K-9

Taking care of our own. What a concept. Used to be you could say that, believe that, and devote your life to that ideal without being labeled a socialist. But in this fractured society it's a dying concept. There has been a clear drumbeat of American imperialism as those neo-cons that started out as young bucks in the Nixon White House and who eventually rose to power in the Reagan administration only to be sidelined by a democratic administration (Clinton had to go) seriously started to implement their foreign policy in 2000. This doctrine is an interesting conflation of American ideals like democracy and big business interests. Guys like Wolfowitz, Cheney, and Rumsfeld to name but a few, literally feel it is America's manifest destiny and divine responsibility to spread our form of democracy around the world by opening up free markets through the development of natural resources in those countries. I'm not saying they're bad people. Just people that are convinced their way is the best way. Perhaps going uber-isolationist is the way to go. I don't know. But I really think it's too late for that. That genie loves the wide open spaces outside of the bottle and she ain't going back in there. Natural occurrences and repercussions as various societies evolve will make it impossible I'm afraid.

Talk about turning it on its ear! As to your foreign policy, I think the genie's out of the bottle but I'm convinced the biggest reason we went to war with Iraq was because Hussein threatened to get his oil off the dollar valuation. That may be cynical and some might even think downright conspiratorial, but so be it. And it's that foreign policy aspect of big oil that I won't vote for Romney. I think he's right out of the neo-con playbook and his rhetoric towards Iran has me convinced he can be easily duped into believing Iran poses a real threat to the US that only military intervention can prevent. And the best part is, a war with Iran will pay for itself because we can use their oil profits to cover the costs. Just like neo-con poster child Paul Wolfowitz said about the Iraq war.

Huge factor to be sure. Here's something that won't please our healthcare professionals around here and I apologize in advance. I don't mean to offend. Only to point out a seeming contradiction I've long noticed and I'm not advocating anything. It's just something I think contributes to ever rising costs and it's the entire concept of: For profit health care. There is HUGE downward pressure from shareholders on so many care facilities around the country. How can hospitals turn a profit when they just can't lower costs? Is it just a question of ordering so many costly procedures? The ones that insurance companies often won't cover very much, if at all? Is it just easy as a $20.00 advil? How do they attract the best care givers? And the quality of care has gone down in this country as costs have risen. Yes, at the top you won't find better qualified specialists in their respective fields. But the BEST care is just not available to the masses. What does that REALLY say when you strip it to it's core? But we no longer lead the world in many health categories. Infant mortality rate just being one. I find that worrisome. I swear I'm not a communist. So please, don't anybody go there. Just curious what others think about it, that's all.

Well, healthcare and insurance premiums have been going up for decades and long before 'Obamacare' was even a pipe dream. Why? I'd look to those dynamics before making a link to Obamacare.

Send it. Captures my spirit perfectly. Wish I had the eloquence. GO SABRES!!! (oh, I see you've already gone)

Ross Perot was dead on when he warned of the floodgates NAFTA would open. That "giant sucking sound" is now just ambient noise that nobody pays attention to. But great patriotic American companies have been buying cheap foreign material for far longer. I never felt sorry for the US auto makers when they cried "buy American" when they themselves were importing foreign steel to build their cars and starting manufacturing components over seas and in Canada and Mexico. "Buy American" is something I used to believe in and live by. But it's virtually impossible nowadays.

Assuming Romney didn't hurt himself after that giant leap to the center Wednesday night, there's no reason for me to believe he just won't stay there. He spent the first debate trying to mitigate damage of the "47%" remarks and I look for him to do the same from here on in. It won't matter one bit if Romney says he's now for the the full choice of women to choose, that he's for gay marriage, etc. And it doesn't matter that he'll say the EXACT opposite on the stump at rallies.

Yep. Gilmore was money all day. If that trend continues, Wanny will find some additional scheme flexibility. GO BILLS!!!

Very similar to the complaints of former NFL players and their criticism of the NFLPA on the issue of pensions and extended medical benefits. I wonder if there is a comparable NHL Player Rep to Drew Brees and whether Rob Ray would call him a "little piece of sh*t", like Joe Delamalleure did when he said that about Brees. GO SABRES!!!

