Flame Off!
I would not wish to be living in any other country in the entire world. That does not mean that I value a fireman or cop or soldier with more respect than I value a scientist, engineer, teacher or even a president and some of these may even have been awfully. I am not judging James or you or any vet on the merits of your past and future devotion to this country. People make choices in their lives. My uncle was a fly boy in WW II and my dad was a C.O. What is the difference? I thank all the people that served in the armed services that have helped to keep this country free and alive with discourse and I thank all the people that helped to try to keep a healthy perspective on living a good life and doing good for others less fortunate. Again, what is the difference?Is it more noble to die from a bullet in Afganistan or to be a teacher in Bedford-Stuyvestant or a bad section of L.A. or Baltimore who takes a cap in his head from some gang banger? I prefer to be more tolerant (read Liberal) and would rather let people make their choices in life and not get all hot under the collar about which is more right or noble. Remember my rant about how we are all hard wired to prefer our own group. Everyone does it. Think about it.If it makes you feel better, I do not think that you (r.w.) or James are a$$holes. You just think about things a little differently than I do which is why I have broken my own rule to not get into politics with boaters because the one thing I have in common with all of you here is a love of sailing, boating and the water and furthering my understanding with your help. For that I owe you all thanks. For pretending to deceive or even offending people on this forum is not an offense worth throwing a hand grenade into their fox hole or boat but it is still a free country the last time I checked (which was a while ago) so derision and scorn are still not on the list of DHS rules for boarding planes or wire tapping phone lines (I may be mistaken here). Scott from NJ, I need that political forum website url NOW!Lastly, I apologise for giving a full strength sarcastic reply full of irony and rubbing salt in the wounds of a member of the DOD who served this great country. It was just too easy and my point is that there are "jerks" of all stripes with differing points of view. If you can dish it out you had best be able to take it. Parting shot:Decider: (not in any dictionary yet except this one, again from the web and not my own creation) A decider is someone who makes decisions on issues using a lack of judgment and intelligence. Typically a decider has a propensity of sticking his head up his a$$. He usually lets even more idiotic people make the actual decisions for him.Apparently, The Decider is George W. Bush."I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."Divider: area 1/2 between 2 nipples on women tits = divider. (from a webstite - not my creation. Not to be confused with Divisor which usually works out to an even division of lengths or areas. This is a real word and not to be confused with any made up words that sound similar. It is also a nautical tool for figuring distances travelled on a nautical chart using a compass rose for orientation which you walk over a chart.Again, I apologize for those who have given and risked their lives so that I may make my observations from the comforts of my own home and dream about the forthcoming sailing season. Smooth seas and following winds to all and sorry to have perpetuated this thread longer than it maybe needed to be.Honest questions deserve honest answers.Thanks to all that feel the same.