You're exactly right. There was/is potential, but it's not worth the effort.

They informed emergency operators how to answer concerns.

IOW, they KNEW EXACTLY what reaction this "mission" would create. Not only that, but they cited federal law as an excuse to refuse to inform the public. They are, as a result, responsible for intentionally terrorizing the American people.

The convenience of using Caldera as a scapegoat is just that.

Gitmo is a media darling.

Nobody talks about Abu Ghraib. AND IT IS STILL IN OPERATION

see what the Obama admin thinks about closing that one.

NOT A FUCKING WORD.

enjoy the grandstanding.

1) Corpulence

2) Authoritarianism

3) Affectation toward materialism

4) Lack of intellect

no, it's not a gif. I checked the file data.

I can't see any movement (and there's no way to add multiple frames to a jpeg), though it if you stare at it the colors seem to fade & brighten, but that's just an optical illusion.

Are you asking if the term "logical fallacy" is an oxymoron?

If so, "logical" is an adjective which modifies the noun "fallacy". There is no conflict.

You could just say "false logic" or "faulty reasoning".

That's my job. ;)

Destroying partisan bullshit, wherever it may be.

It doesn't have anything to do with Democrats or Republicans.

The only cure for the cigarette smell is to smoke for about 3 years, then you won't be able to smell it anymore.

Buy them online from overseas, you won't have to pay our exorbitant taxes.

yup. Guys are allowed, at most, to say that another one is "good-looking" and even that is crossing over into ZOMGHOMO country.

The male ego is such a fragile thing!

In that case, no they don't.

Punishment is to be ascribed by the courts, not administered at the whims of the jailers.

If we're talking aobut punishment for actions while imprisoned, well, that's a completely different debate.

I prefer to get my vitamins the tasty, natural way. That is, from foods.

Vitamin pills are for the sick and elderly.

One guy challenged me to a one on one debate when I first signed up here, but neither of us could get it to work :\

We finally just abandoned it, and I don't think that member comes around anymore.

Nope. We disagree on too many fundamental issues.

That, and you're under 35. Give it some time.

(and remember: Those who seek power are generally those least qualified to wield it.)

Hell no. I outgrew that crap a couple of years ago. Now I just run amok on my own little Billy-path around the internet.

So two wrongs make a right?

It's still stupid, pointless, and an aberration of debate.

Umm, it's right here.

And it's only got four usage definitions, so it's obviously not too difficult to pin down.

Not as difficult as, say, "love".

Yes, babies love racial humor. ^_^

Also, I was adopted at birth, and by my looks, I could be one or many ethnic combinations, so I don't feel bad about making jokes about anyone, they could be "my people", who knows. I don't do it maliciously, either.

Growing up, I went to advanced classes at a special campus which was coincidentally a block or two from the local housing projects...so the school had regular classes for the kids in the area. So it was a really weird mix of people growing up (rural east texas,20k-ish population), with the smart kids (and the rich kids whose parents refused to believe their kids were dumb, so they paid to send them), the really poor (mostly minorities), and lots of rednecks in between.

Anyway: Laughter > Sensitivity

consult Wikipedia?

would you care to point me to a specific article, or should I just browse randomly?

But back to your premises. This idea that enjoyment or even the capacity for compassion are some measurable thing we can trace back is as much as a belief as what those who believe the bible are saying.

You haven't proven your premises.

As to your first one, I would ask: are animals not able to enjoy life? At what point did enjoyment "evolve"? My cat seems to enjoy life, and I do many things to maximize his happiness. So does he. Is he bound to help others now too?

Maybe I can volunteer him this Christmas to ring the Salvation Army bell.

what conclusions are those, and how do they differ from the premises you use to establish a moral obligation to all of mankind?

That's not what moral means at all.

1 a: of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical

b: expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior

c: conforming to a standard of right behavior

d: sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment

Many people believe homosexuality to be immoral. What's best for those people is obviously not best for gay people, is it?

Public servants should make minimum wage.

Elected service is a privilege and honor as a citizen.

Put them on the same level with most of us, instead of on a pedestal, and we might see some true change in government.

As someone who has been here a while, I can agree that what you say is sad, but true.