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Quote of the day

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‘It’s amusing that Andrew M. Cuomo, [i](who owes his whole career to his dad,)[/i] may not get the Senate seat of Hillary Rodham Clinton [i](who owes her whole career to her husband)[/i] because David A. Paterson [i](who owes his whole career to his dad)[/i] may give it to Caroline Kennedy [i](who owes her whole career to her dad). [/i]

You would think a state as large as New York could find someone who deserves something on his or her own.” –Washington Times editor Wesley Pruden.

Topic

Typical of Democrats. . . . .

In reply to Quote of the day

Symbolism over substance.

(That is a great quote, jd.)

As if

In reply to Typical of Democrats. . . . .

Republicans do any different in nominating and choosing their own.

Nice liberty from the bias there, Max.

There’s a difference between . . . . .

In reply to As if

….. choosing one’s own and choosing one’s own only because he/she has pedigree, but no qualifications.

Caroline Kennedy’s qualifications – in, you know, her own words:

I love one of the comments from that video

In reply to There’s a difference between . . . . .

[i]”Ya know, it’s a good thing she’s not you know, a Republican because you know, the media would destroy her like you know, Sarah Palin!”[/i]

B-)

if i had access to youtube at work

In reply to There’s a difference between . . . . .

I could probably find the video where Bush encouraged college grads who were mediochre to not worry cause they could come to be president like he had.

Basically, he admitted he wasn’t that smart. :^0

Self deprecation – you gotta’ love it

In reply to if i had access to youtube at work

Here, let me help you recall the Bush comments. I don’t want to be, uh, you know, like, biased, you know. (A little Caroline Kennedy lingo.)

[i]He kept the mood light while honoring the school where he received his bachelor’s degree.

Bush poked fun at his average college record while at the Ivy League school. “And to you ‘C’ students, you too can be president of the United States,” he said to a crowd that rippled with laughter.

The president also got in a good-natured jab at his vice president, who attended Yale for a time. “A Yale degree is worth a lot, as I often remind Dick Cheney, who studied here but left a little early,” Bush said. “So now we know, if you graduate from Yale, you become president. If you drop out, you get to be vice president.”

The president had one big punchline left for the crowd, tying it to the school’s reputation as a bastion of liberal thought and its tradition of not having a commencement speaker unless it is the president of the United States.

“Most people think that to speak at Yale’s commencement, you have to be president. But over the years, the specifications have become far more demanding,” the self-described compassionate conservative noted. “Now, you have to be a Yale graduate, you have to be president, and you have had to have lost the Yale vote to Ralph Nader.” [/i]

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/05/21/bush.speech/

P.S. – Let’s compare . . . . .

In reply to if i had access to youtube at work

…..YOUR interpretation of that event and/or comment when you said, [i]”if i had access to youtube at work I could probably find the video where Bush encouraged college grads who were mediochre (sic) to not worry cause they could come to be president like he had. Basically, he admitted he wasn’t that smart.[/i]

To mine:

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=282600&messageID=2673869

And you call ME bias? Are you serious?

oh yes

In reply to P.S. – Let’s compare . . . . .

I am biased…because Bush didn’t encourage those who made ‘C’s like him to work harder…but…just not to worry cause they can be president too.

Go figure. I am to blame for Bush’s hubris and rather lacking scholastic career by him.

Next thing you know, you’ll be blaming me for serving him the alcohol before his drunk driving charge. :^0

Nice one. When will you be performing at Caroline’s? :^0

Oh yes, you presented that instance. . . . .

In reply to oh yes

…..with 100 percent accuracy and with no spin.

And the moon is made of green cheese.

better be careful

In reply to oh yes

sounds like you been eating some moldy cheese…

nothing like a good case of meningitis :^0

btw…moldy green cheese is natural… 😀

She’s just like Sarah Palin…

In reply to There’s a difference between . . . . .

an idiot who knows nothing about government or anything really….

Thanks Max.

In reply to Typical of Democrats. . . . .

.

Ironic

In reply to Quote of the day

All democrats. I guess you couldn’t be reading a biased publication, could you? :^0

I don’t guess you could name anyone who owes their whole career to their family name, despite having bankrupted every business they ever ran, was almost failed out of Harvard before their family endowed a library there, and would have been kicked out of the military guard if their father hadn’t been a big player in the CIA and from a politically powerful family? 😉

C’mon…show me you’re not biased…name him :^0

Guess you aren’t paying attention

In reply to Ironic

to current events oh who will get the Clinton seat.

yeah i am

In reply to Guess you aren’t paying attention

But, I can tell you Caroline Kennedy is no slouch…yet, that article purports she owes it all to her father who died before she was only 5 years old.

