blzrul

Speaking of which, Jeb Bush is contemplating a run for the Senate. Talk about LOSERS. Actually that's not fair. Jeb might have been a better President that his big brother. Maybe. His family values suck (wife busted for smuggling jewelry into the US without paying duty, son 1 caught for breaking into a house + vandalism, son 2 busted getting in on in the backseat of a car) and poor daughter is a drug addict.... but he is more moderate and normal and most people don't feel unclean when they hear him speak, unlike GWB. The thing is, the Kennedys actually accomplish stuff that is overall good for the average American. The Bushes do too, except THEY think the average American makes $1m a year and belongs to 5 or 6 country clubs.

I stand corrected. Apparently public schooling in Alaska is not as deficient as I'd been led to believe based on my limited observations of people from Alaska. I'm kidding.

I can certainly understand THAT.

I think that in all fairness if you go back 10-15 years and look at how we've gotten to this point, you'd have to admit that IF religion is really under attack, it's a counter-attack. And that counter-attack is because unprincipled, amoral politicians have USED religion to ram their social and economic agendas down the throats of Americans. And further, the attack isn't against religion itself, but against the way it's being used. Religious people who don't realize they're being used are only conscious of the backlash. Religious people who are aware, and I know plenty of them, are as angry as "the wacky left" that religion is being used to further the political careers of a group of people who would probably be the LAST to pass thru the pearly gates were the rapture to occur today.

Does she also strew rose petals on the floor as you come down the hall to make your grand entrance? And stand slightly behind your throne fanning you with palm fronds?

People can't afford home DSL any more. And if you're in Anchorage, 5 pm your time most of them are probably cutting z's.

Men are such pigs. Bill probably loves it.

Wingnuts always bring it all back to below-the-belt anatomy. I don't know if it's more obsession, or repression. I like conservative threads. They're funny.

Yea...life for so many was SO good under Republican rule.

I see some nitwit or pod of nitwits has initiated a lawsuit claiming Obama is not a citizen. Here we go. "Knuckledraggers" is appropriate.

My credit union is offering 4.5% for a 10-year mortage with 1.5 points. A friend in the UK called yesterday and he got 2% on his mortgage - given our prime rate I was wondering when those pig banks would stop charging 5 and 6% interest. I think we should see about 4% on a fixed mortgage soon. I have a current 5% rate but with my mortagage balance if I can refi for 10 years and stay employed long enough I can save 300k in interest

You are absolutely correct. Yawn. Another Bush. Another recession. This one hits the trifecta, again. Biggest losses in a generation, biggest economic crisis in 70 years, and we're taking the rest of the world with us. I guess the latter makes the wingnuts happy. So the dilemma for the President-Elect: start taking charge now, when it's improper and he has no power? Seems like the current pResident ran for the bus a long time ago. I guess since we've lacked leadership for so long another few months might not matter that much ... but then winter is coming and a lot of people are going to be cold and hungry. Hopefully all those faith-based initiatives the knuckle-draggers like to promote can step up. What better season for us to ask "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

Yes. Like people stampeding and killing someone to buy a toy that some kid doesn't need to celebrate the birth of Christ because somehow that's what Christmas now means to so many people. That kinda puts me in mind of that "worshipping false gods thing" that was somewhere in those ten commandments.

Yah. Well, it's kinda funny because now there's nothing for anyone to complain about.

And who would be surprised.

Atheists observe the winter solstice. In WA, the state capitol has a menorah, Christmas tree and plaque/statement from the atheists all on display. I guess if anyone else wants to come forward with a "holiday" theme, there's room.

Yep and the world is flat too.

If the Zoo is getting taxpayers' dollars they cannot select any one religious theme to promote. That's the way it is. Frankly I don't think it's the religious nature of the theme that is the REAL issue, it's stupity of creationism. I celebrate the birth of one whom I believe to be our Lord and Saviour, whilst I totally reject the Dark Ages view promulated by creationists. Nothing to see here folks. Except wingnuts looking to stir up more hate.

Losman can't even get us back to the LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. You must be on drugs.

With record-breaking profits, I would think that the oil industry could help in lending a hand to the automakers. They can collude on the next gen of technology - since the writing is on the wall about petroleum - to insure they set the standard for alternative methods of automobile fuel going forward. This would in essence be a barrier to entry to other automakers since the first to market often sets the bar for others. Not always of course - notable exceptions are everywhere but if these two industries put their heads together and focused they could accomplish again what they did in the 20th century.

You should take advantage of the time to have that stick removed from your butt.

Ya, I read an article in this morning's paper where a mother was telling her young daughter that she wouldn't be getting as many presents this year because Santa had more children to divide the presents amongst (the family is intending to donate more to charity since they are well off). The kid's response left me cold - "well after Santa then there's the EASTER BUNNY!". Ugh. Christmas and Easter are religious holidays. I wonder how many people stop to think about that any more. This isn't anything new, it's always bothered me and for the past 10-12 years our family has had the best Christmases when we did something for someone else instead of wallowing in hedonistic buying /gift giving of stuff none of us really need.

Ok, that's better. I couldn't believe it hadn't been noted. I don't go to "that side" very often, I might run into my husband over there. :-)

****. I'm not turning into a cheapskate, I'm just going to shift my spending to those who need it. We, very fortunately, do NOT. You just can't resist the chance to cheapshot people can you? Here's hoping you don't need anyone's goodwill any time, because you'll probably find you will get about what you deserve...which ain't much.

By the way if any of you like putting together care packages for the troops, I have an address that will go to a Marine in Iraq. His sister was looking for people to send him cards and care packages. I won't post it publicly but if you PM me I will share it. I've put a box together, I wish I could send better stuff but I think he'll be happy with something to open and will probably give away have of the stuff anyway...so it's all good.