beltane7Twas in the merry month of May…and green buds all were swelling…

Many hold May 1 as a time to celebrate the rites of spring.  May Day became a more modern custom from ancient pagan practices as well as traditions  from rural society.  Today, at least in suburbia and urban areas, not much is made of May Day.

Just for a day, it can be a magical time when cattle jump over bonfires and the young  and the not so young make merry far into the night.

Merry Beltane!

 

48 Thoughts to “Open Thread……………………………………..Wednesday, May 1”

  1. Steve Thomas

    I regularly teach the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course at my church. Imagine how well we’d be doing as a nation, if the majority of citizens practiced sound personal finance? Imagine what society would be like, if government at all levels did this as well?
    Some good reading here: http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/7-characteristics-of-debt-free-people?et_cid=2505760&et_rid=0&linkid=

  2. Pat.Herve

    A tragic accident – http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/30/kentucky-girl-2-accidentally-shot-killed-police-say/ – but lets not do anything at all to try and prevent it from happening again I guess if the parents and child were required to attend a gun safety class that there would be a group of people saying that this tramples on their rights.

  3. Pat.Herve

    @Steve Thomas

    +1 – one of our biggest issues – everyone wanting to live beyond their means. The credit card has been one of the biggest offenders – it makes it too easy to buy anything – without saving for it. This will become even more relevant as people with no pensions expect to retire, while all along, they also failed to save for retirement.

  4. Steve Thomas

    @Pat.Herve

    Pat…you hit the nail on the head. Availability of eeaaasssy credit was at the root of our recent recession, and credit cards are the worst. I tell my students all the time; “Imagine entering retirement with no debt. No carpayment, creditcards or mortgage. How much of would you have to save for retirement if none of it would have to be used to service debt?” you should see the lightbulbs popping on over everyone’s heads. How do we get into personal debt? Excluding true emergencies like medical costs, we get into debt mostly through financing a lifestyle we wish we could afford, through credit. Dave calls this “Stuffitus”, where we buy houses and cars we can’t afford, furnish them with stuff we don’t need, with money we don’t have, all to impress people we don’t particularly like.

    Or as one wise person put it: “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.”

  5. George S. Harris

    Hooray, Hooray–the 1st of May–outside screwing starts today!

    1. Mr. Howler was going around singing that song today. I just looked at him. @George

  6. Censored bybvbl

    The WaPo had an interesting article about a blogger who retired by age thirty. He had many of the same suggestions as Steve.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/meet-mr-money-mustache-the-man-who-retired-at-30/2013/04/26/71e3e6a8-acf3-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop

    Credit cards can lure people into debt but they can be a plus for those who show restraint. Ours are paid off each month and they accumulate sky miles which are used for trips to California. Mortgages can also be beneficial for those who can write off interest. Sometimes it’s a wash as to whether one pays Uncle Sam or a bank but sometimes it’s best to pay the bank rather than using your cash to pay off the mortgage. I have friends who sank $200,000 of inherited money into paying off their mortgage only to see their property depreciate by more than that over the next year or two. They might have done better by sinking it into stocks.

    @George S. Harris
    The frogs and birdies were early.

  7. George S. Harris

    @Moon-howler
    We can dream can’t we?

  8. George S. Harris

    @Censored bybvbl
    They were early at my house, too! 😉

  9. George S. Harris

    In this past Sunday’s Prince William Section, Georgetown South Community Manger Meg Carroll complained that there are not enough Spanish speaking police working in Georgetown South and that because of that crimes don’t get reported. She says the large Hispanic population don’t report crimes because the are “scared to death” of the police and besides they want to be able to talk to someone who speaks their language. Hellllooooo! If one of us was in any one of the Spanish speaking countries or pick any other country where English (or as I prefer to call what we speak “American”) is not the primary language, what language do you think the police are going to use? Duh!!! I am not a jingoist but I gotta say, it seems to me it is the responsibility of those who come to this country to learn to speak our language. When I went to place that spoke Japanese, I tried to learn enough to get around and the same in Vietnam. I didn’t do very well, but I knew it was my responsibility to learn their language not theirs to learn mine. While we will try to accommodate folks–within reason–I do not see the necessity to bend over backwards to do so. English or American is the “lingua franca” of this country. Learn to use it.

