online dating service
REGISTER | MAIL/PROFILE | HELP | NOW ONLINE | SEARCH | RATING | FORUMS | SUCCESS STORIES

 

     
Posted In Forum:
Home   login   MyForums  
Show ALL Forums  
 
 Author Thread: Do you believe the older we get, depression sneaks in?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 88 (view)
 
Do you believe the older we get, depression sneaks in?
Posted: 6/21/2009 7:07:31 PM
I think we have "developed " too far from our Ice Age past. Good news: There's a study being conducted at a major university called Total Lifestyle Change (TLC) as an alternative to antidepressants that begins with that hypothesis. The key ingredients are close social cooperation, exercise, and outdoor time. Bad news: there has been a big spike in middle age suicide rates in the US the past few years.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 87 (view)
 
Do you believe the older we get, depression sneaks in?
Posted: 6/21/2009 7:00:19 PM
"with a lustful brain,depression is last on list"

Unfortunately, the converse is also true.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 102 (view)
 
Older fit men shunning older fit women and chasing 25 year olds??? What's with that?
Posted: 6/8/2009 9:21:04 AM
I'm pretty fit, but that's because I do manual labor...not a big plus for many. Some of the fittest men around are the homeless. Really...Counting out the crazies and drunks, some of them our age look like those paintings of cowboys, mountain men, and voyageurs of old.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 100 (view)
 
Does everyone in this world really have a soulmate?
Posted: 3/27/2007 4:48:06 AM
I suppose, if you believe in reincarnation.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 99 (view)
 
Does everyone in this world really have a soulmate?
Posted: 3/27/2007 4:45:00 AM
Only in Hollywood and romance novels.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 71 (view)
 
Most jobs dont want to hire someone over 40
Posted: 2/13/2007 10:09:53 PM
Anyone know a free med school? I'm still paying for the two years of Community College I took eight years ago.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 54 (view)
 
Do you believe the older we get, depression sneaks in?
Posted: 2/13/2007 9:57:15 PM
Well, here's an interesting statistic from the AARP, March/April 07, hardly a downbeat publication. In an article on optimism, they list four activities and level of optimism about it. Ten is high score.
One activity is dating:

Age 20-29_ 8.25

Age 30-39_ 7.75

Age 40-64_ 2.0

ge 65-100 _ 9.85
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 66 (view)
 
How can you tell if a girl is interested?
Posted: 10/31/2006 12:39:21 AM
I can't agree. I hear decades later that this and that girl were seriously interested in me but i hadn't the slightest clue at the time. They weren't transmitting or I wasn't receiving, but that should all be subconscious as breathing, supposedly.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 400 (view)
 
Mail order brides
Posted: 9/14/2006 10:26:11 PM
How did you meet her?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 2 (view)
 
If I were a Carpenter
Posted: 9/14/2006 10:19:13 PM
Why do the Thought Police always cordon off my threads?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 1 (view)
 
If I were a Carpenter
Posted: 9/14/2006 10:18:20 PM
If I were a carpenter
and you were a lady,
Would you marry me anyway?
Would you have my baby?

If a tinker were my trade
would you still find me,
carrin' the pots I made,
followin' behind me.

Save my love through loneliness,
Save my love for sorrow,
I'm given you my onliness,
Come give your tomorrow.

If I worked my hands in wood,
Would you still love me?
Answer me babe, "Yes I would,
I'll put you above me."

If I were a miller
at a mill wheel grinding,
would you miss your color box,
and your soft shoe shining?

If I were a carpenter
and you were a lady,
Would you marry me anyway?
Would you have my baby?
Would you marry anyway?
Would you have my baby?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 383 (view)
 
Mail order brides
Posted: 9/14/2006 1:10:52 PM
Women from poorer countries would not put such an inordinate importance on degree and salary parity. Here, both men and women judge a person's worth by their income and/or degree. This may have importance to those who are high maintenance, but I seldom see it among foreign women I have met.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 365 (view)
 
Mail order brides
Posted: 9/14/2006 12:46:40 AM

By the way, if you want to find a foreign woman who is hot, beautiful, cultured and nice, try Argentina. I'm in Buenos Aires right now, and let me tell you, you just need to look from the hotel's door, and you will see at least 10 drop-dead gorgeous women out there, at any time. And they're not models. Heck, even the ticket girl at the underground gave me a million-dollar smile from a face worthy of Vogue.

And the Argentinian guys simply ignore them. I suppose they're so used to them that they don't find these women special. And the best of everything: Not even ONE fat girl, and I've been here for three days now.


Do you speak spanish? Need a translator? Yes, I've been to Buenas Aires, and it is as you say. Expensive travel, though. How are they with shy men (Iwas married atthe time)?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 364 (view)
 
Mail order brides
Posted: 9/14/2006 12:21:05 AM
Yet how many beautiful US and Canadian women will accept some wealthy ugly old "loser" over a normal but "economically undesirable" blue collar guy their own age for the money? I've seen the sites where salary limits are stated.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 363 (view)
 
Mail order brides
Posted: 9/14/2006 12:15:31 AM
Americans used the same system when colonizing the frontier. They were advertized in sears roebuck. So, why not? If you are not finding anyone here, why settle for loneliness. It helps the women get out of poverty and possible danger, too.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 193 (view)
 
Why is soo hard for guys to approach women??
Posted: 8/30/2006 7:02:38 PM

I've been thinking about some original "openers" lately that can get that message across rather quickly....it's been a while since I did a "cold" approach...but I'll tell you that my best cold approaches lasted 3 minutes max....

