Gideon MacLeish

Reply to Monopolies Can Be Good -- For a Time in Misc JoeUser Forums

[quote]Monopolies are great when you own all the railroads and utilities. They're even better when you have hotels on all of your property. It's even better when you're friends with the banker and they'll slip you a $500 when things are tight. Whose idea was it to have an electric banker? That takes all the fun out of it. [/quote] I like to control a corner. Seems you get a higher percentage of folks landing there. I especially like to get Baltic and Mediterranean early because they

Reply to The Golden Compass in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]" to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable."[/quote] They're not trying to suppress or delete anything, just encouraging people not to attend. And in order to censor, one must have the authority to censor. The Catholic Church lacks that power. Or do you feel we HAVE to see every movie that comes out, or be guilty of censorship?

Reply to The Golden Compass in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]Whenever you willingly comply with a group to censor a work of creativity, no matter how crude or distasteful or seemingly valueless to you, you deconstruct the of free speech and expression. [/quote] I disagree. A boycott is not censorship. They're not lobbying the government to shut down the film, heck they're not even lobbying theatre owners not to show the film (which is again not censorship!) Censorship happens when the government bans the public exhibition of a for

Reply to The Golden Compass in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]That is promoting censorship not education. [/quote] No, censorship is if the government banned its distribution. The Catholic League is providing nothing of the sort. They are simply educating parents as to their opinion. [quote]I haven't yet read any of the books myself, so I can only speak from this source of secondhand information, but it would appear that, if the books are all translated faithfully into celluloid, Catholics and others might have much to be offe

Reply to The Irony of Political Correctness in Misc JoeUser Forums

[quote]I think that PC was created so that the liberal elite could still judge people while claiming to be open minded and care about people. [/quote] I agree...some years back, when the move "The Other Sister" came out, one of my clients and I were discussing a movie review by Roger Ebert that we'd seen. In the review, Ebert panned the actors because they didn't "act" like they were developmentally disabled. My client wrinkled his nose and said "what do developmentally disable

Reply to Monopolies Can Be Good -- For a Time in Misc JoeUser Forums

[quote]The grumbling you hear is from the technically adept, not the normal user, and yes, most of them will explore alternatives. [/quote] No, I hear grumbling from normal users, and as you know, I'm in a position to know.

Reply to Why Romney's Mormon Faith Should be a PLUS for Conservatives in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]I'm always impressed to see your defenses of Romney, Gid. I know you and I don't see eye to eye doctrinally (or politically very often), but at least we can agree on the way that Christ wants us to live, right?[/quote] Very much so. One of my pet peeves is ex-Mormons who go on a mission to "rescue" Mormons. I've found their propaganda to be nothing more than lies, half truths, and ridiculous exaggerations. I've also lived long enough to learn that doctrinal and political

Reply to Rudy & The Rest in Politics JoeUser Forums

Because of this article, I took a look at the new Rasmussen polls. While he is still far behind Huckabee, I am pleased to note Ron Paul moved past John McCain, and is now one of the "big five" (Huckabee, Romney, Guiliani, and Thompson being the other four). I'm kind of hoping his fundraising skills and populist support will cause the GOP nominee to consider Paul as a VP candidate, and his entry into the top five makes that at least a tad bit more likely.

The Irony of Political Correctness in Misc JoeUser Forums

Locamama wrote an article about political correctness recently. The idea was that it was a good thing, and, of course, opinions of all stripes were offered. As a larger than average person, I have my own perspective, as obesity is one trait against which it is still politically correct to discriminate. I don't want someone to come up with a "quaint" term to describe what I am. I am what I am, and that is FAT. A cutesy term doesn't change that fact, it doesn't change what I see when I

Reply to Officially Old! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]I know they're expensive, but a CPAP machine works wonders. [/quote] Yeah, The problem is, I'm switching jobs to go to work on my bachelor's, so I'll be without insurance again for awhile (hoping that is resolved as quickly as possible). Usually, I hvae found that when I have problems with sleep apnea, it's a result of my poor eating and sleeping habits. If I keep my weight in the 250-270 range (I'm currently above that right now), eat my "big" meal as a midday meal rath

Why Romney's Mormon Faith Should be a PLUS for Conservatives in Politics JoeUser Forums

I am not a Mitt Romney fan. I personally am not supporting him in the primaries, and I wouldn't consider him on my top two or three ideal candidates out of the field. Yet if he wins the GOP nomination, he stands a better than even chance at winning my "lesser of two evils" prize, and I find it curious that most of the religious right has not endorsed him as their candidate. As many of you know, I have a love/hate relationship with Mormonism as the faith of my upbringing, a fai

Reply to Officially Old! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]By the way Gid, do you happen to suffer from Sleep Apnea? There is a link between it and gout.[/quote] Yeah, I did read that and thank you for pointing that out. I have found that the more controlled my weight, the less problem I have with sleep apnea. I've also found that this time of year, keeping the air humid helps with the apnea, so we have to make sure to keep a pan of water on the wood stove.

