SageAgainstTheMachine

We're all back! Back on the pile, everybody.

I've been on a one hour or two year hiatus. Look forward to discussing things with you all.

Oh, I agree that we've made numerous positive steps and that racism is held in relative check in mainstream America these days (The KKK, black panthers, neo-nazis still exist, but they're much more on the outskirts these days). My point is just that, on the other side of the spectrum, wishing for a "color blind" society might be unrealistic too, because something as outwardly apparent as skin color will always be a form of intrinsic identity. As you said, we have to move closer to seeing skin color without judging it.

Bizarre, isn't it? The most common story is that the parent is exhausted and incorrectly thought that the child was in the possession of the other parent.

This is all well and good in theory, but just take a look at human history and you'll see that people will never stop identifying themselves in terms of race. It's human nature and no amount of generational introspection will ever completely fix it. People will continue to associate primarily with others of their own race, primarily wed with others of their own race, etc. The best that we can do is to erase the "us versus them" mentality and replace it with "us with them". And really, has the "great melting pot" ever really existed the way that we think about it? There has always been hostility when mixing races and cultures. Again, I think that the best we can do is to honestly recognize that we're different and be peaceful about it, not just pretend that we're all the same.

So, it seems that you're proud of your Italian heritage and at least a little bit bothered by the stereotypes you see. How would you like it if the biggest sports team representing your hometown was called the Dagos or the WOPs? And even if that didn't bother you, what right do you have to tell other people how to feel?

The general rule of thumb is that you don't lose a starting job due to injury unless the replacement completely blows everyone away. In any case, with the amount that we'll be running the ball this season (probably like a 60/40 ratio running to passing), there will be plenty of carries to go around for all the healthy backs.

Do you honestly believe that this event wouldn't have occurred if handguns were illegal? Murder is illegal and these punks didn't seem to have any scruples about committing murder, so what convinces you that they'd be amenable to following handgun restriction laws?

Wait, you've been around since 2001 and you don't get crayonz' schtick yet? I think you need a date with code name Ennifer. She'll explains things for you (granted, it takes a little practice to understand her).

Seminoles isn't derogatory because it's the name of a tribe. Redskins IS derogatory because it's the rough equivalent of Negroes. If there were a team named the Negroes, would you argue that black people shouldn't feel offended because they are now "synonymous with football"?

As much as I want to see a Bills win tonight, I disagree with your premise. Nobody remembers/cares about the results of preseason games.

How exactly did this happen? Once you're cornered on Africa, it pretty much becomes a matter of luck, no?

But still, what's your point? It's just the colloquial name of the collective people in America descended from the indigenous peoples. I don't think you're really educating anybody when you say that most of us were born here in America.

I don't doubt it. After all, this is the home of Freedom Fries. No joke, I played the French Horn, among other brass instruments, back in high school. Our band director, a crazy pseudo-patriot, insisted that we be referred to as the "Freedom Horn" section.

This isn't a board game, but since we're talking about games played with family at gatherings and such, here's a nice on if you get a large group together... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_%28party_game%29 Really stimulates discussion and it's always good times. The difference in my family's version is that the narrator is involved in the game, and face-down playing cards are used by the sheriff to hunt down the mafia.

He's the Levoise But he's got to get in line behind the Poise and the Broise for now.

Yeah that's a nice game, but somebody's always getting screwed over. Risk is my favorite. I have a bad habit of aligning with my sister, and then ultimately coming in 2nd.

On those specific days. I don't believe in superstition, just a story I like to tell.

Whoops. Haha, I was looking at the number of posts. Anyhoo, the point still stands.

I was born on Friday the 13th. Twice, my birthday has fallen on Friday the 13th (5 and 16 years old), and twice I've gotten violently ill.

You're definitely going to want to get a good tailgate experience...there's no tailgate like the Ralph, and I've been to quite a few. Since you're traveling solo, I'm sure that somebody on the board here would be amenable to hanging out with ya. I'm going to the Oct. 3 game against the Jests, myself. Have fun!

If there's one thing that pisses me off the most about this recent rash of newbies, it's their tendency to post stupid sh*t as if it's been confirmed (or at least hinted at) by the organization, only to open up the thread and realize it's pure BS speculation. This particular thread didn't fool me or anything, but still, would it be so hard to title the thread "Would we sign Thigpen if cut?" or something?

I'd imagine an appletini or something.

Therein lies the question...It was a looping line drive that was dying off as it travelled. Why was everybody so afraid of it? I guess people in Houston are just wimps haha.

Well done as usual Lori. One mistake that I noticed, Shawn Johnson is not a tight end for the Bills