Sirius or XM?

[ctp]

Looking into each. Does anybody have a prefernce and why?

[VehiX]

GO XM!!!

XM is cheaper and is now comercial free:)

Check my gallery for pics if you'd like.

Don't forget you can buy an after market head unit and hook the signal up through that OR you can do what Sirius cannot do and take the Delphi unit that I have to anyones house that has audio left and right jacks on thier stereo receiver and have XM no matter where you hang out ;)

[Joe_Black]

I'm a SIRIUS user and originally signed up because they had a great 80's alternative line-up, NPR and are commercial free. XM has now reduced their commercials enough to claim commercial free. Really though, they're both comparable and have similar equipment. Contrary to what VehiX says (Delphi makes consumer XM tuners but also manufactures OEM SIRIUS units for the trucking industry) you can haul SIRIUS tuners around as they have small portable models by JVC, Clarion, Audiovox and others which can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, home or a boom-box. Plus you can listen to SIRIUS through your PC courtesy of their website, and I'm sure XM probably has something similar. SIRIUS also offers reverse-compatible tuners which allow you to tune in with OEM supplied XM equipment, another cool thing if you want SIRIUS but your new car has an XM radio.

Basically it boils down to what you like. Thanks to the FCC, there can only be two broadcasters which means a duopoly. Best thing to do is go to both websites and compare the channel lineups. Think about what YOU like to listen to, not what people tell you about either carrier. Again, they're basically the same with just a few exceptions: If you've got kids and maybe an in-car video system or are thinking about one, then SIRIUS is the way to go as they will be soon offering 5 channels of in-car satellite video. XM, unfortunately, never planned for that kind of expansion and their satellites are pretty much stuck doing audio. SIRIUS was first in the industry but last to market because they were getting all this stuff lined up, plus wanted to have an additional satellite in orbit to offer more coverage area than XM. No big deal though if you're in the continental US, but for Alaska and Canada you can only get SIRIUS.

Careful where you read reviews though, as some folk start to sound like a gang of 12-year olds bragging on their favorite wrestler or somesuch. Think of the choices as "chocolate" or "strawberry" rather than who's better, it's really about the flavor.

Again, look at the lineup, maybe listen online or if you know folk with the setups, compare equipment and make your choice based on what you find you like. Once you get it, you'll never listen to FM again! I rarely pop in a CD anymore, the selections are just that good!

Either way you go, you'll enjoy!

[azskyrider]

go SIRI and help out a fellow member ;)

[Green Dragon]

After researching all I went with this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3092485197&category=60206&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1


Bob;Do;

[Dallas4u]

Now that you have gone with XM, be sure and check out XMFan.com. It's a forum dealing with XM but they really deal more with the Roady, the SkyFI unit, and the XMPCR.

I went with XM because I had a Pioneer head unit that supported it. If I had a head unit that worked with Sirius, I probably would have gone that way. I like XM and listen to it constantly when in the car, but I have found some channels replay certain songs more than others, and it can get a little annoying. Other than that it is a blast!

[jeffkics]

XM is the way to go. No commercials on any of the music stations. Real live DJ's. Cheaper than the competitor and 10x as many subscribers.
I love it, it's pretty much all I listen to now.

[Joe_Black]

No commercials on any of the music stations.
Yeah, SIRIUS was beating them alive with this one.


Real live DJ's.
The dead ones really don't seem very engaging, do they?


10x as many subscribers.
Always better to march lock-step with the majority too, which is why we all have a VehiCROSS right?

;Db; ;pb; ;Do; ;po; ;Dp; ;pp; ;Dr; ;pr; ;Dy; ;py;

[powered by isuzu]

Good luck finding a place to mount your new skyfi unit. Check my gallery pics. it's the only place i could find to mount it. As far as quality of sound it's great, especially if you go with the FM modulator and hard wire it to a constant power source and plug into the antenna. The only downfall is signal. If you are in a rural area great. City with a lot of buildings......forget it. Good luck with it:dance:

[Heraclid]

XM had 100 channels going into this year, but they added 16 channels in February, plus several news/weather/traffic stations for many metropolitan areas. XM had some truly commercial-free channels and some with just a few commercials, but as of February they also went entirely commercial free on all stations.

