jaguars.com Message Board / Other Topics / The Sideline

"Bless You" - No More!!

Su héroe — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:00:37 GMT

I'm in class and a girl in front of me sneezes.
I hear 17 simultaneous "Bless you"('s) and "God bless you"('s)...

It's ridiculous.

Worse than that is when I'm standing in line at Wal-Mart with only one other person. They sneeze - I say nothing. Then they look at me as if I am rude for not fulfilling my obligation of "Blessing them".

I don't know them and I refuse to say it.

What am I blessing them for?
-A demon or evil spirit is trying to posses them?
-Their soul is trying to leave their body?
-Their heart stopped, and needs to be restarted?
-They are showing the first signs of the bubonic plague?

As if my "Bless you" will somehow help prevent any of these things from happening. Ridiculous.

One should not be deemed rude, impolite, or godless for not recognizing a sneeze.

This is 2008! I for one, do not believe in witchcraft, or god for that matter. I should not feel uncomfortable for someone else’s uncontrolled convulsions.

In fact, if anything, they should be apologizing to me.

They just polluted my air and everything their sneeze lands on with air-born diseases. Now I have to close my eyes, hold my breath, and hurry up and walk past them. (ok, that might be borderline hypochondriasis, but you get my point)

What is a sneeze? Sneezing occurs when a foreign particle passes through the nasal hairs and reaches the nasal mucosa. From here a nerve sends a signal to your brain to initiate a convulsion or spasm to get rid of the particle.

More or less it is nothing but a tickle or an itch.

If I itched my arm in class and got 17 "Bless you's" or even "are you ok's", I would be pretty darn annoyed. Instead, someone itches, they scratch it, and everything continues as normal.

I'm not saying that if you sneeze you should be punched in the arm (although it's not a bad idea), but maybe it should just go unnoticed - like an itch.

I understand the tradition. I get the formality...but that is all it is. All traditions and customs are due to change and this one is past due.

Chinese Earthquake Relief

Jags02 — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:55:53 GMT

I don't have a lot of money to give, and you won't see me just sending money to any charity. But when American Idol had their "Idol Gives Back" special last year, I was compelled to give $25. This year my wife and I decided to do the same. That may not seem like much, but I do so knowing that so many more are doing the same. In my book, that's truly a worthy cause.

This cause, I firmly believe, is just as worthy. I believe the official death toll from the devestating Chinese earthquakes is around 15,000, but some analsyts are projecting that the final number will be around 120,000 dead. Nearly 400 dams crumbled, and at least one city lost at least 70 percent of its population. Children were crushed at school, and the last I heard is that they still hadn't made it to the most remote cities as 5.0 tremors continue to pour in. There have been earthquakes this big in the past, but they rarely ever last as long as this one did. I forget the official duration, but I think it was something like 3 minutes. If you've ever been in an earthquake you know that 3 minutes is a long time, especially for a 7.6 earthquake.

I'm going to give $25 to for Chinese earthquake relief. But I don't intend to be alone in doing so. I'm asking for our entire Jaguars family to join with me in giving. If you can afford more, give multiples of $25, but keep this number pouring in. It's a good solid number that we all can afford.

Here's the catch. I don't know where to send it to, and that's where I want your help. We need to act as a team to determine the ideal place to send money to get to where it needs to go. I trust our judgement if most of us agree on a particular place.

Are you with me? I feel in my gut that if we all pitch in, that our extended Jaguars family...as in the players, coaches and owners...will ultimately pitch in as well. Maybe theyll even make it an official Jaguars cause. In any event, as a board we can do our part, and I'm convinced deep down that others will follow.

Questions ONLY

Stormy — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:04:03 GMT

Just something fun to pass the time in the offseason....

I'll start it off

Who's on first?

My doctor's visit this morning

Jags02 — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:46:43 GMT

I'm on this board so much I think of many of you as a family. To that end, I feel you should know what's going on with me. I had an unexpected phonecall by my doctor yesterday telling me and my wife he wanted to see us this morning. When we got there, we learned that I have skin cancer. Not just skin cancer, but the worst kind...melenoma. I'm still trying to take in what precisely this means, but it sounds a bit scary. I'm hoping they'll be able to just remove it and that will be that, but who knows. I may need chemo, but I really hope it doesn't come down to that. I think they caught it before it spread, but I had the mole they found it in for a couple years. To make what could be a longer story short, I can use your prayers and advice/thoughts. Has anyone else had melanoma that can share their experience?

Bare-breasted Starbucks logo prompts call for boycott

The Drifter — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:24:37 GMT

Bare-breasted Starbucks logo prompts call for boycott
A Christian group based in San Diego found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo.

Seems that one person's smut is another person's morning latte.

A Christian group based in San Diego found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo for Starbucks Coffee.

The Resistance says the new image "has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute," Mark Dice, founder of the group, said in a news release. "Need I say more? It's extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks."

The group, which claims more than 3,000 members nationwide (very small group :2cents: ) and has found a place on the fringe advancing various conspiracy theories, is calling for a national boycott of the coffee-selling giant.

Continued here: [url]http://www.startribune.com/nation/18969709.html?location_refer=Homepage[/url]

6th-grade survey: Classmate most likely to get pregnant. Dad of honor student picked demands teacher be fired

The Drifter — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:31:54 GMT

I agree with the Dad here, that "teacher" shouldn't be in the class room. Thank You Teachers Unions for "Teachers" like this.... :2cents:

6th-grade survey: Classmate most likely to get pregnant.

Dad of honor student picked demands teacher be fired

A 6th-grade teacher in Jackson, Miss., asked her class to take a survey to determine which of their classmates were most likely to get pregnant, die and contract AIDS before graduation from high school.

Now the father of the honor student selected as most likely to get pregnant wants the teacher fired, according to local station WAPT.

Curtis Lyons said he found out about the survey when his daughter came home from Chastain Middle School Monday.

"She was humiliated," Lyons said. "She's an honor student."

Continued here: [url]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64223[/url]

Man Survives Leap Into Wood Chipper

The Drifter — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:39:49 GMT

Man Survives Leap Into Wood Chipper

ROSEVILLE, Minn. — A man was severely injured when he threw himself into a wood chipper in Minnesota, police said.

Crews were clearing trees in a public area Thursday afternoon when the man appeared and jumped head first into the wood chipper. Workers turned off the machine and called 911, and the man was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with injuries to his head and torso.

Police are calling it a suicide attempt and said the man is 19- to 21-years-old.

[url]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356324,00.html[/url]

First Person To Post Wins!

jagutopia — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:57:58 GMT

This was a hell of a lot easier than the last one.:D

Seriously, Friday, May 16, Midnight for the new winner.

Your opinion on marijuana?

CowboyBarry — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:41:51 GMT

Someone brought up this question in another thread.

So, who smokes often, who doesn't smoke at all, and who is somewhere in between?

Motorcycles Have My Interest...

TheClotTroll — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:36:46 GMT

First of all, let me say that I have never driven a motorcycle in all my life. I have only ridden on one once, and that was when I was ten years old.

A fellow friend is licensed to teach people how to ride. He has been doing it for all of his life. For $75, he will teach you and eleven other people how to operate a motorcycle. This includes payment for a book and they provide the bike. He tells me from time to time how I should "get into motorcycles."

With gas shooting up to four bucks a gallon, it seems like a wise choice and something that's very enjoyable to do. I see a lot of motorcycles on the road on Sundays and Saturdays. Just like some people play golf on the weekends, they ride and have friends that ride with them.

This all seems very appealing to me. If I were to make the choice to ride, I would wear a helmet religiously. It is more dangerous than driving in a automobile because there are no sides. The least someone could do is wear a helemet...and if I were to get sucked into this, I would want to wear a helmet.

I know that there are a couple of people around here, like FBT and tannerfox, who ride. I would like to ask them, and anyone else, for any advice on motorcycles. Examples: What kind of bike do you have? Any safety tips? Any tips on what the school experience would be like? What, exactly, is "Bike Week" in Daytona Beach? How do you get involved in a group? What helmet should I get (save the Jughead and Big Ben jokes for later:)...I'm serious)? What helmets do you wear? Anything.

I don't know very much about the subject. And if I were to ever ride, I would like to get a full education on it before doing so.

Regards,

TheClotTroll

Does anyone FROM Jacksonville notice...

FromNeptuneBeach2Jupiter — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:15:41 GMT

the drastic difference between North Florida and South Florida?

Thoughts? Pros and Cons

Man Killed by Train While Looking at Lottery Ticket.

The Drifter — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:38:28 GMT

Man Killed by Train While Looking at Lottery Ticket

LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — A man is dead after being struck and killed by a train near Buffalo while examining a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Police say 48-year-old Ronald Wittenberg of Lackawanna did not respond to the train's blaring horn as it approached him from behind as he walked between the rails.

Wittenberg was returning from fishing with a friend shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday. Police were told he had his head down and was examining the lottery ticket.

Wittenberg died from massive head and internal injuries, police said.

[url]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356320,00.html[/url]

Aliens are a'coming!

oface5446 — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:44:08 GMT

All in one week?! The media must be greasing the skids for the invasion!

UK's UFO sightings archive released

Wednesday, 14 May 2008 11:30

The newly-released documents show how UFO sightings have been dealt with

Printer friendly version

Government documents detailing UFO sightings from 1978 to 2002 have been released today by the National Archives.

The documents describe what has been seen and how the government responded.

These include people saying they saw lights in the sky over London's Waterloo Bridge, near-misses by pilots and claims of crop circles.

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/uks-ufo-sightings-archive-released-$1222677.htm

....

Astronauts say there must be life in space

2 days ago

TOKYO (AFP) — The human race will find life elsewhere in the universe as it pushes ahead with space exploration, astronauts back from the latest US space mission said Monday.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gmewGF1KJFsLSecMeaFAiR8qS1oA

...

