Ryan_c_F

Well, sure, if you compare it solely to our governmental system. But there are plenty of policy makers in place that simply aren't elected, and aren't subject to review. The head of the Federal Reserve, for instance, or the cabinet of the Presidency. Shit, we technically don't elect the President either. What's ironic about your post is that it's specifically when theocracy is instituted that some of history's worst atrocities come to mind - but I think that says more about the people running the church than it does about the religion itself. One needs only consider the actions of the middle-ages papacy to realize that these periods of strife and unrest directly mirror DIVERGENCE from religious doctrine, and not acceptance. Instead of being humble, we see church leaders demanding alms and wearing gilt robes, building titanic cathedrals and lording over the populace. Religion was a very effective tool for evil men when used improperly... but that tool also works for good. Some truly wonderful organizations and entities exist solely because of theological implementation - the United Methodist Childrens' Fund is one that I work with. Alcoholics Anonymous. Habitat for Humanity. That doesn't even begin to touch the billions of dollars in private charity extended by churches around the world, and the innumerable people who've been personally saved from dangerous and corrupt lifestyles. I get the feeling that a lot of religion is judged by the lowest common denominator. The vocal and vile minority that perverts a good system to suit its own agenda. If you really want to put me on the same level as you'd put, oh, say... Then I guess I can't change your mind. But I'd think twice about condemning religion as the root of all evil in the world, if you wanted to get honest for a second. The problem has never been religion. The problem, as it always does, comes down to the actions of the individual, when that individual alone chooses to lie to his fellow men to suit his own purposes. That sort of evil needs no doctrine or dogma surrounding it to be effective.

It is of course up to individual humans to think for themselves, though, isn't it? The Crusades, by the way, were wars for Jerusalem trade routes, not for conversion. the more you know.jpg

I've got an iPhone 3G... after the 2.1 firmware update, I haven't had any more dropped calls. There used to be a problem related to switching back and forth between edge and 3G networks..... it's not a problem any more, long story short. The iPhone is great, but I would actually suggest a blackberry bold. It's not as pretty but overall it's a much faster and more powerful mobile device. If you're not into the quirky, "omg u can get fandango app and tilt it sideways and it YOUTUBES THE TRAILOR OMGZ" side of the phone world you'll do better with the Bold.

One must wond whether that is truly religion at work, or societal constraints acting under the guise of faulty religious interpretation. I don't recall any verses in the Qu'Ran, Torah, Bible or elsewhere claiming, "Shalt thou seweth thy daughter's privates together and shalt thou multilate her thereto with sharp rocks and rusty knives, so to preserveth her virginity." Just my .02... most "religious atrocities" happen when there is no religious practice to speak of going on.

heh literally I can't imagine that this woman's execution is going to be pleasant.

How stupid do you have to be to rehearse this near a camera...?

QFT I got a bike and my girlfriend was stupid pumped about it. About the only girls mad about the purchase were my ex-girlfriend (we don't talk anymore lol) and my mom (who cried ).

And carrots.

Smells like victory.

god that Bking is sexy..... ugh..... Would that I had the cash, threadstarter.

The way I see it, my bike is already for sale, specifically for one of these in the long run... or something similar to it, anyway. My current ride is newer (1990, though, so not THAT much newer) but it's mechanically in great shape. I could stay with mine and be very happy. New clutch, fresh oil and coolant, new front tire, etc etc. But I want something with a little more chutzpah and this fits the bill very nicely. Like I said, if I can't interest him in a trade, I have the cash for it. I just would prefer no muss-no fuss trade.

diet** sugar free** coca cola, that is.

Shaking some bolts in a liter of coca cola

I have some cash, but his bike is asking for less than the bottom-end KBB price on mine. If anything I should ask him to toss in three hunnert or so to sweeten the deal on my end lolz.

Now, a slightly more general question - what should I look for in the leaky tank that would say "you're better off leaving this one for the next sucker?"

Um.. psyco, don't really know where to start. You're making a LOT of assumptions (or whomever you quoted is). Either way, they're not all accurate points. With regard to payment, it's not fair that we've got to pay for others' healthcare already. What you seem not to understand is that we're currently running a 1.7 TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT at the current taxation rate. Obama has said publically, "we're out of money," and this is before the $500 billion+ dollar increase to the system to publically fund health care, create the infrastructure to pay for the thing, etc. Where is that money going to come from? Socialist health care programs don't work for countries of our scale. Period. Japan, with as good as their health care is, is only one-third the population size of the United States. Germany is less than that. France is barely 20% the size of our country. Britain is smaller than that. They've all got different governmental entities sorting out logistics problems. Even at that level, the wait times are literally killing people. Want a biopsy? Wait three months. Need a round of chemotherapy, but you're a bigger risk for not surviving the treatment process than the next guy in line? Sorry, government help denied. Next. The health care communities are literally replete with stories of people whose cancers progressed beyond treatment while they were waiting for diagnoses. In a country this size, it would be nightmarish. Your semi-final point, by the way, is incredibly short-sighted of you: "With the option of private healthcare, the rich will 'opt out' and costs will go up." This isn't necessarily true at all; although private healthcare is usually allowed in UHC nations (for good reasons), it doesn't have to decrease the taxes paid by all to support the public system! "Yeah, if you want good health care, you can pay twice. You don't get to complain; you're rich! What are you worried about?!" Let's punish the people who are successful so that citizens who can't succeed on their own can live longer. That's exactly what this country needs. Useless people living longer and successful people becoming overtaxed malcontents. So far, this administration has been either deliberately or unintentionally incorrect about virtually every prediction made thus far. Job losses, economic recovery, cost of government stimulus, effect of bailouts and governmental takeovers. Why do you people keep trusting that this is going to be any different?

JAPANESE CORPORATION You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains. Most are at the top of their class at cow school. rofl

Figures. He shows up on Top Gear as the Stig unmasked for an episode and all of a sudden he's back in racing. The man knows how to market himself!

He said that there were some dings and scratches but whether that's from a rock or a driveway is my question. I'm going to roll out and check the bike on Saturday morning, see what I can see.

That's the kind of news I like to hear.

I'm hoping. Guy says he's looking for a gold wing or a sporty bike, but I'm hoping I can trade him straight up, since mine's in mechanically perfect shape and.... his isn't..... lol.

Have tracked down a 1983 V65 Honda Magna..... have lusted after these for a while. Essentially, a 120-HP power cruiser, shaft-drive, six-speed, etc. The seller has it up, with 20,000 on the clock, for $1350. WHAT IT NEEDS: Carbs need cleaned. He says that the front caliper(s) is(are) sticking. The fuel tank is leaking. Note that I'm not sure if this is from seals or the petcock, or whether it's the tank itself with a hole. I'm not worried about the brakes - that in itself should be fairly inexpensive and a quick fix. I'll probably have my local shop do the carbs and a valve adjustment... unless I can get local help. I'm hopeless with machines and don't know the first thing about 'em. I am worried about the gas thanks, though. Them things are expensive as hell. What are my options with regard to the tank? I don't want to skip or shortcut because I'd rather not have my bike burn to the ground. But is there a way to fix a gas tank leak without the use of welding equipment (as I have no access to welding equipment or welders)?

Oh and 167XX miles on it.

Yo, Likwid, one of my coworkers is selling a V40 magna for $600. Mechanically it's in good shape... we just bled the clutch last thursday and it works fine... will need the carbs gone over or the throttle cable adjusted because the engine isn't dropping revs off effectively. Brakes are solid, transmission notches cleanly. Basically, it needs a solid derusting and cleaning. Will be great after that. Let me know if you want me to put you in touch with him.