Toonbots message board: Party like it's 2001

mouse Mon Mar 18 19:18:06 2002 Re: Party like it's 2001 > I assume that your tagline for Sunday's comic "Saint Paddy's day > 2001" was a test of PAFTWJ perception, and that I, being the first to > note that Sunday was in fact St. Patrick's day of the year 2002 will get > an "attaboy" for passing your oh-so-clever test. Huzzah for me. huzzah! i missed it myself. i _did_ get the dot.corn joke in the previous toon, but was too busy ranting about stuff to say anything. btw - good luck with the job thing - hope things are looking up for you.

mouse Mon Mar 18 19:34:26 2002 speaking of rants.... michael - calm down. no one in congress understands science enough to know what cloning really is. there are whole big biotech businesses out here (which, as private industries, can do stuff without gov't funding) who see the potential...they'll just call it something else, and dubya and his buddies won't know the difference. it could well be that airline manufacturers are headed into the same hole as the the automotive industry (do those dolts _really_ believe every single living one of us is dying for an suv? and we aren't smart enough to figure out that european and japanese manufacturers have spent _years_ developing safe, high-milage cars, because gas prices are like 5X US prices? apparently i am the only living person to remember the gas crisis in the early 70's - which is when japanese cars first took over the market) - but face it, if they can't figure out what people want, they deserve to collapse. oh, wait - that's not what you were ranting about....never mind, it's what i feel like ranting about. besides, they're all old guys -- sooner or later, one of them is going to get sick, and they'll have a whole new perspective on the situation. no, no - now that the war in afghanistan is winding, dubya and kenny boy and the other bushies are busy doing stupid things that will get the republicans thrown out. i do keep hoping that congress will get some backbone and at least clean the things the military doesn't even want out of the defense budget (hey, i can have irrational dreams if i want - you can't _make_ me connect with the real world!)- thus allowing them to spend a few pennies on what the rest of us _really_ want.... oh, grumble...and i don't even have any green beer to cry into....

Patrick Tue Mar 19 18:43:47 2002 The Great Rant Heist, Part II. Unfortunately, car manufacturers are somewhat correct. Currently there is no gas crisis, and many people "want" an SUV, because that is what they have been told to want, and many people listen to what they are told. The main problem in the US, and indeed the world, is that regardless of what freedoms people may have in law, they have no freedom of mind, and thus cannot take the fullest advantage of those legal freedoms. Which is why so many political are, in their attempts to change governments (and international treaties) to create a world of greater freedoms, engaging in a hopeless battle. What this world suffers from is not so much econonmic or social oppression, but rather oppression of the mind. A dictatorship of words. Even those seeking freedom have no freedom in their actions, using only the methods and avenues that have been shown to them. Even those doing the "oppressing" are themselves not free, but trapped in concepts of power, able only to act in manners prescribed by human instinct and social "training." Which highlights a great problem; how do you stop those who do not know what they are actually doing, or have any control over their own actions? Whew, that felt good. This rant theft is pretty fun. Anyone else care to pick up from here? Patrick Burroughs

Michael Wed Mar 20 00:06:06 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. > The main problem in the US, and indeed the world, is that regardless > of what freedoms people may have in law, they have no freedom of mind, Is anyone but me thinking that Patrick really kinda needs a title? Especially if he's gonna go all "independent thinking" on us like this? (What are you, P, some kind of unAmerican pinko liberal?) Speaking of unAmerican pinko liberals, anybody but me hear about the surveillance scandal at the Denver CO police department, which characterized a couple of people as being linked to the "criminal terrorist" organization known as the American Friends Service Committee? Damned Quakers, you just can't trust them.

mouse Wed Mar 20 15:59:23 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. > Is anyone but me thinking that Patrick really kinda needs a title? > Especially if he's gonna go all "independent thinking" on us > like this? (What are you, P, some kind of unAmerican pinko liberal?) humpf - you just like him because he's nearly as psychotically nihilistic as you are - but he _is_ half-way up the post list. > Speaking of unAmerican pinko liberals, anybody but me hear about the > surveillance scandal at the Denver CO police department, which > characterized a couple of people as being linked to the "criminal > terrorist" organization known as the American Friends Service > Committee? Damned Quakers, you just can't trust them. no, seem to have missed that one too - what _are_ you reading these days? and give the denver pd a break - them quakers have had a few radical idees in their time....can't trust folks what gets idees.

Patrick Wed Mar 20 19:08:12 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. I am both stunned and honored to be considered for a title. I mean, I have only five posts. Oh wait, make that six. But if it is the will of the PAFTWJ (is it?) then who aw I to look a, err, honor horse in the mouth. Or some verbiage to that general effect. But the question becomes, what title? I pondered this last night (as well as pondering the propriety of self-titling). Suddenly, my muse struck! When I came to, I found that she had eaten most of my dinner, "borrowed" several of my better books, and dashed of the following note: Geochronologist Gaedeling unAmerican Pinko Liberal Commie Anarchist This is quite typical of my muse, and I'm really going to have to speak to her about this sort of behavior. There are still stains in the carpet from last time, and the time before that saw me stuck upside down in a tree for the better part of three days. Patrick Burroughs

mouse Thu Mar 21 16:03:49 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. > I am both stunned and honored to be considered for a title. I mean, I have > only five posts. Oh wait, make that six. actually probably more - i seem to recall you from before The Loss Of The Archives. (the 5 showing are just the posts in the threads that have not been removed by the Grim Thread Reaper) > But if it is the will of the > PAFTWJ (is it?) it is the will of michael. all hail michael. (michael, michael, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can) > as pondering the propriety of self-titling). self-titling is pretty much the rule here (and an awesome responsibility it is). the meta'toonist is sometimes kind enough to award a second title for exceptional performance (or something of the sort....actually, it's in some ways similar to caligula making his horse a senator. although, by all accounts, he was a very nice horse, and took his later demotion with far better grace than most of his contemporaries.) > Suddenly, my muse struck! if you would just keep the doors locked, you cou;d avoid this sort of thing. > Geochronologist Gaedeling unAmerican Pinko Liberal Commie Anarchist ummmm....you know, there are people here with small children - i'm not sure about language like that.... > and the time before that saw me stuck upside down in a tree for > the better part of three days. ok, _this_ one you gotta tell us about - maybe at the next picnic....

