algboy

Good, then you obviously disagree with granting illegals amnesty, and giving them free education and medical care, and driver's licenses. All of those things work against the scenario you described. With you 100%. You read me correctly. “Keep your elbow up!"

And I would vote for him just for that. Lemme see . . . spoiled brat son of an admiral hooks up with millionaire daughter of Budweiser baron while still married to crippled wifey #1. You go Johnnie-boy! Let `em eat turds. Arrogant prick. So in other words, you've got nothing bad to say about his idea - just the character of the candidate. I read you. Oh, lots of his ideas suck the big one, but the no bailout argument is RIGHT ON. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I can sympathize with the poor shmucks who drank the "real estate always goes up", "they're not making any more land" or the "it's different here" pablum from the NAR and other self-interested groups. I just don't want them--and especially the speculators, bankers, hedge funds et al--bailed out. Let the market correct and people can get a hard lesson in life: do your homework, greed will bite you in the @ss, what goes up WILL go down, etc. I'm a former realtor/loan originator (heretic) who wouldn't drink the Kool-Aid so I bailed in 2003 when I thought prices and lending practices were ALREADY insane--and they only got worse after that--and a bloodbath was coming. I didn't want to take a 9mm from some burned flipper. FYI, here's a real estate tip, for y'all. If you buy a property whose PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) amount to MORE than available rents for that same property--RUN, do not walk away. The market has NOT bottomed out. The market will not rebound anytime soon. You are a potential knife-catcher with a soon-to-be savings-destroying alligator on your hands. Bad investment. Did I answer your question? [murmers to self: gotta go easy on the coffee . . . . ] “Keep your elbow up!"

Maybe that's why Molson is still an unknown beer here in America. If the Molson ads were a big deal to Americans, then it probably wouldn't be an "unknown" beer here, because we would all know about it from the media attention it would receive. Much in the same way that I've now heard about Absolut vodka more in the past week than I ever have before. In keeping with the OT sidebar: SKYY vodka (buy American) is as good or better than Absolut. In fact, a liquor rep once told me that in a blind taste test Smirnoff does better than most of the expensive imported stuff. You're paying for ego and ad dollars. And as for Molson . . . YUUUCCCH! “Keep your elbow up!"

Well, Lamm actually said this in 2003. So I guess America was already destroyed by 2006. (Hey, Bill Cole was right after all!!) Personally, I think this "disaster" is self-correcting. Jobs are going away. Turn to crime? Get your @ss shot or go to prison. Gov't freebies and handouts? The well is running dry and they will be the first to see the spigot turned off. Backlash from legals will also make illegals in the U.S. personas non grata. Keep your powder dry. Over and out. “Keep your elbow up!"

Full story, with picture of map: L.A. Times I will not be purchasing any Absolut vodka in the future. Maybe Sweden should disband and return their land to Prussia. Latest victim of "Thin Skin Syndrome"? I bet the Mexican/La Raza types would be offended if some Native American group published a picture of the Americas BEFORE the Spanish invasions. "Talking of patriotism, what humbug it is; it is a word which always commemorates a robbery. There isn't a foot of land in the world which doesn't represent the ousting and re-ousting of a long line of successive owners." - Mark Twain This reminds me of the whole "right to exist" conundrum. Since when did a country have any "rights"? A country exists for the same reason my dog licks his nuts--because he can. Period. But I could be wrong. “Keep your elbow up!"

Hah! That's gonna piss off Disney and Home Depot. Better treat your worker bees right . . . . “Keep your elbow up!"

So what? Each long-term politician is full of shit one way or another. Bingo! No disagreement there. Dem--Repub, just different wings on the same bird of prey.

Airborne militia anyone?

And I would vote for him just for that. Lemme see . . . spoiled brat son of an admiral hooks up with millionaire daughter of Budweiser baron while still married to crippled wifey #1. You go Johnnie-boy! Let `em eat turds. Arrogant prick. “Keep your elbow up!"

Quick! Someone! What's the name of that reverse ace "hero" who is all for illegal alien amnesty? I keep forgetting . . . .

The Olympics have become ludicrous. A massive money-making exercise to see whose performance enhancing drugs are best at going undetected. Yeah, where's the WWE this year? And don't forget Texas Hold'em--perhaps Olympic NASCAR and hotdog eating? What a carny ride/freak show the olympics has become. IMO anyone who pisses into the Chinese punchbowl is a friend of mine. Piss away my Tibetan friends! The Authoritarian Personality types are showing their colors with their disdain at the protests. Of course there are no cries of outrage at the blue tracksuited torch escort goons from China that London authorities let kick ass on protesters in London. So . . . let us sit down like civilized chaps and write letters expressing our "strong disapproval" to the nearest Chinese embassy. Cucumber sandwich, love? Bollocks biscuit, perchance??

hence the reason behind statements like youth is wasted. At the age you're supposed to be in college, you're still not mentally mature enough to fully benefit. The lessons from the writing class can take a few years to sink in - after you read a thousand crappy emails/memos and can't understand wtf was being said. And at risk of letting the thread get rerailed, the GOP is driving this anti intellectualism right now. Bush dumbed himself down in 2000 to play the one of us outsiders, even as the son of Bush, a Yalie, and with no shortage of priviledge. Gore, otoh, was the smart ass know it all, following that hippie war protesting know it all, Clinton. If Hillary manages to pull out the nomination, I suspect she would continue to be attacked from being the calculating cold thinking person, rather than a 'feeler.' McCain would be the seat of the pants guy acting on war honed instinct. Re: The dumbing down thang, I agree. Porkrind-eating, American Idle-watching, Fox Noise Nation. I dealt with a truck driver a few years ago whose greatest passion was the fact that he had FOUR TVs in his trailer and that "W" Bush talked "just like me". [hold gun to temple--keep elbow up--pull trigger] BTW, that's how I'd say good-bye to him: "Keep your elbow up, Richard!" He'd smile and wave back, probably thinking what a nice guy . . . .

Please, spare us the self-righteous indignation. Cop dies? Stop everything! Interrupt all programming. Spend hours watching the funeral procession. Listen to every two-bit politician pushing their face into the camera to express their sympathies. Grow some thicker skin. It's a tragedy when anyone gets killed, but they don't pre-empt an entire afternoon's programming if some convenience store clerk gets wasted by a crackhead. Rep. Tom Lantos died recently--barely a mention. It's neither insulting nor pathetic to wonder aloud at how cops are treated differently. Sacred cows. It probably plays into the cop's beating of that woman. I suspect that if our culture held cops to the same standard as a civilians, cops wouldn't go around tazing, harassing and beating people as they do. The stuff we see on YouTube is just the tip of the iceberg, but it gets the publicity (for a day or two). It's not just one "dirty cop". We have far too many Authoritarian Personality Disorder-type cops in this country. We have given them free reign to abuse the public, and rather than being held accountable--the system gives them a pass. Every time. Just wait. This whole beating story will go down the memory hole. “Keep your elbow up!"

She "fell"? Sorry, my bullshit detecter just pegged. That lady got a vicious beating from another sociopath-with-a-badge who very consciously . . . deliberately . . . and with malice-aforethought turned off that video camera and then kicked the ever-lovin' crap out of her. The last thing he wanted was "back-up". He knew that, without incontrovertible video evidence, cops get the benefit of the doubt with the whole "he said-she said" thing; they are held to a much lower standard because he's a . . . [reverential tone] a p-o-l-i-c-e o-f-f-i-c-e-r!! He deserves a blanket party followed by a waterboarding--not just fired. He WILL get away with it if he is not vigorously prosecuted. A nice seven-figure civil settlement might give him an attitude adjustment (but only if it comes out of his pocket). More than likely, after a politically correct period of time passes and he takes an "anger management" class, he'll be re-instated. Down the memory hole. BTW, it was nearly impossible to watch LA TV a few days ago because all normal programming was interrupted for hour after tedious hour of video of some cop's funeral procession. Don't forget to bow as the chariot passes . . . .

Mortgage broker: Will you appraise this house? Appraiser: Sure. What number did you have in mind? Mortgage broker: I need $xxx,xxx. Appraiser: Done! Here's my card. Next . . . . [later that month] knock-knock Mortgage broker: Who's there? FBI: FBI, we'd like to ask you a few questions. May we come in? Mortgage broker: Oh damn . . . .

It looked to me like he either wasn't determined to jump or he was just being a complete pussy. Any athletic male could've shaken those lame-ass rent-a-cops and taken the jump. WTF??? It looked to me looks like he wasn't committed to the jump or had another agenda? Hmmmmmm. Done a lotta ~fixed object~ jumps have ya?! My Grandma makes really good pancakes! I don't. Gotta point, Chief? I can't shoot eggs outta my ass either, but I can tell a bad omelette, too. Tell me--gently--how Corliss was "trying" to jump. You did see the vid, right? I stand by my "agenda or pussy" theory. He had wings. Why did he let himself be taken over by lame-ass rent-a-cops? He sure made sure that he had his helmet cam steady on those evil meanies trying to stop his jump. Here's what I heard: "Thtop it, you big brutes--I'm gonna die if you don't let go of me. Thtop it--I MEAN it . . . "

It looked to me like he either wasn't determined to jump or he was just being a complete pussy. Any athletic male could've shaken those lame-ass rent-a-cops and taken the jump. WTF??? It looked to me looks like he wasn't committed to the jump or had another agenda? Hmmmmmm.