...generally I think a girl doesn't want to be interupted when she's out with friends...so you just gotta get the number and go...let the body language do most of the talking....


you left more unsaid than you actually said here. Imagine you are a coach for the shy guys that want to make the initial approach but see only rejection staring them in the face....
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 4 (view)
 
Doesn't work for some of us
Posted: 8/29/2006 5:02:25 AM
I wonder why there are so many more men than women on this site? That doesn't fit demographics. My guess: A lot of the men posting as singles are not.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 397 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing?
Posted: 8/24/2006 7:44:01 PM

I find it very interesting that hezbollah is to most of the world not a terrorist organization and yet they want for people to simply turn a blind eye to the brutal malicious things that have have done in the past for their holy war. They even turn their religion into something ugly. Granted I am not a religeous person but I think that they use the more violent reteric in their quran to justify their "cause". I think that hezbollah wouldn't know how to lead a civil life after so many being fed the line that its ok to kill and to take on the non-believers with all that they've got and its ok to kill an infidel because they do not believe what you do and you're killing them is the right way. I think that they use it as an excuse to attack israel and then get angry at them for defending themselves because people in lebanon are dying. Well people in israel are dying and have died aswell and its so maddening that its alright for that to happen in alot of peoples eyes. I just wish they would crack an eye and see that death on either end has happened and its not the fault of civilians on either side of the mess. If hezbollah is going to go hard core politics and gaining favor that way then I pity the people of lebanon because if they gain more and more power that way how long will it be before they get exactly what they want-Total control over the lebanese people and join further with iran and iraq and do their burning desire and try to take out israel. The loss of life would be staggaring for all nations involved.



This post reveals a world of ignorance about Hezbollah and its place in South Lebanon. The Hezbollah are residents of S. Lebanon, not foreigners. They are the armed Resistance Fighters inspired by the first Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanon that lasted until 2000. Their attack upon Israeli soldiers and subsequent abduction was on Lebanese soil and for a prisoner exchange. Israel holds Lebanese prisoners ever since their aggression against Lebanon. Hezbollah has never carried out terrorist raids into the occupied territories, not counting their rocket retaliation to Israeli terrorism.

Hezbollah fighters return to civil life immediately, helping in the rebuilding of a devastated land, because it is their land and their homes and their families that have been attacked. The total control you refer to is what Israel has exercised over the imprisoned palestinian people, who live in the equivalent of the WWII Warsaw Ghetto of living death. About 10,000 Palestinians are trapped in the deeper hell of Israeli prisons.

The foiled second invasion of Lebanon was a plan of the Bush WH and the murderous Olmert regime to accomplish the same thing with Lebanon as Bush did in Iraq: destruction of another Arab country in order to keep the ME in chaos and oil prices high.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 1 (view)
 
Last year the number for uninsured Americans was a shocking 46 million - including 8.5 m children
Posted: 8/24/2006 7:18:46 PM
U.S. Census prepares to release new numbers on healthcare and poverty - 08/24/2006
By Jesse Russell

Next Tuesday the U.S. Census will be releasing new numbers concerning the state of income, poverty and health care coverage in the United States. Last year the number for uninsured Americans was a shocking 46 million - including 8.5 million children. According to Elise Gould with the Economic Policy Institute even those Americans who do have health insurance are watching as costs rise:

[Gould]: “More workers are having to pay a share of the premium, and the share that they are paying has increased over time.”

According to Gould 76 percent of private sector workers pay part of their insurance costs - with those costs growing by 57 percent from 1992 to 2005.

Matt Nerzig with Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ in Manhattan says it is time for the government to wake up:

“It’s being left for businesses and for employees to sort of figure this out on their own which has got everyone in over their heads. (:08) Bottom line for us as a labor union is that no one is less equipped to meet the skyrocketing cost of healthcare than workers themselves.

http://www.laborradio.org/node/4026
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 46 (view)
 
Bush defends policy: 'We're not leaving, so long as I'm president'
Posted: 8/24/2006 3:36:11 PM
Bush and his gang will try to "keep a lid on" Iraq until they are out of office and then let the final implosion happen on the next prez's watch. they will continue to overstress our military, keep control by brutal force, and earn the growing resentment of the Iraqis until the whole region cracks up. They hope they are gone when it happens. Then conservatives will say "see, Bush held things together. The new Prez is a liberal wimp." I don't think he can do it, though.
However, considering that the central purpose of his presidency has been to enrich corporations in general and oil corporations in particular, he may very well be successful in getting oil prices up in orbit permanently.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 386 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing?
Posted: 8/24/2006 1:28:15 PM
Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Committing War Crimes in Lebanon
Thursday, August 24th, 2006

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/24/1425205

Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes for deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon. In a report released yesterday, the human rights group criticized Israel for destroying homes, bridges, roads, water treatment plants and fuel tanks. The report said such attacks were an "integral part" of Israel’s strategy in the war.
The group is calling for a United Nations investigation into whether Israel and Hezbollah broke humanitarian law.

The report is based on research from Amnesty missions in Lebanon and Israel, including interviews with victims, UN officials, Israeli military officers and members of the Lebanese government.

In a few minutes we are going to get a response on the report from Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Daniel Carmon, but first we take a closer look at the report’s findings with Marty Rosenbluth. He is a specialist for Israel, the Occupied Territories and the Palestinian Authority for Amnesty International-USA. He was on one of the research missions for the group that helped compile this report.


