Daily Topics - Thursday August 12th, 2010
By shawnt56
The New England Salem Children’s Village provides a home and nurturing environment for neglected and emotionally disturbed children. The States are behind in making their payments to kids in care so we need your help, if you can. Even $10 or $25 is helpful. You can donate at www.salemchildrensvillage.org
Quote of the Day: "When any calamity has been suffered, the first thing to be remembered is how much has been escaped." -- Samuel Johnson
Hour One: Should the government get out of the housing business and let the free market take over? Thom challenges Tim Cavanaugh of Reason Magazine www.reason.com; Plus, the latest on the death of Ted Stevens - Shannyn Moore, host of the Shannyn Moore Show on KUDO Anchorage www.shannynmoore.com
Hour Two: 9/11 Christian Center and Ground Zero Mosque...isn't this doing exactly what Osama Bin Laden wants, promoting war between Christians and Muslims? Thom has a rumble with BIl Keller of of the 9/11 Christian Center www.911christiancenter.com
Hour Three: Thom's take on the best of the rest of the news; Plus, Geeky Science - the positive connection between alcohol and arthritis...really!
Comments
#2
Gene, why wait for your last day, do anything you want now, keeping in mind that one of the varied consequences may be job loss.
N
#3
Quote from "It’s a Wonderful Life" (1946)
George Bailey: Just a minute - just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was - why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter, and what's wrong with that? Why - here, you're all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You - you said - what'd you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they... Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be.
#4
My "conservative" friend believes that people will never do the "right" thing unless they are forced. Hunger, homelessness, poverty, disease, crime, punishment, opression, and such are the only way to motivate people to behave "properly." Otherwise, they'll just become "freeloaders."
#5
@Maxrot: If outrageous enough, the act will certainly lead to your last day at work. Of course, I know people who run passive-agressive schemes at work just to see hwo much grief the bosses will accept.
#6
I went to visit my old neighborhood a few years after selling our house. The only thing the next door neighbor could talk about was how many people were living in our old house. I think he said 26. What I thought was, "what causes people to be pushed into such marginal living conditions?"
The neighbor seemed to believe that the people in my old home needed to be punished - more.
#7
I will share two articles. The first one is good and the second article is a mind-blowing article.
#8
Here is the mind-blowing article.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy-2010-08-10?pagenumber=1
#9
Thom: just nit-picking, but Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826. John Adams died the same day.
#10
Iran stoning woman ‘tortured’ before TV ‘confession’
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0812/iran-claims-woman-facing-death-confessed/
US Judge OKs confession extracted by threatening suspect with rape
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0811/15yearold-gitmo-detainee-threatened/
I think the US government has lost all moral ground. We have nothing to offer the world as long as we tolerate such behavior from our courts.
#11
The only housing business that the government should get out of, and not allow to "private" industry is internment camps.
#12
@Maxrot(#2), job loss may be the least of your worries. Blacklisting is real, my friend...
#14
The United States of Mortal Sin is bankrupt.
#15
This military group cannot stop its lust for killing.
http://original.antiwar.com/fouad-pervez/2010/08/11/blackwater-cant-stop-wont-stop/
#16
Hillary emulates Nixon!!!
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/08/11/hillarys-enemies-list/
#17
Bill Keller, is quite the well informed, logical and non-prejudice christian. And I'm a flying spagetti monster.
N
#18
@gerald: Politicians would be able to save a lot of paper and ink by keeping a friends list instead.
#19
Thom, when you have conservative crazies on his show, he needs to talk over them so their nonsense does not contaminate our thought processes.
#20
OpEdNews.com is for NWO cultists. AntiWar.com is for laissez-faire cultists. It's good of course to have contrasting points of view in one's RSS feed, but I would advise to avoid giving OpEdNews one's email address.
#21
@Gene, Americans have a mind-set on waste, such as waste lives, oil spills, paper for an enemies' list, waste average Amecans' money, waste our beautiful environment, and waste Jesus' words from the New Testament are some examples.
#22
Gerald, I like your mind-blowing article. Also, the comments are interesting. I expected more conservative responses.
#23
Osama bin Laden is using the same strategy against the US that he used against the CCCP. Afghanistan is a black hole for the military of any who attempt conquest and occupation. If he's alive, I'm sure he gets a chuckle a day from seeing the suckers commit.
#24
"Afghanistan; the place where empires go to die." -somebody really smart
#25
Bill Keller, another rightwinger freaking out. Why are so many rightwingers calling into Thom's show and other liberal shows over-the-top hysterical? They talk incredibly hyper fast in very high-pitched voices. I've even heard some panting as if they can't get enough air, they are so panicky. These are some terrified people. They make Chicken Little look courageous.