Top Japan official: UFOs 'definitely' exist

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO - Japan's top government spokesman says, perhaps a little tongue in cheek, that he believes in UFOs.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura made the remark while speaking to reporters today. Machimura was delivering the government's official response to an opposition legislator who is demanding an inquiry into what he says are "frequent reports of UFO sightings."

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/12/18/4730252-ap.html

...

Little green men about to make an appearance? Their arrival would sure make the dead zone until training camp more interesting!

...

Please note: Nothing political in here

NBA fans - Good read here

Su héroe — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:27:56 GMT

Hilarious, but spot on.

_________________

(We see Doc standing in front of his players, all of whom are sitting in front of their lockers and preparing to head out for the game.)

DOC: All right, guys, listen up. I want to go over the game plan so we're clear on everything.

RAY ALLEN: We have a game plan tonight?

DOC: Absolutely! We're trying something different. Tom Thibodeau and I were up late last night trying to come up with a new wrinkle for tonight.

THIBODEAU (confused): Um, we only talked about it for 10 minutes, then you said you had to go because you were taking your wife to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

DOC: Well, same thing. Before we get to tonight's plan, I want to apologize to our bench guys for coaching us one way for 82 games, then changing things in the playoffs, yanking everyone around and killing your collective confidence to the point that you're all useless except for Posey. If it makes you feel any better, I did the same thing in 2005 when I blew a series against an undermanned Pacers team that beat us with a washed-up Reggie Miller and Jermaine O'Neal playing with one shoulder. I just can't help myself. I'm a big hockey fan and sometimes I get overexcited during the playoffs and think that we have to change lines every few minutes. Again, I'm sorry.

EDDIE HOUSE (excited): Does that mean we're back to the old rotation?

DOC: Not exactly, Eddie. I know we're something like 61-12 with you as our backup point guard, and I know Sam [Cassell] has been murdering us to the point that one of our owners asked me if he was "The Mole" last week. But let's keep things the way they are for one more game. To be honest, I really enjoy the expression on some of your faces when I don't play you in the first half, then you've checked out of the game mentally and suddenly I'm looking at you and telling you to go in. Let's keep that going as long as we can.

CASSELL: What about me? Am I out?

DOC: No way, Sam. You give us veteran experience down the stretch -- sure, it's been the experience of blowing playoff games against inferior teams, but, still, it's an experience. And honestly, I think you give us the best chance to completely destroy Rondo's confidence for the season. We aren't quite there yet and I feel like there's more damage that can be done.

RAJON: Coach, no offense, but my confidence is destroyed. Every time I do something wrong, I look over at the bench now because I think Sam is coming in.

(Doc studies him intently for a second.)

DOC: Nahhhhhh ... I don't believe you. If we end up losing to Cleveland, I'm gonna need to start blaming people, and if I tell people that we lost because "our young guys just didn't have enough experience," my lackeys covering this team might actually buy it. I need a 10-turnover game from you, Rajon, and I need it soon. Sam, you just keep doing what you're doing -- hogging the ball, taking us out of our offense, forcing horrible shots and yelling at your teammates if they do anything wrong.

SAM: You got it, coach.

DOC: All right, let's talk about our offense. We won 66 games by always making the extra pass, running on every rebound and getting easy baskets. In the playoffs, we've gone into "I gotta get mine" mode -- the ball is constantly stopping, and everyone is either firing up 20-footers or trying to take their guy one on one. Again, it's the complete opposite of how we've played all season--.

POSEY: Coach, can I say something?

DOC: Sure, James, go ahead.

POSEY: I'm the only Celtic who's won a title other than Sam, so I feel like I know what I'm taking about here. The playoffs are all about matchups. Atlanta didn't have a single guy who could defend KG, but we never really exploited that. Against Cleveland, we should be attacking Szczerbiak with whoever he's guarding; that dude couldn't guard Oprah at this point. When they play Boobie Gibson and Delonte West at the same time, we should be going bigger with Paul [Pierce] at the 2 so he can post those guys up and punish them. When they put Ilgauskas on KG, we should be clearing out for KG so he can just go right by him every time. Big Z moves like a mummy; he can't handle KG facing up. I mean, it's all common sense, right?

(Doc nods slowly but seems confused.)

POSEY: I don't want to toot my own horn, but I give us the best chance to beat Cleveland because I defend LeBron so well. We have to go small against Cleveland -- our best lineup against Cleveland is me, KG, Ray, Rondo and Paul playing the 4 because none of their forwards are good enough to post up Paul, but he can make them pay on the other end. We need to force them to adapt to us instead of constantly reacting to what they're doing. That's what winning teams do.

DOC: Wait a second ... so if we put the right personnel out there, then I won't be able to over-coach and pull KG 25 feet from the basket to passive-aggressively double-team LeBron so KG can't rebound or protect the rim?

POSEY: Exactly.