Reply to Officially Old! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Well, I'm looking at it this way, terp. It's a lot friendlier of a wake up call than a heart attack or stroke. Incidentally, I WAS proud of one thing today. My blood pressure, which I have historically wrestled with, was a respectable, if imperfect, 130/70

Reply to The Golden Compass in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]Why not, because the bible is better fantasy than a talking polar bear wearing a full plate? [/quote] I strongly believe parents have a right to educate their children to their values, Dan, and I'm fairly sure that's another area where we agree. I don't think there's a right or wrong position on this one for parents. I, for one, am glad there's discussion on it, and I may screen the movie at some point for appropriateness for my children if it draws any interest whatsoever, but I

Reply to The Golden Compass in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]Yeah, let's shelter everyone from everything that might cause them to think differently.[/quote] You know, zoologist, there's two sides to the coin here. On the one hand, I'm glad the Catholic League is educating people about this movie. It contains themes some parents might not appreciate, and it allows parents to not go in blindsided. While my kids won't be seeing this movie at this point, I actually see the benefit of it, and acknowledge its appropriate place. There's

Reply to Officially Old! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

[quote]I got a bad pinched nerve (and my leg swelled up) from spending too much time behind the screen...I used to sit in one position for hours...now I go on walks...plenty of mountain out this side and there will be plenty of walks in England. What sort of meds are you taking for this ? Are there some erbal rub ons to help with it as well...? [/quote] Tramadol and Indomethacin. Incidentally a combo that just gave me a rather good nap. Can't say I'm ready to run a marathon, but I do fe

Officially Old! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

This weekend I unwittingly got a glimpse of my future, and it ain't pretty. It started Friday morning, when I had a tightness in my right knee. My right knee is arthritic to begin with, and rain was in the forecast, so I just chalked it up to life's aches and pains. By Saturday morning, it was clear that it was more than that. The knee had swollen somewhat, and I limped through the day with an Ace bandage wrapped joint. When I came home at night, the pain had worsened, and I c

Reply to Unnecessary Force in Humor JoeUser Forums

Priceless....that is uber cool. I wunnder if they have any dinosaur movies that Quinn and Joshua could star in? LOL

Monopolies Can Be Good -- For a Time in Misc JoeUser Forums

As the debate on Vista grows from the angry to the comical, I am beginning to notice an interesting trend. More people that I speak with about computing have expressed an interest in trying alternative operating systems and hardware. In fact, I am of the opinion that in 5-6 years' time, you'll be able to walk into your local electronics store and choose between a variety of operating systems, all with approximately equal levels of functionality. Games, again in my perfect little world, will b

No Christmas for YOU! in Current Events JoeUser Forums

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071130/ap_on_fe_st/odd_where_s_christmas;_ylt=Aqg0kMUSBiEI.2tbGayQ9wQZ.3QA A Spokane Public Schools calendar recently sent out had an important omission on it: Although Kwanzaa, Human Rights Day, Hannukah, and Eid al-adha made the cut, Christmas was conspicuously absent. The school is calling it an error of omission, and, frankly, I

Reply to Here We Go Again with The Flipflops! in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]The sad truth is that overwhelmingly these illegals are needed in our workforce because the rest of us established, arrogant citizens are too educated to do menial tasks. [/quote] I know many Americans who would be HAPPY to do construction, roofing, landscaping, meat packing...jobs that pay reasonable salaries but which have been farmed out increasingly to illegals. But let's keep stereotyping illegals as fruit pickers and hotel maids. I guess it's only racism when the RIGHT ste

Reply to Here We Go Again with The Flipflops! in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]A man after my own heart. Now I have someone else on JU to take my side when I am told to quit with the "poor Pedro" stories. I don't think people risk death to come to our country without good cause. [/quote] OK, I have to step in here, Loca. You're caricaturing our response, and I, for one, find it offensive. Not one of us has said we don't feel sympathy for people in Third World countries. I agree with Daiwa that compassion doesn't mean be stupid and open the borders

Reply to So, what did you click on to get here? in Internet JoeUser Forums

shoulda read closer...hehe I use IE7 at work (the only one that's approved), FireFox at home.

Reply to So, what did you click on to get here? in Internet JoeUser Forums

I went the reverse route of many. I found JU well before I found WC. JU is my home page, because it's where I spend most of my time. The forum feels like "home", and the users on here really have become a sort of family (although at times, a slightly dysfunctional one).

Reply to A roast is a roast... in Blogging JoeUser Forums

[quote]are you suggesting I'm being biased because I'm South African and therefore feel superior?[/quote] No, I'm saying that you are letting the fact that this individual is a countryman blind you as to what HE does to others. I was completely indifferent to him until he and his little buddy let personal theological differences form the basis for a rather nasty attack against me. And the way he has treated other people on this site only add to that. Aeryck also let lo