86 Thoughts to “Open Thread…………………………………..Wednesday, November 2”

  1. Cargosquid

    Actually, I don’t like Daylight Savings Time. It screws with my time sense for weeks.

  2. Cargosquid

    Remember when Newt Gingrich divorced his wife while she lay in a hospital bed with cancer?

    Yeah, me too.

    Only it didn’t happen.

    http://www.conservativecommune.com/2011/11/gingrichs-daughter-that-story-about-my-parents-divorce-is-hogwash-by-the-way/

    “It is this visit that has turned into the infamous hospital visit about which many untruths have been told. I won’t repeat them. You can look them up online if you are interested in untruths. But here’s what happened:

    My mother and father were already in the process of getting a divorce, which she requested.

    Dad took my sister and me to the hospital to see our mother.

    She had undergone surgery the day before to remove a tumor.

    The tumor was benign.”

    —hmmm, which she requested. And the hospital visit was months later after the parents informed the children….the divorce was already underway.

    Learn something new everyday. Perhaps ol’ Newt only has “conventional” baggage of being divorced twice and an affair…….no deathbed divorce…..

  3. Actually, I didn’t mention any of this. Why are we getting a Newt lecture? I don’t like Newt’s politics. I could care less if he has been married 3 times or had religious conversions, as long as he doesn’t expect the same from me.

    I do think he has the street cred to be prez. I just won’t vote for him.

    The part I find rather facinating about Newt is that he married his geometry teacher. There’s something wrong there but I am not sure it is on his behalf. If that isn’t true, don’t tell me.

    Newt is smart. I just don’t think he has used his smarts in a positive way, but that is purely opinion. I dislike him. I can vote for someone I don’t like. I can’t vote for someone I dislike.

  4. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    He was probably about to fail his geometry class! And she was a pining maiden.

    I still would like to see his latest wife when she wakes up in the morning.
    Wonder what her blond helmet looks like then?

    Yes, I’m just terrible, terrible, terrible.

  5. Starryflights

    Third Cain accuser emerges, 2 others thrived later
    By JACK GILLUM and STEPHEN OHLEMACHER – Associated Press | AP – 1 hr 28 m

    WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain faces accusations from a third woman, who considered filing a complaint against him over sexually suggestive remarks and gestures.

    The allegations are similar to accusations of unwanted behavior that led to separate settlements in the late 1990s with two other women who went on to pursue successful careers after leaving the organization Cain once headed.

    The latest allegations come from a woman who said in interviews with The Associated Press that Cain was aggressive and inappropriate with her, even extending a private invitation to his corporate apartment when she worked with him at the National Restaurant Association. The woman said Cain’s behavior occurred at the same time two co-workers had settled separate harassment complaints against him while he was leading the association.

    Those two women, now the focus of an intensifying scrutiny after their settlements became public, moved on professionally and personally after their time at the restaurant association. One woman thrived in her pursuit of her communications career and the other moved up in positions focusing on political outreach and public policy.

    http://news.yahoo.com/third-cain-accuser-emerges-2-others-thrived-later-072129366.html;_ylt=AssYyK0T8WL6ay3DfYrYoxSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtYzBybmplBG1pdANKdW1ib3Ryb24gRlAEcGtnAzZhN2U5MGQxLTIxYjQtMzgzZS05MTQxLTE2OWVhNGNiOTQ2NgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDanVtYm90cm9uBHZlcgNmZDQwZjkyMC0wNWVjLTExZTEtOTUwZC1kODQxMDVmNTdmZDg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

    I tell you, it’s not looking too good for Cain these days. His candidacy is sinking fast. If he’s the best the Repugs can do, they’re in a lot of trouble!

  6. Pat.Herve

    Cain’s primary run is self imploding. He should have come out with a three line statement, and stuck to it. His staff was given 10 days notice that the story was going to break – and they did not prepare.

    If you listen to him, he recounts more and more of the issue. Krauthammer asked if Cain was being Clintonian with the ‘settlement’ vs ‘agreement’ piece. Cain may forgeten some of the facts from 12 years ago, that is ok, but, he should remember that something like this happened, and he should remember how it ended (maybe not all the details).

    Re Newt – He can preach family values all he wants. He married the person he had an affair with while still married – twice. He divorced his first wife while she was going through a cancer scare, his second after she found out she had early symptoms of MS. His third wife, well, he is probably working on that replacement. He was having an affair while he was out preaching about Clinton’s infidelity. Newt – not so much family values from my vantage point. And that is not even bringing in GOPAC.

  7. Censored bybvbl

    When’s the next debate? I can hardly wait. It should be hot!

  8. Cargosquid

    Actually, I was just pointing out that the popular myth of him serving his first wife with divorce papers while she lay stricken with cancer, which I believed, was wrong. Heck, I even thought his first wife had died of cancer. The divorce was already proceeding when she had the tumor checked out and removed.

    Oops. Just pointing out how even political junkies can get it wrong. If we can get it wrong, think about how confused regular people might be.

  9. Steve Thomas

    Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. I have known many who have sufferred from it, especially growing up in the North East. These are folks who during the spring, summer, and early fall, were happy productive people, and yet during the winter months, met the DSM III(r) criteria for mild depression, and some for major depression.

  10. Morris Davis

    I don’t normally advocate for public floggings, but I may be willing to consider an exception. The video of Judge William Adams beating his then 16 year old daughter — who suffers from cerebral palsy — with a belt while giving her a profanity laced berating makes me about as angry as anything I’ve seen lately. Incredibly, at the time Adams was a judge in family court. The Texas Republican is now an Arkansas County (Texas) Court-at-Law judge and is on a two-week leave of absence. He responded saying the video that was shot in 2004 “is not as bad as it looks on tape.” All of the words you can’t say on M-H apply to Judge Adams.

    http://news.yahoo.com/family-court-judge-caught-beating-ill-daughter-videotape-183647572.html

  11. Steve Thomas

    @Cargosquid

    Cargo, we can’t have the facts get in the way of a good narrative, especially one constructed by the left. The narrative is Newt served his cancer stricken wife with divorce papers, and she was caught completely by surprise. The fact that their daughters say this is not the case, shouldn’t get in the way of the narrative. The left constucted the narrative that Obama was some sort of brilliant legal scholar, and was a professor of law. The fact that he was only an adjunct, part time professor who taught a couple of classes, and produced no scholarly works, peer reviewed or otherwise, can’t get in the way of a good narrative. His genius as a “legal scholar, combined with his leadership as a “community organizer” and his brief time in state and federal office, well that made him uniquely qualified to lead this country on domestic and foreign policy, which includes fighting a war on global terror, er, I’m sorry, a war against manmade disaster. Now Herman Cain, he’s a different matter all together. He analyzed ballistic data for the Aegis missile program, which was used for the evaluation and improvement of the system, but don’t call him a “rocket scientist”. No, that narrative won’t wash. Don’t mention his work in turning around a major enterprise in financial distress either, because that’s not relevant to the discussion. No. He’s nothing more than a pizza delivery guy, who likes to pray on female coworkers. That’s the narrative.

  12. Cato the Elder

    @Morris Davis

    Wow. That kind of makes me want to be a cop, just for one day. Perhaps His Honor would do me the favor of “resisting arrest,” if you know what I mean.

  13. Steve Thomas

    @Morris Davis
    Morris,

    On this, I agree with you 100%. I watched the tape. Both parents were out of control. If this reached the standard of abuse (which it did IMHO), he and his wife should face whatever consequences society applies. What I really want to know is who taped it? Did the girl place the camera herself? If she did, this would indicate that she was the victim of a pattern of abuse. Did the parents set up the camera? If so, why?

  14. Censored bybvbl

    The girl set up the camera because of a pattern of abuse. The father needs to face the of consequences of the law as well as society. These types of cases are the reason people such as my sister (CPS worker) will always stay employed. There are plenty of abusers out there.

    The gutless father said the beating wasn’t so bad….and then took a week’s vacation in order to avoid the consequences of “it’s not as bad as it looks on tape”.

  15. @punchak

    Living proof that there is someone for everyone???

    MEOW.

  16. @Steve Thomas

    What is lacking that causes the symptoms? I think I have it mildly but I also think mine is more of a state of mind rather than an actual disorder.

    Did the people you know undergo the light treatment?

  17. @Morris Davis

    Have I banned any cuss words? Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.

  18. @Steve Thomas

    Analyzing data isn’t what makes a person a rocket scientist. Cain has an undergraduate degree in math. The rocket scientists I know have a lot of space engineering, aeronautics, astronautics, mechanical and electrical engineering under their belts, up to through the PHD program.

    I don’t think a person needs to be a rocket scientist to be president. I think Cain needs a broader knowledge base for starters. But, that’s an opinion.

    Put up whatever narrative you want to put up. Just don’t mind me if I laugh.

    Let’s play this game a different way. What is it exactly that makes you feel that Herman Cain would make a good president.

  19. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler
    Moon, the suspected cause is a disruption of circadian rhythm, brought about by decreasing exposure to natural sunlight. It manifests itself in many ways. Some feel less energetic, or motivated to do things. Some have a harder and harder time getting out of bed in the morning. Some eat, smoke, or drink more. Some get “the winter blues”, and some get a full on depression. I believe it to be a combination of factors: shorter days, most of which are spent inside due to the colder temps, a decrease in physical activity for the same, a limiting of social interaction (excluding the holidays), etc. The Mall of Amercia, in the Twin Cities has skylights and broad-spectrum lights installed to expose patrons to as much natural and simulated light as possible. Some studies I read years ago suggested that people who spent a few hours a week there had lower rates of depression than those who did not. Researchers admitted that it wasn’t conclusive, but they theorized that it was a combination of light exposure, time spent in a less contstrictive/confining space, interaction with other people, and the physical activity of associated with walking, all contributed to the lower depression rates.

    1. So it doesn’t have anything with enzymes or less Vit. D?

  20. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler
    What appeals to me is his business background, experience taking a distressed corporation and turning it around. His time as the head of one of the Federal Reserve Banks: he understands how monetary policy impacts the economy. His desire to reform the tax code ( I support replacing income taxes with consumption taxes). His work within the defense industry, civillian or uniformed, and the fact that he is not a career politician is a plus.

    1. Now we can have a conversation. I can’t discuss those other things. Non-productive. I am not too impressed with the work within the military defense and I don’t think it really means jack. I don’t think that is a plus or a minus as far as being a president goes. I think probably his strongest pluses might come from 1. He is likeable 2. time with the federal reserve banks.

      Didn’t a lot of people lose their jobs when he brought Godfather back to profitability? They also lost a bunch of stores. That might have been good for Gofather. I am not sure how that would translate into the good of the country.

      I also share some of the concerns that Rick does.

      Tax code–how is a regressive tax good for the country? I see it being more of a hit on those who can least afford it. Would you have exceptions to his 9-9-9 plan on the consumptive or personal end?

  21. Rick Bentley

    Cain is an affable clown. He is very likeable – he seems Reaganesque in that way to me, a bit. I can see where he would inspire and lead people well in a less strenuous setting than the Presidency. And, he never looks better than with people like Harry Belafonte and Cornel West screaming that he’s not really black or is a race traitor. He should send each of those guys a nice fruit basket for making him look good.

    But this guy cannot possibly become President. It’d be a new low for a voting public that in recent years gave us GWB followed with Obama.

    Cain’s 9-9-9 plan is bat-**** crazy. I never saw a less serious “plan”.

    And he’s no brain surgeon. If Sarah Palin’s considered to be somewhat lightweight, what are we to make of Cain? His ability to speak English is sorely lacking. Some of his malapropisms are more colorful than Yogi Berra’s. I heard some on the radio, don’t remember them now and can’t find them through Google, but they were jaw-dropping. Supposedly Cain has a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Morehouse College. Someone needs to check into that. He sounds profoundly uneducated. I know someone who went to Morehouse … it’s not that bad a school, that someone should come out of it unable to speak well.

