Mr. Blonde

Sheep just finishes pushing the last of his soldiers from the helicopter when the missile impacts with the tail. The chopper is sent spinning for the ground. It was too late to bail out now. He would just get torn to ribbons by the blades. As he and the 6 tons of heavy machine spiral towards the Earth everything suddenly becomes quiet. The sound of war echoes in emptiness and the death and destruction around him is soaked up like a sponge. Shellshock. His vision goes black and his mind drifts... back to three years ago. [COLOR="Red"]"Iron Man Pilot Test 1-2," Katya; the encampment's computer spoke. Boris and a few other officers stand in the encampment's control room, intently studying the numerous monitors. "Alright, James, everything has led up to this moment", Boris speaks into an intercom. "Are you sure he's ready for this, Colonel?" Bridadier General Watts asks with concern. "No he's not," Major Victoria Franklin enters the room. "I don't believe you were invited to this test flight, Major," the mad Russian has fire in his eyes. "I think I have a right to see my fiance risk his life for your selfishness!" "Selfishness?" Boris' eyes grow thin. "Isn't it true there's a star in this for you, Colonel?" "You're out of line, Major!" Watts shouts. Two PFC's grab Franklin by the arms and drag her from the command room. "Is there any doubt here, Colonel?" Watts asks. "None, sir. He's passed the .5% power test, the 10% power test, and the 25% power test. He's show no dip in vitals and there has been no excessive G force wear on his body. James Connor is ready for this test, General. I stake my career on it." "Yes, you do, Boris. He's a young man and this is a big risk, so yes you do." General Watts and Boris turn towards the monitors just as James is preparing for take off. "When you're ready Lietenant Colonel Connor," Hesitation carries on Boris' voice.[/COLOR] The chopper impacts the ground and is consumed in flames. Boris snaps back to reality. His vision is still black. "Your vision sensory perception and external weapons systems were damaged in the crash, Captain. It will take me a minute to get them back on line," Katya's voice cuts in and out, scrambled in Boris' head. "I need vision now, Katya, what is working!? Sheep throws shrapnel off of him. "Infrared, sir, I'm afraid thats all. I'll load it up." "There must be fire all around me, it's all a blur," Boris looks in every direction. He scrambles to his feet and stumbles on the bodies of the pilots, fading heat signatures; dead. He scans the distance for his squad. They're scattered in every direction, and Sheep himself wasn't even in the landing zone. He could hear the high pitched whirls and cold grinding gears of the machines closing in at his back. Their spotlights bathing him in halogen rays. "Prepare for EMP pulse, Katya." No response. "Katya?!?" His infrared fades to black. His suit loses power and he drops to his knees. His arc reactor flickers and then goes out. The machines close in at his back, every moment bringing the old Russian closer to death. "Power restored, sir. You didn't think I'd leave you all alone out here, did you?" "I was beginning to wonder." Boris's sight fades up from black. His radar and other detection technology immediately pinpoints the location of every drone at his back. Rain begins to pour down around him and before the first drop hits the Earth Sheep has a lock on every drone behind him. He gathers his strength and begins to push himself off of the ground; fire building in his palm, and only one thing left to say: [URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/618/sheep12rt7.png[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium] Does anyone know of a really clear and unbiased link that compares the candidates' positions on each major issue? Remember, I want something unbaised - no partisanship. Just a clear listing of how each compares. Then maybe I'll tell you who I'd vote for.[/font][/QUOTE] [url]www.taxpolicycenter.org[/url] If you're looking for the hard numbers and the economic ramifications of the candidates' plans I'd check the Tax Policy Center out. [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman'][color=#9933ff] Here's a napkin to wipe off the sarcasm.[/color][/QUOTE] I may just have to put this in my signature. Classic.

[quote name='Katakidoushi']Post debate polls: CNN: Obama:58% McCain:31% Politico: Obama: 49% McCain: 46% CBS: Obama:53% McCain:22% Election Polls: Gallup: Obama: 49% McCain:43% NBC News/Wall Street Journal: Obama 49% McCain:43% And the one I enjoy most of all... Fox News: Obama 45% McCain: 39% [/QUOTE] I would like to make something clear here by quoting myself. I have divided the polls I listed into two categories that may have been misconstrued. The "post debate" polls were polls on the winner of the 3rd debate and the "election" polls are the polls with the current standing of the candidates in the overal election. That is why the CNN and CBS numbers seem extreme.

