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Taking a fresh look at terraforming Mars BuckGalaxy May 20, 2025 11:07 am (Space/Science)

It's over folks RL June 1, 2025 12:38 pm (Space/Science)

Boulder will be in your news soon. podrock June 1, 2025 3:14 pm (CurrentEvents)

Administration solves things the old fashion way BuckGalaxy June 1, 2025 11:01 am (Flame)

Lie, cheat and disable mechanisms... BuckGalaxy May 31, 2025 8:04 pm (Space/Science)

Issacman out as NASA Admin BuckGalaxy May 31, 2025 9:40 pm (Space/Science)

Big beautiful wall RobVG May 31, 2025 11:50 am (Flame)

2025 Humans to the Moon & Mars Summit May 28 and 29 BuckGalaxy May 28, 2025 2:52 pm (Space/Science)

C'mon a little closer gonna do it to you BuckGalaxy May 27, 2025 9:46 pm (Off-Topic)

Watching SpaceX Starship flight 9, 7:30pm EST BuckGalaxy May 27, 2025 3:59 pm (Space/Science)

Same old song and dance BuckGalaxy May 26, 2025 10:02 pm (Flame)

Dune books 2-7 BuckGalaxy May 26, 2025 12:46 pm (Science Fiction)

Is anything working these days? Has it ever worked? by Jody July 2, 2011 3:49 pm

S.S.D.D. Same Shit Different Day, I guess. Thanks Zoners you have helped me put this into perspective. Still sucks. by Jody 2011-07-03 12:26:43
I can't remember a time when the country wasn't heading for disaster. No, I do believe we have serious ... by ER 2011-07-03 06:04:51
- Walking is the process of continually heading for a fall...and never quite falling. by Robert 2011-07-03 11:56:26
  - Then again, maybe Americans are just whining crybabies who have never had to put up with hard times (or at ... by ER 2011-07-03 13:12:04
    - Looking at all these replies, it seems pretty simple: The good old days were good because it was a young person ... by TB 2011-07-03 13:34:59
      - I've read several convincing SF tales that have tackled the implications of longevity, both for individuals as well as implemented ... by ER 2011-07-03 14:32:21
        
        For an immortal, the "this too shall pass" attitude would definitely have to be accompanied by a serious network of ... by TB 2011-07-03 14:54:13
        
        Great premise for a novel there, if you don't want me to steal it, say so now, or forever hold ... by ER 2011-07-03 20:05:58
        
        Hardly original with me. Neil Gaiman had several such characters in his spectacular "Sandman" series, the most well known ... by TB 2011-07-03 20:15:06
  - OK, I'm just going to go jump in the currently highly risen Missouri River. A girl named Logan in a more ... by Eri 2011-07-03 12:31:05
    - Hang in there. Rivers rise, rivers fall. Don't build in a flood zone. I remember reading Michener's "Chesapeake" years ago. ... by TB 2011-07-03 13:24:16
- Good post. And sometimes I do wonder how much of this kind of thinking is just us getting old. My ... by TB 2011-07-03 07:27:24
  - Yeah TB...I think you are right...it is my age. Plus the fact I am a melancholy baby. Being empathic doesn't help. ... by Jody 2011-07-03 12:30:16
I get the "sinking ship" feeling sometimes too, though for reasons probably quite different from your own. But if we ... by mcfly 2011-07-02 22:27:13
This country is not ticking. Unless you want to count the time bomb that is ticking. Worse times ... by Eri 2011-07-02 21:47:02
We need to be vigilant, but don't overdo it. It's not "Mad Max," and not likely to be. Most everything ... by TB 2011-07-02 20:44:52

Writer's observation by TB July 2, 2011 8:41 am

Very true. Ever heard of Moses Wine, the hippie private eye? Great stuff. They even made a ... by ER 2011-07-02 12:28:54
- Laugh if you will, but I bet you could sell it. by TB 2011-07-02 12:47:31

