RuntheDamnBall

That, I think, is the big under-reported story in all of this. Both sides are acting predictably stupid about this, but to say that the surge is working when its intended purpose (fostering political progress) has by and large not been met, and when what success it has had in large part has depended on Al-Sadr's militias standing down.... Seems like it's rejecting the big picture.

If he weren't dead already I'd say hang him.

COMMISSIONER GORDON FOR PRESIDENT!

(vile is an adjective).

Naah, you just reveal your intentions too transparently.

I was pretty much going to say that but stepped back for some reason. I do think it would be a huge morale coup for us to take down one of the two big AQ heads (just as it was for a brief moment with Saddam), but I don't for a second think it wouldn't actually embolden their supporters. Really the best thing to do is to make their position seem intellectually bankrupt within the rest of the Muslim community. Going after them and getting rid of the real hardcores is probably good to some extent, but going about it the way we have thus far been has been pretty damaging.

Right, and the logic you're ripping is a flawed logic that doesn't get to the heart of why terrorism succeeds in this day in age. That is, it's comprised of loose connections that become more connected when necessary, and dissolve when they're not. It really is like the hydra and not something where we could even get Saddam, OBL and AZ and say we're done with it. Aside from the funding networks routed through the so-called masterminds, I think these orgs are just as dangerous without the figureheads as they are with them.

I am slightly skeptical, not because the WSJ has big financial ties (in the past, its reporting has been saluted far and wide), but more due to the timing, as well as the Murdoch purchase and his penchant for inserting his views into the news reporting in his ventures. That said, gonna read the report as soon as I can and form my own opinion.

I definitely hope to get the time to really look this over, considering that a Senate Intelligence committee that was under a Republican majority said otherwise fairly recently, noting that Saddam had specifically turned away AQ help, and that the same 600,000 documents are cited as part of this assessment.

You really gotta stop.

I don't think the idea that he was connected to terrorism is a reach, and most people would agree to that. What people were upset about was the idea that "the same people who attacked us on Sept. 11th" were somehow tied to Saddam, which was a link that was suggested by the administration, at the very least. And the Pentagon, in the past, has denied this link So, the fact that they're saying different now is something to at least discuss.

I'd like to see the actual report before I believe word-for-word the WSJ's take on it.

I think there were some real non-calls in the final minutes, but that's just what the TV angle was telling me.

If I didn't know you're just trying to get under peoples' skin, I'd say this is the dumbest post I've seen today. Yes, he "willingly" from age 6 to 10 lived in the real "radical" Muslim country of Indonesia with his mom and stepdad. We should probably be wary of all these soldiers right now that are willingly living in a Muslim country. Perhaps they've been brainwashed -- at least it would be closer to the movie.

Officiating has definitely been bad. It was in the G-Town/Davidson game as well.

Ooh, G-Town just dealt me a blow.

Me too! Rocking 18/20 so far and feeling great! Only wish I'd entered more contests!

Thanks, everyone. Think I'll close the thread because I think most of the good advice to give has been given, but I really do appreciate the thought on everyone's part.

You really telegraphed that one.

It's in a safe-deposit box, all clear. Only I have the key and know where any of that is. BTW Thanks, man!

I had that thought, but she would need a special card to get copies of them (we live in NYC and have mul-t-lock keys that you can't get copies of without it) so I think that's OK.

Well, that's pretty much a given; we won't be doing that. But I don't think think she's a 'thief' per se, because I don't think she would steal anything (and there would be plenty of opportunities to steal real valuables). I do think that easily accessible alcohol is a temptation though. That's more of the kind of confirmation I think i need. I definitely feel like it'd come across as an attack from me.

I don't know if anyone's experienced something like this, and certainly I'm not expecting it, but I would love to hear from people on the board who have had experience dealing with a friend who's an alcoholic. I had this neighbor/friend "Sarah" come and look after my cats this past week and have not had many problems with her at all. We're not very close friends, and have been less so since Sarah and her partner broke up last year, but we're cordial and get together for dinner on occasion. I know that part of why they broke up was Sarah's bouts with alcoholism and substance abuse, but I was fairly certain by now that she was over it. I went to pour myself a glass of fairly expensive bourbon this evening and noticed the bottle was near empty, where I was pretty much certain the last time I had it it was half-full. I thought that was strange and went and looked at another bottle of expensive, sort of dessert liqueur and it, too, was pretty close to empty and there was no way we'd polished that much of it off. I'm about 95% certain that Sarah must have drank our stuff, not entirely trusting memory and knowing that I want to believe she didn't. It was expensive and that really sucks, but that's also the most replaceable part of the equation. More importantly, I'm pretty worried and certain I can't trust her anymore. I have no idea how to confront her. My drinking's not much of a problem -- I don't binge much if at all, and keep things in line and enjoy a nip now and then -- so I keep things around and on one hand I feel like I enabled her. At the same time, I feel my trust and my home have been violated, and so does my wife (especially). Perhaps we should have seen this coming and should never have trusted her in the first place, but convenience in taking care of the cats, and our willingness to forgive and hope Sarah had changed made us too blind to the possibility. Do I talk to Sarah? Do I talk to her roommate (whom she met in AA)? I get the keys back from Sarah tonight and I'm just going to thank her and leave it at that for now, not confronting her because I just haven't thought it out well enough. I don't think we'll be asking her for help again, because either way I know that my problem is we can't trust her, whether that's grounded in current truth or just in her history -- which is my problem, but a sad one. I am thinking the best thing to do is approach her roommate and ask her if Sarah was drinking at all last week and/or just alert her to the situation so that she can best help out on the long and endless process of recovery. At the same time, how do I let Sarah know I can't trust her and that I have to at least cut this part of our ties? Anyone who can share experience with this will be greatly appreciated and respected. PMs are oK. Thanks.

11/12, got a little screwed by USC, who I picked to make the Sweet Sixteen. But otherwise lookin' good, with full knowledge that it's pretty much been chalk so far.

RIP.