[quote name='Clurr'][FONT="Arial"]BUT if I could vote, I would not vote for McCain. Everyone I've spoken to sees too much of Bush in his policies. I don't foresee that being good for the country. As I can't grasp the potential outcomes of either candidates' separate policies, I'm extremely hesitant to make a decision at all. I don't want to say I'm for Obama just because people I respect and admire are fully confident in him, or because I think Palin is the most bizarre, inappropriate choice for Vice President possible, or because I hate how smug and eager to interrupt McCain was last night, or because a sizeable portion of his base is calling for Obama's death and are still considered patriotic and loyal. [/FONT][/QUOTE] While I don't agree that McCain and Bush share many similiarities, the mud slinging coming out of the McCain campaign is quite disturbing. Some where along the line McCain lost what made him likeable. He lost that Mavericky goodness that people liked in 2000. He's running at a difficult time; when Republican is practically a dirty word. He's tried to go extreme right, that hasn't worked. He's tried to go more liberal and advertise himself as a change candidate, that hasn't worked. I blame his Republican advisors who since 2000 have been trying to prep him for this race and in doing so have destroyed the McCain I used to respect. [quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Death threats against Obama? This is new. I know that both parties will always have leaping screaming loonies on both ends of the spectrum, but if you can provide concrete evidence to that point I'd be interested in seeing it. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] I'm surprised you didn't hear about this. Things are getting vicious. [url]http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/obama-death-threat-at-mccain-rally-sparks-probe/1330479.aspx[/url]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Wow. Okay no. I am not on anybody's payroll but my own and you have personally repeated over and over your bias towards Obama and firm unshakable belief in the rightness of the polls you've shown me despite no real data to back it up. Furthermore, Bush is a moot point. He's halfway out the door anyway. If all you can parrot in return is talking points from Obama's 'fight the smears' website instead of researching for slightly more factual evidence then please kindly refrain from accusing me of being a mindless mouthpiece for the McCain campaign. If I was you would most likely have figured it out right away when I came out unequivocally in favor of McCain and everything he stands for. But since I haven't, and am just questioning your numbers and your lack of appropriate data I can only assume that you feel extremely threatened by someone who doesn't agree with you and can only get angry about it. Go figure. You shouldn't be calling me petty when you've already accused me of being a Republican when I've never claimed to be one nor identified with the Party, on McCain's payroll when I have yet to find any pro- McCain propaganda in my arsenal of opinions, and jokingly claimed that Bush fixes elections. Well if he fixed the elections, I suppose that does make him less of a moron than was previously believed. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] I never said you were a Republican. Maybe you should actually read my posts. Nor did I ever say you were in favor of McCain. I joked about you being on the McCain payroll, but you couldn't have actually believed I was serious. I did call you a conservative, which I believe is clear. And my comment about Bush was not a negative towards you in anyway, it was a negative towards Bush. And my "petty" comment was not directed towards you directly but more a general "you". The way you responded dismissing the poll numbers at the beginning of this thread makes you seem like the threatened one. I responded defending the polls and you brought up ACORN out of nowhere. I'd enjoy if we'd stick to the issues and associating Obama campaign and ACORN is not a viable issue. My argument is that the polls across the board have him ahead. That was the original subject and somehow ACORN got brought into this mess. And you're right I did get that information from the "fight the smears" website and I understand that is bias, so here's another: [url]http://community.marketwatch.com/groups/us-politics/topics/obama-ties-acorn-no-more[/url] I am simply saying that I don't think bringing farfetched stories about Ayers or ACORN is what we should be focusing on right now. But it seems that conservatives immediately go back to the "smear safe zone" everytime it's mentioned that Obama leads in this election. I'm not throwing the Keating 5 incident into McCain's face, because it's old news and ridiculous. We need to stay on valid talking points. I agree that the poll numbers vary and have margins of error but it's the best we have right now, and they generally give us a pretty good outline of the current state of the election. [quote name='Boo'][size=1]Would you just stop it? It doesn't make you look very awesome either, fanatically stating that Obama is going to win, even though no one told you otherwise. The fact remains that you cannot just rely on polls like that. Full stop.[/size][/QUOTE] Does spreading smear not make someone look petty? By the way I never once said Obama was going to win. All I stated was the fairly obvious, that he has a lead over McCain at this point in the election. I could understand your doubt in the polling more if it was 1, 2 or even 3 polls but numerous polls (even those released by a conservative news channel) put him ahead. I'm not damning McCain or putting Obama on a pedestal. I just think people need to examine the facts no matter who they support. [quote name='Boo'][size=1]Besides, the reliability of polls is clear enough if you see that the numbers range from 22 to 43 percent for McCain. That's a [i]whole[/i] lot of Americans difference. That's like... 3,3 times the difference between McCain and Obama in some polls. [/size][/QUOTE] So you believed in the polls at the top of this page but now you've lost faith in them?

