Shuke-D

Mistah Kemp-he dead. A penny for the Old Guy. He might be dead, but apparently his corpse will allow this (unrelated) thread to live on and on and on and on and on. . . Holy Zombie hijacking Batman!

A battle for elocutionary dominance of this magnitude could get ugly:

Kram. I am the 'younger and artsy' type you've cited, and I do know of Perez Hilton. Despite not knowing anything about him, you summed up him and this whole situation perfectly.

Quality over quantity? If you mean that I'm maybe TulsafaninTexas posting under a different handle, I don't know how to take that. I'm pretty comfortable in my lame lurker status. But to be (potentially) accused of being a troll. I'm going to have to crawl back under my bridge and look in the mirror, cause I just don't see the resemblance. Or, if you're implying that TulsaninTexas has some sort of record for fifth post supremacy (5prime?), I cite my comment above: "Quality over quantity?" Anyway, I've got inlaws in Tulsa. Christmases are cold and boring. All I gotta say about that. But seriously, can we get back to the politically important task of generalizing huge swaths of over-determined demographics (economic, racial, regional, educational) into such nice, pithy categories such as rural, urban, that are in no way loaded code terms? I find that to be much more edifying and useful.

The current heated contest between John Jackson and Jack Johnson is really making it hard for me to figure out who to vote for. Johnson: It's time someone had the courage to stand up and say: "I'm against those things that everybody hates". Jackson: Now I respect my opponent. I think he's a good man but, quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said!

Why do I have the feeling this is the first and last time you will ever type that?

You must really miss Quoner and Tasty. This is a cry for help. Admins, Free the Springfield two! Free the Springfield two!

Underrated post.

Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

That was Josh Gulley. I tutored him at the time. Actually, he initially transferred to Cal, but the University refused to release him from his scholarship at the time, so he had to come back. Didn't play much, if any, that season (if I remember correctly). Then went on to Southern Miss. Was a tall one; 6'5'' I think.

