Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Since we spoke yesterday of misinformation in the media, I offer this "translation" for your amusement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4_MsrsKzMM

chloe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--tGSHpXkRg

Good morning all. Patsi- hey, responded at end of thread!
Patd- great video!

since the cost of health care is now a big percentage of individual and corporate expense, if the gov't instituted universal single payer (aka s-word medicine), would it be less economically burdensome to the nat'l treasury than all these newly proposed bail-outs? it sure would lift a substantial burden from the shoulders of the working family and maybe from gm and its ilk in the process. talk about stimulating the economy. mom and dad joe blow would have a lot more change in their pockets to spend sans monthly med. insurance payments.

Got it, Sea -- it'll feel like the holiday season has begun!

Excellent point, patd....

course the poor ole insurance giants, those greedy despots with their 300% + profits, will whine.....

Speaking of Gods:

HUGE EXOPLANET NEWS ITEMS: PICTURES!!!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/13/huge-exoplanet-news-items-pictures/

autism frequency used to be 4 in 10,000; now it's 1 in 150.

according to Mrs Grodin.........who is the recipient of the monies generated by the Imus live show in Providence this morning for her autism research foundation......

solar.............who is clancy?

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/11/the_clinton_sos_speculation_re.php

"Clinton, In Chicago,Has Private Business,Fuels Cabinet Spec"

Good Morning all.
Chloe
Give us a shout out! I hope all is well in your world.You can e-mail me anytime at tbassham@cfl.rr.com

sturge, re clancy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnBpVctzOnI

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful."
— Edward Gibbon

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"
— Epicurus

"Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who didn't."
— author unknown

"And they'll beat swords into ploughshares and ploughshares into swords, and so on and so on, and back and forth."
— Yehuda Amichai (Sort of An Apocalypse, 1958)

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction."
—Blaise Pascal

"The more intense has been the religion of any period and the more profound has been the dogmatic belief, the greater has been the cruelty and the worse has been the state of affairs."
— Bertrand Russell (6 March 1927)

A Zen mantra goes: "great doubt: great awakening; little doubt: little awakening; no doubt: no awakening."

"God was my Co-Pilot . . . but we crashed in the Andes, and I had to eat him."
—author unknown

"When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself."
—Peter O'Toole

"With deep men, as with deep wells, it takes a long time for anything that falls into them to hit bottom. Onlookers, who almost never wait long enough, readily suppose that such men are callous and unresponsive—or even boring."
—Nietzsche

"If God lived on earth, people would break his windows."
—Jewish Proverb

Craig.... been hearing a lot of discussion on what to do about the auto industry this past week on the Diane Rehm Show.... the consensus seems to be that something needs to be done to help it.....

can't believe I'm up this morning..... great football game last night.. even though the Patriots lost by a field goal in overtime......

great discussion on the bible from last night..... it was a pleasure to read.... thanks!

due to needing to finish my work and driving my mother back and forth to the eye doctor last week (she had cataract surgery), I didn't have time to deal with this blog for a few days...... some of you are asking for Chloe..... did something happen to her?..... hope she is doing well.....

Team Obama has been so good at keeping secrets. Why this leak? If Hil'ry doesn't get the SOS post, it's just going to antagonize a lot of us Hil'ry supporters.

If she doesn't get it (or doesn't want it), I hope it goes to Richardson. I can not think of a more inept person for the job than John Kerrey. Wait, yes I can. Condi Rice.

If we don't bail out GM, we will regret it.

People have mentioned the jobs for GM employees themselves, and jobs for their suppliers, but I've seen no mention about what happens to all the warranties on the GM cars owned by Americans. Will folks be totally out of luck if some component of their car fails while it's under warranty?

The fallout from GM's failure will appear in so many unexpected places that it's better to err in the side of bailing out over pulling the plug.

FWIW, my last three new cars have been Chevrolets. I was pleasantly surprised with each of them. And the price was right.

"...driving my mother back and forth to the eye doctor last week ..." renee@7:41

I drove the car home after each of my cataract surgeries--figured it was safer than Stinky driving.

Chloe is awol--hopefully not for long--wouldn't want to declare her a deserter.

Sometimes people need a break. That's a good thing.

If we bail out GM, it definitely needs to come with conditions that brings GM in line with other, more successful, auto manufacturers. As it stands, GM is a dinosaur that can no longer sustain itself and needs to die a natural death. No more life support "as is."

Pat Buchanan agrees with Barney Frank on this issue? That's all I need to know that this is a bad deal. There must be conditions. I believe it was called "welfare to work" during the Clinton years. Corporate welfare queens are a huge drain on the economy.

This is the thing that I still don't understand. (Any economists out there?) If AIG had GM credit-default swaps, and if we've bailed out AIG, why do we still need to bail out GM? GM is already covered by AIG.

The whole think stinks to high heaven & Hank Paulson is the stinkiest of the stinkers. It sure looks like he's just siphoning money to his finacial district cronies while he still has the chance.

