Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

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Woo, Those Republicans never learn.
Hoo do they think they are?
...... they had better get some new leadership fast!

From Thomas Frank -

Indeed, if political figures stand for ideas, victimization is what Ms. Palin is all about. It is her brand, her myth. Ronald Reagan stood tall. John McCain was about service. Barack Obama has hope. Sarah Palin is a collector of grievances. She runs for high office by griping.

This is no small thing, mind you. The piling-up of petty complaints is an important aspect of conservative movement culture.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-frank/poor-persecuted-sarah-pal_b_233494.html

Future Nominations Are at Stake in Hearings
"By forcing Judge Sotomayor to retreat from Mr. Obama's desire for justices with "empathy," Republicans have effectively set a new standard that future nominees will be pressed to meet. The Republicans hope their aggressive questioning of Judge Sotomayor on race discrimination, gun control and the death penalty will make it harder for Mr. Obama to choose a more outspoken liberal in the future.

Liberal activists, by contrast, hope the hearings demonstrate that a Democratic president has nothing to fear from Republicans who have not rattled Judge Sotomayor. If she is confirmed by a commanding vote that includes a number of Republicans, the activists argue, they will have given Mr. Obama more political running room next time to name a more full-throated champion of liberal values. "http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/us/politics/16assess.html?_r=1&hp

Thought for the day :
" Two wrongs do not make a right, it usually takes three or more. "

Craig,

In your typically understated way, I think you have presented the situation perfectly.

As I was listening to the hearings while driving about the last 2 days, I swear I could hear the Cubanas of FL change parties.

"victimization is what Ms. Palin is all about. It is her brand, her myth. Ronald Reagan stood tall. John McCain was about service. Barack Obama has hope. Sarah Palin is a collector of grievances. She runs for high office by griping."

Translation: men stand tough. Women are weak sisters. I heard the same BS about Hillary Clinton.

Yes, Craig! The next appointee should be a power-liberal. The hell with these sexist/racist morons. I'm now even hearing some trying to turn the hispanic community against itself by saying, "Why did he appoint a Puerto Rican woman? Why not a Mexican man?"

Was it patd who suggested the clowns were already here?

1704 John Kay England, machinist, invented flying shuttle
1872 Roald Amundsen Norway, explorer, discovered South Pole
1887 "Shoeless" Joe Jackson black sox player (Say it aint so, Joe)
1907 Barbara Stanwyck Bkln, actress (Dynasty II, Big Valley, Thorn Birds)
1907 Orville Redenbacher popcorn king (Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet)
1911 Ginger Rogers [Virginia McMath], Independence Mo, dancer/actress

Deaths which occurred on July 16:

1981 Harry Chapin dies at 39, of a heart attack when his car is rear-ended

622 Origin of the Islamic Era (Muharram 1, 1 AH)
1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa; end of Moslem power in Spain
1439 Kissing is banned in England
1790 Congress establishes District of Columbia
1918 Nicholas II Russian tsar, his tsarina & their 5 kids executed
1945 1st atomic bomb detonated, Trinity Site, Alamogordo, New Mexico
1969 Apollo 11, carrying 1st men to land on the Moon, launched

Patsi -

Please name Palin's most important " Idea ".

I understand why Judge Sotomayor has to stay cool. But I also see a great tendency to label any woman who questions sexism as a bitch and a whiner. I remember that crap during the 70s movement.

And to tell you the truth, I'm starting to more and more like a woman in American legend who was basically a thug: Erik the Red's murderous daughter Freydis. When her Viking troops were being beaten by natives, she marched to the front (obviously pregnant), opened the bodice of her dress, touched a breast with her sword then held the sword high, daring her men to continue retreating. The natives were so taken aback they fled.

There's a sick part of me that would have liked to see Sonia Sotomayor do something similar while Cornyn was attacking.

Chloe,

republicans have plenty of leadership.

A. rush has shown that he can humble the most sensible republican officials. This makes him the 900 pound gorilla of the Party. The big Qs are,

1. can a semi-closet gay guy and serial bridegroom get elected President ?

2. would rush be willing to give up the enormous income he reaps, and all the ditto head, to service the nation ?

B. john muckain sometimes spouts off and he is rolling in beer and oil money, plus the mortgage bankers owe him for letting them rape America. That's a national base, sort of. Besides, he has a proven record of being able to win the republican nomination.

C. Governor Palin spouts, too, as Mr. Bob points out, and who doesn't have dissatisfactions ? That's a basis for assembling 55% of the country, as Candidate Obama did.

They should be enough leadership for any political party.

Everybody remember Sinclair Broadcasting from the 2004 election ?

" NEW YORK - Television station owner Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Tuesday that it could be forced into bankruptcy if a smaller station operator it does business with defaults on its debt."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31913075

Bob -- first of all, I'm not defending Palin's politics, I'm sick of the attacks being so stereotypical.

However, prior to (unwisely) accepting the role of right wing attack dog, she had done a pretty good job fighting Republicans and big oil in Alaska. Of course, the media acted like they never heard of her...fascinating, since I'd followed what she was doing since she was elected. I'd hoped maybe she'd realize that she was more of a right wing indie that Repub.

I also keep saying just what one of Hillary's advisers says in this piece: this Palin obsession is a distraction.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/palin-mania-how-goldman-s_b_233241.html

I would next go with a raving liberal like Pam Karlin, assuming she would want to leave Palo Alto to spend the rest of her life in DC.

Patsi,

Judge Sotomayor, is just showing her cool, calm, judicial temperment.

I like swords a lot, but the gal with the blindfold ought to be the only one allowed to have one incourt.

Patsi -
I posted the Frank article because Palin has that one common thread we see in the right.
" The piling-up of petty complaints is an important aspect of conservative movement culture. "

"There's a sick part of me that would have liked to see Sonia Sotomayor do something similar while Cornyn was attacking."

Patsi, I wouldn't call that sick at all.
But maybe Sotomayor didn't feel threatened. Maybe she knew 'they' were the ones that looked like fools, and she was glad to see them set themselves up, so all of us knew the same thing. Undoubtedly, she knew what to expect when she went in there. The best indicator of future behaior is past behavior, and I haven't seen any changes taking place so far.

Patsi,

Yup, Palin did a great job attempting to wrestle her party away from the grafters and kleptos. Scads of them are now under the care of Palin's prison warden.
She deserves a medal for having State prosecutors do their jobs, even when the freedom of republican big shots was at stake.

She has made a few mistakes. Strategically, holding up her family as a paragon of conventional virtue was her biggest mistake. By doing so she opened the door to close scrutiny of her family's disfunction, especially when the teen-aged daughter turned up pregnant by a guy who had no more couth than the average goat. Families always have at least one thing that would be better left in the shadows, so Palin's decision (probably muckain's Image Inflator) to make her family an issue was her major error.

muckain handlers and trainers may blame Palin for the republican loss in November, but muckain would have gone down even if he'd picked Jesus for his running mate. muckain was just too dam' negative and too dam' flakey. Palin brought him as close to victory as any republican but Billy Graham possibly could.

"The piling-up of petty complaints is an important aspect of conservative movement culture. "

Agree with that Bob.

I'm wondering whether or not that bare-breasted statue john ashcroft covered with a hankie was supposed to be Freydis Eriksdotter. I seem to remember that Freydis slew a heap of Leif Ericksson's employees, including a couple of women and her own husband. She was sort of doing the Indians' work for them, although, I think the intention was to eliminate all the untrustworthy Christian elements in the expedition. At the time, Christianity frowned on gals who packed heat. Man, did Freydis pack heat.

Erik the Red's Saga begins with the dry statement, "Erik had to leave Norway over a couple of killings." It seems that there was a dispute over who owned some furniture. Erik had borrowed a couple of benches, and I guess that the Viking way to repay the rightful owners was to kill them. Anyway, in the next generation, this moderately disfunctional family (for Vikings) attempted to make off with the North American Continent, but failed. Freydis was certainly an old fashioned Viking gal.

"so Palin's decision (probably muckain's Image Inflator) to make her family an issue was her major error."

I do think she was too easily led by the GOP powers....all VP candidates are expected to be the "bad cop" -- I remember when Bob Dole appeared to be a completely different cat than the (actually) pretty funny guy I'd met many times.

Aside from that -- I never heard her hold up those kids as paragons of virtue. Some politicians have their kids out front, some don't. And a pregnant teenager isn't exactly the worst thing that any of those candidates' kids represented....like Huckabee's dog murdering son..:)

" Man, did Freydis pack heat. "

Indeed....and when I bring her up it is much in the spirit of The Onion...

U.S. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE from foreign energy markets.

Posted by: Ree Author Profile Page | July 16, 2009 10:56 AM
________________________

Ree.....that would be more like a "Goal".............to come up with some ways to actually accomplish that goal would be in the category of "ideas".

also, i dont think energy independence and cheap power are high on the gop wish list............

Craig.... right on!

Due to conducting business again, I only caught some of Coburn's and Franken's questioning of Sotomayor. I thought Ms Sonia rightly put Coburn in his place by stating (and I'm paraphrasing) "would you rather have a judge that declared how they'd rule before hearing both sides of the case". She showed Coburn up to have asked a stupid question to begin with....
Go, Sonia, Go!

