“I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can’t answer your question.
-Dubya, speaking in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, October 4th, 2000.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Recent Posts
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and what was the question?..I believe it was “how do spell ‘W’ Mr. President?”
first of all, he would have to be ONE…. ; )
Can I talk about Social Security for a moment?
A few days ago my 86 year-old father-in-law (WWII vet) called and said he needed help with his taxes. He doesn’t live in our city so my husband took a day off to drive up and help his dad out. However, when he arrived, his dad handed him the tax forms and other information and strongly suggested my husband take them home to complete. This somewhat surprising since my father-in-law is rather secretive about his finances and by my husband doing them, he’ll know his dad’s income, which is actually a good thing.
I was able to look over his tax forms from previous years to get a feel for what his income has been for the last few years. I was a bit taken aback at how little he has, especially since he worked for a large corporation for a very long time before retiring about thirty years ago. He does receive a pension from his former company. I was shocked by how little he gets. A measly $7,000 a year. His Social Security payments are less than $10,000. He has a few other investments but they don’t amount to much. In all he lives on under $20,000 a year. Imagine what his life would be like without Social Security or for that matter, reduced Social Security payments.
The moral of this story is…
Well, I don’t know if there’s a moral, but I think there is a perception by some that the elderly are cleaning up financially. Maybe some are, but my father-in-law certainly isn’t. I have a feeling he didn’t previously want us to know his financial situation because he’s embarrassed he has so little at this point in his life. It’s hard to maintain dignity in old age, with the loss of vital faculties, such as eyesight and hearing. That many of our country’s elderly struggle financially at the end of life is a national disgrace. When our leaders say this country is the richest in the world, I don’t think they are in touch with the real America. And to willingly and knowingly put Social Security at risk through their privatization scheme is criminal.
Very valid points, and I understand as my father is in a similar situation.
Your correct about the admission of situation, and I think other reasons would be, that people of that era, have seen hard times, and it was a mind set, not to whine. Very proud people, and they have always just endured what came their way.
I get enraged on this issue, along with all the other issues this administration has cast upon our society.
I believe in history this will truly be called the “Dark Ages” of our time.
Passion is strongest, when it comes for loved one.
It was evident from your post the other day that you’ve been blessed with a truly wonderful father. I had hoped he was still in your life, but I didn’t feel comfortable posing the question. Glad to find out he is, and I thank you for brightening my day.
as well you have mine. Many thanks.
Is it accurate?
Even if not said by him, it’s a great line!
according to the Washington Post (scroll down in article): Truckin’ On by Al Kamen
“Well,” Rangel said. “I really think that he shatters the myth of white supremacy once and for all; it shows that, in this great country, anybody can become president.” We have a winner. [for quote of the week]
Thanks!
PS – I have posted a new diary on the French health care system.
I remember the lipstick on the pig ad on DKos. Stopped me posting for a time.
The Gannon ad is foul. He dominates the page as you enter it.
What gets into people’s minds that this type of thing enhances their product.
I don’t particularly want to look at Gannon in his male prostitute pose so Media Matters doesn’t get my support and I open up the blog less often.
Poor Media Matters is getting the blame for inflicting the Gannon pic on everyone, but it’s not actually their ad. It’s for a place called ‘bloggers market’ and as it’s a fairly new site, it’s possible that he would consider using a different graphic once he realizes how much people hate this one (and thus, don’t click).
Don’t know if people are allowed to change their ad graphics in mid stream, however.
Thanks for the clarification
On the first question, there is no auto format for front page stories. You can, of course, write a diary and then promote yourself to the frontpage.
For diaires, you can write them in 3 formats. Plain text will allow you to write HTML and have it show up at HTML. It’s useful when trying to show someone how to use it, like this: <a href="http://www:boommantribune.com>Booman Tribune</a>.
Or you can write in ‘HTML formatted’ which means you have to put in all the line breaks yourself.
Or you can use ‘AutoFormat’ which will add tags for you.
I still need to add some permitted HTML to the diaries and comments. For instance <u> and <s> don’t seem to work in comments, but they do work in diaries and stories.
