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Dracko
a sapphist fool
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:39 pm |
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| psiga wrote: |
| Maybe you're supposed to use colors to highlight which parts of the text are jingoistic, which are lies, which are racist, etc.! |
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Mr. Mechanical
ontological terrorist
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Scare Room 99
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:46 pm |
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(Reuters) - The attorney-general of the Syrian city of Hama said in a video posted on YouTube on Wednesday he had resigned in protest at the crackdown on pro-democracy protests, but authorities said he had been kidnapped.
| Khaled Yacoub Oweis wrote: |
"I, Judge Adnan Mohammad al-Bakkour, Hama province Attorney-General, declare that I have resigned in protest of the savage regime's practices against peaceful demonstrators," Bakkour said in a YouTube video released by activists.
An independent lawyer said the person who appeared in the video was Bakkour.
"What Syrian television is broadcasting about me being kidnapped by armed groups is totally false. I am in the protection of rebel inhabitants and in good health, today, Wednesday, 31 August. I will give live statements once I leave Syria soon," he said.
Syrian authorities expelled foreign media after pro-democracy street protests broke out in March, making it difficult to events in the country.
If confirmed, Bakkour's resignation would be the first high profile defection in the-five month uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
The official state news agency said on Monday that Bakkour had been kidnapped as he was traveling to work in a car on an agricultural road to the Justice Palace in Hama.
The agency said seven armed men in a Toyota pick-up truck intercepted Bakkour and kidnapped him with his driver and bodyguard as he was passing the village of Karnaz.
Bakkour, said in another video released earlier on Wednesday that he had resigned because security forces killed 72 imprisoned protesters and activists at Hama's central jail on the eve of the a military assault on the city on July 31, which he said killed at least another 420 people, many of whom were buried in mass graves in public parks.
Bakkour said the 72 prisoners were buried in Khaldiyia village in rural Hama near a Military Intelligence branch, which tried to pressure him to write a report that the other 420 people killed in the assault on the city were killed by armed groups, whom the authorities also blame for most killings across the country. |
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| internisus wrote: |
| You are a pretty fucked up guy. |
True Doom Murder Junkies - Updated On Occasion |
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Ronk
saucy Scott Pilgrim fanfic
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
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Toto
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Australia
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psiga
saudade
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:15 am |
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Very interesting indeed. While I'm sure that the Other Side would be able to formulate a compelling counter-perspective, I still sympathize with the roots of this article, and detest that large corporate powers withhold data that would otherwise tell us what's wrong with an ailing system.
“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.”
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psiga
saudade
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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spinach
hardline radical martian
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA!
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Tulpa
Joined: 31 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:27 pm |
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| psiga wrote: |
http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/58245-team-produces-weird-optical-phenomena-and-rewrites-the-rules-of-refr
Neeeeat. New paradigm in optical physics. Negative index of refraction now easy, they say. Although unmentioned in the piece, I suspect that it will also lead to flatter camera lenses and such. |
probably really lightweight glasses lenses too.
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Swimmy
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 3:11 am |
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Conditional on this working out more generally, this is probably the biggest medical breakthrough since. . . uh, antibiotics or vaccines, take your pick.
Short story: it's a potential cure for all viruses. Obviously there are caveats, you can read for yourself. I don't think I've ever read a potential medical breakthrough I more hoped to work out. I know they usually don't.
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Swimmy
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 3:25 am |
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BTW, wanted to say something about this:
| psiga wrote: |
~Hooray for allowing psychopaths to climb the ranks of organizations that should otherwise call for empathy and ethical behavior.~
If we don't let the minority of people with the genetically imposed disability of red-green color confusion become fighter pilots, then why on earth do we let etc etc I'm going to sleep |
In a conversation with my fiancée's father, a lifelong bureaucrat, I said that I was a pacifist, that the evidence required to overcome the presumption against war is extremely high, and that I was therefore quite unhappy with Barack Obama (escalation in Afghanistan, a second fake end to Iraq, bombing Libya, and shadow wars in Pakistan and Yemen). He responded that he understood, but he felt like Obama had handled the Libya situation well--there was an international consensus, of sorts, on action, there were calculations about body counts with/without intervention, and politically, it was justifiable/appealing to voters.