Mitt did much better than I thought. He was very well prepared. Although he spent a lot of energy trying to mitigate his "47%" debacle. But he was in good command of his message tonight and appealed to his base. And I actually thought Barack was a little on the defensive. I'm looking forward to the debates on foreign policy. Not NEARLY enough to get me to re-join the Republican party. But that would have to come more from Republicans in Congress anyway. And they are just too far off the rails at the moment.

Well, that was certainly uplifting. Given that posture and knowing how intractable Bettman and the owners are, I see no reason to think this season happens. Thanks for the news though, chz. I check this thread first click every day for updates.

Have you been reading my posts over on TSW or something? On a few occasions, I've had to refute Joe Buscaglia's misinformed critique of MW's performance against the run on Sunday. He and Anderson were very technically sound all day against the run. Played their run reads and responsibilities very well indeed. It's nice to read another poster that sees it, too. I get the impression that a few folks in Bills Nation NEVER witnessed a down MW played in college or Houston. The rest of the D, with the exception of Gilmore who I feel had a VERY good game and his best as a pro on Sunday, is firmly planted in my doghouse. And it's hard to get out of once that door shuts. I'll just say I hope they retain the sour taste of that game far longer than anything sweet they get going forward. GO BILLS!!!

Officially blocked but poll officials can still ask for ID even though it's not required to be presented. Doesn't make sense. Still a ton of potential for chaos at the booths. I'm still convinced the fix is in. Not only in PA but in states around the country. I'll be pleasantly surprised if we don't need another SCOTUS decision after it's all said and done. Sorry if that sounds cynical but there is precedent.

No. Owning a ticket is not a contract. It's a license granted by the team for that particular seat for that particular game. If you read the fine print it should mention something to the effect that the team reserves the right to revoke the license. Consider it revoked. GO SABRES!!!

I agree Israel won't wait that long. Netanyahu said as much in his speech. He gives Iran until spring or summer to have enriched enough material to assemble a bomb.

I agree it's a huge political pothole for Obama and not just for reelection purposes. He has an entire Mideast foreign policy moving forward to consider after the election as well. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if Israel has our approval or not, she will act as she has always done when faced with threats of this nature. Whether it's Iraq in 1981 or Syria in 2007, they show no compunction about striking perceived nuclear threats. Because of that precedence, there is no doubt in my mind that Israel has the tacit approval to act unilaterally as long as Israel doesn't act before the election which, if Netanyahu's window of next spring or summer is any indication, won't be a problem for them. In any event, if Persia does end up with nukes, the minute I see one of their leaders in a blue turban, I'm running for cover.

There is no doubt in my mind that Israel has the tacit blessing of the United States to undertake the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear development program which they certainly have the capability to do unilaterally.

Just give it to 'em. GO BILLS!!!

And what gave rise to their power in the region?

If N Korea or Cuba were sitting on trillions of dollars worth of oil reserves and represented large American, British, and other multi-national investments in those resources since their discovery in the early 1900s, you can rest assured they would be treated like Middle Eastern countries.

Actually, I wasn't responding to anyone in particular. Just throwing that out there. There is no doubt that the next technological boom would help but even that is no guarantee. American companies have stopped investing in American workers. We need that to change more than anything but when great American companies and the great American patriots that run them can manufacture their products for a mere fraction of the costs overseas, what is the American worker to do? This has been going on for generations and in every sector. When I stopped and asked the project manager on a bridge construction project where they got their steel, he told me it came from China. The same goes for nearly all the other materials used on the project as well. From lumber to paint. That was a taxpayer funded project. And that's f*cked up seven ways to Sunday.

Taxes and deregulation have never been more favorable to businesses as they have been since the Bush tax cuts. Where are all the jobs those two tenets of trickle down economics were supposed to generate? What makes anyone think that by lessening either that the "job creators" will then begin to do just that? Demand is the only thing that creates jobs, not these so called "job creators."

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone, Republican, Democrat, or Other, would be afraid of the voice of the people. It's cowardly on every level.

Well, not quite. But if it's gonna get called, you know it has to be against us. Cost us a home playoff game as it turned out. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/6/16/2225057/buffalo-bills-walk-off-foxboro-patriots GO BILLS!!! That entire final drive by the Seahawks was an officiating travesty. From the bad roughing the passer call that negated the INT to the 32 yard pass interference call that put them in field position, it was just a putrid display of officiating. GO BILLS!!!

Per what time frame? Day, week? Afternoon? GO BILLs!!!