Wow, you've really mastered the power of positive giving-up.

Cordelia ,'End of Days'


Natter 70: Hookers and Blow  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Connie Neil - Sep 17, 2012 6:26:51 pm PDT #22485 of 30001
brillig

It's not just a "I'm very rich" mindset. I hear it frequently here in Utah: What kind of lazy loser are you that you can't survive without a handout, ie, assistance you're entitled to. If you're on welfare, it must be because you're a drug addict or stupid or just too lazy to get a real job. Or you gamed the system so you can continue to live on a couch and play computer games and you use your food stamps to get booze (laws delineating proper use of food stamps regardless).

This is particularly hypocritical, because girls are told to go ahead and have kids right after they get married at 19 because there are all these programs to help kids, so it doesn't matter that you can't afford the kids.


Lee - Sep 17, 2012 6:27:22 pm PDT #22486 of 30001
The feeling you get when your brain finally lets your heart get in its pants.

Thanks again for the birthday wishes!

Count me in the cynical camp that doesn't think that video will make any difference.


billytea - Sep 17, 2012 6:34:34 pm PDT #22487 of 30001
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

It's not just a "I'm very rich" mindset. I hear it frequently here in Utah: What kind of lazy loser are you that you can't survive without a handout, ie, assistance you're entitled to. If you're on welfare, it must be because you're a drug addict or stupid or just too lazy to get a real job. Or you gamed the system so you can continue to live on a couch and play computer games and you use your food stamps to get booze (laws delineating proper use of food stamps regardless).

True, it's widespread. Which is silly, since IIRC, the primary driver of the rise in the proportion not paying tax etc is the continued greying of the populace. You know what really slashes your tax bill? Retiring.


Ginger - Sep 17, 2012 6:43:57 pm PDT #22488 of 30001
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda

What I'm so tired of is this insistence in everything on talking points that are simply lies, but they seem to think a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. Just because people are not paying federal income taxes does not mean they're not paying any taxes. They're paying for Medicare and Social Security in payroll taxes; sales tax; state income tax; federal excise taxes; and property taxes. Counting these taxes, the poor generally pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than the 1%, even without paying income tax.


§ ita § - Sep 17, 2012 6:50:40 pm PDT #22489 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Trade it in like move somewhere else? I guess in theory I could, but it's not easy (not that moving to the US is easy!) and less urgent of a change, really.

Which implies that either the effort is so massive the gain is out of your reach, or rather, it's actually pretty damned good here, so never mind until that theoretical election where my peeps lose. And even then...most people would rather stay and try fix it.

Though if I were needing/wanting to move from a 3rd world country, I'd probably go with whoever was easiest to move to/become a citizen of/whatever, and better than my current situation, rather than "who is the most awesomest ever"

Yeah, that's not as often how it goes. To trivialize something serious, it's a) go to nearest country where they're not killing or maiming me and mine b) go to Canada, US, Britain, even though they're fucking hard from most places, but you don't have time to do this by halves. Adjust that by language and different colonialists.

Fiasco with a small f at the airport meltdown on the rebooking phone, snot and everything, and after that, there's and hour or two line to get a hotel room. Fuck it. I have Lunesta. I can sleep wherever I please until the eight thirty flight. But someone stepped out of the line an hour in and insisted she'd been holding my spot (the line looked a manageable 45 mins at this point, and then expanded to maybe 4 hours in the time I was being seen). So i have the worlds smallest hotel room, a DEFCON one migraine, and an urge to knife anyone in the American logo. The knight in shining armour only requested a hug and cheek kisses, the little perv. Gladly paid.

Off to tweet from a backup account. Bitches. I will be 12 hours late for painkillers, and don't dare tell sister, because she'd feel responsible. And painkillers during the day are...even more waiting than today, if you play it wrong.


Consuela - Sep 17, 2012 7:34:47 pm PDT #22490 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix

Oh, no, ita. But at least you got a hotel room.

For anyone who needs some cheering up: ridiculously cute baby otters.


le nubian - Sep 17, 2012 8:04:56 pm PDT #22491 of 30001
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

Apparently Mother Jones has more parts of that video. There supposedly is another bombshell tomorrow.

I'm not sure I can take it.

The pundits who I saw on tv today think that this video is damaging to Romney because it reinforces his negatives: more people already don't like him and this emphasizes why we don't like him.

The only thing that surprised me with the video is that the number 47% seemed kind of low. I mean, it is pretty clear to me that there are no more than 100 people in the US he gives 2 shits about and 80 of them he's related to. He can't stand the rest of us.

I also am amused because I think it is possible he hasn't paid income taxes recently and so I'm not sure what it means for him to consider those who don't pay income taxes in such low esteem.


le nubian - Sep 17, 2012 8:19:54 pm PDT #22492 of 30001
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

Thurston Howell Romney.

[link]

He's lost David Brooks.


Burrell - Sep 17, 2012 8:19:56 pm PDT #22493 of 30001
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!

Ugh ita, what a friggin' bummer of an ending to what sounded like a great trip. I'll be around tomorrow if I can help out although I am on kid duty in the afternoon. But call if you need anything.


Typo Boy - Sep 17, 2012 8:39:31 pm PDT #22494 of 30001
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.

Yeah I think it will hurt him. One of Billytea's points was something I was thinking about:

Apparently people simply don't believe Romney and the Republicans actually mean it when they go off the deep end.

Well more people don't believe they have said the things they are quoted as saying. Here it is on tape and will be played in commercials and go viral on the internet. A lot of people who don't pay attention to politics will hear of it. Also (again as Billytea said) will mobilize Obama's base. Also might swing people who are NOT swing voters. Someone who lives on Social Security and does not pay income taxes might suddenly realize Rommney's contempt includes them.