I got the Delphi unit as a gift, and will hold onto it for home use. For the VX I would recommend getting a tuner that is XM-ready and just replace the factory unit for the cleanest look and you can upgrade the head unit in the process. Sony (and maybe others but Sony for sure) makes ones that receive XM programming.... I think Kenwood or Alpine (or both) make them for Sirius. Audiovox too. In my own experience locally, XM equipment and accessories were much more prevalent but Sirius has been more of a presence lately. I didn't used to ever see anyone around here that sold it, but now there may be more Sirius stuff than XM stuff out there.

I don't think one is necessarily better than another, but check out their programming lists and judge for yourself, or maybe it just comes down to the head unit or portable receiver unit you prefer. Both offer several options.

Regarding signal for XM, I have no problems anywhere I've been. I have to be under an overpass and then it just goes out and comes back real fast. That or in my garage. Otherwise, no problems, and that's with having the antenna mounted under the rear wing rather than a place with more of a "view".

[ctp]

So, will I need to change out the entire stock system, or can I just replace the cassette/radio, or is the XM/Sirius receiver completetly seperate?

[Joe_Black]

I'll second Heraclid's asessment of signal clarity. I drive regulary in downtown Tampa and Orlando plus my local downtown areas and rarely have any issues. The antenna on the Dragon is mounted on the hood insert and the antenna on the Iron Man is on the rear portion of the roof. Both pull in quite well, unless I'm stuck in traffic under a building-to-building bridge or similar. In metro Atlanta I've had no problems either, but you've got to realize that both SIRIUS and XM have ground-based digital repeaters for areas that may have a lot of "sky clutter". These two companies didn't just throw this service on to the market without developing infrastructures to support them. That's why there's more channels than the original 100: Technology has improved in the few short years since satellite radios advent which allows for greater compression, thus more channels for such things as regional/metro weather and traffic. In the case of SIRIUS they'll be offering video as well for in-car systems.

Now for mounting options, there's plenty. My original system in the Dragon is the Kenwood FM modulating unit that can control both a SIRIUS tuner and the MusicKeg digital changer. I cut out the cover for the ECU and mounted it there just below the CD changer. Works fine but the non-adjustable display is a tad bright.

The Audiovox portable tuner I got for the Iron Man was originally mounted (via its docking cradle) in the fuzzy hole with a simple aluminum bracket I fabbed. Well, at night the display reflected directly in line with the driver-side mirror so re-location was in order. I ended up mounting the docking cradle to the ECU cover again, offset to the left. It sits just below the CD changer and ahead of the gear selector. Perfect position! I can see the display clearly, reach all the buttons and my leg doesn't rest against it. As soon as another ECU cover arrives from St. Charles I'm installing another cradle in the Dragon so I can retire the Kenwood unit. I love the portability of the Audiovox! I wish I had waited a bit though as Clarion has a new smaller SIRIUS portable that's the same size as the Delphi Roady. Who knows, those things are so cheap I may switch the next sale at Best Buy! You can always unload the old ones on eBay too! ;Do;

[driver3]

I think XM got MLB, and Sirius got NFL.. there's a big difference if you listen to sports.

[tomdietrying]

When the witch hunt is over, I'm buying where ever Howard Stern goes.

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by tomdietrying
When the witch hunt is over, I'm buying where ever Howard Stern goes.

Fingers crossed that it's XM!! He stated that Clear Channel does NOT own stock in XM any longer, and that he wouldn't consider XM if they did, so it is still a possibility!

[Arachnid J]

Does anyone have a problem getting a channel early in the morning when you first turn on your XM Delphi unit? My radio pulls up the (((XM))) screen and freezes. After a few minutes I can remove it from the cradle, to turn the power off, and on the next attempt it will usually work. It works fine when placed in the cradle on my home stereo. The only thing that I can figure out is that it has to warm up. Any suggestions ?

[Joe_Black]

Sounds like a hardware problem. Double check your connections, especially any that use mechanical connectors (crimps, plugs etc.) as they may be losing contact during thermal contraction. A little circuit board or contact cleaner and then a dab of conductive grease should do the trick.

I've got SIRIUS (which is now $10 a month) and only occassionally do I not have audio first thing in the morning, but it's due to scheduled channel updates which just take a minute or so.

