America - The Official Thread

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I wouldn't be so hopeful - the final say on Iran's foreign policy lies with the biggest hardliner of them all, Ayatollah Khamenei.

At this point he would have said something to the new President if there was an issue. More so the call wouldn't be made either and we've seen the Ayatollah intervene or talk over the last President when he got too out of hand or did something he didn't like. So thus far it is probably safe to assume that the Ayatollah wants things to go this way for some reason all and of their own.

 

[Dotini]

It is appropriate to note that the first crop of hemp planted in the US since 1957 was harvested last week in Colorado. 👍

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/americas-first-legal-hemp_n_4031136.html

Industrial hemp has a variety of excellent uses. Food, fuel, medicine, clothing, paper and building materials come to mind. Importantly, hemp requires little or nothing in the way of pesticide, fertilizer and irrigation. It is essentially a weed.

I personally feel that widespread planting of industrial hemp crops could be a crucial step in rebuilding America from the ground up. My heroes are the gentlemen hemp farmers Washington and Jefferson. America can always use more heroes like these!

 

[FoolKiller]

I love this man's dedication to protesting an unjust ticket.

 

[GTsail]

I just read this NBC news story:

Pentagon unit holds "phony" ceremonies for MIAs

A unit of the US Department of Defense (JPAC) in Hawaii has been holding so-called "arrival ceremonies" for the past seven years, with an honor guard carrying flag-draped transport cases off a cargo plane as though they held the remains of missing American servicemen and women returning that day from overseas.

After NBC News raised questions about the arrival ceremonies, the Pentagon acknowledged that no honored dead were in fact arriving that day, and that the planes being used in the ceremonies often couldn't even fly but were towed into position. And that the transfer cases had not just come off a plane but began the day in a nearby lab where they had been waiting for analysis.

The story makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

The Defense Department has no business holding phony ceremonies like this for our MIA/POW servicemen and women.

The head of JPAC should be retired today!👎

GTsail

 

[Adamgp]

My heroes are the gentlemen hemp farmers Washington and Jefferson. America can always use more heroes like these!

Washington and Jefferson both operated their own stills as well, making illegal booze.

 

[Keef]

I can't decide what's more American: apple pie, cheesebugers, or dying of a heart attack.

 

[Liquid]

Apple pies are English, burgers are German.

Basketball is one of the few things I can think of which is quintessentially American. Invented there, with no external influences.

 

[nobuffalo]

The Blues.

 

[FoolKiller]

Apple pies are English, burgers are German.

Basketball is one of the few things I can think of which is quintessentially American. Invented there, with no external influences.

Invented by a Canadian immigrant.

 

[Keef]

Apple pies are English, burgers are German. Basketball is one of the few things I can think of which is quintessentially American. Invented there, with no external influences.

Invented by a Canadian immigrant.

I'm not sure about apple pie besides they're European but I do know that hamburgers are 100% American, invented here in 1900 by ever-productive German immigrants. Basketball and baseball are both American.

Almost everybody in America came here from somewhere else at some point but that's no reason to discredit some invention as being American. The Canadian who invented basketball for instance - he didn't invent it in Canada. Why didn't he stay in Canada? Apparently he wanted to be American.

 

[Adamgp]

Apple pies are English, burgers are German.

Basketball is one of the few things I can think of which is quintessentially American. Invented there, with no external influences.

English pies were mainly filled with meat. It was Americans who filled them with apples and other fruit. So yes, APPLE pie is American. Pies themselves were supposedly invented by the ancient Greeks.

Nobody knows the exact origins of the hamburger. The most popular claim seems to be the hamburger, a ground meat patty between two slices of bread, was first created in America in 1900 by Louis Lassen, a Danish immigrant, owner of Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut.

Basketball was invented by a Canadian American at what is now Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts.

 

[Liquid]

Apple pie dates back to 13th century England. Baseball is pretty English too, but a lot later in the 17th century.

However, is lacrosse another sport invented totally over there? I've not known it to be pre-dated anywhere else.

