Jim

Ouch! Ouch! WTF - were you and your buddies tossing each other around on the mat or what? I had a grade II AC seperatation that did not heal. Had a year of PT and it still hurt like hell to reach up for a glass off a shelf. Finally had the distal clavicle resection - translation - cut off about an inch or so of the end of my clavicle and make it a floating joint. I had two orthopedics recommend the same operation. One option I might have tried but did not know about at the time is prolotherapy. Anyway - no problems - ever, with the shoulder. Climbing, weight-lifting, and a couple flying Ws off the mountain bike.

Ho-ly Cow. Who is running the republican party? The token black guy or Rush. Guess that was straigtened out, eh? What are these guys so scared of? Their apeasement of the base is clearly what has gotten them in trouble over the last eight years. Frankly, I think we need a coherent conservative voice in government - the problem is that we haven't had one for 25 years. Instead we have a pile of religious-related rhetoric an a false assumption that no government is the full solution. Can these guys save themselves? The trend is not encouraging.

Limbaugh is a political force indeed, and one of the albatrosses that hang around the neck of the republicans. When they need to get away from the mantra of the last eight years and a perrenial adherence to "god, guns, and gay issues" and "low taxes and less regulation", Limbaugh's continual pounding of the war drums has helped paralyzed them. He defintely cowered a few of them on the vote for the stimulus bill and his rhetoric is better suited when his party is in a minority position. But I think this blowhard's time has come and gone. Faced with a younger and more diverse population the repubs know that their share of the populace pie is shrinking, and the progressive share of it is growing. Faced with this what do the republicans do on their first collective act as a minority? Follow Limbaugh's advice, bar the door, and continue to scream no - all while having a collective amnesia bout regarding their borrow and spend ways for the past eight years. Classic! Their leaders Boehner in the House - that consistently over-tanned guy in the pinstrips, is better suited as a backroom deal maker than leading his party to a substantial minority role. Over in the Senate they have McConnell - a guy so unconfortable with the limelight it's a wonder he rose this high in the ranks. So who have the repubs been turning to for advice - no lie - Limbaugh and - get this - Newt Ginrich!!!! The thrice married former House firebrand who left office with a 10% approval rating. A number of party faithful have mentioned him as a candidate to run for president next round!! Holy cow; these guys grasping for any life line in the neighborhood.

Friggn A - ouch, ouch! I hope the dingbat is paying for your bike. I got pushed into the curb by some woman last year yacking on her cell phone after she passed me. She stopped at a take-out place ahead and I pulled up on her side. She was still on the phone. I pounded on the window (that got her attention) and then said "Hang up the phone and PAY ATTENTION. Then road off.

Dude- Sorry to hear about that - any injuries? Did you keep the rubber side down?

And Bush's parting gift: NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The nation's economic slide during the last three months of 2008 was even sharper than previously estimated, with the broadest gauge of economic activity suffering its worst decline in 26 years, the government reported Thursday. Gross domestic product, which measures the output of goods and services produced in the United States, fell at an annual rate of 6.2% in the fourth quarter, adjusted for inflation, according to a preliminary report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The decline was worse than the 3.8% drop that the BEA reported in last month's "advance" reading on fourth-quarter GDP. It was the largest drop in GDP since the first quarter of 1982, when the economy suffered a 6.4% decline. shoot - wish I could go skiing today.

I think Obama struck a realistic tone in his speech, I hope he follows up on the spending reductions, or should I say bends Congress that way. Wow! If Jinal is the best the Republicans can come up with right now with that lame speech, they are in more trouble than I first thought. WTF! Lower taxes and less regulation - yea, that will work!! Is there anyone who can get them off the joke treadmill at this point and into a serious discussion of the nation's finances? Seems that their strategy to date has been to try and blow up things - that will not get you too far.

"There's no main driver of the down day," said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research. "There's just so much skepticism in the overall market and (the question is) is the government doing proper things to get us out of this problem. Obviously the stock market is voting no." Nice. You clowns got us here, didn't want any government intrusion, but now want the government to race in a fix it all. The stimulus package will help, but not aleviate the pain that will becoming this year. Just get used to the idea.

"It's tough out hear, nothin' rhymes with President" That was good.

While neither party has clean hands the Repubs, after pushing their no regulation agenda for the past eight years while forces were growing, have more reason for blame. Greenspan's excessive rate cuts to fuel the housing market as a strategy for growth. Reduction of the capitalization requirements for financial institutions under Bush. That's why they were so over-leveraged. The lack of any oversight of the new financial instruments such as CDO, CDSs and MBS - the Fed had the chance but said it wasn't needed. No oversight of lending practices. No oversight of rating agencies. How else could these dogs be AAA rated? Recalculating the inflation rate using ne methods dis-owned by the rest of the world to obsurce the true inflation rate and keep down the cost of Social Security increases and overstate GNP. Adhering to the market mantra even while making huge federal interventions with Bear Stearns and others - missed opportunities to reign in financial instutions. The Bushies and Repubs in congress controlled the whole ball of was for 7 years and did nothing productive - thanks guys.