So check those connections and look over your cradle too, they're may be something preventing it from seating properly or allowing it to vibrate loose.

[Arachnid J]

The cradle and the FM Modulator were replaced today. It worked great all day today and then tonight I went out to try it and it did the same thing. It may be the unit itself, but if that was the case it seems like it would do it in the house too. I can't figure it out.

[Inaba]

I have Sirius and I love it... Just signed up for a years worth of service.

I will never go back to OTA radio again.

I didn't know Clear Channel is out of XM, now... that's one of the big reasons I went with Sirius. Regardless, Sirius is well worth the money.

[Joe_Black]

Arachnid, I'm assuming you've got a two cradles; one in the VX and the other for the house. Since from your description it seems as if it's getting power (screen freezes) I'm more inclined to look at the antenna and it's connection. Check where the antenna plugs into the cradle, make sure it's seated fully and that the micro-coax hasn't been kinked at the plug. Then check your cable route and look for kinks or damage the cable sheath. If all that looks okay then maybe swap your home antenna for the VX antenna and see if the problem follows. I know the antennas have different mounts, but you're a VX owner; get creative! ;Do; Besides, it's just temporary for troubleshooting.

Good luck!

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by tomdietrying
When the witch hunt is over, I'm buying where ever Howard Stern goes.

For those who care (or maybe those who don't), Howard Stern announced he would be on Sirius for 2006.

[Joe_Black]

SIRIUS stated they would need 1 million new subscribers to pay for Stern's 5-year deal. Considering that Howard commands the most loyal fan-base imaginable SIRIUS should pick up a significantly larger market share than XM almost overnight. He'll have his own channel where he can say and do whatever he wants while giving the big stiffy to the FCC and the government. It's a Stern listener's wet dream!

Don't get me wrong, even as a SIRIUS subscriber I've got nothing against XM since satellite radio is a duopoly. Think Coke and Pepsi, one's bigger than the other but they're both HUGE. It's all a matter of taste. But this Stern deal is going to flip the tables, and XM's cash situation isn't going to let them top it easily. The cool thing is, the more these two try to top one another the better it is for us, the consumer.;Do;

[WyrreJ]

Originally posted by Joe_Black
He'll have his own channel where he can say and do whatever he wants while giving the big stiffy to the FCC and the government. It's a Stern listener's wet dream!

The FCC has got themselves into the biz of regulating satellite TV via the rules of carrying local channels, don't be surprised if they try to get a piece of the action with satellite radio. With semi-recent advances in broadcast technology, the FCC's original mandate of spectrum allocation is pretty much obsolete, but no organization will ever voluntarily declare victory and close the doors, they just start looking for other reasons to justify their existence.

Plus, or until then, with no rules to break, Stern's appeal may drop. Can't be the underdog fighting the man when there is no the man...

[Heraclid]

I read a report today that stated that SIRIUS stock jumped nearly 18% following the Stern news. Say what you will about him, but that is pretty remarkable. Especially considering that he won't be on SIRIUS until early 2006.

XM carries a few heavy hitters of its own, so I'd be curious to know how the current market share comparison shapes up. From where I'm sitting, it seems like XM is definitely much more "visible" out there. I had never heard of SIRIUS before Joe Black told me about it, and never saw anything about it at a retailer until much later than that. Times are changing, though.

[zadam123]

I just got XM due to the fact that opie and anthony started there oct 4. Its not bad I got the road2 which is a really hard unit to find and even harder to find extra antennas and cig lighter adaptors for,

Adam

[BaM*BaM]

I really have no idea about Howard Stern. Is he the' Left's' Rush Limbaugh? ;puke: That in itself, is pretty sick. (one, very well payed professional idiot is enough, I would hope.)

But maybe Howard Stern is needed to fill out this great world. I, personally, have never heard him say anything more relevant that the fact that the size of women's breasts is very important to him.

I do, however, find a HUGE need for NPR radio. And I know Sirius provides NPR feeds, but I have also heard that these feeds are very different than the usual live feeds broadcast by the local NPR stations?

Does anybody know if this is this true?

http://www.users.qwest.net/~pempem/wrc.gif

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by zadam123
I just got XM due to the fact that opie and anthony started there oct 4. Its not bad I got the road2 which is a really hard unit to find and even harder to find extra antennas and cig lighter adaptors for,

Adam
Check eBay, pages of Roady2 units and accessories. Plus all that stuff is directly available from XM's website and affiliated vendors such as Crutchfield.

