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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor
You respond with the usual platitutes, Melvin. Half-truths at best.
- Canada has never caused the world with the thread, resentment, or envy that the US has, accordingly it has less need of defence, and hasn't been threatened by foreign interventions.
- As a proportion of income the US does not spend more per captia on public education than any other country. If that were the case, it would still be true that the effectiveness of public eduction less in various areas than other countries as ranked by international agencies.
- If the US has largest middle class in the world, it nevertheless still ranks well down the list of most desireable countries in which to live, whether ranked by public services, economic security, or personal happiness.
- While in some instance European countries have cut back on social programs, they are still far, far ahead of the US.
- While Americans (or some) might have more money to spend on audio, autos, and clothes, they often go without health insurance.
- The Canadian ecomony has out-performed the US for the last several years, and the Canadian dollar has risen from US$0.66 to parity with the US dollar.
My last point on this issue , it is after all about hobbies.
In the 18th and 19th century it was the British navy that protected the United States and Canada from foreign powers. The 20th century we have seen the United States take over that role. Canada has thrived under The United States protective umbrella.
No foreign power would dare threaten Canada because of the United States presence.
European countries also are allowed to spend less on defense because of United States
military protection. Remember the "Marshall plan "
I wonder if Canada could have defended itself against German and Japanese aggression without the United States in World War Two ? , or the Soviet Union doing the "Cold War "
Now the free world is faced with a new menace from the middle east and who is it that is spending it's treasury and blood to safe guard western Europe and Canada ? The United States of America !
To keep the rest of the world safe for trade and commerce there has to be a super power, That job is never appreciated. How much do you think a barrel of oil would cost without the United States involvement ?
The United States GNP is 14 trillion dollars what is Canada's
Finally the United States educational system does trail other industrial countries. I must add that the United States is a multi-racial , ethnic , and religious nation.
What is the percentage of minorities in Canada , Germany , France , Japan etc.
When a nation is trying to educate peoples of different religions , race , and ethnic background as the United States is trying to do and offer them freedom at the same time it is almost a impossible task. This nation is trying.
Having visited and worked in Canada , it's a wonderful country with friendly people.
Every night a Canadian goes to bed , he or she should say " Thank god for the "good old U.S.A. "
A very interesting discussion , I have enjoyed your perspectives.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topspeed
Meanwhile, back on ranch On Topic...
Quell riots
Overthrow dictatorships
Apply justice where there is none
Comfort the huddled masses
Verify virgins
I want his job!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou Gigliotti
Last, but certainly not least, I'm a gearhead of the first order. If audio is a hobby, cars are a passion. Contrary to popular belief, it's not about absolute speed. It's about snapping off that perfect double heel/toe downshift to set the car up to threshold brake. It's about the feel of the car as it rotates perfectly while you finish trail braking and slowly feed in throttle and the track unwinds before you. It's also about the curve of the front fender under your palm while you apply that third coat of gloss, all the while admiring the art and genius in a design that must balance beauty with engineering realities. Hand washing/waxing a car is like opening a dialogue with the designer and discovering the hopes and dreams behind it. Imagine discussing the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo as each brush stroke created new depths of beauty.
Oh cripes! A roadracer. Just when I was starting to like you. :rolleyes: And brother you sure know how to lay it on thick don't ya?
No, it's all about speed. The adrenalin rush from 0 to +100 mph in a stock street car in the 1/4 is orgasmic. I loved the time I spent at Texas Motorplex on Friday nights and during club events kickin' mustang tail. And we in my Camaro Firebird Car club ate rice with so much ease. The burnouts when a lot of fun too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by beat by COD4
Oh, yeah. I listen to my stereo every once in awhile too.
Gave up on the video games I see. :biggrin5:
BTW Speedy. Did you know I live 3 minutes from LG Motorsports? :ihih:
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Reassurance
Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin walker
...
Having visited and worked in Canada , it's a wonderful country with friendly people.
Every night a Canadian goes to bed , he or she should say " Thank god for the "good old U.S.A. "
A very interesting discussion , I have enjoyed your perspectives.
In fact most Canadians would not want to be beside any nation in preference to the U.S.A. Canadians and the people of most other nations look to the U.S. for leadership and good example. In fact only a few crazies such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban members harbor any profound well-will towards America.