Patsi.... I know the problem I've been having is wondering how to post something that I don't respect about Sarah Palin without automatically being accused of sexism or whacking her. Yet the most outrageous snark can be laid at the feet of men politicians on this blog everyday without hardly a word.

Ree -
Yes .

You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %

Well , I'm going to take my inherently evil gonads and go clean my fish pump.

Gees....you sure are cheer leaders today. Seems not one topic I have linked to is of any concern. Everything is just wonderful in Oz.

Do you honestly think a one party system would solve our problems?

Craig, do you honestly think Obama should go hard Left? Is that your proffesional opinion or just the devil talking? I for one can't wait when the Liberals here feel the fire and ask themselves, how did that happen?

Stewart made a joke about Obama last not. "He can do anything...except create jobs..." NO ONE LAUGHED.

Hhmmmm, when was a party that smug? Let me guess.

With all that is amiss and threatening to explode, we have Thursday Chorus time.

Lemmings comes to mind. Health self-reflection does not.

Typos were the consequence of a sandwich this time....

From reading some of the posts I see some here confuse reporting on what is happening with personal opinion.

Maybe Lindsey wants to take her rug shopping.
"Sotomayor drew praise from Republicans and Democrats alike as she was wrapping up her time before the committee at the nationally televised hearing.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. described her judicial record as "generally in the mainstream" and said he thought she would keep an open mind on gun rights. Graham, who has said previously he may vote to confirm Sotomayor, said she was "not an activist."

Another Republican, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, also called Sotomayor's rulings "pretty much in the mainstream," although he said her assertions of impartiality at the hearings were strikingly at odds with her past remarks.

"You appear to be a different person almost in your speeches and in some of the comments that you've made" before the Judiciary panel, Cornyn said.

Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., told Sotomayor, "you've done quite an outstanding job as witness," and talked to her as though he were giving a takeaway message to a future justice."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/13/national/w070627D16.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0LRQXy9UZ

"I'm going to take my inherently evil gonads and go clean my fish pump."

Oh Christ. Talk about a whiner.

So CQ quotes Kissenger in disputing any tension between Hillary and the WH. Now that's a laugh.

And I hardly am sexist when saying our heath czar did not answers the questions last night that Stewart asked her. When cornered by the obvious problems she just said "we have to do something" as though ANYTHING would be better than our present situation. Now that is wonderful logic. She even defended NOT READING THE BILL. Its complicated she said while hoping Congress would pass it in the next week or so.

But then who cares? Democrats can do no wrong. That is what Republicans do.

Renee -- I don't give a crap if you criticize Sarah Palin. I do, however, get sick of the gender-specific attacks. And like the Clinton aide who wrote the HuffPo article, I see much gleefulness in them. Like it's now become trendy.

Finally! A fun mass email. Send this to all your friends:

If you saw ME in the back of a police car what would you think I got arrested for?

Reply to me, ALONE, then fwd this on and see how many crimes you get accused of.

---------------------------------------

So far I'm hauled in for political protest and speeding.

Craig - I must be watching different coverage - Help point out the "hate".....

Once one gets past the prejudice then only those that are behind will speak of and with it - and harbor the hate.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244283

CBob

If you remember from the beginning, the stories from Wasilla opponents and school days acquaintances was that she was all about carrying a grudge and getting even. According to them that was her MO for being popular in school, beauty pageant, basketball, and politics. Very few of us leave our basic personalities behind so much as learn to control the negatives.

Jamie - Political Protest is perfect for you..

Patsi....
I'm not asking you to give a crap. I too am not happy with gender specific attacks. I didn't read the article you're questioning. I don't have the time right now.

I shied away from saying anything about Palin for a long time. But she's being discussed in the news and consequently on this blog. One can have legitimate differences in opinions on her. And I think we should all be free to air those opinions without being accused of sexism. I felt the same way about the constant refrains of racism if one criticized Obama during the primaries.
I have decided I will not be silenced about what I don't respect about her.

Patsi -

Yep, I'm a real titty baby, now where did I put my sippy cup ?

Patsi, re your note of July 16, 2009 12:06 PM,

I think you're completely correct.

I did not mean to imply that her chidren were held up as paragons, but rather that the family was exemplary, and an example of how tidy a family can be when strictly governed by COnservative Family Values.

& the Palins weren't anywhere near as bad a jim and tammy bakker, jimmy swaggert, or even the phyllis schlaffley family. Except maybe for the teen aged father, over whom the Palins had no control. He was as bad as phyllis schlaffley. Anyway, in-laws are uncontrolable, and sorta in-laws can be even worse. Young Johnston was worse.

Bumper sticker :

" Go Lemmings GO ! "

The usual alarmist has misidentified the Lemming Party.

I finally got around to posting Windham Wallow's pictures. I have a fondness for this place , just because it took me forever to find in on google maps. It's near St. Francis , Kentucky -

http://cbhopibluecornexperiment.blogspot.com/

Ree

Yes

You answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 %

Rats bested by a woman.

Homer:

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.

Given the age of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I hope the next appointment will be a blatantly liberal woman. Obama certainly has a bench of them ready from the selection process for Sotomayor.

Roberts needs the checks to balance his court.

Jamie,

I got 5 responses from 4 respondants to the arrest questionaire that I sent out.

1. From Sweetie :
a. driving without a seat belt.
b. lurking with intent to mope.

2. From Sweetie's bro : bootlegging [ I once made a few gallons of ghastly wine, and made him take a sip.]

3. From my pal Henry : prognosticating without a license

4. From my pal Ira : fishing without a license [ This is totally unfair. I had several licenses on me; I just forgot which state I was in. ]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244294" republicans have plenty of leadership."

LOL XR, The people you pointed out is why I said they need 'new' leadership.

I understand the point you are making though. No matter how many mistakes they make, no matter how ludicrous the things they say are or the stances they take, they still get a huge amount of votes.

But are you also saying there's no reason for them to make any changes? To just keep going in the same direction, and they'll do fine? (Maybe only an x-republican can answer these questions. :)

Soldier's suit against Obama presidency dismissed

Cases challenging Obama’s citizenship have been rejected by courts in Ohio, Seattle and Philadelphia, as well as by the Supreme Court.

http://www.ajc.com/news/soldiers-suit-against-obama-presidency-dismissed-92933.html

"It is stunning that the GOP did not learn this lesson in the election of Barack Obama. Until Republicans get past calling 1-800-HATE there will be fewer and fewer voters on the other end of the line."

I really like this statement, Craig. Radio is their last outlet.

c-bob...thanks for the update on Sinclair...couldn't happen to a nicer group of swift boaters!

Finally! A fun mass email. Send this to all your friends:

If you saw ME in the back of a police car what would you think I got arrested for?~~Jamie

I haven't sent it out, but I bet the answer would universally and uniformly be "playing classic country on the CD player at volumes guaranteed to make the ears of passersby bleed." (^_~)

"they showcased just how narrow and out of touch their political base has become.

It is stunning that the GOP did not learn this lesson in the election of Barack Obama."

It's because the Repubs are, and always will be, a bunch of old farts.

*quarter in the jar*

tt

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244299

welcome aboard bob h.
never mind the mess and melee, it's thursday and we're all stressed.
btw, tell us more about ms. karlin

Excerpt from a Michael Moore e-mail:

"Sicko" airs on The Movie Channel tonight at 8:00 PM. It's also scheduled to air on The Movie Channel on July 27th at 4:05 PM and on TMC Xtra on August 2nd at 10:45 PM and August 5th at 2:15 AM and 7:30 AM

More info @:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/13/752879/-Fun-with-SICKO.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/

tt

"it's thursday and we're all stressed"....

patd.... speak for yourself....
well..... maybe I am stressed a little bit.... I do a 9-day professional craft show that takes me 7 months to get prepared for and from which I usually make half my income. I set up for that show exactly 2 weeks from today. Not much is selling in the galleries at the moment. And I've heard from other crafters that the big spring wholesale shows didn't go so well. I'm going to have accept whatever happens. There's always sips of wine being sneaked in at the back of booths. Something tells me we'll all have to be careful not to get drunk.

The question of Sotomayor is finished.
Another short national embaressment over

jeeze I'm so embarrassed

http://www.rr.com/home/home/article/rr/9000/8336389/Budget_umpire_health_care_bills_would_raise_costs

Sorry to rain on the parade, not that it matters to anyone here.

And how quickly we forget. Obama beat Hillary how? If you can remember back that far, include the means in how Obama went on to beat McCain. A half hour befor the deadline Obma and Edwards together pulled out of Michigan and spun it like Hillary was the bad one. Hey "we" didn't campaign in Michigan". That played well enough in Iowa to win.

I guess you all missed this http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0709/Sen_Barbara_Boxer_accused_of_race_politics_today_during_the_EPW_hearing.html

And those old farts didn't know anything. Generation Y has the corner on America's greatest moment.

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1283/fewer-see-space-or-science-as-top-american-achievement

Right now the legacy doesn't look too certain, does it? But don't fret, Goldman is having a banner quarter.....

No, Chloe,

I think that republicans deserve to be irrelevant. The republican party now stands for exactly the opposite of what the Radical Republicans, led by the great Thaddeus Stevens, stood for in the 1860s and 70s.

In 1876, the hayes machine stole the an American Presidential election for the 1st time.

When in 1881, republicans voted to give the power of personality to corporations, they cast their lot with big business against the rights of individuals and small firms. This was the triumph of what Ayn Rand would call, the 'collectivists'.