Delphi Roady/Roady2 on eBay (http://search.ebay.com/roady)



Originally posted by BaM*BaM
I do, however, find a HUGE need for NPR radio. And I know Sirius provides NPR feeds, but I have also heard that these feeds are very different than the usual live feeds broadcast by the local NPR stations?

Does anybody know if this is this true?


It's not like listening to your local NPR show. They have content on 3 channels (if you include PRI) that's specifically for SIRIUS spun off from what we're familiar with on broadcast NPR. They do have all the regular shows too, such as Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait and Car Talk. It takes a little getting used to, because it's 100% NPR whereas your local station broadcasts mostly music with these shows scattered in throughout the day. You can check out the line-up at the NPR web site and listen in.

NPR Now Schedule (http://www.npr.org/programs/nprnow/index.html)
NPR Talk Schedule (http://www.npr.org/programs/nprtalk/)
PRI Schedule (http://www.pri.org/PublicSite/listeners/sirius_schedule.html)

[tomdietrying]

Well, I made my decision. Since Howard is going to Sirius, I'm going to Sirius.
Peace.
Tom

[psychos2]

i may have to switch to xm. i cannot stand howard stern.he used to be funny ,now he is just plain annoying. shawn

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by psychos2
i may have to switch to xm. i cannot stand howard stern.he used to be funny ,now he is just plain annoying. shawn

You'd seriously switch to XM from Sirius because of Stern... even if you had to pay extra to get his broadcast? Interesting...

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by psychos2
i may have to switch to xm. i cannot stand howard stern.he used to be funny ,now he is just plain annoying. shawn

Just edit his channel out of the list, like you do on any modern television. That's like moving to another state just because you don't like someone who lives on the other side of town.

[vxgas]

I would recommend XM because I have had it for about 2 years now. There is no difference in price because sirrus has lowered there prices to $10 a month just like xm is. I have my unit sitting on the dash and connected to the factory stereo through a wireless fm modulator. I love xm and would highly recommend it to anyone out there especially if you go on long trips or travel long distinces to work everyday like I do. The comedy channel alone is worth the $10 a month. I have the old unit by sony that came out about 2 years ago and I can easily take it out of the VX and hook it up at home or at work. The great thing about the wireless fm modulator is that I can hook it up in the car and run it through the stereo in my garage at the same time.
O yeah just a tidbit for any of you tech guys out there. I was talking to one of the local stereo shops around my hometown. He said that XM might be buying out Sirrus to use there satilite to broadcast live Music videos and movies for your car. But that might have been just a bunch of bull. Take it for what you will but that would be great for everyone.

VXGAS

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by vxgas
O yeah just a tidbit for any of you tech guys out there. I was talking to one of the local stereo shops around my hometown. He said that XM might be buying out Sirrus to use there satilite to broadcast live Music videos and movies for your car. But that might have been just a bunch of bull. Take it for what you will but that would be great for everyone.

VXGAS

Yeah, that one's been circulating for a while. Most folk don't know SIRIUS put their satellites up way before XM and waited to accumulate a big cash base before going to market. They knew it was going to be a long dollar burn before even smelling profit. That's why XM got to market first. Unfortunately for XM they've been looking at 1 of their 2 satellites deteriorate (SIRIUS has 3) and have had to keep money available to put the spare up when it fails. Plus their cash reserves weren't as hefty as the competition. So there's no chance of a buyout, at least not from XM. Maybe a big entertainment or media house, but this market is still young and many will be watching to see how well it's adopted. With less than 3 million subscibers between them it's still a small market. And keep in mind that XM counts trial subs and OEM installs (activated or not) in their numbers, so it's not even that good.

I think they'll both do well and continue to grow market share, especially as long as they're the only two games in town. Coke and Pepsi, chocolate and vanilla, people need a choice and the two satellite providers do just that. ;Dy;

[Heraclid]

Dallas4U, Howard Stern will not be premium programming on SIRIUS - it is going to be standard with no extra charge.

