Crap crap crap. I’ll drink to that. *hick*

Goo evening.

Where I live, upstate New York, there is no “looming crisis.” There is a fucking crisis!

My relatives in SE Rochester burbs, who are in the swimming pool construction biz, are doing just fine. I don’t unnerstan it, but there it is.

And a gooey evening to you.

More snow here. UGH.

I usually luv me some snow, but enufs enuf. I think it’s about time global warming kicked in this winter.

They let Ryan talk.
They actually let Ryan talk on their behalf.

But of course, they loved it when Imelda Palin talked, too.

A sort of chunky Martian Reese Witherspoon walks into a bar…

THERSday!

Social Security is NOT in a crisis. There are some minor problems, about 30 years from now IIRC, which are easily solved by simply lifting the income cap on payroll taxes (which would also help Medicare which has more serious problems). If these asshats want to reduce the deficit, then take a chainsaw to the grossly bloated (as much as the rest of the world combined!), corrupt, and pork larded defense budget. That would also free up a whole lot of cash for infrastructure projects to create jobs and keep our roads, bridges, powe rlines, etc. from collapsing around our ears.

Ross Douchehat makes, as usual, an excellent argument for cheap, readily accessible contraception about thirty to thirty-five years ago.

It’s so cute how we let ourselves believe politicians exist to solve problems.

Or legalizing abortion through the 40th year.

If you were a visitor from Mars, you would most likely be single celled, anaerobic and non sentient so I doubt that you would be in a position to know or care what Ryan had to say.

Too true. This whole media and idiot manufactured hysteria about social Security (and Medicare) is all about the banksters wanting to get their hands on all that cash and the Republicans wanting to use the trust fund to lower taxes on the rich.

According to his wiki, he was born 11/28/79. So, even if no other year, 1979 contraception would have been an excellent idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Douthat

But you could probably make a more cogent, rational, and factually sound argument than he does.

I disagree–Ryan might have great appeal to the single-celled, anaerobic and nonsentient.

Oy, fighting a cold, must be out in the frozen AM tomorrow too — niters mes amis.

Nighters. Get well soon.

Florida (loaded to the max with asshole Republican legislators) has (quietly) enacted a special assessment (on businesses!) to refill the coffers of the state’s Depleted Unemployment Comp Fund.

It’s just that simple to fix Social Security. But everyone, except the entitled, want to crash it and give the booty to the MOTU.

Ah yes, the Docs are in fine form and DoucheHat is getting a spanking from Thers … what would make this perfect is a Rum Toddy …

Thers !

Best cure for a cold: Double Scotch followed by a brisk 30 minute run … Lime juice and salt for the teetotalers.

Or Douchehat for that matter…

That would leave you puckered up for months. :)

LOL … Twain !

Hi ! You got snow?

At least you’d have a reason to feel light headed and out of breath.

Now, wait…is that a cure or a suicide attempt?

We’ve gotten some snow over the last little while, but we got a frigid week followed by rain and are just hovering around the freezing mark.

Looks like eCAHN got most of our Snow … sending some Grand Marnier your way, eCAHN !

I’m trying an old remedy: tea, cloves, lemon, sugar and whiskey.
Petro!

Good point … I should have noted that I live in Canuckistan and run on a Treadmill.

Think I will toddle off as well. Take care all.

After my bad fall, I can certainly do a double scotch. But as for the footwork, a 5 minute limp seems like about the right amount of exertion.

That sounds yummy. May I join you?

Jeebus, Margot … dilutin’ Whiskey is agin da law ! *g*

Nite Dr. D

*ouch* … sorry to hear about your bad fall … Highland Park on da way !

You may. It doesn’t cure a cold but you feel like you’re doing something, and then you fall asleep so I guess it’s kind of useful.

I’ll use your GM to cut my scotch.

I have some frozen juice concentrates left over from this summer. I decided I should clear out my freezer for new stuff next summer. So I made a pitcher of frozen magaritas. Got instant cavities. Even though I know the sun is shining & it is warm somewhere, I just can’t drink too many margaritas in the winter.