DOC: I don't know if I agree with you, James. Look at what happened in the Atlanta series -- Joe Johnson got hot in the fourth quarter of Game 4 because I left our worst defender on him for the entire time, so I overreacted by changing our defensive schemes, using passive-aggressive traps to "contain" Johnson and leaving their other guys wide open all game, and they ended up shooting 47 free throws in Game 6 because we were always one step behind every time the ball moved. Some people said I overcoached, but if we won conventionally, how would I get credit for that? They'd just say anyone could have coached you guys. Besides, you can't say it's not working -- we're 6-0 at home in the playoffs! We've won 72 games!

POSEY: I guess ...

P.J. BROWN: Coach, I gotta speak up. Maybe I haven't won a title, but I've been around the league forever and have a pretty good feel for what works and doesn't work at this point. I don't mean to step on your toes, but it's not a good idea in a close playoff game on the road to play a lineup of guys who have never played together before. In Game 4, I started the fourth quarter with Big Baby, Posey, Pierce and Sam -- the only other time I've interacted with those guys as a quintet was when we ordered the "Family Dinner" at Maggiano's three weeks ago.

DOC: So what are you saying?

BROWN: In the playoffs, you kinda want to go with what's worked in the past, you know?

DOC: You're saying I should scrap my plans to start the fourth quarter by playing Rondo, Sam and Eddie at the same time tonight? I really thought that would catch them off guard. Three point guards! There's no way they'd expect that!

BROWN: Nah, it's not a good idea.

DOC: You just wait. Paul, let's talk about you -- you made third-team all-NBA by playing efficient, unselfish, all-around basketball and repeatedly getting to the rim, and you had a real knack for coming up with big rebounds in big moments. Then the playoffs started and you stopped rebounding or getting to the line and now I'm using you as our defensive stopper on LeBron even though we have Posey and even though you never play well against LeBron because you guys have that dumb feud that always knocks you out of your game. But no matter how badly you're stinking out the joint right now, and no matter how much it looks like you have mono or something, I want you to know something -- I'm not telling you to change a ****ed thing. You'll figure it out. You're a winner and you've been here before.

PIERCE: Actually, that's not true -- I've only won four playoff series in my entire career.

RAY: Yeah, I'm not a winner, either. I've only made the conference finals once. Even in college, I didn't win. The only big victory I've ever had was the time I housed Denzel in "He Got Game."

(Doc seems completely confused.)

KEVIN GARNETT: While we're coming clean, I haven't won anything either -- I've won three playoff series in 13 seasons.

DOC: Seriously? Wow! (Shaking his head.) I didn't realize that. I'm stunned right now.

GARNETT: It's easy to think we've won something because we've been giving interviews about winning for eight straight months to everyone with a camera or a microphone, and we've been allowing people to call us the "Big Three" even though Boston already had a "Big Three" that won three titles, and I have that Gatorade commercial that makes it seem like I've won something, and I just did that interview with Bill Russell where we talked about winning ...

DOC: Have any of you even played in the Finals?

ALLEN-GARNETT-PIERCE: No.

DOC: Really? Wow!

GARNETT: Doc, you didn't notice that we play totally different when we're up 20 than when we're up one? I can't speak for the other guys, but I have so much adrenaline going in close games that I practically black out. In fact, I can't even remember what happened in the last few minutes of Game 4 against Atlanta. I remember someone called a timeout, and the next thing I knew I was on the plane eating peanuts.

ALLEN: Yeah, maybe we should stop giving so many interviews about winning until we come through on the road one time.

DOC: Don't be crazy, we need the media! Hell, I butchered the 2005 playoffs, coached an underachieving team in 2006, and lost 18 straight games in 2007 -- the only reason I kept my job is because the media loves me. You gotta take care of those guys. That's the key to everything!

ALLEN: Well, let's stop using the phrase "Big Three" then. I'm not that type of player anymore -- really, I'm a spot-up jump shooter and that's it, and if I don't have my legs for a road game, I'm useless. There's not a ton of difference between me and Szczerbiak at this point. Two years from now, they'll be changing my name to "Ray Allen's Expiring Contract" unless somebody gives me a bionic pair of ankles.

DOC: What are you suggesting?

ALLEN: Instead of "The Big Three," couldn't they just call us "The Big Two Featuring Ray Allen?" That would take a ton of pressure off me.

POSEY: Excuse me, Ray, I gotta say something else. When I played for Pat Riley, we hated his guts. But he did coach us. In the Finals, he kept pushing D-Wade to get to the rim and yelling at him to be a man and telling him nobody on Dallas could guard him. He got D-Wade so fired up, I think he was getting to the line 25 times a game. Doc, you could be motivating KG that way and you're not even trying.

DOC: Whaddya mean?

POSEY: KG should have destroyed Atlanta, and he should be killing everyone on Cleveland except for maybe Varejao, and yet he disappeared in Atlanta and Rondo took more shots than him in Game 4 at Cleveland. That's ridiculous. KG, you take pride in being so unselfish, but we need you to be selfish sometimes, you know? And Doc, part of your job is to make KG do the things we need him to do. That's called "coaching," you know? When Ray broke the play for KG at the end of Game 4 in Atlanta, defied your orders and bricked an off-balance three when we only needed two to tie, you didn't stand up to him, bench him or anything. That's called "coaching." Coaching is simple -- your job is to motivate your players and put them in the best position to succeed. That's it.