BaM*BaM, for what it's worth, anyone who thinks Rush is an idiot is paying more attention to what real idiots are saying than to what Rush is actually saying. I have had people tell me the most ludicrous things about him, and as a daily listener for many years, I know right off the bat that they haven't listened before they judged. I had a friend swear up and down that she listened to Rush and that he said some crap about sitting on the right hand side of God. He does say that he has "talent on loan from God", and that he is "tying one half of his brain behind his back just to make it fair", but that's as close as he has ever come to anything even way remotely like saying that. The stuff he does say that sounds pretty cocky is just said precisely because it does push certain people's buttons. It doesn't bother his loyal listeners a bit because they know better.

I don't think much of Howard Stern but he has a right to be out there doing what he's doing and nobody is forced to listen. I just think it is pretty sad that he has found such a receptive audience out there that he is so very successful doing it.

[zadam123]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Joe_Black
[B]Check eBay, pages of Roady2 units and accessories. Plus all that stuff is directly available from XM's website and affiliated vendors such as Crutchfield.

Delphi Roady/Roady2 on eBay (http://search.ebay.com/roady)




Be carefull some places say they have an antenna thats compatable for the roady2 like circute city. I drove over there only to find out that the plug was diffrent, it has some kind of pink end that wont fit on the roady and when i asked them what was up he told me to prake the end of the antenna to make it fit. Yeh right . if i did that it wouldnt last a week with unpluging it and repluging it.

If you buy an antenna make shure it is a 90 degree angle like the orignal.

Also i cant understand how people are selling the roady2 on eabay for more than most stores like circute city or best buy are selling them for , i paid 122 for mine and am getting a free home kit rebate

[BaM*BaM]

Sorry to take this off topic,...but.. LOL

Heraclid, wrote in an attempt to 'correct me"

"For what it's worth, anyone who thinks Rush is an idiot is paying more attention to what real idiots are saying than to what Rush is actually saying."
Above all I am not interested in a discussion on this with any of Rush Limbaugh's "True Believers"> LOL

But for what it's worth: ...the last time I was "idiot" enough to watch (listen to?) his show, was back when he was swearing to his viewers, that both Clinton and his wife, Hilary, were actually paid secret agents of the Soviet KGB, who had been trained in Moscow, during the time that the Clintons' were in Russia as college students. He was also raging about how he had certain proof of these claims. And he was also raging at that time about how electing Clinton, and Clinton's demands for a balanced budget, and a complete welfare reform, would result in sending the USA economy into it's greatest crisis of all time!

The last I have heard about this Rush Limbaugh person, was how he was thrown out of ESPN's employment for saying on the air, that Donovan McNabb, the undefeated, top ranked Eagle's black quarterback, was only being tolerated as the teams quarterback, because of his black colour.

I think this was right before he was forced into publically admitting that he was indeed a drug addict, who was hooked on a variety of illegal prescription drugs, and that he, himself, had been fraudulently forging real Doctor's signatures onto prescriptions forms that he had stolen from various doctors' offices in order to obtain more illegal drugs for his admitted addiction.

I am not sure how you personally define your own proper use of the word 'idiot', but I feel extremely comfortable in using this word to describe Limbaugh and his ardent faithful.

Idiot????....

Go figure....

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by BaM*BaM
Sorry to take this off topic,...but.. LOL

Heraclid, wrote in an attempt to 'correct me"

"For what it's worth, anyone who thinks Rush is an idiot is paying more attention to what real idiots are saying than to what Rush is actually saying."



I have found that, when it comes to political matters, Heraclid likes to think he is right... it doesn't matter what you think.

Other than that, I think he's a pretty decent fellow.

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by Heraclid
Dallas4U, Howard Stern will not be premium programming on SIRIUS - it is going to be standard with no extra charge.

The word from SIRIUS is he may develop two additional premium streams, but the main Stern stream will be included in the normal subscription.

