RA1

At least you are there for another "round". Best regards, RA1

I don't think it took a crystal ball or even personal experience to make the judgment that the Prez could not fight "city hall". Jimmy as in Carter proved that in recent history during the late '70's. He came to DC thinking he could fight the bureaucracy and change them. He didn't. I was wishing and still do that he could have. Congress is more of the same, only with an office with a nicer view. Hillary and Bill are without a doubt crooks, but that seems to mean little to the electorate these days. Sorry for us. However, they both have enough money and ex-officio experience that they or she might make a significant difference. One can only hope for the best. Best regards, RA1

In times of "real" trouble, I might prefer the reverse. In other words, a big gun and I won't care as much about the size of his dick. Best regards, RA1

Please explain the difference between a guy with a big dick and a gun in his pants. Best regards, RA1

You don't have to kill the rabbit to get rabbit food? Best regards, RA1

As the old saying goes, the first 4 letter word a new bride usually hears is "cook". And, it can be devastating. Best regards, RA1

Lust addiction? There has to be a medical reason. Today there is no such thing as not having someone or something to blame for everything we do or that happens to us, is there? Best regards, RA1

I thought OZ was just stating for the record his favorite sexual position. Best regards, RA1

Tom Gara seems like a very strange person to me, at least from the Google description. Almost 15,000 emails average per year but only 3 internet purchases (per year)? I did more than that last week (purchases). 855 docs? That seems a small amount to go with 135,000 emails. I don't understand these stats at all. What am I missing? Best regards, RA1

Yes, as you said, well, duh. Best regards, RA1

We all get tired of my name is Derrick or Sue and I will be your waiter tonight and you are lucky if they mean it. However, some of the South's politeness is real. I have found that most folks, to include those living and working in NY aka Yankees, are just as friendly as I am. In other words, very. They may or may not know that I prefer tomatoes in my garden salad (in season) and they may not know what sweet tea is but I want it unsweetened anyway. OTOH, they know what a real pizza is and how to make Manhattan style clam chowder, among other things. Knosh obtained on the street in NY cannot be matched elsewhere or so it seems. But, then, I have not yet been everywhere. Best regards, RA1

I am sure we do agree but in the past I went on fasts that initially lasted for 2 weeks and then for 1 week at a time thereafter. Among the various problems with this kind of fast is that after the first two weeks and certainly after the next one week, your body "thinks" you have been lost on a desert island and are starving to death and therefore slows your metabolism. That slows your weight loss. Very likely a better solution is to eat 1,000 calories per day that are good for you but do not make your body think you have been ship wrecked. Not necessarily easy to do. In fact, I find no long term healthy diet easy to follow. The "best" solution is to find a 150 pound BF who likes to admonish you with a .40 caliber hand gun or perhaps a whip whenever you think you should "cheat" on your healthy diet. Best regards, RA1

At first I thought this might be a post about how one lost a BF (who weighed 140). But, then I saw it was a serious thread. JK, I think you are definitely on the right track. It is never easy to lose weight and many of us need to do so, not necessarily for being attractive but for a longer and happier life span. Of course, being thin and cute never hurts. There is no simple solution and no "everyman's" diet. Everyone has to decide for themselves what works and what does not. But, fewer calories is the ultimate answer, as JK says. I have gone on fasts before to lose weight and those are somewhat easy to follow (at least for me), but they are not long term solutions to weight control and I do not recommend those to anyone. Not eating is NOT like not smoking. One can stop smoking today and maintain that posture for their life time but one cannot do this about eating. One needs to eat to live. Therefore a more difficult solution must be found and adopted for oneself. Healthy eating and reduced calories are the answer but how to do it? I offer no magic solutions. Only hope. Keep trying. Best regards, RA1

I would tend to agree but I am afraid that he will not self destruct "in peace". Best regards, RA1

I don't get it. Every wait person I encounter says this, at least subliminally. Best regards, RA1

