--> MBR (205.217.105.2) has joined #FridayChat
[DownWithTheNameRule] welcome
[MBR] how can you be down with the name rule?
[DownWithTheNameRule] it's silly
[MBR] it helps us tell each other apart
[DownWithTheNameRule] if you can't figure out who's who, then ... well, figure it out
[DownWithTheNameRule] my officemate is gone and things are kind of slow today
[DownWithTheNameRule] so I starting listening to the Dan Patrick show
[DownWithTheNameRule] I got bored
[DownWithTheNameRule] so I'm listening to the archive of Tony K's show from earlier today
[DownWithTheNameRule] he's talking about Michael Jackson, it's kind of funny
[MBR] you could fly out here and shovel my driveway
[MBR] oh no, I already did that
[DownWithTheNameRule] you have that much snow?
[MBR] had to be 6 inches
[DownWithTheNameRule] Forget Penn, I'm going to work at Florida State
[MBR] what's the latest onthat?
[DownWithTheNameRule] "nothing to report" as my boss likes to say on certain issues in his weekly report to the Dean
[MBR] so who do you think will join us today?
[MBR] I probably scared everyone off with all my war stuff
[DownWithTheNameRule] that's the other part of the name rule
[DownWithTheNameRule] no one ever shows up anymore :(
[MBR] ?
[DownWithTheNameRule] so it doesn't matter
[MBR] surely our champion will join us
[MBR] he and I actually chatted last week, but I neglected to save the transcript
[DownWithTheNameRule] TK thinks Michael is trying to look like Liz Taylor
[DownWithTheNameRule] and perhaps hormones have altered the timbre of his voice
[MBR] Michael Jackson is offically the strangest person on the planet
[DownWithTheNameRule] no doubt
[DownWithTheNameRule] i can't think of anyone stranger
[MBR] those poor kids
[MBR] I didn't see the special, but apparently he starts telling about the birth of one of his kids at one point and...
[MBR] when the child was born, he grabbed it as soon as the cord was cut and ran out of the hospital with it
<-- DownWithTheNameRule (asccomm-pc176.usc.edu) has left #FridayChat
[MBR] didn't even wait for the nurses to clean it off
[MBR] or let the mother hold it
[MBR] just zoom, out of there
[KingOfPop] bizarre
[MBR] yet in his own mind, he's perfectly normal
[MBR] back in a minute
[KingOfPop] Maybe it's because his name is so boring
[KingOfPop] Michael Jackson -- that's a pretty boring name
[KingOfPop] maybe he's trying to make up for the normalcy of his name by being excessively weird
[MBR] back now
[KingOfPop] maybe if he was named Elvis Jackson he would be more normal
[KingOfPop] did I ever tell you about my hockey seats the night after the SB?
[KingOfPop] Sharks @ Kings
[KingOfPop] my brother is a huge Sharks fan, watches almost every game on DirecTV
[MBR] really? wow
[MBR] I don't know that I'm that much a fan of anything
[MBR] maybe SU hoops
[MBR] I watched all our games in 98
[KingOfPop] while living in Indy, he went to St. Louis to see a Sharks playoff game in person
[KingOfPop] that's cool
[KingOfPop] I saw every USC football game this year except one, I think
[MBR] I normally see every Redskins game in a year
[MBR] but that's pretty easy to do
[KingOfPop] anyway, so via Ticketmaster, my brother got these seats at Staples for the Sharks-Kings game
[MBR] I bet that I've seen 90 percent of the games of the Redskins have played since 1983
[KingOfPop] tickets said 3rd Row
[KingOfPop] the seating chart made it look like we were right at center ice
[KingOfPop] well ...
[KingOfPop] we were
[MBR] cha-ching
[KingOfPop] 1st row right behind the Sharks bench
[MBR] did you say hi to Wils?
[KingOfPop] so we had the width of the bench area between us and the ice
[KingOfPop] but only a pane of glass between us and Teemu Selanne
[KingOfPop] it was pretty cool
[KingOfPop] didn't mind the money ($110 each) since we got SB tix for free
[MBR] that's awesome
[MBR] did the sharks win?
