tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post2047897957456680747..comments2024-03-28T21:41:52.558-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: "We have three foreigners, including women," the gunman said into the phone. The response was brutally simple: "Kill them."Deuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-2106231685205758242009-01-07T23:18:00.000-05:002009-01-07T23:18:00.000-05:00CIVICS 101 3rd GRADEFrom a teacher in the Nashvill...CIVICS 101 3rd GRADE<BR/><BR/>From a teacher in the Nashville area<BR/><BR/>We are worried about "the cow" when it is all about the "Ice Cream"<BR/><BR/>The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third<BR/>grade this year. The presidential election was heating up and some of the<BR/>children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class<BR/>president.<BR/><BR/>We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the<BR/>class would vote.<BR/><BR/>To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.<BR/>We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We<BR/>got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for<BR/>the top spot.<BR/><BR/>The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were<BR/>good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of<BR/>parental support. I had never seen Olivia's mother.<BR/><BR/>The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He<BR/>had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by<BR/>promising to do his very best. Every one applauded. He sat down and Olivia<BR/>came to the podium.<BR/><BR/>Her speech was concise. She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you<BR/>ice cream." She sat down. The class went wild.<BR/><BR/>"Yes!Yes! We want ice cream."<BR/><BR/>She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed How<BR/>did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure. Would her parents<BR/>buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn't know. The class really<BR/>didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream.<BR/><BR/>Jamie was forgotten.<BR/><BR/>Olivia won by a land slide.<BR/><BR/>Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream,<BR/><BR/>SEVENTY FIVE percent of the people react like nine year olds. They want ice<BR/>cream. The other TWENTY FIVE percent know they're going to have to feed the<BR/>cow and clean up the mess.samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-29960480551799109662009-01-07T23:17:00.000-05:002009-01-07T23:17:00.000-05:00The Herald Tribune is reporting this:"China has bo...The Herald Tribune is reporting this:<BR/><BR/>"China has bought more than $1 trillion in American debt, but as the global downturn has intensified, Beijing is starting to keep more of its money at home - a shift that could pose some challenges to the U.S. government in the near future but eventually may even produce salutary effects on the world economy..."<BR/><BR/>China can only sell to the US if it is willing to take dollars. Them are the tough noogies. No tickie, no washie. If the Chinese stop taking dollars , the US will simply stop buying Chinese goods. Those goods that are of Chinese origin and structurally irreplaceable in the short run will escalate in price and will become quickly available from other sources.<BR/><BR/>Without the US market, China will lose the economies of scale to keep prices down and that will affect sales to other countries as well. China has no choice but to take US dollars and will have to buy dollar denominated interest bearing securities whether it likes it or not.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-73237498925645867192009-01-07T23:06:00.000-05:002009-01-07T23:06:00.000-05:00I begged anyone who would listen that the beginnin...I begged anyone who would listen that the beginning of the housing crisis was like a fire that had not hit a flash point, that it would be smart to remediate the problem loans as much as possible and stop the spread. We are past that now.<BR/><BR/>The world is in a very precarious state. It depends on US stability. Having thought about this more and more, there is no currency that can step in for the dollar. The euro is hanging on based on a wish. They do not have the means to either convince the Russians or threaten them. Putin will do what he wishes because he despises their weakness but Russia is weak in real economic terms.<BR/><BR/>China is vulnerable internally and at the mercy of world trade. It has no plan B. What to do?<BR/><BR/>Bush has frittered away the cheaper opportunities to stem the financial meltdown. Obama will be over-lording trillion dollar deficits and they may work. He has no choice. I hope Obama forgets about his promise to expand the war in Afghanistan. He will have enough troubles in other places and should keep his powder dry.<BR/><BR/>What a mess.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-47875814848337532232009-01-07T22:11:00.000-05:002009-01-07T22:11:00.000-05:00PJTV - Israeli Consulate<A HREF="http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=video&media-id=3759&video-id=1141&video-title=Middle_East_Update_Jan_7th_-_Israeli_Consulate&series-name=Middle_East_Upate" REL="nofollow">PJTV - Israeli Consulate</A>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-39454080275719665932009-01-07T22:04:00.000-05:002009-01-07T22:04:00.000-05:00"Up until now, despite grim economic readings, sha...<I> "Up until now, despite grim economic readings, shares have been snapped up on expectations for the U.S. economy-boosting measures," said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst in the equity information department at Shinko Securities Co.