Now, as for politics... That's one area where we can all agree to disagree. Don't step up to the plate and start swinging. I'll personally vouch for Heraclid being one of the most sincere, decent people you'll ever know. I may not agree with him or anyone else as far as politics, religion, how to trim my Chia Pet and such other nebulous matters. But I do respect him a great deal. So, back on track... ;Do;

[BaM*BaM]

Here is an interesting audio report on the Howard Stern hiring and the recent Sirius and XM marketing war.
NPR Satellite Radio Rivalry Heats Up (http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgDate=07-Oct-2004&prgId=2)

[Heraclid]

he was swearing to his viewers, that both Clinton and his wife, Hilary, were actually paid secret agents of the Soviet KGB


This is exactly what I meant. I have never heard anything like that from him, ever. I think you come by this information via some intermediary source, and I don't believe for a moment that you heard it for yourself straight from his lips.



he was also raging at that time about how electing Clinton, and Clinton's demands for a balanced budget, and a complete welfare reform, would result in sending the USA economy into it's greatest crisis of all time!


That also sounds pretty preposterous. What conservative would argue against a true balanced budget initiative? On the contrary, he and a lot of other conservatives spend quite a bit of time arguing that it's high time the government showed some fiscal responsibility. And Clinton's notion of welfare reform involves a whole lot of out-of-control spending without accountability, i.e. making sure the program really accomplishes something (or is even necessary vs. just being a tool to court voters more interested in a handout than going out and working hard and thus truly empowering themselves).



he was thrown out of ESPN's employment for saying on the air, that Donovan McNabb, the undefeated, top ranked Eagle's black quarterback, was only being tolerated as the teams quarterback, because of his black colour.


First, he wasn't fired. ESPN put him there for ratings, pure and simple, and it worked big-time. It would have continued to work. Second, you should go back and see what Michael Irvin had to say about it, because he agreed with what was actually said. Interestingly enough, the network ran its own story in the very same broadcast that went into great depth about how McNabb's performance was less than stellar at that time. In fact Rush was not putting down McNabb per se, but he was making a comment on the nature of the sports media (many members of which affirmed him) and he did say that he believed McNabb's teammates (regardless of color) deserved more credit for the Eagles' success. And anyone who knows much about Rush (what he is really saying, who his friends are, who guest-hosts his show, etc.) knows he isn't racist. Read up on this some more, maybe starting with a fair and accurate article such as this:
http://www.americandaily.com/article/1544



he, himself, had been fraudulently forging real Doctor's signatures onto prescriptions forms that he had stolen from various doctors' offices in order to obtain more illegal drugs for his admitted addiction.


Again your information is what is fraudulent so don't believe it so readily. Rush has admitted he had an addiction, but maintains that there was no "doctor shopping" and to this day has been charged with no crime whatsoever. What we have here is a case of the Palm Beach police department attempting to set aside privacy rights in order to seize medical records in the hopes that they might find something they can actually use against him. It's a very big deal because the wrong outcome could have implications that, for example, could lead to something like this - that in Florida a police officer could pull you over with no reason and search your car for a reason to arrest you.



I am not sure how you personally define your own proper use of the word 'idiot', but I feel extremely comfortable in using this word to describe Limbaugh and his ardent faithful.


Sorry, but in my mind the evidence in your argument has completely discredited the argument.



And to address Dallas4U's post...

I have found that, when it comes to political matters, Heraclid likes to think he is right... it doesn't matter what you think... Other than that, I think he's a pretty decent fellow.


Well thanks, I think, and the feeling is mutual. What drives people nuts is that in this one instance I really do think I am right and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. There is just something some people can't stand about folks who are sure of themselves and who won't waver just in order to tell people what they want to hear.



To Joe_Black...

There are people who show me no respect and as such do not have my respect either, and I'm not all that concerned with what those people think of me. What I do value is the opinion (good or bad) of people for whom I do have great respect. You are one such person, and as such I appreciate what you've said a great deal. Thank you! See ya tomorrow at the rallycross!

[BaM*BaM]

EVERYTHING I said is 100% percent true. ...EVERYTHING!

These Limbaugh people seem to be lost in a 'mindless faith' bubble that somehow is impervious to the truth.

But then, we all knew that anyway. (*sigh)

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by Heraclid
Well thanks, I think, and the feeling is mutual. What drives people nuts is that in this one instance I really do think I am right and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. There is just something some people can't stand about folks who are sure of themselves and who won't waver just in order to tell people what they want to hear.

I, for one, have no problem with people who are sure of themselves and respect others beliefs. I'm sure I understand what's right for me, and I believe I understand what's best for the country. To that, I vote. I don't need to try and convince as many people out there that I'm right and they're wrong. They can decide what they believe themselves... true for politics, true for religion.