In fact it is the good will we feel towards the U.S.A. that is the source of our concern that Americans liberalized their own society in their own interest and as an even more excellent example to the world.
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Melvin you are just laughable.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin walker
My last point on this issue , it is after all about hobbies.
In the 18th and 19th century it was the British navy that protected the United States and Canada from foreign powers. The 20th century we have seen the United States take over that role. Canada has thrived under The United States protective umbrella.
No foreign power would dare threaten Canada because of the United States presence..
Better question - Who would want to threaten Canada? The US needs to have a strong military because it has made many enemies....
Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin walker
European countries also are allowed to spend less on defense because of United States
military protection. Remember the "Marshall plan "
I wonder if Canada could have defended itself against German and Japanese aggression without the United States in World War Two ? , or the Soviet Union doing the "Cold War "
Now the free world is faced with a new menace from the middle east and who is it that is spending it's treasury and blood to safe guard western Europe and Canada ? The United States of America !.
Who created the menace in the middle east by supplying weapons and training to these terorists during the cold war?
Ask yourself this question - if the US and Russia never had their cold war, would the middle east be as volatile as it is now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin walker
To keep the rest of the world safe for trade and commerce there has to be a super power, That job is never appreciated. How much do you think a barrel of oil would cost without the United States involvement ?
The United States GNP is 14 trillion dollars what is Canada's.
Stop being lazy... try google and you should be able to find Canada's GNP...
Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin walker
Finally the United States educational system does trail other industrial countries. I must add that the United States is a multi-racial , ethnic , and religious nation.
What is the percentage of minorities in Canada , Germany , France , Japan etc.
When a nation is trying to educate peoples of different religions , race , and ethnic background as the United States is trying to do and offer them freedom at the same time it is almost a impossible task. This nation is trying.
Having visited and worked in Canada , it's a wonderful country with friendly people.
Every night a Canadian goes to bed , he or she should say " Thank god for the "good old U.S.A. "
A very interesting discussion , I have enjoyed your perspectives.
You ask about the percentage of minorities in Canada... ok how about this.... you explain to me what is required to gain US citizenship and I'll explain what's required to get Canadian...
Canada has far more immigrant friendly policies... It's not to hard to figure out whether you'd qualify for Permanent Residence (and eventually citizenship)... and it's relatively easy to get that....
I've never heard anyone praise the US' attitude towards immigation...
Oh and for the record: I'm not anti-US.... but the US is not the only country in the world (despite what some Americans think)....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny p
It's amazing how many Anti-Bush, Republican bashers I see when I visit other countries. You might want to analyze the U.S. news sources you follow. The Communist News Network (CNN) and MSNBC are utter garbage. The mass media is anti-American, thus this is the reputation we get from people from other countries.
I forgot my other love.... someone mentioned billiards, but Foosball is the competition of kings!
I study human science, in one of the courses, we learn about media and media techniques/tactics,... we've seen, analyzed and discussed many forms of media, also TV, and we discussed FOX there too...
I can see why you think CNN is garbage, but then again, FOX is even worse.
but anyways, no more about politics.
back to hobbies.
I actually forgot one: I like Ice skating alot. I can do it pretty good too, never played icehockey or so, but I just learned iceskating from myself and watching others.
Anyone else here that likes Ice skating too?
Keep them spinning,
Bert.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundbeef
Hey, back to "hobbies" as the OP asked.
1. I like to brew my own beer when I have time. Its not too expensive, and pretty fun. Shameless plug for the place I buy supplies:
http://www.mrbeer.com/
The nice thing about Mr. Beer is that is relatively inexpensive (about $25) to get set up, and then purchasing the beer mix is a no brainer. Takes about 2 weeks from mixing to drinking. If you ever want to expand, and do some other brewing, you can make much more, but setup costs are higher.
2. If I ever finish school (May 08!) and finish the basement, I would love to get my RC car back out.
3. In the spring/summer/fall I enjoy taking my 3 ladies out fishing. They have really come around, and even hook their own bait.
4. My pond is my biggest "hobby". I have 13 fish, 2 frogs, and tons of birds that stop by for a drink. It's my 3rd year, and I really enjoy it. I re-dug the pond last spring after the terrible "fish kill" of 07, and expanded it to about 975 gallons. That is about double the size from the year before.
Nice Pond btw.... I used to have a pond (not nearly as well finished as yours though... I really need to get back into that hobby...
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How 'bout skiing Bert? Aren't there some great ski hills in Belgium?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
How 'bout skiing Bert? Aren't there some great ski hills in Belgium?
in france there are, or in Switzerland, or in Austria, or in northern Italy, but in Belgium? nah :cornut:
Belgium is pretty much flat for the biggest part. We do have some 'mountains' in the south, but I'd think I'd go to somewhere else if I wanted to ski :)
They ain't callin us (belgium and the netherlands) "the lowlands" for nuttin :cornut:
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Okay. My last geography class was about thirty years ago. :o
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FnF fan
No, it's all about speed. The adrenalin rush from 0 to +100 mph in a stock street car in the 1/4 is orgasmic.
I've got a SMG man, it ain't that hard! Engage Launch Control, drop the hammer, let go of the stick and flick the right paddle when the shift light comes on. A monkey can reel off high 12's. Road racing requires SOOOOO much more concentration and you have to keep that focus a helluva lot longer than 10-12 seconds at a time!
Quote:
Originally Posted by fragged by a 10 year old
Gave up on the video games I see.
Nah, I just haven't found the courage to try COD4 online and get shredded by some snot nosed kid. Ego's are a delicate thing, ya know?
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Other hobbies include collecting Coca Cola memorabilia. I have over 700 collector series glasses, trays, etc.. I collect CDs (800+), LDs (100) and DVDs (750+). I also perform ISF video calibrations and I'm a state certified EMT.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
Okay. My last geography class was about thirty years ago. :o
Huh, you musta gone to school with Melvin's grandson.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topspeed
I've got a SMG man, it ain't that hard! Engage Launch Control, drop the hammer, let go of the stick and flick the right paddle when the shift light comes on. A monkey can reel off high 12's. Road racing requires SOOOOO much more concentration and you have to keep that focus a helluva lot longer than 10-12 seconds at a time!
Alright! decode the FnF and SMG Abbrev's wiseguy! I reeled off high 12's, but I had to feather the peddle 'cause the 3K stall torque converter and 3.73 gears made it hard to keep the MT E/T streets under me. No "monkey" is gonna do that!!!
Did I say stock? :o
Quote:
Originally Posted by topspeed
Nah, I just haven't found the courage to try COD4 online and get shredded by some snot nosed kid.
I probably never will game online, even though Bert's trying to bring me out of my shell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy
Ego's are a delicate thing, ya know?
Yeah they are. Hey I'm impressed with your online gamer lingo. Fragged huh? :thumbsup:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundbeef
Huh, you musta gone to school with Melvin's grandson.
looooooooooooool
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I believe SMG is the M3's transmission. It'a paddle-shift a.k.a touch-tronic (semi-automatic with gear leavers at the wheel). Not 'stick' as you americans would put it. It's a shame though manuals are a blast
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FnF=Fast n' Furious. You know, rice racing in street drags.
SMG=Sequential M Gearbox. It's a normal 6MT gearbox with a computer controlled electro-hydraulic clutch. It's not a slushbox as there is no torque converter. In full kill mode, it'll snap off shifts in .8 seconds, faster than any human can. The best part however, is the rev matched downshifts as you don't have to worry about money shifts and can concentrate on your braking point and line.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
I want his job!!!
Oh cripes! A roadracer. Just when I was starting to like you. :rolleyes: And brother you sure know how to lay it on thick don't ya?
No, it's all about speed. The adrenalin rush from 0 to +100 mph in a stock street car in the 1/4 is orgasmic. I loved the time I spent at Texas Motorplex on Friday nights and during club events kickin' mustang tail. And we in my Camaro Firebird Car club ate rice with so much ease. The burnouts when a lot of fun too!
Gave up on the video games I see. :biggrin5:
BTW Speedy. Did you know I live 3 minutes from LG Motorsports? :ihih:
Speed , how about 175 -205 miles per hour and they can corner.
James Bond in Saint-Tropez . We are speaking of Ason Martin. Are a Bentley Continental
Floats like a butterfly , drives like a dream. 0-60 4.3 seconds top speed 202mph.
Like a bottle of 82 Lafleur , smooth and balanced, but full and grippy. Ferrari 599 , 0-60
3.7 seconds top speed 205mph.It stopped so fast I thought the trunk opened. But it was the air brake. Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren Roadster, top speed 206mph 0-60 3.8 seconds.
There are high end audio equipment that cost almost as much as these cars $ 100,000 +
These audio systems are for the audiophiles of today. preamps $50,000 amps $75,000.
speakers $100,000.
it was not unusual for an audiophile to pay $7000.00 for an audio system in the day when a Daytona Ferrari cost $18,000 and a 911 Porsche cost $8,000.
No different today.
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Hi Pete O',
My lad was gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked. I remember late one night I took him down as was customary for a walk along the bike path at the beach. It was fairly dark, and as he wasn't on a lead he wandered down to the beach. I walked along the path, and noticed approaching quite rapidly were three large guys with somewhat of an air of menace about them. I prepared myself for any 'eventualities' grabbing the keys in my pocket and making a fist. Out from the dark popped Saxon, all 175lbs of him. Dags know when there is danger, and Saxon was the gentlest soul (wonderful with children and the elderly) but proud and powerful as they come. An Irish Wolfhound 'disturbed' is something to behold. He began walking deliberately in a tense fashion (like a lion I kid you not) towards the approaching threesome, and an 18hz growl began eminating from his massive muzzle (the wolfhounds head and neck is huge). In about a milisecond the threesome turned and ran. Saxon was 36" at the shoulder which is about average for a Wolfhound but I've seen much bigger. They're the largest member of the greyhound family, and whilst the slowest, they'll leave most any other type of dog in the dust with their double-suspension sprint i.e. incredibly fast for their size. I've seen some Scottish Deerhounds that were phenomenally fast.
Saxon and I used to go down to a 'puppy play group' where owners would bring their dogs. There was among them a Greyhound rescued from the track, a large greyhound appropriately named Bullet. For those of you that have never seen a greyhound in full flight it is mindblowing. He would toy with other dogs, Bullet, in just four strides, was ancient history, none of the other dogs could even keep up with his dust. Ah, my dear Saxon, how I miss him...
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Bill B.,
If you have a local pub up there, you might consider joining the darts team. Its a bit of fun and some exercise. Melvin is right about the exercise.
By the way Melvin, hope your enjoying those wonederful Hartsfields. The price is skyrocketing on them.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundbeef
Huh, you musta gone to school with Melvin's grandson.
Naaa, the other kids were constantly beating him up. I stayed away.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by melvin
There are high end audio equipment that cost almost as much as these cars $ 100,000 +
These audio systems are for the audiophiles of today. preamps $50,000 amps $75,000.
speakers $100,000.
it was not unusual for an audiophile to pay $7000.00 for an audio system in the day when a Daytona Ferrari cost $18,000 and a 911 Porsche cost $8,000.
No different today
Ugh. As much as I hate to admit it, you're actually right on this count.
The good news is just like a $5000 Nuforce 9se will give owners of $60,000 Burmester 911's serious pause, a $69,000 Nissan GT-R will lap the Nordschleife faster than a $123,000 Porsche 997tt or the mighty $1.6m Bugatti Veyron. Very soon, the ZR-1 Corvette...yes, a red-white-and-blue-mom-baseball-and-apple-pie-Vette, will knock every Euro blueblood on its pompous ass.
Performance vs. pedigree: You can pay for what's on the hood or what's under it.
I'll take what's under it.
To O'shag,
I've got my German shepherd/Irish Wolfhound laying behind me as I type this. Great dog, deceptively fast (as you noted) and very obedient...now. Before 3 yrs, she was nightmare and had more energy than a 1kW amp at clip. Thankfully, she grew out of it and is much more manageable now. As you know, when dogs of this size get a full head of steam, you really don't want to be standing in the middle of the tracks. Her name is Kublai.
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HEY! If I want paddle shifters I'll get a Mitsubishi Lancer. So there! :dita:
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TS, have I told you I've had my car dyno'ed on the same machine Lou Gigliotti tunes his race cars on?
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