What "far more likely" means is that I was saying that it seemed more probable that in THIS case (which, um, didn't involve drm or censorship), THIS woman was murdered rather than committed suicide, and in contrast I did NOT say or imply or hint at:

"we can pretend that all those drat darn conservative jerks must have been trying to cover their sneaky selves so that they could continue to push drm and censorship and keep causing all the problems in the world because it must be their fault"

And in fact I clearly said that we'll never know who did it, if it wasn't suicide, and there are doubtless Democrat Senators who also had a vested interest in these women shutting up permanently.

I went on to say that, in spite of this, it's Republicans who yammer about sexual morality while getting caught doing the nasty, and then continue to yammer.

The meeting of the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative was called to order at 7:03 PM.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative were reviewed and approved.

The chairman asked if there was any new business.

Committeeman Roger Elmwood proposed a motion that the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative should seek out ways to promote itself as pompous, prudish and buffoonish, and therefore distracted from its original mission.

The motion was seconded. Committeeman Ernest Coker objected to the word "buffoonish" and it was stricken from the proposal, based on his understanding that the word had a vaguely licentious connotation. He suggested that it be replaced by the word "stupidheaded", but this was rejected on the grounds that it wasn't a word.

A vote was taken and the proposal was approved by a unanimous vote of 11-0.

Committeeman Elmwood said that he would immediately seek out efficacious means for putting the new resolution into practice.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:11 PM.

@52 Do you know what the phrase "it's far more likely" means?

Well this thread went all over the place. To get back to the original topic, I'd say it's far more likely that this woman was silenced and did not commit suicide. I won't blame just Republicans, because I have no doubt there are Democrat Senator johns who also want their reputations protected, and there's no telling just who was behind this (and we'll almost certainly never know).

But it's the Republicans who yammer and yammer and yammer about family values while frantically shoving their filibusters into every signing order they can pin down. And get caught repeatedly. And continue to yammer.

I can almost hear one of them making a tearful confession of hanging the madam, and then changing his mind later and saying, "No, no, I was actually struggling to keep her from hanging herself, and in fact, she was actually trying to hang me, yeah that's the ticket...and so that's why I won't resign."

*pause*

"Support the troops!"

Also, a course on photographing sexual humiliation.

@140 Wow, Kibble, way to totally, totally miss the gist of what was being said.

*smacking self in forehead*

@107

"but I don't want science to discard morality out of hand"

Evolution doesn't "discard" morality. Evolution describes patterns in descent and how species change over generations. Morality is neither defended nor attacked by evolution. Just as morality is neither defended nor attacked by gravity, radiation, and the laws of thermodynamics. Darwin--this may come as a shock to you--never said, "Let's use my theory of evolution to wreak havoc on people I arbitrarily declare to be inferior."

"Soundbites are easy. Real understanding of the problems we are faced with is hard."

Careful, that's a double-edged sword you're swinging.

I BUILT the land bridge.

Pwned!

Iz in ur gas m3t3r now lol

"The only thing that online or offline games teach kids is how to play games. People who inflate the educational value of game playing are misinformed."

The only thing that broad generalizations teach kids is how to make broad generalizations. People who inflate the educational value of broad generalizations are misinformed.

I can name at least a dozen games that have been educational for me, starting with chess.

Not all games are Grand Theft Auto.

All species will eventually evolve into Wilford Brimley.

Incidentally, I'm furious with Newton for his so-called "theory of gravity." (Henceforth to be referred to only in snide tones as "Newtonism.") Or am I missing some component of compassion? I jump off a cliff and I fall to my death.

THANK YOU ISAAC NEWTON!

"If man evolves through natural selection, then when weak are culled the health of our species is improved."

That is what NAZIS said. NOT Darwin. He didn't talk about "improving" the "health" of the human race. He talked about adaptation that increases the chance for survival of species. Nazis (and others) twisted that into eugenics. That isn't science, it's a kind of cultish religion.

Darwin--this may come as a shock to you--at no point said, "We should use my theory of evolution to exterminate people I decide arbitrarily to be inferior."

"Thats not the Earths shadow on the Moon?"

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh boy.

Yes I remember reading in the bible where Moses said that Jupiter and Saturn are there to protect us from asteroids, and he was right too, judging by the size of that crater hole down in the Yucatan, which is obviously a snare of Satan.

You know, Snare of Satan would be a pretty cool band name. But it would put attention on the drummer, when in fact it belongs on the guitar player.

(As we read in the Book of Clapton.)

Jake0748, feel free to use that joke just as much as you want, but I warn you that it's very old, especially among musicians, and it's usually, "Do you know how to get a bass player off your doorstep?"

Musicians will see the similarity between bass players and creationists right away. (Bass players wont'.)

I demand that you not pay attention to me!

Do you know how to get a creationist off your doorstep?

Pay for the pizza.

I suspect that #17 just wants to be loved.

Nuh uh.

Soon we'll have sets for post-holocaust SF movies on every street corner.

It doesn't say "You are a fool for believing in a higher power." You came up with that one on your own.

However, I'm not one to question your beliefs!

Evolution *is* adaptation. Evolution is *not* a Flying Spaghetti Monster pushing his hand down from inside a cloud, pointing, and saying, "ZOT!!!"