When republicans became colonialists under McKinley, they threw away the idea of local decisions made by local people, and Government of the People, by the People, and for the People. They adopted absentee Government by the Privileged Few, to benefit even fewer and more privileged.

When nixon's ant-civil rights Southern Strategy recruirted that vile maid-raper, strom thurmond, and klan members across the old confederacy, republicans adopted the violent racist legacy of nathan bedford forrest, tom watson of Hickory Hill, pitchfork ben tillman, and teddy bilbo. republicans hugged the Tar Baby, and will continue to pay for it until they run out of klansmen.

When republicans began their abortion racket, to defraud people who oppose abortion out of their hard-earned dollars, cheating people out of billions in campaign contributions with no intention of ever overthrowing Roe v Wade (that'd kill the silly goose that lays golden eggs) they gave up the last tiny shred of their integrity.

When republicans adopted Free Trade, they sold out small and mid-sized American companies and their employees, in favor of mega multinationals. They subsidized the export of American jobs, using American laborors' tax dollars to do so. The gang that boasted of it's solid anti-communist record exported a huge % of the American economy to commieChina.

The Radical Republicans stood for political reform, a struggled to free communities from elections by ballot stuffing, and corrupt political machines. In 2000 and 2004, the republicans re-invented the arts of ballot stuffing and ballot box disappearance in FL and Ohio, and their Supreme Court Justices voted against the mandated Florida recount.

Thus, republicans went from pro-democracy to anti-democracy, from pro-freedom to pro-slavery in 136 years. Let them destroy themselves, the stopped standing for anything of value 9 years ago, their party no longer deserves people's votes.

I'm at a loss to understand who the Republican Senators on the committee think their audience is. And yes, I mean their audience since it was clearly not a 'hearing' in the classic meaning of that term.

For example, even as a personal gun owner and somtime hunter, I'm perfectly comfortable with cities and States implementing reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. Frankly I'm not crazy about the idea of the person at the next barstool packing heat on the off-chance that the bar might get robbed (or his girlfriend insulted). And Sen Graham, who can make sense when he limits himself to one or two sentences, sounds like an moron the longer he prattles on. And, by the way, I really don't know anyone in the mainstream who is saying that enemy combatants cannot be held for the duration of the war. The real question arises because there is serious concern that not all of the detainees are or were actual combatants. If someone is going to be held potentially for the rest of his life, shouldn't there be a reasonable attempt to determine he is actually a threat?

Unfortunately, the controlling issue in the next election cycle, and probably leading up to 2012 will be the state of the economy, and the Republicans may gain ground, and even be competitive in the national election -- not because they have ideas, because they clearly don't -- but because of dissatisfaction with the results of the economic fixes put in place by the Obama administration. Leaving aside the old adage that Presidents get too much credit when the economy is good, and too much blame when it does not.

Sorry for the length.

Am wondering how many male nominees have been questioned about being "temperamental". ?

OSH,

Even I was taken with how many "code words" there were that seemed to be sexist, and I have to admit I'm not always quick on the uptake.

It takes insanity to ok guns in bars.......even in dodge city and tombstone they had to check their guns at the city's boundary......

I've seen enough guns in bars to know how insane it is to actually condone their being there for anyone but the -sober- bartender..............

Am wondering how many male nominees have been questioned about being "temperamental". ?

Posted by: oldseahag | July 16, 2009 4:40 PM

LOL reminds me of the lines of questioning the media gave Sally Ride when she was the first female astronaut to go out on a mission--just male senators asking questions instead of mostly male media--

Having said THAT, I can say this, as a longtime diabetic myself, THAT has an effect on one's temperament--

But the questioning is out of line, since I cannot recall any male nominee being asked such a question (although there were questions, over the course of his presidential runs, about McCain's temper--)

"Thus, republicans went from pro-democracy to anti-democracy, from pro-freedom to pro-slavery in 136 years."

Your read on history XRepublican is astounding. Free Markets is just a form of Republican insanity. What do you do X when your not here? By your account, you go from one extreme to the other. I am glad you have finally found your light.

How little old women knitted our way to the moon. And no XRepublican, this is not another Republican conspiracy....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8148730.stm

Even with a majority, the New Democrats stiffle debate. So much for freem, eh XREpublican?

http://www.rr.com/home/home/article/rr/9000/8363936/House_Democrats_muzzle_GOP_on_sensitive_issues

It takes insanity to ok guns in bars.......even in dodge city and tombstone they had to check their guns at the city's boundary......

I've seen enough guns in bars to know how insane it is to actually condone their being there for anyone but the -sober- bartender..............

Posted by: sturgeone | July 16, 2009 4:49 PM

Here in TN that law, passed last week sometime, is already being stiffly challenged, with many establishments that serve alcohol already refusing to obey. The combination is frankly deadly and I am STILL pissed at our legislature for passing it--idiots.

Another example of life at the extremes. That IS what happens when the middle is escluded, but with so many on the extreme, who listens? Sure, they think they are moderate. Everyone does. Despite the signs that the present healthcare bill is unvetted, confusing and sure to add to the huge drain Obama is creating, partisans don't give a crap. If JFK took that approach to the moon, we would have never made it. Blindness is exactly how we get into messes. Each Party seems to show us how not to govern and while in power they are blind to both their smuggness and their hypocrisy.

Joe- Just saw a few minutes but I was shocked at the blatant use of the word."temperamental", glad your radar is picking it up!

Ktariste- Hello and welcome- I've seen your posts and enjoyed them, but have been too pressed to post much myself of late.

An airy irrelevance, my dears, but mine own:

Fair's song for the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtEC2GAUbTA

Ktariste- Hello and welcome- I've seen your posts and enjoyed them, but have been too pressed to post much myself of late.

Posted by: oldseahag | July 16, 2009 5:01 PM

Hi, OSH--nice to meet you. I enjoy your posts very much. Also am proud that the efforts involving the 94th are going so well.

"Here in TN that law, passed last week sometime, is already being stiffly challenged, with many establishments that serve alcohol already refusing to obey. The combination is frankly deadly and I am STILL pissed at our legislature for passing it--idiots."

Absolutely, KT -- lots of bars in Nashville are saying "no way." But I know a lot of people who -- even though they'd be appalled at seeing someone walk into a bar with a pistol -- are using people's reaction as a wedge against the administration. Unbelievable.

Craig

Give me an Atheist with long beautiful hair; hair down to there.

Soto is a scary Catholic to me, but much better than an a Alito type,,or a Thomas, but where are the Atheist? where are the third party Judges that represent the largest group of citizens, ( or one of them) All of this is not new!

Just the other one- of the two teams up to bat, and the same arguments are said, that have been said before, but only in a different way---but the same non the less! Are we really going to get a change for the better....just a change of players.?

OSH,

Nice to meet you too.

forgot the :-))

I used to vote regularly for several Republicans..... haven't voted for one since the 2000 election. I know that Democrats are bought and sold by big business also.... but Republicans have made a fine art out of it. I see no reason why I should vote for someone from that party in the foreseeable future.

Lindsey's Grahams's questioning of Sotomayor on her "temperament" was disgusting, IMO. I read somewhere he took that line of questioning because Rush Limbaugh severely criticized his nicer remarks to her from the day before.
I guess Limbaugh really is the head of the Republican party nowadays. Time for that ilk to go the way of the dinosaur.....

Solar ,up to your usual antics! - how are you?! I miss you!

I know a lot of people who -- even though they'd be appalled at seeing someone walk into a bar with a pistol -- are using people's reaction as a wedge against the administration. Unbelievable.

Posted by: Patsi | July 16, 2009 5:11 PM

Me too, Patsi. This is what happens, though, when there's a powerful lobby that has those who actually are in a position to pass sensible gun legislation so cowed they moo--I'm not an NRA fan. Does it show?(^_~)

Im fine, Im also glad to read/hear about the 94th. You are up to your elbows in work between the two, and other things. Just wanted to say hello....since we are on the blog at the same time for a change. Keep up the good fight. L & L

ktartiste- my efforts with the 94th had much less impact till the gang around here got involved. Group brainstorming, Jamie and her marvelous blog and Craig's effort s to bring it to the public. It's a fine bunch of people here, you in the best of company!

Solar- saw your post a while back about enjoying getting to know my Dad.and I am so pleased you are . Am looking forward to reading the ones in Europe. I am up to my elbows in work- just picked up another store too- business is flat here so I'm working overtime so I don't kick myself in the ass next winter- know it will be the toughest yet. Pretty scary out there. Have you got some work?

Sea,

Work has been sparse for me lately, and some of it because of my chooding, I have turned down work for past clients......they could not let me know to my satisfaction...if, and when, we would get paid for work done.

Some of my Contractor friends tell me that Im not doing the right thing....by not working and getting paid later on. In my way of thinking: I don't think that some of my clients will be around for too much longer.

I used to have a co. that was called C & O....Cash Only; thats what back to C & O for a while. But I have some very good prospects for affordable housing that you knew a little bit about. Thanks for asking.

ps ....I have been gone for a little while....but will catch up-on you Fathers exiting story later on. Great Guy!

The NRA is so damn strong here in Twangtown, KT -- I'm always shocked at how their rhetoric filters out, then repeated and repeated by even mild mannered songwriters!

