I know these discussions get off on tangents, but this is getting a little ridiculous.
I'm on here everyday reading and keeping up. This has been a VERY eventful day.
"Hey, are you from Pensacola?", "Did you go to school at xxxx?" could better be served on Freepmail, couldn't it?
Everyday, we end up at this discussion at some point. I think perspective has alot to do with it. I picture the thread as a bunch of people sitting in a room, watching the news on 60 stations and trying to keep each other informed on what we are seeing. There is a fair amount of breaking news reported as well as lots of individual analysis (some well thought out, and some pretty far out there).
With all these people in the room, there is going to be a little 'chit-chat' going on - especially when news is extremely slow (which it has been for the last two hours).
I realize that other people see this thread as a 'headline news' type of thread. When news breaks, the number of posts per minute goes WAY WAY up. (i.e. the much delayed press conference on Tuesday night) But the off-topic posts pretty much drop off completely (they go underground like Saddam).
Personally, I can't watch headline news because when news is slow, you get to watch the same thing over and over and over. We had the discussion on about day 5 about maybe doing 2 threads. I think we are too late for that (how many days are left?). Instead we just need to realize that different people have different ideas and expectations for this thread and act accordingly.
How? Chatty Posters: By thinking about what you are posting. If you are thinking of posting - consider how off topic it is and also what news is breaking. If you have a hunch your post is not relevant, then don't post it. News Dogs: If someone posts something you think is off-topic...then ignore it, forget it, and read on.
Gum
KUT, Iraq (AP) - U.S. Marines battled suicide attacks and dueled at close range with grenade-throwing Republican Guard fighters and Baath Party irregulars Thursday in this city east of Baghdad, but many civilians waved white flags and welcomed the troops. Some townspeople said they were grateful for the U.S. challenge to a regime they say was going door to door and giving young men a sinister choice: fight or die. "God help us because Saddam Hussein is killing us," said Kasem Fasil, an old man with a solitary jagged tooth. "...