Okay, I think the duck has it easier, especially when it comes to mating. Interesting too, that often in the bird kingdom, especially amongst ducks that the males are the ones gussied up in pretty colors to attract a mate, instead of the other way around like in most human cultures. We humans tend to over-complicate things when it comes to finding a mate. Ducks don't seem too distressed about what's for dinner, either.

I always enjoy reading your posts, dragoness.

Not "hatred or mistrust" but accountabilty, critical, vigilance, informed, and skeptical of the almighty gov. Something we should all be mindful of, whatever political ideology we belong to.

s1ow, stop watching FoxNews and follow the money trail. We were dead wrong when it came to following the money trail of state-funded terrorism. We seem to have some allies with one hand behind their back wielding a very sharp and jagged blade. The most dangerous enemies are the ones who claim to be your friends.

jezi, you have friends and potential friends here on Mingle, and friends in your community, and family that will help you get through this. I know it's hard, we all do, but you'll survive, and you'll be stronger, and one day soon, you'll be ready to find love again with someone true and honest and loyal to only you.

I'd love to go back but all those bridges are burned.

Okay, lets have a comparison. Human or a duck? Who has it easier, and why?

However, these all being good and everything, but her personality better be on par or below par(golf analogy), no triple bogeys, no mulligans. I'm not a trained psychotherapist, no PhD in that field for me. So if she doesn't have her shiznit together, she needs to keep on walkin.'

Jezi, if I had a time-machine I would do one of two things:

1) Tell her(my crazy drunk bi-polar Aussie ex) to pizz-off and leave me alone at the moment she first met me.


2) Threw her out on the street the moment I first found out she cheated, and change the locks. Fun to do on a cold winter night when she's not wearing any clothes.


I know, it's hard, and you love him, or you did, but your heart will be smashed into a million pieces if you stay with with him. I know this from personal experience.

It's not "stupid" per say, but it is unwise, and extremely difficult. The same can be said about cheating gf's too, just as fraught with lies, deceit, treachery, and lack of remorse. I don't want to sound to harsh, dear, but based on my own personal exp, DUMP the BUM!!!!


I'm sensing a growing consensus already on this thread topic.

Okay, I'm dumb, so you'll have to whittle this "vague" question down a bit? "Easy" how? Survival(predator/prey/lifespan), mating, finding a mate, foraging for food? Which category would you like to discuss?

Oh, except one of the key players is Saudi Arabia. Gee, it's a shame we can't attack them.


"Rewarding Suicide Bombers
Among the documents found in Tulkarm was a table from Saudi Arabia itemizing the tenth set of payments to the "Martyrs of the Al-Aqsa Intifada." The table details how $545,000 was allocated to 102 families. The logo at the top of the table reads: "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Committee for Aid to the Al-Quds Intifada." This committee was established in the fall of 2000 under the Saudi Minister of the Interior, Prince Nayef bin 'Abd al-Aziz. Prince Nayef's organization was also responsible for collecting Saudi contributions during the April 11 telethon for Palestinian "martyrs" on Saudi state television.

The table explains the type of activity that entitled a family to receive Saudi assistance:

According to the document, Abd al-Fatah Muhammad Musalah Rashid, number 15 on the list, died in a "martyrdom act." The individual involved was a member of the pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad who died in a car-bomb attack at Beit Lid on September 9, 2001, for which he was responsible. Eight Israelis were wounded.

Abd al-Karim Amr Muhammad Abu Na'sa, who appears as number 17 in the Saudi table, is described as having died in a "martyrdom act in Afula." This is a reference to his suicide bombing on behalf of Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Afula on November 27, 2001. Forty-six Israelis were wounded.

There is no doubt that when the document refers to a "martyrdom act" -- amliyya itishaddiyya -- it is referring to suicide attacks. A martyr, or "shahid" in Arabic, is an individual who gave his life in a holy war -- or in a Jihad -- and is therefore entitled to automatic entry into Paradise after his death, according to Islamic tradition. The term "martyr" has thus become synonymous with suicide bombers or those who died attacking Israelis. Israel has been able to determine that at least eight of the beneficiaries of Saudi aid are the families of suicide bombers.

Other "martyrs" on the Saudi list may not have been suicide bombers, but were well known for their past involvement in terrorism. Thus, number 68, Mahmud Abu Hanud, was the commander of Hamas for the West Bank. Number 8, Atef Abiyat, commanded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Bethlehem. His name was well known to those who engaged in peace process matters since Yasser Arafat promised the European Union that he was in prison while he moved about freely until his death.

When a potential suicide bomber knows that his family will be handsomely rewarded with financial aid after his death, his motivation to undertake suicide operations increases. Thus, Saudi aid promotes terrorism directly."

http://www.jcpa.org/art/brief1-23.htm

Yes indeed my love this Thursday, this week. Getting rather close isn't it? It's like witnessesing the countdown of the Space Shuttle and hoping everything goes okay and there's no weather or technical delay. But in the end, if all goes well, you'll have a successful launch. T-minus 68 hours 10 minutes until liftoff.