Damnit… I really need to have a chat with Harper about letting the riff-raff cavort about…! ;-)

Hey, wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a troll post disappear so quickly.

Is it something in the water? My ankle still isn’t back to normal after my fall two weeks ago.

When I was very young my grandmother used to give me whiskey and sugar for a bad cold. Seemed to work or else by that time I didn’t care.

Thers & Dr.D leaving so early??? Checking underarms & breath to see if there is cause & effect.

You are welcome.
/~~~

Sorry, I forgot to ask – how are you doing? Able to get around okay?

Dood !

Harper is too busy becoming a Rock Star and readying himself for an Election this year …

Our Fookin’ Libruls are even more spineless than your Libruls.

So quickly I didn’t even see it.

Conspiracy Theories! Is Jessie Ventura here? I’ve got a few for him to look into. ;-)

Thers, I love you. Miss seeing you over at Duncan’s. Is there anyway you can talk him into changing the comment vehicle?

Our Fookin’ Libruls are even more spineless than your Libruls.

Bullshit.

…are even more spineless than your Libruls…

*sigh* Canucks always have to lead the way, eh…? ;-)

So here’s my hypothesis. I have been athletic all my life, and I’m still living on past good behavior. Plus I know how to take care of myself (sleep & ice & ibuprofen). Then there’s genes. Of which I am an incredible beneficiary.

I’m not back to normal, but considering falling down backward, a 360, 15 steps, it’s a miracle that I am, 10 days later, hobbling around with nothing more than quakey knees.

See my 51. I am, frankly, amazed.

Never even went to doc.

Did anyone watch Ratigan today?

He had two guys on to discuss how to deal with the deficit.

One wanted to cut entitlements and cut rich persons taxes.

The other wanted to cut entitlements and raise poor persons taxes.

Dylan agreed that they should meet in the middle…

Which will probably be to cut entitlements, lower rich peoples taxes and raise poor persons taxes.

I thought I caught a glimpse of it. It was that troll we were sparring with earlier about SS.

I don’t think there are any liberals in our government. The wingnuts may disagree, but then, they think Obama is a socialist.

the days of Trudeau are long gone, newt…! 8-(

It’s true … which is why [Bush-Lite]Harper has lasted this long in power, and will most likely stay for another 2-4 years.

Apparently if you meet in the middle of Ratigan’s head, you find a small, withered pinkish-gray lump that used to be either his brain or a wad of chewing gum.

Ah! HeadedWest. Of course.

I usually watch in case Jane is on, but didn’t watch today. I’m a little wary of watching now that Keith is gone. It gives them more reason to propagandize everything.

Yes, but in keeping with the ”Mer’kan Ceptionalism’ theme, ours HAVE TO be worse than yours.

How goes?

I grew up in Buffalo. Always has been a rivalry between Toronto & Buffalo.

When I left in 1962, there was still some argument to be made. Since then, it’s totally ridiculous.

Still, describing Canada as 10% of U.S. is not an inaccurate short version. *g*

Loverly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q671QIDeH-U

Well, I’m calling it an early night too. My friend had surgery a couple of days ago, (she had a softball sized mass next to one of her ovaries), she came through it alright, (no cancer *phew*), and I’m up early to go visit her. Oya!

Heck! I’ve had neighbors so frustrated with our local and Fed politicians they packed up and moved NORTH! ie: Canada.

Goodnight, Margaret. Sleep well. Good wishes to you.

*heh* I gagged on Obummer’s line, ‘any person…’, now, if Canada was located a little further South… ;-)

According to Senator Pothole, 25% of Buffalo General Hospital patients come from Canada. Personal conversation in about 1992.

I eagerly await the day when we have real democracy in Canada again, if only to gloat … *g*

I’m fine, thanks for asking … how are you and your beautiful City ?

I watched it in disbelieving detach.
Not disbelief of the content (it was as expected) – disbelief that I could watch it.

Jeez. I’ve got quakey knees just reading about it. I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt!

HA!

We all eagerly await the return of democracy.

Seems more likely to happen in Egypt before in U.S. or Canada.

Pothole evidently doesn’t understand things the Palin way. Sheesh. Why on earth would Canadians go to Buffalo for the hospital? So they can have a lifetime bill and ruined credit?

