KaskadskyjKozak

Any study that claims that a 2nd-car is a necessary prerequisite to minimal living standards for the middle class reeks of bullshit.

sure (though not fewer loopholes, but ALL of them) -- and only if you increased the long-term capitol gains tax as well. 15% on an unlimited amount of income is RETARDED A massively simplified tax code without any deductions, loopholes or subsidies in exchange for lowered rates across the boards sounds pretty good to me. The problem is not the long term capital gain tax. We shouldn't be heavily taxed on income that is already taxed when it's put into investments, and Buffet doesn't disagree with this. The problem is that tax rate under Bush was extended to business dividends where it's became abusive. Most businesses in the US that generate significant income (S corps) the owners are given a reasonable wage and then as a "shareholder" are taxed on their distributions at 15%. So a $30 million a year business the owner can take a salary of $25k and then take a dividend, say $1 million, at 15%. Yes, it's being taxed beforehand at the corporate rate, but so is everything else. Canada has something similar, but the difference is the sky is not the limit, there is a cap on that 15%. And that is what the US needs to do. Small to medium sized business owners deserve the 15% tax break; they worked hard for it. Let them have their $250k at 15%. CEOs don't deserve a $40 million payout at 15% and that is where the abuse comes in. So therein lies the problem. How many people actually knew that. I know very intelligent people who don't understand the 15% dividend tax. They will argue until their blue in the face about taxation when not even understanding it. There aren't enough CEO's making 40 million to make a dent in our budget deficit if taxed at 20%, 30%, or whatever the proposed change is.

Repeating drivel ad-infinitum doesn't make it true even if blaming stupidity and lust for consumer items proves to be effective demagoguery. Despite my numerous attempts at getting you to do so, you still have to answer adequately EWarren's study of middle class spending showing that large increases in prices of non-discretionary items like health care, housing in good school districts, local regressive taxes, child care, 2nd car for 2nd wage earner , etc account for spending outpacing income (and we won't even discuss the 30+ year long race to the bottom wage that you keep cheering). Yeah, take that you regressive corporate shill goon! And don't forget, in addition to the 2 car minimum, the middle class also need multiple smart phones with unlimited data plans and minutes, a satellite dish, the NFL, MLB, and NBA packages, ....

sure (though not fewer loopholes, but ALL of them) -- and only if you increased the long-term capitol gains tax as well. 15% on an unlimited amount of income is RETARDED A massively simplified tax code without any deductions, loopholes or subsidies in exchange for lowered rates across the boards sounds pretty good to me. He wants you to kiss your mortgage deduction and child tax credit good bye.

See Barry is not so bad! STAY THE COURSE!!!

Thank god the "Smoke Crack and Worship Satan" autosig is back. 1. How did the tax breaks wreck the economy, in your opinion? 2. What qualifies as rich? 3. What percentage of the total tax burden should the rich bear relative to their income and the total tax burden? Useful data: http://www.cbo.gov/publications/collections/tax/2010/graphics.cfm the basic question goes unanswered: if tax cuts lead to job creation, why did unemployment go in the crapper and stay there for 3 years despite no real change in taxes? i'm hardly an economic historian, but it seems like big tax cuts did go hand-in-hand with an orgy of real-estate speculation which did eventual resulted in the meltdown of '08 that still hasn't worked itself out today. Democrats are now arguing that the stimulus spending helped stop a *worse* recession than we got. You could make the same argument about the tax cuts.

Thank god the "Smoke Crack and Worship Satan" autosig is back. 1. How did the tax breaks wreck the economy, in your opinion? 2. What qualifies as rich? 3. What percentage of the total tax burden should the rich bear relative to their income and the total tax burden? Useful data: http://www.cbo.gov/publications/collections/tax/2010/graphics.cfm If the upper marginal rate were only 39.6% instead of 35% then the economy would be so much better!

