Terry Tate

If you had someone on each side of you pulling on your love handles when they poked you, you could've made that high pitched sound a balloon makes. Glad your better.

I knew a guy years back that had a Yugo. He was driving up to his hometown in Vermont (does the Yugo/Vermont stereotype sound funny to anyone else?) and ran over a large deer carcass - actually launched him airborne, and blew out all four tires. Some months later, he lost control of it and ended up upside down off the road in 6 inches of water - he just left it there and never went back. I actually missed that car because of the stories and jokes it generated.

Yet, the article couldn't help but state "At stake are divisive issues such as abortion rights and affirmative action. Bush, who has said Americans aren't ready to ban abortion, declined to say whether he will name a justice who would vote to outlaw it." Overturning Roe V Wade would not "outlaw" abortion. It would allow states to ban it, or place restrictions on it, should they choose to. I think there would be state laws passed to place restrictions on it (such as late term or parental notification for minors), but are there any states that would ban it outright? Before anyone answers that, please get some data to back it up. Most of what I've seen leads me to believe there might be some state bans, but very few. And while some believe the basis for the decision on Roe V Wade was questionable, it doesn't mean that there isn't an arguable basis elsewhere in the Constitution.

I suppose that could be true. But I've worked jobs where I'd be driving to or from work in the wee hours of the morning. I don't think that is cause for the police to pull me over.

A lot of the small critters. Most impressive display goes to a turkey vulture, and he did me a favor at the same time. I had a guy tailgating me, even though I was doing a little over the limit - jerk. So I see this turkey vulture swooping down from the trees, and I'm thinking "no, he won't" - well, yes, he did. Landed right in front of me, and then popped his head up to look at my grill. Never swerve - certainly not for anything smaller than you are. And I coudn't brake to give the bird a fighting chance, thanks to tailgate-jerk. When I hit that bird, you would've thought someone stuck some 4th of July fireworks up him, because the view out my back window went from tailgate-jerk to a 15ft cloud of feathers. Good times. Worst - a skunk. That's why I know how to remove skunk odor.

F'n A. Not just the SEALs, either. There are some members of this board that have put themselves at risk for a brother in arms. There are some that volunteered, but were not chosen. There are some that would do it again. There are some that don't know, because they've never been there, but if they were to find themselves in that situation, they'd be right beside you. God, I love this country. Seabees? Just a bunch of guys using bulldozers and hammers, constructing bases. Bases in freaking war zones. (Hey USAF "Red Horse", whaddaya say?)

I'm against DWI checkpoints period. I've never actually been stopped at one - I rarely drink, and rarely drink more than two beers when I do. Certainly don't drink and drive anywhere. And the chances of me being out driving on a Fri/Sat night are pretty slim (tells you something about my exciting social life). I just think it goes against the 4th amendment - The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. I don't think being out driving Fri/Sat night is probable cause. But what do I know.

I was watching the McLaughlin Group when O'Donnell said that. In their brief discussion of the topic, it was suggested that if Rove was in fact the source of the leak, that: 1. Rove (or whoever) is probably not criminally liable for 'outing' a covert agent, since Valerie Plame wasn't actually an active covert agent. (Don't ask me, just passing along what was discussed. There was one dissenter on the panel. She used the "chill in the air" line, but later admitted she knows little to nothing on domestic politics. If you disagreed with her take on Iran, though - she'd eat your lunch). 2. If Rove (or whoever) testified under oath that it wasn't him, and they find it was, he's facing a perjury charge. 3. The President is going to be pretty upset with whoever it was. There was actually more discussion on whether or not there should be a federal shield law for reporters, like the states (I believe someone said 49 out of 50) and DC have. Nearly all were in agreement there should be; the lone dissenter (conservative this time) on the panel pointed out (and I believe all agreed) that a shield law would not have had an effect on this particular case even if it were already in place. In this instance, if there was a criminal act in revealing a covert agent, the reporter was directly involved in the act, and a shield law would not protect him from having to reveal the source. The shield laws are geared towards not compelling reporters to reveal sources, so that "whistleblowers" are able to come forward without fear of persecution - which brings transparency to government. For TIME's part, they fought the battle, lost in court, obeyed the court's order. Even Matt Cooper was satisfied they did right by him. Of course, they probably just saved him from going to jail, so who knows.