Let GM fail. They've been making lousy cars for decades, and will continue to, because Detroit just doesn't get it. They haven't "gotten it" for 40 years. A bailout just delays the inevitable.

one word for what the GM folks think of americans: Hummer

screw 'em.

Of course, GM will get a bailout, because socialism is en vogue these days. I heard last night that $25 bil was already approved tied into last month's Wall Street bailout. Old saying: "Don't throw good money after bad".

May I have $25 bil please? I promise I'll spread it around.

If GM fails, what happens to its retirees?

ahhhh...... Chloe is taking a break...... thanks for the info....

Flatus.... my mother..... who will be 81 in 3 weeks..... has always been a "nervous" driver..... she didn't learn how to drive until the age of 50....

we live in a rural area..... and the distances we can drive to do things are far different from those that live in more populated areas..... I had to drive to her house..... drive her to the hospital...... drive her home..... and then drive myself home..... just the driving alone takes about 3 hrs......
then she wanted me to take her to her follow up appointments as she was still nervous..... you know the follow ups only take a few minutes.... but I still had to do all that driving..... hey.... she's my mother.... and I love her...

sounds like Stinky is a "nervous" driver too..... :0)

"If GM fails, what happens to its retirees?"

patsi, lumped in with all those other retirees from busted plans like some of the unions, municipalities and states i guess. wasn't some of the earlier bailout to go to the insurance backing up certain retirement plans?

reminds me of the laurel and hardy line: "look what a mess you've gotten us into now"

I'm watching GMA.
Breaking news!!!

The pregnant man is pregnant again.

And the most worthless man in the world (aka Prince Charles) turns 60.

Anything else going on?

Jack

correction: "another fine mess you've got us into"

"reminds me of the laurel and hardy line: "look what a mess you've gotten us into now"

patd -- That's what Solar always says to me. lol

That truism about General Motors was so widely known at the time that Al Capp invented a character "General Bullmoose" who was willing to destroy the town of Dogpatch for profit. When the cartoon became a musical, the following song was in the show:

WHAT'S GOOD FOR GENERAL BULLMOOSE

General Bullmoose:
(Speaking
What’s good for General Bullmoose is what’s good for the U.S.A.
And by Dow Jones and all their little averages,
Don’t you forget it! Right, boys?

Men:
(Singing)
Right!
Three rousing rahs and a few hussahs
And a hip-hip-hip hooray
What’s good for General Bullmoose
Is good for the U.S.A.

General Bullmoose:
(Speaking)
We’ll show these hillbillies what’s what!
Right, boys?

All but General:
(Singing)
Right!
He makes the rules
And he intends to keep it thataway
What’s good for General Bullmoose
Is good for the U.S.A.

General Bullmoose got his comeuppance in the musical and the people prospered and he continued to be rich.

Now we have learned that if you destroy the town and throw the middle class out of work, General Motors dies as well.

Patd

I think the federal government covers failed pensons. So, lose we lose, win we lose.

Jack

"sounds like Stinky is a "nervous" driver too..... :0) "

I will cop to being a really bad driver. I sort of slowly meander, and drive a little too defensively -- I am convinced the guy with his blinker on is lying.

Men HATE driving behind me, because if I start thinking seriously about something, I start to drive slower and slower and slower. I've always said I cost John Kerry the election in Williamson County, TN when I was living out in the country.

"federal government covers failed pensons"

jack, and who covers the fed govt when the ink runs out in the mint presses?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173130

Patd

That opening may be even more appropriate than you know. We need to check with Craig, but I believe this is the one year anniversary in this place that now seems to have given a permanent home to the little roving blog we all enjoy.

William Ayers is on GMA

He is an expert in education.
It explains a lot about our education system.

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173138

Have some more hormones and chemicals in your parent, air, and water baby dear. Today the brain. Tomorrow the extra head.

"...if I start thinking seriously about something, I start to drive slower and slower and slower..."

take heart, patsi, they say the smarter you are the worse you pilot a plane (or drive a car). the higher the iq, the greater the distractions? or is it as you alluded to, the more you know the more you know the other fellow doesn't know.

Sturgeone

I'm getting my exercise this morning running around dodging lightning bolts, but it was worth it for the laugh from this one.

"God was my Co-Pilot . . . but we crashed in the Andes, and I had to eat him."
—author unknown

Patd

Print money? How 20th century.
Today we create money with a key stroke, no ink needed. I suppose you're one of those dinqsaurs who pay with cash. just swipe the card.

Jack

Kill your TV, Jack. It's obsolete now anyway. Don't say that you are, too.

jack, according to champ looks like we're both dinosaurs... i'm just more extincty than you

they say the smarter you are the worse you pilot a plane (or drive a car). the higher the iq, the greater the distractions? or is it as you alluded to, the more you know the more you know the other fellow doesn't know.