    Cain will fade. Romney will prevail. Perhaps some on the right wing will have an identity crisis when a Mormon is carrying the GOP nomination rather than a Christian that they can project fundamentalism onto.

    1. I can always count on Rick to tell it like it is. I don’t always agree, but he shoots straight.

      In this case, I would be hard pressed to offer up and disagreement.

      @Rick

  22. Rick Bentley

    Oh, and the double-speak on the abortion issue is astounding. I expect very little from the clowns who populate our two “major” parties, but for God’s sake Cain would be a new low.

  23. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler
    Moon,

    When a huge portion of our spending revolves around defense, a large portion of this in the development anf fielding of advanced weapons systems, I look at any time spent actually working in one of these programs as a plus. Certainly more experience than our current president has. As to turning around an unprofitable company, that involves making it lean and efficient. Yes, non-productive employees or those not essential to operations most likely lost their jobs. Non-profitable stores/franchises were likely closed. This is a sound orthodox business practice. I’d like to see him apply this same rationale to certain government programs/departments. Perhaps it’s my time serving in the military, and my civillian work experience in both government contracting and private-sector business that gives me a different perspective and appreciation for the qualifications he has to serve as our C-in-C/CEO.

  24. Cargosquid

    “Perhaps some on the right wing will have an identity crisis when a Mormon is carrying the GOP nomination rather than a Christian that they can project fundamentalism onto.”

    You know…you had a nice piece going there until you said that. Our objections are based on his liberalism, not his Mormonism.

  25. Cargo, I would be more comfortable if you spoke for yourself rather than we. I am not sure who ‘we’ are, once again.

    Mitt Romney isn’t what I would call liberal. That makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Perhaps we could set up some sort of relativism here…like…he is more liberal on _____ than I am comfortable with.

  26. Steve, I am going to say whatever floats your boat on the math/navy business. To me, it doesn’t qualify him or disqualify him as much of anything other than someone who had a job with practical math applications, (I am assuming). I would guess his practical application with advanced weapons systems was probably not so indepth since he had three jobs in 10 years right out of college but…what do I know.

    As for the Godfather’s Pizza–are we sure those employees were unproductive or did they have jobs in stores that closed? I am not seeing anything miraculous about shutting down stores. What did the company’s profits look like 5 years after that? I know we used to have Godfathers around here and it disappeared.

    Business decision I guess. So now he is a lobbyist? That NRA was a lobbyist job. I am sure he was quite successful there.

  27. @Rick Bentley
    re double speak on abortion. Talk about being all things to all people. That one didn’t fool me. Nice try. No banana.

    Of course I vote for a president based on Supreme Court appointment…so I am somewhat jaded.

  28. Cargosquid

    @Moon-howler
    We? As in this blog? I mean, we as in conservatives. I’ve spoken with enough conservatives to use that “we.”

    Also, where is he NOT a liberal?
    Pro-choice (personally pro-life)
    Pro-big government
    Pro-taxation
    Pro-cap and tax
    Pro-gun control
    Pro-NCLB
    Pro-Fed’l involvement in education

    1. Do you feel you speak for all conservatives, Cargo? I have friends who consider themselves conservatives and Republicans who really don’t think as you do.

  29. Cargosquid

    Virginia falls under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, I think. I wonder if this is happening in Virginia. The comments are interesting.

    Excerpt:
    The Holder Justice Department has been using secret internal redistricting plans to try to force states, counties and cities to maximize the number of black elected officials resulting from redistricting. In the 1990′s the Department of Justice Voting Section engaged in illegal activity that was commonly referred to as “Max-Black” when reviewing redistricting plans in 16 states covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. In sum, it meant that DOJ Voting Section lawyers worked with groups like the NAACP to maximize the number of black elected officials in any legislative, county or city redistricting plan submitted to Justice.

    http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/11/02/dojs-secret-internal-redistricting-plans/

  30. Cargosquid

    @Moon-howler
    So…are you saying those conservatives are bigoted against Romney because he’s a Mormon?
    That they “will have an identity crisis when a Mormon is carrying the GOP nomination rather than a Christian that they can project fundamentalism onto.”?

    I’m sorry if they are. If not, then the only other reason to object to Romney IS his ideas. I believe that the MAJORITY of conservatives are NOT bigoted. Are you saying that you believe that they are?

    1. @Cargo, I honestly don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know if conservatives are prejudiced against Mormons or not. Since some of them are Mormons, I would say no. Why am I being accused of making anti mormon statements? I am ‘behind the scenes’ and really am clueless what I am being accused of.

  31. Cato the Elder

    Moon, I have located a cure for your seasonal depression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq6iEKVLzWY

    I can personally vouch for this remedy when using Patron Silver as the shot. All your concerns will melt away.

    1. Can’t I just go with a little scotch and soda or a white Zin?

      I actually don’t really have SAD. I just get depressed the first week it gets dark so early.

  32. Cargosquid

    Remember ACORN? They’re baaaaaack……

    And they are a key organizer behind that spontaneous uprising called OCCUPY. And I need to get a job with them. They pay people to ……well….their story is confused. Too funny.
    The scene starts with the manager going over a Fox News article.

    “They reminded us that we can get fired, sued, arrested for talking to the press,” the source said. “Then they went through the article point-by-point and said that the allegation that we pay people to protest isn’t true.”

    “‘That’s the story that we’re sticking to,’” Westin said, according to the source.

    The source said staffers at the meeting contested Westin’s denial:

    “It was pretty funny. Jonathan told staff they don’t pay for protesters, but the people in the meeting who work there objected and said, ‘Wait, you pay us to go to the protests every day?’ Then Jonathan said ‘No, but that’s your job,’ and staffers were like, ‘Yeah, our job is to protest,’ and Westin said, ‘No your job is to fight for economic and social justice. We just send you to protest.’

    “Staff said, ‘Yes, you pay us to carry signs.’ Then Jonathan says, ‘That’s your job.’ It went on like that back and forth for a while.”

    Popcorn, anyone?

  33. Morris Davis

    @Cargosquid

    Here’s another excerpt: “The motivation for war is simple. The U.S. government started the war with Iraq in order to make it easy for U.S. corporations to do business in other countries. They intend to use cheap labor in those countries, which will make Americans rich.”

    How much weight you might give my excerpt would liklely be influenced by the fact that the speaker was Michael Moore. Your unattributed excerpt is by J. Christian Adams on the PJ Tatler blog, which carries as much weight with me as Michael Moore does with you. I’m no fan of the Holder Justice Department — they are my opponent when part of my case is heard at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit next Thursday morning — but the source and the credibility of the person making the alleged factual statement matters.

  34. Cargosquid

    @Morris Davis
    Actually, since I put a link to the total post, I didn’t put the attribution. I put the excerpt so readers would get a taste of what they would be going to.

    He also seems to be a better authority on the DOJ than Moore is on…well..anything but eating.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Christian_Adams

  35. Morris Davis

    Yes, he did pass the Monica Goodling purity test, so he’s got that going for him. And if you can’t trust the PJ Tatler to give you the facts and nothing but the facts who can you trust?

  36. Cargosquid

    I just “trust” them to report something. I trust them as much as I trust any other news source. If you don’t want to believe what he wrote…I don’t care. My attitude is….is this accurate, and if so, is it happening in Virginia, and if so, should the AG look into it.

  37. @Cargosquid

    Who is paying for ACORN to exist? What is its job now?

  38. @Cargosquid

    I don’t think that the Romney campaign would attribute those characteristics to him.

    And is that your definition of liberal? 🙄

  39. Cargosquid

    @Moon-howler
    Romney wouldn’t. He’s trying to appear conservative.

