Not one damned thing that I said that offended you was innaccurate. You do often behave like an insufferable ass, for whatever motivation may be behind it.

Yes, I AM both well read and well educated. I take pride in those things and work hard to overcome my typographic errors that bother me far more than they seem to bother others. I apologize if you were, and are, insufficiently aware of the humorous intent of my comment about being "off target" so badly. I have no doubt that you qualified at the minimum skill level with a pistol in order to receive a commisson as a law enforcement officer. That's how the system works everywhere we authorize people to carry weapons and use them, when necessary. I too have taken those same skill tests and many more and more than excelled in all of them. SO WHAT!?!? My comment was directed toward your intellectual aim and it stands as presented on that basis alone. I am truly sorry you did not understand that. Others did.

You obviously have little or no understanding of my life or you would never make such assinine statements about me "comtemplating a lackluster life." My life has never lacked "luster." The only thing I can see it has lacked is a promise of more years than presently seem likely for me. Because I realize that my time here has become somewhat of a short-timers calendar, I find myself less willing to suffer mindless and unsupported bigotry and hatred such as the kind you spew so regularly. I refused to accept such bile from an Arabic friend and client recently, refusing to do any more work for him or to even continue to associate with someone who is so mindlessly anti-semetic and bigotted as he is.

I know that you take a certain personal perverse pleasure in "stirring sh*t from time to time, just to get things going." Sometimes that is funny, but you have exceeded the limits of maturity and common courtesy with this series of posts. It is no longer "cute."

My comments about doing your own homework remain accurate and correct. The rest of us find time to read and educate ourselves. Perhaps we give up other pursuits you find more enjoyable in order to accomplish this self-education and awareness. Usually it is possible to garner the information I have related here while doing other things, or in brief moments of self improvement during what might have otherwise been "down" time throughout the day. You see, I am capable of multitasking and so are most people. However, it is always a personal choice which multiple "tasks" are to be addressed and accomplished. I use my choices to learn and grow.

Re-examine your crass, classless comments about President George W. Bush and see if you can find EVEN ONE of the despicable accusations you have made about the man that can be supported by provable, documentable FACTS. You come off as vitriolic and hate-filled. There is no place here for that, and I pray that I never am reduced to that as a form of humor or am ever tempted into using such unacceptable debating techniques.

Your mindless insistence in shutting out all other sources of information guarantees you will remain uninformed or, at best, only poorly informed and aware of facts. I listen, read and watch viewpoints from all manner of people of all political and social leanings, including Carville, Begala, Donahue and all the rest. I also listen to what North, Limbaugh (though seldom), Boortz, Wills, Liddy and others say as well. Then I use those inputs as my starting point and go from there. I take none of them on either side as gospel, but neither do I dismiss any because of my own personal opinions and prejudices. Your own words prove irrefutably that you do not practice this balance in your research or intake of information.

Your comments could be about Clinton and I would be equally offended. You just don't to seem to have what it takes to comprehend that viewpoint. Should you accuse him of being a liar - he admitted it after he got caught - a sexual predator, a corrupt political animal of no conscience or moral codes, I would say nothing in opposition to your remarks. HOWEVER, if your comments about Clinton were as baseless and simply mindless venom such as that you spit out at President Bush and his father, I would also demand better behavior from you. I would remnd you that most politicians provide us with far more than sufficient ammunition to attack them without having to fabricate any. Calling a man who has the onerous burden of his office in these troubling times a "war mongering buffon" is stupidly mindless and out of place in adult conversation of any type, including political. Remember that Clinton is the one who bombed Iraq withouut asking UN approval on the same day and at the same time the House was voting on his impeachment. Where were your words of hatred then? It takes a truly and uncommonly low human being to make such an unprovable charge without any form of proof of the assertation. Don't do it here.

The remainder of my commments were specifically accurate, though the unarguable truthfulness of them may have offended you. George W. Bush has succeeded on his own and attained a degree from a prestigious institution of higher learning. There is nothing in his past or present that would indicate he is corrupt or is of low moral character and much to show that he is not.

Your classification of George W. as a "playboy"is comic considering your past impassioned and smugly accepting defenses of Clinton's gravity defying zipper and morality. Provide proof to back up your statement or shut the Hell up! It's a simple premise. A man of honor and dignity would admit his error in making such a false and still heinous (to some) accusation and apologize for his wrong doing. Instead, you choose to get in a huff because I called your hand on it. As much personal dislike and disdain as I harbor for James E. Carter, I would not permit you to make such false acccusations against him without challenge here.

You consistently claim things are not so because you did not learn of them personally before being told of their existence, then you demand approval of the source of that material. This is an INTELLECTUAL GARDEN OF IDEAS. It does not thrive with, or on, a diet of manure so stop spreading it. Help us teach one another. Assist in leading one another to knowledge, not mindless hatred and political cheerleading for someone because he is good at being sleazy. Don't ever be afraid to say, "I don't know..." That is an easily cured condition that starts with the next phrase from your mouth, "... but I will learn."

Had your request for source material on the subject of the Maine (and elsewhere) teachers not been couched in your standard bile-filled drivel, it would have gotten a much different answer than it did. See my prior series of posts on properly posed questions. You did not ask for help. You used your lack of knowledge to immediately dispute its veracity and attack people who make your life miserable by being right when you aren't so damned often.

As I said, post here in any manner that you please except with mindless hatred and trash mouth attacks. Say anything positive or negative about President Bush that you can back up with factual data and you will have done us all a favor. Continue to spew garbage here without useful purpose and all you will get in the future is ignored,or if you go too far, deleted.

Those who do not know us as well as others may see this as an extremely heated argument. They are wrong. I like Joe and he and I actually agree on many things. This is not one of them and I reserve my right to tell him when he has been boorish and rude, as he has repeatedly been this time. I just came from his forum where I posted what I hope was a thoughtful message about beliefs and heroes. The exchanges there are far milder than has been the case with his recent posts here. He doesn't say the same things there he feels are acceptable to say here because he thinks they are somehow "funny."

They aren't.