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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

cantabb - 12:44pm Oct 16, 2003 EST (# 15169 of 15172)

gisterme - 12:20am Oct 15, 2003 EST (# 15042 of 15128)

Will - Funny you {WRC} should say that. I've thought exactly the same thing myself. :-) However, if we enjoy the time we spend doing this, that is if the time spent doing this is valuable enough to us that we're not doing something else, then I'd say that's not really either "being in a rut" or "wheel spinning". ……… Participating in a forum like this is no more wasteful than spending an equal amount of time at any other unproductive form of entertainment. At least doing this exercises our literacy and causes us to consider other people's views as we evolve our own. That's more productive than most other kinds of entertainment I've enjoyed.

That’s what I call STILL ‘wallowing in the slop’ ! At least you thought it worth YOUR time and enjoyed it ! Right ?

wrcooper - 12:40am Oct 15, 2003 EST (# 15044 of 15128)

In re: [gisterme]

Of course! I agree with you [gisterme] completely. I've had many enjoyable moments as a forum participant, and I have, actually, no and then, learned something valuable. However, I am addicted. I do admit it. I've wanted to bug out many times in the past and managed to stay away for a time, and then found myself creeping back……. Oh, yes, pleasurable, yes, entertainment, yes, yes, yes, and an addiction, yesssssss. …….. I'll be waiting for you...over there. We'll drink a glass of Scotch and reminisce about the bad old days. "Hi, I'm Will," I'll say. "I'm an addict." "Hi, Will," you'll say. It'll be fun. Entertaining, too.

Well, THIS is wallowing in ‘wallowing’ : “addiction,” now :-)

gisterme - 12:42am Oct 15, 2003 EST (# 15045 of 15128)

[WRC] "...You disappoint me. You made a great show of putting rshow55 on your "Ignore Posts list," and now I see you trading barbs with him and lchic and cantabb ..."

gisterme: Ahh, Will, you're so right. Call it a weak moment. :-)

More like a pretty raw nerve touched -- A few times in just a month !

WAS my 1 month here equivalent to 3 years with the other 2. Must have been, if you say so. Anyway, what an unlikely grouping !!!

Actually I don't really read much of rshow's, lchic's or cantabb's stuff. So there's not really that much time wasted...but sometimes...uughh...I just can't resist. :-)

BUT enough to get so roiled up about. “ Can’t resist”? Think: the raw nerve !

Didn’t take me all that much to have so much fun.

I almost didn't see it because it had already been swept away by other "stuff", rshow, cantabb and lchic mostly.

I know, NOT difficult to imagine: HOW my exchanges with you over the last month MUST have felt like 3 years to you – enough to group me with 2 others you’ve been “wallowing in” for the past 3 years.

Good thing I noticed an on topic post while I was looking back to answer something else. Otherwise, except for your mention, I would have missed it completely.

Did you, a LONG–time “regular” on this Forum, really see many ON-topic posts here ?

gisterme - 12:59am Oct 15, 2003 EST (# 15046 of 15128)

You're absolutely right, Will [“ Oh, yes, pleasurable, yes, entertainment, yes, yes, yes, and an addiction, yesssssss...."]. At least this hasn't yet been shown to cause lung cancer. :-)

That's brilliant! :-) And when we think "maybe he made it" we'll ask ourselves..."Gee...'wonder what he does for fun now?".

Maybe we need to start a support group. ;-]

Looks like you did enjoy “wallowing in” the slop here, despite your protestations !

gisterme - 01:24am Oct 15, 2003 EST (# 15048 of 15128)

We could call it the "Web Forum Withdrawel Support Web Fourm Withdrawel Web Forum", WFWSWFWWF for short, bluestar. :-)

Standing alone, it would seem a strangley morbid form of entertainment. I'll admit that...well,...here I am. :-)

You can’t

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense