THE CLASH - As the well-made documentary THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN clearly put it, Joe Strummer/Mick Jones/Paul Simonon/Topper Headon (replacing Terry Chimes) were casted by a manager to look and act the then-raging "punk rock" movement in late 70s UK. The problem was when they were ordered to go "political" with their music.

Its hard to phantom that for such an influential rock act that helped me through my teen years much like other young men in the last 30 years, that nucleus were only around for 5 years, and recorded 5 albums (including their self-titled debut, if you count Chimes).

Yet what I respect was the fortune they lost in accomidating the fans. From a double (LONDON CALLING) and triple (SANDINISTA) album being sold for the price of one, to budget-pricing for merchandising and tickets. Too bad they acted like rock stars (egotistical, petty, etc.) at times, but ultimately...when it came down to it....they were the anti-David Lee Roth.

MEL GIBSON - Is he batcrap crazy? Probably. Is he a mad drunk? Maybe. Does he have balls? Yes.

I don't agree with his retro-Catholic religious stance regarding the Jesus of Nazareth myth, but when someone sinks $35+ million of their hard-earned cash to make a brutally-gruesome / subtlted religious picture....and then some of his own money for APOCALYPTO, which didn't have the benefit of the Church Buses. He's like Francis Ford Coppola, only not crapped away all of his talent...yet.

TIM DUNCAN - Guaranteed Hall of Famer, easily the best NBA player of this decade....and the media hates him. Why? Because he's a quiet team leader who doesn't open his mouth without the talent to back it up, or engage in stupidity, or is sexy enough for the marketing execs on Wall Street.

Like Pete Sampras, he's quietly called "boring," but I can relate to someone like that more than a rapist egomaniac (Kobe), a fat has-been that carries petty grudges (Shaq), or a basketball exec/coach who has killed a city's beloved franchise (Isiah Thomas) or better yet, someone who jumps into the stands and picks a fight with the WRONG man (Artest.)

GEORGE CLOONEY - While his 2005 Oscar acceptance speech was incredibly arrogant (and his SOUTH PARK pals mocked him with his "smug pollution"), I respect him even if as a Republican, I don't agree with alot of his politics.

Yet he is the one major movie star in Hollywood with someting that the others lack...crediblity. While Will Smith is working in idiotic goofball action blockbusters, Clooney's buddy Brad Pitt is too busy trying to take over Tom Cruise's abdicated throne, and Johnny Depp and Christian Bale are fighting it out to be the new Pacino/DeNiro....Clooney has banked his stardom in getting numerous personal projects funded.

With the exception of the (well-made) GOOD NIGHT, & GOOD LUCK , such pet projects with Steven Soderbergh have flopped and/or been ignored by critics. Yet just look at the quality pictures he's been involved with:

RETURN TO HORROR HIGH (solid slasher)
THREE KINGS
OUT OF SIGHT
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
SOLARIS
OCEAN'S 11
THE GOOD GERMAN
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND
Chris Nolan's INSOMNIA (producer)'
MICHAEL CLAYTON
SYRIANA
GOOD NIGHT, & GOOD LUCK

But most of all, he aint a jerk. I mean, when your so-called "friends" mock you as a cowardly ally of American-hating terrorists in TEAM AMERICA, and you laugh it off without animosity.....take notes Mr. Penn.

REESE WITHERSPOON - I've never paid to watch any of her movies, save for maybe WALK THE LINE, but when you have Britney Spears out in Hollywood helping to reinforce a white trash stereotype of the South, its nice to have a southern belle out in Hollywood with public dignity. You go girl.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN - Yes, probably one of the greatest, if not #1, American President of all-time...and while his efforts to restore a fragmented nation and help an enslaved people are worthy of respect....its a little known chapter of his political career that isn't so well-heralded.

With the Mexican-American War waged that was practically a glorified American land-grab, and the desire for many Southern slave-owners to expand out west......there was Congressman Abe Lincoln of Illinois, in his first (and only) House term going alone in protesting the immorality of the war, and even introducing a futile bill demanding the exact spot where the conflict was instigated.

Laughed at, called a traitor, and his fellow Whigs abandoning his side to bask in the glory of a victorius war, Lincoln's stand cost him his Congressional career, and only returned to Washington some 15 years later to be inagurated as our 16th President.

Then I see 2003, where all the Democratic Senators who would vote YES for the Iraq war, and later deride against the conflict (Clinton/Kerry/Edwards).....how two of them had heavy ideological pasts in opposing such conflicts, and yet they feared their Presidential campaigns would get DOA if they went against the public.

Its ironic that the only Republican Senator to vote against the war, Chafee of Rhode Island....his first name is Lincoln.

2 of the 6, possibly. You're basically insane and un-worldly otherwise.

Mickey Rourke:He's a great actor who never got his big chance.He was a pretty damn good boxer when he quit the movies for a while and he's a funny guy.Never conformed to the Hollywood bullshit.

In America we put a space after all sentence-ending punctuation. And I think they do, too, in Oz.

And in America, you go off and bully Irishman about all the DVDs he buys.

Who do you respect?

Others I respect....

