mrrnice2

In terms of argumentative behavior or presenting an argumentative point of view, the word does not necessarily mean a negative. An argument can be and should be a totally rationale and logical discussion. What is important is to approach it not as an adversarial exercise but as a way of exploring and expressing different points of view. Discussions, threads and argumentative positions taken in written form on line and in Cerb are best served when one takes a moment to proof read and REALLY think before clicking that submit reply button. There are many instances when one can say something in total honesty and innocence yet when one looks at the words afterwards they can be seen as saying something entirely different from what was intended. Been there and done that and it is not fun.

Sorry to be so late to add this in here but I just now arrived home after a very interesting travel day. More on that tomorrow when I write a cumulative highlights of the day contribution. For the moment, thanks from me as well Angela for doing this once again. We really do appreciate your efforts in these events. As is the case with many others it was a pleasure to catch up with a few old friends and to meet some new ones. I see Angela that you have already posted a date for the next social and I imagine that a group of ladies have already started a "Bring Lee Richards To The Next Social" fund.:) Cleo, I am afraid apologies are in order but I missed the dance floor. Now those of you that were in Halifax for our social know that I can get out on a dance floor! So, if Old Dog wrote that he saw me out there then that is simply an indication of how many people continued to provide him with free beer! I gotta learn his secret. A special little public thank you to Malika who did something very nice for me that evening. So little that for her she may not even realize but for me was really nice. :) A good time was had by all!!!!!!

Oh wow it's gotta be my little red or maybe pink haired girl! She makes me think of our own Anne of Green Gables! Oh wait, on second thought I think not. Malika and Anne don't belong in the same mind set :) . Thanks Lee. We shall send you a toast.

Hey Lee. I believe I saw that there is one spot left for you to come and collect that beer. Otherwise please allow me to distribute the hugs and Valentines kisses on your behalf?

Great post Renegade and despite what I wrote earlier, which I stand by, I will not dispute much of what you have written here. Socialism has not worked as you have well pointed out with excellent examples and the reason that it did not work you have very accurately stated I believe. The one area that I do feel that I cannot agree with is your view of the 1 or the 3 or the 5%ers. I am not thinking of the Mom and Pop store owners or the small locally owned independent store owners but rather the multinationals who are I believe exploiting others in undeveloped countries not only at the expense of those people but also at the expense of eliminating valid Canadian employment opportunities. I do not presume to know a solution and I wish that I did, but the fact is that there are many people in very unfortunate situations and not always because they choose to be there. This is where our social network should be focused and go farther than it does at present. I believe that the majority of people want to work and will work hard when given an opportunity.

Responsibility both to self and to society is not a simple subject and certainly not one with a clear black and white to it. I believe in full personal responsibility for ones actions. That however is easy for me to do because of my circumstances. It can be argued that I worked to put myself in this position that allows me to assume full responsibility. It helped to have come from an upbringing where responsibility was taught, education was valued, moral beliefs were ingrained and personal values were instilled. Not everyone has had that opportunity. Does that give carte blanche for people to milk the system? No, but it does mean that many people do require and should have access to a system that will help them get back on their feet, train them as necessary, and yes, feed and clothe them when it is required. We have a social network in this country that is critical, valued and important. I would argue that it does not go far enough. I live in Canada's smallest province where the vast majority of people, outside of government employment, work in seasonal employment. Fishing, farming and tourism are the staples. There is no stable industry, there are no major manufacturers, there are few places where a sustainable wage is available. Fact of life for PEI. I played on many a ball team and hockey team with guys where I was the only person who knew with certainty that I would have a pay check and what the amount would be. The provinces solution is to create and fund short term minimum wage twenty week jobs for which the sole purpose is to get the employee enough weeks to qualify them for federal government EI. The EI kicks in, and when expired the province gives another twenty week work experience. The governments are creating the cycle rather than investing in meaningful solutions. I believe with all of my heart that most people want to work and when given opportunity will do so. My last year of work before retiring from the education system a full twenty percent of the families in my school had a parent that commuted to Alberta to work. Twenty percent, so it really irks me when I hear about Islanders and Maritimers in general seeking out the dole. I suspect that I am in the minority with these opinions however it is clear that what is happening now in this country is not a solution but merely a temporary band aid solution that will keep people from starving to death. We have a government that encourages free trade agreements with countries that do not pay workers a fair wage so that the multinationals can make obscene profits for the 1% and therefore not employ Canadians at a wage that will provide an income that allows one to support themselves and a family. EI and social assistance payments do NOT provide adequate funds for living at anything other than below the poverty line. Yes it is government money from you and I but it is not an extravagance or an expenditure that I begrudge. There but for the grace of God go I. My rant for the day!