Two problems, which I thought of later: the calculations about body counts are bullshit, because we don't know what will happen with Gaddafi gone. If Libya is even remotely like Egypt, guess what? After their revolution, they'll still be a horrible military dictatorship.
The bigger problem, in my view, is appealing to voters, international or national, to justify war.
I say: if the voters want a president who brings death and carnage and murder, then that is no fucking moral excuse for any president. You won't get reelected if you don't murder the shit out of people? Then the only moral thing to do is to not get reelected. You're a goddamn monster any other way.
The counterpart: as long as voters do want death and carnage and murder, then the only people who will get elected (and especially reelected) are those who are goddamn monsters.
So yes, we have psychopaths climbing to the tops of our organizations that should require empathy and morals and such, but that is the only way it can possibly be, as long as voters are happy with bombing the darkies. (Remember that, before the big popularity decline late in Bush's career, the Iraq war was popular and supported across bipartisan lines.)
On average, we want criminals in office.
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psiga
saudade
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:53 pm |
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On average "we" also conform to peer pressure, if the Asch Conformity experiment and Milgram experiment are valid on a national scale. The game is broken, broken. I'd like to spend more time researching this topic, and what we may be able to do about it -- but it's just one of so many things to keep looking into, so~
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Adilegian
Rogue Scholar
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Q*Bert Killscreen Nightmare
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Talbain
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:48 pm |
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Big media corporations wouldn't laud such releases of information. While I worry for the whistleblowers' safety, it is a sad state of affairs that they must worry so.
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Mr. Mechanical
ontological terrorist
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Scare Room 99
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:19 pm |
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Greenwald had a pretty good summary of the whole affair: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/09/02/wikileaks/index.html
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| This incident is unfortunate in the extreme for multiple reasons: it's possible that diplomatic sources identified in the cables (including whistleblowers and human rights activists) will be harmed; this will be used by enemies of transparency and WikiLeaks to disparage both and even fuel efforts to prosecute the group; it implicates a newspaper, The Guardian, that generally produces very good and responsible journalism; it likely increases political pressure to impose more severe punishment on Bradley Manning if he's found guilty of having leaked these cables; and it will completely obscure the already-ignored, important revelations of serious wrongdoing from these documents. It's a disaster from every angle. But as usual with any controversy involving WikiLeaks, there are numerous important points being willfully distorted that need clarification. |
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| internisus wrote: |
| You are a pretty fucked up guy. |
True Doom Murder Junkies - Updated On Occasion |
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Talbain
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
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glossolalia
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
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Mr. Mechanical
ontological terrorist
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Scare Room 99
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:46 am |
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That was a good and satisfying read but one guy leaving doesn't really mean much. Would be nice if we started seeing more of the not-insane members of the GOP get out in the same manner though.
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| internisus wrote: |
| You are a pretty fucked up guy. |
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Mr. Mechanical
ontological terrorist
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Scare Room 99
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:59 am |
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No idea how real this guy is about running for President or whatever but his video is another good and satisfying thing to consume.
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| internisus wrote: |
| You are a pretty fucked up guy. |
True Doom Murder Junkies - Updated On Occasion |
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Dracko
a sapphist fool
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
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Shiren the Launderer
Joined: 25 Sep 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:51 pm |
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| psiga wrote: |
| Maybe you're supposed to use colors to highlight which parts of the text are jingoistic, which are lies, which are racist, etc.! |
lil cia staffer's first redaction book
watch out for FOIA requests! |
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Shiren the Launderer
Joined: 25 Sep 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:55 pm |
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| Mr. Mechanical wrote: |
No idea how real this guy is about running for President or whatever but his video is another good and satisfying thing to consume. |
Just imagine: an Art Instruction Schools alumni in the White House!  |
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Mr. Mechanical
ontological terrorist
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: Scare Room 99
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:34 pm |
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My name is... Joe Mason.. M.D. I'm a country doctor... and I want... to talk to you.... about getting an art degree.
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| internisus wrote: |
| You are a pretty fucked up guy. |
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evnvnv
hapax legomenon
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: the los angeles
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:29 pm |
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though perhaps some good will come of being able to get away with murdering someone because of unwanted flirtation
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The text will not live forever. The cup are small |
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allensmithee
polyglamorous
Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Location: wherever it is, im dying to get out
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:38 pm |
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So, yeah, according to the CBC, a majority of votes in the states on a poll said that they'd feel safer if Muslims wore special identification.