As well, David Paterson is a well-educated and honored man and has achieved much in his career despite being practically blind.

That’s what really gets me. When a person sits on their ass because their blind and pities themselves, you ride their ass.

When a blind person goes out, gets educated, honored, does a lot with their life…if they don’t hold the views you do…you still ride their ass.

As for Andy Cuomo…know NOTHING about him…

As for Hillary Clinton…she got her start because of her father, but she jumped the fence when she was younger…because she used to be a staunch conservative…

But, Paterson and Kennedy are both intelligent, well-educated, capable people.

In fact, I think Kennedy graduated with honors if I remember right.

But anyways…

I just really find it ironic that…

You’ll laugh at and pick on someone (or condone it) who has achieved greatness in their career without their father being around to hand it off to them.

But, you’ll defend someone who didn’t graduate with honors and whose family had to bail them out of situation after situation.

All because of their beliefs and ideology…

God bless America…yeah…right.

Achieved greatness?????

In reply to yeah i am

Please, enlighten the class on the “greatness” Kennedy has achieved.

She is walking in based entirely upon the family name and nothing to do with anything she has ever done herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StARK-LbV6M

Hm…let’s see

In reply to Achieved greatness?????

Still graduated in the top 10 percent of her class at Columbia Law School, despite her last year being pregnant most of the time.

She has had a successful legal career and holds two bar memberships.

She is a successful author.

She helped raise $10Ms of dollars of public schools in NYC while taking a $1 salary.

I guess her family bought all the books she wrote to make her succesful, gave all that money she raised, and did all her legal coursework for her…right?

Gimme a break. You just can’t stomach that it’s someone who doesn’t think like you. Otherwise, you’d pick Bush apart if you were fair and unbiased.

That is right, mr pretend conservative

In reply to Hm…let’s see

Bush is trying to get the senate seat we are talking about…..

grow the f up. not everything in the world is about Bush.

nah…

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

it’s always about how a liberal can only do wrong to you…not a conservative, which bush is the biggesst “mr pretend conservative” there is :^0

btw…i’ve always said I was a moderate. you’re the only one giving me labels…probably because you can’t fathom anything other than black-and-white concepts.

so, grow up yourself…and find a real conservative next time for the party. :p

It is no secret

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

that I did not vote for McCain because he would have been as UNfiscally conservative as Bush turned out to be.

it is no secret

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

that I didn’t vote for McCain for several reasons…one of which being that too.

No need to worry tho. I am starting my own business and will soon be a capitalist and wealthy…then I’ll buy you a beer…*A* beer…cause…I have to be conservative :^0

jck

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

I sincerely wish you success in your venture. Instead of the asteroid coming from only one direction, to hit you on top of your head — layoff or firing from above — they come from every direction out here in the cold.

JCK, if you were smart

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

you would go into making beer, something you already enjoy.

It is a proven fact that the worse the economy is, the better booze sells.

B-)

thanks santee

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

I invested in the Star Wars defense shield in the 80s. It’s gonna pay off. 😉

making beer

In reply to That is right, mr pretend conservative

i already do make beer, and it’s gooooood. 😉

(it almost tastes like Guinness… 😀 )

But, I can’t make enough at a time to make a fortune. I can always find a PC to fix, and a doctor or lawyer or accountant in FL to sell my software to.

All goes well, I’ll be retired and travelling Europe in 15 months.

Here’s what’s ironic

In reply to Ironic

You love throwing around the bias charge, yet you’re dripping with it yourself.

The difference is, I admit my bias (as does jd, if I could presume as much), and I base mine on an underlying principle which I’m willing to define, discuss, and defend. You, on the other hand, don’t admit your bias and are reluctant to clearly articulate your own underlying principle. But there’s a reason for that, I suppose. My underlying principle is consistent with the likes of Jefferson, Madison, and Washington – something that you’ve actually said isn’t relevant today (shaking my head in disbelief). Yours, on the other hand, is clearly closer to Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

what?

In reply to Here’s what’s ironic

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! You should be a comedian, you know that?