Planning to fly and when I went to bed the forecast was totally clear everywhere for both going and returning. This morning I see snow and wind for my departure tomorrow and a major storm forecast upon returning. I have a three hour drive to and from the airport so I am not happy!

It's been quite a while since I wrote anything here so there are lots of little thank you's that are due to be passed on. This one today goes to Angela for her organization of another Cerb social. Thanks Angela for all that you do and for your contributions to this community. MN2

I had been coming to the conclusion that his childhood and probable abuse was where she was heading with the novel so no surprise there. You are correct that healthy people can have a lot of fun playing at their own edges and boundaries, as I have been discovering, and I feel at least reasonably healthy. :) It is interesting however that when one reads something such as this how one can relate it to themselves. On the one hand being dominant and controlling of another person, a woman in particular, is simply so foreign to me and ingrained as being 'wrong', that I could not see myself being that way. On the other hand it is clear that there are people who find it a great turn on so if I were ever presented with that choice at her request I would probably be in a dilemma! If nothing else the book has caused me to think in areas that are new to me, yet again.

I am nearing completion of the first book of the trilogy and am yet to decide whether to get the next two. I thought that I would read it as I have heard so much about it, and I am glad that I have done so. I don't find it particularly well written and in my minds eye I keep thinking that it is an adult version of a Harlequin Romance novel. That being said, I have found it to be very erotic and the premise very intriguing. An easy read and I have no idea at all of its 'accuracy' in the lifestyle. 95% of what I read comes from the library and the book that Kay recommended above is not in my library so will perhaps have to pay a visit to Amazon. Yes I have more to learn, but that's a good thing.

Thank you Samantha. I may soon be selecting one of these!

Happy Birthday wishes to you Emma. Have a wonderful day! MN2

I got home a short while ago from a trip to Halifax. I ended up getting there a day late but had a really good time. We went skating on the Halifax oval, went to a very bad movie, (Hansel and Gretal) :), had some great Wii Mario Cart tournaments and I had short visits with a couple of very special friends. I am home in time to get myself ready for what I hope will be a really good Superbowl game. This coming week I travel again and that will be a future highlight I am certain.

Well I like mister_crufty because as a newish member he has had great confidence to initiate threads and to respond to so many others. Geeze, it took me six months after I began here to have enough confidence to even say hello! Now I realize that whenever I open one of his posts I will never have any idea what it is that I am going to read! It seems as though I like unpredictability. :) Now, he did rush ahead without reading instructions from post # 1 so he overlooked Samantha Evans and I shall try to make that right. I like Samantha because her presence here is like a breath of sunshine. I wish I could write as she does in such a thoughtful way and with such depth. She is simply a wonderful person and has been and continues to be an inspiration for all. I must have missed the posts from Lee about the Croatian Penis Warmers. Are they yet another of his entrepreneurial endeavors? I expect that he is wearing one today!

I had a great day on my continuing renovation. Final painting is completed and only a few things left to do. I am packing up to head off for Halifax tomorrow morning to visit with my kids and for sure we will have a skate on the Oval downtown. I also see a Wii Mariocart tournament in the picture! If I ever win one of those THAT will be a future Highlight of the Day.

Dear Mod, I am so sorry for having crashed your server. I realize that you did warn me about what all of the increased traffic to my account would do and I truly regret that I ignored your warning. I really believed that the traffic from all of those women would slow down, but alas, it did not. I will understand if you feel a need to suspend me for a period of time. In fact it may be a blessing because since you restored service my PM's have only increased but now my mailbox contains hundreds of angry PM's from gentlemen who were deprived of Cerb for an extended period of time. Believe me that they are NOT addressing me as mrrnice. I can start my own Mr Men club. mrrwhothe helldoyouthinkyouare, mrhowcouldyoudothistome, mrgetalife,mrihopeyouarehappy, and those are the nice ones. If it will help I will post a picture in a day or two of the walk in closet that is close to bursting at the seams so that the message gets out to the interested women that their opportunity has come and gone. Again my sincere apologies. Gotta go as I am being called to my bathtub built for two. Regards, MN2

One gets inspiration sometimes in the least likely places. I understand that applications to RMT schools across the countries have taken an unprecedented leap and primarily from men who already hold successful careers and jobs. Perhaps for your next entrepreneurial endeavor you can write this. I will preorder the first copy as I need some serious help in this field. I love your posts!

