Tired_Old_Man

4 Cylinder Camry gets about 21 to 27 depending on the percentage of city to highway driving I do. V6 S10 pickup gets about 17 to 21 depending on the percentage of city to highway driving I do. I test drove the Prius in 2001 and would have bough it, but the Toyota dealer offered me less than half of what my Camry's KBB value was. They told me to sell it privately and then come in for the Prius.

Spin (used as the new word for a polite way of not quite lying, but helping a person misunderstand what happened) depends on misunderstandings like saying a rectangle when something is a square. They are not lying when they say, "that object is a rectangle" if the object is in fact a square. They are just giving you less information that they could have and it is always done if it benefits them to give you the information in that way. I listen to the political shows and I listen how Tom Russert, for example asks his "Meet the Press" guest (a politician or a member of the UN) a question and how the guest doesn't quite answer that question. Example (non-partisan): "Is Crest really the best toothpaste for fighting cavities?" Answer: "No leading brand of toothpaste has been proven to be more effective than Crest at fighting cavities." The Naive listeners (usually) hear: "Yes, Crest is the better than any other toothpaste." But... Maybe a non-leading brand is better. Leading brand equates to big seller, so maybe a local company's toothpaste or a boutique brand is better at fighting cavities. Maybe no studies have been done. Maybe studies were done and Crest tied with Colgate, Arm & Hammer, Listerine, Equate (Wal-Mart's house brand), Sensodyne and the store brands sold at CVS and Walgreen's. In that case, it doesn't matter which of those brands you use and some cost half the price of Crest. I started the thread about needing help from an English teacher and it went around the world about Ebonics and other topics, but the purpose was to get communication problems out in the open.

Ask your questions and I'll be more than happy to give you my answers. I for one have no problem expressing myself and I know of a few other men who also have no problems. I could write a book and still miss your concerns, so let us know what your concerns are (from your male perspective) and I hope you will get your answers from a male perspective.

What I was trying to show in the last post is that when someone says, "I have a dollar bill", I know they have money. But when someone says, "I have money", I don't know if they have a dollar bill. When someone says "I am riding a Harley Davidson", I know they are riding a motorcycle. But when someone says, "I am riding a motorcycle", I do not know that they are riding a Harley Davidson. If someone told me, "BJean replied to your post", I would know a member of LBT had responded to my post. But if someone said, "a member of LBT had responded to your post", I would not know that it was BJean who had responded. Words have power. Punctuation can change the meaning of the words as can the order used.

Definition of a rectangle is a 4 sided parallelogram with right angles and opposite sides equal. In other words: 4 sides, 90 degree angles, opposite sides equal. A square has all of those features, so it is a rectangle. It just has one more feature which is that consecutive sides are also equal. There is no rule saying that a rectangle can not have all 4 sides equal. Most don't, but some can and those are squares. How about?: a Harley Davidson is a motorcycle. But a motorcycle is not a Harley Davidson. Or Bill is a boy, but a boy isn't Bill. A girl is a human, but a human isn't a girl. A jet fighter is a plane, but a plane is not a jet fighter. A dollar bill is money, but money is not a dollar bill. Bjean is a member of LBT. But a member of LBT is not BJean.

I noted that you didn't say that "Universal" was the only definition. That was why I said "another word": Liberal. I have argued with many people when I have said: "A Square is a Rectangle, But, A Rectangle is not a Square." Subtle differenced make all the difference.

I didn't have to.

Love is the way to conquer all problems. #1. It is a shame that the people of my generation gave "Love" a bad name during the 1960's by confusing it with SEX. #2. It is a shame that the people of today who claim to be Christians, more specifically the people who are the driving force behind the Christian-Right Political Movement, do not realize that Jesus Christ's main reason for being on Earth was LOVE. By not loving, one is not emulating Jesus. Calling oneself a Christian and showing no love for the poor or thy enemy is making a mockery of the word Christian. The journalist who said that the Amish people who welcomed the school house killer's family to grieve with them were “acting strangely”, must not know what being Christian really means.

The endocrinologist that treated me for diabetes before I considered a Lap-Band gave me a list of banned foods. Fruits and fruit juices were on the list. His famous quote was: "The American Diabetes Association's recommended list of foods for a diabetic to eat is poison to a diabetic".