Marty Rosenbluth, specialist for Israel, the Occupied Territories, and the Palestinian Authority for Amnesty International-USA.
Related Links:
Amnesty International report "Lebanon: Destruction of civilian infrastructure"

Satellite images showing the destruction in Lebanon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMY GOODMAN: Our guest in studio in Washington, D.C. is Marty Rosenbluth. He's with Amnesty International, a specialist for Israel, Occupied Territories and the Palestinian Authority with Amnesty International-USA, one of the research missions for the group that helped compile this report. He joins us in studio. Welcome to Democracy Now!

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Thank you for having me.

AMY GOODMAN: It's good to have you joining us in the Reuters studio. Can you talk about your major findings in this report?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, sure. What the report shows is that the Israeli claims that the damage to the civilian infrastructure was purely collateral damage just really doesn't match the facts. And you really only have to look at the statements by Israeli government officials. I mean, Dan Halutz, who’s the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff, said at the very beginning of the war that the purpose of the air strikes was to send a message to the Lebanese government that if they didn't rein in Hezbollah, that the Lebanese population would pay a heavy price. I mean, that's prima fascia evidence that the strikes were designed as collective punishment. But also just the sheer level of the destruction, the destruction of the electrical infrastructure, the water infrastructure, the roads, the bridges, houses, businesses, etc., just doesn't match the Israeli claims that this was either collateral damage or due to the fact that Hezbollah was shielding amongst the civilian population.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And what are, in terms of established rules of war or international law, the main guiding points in terms of when civilian areas can be attacked in time of war?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, the most important principle of the laws of war is what is called the principle of distinction. I mean, this was passed a long time ago into what's called customary international law, which means it's binding on all parties, whether they be, quote/unquote, “non-state actors” like Hezbollah or the Israeli military. So the Israeli claim that since these have a military potential or contribute in some way to the military effort makes them a legitimate military targets is just not how international humanitarian law works.

JUAN GONZALEZ: When you say the principle of distinction -- for example, in your report you mentioned the many roads that were destroyed by Israel. Israel was claiming that these roads could potentially be used for military transport. But you raise the issue that while that may be true, they were principally used by civilians and that that should have been the overriding factor?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Correct. And that's really what the principle of distinction means: you have to distinguish between whether it's primarily a military purpose or primarily a civilian purpose to balance essentially what the military advantage is versus the effect on the civilian population. So when we met with senior IDF officials in Israel, they said, “Well, the electrical infrastructure is a military target, because Hezbollah needs electricity.” Well, of course Hezbollah needs electricity, but so do hospitals, so do civilians for refrigeration, so does the water infrastructure. The electrical pumps rely on electricity for water. So if you knock out the electricity infrastructure, you also knock out the water, which creates a major health hazard. So, simply claiming that there's some military potential or it contributes in some way to Hezbollah's military purposes doesn't mean that it can be targeted as a military target. That's a clear violation of the laws of war.

AMY GOODMAN: Marty Rosenbluth, can you outline the level of destruction?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: It's still very difficult. I mean, just now, the full extent of the destruction has really begun to be estimated, but there's still, for all practical purposes, from our documentation, no electricity in the south, which, again, affects the water. Hundreds, if not thousands, of houses have been destroyed, businesses, roads, etc., etc. We now have another mission, which just got on the ground there on Sunday, to try to assess what the full extent of the damage is. And we'll also be sending another mission into northern Israel to assess the damage there. I was on the ground for a week in northern Israel looking at the effect of the war on civilians in northern Israel. And it's also clear that there was very clear violations of the laws of war on the part of Hezbollah, by targeting Israeli civilians.

AMY GOODMAN: We're talking to Marty Rosenbluth, specialist for Israel, the Occupied Territories, and the Palestinian Authority for Amnesty International-USA. Now, your report, Marty, includes a number of statements from Israeli military officials indicating the destruction of the civilian infrastructure was indeed a goal of Israel's military campaign, designed to press the Lebanese government and the people of Lebanon to turn against Hezbollah.

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Yeah, correct. And again, we take them at their word. I mean, when the chief of staff of the IDF says that the purpose of the air strikes is so that the Lebanese government will realize that they don't rein in Hezbollah, that Lebanon will pay a heavy price, that's a very clear statement of policy. When they say that unless the Lebanese government reins in Hezbollah, that they're going to destroy the electrical infrastructure, that's a very clear statement of policy.

So the Israeli government is doing essentially, is what they're saying. If you read their documents, they say, well, it isn't a question of the individual objective, but the overall strategic advantage. It's a very, very broad interpretation of what's called, quote/unquote, “dual use,” where if something has a military purpose and a civilian purpose, it can be targeted. And we and the entire human rights community, as well as the majority of the international community, would have a much more restrictive approach, which would require them to balance each attack, each target, based on whether or not it's a military target or a civilian target.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Your report also raises questions about the attacks on the communications and media infrastructure of the country. You note that not only did the Israelis target the Hezbollah television station, but they also bombed the transmitters of the Lebanese Public Broadcasting Corporation and other commercial broadcasters that had nothing to do with the conflict. Could you talk about that?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, sure. And even with the targeting of the Hezbollah TV station, Al Manar, when we were in the meeting with senior Israeli defense officials in Israel, you know, what they said was, well, you know, not only are they broadcasting propaganda, but they're broadcasting instructions to the troops. And we asked for documentation. We said, “Can you give us transcripts? Can you give us audio tape? Can you give us videotape of Al Manar being used to actually broadcast instructions to Hezbollah fighters?” And they backed down on that.

