pumpkin-and-gourd-candles

 

 

Where are the candles hiding?  Are the  stems carved wax?

Where is the best place to buy pumpkins this year?  You might see a low price but then discover your pumpkin weighs 15-20  pounds.

It would seem a shame to carve up these pumpkins.  We will just let them be.

 

 

156 Thoughts to “Open Thread…………………………………Wednesday, October 16”

  1. Carlos Danger

    Why is a person running for governor of VA (Terry McAuliffe) having a $15,000 a plate fundraiser by a NY resident (Hillary Clinton) hosted by a CA billionaire (Haim Saban) in Beverly Hills?

    Do rich, Californian 1%’ers know what’s best for VA?

  2. Steve Thomas

    While I rarely jump in to the general discussion fray, I wanted to submit this for your consideration:

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/photo-public-sex-act-rape-woman-article-1.1487092

    Has our society become so desensitized by popculture, so engrossed in the social media circus, that something like this happens? I hope a criminal investigation will determine whether or not this was indeed a sexual assault in progress, or a case of two young people engaged in a consensual public display of both a lack of maturity and public decency. I have no reason to doubt the claims of the victim, but there are enough cases where false accusations are made in a vain attempt to ward of embarrassment.

    We are starting to see more and more of this. Real sexual assaults recorded and disseminated using social media. The recent case in Ohio comes to mind. What we are also seeing is a disintergration of self-respect, as people young and old want to push the social envelope, putting photos and videos of themselves out there for the world to see, either voluntarily, or in the case of “revenge porn”, involuntarily.

    Thanks to “stars” like Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, society is no longer shocked by these accidental or intentional disclosures. In fact, society rewards this sort of thing now. Has our sense of decency erroded to the point where upon seeing two (or more) people engaged in sex in a public place, our first reaction is to record it and blast it all over the “interwebs” for posterity? Has this become so commonplace that people witnessing this can’t tell whether or not someone may be doing so against their will, or might not have the capacity to say “no”?

    The argument that “what two consenting adults do behind closed doors is their business” is a valid one. However, what about this? Rape is rape, no question. How about consensual public acts? How about the people who record them and disseminate them? What responsibilties do they have?

    Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves. I’ll be busy having a “Father of a little girl” anxiety attack. Not joking.

    1. At first glance, it obviously is not rape, by definition. Sexual assault? It sure doesn’t look like it. I would base that remark on female hands and feet. They aren’t in positions of resistance.

      Now, is it inappropriate public behavior? Absolutely.

      why would something like that be reported as rape? My guess would be someone sobered up and didn’t want to get thrown out of school.

      We may find out more.

      As for having a father of a little girl anxiety attack? I wouldn’t have it over that. There are too many other important things to have it over. I am not sure it is even safe to send daughters away to school. It’s easy to also have anxiety attacks over boys. In many ways they are just as vulnerable to bad things happening.

      Bottom line, being a parent is not for sissies and the anxiety does not go away when they turn 18.

  3. Elena

    Steve,
    Have a loving supportive relationship with your daughter and she won’t find herself looking for love in the wrong places, no Kardashian or Hilton etc. Second case scenario, get her into martial arts so if anyone dares mess with her, she will kick their ass. I pity any boy who messes with my daughter. She doesn’t put up with anything from anyone!

  4. Steve Thomas

    I do have a loving and supportive realtionship with my daughter, and I am also prepared to “do hard time” if needs be. Still, is it just me, or has our society lost its mind?

    “Second case scenario, get her into martial arts so if anyone dares mess with her, she will kick their ass. I pity any boy who messes with my daughter. She doesn’t put up with anything from anyone!”

    While I agree with the direction, the means I would choose would be a bit different. The Lord created all men (and women)…Samuel Colt made them all equal…

    1. I have no problem with women in martial arts or arming themselves.

      Yesterday my daughter pulled up to pick up the 7 year old. The 7 year old was standing next to her grandfather’s truck, hand on hip, with a long dagger stuck down in some pocket. She was well-armed. Her hero is Merida. I thought she looked more like a pirate.