#26
"The Commons"
Though Beck started this, it's spreading to the Fox News and other Conservatives. Beck's rants on the "EVILS" of the phrase "the Commons", began with it being a "socialist term", to it becoming a "Code Word for Marxism & Communism". THIS is repeated on his TV show, almost daily, and almost EVERY guest he's had on has been steered into something connected with Beck's wacky view of Progressives, (or as he coined us at his Commencement speech at Liberty University-"Radical Marxist Revolutionaries"), he brings his definition of "the commons" up for them to VALIDATE that the Founders NEVER intended the term to mean anything like "entitlements".
I've actually encountered local Beck fans who were in TEARS because they couldn't afford a roof over their heads or food-and REFUSED Govt assistance-ie:Food Stamps, because "they're a Communist/Progressive TRAP". One girl down at the Church was waiting to see the Priest and said she'd do ANYTHING before "taking Progressive handouts".
On the other hand-I've also heard local Tea Partyers who were getting every penny they could get-driving 2yr old cars, justifying it by saying it was "George Soros money". I asked him where in the world he could have heard that Govt. Food stamps, Medicaid, and Section 8, were funded by "George Soros". Stupid me. I must have had that day off from Beck....
ONE IMPORTANT THING:
As someone living on less than $700 in Disability, $100 in food stamps, and Medicare/Medicaid-which costs ME $100 in Co-Pays/month-NOT counting Medical Transportation....I can tell those who've not been on these entitlements--I have NO car, I have a 13 inch TV-20yrs old, I have 2 broken Computers & this iPad my Wonderful family gave me for my birthday--
I am re-certified for food stamps every 6 months-during which they pay me un-announced visits to make sure I'm not "hiding" anything. I was rectified just 2 weeks ago. SHE wanted me to claim my BIRTHDAY GIFT as an ASSETT!! She took note of my broken computers and warned me not to DARE sell them without notifying her. Oh, and my checking account? Yea, they access it also randomly & I have to provide the 6 months of Statements at every certification.
Although I'm classified as 100% disabled Permanently, I also have to be re-certified every 3 years, and the Republicans want to bring it down to yearly. If you think the above requirements for Food Stamps are bad? They're NOTHING compared to Disability!!! My parents actually PAY over $500 for each re-cert of SSD. WHY? Because Medicare/Medicaid doesn't cover all 5 of the Doctors opinions, nor some of the required tests, NOR transportation.
I qualify for Section 8, but when my name came up on the waiting list-there were 3 families living nearby in Studio Apartments-with 2-3 kids a piece. They had NO assistance coming in except Food stamps & less than $600/month in unemployment. They were on the Emergency list for Section 8 & needed the help a he'll-uv-a-lot more than I do.
I kept hoping that once actual CONSERVATIVES started losing their homes, etc; they'd have a BIT more respect for those that have no choice but to go on "the Govt. Dole". <you can stop laughing now...> THAT was 2 years ago.... I guess since "George Soros" is supporting us, we shouldn't complain about "respect".
elaine/SoloPocono
<still hiding out in the Poconos, wishing I could afford some help to help me clean this place up!! Since when did Housekeepers start charging $50/HOUR???? God, talk about being in the wrong profession...>
#27
Some SUPER-RICH!!
William Gates SR. + his WA state initiative YESon1098 --
(1 of Ralph Nader's 17 "...Super-Rich..") --
The impartial Office of Financial Management says 1098 will affect fewer people (the richest 1.2% rather than the campaign's estimate of 3%) and raise $2 billion instead of $1 billion all for education and healthcare!
thank-you for qualifying Super-Rich --
Some of WA state Super Rich can SAVE US!!
#28
NWO?
Robert Gibbs said "Dept of Peace" in the WH press room --
the voice of reason is echoing in the WH press room --
#29
#30
Number one strategy for preventing homelessness; stop using military engagements as a means to project power over distance. Whatever civilian mental-health homelessness remains can perhaps be addressed with expansion of halfway-house infrastructure and, which is largely a matter of countering the NIMBY tendency. Whatever purely economic homelessness remains is a side effect of the fact that entry level wages are nowhere near quadruple entry-level housing costs. I say quadruple because when I was a con-ed (consumer education) student in high school the rule of thumb was taught that if housing exceeds 1/4 of income, it is a symptom that you are po. Recently, in the spirit of moving goalposts and lowered expectations, that figure is being revised to 1/3, although reaction to the baloon mortgage crisis has resulted in some backtracking on that trend. The disconnect between entry-level jobs and entry-level housing can be addressed several ways...increased minimum wage, increased low income housing (again, expect NIMBY push-back), zoning deregulation (more NIMBY, but curiously some 'libertarians' would be allies).
