Only in Kentucky...

[Pain_Man]

Well, that was kinda of the point. I didn't want it to be thought that I was trying to one up ya.

 

So I did what I usually do when I think there is (or might be) some tension: I self-deprecate.

 

Have you seen Quills? It's basically fiction very loosely based on the Comte de Sade's life. It's worth a viewing but I wouldn't buy the DVD. Jeffrey Rush gives his usual psycho-escaped from the looney bin performance. If only the script had been stronger....or Kate nakeder oftener...

 

It also stars my wife's little sister--that's a family joke. There's a remarkable resemblance between my wife and Kate Winslet (sp?).

 

 

 

Now, how is that being a wiseass? Wiseass implies you're trying to one up me after being one upped already. All you're doing here is proving that you had somewhat advanced knowledge of the son of Monsieur Jean-Bastiste Francois Joseph de Sade and Madame Marie-Eleonore de Maille de Carman. And, yet, despite such a rich history of nomenclature, he was played in a movie by someone with the name of Nick Mancuso!

Edited November 12, 2006 by Pain_Man

[Pain_Man]

I get a little touchy sometimes.

 

Now that there's no longer a Soviet behemoth threatening the planet with a global KGB, bitching at America and stabbing us in the back is the favored sport amongst some (incl. amonst Leftist Americans).

 

That's why I hoped you meant it the way you did.

 

I never begrudge anyone their own patriotism. It's a healthy thing. It's nationalism that's caused so much misery, death, genocide. It took the place that organized religion (i.e. Catholicism against "heresy, Catholicism vs. Orthodoxy, Christendom vs. Islam, Protestantism vs. Catholicism) had as a motivator for crimes against humanity from 1095 (the First Crusade) to 1648 (the Thirty Years War). (And you can extend that in England to 1689 and in France until the death of the "Sun" King in 1715.)

 

The film Kingdom of Heaven HIGHLY recommended. It's not terribly historically accurate in the details, but it captures the spirit of the time and the religious madness so recently revived in that very same part of the world. It also has amazing sfx, action and superb performances by Orlando "Legolas" Bloom, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons (is there a movie lately he's not in?), Martin "Celeborn" Csokas, and Andrew "I Live With Salma Hayek" Norton as the Leper King Baldwin of Jerusalem.

 

We saw the consequences of rabid, exclusive nationalism from the 1661 to 1994. (Roughly, from Louis XIV's invasion of modern Belgium, "The War of Devolution" to the wars in the former Yugoslavia.)

 

This is the 21st century. Now we're in the century of small groups of sociopaths running about the planet killing on a mass scale for the sheer joy of murder.

 

The body count's decreased geometrically, but I'm not sure it's an improvement. After all, one tactical nuke in NYC, London, Paris, Moscow...the consequences of that don't really need to be imagined.

 

Unfortunately, the people who now control our Congress have absolutely no concept of this.

 

it's only gonna get worse from here.

 

Perhaps I misunderstand you? Perhaps what you mean is, "I really love New Zealand, wouldn't live in anywhere else." And that's cool.

 

Yes, thats what I mean. I know, I know, don't mean what you say but say what you mean .

Edited November 12, 2006 by Pain_Man

[polopony]

No, Florida's a shit hole. My parents went to Miami for the '94 Superbowl and they were appalled at just how disgusting it was.

 

Pain Man,

does this happen to be the basis for your loathing of Florida , if you had said Miami then I might have agreed with you, it has gone down hill since the mariel flotilla days but still has some really exclusive neighborhoods . There are really lots of beautiful places in Florida to visit and great places to live ,yeah it has hurricanes,and no the alligators are not out of control eating everyones kids the midwest has tornados , northern states have blizzards, the west out of control fires and drought . I get the feeling you've never lived there and from the sounds of it haven't visited either. I could have relocated to anywhere when I decided to leave NY but the work oportunities here in S Florida are amazing theres work everywhere .BTW LFC's family have property in Fla so he's been here numerous times, he mentioned Florida because of his first hand experience here not someone elses opinion

[JasonFriday13]

I want to go to Florida just so I can go to Busch Gardens theme park. Can't wait to go on Kumba and Montu.

[dbminter]

Ah, I can remember far better times... well, more deluded ones, at the very least, when Burgess Meredith was the commercial voice over announcer for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay nigh on 20 years ago.

[polopony]

and Tom Dooley tourist adds "Come on Down To Florida " and Anita Bryant for Florida Orange Juice they go back a ways also

[lfcrule1972]

Cheers Polo - you're spot on with your reply. I have been to FL and stayed in my in-laws house there. We have travelled a bit and seen good and bad parts to the area (as you do almost anywhere) but having returned with the full compliment of kids every time I am happy to confirm that child eating alligators are thankfully quite rare...

 

As you say I have experienced FL and Brisbane, Sydney in Oz and like them all, but personally I would prefer to live in FL even with the bugs etc, for me they don't greatly detract from the pleasures of living there.

[polopony]

like you say LFC everywhere has its good and bad areas you hear so much about Hollywood and all the stars, it has a seedy area, the nations capitol ( Washington DC ) is surrounded by really run down neighborhood. Atlantic City in N Jersey for all its reputation and casinos is in the middle of a slum and it goes on and on .New York where I lived the longest has the same, Manhattan and all its prestigious addresses, Park ave , Madison Ave is only minutes away from some of the toughest and run down areas in new york and maybe the country ,East LA ,parts of ST Louis ,South Philly man I could go on and on bottom line theres no Eden on this planet

[lfcrule1972]

In many ways the affluent areas attract the less well heeled don't they...

[polopony]

the rich hire maids ,gardeners ,etc and the help tend to live as close to their jobs as they can maybe a bit simplified but its the way it is