[MBR] man, hockey is just not on my radar screen at all
[KingOfPop] I'd say I had two of my all-time top 10 sports experiences on back-to-back days
[MBR] a glance at the paper tells me if the Caps won or not, but pretty much, I couldn't tell you anything about pucks
[KingOfPop] Sharks won 3-0
[KingOfPop] my brother got a puck too
[KingOfPop] a puck got flipped into the Sharks bench area and all the fans were clamoring for the puck
[KingOfPop] my brother was wearing a Sharks jersey
[KingOfPop] one of the coaches saw him and pointed, "hey give it to him"
[MBR] that's cool
[KingOfPop] his wife TiVo'd the game, and he watched when he got home
[KingOfPop] said you could see us on TV when that happened
[KingOfPop] just for a second
[MBR] nice
[KingOfPop] I don't really follow hockey all that much during the reg. season but I think the NHL playoffs are a lot of fun
[KingOfPop] I just ate a hard boiled egg
[KingOfPop] maybe eggs go hand in hand with easter because when Jesus came out of the tomb it was kind of like an egg hatching?
[MBR] egg is sign of life in a lot of Eastern cultures
[MBR] so, you're right...sort of
[MBR] when I was in the Ukraine, Christians gave us ceramic eggs as a reminder of our visit
[KingOfPop] I just heard TK say, "If LeBron James were on the All Star ballot, he'd be starting in the NBA All Star Game"
[MBR] might be true
[MBR] people seem to want to see that guy
[MBR] he might start it next year
[KingOfPop] when did you go the Ukr
[MBR] Summer of 1999
[KingOfPop] Same year I went to China
[MBR] yes
[KingOfPop] I don't remember you going then, really -- I remember you going sometime, but I couldn't have told you it was then
[MBR] that's what I'm here for
[KingOfPop] heh
[MBR] I sort of enjoy going back and forth with the Dog
[MBR] he's just so kooky that it's fun
[MBR] I'm not sure how he says Powell's speech was short on detail
[MBR] I actually read the whole thing at home last night
[MBR] and found some sections of it mind-numbingly detailed
[KingOfPop] I heard a good chunk of it on the radio on my drive in the other day
[MBR] I wasn't sure if Kern understood the speech I was referring to
[KingOfPop] hard to argue persuasively that the time is now
[KingOfPop] rather than a month from now, or 3 months from now
[MBR] what do you mean?
[KingOfPop] seems like nothing's going to change anytime soon
[KingOfPop] the threat isn't getting more urgent
[MBR] ah, I see
[MBR] you might be right
[KingOfPop] but then I think it's already urgent enough to act
[KingOfPop] i.e., we could have acted sooner
[MBR] yeah, and I guess I would counter that it's certainly not getting less urgent
[MBR] and the longer it plays out, the harder it will be to carry a coalition
[KingOfPop] as for diplomacy, any agreement we make with Saddam would be worthless
[MBR] as all the others have been
[MBR] but Bush is not a patient or deliberative man
[MBR] I get the sense that once he decides to do something
[MBR] the jig is up...it's time to go
[MBR] I thought John made a decent point with the pre-emptive thing, but I think concern is fairly addressed
[KingOfPop] heard someone say on radio yesterday, "The French -- invincible in peace, invisible in war"
[KingOfPop] ok, let's do it
[KingOfPop] heh
[KingOfPop] we should be in charge
[MBR] The French make me really, really mad
[MBR] I think we should bomb them once we finish with Saddam
[MBR] George Will had a great line about them yesterday
[MBR] let me dig it up for you...hang on
[KingOfPop] NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF writes for NYT that we should opt for containment
[MBR] here's the will quote
[MBR] Speaking, as we are, primarily of the French government, its oleaginous foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, addressed the Security Council after Powell. After some initial circumlocutions, the opacity of which could not conceal their offensiveness, de Villepin may have begun exercising the skill France has often honed since 1870 -- that of retreating, this time into incoherence.
[KingOfPop] heh
[MBR] and no one is making a stink about this, but the French signed a contract to provide economic develop to Iraq!!!
[MBR] they're against this war mostly because they would lose money!!!