#31
(MUCH Shorter!!) I *Think* I Figured It Out: That "OTHER" Reality
OK, so it's nothing even close to "reality". But I've been trying to figure out HOW these wacky ideas, "alternative realities", crazy conspiracy theories, revisionist History, and backwards views of Christianity, could possibly have spread, so fast, to what seems every Conservative today.
Beck has been demonizing Christian Churches that mention ANYWHERE, at ANY time, the "Progressive/Marxist term 'Social Justice". Well, like "The Commons" alternative meaning to these folks-this opposite "meaning" of the concept of "Social Justice", has taken on a life of it's own at times on Conservative blogs and, of course, on Fox.
What about the Churches that are "Beck approved"...could there possibly be "something" in their Holy Water? Communion? Some psychotropic-perhaps a hallucinogen?
just sayin'
elaine/Solo-who thinks if they can have THEIR wacky conspiracies-we should demand equal opportunity of conspiracies!!!
#32
#33
conservative v. liberal Conservatives want to punish people into conformity Liberals want to nurture people into understanding
#34
Great Big Guy in The Sky by Howard and the Brown Boys: http://www.last.fm/music/Howard+and+the+Brown+Boys/Another+Damned+Hippy+...
Summary: song - If My God's Bigger Than Your God, That Makes Me Better Than You
Howard Solomon is a personal friend. He invites us to use his work.
#35
Depending on where I post-even shortened, it's usually removed, or, as here where I live-I'm called a "Faker", apparently I'm basically bedridden-or on Dialysis, 95% of the time--but I'm still "perfectly capable to hold down a job". I live in a VERY small, VERY Conservative town, and someone apparently saw me walking-without my wheelchair- recently. I was told that THAT was what preceded my re-cert & surprise visit. I was reported-by several locals, for "fraud". UNTIL I can afford to move-or my beautiful children are able to move me; I think I'll lay low...NOT exactly the hardest thing for me to do. ;) (OK, FRUSTRATING, but not many choices.... ;)
#36
solopocono: you ought to raise hell with your local legislator; state or fed, depending on who;s paying the certification workers ; about their tactics. also complain to the agency itself. document their behavior. do you have a local disabled rights group like ADAPT? get vocal
#37
raw food stores raided?
was that a facebook post?
#38
Yo CA folk!!! Friends don't let friends vote stupid . . .
#39
FSTV on Dish #9415 just advised me i'll have to upgrade to watch!!! humm???
#40
lost #117 TV Guide Channel too!!
AND #9410 link TV too!! --
humm --
i'm off to a meeting -- MM
#41
Christina Tobin Sec of State on election reform platform --
FREEANDEQUAL.ORG
#42
Unfortunately, I live in a VERY rural area-closest disabled advocates are about 100 miles away. There's one. One group in THAT town, with one, VERY overloaded advocate. This area isn't exactly known for it's affinity to the poor, racial minorities, disabled, or elderly who aren't from this area. I DID contact an agency about 300 miles away-but they said that with the "old family", tight-knit, ultra-conservative attitudes up here-the likelihood of them being able to do something, was almost none. They DID put me on a waiting list-for several agencies-that was about 4 years ago when my body decided it had hung in there as long as it could. ;) My Senator helps me a LOT when I get denied meds or services-but my "constituent service" rep there says they have little to no control over these small, rural offices-UNLESS it's something completely off-the-wall. I actually called her supervisor-who apologized for my worker, but said they get increasing pressure from the community to cut back on fraud.
I lived in fairly small towns in the South-NEVER have I seen the "good-ole-boy club" I've seen here-nor would I EVER have expected it.
Thanks for the advice-but as I've said, all I can do is hope that an opportunity to move comes up-which we, (my kids & I), ARE working on!! Moving me just isn't going to be as easy as it was 9 years ago....
#43
Blasphemy in America defined:
#44
Gives a whole new perspective on 'my two cents worth.'
#45
What's this word I keep hearing on this program, "Pension" what is that, is it some sort of disease that we've been vaccinated against. I'm only 40, so I'm sure it was something that afflicted people back in the 50's and 60's. By my understanding it musta' been like Alzheimers, it particularly attacks the elderly. Thank god Nixon and Raygun saved us from that horror.
N
#46
George Carlin's solution to hunger and homelessness: Feed the homeless to the hungry. Two problems solved.
#47
@rladlof, just heard a Whitman spot again, talk about not letting your friends vote stoopid. If I don't see/hear some ads to counter her BS soon, I'm gonna vomit. Get a real pit in my stomach thinking about her as Governor.
N
#48
American Made Clothing:
http://www.allamericanclothing.com/?gclid=CJK-4YDLtKMCFR5ggwodjQWH2w
#49
Change NAFTA and/or CAFTA etc...? Da hell with changes, kill em, kill em all.
N
#50
@Maxrot: Funny . . . Everything Witless-Woman wants folk to vote for IS stupid.
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