DOC: So you're saying I should be pushing and prodding and challenging the Big Three?

ALLEN (annoyed): "The Big Two Featuring Ray Allen."

DOC: Sorry, "The Big Two Featuring Ray Allen," instead of not laying any blame on them whatsoever, then blaming every loss on the referees, or our defensive schemes breaking down, or our young guys not listening, or us not getting a certain bounce ...

POSEY: Exactly. Look, KG, you're my boy and I love you. When I hug you right before every tipoff, I hold onto you so tightly that it makes everyone in the first few rows legitimately uncomfortable. But everyone needs to be coached sometimes, and really, you haven't had a good coach your entire career.

DOC: James, I'm right here. I can hear everything.

POSEY: Sorry, but it's true. KG, listen, it's OK to take 27 shots in a playoff game if you have Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia and some dude named "Solomon" guarding you. It's OK to complain that it's stupid to be pulling our best rebounder and shot blocker 25 feet from the basket and wearing his legs out for a gimmicky double-team that we don't even need to be doing. It's OK to call for the ball because Ben Wallace's dead body is defending you. Anyone who's ever won a title, to some degree, has been a little selfish. What you do as a player and a teammate is absolutely fantastic in the regular season, but the playoffs are different -- sometimes, you have to take over these games. You make $23 million a year. You're the most talented guy on the team. If you don't step up, we'll either lose this series or Detroit will beat us. You need to step up the same way Duncan steps up every time the Spurs need him. You need to step up. Is it in you?

(KG turns to the camera intensely and takes a big swig of Gatorade.)

DOC: Kevin, was that a "yes" or a "no?"

SPECIAL THANKS

To reader Dos in D.C., who sent me the joke about changing the name of "The Big Three" to "The Big Two Featuring Ray Allen." Had to give credit where credit was due. That was a good one.

GARNETT: Fine, fine, I'll step up. Is this almost over? I promised TNT that I'd give them three minutes before the game to talk about how much winning means to me. You know, as long as I can win without going within 10 feet of the basket in close games.

DOC: Sure, we're almost done. Tom, you have anything to add?

(We see Thibodeau sitting in the corner working on his resume for the Phoenix and Chicago jobs. He glances up.)

THIBODEAU: No, I think we hit everything.

DOC: Fellas, I want you to know that I'm gonna keep doing the same things I've done for the entire playoffs -- showing you guys up on the sidelines after every mistake, blaming everyone but myself after we lose, making crazy adjustments that have no relation to one another from game to game, yanking our rotation around, losing my composure with referees in pivotal moments, and throwing you guys under the bus to the TNT announcers between games when they ask me why you aren't playing.

LEON POWE: Wait, is that how Mike Fratello knew about the five defensive assignments that I blew during Game 2 of the Atlanta series?

DOC: Yup. Sorry, Leon. I gotta cover my own *** with the press. You understand.

LEON: Well, not really.

DOC: Shut up. One last thing ...

(Doc glances at the TNT camera to make sure it's still recording.)

DOC (more animated): I want you to leave everything you have on the court tonight. Play hard, feed off the energy of the crowd, and if we take a big lead, don't be afraid to pound your chest, scream at the roof, tug at your jersey, bully scrubs who won't fight back and do everything possible to add to your reputation as a bunch of front-running a-holes who act totally different when they're up 20 points than they do when they're down by three. If we lock this game up early, do whatever you need to do to get yourself some attention, even if it ends up ticking off the Cavs and motivating them for Game 6.

TEAM (together): Got it.

DOC: Everybody gather in.

(The team stands up and moves into a tight circle.)

DOC: Guys, we have a chance to make history here. We can become the first NBA team to win a championship with an 0-12 record on the road. It's right there for the taking. On three ...

(Everyone sticks a hand in the circle.)

DOC and TEAM: One, two, three ...UBUNTU!

Bill Simmons is a columnist for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine. For every Simmons column, as well as podcasts, videos, favorite links and more, check out the revamped Sports Guy's World.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080514

Warning! Warming? Wait, Nothing to see here, folks.

oface5446 — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:50:20 GMT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/12/climatechange.carbonemissions

...

Doesn't look pretty if you ask me. Then again, probably just a bunch of liberal lies, right?

...Because the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is just a bunch of liberal climate-scientist alarmists looking for research funding...right?

Oh wait, it's indisputable, scientfic evidence. (And it's fresh, too! Came out today.)

But, I guess we can still cling to the fact that an excess of CO2 in the atmosphere won't harm a thing...

...

And for those jokers who still don't believe this is a man-made problem:

The federal goverment is reporting that the current level of CO2 hasn't been seen in 650,000 yrs...but, since the Industrial Revolution, we've seen a 40% rise in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere to bring us to the current condition (as per this article) ...So, we're talking about a natural cycle, right? Everything will work it's self out? Great. That's a load off.

Happy birthday, tannerfox!!

FloridaKittyCat — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:23:33 GMT

Friday, May 16th is tannerfox's birthday!!

