chuck kottke

2 snowstorms in April, and 1 in May, on average..:P (It's fluffy melty snow, so no biggie!):laugh3: & good night, Sara :>

Well, the French army occupied America for a time during the American Revolution, but then the French King recalled them to France. So, if a popular uprising begins, with the intent to bring about greater rights and a just democracy, helping at some point isn't necessarily wrong (if a request is made), but in the end, one must leave it up to the people of the region, for it's their land, not ours. In our case, it was cunning diplomacy that saved us from being vassals of either the British or French Empires, but that was in the days of Empire.. I'm all for getting out, and letting self-determination and tribal agreements for power-sharing run the region. Assistance for basic infrastructure and general aid, plus a shift away from opium production by purchase and then guaranteed prices for food from farmers, with aid to the poorest, might change the dynamics there.. There has got to be a better way, but chaos may not be an answer either..

1964:P1960s Flashback-News1964

Major or Minor League Baseball has begun?? Hmm.. snowball baseball??:laugh3: My day was good, but punctuated with some sad news.. How was yours?

Truthfully, we can't win any war if it's not begun with the will of the people in the region, and led by them, with the purpose of improving society there by their own will. Precisely what the French did during our revolutionary war we would be wise to learn from (except for the bankruptcy part). But yes, I cannot see us having success, unless we go with encouraging grass-roots led governance in the region, and letting the Afghan people decide their own future. Self-determination of nations is best - it's all that's ever really worked well. I think we would be wise to perhaps purchase the opium and seeds produced directly from the farmers, and help with self-initiated irrigation projects and the like, so gradually the shift to sutainable agriculture can be made there, and a growing vibrant economy does help heal a lot of divisions and reduce violence in general.. Just an outside-the-box look;)

Such esoteric things - perhaps less obsessions with minor characteristics will bring people down to earth a bit more?? Must we forever be like the flamingos?:inquisitive: Shortness correlates with survival in a more northern climate, since shorter people loose less body heat, and conversely taller people do better in hot regions of the globe for the exact opposite reason. Also, while height has some advantages, it also makes the heart work harder to pump the blood all the way up and down the body. So, short people, on average, live longer. They may not be as good at slam dunks, but with longevity, they've got us beat!:laugh3:

The Hood? What's this a mafia thingy?:P The hood.. hmm..:thinking: must be a reference to "the boys in da hood"? I dunno - baffled a bit, but maybe not! Sometimes I get into battle mode, where I want to change the world - ever get like that??

Gweetings!:P How's everyone this fine evening/morning/afternoon/night (it's a planet!:lol:)

Anyhow, I suppose height can be a bit of a barrier.. it's never dawned on me though that it's really of any great significance in a relationship, unless one person has a harder time reaching the top shelf, and the other can put things in the lower shelves so much easier..

One advantage of silicon is that, given sufficient technological advancement, it frees us all up from resource-dependent locations - no more resource wars for oil, tantalum, etc.etc... Silicon is ubiquitous and plentiful... the cornucopia overfloweth..:)

True, Justin! The best pencils are the good ones - real wood, and well affixed leads.;) But a high quality mechanical pencil is nice too - not quite as "pointy", but quick when taking a test..

To Lore: Hello Strawberry Shortcake! Are you short and sweet??:P

:rolleyes:But Your in Barbados, so has the island been drifting towards England, & nobody noticed..:laugh3:

Hey yes, Solar Karaoke!:sunny: silicon, the result of a supernovae and re-condensation into planets,,

Briggins is right -..the Pen is mightier than the sword!:P This keyboard is the result of the successful marketing of a cheap Remington typewriter - the key layout was designed to make it difficult to type fast, and thus prevent the jamming of the hammers whilst typing. There were others (DVORAK, etc,) - some probably used elsewhere! Although, today's keyboard is the product of touchpads as well I'm guessing - numeric push-button switches that must have evolved into this type of keyboard we use today..

In the universal sense, there are no absolutes except the universal constants (speed of light, that kinda stuff). So, mechanical pencils could be either, depending on how you use them! (dot pictures would take a lot of time with them, though..). Same as wood pencils; analog just seems to denote 'yesterday's' technology today, I guess..:shrug::laugh3: To me, there will always be a place for the good old wood pencil - hefty, durable, smells of wood, and they're fun to sharpen! But the mechanical pencils are nice; all they use is the graphite leads, so in some ways, the greener option..

And silicon is related to Coldplay because (a) the solar cells need "daylight", and *b) the sun is all "Yellow", therefore, a definite connection! Here comes the sun, du du du du, here comes the sun; and I say... it's allright!

Which is the greener option??:thinking::P

Well, now that's better! Ringo really is a better singer than a drummer, anyhow!:P When will they perform with Coldplay, Lore? Check out this John Lennon Impersonator!:[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssBNmHObev0&feature=channel_page]Elton John-Imagine[/ame]

And since some of my ancestors came from the Germanic tribes that invaded the British Isles eons ago, thereby mixing with the native population, I am naturally related to Chris Martin as well then!:smug: When's the family picnic?:laugh3:

Life in the fishbowl - I wonder if anyone could ever get used to that..:rolleyes::dozey:

There are some studies where mice who were fed a diet of high-fructose corn syrup had very short lives (compared to the mice fed ordinary sucrose sugar).. I suppose one might argue that we're not mice, but often the mammalian similarities are such that there could be a connection. So, go for the water! Or, maybe the papaya orange mango ginseng spritzer??:P Please look at this for more info. on high fructose corn syrup:The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup

Nah, we're just being our usual ridiculous selves;) Sorry to be so comical, and I'm glad you've got a connection - I can see how that makes it all the more special.;) & Never mind me - I just forget sometimes to consider how someone else feels; Coldplay are, after all, all about sensing compassion towards one another, a quality sorely lacking in this world.:) Chris really is a great guy, and I wish you all the best when you meet him.;)

:wideeyed:Of course I love mashed potatoes!! Do you think Tarsier's are cute??