I'm okay, folks! We had to take shelter, and the hail busted Grandma's back windshield.  My car was spared.  We took shelter at the church, which is underground, but no carport or covering.

All things considered it seems like you made it through ok. Good.

Good Riddance.

Uhh.  Bucks.  Duh.

(Guilty of not reading the subject line, though in my case, I suspect I still can get away with it.)

Happy Mother's Day Grumps!

Ignoring arguments of the equities variety...ie who are we to say you can't have the bomb...do you really want a nuclear DPRK? Iran?

If no, what options are on the table? For now the former doesn't probably posses weapons of quality and quantity to hurt us, yet, but that window is closing no?

I uhh really don't relish the idea of nuclear war (understatement I know), but if I'm reading some of the posts correctly...what's the point of these sanctions if we're just going to fold? A pretty bad bluff?

I guess I mean, we seem committed to preventing other states from obtaining nuclear arms and delivery systems, but if we're going to cave once they obtain one or perhaps a small number of weapons what's the point? Any country determined to weather the bluff is going to make out big while ignoring us? If I'm understanding the points being made here.

Nope...that hellhole's still not worth the time of day.  Thanks for playing.

But Obama surely won all one vote in New America right?  Isn't that what counts?

This is one of the dumbest, most cowardly, shameful moves I've seen from our nation's leadership in history...

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/06/176455606/u-s-delays-missile-test-over-tension-with-north-korea

Delaying a missile test to "cool tensions" is ing moronic... as if the North Koreans are reasonable people who will then reciprocate. This shows weakness I haven't seen our nation display perhaps ever...

Soviets blockade Berlin- we airlift supplies
Soviet missiles in Cuba- we blockade
North Koreans threaten us with nuclear weapons- we cancel missile tests


I was very pleased and proud of our government's response to the crisis until now... Now, I am ashamed

It might not cool tensions, but I think you are greatly overestimating the value of this test.

Agree.  A minuteman III test in the face of heightening tensions is hardly analogous to breaking a blockade, setting up a naval blockade with nuclear war on the line...

Supposing that we launched the missile, what exactly would that accomplish?  Dropping 3 dummy warheads on an abandoned, of sorts, island?  That'll show the North.

1) I believe the range for the dummy warheads/mirvs to target is where, marshall islands? Kwajalein atoll?  How quickly could that trajectory be detected by say China or even North Korea?  Probably better to be safe than sorry and not give NK an excuse to say we're provoking them...especially since

2)  To me it seems that the Chinese aren't going to allow their little "brother" to kick a war off, and who knows, hopefully they'll be the ones to put the fire out...but what if We/ROK, preemptively attacked?  Would China be ok sitting this one out or even helping us in a way?  Or would that massing PLA group on the border not be such a nice thing after all?

Do we think the PLA amassing on the border is a good sign or a bad one.

Tory

Blast from the past. I am a bit afraid to delve deep into my posting history on this or a many other subjects.

You're fine

gay marriage? support

Even if you didn't, people need to be less defensive about their past selves. When I waded through my own posts I wanted to take the 2004 version of me and slap him.

I always want to do that to yesterday me. I was just nervous that I might have posted something awful like pro killing baby seals or something...

Blast from the past. I am a bit afraid to delve deep into my posting history on this or a many other subjects.

20th anniversary of the movie too.

Day 18 results -

BM - 5
Nym - 1
deadman - 1

Our favorite bm, bullmoose is eliminated.

Day 19 ends Wednesday, same time.  VOTE FOR 1

Flushed!!!

:-(

Don't you worry folks. I'm making a list and checking it thrice. Cramps and Torie. 1 and 1a respectively.

I am ever present, albeit quiet.

And that is why I will not vote you off (except when only you, Verin and Ernest are left), because that is the way I like you best.

Touching. Whether that touch is gentle or a punch I'm too daft to discern.

I am ever present, albeit quiet.

I remember reading in Wikileaks, that the Chinese weren't opposed to a united Democratic Korea. They just didn't want U.S. troops north of what the current border is. I think the Chinese are started to get fed up with the North Korean govt enough to not get involved.

That wouldn't be entirely unprecedented would it? I think, perhaps mistakenly, that us troops are not stationed in what was East Germany. Someone smarter than me check that out and verify.

It seems wrong for the government to take the majority of wealth of any man under taxes. So I put 40.

Just because the top marginal rate could be >50% doesn't necessarily mean the income tax robs one of the majority of his wealth.

Well a majority of yearly income.

Or the majority of his/her income.  It can, but we'd have to know more about that person's yearly income and the actual tax rates etc.

It seems wrong for the government to take the majority of wealth of any man under taxes. So I put 40.

Just because the top marginal rate could be >50% doesn't necessarily mean the income tax robs one of the majority of his wealth.

Played a lot with friends while in high school.  More recently I've played Texas Hold'em, which I'm good enough to survive into the final two or three players even in a big game, but my play kind of falls apart at that point.

You sound like a tight player. As n decreases you have to loosen up, especially with your hand selection.

Hard to say what prayer does or doesn't do.  Both as a matter of spiritual power (well, fine tuning it, if you're a non-believer its easy to say prayer does nothing) or any yet undetermined scientific sort of property (collective conscious type of thing)...

But I get where Joe's coming from...its frustrating seeing people who say I'll pray for you, or let me know if you need anything because while generally good intentioned, its some sort of get out of jai...doing anything else substantial...pass...and clean slate from feeling guilty.