UConn James

Hmm. I thought his defining moment was walking into that restaurant, using the can and then walking out.

At this point in his career, how much is it about the money? You think Brett Favre is staying on b/c of money? It's about wanting to win, and to be known 50 years from now. I think Moulds can realize that isn't going to happen with the Bills in his timeframe.

Could well be Moulds' people. Not exactly a state secret that he has been unsatisfied here for several years. This just puts the thought into everyone's mind (anyone who wasn't already aware that he is likely out of here) so they become used to the idea for a while before it comes time. By then, it will be more a matter of course rather than a tough decision b/w keeping him or having to eat all that cap $.

Thought that all spending bills and items must originate in the House. The Senate gets their suggestions and agreements in, and then there's the final compromise bill. So the House decides how many cookies to take out of the jar, and while the Senate can say 'We need more cookies over here' it's up to the House to decide if they want to take out any more cookies. Sorry, I know you all hate analogies over here that aren't apples-to-apples, just I haven't had lunch yet. And it's Friday. And I've got that last box of Thin Mints up in my cupboard.... Been a long time since a pol voted against something just b/c it was bad policy or spending. Now it goes, "Ooo. The Log-Cabin Republicans are voting for it; I'll vote against it." Blocs are great, don't you know?

To nail it down even further, it's the House controls the money, primarily.

I just find it unconscionable that people who serve and need benefits to cover things that happened to them while they were fighting for our country then need to fight a system that, well, used them. I don't care whether the government in place uses an elephant or a donkey. Your point that that's just the way it is.... In the last election, the only one I heard say anything about properly funding the VA, etc. was Kerry. Maybe Pres. Bush did, and I do remember reading some good interviews in 'American Legion' from congress members making promises and then nothing happened. "WS Repubs" probably was received with much more rancor than was intended. It's just sad that they'll spend so much time and money trying to fix other things that are fundamentally a lot harder to fix than the VA and don't have near the positive effects. Social Security for one thing; Bush touched the third rail before doing right by our veterans. If the White House and Congress were to push for more veteran's funding, I would dare any pol to oppose it b/c for sure they won't be re-elected. It's easy to say, 'Well they didn't do it either' as a reason why you're not going to do it. Where the people in charge disburse our tax dollars is the prime way we can measure how much they seriously care about something. You can't take these people by the words they speak. Only when the willpower to do something is high enough does anything get done simply b/c doing it is the right thing to do.

Doubt it. There's a reason why my dog's name is Falstaff.

Everything I saw in that ep had me firmly rooted that Kate killed Wayne in 1991. The dress, the hair on her mum, the television on in the recruiting station (likely tuned in to coverage of the war). It's likely that Sayid was a regular army soldier (in the dress of a regular soldier) captured by coalition forces at the time and then later was set free and he then joined with the Republican Guard --- if you remember from the Nadia episode, he was fast working his way up the ladder. His timeline provides much more room b/w '91 and '97. And by the time of his working with the FBI agents in Australia just before flight 815 (remember that he had them delay his flight to LA), he'd been out of Iraq for several years. This is just everything that my eyes have been telling me, and it seems to make the most sense/have the best fit given the other things in the timeline. And another thing to love about Kate as she took off from the scene of the crime --- she doesn't want a pickle, she just wants to ride on her motor-sickle! But something about her playing with that lighter is making me think.... She had set a gas leak that went off shortly after she rode off. How safe was it for her to be flicking the lighter on and off like that? Was she at least thinking of offing her ownself too, since she 'couldn't ever be a good person'?

True, that.

When you look at the length of the average NFL career for a player at any position vs. for a RB, there is a marked reduction off the bat. Sure, every time you draft a RB you can think you're getting a Thurman Thomas who'll last 8 years, but that doesn't make it so. All it takes is one hit; as WM showed. There's a lot to be said about Ricky Williams, and I join in, but he was 100 percent right about the abuse a RB takes. 11 guys on a defense waiting to hit you 30 times a game. What other player gets hit that much? It's for that reason that I generally consider spending a 1st on a RB to not be a good deal unless they are a Sure Thing, and maybe not even then. Too many other positions of need that have a better opportunity cost. I will just say that to regain his speed, Willis needs to lose those 10-15 pounds he put on.