Posted by: patd | November 14, 2008 8:55 AM

Does that make George W Bush the greatest pilot to ever take to the skies?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173155

This is what sent several people to jail years ago when it was discovered that all those entities hadn't properly funded their retirement plans. The money that was supposed to be safe even if everything else went down had been financing the bad decision.

champ, well someone did point out yesterday on the imus show that mccain as a pilot made w look like an astronaut.

Several financial analysts have suggested that bankruptcy may be abetter option for GM than a bail-out. This would allow them more flexibility less gov't strings attached.
If still needed, a bailout could be negotiated that
would be more favorable to hte taxpayer. It seems to make sense but I haven't been able to reconcile the pros and cons just yet...

jack,
Have you noticed the price of building materials coming down yet?

Hmmmm I've always been proud that the ability to drive was one of my few real talents. Now after that IQ business, I'm not so sure.

Anyway. Typical californian. Learned to drive on a ranch between 10 and 12. Got my license at 15. That makes 54 years behind a wheel without a moving violation and only one speeding ticket (deserved a lot more of those, but only got caught once)

These days, I have to remind my self to adhere to speed limits since the reaction time isn't what it used to be.

Jamie,
aren't moving violations and speeding tickets one and the same? my driving time frame is very close to yours. Had a job for over 30 years where I had to drive cust to cust daily.

"they say the smarter you are the worse you pilot a plane (or drive a car). "

patd -- I wish I'd heard that saying when I took Driver's Ed at age 14. My teacher said, "You are quite possibly the worst driver I've ever had in a class. But you don't exactly do anything wrong, so I can't flunk you."

Glad you brought up General Bullmoose, Jamie! I'd forgotten him!

"... you know the follow ups only take a few minutes.... but I still had to do all that driving..... hey.... she's my mother.... and I love her...

sounds like Stinky is a "nervous" driver too..... :0) " renee@8;21

Good for you Renee! Lots of people don't figure these things out until it's too late.

Stinky never was a confident driver--she turned-in her license a few years ago; the world is safer because of her selfless act. :)

I quit reading al capp after he came up with "joanie phonie" what a creep.............he stayed too long at the fair.......

Jax

lumber and Sheetrock have been down for some time. I haven't seen copper products coming down but then I haven't bought much. There is a lot of high dollar copper in the system.
I've switched most of my plumbing repairs to PEX tubing. Doing the substitution part of the supply and demand formula.

Imported stuff is up, I can't find those cheap dollar cabinet pulls. They are now $1.50.

Time to get at it.

Later

Jack

mornin' all.

LOL at the driving discussion. I must be a dolt living in a town full of Mensa members. And I always knew Mrs. P was smarter than me - now I have something to confirm it. She'll be thrilled - I just hope she doesn't go driving around to celebrate.

Jamie -- you inspired me to look up Al Capp's other "secondary" characters...some great ones like Jubilation T Cornpone, old toot-your-own-horn-pone.

sturge-- I'd forgotten about the Joan Baez thing...

http://www.lil-abner.com/other.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173177

Torpedo

True. Guess I was thinking along the idea of accidents or other dangerous actions i.e. drunk driving.

Pedal to the Metal is just a normal state. :--) Of course, I grew up in an era when you actually could do 90 + on a California freeway, and my 52 DeSoto that was given to me at 16 could really haul - - -

actually, while all speeding tickets are moving violations, not all moving violations are speeding tickets.

From Benny Hill:

"God is dead." - Fred

"Fred is dead." - God

I haven't said much, but I have been off the last two weeks because the Chrysler plant we ship has been down. A guy I went to school with in Adrian works as a car salesman for the Chevy dealer in Adrian. His Faebook status updates a few weeks ago said "Go McCain!" Then he said that he hoped Obama helps him sell more cars. One day he had a 2 or 3 people who were supposed to buy cars from him that day. He said, "Go Obama!" But, none of them ended up buying cars that day or any other day since then. As I said to my Mom last night, "Prince Charles is now 60 and still waiting to be King!"

It will be cheaper to bailout GM now than it will to clean up the mess if GM goes under.

jack, see if you can find cheap pulls from Mexico instead of cheap pulls from China - the US/MX exchange rate is as high as I've seen it in the 8 or so years I've been following it.- Almost 13 pesos to the dollar.

One good habit this election gave me was reading Andrew Sullivan. His site has the the same Veg-O-Matic quality this thread has always had. Except his range isn't as far reaching.
Al Capp, biblical theory, exoplanets, kittens, phony birth certificates, real birth certificates, plumbing supplies, the price of scrap barges in Mobile, cruelty, kindness, commerce, cooking tips, ....... and a dash of politics.

Anyway, there's this fellow Peter Schiff, who's been calling this economic collapse with dead on clarity for 2 years now, and Sullivan caught a clip of Mr. Schiff appearing on cable news with other "experts". If there's one thing U-Tube has done, it's given us an easy way to see who has foresight, and who is just another bone carrying jive-ass.
Hint :
Ben Stein has lost a fortune if he followed his own advice.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/11/vindication.html

Time to feed my wolverine.

