Tod Flanders

1) The world does not stop when I ask for an explaination 2) The world does not stop nor run less smoothly even when someone such as you or a professional chef (admittedly a field that only the smartest people on earth can work in). 3) Your sentence is a not a appropriate response to the question I posed. If I had asked why won't you explain this to me then you would have at least formulated a response to my question. My rebuttal is that I am fairly certain that I am smarter than you. In fact, a lot smarter.

No please explain, make me smart like you.

Please explain.

Well they did pass a voter sponsored initiative to make the Iraq war illegal. Oh and pets owners are now officially pet guardians in San Francisco.

Nice rack

Pelosi's not liberal enough, Gavin Newsom was considered the right wing candidate and had a fairly narrow victory over the Green Party and I forget which supervisor it is but one of them had advocated disbanding the enitre military. Oh yes and they was also a movement to ban veteran's/memorial days observances here becuase it "glorifies the military". But yes it's still part of the US, not many other countries can support as many limosine liberals.

Yes I do know what a republic is and what a democracy is. Do you really have anything of any value to say? The person who has lost the argument is invariably the first one who resorts to insults. In fact there hasn't been an argument at all just you hurling insults. I'm done with this discussion with you.

Wow a Euro history major for a while! I guess that makes you the world's foremost authority. Senators ALWAYS came from the Patrician class, even from the earliest days of the republic. The landowners. Not the plebeans. That's my point, it was never a true republic.

Ok then that's what I was saying - I even forgot what the original topic was but yes when they ban smoking they cite public health as the underlying reason.

No they have a brewery there that let's you brew your own beer, which is how I'm spending my Saturday. Ban Belmont, except the brewery and I'm right with you.

Rome hadn't been a Republic for at least a century before Ceaser. It claimed it was, but senators were the wealthiest people in Rome and only they could be senators. Rome was a republic in name only. Are you taking the HBO series as factual?

So that is not the basis of the anti-smoking laws? Please tell me what they are. I was so certain that when they try to ban smoking in public places they cite publuc health as the reason for the smoking ban. You're telling me they don't? Reading comprehension........

Can you name a Republc that died because of "mob rule"?

The rest of the world is peaceful? We're the only country being violent? Really? I had idea, so countries like El Salvador, Russia, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Isreal, Algeria, Sudan, Columbia, Estonia, etc.... have all gotten a bad rap?

I can think of at least one exception: prohibition. And actually there are a lot more exceptions where the minority ursurps over the majority. Kind of like in John Adams times when only a select few had any say in politics.

There are many public intoxication laws in this country where merely being under the influence (at least in public) is illegal

I agree with you, they are using the basis of anti-smoking laws are drawing them out too far in my opinion. But it's the concept of how second hand smoke affects non-smokers that they using to ban smoking everywhere but in the privacy of your own home. Using this reasoning to ban smoking in your car and not your home is rather stupid since the air in your home also escapes to the outside world. Once again I was not, nor have I ever defended this proposed law PS: Funny you should mention the healthcare costs associated with fast food. Some studies have suggested that smoking actually lowers healthcare costs as smokers tend to die early and it is the elderly that require the most healthcare as they age.

Smoking bans and so-called sin taxes are two different subjects entirely. Again I am merely stating the basis of the legality of a smoking ban. To answer your question on why taxes are higher on smoking A) The reason reason is to discourage people from smoking becuase it's bad for them B) The real reason is that they can hide behind the fake reason to raise tax revenue.

No I am right. I am not stating that I support or oppose the law I am pointing out that the basis of the law is the health affects upon others who choose not to smoke not the health affects on those who choose to smoke. Fast food does not have the same bans becuase if you're eating fast food the fat and cholesterol does not enter my body. Once again I am merely explaining the basis of the anti-smoking laws which is why smoking has been banned in the workplace and in many states bars and restaurants.

Barfing on my shoes if fine and is the cornerstone of any well run democracy it does not adversely affect my health and if it's my gym shoes then you might actually be improving the smell

I'm not saying that you are affected or you aren't, personally I think banning all smoking is ridiculous I was just pointing out the basis of the law. Smoking bans aren't in place to protect the smoker's health it's to protect others in the vicinity - thus the analogy to making a glass of wine illegal does not hold up.

The difference is you glass of wine does not affect the person standing next to you.

What law, which state law or do you want to know about the federal law?

