And the Middle East gets worse

[2Fbodcru]

They aren't getting hit with missles, they are getting hit by close range rockets. The Patriot requires it's radar system seeing something at altitude coming toward a target. Often times these rockets are much smaller and are not flying at high altitude on a decending trajectory. While not very accurate, the rockets are flying under the radar so to speak.

Ahh, that’s right, they are close range rockets - I should have realized that, but one would assume that they still have some type of Patriot missile system in place for the long range missiles. I'm surprised though, that they have not advanced the Patriot system enough to take out the short range rockets as well

[DeWynter]

Oh, and the health care I recieved in Saskatchewan is nothing compared to the heathcare that I, admittedly begudgingly, pay for here. I would rather pay for my health care and know that if I have a heart attack or need a CT scan, or need to see a specialist, that I can be taken to the nearest hospital and receive world class care instead of having to take an ambulace ride 2-3 hours away to to the nearest relatively big city to get average health care. When you go to the hospital and the ceiling tiles are litterally falling out of the ancient cieling, and when you have to give a urine sample and they give you a freakin dixie cup instead of a proper specimin cup with a lid, you know things are bad.

Ok I will give you your point on Sask. But it also only has 1,000,000 people for the entire province. The province is roughly the size of Alberta, and we have more than 1,000,000 people in one city. The province of Sask is in real trouble. 50% or better native population (which don't pay taxes), 25% are over 65 (also no taxes) so that leaves roughly 25% to pay the bills. How are 250,000 people going to pay for world class hospitals? Alberta has three world class leading edge hospitals and several world class leading edge research centers. While I live in Rocky (2 hours from any Major city) I realize the size of my province, and the population of it. If I felt I needed to be closer to a large hospital I would move. The local hospital can fix a guy up good enough to make it to red deer (75,000 pop) or to calgary or edmonton (both 2 hours away). Or if its real life thretening the send us by STARS air ambulance (14 minutes to red deer or 20 to calgary or edmonton). All other provinces are of similar caliber (excluding Sask, and a few Eastern provinces). You can't judge an entire health care system on one province that has almost no population to pay the bills. Remember that the US has 298,000,000 and we have 32,000,000-35,000,000 people in a larger geographical area than the United States.

Oh and I don't feel this is a pissing contest, I just feel that the US decitions have a big effect on Canada, and I feel Canadians have a right to an opinion. I'm not trashin the US, nor do I have any Ill will toward Americans. Heck I hang out here and most of this board is American.

[fastTa]

that is up for debate, as it takes faith to believe that. I don't like things being left to faith...I like provable fact. That so many can get by on faith is great, but it is not for me.

didn't mean to go off topic.

as for the Americans stranded in Lebanon...sorry you're scared and not having a good time, but hello, do you know where you went???

I have no doubt in my mind that you love your family and friends and possible mate with all of your heart. I would love (no pun intended) to hear you make a logical case that spirutually, philosophically, neuroscientifically, metaphysically, or physiologically quantifies love.

Actually I do not need your answer to that...you know why? Because you cannot and beacuse love's foundation IS that of faith. So you see, faith isn't so hard afterall....you were already doing it this whole time you just didn't take the time to realize it.

That same faith applies just the same but in a much greater magnitude to that of our relationship with our Creator.

------------------------------------------------

In regards to Americans being over there in Israel. There seemingly many religious implications. A lot of religious, namely Christian college students are also involved in missionary and/or Orthodoxical student exchange programs. It is a way of life and many times it is an important step in their theological, medical, or other studies.

Would I have gone over there, even prior to this latest outbreak?... probably not. But, you have to remember that these confrontations are absoltely not new by any means. The struggle between Israel and Hezbollah is a struggle that has extended through many centuries. Secular ancient history, as well as the Bible, documents that fact very well. In Genesis chapters 16; 21:1-20 and 22:1-19 recount the beginnings of the struggle and the prophecy that Ishmael and Israel, though half-brothers, and their descendents, would be at enmity with each other. Hezbollah and Hamas are but small portions of the descendents of Ishmael. The Palestinians, Iraqis, Syrians, Egyptians and probably the Iranians (Persians), as well as others are descendents of Ishmael. The people over there are very strong willed and choose to continue their lives in the place that they now call home despite of the inevadable reality surrounding them.

[MarkFL]

I have no doubt in my mind that you love your family and friends and possible mate with all of your heart. I would love (no pun intended) to hear you make a logical case that spirutually, philosophically, neuroscientifically, metaphysically, or physiologically quantifies love.

Actually I do not need your answer to that...you know why? Because you cannot and beacuse love's foundation IS that of faith....

Love is merely an emotion. Based on faith? what are we believing in despite the lack of evidence? I love only those people I can see and interact with. Perhaps you are confusing hope with faith.

I see no corollary between feeling emotional attachment to the people in my life and believing in some deity I've never seen any evidence of.

Given time, those in the life sciences will completely explain love as a function of hormones and brain chemistry, etc.

As I said, faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, is not for me.

[fastTa]

Love is merely an emotion. Based on faith? what are we believing in despite the lack of evidence? I love only those people I can see and interact with. Perhaps you are confusing hope with faith.

I see no corollary between feeling emotional attachment to the people in my life and believing in some deity I've never seen any evidence of.

Given time, those in the life sciences will completely explain love as a function of hormones and brain chemistry, etc.

As I said, faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, is not for me.

I'm still a you to quantify love. Not only could you not quantify love, but you avoided the question, and gave your opinion that "Love is merely an emotion." I truly hope for your sake and those around you, that you do not actually believe that. We obviously cannot see love, but you already admitted to loving those you can interact with. Therefore you just admitted that had faith in something that you could not see. If anyone is getting confused here, it is you my friend.