And again, it's totally indiscriminate. I mean, they targeted basically the entire communications infrastructure. And again, I’m sure their claim would be, well, this has military potential, but it also has civilian use and affects civilians disproportionately to the military advantage from Hezbollah.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about hospitals and supermarkets?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, the supermarkets was actually pretty surprising to us, pretty alarming, in terms of what our mission on the ground found, is that from talking to civilians, from interviewing eyewitnesses, very often the supermarkets were the first thing that were targeted. And they were targeted in a way that the trajectory was very high, so the contents of the supermarket was destroyed. It opens up the question whether that was targeted to force the civilian population to evacuate, to force the civilian population to flee. In addition to that, we documented I think three separate cases where hospitals were targeted. And targeting hospitals is absolutely prohibited under international humanitarian law, unless it can be proven that they were being used essentially as a cover for military operations.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And when you say “targeted,” are you saying that they were deliberately hit or inadvertently hit, or did you question the Israelis about whether they actually intended to hit these hospitals?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, we didn't on the hospitals, per se, because when we were meeting with the Israeli officials in Israel, we didn't have that documentation. But the Israelis were pretty clear. The Israelis were basically claiming that they chose their targets very carefully, that they chose their targets very deliberately, and each and every target was vetted by a command chain, including an international humanitarian law trained expert. So that sets a very high bar.

And, in fact, the conclusion to our report and what we're asking for is an international investigation with experts that have the mandate and the training and the support and the financial resources and the cooperation of the parties to conduct the investigation properly. And I would think that both the Israeli government and our own government would have an interest in wanting a proper investigation. I mean, if Israel can show, if Israel can demonstrate, that these were in fact legitimate military targets, that should come out in a proper investigation. Our documentation and the documentation of other human rights organizations says that a lot of the targets were hit were not military targets. But if the Israelis can prove that they were through a proper investigation, that's what the investigation will show. And the same goes for Hezbollah.

AMY GOODMAN: Marty Rosenbluth, your report, Amnesty International's report on “Israel/Lebanon: Deliberate Destruction or ‘Collateral Damage’? Israeli Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure,” says that people guilty of war crimes should be held responsible anywhere in the world. What does that mean if you find Israeli officials responsible? For example, those that travel to this country.

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, and it's not just the Israeli officials. I mean, let's be clear that this is just the first of a series of reports that are going to come out. I mean, as I was saying, I was part of the mission that went into northern Israel. We would also hold Hezbollah officials accountable. But, I mean, this is the challenge of international humanitarian law, is how is it enforced? How do you hold people accountable?

But, yes, I mean, if Israeli officials who are responsible for war crimes are in the United States or are in Europe, they can be arrested and held accountable. Look what happened with Pinochet, for example. This is more and more a tool that's being used to try to enforce international humanitarian law, by holding those individuals who are responsible accountable for those offenses. And that would go both for Hezbollah and for Israeli officials.

AMY GOODMAN: And Israel's charge that Hezbollah used people as human shields, that they embedded themselves in the civilian population so that everyone was a target?

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, if it were true -- and again, we're still working on documenting that. And I’m not saying it didn't happen. Let's be really clear on that. We're still trying to investigate the extent to which Hezbollah did use civilians as human shields. And if this was true, it would, in fact, be a war crime. But that does not remove from Israel the responsibility to protect civilians. It can't be used as a blanket excuse. So if Israel says, well, there was one Hezbollah fighter in a building, that does not give them the right to level the entire neighborhood to try to target that one fighter. Again, the principle of proportionality, where you have to balance the military objective against the effect on civilians, comes into play. So, I mean, the Israelis essentially have used the argument that Hezbollah is shielding amongst a civilian population to -- in the south, to level entire villages, you know, destroying about 80%, in some cases, of the houses in the village. That's not a legitimate interpretation of the laws of war.

AMY GOODMAN: Marty Rosenbluth, I want to thank you for being with us, of Amnesty International-USA, specialist for Israel, the Occupied Territories and the Palestinian Authority. Thanks for joining us.


www.democracynow.org
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 385 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing?
Posted: 8/24/2006 1:24:07 PM
I am really getting tired of repeating myself, but ALL guerilla resistances from the Jewish Zealots against Rome to the anti-Nazi partisans to Hezbollah move and mingle with the population...because they are their people and families. This is a red herring. One could make the same charge about the settlements. After all, most kibbutzes are heavily armed militias and most settlers keep an a***nal of weapons. Israeli reservists are throughly mingled with the population for the same reason the Lebanese resistance is....those are their homes and families.