Solar, I ask for either half or a third down plus supplies depending on how big the job. It would be crazy in NYC to work and get paid "later". Been there, done that. Working for a promise or a job that is way too cheap, doesn't get one out of the hole. I find it is better looking for jobs than be saddled with one that won't pay the bills.

It is tough now. I even heard dome illegals complaining there was little work. Still, as I mentioned weeks ago, the combined institutional and government building projects in NYC for the last three years total more than 80 billion. Someone's making money. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be you or me.

Maybe the US government will pay us to build something in Afghanistan. What can we lose? Our heads?

Big blobs of mystery goo floating off Alaska coast

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/260/story/71842.html?storylink=omni_popular

Jack

some illegals that is.....

illegals sure ain't "dumb" and no insult was intended.

Solar- in the past I've worked and been paid later- but she is well heeled and knew she would get another payment from the trust . I just figured it was money in the bank. but not so sure I would do that with most people right now- think you're making a wise choice.

He is something else. Loved letter 14- so sweet and just a young lad. Honestly it is hard sometimes to look at his letters and see how the 2nd generation later is behaving. Lots has been lost.

Good news regarding the 94th- didn't post it because wasn't quite certain what Kennedy's office wanted public on the blog but think it is safe to say here.
Kennedy's office received a letter from the Sec. of the Army himself ,Pete Geren, he is looking into the whole matter and thanked Kennedy for
his "support of these Soldiers of the"greatest generation" who served with such distinction"
Pretty cool eh?

Alien Jack, its making it's way down to San Fran in a single globular colony.

Well, I guess that is not a sign it is a very intelligent life form.

Can't believe the Coast Guard isn't having some research department study it as we speak.

Don't take your guns to town son , leave your guns at home Bill, Don't take your guns to town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMMp_llzBT4

Latest TM-chocolate news. Am dipping stuffed dates in chocolate which Jamie in her brilliance named "Midnight at the Oasis"

Max,

If I go to Afghanistan to work with you.....and happen to lose my head: Ship it to Bethyboo....she will know what to do with it.HA!

Max....the money that you mentioned ( 80) is probably money released for the Big-contributor-contractors. The trickle down Obama stimulus hasn't reaches the small to mid size contractor like me. I had 28 workers at one time....Im glad that I was down to 12 when all of this bs started to happen. I have been yelling at the top of my lungs-since Obama got elected....that

OBAMA....RELEASE THE STIMULUS MONEY NOW!!!!!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244377

Patsi

Deputy stepfather walks into bar in uniform to pick up waitress mother and runs into local TV celebrity with his "three year old" puppet "Webster Webfoot" on his arm:

Webster: Jimmy does he have a gggggun?
Jimmy: Yes Webster that is a gun.
Webster: Does he go duck hunting?

Bar cracks up and red faced deputy sheriff stepfather decides to wait outside. This explains how I learned to shoot with a 38 police special. :-)

At least it might come your way Solar. Hear that not 1 penny will reach the island directly here.

The NRA is so damn strong here in Twangtown, KT -- I'm always shocked at how their rhetoric filters out, then repeated and repeated by even mild mannered songwriters!

Posted by: Patsi

Sad but true--but there is a huge audience for it, so the rhetoric will keep creeping into songs until the market for it crashes--not likely to happen soon either--

One of the reasons I love Tim O'Brien--off the top of my head I can only think of two of his songs that have gun violence and both of those are traditional, not his compositions--I HOPE I'm right about that--:)

Sea.....Real cool!!

I'm truly sick of the Republicans whining about where will the money come from for a public option. Let people buy into Medicare on a sliding scale of family income. Add healthy families to the old and infirm to increase income while reducing costs.

The "Medical liability" can be removed from auto insurance and that portion of the policy transfered to health care. The medical portion of Workman's comp can be eliminated from that insurance for businesses and those monies transferred to health care.

The savings on those two items should more than cover any increased taxes to pay for a universal system.

Fair's ARIA for the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldqHu71bjXQ

This is video, incidentally, of the first time I ever heard Thomas Hampson sing: at a 1991 Rossini gala at the Met, broadcast on PBS.

Hey, I'm inconsistent. One of my charms.(^_~)

"At least it might come your way Solar. Hear that not 1 penny will reach the island directly here."

If you have a "Mayor", a city hall.....doesn't this qualify for some of it. Has to be a way......that is if it is not too late by then. I just hope that he has taken care of all his good buddy's now......and finally it's our turn!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244348

CBob

Now don't tell me you are surprised. You've never had a problem with capable women.

Sea,

Are you still there? Just talking to you....im starting to get those chocolate night mares again...you know- the ones- that Im wrestling in. It was great talking to you....won't take up more off your time, as Im sure that the others are trying to get a word in with you.

Don't take your guns to town son , leave your guns at home Bill, Don't take your guns to town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMMp_llzBT4

Posted by: whskyjack | July 16, 2009 6:08 PM

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

Mama says the pistol is the devil's right hand. . .

In the interests of full disclosure, I should say that my late father was a gun nut. At the time of his death, he owned eight--only two of which were ever fired again after they were purchased. I watched Mom do without medical and dental care, car repairs, and other basics cause he needed a frickin' new gun. Can't say the NRA is to blame, but they would have found a loud and proud advocate in Dad.

I don't mind people owning hunting rifles or pistols if they feel the need to arm themselves against criminals and the like, but there are public places where carrying a gun is entirely inappropriate. There are people who are mentally imbalanced who should not be able to buy guns under ANY circumstances. And NOBODY should be immune to being checked out before they can purchase a gun. Get the NRA to think it's not still Dodge City circa 1873 though--and as Sturg observed above, even THERE there were limits to where you could carry a gun and an attitude--

Okay, rant's over. Sorry to be a bore, but this issue gets my hackles up.

Jamie

Good points

As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago someone is already paying for the uncompensated health care to the tune of over 1 trillion dollars, The democratic house plan that would cover everybody will cost 1 trillion dollars.
Your savings are just gravy on the biscuit.
So not only is universal health care FREE but it paying out a dividend.

So in the end not only does Jax get cheaper health insurance for him and his employees but he gets one of his major employee costs reduced.

We are wanting to give him money and he is whining about it.
Talk about ungrateful.

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244351

XR

Those are great. Our friends know us too well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503856.html

Solar, do you think bombing is more effective than Jason Bourne?

And if we took a poll today, would Americans support the targeted termination of AQ leaders?

For XRepublican....some history

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KG17Df01.html

Solar- funny you should mention chocolate dreams- was just looking up a recipe for sugarplums. Although I know they aren't what your mares are about!
I rather doubt that anyone is much after getting a word in with me- after a few yawns they probably thought it would be a good time for a nap.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244355

KT,

Family story. My son in law was having a music and beer Saturday, when the knock came on the door.

Policeman: We have a complaint about noise
SIL: Man I'm dancin'and drinkin' with my wife and singing with my mother in law, everything is just fine.
Policeman: Well turn it down just a bit

Uh, Max

Jason Bourne is fiction not real ya know?

A bomb is real.

So I vote for the bomb as the most effective.
One would have to through the book or dvd very hard to take out an AQ leader.

Jack

The GOP continues to bash Sonia over the Ricci case in a manner that completely contradicts their "judicial philosophy."

(well at least the one that they espouse on TV)

They argue that she reached the wrong result based solely on empathy - and without quoting a stich of law.

They argue the court should have stepped in and reversed state action - arguing it is unfair cause this guy Ricci studied so hard. According to Republicans - based on a sympathetic plaintiff - and an seeming injustice - the old white guys on the court should make law and actively begin to roll back state policies seeking to address discrimination.

I saw Pat B making the argument re: the Ricci case today. No conversation on discrimination and affirmative action can be had on a blank slate.

Yes - we have made tremendous progress. But there is still racisim and their are still heavy imbalances as a result of far worse racism.

And remember - telling Ricci he can't have the job because they need to re-do the test - means Ricci lost a job that should have been his.

But when black guy doesn't get a job due to racism he loses a job - and - feels the sting of discrimination.

Something neither Ricci nor Buchanon can empathize with.

OSH

Looking for something else..chocolate covered figs yum

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244370

Max

BAck to Adam Smith for you. Free markets only work when the playing field is equal so that country A can send out wine and country B can send out wool and country C can sen out pistaccios etc.

When one country is totally protectionist and another is wide open, the wide open one is going to get screwed. There is a major reason for tariff even in a free market to protect a baby industry still being developed. You care for your labor so that you have products to sell.

That doesn't mean Socialism or undercutting business. It is the cornerstone of Capitalism. Henry Ford figured that out when he paid his workers enough to buy the cars they made.

We have gotten away from that practicality and the ethics of a reasonable profit.

Jack, humor is not a substitute for reality. The reality is that the CIA was trying to create a team that could infiltrate and then eliminate AQ. Is it better to bomb AQ for years and kill innocent lives, or create the national means to do what the American people support which is to terminate AQ? Instead you would divert eyes to that wonderful sport of beating Cheney? Is that really probing, or just partisan reflex?

You don't answer the question and I suspect I know why. There are lots of questions people here don't like answered let alone ASKED. Sure sign that certainity is not certain at all. The link to the interview regarding Pakistan is rather intelligent. Don't you think? Maybe XRepublican will rethink his spin on happy Pakistanis.

The CBO has strong words about Obama's healthcare Bill, don't you think?