First of all, I was being derisive about the fixing elections thing. Only Bush does that. And ACORN, really? Are you on McCain's payroll or do all of you conservatives just like repeating yourselves over and over and over and over again about things you're completely incorrect about. Of course that has been the staple of the McCain campaign, say a lie loud enough and maybe people will believe it. Barack was never an ACORN community organizer. ACORN never hired Obama as a trainer, organizer, or any type of employee. ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack ran in 1992. As an attorney, Barack represented ACORN in a successful lawsuit alongside the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of Illinois to force state compliance with a federal voting access law. That is the extent of Obama's relationship with ACORN. This entire race McCain has run a vicious smear campaign because if he focuses on the issues, he loses. Spreading false accusations and smear is unappealing and it makes you look petty.

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]But not to the degree that would indicate a landslide, and not with consistent figures. Again, we'd need margins of error, etc etc etc before knowing if all the polls are right to agree. Or you know, an actual election.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Who said anything about a landslide. I doubt this will be Roosevelt/Hoover. But it's pretty hard to deny that Obama has a lead over McCain. And since when have elections carried the voice of the people. To my recollection if Republicans don't like the outcome they just fix the election.

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]So CBS and CNN were just random hiccups?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] No. There are going to be spikes in polls, it happens. But the thing to take away is that all of the spikes are in the same direction. My examples are simply showing that all of the polls agree.

Post debate polls: CNN: Obama:58% McCain:31% Politico: Obama: 49% McCain: 46% CBS: Obama:53% McCain:22% Election Polls: Gallup: Obama: 49% McCain:43% NBC News/Wall Street Journal: Obama 49% McCain:43% And the one I enjoy most of all... Fox News: Obama 45% McCain: 39% I might consider your argument to have a basis in fact if it was only one poll. But numerous sources all agree.

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Ah but remember, polls consistently oversample Democrats and otherwise unoccupied people that still pick up land line phones. Most Republicans never get polled properly because a: they're all busy working and b: Hence they aren't home to pick up the phone anyway. Well it's the same point but it's hard to point out that inconvenient fact when discussing polls. Oversampling, biased questions, push poll questioning etc, it all happens with polls regardless. But even so, I'm not going to be able to say either way. And as far as who I'm voting for, if you can't surmise that from previous posts I've made on the numerous topics involving the politics of the nation, then alas. You'll just have to guess.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] So democrats and independants don't work? The polls are done among likely voters (people who have a consistant record of voting.) And even if the polls are slightly off (the NY Times 14% spread), there is no way there would be a complete reversal of the numbers. The average is a 2 or 3 point fluctuation in either direction. I'm not attacking your decision (not this time at least), but denying the poll numbers simply because your guy isn't on top is ridiculous. I think we've had enough bitter Republican brouhaha this election.

I'm citing films like Tremors, Arachnophobia and 30 Days of Night as inspirations for this thread. If anyone has seen any of those films then you'll better understand what I'm going for. Sign ups look good so far. Name: Luellen Mose Age:32 Profession: Sheriff of Cuezo Appearance: His tall slender frame and chiseled good looks has earned Luellen the nickname Paco. Don't ask him why, he doesn't know. He doesn't put much thought into things of that nature. He's a simple Texas man right down to his cowboy boots, ten gallon hat,, and aviator sunglasses. He even smells like Texas should, like tobacco and the desert. Some say he was built for this land, but a man like Luellen... seems more like the land was built for him. Bio: Being a Sheriff is in Luellen's blood. His father was a Sheriff, his grandfather was a Sheriff, in fact as far back at Cuezo goes a Mose has always been there to protect it. In late summer (shortly after the purchase of Mexican cattle) strange things began to happen around Cuezo. And those incidents have gotten more and more frequent. The farmers have always had to deal with coyotes picking off some cattle, it was just how things were, but these attacks were different, more vicious, more frequent. Still no one thought much of it. But Luellen began remembering the last time cattle were bought from Mexico, (only about 30 heffers or so, nothing like the hundreds bought in the spring) and how strange things began happening then as well. It was when Landon Ross lost his mother, and Luellen lost his father. There's never been much of a choice for Luellen Mose. Cuezo is where his life is. It's where he was born and where he'll die, but maybe sooner then he previously thought.