Israeli shelling was not blind lobbing of shells. They had constant aerial surveillance, manned and drones, to direct their fire. Children were coming and going from the demolished building in Qana day and night, and could hear the drones overhead. The IDF knew they were there and attacked them. Simple as that. War criminals.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 382 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing?
Posted: 8/24/2006 8:52:40 AM
To say that the IDF is not a terrorist organization is laughable. Israel is a state occupying a state, and is an apartheid state at that. Apartheid occupying powers are not a legitimate state. Furthermore, they are a proxy state of the US government, furthering US corporate interests in the region. Hezbollah did not target any civilians until Israel began to attack Lebanese civilians, whom Hezbollah has sworn to protect.
Although the civilian casualties and damage in Israel were miniscule compared to the rabid destruction deliberately carried out by the terrorist IDF, nobody is excusing hezbollah for their indiscriminate rocket attacks. But Amnesty International, the UN, Human Rights Watch, and Israeli human rights NGO's all condemn the vicious and deliberate targeting of Lebanese civilians. Amnesty International says that those who directed these attacks should be tried for war crimes.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 378 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing?
Posted: 8/24/2006 7:15:24 AM
Israel may have "pulled out" but they kept up daily shelling, political assasinations and abductions, and tight military control. Hamas has repudiated terrorism, and when was the last time you heard of a suicide bombing by any Palestinian? The trouble is Israel has not repudiated terrorism,and relies upon it to repress Palestine. Have you missed the fact that they are imprisoning the democratically elected leadership of Palestine? They simply label them "terrorist" and think that this justifies anything they do. Now they are in there again demolishing homes and orchards, ruining lives. They have destroyed the only power plant. As for all the money you speak of, Israel controls it and is withholding it illegally. Israel has proven that it wants no compromise because they have continually attacked Gaza since "withdrawal, even when Hamas did absolutely nothing to retaliate for months. The military attack upon the IDF base and abduction of an Israeli soldier shortly followed the brazen massacre of a Palestinian family picnicking on the beach. Their home-made Kassam rockets are little more than a nuisance to a few settlements right over the prison Wall. Israel is occupying Palestinian land and herded the rightful owners into a warsaw ghetto known as Gaza and tiny disconnected enclaves on the W. Bank. They have made no fair offers and in fact have no right to dictate to the rightful owners, who, BTW, are willing to accept a two-state solution. Israel is not willing to accept a two-state solution. They want it all.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 130 (view)
 
why do I (+ most women) love assholes??
Posted: 8/24/2006 6:36:35 AM
Wakedan, An excellent story. You left out how
I used to be the nice guy. Latched onto this really hot woman.


Seems like a contradiction.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 127 (view)
 
why do I (+ most women) love assholes??
Posted: 8/23/2006 10:52:08 PM

Do you trust your body and 'intuition' or do you trust some artifice created by your society?


What are internet dating sites but an "artifice"? Trust my "body" to tell me how to maneuver through all the vague and conflicting signals in determining interest? I don't know about you, but I cannot smell pheromones, or differentiate between a friendly smile or a sexually interested one. Please explain what you mean, because obviously a lot of us are missing such intuition.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 112 (view)
 
why do I (+ most women) love assholes??
Posted: 8/22/2006 4:20:17 PM

Oh geez..the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades[/pedro]

Care to share the source of your great optimism?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 299 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing? *
Posted: 8/20/2006 9:43:20 PM

Israel has NOT broken the terms of the cease fire and if you had a clue what you were talking about you would be embarrased to post your drivel here. I suggest you read the actual terms of the cease fire agreement before you go blidly accusing Israel of breaking them.


Annan: IDF raid in eastern Lebanon is violation of cease-fire

By Amos Harel and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated Press and Reuters

In the wake of an Israel Defense Forces commando raid near Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Israel had violated the UN-backed truce and made him "deeply concerned."

"The secretary-general is deeply concerned about a violation by the Israeli side of the cessation of hostilities as laid out in Security Council resolution 1701," a spokesman for Annan said in a statement posted on the UN Web site.

The statement said that according to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, "there have also been several air violations by Israeli military aircraft."
"All such violations of Security Council resolution 1701 endanger the fragile calm that was reached after much negotiation and undermine the authority of the government of Lebanon," the statement said.

"The secretary-general further calls on all parties to respect strictly the arms embargo, exercise maximum restraint, avoid provocative actions and display responsibility in implementing resolution 1701."

Peretz: Raid unlikely to end cease-fire
The Defense Ministry on Saturday said the operation will probably not bring the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah to and end.

The ministry's statement said the raid "does not breach the cease-fire and was an essential operation that aimed to prevent Hezbollah's rearming."

"The defense minister congratulates the fighters who attained the goals in a brave operation that was performed perfectly," the statement said.

The office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Saturday said Annan called the prime minister to relay a complaint from the Lebanese government about the raid.

According to Olmert's office, the prime minister replied "the raid aimed to prevent Hezbollah from rearming and from receiving new supplies."

Olmert also emphasized in the conversation the importance of monitoring the Syrian-Lebanese border in order to prevent arms smugglings.

MK Gideon Ezra said Sunday morning that until the UNIFIL peacekeeping force and the Lebanese army deploy in south Lebanon, Israel must continue taking action in order to protect itself.

"The Lebanese army, Hezbollah and the French have all violated the UN Security Council resolution, therefore it is imperative that the IDF continue its Lebanon operation, in order to prevent the transfer of weapons from Syria," he said in an interview on Israel Radio.

Meretz party leader Yossi Beilin said on Sunday that the decision to carry out the raid in Baalbek put the cease fire at risk, and that the government's judgment in this case was completely distorted.

"We can't accept the terms of the cease fire, and simultaneously violate it, and remain in southern Lebanon. If government officials believe that it is not in Israel's best interest to adhere to the UN Security Council-brokered cease fire - they should announce that the war is in fact not over, and instruct Israel's residents to return to the shelters," Beilin said.

Sources in Jerusalem said that Israel views the raid as "a defensive measure and therefore does not constitute a breach of the cease-fire." According to the sources, Hezbollah fired at the raiding force as it returned from its mission, which was completed successfully.

The IDF said Saturday that the raid could "provide Hezbollah with an incentive to attack the Israeli forces that remain in south Lebanon."

"The operation will not bring the cease-fire to and end and will not cause for the renewal of Katyusha fire on communities in the north," the army said.

Earlier on Saturday Lebanon's defense minister threatened to halt the Lebanese army's deployment in south Lebanon if the United Nations does not intervene after.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the raid was a "naked violation" of the UN truce.