Anon

It is that conversational quality about this blog that I really appreciate. If you put any group of people in a room, they rarely stick to just one subject and over the years with all the comings and goings, it has attracted all sorts of people with a wide range of interests and expertise.

Eclectic R Us

And for the hit and run types: Today's Savage Chickens

http://www.savagechickens.com/

Ping -

Charles Maxwell and Daniel Yergin were on Charlie Rose last night talking about energy, the clip isn't hot yet, but here's the link -

http://www.charlierose.com/schedule/

Yergin is updating the "The Prize".

Today's Thread on The BackChannel Blog

The Next GOP Leader? by dnd

http://clistersbackchannel.wordpress.com/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/13/MNIQ144185.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1

Breakdown of the prop 8 vote in SF and a pretty good analysis

Two bad news items in the economy this morning. US retail sales continue to drop like a stone and Europe is now in a recession.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/business/economy/15econ.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/business/worldbusiness/15euro.html

And I don't even want to mentions Freddie Mac's $25B 3rd quarter loss (but I just did anyway).

I just had to check in to see how everyone was doing this morning and am truly humbled to hear such nice things from some of you.

Patd, Thanks for the youtube! I didn't even know it existed. (You always seem to know just what to say).

Tony, Thanks for sharing your email address. You can email me anytime too. chloe@doubt.com But not to worry, all is well. (I hope it is with you too?)

Flatus, I thought I'd better report in before you reported me as a deserter. Thanks for giving me some lead way. :)

Sturgeone, loved this one from your post: "When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself." Peter O'Toole

Solar, I can't hear you. :)

Renee, Hope your mother is doing well after her cataract surgery.

Sea, I'll place my order when I get back today.

Now I'm going to the first showing (in Houston anyway) of the new James Bond movie (Quantum Of Solace). I've never missed one since the early 60's and enjoy them as much as ever. Daniel Craig is one of the best so far (imo), since Sean Connery.

Have a good day!

patsi, lil abner, marrin' sam and the economy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eow041tUPBA

"Al Capp, biblical theory, exoplanets, kittens, phony birth certificates, real birth certificates, plumbing supplies, the price of scrap barges in Mobile, cruelty, kindness, commerce, cooking tips, ....... and a dash of politics."

Love it, Anon. Especially the price of scrap barges in Mobile!

Jamie agreed -

Knowing how to make Irish Soda Bread, and that I should leave my sunken barge where it is, has made me a better American.

"No topic tyranny !"

Anon...
I rarely have time to look at links..... glad I looked at your link to Andrew Sullivan's site.....

Peter Schiff sounds like a financial genius.....
BTW..... looked at his wiki entry..... he was Ron Paul's economic advisor during his recent presidential run...... guess that makes Champ's backing of Paul ...... which according to some here was "stupid"..... not seem so far off the mark now....

Jamie..... I LOVE all the back and forth also..... as long as it's civil....

We did not bail out the steel industry, and managed,,,we should not bail out the auto industry either,,,will the auto employees pensions follow ?if we do then can we bail out small businesses---i kinda doubt it-----it is now the dems, turn to raid the treasury,, their friends ( union) need help??? the only diff, is that they are not as smart, and greedy as the R's, we might get a little kiss along the way to getting raped by them---but no real diff.

Champ planed FomalHajb, if it wasn't so hard to spell my new home planet i would change my nick,,,the real big thinkers are already planning our exodus from egypt ,,,but this time it will be all of us and real---it will take over 100 years to get to wherever the next evolutionary phase takes at that time,,,right now evolution is a little stagnate ,very slow changes going on,,,but when it starts again-----yeeee haaa

Sturg i thought i read that name on your blog---will go see if i did, or not ,,,the only person on you list ( which i really liked) that had it right was Peter O'toole ----we are the true it, good to see u---have a meeting next tuesday about those homes,,,i don't expect too much,,,but i know that it will be a positive,,will let u know..thanks

Patsi---well,,,well,,,well,,you did!

Today on blistersyeahbutchannel
a group blog

Waz Up Republicans?

Cruisin by Mitty R
Chat and Chew by Sarah P
Show Me the Money Mike H.
Out Bad Spirits Out Bobby J
Learning to Roll My Eyes Tim P

Now here's something interesting - perhaps the first direct visual observation of planets circling another star.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/science/space/14planet.html?em

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173186

that was my point Pogo.

Chloe....

good to see you, my friend...... (uh, oh.... does that make me sound like McCain.... :0)

my mother is doing fine..... she actually had another follow up appointment this morning (who knew there were so many).... she called last night and said she was confident she could finally drive herself and that she hasn't seen colors so vividly in years..... and that's after getting only one eye done..... she gets the second one done during Thanksgiving week....

enjoy your movie!

Jamie,

I would never think you would have a drunk driving charge on your record. I was just pulling your chain about moving violations and questioning how a speeding ticket was not a moving violation since to speed you need to be moving. :)

another favorite lil abner character was the shmoo which we sure could use a lot of now.

http://www.lil-abner.com/shmoo.html

"The Shmoo believed that the only way to happiness was to bring happiness to others. Li'l Abner discovered Shmoos when he ventured into the forbidden Valley of the Shmoon, against the frantic protestations of Ol' Man Mose. "Shmoos," he warned, "is the greatest menace to hoomanity th' world has evah known." "Thass becuz they is so bad, huh?" asked Li'l Abner. "No, stupid," answered Mose, hurling one of life's profoundest paradoxes at Li'l Abner. "It's because they're so good!"

Corey -
I've been thinking about you up there ...... Knowing you're on the ground in the middle of this industrial house fire. I would pray for all you guys, but I'd just be talking to myself.

Thanks Patsi -
Now let me see if I can find something to get your blood flowing.

I must be honest about one thing good about this blog: My Mom likes to watch Jeopardy!. I was watching it with her last night. One of the categories was about current state "Governors". I was answering most of the questions, my Mom looked surprised at me. So, I have retained some political knowledge that I have learned since joining this place. So, yes, because of this place, I am able to answer more questions (especially politically oriented questions) on Jeopardy.

And as a follow up to the discussion about Nasa's recycled pee . . .

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/tasting-nasas-recycled-water/index.html

Torpedo.Vindecator -

That's one fine screen name.

A friend of mine the other day was talking about praying for me about something else and maybe even praying for herself. I told her that praying can help, even if it's for yourself. I know my Mom prayed for herself a lot over the last year or so when my Dad was still alive. I don't think there's any rules against praying for yourself or even just simply wishing all your troubles will go away.

I've mentioned one of my favorite blogs for a "black" persepective on issues is The Villager

http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/

Today he is referencing the organization of the volunteers in the Obama campaign.

Lately he has been promoting a comedian who does political commentary with "This Week In Blackness"

http://thisweekinblackness.com/

I would be interested in feedback on what others think.

"Weird Al" Yankovic - I Lost On Jeopardy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hicZKvkPfAA

Sturg---Peter O'tool couda said thid

This is it,,and I am it,,,and you are it,,,and so is that ,,,and he is it,,,and she is it,,,,and it is it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and that is that ,,,,,and that is all folks----Bugs Bunny

Pogo
see Champs link above--much better article on our new home planet-----the comments no very good though

thid=this

"...because of this place, I am able to answer more questions..."

corey, maybe you've stumbled onto another preventive for the oldtimer's disease... you know like they say read more, do crossword puzzles everyday, exercise, drink red wine, socialize.... (i just threw in the wine drinking, but it does make it easier to socialize). trail mix, it wards off alzheimer's! wonder if craig can patent us...

Corey

I suspect praying is more effective than what I do, which is beat my head against the wall.
So you can pray for me , pray with me, you can even have a conversation with God about me.(if you get a reply from God about me would you pass it along? I'm just a bit curious)
I'm entirely comfortable with it as long as you don't ask me to lead the prayers. I tend to mumble my way through.

Jack

" let me see if I can find something to get your blood flowing. "

I figure you're up to the task....:)

Jamie, a few weeks ago before the election took place I was listening to NPR. They were talking to Obama volunteers. College kids who were going out across college campuses and registering fellow students so they could vote in the election. The word "Tireless" came to mind. Some of these kids would be out walking all day getting other students registered. There were prizes for the volunteers who got the most students registered. They talked to one volunteer. This girl sounded dead tired. She told how many kids she had registered that day, it was a lot. But, she was sad because there were so many more who weren't registered yet. She turned in her list of new registered voters and then said she was headed back out to register more voters that night.

Corey---that is perfect,,,i do believe that we should pray for our selves, and others ,,that is what is inferred when someone says i have good wishes for you----but when some institution insist that you pray their way,,,,i don't think it counts,,,like a hallmark card can never replace the one that is made the one that a son or daughter took their time and put their own thoughts on them, not someone else,,,i still have one of my sons, and he was 18 when he made it

Solar - I don't see a link from champ above.

Jack there has really only been one time when I got seriously involved with praying. When I was 16, a friend of mine who was 18 was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was dying. Our church had weekly hour-long prayer services for him. My friend died in June of '86, he was only 19.

jack, you can always fall back on the possum lodge's prayer:

"I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess."

Pogo---6:44 am

" a comedian who does political commentary "

I always think it's easy, until I see it done poorly ..... Then I remember how hard it really is.

oops, forgot to post link

http://www.redgreen.com/

Corey

I understand , been there and done that.
My "you" in the above comment was not aimed at any one person but was more directed toward those who do believe and do pray. IMNSHO, it does them some good and who am I to complain, as it does me no harm.

Jack

Sturg---it must have been a commentator on your blog,,,he listed all his credentials and the name clancy stuck out,,sorry i can't find it right now but when i do ill let u know

solar, thx - something must be wrong with my "find" function.