  10. Pat.Herve

    Toomey – at least he is willing to admit what everyone knows – http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/18003597-toomey-background-check-plan-failed-because-of-republican-politics?lite – and it is not just on this issue. I wonder how well the economy would be performing if they worked as a team.

  11. punchak

    @George S. Harris
    My hat is off to you if you learned more than two words in Vietnamese.
    I’ve been there a few times, and not on tour, and I find it almost impossible to
    learn any words. Tried to learn “thank you” but was told that the way I pronounced it
    it meant something totally different. Intonation is the problem!

  12. Steve Thomas

    @George S. Harris
    “If one of us was in any one of the Spanish speaking countries or pick any other country where English (or as I prefer to call what we speak “American”) is not the primary language, what language do you think the police are going to use? Duh!!! I am not a jingoist but I gotta say, it seems to me it is the responsibility of those who come to this country to learn to speak our language.”

    There might be hope for our community afterall…George and I are in agreement about two disparate topics on the same thread…LOL! Seriously, I couldn’t agree more. Legal or Illegal, it is the responsiblity of the immigrant to assimilate to the new language and culture, if they plan on remaining in the new country for an extended period of time. When stationed in Okinawa, I learned to speak passable Japanese for two reasons: I wanted to be able to get around the area, and I wanted to be able to talk to women. I was in a nightclub in Osaka, and was talking up a lady. She was impressed that I could speak the language, but basically said my Okinawan accent made me sound like I was from the country…a nice way of calling me a hick. Another “stranger in a strange land” experience I had was last year, in Barcelona. Barcelona is in Catalonia, a state in Spain. They speak “Catalan” which is more akin to Basque or Portugese, than it is to the Castillian Spanish I speak enough of to be understood, and understand. “Catalonians” would rather fumble through a conversation in english with a non-Catalan speaker, than speak in the national language (Spanish). Pride thing, which I suspect is what keeps much of our local hispanic community from learning the language. Those who interact primarily within their own hispanic community have little incentive to discard pride, and learn American english.

    1. I don’t disagree. If you move to a country or are planning on leaving the airport, it really makes sense to learn the language, just from an independent point of view. Who wants to always be dependent on others?

      By the same token, I think people who get hysterical when they hear someone speaking Spanish are also pretty stupid. Having said that, I get impatient when people who cannot speak English have jobs where communication with the public is required. Hotels and tech support seem to be chief offenders in this area. Until you can speak English fairly fluently and without a heavy accent, then perhaps an ‘upfront job’ isn’t for you.

      About 20 years ago I went up to Sudley North to pay my dreaded car tax. There were about 20 people up there who were Spanish-speakers. They had no idea how to fill out the required paper work. I tried to help with my pigeon Spanish skills. i wasn’t much help. Now this is where the county should have had someone out there who could communicate in Spanish. (or whatever language was spoken) If you want someone to pay their taxes and provide documentation, it only makes sense to do that.

      I also have no problem with Spanish being spoken in Lowes or other places where supplies are bought. That’s just good business sense. That doesn’t take away from people learning English. Incidentally, if you go to England, household words, cooking supplies and building supplies often have very different names for things than we have here. I would probably need a translator there!

  13. Calling Steve Randolph. Where are you??? Where have you been? Your historical trivia is needed?

  14. Steve Randolph

    http://www.manassasteaparty.org/

    – Been focused on the city budget Moon – and apparently joining a “gang”.
    (Doesn’t bother me being dinged by a partisan blog, that is a hazard
    of the job, but wish they would have used a better picture.)
    Our first reading is on May 13th and the second on May 15th.

    – On a another note, looks like happy dance time in the markets!
    Glad not to have sold in May – so far.

    – And my Cuban born brother-in-law thinks Mexicans speak lousy Spanish.

    1. Hi Steve, as you can see, you have been missed.

      Did you see the discussion about Georgia Crackers? I wanted you to put in your two cents worth.

      I will have to check the partisan blogs.

      You know you are fairly safe here.

      I guess you got the all call….

    2. OK, I went to check into the gang you supposedly joined and see you and 2 of my other favorite people, Andy and Mark. I do love defiance! It sounds like a good gang and one that has a reputation for good governance. i don’t know Mr. Way but he is keeping good company it looks like.

      The whole problem boils down to 1 thing-Goods and services cost money. The little gang of tea-thugs over there in the City hasn’t figured out that it costs money to maintain infrastructure, keep the streets clean, keep the schools running, have adequate fire and rescue (AND equipment) and a good police force. No one wants to move into a town that does everything on the cheap. Hopefully they will eventually learn the lesson of being penny wise and pound foolish. We have those types in the county also. Most of it is all puffery and politics.

      Every time I read that kind of crap it makes me want to put the mayor in a Cadillac at the City’s expense.

      I think you all have a good thing going and you are wise to invest in your City. You have a lot of good things going on over there.

  15. Lafayette

    @Moon-howler
    You’ve got email that needs some verification!! 🙄

  16. Scout

    The common experience we’ve had with immigration in this country is that English is pretty well mastered by the third generation, with working knowledge attained in the second generation. I have no reason to believe it is any different with immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries. The German side of my family took about that long to transition 150 years ago. The first arrivals settled near each other, spoke German among themselves. The kids were the ones who picked up English first and were used as translators with the English-speaking community. The grandchildren started to lose their German and definitely regarded English as their first language. Now, very few of us have even a working knowledge of German. The pace might be faster now, with so much exposure through television, radio, music, etc.

  17. Starryflights

    Gun Protesters Plan March On Washington With Loaded Rifles To ‘Put The Government On Notice’
    By Rebecca Leber on May 5, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    Almost 900 people are RSVPed for a July 4th march on Washington, D.C. where protesters plan to carry loaded rifles. In D.C., openly carrying guns is against the law. But the organizer of the event, libertarian radio host Adam Kokesh, says the march is an act of “civil disobedience” that attempts to prove gun advocates’ point in the “SUBTLEST way possible.”

    http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/05/05/1965191/open-carry-washington-march/?mobile=wt

    1. So much for the concept of just being law-abiding citizens. @Starry

  18. Starryflights

    Mark Sanford wins election for South Carolina House seat
    By Chris Moody, Yahoo! News | The Ticket – 57 mins ago

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mark-sanford-wins-election-south-carolina-house-seat-003247017.html

    Red state republicans and their family values are hypocrites.

  19. punchak

    Well, well, well / I’l be danged!!!

  20. @Moon-howler
    They are until they break the law. Civil disobedience is just that. Don’t get me wrong…I can’t stand that anti war activist Kokesh. He’s only in it for publicity.

    He says that they will turn around at the first sign of physical resistance. He is also idiotically telling them to carry loaded guns in DC TOWARDS the Capitol. That could be seen as armed insurrection.

    Kokesh is an idiot. He was in the IVAW, when he urged mutiny and desertion and he is now.

    1. Unless things have changed, its against the law to carry a loaded weapon in DC. I guess I just don’t see the point.

  21. punchak

    Somebody on Chris Plante’s talk show compared this to Rosa Park breaking the law!

  22. @Moon-howler
    Still illegal to carry a loaded gun in DC. That’s why he’s an idiot. I bet the march never happens. He said he needs 1000 people with him to do it.

  23. punchak

    Incredible comment from Limbaugh this morning:

    “What if those girls (the ones in Cleveland) had had guns?”

    1. What a totally stupid remark for him to make. They were under-age girls when they were abducted.

  24. Good question. Unanswerable though, since we don’t know how they were kidnapped.

  25. Starryflights

    They accepted his offer of a ride home. Not a good idea.

  26. Scout

    Perhaps Rush could endow a fund that would provide firearms to all teenagers leaving school each day. They would return the weapons when they arrive the next morning. At least, however, during those long, dangerous evening hours between 3:00pm and 8:00am, every child in America would have a loaded weapon.