Happy birthday, Mike!! Can't wait to see you in 411, you didn't change your seat did you??? Take the day off and enjoy your three day weekend birthday...

Some famous people who share your birthday:

Debra Winger

Janet Jackson

Tracey Gold

Pierce Brosnan

Liberace

Henry Fonda

Gabriela Sabatini

Olga Korbut

Tori Spelling

BBQ Grills

No Escape Claws — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:44:41 GMT

I have a charcoal one, but my gas grill bit the big one. Any thoughts on the best ones? I saw this brinkman model online that Home Depot sells that is gas and charcoal. It has a side smoker attachment, so that you can smoke slowly or use gas to grill. $200. Looked pretty cool, but maybe some of you grill sargeants have better ideas. I'm trying to keep it under $250

Race attack in Jacksonville

rfc17 — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:54:45 GMT

http://www.news4jax.com/news/16220372/detail.html

wheres the outrage?

Boy spent $30,000 on hookers with dad's credit card?

The Drifter — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:37:07 GMT

Latest internet hoax spreading like a Florida Wildfire!

Boy spent $30,000 on hookers with dad's credit card?

Story claims 13-year-old stole $30,000 from father to play Xbox with call girls

A 13-year-old Newark, Texas, boy convicted of fraud for hiring two hookers and racking up $30,000 in charges on his father's credit card?

According to an online Money website published in the UK, Ralph Hardy paid prostitutes to spend the evening playing Xbox video games with him and his friends in a Texas motel.

But there's one problem. The British report is just a silly online rumor, Newark police told WND.

Spokeswoman Amy Cromer laughed and said, "As far as we know, this story is a hoax. There have not been any arrests here, and we're not aware of any convictions like that in this county."

Cromer said word gets around in a town with a population of only 1,100 people. The rumor is spreading so quickly that she said the county decided to feature the story on its blog.

According to the British report, when a delivery man brought stockpiles of Dr Pepper, Fritos and Oreos to their room, the boys asked where they could pick up chicks. The kids indicated that they would be willing to pay big money for escort services following a win at a "World of Warcraft" tournament.

Continued here: [url]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64104[/url]

Anyone watch Idols last night?

KingIngram052787 — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:55:14 GMT

I thought Fantasia was horrible the year she won and she's gotten even worse yet. She's nothing more than some transexual looking thing screaming in some horrific voice. She might be the worst singer of all time....I'll take Williams Hung (or whatever his name is) over that thing (Fantasia) anytime.

P.S. The look on Simon's face was priceless!

Surround Sound Speakers

Minorcan — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:25:54 GMT

I'm thinking upgrading my surround sound speaker's and wanted to get some opinions. I currently use Polk surrounds and an Infinity center channel. I recently listened to the Mirage Nanosat system and I loved it. $549 for 5 pieces. I also really liked the Focal 5.1 set as well. Any suggestions? I want to get small sattelites, not floor standers. Thanks!

911 Operator: 'I Don't Give a S***t'

The Drifter — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:47:30 GMT

911 Operator: 'I Don't Give a S***t'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When you call 911 you hope you're talking to someone who cares about what happens to you, but an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation uncovered a shocking 911 emergency where the exact opposite happened.

What makes this investigation especially shocking is what one call taker said about the woman he was supposed to be helping.

NewsChannel 5's chief investigative reporter Phil Williams said 911 workers across the Midstate do a heroic job every day under incredibly stressful conditions, but when a Nashville woman faced a violent domestic situation back in February the system failed.

"I'm like looking out the window for him, and I don't see him," Sheila Jones recalled.

Continued here: [url]http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8312600[/url]

The Supreme Court rules that a federal law classifying ............

The Drifter — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:03:40 GMT

May 14 2001

The Supreme Court rules that a federal law classifying marijuana as illegal has no exception for ill patients. The 8-0 decision is a major defeat for suffers of terminal diseases and groovy potheads alike.

Pot for retards

No Escape Claws — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:19:14 GMT

Texas teens tell police they converted skull into bong

From Associated Press

May 09, 2008 1:54 AM EST

HOUSTON - Three teenagers were arrested after two of them told police they dug up a secluded grave north of Houston, removed the skull from the coffin and converted it into a marijuana bong.

Police believe the grave is that of an 11-year-old boy who died in 1921.

They found a grave in the city of Humble that had been disturbed, but were still investigating the rest of the teens' story, Houston police Sgt. John Chomiak said.

Kevin Wade Jones, 17, and Matthew Richard Gonzalez, 17, both of Kingwood, were arrested Wednesday night and were being held on misdemeanor charges of abuse of a corpse, Chomiak said. A 16-year-old was referred to the Harris County juvenile justice system.

A woman who answered the phone at Gonzalez's home declined comment. A telephone number for Jones could not immediately be found, and it wasn't clear from court records if either had an attorney.

Happy Mother's Day: Woman Pregnant With 18th Child

The Drifter — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:31:22 GMT

For the sake of Jonesy sanity, please refrain from the Arkansas jokes.... it may drive him to drink cheap beer like Pabst :D

Happy Mother's Day: Woman Pregnant With 18th Child

It's a happy Mother's Day for an Arkansas woman — she's pregnant with her 18th child.

Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year's Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.

"We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us," she said, laughing.

Continued here: [url]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354694,00.html[/url]

So how often do you guys get haircuts?

Jaguar Paw — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:16:05 GMT

I know this is a weird question, but just curious....

God bless this cop!

GAlanJag — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:12:01 GMT

Here's the link to a story of a Florida man who got ticketed for . . . . wearing a speedo on the beach. I say way to go officer. If you are not competing in a swim meet, then leave the banana hammock at home!!

http://www.local6.com/news/16235301/detail.html

NBA Playoffs 1st Round

amit8700 — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:03:15 GMT

I haven't been really active on the board as of late, especially with finals and what not coming up, but I am pumped up for this weekend's NBA Playoffs to get underway. Here is my breakdown of all the matchups:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Boston vs (8) Atlanta- This series has all the makings to be a lopsided one, and it most certainly will. The Hawks do have a solid core of young players like Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and an experienced point guard in Mike Bibby, but they do not have the chemistry of a KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen. Those three players are just too great, and Boston should be well-rested for the 2nd round of the playoffs. I'll take the C's in a sweep.

(2) Detroit vs (7) Philadelphia- The playoff savvy Pistons will play the red-hot, but young, Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had an impressive run to get to the playoffs, but this run will definitely end in the 1st round. The Sixers may get hot in one game at home and could steal one, but that's as far as they'll get. Chauncey, Rip, Sheed, and Tayshaun will turn it up a notch, especially after being embarassed by LeBron last season. They'll want to get that bad taste out of their mouths. I like Pistons in 5.

(3) Orlando vs (6) Toronto- The Magic have been solid all year. The Raps were great in the 1st half, but cooled off a bit in the 2nd half of the season. The key matchup will be Dwight Howard vs Chris Bosh. Whichever one of those two stays out of foul trouble, their team has the best chance of winning. I don't really like this platoon situation with Ford and Calderon. The Raps were playing great when Calderon was starting, and now he's not, and they have cooled. If the Raps want a shot at this, he's gotta get the bulk of the minutes. The Magic have way more talent than the Raptors. Magic in 6.

(4) Cleveland vs (5) Washington- By far, the best series in the East. Seems like these guys play every year in the playoffs. We all know the Cavs have LeBron. They have been solid all season. The Wizards, are smoking right now, and they only get better with Arenas back in the lineup. He has said he will be more of a passer, but who is going to believe that? Butler, Jamison, and Arenas are good enough to get the Wizards out of the first round. But when the team they are playing has King James, I'll take my chances with the King. Cavaliers in 7.

Western Conference:
(1) LA Lakers vs (8) Denver- All of the West matchups are great. What more do I need to say about the Lakers? They are clicking at the right time. Kobe is the MVP, Pau Gasol is healthy, Odom is playing great, Vujacic and Farmar are providing great help off the bench, so is Turiaf, and Derek Fisher will tear it up since the postseason is here. Denver, on the other hand, just very inconsistent. Not great defensively, players getting arrested, it's going downhill for them, and it will go more downhill when they step out on the court in LA. Lakers in 4.

(2) New Orleans vs (7) Dallas- What an awesome 2-7 matchup. The young'n Hornets need to watch out in this series. Dallas plays at its best when they are the underdogs. Loads of great talent will be on hand during this series. It should be fun to see two of the leagues top point guards go at it. Will the Jason Kidd trade pay off for the Mavericks? Or will the young guns from the Big Easy be too much for the older Mavs? I really like the talent on the Hornets, but something tells me that Mavs are going to show up and play. Mavs in 7.

(3) San Antonio vs (6) Phoenix- Horry throws Nash into the press table! This is a tale of two different teams. San Antonio is the slow, physical brand of basketball, while the Suns possess a lethal running attack. Nash vs Parker will be a fun matchup. Amare Stoudemire has been a flat out beast since Shaq has came over. But oh yeah, the Spurs have some guy named Timmy whose won 4 championships. The running attack rarely works in the playoffs, and I don't think it will work here for the Suns, either. Spurs in 6.

(4) Utah vs (5) Houston- A re-match of last season's 1st round series. Can the Rockets win a 7-game series without their all-world center? They managed to win 9 or 10? in a row without him during that crazy winning streak. That's different though, this is a brand new season, and it's a long series, instead of just one game with a different team over a span of 2 months. D-Will and Booze will be too much for the Yao-less Rockets. Kyle Korver should make a huge impact. T-Mac fails to get out of the first round, again. Jazz in 5.

Well, I hope you guys enjoy that little read. Feel free to post what you think will happen.

Ultimate Fighter 8

cunninghamj — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:08:38 GMT

Pretty crappy if you ask me compared to the past. Things were heated with Tito/Shamrock and Hughes/Serra. Thats what really drives the show.

Mir beat Brock Lesnar who had one MMA fight. Is he really the guy you want to lead this show?