You can take the DC. We descended it on 9/11 and it was a flagged trail with no difficulties. There were two crevasses with fixed ladders over them.

michael moore's new sensational expose of the porn industry? No, this movie: Fucko, details his 57 years of unwanted abstinence. No woman, even drunk, will screw him, despite his rather large wallet. And the working title "The 57 year Old Virgin", sounded too much like a continuation of a Steve Carell flick done previously. Are you talking about Michael Moore or TTK??

This is a stupid, fucking thread.

Your kind always wants to come up with a plan to forcibly "reorganize" backed by thugs running a one-party-show. Whatever stats you dredge up (which are flawed and arguable), only show trends that develop as a result of policies and behaviors in the aggregate, not by some brain-trust of pseudo-intellectual, wanna-be revolutionaries systematically and trying to impose their ideological social world-view on the rest of us.

Yeah, that's just what we want/need - another asshole to tell us how to (re)organize society. Hey Prole:

sounds like you still have the brain turned on and in work mode... it's time for some brewski's Sobo!

Speaking of drinks... hey, Sobo, what time is it??

Ivan, I was wondering the same thing... d objective hazards ;-)

a decade of decadence?

:lmao: :lmao:

Thanks, Val. If the weather gets good again in the next 2 weeks, you should go for it!

I recently bought a Petzl Hirundos. It is awesome - and not that much $$

One business is arguably hurting a significant portion of Americans in the aggregate. How many people are employed in the health insurance industry and would not be able to work for the government should it go single-payer... Or are you trying to argue something else?

I had three strong-willed partners who would not let me get away with that. :-)

Uggh, I hate the doldrums of November and early December before skiing starts...

