Thursday/Friday Open Thread

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
I'm trying to finish things up and pack before hitting the road over the weekend, heading home. Consider this an early wish of happy holidays to all -- and, of course, an open thread for whatever is on your mind.

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Another Biased Media Outlet

In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,

…………

That's true, Brutus14.

 Moreover, the weather reporters on ALL the Channels, and not just the Weather Channel, get so hyped up that they sensationalize the weather, particularly when there's a winter storm.  It's gotten to the point where I don't even watch winter storm coverages, or even listen to them anymore, if I can help it.  Christ, they're all so hyped up during and before winter storms.  What are they on...speed?  One would think so.  The weather forecaster that I find most annoying and irritating in that respect is Channel 7's Dick Albert.  Ugghhh!

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Conservative Icon Paul Weyrich Dies...

Paul M. Weyrich , 66, who helped found the Heritage Foundation and at one time was one of Washington's most visible conservatives, died this morning. At his death, he was president and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

…………

Interesting enough

I can't find any news about the cause of death.  I was curious because 66 isn''t that old these days.  Apparently no cause of death has been released.

On the other hand Wikipedia says this:

In 1996, Weyrich was diagnosed with a spinal injury . From 2001 until his death in 2008, his injury left him in a wheelchair and in constant pain. Complications from a fall in September 2004 required the amputation of his legs in July 2005.

So maybe it was a complication arising from that.

From my perspective Weyrich had a few good point but many bad ones and was one of the people most responsible for the pit of ignominy the republican party has dug for itself.  That makes it hard for me to get too choked up.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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I am not sure...

...66 is young!

As far as his role, while the left is plotting the demise of the greatest nation on earth, the rest of America will come back to the eternal truths he stood for.

It's good we can get all this out of the way with the Obama admisistration, and quickly get back to what America is all about. ;-)

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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No matter how much one disagrees with a politician's ideology,

 it's unsettling to hear of them dying at such a young age.   It's agreed;  66 years of age really isn't that old, especially nowadays.  One of Boston's City Councillors, who was quite conservative, and even racist, in his ideology, died of brain cancer at age 66.  I never liked this guy because he was a bigot, and too conservative for my tastes, but when somebody dies at such a young age, it's kind of unsettling.

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Brendan

Could you shoot me an email when you have a moment?   My email should be somewhere in my account info.   Thanks!

…………

Better Than Nothing

 

Credit Suisse to Use Illiquid Assets to Pay Bonuses

The bank will use leveraged loans and commercial mortgage- backed debt, some of the securities blamed for generating the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, to fund executive compensation packages, people familiar with the matter said. The new policy applies only to managing directors and directors, the two most senior ranks at the Zurich-based company, according to a memo sent to employees today.

Better than nothin'! It could provide an incentive of discovery. What is this crap really worth in futures?

 

It’s monstrously clever,” said Dirk Hoffman-Becking, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd. in London who has a “market perform” rating on Credit Suisse stock. “From a shareholders’ perspective it’s great because you’ve got rid of some of the assets and regulators will be pleased because you’ve organized a risk transfer.”

…………

The Lefts Double Standards Abound...

Adam got me thinking the other day about how conflicted, and outright "two faced" liberals are now days.

Then I ran accross this over at RS.

CBC to Cao: “Whites (and Vietnamese Republicans) Need Not Apply”

 

This is just another perfect example of ...the liberal pot calling the kettle "not" back ...enough;

Anh "Joseph" Cao beat long odds when he defeated Rep. William Jefferson to win a seat in Congress.

His bid to join the Congressional Black Caucus might be even more difficult.

"They're not going to let him; it ain't going to happen, " said David Bositis, a seasoned observer of the Congressional Black Caucus at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington.

Since its founding in 1971 by 13 black members of Congress, the caucus has never had a member who was not African-American. And the caucus has had only one Republican member -- Gary Franks, a former representative from Connecticut -- and that ended in acrimony. Another former black Republican in Congress, J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, chose not to join the caucus.