<BR/><BR/>"But for today, we see here a backlash of things as investors are reacting more to bad economic data," Miura said.<BR/><BR/>With the ADP serving as an advance indicator of the outcome of the much anticipated payroll data to be released by the U.S. Labor Department Friday, Miura said, "The Tokyo market is refocusing on the reality that the real economy is bad." </I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95IM8M81&show_article=1&catnum=2" REL="nofollow">Stronger Yen</A>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-41852361677177030762009-01-07T21:59:00.000-05:002009-01-07T21:59:00.000-05:00France, Germany, Italy and Serbia have also report...<I>France, Germany, Italy and Serbia have also reported drastic falls in Russian gas supplies. Poland and Turkey said supplies from Ukraine had been completely cut but were getting increased amounts through different pipelines.<BR/><BR/>Experts have said however that the impact of the crisis would be mitigated by the fact that European countries consciously stocked up reserves after a similar Russia-Ukraine dispute caused shortfalls in 2006.<BR/><BR/>Russian state television broadcast a meeting between Putin and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, head of a Baltic gas pipeline project to Germany that Russia is pushing as an alternative to supplies through Ukraine.</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5249868/kremlin-lays-terms-gas-crisis-engulfs-europe/" REL="nofollow">Crisis Engulfs Europe</A>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-16599827604962123902009-01-07T21:10:00.000-05:002009-01-07T21:10:00.000-05:00Fascism was an international movement that appeare...<I>Fascism was an international movement that appeared in different forms in different countries, depending on the vagaries of national culture and temperament. In Germany, fascism appeared as genocidal racist nationalism.<BR/><BR/>In America, it took a "friendlier," more liberal form. The modern heirs of this "friendly fascist" tradition include the New York Times, the Democratic Party, the Ivy League professoriate, and the liberals of Hollywood.<BR/><BR/>The quintessential liberal fascist isn't an SS storm trooper; it is a female grade-school teacher with an education degree from Brown or Swarthmore.</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.webcommentary.com/asp/ShowArticle.asp?id=tseuga&date=090106" REL="nofollow">Liberal Fascism</A>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-53184792715900614132009-01-07T21:04:00.000-05:002009-01-07T21:04:00.000-05:00Ash, if it was 1943, you would be quoting Hitler.=...Ash, if it was 1943, you would be quoting Hitler.<BR/>==<BR/><BR/>Hitler had a mustache, and Ashley has a mustache. Ergo, Ashley is just like Hitler.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11132252460964519368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-83339232057998944742009-01-07T20:44:00.000-05:002009-01-07T20:44:00.000-05:00Bad manners. The Eurabians better learn to speak s...Bad manners. The Eurabians better learn to speak softly and respectfully. Russians are not as patient as Israelis.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11132252460964519368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-33946891271596982462009-01-07T20:11:00.000-05:002009-01-07T20:11:00.000-05:00Significantly, the EU failed to spell out what act...<B>Significantly, the EU failed to spell out what action it planned to take if its warning was ignored.</B><BR/><BR/>Ahhhhhh yes, I love the smell of "soft power" in the morning!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09072315690485067279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-50705455604091686732009-01-07T19:25:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:25:00.000-05:00...since we are WAY too green to drill drill drill......since we are WAY too green to drill drill drill.<BR/><BR/>...and big Oil cannot afford to anyhoo, 'cause Mat would tax them bankrupt if they did.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-5442205249460162592009-01-07T19:23:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:23:00.000-05:00Yeah, and Pelosi says were gonna sue the Sods for ...Yeah, and Pelosi says were gonna sue the Sods for more and cheaper Oil.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-10885788351877484422009-01-07T19:22:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:22:00.000-05:00EU threatens Russia! Well, what the hell are they ...EU threatens Russia! Well, what the hell are they going to actually do?<BR/><BR/>Cold war! EU gives Russia 24 hours to switch pipeline back on after 12 countries left without power.<BR/><BR/>By Liz Hazelton<BR/>Last updated at 11:00 PM on 07th January 2009<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>The EU gave Russia 24 hours to restore gas supplies last night after all deliveries to Ukraine were halted in a dispute over unpaid bills. <BR/><BR/>As 17 European countries reported cuts to supplies, the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine were warned to stop treating Europe's gas supply as a 'hostage'. <BR/><BR/><B><I>Significantly, the EU failed to spell out what action it planned to take if its warning was ignored.</I></B> <BR/><BR/>As millions of people struggled to cope in sub-zero temperatures, it has emerged that gas prices could soar in Britain if there is not a swift resolution to the crisis.