Such stuff as dreams are made of... by TB June 30, 2011 3:39 pm

The Romans considered actors to be on par with prostitutes and the like. Not much has changed over the ... by Lee 2011-07-01 17:05:06
Dude was in theater. I don't see how they could think he didn't. by mcfly 2011-06-30 18:58:36
- I don't see why this should be such a shocker, Cocaine had probably been brought back to Europe from the ... by ER 2011-06-30 19:37:02
  - All this crap was legal (mostly), and somehow we not only avoided extinction, but created Western civilization. Go figure. As ... by TB 2011-06-30 21:03:31
    - Maybe we created western civilization BECAUSE we had access to mind-expanding substances from all over the world. Remember, the Age of ... by ER 2011-07-01 05:17:25
      - Sooo.... is this proof that we should legalize drugs? Ther are numerous arguments for and against this, and I'm ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-07-01 23:01:55
        
        There are no valid arguments for legalization. It's all drug induced fantasy. Allowing drugs is just another example of ... by Lee 2011-07-02 09:48:45
        
        However...do you have any idea what a problem prescription drugs are? Unfortunately, I do. The problem is bigger than any one ... by Jody 2011-07-02 11:28:28
        
        Nobody is saying drug addiction isn't a problem. So is alcoholism. The point is, the current approach isn't ... by TB 2011-07-02 12:06:37
        
        The main reason it isn't working is because we aren't even trying. Pop culture is allowed to glorify and ... by Lee 2011-07-02 19:42:36
        
        I was immersed in all that stuff, and hey, I'm not gay, a drug user, or any of that other ... by TB 2011-07-02 20:30:11
        
        Ahhh...sorry...almost got on an extended soapbox rant...this subject sends me into orbit...as if you couldn't tell. ...and a vehement NO NO ... by Jody 2011-07-02 14:59:10
        
        From National Review by TB 2011-07-02 12:09:01
        
        It's delightful to see that even the National Review is starting to expose Bill Bennett for the pious humbug and ... by ER 2011-07-02 12:43:24
        
        Let's forget for a moment whether or not we should make drugs illegal. Forget whether or not drugs actually ... by ER 2011-07-02 07:36:09
        
        Your last sentence is a bit twonky. A black market is basically a free market that's been interfered with, ... by TB 2011-07-02 08:01:10
        
        "You’d think we would have learned something from Prohibition." Whoops. There I go again! :) by TB 2011-07-02 08:03:31
        
        “You’d think we would have learned something from Prohibition.” Why did you go to the trouble of picking out that ... by ER 2011-07-02 08:34:36
        
        Hello? Joke? Do I have to pull up all your posts where you go "why did you take ... by TB 2011-07-02 08:43:00
        
        I wasn't making an accusation. I knew you were just making a joke. I just didn't get it. ... by ER 2011-07-02 09:04:31
        
        On a serious note, I think we SHOULD legalize drugs. Regulate and tax them. Our revenue problems would ... by Eri 2011-07-01 23:13:39
        
        For drugs like marijuana, there is no logical reason for treating it any differently legally than we treat alcohol and ... by TB 2011-07-02 06:24:19
        
        You're right, there are no logical reasons, but there are plenty of other reasons why this essentially benign weed should ... by ER 2011-07-02 07:56:52

Bruce Springsteen's eulogy for Clarence Clemons by TB June 29, 2011 9:54 pm

Brown eyes/Blue eyes by Jody June 29, 2011 5:12 pm

Try this one. The original story links here. I first read it in the CoEvolution Quarterly years ago. This ... by TB 2011-06-29 18:06:00
- Wow....that is disturbing. The really sad part is that I wanted to fit in so bad at that age...that I, ... by Jody 2011-06-29 19:46:21
  - That your Human? That you want to feel a sense of belonging and kinship? by Lee 2011-06-29 20:53:41
Thanks for making my point. by Lee 2011-06-29 17:25:52