Just because I defend someone who wasn’t going to fail out of college, and wasn’t a business failure multiple times, and wasn’t convicted of drunk driving…and didn’t support someone who was all of those…means I am biased?

Maybe it just means I give credit where its due, and criticize who its needed by.

I have criticized Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson and a slew of other Democrats/Liberals just as I have Bush.

As for the principles you suggest that you follow:

I’ve said that the basis of it is founded and sound, but the rather archaic means of implementing it which doesn’t lend itself to a 21st century world that you want used is antiquated, irrelevant, and useless in modern society.

Jefferson was a visionary that understood not only the principle of an ideology, but how to instantiate it in the world he lived in at the time he did.

Too bad you can’t understand that same relevancy to your own era. You should find H.G. Wells and get in that time machine. :^0

As for being Marxist, you evidently didn’t understand his writings if you think I’m anything like him. I never wanted a classless state, which is the basic principle of his belief.

I simply think that rather than being an economic separatist like you and jdclyde and wanting make an economic divide, having a transitioning spectrum of economic class is best for our country.

As well, Communism has nothing to do with government “controlling” things (as you always belly-ache that they do). That’s Socialism. Neither Marx or Lenin backed that concept. The Socialist Revolutionaries pushed that agenda…not the Bolsheviks.

Hence, compare me someone with similar beliefs. Otherwise, go read some more and learn.

But have no fear, Max. I’ll have my own LLC soon, run my own company, etc. Then maybe you’ll like me when I’m charging lots of money to people for tasks I see as mediochre and simple. :^0

And when you don’t have a point, distract

In reply to what?

You have to this point said nothing that shows Kennedy is better qualified than any of the other contenders, you simple started your old bush rant instead.

What makes a trial lawyer more qualified than the Attorney General for NY?
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/

And no, I am not a fan of Cuomo either.

dunno

In reply to And when you don’t have a point, distract

What made Bush more qualified to be President than Al Gore? Nothing.

As I stated before, I know nothing about Andrew Cuomo. So, keep that in mind before you go to throwing that in my face. At least I can admit what I don’t know about.

Of course if position and power had anything to do with it, Elliot Spitzer could get put into that office…cause he is a former governor, and knows how to mack up the hos. :^0

By the way…did you read what I said before? She is a successful lawyer, author, charitable fundraiser, mother, television personality, political analyst, etc.

And…show me where Andrew Cuomo has done so much in his lifetime and career? Prove me wrong? Can you?

He started 1 charity…and everything else he did was by “appointment”:
Working on his father’s campaign as top aide
Working off and on in his father’s administration as a policy advisor
Working as chair of the NYC homeless commission
Working as HUD secretary

Oh and by the way…Cuomo…was married to a Kennedy…did ya know that, Mr. Knowledge? lmao :^0

Thanks. My point is now made.

Holding an office does not mean that you are the best qualified to take over another office.

QED

Good one :)

In reply to Quote of the day

Now Cuomo (who is not a Kennedy) was surprised that Caroline (who is a Kennedy) wanted to run. Now it is up to the Gov to see if he wants to appoint a very popular Kennedy with little experience in the dog eat dog NY politics to cut her very big Kennedy teeth with.

Will be interesting to watch!!

She HAS been dropping like a rock

In reply to Good one :)

ever since she started opening her mouth, her ratings have gone from mid 50’s to mid 20’s.

“ya know”? :^0

I sent an email to a local politician.

In reply to She HAS been dropping like a rock

Excellent ideas, great platform but she said, “you know,” and “uh” a LOT. I, as gently as I could, pointed that out to her. She sent me an email saying that she’d watched herself in the televised/recorded video, that I was right and she thanked me for pointing it out and that she would try to stop doing it.

She won her seat on the school board.

People saying “you know,” “uh” and “like” often are pet peeves of mine. Shut up already. :0

How true is that

In reply to Quote of the day

Can NY come up with people? Probably, will they, probably not, its still all about who you know, not who you are. And that is everywhere, not just New York.

It is amusing

In reply to How true is that

two Dem Senate seats up for grabs, and both turn into circuses. ;\

And what’s interesting. . . . .

In reply to It is amusing

…..is to notice how much of the U.S. Senate mentality will be in the Executive Branch. Historically, people from the U.S. Senate had trouble getting elected president (John Kennedy being the last until Obama). Look at how many senators (from both parties) have lost (either in the primaries or the general) over the past 40+ years.