This is a long one. Here's a summary to evaluate if you want to read on or not: 1. I ask a question about the current tenor of political discussions on this board. 2. I call certain people out, but not by name. 3. I clearly like to hear myself type. I’m just a long-time lurker who found gomeangreen.com way back when it was called Harry’s Mean Green. I had moved out west and wanted my fix of North Texas football any way I could get it. I don’t post much at all, nor do I care to. I’m not looking for friends, just stuff, football and otherwise, about my alma mater to which I owe everything and miss very much. And that leads me to the subject of today’s semi-annual missive: The postings on this “Non-Unt Sports” board (and often the football one) have moved me to have to ask a simple question that in some ways I don’t think anyone will care to answer, or worse will be moved to answer in a rather, er, vigorous way. And for the record, I’m more being rhetorical here as opposed to earnestly interrogative. But I am genuinely curious. This political season has brought out a level of discourse that is, beyond even the usual form, heated. The free exchange of ideas is of course the hallmark of American democracy, and part of what has made us so resilient as a country. But there is an odd edge to it this year, and it has manifested itself on this board as of late. My question is to the members of this board who have posted frequently and arduously against one of the candidates. Not for their candidate of choice, but rather almost exclusively against the other. I am somewhat baffled by the reaction of some who’s motivation is to STOP the other as opposed to support their candidate. I’m baffled because this election cycle has produced two candidates (at the top of their ticket; VP’s on both sides are a whole other matter) who have laid out very traditional, clear and articulate platforms that conform to the historical principles of their party. McCain is a fiscal conservative (though he seems to personally be a social moderate, but he does emphasize state’s rights in determining such moral matters as abortion and capital punishment); Obama is progressive-minded in economic and social matters. That’s pretty matter of fact there. And both candidates, to their credit, have not hidden these tendencies behind misleading slogans/prettily-worded initiative names. Obama is spread the wealth (social-equality to some, socialist to others; depends on your own ideology, but he’s not lying to you); McCain is pro-growth (empower the producers to some, trickle-down economics to others; again, depends what you read and who you believe, but he’s telling you the way he is). There is so much to recommend each based on their articulated ideas. And conversely, there is plenty to use to critique the other, based on their expressed ideas. I’ve actually enjoyed this election cycle as far as the choices presented to me. So here’s what I don’t get: It’s one thing to make a point, even on a public message board. This is a pseudo-community, and it’s natural to want to air out your ideas. However, some of you have exhibited a zealous sense of transcendent mission in this matter. It has gone beyond “just saying my peace” or “exercising my right to speak my mind.” Their has been a tone in some of your postings that you fear with a dead certainty for the morning of November 5th should the “wrong” person get elected, that you have had a premonition of the future that is unshakable, incorruptible, pure. You are not speaking about concerns you have about the ideas and proposed policies; instead you are prophesying doom on the ignorant masses who are not so nearly informed as you. You have even pleaded with other posters on this board who have voiced ideas different than your own to wake up, to stop being mislead or fooled, as if you are the only one who has the pure ability to interpret the dense field of policy-proposals, economic, social, legal and otherwise, that in the immediate future no one is 100% sure what they will lead to, that even experts will only speak about ‘probabilities’ in regard to the outcomes of those ideas. Your tone, style, and text speaks of an almost omniscient understanding of the wrong candidate’s mind, spirit, and heart, as if you’ve looked into his eyes and seen his soul. Your railings against your fellow Mean Green brethren speak of an almost exclusive understanding of the future. My question is not how you were blessed with this inspired vision of the future, of truth beyond mortal human reasoning. My question is this: Why are you wasting your time on a football message board? Seriously! If you are so damned blessed with intuition and temporal foresight, why waste your time trying to convince the 3162 currently registered members here? I mean, that’s roughly 10% of the current student body, a miniscule fraction of the alumni of North Texas, and a truly infinitesimal amount of the registered voters in the state of Texas, not to mention the entire country. If you truly believe that you have the ability to see through the illusion of the media/social system of informational oppression, so much so that you MUST excoriate your fellow alums for their own imperfect reasoning, why not do so on a more grand, effective scale? Many, many members of this board post statements of their personal beliefs and understandings, but they are doing so to contribute to the discourse at hand and do not do so with an overweening sense of personal entitlement to “Truth.” They do not question the morality, reasoning, patriotism, and faith of others who disagree. They have put in their .02 FOR their candidate and not thrown an entire dubious kitchen sink AGAINST the other guy. If you are so truly sure of EXACTLY what will happen in the future, why waste time here where virtually no one’s mind will be changed. Why waste precious hours researching obscure websites mining for information, and even more hours typing text that a few people will read. If you truly must Save The Future, are their not better places for just such an inspired mission? Are there not more efficient uses of your special gifts? Perhaps you could figure out the final intricacies of the Flux Capacitor and go Back to the Past and warn the masses before your personal agent of evil made that first break into politics (whether it was 10 years ago or 30 years ago)? So again, this is all meant as a sincere question that I’m not sure anyone will care to answer. And I am not here to make friends or be one of the gang. After posting this, I will slink back into my comfy obscurity, happy about the goal-line stand this weekend that showed some heart, almost hearing Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take it Anymore” as Nwigwe and others just simply refused to lose. A blanket statement: If I have offended, please feel free to PM me, to which you will receive an apology. I do not see the point of sullying up the boards with more pointless vitriol. My intent is not to mock, though clearly my effect has shown a little of that. This all began because, as the postings continued, I just got so ding-dang curious that I had to ask. I just feel that as North Texas alums, students, supporters, we already face enough derision and underestimating out there that we should be talking each other up at all times, especially when we disagree, and not calling each other douches (as much fun as that is to say under different circumstances). Our country is in a situation similar to the football team’s at the moment. We’ve had a bad run lately, and we need everyone to stay on board and watch each others’ backs. Seriously, take care. I’ll dole out the apologies on PMs, and I’ll keep on relying on everyone here for info, inspiration, and entertainment in all other Mean Green Matters. I’m out.

I cut and paste it this morning to another message board. Here it is. If I'm breaking a law, remove it and I'll endure the customary 20 lashes: Dolores Aguilar 1929 - Aug. 7, 2008 Dolores Aguilar, born in 1929 in New Mexico, left us on August 7, 2008. She will be met in the afterlife by her husband, Raymond, her son, Paul Jr., and daughter, Ruby. She is survived by her daughters Marietta, Mitzi, Stella, Beatrice, Virginia and Ramona, and son Billy; grandchildren, Donnelle, Joe, Mitzie, Maria, Mario, Marty, Tynette, Tania, Leta, Alexandria, Tommy, Billy, Mathew, Raymond, Kenny, Javier, Lisa, Ashlie and Michael; great-grandchildren, Brendan, Joseph, Karissa, Jacob, Delaney, Shawn, Cienna, Bailey, Christian, Andre Jr., Andrea, Keith, Saeed, Nujaymah, Salma, Merissa, Emily, Jayci, Isabella, Samantha and Emily. I apologize if I missed anyone. Dolores had no hobbies, made no contribution to society and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life. I speak for the majority of her family when I say her presence will not be missed by many, very few tears will be shed and there will be no lamenting over her passing. Her family will remember Dolores and amongst ourselves we will remember her in our own way, which were mostly sad and troubling times throughout the years. We may have some fond memories of her and perhaps we will think of those times too. But I truly believe at the end of the day ALL of us will really only miss what we never had, a good and kind mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I hope she is finally at peace with herself. As for the rest of us left behind, I hope this is the beginning of a time of healing and learning to be a family again. There will be no service, no prayers and no closure for the family she spent a lifetime tearing apart. We cannot come together in the end to see to it that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren can say their goodbyes. So I say here for all of us, GOOD BYE, MOM.