A few hours later, senior UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said that if media reports about an Israeli raid in Lebanon were true, it would constitute a clear violation of the UN-brokered truce that halted the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We had no independent means to verify ... what has happened. But if what has been reported is correct, it is of course a clear violation of the ceasefire," Roed-Larsen told Lebanon's LBC television.

But the U.S. declined Saturday to criticize the Israeli operation, stressing that the UN resolution imposes an arms ban on Hezbollah.

"The incident underscores the importance of quickly deploying the enhanced UNIFIL," White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said, referring to the UN monitoring force.

Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr said that the raid in the eastern Bekaa Valley early Saturday was a violation of a UN-imposed cease-fire that ended fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

"If there are no clear answers forthcoming on this issue, I might be forced to recommend to the Cabinet early next week the halt of the army deployment in the south," he told reporters after a meeting with UN representatives.

Murr said the Israeli operation deep inside Lebanon could spark retaliation, which in turn could lead to Israeli reprisals. He suggested Israel might be trying to provoke a response, so it could have an excuse to attack the Lebanese army.

"We will not send the army to be prey in an Israeli trap," he said.

Speaking before reporters, the Lebanese prime minister said the raid "is a naked violation of the cessation of hostilities declared by the Security Council." He said he protested the incident to visiting UN envoys who would take the matter up with Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Beri, Hezbollah's main ally in government, said he also raised the incident with the envoys.

"If Lebanon had launched a similar act, wouldn't the Security Council have met to impose tough sanctions against it?" he asked, adding that he saw the raid as an attempt by Israel to provoke Hezbollah into retaliation and foil the deployment of the Lebanese army in south Lebanon.

"I'm sure that the resistance (Hezbollah) has enough awareness and realization of the conspiracy to refrain ... from retaliating ...," he said.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 297 (view)
 
Israel's raid in the Bekaa Valley
Posted: 8/20/2006 9:32:36 PM
Israel's raid in the Bekaa Valley
Saturday's raid by Israeli commandos in eastern Lebanon was carried out by officers from Israel's General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal), known as "The Unit".

It is generally considered the Israeli Defense Forces' most elite special forces unit. Its primary function is to penetrate deep into enemy territory to gather field intelligence.
Such raids are top-secret and little has been reported in the Israeli press. However a number of details have emerged, mostly from Lebanon.

According to reports, two helicopters landed under cover of darkness, just before dawn, in a cornfield near the village of Bodai.

The hilltop village lies some 27km (17 miles) from the Syrian border and 20km (12 miles) west of the town Baalbek, which witnessed some fierce fighting during the recent conflict.

Both are situated in the Bekaa Valley, which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.

According to reports, the Israeli Air Force flew F-16 fighters over the area, in mock air raids, to drown out the noise of the helicopters.

Questioning

Two military vehicles, believed to have been Humvees, were unloaded. Local people said they saw the Israelis came down from the hills in two jeeps.


It is not known how many Israeli took part in the operation on the ground but the AFP news agency quoted one local man as saying it was fewer than 30.
AFP said the men were dressed in Lebanese army uniforms. The unit was said to have been intercepted by Hezbollah guerrillas who questioned the men briefly. But when they responded in Arabic, the guerrillas were said to have become suspicious of their identity because of the men's accents.

It said the guerrillas sounded the alarm and a clash erupted.

One Israeli officer was killed and two other officers were wounded in what unnamed Israeli military sources quoted by Haaretz newspaper said was a fierce battle:

"We had great luck that the operation didn't result in 10 fatalities from the force."

The BBC's John Leyne, who visited the scene of the attack, said the Israelis seemed to have run into much fiercer resistance than they anticipated before they were extracted by helicopter.

'Target'

He said he saw blood and bandages on the ground, near where the helicopters landed. He said this indicated that medical treatment would have to have been hurried.

According to eyewitnesses, fighter jets provided cover for the helicopters. It is thought the operation was over by 6am.

It was reported that Hezbollah sustained several casualties in the incident, although the organisation has denied this. The Israelis said the aim of the operation was to prevent arms being smuggled from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah.

However, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said the intended target of the unit was senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek, who is originally from the mountain village of Bodai.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/5268870.stm
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 18 (view)
 
Possible Wackos
Posted: 8/20/2006 9:07:20 PM

Yeah, and sometimes you don't have to follow them around for a while. All too often, their wacko-ness shines through on the first post. Beware of the posters who write 40 lines of crap with no punctuation in sight!! Dead give-away!


YEAH, AND THAT GOES FOR THE ONES WHO WRITE IN CAPS. tHEY PROBABLY ARE NEAR-HYSTERICAL OR HAVE SEVERE ANGER ISSUES!
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 1322 (view)
 
