AngusThermopyle

Since the word refers specifically to English people and no others I would tend to disagree. To state it is not racist would be akin to saying that calling a Jewish person a "Kike or Hebe" is not racist. Or how about the ever popular "go back to where you belong" is this also not racist? It is becoming clear to me that in your limited world view one must be of a certain shade to be subject to racism, how sad that you limit your understanding on purpose in such a way. How racist to make such distinctions. Of course in your view I could just exist in silence and all would be good, correct.

This is a rather large assumption to make. As a matter of fact I can assure that since comming to NA I have experienced racism at various times. Many times I've heard the "Limey" slur used in relation to myself, or the ever popular "why don't you go back to where you belong". To say that being white excludes one from racism is incorrect. Or is it because I'm the wrong color immigrant so racism doesn't count in my case? In effect is racism itself racist on an entirely different internal level?

Ahhh Oleg, you really are so easy, no challenge really. Thanks for the laugh though.

Nope, nothing at all. Since I do speak with an accent, and having grown up in South Africa, Australia and England I actually expect people to ask about my accent as it is a rather unusual one. If that makes them racist in your view then so be it. However it does not offend me in the least and I have never noticed any hints of racism in the manner in which the question was asked. As mentioned earlier, just because some twit in an Ivory tower posits some concept it does not automatically make it correct. This has to be one of the more absurd assumptions I've heard in quite some time actually. The fact that you appear to buy into it hook line and sinker actually does not say much for your critical or cognitive abilities. As an immigrant I can answer resoundingly that this question does not offend me in any form or manner at all. Perhaps I'm just not sensitive enough.

Actually I get this question a lot as I'm an immigrant. Never once did it occur to me that it was a racist question, nor do I think it is. It's simply the result of normal curiosity, no more. The twit who claims it as a form of racism is just exactly that, a twit, as are any who believe likewise.

I can't believe how out to lunch all you guys are. Not one of you has mentioned Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Well don't fret Oleg, I just can't help noticing that you appear to be almost obsessed with the subject of homosexuality, time and time again you bring it up, even when not relevant to the subject. It just makes me wonder is all. Are you sure you're alright with yourself, you know, wink wink. Never felt the urge to swish and swoosh a little. Just wondering.

And there in lies the key and telling difference,"caught in the crossfire". Not targetted as a legitimate or desirable target. In twenty years of service I never once encountered a fellow service member who wished to target civilians. Nor did I ever encounter one who would not take measures to avoid such incidents. Civilians caught in a crossfire are regretable accidents, not deliberate targets. As for the points PIK makes...well they really are not even worth responding to. If this individual is as ignorant as their comments would appear to make them look then there is simply no point in wasting time trying to explain to them. Reminds me of Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" actually.

What an incredibly stupid post, makes absolutely no sense or point at all.

Hmmm, just can't resist prodding the old guy with the repressed you know what tendencies can you Guyser.

Well you are right Melanie, it certainly was glum and dismal. If you think about it though, what would such a situation be like. I doubt it would be sunshine and roses, remember, everything is dead and the earth is clouded in a perpetual overcast. So no doubt even ones very existance would be glum and gloomy. For me I found the parts where Vigo is teaching his son certain neccesities he needs to know to avoid capture to be very powerfull, also where they are in the house when the occupants come home. In my opinion it was absolutely far beyond other movies in the genre. Movies such as the incredibly silly 2012, or the entertaining but none the less silly book of Ellie (sp). I found the fact that you never learn the cause of the disaster to be a brilliant move. This allowed the story to focus fully on the consequences and the form human relationships would develop into under these circumstances. Its just my opinion but I really do think it is the best movie so about this subject.