Our next President, Vice President and Secretary of State will all be former U.S. Senators – as well as former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, who will take over the Department of Health and Human Services, and current Colorado Senator Ken Salazar will lead the Interior Department (which, by the way, resulted in no appointment debacle in Colorado to fill that vacated seat).

What do you think of the change of heart towards IL?

In reply to And what’s interesting. . . . .

All the big talk is turning into typical only talk.

[i]”Do Whatever We Want To”[/i]
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=41443

They will probably back down because they don’t want to take the chance of having and election that will cause them to lose a seat.

Personally,

In reply to What do you think of the change of heart towards IL?

I think the laws of Illinois should be the prevailing factor. Blagojevich hasn’t yet been removed from office, so the appointment is legal.

The Senate is acting outside of their authority in denying Burris his seat. The only legal way to get rid of him before the next election is to impeach him, but he has to be seated first!

Laws are for lesser people

In reply to Personally,

They turned him away on a technicality the first time.

I love how it is now becoming a race issue in the media, even though it was stated that no one would be seated BEFORE it was handed off to one of the black guys instead of the white guys that were in contention.

The whole thing has been mishandled from the start, and I bet Blago won’t even get convicted.

He may not even get

In reply to Laws are for lesser people

to trial!

Due process

In reply to Laws are for lesser people

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jan/07/conservative-group-sues-senate-for-barring-burris/

Thats one thing that bothers me…

In reply to And what’s interesting. . . . .

We don’t have an elected senate yet – though the PM wants one he needa a majority to have it happen.

But in our legislature, you can’t run for something and have your seat held for you like in the US senate, and if you win it becomes an appointment – doesn’t seem right to me.

If you wanna run, then resign and take the consequences. If you want an appointment, take it(in Canada if a Member of Parliament gets an appointment a by election is held, usually within 6 months).

James

I would get into politics…

In reply to Thats one thing that bothers me…

only if it meant I was guaranteed to become Ambassador to Ireland for life. 😀

mmmm…Guinness for strength! 🙂

Ambassadors…

In reply to I would get into politics…

I went to University with the daughter of one US Amassador, met another.

They cycle through as regular as clockwork – the Ambassador to Canada is considered a political apointee, the last one (who was reasonably good at it) was a Bush fundraiser. So we expect Obama to replace him soon.

I expect that in the US, like in Canada, most of the lower prestige Amabassadors are career diplomats, with a sprinkling of ex politicians.

James

yeah

In reply to Ambassadors…

I probably don’t have a chance…I don’t kiss enough butt, and Ireland is too popular and a changing of the guard would surely mean I’d be replaced.

But…hm…I gotta talk to Obama’s staff. I really wanna go over there and be ambassador. I could play music with U2 and The Corrs and The Cranberries and Van Morrison, and that would really help diplomacy!

I’d be the diplomatic equivalent to Bill Clinton going onto Arsenio Hall’s show and playing saxophone!!!! :^0

Bought with donated cash

In reply to Ambassadors…

give enough to a political fund and win an Ambassadorship.

My brother used to be Gunny for one of the embassies. Kind of cool, they carry Smith .357 revolvers instead of the standard Browning 9mm at the time.

hahaha

In reply to Ambassadors…

If Blagojevich was president-elect…that buying the office might work. :^0

Actually, I’d love to go to work for Obama as Ambassador to Ireland. And being a registered Republican of 20+ years, it’d be a good unpartisan move for him to put someone from the other party in there.

But most of all, I’d get to live in Dublin and go to Smithfield and Dublin 4…and I could have Shellbot and Mr. Shellbot over for dinner all the time!!! 😀

That would really rule 🙂

I was in Ottawa in the early 80s

In reply to Ambassadors…

And there were attacks by Armenians against Turkish diplomats – one drive by shooting and an attack on the embassy itself. The security guy was killed, the ambassador broke his leg jumping out a window.

At the time the RCMP used to protect some of the smaller embassies that were in homes in the nice area of town. After the Turkish embassy raid, the RCMP embassy guards were quickly issued the then relatively new H&K MP5. No one gave them instructions on their use. Within a week, some poor RCMP guy shot off a toe….