Cao, who was born in Vietnam, is neither black nor a Democrat.

The caucus, so far, has remained quiet on Cao's status.

Yes, the pun was intended. 

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

…………

and the double standard is?

This is a group founded for black congresspeople.  It might be a double standard if other non-blacks had been admitted while Cao was denied, but they haven't. 

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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And why do boys want to be nurses...

..girls fight in the military, or white country clubs allow blacks?

So the NAACP, Negro College Fund, the Black Caucus, and Asian whatever is A-OK in a liberals book... but heaven forbid some Caucasian folks get together to do anything for themselves, cause all hell will break loose, huh!

Come on brother, you're not that naive?

This is one of the lefts eternal contradictions, one that they never can really reconcile. The core of their rhetoric is just that, rhetoric, it's BS, feel good nonsense that is always predicated by a complex set of arbitrary criteria and rationalizations.

Adams questioning of his friends who are eager for an automobile bailout, but found the wall street bailout appalling, is yet another example of this dichotomy that exists in the liberal conscience.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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For your information...

NAACP and UNCF have no race restrictions on membership and/or scholarship eligibility.

We are the environment. There is no distinction. What we do to the earth we do to ourselves. —David Suzuki

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LOL!

So why aren't they called the National Association of the Advancement of ALL People (NAAAP) or the United College Fund...? Anyway...

Great, so then the CBC should allow Louisiana's freshman legislator with open arms, right?

 

 

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Perhaps

I know diddly about Cao's political and/or social agenda. If it fits with the CBC's agenda, then sure, they should allow him in. However, given your own source's statements, which include "Cao has not formally approached the caucus about joining" and "The caucus, so far, has remained quiet on Cao's status," I really have to wonder what the issue is at this point, other than speculative bloviation.

We are the environment. There is no distinction. What we do to the earth we do to ourselves. —David Suzuki

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Speculative bloviation...as of now possibly...

...it was Tlaloc's response honestly that surprised me.

 

 

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Speaking for myself

I don't care if country clubs want to discriminate against blacks or boy scouts againt gays so long as neither gets a penny worth of public funding.  However that's a little different than what we're talking about here.  The CBC is more in line with a lobbyist group.  Certainly you don't object to the RIAA excluding non-recording industry people...

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Ths seems more analogous to a civil rights issue...

...than it does to a professional society membership of one sort or another.

However I, like SL, do not have a full understanding of the matter at hand, so until we learn more I will reserve judgment.

I do believe that those groups who wish to do what they will, should be allowed to do so. I think for instance that the NAACP should keep out non blacks if that's indeed what they choose, instead of superficially stating otherwise because of some government mandate, because the u.s. government has absolutely zero business regulating or contributing to any of those sort of groups anyway, regardless of what they choose.

ACORN, the NEA, United Negro College Fund, Planned Parenthood, etc., etc., all of those special interest organizations should be fully self supporting through their own contributions, period. And as such, they can do what they, and as a direct extension, their supporters would like. Or they will be no more.

It is when the government decides to play favorites when things go horribly askew, and the balance of merit is lost.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Wait

Who are Acorn, the NEA, and Planned Parenthood discriminating against?

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

………… parent

I mean those sort of org's have no business...

...getting federal dollars.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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I don't see why not

public health, political participation, and artistic endeavors are all things I'm very fine with the government encouraging.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Whatever...

I'm sure you'd feel different if was Planned Parenthood in reverse, or say the NEA was an art org that banned Mapplethorpe. (I won't begin to take you apart re:ACORN)

You see, that is why it is not the governments role to fund anything except what it is constitutionally permitted too.

You wouldn't want your money going towards banning Mapplethorpe, I am not a Mapplethorpe fan.

Funny how you liberals phrase things when it suits you though, (public health, political participation, and artistic endeavors are all things I'm very fine with the government encouraging), but you come positively unglued when it does not.

Liberals...?

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Planned Parenthood in reverse?

What's that? An organization that encourages unwanted teen pregnancy by distributing porous condoms and leaflets like "If the girl's on top, she won't get pregant!" I guess I would be a bit upset if they got government funding.