With the invasion of Tibet in 1950 and the subsequent Seventeen Point Agreement, the PRC asserted control over Tibet.

Chinese sources generally claim progress towards a prosperous and free society in Tibet, with its pillars being economic development, legal advancement, and peasant emancipation. These claims, however, have been refuted by the Tibet Government-in-Exile and some indigenous Tibetans, who claim of genocide in Tibet from the Chinese government, comparing it to Nazi Germany. The official doctrine of the PRC classifies Tibetans as one of its 56 recognized ethnic groups and part of the greater Zhonghua Minzu or multi-ethnic Chinese nation. Warren Smith, an independent scholar and a broadcaster with the Tibetan Service of Radio Free Asia, whose work began to focus on Tibetan history and politics after spending five months in Tibet in 1982, portrays the Chinese as "chauvinists" who believe they are superior to Tibetans, and claims that the Chinese Communist Party uses torture, coercion and starvation to control the Tibetan population.

Now it would seem that some pretty bad things are being done to the citizens of Tibet under the regime of Chinese imperialism. Yet, the United States is not swooping in for an attack against China to save the poor Tibetans. I use this as an example because, yes, indeed, there are brutal regimes and conflicts, and tortures and killings going on in this world all of the time, but the U.S. does not go in and interfere with an all out assault and drawn out war. With two recent exceptions. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not ours to fight, and they were for the wrong reasons. People suffering under a regime warrants a response of diplomacy and humanitarian assistance, not bombs and bullets. A direct attack against us or a close ally of the US would warrant an armed response.

Just curious, let's say that the ones who attacked us on 9/11 were proven to be Mexican terrorists. Now play along with me here. Would it make any logical sense to plan and execute a war with Venezuela and Colombia following this tragic event? I don't think so! So why are we fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Seems a little strange, if you use the hypothetical above scenario.

Exactly. And some people might want to keep their emotions in check regarding the Iraq War. If you look at it from a cost standpoint, money spent, destruction caused, lives lost, political instability in the region, Iraqis were certainly better off under the Saddam Regime than they are now. But alas we cannot undo what we have done, only find an answer to making things better. Unfortunately that solution is still over the horizon.

Okay, now that it's a little clearer.

A) Her B.S. answer of breaking up with the previous guy because they were "too different" is a big load of bull. I'm afraid I would require a more detailed and honest answer from her then that flim-flam excuse.

B) She seems like she already knew she was knocked-up from this guy before she told you, and probably before she dumped the previous guy.

C) Plans to hang out? Please tell me this would mean nothing more than a visit to the rec-center, or going fishing, or perhaps seeing a movie together, maybe even dining out once for a friendly dinner? No moving-in, no romance, no anything of that sort? You did say friends I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right.

D) Her getting pregnant and being a possible single-mom is nothing even close to you being put in a wheelchair from being the victim of a hit-and-run DUI. She'll miss out on some things, maybe. Probably your summer plans. But she can walk, you can't. I know you need a friend, but this particular friend looks a little suspect from the way you are describing her. Please be careful. As Andy hinted, she may not be all she appears to be, and YOU will be the one that gets hurt, by HER.

Try wording it this way:

Here's my situation. I would love to hear some advice from all of you on this issue.

I had "met" this amazing friend. Everyone thought we were a sure thing and would probably fall in love sooner or later. Now, I learn that she broke up with a guy two months ago and also found that Friday she had just learned that she is pregnant. I felt like leaving, but thought that I would miss her friendship too much.

Really hurtin' about this. Could use a friend.................

Heres the story: Now, I am in a wheelchair and stuff (later on I'll explain why I told you that). OK. A few months ago she dated a guy. Two months later, she noticed that they were too different. Now, I met her, and she completely blows me away. Her personality is so excellent and everything. Plus she's the most beautiful thing. It's been pretty amazing hanging out with her and stuff.......Now, we started making plans to hang out alot this summer.....OK

; fast forward to a few days ago. She had to keep running to the bathroom to throw up. I asked her why she didn't call in sick if she didn't feel well. That's when she told me that she'd have problems for the next nine months. Later she told me about the previous guy in her life and how she didn't want to marry him. I immediately felt that maybe instead of going through with our plans to hang out this summer; maybe I should turn away and give this guy a chance to hang out with her. I mean he is trying to be there for her and take care of her. But then, I also would hate missing out on the fun things we had planned...

Now, the whole problem is that I do not want her fate sealed like mine was. I woke up in a hospital bed one morning after being hit by a drunk driver, and I knew my life would never be the same. I missed out on alot of fun in my life; do I dismiss our plans and have her miss out on the fun we could've had, or do I stay between her and the father of her child?

No prob, Equus. This particular truth hurts because I guess, once upon a time, you "were" interested in this dude. But it seems he turned out to be a dill-weed and he's better left forgotten as a waste of your precious time and he basically disrespected you . You deserve so much better than guys like that.

I like "bar-hopping divorcees." Has a nice ring to it.

Then there's the ones that aren't divorced yet, we'll just call them "hell-hounds," or "adulterous harlots," either is suitable.