Search Results for 'Sl'

[DP]

Thanks for your informative link, Ken. It’s amazing to see what a slick video one can make using nothing more than a corncob, a novelty balloon, and a couple of squiggly yellow lines!

Though I’m neither Catholic nor Rhythmic, I believe that Catholics have something called the “Rhythmic Rapture Method” to ensure that none of their particulars go missing during the Rapture.*

The Rhythmic Rapture Method (or RRM for short) allows the Faithful to use certain forms of mechanical birth control for periods of up to three days prior to, or three days following, the Rapture.

Many Catholic couples have reported great satisfaction with RRM. Unfortunately, the RRM is only about 5% effective at preventing Rapture. In fact, some couples claim that this particular method actually encourages it.

– David “C-U-N Hell” Preston

*In the theological terms, this is known as aproctogenesis.

[DP]

I find it amusing that the WSB — of all places — would be targeted by purveyors of Christian kitsch.

It’s like the SPAMMERS’ bot is sniffing out all thread references to “God” or “Christ” (regardless of how unfavorable) and going:

Aha! These folks must be dying to purchase boxes of glow-in-the-dark crucifixes at deep discounts.

Actually, I thought the first Christian SPAM was kind of funny. Remember? The pitch line was: “Job Opportunities for Christian Fundamentalist Women.” —But when you clicked on the link, the only jobs available were in the work-at-home category.

Ha! At first I thought it was some kind of joke.

Attention Christian Women!

Do Not Panic

Remain in Your Homes

Continue Working . . .

But now I see that they are serious. (And seriously irritating as well.)

At this time I’m going to call in some favors with God and ask that He turn over the Christian SPAMMER to us. But my question to the Blog community is this: When we get our hands on this guy, what torments shall be subject him to?

— Shall we force-feed him actual cans of SPAM until he croaks, for example?

— Shall we make him the Honorary Grand Marshall for the next Pride Day Parade?

— Perhaps we should assign him to write an essay on the Miracle of the Black Velvet.

Anyway, those are just a few ideas to get you started . . .

[redblack]

yes, rich, we need to spend. by your admission, the private sector isn’t doing it – all over some unfounded fears that democrats are going to stifle the economy with taxes and regulations. and those who can afford to need to pay more to let the fed prime the pump.

high-speed rail is a good example. despite the fact that amtrak is a slow mode of travel and crumbling as a business model, private money could never – and would never – make a modern rail system happen. the government has to be the main investor in such a project – especially an interstate one – which will require some kind of taxpayer money. the fed will then hire contractors, who will hire subcontractors, and on down the line to workers, who will then have jobs, and therefore have money to buy goods and services. which will create demand for more goods and services, which will cause job and business growth.

on another tack, who will make the rail cars and engines? china? how about boeing? they already make technologically-advanced cylinders that travel at high speeds. the government can help them afford to retool some of their operations to make that happen. bingo! instant employment from government spending.

how is it paid back? more employees are now paying income taxes, which is a start. how about a VAT for all components of the train and rail line?

“what happens when the job is complete?” you ask.

when that rail line moves through a new town, it will create the need for restaurants, hotels, suppliers for the rail line, etc. which means service and construction jobs.

i dunno. just spitballing here. what, am i suddenly the labor secretary?

regarding your caps-locked health care comment: it is the federal government’s job to regulate interstate commerce, which the health care industry has become. i know you can’t buy insurance across state lines, but blue cross, aetna, wellpoint, etc. are massive national companies that are worth hundreds of billions. hell, some of them are worth more than most states’ revenues. how is any one state expected to regulate blue cross? until they are broken up, the federal government needs to protect us from bad practices through regulation.

and, btw, porkulus has funded over 15,000 infrastructure jobs already, and only about a third has been spent.

