Ghost of BiB

Buffalo/NYS taxes were trouble when I left. I can only imagine the horror, now. I really enjoyed growing up there, but I could never imagine moving back. It was dying then, and people didn't see it. I'm sorry for putting it so bluntly, but the Unions would take care of everyone. Sort of doesn't work when the company leaves. I like the south. Guess that makes me a traitor. I've dealt with a few companies up that way that are tech, and could bring a change, but they are like Ralph - they try to stay for Buffalo, not because it's good business.

And what did this study cost to produce? I could argue that young guys are going to nail anything they can, just because. And I don't need statistics to support that. Neither do you. So, now when we all already know some guys like to get laid, as do some women, it's a social and political issue because...why? Once again, I disagree with the morals implications and flavor here, but it's the defense by this board that has me astounded. This could have been ended in about 4 posts. Everyone could easily agree that people have sex, at least some do. I can't speak for those who want it controlled by a government program.

But what is it really like now? I don't know about you, but I don't know. I haven't been around except to visit since 1975. I don't get a lot of warm fuzzies reading what I do from the locals, here. Looks overall, like the "Industrial North" went "south".

OK. I'll bite. WTF is that? I've noticed a few jobs here I have no idea what they are. I don't even know what mine really means, but there's an on-line for my replacement if anyone wants it. We have to work a deal on the employee referral money, though.

I was going to suggest a new handle, but "Ghost of Dick" probably isn't going to get you a lot of dates. I'll be around, I have some liberals to haunt in Syracuse for a bit, but that shouldn't take long.

I was a serious advocate of that for a while, back when welfare was totally out of control. I don't think that is an answer now, as at least the idea is that welfare is a parachute until better times. To me, our society should be advanced enough to reach out and help it's citizens when it's justified, and temporarily. This shouldn't become a lifestyle under any set of excuses, justifications or plain bull sh--. This is some political agenda crap, pure and simple. People who don't want babies take precautions. People who don't give a sh--, don't. Legislation is not going to change that. In spite of the Northeastern liberals once again wringing their hands, it seems the religious right agenda has lost a lot of momentum, I don't know that it ever had any outside of TV. To my outspoken liberal friends (I'm not saying democrat), come up with some workable ideas on to steer the country in a better way, and you'll get your people elected. You haven't done that since...when? Also, it doesn't end on November whatever. Hold them to it. I'm not a big domestic person, but I've been very disappointed in whatever is supposed to pass for a Bush domestic policy. I don't know that I've seen one. I'm still a fan of the foreign policy, should have happened 15 years ago. We can poke fun at the wording in the NSS, but the basic principles are very sound. This last month is a brilliant example of how political interests can work against the execution of sound ideas. In short. People are going to screw, especially when they don't have enough TV channels. I can't believe the stuff I'm seeing coming out of the Federal Government - I don't even want to think about the crap going on in State. This is also a state issue. If the majority in the state don't like it, they can do something about it. One way or another. Depends on how important this is to the people of Missouri. Not my problem. I haven't blown up Missouri, yet.

You're also dead. Didn't we play bridge a couple weeks back?

Yeah. I wish you would take the hidden camera out of my bathroom, too.

(Hand goes up) Excuse me, isn't this a State issue we're talking about here? I never realized that Missouri was providing oil company handouts.

No, I don't agree with the motivations by the lawmaker. It makes perfect sense to me to hand out contraception. I also don't have a problem with eliminating public funding for it for fiscal reasons. As I said, not ideological. No, I don't agree that removing public funding for something is the same as banning it. That is one of the most liberal left wing democrat philosophy things I've heard in a while.

You left off political candidate and football historian.

I'll go with Shoney's breakfast bar.

Sorry, forgot there's a pretty big Scottish contingent, too. And I said, short answer. There was one period 1850's where a lot of the immigration went to NYC, Boston, Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans. Savannah river valley got big chunks of Irish at that time. At one point in the period Savannah's population was about 70% Irish, mostly laborers and most through recent immigration to get away from the economic problems in Ireland. At that time, less predudice in the south than in Boston or NYC. Maybe it had something to do with the shipping lines? Cotton factoring was what built Savannah in the 1800's - had a lot of ships coming in and out. Don't really know why, not my heritage (Polish) so never dug into it. Charleston and NO were cotton shippers too. Could that just have been a convienient stop and cargo for an inbound trader?

No problem, but I would consider booking a hotel like, next week. They book fast. A lot of people have standing reservations, like season tickets. Quite a few locals will book rooms downtown and stay there instead of trying to navigate the place back and forth.

Short answer is that it was one of the primary immigration destinations during the 1848 potato famine. Part of what makes Savannah so much fun, is the demographics. We call it either a little big city, or a big little city. There's old timers from England from the Ogelthorpe days, Irish, a large Jewish, large Greek, African American, as well as the many SCAD students wandering about from all over the world. Savannah also boasts one of the larger eastern ports. It's not unusual to be sitting between a serbian sailor and a "hollywood celebrity" at one of the watering holes down on the river. Really hard to be bored there. Just about everyone is a talker, with some good stories to tell.

I think we all get that at one time or another. I'm looking at making a change myself. More me than the job, though.

Thinking about a new career? Is that what this is about?

What do you do? And are you excited about it when you get up?

"New York is boring, this place is like Gone with the wind on mescaline". A very under rated movie. What's really funny, is Savannah at least used to be just like that. I've had a few beers here and there with Sonny Seiler. Kevin Spacey took a big interest in the place and donated a pretty big hunk of money towards a theater restoration project on the river. The place has become a bit of a "secret" celebrity get away, which in the long run hasn't helped the ambience.

Thank you. That explains things quite well. The aquisition course itself is enough to put people under the table. Folks here make it sound like ole Dick got on the phone and said "Hey, started a war so we could make a few billion".

Although banished to DC, I consider Savannah home. Always get a bit homesick this time of year.

Savannah BTW, for a really fun time, put this on your calendar for next year if you can. Savannah parties like Mardis Gras for a week, has the second largest parade in America (after only New York), and you can wander the streets with open container. The whole place smells like beer.

We've been over this ground many times. KBR has positioned themselves to fill what is basically a niche market, US force overseas base support. No one with a legitimate bid is going to beat them competitively. I think they had to do some serious ramping up with the Iraq/Afghanistan task and probably hired a few folks who could have been better qualified. Seems like Congress has done that too - but that's another subject. Let's see, still have folks in Bosnia, got Iraq, Afghanistan, about 4 other Stans, Dubai, Quatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Phillipines, about 6 I won't mention, and probably quite a few I don't know. I'm pretty certain that across the board there are probably slews of problems. I'm also pretty certain that across the board, much more is done right than wrong. But, just like anything else if a lib wants to run up waving a news article over their head going "woo woo", they are going to do it. I hear you can go to jail for buying rubbers in Missouri now.

Plus it sets you guys up for a year, so that's really pretty cost effective.

Is he on the show? I've never watched it.