The explosions in Lebanon of one of 35 arms depots of HIzb'Allah in violation of UN mandates and done right under UN noses is an important element in solving the conflict, don't you think?

Or do you imagine that floating blob, the empty souls of all who ask such questions?

Now where's the Jack, Jack. I could use a stiff drink to end the day........

Max,

This is what Im for: Im for pulling out of all of the countries that have fighting soldiers (our ) and coming home. Im for closing all of the Military bases that make no sense to have open....there are over 750 of them....don't need them all.

Im for not giving any money to any country for a period of time...until we get healthy ourselves, and then only for non-Military reasons....that are limited to just that-non Military.

Im for not selling-giving any U. S. Military weapons to other country's ......so they can fight thier enemy's....and then a few years later...invading the country that we gave the weapons too. Im for getting the hell out of other people business...just like the R's say that want us too.

Im for the Israeli's to live side by side with the Palestinians...and not keep taking over (colonizing ) that country. Im for The Stupid Palestinians to recognize Israels right to exist....or anyone else that think that they should not.

Im for the People in Iran to live to see the day when they can have true leadership...and for all of the brave faces that make it twice as hard to bomb them now....that showed that they aren't just Iranian evil-devils...Im for the people of Israel to live without the threat of getting bombed by the fn nuts over in the Palestinian side.

Im for you to stop calling people Illegals-they are not.....you know enough about history to know why. That should keep you busy for a while.......take your time.

Jamie, we don't trade in such situations you discribe. You posit an extreme example and then try to apply it to who? Mexico, Europe, even China?

You think there was a fair playing field when our founders advocated free markets and went so far as to advocate defending the approaches to our markets?

I don't get it. You want to make the world perfect and then apply LIberal Democracy, or do you apply LIberal Democracy to make the world more perfect?

We care so much for our labor we will collapse our industry? Why can Japan use the same workers in the same country and pay less? Sounds like you want to insulate us from real competition. You want to promote meritocracy with a big government assist while suggesting we've become an oligarchy of sorts. Want to see an oligarchy? Look at Russia.

Want workers to buy a car? Make a cheaper car. How do make a cheaper car? Let those who pay their workers and their CEOs too much and let them fall to the competition. That is how a market works.

How much time do you think it takes for me to understand someone's remarks are delusional, unrealistic, dangerous and self-defeating no matter how humble the soul?

Not that much time Solar.

Sea,

Ahhh....you remember ( blush-almost ) sugarplums...plus chocolate...Im in....even tho, it all sound like a whole lot of sugar. Im having too much of it lately. How are have your sons been?....bet they like what is going on with you dad also?

Sea

Nothing like a candy that comes with its own theme song

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

Send small sample please?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244425

Thats what I thought.

"dipping stuffed dates in chocolate "

OMG!!!!! That sounds like Heaven!

"Does he go duck hunting?"

Love it!!!

Jack, humor is not a substitute for reality. The reality is that the CIA was trying to create a team that could infiltrate and then eliminate AQ

--Maxtrue
***************************

Max.....the fly in this ointment.....the fatal flaw.......is that to believe that statement to be true.....that statement and only that statement.......to believe it to be true, one would have to have trust in and believe Dick Cheney. See the problem?

Warren, Ricci has NOTHING to do with your hypothetical "Black Guy". The State was wrong and Ricci passed the test. What was the friggin purpose of the test?

Sotomayor DID represent a group that is against tests. Period. Do you understand that? For you to argue the the Constitution supports blind quotas with no regard to qualifications suggests you did not read everything in your Constitutional law class. Harvard doesn't just randomly pick minorities. THEY MUST BE QUALIFIED.

Why not have a black general in Afghanistan BECAUSE he is black? Let's make sure to send a black to Mars BECAUSE he is black. The redress to the problem you mention is not how New Haven should have done it no matter the bind.

Now I am not ranting about Sotomayor. I never have, but your justifications and excuses are not law, they are partisan.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244419

KGC

I can see the box now .... "Don't give a fig. Eat them all yourself"

Cheney is the CIA Jack? How insulting to all those thousands of people who suddenly emerged from pods the night after Cheney became the universal CZAR. Do you EVER step back from the mythology?

Blair and others are all Cheney clones? The friggin CIA and other Intel screwed Bush in the end. If Cheney has such alien abilities to transform people's DNA, why don't we just drop him on Iran and let him spread like that floating ooze? Or were you just pointing to a Cheney sighting in that link you posted?

This was hardly the first time we organized hit teams. Think FDR didn't? Think JFK didn't?

Get real buddy and have that drink with me.....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244424

Max

Our founders favored tariffs. That is why they used that income instead of taxing the population.

They were all steeped in the Scottish renaissance. They had all read Adams, Hume, Burke etc. For the most part they were all deists (something that could get you jailed in Europe).

I don't "posit" anything they weren't supporting.

max

You post - like the Republican talking points - are completely devoid of any of the S. Ct. precedent that Sotomayor had to follow.

And let me be clear. I am not saying that I disagree with the S. Ct. majority on Ricci.

My issue is the Republican hypocrisy on this argument. Basic point is that the GOP is quite comforatble with "activist judges" when it leads to results consistent with their politics.

Max,

Much of your persona here is based upon being a stark realist. But then you throw us a curve when you defend capitalism and free markets, Read it here first: there is no such thing as a free market in the developed or international economies. The example you provide of foreign auto makers paying less for workers in the U.S. has little to do with free markets for labor. Given your other POVs, I thought that would be pretty elementary for you.

Oh Lord! Jamie -- this reminds me of your recent kitten world -- just felt a little nibble on my toe, and by the time I looked down all three kittens had attacked my feet. Hilarious.

To a certain extent, Crawford has a point: the GOP leadership (broadly defined) is incompetent. For instance, none of them have so far harped on the fact that SS was a member of a group that gave an award to someone who'd proposed genocide:

http://24ahead.com/s/national-council-la-raza

(Liberals: don't worry, it was the good kind of genocide).

Max

Of course I was being simplistic, but only for understanding. International markets are a good thing, but you cannot undercut the wages in a rich country in favor of the wages of a poor country and expect the workers in the rich countries to buy the products of the poor country.

There has to be a balancing mechanism until such time as all countries can be brought to a similar level. You always posit upwards not drag downwards. Trickle down doesn't work. You want to flood up.

Sturgeone, How do you find all those photos like the ones you liked yesterday? some of them were fabulous.

"" I know the problem I've been having is wondering how to post something that I don't respect about Sarah Palin without automatically being accused of sexism or whacking her. Yet the most outrageous snark can be laid at the feet of men politicians on this blog everyday without hardly a word.""

Renee, I have the same problem, but as it seems to be rooted in the definition of what are gender specific
words, I've decided to be chary with any comments re Palin. I've been mis-understood too often, and it made me sick. That's why I seldom mention her anymore even tho she really upsets me. And I also agree with you about names men are called...dickhead...prick... to name a few, often by men. I just have to let it go.

Solar, You bet I know what to do with your head, but can you trust me?

I beginning to get a little worried re this health program.
Some of the ideas and rumors I've been hearing are so questionable that I'm afraid it's going to be a hodge-podge and everyone will be worse off, and it will take forever to fix it.

The Obama speech to the NAACP is a truly good one. He's carrying the same message that Bill Cosby did several years ago, but this time they are cheering.

It does make a difference having him in the WH.

The CIA....should be really pissed at Cheney. I know I would if he outed an undercover field operative. Valaree Plane. They should go after him.. that is treason of something no?

bethy.........i go to my blog and then up at the very top I click on "Next Blog" and go blog cruisin'..............

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244438

Patsi

They really are smiles wrapped in fur. The one that used to sit on my head now settles for being a pirate cat on my shoulder ... who needs parrots when you have a cat?

We should start calling you "maxstraw"

"For you to argue the the Constitution supports blind quotas with no regard to qualifications . . . ."

As usual, I never made that argument.

Bethy,

Hey, Hey, U know that it gets frozen, and sent...special delivery right to Mars!. Dang-if you can't trust the good looking teach...who can you trust huh?

that young man has the goods, ladies and germans............

Solar- my two oldest sons are being hooligans. Young Will is shining right now though- he is doing deliveries and farmer's market and doing it all well.

KGC-good idea - perfected of course by Jamie. Now I'll have to make them just for the name!

Jamie- of course! Figure you must be out of fudge anyways by now?

Solar, I know what you think you want, but what if I
:know better"? After all, Mars is a LOT colder than Chicago.

Renee, I assume you watched the All Star game and hop you got to see your buddy Wake sitting in the bullpen. Joe and Tim talked about him a little. Also, if you saw that old white courthouse sitting framed by the arch, are you aware that the infamous Dred Scott trial was held there?

Hey, Warren, welcome back. How was Hawaii? I was beginning to think you really had tried to swim!

I've got a question for the older folks who remember high school in the 1960s. What courses were offered at your school that are no longer present in schools today because of budgets?

Mine is a long list because California used to be the number one school system instead of lurking around the bottom.

In my Junior and Senior years (I had all or my requirements for graduation done but filled up with electives to stay with my class probably the equivalent of today's AP classes)

Latin
International relations
Creative writing
Modern Dance (this was my REQUIRED PE class)
Drama
Physics
World Literature
Music Appreciation
Glee Club
Physiology

typing?

lol

"Solar, I know what you think you want, but what if I
:know better"? After all, Mars is a LOT colder than Chicago."