FDR - Was President for 12 years, led a successful World War on 5 continents, inspired the nation with his nation with leadership through a Depression, which there was nothing Great about it.....all while crippled from the waist down.

Men/Women of the American Armed Forces - For defending our freedoms, democracy, and whatever the Pentagon/White House tells them to do for little pay, an abusive VA system, and not enough thanks. They're more brave than I'll ever be...thank God they're around to protect my fatass.

Winston Churchill
Nelson Mandella
George Jackson
Lance Armstrong

My parents. They earned it.

Muhammad Ali - He stood up for his beliefs to the point where he had to give up his livelihood, but he didn't buckle. A class act and a great athlete and showman.

Albert Einstein - One of the greatest minds of the 20th century. His intelligence was surpassed only by his humanitarinism.

My parents and anybody who goes out of their way to help others!

Actually, we were never taught to do that on a computer.There are actually quite a few differences between OZ,USA and England.Really if you think about it,we should all be following England's way.They invented the damn language.

Well said my man

Man i love Mickey Rourke. I think he's a crazy SOB now,but man he has made some good movies. The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) was my favorite movie. Also:Diner (1982),9 1/2 Weeks (1986).

John Fowles
Francis Bacon
Ingmar Bergman

And I'd seriously have to say myself; not enough people respect themselves.

So all the articles here are improper?


Now we're talking!

My parents, too, come to mind. In fact, I respect just about everyone who deserves it (doesn't mean I won't jab them now and then though. )

Who do I respect? Irishman, for continuously coming back to a board even though there are about 8 immature kids who like to go out of their way to put him down just to try and make themselves feel better

can you name them all?

Seriously, DMC: name them all.

Or I kill you, ja?

I'm one of them sometimes

He said immature kids, not immature adults!

I respect my father for teaching me a lesson in sacrifice that I was too dumb to understand or appreciate until I was an adult.

Damn Yankee fans always stick together.

Now Now Capo, I'm sure DMC can't name beyond...what, 4?

He was trying to point, but like Hillary Clinton at the debate last night.....only thing people remember is something along the lines of "xeroxed."

Let's not even bring up some of the bullshit you've pulled.

I respect teh Chocolate Jesus.

Hey Don Andrew, why don't you try sticking chu head in chu culo and see if it fits!

Seems like you only crawl out of the woodwork whenever someone else starts something and you have backing. I don't think that I've ever seen you take a stand on your own. You seem to grow balls only when you have others behind you.

It's the same fucking script every couple of months. Someone makes a post. Someone asks a question regarding that post, then Ronnie instigates, and Don Andrew arises from the peanut gallery.


And then what started out as a decent topic unfairly gets shut down because of the fucking antics.

You should either mind your buisness...or at least if you're going to take someone on, do it by yourself for once where you don't follow someone elses lead! I'd respect you more if you had a mind of your own for once!

Well you didn't say it "had" to be famous people. Although I'm sure there are several I could name.

I will go more on a personal level and say my parents. I respect them both immensely. Their unwavering love for each other after 67 years; the beautiful sense of family and how they managed to raise 4 kids with a one income family, keeping us all together, teaching us respect, faith, love for each other, and appreication of our culture.

The thing is, I never truly appreciated all this until I got older. I think that's part of life. However, I am glad they are still around so I can tell them. They've taught me things that I never realized, will stay with me forever.

TIS

Gonna talk to a fellow Giants fan like that??

If I, or Don Andrew, or anyone else were to tell you to stick your head up your ass you would delete our posts and give us threats of suspension or worse. But because you're a moderator and you add a gangster movie related accent (in this case, Scarface), it's supposed to be completely acceptable.

I happen to agree with DMC, I respect Irishman for his ability to ignore the abuse he takes from members here. But I am much more aggravated by people who are given power for a good reason but use it to make a scene as part of their power trip.

You're as bad as the people you moderate. The only difference is you have been given power to do so here. Be a little more open once and a while and you won't have people coming out of the woodwork to make a point or argue with you.

Fuck off mang. (<---- Scarface accent)

Entertainment

Let's get some things straight here Blibble.

If you think, for one minute that I need to come to this place in order to go on a power trip, you are gravely mistaken. I happen to enjoy this place very much and I just refuse to stand by any longer and watch a couple of the usual suspects continue to try and instigate, start trouble and basically pollute almost every other topic whenever they see an opportunity to do so.


As a matter of fact you've been quite vocal over the past few weeks, especially when I've made a reply to those who have tried to instigate or attack another member. But I guess that you think that because you don't moderate any threads, it's ok for you to do so, but that it's not ok for me to reply to those kinds of antics and voice my feelings.


Why shouldn't I be entitled to voice my opinion on here just because I happen to be a moderator over in several OTHER threads? Why should you be allowed to but me not allowed to?

A also happen to feel that several here repeatedly pick on Irish for no damn reason other than to feel like bigshots and tough guys. And Irish has been pretty damn tolerable with them.



I don't moderate this thread.

(and for your information, even in the threads that I do moderate, I've never banned or even suspended a member of this board.)

Hey DC, how about you go and whine about Geoff as well?

Oh thats right, he's THE BOSS.

Guys, this thread is about respect. Can we show some to each other?