We are the environment. There is no distinction. What we do to the earth we do to ourselves. —David Suzuki

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As absurd is that sounds to you, abortion clinics...

...and the making so readily available, and therefore socially acceptable, of abortions is equally offensive to a significant number of Americans.

The exact reason the federal government is not constitutionally permitted to get involved in such affairs!

Don't you get it, the FG should not be a tool one side beats the other up with every other POTUS term or what have you. It should be limited to it's constitutional duties, and as such, is representative of all it's citizenry.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Meh

I don't expect you to believe me, but I am fairly confident that there would be more abortions in this country if Planned Parenthood didn't exist. And that number has been pretty steadily declining for years now, which most everyone, left and right alike, can agree is a good thing.

We are the environment. There is no distinction. What we do to the earth we do to ourselves. —David Suzuki

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So called "Crisis Pregnancy Centers"

have gotten federal dollars.  The reason I do in fact object to that is because CPCs have a shoddy record of outright lying to women about birth control and abortion.  Beyond that (which I think qualifies as criminal fraud) I have no problem with federal dollars going to organizations to help pregnant women who intend to see their pregnancy through.

I do recommend you avoid ACORN since its a topic the right thoroughly embarrassed themselves about.

Funny how you liberals phrase things when it suits you though, (public health, political participation, and artistic endeavors are all things I'm very fine with the government encouraging), but you come positively unglued when it does not.

Liberals...?

Who here came unglued? 

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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YOU GUYS! ...the minusia of detail is...

...irrelevant.

The government should not be in any of it...

...whether or not you or I support it, or not, is not the issue.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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But we fundamentally disagree there

I have no problem with the government being involved in these issues.  The alternative seems to be spotty inconsistent charity or self serving corporate backing. 

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Well, you are not just disagreeing with me....

...you disagreeing with me, and the United States Constitution.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Well I don't revere the constitution

as the be all and end all of the matter.  The constitution is nothing more than a document.  It has great historical value, of course, but is rather limited in terms of actual government power (as the last several years demonstrated far more than I ever could).

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Sorry to hear that, but what else should one expect...

...from an anarchist I suppose?

I'm sorry, but I have trouble mustering sufficient intellectual vigor in order to defend the Constitution to "a person who seeks to overturn by violence all constituted forms and institutions of society and government, with no purpose of establishing any other system of order in the place of that destroyed" ...yet who ironically enjoys a life of relative luxury and freedom... soley because of the US Constitution.

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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Do you really think people should

revere the constitution?  Is there something magical about it that deserves such reverence?

As for anarchism- it is a very diverse subject, not constrained by a single chosen dictionary definition.  I for one don't advocate violence, although to be fair that's because i consider it ineffective rather than wrong.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Do you really think people should

revere the constitution?  Is there something magical about it that deserves such reverence?

As for anarchism- it is a very diverse subject, not constrained by a single chosen dictionary definition.  I for one don't advocate violence, although to be fair that's because i consider it ineffective rather than wrong.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Yes I do.

Magical no, sagacious yes,  perhaps just a tad too esoteric for a hip, anarchist, malcontent .

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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I can certainly agree with sagacious

the constitution was a pretty remarkable document.  No doubt at all about that.  It was a very good attempt at creating a robust constitutional basis for a country, drawing upon the magna carta (and english common law in general) as well as old Greek ideals.

I don't dispute at all that it was a very good attempt.  But that doesn't mean it is perfect or that it has aged gracefully.  On the contrary some of the aspects of the constitution (and particularly the bill of rights) aged very poorly indeed.  Sometimes we've managed to fix the more egregious issues.  Sometimes we haven't.

Believing that the constitution is flawed doesn't mean believing it has or had, no value at all.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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I'm ok with you maintaining that assessment...

...as it's a far cry from calling the United States Constitution just a piece of paper, or questioning why one would feel a sense of reverence for it.

