catesta

Have a great one!

Grilled chicken breast with a lemon basil sauce and a rotini pasta salad.

Sellout!

A message from the X-Games medical staff: "hey dude. we got the best in the business, the fuckin' best man!, so back the fuck off" "you're just pissed 'cuz ur old" "yeah man, u don't know me!"

Nah, you take it. I'll stick to broccoli! I know cauliflower and broccoli are somewhat similar, but I can't stand the former and love the latter. The orange variety is a different tasta, give it a shit. Two out of three leading Mooses recommend it.

It's very weird to me that people get agitated about genetically-modified plants, given that we've been genetically modifying plants for hundreds or even thousands of years. Guy Absolutely. In a landscape many of the trees, shrubs, and turf we see are a result of modifications. On the dinner table as well. In most cases the new fruits and veggies are actually better for us, take orange cauliflower as an example.

Looked more like three paramedics working for free tickets. While all of them did nothing but sit and look at him, my favorite was the fat guy that stopped about 6 feet away to sit and look at him. It's almost as if he didn't want to get too close and grossed out in case there was blood or a bone sticking out.

That guy must be made of rubber. I'm most surprised "the best medical staff in the business" allowed him to walk off like that, dude could have had some major internal injuries.

heh heh Something about Tom Jones seems to make it work.

Sorry to hear about that. Best wishes and thoughts to you and your wife.

It's not like taxes have not been raised since the 80s, so I don't know that it's so much a lack of funding rather than funds that have been mis-spent (war included). But you are right about politicians in general. There are bills going to the floor everyday with all kinds of bullshit new spending attached to them. It seems most politicians are more interested in having new shit built in their name in their home towns rather than take care of necessary business. Apologies to Jim for this thread taking a political turn.

Bridge was rated 'deficient' By Dan Browning | McClatchy-Tribune Information Services August 2, 2007 MINNEAPOLIS - The highway bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River on Wednesday was rated as "structurally deficient" two years ago and possibly in need of replacement. That rating was contained in the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database. Jeanne Aamodt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said the department was aware of the 2005 assessment of the bridge. "We've seen it, and we are very familiar with it," she said. Aamodt said the department plans its bridge repairs using information from the Bridge Inventory database. Many other bridges nationwide carry the same designation that the I-35W bridge received, Aamodt said. Aamodt declined to say what the agency was going to do to address the deficiencies found in 2005 and referred further questions to Dan Dorgan, state bridge engineer and director of the bridge office. Dorgan wasn't available for comment. The deficiency rating is derived from a complex formula that evaluates many factors and condenses them into an overall score. A score of 80 percent or less indicates some rehabilitation may be needed; a 50 percent score or less indicates replacement may be in order. The I-35W bridge was rated at 50 percent. The rating data was provided to the Star Tribune by the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting. The inventory data also summarize the bridge's status as "structurally deficient." Bridge components are ranked on a scale of 0 to 9, with 0 being "failed" and 9 being "excellent." In 2005, the bridge's superstructure -- meaning the physical conditions of all structural members -- was rated at 4, records show. The bridge's deck was rated 5, and the substructure, comprised of the piers, abutments, footings and other components, was rated 6. In 2001, a research report on the bridge had found that it was unlikely to experience any fatigue cracking in the trusses supporting its deck. The paper, prepared by the University of Minnesota's Center for Information Studies, evaluated both the main trusses and the floor truss of the bridge. The report by the late Robert J. Dexter and others, concluded that the bridge's deck "has not experienced fatigue cracking, but it has many poor fatigue details on the main truss and floor truss system." The authors said their research helped determine that "fatigue cracking of the deck truss is not likely." They added that the bridge shouldn't have any problems with fatigue cracking "in the forseeable future" and that there was no need to "prematurely replace this bridge because of fatigue cracking, avoiding the high costs associated with such a large project." However, the report noted "many poor fatigue details" and said certain members of the main truss should be inspected every two years, as was being done at the time. In addition, the report said, certain sections of the floor trusses had high stress areas that should be inspected every six months. Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday night that the bridge was inspected in 2005 and 2006, and that no structural deficiencies were identified. Workers had been engaged since early May on a resurfacing project on the bridge that was to conclude in September. It included the installation of guard rails and lighting. The span carried the name Bridge 9340 in the books of the state Department of Transportation, although it originally was dubbed the St. Anthony Bridge. The steel-arch structure, opened in 1967, carried 140,000 cars a day at last count, in 2002, its 1,907 feet spanning eight lanes.

