...

Hockey talk. Okay, Sam looks beastly these days. I think he eventually centers the second line, but can't begin to guess where he (or Eichel) will start. I expect a slow start from him and Jack, but believe by December both will have soundly found their sea-legs. This will coincide with the forwards and coaches figuring out each other and chemistry developing.

Do some YouTubing of Vincent Dooly. He's like the next Andy Kaufman.

See, you guys can have this incredibly detailed and oddly polarized conversation about how you think people ought to be, how sex and sexuality should be this delicate thing that people dance around for the sake of all that is moral and pure, and then I run across this video while looking for something else (which I will post in the awesome thread after I post this): BTW, it's NSFW... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ENv7Dac7w So, whatever. Chicks dig sex. Guys dig sex. Chicks can and do flaunt their sexuality, same as guys. There is nothing wrong with it. If a foreigner completely unfamiliar with our culture were to read this thread, you would leave them with the impression that nearly all American men are predators, and that nearly all American women have to utilize ninja skillz to so much as go out shopping. It's like the media trying to convince us all that homosexuality is everywhere and is mainstream, when it actually only comprises 3.8% of the population. WTF is that all about. Truth is, like anything else human (and otherwise), there are aberrations of behavior. People are violent sometimes. It's like every time a pit bull bites someone, it's news, but all of the other dog bites are ignored, because it's not a pit bull. Aggravated assaults occur with, arguably, alarming frequency...those are pretty traumatic. Why don't we have an aggravated assault thread going?

I should have taken a picture when I saw it first. I checked after I posted the first time, but that was like an hour ago. Obviously in that hour the planet has rotated, because the stars I used to mark the "object" are no longer in the same position. Where I live, I can see the plane traffic lanes clearly; for the sake of description, the following distances are arbitrary: The planes coming in to land at the N.F. Airport/Airbase at 10k ft. which travel, usually, south to north. The planes landing at BNIA at 20k ft. travelling from the west south west to east north east. Then there's a lane that's travelled mostly east to west way the f*ck up there at 30k ft or higher. I have a great view of the sky for being so close to the city and can see the major constellations, among other stars. So, I'm used to looking up at the sky, I know what twinkling stars look like normally, and I know the various forms a plane at night can take - their patterns and the freaky way they look coming head on, etc. I have no idea what the hell I was seeing hover due north about 10 degrees off the horizon at 11:40pm. I thought at first it was an aircraft, but it wasn't moving, in any direction (and trust me, I can tell). I then thought it was a bright star, the view effected, as usual, by the atmosphere (causing the twinkle), except the twinkle was clearly red, green, blue and yellow - flashing not unlike a plane coming at you in the night, except really bright. I finally thought, and perhaps this is closer to the truth than not, that it was a "close" star, whose twinkling and color was enhanced by the aurora borealis, seeing as it was due north. The challenge that last explanation has is that the "star" is completely gone now.

Let me go look again...

Anyone care to step outside, look due north, about 10 degrees above the horizon and tell me what you see?

Oooh....I like my draft class. That was a pretty good year! (although I thought I was here in 2007...I'll take 2008)

I think, on the low side, he shows he's maturing and working toward becoming a leader. He will try hard this season regardless of whether or not he figures out his leadership role. On the high side, he's chomping at the bit already, and will come out of the gate with a chip on his shoulder, showing the rest of the NHL what he can bring to the game, and giving the team that wanted him here everything they could ask for. I already see his leadership potential; let's not forget he was around for every major Sabres event despite being injured and more than likely not required, or asked, to be around. To me, that kind of loyalty to his team off ice can translate into larger and greater things on ice. Don't disappoint us, Evander, we've been waiting on "the concept of Evander" for a long time now.