GUYS!!! If you met the right woman, could you wait for the sex till marriage?
Posted: 8/20/2006 9:02:07 PM
I don't think that's too wise. if there is sexual incompatibility, it's better to know ahead of time.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 16 (view)
 
why do people get back together when they are complete jerks to each other ?
Posted: 8/20/2006 8:59:24 PM
I've been watching the daily soap opera across the parking lot. The cops are out there all the time. Restraining orders violated. On and on it goes. The guy just stays clear a few days and then there's his moto parked at her door again. I expect the cops will be back by tomorrow.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 295 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing? *
Posted: 8/20/2006 8:46:03 PM
Israel has pinpoint accurate bombs and missiles based on satellite GIS systems. This does not need verification. Any spot they hit they were aiming at. Even if Katyushas were being fired from a street, the IDF can blast the launchers without destroying nearby buildings. This happened when Hezbollah fired from a Christian village late at night. The jets hit the launcher and destroyed it, but the surrounding buildings suffered only shrapnel scarring. None collapsed. To destroy a building, they had to have been aiming at it. The IDF's vaunted "smart bombs" incriminate it, whereas the Katyusha launches, while unethical when aimed at cities, were exactly the kind of retaliation directed at Germany's cities during WWII.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 102 (view)
 
why do I (+ most women) love assholes??
Posted: 8/20/2006 8:33:16 PM

You'd think so wouldn't you? I thought so too, except that's another lie altogether. There's a base assumption in that statement that goes like this, "seduction/sex/lust/love is a learnt skill" (practice makes perfect, etc) with another deeper implication that people shouldn't trust their bodies.

The counter to that is simply trust. Just because one isn't interested in sex, doesn't mean your body loses it's 'edge' or something equally silly. Sort of like whining about 'blue balls'


The sexual urge is certainly real and natural, but "seduction" is quite another matter. This is part of the socialization that supposedly all go through during their teenage and young adult years. But let's say you were a member of a fanatical religious cult that forbid dating? What if you simply accepted whoever your parents or a matchmaker picked for you? You quit the cult and find that at an age where seduction would be second nature, there is only a blank spot on your brain?

Yes, it seems to be a widely-held belief among men: "If you don't use it , it will rot off." Seems more likely to happen if you use it indiscriminately.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 293 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing? *
Posted: 8/20/2006 8:19:22 PM

Israel has NOT broken the terms of the cease fire and if you had a clue what you were talking about you would be embarrased to post your drivel here. I suggest you read the actual terms of the cease fire agreement before you go blidly accusing Israel of breaking them.


No doubt Koffi Annan has read the terms. he's the one who accused the Israelis of breaking them with an armed incursion into Lebanon.


The terms clearly state that if Hezbollah attempts to rearm itself, which it was clearly doing in retrieving more weapons from Syria, and to which by the way they do NOT deny they were doing, then Israel retains the right to defend itself, which it was doing.[\quote]

Israel is rearming itself.It has the right to defend itself. The Lebanese resistance also has the right to defend itself, and the terms do not deny this. If attacked, they must have defensive weapons. The only offensive weapons Israel need get troubled over are rockets. There is no evidence Katyushas were being delivered.


Hezbollah hides themselves amongst the civilian population not caring what the consequences may be to those civilians. Hezbollah is responsible for the destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure and deaths of civilians right now not Israel.


Same old blather. it is hard to believe that adults can accept this codswallop. Every guerilla movement in history, including the Israelis and American colonials, "hide themselves amonst the the civilian population." Very few conquerers except Israel and Bushco have used this as an excuse to destroy the civilian infrastructure, kill hundreds of civilians, and unleash an ecological disaster on the Mediterranean Sea.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 292 (view)
 
Let the past speak for itself
Posted: 8/20/2006 8:07:17 PM
"Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so, whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose -- and you allow him to make war at pleasure. If today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada, to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, 'I see no probability of the British invading us' but he will say to you, 'Be silent; I see it, if you don't.'" : Abraham Lincoln.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 275 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing? *
Posted: 8/20/2006 4:49:43 PM
So far Israel has broken the cease fire by a raid near BaalBek. Does anyone doubt they will do so again?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 272 (view)
 
Who thinks that what hezbollah is doing really is the right thing? *
Posted: 8/20/2006 4:41:23 PM

the question should be why is it that a bigger nation comes to your door step? why do you provoke someone bigger if you know how he will respond??


This is the classic response of an abuser when challenged to explain his brutality: blame the victim. "You made me mad, so it's your fault."
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 17 (view)
 
Do guys want nice women or the ones who will jump in the sack with you when you first meet them?
Posted: 8/20/2006 4:24:08 PM
Since the ones who will jump in the sack with me are mostly not the ones I find attractive, that leaves the nice women.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 154 (view)
 
Why is soo hard for guys to approach women??
Posted: 8/20/2006 6:55:57 AM
Approaching women and getting nothing but rejection undermines confidence. You need a few "wins" to keep trying.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 100 (view)
 
No thanks to the nasty people.
Posted: 8/20/2006 6:51:05 AM

Maybe you need one to feel better about yourself.


Maybe. But jerks prefer the company of other jerks.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 99 (view)
 
why do I (+ most women) love assholes??
Posted: 8/20/2006 6:48:44 AM

(2) "One reason is sexuality - the "a$$holes" are not afraid to show that they are sexual beings" The implication here lies in portraying confidence, when the real truth simply lies in the fact "bad boys" think every girl wants them 24/7. it's not hard to miss cues from women when you think EVERYTHING is a cue.

(3) "'Nice guys' think women will be terrified of their sexuality, so they turn it off and all they get is women responding to their androgyny - sending all nice guys to Let’s Just Be Friends-land" The implication here lies squarely in the stereotype of 'Just Friends'...Not to belittle the "when harry met sally" wonderland this concept regurgitates, but i've never seen anyone in this scenario treat each other as friends. In fact, it's kind of hard to swallow the "friends zone" when it's anything but 'DOORMAT' (look, it's a stereotype, plus a really really old lie to boot. And everyone knows it's a lie, subconsciously)


One of the best explanations yet. What happens when a formerly non-aggressive decides to "turn it on"? He is so unpracticed that he is soon marked as a nuisance at best or gets accused of harrassment at worst.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 94 (view)
 
Where can I get "jerk" lessons?
Posted: 8/19/2006 10:51:29 PM
Sounds like they have all the girls and all the fun. Or is there a jerk gene? Maybe I should find an all-around town jerk to be my mentor.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 13 (view)
 
Is there any true fellow naturists at P.O.F.
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:11:50 PM
The above is a mixed post. Can't edit.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 12 (view)
 
Is there any true fellow naturists at P.O.F.
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:10:39 PM

Depresed folks should date affirming,understanding,compassionate folks who won't take advantage of them.
Same for most folks.


