn to an an analogy. I would guess you love being an American. Would you say to a Korean that you feel sorry for them because they live in Korea?

You really just don't get it. Having things horrible happen to me and my loved ones hasn't made a speck of difference in my spiritual being.

It doesn't come off as preachy but understand that your pity is obnoxious. We're living nice atheistic/agnostic lives. Flip it around. Would you feel insulted to find we feel pity for you because you believe in Santa Claus? Pretty sure you'd find that offensive. I got nothing out of my Catholic upbringing except a load of guilt that was not fair to place on me because I did nothing wrong. Oh, and a whole bunch of creepy priests from when I was an altar boy. I'm not jumping to the stereotyoe of priests (though it's obviously well-earned)--just saying that every priest I've met is a social misfit, and that includes a close fiend of mine who was a priest but has now passed. I get my warm content confident feeling from family, music, friends, meditation, good food.

Pascal's wager is overrated. I know that I can't know there is a god. What does Pascal suggest? That I need to fake god out and pretend that I believe. Ridiculous. If there's a god, I doubt he'd be thrilled to know I was faking my belief.

From that story, I don't see it as that bad. On the topic of political movements, including people who "follow the laws of nature" and "God" doesn't seem like a stretch. The US is NOT a Democracy but a Constitutional Republic so that's accurate. The other issues like BC vs BCE is a "who cares?" They Board is right to not include hip hop as a cultural movement worth mentioning in !@#$ing history class. That defense is brought to you by someone who despises public schools and is always ready to fight the religious nutcases. I see this article like so many lately--trying to create controversy where there is none.

I can't imagine how the original LP from the 50s must be. The new ones based on that model are so awesome. If I strummed a chord now, it would still be ringing when the Bills win a Superbowl. And yes, you've got all the guitar-heads excited...you have to tell us what you get. You're not looking at a single bad guitar.

My Toyota buying experience was the best ever. First, my wife wanted the Prius and I didn't give a **** so that helped my attitude. Second, Toyota was 1 month from introducing the 2010 Prius models to customers and the line for those was already at 56 or something. Third, we were after a floor model with 800 miles on it. Fourth, it was the heart of last year's auto malaise (we didn't have a clunker to trade though). So we got this silly loaded Prius for a song at zero interest. And now I find it comes with a get out of speeding ticket for free card? That's just cream on top. Of course, now my wife decided that the car might be dangerous and wants a BMW diesel.

Some kids piss their name in the snow. Chuck Norris can piss his name into concrete.

I like when the government calls for people to be fired over crap like this...and yet no one in government ever gets fired for their cost overruns, auditing problems, or going to war based on bad information.

I'll pile on by resubmitting this gem. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...-salaries_N.htm This is why I keep advocating a wholesale incumbent dump. Government is BROKEN.

If I had 3K to spend and wanted a new electric, I'd get the LP Standard....forget what it's called these days, but the one with the big honkin' 50s style neck. The think weighs as much as a Buick but it kicks ass. That PRS you linked to is smoking hot. I prefer the single cutaway...but that's just because it reminds me of a Les Paul. Whatever you pick, you must link to it. As someone else said in this thread, I fuggin' love other people's guitars. Of course, I love my HD-28 too...a simple but gorgeous work of art. Going to mellow out and play some CSNY right now.

I like his idea that Americans are rushing to the jobs illegals are taking. Yeah, so man Americans are dying to work as mushroom pickers.

TO. Kiwaka Mitchell. Derrick Dockery. There's a reason most guys are free agents. Once the top names go, there isn't much left but other people's garbage. The Bills were lucky to get a solid player in Stroud.

I was skimming this thread surprised that the ESPs didn't come up. They have great sustain, look fantastic, and come at a lowish price. To me, they are a poor man's Gibson. Here's the one I had. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product...itar?sku=516629 That said, I sold mine because I'm mostly an acoustic guy (my baby is a Martin HD-28; also have a Martin D-1 that I can't recommend highly enough as a low end Martin) and now own just an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, which is a step down form the ESP but still plenty of electric for when I decide some Metallica or hard stuff is necessary. I had a Gibson Les Paul "The Paul" once upon a time and it was OK. The ESP was better...and neither feels as awesome as a real Les Paul, which feels like strapping on a tank. But I totally and completely think that if you're a decent guitar player and want to just play electric--and have the money--don't get the knock off Epiphone that I have. It's fine for me because I touch it once a month. You'd be better getting a PRS or ESP if you like that Gibson sound but want to avoid the Gibson hefty price tag. You won't feel like you settled and you'll have a great axe. Either way, the guitars you're looking at are all awesome. I have never played a PRS but they look hot. The double-cutaway is not my preference but theirs looks badass. Let us know what you get.

Stop trying rational discussion with EII. Like I said, he's been struggling for 30 years to make up stories about Toyota. Now that he has a real issue, he's on overdrive mixing fact and fiction.

Most of my posts yesterday to EII and Wisconsin could have been boiled down to posting just this.

Forgot about the Wise Latina. She's new.

Except that many golf clubs were overtly racist, not just classist.

I cringed when he said it. It's like when people shout at police officers. The police are not supposed to react and the person shouting looks like a total douche. That's what Obama did. Alito's reaction was the moment when the cop breaks his stony face and says "!@#$ you."

Who gives a crap, even if pervs work the scanners. As long as they are pervs who can ID bombs.

EII has been waiting through 30 years of Toyota being the best affordable carmaker on the planet for this moment. Don't ruin it for him.