Somehow I was reading Liese as lisah and wondering how you get away with not parallel parking in Baltimore.

hah! I'm actually pretty good at parallel parking (although I don't have to do too much day-to-day anymore due to parking lot at work and parking pad at home). The key is that you have to remember the word 'bumper' has the word 'bump' in it and not be afraid to gently hit the cars in front or in back of you. You probably won't hit them but you can't be afraid of hitting them!

I have debate hangover!

I come from a place as hide-bound and reactionary as any, but my guys are making me proud today.

[link]

Mine workers are feisty folks, God love 'em.

boy has he disappeared from the face of the Earth.

My house is directly under the flight path of the helicopters that take him & Lynne to/from their house on Chesapeake Bay, and I saw the "to" flight on Thursday night.

Am listening to the 1776 soundtrack this morning.

I can parallel park, on a hill, in SF, and know which way to set my wheels. Don't like doing it, but I can.

Cheney may be the most unpopular politician in America. His negatives are higher than Bush's, probably higher than Mussolini. Nobody is going to put the spotlight on him to help pass a bill. He may or may not be doing stuff behind the scenes, but I guarantee he won't be the public face of anything through Nov 4.

That is an awesome story connie. Bless the miners for their collective standards.

"One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let's commit ourselves just every day American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars. We need to make sure that we demand from the federal government strict oversight of those entities in charge of our investments and our savings and we need also to not get ourselves in debt. Let's do what our parents told us before we probably even got that first credit card. Don't live outside of our means. We need to make sure that as individuals we're taking personal responsibility through all of this. It's not the American peoples fault that the economy is hurting like it is, but we have an opportunity to learn a heck of a lot of good lessons through this and say never again will we be taken advantage of."

huh? how do those two sentences live so close without imploding? So the money managers and money lenders and greedy Wall Streeters aren't part of the American public? interesting.

And an excerpt from another answer:

"Patriotic is saying, government, you know, you're not always the solution. In fact, too often you're the problem so, government, lessen the tax burden and on our families and get out of the way and let the private sector and our families grow and thrive and prosper. "

So does she want the government to increase regulation on the private sector or "get out of the way"? So confusing.

I think we need to band together and say never again

And let's not even get into how "never again" is a phrase that's generally used with regard to GENOCIDE and not, say, failing to qualify for a mortgage.

We need to make sure that we demand from the federal government strict oversight

Get out of my way, government, and go over there and get in someone else's! Now shoo!

huh? how do those two sentences live so close without imploding?

I actually get what she's saying there and somewhat agree with it, clumsily said though it was. I took it to mean that "Our economy is shit. we didn't do it, but if we cut back and don't run our credit card debt sky high and then default on those cards, we won't add to the problem."

Now -

Some people are being FORCED to live on their credit cards - it's the only way they're getting - nay, squeaking - by. And those are the people who have the credit cards to fall back on. Those who don't, IME, are living so hand to mouth right now that they HAVE NO CHOICE but to live within their means. And more often than not are living far below it as inflation and COL are so unproportioned. So I think that while the sentiment is true, she is, as usual, not living next door to Reality of the Middle and Lower Class land.

She's a walking talking country song.

Yup. You lose your job, lose your car, lose your house. And your dog might die.