Fish Choose Their Leaders By Consensus

" Most of the time they reach a consensus to go for the more attractive of two candidates.

"It turned out that stickleback fish preferred to follow larger over smaller leaders," said Ashley Ward of Sydney University. "Not only that, but they also preferred fat over thin, healthy over ill, and so on. The part that really caught our eye was that these preferences grew as the group size increased, through some kind of positive social feedback mechanism."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113140310.htm

KGC, Bethy

An interesting graphic on home morgage problem from the SFChronicle on bay area home mortgages.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/11/12/MNN0142MCG.DTL&o=0&type=realestate

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173230

jack, my feelings exactlty . . . about just about everything.

One of the local restaurants in Holland started a tradition many years ago where they let customers write their names on dollar bills and put them on the walls and other places in the restaurant. When 9-11 happened, they took down all the money and donated it to the Red Cross. That's what they have done ever since then. Sometimes donated the money to organizations, but lately to various individuals who are in need. Recently, one of the waitresses at the restaurant died from cancer. She was only 44. They are now selling pink t-shirts in her memory. The money will be donated to Hospice House of Holland, which is the place where my Dad died. So, I thought that was a great thing to do.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173212

thanks, it came to me via a random name generator that the email suggested that the Palin's used to name their children. I typed my real name in and that is what turned up. I kinda like it.

It reminds me of some 19th century crusading newspaper masthead.

Brown clouds dim Asia, threaten world's food -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27704012/

Corey.....
great story about Hospice House of Holland.....
hope you put a few dollars bills on that wall.....

patd..... I've always got my trusty roll of duct tape next to me..... :0)....
and a hockey stick.....

Pogo
been thinking what u told whsky ----about the mexican peso---i agree, and think it will be even higher------but what has occured to me is the possibility to do import export from here and there?? is that something legally easy/ hard,,,,,i think that i have dual citizen ship,,was brought here when i was 5 years old.

So Cal ran a big earthquake drill yesterday, and Boing Boing has a post up about an online game running -

After Shock asks the key question: What will you do when the big one hits? The game runs for three weeks. Jump in anytime!

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/13/after-shock-earthqua.html

I just watched the House sub committee hearing on the bail out chaired by Kucinich.

Pretty clear that BOTH the Repubs and the Dems are fed up with the Bush administration.

It's leaving Bush in a wasteland with the delusion that he was a great war time President.

tt

OMG, pogo! That astronomical link...it's the eye of Mordor!

When I was young and worked in a steel mill in the summers in Cleveland to pay for college, the saying was, "The American economy is tied to the tail pipe of a car."

That was then.

tt

Solar'c - That's why it was sage advise to "pray in your closet" and not publicly like the Hypocrits; the kingdom of heaven is within. Having said that, religious organizations also do good work, and, to think that all societies haven't been set up relative to some sort of religious view (even in opposition to it would be a relationship)..well, God is everywhere.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173225

patd

That is my daily prayer.

My main hope in this world is if there is a God that she be at least as tolerant of me as the wife. If so I'm in good shape.

Jack

my other main hope for God is, she is not an English teacher, with a bug for grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Jack

Sun Microsystems to cut 5,000 to 6,000 jobs

http://venturebeat.com/2008/11/14/sun-microsystems-to-5000-to-6000-jobs/

Las Vegas Sands to lay off thousands in Macau
Sands, fast running out of cash and unable to find more in the usual credit markets, will cut as many as 11,000 construction jobs, according to the Associated Press, as it halts work on parts of its planned $12 billion development in the former Portuguese territory.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/las-vegas-sands-layoff-thousands/story.aspx?guid={F00C05E8-720D-44C4-9B8B-A14565E692D3}&dist=msr_1

Jack thanks --u had to bring me into this

my other main hope for God is, she is not an English teacher, with a bug for grammar, spelling and punctuation. :-)

From the Missing Religion File -

Russian Orthodox church stolen _ brick by brick

MOSCOW (AP) — Wanted: One missing Russian church. Last seen in July. Reward for its return. Orthodox officials in a central Russian region say an abandoned church building that was to be put back into use has been stolen by local villagers.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYjUKKvRqU_5Mms_ociaA7O79XlwD94E8V080

Maybe God is a contractor.

Solarcrete

I am he as you are he

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqOKvonLrH8

solar - that's above my pay grade. My son has a Mexican Stratocaster and I buy Mexican beer from time to time, so whatever impediments exist must not be insurmountable. I just like seeing the exhange rate high so that tequila costs me less when we go there over Thanksgiving.

blue, then I may need to visit there "In the darkest depths of Mordor lived a girl so fair..."

"I've always got my trusty roll of duct tape next to me..... :0)....
and a hockey stick....."

renee, as uncle red would say, "keep your stick on the ice."

Jamie ---i love the beatles , and that song

thanks pogo---

Blue--u said,,
religious organizations do good work-----yes they do,,,when they are set up to be benevolent -not as profit organizations,,,even some non profit ones take advantage of the people that want to help others,,,,they will organize a few people and use their good will, and good work, and take 50% of the money collected,,have to pay for services u know,,,some huge churches in chicago have started this way,,,there are more chuches or as many ( it seems sometimes) as there are taverns,,i do like good will, they are not paid to go and distribute clothes that were donated,the Vets also come to your house to pick up clothes etc....used to belong to knights of columbus, until it got too political,,but overall we should organize our selves to do it---we don't need organizations,,,unless they are transparent ???thanks

. . . goo goo ga joob . . .

Torpedo

I just tried it and got Octavia Klinkhammer. Sticking with my new "Indian" name of Jamie Cuddles With Kittens is probably a better idea.

I googled " job layoffs "

Herman Miller on Tuesday said it will cut 400 to 650 jobs through job cuts, layoffs and buyouts -- mainly in West Michigan

Citigroup has begun big layoffs and is expected to cut at least 10000 jobs around the globe, ...

3800 workers will lose their jobs at Galveston's largest employer
Houston Chronicle, United States - Nov 12, 2008

Cessna cuts 665 jobs in Kansas, Oregon
CNNMoney.com - Nov 13, 2008

US Steel Announces North American Job Cuts
AHN - 14 hours ago
The layoffs are spread out among workers in US Steel plants in Pittsburgh; Gary, Indiana; River Rough, Michigan and Granite City, Illinois. ...

Granite factory cutting 81 jobs Belleville News Democrat

QVC announces 900 job cuts companywide; local impact unclear
TCPalm, FL - 4 hours ago

New York-based White & Case says the layoffs will include around 90 staffers and 70 associates. The firm felt the action as necessary in the current ...

Orrick Hetherington & Sutcliffe has becomes the latest US law firm to announce staff cuts with 75 redundancies across its US, Asian and European offices. ...

Layoffs in Colorado affect women most
Bizjournals.com, NC - 21 hours ago
Mass layoffs are job cuts involving at least 50 people from a single company and are calculated by the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance. ...

Riverside Furniture Corp. Announces Major Layoffs
KHBS/KHOG 40/29, AR - 13 hours ago
12, and that is when the layoffs are expected to be carried out. Tom Manskey of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce said recent job losses, including 700 ...

BJU announces plan to eliminate 55 jobs
Greenville News, SC - 16 minutes ago
Some of the employees will face their layoffs in about two weeks. Others will stay on through the end of the school year. Scoles said the job cuts are a ...

In Canada, the layoffs affect Hamilton and Erie. * Applied Materials Inc., the number one chip equipment maker, said on Wednesday it will slash 1800 jobs, ...

The cuts will be made through buyout offers and layoffs. Whirlpool Corp.: The Benton Harbor, Mich., company is laying off about 570 workers at a central ...

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=job+layoffs&btnG=Search+News

Luke 17:20-21 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

that's where old jeebus let the cat outa the bag......

pogo, i'll see your "goo goo ga joob" with an "i am that i am"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_am_that_I_am

"In the Hindu Advaita Vedanta, the South Indian sage Ramana Maharshi mentions that of all the definitions of god, "none is indeed so well put as the biblical statement “I am that I am”". He maintained that although Hindu scripture contains similar statments, the Mahavakyas, these are not as direct as Jehovah. [1] Further the "I am" is explained by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj as an abstraction in the mind of the Stateless State, of the Absolute, or the Supreme Reality, called Parabrahman. It is pure awareness, prior to thoughts, free from perceptions, associations, memories."

How does the buddhist monk order a hot dog?

"Make me one with everything."

Station Casinos, International Game Technology plan layoffs

Casino company to cut 40 workers; slot maker to let fewer than 500 go
--------------------------------
Las Vegas is going to be a ghost town before this thing is over, at least there'll be a nice set of ruins to camp in as we follow the tracks of Tom and Ma Joad back out to the "Promised Land" .

patd - you're way out of my depth now - I know Hindu's a religion and all the Beatles liked it, then Lennon didn't. I just kinda liked that song. I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus . . .

Celibate

In an ancient monastery in a faraway place, a new monk arrived to join his brothers in copying books and scrolls in the monastery's scriptorium. He was assigned as a rubricator on copies of books that had already been copied by hand.

One day he, asked Father Florian, "Does not the copying by hand of other copies allow for chances of error? How do we know we are not copying the mistakes of someone else? Are they ever checked against the original?"

Father Florian is set back a bit by the obvious logical observation of this youthful monk. "A very good point, my son. I will take one of the latest books down to the vault and compare it against the original."

Father Florian went down to the secured vault and began his verification.

After a day had passed, the monks began to worry and went down looking for the old priest. They were sure something must have happened. As they approached the vault, they heard sobbing and crying. When they opened the door, they found Father Florian sobbing over the new copy and the original ancient book, both of which opened before him on the table. It was obvious to all that the poor man had been crying his old heart out for a long time.