I do however disagree strongly, niether would I subscribe to a position that the Constitution has somehow failed us, and as a matter of fact, quite to the contrary, I submit we as a country have indeed failed the Constitution.

 

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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I don't see those statements as in conflict

It was a very good attempt to create a constitutional government, and yet it is just a piece of paper in the end and not worthy of reverence (as in not worth of deference due to tradition or imagined mystical importance).  It has no more modern meaning than we choose to give it (outside of historical value). 

The constitution failed to change rapidly enough to stay current and modern.  It was designed to be a living document but with serious enough inhibitions to change to prevent it spiralling into chaos.  The problem is the world has changed so rapidly that the constitution has become a lumbering dinosaur, unable to keep up.  There's no way for the founding fathers to have predicted the world of 2008 so i hardly blame them.  All the same their work has not aged well.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Only 30

 more days un George W Bush is out of the White House.

 Lordy, lordy. The day he leaves office can't come soon enough for me.

  

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I love Christmas ;-)

And I couldn't agree more

 

 

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I hate christmas

but I'm still looking forward to Bush being out of the WH.

I'd be looking forward to it more if I thought there was any real possibility of february war crimes trials for him, cheney, yoo, rumsfeld, and a few others.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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I've got mixed feelings about Christmas.

Regarding G. W. Bu sh leaving, I can't get really excited either about the incoming elected POTUS for a number of reasons. 

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I'm no Obama fan

but I have a reasonable hope he'll be better. 

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Hmmm...I don't know, Tlaloc.

 Frankly,  the latest event(s) have re-inforced my opinions that we'll get screwed by one as much as the other, if one gets the drift.  Sorry, but that's how I see it.  

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Out of curiosity

Which events were the ones that were concerning you?

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Here goes, Tlaloc;

A)(.   First of all, Obama voted for the FISA Bill, which sounds like a dangerous bill, to begin with. IMHO, anybody who throws even a part of our Constitution under the bus to save their own hide doesn't deserve to get elected dog-catcher, much less POTUS. 

B)  He voted to continue funding for our Iraq war even AFTER having gone on record as opposing it.

C)  His appointees aren't that great--they're a bunch of corporate hacks.

D) The positions that both he and McCain took on foreign policy, for example, during some of the debates.  When BHO and McCain began talking enthusiastically about going in and killing Al Qaeda, and "kicking some butt", essentially, I turned the TV to something else.  Frankly, I couldn't stand seeing either BHO or McCain on television, either

E)  The fact that BHO picked somebody like Rev. Rick Warren, who's known as a real radical rightwinger.

I don't like his COS, either--he's too supportive of the Israeli hardline position on the Palestinians.

All of the above having been said,  instead of voting of any of the POTUS Candidates this time around, I rebelled at the polls for the first time, ever, since I began voting;  by writing in my OWN ticket!  No  matter how  much anybody says that's a wasted vote, I disagree.  It's yet another time-honored way of protesting and making one's voice heard at the polls.  

F)  Oh, and did I also mention that Obama's planning on extending our military involvement in Afghanistan, and possibly Pakistan.  Sure, he's announced a big stimulus package to fix this nation's  long-time crumbling infrastructure and create jobs, but where's he gonna get the money to pay for it?  BHO hasn't even t alked about cutting our military budget, either.

Here's an idea:  Let BHO screw up on his own, and make whatever mistakes he will.  The voters can always turn him out after four years if they don't like what they're seeing.  I think the whoie business of "keeping him honest" is BS.  It won't work, because like most politicians, BHO will unquestionably do what he wants and what he thinks he has to do to survive.

I also might add that, considering that BHO has supposedly been running his campaign on change, hope, unity..yada yada yada and now.." Change we can believe it", or "yes we can", it's all  extremely hypocritical
 

Sorry, Tlaloc, but, as much as I don't like G. W. Bush or McCain, I'm not impressed with Obama either, which is why I can't seem to drum up excitement about G. W. Bush's departure next month, or all the excitement over Obama.

 

 

 

 

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BHO

'nuff said.