For someone who consistently spouts historical factoids you appear significantly ignorant of the larger issues involved in watershed events. To simplify the civil war as a war of choice - yet in stark contrast, back the frat boy war in the middle east - either indicates your lack of perception or an innate ability to substitute complex issues with rhetoric. I suggest you widen your historical reading list - I can suggest a few. You obviously need it. I'm waiting for the post where you lambast Darwin and post links to the Discovery Institute. I don't often resort to web insults - but Jesus - you're like the CC.com village idiot.

Happy 200th!! Two of the best.

Before he said his name I thought GW had stepped off the ranch to take break from brush-clearing.

It's quite enertaining to view the hyprocisy and stunning reversal of right from shovelling money out the door and into rat holes to now trying to block every effort in spending. Bottom like is they got their asses kicked and want to make for rough sledding at every turn. Don't you guys have any ideas besides tax cuts for crying out loud? Eight years of your BS got us where we are now. Sit down and shut up.

Do you know if urban hardwoods will just sell wood? Their site is full way expensive furniture. I build a couple of tables and an entertainment center, mission style, and I'm working on a design for an office desk. I'd like to check out their stock.

I consider myself socially progressive and fiscally conservative and I have to say that this pegs the hypocrisy meter. I'm getting a bit tired of senators such as this and Barney Frank railing on about the lack of integrity by Wall Street with our money. Where the fuck were you guys when you signed on to the TARP? Ever think of doing your job and actually putting some common sense constraints on our tax dollars? Shit - you did not even have to think up your own stuff - you could have copied what Europe did as a start: put a limit on executive pay for banks that received bailout funds, disallow the banks in paying divedends to stock holders until they pay back their federal loans, and place stipulations on how the money must be used. Most of the banks that received TARP funds are now holding back on lending trying to weather the storm and use the funds for capital acquisitions. WTF - this is not rocket science - I have an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and I could have figured out that giving the banks - who have showed MOST EXCELLENT decision making ability up to this point - needed some guidelines. Shit, what a mess.

Glad we did that here and sent the Idiot back to his village to clear brush.

Take a ticket. It's a loooong line

Given the present disaster I'd pick a random number generator for president and be happy about it over the Idiot.

This sounds similar to Bush's argument during his farewell speech last night. "you may not agree with my decisions but you have to acknowledge that I made tough choices" WTF - we should be thankful that you made a decision - despite that almost everyone action you took proved a disaster, rather than sitting on your hands? What an Idiot. No wonder he sees that being the president is no burden - he doesn't, and never has had the intelligence to understand the larger ramifications of his actions. Don't let the door hit you in the ass. No doubt - worst president we have ever had.

It illustrates how low we have fallen when a potential head of DOJ says that torture is illegal and it makes news.

No - but if we were in a stronger position we would be able to react with decisiveness to such conditions. Your boys aren't to blame soley, but they certainly have accelerated our race to the bottom in grand terms. Oh yea - Happy and Safe New Year.

If you haven't checked the box yet for "End of Empire" I think it would now be appropriate. Given the following: Our "Defense" (read imperial) expeditures that now double the next five countries. The bulging amount of private debt based on an insatiable appetite for never ending consumerism. A presidential disaster over the past eight years that has run our good will, economic power, and real security (not the fake DHS mottos) into the ground. A compliant Congress willing to bow to the imperial presidency and spend money on anything that will get them re-elected. A complete lack of reguatory controls on a financial sector that three-card-montied into 20% of GDP based on hand waving. A public that is thoroughly disinterested in the consequences of how their government works or doesn't work - except for the media horse race of every four year elections. Then it's time to go back to the mall. A federal government reluctant to address Global Warming, the largest looming threat to global economics and security. --- It's difficult to be optimistic and think that Obama can set the gound work to change many of the institutional flaws that will be required to get the country grounded again. I'm afraid that we have passed the tipping point on many fronts and it is our turn to start the long slide to a secondary global role.

There is a definite contrast between this potential bailout and the financial services. The banks got money with virtually no strings attached - shit - the GAO just said that the Fed did not even set up a system to track the money properly. Given that the financial sector set us back an order of magnitude larger than this car deal, how come there is no "Bank Czar" to keep tabs on things or a push to limit executive pay and bonuses. Hell - the banks are allowed to pay executive bonuses and dividends to shareholders with our money. WTF! How can they be paying dividends if they are in such dire straits. The assclown Republicans are real wingnuts on this one.

Carrying guns in the backcountry is for girly men - unless hunting of course.