Happy International Women's Day Ladies!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The Tea Party is a large and growing group, mostly older Americans and has political clout...as witnessed in Scott Brown's upset victory. I see you lump them in as extremists which shows your silly view of things. The US Communists and Nazis might have 500 members if they're lucky. Russia was ruled by the communists for 80 years. See any difference?

You're right. I'm nothing special serving my country. I do think when someone says I'm not an American, it's fair to note I served as a counter to that comment. I know context does not mean much to you, but it does to me.

And you really are a trip, acting like someone's hosting a IWD party and I'm a gate crasher. This is an open forum and anyone is free to comment. I've yet to hear the OP ask me to stop posting. Probably because he has some common sense and realism about this forum.

And, as far as agitating in someone else's thread...you're the king. You post here to play your silly game. I'd guess you could care less. This is how you get attention.

I see he lumps them in with other political parties and beliefs. Our rights do not apply only to large groups and those with political influence, our rights most benefit those that are not popular and do not have political clout. That is why we have them. Popular groups with political clout don't need "protection". at least not as long as they are popular and have political clout. As that condition changes, the constitution guarantees it to all of us.

[mox 298]

vv believes that there are only 500 combined Nazis and Communists in this country, so...I'm gonna say he let somebody else fight for their freedom or something? The real Americans that vv fought for are the couple hundred thousand or so birthers (aka Republicans who are also "tea baggers") who never said a word when Bush was spending money as if it geysered from Cheney's pooper, but who are all of a sudden outraged about the black guy spending money as if it geysers from Biden's pooper. Russia does not have birther tea baggers so they want to nuke us all on IWD it's true look it up on Drudge!!!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I've heard how Vermonters speak English...so I'm not surprised they'd turn to anyone for help. Only problem might be teaching weights and measures. Like LUBS (lbs).

Fortunatey she is not a science teacher. So you think only Americans should teach English? You think only Americans should work? Teach. I am curious VV, where do you draw the line on that issue? Should a legal immigrant be prevented from applying her foreign education in this country? She IS a trained, educated and certified teacher who now resides in the USA. Maybe she should wipe your table at the restaraunt instead?

And if Americans are so good at English why the HELL do we use "lb." for an abbreviation for "pound"?

Your statement shows your ignorance of Vermont's consistently high ranking in education (albeit in the American system)

For the record...Vermont has three major industries. Agriculture, education and medicine. education employs the second most people in this state. Some 20% of the population of Burlington works for institutions of education. Another 20% are college/university students. Middlebury College has the premier Russian Language school in the USA (all our spies were trained there during the cold war) That makes education more influential in this state than the auto industry in Detroit, the oil industry in Houston, or the steel industry in Pittsburgh.

The medical industry supports all the canadians that flee the Canadian helath care system and come here. while we have a very small population, there is a city of 2 million (plus suburbs) just a few miles away and they all have crappy health care. More money for us!!!

Alexander Solgenietzen (sp?) moved to Vermont. The Von Trapp family fled the Nazis and moved to Vermont. we dcarry guns without permission from the government anywhere we want. We can talk on cell phones while driving and go naked in public if we want. sounds like a petty freedom loving place and destination for freedom loving people to me.

[mox 298]

And if Americans are so good at English why the HELL do we use "lb." for an abbreviation for "pound"?

The English measurement "pound" is derived from the Roman name "libra ponda," which was abbreviated as "lb." Somewhere along the line we lost the "libra" and "ponda" morphed into "pound." No idea why we kept the Roman abbreviation.

The medical industry supports all the canadians that flee the Canadian helath care system and come here.

LMAO!

[Cixelsyd 1]

VV has withdrawn peacefully (discounting his last statement). We should let him do so without taking more lumps.

Not that you guys don't have valid statements to make.

Just hopefully if we let him leave without taking more of a beating, then he'll keep his negative comments to threads intent on being battle ground.

I know, strange coming from me.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You weave a great fantasy. And like all fantasies, there is no truth or realness to them. I see you Moxifying this discussion. Taking it lower and lower into innuendo, insults and generally flooding the discussion with unfounded negative suggestions based only on your warped view of things. And you've again found a kindred playmate to join you in your silly game. Birds of a feather...

Well, well. My lovely wife, who could choose to be a lady of leisure, vacation in Ukraine/Russia anytime she wants for as long as she wants, instead knocks herself out learning to be a teacher of English, ond you run her down and her efforts to educate people, ignorantly insult the state we CHOOSE to live in (I could move today to anywhere I want) then say that someone else is lowering the standard? Do you think it is harder for her to be an Englsh teacher than an American...or easier? What do you think? You think she may have to work harder, study longer than a native born American in her class? I will re-iterate. She could chuck it all today and be a lady of leisure. Go shopping for a living. Spend the day in Montreal, drive down to Boston or New York. Go for a long walk. All of which she enjoys. But she does not. She was up 'till 1 am studying and up again at 6am today because she had a class to teach at 8am, and her lesson plan has to be reviewed and approved first. And she still cooks, cleans and makes every effort to be at our son's sports games, at least one of us is always there.