<BR/> <BR/><BR/>Moscow pulled the plug on three major pipelines after a pricing dispute with Ukraine.<BR/>Supplies have dwindled throughout this week and today Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic confirmed their pipelines were empty.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey are already out of gas.<BR/><BR/>Italy suffered a 90 per cent plunge, France was down 70 per cent and Germany was affected for the first time.<BR/><BR/>Britain, however, is unlikely to run out of gas as only two per cent of supplies come from Russia which can be replaced from other sources if necessary.<BR/><BR/>---<BR/><BR/>Turn that gas back on, or <I>I'm gonna scream!</I><BR/><BR/>Ah they'll get through it. It should force them to look elsewhere, or better yet, to themselves, for their energy supplies.<BR/><BR/>Build nukes.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-67688743211153538762009-01-07T19:10:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:10:00.000-05:00Bush to Obama: ‘We want you to succeed’ By Sam Yo...<I><B>Bush to Obama: ‘We want you to succeed’ </B><BR/><BR/>By Sam Youngman <BR/>Posted: 01/07/09 01:26 PM [ET] <BR/><BR/>President Bush and the remaining living ex-presidents told President-elect Obama Wednesday that they all share in wanting his administration to be a success.<BR/><BR/>Bush, with just 13 days left in his administration and flanked by the living former presidents and the incoming one, spoke briefly to reporters before the exclusive club and its newest member were to sit down for lunch, but after a brief private meeting between Bush and Obama. <BR/><BR/><BR/>“One message that I have and I think we all share is that we want you to succeed,” the outgoing president said.<BR/><BR/>“Whether we’re Democrat or Republican we care deeply about this country,” Bush said. “And to the extent we can, we look forward to sharing our experiences with you. All of us who have served in this office understand that the office itself transcends the individual and we wish you all the very best and so does the country.”<BR/><BR/>Obama, who was joined by Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, said he is grateful for the advice from the very small group of people alive who have preceded him in serving as president, and he thanked Bush for hosting the meeting — the first of its kind in the White House since 1981.<BR/><BR/>“This is an extraordinary gathering,” Obama said. “All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office, and for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary, and I’m very grateful to all of them.”<BR/> <BR/></I>desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-57728520587742468652009-01-07T19:05:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:05:00.000-05:00Mickey Mouse strikes, again, dougSo what else is n...Mickey Mouse strikes, again, doug<BR/><BR/>So what else is new in the world?desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-90331229006483908972009-01-07T19:03:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:03:00.000-05:00Starling thot I was kidding, so I googled "Blago B...Starling thot I was kidding, so I googled "Blago Bookie" and got this:<BR/><BR/>---<BR/>No Joke.<BR/>Thanks for asking:<BR/>I never took the effort to check, and the truth is worse than the rumor, because it includes Ryan Divorce Records:<BR/><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/terry-trippany/2008/12/18/abc-news-sat-blago-bookie-mob-charge-years" REL="nofollow">ABC News Sat on Blago Bookie Mob Charge for Years.</A><BR/>Robert Cooley is a former Chicago police officer-turned mob lawyer-turned federal informant. During Operation Gambat in the late 1980's and early 1990's, Cooley's undercover work and testimony put away 24 crooked politicians, judges, lawyers and cops. Several years ago, when Mr. Blagojevich was running for re-election, Cooley provided the same information to the ABC7 I-Team. Because Cooley did not want to be identified at the time and the governor denied it, ABC7 did not report the story.<BR/>Story Continues Below Ad ↓<BR/>I'd like to see a show of hands of people that believe the media would have sat on this story if the person being fingered was a Republican. <BR/>This is the same ABC affiliate whose attorney's worked overtime in 2004 to force the California courts to unseal the divorce records of Illinois Republican Jack Ryan when he was running against Barack Obama for the Illinois Senate seat. The efforts of the press successfully embarrassed the Republican and damaged his campaign to the point where he dropped out of the race. Yet charges of corruption tying a sitting Governor to the Illinois mob were brushed aside by Chicago's local ABC affiliate because the Governor denied it and the whistle blower wouldn't reveal his identity.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-47520937545280354192009-01-07T19:02:00.000-05:002009-01-07T19:02:00.000-05:00Those bastards are as heartless as GWB.Wish Laura ...Those bastards are as heartless as GWB.<BR/><BR/>Wish Laura and the Girls had to live like Campeon and Ramo's families unless and until they are pardoned.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-61283687942492153302009-01-07T18:58:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:58:00.000-05:00Gaza and the West Bank are UN sponsored and abette...Gaza and the West Bank are UN sponsored and abetted cesspools and after thirty years of watching this crap, I do not want to become emotionally involved in this latest round. If the Israelis surprise, fine but I'm not getting my hopes up.