Dancin'_Homer

Marge: [thrusting a copy of the photograph in Homer's face] What is the of this! Homer: Whyarreeuumpht... Meaningless! Marge... Don't even attempt to find meaning in it.

You say you want a revolution?...

There will never be a significant period of more than two parties without changing the US voting system. "First past the post" voting contests inherently favor a dual-party system. The only change that will create multiple parties is voing-proportional systems, a'la the multi-party voting system in the UK, etc... You are right that the constitutional system we have (single-member district, winner-take-all) predetermines the existence of a 2 party system, but not necessarily these two parties. There have been, after all, party shifts in American history. The problem -- i.e., the reason why this-here Democratic party and this-here Republican party are entrenched -- has more to do with ballot access, which is so tightly controlled by the two parties that it is impossible to get a viable new party off the ground. Successful party-shifts have historically occurred at the local level. And while it is relatively doable to get a 3rd party candidate for a national election on the ballot, getting enough signatures to put a 3rd party candidate on the ballot for a less-visible election is difficult in the extreme. p.s. UK's constitutional system is similar to ours (single-member district -> 2 party system).

RE: Marriage -- The definition of marriage varies considerably from age to age and culture to culture. To assume that male-female, monogamous, exogamous (extra-family) marriage is the only variant reflects a very poor understanding of human history. Polygamy, bigamy, monogamy, etc. have variously existed. As summed by Lewis Henry Morgan's Ancient Society, these marriage forms can be anthropologically confirmed: Consanguine family: Intermarriage of brothers and sisters Punaluan family: Intermarriage of several sisters with each others' husbands or several brothers with each others' wives. Syndasmian family: Marriage between single pairs without exclusive cohabitation. Patriarchal family: One man with several wives Monogamian Family: One man with one wife based on exclusive cohabitation. Again, for anyone to refer to a form of marriage as more natural reflects very poor understanding, especially since monogamian marriage is generally recognized as the historically most recent variant of these different types. As for homosexuality, many cultures accommodate the practice in socially-recognized institutions: "In most of North America there exists the institution of the berdache, as the French called them. These men-women were men who at puberty or thereafter took the dress and the occupations of women. Sometimes they married other men and lived with them. " (Ruth Benedict, Patterns of Culture, p. 243). So-called men-women are found amongst the Zuni (of Africa), the Cheyenne and Dakota (of North America), and amongst the native peoples of Siberia, to name a few.

don't get so cocky thinking the Marlins are better than the Mets. Mets beat Randy Johnson and won a game Roger Clemens pitched. They are on the rise, the Marlins are in decline unless they either start hitting or they bring in someone who can. um...when did Admin say that ignore option would be available?

If going on a little loosing streak helps clear out some of these deadwood fans . . . . . . clear them from the boards, I mean. Hopefully, they'll still come to the games -- leaving their seats during the middle of innings, screaming "________ (insert opponent outfielder name) SUCK," and generally acting like the parvenus they are.

If going on a little loosing streak helps clear out some of these deadwood fans . . .

FishFan24, sounds like you could use a sarcasm detector. Comic Book Guy: "Oh...a sarcasm detector. That's a real useful invention"

As for me I am just tired of all the doom and gloom on this forum. I mean I am not denying the team is looking bad right now. But all I can do as a fan is stick behind them and hope they pull through. Sure I am upset at the way some players are underperforming. But I also beleive they will snap out of it and if they don't and this season goes down the drain. We'll get em next year. That's what being a fan is. DITTO! Some of you talk as though you have been following the Fish (and baseball) since last September. If you think that what the Fish did in Sep. and Oct. is in any way representative of what baseball is (especially of what May baseball is), then you just prove that what everyone says about Fish fans is true.

Congrats: you missed the point entirely.

I, for one, am finally calling it quits on following the Marlins with anything more than a passing interest. After three long years of false hope (which is worse than the no hope years of 98 and 99) I have to end it and stop buying into the lie like a lemming, you should too. :unsure : Link: Everything has always been wrong! You were singing this same song last year. Listen: 1. Yes, there were moves the Marlins should have made in the off-season; 2. No, they did not make them because they needed to focus on the stadium and the long-term health of the organization; 3. Yes, the Marlins will make mid-season moves to stregthen the club; 4. Yes, it is too early to make these moves; 5. Yes, the Marlins will be in the hunt for the Division title when these moves are made; 6. No, it is not realistic to expect the Fish to win the Series again this year (it is not realistic for any team to expect this); 7. Yes, this is still a great team to follow and we are luckier than 80% of the fans of other clubs. Taken as a whole, this does not sound like the voice of Cassandra -- more like that of Chicken Little.

Jose Cardenal missed a game in 1974, because he couldn't blink. He swore his eyes were stuck open. That's messed up, like when Bart wore a hat of foil because he swore MLB was spying on him.

they suck anyway..... god i hate morning radio dj idiot talk shows. ^ What he said

Just a question: When I go through some of the old posts and find one that has no poster listed, can I assume that it is someone whose membership no longer exists? An example of this can be found in this thread: "Everything has always been wrong!"