  27. This thread is back open again.

    Thanks to Cargo for calling it to my attention. Long story why it wouldnt take comments.

  28. Cargo, where are you??

  29. Someone needs to get duct tape for Chris Matthews’ mouth. What a creep.

    1. You had something to share? @Cargo

  30. If I did, I forgot what I was going to say.

    1. I gave you full credit for alerting me to the problem with the open thread.

      Here’s what the problem was. I have the trip wire set to stop all comments after 14 days. It is just a way that I make sure some AH doesn’t go in and say something contrary to our liking and we not know about it. (like death threats to someone, etc)

      The thread went up May 1 and we hit the 14 day remark. I just went in and changed the date on the guts of it.

      No, it was nothing anyone said.

  31. Oh..I saw that. Thanks for the credit… nice.

    I just saw that they were closed and made a joke in the email.

  32. Rick Bentley

    I was about to post that same link (most racially tolerant countries). It makes sense to me that we would be one of the most tolerant countries, and we are.

  33. Starryflights

    Pentagon chief vows to ‘fix’ military’s sexual assault problem

    By David Alexander
    WASHINGTON | Fri May 17, 2013 6:32pm EDT
    (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered top military chiefs on Friday to redouble their effort to address the problem of sexual assault, saying the frequency and perceived tolerance of the crime was eroding the military’s ability conduct its mission.

    “We’re going to fix this problem,” Hagel told a news conference a day after he and top military leaders met with President Barack Obama to discuss a series of incidents that have reduced confidence in the services’ handling of the crime.

    “The president was very constructive. He was very clear. There wasn’t anybody in that room who wasn’t disappointed and embarrassed and didn’t recognize that we’ve in many ways failed,” Hagel said.

    The Pentagon chief issued a memo giving the military heads a week to devise a plan for discussing the sexual assault problem with troops at all levels and ensuring that those who deal with new recruits and sexual assault victims have appropriate training and credentials.

    The aim is to ensure that “every member of the armed forces clearly understands that they are accountable for fostering a climate where sexist behaviors, sexual harassment and sexual assault are not tolerated,” Hagel said in the memo.

    The push for action came a week after the Pentagon issued its annual report on sexual assault in the military, a study that estimated cases of unwanted sexual contact jumped 37 percent in 2012 to 26,000, versus 19,000 the previous year.

    Release of the report came in the midst of a spate of incidents that have caused outrage on Capital Hill over the military’s handling of the issue and have led lawmakers to begin working on legislation to address the problem.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/17/us-usa-defense-sexassault-idUSBRE94G0QZ20130517?feedType=RSS

    Now this, my friends, is a scandal.

    1. Starry, I totally agree with you. Thanks for expressing what I have been thinking for several weeks now. 26,000 sexual assaults of both men and women is outrageous and unacceptable.

      I wonder what the proportion is for stateside vs on foreign soil?

      The reporting system must change.

      How can anyone not include this situation in the scandals problem? I guess its harder to blame Obama.

      I am glad to see him and Chuck Hagel all over this. I usually think the expression zero tolerance is stupid. Not in this case.

      The military if fostering a climate of sexual abuse if there are 26,000 cases of sexual abuse.

  34. Starryflights

    CNN Poll: Have new controversies hurt Obama? Has GOP overreacted?

    Posted by
    CNN Political Unit
    Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama comes out of what was arguably the worst week of his presidency with his approval rating holding steady, according to a new national poll.

    But a CNN/ORC International survey released Sunday morning also indicates that congressional Republicans are not overplaying their hand when it comes to their reaction to the three controversies that have consumed the nation’s capital over the past week and a half. And the poll finds that a majority of Americans take all three issues seriously.

    According to the survey, which was conducted Friday and Saturday, 53% of Americans say they approve of the job the president is doing, with 45% saying they disapprove. The president’s approval rating was at 51% in CNN’s last poll, which was conducted in early April.

    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/19/have-new-controversies-hurt-obama-has-gop-overreacted/

    This is good

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