Something we can possibly agree on
 

Perhaps one of the things that the insurgents and terrorists in the Middle East fear the most is exactly what happens here, on Bulletin Boards like this. The freedom to post our thoughts and argue among ourselves.

That is a rare commodity in that part of the world, where dictators and royalty control things.

I think this is one thing we can all be grateful for; the ability to disagree.

I think your assumption is wildly off base.












:D

Not only are you wrong but you're a stinking liar - both of you.


(I meant that in the nicest possible way)

Is this a Free Speech Zone? Before anyone says anything else, I need verification in writing that this is legal in accordance with the latest updates to the PATRIOT Act.

:) I agree -- despite the partisanship, the often venemous responses, the wild emotions (yes, I'm guilty too -- no accusations here), I'm hooked on this whole "free speech" thing. Keep it rollin', boys.

Dan

you all need to shut the hell up.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

signed, Hitler

Seriously, contrary thoughts lead to debate which leads to information being presented from both sides.

Sometimes the debate deteriorates into irrational name calling and the thread dies out. Other times, the thread starts out with irrational name calling and the information gathering phase never happens.

Either way, it's lively and fun and nobody gets hurt.

I'm all about disagreement.

See what happens when you try to be nice?

Geeez....

you know where nice guys finish?

Morally ahead.......

thats not the way i heard it.... then again im morally bankrupt.

Not "morally bankrupt" -- that's no longer politically correct. We refer to such people as "morally flexible" these days.

did i mention im rich on personality?

You are not!

Will somebody PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!!!

[/Maude Flanders]

FWIW, a little history lesson:
Way Back When, Europe drank mostly beer. Water supplies ranged from "sometimes sanitary" to "raw sewage," so drinking water was mostly out of the question, unless you were into catching the latest Cool New Plague (tm). People routinely drank approximately 1 case of beer in an average day, by modern estimates. Pubs abounded, as people needed ready places to purchase beer. More importantly, the discussion that occurred in pubs was much like the discussion you'll find in pubs today -- the same kind of drunken nonsense that occurs everywhere.

Then, shortly before the industrial revolution, coffee hit Europe. Coffee houses became gradually popular as alternatives to beer. Rather than drinking a depressant all day long, people were now drinking a stimulant, and plenty of it!

The economy shifted rapidly -- people were thinking more, doing more, being more active, and generally responding as if the entire culture had been caffeinated, which it had. People in coffee houses talked philosophy and politics, arguing about things that might make a difference to their country and the human race. Coffee houses began to put out simple newspapers. People had more ideas, and better ones.

Some of the biggest businesses of all time started in coffee houses. Lloyd's Coffee House, for example, is one of my favorites. The shipping-types used to hang out at one particular shop in London to discuss shipping issues. Golly boys, what do you think about those new boats from Westfold Shipbuilders? Did you see the boat that Smith just bought? Anybody have any predictions on the price of silks from China?

As with any conversation among men, the conversations among the merchants at Lloyd's eventually shifted to gambling. "You know, there've been some pretty good storms between here and the Ivory Coast these days -- I'll bet that if the storms don't get ol' Johnson, the pirates will. Anybody want to bet me a five-spot?" Well, pretty quick, the house got in on the betting, except the house always bet on a successful shipment. That worked out great for the merchant: If the shipment came through, he lost a small portion of the success to the house, but came out pretty well in the end. If the shipment failed, he cashed in on the bet and did alright anyway. Sound familiar? It should -- Lloyd's of London does exactly the same thing today, having evolved from the humble coffee house to a modern insurance company. :)


What am I getting at? Hang on, let me go back and reread all this ... Oh, right, my point was that here on a good BB, people openly discuss real issues -- people from all over the place, with all kinds of different background, with no fear of retribution or discrimination. Real issues, real facts, real practical stuff -- discussions among people that could not have met together 10 years ago. Will the advent of the internet BB trigger an industrial revolution, as coffee did so many years ago? Was coffee really that influential in history? Am I completely crazy, drunk, and sick and tired of trying to put dogteeth on gears? Have I lost it, after confusing the bottle labeled "Sierra Nevada" with the bottle labeled "Engine Cleaner" too many times?



Dan