      What little girl has an 18 inch dagger sticking out of her pants?

      I think society has lost its mind, since you asked. I have thought that for several decades.

    2. RE: daughters and granddaughters

      Steve, at some point things happen which are totally beyond one’s control. We unfortunately found that out. Frankly, I would be all in favor of adulthood returning to age 21 when people are more ready to assume the responsibilities of adulthood. If that means repealing the 26th amendment, then so be it.

      There needs to be a learning period between high school and real adulthood. age 21 or 22 seems like a good choice. It gives parents legal control where none exists now.

  5. @Moon-howler
    The woman is claiming that it was assault and rape.

    1. Then there should be legal evidence. I don’t believe everything I see online.

      I also don’t believe everything women or men say when it gets daylight and there is a piper to pay.

  6. Carlos Danger

    Did you know that President Obama’s OFA, who by the way administers his official @BarackObama twitter feed, held an event at the Capitol yesterday?

    One of the officially OFA sanctioned supporters had a big red sigh with the following:
    “THANKS TEA-TARDS”.

    Where is the outrage at this? Does the President suppose this? If not, when will be denounce it?

  7. Carlos Danger

    Support = suppose… Damn autocorrect

  8. Carlos Danger

    Moon-howler :
    Who cares.

    Anyone who knows or cares for a mentally disabled person, that’s who.

    1. Well you sure have had a make over, Mr. Sensitivity. He obviously wasn’t speaking of handicapped people, any more than the people carrying the Demo-tard signs were. Did you also disapprove of those signs?

      I have a lot of remarks you have made about others still in the comments data bank. You might want to consider that. I specifically remember some pretty harsh talk about Latinos.

  9. @Moon-howler
    You are absolutely right.

    Who cares that the President’s own campaigning group insults people? It’s not like the Tea Party are Americans, right? Who cares? What does it matter anymore? I mean…. its only a double standard if you actually care about fairness and hold everyone accountable to the same standard.

    I’ve decided to stop fighting and join you, Moon. Who cares? Really?

    1. Cargo, I decided to NOT post the picture of that redneck idiot waving the confederate flag in front of the White House. I decided it wasn’t fair to brand everyone by a couple of low class people. (for the record, I don’t hate the confederate flag. All the flags are part of my heritage but I also have enough class to know that they offend some people so I keep the display to the confines of my own home.)

      Now, having said that, some you all have made enough comments here about people of color, immigrants and women that I don’t think you can take the high ground on this one.

      Don’t mistake me for someone who doesn’t care. I care very much about what’s happening. I hope Mitch McConnell strips Cruz of every committee and that the entire senate will censure him.

      BTW, I was offended that Cruz used JFK’s title, Profiles in Courage, in his speech today. I hope he doesn’t see himself as the 9th lawmaker to be profiled. He is no Jack Kennedy.

  10. Wolverine

    The fight has only just begun. Useful to know just how easy it is to get the other side to panic and then sink to the depths.

  11. I generally believe in allowing people to save face. In this case, maybe not so much.

    No one has sunk, Wolverine–at least on MY side. Now in your case, the snide remark about Krystal Ball, that was sinking.

  12. The blog was down for a while late afternoon early evening. It was the servers at the webhosting site. They usually get things fixed pretty quickly.

    Sorry. It has been acting cantankerous for several days.

  13. Emma

    When the dust settles, the only question remaining is “What the hell was all that about?”

    Sorry, but the Republicans deserved to get outmaneuvered this time. They need to grow out of their little identity crisis and figure out what their constituents really want.

    I’ll just be delighted to start getting paid for my work again, have my husband get back to work, and to know I can stay home next time I get as sick as I was last week. Well, at least until February.

  14. Wolverine

    The Bonnie Doon ice cream plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, is going to close it’s doors. No. 1 factor: the anticipated costs of the ACA. Other businesses in that area are trying very hard to keep under 50 employees in order to avoid the ACA. Obama and his supporters are walking down a long Green Mile of their own making. Vive la resistance!

    1. What a shame that the employees of Bonnie Doon don’t have health care now. I doubt that the plant was doing much. Why would a healthy business close?

      News flash…Obama isn’t going to run for another term.

  15. Wolverine

    Krystal Ball? Ha! Not quite as bad as calling for punishment of the opposition for daring to compete in the American political arena. TJ would have blanched at such a comment.

  16. Carlos Danger

    Moon-howler :
    Well you sure have had a make over, Mr. Sensitivity. He obviously wasn’t speaking of handicapped people, any more than the people carrying the Demo-tard signs were. Did you also disapprove of those signs?
    I have a lot of remarks you have made about others still in the comments data bank. You might want to consider that. I specifically remember some pretty harsh talk about Latinos.

    Proof? Please let me know of the plethora of comments I’ve made against Latinos in your ‘comments data bank’. You obviously have easy access to those comments. Put them out there, I’ll defend ones I can and will apologize for ones I can’t. But to just blurt out that I’m somehow racist against Latinos without being able to defend myself isn’t fair.

    1. You started it. It’s rather stupid to get in a pissing contest with me over something you started.

      Its just easier to not put your comments through. I remember a lot of the fights you tried to start with us. That’s the reason your comments land in moderation. I thought I would give you another chance. Obviously I made a mistake.

  17. Carlos Danger

    Btw, 80% + of my friends are immigrants. Most second generation, some ‘off the boat’ so-to-speak. Ive got a few hangouts in Manassas that they either own, operate, work at or I’m a ‘member’ of. English isn’t spoken at most of these establishments. You should hang with me some time at a few of them. Great food, great people… it would be a good time. Then judge me.

    1. I have nothing to judge you buy other than your written word. It isn’t particularly sensitive. As I recall, you rather enjoyed letting all the ‘illegals’ along route 1 have it.

      I didn’t have to look back far to find things that were not of a particularly sensitive nature.

  18. Carlos Danger

    Or if you would rather not do that, you know my email, let me know if you would like to go to some of these places on your own, with your family, or friends, what ever and I’ll let you know of a few hidden gems in Manassas. Go when ever, enjoy the food, wine, and let me know what you think…

  19. Lyssa

    Companies threatened to close over FLMA.

  20. Lyssa

    Koch bros lost another election in NJ tonight – soundly. Lonegan lost. He did cite Cruz as the. Senator he’d most like to emulate.

    1. A friend sent me an email questioning the wisdom of anyone running for office in New Jersey who is already behind by 15 or 20 points bringing in Sarah Palin to seal the deal.

      He didn’t stand a prayer.

  21. Rick Bentley

    I am going to watch less FOX News in future, but did breeze past it this morning. Saw Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Wow, did she look good.

    The secret weapon the right wing is using to keep angry white men properly indoctrinated is good looking women. Hasselbeck’s the queen on that chessboard. Good looking woman, and dumb as a board, which probably makes her hotter.

    I know there’s truth in what I’m saying. When i talk to some FOX News viewers and give them grief about its level of detachment from reality, and get some acknowledgement that there are negative effects to what they do, at some level it frequently comes down to “well I like it because the woman are hot”.

    1. I thought that was a given…the hot women. Also Elizabeth looks a lot better on Faux News than she did on the View. Faux News doesn’t suffer average women. All of them have lots of cleavage, short skirts and long legs. Not sure Elizabeth will go with the cleavage…but everyone has a price.

      Look what Faux has done for Greta. Elena used to do her make up and she would bearly consent to wearing lip gloss.

  22. @Moon-howler

    @Lyssa

    He didn’t stand a chance anyway. He was a Republican.

    1. who didn’t stand a chance?

  23. Lyssa

    So is Christie. Get over party and start looking at the person, their motivation and their ethics. Christie is currently 30% ahead of his democratic opponent. Got another theory?

  24. Lyssa

    Democrats have a fourteen point voter registration edge over Republicans in New Jersey, 34%-20%, according to a summary released by the state Division of Elections last Thursday. But nearly half of New Jersey voters (46%) are not affiliated with a political party.

    Since October 2008, Democratic voter registration has actually declined, by 15,430 voters, while the number of registered Republicans has increased by 6,794.

  25. Steve Thomas

    Interesting study:

    http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/tea-party-science-98488.html?hp=r3

    How much do you want to bet that this surprise would extend to a whole bunch of other areas, like math, economics, history…

    1. I suppose it depends on who is administering the finals.

      Tests can measure critical thinking skills, memorization, content, recall, etc. I am not sure what “knows more science” means or what science literacy means. English majors probably know more about literary forms than math majors. What is the discipline?

      Actually the person who was surprised seemed like a dumb ass to me. He didn’t know any tea partiers? What kind of insulated world does he live in? Yale? Go no further. I don’t see any cause/effect relationship established.

      I am not saying tea partiers don’t have science content literacy. I just question the study. I might also question it if someone did a study on liberals or greenies and came away with fuzzie conclusions.

    2. GRRRRRR! Curse you, Red Baron!

      Now I have the old Sam Cook song dancing around in my head. Wonderful World.

      Don’t know much about history
      Don’t know much biology
      Don’t know much about a science book
      Don’t know much about the French I took

      But I do know that I love you
      And I know that if you love me, too
      What a wonderful world this would be

      Don’t know much about geography
      Don’t know much trigonometry
      Don’t know much about algebra
      Don’t know what a slide rule is for

      But I do know one and one is two
      And if this one could be with you
      What a wonderful world this would be

      etc etc

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhzG9aeOn9w

      You all might have to call your mothers to know what I am talking about. I was a kid when it came out. Its still in my head though.

  26. Rick Bentley

    I’m sure the Nazis were smart people too. But they were emotionally infantile, and projected their bitter animus outwards on the rest of the world.

  27. Pat.Herve

    For the default doubters – what does one call it when the Treasury cannot pay all its bills when they are due. I get the technical term ‘default on debt’ – that as long as the US pays its interest on the debt some feel we are in compliance. But what about the bill that goes unpaid – ie, the fuel supplier for an aircraft carrier or when they need to delay SS payments for a few days because they are waiting for an influx of money? What do we call that if we do not call it default?

    1. I put the default deniers in the same category as birthers and truthers and whatever you call those people who think George Bush orchestrated 9-11.

      Now if someone wants to talk to me about Lee Harvey Oswald not being a lone wolf in the Kennedy assassination, then I will listen. I might even listen about Roswell. Past that…no comprende nut-speak-ese.

  28. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    Speaking of FOX and Greta. I assume you’re talking about von Susteren. She took over from Shepard Smith in the 6-8 pm slot and, boy, do I miss him! Greta’s voice just grates on me; can’t stand to listen.

    As for dress – Wouldn’t it be funny if all the guys came on the air with shorts and only skivvies on?
    Which makes me wonder what the temperature is in the studio. The guys wear long sleeved shirts and jackets with lining while the women barely cover their torsi (torsos)

    Thought for the day.

    1. /torsi! I love it. What did they do with Shep? Is he being punished for not drinking enough Kool aid?

      Her voice is irritating but not so much as Princess Dumba&&’s voice.

  29. Steve Thomas

    Rick Bentley :I’m sure the Nazis were smart people too. But they were emotionally infantile, and projected their bitter animus outwards on the rest of the world.

    Rick,

    very difficult to take your comment seriously, considering that you spent part of yesterday commenting on the contents of Speaker John Boehner’s scrotum, questioned his manhood, and his patriotism. Sounds a bit “emotionally infantile” and “bitter”, IMHO.

  30. Censored bybvbl

    @Steve Thomas

    The Tea Party is basically an older white male crowd. You could choose just about any club and find men in that age group more informed in science and, I’d bet, math. When I took calculus in high school, I was the only female in my class and one of only three in my physics class. Times have changed and women have become more involved in the sciences and other STEM fields. However, they still don’t enter those fields as often as men do. You’re dealing with a lot of discrimination that women my age faced, a culture that didn’t encourage females to enter those fields, a lack of mentorship and societal encouragement. Even today, the majority of high school and colleges have a deficit of STEM students.

    The researcher above should look at the reasons the disparity exists.

    Someone else could do a study of job-jumping or mental illness and perhaps find a higher number of those groups represented in the Tea Party.

    1. Math and science are really the only two disciplines where people willingly and readily admit how stupid they are in that subject, especially math.

      How many people who brag that they are illiterate in Reading or writing? None. Yet people don’t even blink when they say they can’t do math. No one would ever admit to not being able to read and write. It’s attitude that is engrained in our culture I think.

      I still have that damn song running around my head. It was an oldie when I was a teenager but I think I know all the words. I also would want to see the test. I can often ace general science tests if multiple choice. Now, ask me how something works and the cause and effect and I am lost. I think electricity is magic.

  31. Rick Bentley

    That may be, Steve. I make no claim towards emotional maturity. But I believe my point is valid – groups of intelligent people have been known to do insane things. And the Tea Party Republicans have just, in front of a nationwide stage that they craved, behaved in highly irrational fashion.

  32. Steve Thomas

    @Rick Bentley
    “And the Tea Party Republicans have just, in front of a nationwide stage that they craved, behaved in highly irrational fashion”

    If you think that the behavior of either side of the debate was “highly rational”, there’s not a much point in discussing this with you. Closing memorials to vets in wheelchairs, while allowing and illegal immigration rally on the closed mall (requiring the capitol PD to perform post-rally sanitation duties), or referring to fellow senators and congressmen a “terrorists” “arsonists” etc. etc. are hardly examples of emotional maturity. I don’t know, perhaps you just have higher expectations of maturity from Republicans, than you do Democrats. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this circus, because we get to do it all over again in a few months, and in the interim will have significantly added to the debt. Sooner or later the iron laws of economics will catch up with us. Oh, did you see the news? The Chicoms have downgraded our credit worthiness. Not because of the Tea Party. Rather, it is the fact that our fiscal house is still a mess. Enjoy the biscuits and the show.

    1. The mall wasn’t closed, the monuments were. I have addressed the reason why. We can’t leave the Vietnam Memorial open and close Monument Valley. Which community suffers the most.

      I think anyone who attempts to harm our country for political gain can be considered a political terrorist. I think that is exactly what that nasty little boy Ted Cruz attempted to do. Harm our national prosperity for his own political gain. He needs to grow up. Obstructionism really can’t be considered part of democracy.

      You don’t hold the country hostage to reduce the debt and I am mighty sick of the finger pointing at democrats for the debt problems. One chart is all it takes to see that there is more than enough blame to go around.

      Actually, from where I am sitting, the real republicans were being blackmailed and the tea party types were doing the extortion thing. The Democrats were sitting back watching it happen. If the government closes, it closes. There are rules and regulations in place to determine the protocol.

      The discussion over the WWII memorial is getting old and is just another shiny object to remove the focus off what is really going on.

      Obviously we are going to have to pay more in taxes. In the past decade, the rich have gotten richer and the middle class has flatlined. Guess who is going to get hit the hardest. The more middle class there is, the less likely it is that the needed tax increase will not fall on their backs.

      If people don’t like the ACA, then elect the people to repeal it. Don’t hold the govt hostage over it.

      I have not received any federal tax increases under the Obama administration. I don’t think I got any under Bush either although I might have lost an exception or two.

      I have had tax increases though but it has come mainly from the state under a Republican administraton. I am paying more for sales tax. I am paying more for my car licenses…a lot more. I am paying more for inspections. I am now paying sales tax on Amazon sales which I use regularly. I am paying more in real estate tax.

      I doubt that any of them will admit to raising my taxes though. Those fees are taxes just as much as if I got sent a bill.

  33. Rick Bentley

    I think it’s important to remember that we’re not in a state of debt primarily because of the entitlements that were established generations ago, or because of our system of government or the people currently staffing it.

    We’re in debt because of human nature – the desire to spend more than one has. We’re more or less a democracy, and human nature wins out.