What is the problem, Reverend Father?" asked one of the monks.

"Oh my," sobbed the priest, "the word is 'celebrate'!"

Anon, Mrs. P, a QVC shopaholic, mentioned the QVC layoffs to me this morning. You know the retail world is in trouble when the people too lazy to drive to Walmart quit buying.

Hi, I have nothing to add to the blog today. it's been a hard week and I am very exhausted so going to sleep early.

I believe Obama's idea for bailing out the major auto makers with a mandate for greater fuel efficiency and "greener" vehicles is exactly the way to go.

I am off to bed.. good evening.

Tom

Patd

For a cross fertilization of western science and an eastern intuition,,,,not as a textbook or intrduction to the vedanta,,,the book that i told chloe about is a great read,,,for me it is all that i want to know about any belief --- i retain the information that B Espinosa,,and others alike,,along with evolution, cosmology,etc etc,,,and i come up ( at least for me) the understanding of who i--we are,,along with our organic earth???The Book ,on the taboo against knowing who you are--by Alan Watts

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173219

jack, LOL. I use the same method - works about as well as you suggest.

1972 Dow Jones closes above 1,000 for 1st time (1003.16)

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
The Bing Crosby version from 1931

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU

They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob

Brother Can You Spare a Couple Billion ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbiyLpIcLg8

there are more atheists, agnostics, theists, deists,,,,in our country than all of the organized religions put together here in the us----according to gallup polls, a cple of year back----they like the cat herd here at TM are hard to organize--cos of their independent type of thinking,,,,what a third part we would make,????

just noticed that craig is scheduled for 8pm with ko. our duty officer of the day is tasked with making sure he's out of the bath tub in time. also that he's typed his 3500 words today.... the goal is 70,000 by dec 1st isn't it?

Craig, my contribution:

pecuniary

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/11/as-gm-goes-so-goes-the-nation.html#comment-173276

ha, thanks, patd, closing in on 3,000 now, should have time for a bath by showtime

Pogo -
Thanks for chippin' in with the word count. I'll have to look that one up.

CHART IT: Compare beliefs of Catholics, other faiths
http://usatoday.com/news/graphics/2008_pew_religion/flash.htm

KGC,

Was there confusion about Prop 8? I haven't seen any articles if there was. I ask because I have seen several comments like in the SFG piece, that the voting appeared out of character to the expectations. Also, DW and I in our discussion confused each other as to what voting Yea or Nay represented. Some of these Initiative are written to be confusing

craig, another word for today: "perspicacious"

may you especially be most perspicacious tonight with the obernator.... as defined by wiki's second definition:
"...having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp-sighted."

Anon - it means nothing to me. :-)

Craig, another - persnickety

pecuniary, perspicacious, persnickety

It's like the scene in When Harry Met Sally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6CtAauWe1U

I see the Army has its first female 4 star general.....hats off to her.

well, duty calls - gotta run, Have a good 'un.

ubiquitous........(omnipresent)

unctuous...........

"I've got a good one.......I want a LONG one......."

---George Carlin

oh sturge, "unctuous" is a great word. so fitting for someone we won't name having to be a guest bloviator tonight. merriam-web's 3rd def:
"full of unction ; especially : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality" says it so well.

and the word itself is so fun to say... reminds me of that strange character actress in some long ago play going on and on about the word "elbow". she would draw it out ...elll-boww... who was that? miriam hopkins? and what play?

correction: not the guest, but an alledged bloviator who may or may not have invited the guest. absolutely do not mean our gracious host who right now is probably playing with his rubber ducky in the tub.

I think publishers prefer books be written on an 8th grade level these days.

Matthews just did something that makes me crazy and I don't know if it is because he has inside information or if he is just mouthing off.

The beginning of the show one of his guests put forward that Clinton MIGHT be negotiating terms for a possible appointment

Now at the end of the show with other anti Hillary guests, he is saying that her DEMANDS are too extreme.

How in the space of one hour did we go from "might" to Absolute.

I hope they make an exception for Helen and CC.....

CC.......by the way, if it's not something youre keeping under your hat or playing close to the vest when you have half a chance could you maybe give a small idea of the process you and Ms Thomas are using to accomplish the book?

Champ
Not just these days, they alway have , at least those designed for a mass market. Readers Digest is the classic for this. But so is almost any news magazine.

Jack

Jamie

people leak to folks like Matthews for a variety of reasons. It is almost never to get the truth out.

Heard something , on NPR, about some comments being made that with the people that Obama is gathering around him it is starting to look like Clintons 3rd term.

I half caught it as I was working but I had to laugh. It looks like the antihillary are getting restless.

Jack

Jack

It was really noticeable today. The top of the show was warm, pleasant just going over "possibilities and tactics". At the end of the show, the long knives were out ... very weird.

Champ

One of the ways educators calculate the grade level of reading material

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/fry/fry.html

Jack

but champ.......what was it brought that to your attention?

"very weird"
"matthews"

And your point? ;-)

Jack