I've never heard of a tipping difference between regions of the country. I've heard military/ex-military were pretty reliable tippers. Any truth to that? My wife grew up dirt poor in a country where tipping was not commonplace. She gets the whiteknuckles when it comes time to tip, so I have to always make sure the server isn't getting shafted. After all, they have to put up with our little heathens, too. If stuckincincy at the next table gets hit with anything from the food fights, I tip him, too.

The thing that's so frustrating about home remedies, is you find some that work perfectly, and other's that are complete BS. But I have found that baking soda works better than a lot of cleaning solutions. I've used a small amount of blue Dawn liquid dish soap to wash an animal, and it killed every flea instantly. It's mild enough not to irritate the animal's skin. The rest of the ones listed here I can't vouch for. Everyone's heard that you use tomato juice to get rid of skunk odor, right? Not really, but one of the most popular home remedies passed from person to person who have never actually used it. Sure, once your olfactory sense gets overwhelmed over a period of time, I suppose the smell of tomato juice may be noticable, but that skunk odor is still there. The acid in tomato juice does very little to remove it, not to mention the cost. Here's something I've used that I know works - (NOTE - avoid getting in pet's eyes/ears/mouth) - mix 1/4 cup of baking soda with a quart of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and add a tablespoon or so of liquid dish soap so that it will get some lather to it. Wash the affected area with that while it's still bubbling (whether it be a dog, you, a car, etc), let it sit for maybe 10 minutes, and rinse well. The odor is gone - completely. You may already know hydrogen peroxide will eventually turn to water. Where does that extra "O" go? It's carrying away the chemicals in skunk spray that cause the odor. Your pet will be completely odor free. You can also mix this in a spray bottle and spray your pet with it, then rinse. If your pet got sprayed in the skunk's den, chances are he took it full in the face, in which case I would recommend seeing the vet.

Stop right there, doc. Give me a couple pieces of rebar and a roll of duct tape. I'm not wearing a GD "Miami" anything.

It always boils down to socialism isn't a bad gameplan, it just needed better execution. Holy cow, I wanted to use that phraseology to make a joke it's the Gregg Williams/Kevin Gilbride gameplan, but it's a pun in and of itself.

No, I'm just two halves of a whole idiot. Good night, everyone!

Oh I know. I just go a long time without speaking, then once I get started I ramble on quite a bit. As long as some of my posts get, I usually type out twice as much and then end up deleting half of it before hitting the "add" key.

I used to pay $0.35/gallon for mice. Now it's over $2.00. What the heck did we get into this war for, if I can't get cheap mice?

Hope you're not breaking any copyright restrictions there, sonny jim.

*sigh* Coulda woulda shoulda... Even those who wish to believe his initials (JC) are no mere coincidence can be forced to admit the failures of his presidency, though they often make use of the argument that it was a confluence of unfortunate circumstances during which his term just happened to coincide. Pure happenstance! The sun got in my eyes - I heard a dog barking - I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD. (Thanks, Jake). No, it's the popular notion he's somehow become a grand statesman since then, and has thoughts and ideas that should be listened to that makes me ill. The man was a complete and utter failure, and he has no business interjecting himself (as he seems to be unable to control himself to) into world political affairs. For cryin' out loud, his criticisms of the US in general, the current President specifically (whomever it may be at the time), and morally equivilent comparisons to communist regimes make Bill Clinton look downright reserved in contrast. Feed the hungry, Jimmy. Build shelters for the homeless. And in the name of all that does not suck, shut up.

