anyone else having trouble receiving sms from megafone mobile in moscow?

[shikarnov 7]

I actually agree with everything you said, except this quote. Remember, I'm the resident granola hippy. I trust our government about as far as I can throw the statue of liberty.

My point was exactly the point you're making. I don't believe our government will ever *have* to use guns and tanks and rocket launchers on the populace, because we will all be too engrossed in our mass consumerism. When the government started wiretapping our phones, where was the outrage? There was none. But we all got bent way to shiт when Microsoft decided to make eleventy billion versions of Vista, because that was bad for the consumer. President Bush vetoed legislation that would make torture illegal, but the news we were all really interested in was that every Starbucks in the nation was shutting down for 2 hours so the employees could be trained to make a better cup of coffee. (damn, I really have Starbucks on the brain. I have no idea why.)

You are exactly right. Our government is being bought and sold to the highest bidder. But we...the people...are allowing it to happen. And as long as we have our iPhones and 80-pack tube socks for $10, the government has absolutely nothing to fear from us.

I get that, Kirk, I really do. But do you really think it's ridiculous to assume that, someday, something's going to happen that causes people to take notice? Economic collapse? War? Something? Like you, I don't have a lot of faith in government or people. But I've got to believe that something's gonna change around here eventually. It's getting to a point where I don't see much difference (technology and general cleanliness aside) between the US and Russia, and I can't believe -- don't want to believe -- that decline will continue on forever unnoticed.

Z

PS: Maybe Marx had it wrong when he said that "religion is the opium of the people." Maybe the simple need for more cool stuff is the real societal drug.

[slim 1,533]

Gotta go guys. It's been fun playing. Going to go spend some money on my wife. Wouldn't want anyone to think I'm a cheapskate! HONK!!! HONK!!! HONK!!!

And the real societal drug is in Starbucks cups!

[visaveteran1 33]

I've been to an NRA firing range and it was very enlightening. Broke down all the stereotypes. The shooters were almost entirely professional, white collar people; many professional women and girls shooting; and the people that worked there were very middle class and professional.

Didn't see any overalls or camo clothing. The parking lot was full of BMVs and Audis and Porches and very few pick-ups.

There are a lot of closet gun advocates who resist coming out into the light for fear of labeling and attacks. It's still "cool" to be anti-gun. I saw it as my duty to teach my son about guns, so I starting taking him to the range. Of course he loved it and it's still a great father-son activity and carries on the traditional of teaching our sons (and now daughters) how to take care of themselves and understand gun safety. My wife at the time freaked-out and fought me on it, but I would not be turned back from what I saw as my fatherly duty.

The NRA was critical in fighting the fierce battle over gun rights during the Clinton administration's full bore attempt to scale back the 2nd Amend rights. The NRA won...and so did we in my view. I don't think that would have happened without the efforts of Charleton Heston.

[visaveteran1 33]

Gotta go guys. It's been fun playing. Going to go spend some money on my wife. Wouldn't want anyone to think I'm a cheapskate! HONK!!! HONK!!! HONK!!!

And the real societal drug is in Starbucks cups!

Agreed! I'll have an iced Americano with 3 raw sugars please!

[Bobalouie 0]

Gotta go guys. It's been fun playing. Going to go spend some money on my wife. Wouldn't want anyone to think I'm a cheapskate! HONK!!! HONK!!! HONK!!!

And the real societal drug is in Starbucks cups!

Agreed! I'll have an iced Americano with 3 raw sugars please!

Can I just get a coffee? Or maybe a nice hot cup of tea?

[Bobalouie 0]

Can I just get a coffee? Or maybe a nice hot cup of tea?

n00b!

You Dam skippy! I dont no nuthin bout that bucket o stars place. Where I live we drink hot water filtered thru dirt

[visaveteran1 33]

Can I just get a coffee? Or maybe a nice hot cup of tea?

n00b!

You Dam skippy! I dont no nuthin bout that bucket o stars place. Where I live we drink hot water filtered thru dirt

Ah for the old simple days: Cream or sugar? Regular or decaf?

[Bobalouie 0]

You Dam skippy! I dont no nuthin bout that bucket o stars place. Where I live we drink hot water filtered thru dirt

Hehe. You'd feel right at home where I work. I brew my own coffee up at home and bring it to work in a thermos because I'm convinced that's exactly what they use for coffee grounds here--grade A fertilizer. And just to prove it, most of the people here seem to be full of shiт.

Ahhhhhhh, the smell of amonium nitrate in the morning....smells like.....One of those Russian "outhouse" toilets you find in the park!

[slim 1,533]

I've been to an NRA firing range

.......... without the efforts of Charleton Heston.

Most people are surprised to see the NRA isn't made up of a majority of "good ol' boys" but "normal" people usually from middle-class or higher backgrounds. But, when you think about it, that makes sense because the NRA is, above all, a political group. Poor people don't get too involved with politics.

At the same time, NRA affiliation is sometimes a political killer, and that's too bad. Charleton Heston would've made a fine Senator or even Secretary of Defense, maybe a Homeland Security official now. Who knows.

Can I just get a coffee? Or maybe a nice hot cup of tea?

n00b!

You Dam skippy! I dont no nuthin bout that bucket o stars place. Where I live we drink hot water filtered thru dirt

How 'bout a warm glass of shut the hell up? You're in my world now, grandma. Check the name tag.

[shikarnov 7]

Ahhhhhhh, the smell of amonium nitrate in the morning....smells like.....One of those Russian "outhouse" toilets you find in the park!

I'd rather have one of those outhouses than some of the "toilets" you find on the journey from Moscow to Ivanovo. Just big rooms with half meter square holes in the ground, lined up side by side, no barriers between one "stall" and the next, urine all over the floor (seriously, how do you miss a hole a half meter in width?), and more. Just absolutely vile.

Z

[shikarnov 7]

The more drunk you are, the smaller that hole gets.

But, seriously, you could fall in these holes.

[slim 1,533]

Ewww!

[visaveteran1 33]

No wonder so many people want to immigrate here...they want our toilets!

[eekee 182]

I don't know; in japan they have toilets that play music while they rinse your butt.

No wonder so many people want to immigrate here...they want our toilets!

[visaveteran1 33]

I don't know; in japan they have toilets that play music while they rinse your butt.

No wonder so many people want to immigrate here...they want our toilets!

Ah...musical bidets! Clever.