Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

I feel like this story could use an editor.

If an editor was involved adder would get a rejection letter. No offense.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

If an editor was involved adder would get a rejection letter. No offense.

None taken.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

I'm on the close hand to hand combat with blunt and/or sharp instrument team when the zombie Apocalypse comes.

Those of us who will carry need buddies like you, so we can make it to episode 2.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

No, they most often shoot them at the doghouse, which is a scale replica of the real house, while reclining in the hot tub.

Great opening scene from Larry McMurtry's "Texasville," featuring one of my favorite fictional characters from 20th Century American literature, Duane Moore, expressing middle-aged angst (and frustration with falling oil prices) by using a .44 Magnum to turn the doghouse into splinters. (Was the doghouse a miniature of the McMansion built by his wife? Can't remember, but who cares?)

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

Great opening scene from Larry McMurtry's "Texasville," featuring one of my favorite fictional characters from 20th Century American literature, Duane Moore, expressing middle-aged angst (and frustration with falling oil prices) by using a .44 Magnum to turn the doghouse into splinters. (Was the doghouse a miniature of the McMansion built by his wife? Can't remember, but who cares?)

Yes, the doghouse was a replica. Thus, my inclusion in the allusion, if you will. Kudos on recognizing it. McMurtry is one of my favorite writers and the Moore clan provided many hours of both happy and painful reading.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

It's nice to see Mitt Romney out on the stump lecturing poor people about their failings again.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

It's nice to see Mitt Romney out on the stump lecturing poor people about their failings again.

That darned 47%!

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

As a person who’s gone a lifetime of assiduously avoiding supporting the NRA, my present understanding is that one can pay a daily or hourly fee at a public or private range without resulting in a net benefit to Wayne LaPierre, BUT many ranges and sportsman’s rod and gun clubs require NRA membership in order to become a member — something about NRA death and dismemberment insurance, no doubt. So he can’t become a member. But paying $10, particularly at a publicly owned range, isn’t going to empower the NRA. I welcome corrections from anyone who sees it differently.

Unless he means he doesn’t want to support the NRA by enriching, even slightly, a person or business who is then more capable of donating. Because if that’s the standard, you’re pretty much going to have to displace yourself from Texas again, or “go freegan.”

What’s a person with a big fucking family ranch doing at a gun range, anyway? I thought people in Texas just fire their guns out the bathroom window to salute the dawn.

A lot of the ranges around here are NRA in spirit as well as ties. But VFW ranges aren't (and you can usually just step from the bar outside to the range and fire away without the ice in your drink having time to melt on the way). I'm not aware of public ranges here, but I guess the concept doesn't surprise me.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

It's also nice to see Lindsey Graham loosening up his tie a little and thinking about
poloygamy. Go for it Lindsey!

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

A lot of the ranges around here are NRA in spirit as well as ties. But VFW ranges aren't (and you can usually just step from the bar outside to the range and fire away without the ice in your drink having time to melt on the way). I'm not aware of public ranges here, but I guess the concept doesn't surprise me.

When I lived in Will County, one of the five "collar counties" surrounding Chicago, there were at least three public ranges within 10 minutes of me. You could also rent anything from a competition .22 revolver to a modified AR-15.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

When I lived in Will County, one of the five "collar counties" surrounding Chicago, there were at least three public ranges within 10 minutes of me. You could also rent anything from a competition .22 revolver to a modified AR-15.

do they have bars?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

HUGE 2 on that "Thank you for your service" bullshit. It's hard to verbalize just why it is so annoying, but I cringe too.

I agree with this.* That said, I have on several occasions bought drinks for US soldiers, particularly when seeing them in Europe. I'm not sure why, it just feels like the right thing to do.

For different reasons, I always and will forever buy any paramedic a drink (assuming we are in a bar). Those dudes saved my life and made me feel calm and safe when I was bleeding out in the middle of the road.




*Once upon a time, there was a chance I would cross-examine Wesley Clark (pre-scandal) at trial. I planned to say "thank you for your service" every third question.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

I agree with this.* That said, I have on several occasions bought drinks for US soldiers, particularly when seeing them in Europe. I'm not sure why, it just feels like the right thing to do.

A good friend is in international supply chain management and travels a lot on business. He has frequent flyer account balances in the millions. He belongs to a group called Upgrade Soldiers that has pledged to always trade a first class seat with anyone in an American military uniform. (The airlines are under some pressure to upgrade soldiers if there’s an empty seat, but obviously they can’t displace a paying fare without consent.)

Nobody needs to do any “hero”ing or other bullshit. If I flew first class often enough (ever) to be able to do this, I’d like to think I would.

(Until the day I’m at the gate and see a service uniform and go, “Aw, crap.”)

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

Well, that's rich. I guess it depends on your perspective and that's kind of the entire point, isn't it?

You can easily make a movie about Confederate soldiers who save their buddies from Union soldiers in situations where they are extremely outnumbered or who are the subject of awful tactics by the Union army. If you remove the whole point of the war and just show what's going on on the battlefield with no other real context then you will surely have many people watching the movie who look at the main characters as heros.

Now who's turning this conversation into a yes/no proposition? Of course we were fighting some pretty evil people. But, Shirley, there were Iraqis who were involved because they wanted to take up arms against an army that had no business being in their country.

I am completely with you. I think, next to "literally," it's the most over- and incorrectly-used word in the English language.

TM

You make good points (but you still need to calm down). Mostly I think this underscores the problem with the term "hero." WTF does it mean? "Pure good guy?"

Using your Confederate soldier analogy -- I could certainly imagine such a story, portraying an individual as brave, selfless, whatever. I assume that the movie Das Boot has at least some likeable or sympathetic characters, and they are fighting for the Nazis.

I don't consider Kyle a "hero." Mostly, I found it an interesting and sad story, and he did get pretty f'd up by the whole thing. If he did anything "heroic", it was trying to help other f'd up vets when he came back, not killing people in Iraq.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

A good friend is in international supply chain management and travels a lot on business. He has frequent flyer account balances in the millions. He belongs to a group called Upgrade Soldiers that has pledged to always trade a first class seat with anyone in an American military uniform. (The airlines are under some pressure to upgrade soldiers if there’s an empty seat, but obviously they can’t displace a paying fare without consent.)

Nobody needs to do any “hero”ing or other bullshit. If I flew first class often enough (ever) to be able to do this, I’d like to think I would.

(Until the day I’m at the gate and see a service uniform and go, “Aw, crap.”)

Look, I'm happy to buy 'em drinks all around, but I fly first class now on long flights because I feel like shit if I don't. The damn youngsters can pay their dues in the back the way I did.