Collapse of complex societies by Jody June 29, 2011 2:00 pm

Thank you for bringing that to our attention, Jody, it was excellent. I listened to the entire lecture, all ... by ER 2011-06-29 19:41:21
- It was good..I, too listened to the whole lecture...now I will ponder. by Jody 2011-06-30 10:52:41
- Not to seem like a smartass, or a jackass, or any kind of ass for that matter, but this seems ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-06-29 22:14:24
  - We like to point out Rome as the example of things falling apart. But remember, the Romans kept it ... by ER 2011-06-30 07:57:54
    - Rome sort of proves my first point. When the Roman Empire collapsed (Which was a VERY gradual thing), people ... by VelociraptorBlade 2011-06-30 11:23:05
    - The Amish will have the last laugh. by Jody 2011-06-30 10:50:41
      - Only until someone finds oil under their land. Ask the redskins. by ER 2011-06-30 11:06:47
        
        Or until the EPA wipes them out. by TB 2011-06-30 11:26:43
    - In the first episode of "Connections," James Burke wanders out from a blacked-out city, searching for something to help him. ... by TB 2011-06-30 08:32:10
      - OK. Can you guess who said this? ***Begin Quote*** The conservatives are fools: They whine about the decay of traditional ... by ER 2011-06-30 11:12:32
  - The path through all this is decentralization. I like the new focus on small, local nuclear power systems (their ... by TB 2011-06-29 22:18:27
- I didn't listen to all of them, so let me know if I've missed something key. It seems to ... by TB 2011-06-29 21:05:13
  - Yeah, but Pournelle's observation is somewhat akin to saying "We wouldn't have these problems if we just had enough money." ... by ER 2011-06-30 06:39:15
    - Actually, while energy is needed in growing amounts, technological progress also allows you to do more with less. While ... by TB 2011-06-30 08:19:42
  - Um...we aren't working with patterns of history here, are we? :) by TB 2011-06-29 21:08:49
    - Wouldn't surprise me. I have, at times, spouted some of the most ridiculous crap ever spouted. No one here actually has to ... by mcfly 2011-06-30 11:48:29
    - I catch your drift, O clever one, but we are picking up on general patterns, insights, clues. We are ... by ER 2011-06-30 06:18:47
This is one of the main reasons why I oppose multi-cultural/multi-ethnic societies. It adds unneeded complexity and conflict into ... by Lee 2011-06-29 16:25:38
- "multi-cultural" and "multi-ethnic" are not synonyms. We have made Americans out of many, many backgrounds. That anyone from anywhere can ... by TB 2011-06-29 18:15:39
  - Well said. by mcfly 2011-06-30 11:34:50
- So much for the melting-pot that has made America great. by podrock 2011-06-29 16:35:11
  - So instead of the knee jerk party line, why don't you debate an opposing view? Is your own worldview ... by Lee 2011-06-29 17:23:43
    - Knee-jerk? by podrock 2011-06-29 17:45:33
      - The Asians built the railroads? Did they now? Hmm, then I guess the old pictures I have of ... by Lee 2011-06-29 18:03:15

Making your IPhone look like food by TB June 28, 2011 5:02 pm

Oh hells bells...I probably would still gain weight every time I answered the damn thing. by Jody 2011-06-29 12:24:47

Dogs dining in a restaurant by TB June 28, 2011 12:44 pm

That's a good one. I'm amazed though that, at the end, the people still had all their fingers and the ... by mcfly 2011-06-29 10:29:28
- Yeah, I would have used plastic forks. One way to greatly improve things like this would be a small closed-circuit TV ... by TB 2011-06-29 10:36:15

Jumping the shark? by TB June 27, 2011 7:24 pm

So many memories of Florida...I lived there when JAWS came out :/ by Jody 2011-06-27 20:12:36
- Thanksgiving weekend, 1975. After breaking up with Circus Lady, I decided to go sailing anyway. But it was still ... by ER 2011-06-28 08:36:29
  - "I was alone...and I was afraid" Yep...understand that. I don't know if you are like me in this regard ER...but it ... by Jody 2011-06-29 12:23:50

A really romantic figure by Eri June 26, 2011 12:03 pm

Hey, look who bought it. The "other" Koch brother. Well, at least he didn't pay millions for a used dress. ... by TB 2011-06-26 13:32:20
- Are these the same Kochs who are bankrolling the Wisconsin public Unions busters? by ER 2011-06-26 20:27:11
  - And many other things by podrock 2011-06-26 20:49:06
  - I hadn't thought about that but it most likely is. I guess Billy the Kid is a great match ... by Eri 2011-06-26 20:36:16
- To him, relatively, that's like one of us buying dinner. Or a postage stamp. by podrock 2011-06-26 15:19:03
  - I wish he'd buy ME dinner. I could use the extra income. by Eri 2011-06-26 16:19:10
    - Koch is into sailing, and won the America's Cup in 1992. He also collects (among other things) nautical items ... by TB 2011-06-26 16:47:30
      - America's Cup racing is for wimps. Ted Turner won the Cup in 77, but he also won a stormy offshore bluewater ... by ER 2011-06-27 10:50:55
        
        America's Cup is going to be here in the Bay Area pretty soon. Some boats are already practicing. ... by TB 2011-06-27 10:59:34
        
        Yeah, they look like Klingon Birds of Prey. Didn't you post some video of one of those guys capsizing, ... by ER 2011-06-27 11:53:29

For ER by Eri June 26, 2011 4:54 am

LOL, the more obvious it becomes that our liberal POTUS is an imbecile and a disappointment to his adoring constituents, ... by FrankC 2011-06-26 22:05:50
Zoner: The aliens are to stay on the Multiverse Board until they can prove they're not a photographic anomoly. LulzSec: We've ... by mcfly 2011-06-26 13:25:11
- LOL! Lemme know if you get their credit card #'s and Security Codes. I could use some things around ... by Eri 2011-06-26 20:39:30
  - I did! But their cards are only authorized to buy Flux Capacitors. Who's got the time to mess with those? by mcfly 2011-06-28 13:41:58
Liberals: "We can hit them hard enough that they won’t want to stay here. We are not defeated!" Conservatives: Want ... by TB 2011-06-26 06:30:01
- No, the conservatives would sell guns...to both sides. by ER 2011-06-26 06:36:07
  - LOL by Eri 2011-06-26 08:36:33
  - Kind of like the current ATF? by TB 2011-06-26 08:04:36
You left one out: Business Community: The aliens can stay here as long as they like providing they keep taxes and ... by ER 2011-06-26 06:12:00
- Unions: The aliens can stay as long they don't try to close up our shops. We're organizing the ... by Eri 2011-06-26 08:44:31

Prof. Orlando Ferguson's geographical theory by TB June 25, 2011 9:19 pm

LOL! Maybe that's why we're all covered in bird poop. by Eri 2011-06-26 04:48:26
- Well no one believes in the flat earth any more, but creationists are running for President and there is ... by ER 2011-06-26 06:30:15
  - See? Nice fat water balloon. by TB 2011-06-26 08:03:48
    - What do you mean by "water balloon"? A post expressing an opinion but no real information content? Or a post ... by ER 2011-06-26 09:09:46
      - You really don't want to start something about political movements that recruit fanatics and the uninformed to serve their own ... by TB 2011-06-26 09:34:42
      - Water balloon. A reference to a comment in a previous thread. I posted something I thought was cool-looking, graphically-interesting, and ... by TB 2011-06-26 09:23:37
        
        The difference is, Tom, I'm telling the truth. You're just a conservative. :-) by ER 2011-06-26 09:30:15

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