 

[Dotini]

It's thought the game of backgammon dates back to bronze age Mesopotamia. But it's also said the doubling cube is the invention of a Mississippi riverboat gambler.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Apple pie dates back to 13th century England. Baseball is pretty English too, but a lot later in the 17th century.

However, is lacrosse another sport invented totally over there? I've not known it to be pre-dated anywhere else.

Lacrosse is a native North American sport, yes. But was vastly different in its original form.

Re: Apple pie
Not American invented.

 

[Keef]

Apple pie dates back to 13th century England. Baseball is pretty English too, but a lot later in the 17th century.

However, is lacrosse another sport invented totally over there? I've not known it to be pre-dated anywhere else.

Bro. We're the ones who made baseball civilized and gave it rules and stuff. Before that it was a neanderthal-like relic of the middle ages; your thing could hardly be called baseball compared to what we have today.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Pretty hard stuff coming down the pipe in Philly. Coming soon to a town near you.

 

[Johnnypenso]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/politics/obamacare-sebelius-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Apparently Obama was blindsided by the glitch filled rollout of Obamacare software. He had absolutely no clue the program was plagued with problems right up to launch. None. Not a clue. His program, his legacy, the "greatest achievement" of his Presidency and no one bothers to tell him the software is crap before it launches. Seriously? Does this guy have any idea about anything that happens in his administration? This is his answer to every crisis it seems. He's the least informed President in history.

 

[FoolKiller]

Dear America,

We are turning a corner. It seems like a joke to talk about people becoming more and more coddled. We all have a disease and expect special treatment, narcissism is an epidemic, young kids are suspended for talking about toy guns at home or making finger guns, and we have to have dogs on planes for anxiety. Well, when it seemed that it's hit its full ridiculousness it gets worse.

A high school football game in Texas had a 91-0 blowout. The winning team didn't play a starter after the first quarter, and only had third and second string players during the second half. A father from the losing team filed a bullying complaint against the winning coach.
http://www.chicagonow.com/sick-tire...g-claim-embarrasses-kids-more-than-91-0-loss/

Let's lay out the facts:

Texas high school football. It doesn't get more serious than that.
A father of a player. A Texan.
Bullying complaint filed.

One of those three doesn't belong. Can you imagine being the kid of this guy? I'd be insulted! This wasn't a fight, abuse, or even online stalking. It was a football game. A game where pads are necessary to avoid injury, and injuries still happen. You let your son play a game where he will be hit, knocked on his butt, and likely concussed or worse but you won't let him learn to deal with a loss? Hand in your man card, dad card, and never step foot on a sports field again. You sir, clearly do not have an understanding of what sports and competition is about.

The article I posted is an opinion piece bashing the father, because it needs to be seen what kind of nationwide shame he has brought his son. No wonder he had his name redacted. I only hope his son doesn't know it was him. My dad beat me and my brother (aggressively punished is the better term, no bleeding or bruises), but I would take my dad over this guy any day.


And before someone reacts to the complaint being taken serious, the files were dropped by investigators. http://tracking.si.com/2013/10/23/tim-buchanan-cleared-bullying/
It says something about our reaction to bullying when rules require that even the most stupidly frivolous case must be investigated, but at least the investigative body has some common sense.


And if you agree with this parent:

There is only one exception.

That's right. You're the Tim Tebow of parenting.

 

[Zenith]

Victimhood is the new black.

 

[Northstar]

The dad was right to complain, only it should have been to the coach for letting his team get beat that badly.

Another thing I don't get is why running up a score is such an evil thing these days, what's a team supposed to do? Take 3 knees than punt? That seems more insulting than just playing normal.

 

[TheDabbinDave]

People voted for this nonsense, twice. We did everything we could to warn them. They didn't listen. Unfortunately, we all have to lay in the bed that they made.

The school that lost so badly should reconsider whether or not to have a football program.

 

[FoolKiller]

Another thing I don't get is why running up a score is such an evil thing these days, what's a team supposed to do? Take 3 knees than punt? That seems more insulting than just playing normal.

