Dan

So experts know best how to raise your children?

She obviously had enough experience, ability and mental toughness to stay alive and keep the boat from capsizing. But, you're right. She should just stay home and read about sailing on the internet. No, I think that someone saying a kid is too young to handle a gun is being a kitty. See the difference. Just because you're 16 that doesn't mean you're incapable of doing anything and should be protected from all things that may cause you harm. My point is that people are out of hand stating her parents shouldn't have let her take this journey; as though, her parents are negligent and recklessly endangering her life. Just because she's 16, that doesn't automatically make her too immature and mentally and physically unable to make this trip. That's a decision for her and her parents to judge, not you or I or some expert.

Exactly. It was that training and experience (something everyone wants to assume she didn't have because she's just a wittle baby) that kept her alive when she encountered the storm and lost the mast.

Yes that's me... an ass talker. You assume quite a bit.

My disdain is for the public outcry at how parents could so recklessly let their child do this. As though all people grow and mature at the same rate. Just because she's 16 does not in any way mean she's incapable or that her parents are endangering her life. Just because you (in a broader sense, not you in particular) chose to shelter your child and protect them from evey possible failure in life doesn't mean everyone should.

This is one of the many reaasons for the pussification of America. I suppose we should protect and shield every kid from all possible dangers till they're "adults". When exactly is that? The magical age of 18, when it's a well known fact that all kids are suddenly endowed with good sense and maturity? God forbid a teen ager actually want to do something other than play video games and text all day. I commend her for the effort and wish more parents would enable their kids to act independently and follow their dreams. This overly protective, parents are bad unless they watch over their kids 24/7 and shield them from the world attitude is disheartening to say the least. With all the GPS tracking devices, emergency beacons, satellite phones, and online blogging, I'm not even sure how you can consider this a solo voyage. They lost contact with her for 20 hours, of course, they still knew exactly where she was.. they just couldn't talk to her for nearly a whole day.

I think Hallmark pulled it because it was one of the stupidest ideas for a graduation card ever. They're just using the racist comments as a smokescreen for their complete lack of creativity. Is that card for 1st graders graduating? And, if so, can you really expect kids to conquer black hoes in 2nd grade?

So you start this thread under the premise of wanting to talk football and state your dismay that fans only want to talk about positive aspects of the team. Isn't the fact they they're countering your negative viewpoints with positive ones an indication that they've tried to discuss football with you. It seems you're just whininng because everyone doesn't share your viewpoint. And, somehow, they're the shallow ones?

And yet.. the only way to guarantee the Bills stay in Buffalo is for Ralph to continue living. So, please delete this thread as it's in extremely poor taste and decidedly ignorant.

I'm curious... why are fans with negative points of view considered "realists" and fans with positive points of view "optimists"?

I would hope everyone could see this for what it really is... the oil companies once again holding us hostage with fear of higher prices while the speculators get rich. So, a worldwide ban takes less than 3% of the supply, but they have to raise prices nearly 100%? How does that figure? They have extended for 6 months the moratorium on new permits for new wells. IMO, given the scope of this accident; I'd say that's completly prudent. Take some time and try to figure out how this mess happened and what should be done to prevent it in the future. But, I suppose we may have high gas priced in 2018, so we should say to hell with all that and just let the companies drill wherever and whenever they want with little concern for potential outcomes like this. I have no problem with more drilling in the gulf, hell the place is a toxic dump.. who cares. But, this type of article is more of the same old same old of using the price of oil to hold the american public hostage and dictate legislation that grossly favors these few corporations.

That's not entirely fair. I seem to recall several occasions where Josh Reed would motion from right to left followed by a run to the left. See, so they changed it up from time to time.

Thanks.

Don't you have to pay extra for most of those services?

Look at it this way... at least you could go somewhere and get some freeze pops or ice cream cones. I hear the Bills don't even have popsicles at these things!

Just curious.... did anyone meet Drayton Florence and see what the surprise was? It was in a thread the other day about something he was twittin about.

Wow... self absorbed much. Far be it for the Bills to actually try and improve their team; they should cater to your every whim and desire. Maybe next time they can have each of the players... I'm sorry only the players you like... hand deliver an ice cream cone to you. Ya know... you were their guest. It was a regular Bills practice that you had the priviledge to attend and get a glimpse of how an NFL team prepares in the offseason.

Long live the Chroise!

Blocking? OK... now you've gone to far. I can accept that the RB/QB makes a mistake so the casual observer "thinks" it was a designed draw play. (Of course, we all know that the league banned draw plays a decade ok.) But, there no way these guys actually start blocking. Now you're just pushing the bounds of reality.