It's the same mindset that occupies politics. There's a certain utopianism that pervades the arguments made by a certain side, that ignores history and human nature. Really, you want to get out a check-list, pre-approved by a feminist lawyer, before you start touching genitalia? How about, both parties need to be into it, and if one party ain't, then they should simply SAY SO. The same people arguing the feminist line have no problem with the movies coming out of Hollywood, the lead fashion stories on Yahoo, the ads shown during prime-time TV. Where does the social influence come from? Not the catholics. Not the synagogues. Oh, but look, Mad Men featured a sizzling scene this week. That's okay, right? So, the social influences really are ignored, but the individual is supposed to have the brain power, self control, and prescience to be in complete control at all times. Where does this develop, who is responsible to aid in this development. The schools and the parents. Yes? Well, the schools aren't allowed to teach self-control...really...or they get sued. Used to be able to. In fact, the schools, what they do teach, goes beyond the basics to the point of ridiculousness...no wonder the kids don't take it seriously. That leaves the parents. Parents, assuming we're talking about a mother-father pair, who both have to work a job, leaving their kids to after-school or day care, or leaving the kids on their own. When they do get the kids, they still have to make dinner, do the housework, go over homework, whatever. Oh yeah, maybe they have that conversation over dinner. Gee, I wonder how many families eat dinner at the table together every night? Single parent homes - sure sex education is a priority. You should blame the parents...or not. The family unit has been under assault since the 1960's...how's that working out for America? Aww, too old fashioned, I suppose, wanting a solid family-unit and all. Josie said it earlier - her upbringing made her feel like a slut if she were all into sex. Okay, good. Of course that skews her perception, but at least it helps her stay safe. Maybe the rest of America's girls ought to be raised the way Josie was. And be raised to say "no" and that it's okay to say "no". Guys need to be raised to respect women. When did this stop happening, by the way? Because, it used to be that way. At what point in America's history did women become disrespected to the point where every female ought to consider themselves a potential rape victim? And no one here has really solved the "what is rape" question. Is it by force? Is it no consent? If consent is the issue, does the consent need to be verbalized? You do dig that when one party says "no" and tries to stop the sex, then it becomes "by force" if the other party continues on, right? Finally, every time I open this thread two thoughts eventually pass through my mind, and I will share what they are, and leave them here. Actually three: Catholic Girls by Frank Zappa Fast Times at Ridgemont High And the third thought is all of the chicks, when I was young and single, who took my clothes off and were grabbing me without my invite. I didn't mind, and I didn't think anything negative about them (on the contrary). Was I a bad boy? Were they bad girls?

You will not win the point. You're not allowed to.

I'm convinced some people in this thread have never had a hot sexual encounter. Some of the suggestions on how to handle "reality" are un-realistic.

I think you're wrong here. What some of the roster of folk here in this thread seem to be arguing is that due to societal pressures, a female may be thinking "no, I don't want this", but continue with the activity none-the-less. I think this is true. As a FOR-INSTANCE (meaning, I'm not implying or alleging anything), the woman involved in the Pat Kane case may have been saying to herself no way, but at the same time thinking "this is Pat Kane, if I don't do what he wants what will people say?". She may not have wanted to do it, but other than maybe a soft "stop" and or an insignificant bat at his hand, she may have let him take off her clothes, again, due to not being able to resolve the dissonance she felt over the situation. Dude, you are immature. Go back and detail where I said or implied that, with specific notes. Otherwise, stop being an intellectual bully and ass.

You're not responding to the full quote. He said: "How do you suggest we stop this advancement when she doesn't give the impression she doesn't want to stop, not to mention never says 'no'?" So, the guy is supposed to read minds? Be an expert on facial expressions and body language? How about the person (male or female) saying "STOP!". That would be, uhm, helpful.

This is the type of socio-political bullying that is getting so damn old. A straw man is built up from a statement, and if you don't agree that the straw-man exists, you're a monster. Sort of : if (!$strawman || $strawman == false) {$poster = "monster"}; It's like the "wow, just wow" response where you are supposed to feel demoralized in some way because your thinking doesn't match that of the other(s). You're supposed to make that connection, and if you don't, you're a monster. if (!agreement() || agreement() == false) {$poster = "monster"};

And, frankly, our dumbed-down culture accepting this, yet not appreciating the ramifications.

Uhm, she felt compelled to give her creds because she made the assumption I needed them for some reason. I was advising her that doing that was unnecessary. But, yeah, that's cool, I'm the big bad guy beating up on the innocent girl. Whatever. See how this happens? Her post is anecdotal and reflective. Frankly, if I were to rank posts in this thread, I would give far more credit to those with facts and data. But, even those posts are skewed with personal biases in a thread highly charged with biases. Her experiences and the conclusions she has arrived to are hers alone. Someone else with the same experiences would interpret them differently. Neither is right or wrong - none are gospel.

I didn't ask for your background; it was pretty much a yes and no question. Your post is as valid as any other in this thread, and no more than that, in my opinion.

Are suggesting that this is the experience and viewpoint of the average American female? As in, the majority of American females have experiences of the same intensity and drama as this? Just curious, not judging.

Should this conversation be moved to the politics thread...?

Where'd you get the cheddar?

You'd think the former would be more true, but, my earlier point, the continued delay in anything happening makes me wonder if the latter is just as likely.

I might like Colorado's, but I probably won't like the Duck's.

I know we're getting tid-bits of unconfirmed information, but what Hoss reported provides a rather complete narrative at this point. I would think that if that information is accurate, we'd already see this moving on to formal charges, the district attorney, a grand jury...something. The fact that it appears all things are stalled at this point suggests, to me, that there is yet more to the narrative than what we have so far.

He's all red because his skin is gone. Totally realistic.

While I personally agree with you, if the tenor of this thread is any indication, it would seem too many people will disagree.