[redblack]

starbucks is not a small business.

as i keep saying ad nauseum, obama’s “tax hike” won’t affect small businesses. he’s reducing – and even eliminating – capital gains taxes for the little guy and maintaining or increasing taxes for the top 2% – because they can afford it. in other words, the president is trying to encourage the wealthy to invest in the economy instead of taking profits, which will be taxed at a higher rate if democrats can break republican road blocks or convince them to play along.

and i really couldn’t care less about wall street’s confidence. the middle class is learning to fare for itself without those clowns.

here’s what i hear from conservatives, as translated by your latest post:

“we are going to hoard our money and not encourage economic activity unless we get our tax cuts.”

does that sound about right?

now please tell me when, since 2008, obama or congress has raised anyone’s taxes. and since taxes are and have been low, then the wealthy should have been investing in job growth like crazy, right? and tax receipts should have been exploding, right?

oh, i see. it’s just the threat of regulation and taxation that’s stifling the economy. it has nothing to do with wages, foreclosures, jobs leaving the u.s., profit-taking, or the supply side failing to supply.

[HMC Rich]

Hey Dobro: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/08/cnntime-poll-was-bush-better-president-than-obama/ I was off by one point. How about that, pal? Trust me now? Have a nice day.

Oh Redblack. For the past two years the democratic party basically owned both houses of the congress. (Do I need to cite that to Dobro? ) Republican obstructionism? Pahh. The Republicans were and still are essentially powerless. It was fighting among Democrats that watered down certain bills. In fact most bi-partisanship came from Democrats siding with Republicans in NO votes. Why aren’t most Democrats proudly proclaiming how they voted instead of mudslinging and running away from Pork, Obamacare and other massive spending bills? All Boehner and McConnell could do is flap their lips and watch.

Really, passing 2300 page bills without reading them while Pelosi said “trust me”? Ridiculous. What if Republicans had done that?

What economic plan do you propose? Lets hear it. So far, I just see spend and spend. The Federal government is borrowing 37 cents on every dollar spent? How can you support that? Because it feels right or is meant to help the less fortunate? That is not reality.

That evil Bush guy caused the lowest wage earners to pay less in taxes. I guess he hated the little guy. I was against the Prescription drug plan but Democrats wanted twice as much spent. (Although just for fun I did defend it once on this blog just to be contrary).

Now, I said I would have supported infrastructure rebuilding. That is not really a huge concern for the current Executive Branch. I do not support wasteful temporary bandaids to larger problems that first Bush and then Obama pushed in the financial meltdown. Did unemployment stay below 8%? No. Has it gone down? No. Did the stimulus work, by most accounts no. Was healthcare really fixed? Probably not and it is already costing us. Did the unions benefit from the financial bailouts, Their unsustainable benefits have. Geez if Bush had taken over GM, cries of fascism would be resonating everywhere. Has Obama really dealt with entitlements? Not on your life.

And yes, where were the fiscally responsible Republicans? They were spending too much money just like their Democratic friends. They are getting booted. You are right, we who claim fiscal responsibility, We should have been more vocal and they were exorcised in 2006 and 2008, weren’t they. McCain was a joke but he wouldn’t have been bankrupting us (as much).

Little did people like me know that the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party would swoop in so quickly and start a new era of fiscal irresponsibility. I admit, I was surprised at what has transpired.

IT IS NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS JOB TO MANDATE HEALTH CARE. IT WILL BE FOUND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. It was meant to be dealt with by each individual state. Regulation is a different story. I want a health plan that involves the following. Children and Seniors, NO COST. 18 to 65, either a single payer system or true interstate access to health insurance. I must be evil. Giving free healthcare to some and making others pay.

OK Redblack, As far as tax rates, First I would see what the cost of government is. I would cut some spending and make cuts in some areas and kill some departments or agencies. I believe taxes would fall somewhere between 15 and 25 percent. I would abolish all loopholes. State and local taxes would take another 10 to 15%. Live within a budget. In fact I am more in favor of a higher state tax burden than federal. I believe local is better than national. I also believe that the government should not be entitled to more than 30% of anyones income. What do you propose?

Someone was bitching about the military. Under Kennedy Military spending was a whopping 42%, Reagan 22% and under Bush 17%. Over 50 years, Military spending has decreased from 42% to 17%. That means more money for other parts of the government. Proof link for Dobro: http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/323.html down near the bottom of the article.

Jan, interesting video but it is flawed. I will admit debt went up in the Reagan and Bush years. But Congress reneged its pledge to keep spending down under Reagan because he phased in his tax cuts over 3 years, and W hardly vetoed any bill after 9/11. Plus Clinton had a relatively fiscally responsible congress which convinced him the era of big government is over. Supply side economics cannot work if too much is spent. So if that makes you right then you are right. But the Keynesian model is not better unless you like stagnant or little growth.

[bsmomma]

I haven’t noticed anything like that happening to my car as of now. Maybe check for any recalls. I had a Lexus (made by Toyota) that started hesitating and would just shut off……….ON THE FREEWAY! Then the engine caught on fire. Oil Sludge. Was part of a mass re-call and they gave me a check for the value of my car.

[celeste17]

Tom Bosley, who played Howard Cunningham, died Tuesday 10/19 at the age of 83.

[dawsonct]

A million dollars spent on American infrastructure goes much further in creating a better America for all Americans than a million dollars spent on bombs, which either kill, or create lifetime enemies.

Republican politicians like the fear raised by continuous war, their big-money contributors like selling expensive weapons systems, which break down, are destroyed, or are quickly obsolete, so must be replaced with another multi-billion dollar system.

Democratic spending focuses on making better the lives of the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WHO CAN’T ALREADY PURCHASE EVERY COMFORT THEY DESIRE.

—

The super-wealthy don’t need our help retaining their wealth. If they are too stupid to hold the wealth which most of them have inherited (class mobility is extraordinarily rare in the US), then it is NOT incumbent on the rest of us to make certain they retain their estate in the Hamptons.

Those living in poverty, on the other hand, DO need and often deserve our help. Take some time to talk to the homeless. For the most part, these aren’t people who decided to drop out of society and live on the scraps and detritus they can find, it was usually forced on them because of medical problems, the loss of a manufacturing sector in our Nation, the loss of mental capacity brought on by the wars we have asked them to fight.

Certainly, theirs is a position to resent and fear; who wouldn’t prefer to live the life of the hyper-wealthy over that of the terminally destitute?

As one of America’s greatest humanitarians said, “the measure of a Nation is in how they protect their weakest and most helpless citizens,” It is not in how they coddle and pander to the already well-insulated.

—

IF the Republican Party ever moves back from their current neo-liberal position to one of less govt. intervention in both foreign AND domestic issues, while understanding the value of maintaining and nurturing a flourishing American middle class by providing them, us, with a functioning education, recreation (parks and play-fields), and transportation system, then they can be taken seriously again, but as long as they play the “foreverwar against the bogeyman” and the “God, Guns, and Gays” cards just to scare people into electing them in order to line their pockets and those of their friends, it is important to keep them on the sidelines.

[datamuse]

The fact that the only jobs available are in the service industry helps explain the burgeoning uneducated slave class.

Really? How do you figure?

[anonyme]

B-squared, good points. The fact that the only jobs available are in the service industry helps explain the burgeoning uneducated slave class. Was this accidental, or orchestrated? It just doesn’t pay to be smart in America these days. The only other industry with unlimited openings is the military.

[charlabob]

I’m sorry, but this election in no way represents the lesser of two evils. The people who will take over the government if the current crop of R candidates is elected and becomes the majority are pure evil. Some of them are just dupes of the corporatists. Some of them are worse. I can’t imagine we’re still discussing this, as if it were a choice between rational people with slightly different philosophies. If the R’s take power in the house. Boehner will not be the speaker — he will be considered too moderate. Can you imagine Speaker Bachman? Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Am I trying to scare you? Damn right — and for good reason.

[waterworld]

DP: I still support Obama, but I don’t think I’m being too harsh. The mess he inherited from the previous administration will be extraordinarily difficult to clean up. And I agree that he deserves to be cut some slack, particularly on the wars and the economy.

Where I can’t go, though, is down a road that takes us further away from some bedrock principles of the constitution and the bill of rights. Bush strayed far from the principles of protecting and respecting basic human rights, and I expected Obama, at a minimum, to address these human rights failures. I’m talking here about the things I mentioned in my post: indefinite detention without charge, failing to bring Guantanamo prisoners to trial, violation of orders from federal judges to release people who are wrongly held Guantanamo, continuing to allow unwarranted dismissals from the military based on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and embracing the Bush-era policy of secretly eavesdropping on Americans here on American soil without warrants or a demonstration of probable cause.

I don’t see what the Deepwater Horizon disaster has to do with any of this. On the Guantanamo front, for example, the administration was moving forward on plans to close the prison and, among other things, try the 9/11 defendants in New York, long before the Deepwater Horizon accident. Obama just backed down in the face of pressure. Surely he knew before he was inaugerated that there would be blowback over anything related to Guantanamo.

This is the kind of thing I can’t see giving him a break about; he made very clear commitments to do certain things, and he just caved in to pressure when the time came to deliver. America is so focused on the economy that Obama can get away with failing to honor his promises to us. If he stayed true to his base — and you clearly recognize the importance of doing that — Obama would be following through.

[DP]

waterworld, I can’t fault any of your specific criticisms of Obama. On balance, though, I think you’re being too harsh.

I would ask you to consider that when Obama took the reins, we were bogged down in two foreign quagmires and were beset by a profound economic crisis.

And then came the Deepwater Horizon disaster. . .

This is not to excuse any of Mr. Obama’s failures, but I do think we need to cut the guy a little slack at this point. After all, he’s young, it’s less than two years into his term, and he’s had to spend a lot of time and political capital dealing with problems he didn’t create or couldn’t have foreseen.

If the Republicans win big in the House next month, I hope Obama and other Dems take away the correct lesson from it, which is that they need to stay true to their base and deliver on more of their promises. Of course, it would also help if they kept people more involved in the political process, instead of trying to handle everything in backroom meetings with lobbyists and legislative committees.

But that’s for another discussion, coming soon to a Blog near you.

[EmmyJane]

Bump. I’ll give it another day on WSB and then it’s going on craigslist.

[ghar72]

Mark Kesler 206 409 7046

Local guy. Very friendly, honest, reasonable rates. He’s done a couple small jobs for us. Both times came by after-hours and gave an estimate (for free). He does large and small jobs.

Other recs can be found if you search for electricians.

Good luck!

[charlabob]

Turns out there was nothing sneaky going on with the 34LD nominating convention: Mike Heavey did not attend the convention and did not ask anyone to nominate him. Joe Fitzgibbon was nominated unanimously, so he’s our candidate.

As far as “experience”, I’m curious about what experience Heavey has over Fitzgibbon. Fitzgibbon worked for Sharon Nelson (the previous office-holder) and she said, “Joe is highly respected in Olympia, both by legislators and staff, and has forged strong relationships that make him uniquely suited to represent our district in the Legislature. Our successes in reforming payday lending, protection Maury Island and Puget Sound, and building an alliance of progressive legislators committed to working families and environmental protection owe a great deal to Joe’s policy knowledge and relationship building.”

Doesn’t sound naive, idealistic or inexperiencd to me. He does get things done. :-)

The thing that really worries me is people who vote by signage: Heavey is definitely heavy on the yard signs.

[sarelly]

I’m not sure about this decision. On the one hand, I agree Fitzgibbon is the more progressive – and possibly more idealistic – of the two. His motives for running might be more pure (the desire to actually be of service, as opposed to wanting to gain the status of the office.) I read him as having a gentler vibe. On the other hand, Heavey sounds more experienced and tougher – therefore like someone who can get something accomplished. What exactly he would try to accomplish is not entirely clear, however.

As for charlabob’s question, my guess, based on rumors heard during the campaigns of secretary of state a few years back, is that there’s all kinds of B.S. and skullduggery and backstabbing and sleazy sneaking around going on the 34th, and elsewhere in the local Dem Party, driven by nepotism, etc., and that the only way to counter it is to become involved and be present, and be tough enough (and possibly less scrupulous)to not be cowed by louder voices. Not that the 34th, or the Dems, or any human-run organization is less prone to these problems. Get people together in a group and there’s going to be ugliness.