<BR/>_______________________________<BR/>Did anyone else hear the report that the bottom has fallen out of the household recycling market. It costs more to recycle now than the recyclables fetch on the market.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-24489797699552860522009-01-07T18:45:00.002-05:002009-01-07T18:45:00.002-05:00Everyone plays to the script.The military half-ste...Everyone plays to the script.<BR/><BR/>The military half-step that does not complete the stated preliminary goals.<BR/><BR/>Then a moving of the goal posts to claim a vestige of victory.<BR/><BR/>With the enemy gone to ground.<BR/><BR/>There are said to be 15,000 Hamas guys with guns. Best estimates are that there have been 500, maybe 600 Gaza residents killed in the action, so far.<BR/><BR/>Not all of whom were Hamas gunmen.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-19661663474376255772009-01-07T18:45:00.001-05:002009-01-07T18:45:00.001-05:00Osama planned for the US to bog down in Afghanista...<I>Osama planned for the US to bog down in Afghanistan</I><BR/><BR/>I think that's true, but also, we had to do something. Went well at first, mucked up at Tora Bora, now things are grinding along not so well. It's a tough problem. What to do? I don't really know, it's kind of a stalemate the way it is. Lots of the folk over at BC advocate killing so many of them that those left give up. I don't see Obama doing that.<BR/><BR/>The dems say they're going to spend our way to prosperity. Out doing Bush. I'm doubting it will work.<BR/><BR/>Headlines from Drudge--<BR/><BR/><I>President-Elect Signals $775 Billion For Stimulus May Grow...<BR/>Faces battle...<BR/>Fed faces tough task ending emergency support...<BR/>China may balk at buying more US debt... Developing... <BR/><BR/><BR/>OBAMA WARNING ON SOCIAL SECURITY</I><BR/><BR/>And I bet you'll need a semi to haul all those earmarks.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-44975904979874519222009-01-07T18:45:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:45:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-62867265161852114152009-01-07T18:32:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:32:00.000-05:00All of these homes were empty because just as Isra...<B>All of these homes were empty because just as Israel did decades ago in Lebanon we called the terrorist and warned them to get out.<BR/><BR/>We then bomb empty buildings.<BR/><BR/>This is all a game and the leaders of Israel do not have the courage to really fight a war until we win.<BR/><BR/>For if Israel were ever to obtain victory over our enemies then the focus of the Jewish people would be on how corrupt our leaders really are.<BR/><BR/>I pray to G-D that the IDF does not go in on the ground, risking our boys for this obscene game that Barak, Livni and Olmert are playing in an effort to keep the hard left in power after the next election.</B> Yoni the blogger, Jan 2.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-23342829803462984222009-01-07T18:29:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:29:00.000-05:0013 days to transition and already, the Obama effec...13 days to transition and already, the Obama effect is moderating the Israelis.<BR/><BR/>He does not even have to speak publicly, his IDF volunteer of a Chief of Staff can carry the message to the Israelis, in a believable manner. Or so they say of the thunder.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1124868665646779002009-01-07T18:26:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:26:00.000-05:00Obama's family dysfunction boggles the mind, bob.A...Obama's family dysfunction boggles the mind, bob.<BR/><BR/>All the more cause for rejoicing.<BR/><BR/>Ahhh, you look for cause and effect, when all that counts is the reality on the ground.<BR/><BR/>Osama planned for the US to bog down in Afghanistan, going broke like the Soviets did, in the effort.<BR/><BR/>We obliged and added Iraq in for good measure. The US has spent upwards of a trillion dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so far. The military is stressed to breaking, as is the CIA, our insider reports.<BR/><BR/>The US is, at the crossroads of Presidental transition, functionally bankrupt, but with good credit. The 50 States need a $$ trillion between them, AZ is just $6 billion short, currently, as revenues are still shrinking.<BR/><BR/>That was Osama's stated objective, bankrupt America. It has been achieved. Blame whomever your heart desires. It does not change the reality of trillion dollar deficits for years to come.<BR/><BR/>They did not need to stage another attack, it was not in any master plan. They had no master plan of follow on attacks, they're plan was to draw US to them. They did.<BR/><BR/>Spin the tale however you want, the US Government is beyond spinning the story, not doing propaganda. <BR/><BR/>Leaving the battle of ideas to the alternate view, without even a care in the world.desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-68624954373442563772009-01-07T18:25:00.000-05:002009-01-07T18:25:00.000-05:00Yoni the blogger is not happy:In war you seek to k...Yoni the blogger is not happy:<BR/><B>In war you seek to kill your enemy and destroy his infrastructure in the most massive way possible so that your soldiers can win victory and then return home.</B><BR/><BR/>Nor is he optimistic about the outcome. <A HREF="http://www.yonitheblogger.com/" REL="nofollow">Read more.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com