I met some of the Marine guards at the embassy in Ottawa and had the misfortune of playing a “friendly” game of softball with them. It was more like batting practise for them.

James

Plaxico Burress On Gun Safety

In reply to Ambassadors…

the safest gun you can have

In reply to Ambassadors…

is the one that the bullets were already shot out of… :^0

Assumptions….

In reply to Ambassadors…

In Canada, the RCMP are sometimes local police, sometimes like State Troopers and sometimes like the FBI. In Ottawa, which has its own city and provincial police forces, the RCMP acts like the FBI.

The firearms training all cadets get includes pistols, shotguns and rifles. I think that might have been the problem. Someone assumed that experienced officers who had received all the training would not have an issue adapting to a new weapon. But at the point they were the first force in Canada to get them. Now they are standard for SWAT.

James

It was all a part of the plot

In reply to Ambassadors…

for Snidely to get away with Nell…. ;\

Ohhhh, I’ll make mincemeat outta that mouse! 😀

To jck and his “safest gun” post

In reply to Ambassadors…

If guns kill people, then:
Pencils miss spel words
cars make people drive drunk
spoons made Rosie O’Donnell fat.

1. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.

4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.

5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him ‘Why do you carry a 45?’ The Ranger responded, ‘Because they don’t make a 46.’

6. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. ‘Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?’ ‘No Ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my shotgun.’

7. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!

But wait, there’s more!

I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said ‘Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!’ To which I said, of course it is loaded, can’t work without bullets!’ She then asked, ‘Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?’ My reply was, ‘No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.’ To which I’ll add, having a gun in the house that isn’t loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

I’m not jck but I think that was a great post JD.

In reply to Ambassadors…

Nice to see it.

Thanks OTR B-)

In reply to Ambassadors…

It has long been a fav of mine, and thought it was time to share with the class. 😀

to jdclyde and his…comedy?

In reply to Ambassadors…

dude…where did u get that i thought guns killed people?

btw…i guess keyboards make you mistype? lol :^0

I loved the shirt in Happy Gilmore

In reply to Ambassadors…

“Guns don’t kill people, I do!”

😀

As for mistakes, thanks to FF having a built in speel cheeker, I rarely get problems like that. B-)

I would like to be able to get a new pistol at tax return time, but will probably end up getting a new rifle for ThingOne to use for dear season instead. Got my eye on a little SKS, and if the price is right, might get a second one for ThingTwo. Not QUITE as worried about getting ThingTwo one, because he doesn’t come hunt’en with us very often. Didn’t go last year at all, and only one weekend this year, so I just let him use my 30.06 I got from my grandpappy, leaving me with my 44mag blackhawk.

Maybe next year I can get my Kimber, and get back into competition shooting. That would be sweet.

guns n stuff

In reply to Ambassadors…

I never did competition. I just used to be a dead shot with a rifle.

I would have gotten a deer one year, but I shot and it hit a tree about 2 feet in front of the buck…and I was like WTF?!?!?!?!?!

pulled the rifle up…looked at it…tilted it over to check the scope…and…plop…the scope was loose.

so much for borrowing a buddy’s gun to go hunting with my first time out :^0

btw…I suck with a pistol…but, I love having one.

Firearms and stuff

In reply to Ambassadors…

Exactly why I don’t use a scope on my rifles or pistols. Besides, hunting in Michigan woodland, the longest shot you are likely to get is 50 to 75 yards. I keep a 3 inch pattern with my rifle and a 6 inch pattern with my pistol at 100 yards, open sights.

I have several trophies for the pistol league, but haven’t done it in years. When I went back to school, most of the classes were on league night, and just never got back into it.

league, shoot a .38
http://www.gunblast.com/images/Butch_357/43579443.jpg

league/plinking shoot a .22
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10106&return=Y

hunting, .44 mag
http://www.gunblast.com/images/Hamm_44-Flattop/DSC00050.jpg

Toy / personal protection .357 auto
http://www.remtek.com/arms/sig/model/239/239.htm

Hunting, my rifle 30.06 (without scope)
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1547645&mpage=1&key=&#1547645
Grandpappy gave me this back in the late 80’s, hadn’t used it in over 10 years because all of his hunting buddies are dead. I figure he bought it in the mid 60’s. I am the only grandson that hunts, so I got all his gear. B-) Some of it I have passed down to ThingOne, and some I am holding on to, in case ThingTwo gets interested in it later on.

shooting with(out) scopes

In reply to Ambassadors…

my deer rifle has a scope.

my 22 doesn’t, and I used to shoot the hair off a gnat’s ass with that thing…Marlin 60WS, I think…17 shot…engraved stock…using stinger bullets. I stood one day on my buddy’s back porch with it and plinked all the shots into a bucket he had hanging from a tree limb. I would have to guess it was at least 70-80 yards, if not more.