It has to be ego. Greed likely played a more important role in the past than it does now but it is still always there, lurking in the background, at least. In other words, Presidents and ex-presidents these days all make a LOT of money so they can just sit and wait or whatever. OTOH, 100 million dollar vacations are not available to just everyone. Best regards, RA1

Up to a point you make a good argument but what about self satisfaction? Can you be happy not doing your very best? Personally I trace some of this type of situation back to the Viet Nam conflict. Many colleges and universities were passing any young guy so they would not lose their education deferment and be drafted, regardless of the quality of work performed. Perhaps a reasonable result but not a good plan of action which might be having negative results even today. As you mentioned there are several jobs or careers where it does matter how well you did in school, meaning what you know. The person who graduates last in his medical school class is still called "doctor" but do you want this individual doing brain surgery on you or doing a heart transplant for you? I don't. Pilots like to think that paying attention to details is important, although I agree no one yet has asked me what grade I got on the various written examinations I have taken. They do ask if I got a "Pro" card when I went through re-current training. Best regards, RA1

It is amazing what "we" in this country have done in the last 50 years. Assassinated one sitting President, assassinated or wounded two "strong" candidates, "persuaded" the next President to not run for re-election for a failed guns and butter policy, driven the next out for wrong doing, not re-elected a back door Senate approved President, not re-elected the next sitting President for failed policies to include the Iranian hostages, shot and wounded the next sitting President, not re-elected the next sitting President for a perceived failed economy, impeached the next sitting President for various but did not convict (politics as usual), the next ex-President has a waxing and waning reputation that is still in development and who knows about the current one? The Nixon piece just caused me to, in a minor way, organize my thoughts chronologically with the above. Best regards, RA1

Just another example of how our government and pols are out of control. Best regards, RA1

So, a possible 136 years in the pokey is a lenient sentence? Best regards, RA1

To state the eternal pessimist point of view: Why go against 66 years of recent history and hundreds and hundreds of years before that? In other words, peace will fail. However, we can all be hopeful. Best regards, RA1

Yes, some of German and Italian ancestry were also put into camps but not nearly so many as the Japanese. I do not quickly find any references to camp inhabitants being shot but I will take your word for it. There are a lot of different aspects to this period of US history and I am about through writing about it. Best regards, RA1

I think I had the numbers reversed. However, my comment about too many were stands. Best regards, RA1

lookin- Were you ever in the military? There most of the Constitutional rules are suspended, at least for a short time aka basic training. There are many surviving rules that must and should be observed but many are somewhat changed from what we as civilians think are ordinary. I am sure you have heard of UCMJ which provides some different but still legal rules to follow. As civilians, we are not subject to the UCMJ but we must observe other rules. I am sure you know this. As a further point, what is your opinion of being tossed into jail? There many citizens lose a few or many of their otherwise acknowledged rights. But, most survive, one way or another. I have no wish to being tossed into jail but I have no doubt that I would survive. Short term arrangements that are not in the ordinary course of US existence are survivable regardless of why. That does not make them pleasant or even legal but it does not make then other than survivable. We, the US citizens have a lot to learn and to hopefully change. I think we are mostly on the same page but there is always room for another opinion, don't you think? Best regards, RA1

iphguy- I think you are over playing the facts. Most of the Japanese who were sent to relocation camps in the US were not citizens, although too many were. I also think you are comparing US camps with European ones and there is not justifiable comparison. Both were wrong and illegal. But, no US camp inhabitants were gassed or put to death with or without legal means employed. And, yes, it does matter how the locals felt during the war. They were tax paying citizens who were deprived of several things. There was a ban on fuel, food and many other items that were furnished to the inhabitants of the camps. Everyone worked during WWII to defeat Germany, Italy and Japan. There were sacrifices made by all. Unfortunately, one of the sacrifices made by Japanese citizens in the US was to be re-located but, again, most were not citizens. I agree about history and the aspect of having it repeated. I do not wish to argue with you but we seem to have some difference of opinion here. I respect yours. Do you respect mine? Best regards, RA1