mspart

I collect nuts and bolts just in case I need them some time. Same with electrical wiring and doo dads. I wouldn't say I collect them rather I hoard them. That's probably a more fair summary. However I do have 2 guitar amps, 1 bass amp, 1 bass, 2 electric guitars (one is on the market), and 2 acoustic guitars. None are high dollar units. The 2 guitar amps are Marshall, Code 50 and Origin 20 head paired with a speaker cabinet I bought and upgraded. One electric guitar is an Epiphone Les Paul (very nice I must say) but not high dollar. I also have an impressive amount of tools, most of which get used. Table Saw, Mitre saw, a bunch of hand tools. In fact, when it was below 20F on Saturday I was in the shed cutting boards for my wife with the mitre saw. Fingers nearly froze off. It is tough to work when your fingers fall off. mspart

I had the opportunity to work in So Cal. I did not take that offer and I'm glad I didn't. CA is a problem with ineffective government 'needing' ever more money to be ineffective with. WA is working their way to that level of ineptitude. This is the same WA that sent covid checks to Nigerian hackers. However, this year may turn things around temporarily here in WA. There are six ballot initiatives that got bi partisan petition signatures and strike at the heart of the progressive agenda that has been flourishing here. That plus a real governor's race where the big D candidate is not well liked. Reminds me of when Jesse Ventura won MN. The D who was the AG and felt like he was the deserving annnointed one (reminds me of Hillary), lost miserably taking 3rd. Our AG and front running D is in the same boat. Kind of like Biden is across the US. Hopefully the legislature gets the message with these initiatives and doesn't go too crazy this session. mspart

Al Gore buys his way out of it, just ask him. Huge estate running all kinds of power, enough to run a small town. But he buys carbon credits so he doesn't have to actually change his habits. A wonderful example for the rest of humanity. Just have enough money to buy your way out. Oh wait, most of humanity doesn't have that kind of cash readily available. Good thing he made his money so he can live in luxury while his policies force the rest of us to do without. Case in point - elimination of Natural gas feeds to new construction and elimination of gas powered lawn mowers and other small engine equipment for new sales (former implemented in WA, latter under consideration in WA in the legislature). mspart

We were vacationing in the phoenix area and my wife wanted to go to Sedona. Very picturesque there. It was n\ice. They have a zoo just out of town with zip lines going over it. You can zip above the lions etc. But to be honest, there just wasn't much else to do there. I think we ate at a nice Mexican place. The area is beautiful for sure, but no desire to move there. mspart

WA will be next no doubt. mspart

WA is cold and under a power consumption warning. Closing dams, and other electrical power plants seems a little premature. mspart

Hamas promised more of the same. I think Israel took them at their word. mspart

My question is this: Is this really the correct subject for this thread (I really enjoyed the AJ Ferrari era.)? How long has it been since anyone enjoyed that era? mspart

We tried that with the Olys in 2002 in Salt Lake. We lived in MN then and I had tickets. Then we moved to Hawaii and I sold the tickets because I thought it would be too expensive to travel. But I should have kept them in hind sight. They weren't for anything great. Nordic Ski jumping, Speed Skating, and I think snowboarding. Not finals or anything. We had younger kids at the time. Now they are all grown up so they can now make the same mistake I did. mspart

Yah, can you believe that? mspart

Agree! mspart

The leader of this particular committee literally offered Hunter to testify publicly after he was deposed in closed door session. Read the subpoena. Hunter literally today said he would go for private deposition. But his demand is a new subpoena. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4405382-hunter-biden-deposition-subpoena/ But it must be a new proper subpoena. He thinks he can dictate to Congress. What a farce. mspart

The left has been coming for Dr King for years. Content of character is out the window. Color of skin is what is matters. DEI is also what matters. mspart

What you are suggesting would be a breach of protocol. You would allow Hunter to dictate to the House Committee what they will and what they will not do. Got it. So if the shoe was on the other foot, of course you would not oppose disrupting a planned meeting to do something completely different. Hunter being there is not against the law but there is a time and a place and Hunter doesn't get to choose his time and place. He was not there to testify, but to disrupt. He is under subpoena and chose to ignore the law and do his own thing. mspart

WR, for item 2 I was responding to "I disagree on what it seems to be your stance and who and who should not have the opportunity to 'live the american dream' ". That sounds to me that you question anyone who would restrict immigration because they all just want the american dream. That's where I got that. If that is not what you meant, then maybe I misinterpreted your statement. I agree, not much more to say. Have a good day and a fun time contemplating retirement in NC. mspart

Those numbers are insane. I guess Football is king. Pete Carroll, who I think is a good coach, came to Seattle after screwing up USC completely and I was not on board. I was not on board after Seattle won the super bowl because he screwed over USC. Well, I am more amenable to Pete now, but he has not been as good in the last few years, so it is probably time for a change. mspart

Well, you just made it a very simple issue. Right now we have a free for all. You don't want that. Why don't you want that? What are you reasons for being against a free for all that we now have? Why would it be bad to have a free for all? Even those that come that are beyond what you call necessary want the American Dream. Are you saying you don't want them to have the American dream? You accused me of it and now you are doing the same thing. Boy, funny how it turns back on you isn't it. mspart

Responses to you in RED. mspart

I paid so I could watch the college games live. Now I have to get rid of that account. mspart

Yeah, they should have grabbed him and taken him into the bowels of the capitol and do the closed interviewing right then and there. That would make everyone happy right? mspart

To your points: 1. It is not bad policy to restrict immigration. In fact, every nation does this. It is good policy to safeguard the economy. We are the only ones with a porous border allowing millions in. 2. This point is ludicrous and even you should be aware of it. Legal immigrants come here and have a job waiting for them and that is what is wanted by the US. Illegal immigrants do not. And if they get a job it is at the expense of a legal citizen or alien to have that job. How else can you describe it? If you want to say an illegal will take a job no other wants, that's ok, but how many of those are around? There is a limit and we obviously have gone beyond that limit and it is delibilating to government budgets - cast your eyes at NYC and Chicago. 3. So what is the difference between a tax cheat and a murderer. It is only a paper difference. The tax cheat just wants to make a living here. That's all. 4. Immigration policy is pretty simple. The US determines how many legal immigrants it wants for a given year. It allocates that many work visas. The US does not allocate work visas for illegal immigrants. The fact that you cannot understand this very simple situation says you can't find the tree for the forest. mspart

Oh for sure. I wouldn't doubt that the portal and NIL were considerations for Saban. I know he didn't like NIL and I doubt he really like the portal thing much either. mspart

Yes, anything that is illegal is because it is written somewhere on a piece of paper or similar. But as with the NY kids being kicked out of their school, their (the illegals) coming to these shores does affect someone else's personal freedoms. That example is a macro example of this. But by coming, they must be supported. If they get a job, they are taking a job from some other citizen or legal immigrant which affects them. Yes, they do affect the populace in both employment and government money (our tax money). And that tax money was not allocated to take care of them. It is being diverted from what it was intended to do to take care of them. So whoever it was intended for is not getting the value that was appropriated. It is not as complicated as you want to make it sound. mspart

To your point TPT, there are only two types of immigrants. Legal and illegal. So talking about them all as immigrants is disingenuous. Legal immigrants ostensibly is planned for immigration that the country wants. Illegal immigration ostensibly is not planned and not what the country wants. Hence one is legal and the other is illegal. NY and Chicago, among others, are suffering the effects of unwanted (illegal) immigration and complaining about having to spend money supporting them. That's another point about immigration - you usually have to show that you will not be sucking on the government's teat while here. This happens more than not with illegal immigrants and that hurts everyone. Right now in NY, students were kicked out of their school so the building could house illegal immigrants. That is not the purpose for why the building was built. That is not why the community spent the money to have it built. But those students are now forced to do the on line learning that was such a disaster during covid. https://news.yahoo.com/nyc-decision-move-migrants-tent-233732293.html So now the illegal immigrants are more important than the students. Is that the priority that we want? Yes, illegal immigration is not good for the country as a whole. mspart

We don't think we can win Pan Ams and get qualified that way at this weight? Remembering Zain last time, it is something to consider. mspart