 

 Perfection is elusive. I doubt any one person, entity or supernatural being would fulfill your idea of political perfection. And if they did, the chances of that person being elected to political office would be virtually nil.

In the end all we have is a recognition of cause and effect., the desire to serve, for either public good or to gain power, and the political skill required to get elected, which is a grueling task.

 We can look to history for examples.

 Who knew that the Civil War was fought to hold the Union together, not the glamorous romantized desire to emancipate  the Negroes, which would have caused a huge backlash and separated the Union.    To keep the Union together Lincoln actually spoke of protecting slavery to avoid a secessionist movement. This can be found in the passing of the Corwin Amendment.

 

Also in his inaugural address, in a final attempt to reunite the states and prevent the looming war, Lincoln supported the pending Corwin Amendment  to the Constitution, which had already passed Congress. This amendment, which explicitly protected slavery in those states in which it already existed, had more appeal to the critical border states than to the states that had already declared their separation.

 Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation speech was given when the North was losing the war, in hopes that more Negroes would join the fight, if they were promised emancipation. Lincoln used the war powers clause to give himself the authority to 'free' the slaves, because he was running short of men to fight the battle. (I imagine Dick Cheney sees himself as the dark unappreicated hero, emulating Lincoln's use of power granted to the President during a time of war, to fight the 'war on terror'. )

 IN spite of Lincoln's shortcomings most agree that he was a gifted leader, although he wasn't perfect and might not have elicited your vote.

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Ya don't like what I have to say about Barack Obama??

 Too bad.

 

As for Abraham Lincoln who existed well before our time...it's irrelevant.  

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Say whatever you want

 You are free as a bird to say whatever you like. You have every right to your feelings and opinions and I have every right to mine.

 If you don't like my opinions too bad.

 In your quest for a more perfect democracy, I am sure you will be able to find plenty of half rancid bones to gleefully pick your teeth on in an Obama administration.

 Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas to ya...

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We'll just have to agree to disagree then, missliberties.

There are things that Obama's got planned and appointments that he's picked that really run totally contradictory to all that he claims to stand for.  The voting for FISA, the continuation of funding for our Iraq war even after BHO went  on record as being opposed to our Iraq war, as well as the fact that he's surrounded himself with mainly corporate hacks, the fact that he's handed Hilary Clinton the State Department and picked her as Secretary of State, and the fact that he took positions during the debates on foreign policies that also run contradictory to what BHO claims to stand for.  The fact that Obama and McCain both talked enthusiastically "taking out" or killing Osama Bin Laden, the planning of sending more troops into Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan as well, and the fact that  he plans to keep some reserve troops/contractors in Iraq are all quite hypocritical, imho.  When Obama and McCain started affectively talking about "going in and kicking some butt", I turned the TV to something else.  Frankly, I also couldn't stand seeing either McCain or Obama on TV, either.  One came off like a pathetic dole (McCain), and  the other as sort of a prima don. (Obama).

 

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You make a great deal of sense indeed...

...and don't trip on MissL, I doubt the Jerimiah Wright's, Hamas', Bill Ayers', Bernadine Dohrn's, Louis Farakhan's, Fidel Castro's, or any of the other America hating Obama worshiping crowd would like what you're saying either... ;-)

Probably a very good indication of the merit in your logic all the way around...!

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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I've got mixed feelings about Christmas.

Regarding G. W. Bu sh leaving, I can't get really excited either about the incoming elected POTUS for a number of reasons. 

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I now how you feel...

Not a big GW fan, not because of why most here dislike him, but mostly because he abandoned his conservative values, ie., spending, immigration, etc. more disappointed than dislike.

And as far as Barry goes, NIGHTMARE!

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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+1

I hate Christmas.  Especially all the driving.

No, but to be honest I hate Christmas because Christmas isn't about celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth or family or anything.  It's really about consumerism -- our *real* national religion.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Secular, not about who got who what, still about family.

I never broke the law; I am the law! -- George W. Bush Judge Dredd
I'm listening to...