[KingOfPop] no one does make a big deal about that
[KingOfPop] I wonder why
[KingOfPop] maybe we're scared of being accused of acting solely from economic motives ourselves or something
[MBR] I think the administration just wants to keep the focus on Saddam
[KingOfPop] This Kristof piece is saying Saddam is no different than Qaddafi
[MBR] but out of the spotlight, I bet they're railing on the Frenchies
[MBR] Kristof is a dork
[MBR] I've read his stuff before
[MBR] his opinion is worthless
[MBR] Qaddafi has never invaded two of his neighbors
[MBR] never used chemical or bio weapons
[KingOfPop] It's true, as President Bush suggested last night, that Saddam is trying to play games with us. But the inspectors proved in the 1990's that they are no dummies; they made headway and destroyed much more weaponry than the U.S. had hit during the gulf war.
[KingOfPop] they are no dummies
[KingOfPop] they are no dummies?
[KingOfPop] no no they're perfectly reasonable people
[KingOfPop] aren't they Kristof?
[KingOfPop] seems to actually believe the Iraqis are trying to comply
[MBR] of course the inspectors had success...that's why Saddam threw them out
[MBR] and why he deceives them now
[KingOfPop] oh i misread that line
[KingOfPop] but still he thinks the Iraqis aren't so bad
[MBR] no Vamp, no Ric, no Champ, no Gar
[MBR] sniff
[KingOfPop] not even a Jim
[MBR] not that your company isn't pleasant enough
[MBR] if it's just you and me, then so be it
[KingOfPop] then there's Adlai Stevenson III -- same ideas about containment
[KingOfPop] the Soviets weren't as wacko as Saddam, I don't think
[MBR] my dad made a good point yesterday
[KingOfPop] I guess I think the madman factor justifies war
[MBR] He said the war on terror is the critical piece of this
[MBR] if Saddam was just a thug, then we could let him be a thug
[MBR] but with his ties to Al-Queda becoming clearer and clearer, we have to get get him
[MBR] understanding that we're talking a large part of the world that has declared us to be their enemy
[MBR] and we're in a situation where we either do what they want or fight them
[MBR] since doing what they want means sending the world back to the middle ages, we fight
[MBR] and we fight to win
[MBR] whatever the cost
[MBR] It's hard for us to understand as Americans because we tend to lead pretty safe existences
[MBR] but when you look at Israel, you see the committment that a campaign like this calls for
[KingOfPop] ah well
[KingOfPop] we're all going to die sometime anyway
[MBR] I probably get a little fired up about this stuff
[KingOfPop] how's that for ... I'm not sure what the word would be
[MBR] maybe the CIA would give me a job and I can work on it all the time
[MBR] it's just I think this is what our children are going to ask us about 15 years from now
[MBR] this is potentially one of the most pivotal moments in history and no one seems to grasp that
[KingOfPop] that's how i felt when I was listening to Powell
[MBR] it's potentially so much bigger than Iraq
[MBR] if Saddam is toppled and a parliamentary govt takes his place and is successful
[MBR] than other countries will follow suit
[MBR] there's already talk of such a thing in Jordan
[MBR] and there are more civil govt's in place around the Middle East, then there's real hope for solid Israli Palestinian settlement
[MBR] but when Saddam is around offering $500 to the family of every Palestinian suicide bomber, it's hard to picture a day like that
[MBR] Ok, I'm spouting now...I'll stop
[KingOfPop] i wonder how Saddam would do in SUFFL
[KingOfPop] he probably be like Jim
[KingOfPop] trade up for lots of high picks
[KingOfPop] and take all the qb's or something
[MBR] he'd probably shoot us all at the draft and steal the plaque
[MBR] just got the sputter email
[KingOfPop] just tested the old submission page I had
[KingOfPop] gave me a bunch of errors, but the email went thru
[KingOfPop] Mutton chops, good to eat, Mutton chops, a tasty roast, Mutton chops, my yummy chops, Mutton chops, good to eat.