Thats cold....Dudet....thats cold, and I don't mean weather wise.....brrrr.

Bethy....
I did watch the game.... I even stayed up past my bedtime to see the whole thing. I wish Wake had got a chance to pitch.... but them's the breaks.
And yes I did know that about the courthouse. Rick went to St. Louis for a conference a few years back and came back yakkin' his head off about it.
He said of all the places he's been for conferences his very favorites are St. Louis and Chicago.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244435

Jamie --

You have this book in your library, right? (^_~)

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-the-Scots-Invented-the-Modern-World/Arthur-Herman/e/9780609809990/?itm=1

Jamie,
Did we go to high school together in the 60s?

Anyway, to answer you question, I don't exactly know whether they are offered now, but I took, or could have taken:

Latin
Physical education four years
History of the USSR
Religion
Physics and Chemistry, Biology and 'general science"
American and State history
Music and Art appreciation
Photography
Typing (maybe my most useful course when I went to college, but only about four guys and twenty five girls.)
Health
And Drivers education which included how an internal combustion engine works, fuel, how to change a tire, driving on ice and in snow (theory as I was in the southwest)
And a bunch of interesting things I wish I had paid more attention to.

Solar, diversion of the subject we were talking about. I could ask you why Durbin wasn't impeached for telling the world on the floor of the Senate the CIA was tracking him on his cell phone.

Jamie, Democrat rants about outsourcing that helps those poor people abroad make more money. And it is all about balance. Those laborers in foreign countries will make even less as Democrats hold up free trade with Columbia. In the end, your argument wants it both ways. We cannot export to the world and expect to shield our workers. We should make better products not crap. When we sell good shit, those workers stay employed. The example is Japan making cars in America stands. When we see abuse of workers in foreign countries, when they pollute, that is a different story. Want to change things? Bring manufacturing back to the US and make the best products.

I throw you Democrats a curve by defending Capitalism. Oh that's the best one today. Does everyone here reject capitalism? We have relatively cheap food and clothing here. Those auto workers had pretty good healthcare. Of course foreign labor tends to be cheaper which is why in capitalism we outsource while moving higher here up the high tech chain. We have 800,000 doctors serving 300,000,000 and getting paid pretty well. That is the positive side of the equation. We need more. People flock here to make our capitalist money. We will spend over 100 billion next year in tri-state building. Lockheed is booming. now it is one thing to call for "enlightened capitalism" which sees where it is failing, but this nefarious spin on capitalism IS NOT what Hillary represented. Free Markets, ownership of property, merit and individual liberty are not mutually exclusive to Liberalism. The vilification of capitalism is just a blame game. Democrats will beat Columbia up because of their treatment of Unions EVEN WHEN UNION HEAD WAS CAUGHT MEETING FARC. This same mindset rejects the SCOTUS, CONGRESS and DOD of Honduras when they democratically say the ex Presidente broke the law. This is dumb ideology unbridled.

Yes, I am a realist and I do not say the greed and stupidity of capitalism can endanger national health. But the sweeping generalizations that wildly strafe the foundation of our polity reflects a distortion of Liberal principle. Even our President defends capitalism and Hillary's latest speech he drowned out talks about increasing our markets to Afghanistan and central Asia, to the Americas and the Far East. It was the very network of trade that enabled us to defeat Japanese naval power, a lesson that China is deploying today as we argue among ourselves.

Warren, you might have been talking politics but you made comments about Constitutional law. Maybe you shouldn't mix them. What I said stands and I did not see you refute them. Ricci was screwed and the principles Soto upheld do not seem to be Constitutional. SCOTUS agrees. Quotas cannot be without merit and qualification. Period. We are going into the end game on discrimination where an historical bias must be proven and only qualified people can redress. Then maybe one day there will be an equal playing field.

But I rather doubt it. New Liberals will say poverty discriminates and until all people regardless of merit or ability, hard work or responsibility have enough money, discrimination exists. If you think this vision of a relativistic, redistributed, isolationist nation is Liberalism, I can only hope the young will continue to resist the folly of their elders.

Craig's column for today has been cross referenced over on one of KGC's favorite blogs.... left talk by Big Left Tent...

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/7/16/172044/337

Creative dance????? Californians!
And what about Evelyn Wood.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244453

Mr. Fish

my days with Miss Neff will become a blog article some day. There she is on parent teach night. A maiden lady of middle years in a vision of dyed bright red hair, bright yellow suit, with purple shoulder orchid. In class on her knees, "Some day you will thank me for these skills!"

Damn if I didn't graduate doing a perfect 90 wpm with no errors thanks to that terror. We thought she was crazy in 1960. She was probably just way ahead of her time.

RR
"Big Left Tent" is probably the right description but it is Big Tent Democrat.

I think he is great. He can speak for me any day. Glad to see him he reads craig's posts.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244457

Ivy,

I don't have it, but I will soon. :-) Just to go with the high school theme, my graduation present was Great Books of the Western World and the inscription page was a quote by David Hume.

To this day I love David Hume. He was Adams Smith's conscience and Smith described him as, "the most ethical man I have ever known" in his funeral oration. The founders knew these men backwards and forwards. Both parties have gotten a long way from those lessons from a much less crowded world.

Max,
I'm sorry to say this because is borders on violating Craig's rules, but

I find you to be incoherent.

I like women that think they're smarter than me.

(And that is a very high percentage after my usual first impression.)

"But I rather doubt it. New Liberals will say poverty discriminates and until all people regardless of merit or ability, hard work or responsibility have enough money, discrimination exists. If you think this vision of a relativistic, redistributed, isolationist nation is Liberalism, I can only hope the young will continue to resist the folly of their elders."

Max excuse me but BS. No one is saying anything of the sort. Go preach that meme to some right wing society. Liberals are about "Equal Opportunity". Open the door, teach the skills, demand performance. The time for excuses has passed as long as the opportunity exists.

The problem is that you have to pay for opportunity.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244464

Jamie --

Always looking for small (i.e., portable) gifts to take on our trips across the pond, we given this book to friends in London, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Lots of laughs result, but the "facts" are indisputable...

jamie
yes yes......dear old mrs C with the really backwater accent.....she just was not equipped to deal with a bunch of 11th grade hooligans who hadnt much interest in typing but who thought it was great fun to drive her nuts by "twanging" the keys when her back was turned.......sprooooiiiiinnnng
Or by beginning to furiously type right before she, holding the stopwatch, called "3-2-1-Go"........."Ah din' say 'GO' yayet!"

But I can type, by golly..........

Thanks bethy. Kauai is a magical place! And it was a great wedding with old and new friends.

Hah! I didn't try to swim - but I got caught on some rocks on my surfboard and got some "vana" in da foot. (sea urchin.) But rest assured, I was still able to dance at the wedding.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244461

KGC

You called it creative. We called it modern. Our teacher danced on weekends with a modern dance troup and taught during the week. We were all escapees from team sports and things that made you sweat. :-)

KGC...
ooops.... you're right.... my bad....
that was another one of those blogs I hadn't looked at in quite some time.... after you mentioned it recently, I started taking a peek again...

Jamie.... I too completed my requirements and took all electives in my senior year.... can't say what they do or don't teach anymore in high school.... I have to admit that not having had any kids, I haven't kept up with what's going on in the local schools.

Had I known, I would have corrected my spelling...

Craig you sneaky devil. I can feel the sharks biting at my feet, but that's okay. My Soles will surive.

Jaime

Modern or creative either way not being taught in Ohio public high schools.

You took gym or swimming. There were no girls sports at my high school except for intermural basketball.

Joe, that's okay. I break his rules on occasion and he is alright with that. Which part did you find incoherent?

The capitalism part? I think you look at it too statically. Automated plants need fewer workers. As cheap labor steals away some manufacturering, high tech brings new labor forces in. Capitalism can even use neighboring labor and help spread the wealth, yes?What is so hard to understand? Lockheed workers are doing quite well. Doctors are doing quite well.

And if we make an great new car that gets 200 miles per charge up, the auto business will come around. When we make new drugs and computers, new airplanes and communication devices, America propers in a capialistic way, yes? Isn't that Obama's plan? Or does Obama support your idea that capitalism is a failure?

So what exactly is incoherent?

You will have to be a bit more specific.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244476

KGC

We had general sports that included Baseball, Basketball, Soccer etc.... all of those team things. Then we had Dance which include Fold Dance and Modern Dance and Swimming. The team types (usually the class prez and her ilk) did the team things on the field. The thoughtful nerds did the dance bits and we sort of met in the middle with the swimming options.

Max.
To be blunt, your writing is incoherent. You hop from point to point without internal logic. This part isn't personal or disagreeing with what you say, that, another matter, but you need to make a point, back it up, and draw your conclusion before moving to the next point. You move from point to point almost randomly.

Paragraphs should include a single or at most a couple of developed thoughts. Yours contain too many and it reads like a stream-of-consciousness. That's not effective argument.

I disagree with a lot of what you say, but would respect your pov more if you expressed it better.

Max,

P.S.. I mean the what I said constructively.

Max

Even the CIA realises it is fiction. They dreamed about it but in the end hard reality set in and they canceled the program.

BTW
Does anybody really believe this was the great terrible program that was hidden from congress?

The Bushies were up front about their desire to assassinate AQ leaders.