I love that rifle. I just have no time anymore to shoot, and don’t feel like paying $1000 a year to belong to a “sportsmans” club.

1k a year???? :0

In reply to Ambassadors…

My membership is $60 a year, and you have to be an NRA member, so add in another $30.

They do mostly skeet shooting, but have a nice indoor pistol range and 300 yard rifle range.

I am going to pick up a .22 rifle this summer. Need to teach my boys how to hunt/shoot. Got to be able to lift the rifle and quickly get your target acquisition and fire. The slow, relax, take aim, slowly let your breath out and slowly pull the trigger stuff they teach you in scouts just isn’t going to cut it.

Lift, identify, shoot.

Want to get something that is bolt action, though. A semi-auto 22 gets boring, so you end up just emptying the clip without aiming and are practicing shooting poorly. Bolt makes you pause between each shot, and then re-aim. Oh, there will be no scope on that either. B-)

control

In reply to Ambassadors…

i never just dump the full load in effort to hit one thing…unless i get frustrated lol

i never had a rifle until i was an adult. my parents don’t believe in guns, so i wasn’t allowed to have/use/touch one until 18.

but, i was a natural with them…just like Dad. He was decorated in the Army for marksmanship or something.

We have a much better system

In reply to Quote of the day

When Brenda (that’s H.M. Queen Elizabeth to you) snuffs it, her spot on the throne automatically goes to her mad son Charles and we don’t get a say.

This is the man who (when not talking to his plants):

* Spends as much time as he can spare in killing or torturing animals.

* Dumped Diana (she reckoned that he wanted to kill her) so that he could shag Camilla Parker Bowles. I mean, have you SEEN what he swapped Diana for?

* Wanted to be Camilla’s tampon! OK, so he never said that in a public speech but he never denied it.

* Reckons most ills in the world are because of GM crops. “Why else are we facing all these challenges, climate change and everything?”. I dunno. I’ll ask Maxwell for you.

* Believes that homoeopathy works.

* Believes that George III was not mad.

* Intends to be King George VII. That’ll confuse a few people!

I wouldn’t worry about a few political dynasties, at least you get SOME chance to vote out the mad ones.

Neil 😀

We follow a similar pattern….

In reply to We have a much better system

….here in Chicago:

Mayor Richard Daley I and Mayor Richard Daley II

County President Todd Stroger I and County President Todd Stroger II

Not-so-Rev. Jesse Jackson and not-so-clean Jesse Jackson Jr.

Of course, the local government is so far in debt the budget would best be described as in the infrared, for what that says about the system! 😉

Trying to avoid being called biased

In reply to Quote of the day

I’ll just say that NY has the single most fuched up government this side of Somalia.

Today, the state employee unions are protesting in the streets of Albany because the Democratic governor wants to make massive cuts to the budget in the face of crushing income shortfalls. I’ll bet they’re being paid for the day.

well…

In reply to Trying to avoid being called biased

so long as they have personal leave to use, it’s their choice how they use it.

I just don’t agree with the union stand in these times. They seem like they should be impervious to cutbacks. No dice, folks. When everyone has to starve…EVERYONE is gonna starve some.

They need to take their lumps just like anyone else.

Hey, I know that dude!

In reply to Trying to avoid being called biased

And let me say, we missed the “Humbug” of your presence for the holiday. B-)

Doing well?

Doin’ OK

In reply to Hey, I know that dude!

I’m still in humbug mode after the credit card bills came in, so if you’re cheerful, piss off!!!!

Ho Ho Ho

In reply to Doin’ OK

I paid only cash for Christmas. B-) If I didn’t have the cash, we didn’t need to buy it.

Pretty cheerful. Boys are healthy, I am reasonably healthy, still employed, and got hot young things asking me out on dates. Life is good. 😀

Funny thing

In reply to Ho Ho Ho

That only paying cash for Christmas presents really does work out pretty well, it makes Christmas more joyful cuz I ain’t stressed about it and makes it nicer when I get drunk as a skunk on New Years (I made the mistake of switching from Guinness to wine half way through the night) cuz I don’t have to cry in my beer… cuz I think crying into your Guinness is alcohol abuse.