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Whoville

Christmas is what you make it.   Ignore the consumerism and everyone else's actions and make it your own. 

I've not spent a cent on Christmas presents yet.   Gifts I usually reserve for the only very young or the very old.   A few distant friends get home-made candy.   Close friends get home-made cookies.   Those without family near get a fabulous turkey dinner.  The spouse gets what he likes best.

I enjoy the crowds, the lights, the sounds, and most of all, the smells. 

Maybe that's why I'm not a blue bar.  Other people's actions don't bug me.  They are free to do as they wish; if that means going into debt and spending hours searching for gifts that will be remembered only until New Years, well, more power to 'em.   It's their life.  

Me, I'll be making cookies and phone calls ;-)

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It's hard to ignore the consumerism when one hears

 about horrible stuff that has resulted from it.  The Black Friday trampling death of a 34-year-old Jamaican man who was hired temporarily at the Wal-Mart Store in Valley Stream, NY was an excellent example of consumerism gone awry, as were the Cabbage Patch Doll brouhahas back in the early to mid 1980's.  People's greed, along with the complete irresponsibility of the store management and lack of adequate crowd control all made the untimely and needless death of this young man inevitable.  People just didn't give a damn, and it showed.  Really, really disgusting, that people act like spoiled children, and over what?  TV's, etc.  Just for a bargain sale?  Just sickening.

As for the suggestion of "making consumerism one's own", it becomes everybody's when this kind of sh*t erupts.

 

 

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Hello everybody...it's been awhile!!

 Just thought I'd drop in, since I haven't been here for awhile.  Hope you're all doing well.  We got a snowstorm here in the Bay State...we're supposed to get another, smaller one, which may or may not mix with and change to sleet and freezing rain.  They do an OK job of plowing the streets around here, since they enforced a "no parking during snow emergencies on the even-numbered sides of the streets" policy here in our city, with ticketing and towing for violators.  That's good, so they can do a better plowing job.  Plus, our city also allows use of the various school and municiple parking lots around the city for any residents who're unable to find on-street parking during the snow emergency, but when the snow emergency is lifted, they have until a certain time to move their car(s), or they'll ticketed and towed.  

The snow's pretty, but I wish the people who plow the streets wouldn't cover up the drains.

 

…………

We've got snow here in the willamette valley (western Oregon)

which is pretty unusual for us, especially in december. 

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

………… parent

We're set for more extreme unusual weather,

which is why it's not surprising that you got snow out your way, when you normally don't.  How much did you get, btw?  Just curious. 

………… parent

It was several inches

what was more unusual (other than the timing, usually our snow, if any, is in january or february) was that it stuck around for two days and about the time it melted we got another decent snow and we may be getting more.  It's pretty, although a few inches of snow pretty much shuts this area down because nobody is prepared to drive in it.

I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.

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Well, Tlaloc:

 Your area may have to prepare for it and purchase some winter snow-removal equipment, because one never knows if or when they'll be struck with it again.  

………… parent

I guess Spokane is just flat shut down...

n/t

Underlying all arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. ~M. Friedman

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75th Anniversary Series: Coolidge Corner Theatre:

 I'm happy to announce that the Coolidge Corner Theatre  in Brookline, MA, which is just outside Boston, is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year with a series of Oscar-winning Classic films, ranging from the 1930's to the present, which started afew days ago with a double feature of a couple of Marx Brothers movies from the 1930's:  Duck Soup and Gold Diggers.

The rest of the movies, which include the screening of one film per month from each decade and were voted in, Election-Day style (meaning the card and ballot box.  One could either vote by the card and ballot box or online, but not both) by the patrons, including myself,  and they're as follows:

A)  1940's:  Jan. 12th, 2009:  The Third Man

B)  1950's:  February 23rd, 2009:  An American in Paris

C)  1960's:  March 16th,  2009:  West Side Story.  This, folks, is the one I'm most looking forward to, and I've bought an advance ticket for this screening for myself already.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather on that night.  As everybody here on Swordscrossed knows, West Side Story is my alltime favorite movie....hands down!  It's exciting and elating to know that this  great, golden oldie-but-goodie movie/musical classic got voted in as the number one film of the 1960's by patrons of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, including myself!  yay!!

