The Russians used pencils and consequently littered their space station (a closed system) with lots of floating particles from the shavings, leading to polluted atmosphere and short circuits in electronics. Not a good tradeoff. Remember that the Mir project was jettisoned after almost a decade.

Glad to hear you’d consider voting for Obama if Ron doesn’t win the Republican Primary. If you don’t wanna go about researching him in a traditional way, just look up some of his speeches on YouTube. My favorite was made when he won South Carolina last weekend. It addresses racism a little bit due to the Clintons making that an issue, but it’s mainly has a universal message of hope and change.
You can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVAPH_EcmQ

I liked Kucinich too, but apparently he was too liberal. While I had initially hoped he might be Obama’s running mate, wouldn’t it be amazing if Ron Paul became Obama’s VP, or vice versa? I know, nothing like that has ever really happened, but man it would be extraordinary!

Correct me. The links I found were also dated. Have been searching on and off for any recent reference. But I’ve not been able to find anything… Bravo for him… War is the big issue for me. If he’ll join my man in an unconditional pull out of the middle east, and if my guy doesn’t make it to the g.e., I have to say that I’d consider it. Thanks for bringing me up to speed. I admit that I don’t research the others as much as I should. I did like Kucinich a lot, though. They rail him for the UFO thing. But did you see that youtube video of the Fox News report? The Mex gov. released official video of their jets tracking the things. They said they and the other nations are tired of deferring to the U.S. gov to make the official announcement -Holy sh!t! Next thing you know, G.W. will take off his mask and reveal his true reptilian nature:)

I did a search for those exact words and came up with nothing on YouTube. I even searched Google Video, but I’m not finding the video. Could you provide a link? I think I actually remember hearing about him saying something about Iran a while ago, but when I search Google, I only find stories that seem to have been written during Kerry’s run for president. I usually prefer to do my own research on stuff like this, but since this is a point you’re trying to make, I think I’ll let you make it with some links. Thanks. :)

Google ‘Obama bombing Iran’. It should give you enough quotes… As for spamming, I was content to leave this well-enough alone. Like I said, somehow this all ended up in my inbox. And that’s what prompted this. I just wanted to get my two cents in…

Urban,

I don’t know what is correctly considered to be a true conservative. From my personal experience, as a high school kid, I had the unique experience of having parents that purchased a house owned by the late Senator Strom Thurmond. Because he and his wife, Nancy, were having problems in their relationships, he ended up living, in the apartment, over our garage, for app. 1.5 years. He would come home, every other weekend, from Washington. And he’d always spend some time talking with us about DC politics. It was because of that that I ended up serving as a page for him in DC. The list may be short but distinguished of the ‘true’ conservatives that I met and shook hands with. But I certainly know who I am and who I identify with.

Despite all of this, I never saw it upon myself to cast a vote for any candidate. To me, all of the guys that ran for Pres came across like used-car salesmen. When Kerry was asked a question, he would start to answer it. Then he would pause, look at the camera, and say, “…But as President of the United States, I would…” I was like, “Come on. Sell that to someone else.” It also didn’t take much to see past G.W. either. I was none-too-surprised to learn that the reason he lost his first run, as Gov of Texas, was that the general public thought he sounded too much like a know-it-all from the North. Obviously, he did a decent job of reinventing himself and dumbing down his rhetoric.

Point is, if I’d had my way, there’d have been a check box, on the ballot, that read, “Do over.” I don’t believe in voting for the ‘lesser of two evils’. And I won’t cast a ‘protest vote’. To be frank, I’ve never voted at all, much less registered to vote, until I heard of Ron… I just never saw a reason to.

As far as whether I’m a ‘true’ conservative, I guess that may be appropriately gauged on the modern definition of the word. And if, by modern definition, what I consider to be a NeoCon is a true conservative, then I suppose I’m not. I’m quite proud to say that. Possibly, you and I are too young to remember what real Republicans were, unlike the older Dr. Paul. We’re definitely too young to remember when the conservatives were considered Democrats and the liberals, Republicans. But I think that party affiliations and political ideals are only divisive machines meant to separate us.

Call me what you will. You’re still pompous and irritating.

In normal conditions, the Libertarians and the Small Government Conservatives work together. But, this war had divided many people.

Stop being so narcissistic, Daniel. The world does not revolve around you. I may speak of the Left in general terms hoping that I will expose you. This is a direct consequence of you refusing to reveal yourself or to argue issues. I force me to judge your position on the left by what little you reveal. When you go into a Leftist rant, I place you far to the left of Hillary and Obama. Why wouldn't you love Castro?

Why get so emotional about it? If I am wrong, simply state that and I will believe it. There is nothing personal in this, Daniel. I am trying to correct you atrociously bad manners. Hence, I must come across harder and less compromising than I ordinarily am.

"I don’t like being at the wrong end of your stereotype marker, and your batshit comments are scaring away the smart people, so please cool it down several notches."

The Left are used to giving insults, but not receiving them. Again, If you want to avoid my derision, then argue a case, rather than giving me Leftist rants.

My main point is that politics is not the proper venue for these technical webpages. So, if you stop throwing leftist crap at me, then you will never hear from me. Do you think that your leftist bullshit isn't scaring away smart people? Apparently not, since you believe that no Conservative can be "Smart Person."

"I have yet to see anywhere you have pointed out any rational flaw in my thinking, but I also don’t want any examples from you, so let it go. "

That is your flaw, Daniel. You ask me to point out the flaws in your thinking while simultaneously asking that I don't ask them. That is an idiotic position to take.

What you want to do is to take potshots at other people while receiving none in return. You disrespect me and my values and I am supposed to respect yours? Get real. Your behavior provokes a reply, so I give you one. If you stop disrespecting other people, Daniel, they might be nice to you. Your behavior, so far, deserves a whipping.

"Your inflammatory castigations of people is really becoming a problem. "

It is a problem that you started.

"It’s not opinion or politics or world view, it’s just that you are acerbic and rude and don’t say anything really interesting, and can apparently only repeat right wing jingoism that I’ve already heard. So stop. - Dan]”

Daniel, I am merely replying to your disrespect. Reread my first post; it was rather mild. I merely stated that I disagreed with you but it was too time consuming for me to dissect your mixed up rant.

The Leftist on this web pages could not tolerate a contrary opinion. Of course, neither they or you addressed my contention: that if you persist in disrespecting your Conservative readers by throwing out irrelevant leftist rubbish, then you will get an argument. You are acting rather childishly, Daniel.

[It is juvenile and disrespectful for you to post another long missive of self-indulgent bullshit after I asked you to tone down your off-topic and irrelevant foaming. Seriously, stop or I'll ban your account. I'd prefer not to have to do that, so self regulate and we can keep our government small and limited as we both prefer. - Dan ]