[Second1]

I’m looking for someone to help design my yard which is a clean slate due to recent construction. Looking for guidance on hardscape as well as placement of plants.

[BBGuest]

Not easily located… Benjamin Kinslow at the SW precinct would know. I found this site that looks to be a good place to start. http://www.kcdrc.org/

I hope this helps!

[WSB]

I’m hitting refresh on the post list inside the publishing system every 15 minutes or so in hopes of catching them sooner, sorry for the overnight deluge, had to sleep a little longer than usual, when caught up with other stuff I hope to research a bit to see if there’s some way to head those off at the pass. The rest of the site is tied to an awesome spam filter that has so far caught 1.6 million spam comments in five years, but that filter has never worked well with the forum’s (related) content-management system – longtimers may recall a time in the first year when it notoriously just held onto regular, nonspam posts, capriciously and unpredictably …

But thanks again.

[buttercup]

A huge big Rave for the fire fighters at the firestation at 16th and Holden!! They braved the cold last night and slept in their firetruck in case the house flared up again. I was scared to go to sleep again but knowing they were there made it possible. Brrrrrr , it was cold, you people ROCK!! THANKYOU. THANKYOU. THANKYOU!!!

[Sue]

I get the scripted window box at work, but not at home, where I obviously have different firewalls. I have found though (as mentioned above) that just the word “spam” is too short to accept, which is why I start typing allegedly witty add-ons :)

[waterworld]

DP: Yes, I think you might be missing a thing or two. I don’t know how you can say that the administration’s financial reform was a “wash.” Firms like Goldman Sachs, after receiving taxpayer bailout funds, continue to reap massive profits and yet refuse to fund loans for regular people and small businesses. The financial reform measures cannot be considered a wash when Goldman was taking in record profits in 2009, a year that was still the recession for the rest of us. The Obama administration totally failed to ensure that banks getting taxpayer support would use any of that money to revive the economy.

Obama did not merely fail to close Guantanamo. He now endorses indefinite, even permanent, detention of individuals without charge or trial in either a civilian court or a military commission. As of early September, detainees had won 38 of 53 habeas petitions, yet 12 of the 38 ordered released (roughly a third) are still being held. The administration has also said it plans to hold a total of 48 prisoners indefinitely, no matter what a court says. This is a violation of both the constitution and the Geneva Conventions.

Obama has also abandoned his previously stated commitment to reduce unauthorized eavesdropping on Americans here in America. Now he supports expansion of practices the Bush administration initiated.

Obama campaigned on promises to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and yet he has left it to a handful of federal judges to step up and end the policy.

The Obama administration has continued the Bush-era practice of excessively invoking the “state secrets” doctrine to prevent courts form hearing cases brought by Americans seeking redress for actions of the government. Far from acting with transparency and openness, Obama is using all of Bush’s tricks to keep us in the dark about the things the administration is doing overseas in our name, such as planning to assassinate a US citizen in Yemen. It is more than unsettling that this administration continued to erode our privacy at the same time it asserts the power to keep its own activities secret.

I supported and voted for Obama because I believed the rhetoric about change. Sadly, he has decided not to deliver on several of my core concerns, in spite of what he said during the campaign. And many of these issues have nothing to do with Republican roadblocks. I wouldn’t go back and change my vote or anything, and I am not going to change my habit of supporting liberal democrats, But I cannot escape a profound sense of sadness and disappointment over Obama’s presidency.

[JanS]

Barbara Billingsly, aka June Cleaver, has passed away..

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/barbara-billingsley-beaver-cleavers-tv-mom-dies/49082?nc

[DP]

Cripes! That one must’ve been TOO easy.

(Which is not to impugn the winning ways of JanS in the slightest.)

Jan, you own this one.

Here’s what the place looked like when even the slowest of chickens could have made it across the road without need of a footbridge:

And another photog’s view of the scene today:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/4604211764_4e711b62fd_m.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/4603597755_0f53567d12_m.jpg