Patrick Thu Mar 21 17:08:25 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. > actually probably more - i seem to recall you from before The Loss Of The > Archives. (the 5 showing are just the posts in the threads that have not > been removed by the Grim Thread Reaper) You're probably right. I can never keep track of all my posts. What? Only ten or so you say? Well, they're still hard to keep track of. Slippery little things, posts are. > it is the will of michael. all hail michael. (michael, michael, he's our > man, if he can't do it, no one can) Duly noted (and seconded) > self-titling is pretty much the rule here (and an awesome responsibility > it is). the meta'toonist is sometimes kind enough to award a second title > for exceptional performance (or something of the sort....actually, it's in > some ways similar to caligula making his horse a senator. although, by all > accounts, he was a very nice horse, and took his later demotion with far > better grace than most of his contemporaries.) Don't forget the odor though. I hear those senators could be pretty rank. > if you would just keep the doors locked, you cou;d avoid this sort of > thing. I'll keep this in mind. I should never have given her a key (or rather, luft my ky-ring in plain sight.) Now I'll have to change all the locks. > ummmm....you know, there are people here with small children - i'm not > sure about language like that.... And you know, that was supposed to be two lines too (the second one starts with unAmerican). It would have made it look more, I don't know, official. Or sillier.

Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969

spinclad Sat Mar 23 01:51:08 2002 Re: The Great Rant Heist, Part II. Hmpf. ((I'll take a vowel, thank you, Alex.)) Pesky penuins ate my post, peck by peck. May their brothers-in-black-and-white eat them! > I'll keep this in mind. I should never have given her a key (or rather, > luft my ky-ring in plain sight.) Now I'll have to change all the locks. .. (( ((something allegedly witty but dangerous to speak too loudly, lest inspiration get some free inspiration for further damage...)) )) > And you know, that was supposed to be two lines too (the second one starts > with unAmerican). It would have made it look more, I don't know, official. > Or sillier. .. so that would be dendrochronologist gaedeling (endowed chair?)? oh. wait. GEO chronologist. much longer time frames. not the same thing at all. my apologies for any insult to your esteemed unAmerican self (any target of mccarthy is a friend of mine). Great general greetings and welcome into the PAFTWJ from a recent fellow accretant. You know, if this snowball gets much bigger it could start to roll down on us...

Michael Tue Mar 19 23:55:42 2002 Re: speaking of rants.... > michael - calm down. no one in congress understands science enough to know > what cloning really is. there are whole big biotech businesses out here > (which, as private industries, can do stuff without gov't funding) The bill in question isn't Dubya's stupid federal funding thing -- it's new legistlation which *criminializes* cloning, both reproductive and therapeutic. Cloning would thus be a felony. Really and truly. But you're right: no-one in congress understands science enough to program a VCR, let alone legislate science. Idiots. > one of > them is going to get sick, and they'll have a whole new perspective on the > situation. Sure. And the law will never apply to the rich. > no, no - now that the war in afghanistan is winding, dubya and kenny boy > and the other bushies are busy doing stupid things that will get the > republicans thrown out. Well, that's true. The sudden IPOs of lots of defense-industry companies this week may do that on their own. Lots of the administration are richer now than they were last month, that's for sure. > i do keep hoping that congress will get some > backbone AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thanks, I needed a good laugh.

mouse Wed Mar 20 15:52:55 2002 Re: speaking of rants.... > The bill in question isn't Dubya's stupid federal funding thing -- it's > new legistlation which *criminializes* cloning, both reproductive and > therapeutic. Cloning would thus be a felony. Really and truly. now this i hadn't heard about - and that _passed_? do you have a news link?

Patrick Wed Mar 20 19:13:48 2002 Re: speaking of rants.... When clones are outlawed, only outlaws will be cloned. And then we'll have something like two or three times as many outlaws running around. So outlawing clones increases the crime rate, because it increases the number of criminals. That's logic for you. Really, the solution to most of these ethical dilemmas is to pass a law saying "clones are people too, and have all the same rights and responsibilities." There, no more clone armies, or billionares creating entire new people and slicing their heads off, or all of the rediculous examples that keep popping up. Now the cloning of individual parts and pieces is another issue. But really, one with less ethical problems. I mean what are people going to say? "Spleens are people too!" "Save the gall-bladders!" "A lung is a fish is a boy!" Patrick Burroughs

Tirdun Tue Mar 19 07:12:39 2002 Re: Party like it's 2001 > btw - good luck with the job thing - hope things are looking up for you. Well, I've got a 3 month contract extension, the customer decided that he just might be able to afford us for a bit longer. Doesn't put me in the mood to launch back into comics just yet. I may go MWF for a bit just to keep going and stay ahead.

Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969

Michael Tue Mar 19 23:50:44 2002 Re: Party like it's 2001 > I assume that your tagline for Sunday's comic "Saint Paddy's day > 2001" was a test of PAFTWJ perception, and that I, being the first to > note that Sunday was in fact St. Patrick's day of the year 2002 will get > an "attaboy" for passing your oh-so-clever test. Huzzah for me. Oops. Rounding error.