    Particularly, I would point to the fact that in 2000, we had a balanced budget. We took as much in as we spent. Then we collectively decided to stop paying in enough taxes to keep our ship afloat. Now 13 years later our debt has increased – well, imagine that. Who the heck is to blame?

    I’m waiting for some debt hawk on the right to have the intellectual integrity to suggest that some tax increases are or will soon be necessary. Not to keep pretending that we can somehow cut our way out of this “if the dummies in DC just start to listen to the people”.

  34. Rick Bentley

    Maybe that’s why many of these Tea Party guys are compelled to wear funny hats and talk crazy about the President. At least subconsciously, they must realize that their mania about debt and their overstated belief that “taxes should be lowered, to create growth” are completely incompatible. And the resulting cognitive dissonance seems to be too much for some of them to handle.

  35. Rick Bentley

    Easier to believe that “the crooks in DC just don’t get it”, or that Romney’s 47% are dominating our economy and wasting our money. That’s easier to believe than looking in the mirror and taking responsibility, I guess.

  36. Rick Bentley

    Tea Party plan for America’s success :

    1. Kill “Obamacare”, somehow, despite health care being a big driver in our deficit
    2. Keep taxes low, despite our not taking as much revenue in as we need to pay for our commitments
    3. Take away some of that money that we give away for silly things like making sure children are fed or educated
    4. Sit and pray
    5. If it doesn’t work, wait until a democrat gets elected, work up a fresh set of outrage, and repeat this cycle. God bless America.

  37. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    They stuck him in the afternoon behind the scenes, to come out only when there’s “Breaking News”.
    Yea, I believe he “drank too much KoolAid”. Sure do miss him! Used to make funny remarks when he turned over his time slot to O’Reilly. Maybe that’s the reason. Who knows?

  38. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    Who is the Princess?

    1. Charles Pierce, columnist for Esquire calls Palin “Princess Dumbass.”

  39. Rick Bentley

    Shep Smith is there – both the Daily Show and Colbert Report had a field day with the look of the “FOX News Deck” that he helms, with “information specialists” working at these giant 4-foot monitors, and a “38 foot news wall”. Absolutely insane. I don’t see Colbert’s segment on youtube, but here’s Shep talking about it – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mix4FwsPM88 .

  40. punchak

    It’s enough to make me cry! 🙁

  41. @Steve Thomas

    Steve, I would think that you, of all people, would be disgusted with the antics of the tea party in Congress. I feel that they really hurt the Republican brand.

    I think normal republicans are needed. I believe in balance. Extremists do no one any good.

  42. @Moon-howler
    Moodys rating agency is the same as a Birther? Who knew?

    1. Want to reference why you think that? I have no idea what you are talking about. More clues please.

      Ah now I remember. Moodys has said not paying your bills is not a default. OK. Gottcha.

      So are you saying that its ok not just ignore paying the bills? That isn’t going to happen. Where shall we start? Foreign investors?

      Geez, we already look like the horses’ asses of the world because of the last 3 weeks. Now we get to look like dead beats to keep the tea party happy?

      I so want the Republican leadership to strip upstarts who don’t play well with others of their committees.

  43. @Cargosquid
    I posted that link in another thread…. here ya go.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?id=c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82

    Excerpt:
    President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.

    Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.

    ” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.

    Again..the BILLS WILL BE PAID. We have enough daily revenue to pay the debt service. NOT paying that is default. By law, that MUST be paid.

  44. Pat.Herve

    @Cargosquid

    What does one call it when some bills do not get paid on time?? I get it – some people are using the technical word for default meaning that we do not pay the debt service. But if we were to hit the debt limit and not pay contractual bills like fuel, leases, SS, etc – what does one call that?

    If the US were to not pay its bills (even the electric bill) it would have a long lasting devastating effect on our economy and future. Just ask any small bit country that did not pay their bills how it worked out for them.

  45. Its called prioritization.

    Perhaps we shouldn’t prioritize the cowboy poetry grant over the electric bill. Or some redundant programs will just have to go.

    Prioritize the necessities. CUT EVERYTHING ELSE. It should not be paid for by the gov’t in that case.

    We cannot…CANNOT continue raising the debt and pay for everything that we want.

    1. Most people don’t want to live in a bare-bones world. Plenty of people would pay a little more in taxes to have the comforts and niceties of the rest of the western world.

  46. Rick Bentley

    Cargo what you just described is exactly what our government has been doing. They have in fact been cutting the size of government – I can attest to it, I see dramatic cuts in the agency my company does work for. We are in fact collectively choosing to cut the low priorities.

    The trick is in collectively agreeing what those are.

    So you’re issuing a call to action for what’s already happening. Because the debt isn’t going down the way you’d like. Because we collectively decided to pay less taxes, and won’t let our government raise them.

    We had the formula down for a balanced budget back in 1999 and 2000. But the formula can’t be reduced to quick sloganistic soundbytes that promise everyone continued growth with no sacrifice. So America decided to go in an, um, different direction. And now here we are.

    And the way forward is not to try to shrink backwards into the past, but to try to grow and stay ahead of the world. The way forward is surely not to keep paying twice as much for our enormous health care bills, for lack of the guts to change it.

  47. http://xkcd.com/1274/

    This says it all.

    If there were cuts that were meaningful, we wouldn’t be needing to INCREASE our spending.

    Meaningful cuts includes the closing of DEPARTMENTS. For example, how much would we save by closing the DHS? Or the dept of Education?

    We just added 300+ billion dollars to the debt in two days. The gov’t just set up the debt ceiling to be unlimited until Feb.
    We are not cutting spending.

    If we were cutting spending…we would not need to raise the debt ceiling. Cutting the increase in spending to a lower level is not a cut. Its just slowing the increase. Baseline spending with automatic increases must be ended. EVERYTHING needs to be on the table and budgets need to be passed. No more Continuing resolutions.

  48. @Rick Bentley
    You REALLY think that the ACA is going to lower the costs?

    REALLY?

    When our tax money is subsidizing it? Nothing has changed.
    When people are seeing premiums and deductibles skyrocket?

    Please, explain to me how this system lowers costs.

    1. Everyone having health coverage is going to reduce overall debt.

  49. Steve Thomas

    @Moon-howler
    “I think anyone who attempts to harm our country for political gain can be considered a political terrorist. I think that is exactly what that nasty little boy Ted Cruz attempted to do. Harm our national prosperity for his own political gain. He needs to grow up. Obstructionism really can’t be considered part of democracy. ”

    Moon,

    I guess this depends on whose ox is being gored. The same argument could be made using “Barrack Obama”, or “Harry Reid” just as easily and with the same amount of intellectual honesty. What “Ted Cruz” represents is a name upon which those on the left can hang all of their fury. Did Ted Cruz shut down the government? Did he fillibuster a bill and block it from passage? No. He gave a speech. He spoke to the press. He cast a vote representing 1/100th of the total voting power of the Senate. Obama made speeches too. The intellectually honest looking to cast blame should look no further than the Senate Majority Leader, and the Speaker of the House. These individuals had all of the power to bring bills to the floor for votes. Reid refused to do even this much. At least Boehner would allow bills, even those he didn’t support, come to the floor. These were sent to the Senate, and promptly rejected by Reid. No votes. No negotiations.

    So, Ted Cruz gives a long speech, and this brought the country to a halt? How’s this happen again? As long as folks refuse to think rationally, cirtically, honestly, we are going to be stuck in cycle. As long as we take what the pundits and media say as gospel, we’d better get used to things getting worse. Lastly, until we realize that ideology is in large part reactionary to competing ideology, looking at only at what one party is behaving while ignoring the other party’s behavior is folly.

    1. I would think your ox was being gored more than mine was. I actually want the establishment GOP alive and kicking. They keep the kids on the left from getting too wild and crazy. I see your brand as being very wounded.

      Moderates don’t want to give the left free rein any more than I want to give free rein to the right.

      We will have to disagree on Cruz. He,unfortunately, has become the figurehead for what I see as a very destructive, anti-American movement.

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