Eko did say "Don't mistake coincidence for fate." I made a mental note that he is in Jack's corner in that debate. I like Eko, and I'm a lot like him in real life. Listen and take everything in, and don't really speak if I have nothing to say. And duey and links, could it be possible that Sawyer wasn't possessed at all, and simply reacting to a mix of his delerius limbo/dream state and some words that Jack said. And that the sequence where he grabbed Kate's arm was entirely in her head --- hence the, 'every time I see Sawyer I see Wayne.' That she took off from the hatch meant that Sawyer had no one there to watch him and he fell out of the bed. What's the simpler explanation? (Tho, simple explanations are usually wrong on this island....) Again, this ep was very paralleled to "White Rabbit." But I've also been thinking about that. Kate thought she was hallucinating the horse, but it was real. Jack discovered the empty coffin, and assumed that his hallucination wasn't real; perhaps his father is walking around on the island?

Notice that "weapons-system Republican" is like saying pro-choice Democrat or Sunny-D-dispensing soccer mom. By far, it doesn't mean that there are no exceptions to this. People want to advance; the U.S. military can increase their rank and pay them a several thousand more or let a $100,000 investment walk out the door. Guess which one they pick w/o batting an eyelash? Advancements was the subject of the topic. And, I could really give a sh-- if I get "credibility" (read: buddy status) with you. Chief Master Sgt. My mistake. Tho in parlance or for an equivalence factor, I've seen them called Sgt. Major. Like... here.

Yeah. Strip malls and.... palm trees?

And now that I'm reflecting on my last post, there's been a lot of emphasis on the seperate characters wondering or asking whether they are/were "good" people. Then add in the Others' taking the "good people" as Goodwin said. The exchange b/w Christian and Sawyer in the bar. "The truth is I. Am. Weak. My son is a good man, maybe even a great man." The exchange b/w Jin and Sun on whether they crashed b/c they were being punished (for what Jin was forced to do for her father). Charlie wanting to clean up his act, and failing. The psychic saying that Claire's baby had to be raised by her, b/c it is only her goodness that will keep him from.... bad things, somehow or other. Michael worrying that he won't be a good father to Walt and trying to fob off caring for him on his mother. ....Anyone else?

On the bright side, it may provide the revelation to the coaches that, yes, even a backup has to be able to play both the run and the pass. I think we might be seeing a SS pick in the draft. Maybe a 3rd. Backup then take over for an aging Milloy. Problem is, we've got that same situation at too many spots. FB, MLB, SLB, FS (tho Baker has impressed me)....

Didn't say those types are here on this board. Was mentioning the ones we elect to Congress and the White House who say they care about the troops first and foremost, but when it comes time to actually take care of the troops by giving them the care they need, it's like, "Who're you?". Guys in my other brother's unit have just come back from Iraq with some weird-ass medical issues, one whose "thyroid has stopped working" and another whose body is no longer producing red blood cells. They are getting the run-around. We saw one of them break down on national TV last week, but only b/c of the fact that he got caught. I will give the cursory "it's not just Republicans" thingie, but damned if it doesn't seem like it, and it's at least not the macrocosm impression that America is now realizing.

Nice catch for whoever noticed it. Here, we're all too busy watching Kate. The people on that site are saying that Kate was 24 at the time she killed Wayne 'And since Kate is still hot, she must now only be, like, 30 at the most!!!! Because no one who's over 30 is sexy; 30 is the new middle age. OK? OK? OK?', and therefore, the image of Sayid is from Gulf War II. Stupid thought if you ask me. Look at the clothing, hairstyles, etc. Definitely 1991. And the character of Kate, tho EL is 26 in real life, is pushing mid-30s. As another tack-on, it was surprising to hear her motive for killing Wayne. It wasn't all that stuff and various abuse theories, it was that she couldn't stand that he was her father. She's revolted not for who he is, but b/c of who she is. And, as she said, Sawyer reminds him of Wayne every time she looks at him. Probably the reason for her manic hot/cold attitude toward Sawyer that I was a little miffed at last season. "You asked me why I did it? It wasn't 'cause you drove my father away, or the way you looked at me or because you beat her. It was 'cause I hated that you were a part of me, that I would never be good. Every time I look at Sawyer, every time I feel something for him, I see you, Wayne, and it makes me sick."