Some of you will understand this one as it is one of life's great pleasures. Painting without having to worry about doing edges or having to have a drop cloth on the floor. :)

My Friend Phaedrus, Thank you so much for your kindness and best wishes. My injuries are relatively minor, nothing that a little TLC will not cure and be assured that TLC I have in abundance. It has been a tumultuous twenty four hours. I had no preconception of the response that would be generated. Be careful of what you wish for they say, and now I have these amazing women coming from all over the country. So much for discretion! I also had a note from Mod that he would either have to close my account or increase the size of his server to handle the increased traffic to the East coast. I am told that you don't fool with the Mod so I am concerned. The following is just one isolated little anecdote of the past day. I had a lady arrive at my door this morning. She flew into Charlottetown and asked the first person she met about where on the Island the guy lives who is building the walk in closet and he sent her right to my door. She must have paid a hefty fee for those three suitcases full of shoes! I am not sure where you heard the rumor about the room full of women's underwear. You know as well as I that quality lingerie is obscenely expensive and the more expensive it is the less there is to it and therefore it takes minimal storage room. Since I only purchase quality but have a limited budget it all fits into a shoe box under my bed. It would cost me a fortune to fill that closet with it! There is a cliché that states that clothes make the man. The heck with that, it is a walk in closet! I do believe that I have discovered a secret. Ladies please understand that I do not answer PM's that only say things such as, " How big is it?" or that start with "Hey there stud." I mean, really, if we are going to share a closet then you will understand that respectful replies will get first response. I feel a need to lay back and be fed some grapes. MN2

I have a huge old farmhouse, like really, way too large for me here alone. There was a time when four of the five bedrooms were used every night, but those days are long in the past. I use one bedroom and when family visits the others are used and when family and friends visit it just expand outwards. I believe that the record is fifteen people here sleeping in beds with an additional eight or ten finding comfortable quarters. Not too shabby. So yes, a big old farmhouse. There is an issue however with this big old farmhouse. When it was built there was little need for closet space or storage space so in the entire house are only three very tiny closets. I suppose a hundred plus years ago everyone had only their daily work clothes and a good Sunday Go To Meetin outfit, and hey they don't take a lot of space do they. So, feeling rather bored after Christmas I thought that I might do a little renovation. You know, something to keep me occupied and perhaps even a useful something. The thought came to me - why not make a door from my bedroom into that small bedroom right beside me that is always empty and convert it into a walk in closet. Great idea I thought and the saws and hammers came out. As I approach the end of the project I find myself in a major dilemma. Isn't it odd how every single project I undertake seems to just lead into something else? The dilemma you ask? Well it is the fact that I now have a walk in closet - but how can that be a dilemma? A walk in closet, to me, means a large area in which one can hang their clothes, organize their shoes, and keep ones wearing apparel in a somewhat organized fashion. However when I look at reality, I have two pairs of shoes that I rotate and replace as they wear out, both kept in the porch by the door downstairs. I have about a half dozen sports shirts that I rotate through daily until my weekly laundry day comes around, so for a good part of the time they are stored in the laundry basket. I have two pairs of cords and a pair of jeans. I do have a pretty classy suit which only comes out for weddings. That's all folks. I am a simple man. No walk in closet needed by me! I have come to the perfect answer to my dilemma and really such a simple answer it is. A woman, I need a woman! A woman who needs a place to organize her shoes, hang her dresses, place every blouse on a hanger, have ample shelf room and still have the space to put in a full length mirror as she tries on her various choices of apparel. Oh, I have a pretty nice bathroom too. Resumes and CV's eagerly anticipated. :)

I am a whole book behind the book club and have only now finished reading Criminal. I was excited about its choice because it is much more the genre that I enjoy reading. Detective fiction is usually an easy read and I love the twists in plot that make these sorts of novels interesting. This book did not disappoint, although initially I was not too sure. The movement back and forth in time between the 70's and today's world with the two stories was disconcerting at first. As the book evolved I took great delight in the way that two seemingly disconnected stories meshed together. Amanda and Evelyn were fascinating characters. I wondered many a time if in fact the way that they were treated in their workplace by the male cops in the 70's was in fact a true depiction of the way that women were not accepted as people who could work outside of the home working a "mans job," in a "man's world." My instinct says that their story though fictional was an accurate depiction of ways that many women in reality did forge the way for equality in the work force. The verbal, mental and sometimes physical harassment is a difficult concept for me to grasp as reality. Thanks for the inclusion of this novel as a book club choice and I shall try to be more on the ball in the future.

Well I have liked the 9ers since day one of the season, and I really dislike Baltimore and Ray Lewis, so my choice is firm. I am with Meg on this one.

I went to get what will be my last tub of drywall plaster to finish the seam filling in the room that I am renovating. Upon getting it home and opening it all ready to go to work I find that it is frozen solid. It obviously was just brought in from the warehouse or off of a truck. Well, that sets me back a day. So instead I changed out of my work clothes and opened an early beer. Sure am glad that I have this wood furnace!!!

Have a very happy birthday Peachka. :)

Here is to a wonderful birthday Meg and I am sending wishes that all your birthday dreams come true.