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Study Links Smoking Bans to OWIs
Madistan.com ^ | April 3, 2008 | Alexandra Clinton

Posted on 04/03/2008 3:02:53 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

Enacting city smoking bans appears to increase drunken driving, a study of arrests conducted by Wisconsin researchers asserts.

A national study to be released by the Journal of Public Economics found an increase of fatal accidents involving alcohol after communities prohibited smoking, compared to arrests in communities without a ban.

The authors attribute that to people driving to places without a ban, and also to driving farther to find a place within a ban area that has an outdoor smoking accommodation, such as a patio.

"The increased miles driven by drivers who wish to smoke and drink offsets any reduction in driving from smokers choosing to stay home after a ban, resulting in increased alcohol-related accidents," the study says.

The authors, Scott Adams of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Economics Department and Chad Cotti, currently at the University of South Carolina, call the results "surprising."

"We thought we would see a reduction," Adams said. "Our first thought was, 'Throw it away, it must be wrong.' "

However, Adams said the claim is backed up by the data.

The 2-year study looks at highway fatality data involving a driver with blood alcohol content over 0.08 in cities and counties with bans and compares it to incidences in surrounding areas without bans. The study was not funded by outside organizations, the authors said.

Results show an increase in accidents in areas after smoking bans were enacted and near the jurisdiction lines.

Smoke Free Wisconsin Executive Director Maureen Busalacchi said she was skeptical.

"People travel to a myriad of places," Busalacchi said today. "How would you possibly control all those factors?"

Busalacchi said she did not agree with linking accidents to the ban because people could be traveling to drink for different reasons than just to smoke at a bar.

"How in the world you would figure out where people are traveling unless you are interviewing them?" she asked.

Adams said the results were comparable nationwide, with the exception of New England, where there are many smoking bans.

The study, which used data from 2001 to 2005, did not look at counties in Wisconsin.

The state was probably ruled out, Adams said, because Appleton and its ban was too small an area and data collection started before Madison's 2005 smoke ban.

Although Adams said he is not necessarily a policy advocate, he said a well-enforced national smoking ban would get rid of the drunken driving increases related to smoke bans.

Busalacchi said Wisconsin is getting closer to becoming smoke-free by passing community laws.

"Clearly, for the health of our public, we need to do this on a statewide basis, and clearly communities are moving pretty quickly," Busalacchi said.

Fitchburg's smoking ban started April 1, Eau Claire's will start July 1 and Marshfield residents just approved a ban Tuesday.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; nannystate; pufflist
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More unintended consequences from the Nanny Staters who know what's BEST for the rest of us.

Nah. They intended it. Ruin businesses, kill smokers? That's a no-brainer for Nanny Staters.

1 posted on 04/03/2008 3:02:53 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Although Adams said he is not necessarily a policy advocate, he said a well-enforced national smoking ban would get rid of the drunken driving increases related to smoke bans.

Great. Now we'll have the antismokers and the MADD types working together even more closely to usher in the Nanny State.

2 posted on 04/03/2008 3:09:30 PM PDT by timm22 (Think critically)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Study Links Smoking Bans to OWIs

Fooled me there for a moment. I read it as owls (hoot variety) instead of O.W.I's


3 posted on 04/03/2008 3:10:14 PM PDT by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
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To: capt. norm

That’s one handsome stone-cold killer. That heart-shaped face makes me think of a favorite Teddy Bear gone psycho, LOL!


4 posted on 04/03/2008 3:12:45 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Gabz

Psssst! Over here!


5 posted on 04/03/2008 3:13:17 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

What the heck is OWI?

Out While Intoxicated?

Operating With Immunity?

What?


6 posted on 04/03/2008 3:14:20 PM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: timm22

DC uses exactly that argument, to explain why the gun ban has never worked. The even used it in their brief to the USSC in Heller.


7 posted on 04/03/2008 3:19:00 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
I grew up on the farm in Iowa and having barn owls meant having a free rat/mouse extermination service.

On night we watched one of our adult barn owls catch a big Norway rat (about the same size as the owl) that we were afraid might turn the tables on the owl. Our worries were wasted as the owl very quickly dispatched the rat (would have taken our terrier 15 or 20 minutes...or at least it had in the past) and started dishing out servings to his nearly mature baby owls.

8 posted on 04/03/2008 3:22:12 PM PDT by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
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To: savedbygrace

OWI = Operating While Intoxicated.

Also known as “DUI” in some states.

DUI = Driving Under (the) Influence


9 posted on 04/03/2008 3:25:49 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: capt. norm

What a neat thing to see. My cats brought me a big, fat vole last night, LOL!

We did have a Great Horned Owl in our chicken coop a few summers ago. There was quite the ruckus down there at 2am; woke me up. Husband and I went to investigate and he was “roosting” right next to the chickens; didn’t hurt a one.

Husband got a sheet and chased him out. I was standing outside the coop while he did that, and when that owl flew past me (with about a 4 foot wing-span) he was completely silent in flight.

Death From Above. ;)


10 posted on 04/03/2008 3:29:17 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I recently read (probably here) that owls (screech, barn, hoot etc) are one of the most dangerous animals if they feel threatened, and inflict extreme damage on the persons stumbling upon them.


11 posted on 04/03/2008 3:33:23 PM PDT by txflake
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
OWI = Operating While Intoxicated.

A lawsuit in waiting. I'd insist on my doctor being sober. (what a dumb name for a DUI)

12 posted on 04/03/2008 3:35:45 PM PDT by TruthWillWin
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To: txflake
dangerous animals if they feel threatened, and inflict extreme damage on the persons stumbling upon them.

A survival mechanism....come after my "nest" and I'll become even more dangerous.

Unless you're seriously threatening their nest, no problem.

A highschool buddy of mine had sent off on an ad in Field & Stream for a predator call.

It's supposed to sound like a dying rabbit or whatever. One night we took it out to a wooded area behind his barn and we were going to try a lure a fox.

Didn't go that way at all. He only blew the thing about three times before a great horned owl swooped down and captured his baseball cap before we knew what was happening and took it up into the trees. That scene stuck with me for a long time...and effectively retired that predator call for a while at least.

13 posted on 04/03/2008 3:42:18 PM PDT by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
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To: capt. norm
If I ever happened on an owl nest, I'd be seriously threatening them (in their minds) because I love these birds and, prior to reading that article, definitely would have tried to peek in at the babies, and I'd be a statistic.

Screech owl

Hoot owl, big one

14 posted on 04/03/2008 3:49:35 PM PDT by txflake
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; Just another Joe; CSM; lockjaw02; Publius6961; elkfersupper; nopardons; ...

Nanny State PING.............


15 posted on 04/03/2008 4:00:34 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

bookmark


16 posted on 04/03/2008 4:05:11 PM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/Ron_Paul_2008.htm)
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To: txflake; ASOC

Three-toed sloth. Don’t ever get within arms reach of one.

Especially under the triple canopy, on a dark, dark, night, in the jungles of Panama.

And if you should bump into one, say with your face, because it is sleeping upside down, hanging from a black palm (watch for splinters from the palm - it takes hours of surgery to remove them), do not scream like a little girl, thus compromising the security of your entire long rang jungle patrol, and alerting every little kid within miles of your location, kids who will immediately appear, mysteriously, out of the jungle, offering their sisters for a case of c-rats, or a hefty bag of pot for any little thing, like the patrols m-60 machine gun, and do not, by all means, allow the sloth to touch you with its claws, as it will remove whatever it touches, in graphic an horrifying slow motion, all the while the remainder of your ranger buddies are still laughing at your terrified shreek, and telling jokes, like, “Hurry up - biscuit kitchen closes in an hour!”


17 posted on 04/03/2008 4:14:01 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
I think they got this completely wrong, driving distances has little to do with it. Smokers take breaks from drinking to smoke thus they drink less over the evening since they are smoking 20% of the time.

I dip myself and when I don’t have any I tend to compensate by over doing the booze.

18 posted on 04/03/2008 4:17:41 PM PDT by usurper (Spelling or grammatical errors in this post can be attributed to the LA City School System)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Smokers are staying home and non-smokers cannot handle their booze and they suck at driving too.

Case closed.


19 posted on 04/03/2008 4:21:45 PM PDT by Eaker (2 Thessalonians 3:10 “... He that will not work, neither should he eat.”)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Although Adams said he is not necessarily a policy advocate, he said a well-enforced national smoking ban would get rid of the drunken driving increases related to smoke bans.

That is EXACTLY what they are going for.

The OWI, DWI, DUI (or whatever) stats do not suprise me.

When we still lived in Delaware my husband and I frequently went to Maryland because of the smoker ban in Delaware.

After we moved to Virginia and got to know people bartenders and wait-staff were telling us how much their business had picked up because fo the Delaware ban. People who used to go to the Delaware beaches were coming here for vacation because of the ban.

Now that Maryland has banned smokers, business is picking up even more. My tips last Saturday night were more than triple what they were the week before and the majority of my customers were from Maryland. And don't forget, I tend bar in a members only private place - they can't smoke in them in Maryland.

Smoker bans are just a backdoor means of prohibition. Check out who is funding the anti-smoker groups. You will find out the same are also funding MADD, PETA, the anti-gun groups, etc.

People will drive further to be comfortable when spending their money.

20 posted on 04/03/2008 4:30:52 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: patton

Shall we guess how you know this???


21 posted on 04/03/2008 4:33:07 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom

Um, I may have been on that patrol - somewhere.

LOL


22 posted on 04/03/2008 4:37:20 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: ASOC

Only 156 words - not my best effort.

heheheheh


23 posted on 04/03/2008 4:40:00 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: metmom; leda

BTW, ASOC and I are playing a game - write the worst sentence you can come up with, most words, etc. The sentence should tell a story.

Of the “It was a dark and stormy night...” variety.

Feel free to join in.


24 posted on 04/03/2008 4:43:34 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Eaker

Yep. I knew that was going to happen.


25 posted on 04/03/2008 4:49:11 PM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Although Adams said he is not necessarily a policy advocate, he said a well-enforced national smoking ban would get rid of the drunken driving increases related to smoke bans.


SEZ:

Ach! Anozer desciple! More ve vill need!
Zose who vill live
by ze Nico-Nazi creed!

vich iss...

Mein life sucks! Zat much iss true!
I vill noot shtop until yours sucks, too!

26 posted on 04/03/2008 4:58:56 PM PDT by uglybiker (I do not suffer from mental illness. I quite enjoy it, actually.)
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To: patton; ASOC

Do the stories have to be true?

I can tell a mighty whopper, but I have some true hair-raisers, too.


27 posted on 04/03/2008 5:06:53 PM PDT by txflake
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

How much grant money did this fool get from the Gubmint tit to produce this nonsense?

Give me his money and I can prove the opposite from empirical evidence and personal experience.


28 posted on 04/03/2008 5:08:11 PM PDT by Eric Blair 2084 (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms shouldn't be a federal agency...it should be a convenience store.)
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To: txflake

Of course not - you know the difference between a war story and a fairy tale?

A fairy tale starts out, “Once upon a time...”

A war story starts out, “You ain’t gonna believe this ...”

Grandma used to say, “Grandpa tells a story once, and he likes it. He tells it twice, he believes it.”


29 posted on 04/03/2008 5:10:59 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; Gabz

thanks, bfl


30 posted on 04/03/2008 5:12:08 PM PDT by neverdem (I'm praying for a Divine Intervention.)
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To: patton; leda; coolbreeze

You’re one sick dude..........no wonder we get along so well. You’re no different than my husband, which explains why your wife and I get along so well.


31 posted on 04/03/2008 5:32:18 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz

Yes. ;)


32 posted on 04/03/2008 5:35:17 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Gabz

Hey there, Gabz. PA is having a tough time compromising on a no-smoking bill. It looks like they’re going to allow exceptions. Hope all is well.

http://www.eveningsun.com//ci_8781775?IADID=Search-www.eveningsun.com-www.eveningsun.com


33 posted on 04/03/2008 5:37:36 PM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: txflake; patton; ASOC

I can’t think of anything that’s happened to me that would compare to the sloth story, so it couldn’t be true.


34 posted on 04/03/2008 5:46:13 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: metmom

“True” is not a metric in this game.

Actually, the opposite - stormy weather.


35 posted on 04/03/2008 5:49:26 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Yup.. another suprise to the anti smokers..

And I wish they would stop calling it “Smoke Free”

If the government takes something AWAY from you, its not “free”


36 posted on 04/03/2008 5:52:23 PM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: patton

Weather? Right up my alley....


37 posted on 04/03/2008 5:54:37 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; capt. norm

The only thing my cats ever bring me are mice.......LOL

But that means there are no mice in the house or snakes in the barn, so it’s a good thing.

Oh and I do believe my oldest cat brought me new kittens today. She definitely was not as round this afternoon as she was this morning.


38 posted on 04/03/2008 6:04:36 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
And every time that they are confronted with the failure or the unintended consequences of their actions their solution is to become more draconian.

You vill obey!

39 posted on 04/03/2008 6:07:57 PM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: patton; Arrowhead1952; ASOC
Honey-dripping luminescent killer bee hive.

Don’t slither under one at high noon in the Texas hill country at springtime, when the sun is simmering up all the scents of the landscape, including my Anne Klein perfume (floral/oriental overtones, subtle cinnamon notes).

Especially under the dense cedar canopy, all entertwined together, creating an interlocked fence that you cannot escape in a straight line, at high speed from, without incurring gaping slash wounds as you thrash through the break, because when you accidentally stuck your face up in hive while you were hunting arrowheads (following an impressive Root Beer chert trail), twenty bees immediately attack you, setting the whole hive alive and bloodthirsty, and when you screamed like the girl you are, swatting, thrashing the stinging bees off you (who incidentally are incited by carbon dioxide exhalation), even though you'd been silent as an Apache, you set off all the neighbor dogs, and their owners, who heard what appears like a girl being murdered on their ranchette and subsequently called the police and by the time you ravage your way from the hive, cut and bleeding, stung, there is a game warden to arrest you for trespassing, since the cops had no jurisdiction.

40 posted on 04/03/2008 6:12:10 PM PDT by txflake (Is this a whopper or the truth?)
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To: patton

Patton, your story is much better than mine. The only thing that’s knocked me down in the field is a white tail doe I stumbled over while she was bedding down at dusk. ;)


41 posted on 04/03/2008 6:37:38 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: GOP_Lady
You should check out Dr. Mike Siegel's blog.

There is a truly amazing poster there by the name of Bill Godshall who is one of the major players in the PA anti-smker movement.

This guy is absolutely awesome.......according to him smokers are the equivalent of child abusers, child rapists, murders, arsonists, and every other miscreant on the planet you can think of.

But it gets better, not only is he a former 3 pack a day smoker, he promotes use of non-smoking tobacco products such as chew and snuff as being healthier than smoking.

This guy is too delusional to be considered seriously and I'm personally happy for his participation for the comedic effect.

42 posted on 04/03/2008 6:45:36 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz
Thanks, Gabz. I've bookmarked it. Take care. :-)
43 posted on 04/03/2008 7:13:52 PM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: Gabz; patton

the things that amuse... ;)


44 posted on 04/03/2008 7:13:56 PM PDT by leda (don't forget the baby shoes)
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To: txflake

LOL - I like it. word count?

And BTW, you are only allowed one sentence in the post - I commited a style violation of the game in my last entry, because I was struck with sudden inspiration in the middle of a discussion about something that was completely unrelated (though I forget what). Sloths or bees or owls, something.


45 posted on 04/03/2008 7:39:45 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Oh, the DOE was bedding down.

(Sorry, I misread it)

lol


46 posted on 04/03/2008 7:42:19 PM PDT by patton (cuiquam in sua arte credendum)
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To: patton

That was a true story.

I’ll study your rules and submit another true story, and also a completely tall-texas-tale one or two. But first I’ll work on the mountain lion script, or maybe the 12-ft rattlesnake one.


47 posted on 04/03/2008 7:46:06 PM PDT by txflake
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To: patton

Took me 10 min to stop laughing to where I can type. 3 toed sloth my a$$, it had to be a cariblanco triste doing the dirty and you got so involved in taking notes, for a wildlife film that you will make, like someday - that you ran into the little dude, maybe..... I know RANGERS!

For everyone
The source
http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

One sentaence
avoid dashs, semicolons are all but verboten as are parenthecial comments (like this).

Should have one main theme and as amny sub-sort-of-related themettes as you want.

Let me get warmed up - DUI/OWL stories here we come.....

How about the one where the gate guard at Ft Benning got mooned? Well, got hit in the face while being mooned?

Also does DUI=OWL=SFD?


48 posted on 04/03/2008 8:10:31 PM PDT by ASOC (I know I don't look like much, but I raised a US Marine!)
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To: ASOC

No dashes, semi-colons or parenthesis.

Got it.

Plus I can lie through my teeth, right?


49 posted on 04/03/2008 8:21:51 PM PDT by txflake
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To: txflake
LOL

the more the merrier - we prefer the term “liberal interpolating” or just plain wild. We got some odd comments on the Death Dog thread (robot dog thread a couple of days back)

Go check the link - they have some real stinkers posted there!

50 posted on 04/03/2008 8:29:52 PM PDT by ASOC (I know I don't look like much, but I raised a US Marine!)
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