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Isfet
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: A New York
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Adilegian
Rogue Scholar
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Q*Bert Killscreen Nightmare
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:17 pm |
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| evnvnv wrote: |
though perhaps some good will come of being able to get away with murdering someone because of unwanted flirtation |
Yes, also that the function of authority in a school setting should be directed toward protecting the larger student body from individual idiosyncrasies rather than protecting different kids from bullying.
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elvis.shrugged
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:30 am |
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As someone who wants to teach social studies on the secondary level, I can't begin to describe how sick that makes me feel.
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last.fm
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Talbain
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:30 am |
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| elvis.shrugged wrote: |
| As someone who wants to teach social studies on the secondary level, I can't begin to describe how sick that makes me feel. |
Wait til' you meet the PTA!
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CubaLibre
the road lawyer
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Balmer
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:26 am |
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I'm not exactly sure what it is you're not surprised about.
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psiga
saudade
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 10:54 pm |
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Just a little late, m'lady. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/02/mi5-war-on-terror-criticism
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Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, delivered a withering attack on the invasion of Iraq, decried the term "war on terror", and held out the prospect of talks with al-Qaida.
[...]
Young Arabs, she said, had no opportunity to choose their own rulers. "For them an external enemy was a unifying way to address some of their frustrations."They were also united by the plight of Palestinians, a view that the west was exploiting their oil and supporting dictators. "It was wrong to say all terrorists belonged to al-Qaida" |
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Adilegian
Rogue Scholar
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Q*Bert Killscreen Nightmare
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 3:22 am |
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| psiga wrote: |
Just a little late, m'lady. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/02/mi5-war-on-terror-criticism
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Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, delivered a withering attack on the invasion of Iraq, decried the term "war on terror", and held out the prospect of talks with al-Qaida.
[...]
Young Arabs, she said, had no opportunity to choose their own rulers. "For them an external enemy was a unifying way to address some of their frustrations."They were also united by the plight of Palestinians, a view that the west was exploiting their oil and supporting dictators. "It was wrong to say all terrorists belonged to al-Qaida" |
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Better late than never?
It's at least heartening to know that someone apparently looking at the situation critically for the first time has the clarity to say, "WHAT THE HELL GUYS."
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sawtooth
heh
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: flashback
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:21 am |
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If that's the first time she looked at the situation critically, she must have been slacking pretty hard at her job.
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Last edited by sawtooth on Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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sawtooth
heh
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: flashback
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:24 am |
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and what a politically safe thing to do, now that bush and blair are out of office, to replace the neoconservative case for war with the neoliberal one
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Take It Sleazy
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
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Toto
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:44 am |
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A shame this was cancelled under political pressure.
A real insight into what's happening in the region. A child can't really play political mind games at all. Some of these things I post are old news to people itt. Sorry dudes. |
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CubaLibre
the road lawyer
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Balmer
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:11 am |
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RESPONSIBILITY! FREEDOM!
Congressman, are you saying society should just let him die?
..........No..........
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sawtooth
heh
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: flashback
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:53 am |
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life imitates art? http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0902-drug-professor-20110902,0,5024438.story?obref=obinsite
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A Cal State San Bernardino professor who chaired academic committees, tweeted his concerns about child obesity and lived quietly in a well-trimmed Highland neighborhood stands accused of living a shadow life of a heavily armed biker-gang member and drug dealer.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on Thursday said Stephen J. Kinzey, a 43-year-old kinesiology professor, allegedly led a local chapter of the Devils Diciples Outlaw motorcycle gang and a methamphetamine drug operation that brought in tens of thousands of dollars.
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Shiren the Launderer
Joined: 25 Sep 2008
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Flylighter
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: On sabbaddical
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:30 pm |
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"Now imagine she's white."
The crowd falls into a hushed silence. A man in the second row begins to vomit uncontrollably, and a child begins to cry somewhere in the audience. Ron Paul reaches a shaky hand into his jacket pocket for a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow.
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Dracko
a sapphist fool
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:39 pm |
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After all these years, it's still amazing to me that healthcare is in any way a controversial subject.
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CubaLibre
the road lawyer
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Balmer
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 5:27 pm |
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Dracko, don't you want the freedom to sit at your kitchen table poring over insurance contracts you can't understand to choose the one that is best for you? And that you can afford. Which um, isn't much.
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