Quite well.
Last June, I was looking forward to January.
Now it’s January, and I am looking forward to Nov., 12.

You didn’t clap tho, right…? ;-)

Me too.

Lessons learned: No longer flopping around in loose footware after age 65. Turn on lights when going up and down steps.

Sound like stoopid suff??? It is.

Geez. *smacking self*

Quicker service for those who can afford to pay out of pocket. I.E., U.S. has good medical industry for the rich.

Of course I did. At Bachmann.

She was the star of the evening. She did not disappoint.
Come on, admit it – of all the things that happened yesterday, Bachmann’s ‘performance’ was by far the most anticipated, and satisfying.

I want my money back. Bachman was far more sane than I was looking for. Sarah was much more entertaining as veep candidate.

Oh, I’m sure for deep pockets. I just thought that something that was emergency related at the hospital would not take time in Canada. I know you have to wait a few days for an appointment with the doctor but never knew a hospital trip put you on the schedule for appointments.

I vote for the virgin witch.

Night Peg, sending best wishes to your friend.

Canada has a shortage of Specialists, esp. for Cancer and Cardiac care, so for Emergency cases, if Patients can’t get medical care up here, our Government will actually pay for Canucks to get medical care in the U.S., even though it’s much more expensive.

McCain-Bachmann. There’s a ticket.

Obama will not “slash” Social Security – a program that does not need a fix at this time and a program that does not add to the national debt in anyway – but Obama did not rule out “cuts” and most certainly did not rule in the best change – ending the cap on wages for both benefits and tax – indeed if the cap was ended the current “stimulus” 2% reduction in the payroll tax that ends after one year could be made permanent with no change in the fiscal security of the Social insurance system.

Gotcha! That makes sense now. If the Government is covering a trip to a US hospital.

I missed it… and it was actually the one I wanted to see…! ;-)

I did see ‘highlights’ later on, and, saw that she’d exceeded my expectations…! ;-)

But medical care for poor & emergencies rarely enter the conversation. I was not facile enough on the subject 2 decades ago to challenge D’Amato.

Obama says all kinds of things. We haven’t seen him back it up once. I’d rather talk conspiracy theories.

What happened to the investigation of who killed Bhutto?

As I said, she fulfilled all expectations for all.
The Baggers were out in force propping her up last night and today, and everyone else remained damaged about the abdomen from laughter.

Palin-Bachmann. A ticket straight to Bedlam.

It’s okay. We’ll get a chance to do it again. Heck, the repugs keep bringing the stuff up like something they thought they had lost under the bed. ;-P

The program on SS is to erode the program slowly over time. Just as trashing welfare & public unions started under Raygun, some decades ago, and continue slowly to this day.

Ignore the hidden agenda at your peril.

Yes, but hasn’t the President already committed the gravest sin of Social Security – allowing it to become play-thing of legislation in the tax deal with Mrs. McConnell?

Isn’t that due more to the lure of the big bucks paid for the Specialists here in the States… Tragically, here on the Big Isle we have a dearth of Family Practitioners…! 8-(

Every time the Rs bring it up, they gain traction & Ds lose.

Mr. Douthat seems as comfortable with the idea that his fellow man should direct the government to use their own tax dollars to aid them in their times of need as he once was with the idea that his college classmates were readily exchanging bodily fluids. He is as prudish about economic man as he is about sexual man. His Harvardian pedigree notwithstanding (Bill Kristol has one, too), he’s a poor excuse for a columnist on an OpEd page that already makes us suffer through two “essays” a week from David Brooks.

TeamObama™ swoons.

We can fix that if we had our own version of Palin. (grins)

Yes, Specialists get paid more in the U.S., so they leave Canada and head South.

EOH !

The locals are talking about an outing at Miller’s tavern …

A natural consequence of ‘free market’ medical care. Only the rich need apply.

Great idea, but where is “local”? I’m afraid I travel fairly often.

Toronto

Night all.

You still here?
Didn’t Harper just visit Morocco? How did that go?

