In Reply: Attack The Act And The Actors, But Leave The Generalizing Out Of It

In reply to: Notes from the Cab: I Must Admit That I Am Sick of Mohammedans
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I'll go this far, with ya... I'm sick of the ones who murder and maim in the name of Islam, that's for sure...

I just can't see how one gets from being opposed to Wahhabi terrorism to believing that it is being a Muslim that is evil, rather than being a fundamentalist fanatic and murderer. To do so, one has to believe that all Muslims are Wahhabi fundamentalists, but this isn't borne out by the facts.

While it seems like a whole lot of the widely reported murders allegedly/actually committed by Muslims have a fanatical "religious" motivation, the vast majority of Muslims have never committed any violent act in the name of their faith or in any way supported those who do. And considering that more people worldwide identify as Muslim than they do any other religious faith, that's saying something. I just find it awful hard to believe that it is being Muslim that makes one a fanatical murderer, and that most of 'em are just playing possum, waiting for the right time to strike.
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Posted MARCH 3, 2011 2:32 AM, "Notes..." blog time

In Reply: Petrol Politics

In reply to Notes from the Cab: The Road to Hell...:
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"It is long past time to secure our own energy supply by beginning an aggressive exploration and drilling program frankly regardless of any short term adverse environmental impact."

Adverse environmental impacts are seldom short term. I'm not saying that that means we shouldn't do more exploration and drilling here in the US, but we cannot disregard the environmental impact involved in deciding where and how to do so, whether they be short or long term.

I'm not sure we actually can completely free ourselves from purchasing foreign oil at all, or whether it would be advantageous for us to do so, economically... ...and even if we can, it won't be anytime soon.

We do need oil, and we should be producing more of our own, but we cannot disregard the environmental impact--which ultimately, becomes a human impact--of doing so. I believe that we need to weigh the benefits and costs of every site, and make decisions that we can ultimately live with.

Obviously, I don't support wars for oil or to limit the price of oil here in the US... but if American citizens working oil fields in foreign lands are threatened, we do need to defend them from attack.
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Posted FEBRUARY 27, 2011 6:41 PM

In reply: Pizza and Fruit Loops

In reply to Notes from the Cab: Pizza for the Proles, and the following portions in particular: 1) About fruit loops (sorta):

One of the funniest things I have heard lately were some Wisconsin fruit loops comparing their "plight" to those protestors in the Middle East. C'mon. Get real. When the Wisconsin Air Guard stafes your "encampments" then perhaps I will put some stock in that claim. Until then? STFU.

and 2) about pizza, the food of the Gods:

Now I have lived in the environs of NYC back in my younger days. Spent a summer as a communications op with the Coast Guard right there across the channel from Queens. Busy busy busy does not describe it. Very little time off. I did get into "the city" as often as I could though. One thing I noticed was that there was a pizza joint on every corner. Seems like every grocery or drug store had a small pizza oven in the back. Damn good pizza sure. Some of the best I have every tasted was in those days. Since moving to Houston however I can tell you that there are some pizza joints here that are every bit as good as those in the NY/NJ area. Every bit as good! Why? Because there are people who have escaped the environs of that particular region of the country and have opened up shop down here. That they brought with them their pizza recipes goes without saying. So the next time I hear someone talk about NY pizza or even Chicago style for that matter, I will say to them "We have just as good down here." They won't believe me of course, but that is their problem.
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My reply:

Regarding the "fruit loops:" You know who also said that, right?
Rep. Paul Ryan On Wisconsin Protests: "Like Cairo Moved To Madison" That was from 2/17. Fox's Judge Napolitano said it, as well. (Forgive me for being too lazy to dig up a video.)

I trust you find them as ridiculous as you do the Wisconsinites who drew that particular analogy.

While I get where you're coming from, I fear you're misunderstanding the concept of analogies. The whole idea is to compare two things that are not exactly the same, and to draw conclusions based on the few similarities they do have. The fact is, people far more often compare apples to oranges than they do apples to apples, because in the latter case, there is no real comparison to be made. An apple isn't like an apple; an apple is an apple.)

So, while it's true that no one is taking shots at them from the air (so far, anyway... I understand a government official (former, after such talk) has suggested using live ammo to deal with the WI protesters), there are ways in which the protests in Madison are like the protests in Cairo. I don't think it's all that ridiculous to talk about those similarities, as long as one isn't suggesting that the two protests are exactly the same, or that the folks in WI are under the same kind of threats (or as brave, or that the situation is as dire) as the folks in Cairo were under.

Nice place you have here, BC... Hope you don't mind my visiting, given the number of times you've been to my blog. If I may, though, one word:

Paragraphs.

'nuff said.
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Posted FEBRUARY 24, 2011 2:08 AM "Notes..." blog time
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Oh, and regarding the pizza... You are correct.

I don't believe you.

There's just something about the water here in NY that helps make the best dang pizza (& bagels) in the US... I'm not going to say TX pizza is bad (especially since I've never had it), but every bit as good? I just find that awful hard to believe...

I'm out on Long Island, and even that far away (not far, for those unaware), the pizza isn't quite as good as in NYC. Still awful good, but not that thin crust, well-seasoned NYC pizza... There really is nothing like it, in my humble...

Obviously, you are welcome to disagree, but... ...well... There's no other way to say it; You're just wrong. 8>)
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Posted FEBRUARY 24, 2011 2:22 AM "Notes..." blog time