The Introduce Yourself thread!

[Gort]

Twilight

Welcome to the fray. Don't let Philip dismay you.

[stiffy]

It's good to have you here.

[Tim]

Hi Twilight thanks for the info, welcome! and don't take to heart the comments from Philip.

[Spadplanter]

Twilight1978: Welcome and I also repeat the warning about Philip. Jump in and have fun.

Philip: Did someone p*ss in your Wheaties this morning?

[Twilight1978]

Originally Posted by Philip

Hello. No plans on children, heh? How modern of you.

Regarding children, sure I've got eventual plans, I'll probably think of settling down and starting a family in my late 20s / early 30s, like most Australians do.

Originally Posted by Philip

All that water must be nice to hold down the immigration and let Ausies live in a world of denial.

Actually, we're quite the immigrant society, especially in my home city, lots of Asian immigration especially. Denial about what?

Originally Posted by Philip

How modern of you.

Nothing modern about my politics, Philip. My views are more or less in synch with the moderate wing of the Liberal Party, which has a long established presence in Australian conservative politics. And they're heavily influenced by 19th century classical liberalism, wherein should be found the grounding principles of any conservative party.

Originally Posted by Philip

Not to mention that the Iraq was was illegal, and that Saddam didn't have WMDs in the first place -- and Bush knew it.

No dispute there - although that's not my main objection. After all, Hussein's overthrow is no great loss to the world. However, it boggles the mind that business was basically left unfinished in Afghanistan, when there was so much still to be done - eliminating the remaining Taliban elements, forcibly disarming the warlords, completely rolling up the Al-Quaeda support network in its heartland. Hell, with 180,000 + American and Coalition troops available in-country, 2/3 of the worlds heroin production could probably have been shut down! I don't see any coventional strategic wisdom in the US-led Coalition going after Iraq when it did, that's all. Iraq could have been reduced at America's leisure a few years down the track.

Originally Posted by Philip

See, dig deep enough and there's good in almost anyone.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Philip

Sorry, there's nothing much to debate. There's what I say and that settles it.

LOL Now there's a modern attitude.

[Twilight1978]

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys.

[Twilight1978]

Hi, trailblazer, good to meet a fellow newcomer on the forum, and a fellow advocate of liberal conservatism

[Speakeasy]

Welcome to the board!

I, too, like the republican ideals, but not the ones that are currently in power. I've said it before, I'm a liberal republican that hates liberals and republicans.

I'll be looking foward to interacting with you.

[Sucre]

Originally Posted by Lilitoe

This one needs to be heavily edited! So here goes..

I thought I'd introduce myself.. Although I always drop tidbits here and there, I figured, it might be nice to actually say.. well, this is who I am..

Ok, I will introduce myself as well since this is the place to do so and I like this forum although I got into heated arguments with a few people here.

I am 39 years old, a (oupss ... proud) French citizen, but have been living in Germany, Berlin, since the fall of the Wall. I came to Berlin as a student in political sciences with a scolarship and stayed there after I got married to a German. I have two girls 14 and 10. I now work in photography - but not as a photographer and not as a model - and travel a great deal to organise events for photo agencies, mostly in Europe but also in the United States.

Difficult to say what my political preferences are because I like to keep a "free" mind. Certainly in the USA I would be labelled as liberal- leftist -whatever. The friends I have in the United States all vote for the democratic party. In Germany I would vote for the "Greens", although now I am not sure anymore. In France, I don't know. At the last presidential elections I voted for the center - right candidate because its party is the one which best defends the idea of creating "Europe". (Of course at the second turn of the elections I voted for Chirac, but that's a different story.)

Besides travel, politics and visual arts I love literature but I am not sure this is the right forum here to discuss such a topic.

Did I say enough ?

Oh yes, I lived in the USA for a total of three years - from age 10 to 12 - and later at age 22. Besides this I come back once a year, I have friends in Boston, New York and LA.

[Norrin Radd]

Hi, just joined as I hope to be able to have intelligent conversation with people who do not let the establishment tell them what to think.

This quote from Twilight makes me have hope for this forum.

"Hell, with 180,000 + American and Coalition troops available in-country, 2/3 of the worlds heroin production could probably have been shut down! I don't see any coventional strategic wisdom in the US-led Coalition going after Iraq when it did, that's all. Iraq could have been reduced at America's leisure a few years down the track."

THE Fact that the US has allowed poppy production to increase in Afghanistan is just more evidence that the war on drugs is a SCAM.

Former DEA agent Mike Levine told us this some years ago, yet there are still so many sheeple who are not capapble of logical thought, that is makes me tremble with fear for the future of freedom.

Norrin Radd

[Hank]

Hey Guys..
Caught ya’ll while browsing for a new forum. The one I left seemed to lack moderation and was getting a bit out of hand. You guy’s seem to have it together. I was looking for a forum where you could have your differences and still be friends. Looking forward to defending my ideologies. Peace..