 

D)  1970's:  April 20th:  Annie Hall:  I won't be in town for this one, but, since I admittedly don't like Woody Allen very much anyway, it's not like I'll be missing anything.

E) 1980's:  May 18th:  Cinema Paradiso.  This is one that I've never seen, but have heard good things about, so I'm interesting in seeing this one, also.

F)  1990's:  June 2009:  (forget the exact date):  Pulp Fiction.  I've never seen this one either, so I'm curious.

G)  2000's:  July 13th, 2009:  The Departed:  I'll give this one another go.

Since the Coolidge Corner Theatre is one of the few movie theatres left here in our area that plays all kinds of films, including great old classics, I hold an annual membership to that theatre, and hope it stays up...forever.  It was recently renovated, and a marquee was put on it several years ago, which makes it look quite Retro, both inside and out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…………

Who would have imagined

that Rick Warren would say this:

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Under fire for opposing gay marriage, influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren said Saturday that he loves Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, and he also loves "gays and straights."

The 54-year-old pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California told the crowd of 500 that it's unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time.

"You don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand," said Warren. 

 

 

I'd say that's progress, no matter which side, of this political hot button issue you come down on.

 

…………

Oh Rly?

 I don't think so.  Rick Warren sounds like a carbon copy of Oral Roberts or any other guys like him. 

Your example that you just posted is just what they all say.  Baloney.

………… parent

Back at ya.

//

………… parent

Back at ya too, sweetypie babe.

 ;-)

What I mean is, honeybabe....that I stand by what I've said, and by my positions.

………… parent

Those stifling regulations

 Who would have thought that an unregulated hedge fund industry would have taken liberties with their investments, to enrich themselves for the sake of their own self interest?

 Isn't this an obvious example of cause and effect.

 Put a bunch of 3 year olds in a room with delicious candy, and no supervision, what are the statistical probabilities that the innocent little children would eat too much and become ill?

 Put a bunch of wall street speculators in an office with access  to leveraged debt as a tool for investment, and no supervision, what are the statistical probabilities that the innocent little hedge funders would invest too much and sicken our economy?

 To say that no one could have foreseen the credit crises crippling consequences on our economy is ludicrous. Yet any time regulation was brought up there was a hydrophobic reaction and a childish temper tantrum.

…………

More evidence of Obama's birth certificate being fake...

There's no way that the person in the following picture (taken yesterday), was born all the way back in 1961.

This is NOT the body of a 47-year-old.

 

Seriously though....   Barack Obama may be the most physically-fit President this nation has ever known...

...... except for Taft, that is.  ;-)

 

I survived the Bush Administration

…………

pffft.

 Who cares about Obama's physical fitness?  It's what he does that's important, and that remains to be seen when he takes office late next month.

………… parent

I'll be waiting

 breathlessly for your review. What do you think he will screw up first?

  

………… parent

Hey....you talking to ME, sweetheart?!?

 Nobody knows what the hell he's going to do.  I've given  you a whole bunch of reasons why I didn't vote for Obama, and writing my own ticket in instead, and   you've got a nasty, insulting, condescending attitude, because I'm not all whoopee-doo-dah excited about Barack Obama like YOU are!!  Well, too bad, honeybabe!!  GET. OVER. IT....and get the hell over yourself, while you're at it.

Oh, and quite frankly,  missliberties, I think people like YOU helped to get the Republicans elected and kept in power for nearly forty years and facilitate this country's rightwing move, AND, that people like YOU also helped drive people from white workingclass neighborhoods such as Southie and Charlestown into the arms of really nasty demogogues as Louise Day Hicks (does this name ring a bell here), and alienate people from legitimate poimts. 

………… parent

Did the poster actually say that Obama's fitness was important

...with respect to his job performance?  I musta missed that part.

………… parent