Don't hold your breath for any scientist, philosopher, or doctor to ever explain love using mathematics, chemistry, or physics. It will NEVER happen. You must be able to observe something in order to study and quantify it. Physiologic can be observed, love in itself cannot. Love so greatly and intrinsically transcends our neurochemical reactions within our peripheral and central nervous systems that our human brains cannot ever begin to explain it. Instead we are gracefully given the beautiful tool of faith by God. You can either choose to have faith in love or you can choose to not. There is no between.Heck I'm just now teaching myself the dynamics of Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion and HPH thruster technology....just a little hobby of mine to kill the time.

[fastTa]

They aren't getting hit with missles, they are getting hit by close range rockets. The Patriot requires it's radar system seeing something at altitude coming toward a target. Often times these rockets are much smaller and are not flying at high altitude on a decending trajectory. While not very accurate, the rockets are flying under the radar so to speak.

That's right. And it looks like this battle has taken on a bit more of a ground war turn. It's gonna get worse before it gets better.

[Joe 1320]

With all due respect,****************************************** ************************** Nothing wrong that at all

............there is something wrong and you have a PM.

[wolfdogs]

............there is something wrong and you have a PM.

I removed that section because I agree. Thanks Joe.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I removed that section because I agree. Thanks Joe.

Remove it from Joe's reply too.

[Joe 1320]

Remove it from Joe's reply too.

Did it.

[Bug Lover]

Ok I will give you your point on Sask. But it also only has 1,000,000 people for the entire province. The province is roughly the size of Alberta, and we have more than 1,000,000 people in one city. The province of Sask is in real trouble. 50% or better native population (which don't pay taxes), 25% are over 65 (also no taxes) so that leaves roughly 25% to pay the bills. How are 250,000 people going to pay for world class hospitals? Alberta has three world class leading edge hospitals and several world class leading edge research centers. While I live in Rocky (2 hours from any Major city) I realize the size of my province, and the population of it. If I felt I needed to be closer to a large hospital I would move. The local hospital can fix a guy up good enough to make it to red deer (75,000 pop) or to calgary or edmonton (both 2 hours away). Or if its real life thretening the send us by STARS air ambulance (14 minutes to red deer or 20 to calgary or edmonton). All other provinces are of similar caliber (excluding Sask, and a few Eastern provinces). You can't judge an entire health care system on one province that has almost no population to pay the bills. Remember that the US has 298,000,000 and we have 32,000,000-35,000,000 people in a larger geographical area than the United States.

I'm not sure how your taxes work, but it would seem to me that your entire country is paying taxes to support the Saskatchewan area, not just the few taxpayers of the province. That's how taxes work here.

As for healthcare, I have to say thanks to some medical personnel in White Horse. For years, one of my brothers lived in the Yukon territory and parts of Alaska near a town in Alaska called Boundary. One day, his hand was crushed by a boulder and had to be rebuilt. He was taken to White Horse and even though he wasn't a Canadian citizen, he received good treatment. He also said it cost a lot less (even as a non-citizen) than it would have in the US (he'd had a similar injury previously, so he could compare). However, he never really elaborated on the quality of care he received in comparison.

I know I'm a little late with this post, but I was playing catch up. Oh, and sorry about being back off the topic.

[Joe 1320]

Regardless of the reasons, the biggest problem that the world faces is that these armed groups are are now politically sponsored and there are no border constraints. The fact that a now "political" entrant such as Hezbollah can exist in more than one country and be directed by more than one leadership center is a huge mess. With a political wing and a military wing who aren't under the same control, compounded with the fact that the group has foreign sponsors as well has created a joke out of the democratic peace process in the middle east.

Face it, those people are groomed from birth to hate and to do so under the guise of religion. It's not going to end anytime in our lifetime.

[Black97]

I keep saying, send the whole middle east to the North or South Pole. It's too cold there to behave like that.

Their brains have been fried from the sun and then as you mentioned programmed to hate anything besides your believe.

It's never going to go away.

[DeWynter]

I'm not sure how your taxes work, but it would seem to me that your entire country is paying taxes to support the Saskatchewan area, not just the few taxpayers of the province. That's how taxes work here.

As for healthcare, I have to say thanks to some medical personnel in White Horse. For years, one of my brothers lived in the Yukon territory and parts of Alaska near a town in Alaska called Boundary. One day, his hand was crushed by a boulder and had to be rebuilt. He was taken to White Horse and even though he wasn't a Canadian citizen, he received good treatment. He also said it cost a lot less (even as a non-citizen) than it would have in the US (he'd had a similar injury previously, so he could compare). However, he never really elaborated on the quality of care he received in comparison.

I know I'm a little late with this post, but I was playing catch up. Oh, and sorry about being back off the topic.

We have federal taxes and provincial taxes, healthcare falls under provincial, and federal, so in a way we all pay for it, but the provincial side for sask, is really low, so they pay the toll, by having less money to go around. Alberta, Ontario and BC are the only provinces right now that actually make revenue. The rest of the provinces live off of the Equalization payments. Equalization payments means everyone throws the federal money into a pot and it get divied out evenly. Which means alberta pays and recieves next to nothing.

[Bug Lover]

We have federal taxes and provincial taxes, healthcare falls under provincial, and federal, so in a way we all pay for it, but the provincial side for sask, is really low, so they pay the toll, by having less money to go around. Alberta, Ontario and BC are the only provinces right now that actually make revenue. The rest of the provinces live off of the Equalization payments. Equalization payments means everyone throws the federal money into a pot and it get divied out evenly. Which means alberta pays and recieves next to nothing.

That sounds just like the county where I live - I pay and receive next to nothing in return. All our money goes to the other end of the county. Our daughter's school didn't even have proper heat and air during the last two school years, yet they did a six million dollar renovation on a school in that other area of the county.