So, here's a poll. Who do you think will win? EDIT: Let me rephrase that: [B]Who would you vote for?[/B]

This does sound like a personal ad, and I hate to be "that guy", but unless you're planning on holding this gathering at a butcher shop... I'd change "meat" to "meet".

.......................

"Fucking bitch..." Sheep said under his breath as the Colonel exited the conference room. He sucks hard on his cigar; the cherry glowing in the dim light of the morning's western sky. A Sergeant steps up to Sheep and hands him the mission briefing. He begins flipping through the pages in the folder. "You heard her, ladies, up and out." Boris snuffs his cigar out on the table surface and begins to make his way for the aircraft hanger. His squad follows close behind their Captain. All of them so ready, so willing... to die. "'Don't screw it up,' That's all she could say to me," he thought. Three years ago she wouldn't have been talking to old Sheep like that. Not before the demotion, when he was still a Colonel, not when James was still alive." His thoughts drifted back to that day more than once. He couldn't help it. It was his fault James Connor was dead. He shakes himself out of his daze, reaching the hanger. "Formation!" The squad hustles and one by one form a line on the far side of the hanger. Each one of their suits are mounted behind them. Boris strolls out in front of his troupe. Not a one of them has hesitation in their eyes. None of them have that human look of fear and doubt, say for Ivan. He's the only one old enough to remember a time before complete fear. The machines have been a threat longer then anyone can remember, but now that threat was the way of life. You ate it, breathed it, slept it. It consumed you. Life without fear? None of them knew that life. Boris and Ivan shared the doubt. And if the rest of the squad felt it, they sure as Hell didn't show it. "Katya, load terrain 589-001," Boris speaks aloud to the encampment's computer which is wired throughout the entire compound. "Yes, Captain." A doscile female voice responds. A large holographic map loads up behind Sheep. "This is path the convoy will be traveling on. They are currently 85 kilometers out, traveling south. Our intelligence shows that the machines are disbatching a small party of about 25 infantry drones, and what appears to be about a half dozen heavy artillary drones. Last report has the machines at 35 kilometers from that convoy coming in from the east, and we will be coming in from the west. We're going to be forming two teams." Sheep begins pacing back and forth in front of the soldiers. "I'll head up Team A, Leon, you have Team B. Team A will head up reconnisence and be the lead team in the assault, Team B will hang back at this location (Sheep points to a rock formation just off of the convoy's path) and wait for orders. You will stay put and advance only when instructed to do so. Team A will be myself, and Wraith. Team B: Leon, Wolf, Cassandra and Nightwing." "Excuse me, sir, but those numbers aren't even," Leon speaks up. "The last thing I need is all of you children getting yourself killed on my watch. This is the way it's going to be, and until I get discharged or die, this is the way it's always going to be! Got it, soldiers?!" They all yell out, "Yes, sir" in unison. The younger soldiers grimace at the thought of being left out of the action. They know what the old man is doing, and some of them may do something about it. They came here to fight, not to hide behind rocks and listen to the garbled words of an old Russian. So much for Keith's hopes of them all making a great team. Something has to be done. "Katya, disable map, and lower the suits." The map disolves behind Sheep while the suits mounted behind the soldiers are lowered off of their racks next to each individual. The hanger doors grind slowly open and the sun streams in from the east, filling the hanger with light. "Suit up, soldiers! It's time to see what Iron Men can do!"

[quote name='Crimson Spider']How does this disprove intelligent design? I mean, yeah it is an interesting experiment that electrifies methane and ammonia into forming other organic compounds, but what does it prove? Can you sit back and say "because charged ammonia and methane can form various amino acids, THERE IS NO GOD!!!"?[/QUOTE] Calm down there, buckaroo. It may lead to disproving intelligent design one day. If we can scientifically prove that life and as a precursor to that the building blocks of life can be created from little substantial material we might be on the way to proving something bigger (the big bang theory) one day. That's what I'm saying. Science always catches up and explains the unexplainable. It's only a matter of time.

Yes, I was thinking about 100 square yards. And how do you feel about night vision? And I'm still waiting for someone to make their suit aquatic. I thought for sure we'd see that. Oh well.

[quote name='Crimson Spider']That is correct. But, I have asked myself how it is that using solvents to separate different forms of Buckminsterfullerines into pure compounds somehow proves or disproves intelligent design. The greatest problem with the data pointing in any direction is the requirement of the givens to point that direction, and the natures of this data that are placed onto it by the observer. [/QUOTE] Crimson this is not what you're referring to but it's along the same lines and it's kind of fasinating none-the-less and may end up disproving intelligent design. Keep in mind I said, "may". In my many viewings of the science channel I stumbled upon a documentary about an experiment done in 1953 by a couple of chemistry students at the University of Chicago that strived to prove that "something could come from nothing." I'll be quoting a website here just because I don't remember every single detail. "...An experiment that simulated hypothetical conditions present on the early Earth and tested for the occurrence of chemical evolution. Specifically, the experiment tested Oparin and Haldane's hypothesis that conditions on the primitive Earth favored chemical reactions that synthesized organic compounds from inorganic precursors. Considered to be the classic experiment on the origin of life. The experiment used water (H2O), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2). The chemicals were all sealed inside a sterile array of glass tubes and flasks connected together in a loop, with one flask half-full of liquid water and another flask containing a pair of electrodes. The liquid water was heated to induce evaporation, sparks were fired between the electrodes to simulate lightning through the atmosphere and water vapor, and then the atmosphere was cooled again so that the water could condense and trickle back into the first flask in a continuous cycle. At the end of one week of continuous operation Miller and Urey observed that as much as 10-15% of the carbon within the system was now in the form of organic compounds. Two percent of the carbon had formed amino acids that are used to make proteins in living cells, with glycine as the most abundant. Sugars, lipids, and some of the building blocks for nucleic acids were also formed. In an interview, Stanley Miller stated: "Just turning on the spark in a basic pre-biotic experiment will yield 11 out of 20 amino acids." As observed in all consequent experiments, both left-handed (L) and right-handed (D) optical isomers were created in a racemic mixture." Now while this is not life itself, it is the next step to creating life from non life. And 55 years later biologists are getting closer, saying that the creation of life (a cell with genetic material and the ability to reproduce, turn food into energy, and to evolve through natural selection) is only about 3-10 years away.

[quote name='Vicky'][size=1]Jeans that aren't 'lesbian' (you know, you see half of the lesbian population running around in the same style jeans.[/size][/QUOTE] If I catch your drift, and I believe I do, you're referring to "Mom jeans". The high rise jeans that come above the belly button, and may or may not have a stretch waistband. Mom jeans also tend to end about 1-2" above the shoes showing just enough of her black socks to tease you. I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. "I am an evil giraffe, and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then perhaps I should, so that other giraffes may die” -Eddie Izzard

I'm not sure really how to put this, but I think I might agree with Crimson Spider. Either that or it's a stroke coming on. While I'm still for science 100%, I believe argueing over whether the big bang happened or someone made it happen is really going to get us no where, considering neither effects the proceeding usage and implementation of science. Crimson I believe we agree on that point. But don't get used to it.

[quote name='Crimson Spider']Intelligent Design has a level of naturalism to it as well. It assumes that the laws in the universe are made, and everything can be tested from there. There is no operable difference in sciences between atheistic science and naturalistic science, so both can be taught just fine. [/QUOTE] My understanding between I.D and scientific evolution is really the only difference is where it all started, from nothing or everything. So really both of these don't need to be taught because after different jump starts they quickly converge into the same path. And honestly I don't remember a lot of naturalism in high school, maybe I was just tuned out but I don't remember things that specific ever being addressed. The factual difference between these ideas comes down to whether the big bang just happened or God made it happen. If we just say that it happen and leave the reasons for the event occuring up to individual interpretation we might all be a little happier, since the cause for the big bang will probably never be discovered. So we're not damning the I.D people or supporting them.

This isn't looking half bad. Drizzt I'd like more of a run down of the suit's abilities that run standard, besides our individual suit power what do we all share. You covered this vaguely but if you could go into a bit more detail I'd appreciate it. I have some ideas I'd think you might be into. If you want to hear them, let me know and I'll PM them to you.

You may think them bias because you don't agree with what they say but I'd hardly consider the Tax Policy Center and Brookings Institute bias. If you'd like to continue to argue with me you can pm me but we should end this in this post. We're now bickering like old people.

"The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has stated that "creationism, intelligent design, and other claims of supernatural intervention in the origin of life or of species are not science because they are not testable by the methods of science." That's all. There is no more.

It's really as if you're completely ignoring everything I write down. I'm not assuming that McCain's health care plan will fail, I'm giving you expert opinions, hard numbers and basically outright common sense to refute the conservative twaddle you keep throwing against the wall, hoping it will stick. I'm tired of this argument, and your hot air is giving me a headache.