I thought I heard on the radio that an engineer was saying it more than likely was the steel.

This is one of those things you think will never happen. I mean bridges go down as a result of natural disasters and shit, but you usually don't expect one to collapse because of structural failure. I've thought about it though, while being stuck in traffic, mainly the Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges. I know they are supposed to flex and bend and all but that shit can make you a little uncomfortable when at a stand still.

I didn't mean to imply....

Years ago I was living in a condo with paper thin walls. I thought the dude next door was playing a trombone but it turned out to be gas.

Spaghetti w/marinara and Calabrese sausage.

No, but I've yelled AT the neighbors for practicing. Not music though, just stupidity.

I've found that far more often than not, the classy hotels charge an arm and a leg for wireless internet, whereas it is almost always free at Days Inn, Holiday Inn, etc. It has started to factor into my travel decisions, since I am always traveling on business and need that connection -- and think it is a total rip off to have to pay for it on top of an already ridiculous day rate. Very true and I didn't mean to imply I skip places like Holiday Inn. I was saying more that I will pay the extra dollars to stay at a place I prefer (with wireless ) and trust, even though it may not the cheapest option.

Back in the '70s I used the Eastern shuttle. Screw trains. I'm terrified of flying and it's gotten worse over the years. I share the fear of flying but am having to do it more and more. I get a little drugged up now and it has helped a lot. Still, I will pay more to travel a specific carrier or aircraft and a schedule only to my liking. Another thing I refuse to skimp on is hotels. Not that I book into a Waldorf type place everywhere I go, but I'll drop a few extra bucks for a nicer joint. Things already mentioned... shoes and clothes beer and liquor (can't say the same for wine. I seem to enjoy the cheap stuff just fine) food sunglasses toilet paper (no doubt ) and as for hookers......, well...., I'm not going to say A few more... furniture cars (I'm not talking Bentley or anything, but I spend a lot of time in one and need a certain amount of comfort) watches special occasion gifts for family and close friends

I can't help but laugh everytime I see something mentioned about how she has "changed" after jail. What a crock of shit.

Anything is possible. After all, OJ is a free man.

There is an outside chance that Goodspeak is actually Barry Bonds. That would at least explain his kookiness.

You're right there are, were, and always will be plenty of assholes in sports. And of course Bonds is not the only one using steroids, past or present. That is obvious as hell. He is though, the one about to break Aaron's record, so the spotlight is on him. Where did you get those numbers at? In a poll conducted by MSNBC just a few days ago, the numbers are quite different... MSNBC This ESPN poll matches your numbers more closely, but you left out the fact that 73% of those polled believe Bonds uses Steroids. ESPN I got those numbers from a poll done a couple months a go. These new polls should suggest to you that the media is attempting to do some damage control. I mean, think about it, you have a multi-billion dollar organization which has been bitching about Bonds, with no actual proof, what would you do? Answer: Take another poll which favors your prejudice.. So, should we discount polls about politicians, war, music, and favorite colors? I mean, what you're saying is that the people reporting and taking these polls are twisting the numbers to make the outcome whatever they want. Or polling to the exact select group that will give them the answers they want. Or maybe they're skipping right over the process of even conducting the poll and just publishing numbers the way they see it. I'm convinced. Fuck it, I'm convinced, Barry deserves a break and at this point I don't see why he should even have to hit one more fucking time. JUST GIVE HIM THE TITLE YOU BASTARDS! BARRY!..BARRY!..BARRY!..BARRY!..BARRY!..BARRY!.. Do you follow politics at all? Yeah...this kind of thing never happens, huh. Well, I'm sure Bush will be happy to know that his approval rating is much better than recent polls indicate. Congress should also expect some good news as well.