Deadliest Catch

jagutopia — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:37:25 GMT

I have become so addicted to watching this show. Does anyone else watch it?

What's your favorite boat/crew?

I love when they play pranks on each other and mess with each other's pots. That's pretty darn funny.

Pot for Toddlers.

Fargin — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:15:48 GMT

So all you users who say there is nothing wrong with smoking pot.

How many of you are going to say that this is OK? It won't hurt the kid, right so why not? :angry:

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=60953

Even I find this tasteless and classless

The Drifter — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:29:06 GMT

Even I find this tasteless and classless

Pic: [url]http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/88686180_image_7048215.html[/url]

Story

Group protests at Cobb bar, calling Obama T-shirts racist
Mulligan's selling shirts with 'Curious George' picture

By CHRISTIAN BOONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/13/08

Marietta tavern owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he's peddling, featuring cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with "Obama in '08" scrolled underneath, are "cute." But to a coalition of critics, the shirts are an insulting exploitation of racial stereotypes from generations past.

"It's time to put an end to this," said Rich Pellegrino, a Mableton resident and director of the Cobb-Cherokee Immigrant Alliance. He was among about 15 people who protested outside Mulligan's Bar and Grill Tuesday afternoon against the sale of the "racist and highly offensive" shirts.

Continued here: [url]http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.html[/url]

Best scene from Coming to Ameria

Jaguar Paw — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:11:54 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdjblkRkoPU&feature=related

Clarence: You must be out yo god**** mind! Joe Louis is the greatest

boxer that ever lived. I'll be with you boys in a minute. He was better

than Cassius Clay, he was better than Sugar Ray, and that new dude,

what's his name, Mike Tyson, looks like a bulldog, he was better than

him too.

Saul: What about Rocky Marciano?

Clarence: Oh there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout

boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ***. That's

their one, that's their one. Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano. Let me

tell you something once and for all. Rocky Marciano was good, but

compared to Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano ain't ****."

Saul: He beat Joe Louis' ***.

Sweets: That's right he did whoop Joe Louis' ***.

Clarence: Joe Louis was seventy five years old when they fought...

Saul: I don't know how old he was, but he got his *** whooped.

Clarence: Joe Louis had come out of retirement to fight Rocky Marciano

and he was seventy six years old. Joe Louis is always lying about his

age. He lie about his age all the time. One time Frank Sinatra came in

here and sat in this chair. I said Frank 'you hang out with Joe Louis,

just between me and you, how old is Joe Louis.' You know what Frank

told me, he said 'hey, Joe Louis is 137 years old.' 137 years old!

Saul: Oh Man you ain't never meet no Frank Sinatra.

Clarence: **** You! F**k You! and F**k you! Who's next?

Fire!

MalabarJag — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:07:22 GMT

I just got my power back after some nearby power lines and poles were damaged by the fires down here yesterday. Fortunately, the winds have mostly died down. There were about a hundred homes around here damaged by the fires, but my home wasn't one of them. The closest the fires got to here was about a mile.

With all of the roads being blocked by fire, it took me about 45 minutes to get home yesterday ... after I got within 2 miles of home.

How are the other Brevard Jags fans faring?

The Republic of Montana?

INT — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:11:45 GMT

http://www.reason.com/news/show/126063.html

I might just want to move to Montana if they did this. Viva la revolución and all that jazz. And it's a pretty state.

Ticketmaster owns TicketsNow??!!

Rashean27Mathis — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:03:45 GMT

I just caught something on espn about ticket scalpers/brokers and they brought up that Ticketmaster purchased the website TicketsNow (a re-seller of tickets). All we need from here is insiders at ticketmaster moving tickets from one site to the other and doubling the price. This has got to be borderline illegal.

Gator Football Player Jamar Hornsby in Some Trouble

KingIngram052787 — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:46:11 GMT

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=108886

It's TIME!

The Drifter — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:23:47 GMT

it's 4:20, do you know where your "Bud" is?????

This has been a PSA brought to you by The Drifter

Is this funny??

GAlanJag — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:52:54 GMT

This link will send you to a photo of a parade float made in Germany for a German parade. I'm not sure if I should laugh or not. Any help?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23828985@N05/2451478958/

Man creates solar water heater – out of beer bottles!

The Drifter — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:58:05 GMT

Pics with article....

Man creates solar heater – out of beer bottles

A Chinese peasant has made a solar water heater - using only beers bottles and hoses.

The beer bottles lie on a board in rows, all connected by hoses which allow cold water to flow through them and be heated by the sun.

"I invented this for my mother. I wanted her to shower at any time more comfortably," says Ma Yanjun, a carpenter, of Qiqiao village, Shaanxi Province.

"A real solar water heater is too expensive to me, so I came up with the idea of making one on my own.

"I hope this invention can be promoted nationwide, and allow mothers in undeveloped rural areas to have a hot shower."

Ma has now helped more than 20 families in the village to make and install their own beer bottle solar water-heaters.

He says he will build a public bathroom for the village using his invention when he has the money to buy enough beers.

[url]http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2850151.html[/url]