Bugger. I’d love to come, but am a longish plane ride away. It’s one of my favorite cities.

Obama must cut SS or he is a nazi.

Hitler had an SS, and the left wing hippy liberal SS killed a lot of god fearing conservatives in FEMA camps.

So we have to get rid of SS or we’re worse than teh hitlerz.

Douthat is an asshat. And Palin needs to STFU about WTF.

‘night, eCAHN.

Hey ET
I’m not being glib – isn’t Palin’s mouth her own worst enemy now?
OK, hasn’t it always been, and she is just now at critical mass?

Hey Pups!
Gosh, just checking in…

Hey Chris-
When Boehner cries, and you don’t see it, are there really tears?

And yeah, I feel for you guys.

*heh* Even if you see ‘em, are they really tears…? ;-)

Come next month, I will have known Palin for 20 years. Met her dad in the fall of 1984. Had I thought she would have plagued us so long, I would have kept better notes early on.

Hey newt!
When Boehner cries (and he did last night) we throw up a little in our mouths. My word, I hate that he represents my poor state. So embarrassing.

I still can’t tell if he’s crying out of emotion at the ‘greatness of America’, or embarrassment of the GOP’s plank.

We have Feinstein. And Duncan Hunter. And Mary Bono.
Take heart

It’s a toss-up…! ;-)

You could not have known.
If you had, you would not have had a decent night’s sleep in those 20 years.

Jon Stewart was pretty funny tonight! Dished everyone, including my original Senator, VP Joe Biden. I loved Joe, he lived on the same road I did, many years ago.

I’m only saddened with Inouye, out of my Critter contingent… However, being Chair of the Appropriations Committee is a ‘perk’…! ;-)

The Lurking Mod (Oh, that’s me…) is upstairs!
Late Late Night FDL: 15 Step

The 5 families that ruled Pakistan normally agree as to is to be in charge at any given moment – that is why they do not tax themselves to pay for infrastructure – if the World Bank/UN/US does not pay folks do not get that road fixed. But since Dulles brothers/Ike we pay – directly or via trade agreements that take jobs from the US – for foreign policy support and stability.

The new item that Bhutto’s death revealed is the intel folks becoming as powerful as the Army – the Army liked the money and tech help we send on nukes and other toys and kept the 5 family rotation going, but the intel, which was under Army control, now is run by Taliban fans.

It is a bit like the JFK problem – if we reveal the CIA and Pentagon connections, even showing that they were minor, things get very bad for some important people – and likewise in Pakistan. There will be no “investigation”.

Meanwhile

“This year alone, Social Security will pay out $45 billion more in retirement, disability and survivors’ benefits than it collects in payroll taxes, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said. That figure nearly triples — to $130 billion — when the new one-year cut in payroll taxes is included.” is a bit of bad math. If the excess of payout over income before the 2% tax reduction was 1 billion, the tax drop would increase that to 80 and we’d be screaming about an 80 times increase – a true math fact that means nothing to any decision making.

If the wage cap removal was done – for both benefits and tax – it has an effect close to 2% of payroll – so we could keep that 2% tax cut stimulus going for 30 years (and going forever if the retirement age does get increase 40+ years from now, or if the heath reform change to the Medicare tax so as to tax all income, not just wages, is applied to Social Security).

GOP reiterates to invest in America is to dig a ditch of debt for our children, however, it is exactly the opposite — to invest in America, is to invest in our children’s and grandchildren’s future and in ourselves. Not to do so, is to invite decay and then death. Even nature renews itself each year. America must renew herself or die. It is ironic, that Americans spend millions of dollars a year on face lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction to keep their infrastructure looking new and youthful and yet some who spend millions on themsleves for renewal want to spend nothing on keeping America youthful and in tip-top shape. I am sure these same people are spending millions on renewing their homes, their vacation homes and would never allow their homes to get in such a delapilated condition as the United States is in right now, which in reality is “our home.”.

What happened to our pioneering spirit, it has been stifiled by the nay sayers. We need heros and courageous people to step up and speak out against those who only want to benefit themselves and let everything and everyone else go to the dogs. America is too important for that. Our childlrens’ future is too important for that.