Only 2 high picks though, a 3rd rounder and a 1st. One worked out than got at $800Mil /yr over from the Santa Clara 49ers.

For what it's worth and a change of pace from the I hate/love JP threads here's pre-season preview of the Bills t compare to where we are. Other than the record I'd have to say it's pretty accurate espeically about getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers. Bills Preview This off-season there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth about the direction the Bills have taken under first year GM Marv Levy and new head coach Dick Jauron. I however say a pox upon those nattering nabobs of negativism, there is ample evidence that shows the Bills are on the verge of reversing their losing ways. I predict the Bills will go 11-5 and make the playoffs in 2006 and here’s why. The Offensive Line The previous administration was roundly criticized for ignoring the offensive line, plugging it with journeymen free agents while wasting draft picks on skill position players only. However this is contrary to the facts Donahoe did in try to improve the offensive line when he drafted Mike Williams with the 4th overall draft pick. Williams was a colossal bust and the lesson was learned, if trying to improve the line fails then the opposite action of not trying must be the correct solution. It is gratifying to see that Levy has continued this trend and I expect it’ll pay dividends shortly. In addition the sage Levy stated that the game has changed that “what worked in the past won’t work today”. If you look at the past success the Bills had in the 90s you’ll see a dominant offensive line – that was a decade ago and the NFL has changed you win in the new NFL not by opening holes for running backs and protecting the passer but by having your running back consistently stopped for a 3 yard loss and your quarterback hit on every passing attempt. The Bills are in the vanguard of the new NFL. Playing to our strengths As much as the game has changed one thing remains constant: you win by giving your best players as many chances as possible to make plays. The Bills have two pro bowl players, our long snapper Schenck and our punter Mohrman and our new offense looks primed to give these players plenty of opportunities to make plays. You don’t win in the NFL by using players like Jerry Rice or Barry Sanders as decoys you give them the ball and let them make the big play. If our offense can manage more three and outs then turnovers our difference makers should be a major factor this season. The Draft At first I was upset with the direction the Bills took in the draft I didn’t think they did enough to address our most pressing needs at the safety position and quality depth at the long snapper position. With only one free agent safety signed in the off-season it seemed unwise to only draft 3 safeties to add to the other 3 we had on roster from last year. In addition who’s our backup long-snapper? I didn’t know who the starter was until he made the pro bowl so my guess is that nobody knows. However looking back at the draft I now understand why they made the picks they made. In the later rounds despite the fact that plenty of safeties were still available there were a few terrible offensive linemen left on the board. As these offensive linemen are terrible they already know the Bills system and fit their scheme therefore there is a real chance that they can become immediate impact players. Any time you have a chance to draft an immediate impact player you take it especially in the late rounds. There is plenty of time to sign some undrafted free agent safeties so we can go into camp with 30 and all we need is to sign one reserve long snapper, make a big deal about it: i.e. hold a press conference, make it the lead article on BuffaloBills.com so that I know his name and we’ll have had an outstanding draft and addressed our two most pressing needs. The Improved Defense The Bills retained Nate “Playmaker” Clements while adding several speedy sure-tackling safeties to their roster. The playmaker certainly lived up to his moniker last season as several big plays were made by the receivers he was covering. When a wide receiver looks across the line of scrimmage and sees Clements lined up across him he knows it’s going to be a long day of running up and down the field and inventing clever endzone celebrations. This will wear the opposition’s top wideouts out until the opposing offensive coordinator realizes they can run against us just as easily. And this is where those new safeties come into play. With their speed they should be able to cut down on all of those long runs we gave up. Forty yard runs will be thirty yards and twenty five yard runs and mere fifteen with the new Bills D. What this translates to is that opposing offenses will have to run 2-3 more plays on each scoring drive. This will eat up precious time on the clock resulting in fewer possessions, less points against and closer games – no one will beat us by more than 50 this season I guarantee it! The Non-Stop Motor Factor Buffalo fans have always appreciated a hard working team that always give 100% and this Bills team is loaded with those non-stop motor types that we love. Who cares if we lose by 30 points so long as we know that our guys are willing to run a 10K after every shellacking? Superbowls and wins are old man’s football, I’ll take a high effort team that’s willing to do whatever it takes, aside from playing football well, any day over overpaid spoiled athletes that score touchdowns and win games.