Trip: Rainier - Kautz Glacier Date: 9/11/2011 Trip Report: Years ago I met a climber on the summit of Granite Mountain at sunset midweek after work, and, as we admired the view of Rainier, I told him about my (then) recent turnaround on Rainier due to AMS. His reply: "Rainier is a Beast". Indeed. Even getting out every weekend the thought of hauling my ass up 9000 feet in 24 hours is intimidating. However, the fortuitous three-way confluence of the snowpack this year, the mild early summer temps, and the recent stretch of great weather sufficiently lowered my resistance to a friend's plea to attempt the Kautz. I called the Climbing Information Center at MRNP to confirm, and, yes, the route was still "in". So, JS, MS, BG and I met at 5:30 am Saturday and drove to Paradise to start an adventure and what would prove to be a long, strenuous outing. Rainier on September 10th!!! We quickly arrived at Glacier Vista and tried a couple possible climber trails left before we found the correct one and headed down to the lower Nisqually. Here we saw no real reason to rope up and headed towards the Fan, which appeared to still be in decent shape. The bottom of the Fan had snow part way up, then there was a section with a stream and rocks, then back on snow. All the snow on the approach was quite firm, but did not require crampons. The Fan: As we topped the ridge above the fan we noticed a team of three climbers on the Wilson glacier, but they appeared to be moving very slowly - perhaps it was a course on glacier travel we surmised. It turned out that they were three guys from Maryland who we'd run into on the route the next morning. Contemplating the South Side of Rainer: Looking up towards the Turtle Snowfield: From this point on the heavy packs and effort started to take its tool. We had to negotiate some rocky choss below the Turtle Snowfield. The Turtle itself consisted of firm snow in deep sun cups. Sun cups on the Turtle: Eventually this proved too much for our tastes and we went back to choss-hell for a few hundred feet before arriving at our bivy site at 10,400 feet. Despite being a bit far from the snow field, we found a nice stream on the other side (towards the setting sun) where there was also some very cool airplane wreckage. We were fed, watered up and in bed by 8:30, and set our alarms for 3:30. The plan was to arrive at the base of the first ice step at dawn - which is what ended up happening. The morning started with headlamps and choss, then a quick rappel down into the mouth of the beast, so to speak. While traversing over to the glacier to rope up, BG grabbed on to a rock which let loose - it was the size of a large suitcase. Fortunately (?) I was below her and stopped her from falling without taking a long ride myself. We then roped up and I headed over to the first ice step. The views were glorious! The route comes into view: View down the lower Kautz: The guys from Maryland were already leading up, so I chose a line to their right and start up with no belay (it looked easy). I placed 4 screws in 200 feet then set up a belay and brought up MS. MS then led up to the "snow" between the two steps. This "snow" was actually more like the Turtle - very hard, dirty snow with huge sun caps. I "led" this out on belay with no pro and we simul-climbed to the 2nd step. Belay above first step: Snow above second pitch of first step: Again we had caught up to the guys from Maryland. They were already headed up, so I set up a belay at a line to their left and brought in MS. He then led a full-length pitch with maybe 3 screws and set up an anchor. I followed and led up the second short pitch, placing 2 screws and continuing up to the full rope length before setting up a top rope and bringing in MS. JS leding the first pitch of the second step: It was now 11:30. Elevation? 11,800 feet. Shit. The guys from Maryland were bailing. MS and I decided to eat and hydrate and wait for JS and BG to make a group decision. I asked: are you willing to summit at dark and headlamp the DC? Yes. Are you willing to drive home at 3 am? Yes. OK, we were not bailing. And besides, we had all our overnight gear, so we could bivy. The guys from Maryland needed a v thread tool, so, not needing ours, we donated it to them. MS then stretched out the rope and I tore down the anchor and we were on the upper Kautz. This part of the route is in mostly good shape now, with some crevasse negotiation - especially as you approach the rock bands on climber's right to attain the upper Nisqually. Crevasse on the upper Kautz: We headed there. Mistake. The place has collapsed totally and is a jumbled mess of blocks and seracs. Time to eat and hydrate, and come up with a plan B. The slopes up towards Point Success looked good, so we headed that way. Onwards and upwards! We did an end run by an obvious crevasse then aimed more to climber's right, away from Point Success. With some more crevasse navigation, we finally crested a ridge and the summit came into view. JS cresting the ridge blocking summit views: The summit at last comes into view! Our work was not over yet, however. In the flat area there were two huge gaping crevasses that we had to end run - in opposite directions, of course! Then we slogged up the final slope, crested, and yanked the rope across choss clockwise around the ridge to the true summit. Since it was colder than a witch's tit here, all we managed to do was put on a coat and take two photos before descending into the crater trough. The crater trough: We then popped out the opposite side for a slightly better rest stop to eat and drink. Camp to summit was 12 hours - and it was now 4:30 pm. Gulp. Good thing I had lots of shot blocks and Gu left. Even here behind a rock it was cold and not out of the wind - in contrast to most of our day which including ascending above 13K in short sleeves - so we headed down tout de suite. The route is currently a well-marked, icy, switch-backing trail, and the snow is very firm - and great for cramponing. We made short work to the top of the cleaver, encountering two ladders en route. First ladder: Second ladder: Sunset approaches: The next section was a bit slower as the long day finally began to wear on us. We put head lamps on about 10 minutes outside of Ingraham Flats at about 8 pm. An hour later we were at Muir. We took a long rest at Muir, then headed down. The snow, regrettably, was very firm, and going was tedious, requiring crampons all the way to Pebble Creek with little plunge-stepping. This made for much more wear-and-tear on our tired bodies, and we did not get to the cars until 1 am. However the moon was full and headlamps were optional (at least on the snowfield), and temps were quite pleasant. Gear Notes: Ice axe, 2nd tool, 6 screws, 2 pickets (for self-rescue only), v-thread (to bail), helmet. Approach Notes: Long, hard, with some tedious choss.

Really? So the disparity between Roman emperors and plebs circa 50 AD was less than the disparity between an American CEO and working class person today?

Quotas in the Enchantments are not in effect until June 15th. Edwards Mesa is a super-cool place.