Happy New BEER!

I drink beer

In reply to Funny thing

because I like mixed drinks. B-)

Had a good night out last Sat for my dart banquet. didn’t feel like drinking the crap they had there, so I brought my own bottle of Glen Livet. Went through half a fifth, and was having a good time of it.

Heck, even got a few third place trophies. Was bummed that two people beat my 108 out on the last night.

But as for paying cash for Christmas, it helped me keep it from being about how much I could spend on people, and instead spent more time trying to find something cool, yet affordable. That and taking over half of December off helped a lot too. 😀

Totally missing the point

In reply to Funny thing

Running up credit card bills at Christmas, while it goes against my tightwad instincts, does have the side benefit of giving me something else to b!tch about at this most jolly sucka$$ time of the year.

Also, why wait till New Years to hit the bottle? My wife likes an eggnog with rum on Christmas morning, so it gives me the excuse to tip a pint or two. And then once you’ve started before 8:00 AM, what’s the point of stopping……?

ya know, DMambo

In reply to Totally missing the point

I think I need to move to Vermont and be your neighbor if I get retired soon.

Me and you could rum it up!

Captain Morgan 4TW! :^0

jck, 2 problems with that

In reply to Totally missing the point

1) How will you handle the winters?
B) It’s still long way from the Emerald Isle

Other than that, you might like it.

Answers

In reply to Totally missing the point

1) Firewood (I have chainsaw…VT has lots of trees) :^0
2) VT is a heck of a lot closer to Ireland than FL (flight from Boston-Logan is 5.5 hours to Dublin 😀 )

I’ll buy the first case of Captain Morgan 😀

Trees

In reply to Totally missing the point

I fully expect it to soon become politically unpopular and then illegal to burn trees for heat.

The same flawed mentality used against hunting will be applied, “You don’t NEED to burn trees”.

When fireplaces become illegal, only criminals will have fireplaces…. 😀

That, or expect one more of the fraudulent “carbon taxes” to be levied.

ThingOne came sniffing around

In reply to Funny thing

when I had an eggnog and morgans.

“What is THAT?” because yeah, it did smell good. 😀

I give them a taste. Not enough to get them toasted, but enough to take away the mystery and allure.

Merry Christmas Mambo! B-)

that’s the best thing you can do, jd

In reply to ThingOne came sniffing around

take the mystery and rebelliousness out of it…

I did that with my niece when she was 12 and 13. I had a wine cooler, I would give her a sip. She thought it was okay. Gave her a taste of Guinness, she hated it. Gave her a taste of margaritas at Chili’s once and she liked it.

But, it wasn’t like she could do something “daring” with her friends after that. She didn’t see it as some taboo thing to do to become liberated…but, just as something you do if you like it.

She rarely drinks anything now. Thank God she’s not a drinker like me.

That is the way I look at it

In reply to ThingOne came sniffing around

And it was how I was raised. Drinking was no big deal, so I never fell into the trap of having to be drunk to enjoy myself.

I was surprised last sat though. Had my dart banquet, and not liking the cheap crap they would be serving free, I brought half a bottle of levit, and finished it…. :0 Strangely enough though, wasn’t drunk or even buzzed. it was over a 5 hour period though, so I guess pacing yourself is key, huh?

On dart night, I drink beer because I like mixed drinks. B-)

You want toolbag government employees? Look at California

In reply to Trying to avoid being called biased

Jeez…it’s always something. The teachers in Hayward are probably the worst, but man, they complain about everything from pay (WAY above average typically), to time off (also WAY above average), to retirement (amazing…simply amazing retirement plans), to medical benefits (I WISH I could pay as little as they do and get their bennies!) and they get a plethora of other AMAZING benefits (which is why Vallejo went bankrupt).

Bah…

It is the squeaky wheel

In reply to You want toolbag government employees? Look at California

not the GOOD wheel, that gets the grease.

Leaches like that make the good people look bad.

So true, so true

In reply to Quote of the day

Isn’t that how it always is? You have to know someone or be related to someone in power and you’re in. Its hard for an outsider to get into the club.