But dictionaries that I checked mentioned another word Yes: liberal. I guess my definition of liberal and the dictionary's definition must be different. I do find the Roman Catholic Church more Liberal on some issues than the Pentecostal Church, but they are more conservative on other issues. As far as people either keeping away from this thread or not joining in, I wish more people would state their opinions. While some may feel insulted or attacked, I WOULD HOPE that any one particular post would be judged in the context of the surrounded posts and not taken as an affront because the poster's purpose or intent might not be obvious (using that one post as a bar).

I also feel for your loss. I both sympathize and empathize with you. My mother died of breast cancer at 41 when I was 19, so I know what you are going through. They say, "Only the good die young". I hope I can ease some of your pain by letting you know that it gets better with time. Your mother, like mine can never be replaced, but the one way to repay your mother for everything she did for you is to pay the debt owed to her to your children. If you have no children, then adopt the human race and nurture it.

I don't know what troubles me more? Passing laws like the MCRI, Michigan Civil Right Initiative or Calling the law the “MCRI” for “Michigan Civil Right Initiative” Why don't the people who sponsored it call it the MACRI = Michigan Anti Civil Right Initiative or the MECRI = Michigan Ends Civil Right Initiative Similarly, in some states, the cigarette companies have sponsored new ballot proposals with names like the “Smoke Less Initiative” which if passed would allow many smoking bans to be over-turned. If the voters want these laws passed, that is their right. But to call laws by straw-names which hide the real meaning, and more to the point actually have the opposite meaning is a search-light into the soul and character of those who foster these proposals.

I tried acupucture. The practioner hit just the right spot and 90 pounds of ugly fat poured out of my butt cheek. :faint:

I doubt it. I think he would be annoyed at the Republicans who quote his: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." They usually quote it as "I have a dream that...little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." They use that quote to try to eliminate affirmative action and any other programs to help minorities. I would also like to eliminate programs that help minorities and women too. I would vote for any man (or woman) who wants to eliminate the programs which benefit "others" by discriminating against white males AS SOON AS THE PLAYING FIELD IS LEVELED AND THE "OTHERS" HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE in our society. I am not talking about the law; I am talking about the way people are perceived because they are fat, ugly, minority or female and then how they are treated as inferiors because of it. It can't be legislated. It must be from the hearts of the people that comprise the USA (and eventually hopefully the world). Until then, legislation will be needed to give back some of what is taken away from the "others" by the status quo seeking society.

Yes, he cheated on his wife and yes, he was not God-Like. He was just a human being, but we in the USA are lucky he was around as an alternative to groups like the Black Pathers and Black Muslims. However, do you have a link to a reference for "he...even wanted to begin using violence"? I am always interested in learning and would like to see any information on this topic. And while I can not speak for anyone else, I will not hate you or anyone else for stating their opinion about Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, God, Allah or President BuSh.

We could have a "Rave and Rant" section for (proverbial) Ostriches. Is that better? :confused:

There is a new book out there that agrees that the people in power are taking care of "number one" rather than the people they supposedly represent. The book is called "Tempting Faith" and in it the author claims that BuSh and his administration have been using the evangelical Christians just to get votes, to gain and to keep power. From the Linked article: More than five years after President Bush created the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, the former second-in-command of that office is going public with an insider’s tell-all account that portrays an office used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities.

FAMILY Three sisters ages 92, 94, and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bathtub?" The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses. Then she yells to her 92-year-old sister sitting at the kitchen table having tea and listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful," as she knocked on her wooden table for good measure. She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's knocking at the door." _______________________________________________ "I CAN HEAR JUST FINE!" Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day. One remarked to the other, "Windy, isn't it?" "No," the second man replied, "it's Thursday." And the third man chimed in, "So am I. Let's have a beer." __________________________________________ WHAT A CHOICE A little old lady was running up and down the halls in the nursing home. As she walked, she would flip up the hem of her nightgown and say, "Supersex." She walked up to an elderly man in a wheelchair. Flipping her gown at him, she said, "Supersex." He sat silently for a moment or two and finally answered, "I'll take the Soup." ____________________________________________ OLD FRIENDS Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards. One day, they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is." Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just sat and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?" ______________________________________ SENIOR DRIVING As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 77. Please be careful!" "Hell," said Herman, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!" _________________ DRIVING Two elderly women were out driving in a large car, both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself "I must be losing it I could have sworn we just went through a red light." After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection and the light was red again. Again, they went right through. The woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it! She was getting nervous. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red and they went on through. So, she turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred, do you know that we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Crap, am I driving?" ______________________________________________________ An elderly Floridian called 911 on her cell phone to report that her car has been broken into. She is hysterical as she explains her situation to the dispatcher: "They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!" she cried The dispatcher say, "Stay calm, Ma'am, an officer is on the way." A few minutes later, the officer radios in. "Disregard.", He says. "She got in the back-seat by mistake." TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US, PLEASE!!!! :help:

We could have a "Rave and Rant" section for Ostriches.

