"The NYTimes notes that prognosticators expect Congress not to act on a budget until the next President arrives, betting on it being a Democrat."
And it's been this way for years. The President proposes a budget, and Congress promptly throws it all away. Why does the Whitehouse - in ANY administration - bother?
You forgot the one issue that is really important to a lot of motivated voters - guns.
Hillary Clinton is the NRA's worst nightmare. There is no doubt among firearms owners that a Hillary Clinton presidency, combined with a Democrat congress, will bring gun bans, confiscations, registrations, and restrictions and taxes on ammunition sales. Most gun owners I know are scrambling to make purchases before the election.
McCain's record isn't perfect on guns, but it's a shitload better than Hillary's.
Yeah, I know - but that was then, this is now. If Hillary Clinton gets elected, we will have had 20-24 continuous years of the Executive Branch being held by *2* families. And by that time, the sour taste of the Bush administration will have worn a bit, and here comes Jeb! And isn't Chelsea working in politics now?
Big Boss: Your performance is shitty - what gives? Mid manager: Waah! My car is broken and I don't have the money to fix it so I can't get to work on time! Big Boss: OK, I'll make you a deal - I'll start paying you more now, but in 3 months your car had better be fixed. I'll take proof in the form of a passed DMV inspection. Mid manager: AWESOME [takes money and runs off]
3 months pass
Big Boss: You're late - what's up. Mid manager: My car's still broke! I spent all that money but it still doesn't work right! Big Boss: Well, you passed the inspection... Mid manager: Well, yeah, but I only did what I needed to do to pass the letter of the inspection - patched the holes, covered over the busted window, that kinda thing. I had to take the engine out, though. Oh, and I paid the tech's extra, but they did exactly what I told them to do, so I think it's their fault. Big Boss: Sooo...what do we do now? Mid manager: Give me more money, and make it so I don't need to pass any inspections. Without the pressure of inspections, I GUARANTEE we'll get this running right. Big Boss: Ummm...I don't think so. Mid manager: Waaah! Unfair! [scampers off to complain to the union]
One of the consistent objections to the Bush candidacy was that, but for the last name, he'd be a failed oilman and a mediocre ball team owner.
Apply that same logic to Hillary: But for the last name, she'd be a name partner at the Rose law firm, teaching Womens Studies on the side.
Somehow, Hillary wants us to believe that cohabitating with someone, having sex with them (at least once that we can be sure of), and accompanying them on overseas trips has allowed her to absorb Bill's experience by observation and osmosis. Riiiight.
I actually want to see a Constitutional amendment barring anyone of any blood or marital relation to a Federal office holder from holding a Federal office. I'm tired of seeing Dodds, Clintons, Bushes, and Bonos in the system. These people are poisoned by their proximity to the political system, and should not be allowed to participate at that level.
"I can guarantee that this statement is accurate. The cables are being tapped, it's not a failed attempt. It's not taking longer that expected. The cover story is too keep the 95% of people asleep, while the other 5% can do nothing about it."
A "guarantee" from an anonymous coward? Well, that settles it - I'm off to the bunker.
Did anyone else picture an asthmatic Ballmer dressed in black telling a scruffy Schmidt "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine...lets see how well you HANDLE it!"
Hey, here's an idea - maybe it was canceled because the costs had risen 80% before a single spade of dirt was dug? I mean, fer chrissake, look at the Big Dig.
Oh, yeah - the Illinois site wasn't the actual selection - the industry jumped the gun and announced the Illinois site prior to the DOE's final decision. All 4 sites were still under consideration when Illinois and the industry tried to present the DOE with a fait accompli by announcing the site and passing laws to make things go smoother.
Of course, none of that could possibly be true, as the current president is like some satanic octopus, with his evil tentacles manipulating everything invisibly behind the scenes. Invisible, that is, to the select few who see clearly - aren't we lucky to have people like them?
So, the US is responsible, and we know that because the folks on the Jimmy Carter royally fucked up 3 times in 2 days? After trying to secretly tap the first cable and cutting it instead, they just said "Oh crap" and went on to the next cable?
And then cut that by accident?
And then cut a third by accident?
Why do I think that is far less probable than either: 1) Idiots on ships or 2) militants on ships.
"People taunt tigers in zoos every single day in this country;"
That is correct, but the OP used the wrong word. The idiots ATTACKED the tiger, using a weapon. And then stuck around and brought more attention to themselves, allowing the tiger to focus and attack in return.
When dealing with wild animals/forces of nature, there is no justice, no rights, no "deserve". The Boxing day tsunami cared nothing for whether those people "deserved" to die, and neither did the tiger. Perhaps this incident will serve to remind more people of their real place in he cosmos.
"There is a warehouse there called Radiac Research Corporation that has about enough nuclear material for one atom bomb, although I'm sure it's not refined to that."
Holy Shit? Do you know what else? Australia and Canada have enough nuclear material for hundreds, or even thousands, of bombs! Just lying there in the ground! We need to surround those countries with Geiger counters, and watch them closely.
"This 'joke' is so tired. Show me ONE EXAMPLE of someone held in Gitmo who WAS NOT an ununiformed combatant fighting our troops or implementing terror attacks."
Give it up dude - that "troll" moderation tells you everything you need to know about the political environment here. I tried the exact same argument a while back, and all I got was a sputtering "Padilla!...Republicans!...Fascists!..."
Of course, it will all be better when the Democrats take charge, right? Right?
Also, they publish, with some of their books, the Baen CD - a CD containing all of the Free Library, the book you just bought, and a whole bunch of others, typically by that individual author. And the license is great - you can do anything you want with the cd - copy, give away - EXCEPT sell it. http://oberon.zlynx.org/ has all of them, with links to other distribution sites, all PERFECTLY LEGAL.
Jim Baen passed away last year (God rest his soul), but the people who continue to run the shop show no signs of lessening their commitment to these distribution channels. Science Fiction and Fantasy may not be your cup of tea, but what they are doing is great.
"The other huge reason toll roads are a BAD IDEA is that there is no competition, no other option. There's almost never a parallel highway going the same place, and who would really want that anyway. So you have to pay the toll or not go at all, or spend hours and gas $$ going around. It's taking a critical public resource and using it for legal extortion. Imagine if you had to pay a sidewalk toll to walk to lunch every day."
In this particular case, you picked the wrong example. There is a road that goes all the way across southern PA, pretty much paralleling the Turnpike - It's called Rt. 30, the Lincoln Highway.
What's that I hear? US 30 is a mess? With stoplights everywhere, massive congestion, and horse drawn Amish buggies slowing down traffic? It would take an entire day to get somewhere? Absolutely correct - but it IS an alternate to the Turnpike. If you are so incensed at the Turnpike Commision, take Rt. 30 - put your time and nerves where your mouth is.
As for the bullshit about the tolls paying for the toll workers, I offer the following:http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/fastfacts/financial.aspx Now, it might be a fraud, but some sharp eyed internet whistleblower would have spotted it by now. It looks like "toll collection costs" are about 10% of total costs. as for construction projects taking forever, have you ever seen ANY highway project north of the Mason Dixon go quickly? That's a union and piss poor government procurement procedures issue. Fer Chrissake, have you ever driven I78 between Harrisburg and Allentown?
Hell, I partially agree with you that toll roads may not be the best way to go - you just picked a particularyly poor example about which to bloviate.
Slashdot Mirror
At least for the Repubs. The conservative right, while bloviating at the top, is more practical at the bottom. so here is how the equation is going:
McCain>Hillary
McCain=Obama
Romney=Hillary
RomneyObama
In this equation, McCain has the best chance of winning, and conservatives would rather get half a loaf than none at all.
"The NYTimes notes that prognosticators expect Congress not to act on a budget until the next President arrives, betting on it being a Democrat."
And it's been this way for years. The President proposes a budget, and Congress promptly throws it all away. Why does the Whitehouse - in ANY administration - bother?
Given that one of them looks like an X-wing, I can only come to one of 2 conclusions:
1) Raving fakes, or
2) Darth Vader is our God, and Lucas is his Prophet.
You forgot the one issue that is really important to a lot of motivated voters - guns.
Hillary Clinton is the NRA's worst nightmare. There is no doubt among firearms owners that a Hillary Clinton presidency, combined with a Democrat congress, will bring gun bans, confiscations, registrations, and restrictions and taxes on ammunition sales. Most gun owners I know are scrambling to make purchases before the election.
McCain's record isn't perfect on guns, but it's a shitload better than Hillary's.
"Watch 3 of Hillary's speeches, see 4 different women."
Is the 4th the one going down on that chick acting as her "policy advisor"?
Ouch. I think that visual just broke my eyes.
Yeah, I know - but that was then, this is now. If Hillary Clinton gets elected, we will have had 20-24 continuous years of the Executive Branch being held by *2* families. And by that time, the sour taste of the Bush administration will have worn a bit, and here comes Jeb! And isn't Chelsea working in politics now?
Oooh, I wanna play!
Big Boss: Your performance is shitty - what gives?
Mid manager: Waah! My car is broken and I don't have the money to fix it so I can't get to work on time!
Big Boss: OK, I'll make you a deal - I'll start paying you more now, but in 3 months your car had better be fixed. I'll take proof in the form of a passed DMV inspection.
Mid manager: AWESOME [takes money and runs off]
3 months pass
Big Boss: You're late - what's up.
Mid manager: My car's still broke! I spent all that money but it still doesn't work right!
Big Boss: Well, you passed the inspection...
Mid manager: Well, yeah, but I only did what I needed to do to pass the letter of the inspection - patched the holes, covered over the busted window, that kinda thing. I had to take the engine out, though. Oh, and I paid the tech's extra, but they did exactly what I told them to do, so I think it's their fault.
Big Boss: Sooo...what do we do now?
Mid manager: Give me more money, and make it so I don't need to pass any inspections. Without the pressure of inspections, I GUARANTEE we'll get this running right.
Big Boss: Ummm...I don't think so.
Mid manager: Waaah! Unfair! [scampers off to complain to the union]
One of the consistent objections to the Bush candidacy was that, but for the last name, he'd be a failed oilman and a mediocre ball team owner.
Apply that same logic to Hillary: But for the last name, she'd be a name partner at the Rose law firm, teaching Womens Studies on the side.
Somehow, Hillary wants us to believe that cohabitating with someone, having sex with them (at least once that we can be sure of), and accompanying them on overseas trips has allowed her to absorb Bill's experience by observation and osmosis. Riiiight.
I actually want to see a Constitutional amendment barring anyone of any blood or marital relation to a Federal office holder from holding a Federal office. I'm tired of seeing Dodds, Clintons, Bushes, and Bonos in the system. These people are poisoned by their proximity to the political system, and should not be allowed to participate at that level.
"I can guarantee that this statement is accurate. The cables are being tapped, it's not a failed attempt. It's not taking longer that expected. The cover story is too keep the 95% of people asleep, while the other 5% can do nothing about it."
A "guarantee" from an anonymous coward? Well, that settles it - I'm off to the bunker.
" Google And Microsoft Cross Swords Over Yahoo!"
Did anyone else picture an asthmatic Ballmer dressed in black telling a scruffy Schmidt "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine...lets see how well you HANDLE it!"
"that ejabberd XMPP server can be used to develop a distributed Twitter-like system."
What the hell does that mean?
I don't know whether to apply the "alphabetsoup" tag or the "stopturningnounsintoverbs" tag.
Hey, here's an idea - maybe it was canceled because the costs had risen 80% before a single spade of dirt was dug? I mean, fer chrissake, look at the Big Dig.
Oh, yeah - the Illinois site wasn't the actual selection - the industry jumped the gun and announced the Illinois site prior to the DOE's final decision. All 4 sites were still under consideration when Illinois and the industry tried to present the DOE with a fait accompli by announcing the site and passing laws to make things go smoother.
Of course, none of that could possibly be true, as the current president is like some satanic octopus, with his evil tentacles manipulating everything invisibly behind the scenes. Invisible, that is, to the select few who see clearly - aren't we lucky to have people like them?
So, the US is responsible, and we know that because the folks on the Jimmy Carter royally fucked up 3 times in 2 days? After trying to secretly tap the first cable and cutting it instead, they just said "Oh crap" and went on to the next cable?
And then cut that by accident?
And then cut a third by accident?
Why do I think that is far less probable than either:
1) Idiots on ships
or
2) militants on ships.
"Either humanity will have evolved"
i.e. not be humans as we define them
"or they'll have destroyed themselves."
So, in order for humans to make anarchy a workable system, humans must cease to exist.
Repeat after me:
"Humans will always be violent"
"There will always be a scarcity of resources"
Denying either of these premises denies the very definition of "human" and "resources"
[The balance is left to the naive anarchist as an exercise.]
"However, for anarchy to work, people have to learn to interact using reason, not force."
Which is exactly WHY anarchy will never work.
"People taunt tigers in zoos every single day in this country;"
That is correct, but the OP used the wrong word. The idiots ATTACKED the tiger, using a weapon. And then stuck around and brought more attention to themselves, allowing the tiger to focus and attack in return.
When dealing with wild animals/forces of nature, there is no justice, no rights, no "deserve". The Boxing day tsunami cared nothing for whether those people "deserved" to die, and neither did the tiger. Perhaps this incident will serve to remind more people of their real place in he cosmos.
"A 12-gauge with slugs will definitely kill something that sized, no problem."
No, it is CAPABLE of killing an animal that sized - you still need to hit it in a vital area.
"I thought it said the magistrate suggested FIRING the attorneys. "
You mean like "firing" a piece of ceramic? In a kiln?
2000 degrees of disciplinary goodness.
"Your flashlight laser is ready"
(I've been jonesing for one of these since I first read "Ringworld", and I am ready - I even know to take headshots at people wearing green)
"There is a warehouse there called Radiac Research Corporation that has about enough nuclear material for one atom bomb, although I'm sure it's not refined to that."
Holy Shit? Do you know what else? Australia and Canada have enough nuclear material for hundreds, or even thousands, of bombs! Just lying there in the ground! We need to surround those countries with Geiger counters, and watch them closely.
Buy our stuff.
(Apologies for the title to the Bishop in "Spaceballs")
"This 'joke' is so tired. Show me ONE EXAMPLE of someone held in Gitmo who WAS NOT an ununiformed combatant fighting our troops or implementing terror attacks."
Give it up dude - that "troll" moderation tells you everything you need to know about the political environment here. I tried the exact same argument a while back, and all I got was a sputtering "Padilla!...Republicans!...Fascists!..."
Of course, it will all be better when the Democrats take charge, right? Right?
Fixed that for ya'.
Logic says that one can never prove a negative, and here in conspiracy land we OBEY the laws of logic.
Baen also sells ebooks - DRM free, multiple formats, and relatively inexpensive. http://www.webscription.net/
Also, they publish, with some of their books, the Baen CD - a CD containing all of the Free Library, the book you just bought, and a whole bunch of others, typically by that individual author. And the license is great - you can do anything you want with the cd - copy, give away - EXCEPT sell it. http://oberon.zlynx.org/ has all of them, with links to other distribution sites, all PERFECTLY LEGAL.
Jim Baen passed away last year (God rest his soul), but the people who continue to run the shop show no signs of lessening their commitment to these distribution channels. Science Fiction and Fantasy may not be your cup of tea, but what they are doing is great.
"The other huge reason toll roads are a BAD IDEA is that there is no competition, no other option. There's almost never a parallel highway going the same place, and who would really want that anyway. So you have to pay the toll or not go at all, or spend hours and gas $$ going around. It's taking a critical public resource and using it for legal extortion. Imagine if you had to pay a sidewalk toll to walk to lunch every day."
In this particular case, you picked the wrong example. There is a road that goes all the way across southern PA, pretty much paralleling the Turnpike - It's called Rt. 30, the Lincoln Highway.
What's that I hear? US 30 is a mess? With stoplights everywhere, massive congestion, and horse drawn Amish buggies slowing down traffic? It would take an entire day to get somewhere? Absolutely correct - but it IS an alternate to the Turnpike. If you are so incensed at the Turnpike Commision, take Rt. 30 - put your time and nerves where your mouth is.
As for the bullshit about the tolls paying for the toll workers, I offer the following:http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/fastfacts/financial.aspx
Now, it might be a fraud, but some sharp eyed internet whistleblower would have spotted it by now. It looks like "toll collection costs" are about 10% of total costs. as for construction projects taking forever, have you ever seen ANY highway project north of the Mason Dixon go quickly? That's a union and piss poor government procurement procedures issue. Fer Chrissake, have you ever driven I78 between Harrisburg and Allentown?
Hell, I partially agree with you that toll roads may not be the best way to go - you just picked a particularyly poor example about which to bloviate.