[KingOfPop] must have had writer's block that day
[MBR] we all have bad days
[KingOfPop] is Kristy looking plump these days
[MBR] yeah
[MBR] it's cute
[MBR] everyone is noticing
[KingOfPop] you're only like 2 months away
[KingOfPop] my brother's wife is due on March 11
[MBR] Goodwin and I are due right around the same time
[KingOfPop] yep
[KingOfPop] just like me and KK were
[KingOfPop] Sammy and Alexa born two days apart
[KingOfPop] and me and Gar with Cameron/Molly
[MBR] and we have a couple friends that have the exact same due date as us
[KingOfPop] you should make a bet with them
[MBR] with one of them, that would be fun
[MBR] with the other not so much
[MBR] http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/target=display_nation/nation=suffl
[KingOfPop] civil rights, average
[MBR] haven't gotten very many civil rights issues in my dossier
[KingOfPop] no funding for welfare and healthcare, heh
[MBR] that's right
[KingOfPop] heh
[MBR] used to have a high crime rate, but then I hired more police
[MBR] do you like my country's motto?
[KingOfPop] very much
[KingOfPop] and the national animal
[MBR] I made them a protected species
[MBR] just applied to join the UN
[KingOfPop] i rmember when u sent a link to this site several weeks ago, and it wasn't working for me
[KingOfPop] so I'm just now getting around to creating a nation
[MBR] what are you going to name it?
[KingOfPop] The Holy Empire of Daily Sputter
[MBR] heh
[KingOfPop] sent a co-worker a photo of the LA Police Chief (he's coming to be on a panel in a couple weeks)
[KingOfPop] she wrote back, Thanks, He is so hot... i may even replace Bratton for my Mestre on my desktop!
[KingOfPop] she's always got some quasi-celeb she's in love with
[MBR] well hello there
[KingOfPop] ever heard of Capoiera
[MBR] nope
[KingOfPop] it's Brazilian dance/judo or something
[KingOfPop] anyway, she's way into it
[KingOfPop] has her group's web address on the bumper of her car and stuff
[MBR] hi-yah!
[MBR] we should have suffl bumper stickers
[KingOfPop] Jim was running suffl merchandise ideas by me the other day
[KingOfPop] coffee mug and mousepad, mainly
[KingOfPop] I suggested a travel mug, the thermos-like kind
[KingOfPop] i thought of something else the other day, what was it
[KingOfPop] kt inspired it
[MBR] nice to see our VP of Sales and our Creative Director working hard
[KingOfPop] The Holy Empire of Daily Sputter -- Right-wing Utopia
[KingOfPop] civil rights -- few
[KingOfPop] well
[KingOfPop] http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi?pin=80827849&target=display_nation
[MBR] how did you get to be an economic powerhouse?
[KingOfPop] i'm not sure
[MBR] is there any way we can form an alliance?
[KingOfPop] hmm
[KingOfPop] maybe
[KingOfPop] do you have any desire to read the book Jennifer Government
[MBR] not really
[MBR] if I ever stumble on a copy, maybe
[MBR] looking for alliance possibility
[KingOfPop] uh oh, Social Inequality Reaching Embarrassing Levels
[MBR] I don't think you're in the system yet
[MBR] search for me and add me to your dossier
[MBR] SUFFL
[KingOfPop] I did that
[MBR] cool
[KingOfPop] sent you a telegram advising you of it, too
[MBR] just got
[MBR] I'm going to try and add you to mine
[KingOfPop] "Who says we're an international pariah?" demands military honcho Jennifer McAlpin. "What are their names? If that's the way the international community feels, we obviously need to prepare for war."
[MBR] heh
[KingOfPop] it would be fun to create a game like that
[MBR] Suffl-States.com
[MBR] we could set up a mock fantasy football league
[MBR] where you run everyone else's team but your own
[KingOfPop] that's funny
[MBR] at the end of the year, you wouldn't know whether to be happy for your team or for Goodwin's
[KingOfPop] i know the feeling
[MBR] heh
[MBR] you'll be back with a vengence next year thoug
[MBR] hopefully, the Maine thing works
[MBR] out
[MBR] that would be mucho fun
[KingOfPop] yes it would
[MBR] and with that, I must say farewell
[MBR] thanks for a fun chat
[MBR] this will be a good transcript for people
[KingOfPop] okey dokey, i should keep some promises by the end of the day