"It just so happens that most black men are built the same." Michael Jackson Michael Jordan Shaq O'Niel Prince Bill Cosby Ruben Studdard Gary Coleman Danzel Washington It is a good thing that they have different Facial features or else I could not tell them apart. :faint:

I would not help. Hitler had Jews killed and they were German Jews. He also had Gays killed and they were Gay Germans. In Northern Island, Protestants kill Catholics and vice versa. In Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites are killing each other. In Rwanda, Tutsis and Hutus kill each other. Racism is about power. Race makes it easier to identify "your enemy", but if everyone were green, people would find another excuse to fight.

For the past couple of years, I have witnessed a trend in the way Americans speak English. A few years ago, there was a movement to certify Ebonics as a language. Ebonics, as far as I was concerned was just a bunch of slang words added to the improper conjugation of the verb “TO BE” coupled as the helping verb to a main verb which often ended in “ing”. Now there is a new way of speaking English which is epitomized by the McDonald's commercial that states. “I'm loving it.” “I'm loving it” is of course short for “I am loving it”. Why not “I love it”? Why do we need the helper or auxiliary verb “am”? The difference between “I love it” and “I have been loving it for a long time” is obvious. The first statement is showing the present condition, while the second sentence shows an existing and past condition simultaneously. Proper ********* New Alternative********** Ebonics I run *********** I am running ************** I be run or I be running He runs ******** He is running ************* He be running You run ******** You are running ********** You be running They run ******* They are running ********* They be running Why would anyone use the longer alternative way. I called up a customer service person and after I explained my problem, she asked, “So, what are you wanting me to do about it?” How about the more easily constructed question, “So what do you want me to do about it? It seems that in Ebonics they didn't conjugate the verb "to be" before placing it before the main verb which often ended in “ing”, but this new way of speaking is conjugating the proper helper verb properly, but always using a main verb which always ends in “ing”. One step better, but still incorrect. Can any English teachers out there tell me if I am right or wrong? I am wanting to know. :confused:

It was not meant as a cheap shot. By denying a child Baptism because the parents did not donate (or the church didn't think they donated), they are in effect blocking the child's entrance to Heaven. There was nothing personal intended. While I may have quoted you in some posts, I was not speaking directly to you (or about you or your beliefs), but speaking my beliefs.

Yes, I am out of the loop. As a person who has seen organized religion up close and personal including watching members of the clergy fight over my mother's body and having a Roman Catholic priest condemn my mother to Hell because a Pentecostal minister prayed over her coffin, I can say that none of the dogma sits right with me. One week, a few years ago, one Pentecostal family member died and then a RC family member died. The wakes and funeral were separated by a few days, so I got to attend both funerals and about 6 wake sessions. What a difference. One had ministers coming in and talking about sister Santa (yes, her real name) while the other had a group of nuns and about 10 octogenarians come in a say the Rosaries non-stop for two hours. One denomination said personal things in their prayer about my great-aunt and the other never mentioned my cousin's name, but just repeated the same prayers over and over. Not knowing God one on one (and admitting it) unlike the Pentecostals, I do not know which was more beneficial to the deceased, but I wonder if every prayer in the world said non-stop over a body could get an evil person into the Kingdom of Heaven. My ex-coworker who is a Mormon, has a computer program for looking up his genealogy so that he can retroactively get his non-Mormon ancestors into Heaven through prayer. I have a hope and belief that God is a lot more intelligent than we give him credit for. I believe that following all the rules of a man-created church denomination will do less to gain salvation than a pure heart. One of the rulings that came out of the "Council of Trent" was that the Protestant idea that claiming salvation through a personal relationship with Christ is not sufficient to gain eternal salvation, but it also takes good works. Too many Protestants have told me that they have a personal relationship with Christ, but then go on violating everything Jesus stood for and preached about. Yes, I know we all are sinners, but committed an occasional sin and living a life totally dedicated to the opposite of REAL Christian values are two different things. Thinking or "knowing" that you are saved by the “one and only” possible way to be save or "knowing" that you are in the “one and only” denomination that will gain salvation will not mean Beans if when you get to the gates, God says "you followed the wrong rules" or “you only claimed to follow the right rules, but did not”.

I guess I was wrong, the Roman Catholic church did not stop selling entrance into Heaven in 1562. :faint: