Joesocwork

I've gone to several religious debates when I was studying to be a preacher and I've also read several debates as well. I always enjoyed, learned, and grown from them. But I've often felt that the one with the better speaking and communicating skills and delivery did not always have the better arguments. Debates are meant to influence a third party, like in a court of law, not to change the mind of the respective opponents.

Originally posted by: SkiGeek Originally posted by: Duke87 Originally posted by: SkiGeek They struck me as being very snide. I suspect that will backfire in the long run. Snideness is an emotional response and is generally not very productive. quote> It appeals to the choir that they're preaching to. Republicans like hearing the democratic candidate bashed. He's their "enemy" in a sense. Originally posted by: Joesocwork It's a tradition on all parties from the beginning of politics to point out weaknesses of the opposition and to also energize one's base. It works. I've seen plenty of it on both sides in each convention. This includes definitely by Obama himself against McCain and the GOP in his acceptance speech. quote> quote> Here is my political speech: My fellow Americans: we have real problems. We have real enemies, both at home and abroad. We need to stop pointing fingers at each other and actually deal with those problems. Let us stop blaming each other for why things are the way they are and start finding solutions that actually work. If we continue to squabble like kindergarteners, we will only be shooting ourselves in the foot. quote> I think it would be awesome, or at the very least, much less annoying. But it still wouldn't give an audience a reason to vote for the person and not vote for the other person. Vote for me! I'm friendly and I don't irritate anybody!

It's a tradition on all parties from the beginning of politics to point out weaknesses of the opposition and to also energize one's base. It works. I've seen plenty of it on both sides in each convention. This includes definitely by Obama himself against McCain and the GOP in his acceptance speech. That is what much of Guiliani was taking on, albeit I think G tended to ramble a bit. In the case of Pallin, I think she had to address the media for how they were smearing her family and to counterpunch the attacks against her. Based on what I'm seeing in news now it appears that even Obama and Biden were embarrassed by the media piling on her. Hopefully that sideshow about her daughter will now be over. Beyond the family though, the amount & types of experience on both sides, what both sides have to offer to possible and expect from constituents, and their takes on various issues should be fair game for discussion however intense or heated.

Originally posted by: bobinator Also, I got a kick out of Palin's pregnant daughter after Republicans continually pull the "holier than though art" line.quote> Eh, that's a stereotype. I think for all that her family has gone through and how she responded this evening shows that she's that hers is a very real famly who can relate to others they can represent. In fact part of her magic this evening was demonstrating that she can relate much better than her opposition. I can't imagine anybody I know in RL, esp. myself, having experienced the week she had and giving the speech she gave. I think she energized the base unlike anything that could have been anticipated and brought a real electricity to the convention. She did a terrific job tonght and I'm now much more excited so see how she and their campaign will proceed.

Actually I think I remember seeing him featured in an NBC Dateline episode a few years back. His work days consisted of being sent by limo fr studio to studio to read lines for lots of money. Anyway it's going to be hard imagining living in a world without his voice. . His wife, Nita Whitaker, I understand, is very talented and inspirational as well.

I just finished seeing the movie. It seemed like a very intense crime drama that happened to have some unusual characters than a classic comic book/super hero flick. That's a good thing. Until this movie, I could never see the genre appearing to seem realistic. Gotham City looked like a real city instead of the gothic sets used in the past. The acting was good and not hammy. The violence, although excessive for true realism, was still protrayed as terrorism and there were no attempts to explain or humanize the Joker. Even the music was about provoking suspense instead of sounding like a comic book. I liked having to think through the moral complications. In a way that reminded me of The Untouchables, which is my all time favorite movie. I think the movie lingered a little too long on the Harvey Dent, although Aaron Eckhart is a pretty good actor in his own right. The Hong Kong shots were absolutely breathtaking. I'm glad I didn't take my kids to it, but I really liked the movie.

Identifying a diagnosis is basically meant to classify a group of symptoms, regardless of what one does with the identification. Conditions like ADD or any of the others mentioned above can often share symptoms of other physical/mental conditions or of other life conditions. But there will inevitably be a physiological or neurological basis and enough distinct symptoms that will make the specific condition what it is.

I hate the one that says (and I'm slightly paraphrasing) "If you smoke heavily and have problems breathing, it might COPD". Orrrrrrr... it might be smoking and problems breathing!!! Had to get that one off my chest!

I have learning disabilities, including mild dyslexia, auditory processing difficulties, spatial awareness, and short-term memory problems that was diagnosed 20 years ago in my mid-20's. The diagnosis inspired me to become a social worker and work with misunderstood youth. A lot of the above conditions, such as ADD or ADHD, in adulthood particularly, can be used to one's advantage under the right career or social circumstances. (I would never have guessed by the title of the thread, btw, that that is where the subject of the conversation in the thread was going. But it makes sense after rereading it a couple of times,)

Striving towards competence in serving God, mankind, and my family without going insane.

I thought his show was off-beat, realistic, and funny.

Last year, WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority -Metro) offered temporary financial incentives for commuters who drove over a certain bridge to use their system for a couple of months while the bridge and surrounding highway went through reconstruction. I took them up on it and have been riding on the Metro ever since. It's not the most convenient. The closest bus stops to me are over a mile away. The parking lots can be expensive and out of the way too. It has certainly gotten much more crowded over the year and the fares continue to go up as well. But I do appreciate it over the headaches of the commute by car and I appreciate the saving of wear and tear on the car. I probably won't go back unless my job goes where it's not Metro accessible or WMATA makes poor decisions that would make it less economical.