[Helene]

Originally Posted by Hank

Hey Guys..
Caught ya’ll while browsing for a new forum. The one I left seemed to lack moderation and was getting a bit out of hand. You guy’s seem to have it together. I was looking for a forum where you could have your differences and still be friends. Looking forward to defending my ideologies. Peace..

Welcome to the forum. Good to have you here.

Helene

[Foglai]

Originally Posted by Helene

This one needs to be heavily edited! So here goes..

I thought I'd introduce myself.. Although I always drop tidbits here and there, I figured, it might be nice to actually say.. well, this is who I am..

Ok.. I'm Helene, 25 years old, from the Netherlands. I am attending grad school, with a major in English literature. I have a 3 year old son, and am a single mother. I am currently single, and probably highly undateable LOL!
Personally.. I'm a democratic socialist.. in the US my views would be considered liberal democrat, but liberal democrat in the Netherlands is considered to be right winged.
I'm interested in politics cause it's an important part of life.. and I also follow some international relations courses at uni.
Furthermore, I have an uncanny amount of knowledge about the biological/physiological aspect of the development of a new life.

I enjoy debating things, because my opinions do change.. I feel I learn things here, and if no earth shocking changes in my opinions have occured as of yet, at least they have been better defined.

Helene

Wow, this thread is freakin' long ...I'll keep it brief (hopefully) ...I'm an Irish-American born and bred in and around Boston. I'm 43 and married to a Norwegian woman 12 years younger (she was an au pair visiting). We have an almost two-year old daughter. We'll be gone for the next two weeks to Norway - my 14th trip, my "wee one's" 4th ...not bad for not yet two!

I'm policitally left and surprise, surprise work in education ...sales, that is ...for private educational companies - not governmental. I have a slight talent for writing and drawing, but spent most of my life tied up in sports. I've done 15 amateur bodybuilding contests and enjoy the local Boston sports teams and still weight train regularly (and hope to compete again soon).

Genealogy, history, anthropology, etc. are passions of mine as are my family and culture ...youngest of four boys, I learned to drink early and continue to do so ...what time is it?

Oh yeah, and after eight years in parochial school ...I consider myself agnostic ...(athiest really, but I don't want to hedge my bet) ...and I don't bring it up (usually) at any family gatherings ...I don't make waves, especially for the older folks ...though I'll argue like hell with anyone else ...

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by Foglai

Wow, this thread is freakin' long ...I'll keep it brief (hopefully) ...I'm an Irish-American born and bred in and around Boston. I'm 43 and married to a Norwegian woman 12 years younger (she was an au pair visiting). We have an almost two-year old daughter. We'll be gone for the next two weeks to Norway - my 14th trip, my "wee one's" 4th ...not bad for not yet two!

I'm policitally left and surprise, surprise work in education ...sales, that is ...for private educational companies - not governmental. I have a slight talent for writing and drawing, but spent most of my life tied up in sports. I've done 15 amateur bodybuilding contests and enjoy the local Boston sports teams and still weight train regularly (and hope to compete again soon).

Genealogy, history, anthropology, etc. are passions of mine as are my family and culture ...youngest of four boys, I learned to drink early and continue to do so ...what time is it?

Oh yeah, and after eight years in parochial school ...I consider myself agnostic ...(athiest really, but I don't want to hedge my bet) ...and I don't bring it up (usually) at any family gatherings ...I don't make waves, especially for the older folks ...though I'll argue like hell with anyone else ...

Hey, your signature, that's Gaelic !!!!!! isn't it ???
I mean,i can't understand what it means. I only recognize the word mhaith

And I think that i know the word liom too
Does it mean to like ?

Wow, i never thought that i would ever get to read gaelic

[Miranda]

I am always late to the party. Always Always - Anywho

My name is Miranda, I'm a 22 year old History Major from North Carolina, who hopes someday to be a teacher in highschool (yes its true I want to teach Highschoolers). I was raised Southern Baptist, usual Fire and Brimstone teachings, I havent been to a church aside from weddings in about 12 years , so now I tend to stay the hell away from religion except to make usual snide remarks about my fundmentalist relatives. I'm single (not that it matters much) and I'm labeled liberal and not ashamed, even though the democratic party is falling into shambles around me. lol. WW2, The Holocaust, The Civil Rights movement and the Gay Rights movement are my passion to study, and I love learning new things and trying to broaden my seriously southern horizons. Imus keeps me amused in the mornings (amused might be a stretch) and I'm addicted to James Carville (he's my hero). Also happen to be a lesbian, not that it matters much, but with everyone throwing out the wife/husband and kids, I thought I'd add it.
I havent been coming to this forum long, but I really enjoy it and I'm really impressed by the knowledge and maturity level here. Not many forums have that. Anyway, glad to be a part of it and see you in the threads. - M