It depends on how it happens. If you keep your starters in, then you are throwing it in the opponents face and failing to give your freshmen and backups valuable game experience. But if you are doing like this coach, and even allowing rule changes involving the clock to try to stop it, there is nothing wrong with you.

But people want to complain because sports are treated like business. The team who becomes champion shouldn't be allowed to beat the worst team in the league. It's the same mentality that leads people to hate Walmart for being better at business than a local shop.



Personally, I think we should be upset at mom and pop shops stealing jobs from hard-working Chinese children. They're children!

 

[Pupik]

Another thing I don't get is why running up a score is such an evil thing these days, what's a team supposed to do? Take 3 knees than punt? That seems more insulting than just playing normal.

I wouldn't consider it bullying, but it's generally considered bad form in non-professional sports to Run Up The Score, if you know your opponent is much weaker than you. Still, there's always some reasons why it's "acceptable"...rival, revenge for last visit, actually winning against a normally-great team, etc.

On the other hand, you have to feel what it's like to lose if you're going to deal with life's realities, especially how to lose well, even if unfairly so, or against difficult odds. Thus, on the professional side of sports, you get paid to lose just as much as you do to win; just like everyone else earning a paycheck.

Kind of off-topic, but the entire concept of complaints about running up the score seems to be a very American-sports thing, from what I've gathered. Is it good sportsmanship, fair play, the golden rule, or the product of entitlement?

 

[Badasp5.0]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/politics/obamacare-sebelius-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Apparently Obama was blindsided by the glitch filled rollout of Obamacare software. He had absolutely no clue the program was plagued with problems right up to launch. None. Not a clue. His program, his legacy, the "greatest achievement" of his Presidency and no one bothers to tell him the software is crap before it launches. Seriously? Does this guy have any idea about anything that happens in his administration? This is his answer to every crisis it seems. He's the least informed President in history.

Surround yourself with YES men and this happens.

 

[Omnis]

Hey, leave Brad alone.

 

[Joel]

Kind of off-topic, but the entire concept of complaints about running up the score seems to be a very American-sports thing, from what I've gathered. Is it good sportsmanship, fair play, the golden rule, or the product of entitlement?

It's a lot worse in hockey. As Canadians we like to try and distance ourselves from Americans any way we can, and one of those ways is by demanding hockey players all be soft spoken and humble relative to football and basketball players. Every year some rookie has a great game and celebrates in a way that's deemed by grumpy old guys to be showboating and then everyone argues about how "classy" the players should have to be.

For example:



This was deemed to be too hot doggish, especially for a 19 year old rookie. The coach didn't play him for the rest of the game for fear that someone would fight him.

 

[Strittan]

Excuse me, but could someone please explain why so many seem to think Obamacare is a bad thing?

 

[Badasp5.0]

Excuse me, but could someone please explain why so many seem to think Obamacare is a bad thing?

Its not providing people with health insurance as much as forcing people to buy health insurance which may be more expensive than before and with features they may never need(IE pregnancy benefits for single men) . There is also a hefty fine for people who don't buy health insurance.

 

[Grand Prix]

The football incident reminds me of a funny story.

During the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 1925 the local favorite Delage team had retired all of their cars and the race became an Alfa-Romeo parade led by Ascari and Campari. The fans began to make their displeasure known and Jano in response ordered his cars to pit. While they were being refueled the cars were cleaned and buffed. During this pitstop he had a table placed in full view whereupon he imperiously ate lunch, deaf to the howls of the spectators. The cars rejoined the race and won with ease.

If that happened today I would laugh my butt off,

 

[Pupik]

There is also a hefty fine for people who don't buy health insurance.

I don't claim to know much about the pitfalls and benefits of the Affordable Care Act...nobody does. I'm not for it, because I have had health insurance for years; if I were someone without it, I'd probably support it. It's a matter of perspective, in that case. But I'm not going to talk about since it would be awfully ignorant to speak of something without having all the answers.

I will say that if the penalty is something like $20-50/year, I will consider it both a bad Democratic blind date, and the cheapest, most annoying Republican ex-girlfriend ever. After that, well...it probably won't be as much of a joke.