Re: Very bad news today in RMS's extended modelling community of Lancaster PA

Or a pointed stick...

The FBI is saying that there likely is no crime in Foley's case. Sending creepy e-mails and IMs is not a crime. There is, so far, no evidence he acted on his e-mails or did anything inappropriate with any page. There is no law against being an idiot. Washington is full of them! Heck, we have one right here in NC - goes by the name of Jim Black.

There is also a good chance that alchohol is part of the problem. We all know that when alchohol is involved, people often act stupid and do things they may not normally do.

Is Foley an idiot, jerk, creep, looser, moron (pick one or all, or insert your own adjective)? Absolutely! That does not make him a criminal.

The only reason this is an issue is that the media wants it to be. The guy resigned. Problem is over. Did other people know about it earlier? Looks like they did, and told him to quit doing it. He did not take their advice. Too bad for him, but remember, he works for those who elected him, not the congressional leadership. If he did not commit any crime, there likely was nothing that the leadership could leagally do to change his behavior.

My bet is that even the Dems knew what he was doing and sat on it until now. If they truly did not, and it has been going on for as long as has been reported, it sort of puts them in the idiot category too, doesn't it? They have not been able to take the lead on any issue so far in this campaign. This is their last hurrah before the election. However, the voter is a very fickle thing. I don't think most will see this as a real issue by November.

OK, soap box removed and stowed for future use.

Now, let's get back to modeling, shall we?

John

"Smirked?" Did I smirk? I need to work on my digital facial expressions, I guess. I was sure it was scowling disdain.

I got it! If someone is deliberately running for political office, they must be a scum bag. Don't vote for them! ;~)

Bill Woodier scowled with disdain:

LOL

I think there should be a non binding "None Of The Above" available on the ballot for every office, ballot proposal, etc...

The candidate who gets the most votes still gets elected to office but it would send a pretty strong message to said newly elected official that while he/she got 40% of the vote and his/her opponent got 10%, there's still 50% of the electorate who felt that neither candidate was worthy.

Just my $0.02 worth...

Jay Beckman Chandler, AZ

Speaking once again to the header of this thread, should you desire to leave some message of condolence you may try at wgal.com or lancasteronline.com. Just follow the directions to the appropriate links on the pages. The TV station said tonight it has been getting messages from all over the world.

And, in a momoent of rare sanity, that Kansas 'church' that likes to picket military funerals decided not to try that here at the young ladies' funerals. Apparently the State Police couldn't guarantee their safety. Not from the Amish as they've done something very rare in this world. They've forgiven the killer and invited the wife and family to at least one funeral.

Sometimes one gets annoyed with the Amish as they attract clueless tourists and clog the roads with buggies. It's been an education in watching them deal with this tragedy. I don't think I'd have the strength to carry on as they do in the face of something like that. I for sure would have trouble not hating the person who did the deed. If any group deserves the title 'Christian' they certainly do. They live it everyday.

Bill Banaszak

Not sure if it's been mentioned--a friend with family in the area says there's a story going around there that the shooter was being medicated, the medication was changed and he went off the tracks soon afterwards. He may have been delusional when he said his reasons. What did the captain of the "Maine" say? "Public opinion should be suspended until further notice."

Haven't heard anything along those lines although I haven't read every line of all the newspapers' coverage. It's a bit too much.

Bill Banaszak

FWIW Here in the States we are getting pretty cynical about politicians, I admit. But I suspect it is partly our own fault. We have slipped into a culture that believes "any problem comes up, buck it up to Washington". The result is that the job of president has gotten so big that it is really becoming undoable. Result is that only fools on ego trips are willing to run for the job. No intelligent person would touch it!

Bill Shuey

Wrong. The non binding part that is! If "None of the above" gets the most votes both parties have to go back and pick another candidate. Last election I suspect a hell of a lot of people held their noses and voted for what they hoped was the lesser of two jerks. Personally, I would have pushed "none of the above" on the line for president real quick. It has become a big game to see who can finagle the election process the best. We should have one National Day for all primary elections, and no one can proclaim candidacy for Federal Office till 90 days before the primary day. 3 months is long enough to listen to what some guy has to say and determine if he is a jerk or possibly worth voting for. This might also reduce the clout that money has on the process too.

Bill Shuey disgusted Republican

I agree with that, Bill. The concept that my father and grandfather had of self-reliance is pretty-much gone in today's culture; at least in the US. The process of failing to take responsibility of ones own actions and welfare has brought us to where we are today. We've now raised a generation that doesn't want to (or think they should) take any responsibility for themselves and their actions. They expect that, when something goes wrong, they can sit on their asses, bitch about it, and the "government" had better step in quick and correct it (and pay for it as well). Too bad we can't return to the US of our fathers and grandfathers.

I don't want the US of my father. The Great Depression, and World War II in which tens of thousand of our military were killed around the world. My father was a waiter in Childs Restaurant and then a short order cook in a diner. As a child, I lived barely above the poverty level of the Little Rascals. Since I was the oldest, I remember hand-me-down clothes from people my father knew and fishing for pennies out of the NYC subway air grates. Five days after I graduated from HS, I joined the US Navy just to get away.

The America of our forefathers was not plush, cushy, or easy, to be sure and I might not relish it all that much myself but I'm smart enough to realize the traits in that life that made them what they were and what made America what it was. It was harder, to be sure but it produced stronger and tougher people, both psychologically and physically. Today's generation, in large part, does not know what made its preceding generations tough, strong, and self reliant......and along the way made America strong.

but i believe if the shit hits the fan, this bunch will rise above the lazy self indulgence to save their asses. things will get in a very bad way. doesn't take a genius to see the ecological mess that is headed like a train wreck. our short sighted me-generation assholism will make things very bad. but that will bring the tough people out to save the shlubs. history doesn't repeat, but people do. there are too many rats in the cage. the 4 horseman have a new flock of buddies all saddled up and ready. perhaps after the arms race, the brain race will be run and maybe we'll end up with a human race.

...I wish I could be that optimistic.

i believe darwinian selection will weed out the useless. a population of less than a billion would be relief for the planet and humans. then we could do some usefull thinking.

Yeah! Take a good look at what two generations of socialism has created in New Orleans!

Bill Shuey

FWIW I have seen more than one historian write that we can thank the great depression for creating a generation tough enough to win World War II. I have heard enough stories from my parents to know that my Parent's generation had it rough.

Bill Shuey