NEWS FLASH: Mustard found in NYC hot dog stand. Pundits predict Bush ratings to soar 10%.

Not to be indelicate, but a few years back I got food poisoning and was vomiting so violently I caused a disc in my back to slip. It sounds silly, but it happens.

It's right that this topic was posted under "Entertainment." Therein lies the problem. SportsCenter tries to be entertainment when it should just focus on scores, news, etc. In-depth interviews / close-ups...who cares? And what the hell is with that "Death of a Salesman" mini-series? And why, just when I started to care what happened to that sap, is it gone?

On yesterday's "Meet the Press," Colin Powell was Russert's guest and had agreed to a 10 minute interview (Powell was in Jordan). Apparently, after the 10 minutes were up, one of Powell's aid just reached up and turned the camera away from Powell, mumbling something about the 10 minutes being up and that NBC could just edit an ending. I'm not a real fan of this adminstration, but Powell handled himself with grace and tact, scolding the aid for her behavior. The interview continued and Russert completed his questioning.

Okay, 30 yr. old pervs... any of you try to date my 16 yr. old daughter and there'll be hell to pay.

I'd like to see Cabrera start, but with Bonds a lock and Sosa a likely-lock, that creates a lot of competition for that 3rd outfielder spot.

Well, being Troy was a port city it was definately done. Perhaps you were not speaking of the phalanx being definitely used in Troy.

Phalanx (or hoplite) fighting did not begin until 6th c. BCE. After Homer and certainly after Troy.

Like many a lost battle (e.g., the Alamo), the defeat at Thermopylai was heroic and critically constructive: Go tell the Spartans, passer-by That here, obedient to their laws, we lie. Once the Spartans were defeated, the Persians continued through the Thermopylai pass on to Boetia and Attica. The Athenians, knowing that Xerxes was nearing, appealed to the Delphic Oracle for help. Her answer was stark: If you remain, you will surely be defeated. Not liking that answer, the Athenians demanded another one. This time, the oracle said: Put a wooden wall between you and the approaching Persians. While some Athenians foolishly (and incorrectly) took this to mean that they should build a wooden wall around their city, the majority of Athenians correctly interpreted this as meaning that they should retreat Athens by ship, i.e., by wooden walls. Retreating to Salamis, the Athenians (with the help of other city-states) waited for the Persians. When the Persians arrived, the Greeks defeated them in naval battle, laying the groundwork for the peace and stability which followed and enabling the achievement of the Golden Age.

circa 1250-1200 BCE: Destruction of Troy (verified in the archaeological record, Level VIIIA). This is generally agreed to be the historical basis of the Homeric Trojan War and represents the last major effort of the Myceneans circa 750 BCE: Homer composes the Iliad, drawing from Mycenean mythological accounts of the destruction of Troy 490 BCE: First Persian invasion of Greece, lead by King Darius; routed by the Athenians at Marathon 480 BCE: Second Persian invasion of Greece, under King Xerxes -- unsuccessful defense of Thermopylai by Sparta; inconclusive sea engagements at Artemis; sack of Attica and burning of Athens; Athenian victory at Salamis 478 BCE: Sparta and Peloponnesian League withdraw from Greek fleet; formation of Delian League (beginning of period of conflict between Athens and Sparta) 443 BCE: Beginning of supremacy of Pericles (The Athenian Golden Age) 431 BCE: Peloponnesian League invades Attica 429 BCE: Death of Pericles 404 BCE: Surrender of Athens and installation of Spartan-backed oligarchy (the Thirty) 403 BCE: Restoration of democracy in Athens and general amnesty Summary: Trojan War = Mycenaeans vs. Persians (no Greeks) -- circa 1200-1250 BCE Persian Wars = Greek league vs. Persia -- 480-490 BCE Peloponnesian War = Athens (and allies) vs. Sparta (and allies) -- 431-404 BCE

Don't want to veer too much off-topic, but in the 2003-2006 the Player's Union agreed not to protest if the owners voted to contract 2 teams in 2007. This was the urgency for breaking ground in time for the stadium to be complete (or near completion) in 2007. Here is the exact wording: H. Future Contraction The Office of the Commissioner and/or the Clubs shall not undertake any centralized effort to reduce the number of Major League Clubs effective for a season covered by this Agreement. The Clubs shall, however, have the right, subject to the terms and conditions set forth inthis Article XV(H), to reduce by as many as two (2) the number ofMajor League Clubs effective for the 2007 championship season. (1) Procedure(a) The Clubs may not take a vote relating to contraction effec-tive for the 2007 season prior to April 1, 2006. The Clubs shall notify the Association of any decision to contract effective for the 2007championship season no later than July 1, 2006 and, on or beforethat date, shall supply to the Association a tentative championshipschedule for the 2007 championship season reflecting such decision. 2003-2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement