Azalin

well, I was thinking more along the line of 'buttpipes', but yeah, that would do.

we could always just stop referring to AP as a 'news source'. I'm sure there's a more fitting term to describe them....

I wish our female protestors looked like that, and not the usual tie-dye wearing, hairy arm-pitted she-apes types.

I always liked her. she was tough as nails. may she rest in peace.

she's a bright kid....very self-assured and an excellent sense of humor.

although I'm expressing my opinion in toungue-in-cheek fashion, I think you're probably right. that being said, I'll probably always have a distrust of computer models.

I think you're probably right. one thing that frustrates me so much about all of this is that a good portion of the inaccessability to health coverage is caused by all the layers of federal regulation that have been applied to the medical field over all these years, coupled with outrageous malpractice insurance premiums (in Texas they start at upwards of around $90,000 per year)and other costs (running extra, often unnessary tests purely for CYA purposes)due to all the malpractice suits nowadays, much of which is enabled by federal legislation. in other words,the government got involved, screwed it up, and now wants to get involved to 'fix' it even more. I know there's a lot more to it than that, but it's still a lot of the problem.

it doesn't matter whether 'the right' sticks to it's guns & tries to kill Obabacare or not.....it's become a purely partisan issue to almost everyone. I doubt there are many people left out there that can be persuaded at this point in time to see it as the massive boondoggle that it is. too much actual thinking has left the arguement for most people, reducing it to accusations of 'oh, you're just calling it bad because you don't like Obama/are a republican'. people are going to have to wait and see what the actual impact is going to be for them before they begin to realize. I don't know if this is new to everyone else, but I noticed this year a new entry on my W2 form....the calculated dollar amount of the health benefit provided by my employer, over 7,000 dollars. anyone here think that I'm NOT going to be taxed on that in a few years? I wonder how all the other union workers are going to feel when they see how much their benefits are going to be taxed?

I believe the more dignified term would be 'botanical engineer'.

at least it allows these people their dignity while they're breaking the law.

the fact that they named Austin, TX as a target has caused a bit of a stir around here. lots of jokes, mostly....probably a few happy hour specials as well.

oh, I understand that well enough....it just strikes me as odd that so many will accept the methodology used in reaching such ominous predictions when they can see nearly every day that it's difficult to predict tomorrow's weather accurately.

I've always wondered why so many people would believe in computer models as if they were gospel when our daily weather forecasts are so often inaccurate.

you can no easier prove the non-existance of this 'imaginary authority figure' as a believer can prove it's existance. your belief is predicated on faith in your conviction, just as those you mock. if you don't see a problem with that, then I look forward to reading more pearls of wisdom you may have to share.

does mean that all of our underprivileged socialists can now be transformed into men?

it doesn't muddy the issue at all....it brings an inconvenient point of view into the arguement with which you do not agree.

thank you......that was the best laugh I've had in quite some time.

now that's just rude.

oh well, apparently quality insults delivered tongue-in-cheek are not the mood. it was a good idea, though.

it took 86 years?

if you can characterize success as luck, then you are able to point to success and say 'it isn't fair that so & so is that lucky', making it a lot easier in people's minds to tax the wealth away in the name of 'fairness'.

you seem to think that luck is a requirement for success....that you can't be a success without it. the vast majority of successful people in this country became that way because they worked hard and kept trying. maybe they had a little luck here & there along the way that helped them become successful more quickly, maybe they didn't. either way, they still had to take an idea and make it a reality by working hard and taking risks along the way. to just put it all down to luck is to completely discredit the work, the idea, and the success of someone who has likely worked very hard to get where they are. this should not be a partisan issue....it's just common sense. anyone who believes that you have to be lucky to attain personal wealth and success will never be successful or wealthy.

his own theme song.

there's currently a plan to try to turn my beloved Texas into a blue state. screw what the residents want.....we'll just take over their state. I wish I could remember who I saw on television that was claiming to be spearheading this effort.