    My definition of liberal: Pro choice, pro big government, pro mandated health care, pro-wealth redistribution, pro-cap and trade or any type of that scam, pro-illegal immigration/open borders, pro-increase of czars/agencies. Anti-business.

  40. Cargosquid

    @Moon-howler
    Apparently organizing Occupy.

    Now called New York Communities for Change – so again…community organizing for Democrats. Same old, same old

  41. Starryflights

    Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%

    Americans have been watching protests against oppressive regimes that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of an elite few. Yet in our own democracy, 1 percent of the people take nearly a quarter of the nation’s income—an inequality even the wealthy will come to regret.

    By Joseph E. Stiglitz Illustration by Stephen Doyle

    The top 1 percent have the best houses, the best educations, the best doctors, and the best lifestyles, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to have bought: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. Throughout history, this is something that the top 1 percent eventually do learn. Too late.

    http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105

    You know what the scariest part of that article is?

    It was written six months ago, before the OWS movement erupted.

  42. Pat.Herve

    Cargosquid :
    @Moon-howler
    Romney wouldn’t. He’s trying to appear conservative.
    My definition of liberal: Pro choice, pro big government, pro mandated health care, pro-wealth redistribution, pro-cap and trade or any type of that scam, pro-illegal immigration/open borders, pro-increase of czars/agencies. Anti-business.

    cargo – who are you talking about here – I think you have things all confused……

    My definition of liberal:
    Pro choice, – Like Guliani, Fred Thompson, Christine Whitman
    pro big government, – the number of federal employee increased under Reagan, Bush HW, BushW, Obama – Reduced under Clinton.
    pro mandated health care, – like McCain, Newt and the Heritage Foundation
    pro-wealth redistribution, – Got it there. Giving more bonuses does do that.
    pro-cap and trade or any type of that scam, – Do you mean ‘Emissions Trading’ started in the Reagan Administration, or the Clear Skies program of Bush W?
    pro-illegal immigration/open borders, – How is that fence coming, 6.5 million in 2000, 8.7 in 2005, 12 million in 2007
    pro-increase of czars/agencies. – ok, Obama has 38, Bush had 33. I guess we could do without the TARP Czar and the AfPak Czar. Or the Homeland Security Czar, oh wait, that was turned into a whole new Cabinet level department.
    Anti-business. – ok, I guess you have the Liberals there – they want fair wages, good working conditions and a good benefits package – I guess you could call that anti-business.

    Those Liberals – if only the Republicans could have the Presidency and Congress for about 6 years – they would be able to fix everything.

  43. Cargosquid

    See there…you are confusing Republican with conservative. It is because of those things that we are where we are at….14 trillion in debt, strangled by unaccountable agencies and czars.

    Since even the most “conservative” still is willing to grow government, the search is on for the MOST conservative. Why vote for the least conservative if you feel that would be voting for Democrat light?
    Just because Reagan did it..doesn’t mean that it was conservative. He was RELATIVELY conservative compared to the politicians at the time. Now…the libertarian element is ascending. Its time to actually CUT the size of government.

  44. Cargosquid

    Earlier, I posted about Congressional districts and possible chicanery by the Justice department.

    Well, we can get crappy districts without chicanery. At least Virginia’s are relatively sane.
    http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=VA

    Take a look at Maryland’s. O. M. G.
    http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2011/11/marylands_psych.html

    Rorschach test anyone?

    I’m glad I live in Virginia.

  45. @Cargosquid

    Why are you saying it is ACORN then?

  46. @Cargosquid

    You don’t search for the most conservative because moderate America won’t vote for the most conservative. You have to pick up the moderate Republicans and Independents. There aren’t enough of you to do it without the moderates.

    Why do you think McCain isn’t in there now?

  47. If you lived in PWC, Cargo, you could have 5 senate seats and a whole bunch of delegate districts. It is insane. Seriously. I gave up trying to figure it out. Elena finally gave up and called voter registration for herself. People living right down the road weren’t in her senate district or she wasn’t in theirs.

    We live in La La land.

  48. Pat.Herve

    cargo – when was the last time we had a Conservative President?

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