Agreed. But such is the way with News outlets and 90% of the public. Simple and uninformed. I really don't know any more if the media dumbs it down for the public or if the media is just as dumb as the public. But, if you ask me, what's killing journalism is the lack of journalism itself. The need to rush something to press or air every 30 minutes with no thought or research behind it leads to sloppy conclusions and then they expect people to pay for that. But, I'm afraid there's no way to escape. How can someone take even a full day to properly research and report on a topic when they're about to be scooped by 1,000 people? Even if half of them are wrong. I'm sure Cameron has talked to Ballard.

It's the play that every opposing offense consistently ran on 3rd and 4 or 5 to succesfully convert the first down agaisnt our D.

Well.. it's not a completely innacurate statement; although his blockbuster films are just the tip of the iceberg (man, I crack myself up). In doing a little quick googling to see just how ludicris this is, I had to conclyde that it's really not a bad idea. Cameron does appear to be somewhat well respected in the field of remote robotics and imagery. I would imagine that it's in this capacity that he's been asked assist. Given Cameron's heavyweight Hollywood status, one can't help but wonder how he's viewed amongst the scientific community, especially those who work within the field of oceanography. Let's face it, there's a huge divide between the realms of motion pictures and science. "You're absolutely right," nods Cameron in agreement. "There's a real sense that nobody in Hollywood knows their butt from a rat hole when it comes to science and technology, you know what I mean? I think now that we've done a few of these things and we've generated the technology for our own purposes that is the equivalent to or in some cases better than what the science community has, a little bit of grudging respect has started to emerge. from: JamesCameronOnline Documentaries. The space agency [NASA] announced that Cameron is working with Malin Space Science Systems Inc. of San Diego to develop the camera, which will be the rover's "science-imaging workhorse." The rover, which was previously known as the Mars Science Laboratory, is scheduled for launch in 2011. from: James Cmeron to Design a 3D Camera for Next-Gen Mars Rover. Cameron has been active in the science and technology of exploration, both in space and in the oceans. He is currently a co-investigator on the development of a stereo motion image camera for the Mars Science Lander, scheduled to explore the red planet in 2009. Cameron served for 3 years on the NASA Advisory Council and remains active in space policy. ... Cameron continues to develop new robotic and camera technology for exploration and filmmaking. from: THE MULTIVERSE NETWORK ANNOUNCES DIVERSE ADVISORY BOARD TO GUIDE COMPANY VISION FOR FUTURE OF DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT (press release)

Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes its hard for us all to express our opinions with civilitly. Sometimes I do better than others... sometimes not.

I'm not saying that Cowher or even a Shany would have brought a Super Bowl to Buffalo any sooner or even at all. However, if you're a struggling franchise looking to change the losing atmosphere that permeates every aspect of your organization; the quickest way to turn things around and bring in a winning attitude is to hire highly respected, proven, leaders that have a consistent and proven track record of winninng. Cowher certainly fits that description. Gailey does not. We can talk all about how great a coach he was in Dallas 10 years ago. We can talk all about how great he was with Thigpen 2 years ago. But the fact remains; Gailey was fired as a head coach and it took 10 years of moving around the league before he got another shot at being HC. For all of his greatness and genious that we like to pretend he has; where's his proven track record of winning? Then, to top it off he hires a completely underwhelming set of assistant coaches. And you think we're suddenly going to become a winning franchise? I said it before, and I'll say it again. Gailey may be great. He may be the best person for this team. But, what Gailey certainly is.. is a question mark. Until he proves it on the field by winning games he's a big "if". Just like our QBs, our Offensive Line, our new defense, etc. We have alot of ifs on this team. And it all starts at the top. If Nix picked a good HC, and if that head coach can produce a winner' then we'll all be happy. Some of us, however, aren't sold on Gailey and his talk. It's not to say we don't hope for him to be great. But, its hard to have confidence in your new HC when he was unemployed last year and brought in the likes of Modkins to be his OC, not to mention a completey unproven DC to install a new defense for us. I've been rather quiet on this team all off season out of respect for the team that I love and the fans that want to be optimistic. But, let's face it... back to the original point I was making.... a Cowher/Gailey lead team would hold a ton more promise and optimism than a Gailey/Modkins lead team. Would that promise and optimism have been justified? We'll never know, but it would have at least been there for many more fans.

But, I think there's a disconnect here. The logical thing would be to think that these banks going out of business now, or even taking losses, is a bad thing. And they could have avoided it. However, what about the flipside? Say you do all these shakey practices for several years and make 10's if not 100's of millions of dollars in profit. Then go out of business. Many, if not all, investors will take that profit and run. So, I'm not sure they really see this as a mistake. Perhaps many of the smaller, locally owned, banks do. But, the larger ones, especially the ones that then are able turn around and get their congressmen to bail them out, almost certainly see this as great business. Now, they just ride it out for a bit and start all over again.