!@#$! ----- Reflecting further, this seemed to parallel "White Rabbit" pretty well. (Another ep with the white&black animal imagery/reference). Opening sequence where the flashback showed her trying to help someone (tho it's a much different concept of help than Jack sticking up for Mark Silverman). Sleep deprivation causing hallucinations, only what Kate was seeing turned out to be real, apparently. Both reject their fathers for who they are. Only thing is that Kate didn't have a breakthrough leadership moment, per se. But that would just be too closely paralleled, and besides, she's not going to be taking the reins from Jack, nor does she want to. But it is interesting to note that in the extras from the DVD, Kate's character was called "Our Hero." This was at the point where they were going to kill Jack off in the pilot. But. I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point, Jack does die and Kate takes over for his leadership. Also, to muse here.... Wouldn't it be possible to have this show extend past the point where they are rescued, if they ever are? Piecing all of their linkages together?

All I'm saying is, he'd better get a friggin' haircut. Especially for that Miami weather.

Confirmed it last night when I talked to him after "LOST." If you don't believe it, that's up to you. Note that the E-7 bump was shortly after they scheduled him to have dinner with a sergeant major so that he might be, ahem, convinced to re-up. Loophole somewhere. Despite what weapons-system Republicans might tell you, the servicemen and -women are the backbone of the military. They invested a lot of money in his training, and you don't piss that away over a few thousand $ pay increase.

I thought it was a very good ep. Lots of action, and finally a few answers that aren't entirely/immediately followed by new questions that completely overshadow it. I was getting a little tired of seeing the tail section group; we need to get on with the story Was surprised there wasn't an introductory close-up of Kate's eye to begin, which has been the normal establishment of the POV. But they have been tricky about that this season. The explosion caught me off guard. I'm going to have to reflect on how all of that backstory fits in with Tom and that toy airplane.... That scene with her and Jack --- she certainly headed off any question/accusation he was going to make. (And speaking of that topic, in the intro, it was made apparent that Jin and Sun got jiggy. Jin also finally got the handcuff removed --- a literal and figurative moment, perhaps?) How the hell does a black stallion get on the island, but as Charlie said.... Also makes you want to go back and read the Cliff's Notes on the book of the same name, as the writers haven't been shy about the extra-textual references. It's been a long time since I read that. Also, combined with the polar bear, it fits into the running black/white scheme (ie the backgammon pieces, the pebbles with Adam and Eve, etc). I'm liking Eko's character too. Especially since Locke has recently become something similar to what he was at the box company the past several weeks. What was the line that Eko said about coincidence and fate? And what was the tie-in with the biblical story? From the preview for next week, Eko seems to know exactly what was going on with that drug plane, almost like he's been on the island before. Or am I reading that wrong? Or could he now be getting some of the island's mojo that Locke has/had. Sawyer's first line when back from the brink was . I'm not discounting that it is Walt on the other end of the computer message. If you remember his whisper.... Funny about the blast doors, as Michael noticed. Yet they seem to enclose/protect the computer room.

Have at it!

You're not calling me a liar, but you're calling me a liar. But a lot of people he talks to also furrow their brows and say No way. The other guys (and gals) at the base all said that his was the fastest track they'd heard of (we brought them some home cooking after 9/11 when they were there 24/7). Joined in '96, was E-7 in 2002. Air Force SF & Phoenix Raven group. The AF has a different charge than the other branches tho, as far as the officer-to-enlisted Joe ratio. Most of it is highly specialized in a way that is conducive(? maybe not the right word) to fast advancement. To be sure, the Iraqi army isn't going to be running on this model; it's going to take some time before they're prepared to stand up so we can stand down. That's just how it is.

I think she's said that he father was a tracker/hunter (and likely military training) and she learned it from going along with him. I'm doubting that it was some kind of abuse that she did whatever she did. The times she has spoken about him seem bittersweetly positive. I'm going to guess that her father was suffering some kind of disease and she did a so-called mercy killing; which might help explain why her mother was so sh-- scared to see her in the hospital.

Don't you mean the Chair Force? Laughed my ass off when my brother's gf showed me that. And I beg to differ, but she often says that theirs is the opposite problem; advancement that's probably too fast. Case in point, my brother made E-7 in 6 years. But he is involved in some more high-profile (tho their objective is low-profile) stuff.