I am not a student of history, so I don't think I can give an informed opinion on the best or worst presidents. I will say most of my admiration is reserved for those who founded our country. But this talk of Jimmy Carter being a good honest person who got stuck in a bad situation, and how much good he's done as an ex-president, is quite simply, sickening. Jimmy Carter has been a pain in the backside of each subsequent president - he's the anti-president. His actions in North Korea and Haiti certainly upset Clinton, but his lowest point had to be during the lead-up to the Gulf War, when he wrote to members of the UN Security Council, including France and Communist China, to urge them to thwart President GHW Bush's efforts. The "miraculous" Camp David accords? Maybe some credit is due. But Sadat and Begin already had a deal worked out before approaching Washington. Their facilitators at the time were the King of Morocco and Ceausescu of Romania, both fine upstanding men with Carter's ear. But all in all, he did pay for the bill, so there is something to be said for that. From Carter's biographer: "There was no world leader Jimmy Carter was more eager to know than Yasir Arafat." Carter "felt certain affinities with the Palestinian: a tendency toward hyperactivity and a workaholic disposition with unremitting sixteen-hour days, seven days a week, decade after decade." At their first meeting — in 1990 — Carter boasted of his toughness toward Israel, assuring Arafat at one point, ". . . you should not be concerned that I am biased. I am much more harsh with the Israelis." Arafat, for his part, railed against the Reagan administration and its alleged "betrayals." Rosalynn Carter, taking notes for her husband, interjected, "You don’t have to convince us!" This "elicited gales of laughter all round." Carter himself, according to Brinkley, "agreed that the Reagan administration was not renowned as promise keepers". Douglas Brinkley, The Unfinished Presidency Carter's assessment of the 1996 elections in the Palestinian Authority? "Democratic", "open", "fair", and "well organized". Mr Human Rights? Sure, if you happen to live in Marcos’s Philippines, Pinochet’s Chile, or apartheid South Africa. If you live in Communist China, Communist Cuba, Communist Ethiopia, Communist Nicaragua, Communist North Korea - don't expect him to speak up on your behalf. According to an op-ed article he wrote, titled "It’s Wrong to Demonize China" - "Westerners emphasize personal freedoms, while a stable government and a unified nation are paramount to the Chinese. This means that policies are shaped by fear of chaos from unrestrained dissidents or fear of China’s fragmentation by an independent Taiwan or Tibet. The result is excessive punishment of outspoken dissidents and unwarranted domination of Tibetans." Carter on Yugoslavia’s Tito: "a man who believes in human rights." Carter on Romania’s Ceausescu and himself: "Our goals are the same: to have a just system of economics and politics ... We believe in enhancing human rights." Carter praised Syria’s Assad and Ethiopia's Mengistu. To Haiti's Cédras: he said he was "ashamed of what my country has done to your country." Carter on North Korea's Kim Il Sung: "I find him to be vigorous, intelligent, surprisingly well informed about the technical issues, and in charge of the decisions about this country". On North Korea: "I don’t see that they are an outlaw nation." Pyongyang, he observed, was a "bustling city," where shoppers "pack the department stores," reminding him of the "Wal-Mart in Americus, Georgia." Of course, he's not enamored with all world leaders. Of our current President he says "I don’t think that George W. Bush has any particular commitment to preservation of the principles of human rights." Carter on SDI: "A ridiculous project technologically" and "counter to control of nuclear weapons in the world". "It will be a waste of money" and "it’s driven by pressures from manufacturers of weapons and so forth, among others." Carter on the Kyoto protocol: "I think we should carry it out, fervently." Carter on drilling in ANWR: It would "destroy" it. When Ike spoke privately with JFK after the Bay of Pigs, he had some pretty harsh words for him. To the press, he said, "I am all in favor of the United States supporting the man who has to carry the responsibility for foreign affairs". When former President Bush was pressed constantly to comment on President Clinton's term, he refused every opportunity. Carter has been an embarrassment to the US virtually every time he opens his mouth. He should stick to humanitarian efforts and STFU.

"Oh yeah, he is, big time."

A law to keep liberals off the Supreme Court? Can they do that?

If you haven't traveled with $47,000 in your underwear, I highly recommend it. It's the only way to fly.

Thanks, that was pretty damn good.

I don't think a lower than average cost of housing is indicitive of a pending economic boom. Real estate is relatively cheap in WNY because the economy is poor (relative to the rest of the nation), and the population continues to decline. It could be a useful tool in a kit used to lure businesses into the area, but so far it hasn't been. If they continue to welcome casino gambling into the area, it will only get worse.

I'd like to see Triumph interview Cruise.