They'd call us bullies. Oh, wait, they already do. I guess they'd have to stop using the tainted and ineffective meds that we so "charitably" "give" them--thanks to the pharma cartels. Gee--the US is soooooo generous. God bless Amerika . . land that I loved . . . stand beside me . . . please dont' tase me . . . while I vote for the stooge that's for "change" . . . . Over an effin out!

NOW you tell me . . . oh crap . . . .

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Ghandi Russert, the business-as-usual MSM shill, was so busy trying to throw disjointed spitballs at Paul that I'm surprised Paul didn't go off on him. As usual, Paul was a reasonable gentleman who defied conventional wisdom by being respectful, congruent and articulate. Typical politician "slick"--not in his DNA. I've been following Paul since the early 80s. He's got my vote (even if it's a write-in). Not gonna buy into the left-right, Dem-Repub paradigm pablum being peddled ad nauseum to the masses. Anyway . . . never 'misunderestimate' the power of the Perpetually Pissed Off! "DON'T TASE ME, SANTA!!!"

Unless you live in an enlightened state that has open primaries. Those are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin Thanks for the FYI, This AZ voter is now . . . Republican!

bad link. Guess these guys don't know web stuff or social security very well. But no surprise- like most people, you find ways to believe only those that support your view. It's a political question, not an accounting question, other than that pyramid schemes only work for so long. Try this one: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05193sp.pdf So what bullet points do you want to cite here? It says the same thing I said - SS currently masks the size of the deficit. This will stop being true in 2017, at which point it's only in the black due to interest income on the 4T in treasuries. By 2027, the 'surplus' will begin to decline. It also argues that it's a problem that needs to be solved now rather than later. In short, everything I wrote. So ... what was your point this time? My original point was to rushmc who claimed SS is broken. It isn't broken, but it will be in 30 years if we do nothing. It's like saying I'm dead, because chances are I will be in 30 years time. As long as we're staying with this OT thread . . . Yeah, and my truck's not "broken" just because that stupid "service engine" light keeps flashing. And just because I haven't paid my mortgage in three months doesn't mean I'm having a foreclosure crisis either. SS is actuarily unsound. It is nothing more than a pay-as-you-go Ponzi scheme that will eventually run out of suckers i.e. more retirees collecting SS than working stiffs left to pay into the system. Quoted from the GAO's own document (linked above): 15. What does “pay-as-you-go financing” mean? "Social Security is financed largely on a pay-as-you-go basis. In a pay-as-you-go system, contributions that workers make in a given year are used primarily to pay beneficiaries in that same year. Social Security is now temporarily deviating from pure pay-as-you-go financing by building up reserves that are by law invested in Treasury bonds. This situation has arisen partly because the baby boom generation makes the size of the workforce larger relative to the beneficiary population. In contrast, in a fully funded, or advance funded, system, contributions for a given year are put aside to pay for future benefits."

"It's not broken, it's still in surplus." And I have a bridge for sale. Guess what's in that SS "lockbox"? A bunch of paper IOUs. Rolling the problem into the next generation. Like the Orwellian world we live in: "Debt is Wealth". How about a nice, hot bowl of gov't IOUs??

Personally, I find it hard to "short" the economy when there are so many vested interests wanting to keep the gravy train rolling. Have you seen all the "two-o-clock turnarounds" lately? Been a lot of them lately in the equity markets. [Yeah--I've got the Reynolds Wrap chapeau strapped tightly on]. Nevertheless, I'm betting on recession, perhaps even the big "D", but I also think things will hold together a while longer than even "bears" such as myself believe is possible. I also think the house of cards could tumble in a NY minute if there is another terrorist event or BushCo starts bombing Iran. Kiss affordable gas good-bye and life-as-you-know-it. Short answer: we're screwed. Short-term or long-term. Either way, keep your powder dry.

From the link, please note the following: "Authorities have said Carol Anne Gotbaum, who was handcuffed and shackled to a bench, may have accidentally strangled herself Friday." "Police said she was later found unconscious and not breathing with the chain from the shackle pulled against the front of her neck. It appeared that Gotbaum got tangled as she tried to manipulate the handcuffs from behind her to the front, police said. " So much for it definitely being the cops' fault. Well, I guess that it explains it then. Thank God we have the cops' spokesperson to tell us what happened. Now move along . . . there's nothing to see here . . . By the way, wanna buy my genuine 15-carat Rolox? Real cheap, too! “Keep your elbow up!"