Agreed. feeling the sun and wind without the impediment of clothes is very sensual, plus healthy, as long as you take sunburn precautions. Dermatologists are saying the pendulum has swung too far away from sun exposure, and we're not getting enough of the vitamin D that only sun contact can give. Are these camps expensive?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 78 (view)
 
DO you think there is someone
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:05:20 PM
Isn't there a website for meeting bag ladies?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 142 (view)
 
Should depressed People date?
Posted: 8/19/2006 12:03:32 PM

Depresed folks should date affirming,understanding,compassionate folks who won't take advantage of them.
Same for most folks.


Indeed there are those who will dismiss you as a wet blanket or self-pitying or weak because of your illness. They will tell you to "snap out of it," or some kneejerk cure-all as "go out and help the elderly." That may be a very good idea, but does not cure anything.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 141 (view)
 
Should depressed People date?
Posted: 8/19/2006 11:59:26 AM
As someone else put it: HOW should they date? would be a better question. Even with meds, dating takes a great deal of dynamic energy to remain upbeat and witty. I guess go slow and don't make contact too soon.
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 74 (view)
 
DO you think there is someone
Posted: 8/19/2006 11:15:46 AM
Sure. Butthey might live two doors down and how would you know?
 Tierran52
Joined: 7/1/2006
Msg: 186 (view)
 
Israel breaks truce...nobody objects
Posted: 8/18/2006 11:47:06 PM
Israel strikes Hizbollah stronghold: sources By Nadim Ladki
1 hour, 12 minutes ago



Lebanese security and Hizbollah sources said Israeli aircraft and commandos raided a Hizbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon early on Saturday just hours after the U.N. appealed to European countries for peacekeepers.

The Lebanese security source said warplanes and helicopters attacked unidentified targets during an air drop of commandos at dawn around the village of Bodai, west of the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley.

An Israeli army spokesman said the army was checking the report. Repeated calls have not elicited a further response.

Such an assault would be the first major attack since a U.N. truce ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and the Shi'ite Muslim group Hizbollah.

Hizbollah television reported its guerillas clashed with Israeli commandos near Bodai and forced them to fly out under the cover of air strikes. It said the guerillas had inflicted "certain casualties" among the Israeli forces.

The security source said the aircraft bombed roads leading to the village and a hillside to the west.

A U.N.-ordered "cessation of hostilities" halted on Monday the war between Israeli forces and Hizbollah guerillas that had claimed at least 1,183 Lebanese and 157 Israelis.

It ordered Israel to end all offensive action in Lebanon and Hizbollah to end all attacks on Israel or Israeli forces, the deployment of the Lebanese army and a beefed up U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon.

Israeli officials have vowed to stop any attempts by Hizbollah to rearm via Syria and to target leaders of the group.

The United Nations appealed on Friday for Europeans to contribute to the U.N. force to create a balance between Western and Muslim troops acceptable to Israel and Lebanon.

The United States urged France, which has offered only 200 new troops, to increase its contingent.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown welcomed promises from Italy and Finland to deploy troops and firm commitments from Nepal and Muslim nations Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Israeli officials have said that countries that do not have relations with the Jewish state should not be in the force. Indonesia and Malaysia are among them.

"You want a force which is broadly acceptable in its composition to both sides, which is why we have talked about this European-Muslim core to the force," Malloch Brown told reporters. "I think the issue is balance.

"The particular appeal I want to make today is that Europe comes forward with troops for this first wave," he said.

ADVANCE FORCE

The United Nations wants to field an advance force of 3,500 troops by September 2 and hopes to have the entire complement in place by November 4.

The U.N. Security Council on August 11 authorized up to 13,000 troops in addition to the current 2,000-strong U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

But France's reluctance to contribute more troops has disappointed U.N. and U.S. officials, who expected Paris to take a lead role. The French military has hesitated following a loss of 58 paratroopers to a suicide bomb attack in Beirut in 1983 and some 84 soldiers in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Malloch Brown said France's representative had affirmed that new rules of engagement "were very acceptable and correct and a reflection of the resolution that France had obviously been an author of."

In the drive for the hearts and minds of the Lebanese, Hizbollah began handing out bundles of cash on Friday to people whose homes were wrecked by Israeli bombing, consolidating the Iranian-backed group's support among Shi'ites and embarrassing the Beirut government.

Israeli and U.S. officials have voiced concern that Hizbollah will entrench its popularity by moving fast -- with Iranian money -- to help victims of the conflict.

Hizbollah fighters have melted away as the Lebanese army began deploying in south Lebanon this week, but they have not left the area or given up the rocket launchers they used to bombard Israel during the conflict.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel seized Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Naser al-Shaer, a top official of the Hamas militant group, at his home on Saturday, his wife and two lawmakers said.

Israel has more than two dozen Hamas lawmakers and several other cabinet ministers in custody since late June, after it launched an offensive in response to the kidnapping of a soldier in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.
 
Show ALL Forums