AV

and because

In reply to So true, so true

politicians are so good at keeping people divided over non-sense, they can get away with almost anything.

Jefferson got caught with over 90k of bribe money in his freezer and is STILL “serving”.

At least Jefferson didn’t get re-elected

In reply to and because

Blagojevich has to take the cake. He’s like a mobster. I can’t believe we have people so blatantly criminal in our government.

AV

The really bad part

In reply to At least Jefferson didn’t get re-elected

is that for every one we know about, there are dozens doing worse that are too slick to get caught.

Its depressing to think about

In reply to The really bad part

I always thought that our lawmakers were supposed to have integrity. I guess thats a fairy tale and the truth is that you have to park your integrity on the day you get indoctrinated into our corrupt government system. Certainly, Blagojevich never had integrity to begin with, but other lawmakers seemed to.

AV

I think the sheer size of it is the problem.

In reply to Its depressing to think about

In some cases it make it harder pin an occurrence down to an individual, and in others the sheer number of occurrences can make a single instance seem less important.

Oh, and

In reply to Its depressing to think about

[i]I always thought that our lawmakers were supposed to have integrity.[/i]

I think the overwhelming majority of them go into it that way, but the system does something to them… they often end up having to make a deal with the devil, just to get something done.

Blago is the first

In reply to At least Jefferson didn’t get re-elected

Dem I have seen in a long time lose their position from being a crook.

Character doesn’t matter, right?

I don’t know how that guy ever got elected

In reply to Blago is the first

Thankfully, he got impeached. He’s sleazy. Thats his character and what were the Illinois voters thinking when they put him in office. At least our ex-governor in NJ, McGreevy (rhymes with McSleazy) stepped down. Blagojevich is in denial.

Apparently, character doesn’t matter.

AV

The voters

In reply to I don’t know how that guy ever got elected

will often overlook a lot in order to get what’s promised them. Essentially it’s our own damned fault!

Your voting public in Illinois….

In reply to The voters

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1373208,w-stranded-motorist-beating-011209.article

‘Nuff said.

Something to bear in mind for the next 4 years..

In reply to I don’t know how that guy ever got elected

…Obama was an ARDENT supporter of Blago, and vice versa.

Company you keep and all that…..

As for Blago being in denial, that isn’t even the best part. He’s taken to quoting 19th century poets to help explain his ‘plight’. I think Tennyson was the last one he used.

You guys

In reply to At least Jefferson didn’t get re-elected

Do you want a prick or a Pollyanna to stand for you?

Gotta

In reply to You guys

go for pricks. At least they have balls.

I want someone that has some values

In reply to You guys

That person can be a prick or a Pollyanna, but they have to have integrity.

AV

Your first assertion

In reply to I want someone that has some values

Contradicts your second.

flawed

In reply to Your first assertion

integrity does not equal non-prickdom….

Integrity

In reply to Your first assertion

requires balls.

Can’t tell from where I sit, JD

In reply to Your first assertion

About any flaw attributable to AV. Or to me.

What I see is disjunction. And, in spite of my tippling, I remark that “flaw” requires value-based disjunction. Which integrity — speaking in terms of totality — does not admit.

Another sip.

Not really

In reply to Your first assertion

Either one can have integrity and values. Their personal demeanor doesn’t matter to me.

AV

Core principles is a good place to start

In reply to Your first assertion

And as we have seen, the old labels of Dem and Rep are meaningless now.

I see two major sets, fiscal and social. Each has a liberal (bad) or conservative (good) side. B-)

I hate when people pretend to be compassionate with someone elses money.

Fiscal, Social

In reply to Your first assertion

Not near core enough.

You will know core when you feel the hand seizing your privates of mind.

Oh my.

In reply to Your first assertion

.

Hmmm…

In reply to Your first assertion

[i]I see two major sets, fiscal and social. Each has a liberal (bad) or conservative (good) side[/i]

Social liberalism is not only good, it is necessary for advancement! Every conservative idea was new, and liberal, at one time.

On the other hand, every new idea isn’t necessary a good idea, and I don’t think pushing the cost of trying it onto everyone is right.

If someone wants to pitch in on a social experiment, fine, If you believe in it, put YOUR money where YOUR beliefs lie, but don’t force others (who had no say in the decision) to donate to your cause. If it turns out to be good, others will buy in, no force required. The government shouldn’t even be in it!

[Author]

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