And because they've made a deep commitment to becoming a better them.

"It's Just a Completely Pre-Existing Alimentary Canal with Minor Changes," ISBN 83673463-1034.

So wait a minute, these lizards have learned how to make air conditioners?

The future is filled with hordes of pharmaceutically-programmed bounty hunters who track down peace-loving herb smokers and eat them.

Also "Deal or No Deal" is still on three nights a week.

I have never bought any DRM music.

And I never, ever, ever will.

Why didn't Mickey try to off himself with a mouse trap?

God I hope so.

He was in a public place. As evidenced by the mea culpa from the police department. If a band performs in public, they've given up venue rights. Would it also be illegal to take a photo of a band member as he walks down the street?

And a tiny digital camera of today can have about as much photograph-taking potential as a big SLR. The size of the camera is irrelevant.

What the hell?!? I don't see Bender in there!

More people need to step up and say, "Put me in jail, but I'm not deleting my pictures because you tell me to. I've done nothing wrong."

Lghtn p FNRF. Shsh. K s w hv t vd nvsv spcs, bt y cmbnd vl Bg Tbcc, clgcl ctstrph, chp gmmckry nd mpty-hdd lbrl tr-hggng d-gdrsm nt th smpl ct f sndng crd nd plntng sd. t's nt lk w'r sndng crds wth tmc zmb bll wvl ggs.

lthgh nw tht thnk bt t, tht wld mk Mthr rth s vry hppy....

You mean there's a backup dancer growing out of her back?!?

I wrote her a letter telling her, in essence, that if she doesn't understand that this is a country where people are free to hold and express their views, then she is the one who shouldn't be in the public forum.

But I have to say that those of you who are surprised probably don't know much about Illinois and Chicago politics. We specialize in state and local politicians who are certifiably ignorant and rabid, if not insane. Also, Sherman has been a highly effective gadfly over the last few decades. It's not surprising that some of the more narrow-minded politicians can't help but snap when they come into contact with him.

"Professional courtesy" is the new corruption.

Yes but the dinosaurs played WoW and now they're all dead.

NOW DO YOU SEE, AT LONG LAST?

The doctor told me I should only drink 45 minutes before bedtime.

(Offstage:) Well, did you take his advice?

I tried, but after half an hour I had to stop.

Wow, a thread on global warming that's full of condescending explanations of what the idiots on the other side refuse to recognize as The Obvious Truth, not to mention a couple of visits from the grammar Nazis.

You could knock me over with a feather.

I know several people who would respond to this story by saying, "Hey, if you're not doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about. Only criminals are always crying about their rights."

Or at least that's how they responded to many similar stories in the past.

That same elephant was asked to paint Westminster Hall, at which point it was wrestled to the ground by a team of anti-terror stormtroopers and thrown into a holding cell.

If you make drilling holes for satellite dishes with guns illegal, then only criminals will drill holes for satellite dishes with guns.

Routing out sewage lines with guns will remain a gray area.

I guess I'm stingy, because even if I see a movie that I like, I can barely see the experience being equal to the $35 or so it costs for two tickets, popcorn and soda.

$70 for two tickets, plus (presumably) at least another $30, if not another $100, for fancy-schmancy refreshments? I think not.

Pair this story with the one not too long ago about the $15 cups of coffee.

Now, do they make this in the shape of a race car?

RUN, FORREST, RUN! I AM GARY SINISTAR! MWAHAHAHA!

When I, a slouching gigglepuss of low repute, read a thread like this, and I see the link called "Discuss" at the bottom, I feel like a basset hound dreaming about huge fat squirrels drifting by in NFL slo-mo with "Bite Me" signs around their necks.

In other news, scientists have discovered that the star Alpha-Centauri has a massive solar flare that appears to spell "Psycho".

Neighboring stars have spewed their Oolong tea in alarm and ordered the staff to bring in the lawn furniture and close the shutters, quickly now before the children see.

Don't forget to put the SP50 on your nose and the tops of your ears.

A guy in my little burg is in his late 30's, and physically fit...in fact, buff. He favors tight jeans, tight muscle shirts, a large pirate-style earring and dark sunglasses (even inside a dimly-lit night club) to complement the giant spider tattoos on both forearms, the "biker gang" tattoos (complete with skulls and daggers!) on the upper arms, and the spiderweb tattoo that covers one entire side of his shaved head.

This "gang" is composed, other than this guy, of the most risible bunch of potbellied, walrush-mustachio'ed, red-nosed, sad-clown-eyed fiftyish drunks you've ever seen. In fact, "Git R Dun" above would fit right in.

Imagine if there were a Mayberry in hell, and it had a biker gang. Ernest T. Bass and Otis are founding members of course, but this tattoo-guy would be the city slicker who rolls into town to stir up the locals and tempt Barney to join the dark side.

(I suppose I'm Floyd the barber.)

Every day the world I live in looks a little bit more like a Mad Max movie.

Has it occurred to anyone else that this guy's story might be a story? "Uh yeah, sure, I bought you that 12 thousand dollar ring you wanted, and, uh...it...it floated away! Yeah, that's the ticket!"