Your Attention Please [Breaking News and WoD Flamewars]

[Admin Moderator]

Since my last vanity announcement on keywords went so swimmingly (it ended up with something like 5000 keywords added to it) I thought a great idea would be to throw some propane on some other fires with a vanity.

Breaking news is being abused again, big time. This goes in cycles, with sometimes people being responsible, but other times people not being very responsible.

We are in one of the not-very time periods.

Please, do not post something in Breaking News because you think it is something you want people to see. Place something in Breaking News only if it is

1. Something the networks would interrupt their programming to say,
2. The networks would interrupt their programming to say if they weren't overwhelmingly liberal,
3. Something that honestly would (not should, would) be of interest to majority of self-described conservatives
4. Official chapter announcements

Or things along those lines. Don't consider that a list of rules, but of guidelines. But act as if the guidelines matter, please. And flame the heck out of people that don't. And provide appropriate feedback to people who don't.

Some things that are never breaking news: Stories that have been posted before, stories that are over a day old, opinion vanities, freep this poll, or anything from the op-ed section of any newspaper.

Now, on to the WoD [War on Drugs] flamewars. There are a few problems with them. The flaming on them is tremendous. It is wrong for several reasons, and it should stop and the first thing we are going to do to try to get them to stop is to make a request for them to stop. If you feel the need to flame someone for something they say on one of these threads, do this (and yes, it involves a lot more work than just hitting reply, but such is life):

1. Post a copy of the article to the Smokey Backroom
2. Ping your flamee to that copy.
3. Go to town over there and keep the crap off the main forum.

Instead of hitting abuse on someone on a WoD thread right away (unless it is extremely bad), please just advise them to do what I am saying here- take it to the backroom. Link them to this if need be. And if you don't want to get into a flamewar, leave it at that. If you do, then join them in the backroom and have at it. The WoD flamewars overwhelm the latest posts page with a neverending sequence of posts that are just mindless insults. Please, spare us, and don't try to put it on the moderators to determine who fired the first shot. There are rarely clean hands here, and no matter what we do one side or another is going to complain.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Freeping. I expect no fewer than 500 taunts at us in the keywords here before this is over. Thank you, and God Bless. ;-)

[dennisw]

Noelle Bush is not a dealer. My program is to execute those who sell large volumes of cocaine and other hard drugs. Consumers get treated.

[Senator Pardek]

My bad (sorry) - I was referring to CJ wanting Ms. Bush to be "force overdosed".

[Cultural Jihad]

Not really, Senator. I was only offering up to the thread a solution I had heard from someone else. I happen to be against the death penalty altogether, regardless of the crime.

[Badray]

"Stirring up trouble again I see."

Moi? Why, of course I am. It's my job.

"How's the harem coming along?"

Just fine. Started building a new one here last week. It's always fun, but darned expensive to get them started unless I can get them to volunteer and pick up the tab. LOL

And how are you, my good lady? Still hanging with Terrible McAwful? So far it hasn't hurt your reputation, but I wouldn't advise it for the long term. ;-)

[Libertina]

No hanging with McAwful, that's for sure. Dry cleaning bill too expensive. ;)

[Rocky]

I've been itching to post something really new and unique. Would the following qualify as Breaking News?

Paul Harvey Writes:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

We secure our friends, not by accepting favors, but by doing them.

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks, CJ.

Timesink, as per our agreement not posting for 72 hours mark: now. Hee hee. See, it's *much easier* when the suspension is self-imposed.

:) What are you doing even READING this. Best not to lurk. Go out, enjoy nature, avoid the computer, drink beer, be well. Books, so many books to read. May I recommend Notra Trulock's "Kindred Spirits." It's a great read!

[Badray]

" Dry cleaning bill too expensive."

Dry cleaning won't help. Burn them. Warning - take clothes off before burning. (I just don't wanna be sued.)

[bvw]

Hogarth: Gin Lane

Gin Lane is arguably Hogarth’s most famous work of engraved art. Along with its companion, Beer Street, Gin Lane addressed a very real problem in mid eighteenth century England -- the abuse of spirits by the working classes and the poor. In the right foreground an emaciated ballad singer has just passed away. His left hand still clutches his bottle. Even worse, a drunken woman is taking her snuff while her unattended baby falls to his death in front of the Gin Royal Tavern. Behind the wall a man and his dog fight for a bone. Further back, a man pawns his coat and saw and his wife her kitchen utensils for a few more drinks. The sour faced pawn broker is appropriately named, “S. Gripe”. Both his wealthy home and clothes stand in direct contrast to the ruination around. Only pawn brokers, coffin makers and distillers profit in such a society.

Various scenes of mayhem fill the street in the background. Murder and other forms of violence are anything but uncommon. Above a disrepaired building is about to crash to the ground and in the ruins of another house a man has committed suicide. Below him, the ‘Kilman Distiller’ has made a thriving trade by selling its gin to school children.

Hogarth’s Gin Lane had an immediate impact. During the same year it was published, parliament passed the Gin act which regulated the sale of alcohol.

Source: artoftheprint.com

---

Regulated, not banned. Gin is available nearly everywhere today, through regulated sales, however "Gin Lanes" are rare. A free society has adapted social mores and social wisdoms regarding gin use, has evovled and developed the moderate set of regulations that now exist. Not monolithic: in some areas it is completly dry, in others, very wet. Such local variety helps social adaptation.

[Cultural Jihad]

We want Timesink to be here among his conservative friends, and to be happy, too. Thanks for all your help!

[Boot Hill]

bvw says:   "...and to issue Letters of Marque and Rebuke."

Rebuke?

To:   Osama bin Laden
Subject:   Terrorism

You're a very, very bad man!

Regards,

U.S. Congress

--Boot

[Boot Hill]

dennisw suggests:   "My program is to execute those who sell large volumes of cocaine and other hard drugs."

And what do we do with all the drugs we catch them with? I propose we package it all up in dime baggies and we air drop the entire cache over every square inch of France, Germany and Belgium. (Or am I being entirely too sadistic?)

Regards,

--Boot

[CWOJackson]

My, you do love to get on the threads and act so brave when you are sure that the person you are speaking to is gone...which is not surprising.

And you really should get over Nevada. Having your ass handed to you by a Don Knotts type isn't unConstitutional...hillarious but not unConstitutional. Humilitating...

[Roscoe]

You left out the part where you post the Commerce Clause

And the actual text of the laws. And Congressional findings of facts. And the words of Founding Fathers and of historical authorities. And ballot statements. And court decisions.

Pesky old facts.

[Roscoe]

Any thoughts about which one?

[Roscoe]

Yah, one little man that spent countless millions

No source for that "fact", naturally.

[CWOJackson]

When you're publicly bit#$ slapped by Don Knott's timid brother you have to make up some kind of excuse.

[Roscoe]

[Admin Moderator]

B-b-b-b-b-b-ad. Bad to the bone. Thanks, AM

[weikel]

A noble effort

A war against reality.