The cynic in me thinks Peneta is pulling a fast one.
I learned a long time ago not to bet with the cynic in me. He always wins then gloats about it

Jack

Jamie,
I grew up in Arizona, and went to college and later lived in California (San Francisco and San Diego.) Where did you grow up and where are you now?

Jack,

I'm thinking the same thing.

J

I will leave it up the viewers whether the shear totality of comments here amounts to something very much like what I describe. We have Solar's comments. Comments about redistribution repeated. We have THIS meme here about nasty capitalism and the plight of the poor. We have this endless obsession on Cheney. We have some suggesting fairness in the Ricci case. We have an endless attack on old white men and the terrible Republican Party as though a one party system would suit you well. We hear so much about them racists and not a single response to Boxer’s remarks. We have the CIA attacked and Pelosi’s lie forgotten. We have Hillary supporters making no comment on Obama’s Israel policy. We have little comment about the CBO report and I won't even stray into the comments made during the primary. Were Hillary to have heard them, she might be taken aback. But probably not.

Equal opportunity does not mean opportunity without merit. Nowhere have I ever objected to Equal opportunity. It lies however in how you create that opportunity. One could say that every one should have an opportunity to get the best medical care regardless of legal status. What if that is not possible? Where does realism enter the picture? What if everyone should have an opportunity for the best education? What role does merit play and how does one do that? Democrats are keeping a vote on vouchers from happening. There is so little talk of personal responsibility.

Let's just disagree about the picture the comments here create in the hypothetical reader that happens to stumble on the Trail Mix.

Where Empires go to die!
Another reason that I said at the time-that we should contain the T B in the eastern part of Afghanistan...not drive them towards the West. into Pakistan. Too late, now we going to get it Willis!!

Will Af-Pak War Spill Into Tajikistan?

In the eight years since the US invasion of Afghanistan, the conflict has steadily expanded through Pakistan. It started in the tribal areas, and indeed those are still seeing some of the largest unrest, but eventually it expanded into the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), where a military offensive chased millions of Swatis from their homes. Isolated attacks have happened in the rest of the nation as well, and many doubt if the Pakistani government will survive.

So what’s next for the growing militancy, besides setting monthly records in Afghanistan? Some diplomats fear that it could be Tajikistan, which they say is likely spillover from the Pakistani military’s Swat Valley offensive, done at the behest of the US.

It’s not just the diplomats, locals also see trouble brewing in Tajikistan. The government has tried to slough off the fighting as a war on drugs, but increasingly attacks along the Afghan border seem to be for their own sake, and far from just another drug war, the nation seems to be battling a full-fledged insurgency.

Tajikistan declared its independence during the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, and was almost immediately torn apart by a bloody, five year long civil war between the autocratic government and an opposition made up of both pro-democracy liberals and Islamists.

Joe, I had four people I believe take aim and fire. Starting with the last comment and working my way back in time, I tried to answer them all. There was Solar, Warren, you and Jamie. I tried to compress what I could and if you look again, I think I managed to adress you all.

I am trying not to write a book. Do you get that? Tale each paragraph and see I I touched on my essential point. Solar took a shot at Cheny being hated for outing someone and I responded by asking where his equal rage was for Durbin out the CIA in regard to OBL

I tried to summarize some neocaptialism for you.

I reponded to Warren and I touched upon Jamie's claim that we need a balance and that her example was not applicable.

That is why I jumped. To save time and bandwidth. Does that make sense now?

I don't think your comment was rather explicit and on the face of it rather absurd. But don't take that personally Joe. It seemed so outlandish though I understand that lack of parity exists for sure. But what can you expect when there is no international justice. Markets tend to find their gravitational traps as do international alliances.

Thought for the day:

"Go out and live your dreams, except for that one where you are naked at work."

CJ

I spent the majority of my school years (21 schools in 12 years) in the Los Angeles area with side trips to Phoenix and Albuquerque. Went to college at Mt. San Antonio in San Dimas and additional classes at San Jose State.

Lived nine married years in northern California. The next 13 years in Santa Monica and San Fernando and then branched out to Northern CA and Washington DC, Utah, and back to CA ... Gypsies R us. Now in Tacoma, WA

Every President has had swat teams...no biggie there Jack. Kennedy in Cuba, is a big surprise to some... I think, at least to a person that I was talking to t oday. Oh no. " not Kennedy he said."

This is long, but worth reading. A favorite blogger in the UK has a mother with a severe leg problems that has involved multiple surgeries and long hospital stays. Think about what this would have cost in the US and realize that they have universal health care with no cost because they pay for it in taxes.

Mumborg update: It is always fun in mumborg world. I have lost count how long she has been in this time, month and a half I think. Time flies when you are having fun and all that.

Previously in mumborg world....

Doctor type person: We shall let any infection clear up before/if we operate again.
Mumborg: Okay
Present day in mumborg world:

Doctor type person: Oh it looks like you have an infection, we better operate!
Mumborg: Okay
My opinion on the matter? I have to wonder at the doctor type persons thinking on all things mumborg. I know she is a difficult case, but it is getting increasingly frustrating when they appear to have no clue on how to handle the mumborg. The mumborg manages to stay cheery no matter what, which further proves my theory that she is in fact a clone gone wrong.

Max says:

But what can you expect when there is no international justice

See, Max, I think we can pretty much all agree with you!

Solar read my link to the Asian Times above. You will find it intelligent but understand it has a bit of a Pakistani bias. The highly qualified expert now lecturing at Harvard links much of the region's troubles back to Kashmir. Afghanistan is linked to Pakistan so I undersand what he is saying.

China is aware there will be trouble with nationalist Islam which is not a threat to the West. Radical Islam is, but we support Muslim nations. The Uigjers want freedom not Sharia.

So perhaps you might to start at the source. OBL found refuge with the Talibam. The Taliban was created by Pakistan. Pakistan split off in a war from India.

This is seperate from the Iranian issue and even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They seem to merge given the general jihadist meme at work coupled with the usual anti-colonialism.

Of course the Soviets amplified the problem as we enabled a response to their invasion of Afghanistan.

Max,

Durbin...is an Il Senator, and sometimes a disappointment to me.

Cheney outed a CIA field agent. A very big difference to me. I won't take any more pot shots at you....promise!,,,but you are going to have to tell me what you know.....not what U don't know, if we talk again, but you are a good guy.

I just think that reading blogs that are called the terrorist watch( and others- similar) is going to influence you a little bit towards seeing a terrorist behind every tree..or stone...or whatever.

Max,

Now that last post...I will do as you ask...since I do think that The Asia Times is worth it. thanks, but you know what? I agree with you there.

On another point that I was trying to make.....is that when is there going to be too many wars....too many places that we are fighting at the same time?.

We only have so many soldiers, so that means to me. That we must outsource our fighting even more. We have to go and hire more "Contractors" they are not contractors....they are fn mercinaries period. Won't this strain our piggy bank to the breaking point? Isn't one the the responsibilities of our president to keep us financially secured?....just saying.

Jamie,

I must have crossed your path!!!

Arizona, (tucson) San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, DC, (among other places). Well, if not, I would have liked to. So let me buy you a beer (or a glass of wine) someday.

J

We should make better products not crap. When we sell good shit, those workers stay employed. The example is Japan making cars in America stands. When we see abuse of workers in foreign countries, when they pollute, that is a different story. Want to change things? Bring manufacturing back to the US and make the best products.

Max
We make great products here in the USA!! The only problem is were making fewer and fewer great products here due to cheap labor countries like China ,Korea and Mexico..A good wage in China is $400 US come on..You paint an oh so simple solution and sorry to burst your bubble but if you don't build it as cheap as your foreign cheap labor competitors eventually your not in business.GM and others moving all of there labor outside of this country says it all...

If you mean that the lack of international justice requires us to provide mechanisms whereby we make sure our capitalism doesn't become abusive, I agree.

Capitalism requires third party verification. And you can't say that capitalism hasn't lead to increased prosperity and freedom.

I did not say UNCONSTRAINED capitalism. Right now I won't buy Nokia. They sold the very technology to Iran, the Mullahs usss to crush dissent.

I don't buy diamonds with blood on them.

There is no standard for "cost of production.' It is difficult enough to account for direct costs across international boundaries. For example, in some countries there are significant social welfare costs, in others, the welfare of labor is discounted. And then there are environmental costs. Is it cheaper to produce in a country that has lower envrionmental standards? Of course. But what if you factor in all the long-term costs, as well as the costs of worldwide environmental impact? If the United States limits tuna fishing to preserve tuna populations will imported tuna be less expensive? Well, yes. Is that a fair market environment? By one definition yes -- there is less regulation and therefore it is cheaper. By other definitions, this needs to be factored into the equation.

We don't have good measures for this, or for things like child welfare, or equal opportunity, or women's rights. These represent our values, which are not the values of all others.

If you simply look at labor costs, you are not looking at the total costs, for which, for all of our academic abilities, are not now adequately measured.

max

Here is all the constitutional law around the case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricci_v._DeStefano

But there is no need to act that the GOP's position is not also based on politics.

The division over the Ricci case does not break down over ethnic lines or gender lines - it breaks down on partisan lines.

Tony agreed.

Solar, you once pointed to Pakistan and I completely agreed. What point in pushing the Taliban back into Pakistan without a good recpetion team. The article shows where XRepublican is dead wrong.