Emmitt. Any interest in doing a Police Files: Ojai, CA special episode? Sounds like they need your help: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pa...0,2273078.story

Hi All. LONG-time lurker. First time poster. Read this report in the New York Times this morning. Seems like Kassell is making his mark as a leader. Says something about the intangibles and will-to-win we've all been looking for in the Mean Green's football future. Enjoy: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/sports/f...amp;oref=slogin HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Oct. 18 — Seven men gather for dinner every Thursday night in a meeting room at the Jets’ practice facility. Food is delivered, and those in the group take turns choosing the entree. Shrimp and crab are particular favorites. But no one shows up merely for the free grub. Six captains — two from the offense, two from the defense and two from special teams — are invited to share concerns with Eric Mangini, the Jets’ second-year coach. The Jets (1-5) would seem to have a lot to complain about; a swirling quarterback controversy, a frustrating offense and a leaking defense top the list. But that is not necessarily the point of the meetings. “You’re not there to vent,” said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, one of the six players who meet with Mangini. “You’re there to try to get something accomplished for the team.” This is the second year the Jets have had six permanent captains, and this is the second year they have held the Thursday captains’ meetings. Mangini has encouraged the captains — Vilma, defensive end Shaun Ellis, quarterback Chad Pennington, wide receiver Laveranues Coles, place-kicker Mike Nugent and linebacker Brad Kassell — to tackle issues that are holding back the team. Those who attend say Mangini gives back as much as he takes. And even though the Jets are flailing, they say the mood in the meetings remains constructive. If the attitude is positive and problems are fixed, they say, the Jets can win soon. “Anytime you get in this sort of situation,” Kassell said, referring to the Jets’ three-game losing streak, “it can go really bad, really quick.” Mangini and the captains would not talk specifically about what was discussed. On Thursday, Mangini said that one idea from a recent meeting was a way to restructure repetitions to improve the flow at practice. That may not seem like a big deal. But players spend more time practicing than playing games, and if they can practice more efficiently, they may play better. Immediately after the Jets’ 16-9 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday, some players grumbled about plays that were called. On Monday, Mangini said those reactions followed an emotional loss, but he also reiterated that his office door was always open. “It’s not like in college, where the professor had office hours,” Mangini said Thursday. But he does not have enough time to talk to everyone, and players who must focus on their own assignments and techniques have less time to think about issues that affect everyone. Players with a complaint about a position coach or a suggestion about a play or a formation can take it to a captain. The captains take the ideas to Mangini, who asks questions and offers suggestions back. The consensus from the meetings is that the team, while certainly underperforming on Sundays, is still trying hard every day. Mangini and the players said the mood in the meetings had not changed much since the start of the season. “We’re all doing the same thing, working in the same direction,” Mangini said. Vince Lombardi might have found the approach a little too touchy-feely, but fostering a sense of togetherness could be a way for the Jets, who play Sunday at Cleveland, to get through the first half of what has been a lackluster season. “There’s never any negative talk about things,” Nugent said. “With this team, everybody’s putting in their work.” Coles, a first-time captain, playfully offered Thursday to relinquish his captaincy if it meant the Jets would start winning. “I might be the jinx,” he said. But he suggested that he filled two requirements for the job: he can listen, and he can talk. “Everybody approaches the game differently,” he said. “Some people might need to complain to go out and be productive.” Jets fans may have a lot of reasons to be frustrated, but so do the players. They seem to think that the best way, or at least the most professional way, of dealing with their frustration is to take it to their coach. That route may be tested often. “Certain things at certain times are not appropriate,” Coles said. For instance, what about asking Mangini during a Thursday meeting to lighten the load at practice? “Not now,” Coles said, laughing.