Lately I've seen posts about zombie sex slaves and Leo Decrappio movies that people seem to think are quite good. So I'm quite surprised that no one has mentioned this one yet. Its based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel of the same title and if its any indication of the book then it would be a very fine read indeed. Yes, its another end of the world story, but with a difference. In this one the end of the world is not actually the focus of the story, rather it serves as the vehicle by which the story of a man trying to protect his son is told. To sum it up briefly without giving too much away. Vigo Mortensen (the man) is married, his wife is pregnant, they have a nice home in the country, horses, trees, all that stuff. One night/evening/morning he awakens in bed next to his wife, there is an orange glow in the room coming from the window. He rushes to the window then into the bathroom and starts filling the tub. The scene cuts to a later time. Things have changed, one can sense they live in fear and abject misery. At this point his son is born. The world he is born into is bleak and cold, no life, nothing growing, just an eternal winter. At this point, nine or ten years on, the wife is gone, she leaves in order to give them, as she puts it, her last great gift. Two can survive easier than three in this world. With the lack of food people have turned to the only food source availlable, people. Vigo teaches his son that this is a path they can not and will not take, they survive as they can by scavenging. He decides their only chance of survival is to head south, look for a warmer clime. This is where the story really takes off as he tries to protect his son while assuring him they are the good guys. I wont tell you any more of the story from this point on, save to say that it is very moving and actually deeply affecting. Its a movie that really does provoke a great deal of thought in the viewer, especially after the movie ends. Take my word on this one folks, it really is worth renting, actually I'm going to buy it for my collection.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Best thread ever! I love it, the level of discourse is so...one sided, and what an awesome topic. Makes me regret not being around much lately

Come on now DOP, there were a few good ones made after that date. I've just picked up a 78 Silver Anniversary edition Vette from our neighbour for $i,000, it's in many many pieces since her husband was a car guyhe's done. and was going to rebuild it from the ground up before he passed away. Granted the 78 was never a powerhouse (220 HP) but it is still a beautifull car and quite collectable being the Anniversary Edition. I anticipate that this project will take me at least a couple of years to complete and I will not be modifying the vehicle. She'll get the same paint she came with, the charcoal grey lower and silver upper two tone paint job. I'm even going to keep the original AM/FM/Cassette deck she came with. It's just my opinion but I think she'll be a very nice car when she's done.

What. No mention of Alex from A Clockwork Orange yet? The ultimate personification of malevolence and calculated evil, he makes Vader look like a pussy cat in comparison.

What was that you were saying?

Quite correct Bill. Actually after your Ham suggestion I started che cking Ebay for Ham rigs since I love techy stuff and Ham seens like a pretty good hobby. This tower was originally used for a TV antenna so it can see double duty with ease This is a very cool project and a lot of fun, after this project is done I have an old fiberglass runabout I'm going to restore. The hard part about that will be finding an old outboard motor in decent shape. It has to be an old motor since I want the boat to be as original as possible.

I thought about doing just that Bill, but given the hieght and wieght of the tower I'd require some sort of hydraulic or ellectrical assist to raise and lower it. This would add considerably to the cost and complexity of the system so I'll just use a simple cantilever with my harness and lanyard for construction/servicing. The turbine is only a part of the system though. I also plan to build at least six solar panels for roof top installation. I'm still waiting for those plans to arrive in the mail as of now. Six deep cycle batteries are recommended for the average home but I want to use eight to ensure a little excess capacity. I think I might have a line on some fairly decent batteries for free, I have to check them out this weekend or next.

Yep, the YCJA certainly is working well, as this example serves to illustrate. It makes one wonder when we'll give our collective heads a shake and stop excusing and coddling little pieces of crap like this. He commits murder and with to for one credit actually serves eight months with elleven trips out of jail for things such as Christmas and birthday parties. Absolutely disgusting. Well, come on apologists. Start posting and telling us about how the system is'nt broken and justice is being served effectively.

Well now we know whats been causing all these earthquakes around the world lately. I bet it was women who caused that latest volcanic eruption as well.

I find something a little strange about this incident. Apparently this teacher was hired to replace another teacher on a short term basis because the other teacher was on maternity leave. Does it not appear strange that she would then ask for the same leave for essentially the same reason? Perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye upon first perusal. Just a thought.

Those are interesting examples you posted Dancer. However they appear to fly directly in the face of the majority of studies I've read. Given that I find CBC to be highly partisan and not to be trusted for unbiased reporting I prefer to actually refer to credible studies for information. A good place to start learning about medical developments and research relating to marijuana is MAPS, I'll provide a link for you. This is an extensive site so it can take a while to go through everything but its well worth the effort if you wish to obtain unbiased information. MAPS If you wish I can provide more links from reputable sources such as Berkley, I'll have to do it later though as right now I have to run.

Well, my project has come one more step closer to completion. Our neighbours just down the road from us are building a new house so they'll be tearing down the old one. It has a 60' antenna mast attached to it that they don't want and have said I can have if I take it apart and remove it. I'm thinking I'll only use about 45' of it as that should be sufficient for me to cast a 5' deep concrete foundation and still have a 40' elevation for the turbine. Yay, this project is lots of fun and also appeals to my desire to become more independant.

Actually Dr, G that price is based on the High Times pricing index released on a monthly basis. Keep in mind however that they are talking about strains such as Super Silver Haze, Chocolope, The Purps, Strawberry Couch etc. Not exactly your average weed, in fact all Cannabis Cup winners which arguably makes them amongst the finest in the world. Most certainly no where near the average stuff that is readily availlable in most places.

This is actually a very interesting and socially pertinent topic that affects millions of people both in Canada and the US, as usual the thread abounds with vast amounts of mythinformation however. First myth, addiction. Unbiasedd study after unbiased study have shown no evidence of marijuana causing physical addiction in users, none. One can make the case that in some users it can cause a form of mental addiction, however the same case can be made for many different substances, many of them legal. In fact the same case can also be made for habitual behaviour upon which a person comes to rely. Next pricing and yeilds of plants. Yes, often an ounce can be had for 180 to 200, the well grown high potency stuff will cost considerably more though, as much as 340 an ounce or more. Indoor plants grown under optimum conditions can yeild 3/4 to 1 1/4 pounds or in some cases even more. This depends on many factors though, key amongst them being good genetics. you most certainly pay for those genetics, I've seen seeds going for $2,000 or more for a pack of ten. These seeds bost an incredibly high THC content. Accepted average THC is now around the 20 percent mark, these expensive ones boast levels exceeding 30 percent. Medicinal uses. Researchers are discovering new medicinal applications for the herb on what seems like a daily basis. Yes, there are some very exciting developments regarding cancer reaserch, also MS, arthritis and a host of other ailments. One very practical application pertains to pain relief. Other methods of pain releif have proven to be quite harmfull and very physically addictive, marijuana has been shown to offer effective pain relief without the negative effects associated with other methods. Further studies have shown far less severe and lasting effects than other accepted substances, yet such substances are accepted and proffited upon, an ass backwards attitude to any but the willfully blind and ignorant. The trend amongst many growers is to produce very organic and pure product as this affects potency, flavour and aroma, no Oleg, it is not Satans weed or artificial. In fact a lot of it is more natural and pure than a great deal of the produce availlable at your local grocery store. Now, the gateway drug arguement, using the reasoning of the gateway proponents one could argue that Tim Hortons coffee or MacDonalds are gateway substances as 90 percent of heroin users polled admit to consuming them before they ever touched Heroin. Truly a fallacious and simplistic theory if there ever was one. Personally I have never seen one person destroy their life by smoking Marijuana. On the other hand I have seen many people ruin their lives by drinking, seen many lose their lives through smoking, but thats just a personal observation, attach to it the weight that you wish. In summation I believe that it should at the very least be decriminalized. I also believe that those who call for jailing, or in one case hanging weed smokers should grow up and actually educate themselves as regards the subject. Of course some controls would be necessary, something similar to those we already employ regarding alcohol and tobacco. If those controls are good enough for those very proven dangerous substances then they should suffice for something as inocuous as Marijuana. From my perspective Harpers actions regarding this issue appear to be based upon ignorance and an irrational fear designed to appeal to those who are easily duped. As a side note I also think the DEA should get their asses out of our country and back where they belong in the states. In my oppinion we should remove the two existing offices from Vancouver and Ottawa and send them back south where they belong.