And Tony, we could make better cars. Tesla is teaming up with Mercedes to anke an electic Gull Wing. GM had it right ten years ago when the combined an ehtnaol generator with an electric engine. Then they spent time toying with a hydrogen model that makes little sense. We should already have a great new car revolutionizing the world. We should be the leader in clean technologies as NO ONE is going to stop coal in the short term.

Liberals should have open minds and be realistic. That doesn't mean sacrificing guiding principle. Part of my support for Hillary is that at heart I think she is a realist.

YES SOLAR, it is not about the Asia Times. Read it. It is only part on an interview with an expert on terrorism in Pakistan. Once you read him, google him and you will find more of what he has to say about things from other sites like FA and even Harvard. Bright guy but a tad boas towards Pakistan.

Your hunch was right Solar. Many things lead to Pakistan. The expert seems to think Obama must finish what Bush started and resovle Kashmir. Otherwise Pakistan will never get rid of the Taliban or even worse offenders. China must play a role in this because they and Russia are the next targets of Islam on steroids.

By the way. Michael Totten is basically center/left. He is in favor of seeing solutions and does not demonize. He won best Middle East BLog, so I do recommend it. There you can see me take a shot at Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch. Though I link him here because of his news items, doesn't mean I support a rather shrill and often counterproductive partisan who is a conservative at heart. When he took a shot at Michael Totten, I had to respond. Tony, you will love this if you read my first comment after Totten's post. Here look at this.

http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2009/07/we-are-not-at-w.php

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244499

Joe
I stand by what I said in my lunch bucket Democrat way!! The facts are the cheap labor countries are getting all the manufacturing jobs....

There was nothing outside the mainstream of legal opinion in Sotomayor's (and many other judges) finding held in the Ricci ruling. To pretend that this is an outlier is baloney.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244501

HA Max
Good one!!

My house of cards is at an end .

Tony,
I don't disagree. My point is that looking at labor costs does not capture the full economic costs -- which often offset the direct manufacturing costs, but are laid off on the general public.

Cbob, That was rather cryptic. Which cards and what happened to the house - is it still standing?

Max,
I agreed to something, and should not have. I think that the Taliban was in a very large part created by the CIA. Even though it happened over 20 years ago, we can't forget that afgahnistans Taliban was the creation of the CIA....who helped funnel billions of dollars in arms to "freedom fighters" like O B L. and Mullah Omar...

Joe
I agree.Its very much more than just labor.I think Canada has a big advantage in manufacturing because of there national health care.I'm hoping manufacturing will rebound somewhat in the US if we get full health care coverage for all..

Joe,

thank U for this post.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244499

Tony,

Thanks for you 9:59 post also, whats shaken?

Tony,

That's right. I remember recently that Toyota decided to site a new plant in Canada because health insurance costs were borne by the tax system, which it figured to be less expensive than choosing a site in the southern United States, which, while not unionized, did require health insurance US-style.

And that is only one example of the true costs of manufacutring that must be borne, if not directly, then ultimately, and surely, indirectly.

Joe, very well said though it doesn't negate my comment about the validity of capitalism. My head is about to shut down, but I will try to get this out with SOME coherene...LOL

Let's take cars. Japan sells cars made in Japan to Japanese for less than they sell their made in America cars to Americans. Is that because they have less environmental laws in Japan or cheaper materials? Is that because Japanese workers earn less and their product manufacturing is therefore less expensive? In America they sell what American survey says is a better product dollar for dollar. Is it because their products are more desirable and with more sales they can lower prices?

A great part of the equation is still desirability and volume, other things being equal. Another factor is service, resale value and product durability. Again, Japan scores high.

I was talking about that kind of equation. In that regard Japan does a better job and it survives in a country that often buys American.

When we look at computers, electronics, communications we also see the same problem.
We do not see the investment in flat screens as outsourcing is a better profit margin. Textiles? Medical products? Military weapons?

In general with the exception of worker abuse and environmental violations which some American distributors don't care about, there is always the advantage to the more desperate who are willing to run lower profit margins provided they have the materials and manufacturing capabilities.

I never said that there shouldn't be sound environmental regulation and worker protections. Still, the country that wants to put a great deal of investment into a sector and sell it for less will dominate. That is capitalism.

We have something few countries have and you leave that out. We have a very educated work force, domestic tranquility and a spectrum of independent sub contractors that can come together to make complex products and market them. That is why China has no great fighter aircraft. Even their space program is built on copied systems and a centrally controlled manufacturing organization. Part of capitalism is that nations respect intellectual products. The Russians are furious China stealing their designs and then exports them for profit. Boot leg tapes have harmed artists and corporations.

So capitalism has third party verification and is built on the notion that international regulation of mutual legal issues such as human rights, environment and intellectual property will be respected as well as prohibition of government subsidizes. You suggest that capitalism is injured so to speak. That I would not disagree with, but that is a long way from vilification, yes?

And look at Obama’s first step in the Stimulus Bill that he was forced to take out: BUY AMERICAN. The idea that only Boeing be allowed to build our next refueling tanker is wrong and it also sends the wrong signal to our alliance. Capitalism is built on cooperation. In fact, as with all cooperation, capitalism is built n the bedrock of enforcement. We can strengthen that, but to champion the evils of capitalism instead of reforming it harkens back to the Democrats moving from reforming Iraqi policy to Iraq is Lost. Forgive the jumping..

Solar read the article. Pakistan created the Taliban as a tool against India, but the CIA played a major part expanding it to fight the Soviets. After the Soviets left, Pakistan gave it more steroids until it got out of control.

Again, read the article,

"Wells Fargo has apparently offloaded $600 million in subprime loans to Arch Bay Capital at 35 cents, or double what other hedge funds had offered. "

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle/articleid/3350356

Well that gives me a clue as to what HSBC has in the house next door.

Jack

Max,,
Please don't misconstrue. I'm nor disagreeing with everything you say.

If I have a quarrel with you at all it is that you SEEM to not appreciate the complicated nature of systems -- whether they are geopolitics or international capitalism. It is more like trying to predict the long term weather systems than it is like figuring out the solution to an algebra problem.

And I don't mean to be condensending, although it may sound it. But I believe the beauty of life, and it's wonder, is not in its symmetry, but in its seemingly incomprehensible complexity, which is mirrored in human endeavor.

God I can't stand HSBC. I've got to get rid of this credit card.......

Good night you all. It has been an interesting blogging day,

Max
As they are listed as the trustee they probably don't own it. They are managing it for some hedge fund. Even better from my point of view.
Just my guess would be glad for any correction.

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244517

And fun is when you comprehend a bit of it as it floats to the surface.

Jack

Jack
Thank you for bringing me back to earth. I can get carried away sometimes.

CJ

A thought

We are all out here trying to make a buck and to find interesting ways to entertain our selves.

so anything that doesn't feed or clothe us is just part of the game that we use to amuse ourselves.

I used to believe that politics was the ultimate game.
But now I would say business is right up there.

Jack

CJ

I didn't mean to ground you, it just seemed like the logical follow up. As in all things, your milage may vary.

Good night see you tomorrow

Jack

A minor way that I amused my self in my younger days was to get stoned and engage in profound philosophical debates. we probably drove any real filosofer nuts, not that we would have cared at the time.

Jack

Jack,
Same to you, mi amigo.
cj

Jack

But of course there is politics in every business.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244512

Hi Solar
I've been pretty busy working.I was invited to a nice dinner at Norwoods (a local seafood restaurant)this evening by my friend Bernt.It was a nice dinner Karen Bernt's girlfriend joined us along with Jack and Sue..The conversations were nice and centered around politics and organized religion(you would have loved it)..It was a great evening..How's things going?I didn't see you for a few days and I was hoping it meant you got some new work? Hope all is well with you,Judy too...

Bedtime music, B-western style from 1959:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1cJJAH6k6A

The Sons of the Pioneers. The bass singer will make your spine tingle. Trust me.

Nite all--

I know it is late in the conversation but KT said this, "I love Tim O'Brien". Agree that he is one of the most creative people in bluegrass or traditional music.

as an example of Tim O'Brien's work. Him singing "Hey Joe" with Jerry Douglas on dobro and John Doyle on guitar and Todd Parks on doghouse bass.

enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62db5rMc2ns

Case closed...

"This is one of those cases in which the imagination is baffled by the facts."

-- Adam Smith

Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty! | July 16, 2009 11:33 PM

Indeed he is, Horse. Thanks for the link--I hadn't heard that one.:)

Fair, that bass wasn't singing - he was belching!

"Republicans might have hoped to use this hearing to put limits on how far the President can safely go in picking liberals for future openings. Instead, they showcased just how narrow and out of touch their political base has become."

THIS x 1,000.

Also? GodDAMN, but Lindsey Graham makes me want to punch a baby. Especially after watching footage of him practically licking Alito's ass. Oops, perhaps I've said too much, and in too vulgar a way. I'm sorry for any visuals you all might have gotten from that.

thank you julia.......someone hadda say it.............

I take your point, Julia! My head was spinning!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/open-the-liberal-floodgates.html#comment-244529
Carlos Castenada dude,

Julia...
ROTFLMAO!!!

NEW THREAD.. http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/07/from-the-ballot-box-to-the-bul.html

Peggy Noonan is so condescending and phony that I could puke.