Nov 122012
 

I’m running late, because I overslept again.  I’m current with replies.  I hope to get something up tomorrow, before leaving for my volunteer day in prison.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:24 (average 4:41).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Religious Ecstasy:

1111-Broncos36-Panthers14

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: 7 Facts About Our Veterans That Will Shock The Hell Out Of You

12HomelessVeterans

They deserve so much better. If you have Republican legislators, tell them to stop blocking increases in Veterans’ benefits.

From NY Times: And then there’s the matter of the “fiscal cliff.”

Contrary to the way it’s often portrayed, the looming prospect of spending cuts and tax increases isn’t a fiscal crisis. It is, instead, a political crisis brought on by the G.O.P.’s attempt to take the economy hostage. And just to be clear, the danger for next year is not that the deficit will be too large but that it will be too small, and hence plunge America back into recession.

Krugman is spot-on as always.

From National Monitor: America has elected its first black president for an historic first second time,” said comedian Stephen Colbert on election night. While this was cause for celebration for many Americans, for some Americans it was a chance to prove that this country still struggles with racism. In response to numerous anti-Obama rants, geographers at Floating Sheep created a map of which states sent the most racist post-election tweets.

Needless to say deep red states sleazed worse than the rest.

Cartoon:

12Cartoon

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  11 Responses to “Open Thread–11/12/2012”

  1. 3:56  I'm just going to fly off into the sunset.  I am not going to catch any prizes today.

  2. Puzzle — 3:32   I'm not flying high enough to see dinner!  I'll go hungry I think!
     
    MoveOn — As I read down the graphic, I found myself wanting to reach out and hug everyone that fell into the list.  We ask a lot of our militaries — we ask them to kill other human beings; we ask them to put themselves in harms way when self preservation is a normal human reaction; we ask them to ignore the 'collateral damage' of war — the dead and maimed children, women, and men; we ask them to live under deplorable conditions because after all, this is war; then we tell them they can go home and act like nothing has happened.  But something did happen — some of their humanity was ripped from their soul.  Veterans, no matter what country, must be given the support — medical, financial and spiritual/moral support they need.  They did not ask "What can my country do for me?" but stepped up and asked "What can I do for my country?" and this is the thanks they get?  Shameful!!!!!
     
    NY Times — "… the truth is that deficits are actually a good thing when the economy is deeply depressed, so deficit reduction should wait until the economy is stronger. As John Maynard Keynes said three-quarters of a century ago, “The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity.”
     
    If I recall correctly, did not St Ronnie Ray-gun, the patron saint so it seems of Republican/Teabaggers, increase spending to stimulate the economy and pull out of a recession?  And didn't other presidents do the same or a similar thing to boost the economies of their days?  This alone is enough, in my mind at least, to prove that the fiscal cliff is a political issue and not a fiscal issue.  To add to the political nature of the fiscal cliff, I seem to recall, that the Simpson-Bowles report, supposedly a report looking at fiscal options, never made it to Mr Obama's desk as it was defeated in committee with 11 'yeas' when it needed to have 18 so that it could go to the Congress for a vote.
     
    Krugman, as usual is spot on!  I nominate Paul Krugman for Treasury Secretary to replace Geitner!
     
    National Monitor — The country had to put up with 8 years of hell with Baby Bush and Cheney, but I don't recall the sleazoid tweets and comments then like there is today.  Compare that list to the list of 17 states that have citizens who have registered an intention to petition to secede from the union — Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, Mississippi, Alabama, New Jersey, Colorado, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, South and North Carolina — and you'll find 5 of the petition filers in the top 10 sleazoid tweet list.   Isn't life grand!  These guys should be happy they live in a country where free speech is so highly prized, otherwise these idiots might find themselves in a dark, dank cell in some far off corner of the country.
    http://a.abcnews.com/Politics/texas-petition-secede-reaches-threshold-obama-comment/story?id=17701519
     
    Cartoon — I wonder if he thinks it was worth it?
     
    Here's a story that I thought was amusing.  The franchisee of a McDonald's store flew the US flag upside down at his business and is getting a little heat for it.  I wonder how his franchise agreement is holding up with McDonald's.  Wouldn't surprise me if the Golden Arches come down.
    http://samuel-warde.com/2012/11/cry-babies-and-sore-losers/

    • No rodent for you! 😉

      Your last word says it all.

      Amen!

      Pure Teabuggeryt!

      Did you miss the joke?

      If a lefty had done that there would be calls for a lynching.

  3. MoveOn ~ Our veterans do not get the recognition or the benefits they deserve. It has gotten better for them since Bush left. President Obama is trying to change how they are treated. Bush and Co. treated them as cannon fodder.
     
    NY Times ~ I found this article the most informative about the "fiscal cliff'
    .http://bonds.about.com/od/Issues-in-the-News/a/What-Is-The-Fiscal-Cliff.htm
     
    Here's an excerpt:
    " If the current laws slated for 2013 go into effect, the impact on the economy could be dramatic. While the combination of higher taxes and spending cuts would reduce the deficit by an estimated $560 billion, the CBO estimates that the policies set to go into effect would cut gross domestic product (GDP) by four percentage points in 2013, sending the economy into a recession (i.e., negative growth). At the same time, it predicts unemployment would rise by almost a full percentage point, with a loss of about two million jobs. A Wall St. Journal article from May 16, 2012 estimates the following impact in dollar terms: “In all, according to an analysis by J.P. Morgan economist Michael Feroli, $280 billion would be pulled out of the economy by the sunsetting of the Bush tax cuts; $125 million from the expiration of the Obama payroll-tax holiday; $40 million from the expiration of emergency unemployment benefits; and $98 billion from Budget Control Act spending cuts. In all, the tax increases and spending cuts make up about 3.5% of GDP, with the Bush tax cuts making up about half of that, according to the J.P. Morgan report.” Amid an already-fragile recovery and elevated unemployment, the economy is not in a position to avoid this type of shock.
    The cost of indecision is likely to have an effect on the economy before 2013 even begins. The CBO anticipates that a lack of resolution will cause households and businesses to begin changing their spending in anticipation of the changes, possible reducing GDP before 2012 is even over.
    Having said this, it's important to keep in mind that while the term “cliff” indicates an immediate disaster at the beginning of 2013, the impact of the changes – while destructive over a full year – will be gradual at first. What's more, Congress can act to change laws retroactively after the deadline. As a result, the fiscal cliff won't necessarily be an impediment to growth even if Congress doesn't address the issue until after 2013 has already begun."
     
    So, this is what our very well paid "do nothing" Congress accomplished while Non-governing.
     
    National Monitor ~ High LQ = Low IQ
     
    Cartoon ~ All the pundits are saying he resigned to avoid having to testify about Benhazi. Her's Jon Stewarts's take on that:
    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/13/jon-stewart-mocks-petraeus-benghazi-conspiracy-quitting-isnt-dying/
     
     
     
     

  4. Amen.

    Good one.

    LOL!

    Bull!

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