Steel2Velvet

They still around?

Welcomed info. Thanks, Tim.

It Takes Two - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood

Top Ten Worst Mascots for College Basketball teams. 10.Providence College Flatulent Friars 9. Louisiana State University Mosquitos 8. San Diego State Naked Incoherent Ranters 7. MIT Decimal Points 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

Saw Once on Netflix last night. A real diversion from the slick "not really slick, but gritty" movies from Hollywood, or the tried-to-trick-you-by-turning-a-theme-on-its-ear non-Hollywoodies; all of which seem to try so terribly hard to achieve the authentic feel that Once achieves so very easily. Once is truly a low budget movie (180,000 pounds - shot in 17 days) about sincerely talented street musicians who say, "Once I get myself (or some other situation) together, I am going to take a shot in earnest at musical statement on a larger stage," and about those musicians who never quite seem to fulfill their dreamy quest. The two unknown "stars" of the movie (their characters' roles are listed in the credits only as "Guy" and "Girl") are actual musicians, which adds so much to the feel of authenticity. It is almost as if we are watching a very high-tech home movie. The guy, played by Glen Hansard, who won the 2006 Oscar for best original song for this movie, is a Dublin wannabe street busker, who writes and sings simply because he is compelled to do so by some inner angst that will not be satisfied. To me, he several times looked like a young "Dr. House" with the same intensity for singing in his Cat Stevens-ish voice as House has for solving baffling diseases. He meets an estranged Czech expatriate who not only appreciates his music, but combines her own musical gifts with his, in order to help him get his shot at London and perhaps some notoriety. This movie is not formulaic in any way, however, so although the viewer is drawn into a week in the lives of the subjects, the ending may not be how you think it should be. Therein, it is actually very much like life. I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. Once - 8/10

lol Was referring to George Soros, the power behind the throne. Don't take him too lightly.

King George.

Gerrymandering has been slithering back and forth, hither and yon for over 100 years, in order to favor one party over another. The political landscape long ago lost is viewing pleasure for the voters and became a province of the parties alone. The people may never again take back their governments, first created to protect them. Chances are very slim.

I suppose the Democrats could always counter by placing surly Black Panther members, ostensibly as security, in front of polling locations. Naw, they wouldn't do that. Just gotta love the veils pinned in place that keep the people off of career politician's turf, like it is an exclusive club.

Top 10 news headlines for the day after St Patty's Day 10. Painted green naked man found passed out drunk outside doughnut shop 9. Gay Leprechaun finds pot of gold at end of the rainbow. 8. Irish Lose Again! 7. New testing leads researchers to proclaim green food dye causes cancer. 6. Around the country, local police thought they were prepared...parades turn into mayhem...President declares marshall law..."Preppers" say 'We're Ready'...is this the end? 5. Mysterious Green Film Covers Sidewalks And Alleys Of Boston 4. Whoops, we're too hungover to finish printing this newspaper, sorry! 3. Notre Dame Party Life: "Sure and Begonorrhea!" 2. 1.

Oh, call on me, me! Is the answer, people who can't get a photo ID? Don't you need one of those to buy beer in Pennsylvania? Here, everyone has to have one all the time.

... or " , your eminence."

Not if you include " , Father"

Just so, Martin. That is why I cringe when people point to the German model of health care, as if this is what will transpire in the USA with a centralized system. Apples to oranges. Sheer population numbers, distances, social attitudes and many more factors preclude an accurate comparison.

And do you honestly think that expanding entitlement roles by 20% over three years, statutory confiscation of available investment dollars, lowering a nation's fiscal accountability rating and increasing the scope and power of the federal government is showing heart? I'll keep my brain, thanks.

I'm sure you do agree with Kevin's argument of the need for more government and tighter restrictions on the accumulation of wealth by individuals, Tim. When I was 21 years old I voted liberal for Eugene McCarthy, because he promised to end the war, from which I had just left. I did not want to be asked to go there again! You are about to graduate from college and I would imagine it must scare the heck out you to be faced with the prospect of having to start from zero in the business world. I can understand the POV of "Take it away from the wicked rich and give me a big wad of their ill-gotten cash!" But a free market and the confidence in rising to the top will get you where you want to go much quicker than robbery at the point of a regulation. Kevin, do you seriously think I should simply accept your implication that the attempt to recreate once more, the social changes wrought upon an under-educated, agricultural-based, mouth-breathing, slow-paced society of the 1930's - which saw tighter regulatory control of the money supply and massive government power grab globally - has, over the past 3 years, improved significantly the industrial, social or service sector mood in a radically more informed, educated, freedom-enlightened USA? Yeah, give us more of that. As for those who make money at the expense of others through some fraudulent means, those types will always be among us, my friend. Better to watch your own buck than to rely upon DC to do it for you. Many of those grifters eventually find their way into politics. The only legal wealth I consider immoral is inherited. Now, that is obscene! As far as I am concerned the only thing the tax man should leave a kid born to wealth from his/her parent's estate is money for 6 months rent, a beater car and the cost of having a hundred resumes printed.

To categorize wealth as being "Obscene" and then in the very next sentence make the statement: has to be one of the quickest flip-flops I have ever seen. The fact is, my friend, that capitalism (self-reliance to secure, claim and maintain individual property rights) is the prevalent model in higher life forms throughout the planet. It is only the weaker fragile forms which seek species continuation through huddled vast numbers, operating in unison under a single mindset. As for a need for free market-sponsored government to form more and more regulatory agencies in order to do battle against the greedy; it has often been observed that tyranny most often begins anytime attempts are made to regulate morality. As the regulators usually become the more corrupt - see: Organized religion, USSR, Venezuela, etc., etc., etc. Smaller, leaner governments, open global markets fused with the individual's inbred ambition to make a success of their life is what has always produced the greatest human advancements, in contrast to the Dark Ages, when men were over-taxed, under-incentivized and taught that their betters were taking care of them.

Was Doug Adams a union steward?

In 1976, I voted for Jimmy Carter as a result of a single statement that he made while campaigning, "I will reduce the size and scope of the federal government." In 1980, I voted against him, because during his first term, he failed to even make an attempt at doing so. As an American living in a foreign country, bloated to its shoreline by bureaucracy, observing how that fact, like the python, slowly, consistently smothers individual creativity and eventually swallows the self-sense of enablement, I am more concerned than ever for my native country and her future.

She offers a refreshing style of explanation. I've secretly felt that the wave theory in quantum physics adds a modicum of scientific validity to the catalog of human near-death experiences.

Novel ventriloquist act.

There you go! Now, we're on the same page.

And enjoy both of them, my friend! Happy Birthday.