For the record, again, I am very proud of my wife who arrived only about 18 months ago and is now preparing to be an English teacher in the United States. She started her education 5 days after arriving. She works very hard at her education and does some other things to make a little money where she can, even though I can easily support us, she wants to contribute something to the family...at least to pay for "her stuff". So she serves our country by working as an interpreter for USCIS, ICE, local hospitals, government offices, etc., for very modest pay and is called several times a week for this. When someone speaking Russian is caught trying to smuggle something across the Canadian border, they call Alla to come and interpret. When a patient comes into the hospital speaking Russian with a medical problem, they call Alla to interpret. If YOUR wife were to need the services the St. Albans office and didn;t speak English well, they would call Alla to interpret.

She could spend most of the summer in Moscow or Donetsk, like she did last summer, but instead is saying she will stay here and cram school classes all summer to get her education finished. She gave up a trip to Ukraine at New Years because I was recovering from surgery, even though I could have been taken care of by others. She missed her last few days of classes before Christmas break because she was at the hospital with me and wouldn't leave. She made up the work later.

If you want to make snide, ignorant remarks about me...feel free. I am a bald, old (not so old and not fat) semi-retired, semi-wealthy guy who works as little as possible anymore. You can leave my wife out of it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The English measurement "pound" is derived from the Roman name "libra ponda," which was abbreviated as "lb." Somewhere along the line we lost the "libra" and "ponda" morphed into "pound." No idea why we kept the Roman abbreviation.

LMAO!

Thanks. I never knew that. I have a US public school educaton, sorry. I won't tell Alla because the metric otherwise works to my advantage.

PS, it is possible I knew it at one time and forgot.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

1 bait/flame post and 1 post quoting it removed.

like the opening line to gnr's "civil war", --- "i don't like this any more than you do." please tone down the nature of the posts a bit so i'm not having to respond to reports and disrupt the flow of the thread.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Mox, I'm glad you have distanced yourself from the comments that, I judge, far exceeded boundaries of decency and mature commentary.

I will withdraw from this thread...we all need to know when to move on. Much of my continuing to post on here was replying to those who choose to engage me, rather than ignore me. Call it provocation.

I will close by observing that few men have actually posted in regards to IWD. I'd call it disappointing if I supported the holiday.

I took the day off work. And just to show how much I support it, I will take tomorrow off also. I win again.

[Martyshk 137]

1 bait/flame post and 1 post quoting it removed.

like the opening line to gnr's "civil war", --- "i don't like this any more than you do." please tone down the nature of the posts a bit so i'm not having to respond to reports and disrupt the flow of the thread.

Why do I have a feeling there's only 1 person who's very obsessed with hitting that report button on these forums?....

All in all, it'd be nice to have a good-intentioned thread not turn and sidetracked into something completely unrelated every time. It's been the same ####### for the past month or so. No matter the topic it turns into a debate on who's more patriotic lalalalalala.

meh....

[mox 298]

The guy who reported the thread...he usually doesn't have much shame at all, but there is the odd occasion when he's so thoroughly beaten down and humiliated that all he can really come back with is to push the report button. He talks about freedom of speech, and then when somebody says something that truly tweaks his fragile ego, he just has to shut them down. He keeps you guessing that way. I think he's the same guy that's berated others for pushing the report button, because hey hypocrisy ftw!

[Cixelsyd 1]

I figured it would come to something like this. I actually predicted a locked thread, so I gave fair warning on IWD, but figured it would be somewhat polite to wait until after to dig in.

Look on the bright side though, we keep the mods in business.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

Look on the bright side though, we keep the mods in business.

i'd rather be sleeping, i'm on night shift.

but i had to get up and go mail something today because a certain company that claims to be a tourist visa expert has shown they aren't, and today was the 3rd or 4th fedex i've had to send them with more papers, papers that suddenly seem to be required after they've received the latest package.

i think they are in cahoots with fedex.

[Cixelsyd 1]

Wow, 4th time having to Fedex something for a tourist visa?

I didn't know they could be so complicated.

When people ask me how to get a tourist visa, I always tell them to go to the consulate if they can. Those agencies can charge ridiculous amounts.

Although I did have a funny experience trying to get one, the last time.

I downloaded the application of the web site and went to the consulate to turn it in. The lady behind the desk told me I had last year's form. I was like #######? where did I get this one.

Anyway, filled out the form then went home and checked the consulates web site. Turns out they still had last year's application.

I told my wife about the experience. She just laughed and said "Yeah, that's Russia".

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Why do I have a feeling there's only 1 person who's very obsessed with hitting that report button on these forums?....

All in all, it'd be nice to have a good-intentioned thread not turn and sidetracked into something completely unrelated every time. It's been the same ####### for the past month or so. No matter the topic it turns into a debate on who's more patriotic lalalalalala.

meh....

But I am the KING of the land of POO! No one is more patriotic than the King! Right?

Hey, this could be the Canada forum and our heads would all hit the table as we nod off reading...or the MENA forum which would give us all nightmares, the Latin American forums are pretty good, (and home of the funniest thread I ever read on VJ and HOLY ####### I have been here longer than VV) but they have some scarey consulates in that part of the world for no particular reason and that is just depressing...give me Ukraine or Russia any day. Plus, no offense as I have never been to that part of the world, but I cannot imagine they are more interesting than Ukraine or Russia. There is an awful lot of texture there.

So, all in all, we have a pretty good regional forum with our very own Freedom of Speech loving censor. The patriot that believes in rights as long as you agree with him on everything else. I suspect that VisaVeteran is really Chris Matthews