Originally posted by: your_adress_here Originally posted by: SkiGeek Originally posted by: your_adress_here It would be nice if you could put the reason why they won in the post. quote> But then people wouldn't have the fun of clicking on the medals quote> Yes, I know, but to be brutally honest, I really don't want to be looking for a post made by the person to find their medal, especially if (and this is usually the case) I post in the MOTM thread before the recipient does. quote> Then you exercise patience until the guest(s) of honor arrive.

Actually a bizarre accident lead to a similar consequence in DC about a month ago. A think a couple of National's (Washington,DC 's baseball team) fans were on the way to a game on an open top deck and stood up going into a tunnel. I'd have to relook at a newspaper article to verify the exact details. The team's management honored them a few days later.

He was one of my heroes. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080712/ap_on_re_us/obit_snow Former Bush press secretary Tony Snow dies By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer 47 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Tony Snow, a conservative writer and commentator who cheerfully sparred with reporters in the White House briefing room during a stint as President Bush's press secretary, died Saturday of colon cancer. He was 53. "America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character," President Bush said in a statement from Camp David, where he was spending the weekend. "It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work." Snow, who served as the first host of the television news program "Fox News Sunday" from 1996 to 2003, would later say that in the Bush administration he was enjoying "the most exciting, intellectually aerobic job I'm ever going to have." Snow was working for Fox News Channel and Fox News Radio when he replaced Scott McClellan as press secretary in May 2006 during a White House shake-up. Unlike McClellan, who came to define caution and bland delivery from the White House podium, Snow was never shy about playing to the cameras. With a quick-from-the-lip repartee, broadcaster's good looks and a relentlessly bright outlook — if not always a command of the facts — he became a popular figure around the country to the delight of his White House bosses. He served just 17 months as press secretary, a tenure interrupted by his second bout with cancer. In 2005 doctors had removed his colon and he began six months of chemotherapy. In March 2007 a cancerous growth was removed from his abdominal area and he spent five weeks recuperating before returning to the White House. "All of us here at the White House will miss Tony, as will the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer," Bush said. Snow resigned as Bush's chief spokesman last September, citing not his health but a need to earn more than the $168,000 a year he was paid in the government post. In April, he joined CNN as a commentator. As press secretary, Snow brought partisan zeal and the skills of a seasoned performer to the task of explaining and defending the president's policies. During daily briefings, he challenged reporters, scolded them and questioned their motives as if he were starring in a TV show broadcast live from the West Wing. Critics suggested that Snow was turning the traditionally informational daily briefing into a personality-driven media event short on facts and long on confrontation. He was the first press secretary, by his own accounting, to travel the country raising money for Republican candidates. Although a star in conservative politics, as a commentator he had not always been on the president's side. He once called Bush "something of an embarrassment" in conservative circles and criticized what he called Bush's "lackluster" domestic policy. Most of Snow's career in journalism involved expressing his conservative views. After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Davidson College in North Carolina in 1977 and studying economics and philosophy at the University of Chicago, he wrote editorials for The Greensboro (N.C.) Record, and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk. He was the editorial page editor of The Newport News (Va.) Daily Press and deputy editorial page editor of The Detroit News before moving to Washington in 1987 to become editorial page editor of The Washington Times. Snow left journalism in 1991 to join the administration of the first President Bush as director of speechwriting and deputy assistant to the president for media affairs. He then rejoined the news media to write nationally syndicated columns for The Detroit News and USA Today during much of the Clinton administration. Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox News, called Snow a "renaissance man." Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., and spent his childhood in the Cincinnati area. Survivors include his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987, and three children. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Loven contributed to this report. quote>

I really loved his work. He was always good at breaking subjects into understandable parts, keeping the focus almost solely on the issue itself while simultaneously diffusing tension. He was very easy to listen to. He was a great instructor.

Would a petition work on me as a parent? No; and I would say for others to mind their own business as I likewise would not tell them what or what not to get for their children.

In the DC metro system most of the escalators are two lanes. They even make public announcements about the slow-right/pass-left!

I missed the episode, but I did understand (only yesterday) that yep, again, this was the conclusion of a 10 episode mid-season break. Talk about milking it!

Yikes I forgot to ask my wife to tape it! (I'm fine now btw ) Russert talked a lot about his father "Big Russ" and his son Luke. Especially on Father's Day and at their ages I feel saddened by them having to experience it and now the rest of their lives w/out their son/father.

I was in the hospital last night for a couple hours due to heart problems and the news gave it an extra jolt. He came across to me as a blue-collar raised guy with a strong work ethic. He appeared to take what he did seriously and tried to hold everybody he interviewed accountable. The other newscasters I listened to really appeared to be in awe of him.

Spending mine wishing I was a bored 13 year old or slacking 20 y.o.

In the Washington D.C. Metro system I'm so busy trying to either get to a train or my car that I look straight ahead and don't notice. I assist my 8 y.o. daughter in stepping on during the weekends though. The Metro also has an unofficial protocol that people standing on the steps stay on the right and the people not standing pass on the left, just like a multi-lane street or highway.

Congratulations Eastwinn! Congratulations Dirk! Way to lead us through one of the site's more challenging moments, boss!

If it's considered stealing, then I wouldn't do it because stealing is wrong.