On the second issue, I hate the Gannon ad too. But I don’t have the user base yet to contemplate subscriptions a la dKos.
As it is, everyone using Firefox to screen out ads is killing me.
But in the future, I could do it.
As it is, I have to change it from HTML Formatted for each post.
Why not make Auto Format the universal default? I took me a while to discover the option. Conceivably some users might be even denser.
It was the default for me. Let me look into it.
See reply below at 07.08.49.
I agree with Jerome, and have wanted to submit the same feedback since that ad showed up.
I’ve found it immensely disturbing to have JG2 staring at me as I type. It ruins the mojo on this site. (Right up there with the lips on a pig ad, which looked exactly like a sociopath boss from a former career.)
What’s really annoying is that they didn’t ask permission to change their image. It was the pro-choice logo, which was a soothing purple color.
However, even though I find it personally annoying, I would have accepted their change.
The site relies on advertising revenue after all.
You perhaps could put up a donation clicker like some other blogs do, for donations.
Also if the agency reponsible for the photo of JG knew how people considered it so offensive and off putting perhaps they would change it.
Please be assured, I fully understand.
Would it be counterproductive to your relationship with Media Matters if some of us politely informed them that the picture is offensive? If so, I most defintely will not do so. Thanks.
And possibly I tampered with the default when signing up (can’t remember). If you had Auto Format as the default, I suppose the odds are that I had too.
Wnever I am on this site, Gannon’s pitcure stares at me and I can barely stand it. Does media matters have any other photo they can put there instead. I have seen enough of his face to last me a life time and I especially do not want to see this “sultry” pic of him.
Watched Olbermann last night and it was interesting to see Condi with the delegation instead of Carter. (Bush, W, Laura, Clinton and Condi) Funny the irony of it, considering Carter a has the most in common with the man. Heard Frist is going too. PR job? It would be funny if another delegation invited Carter along. (Well, one can always hope – France would be good, or a personal invitation from the College of Cardinals?)
Over at the new Wake-Up Wal-Mart blog, there seems to be a surge of pro-Wal-Mart comments being thrown up and a dearth of comments from our side – the right side – of the issue.
Anyone interested in what Wal-Mart is doing to America and what we can do to change them is encouraged to hop on over there and help set the record straight.
Democrats ask for help on the fillibuster [yesterday]: http://democrats.senate.gov/filibuster-form.cfm
The nuclear option is a shocking power grab in its own right. More stunning is that President Bush has asked Republican Senators to stake their reputations on and break the rules for such shockingly unqualified judges.
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As if you need more sources of information. Two old ones [pre-web], and one newer:
Politech Declan McCullagh’s listserv covers tech issues with a political view. Intermittant daily.
Internet Scout: Since 1994, the Internet Scout Project has focused on research and development projects that provide better tools and services for finding, filtering and delivering online information and metadata. Listserv.
Moving Ideas. One of the best compilation sites I’ve found for progressive news. Their newest partner is AlterNet. Weekly newsletter.
Nice when the information comes to your mailbox. All three are worth a click.
Just got this email thought you might be interested:
“””FCNL: Iraq War Funding Vote Imminent – Contact Your Senators TodayThe full Senate will begin debate Monday on the president’s request for additional funding for the war in Iraq and a final vote is expected on this legislation early next week. This is a critical opportunity for your senators to make a simple declaration that the U.S. does intend to withdraw all military troops and bases from Iraq. No deadlines, no timetables, just a simple declaration of intent that would be important for people in Iraq, in the Middle East, and in the United States to hear.Key Senate aides are telling FCNL that your pressure and the pressure of thousands of others has opened up a little space for a debate about U.S. policy toward Iraq. Several senators have already said they intend to sharply question U.S. policy toward Iraq during the debate next week on the floor of the Senate about the request for supplemental funding for the war in Iraq. Several senators are also considering introducing a resolution along the lines that FCNL has been proposing. But many senators from both parties, even if they are supportive in private, are still reluctant to speak out in public on this issue. Act Now!Write both of your senators today. Urge them to speak out on the floor of the Senate and put on the record for the people of Iraq and this country that they believe the U.S. policy should be based on the premise that all U.S. military troops and bases will be withdrawn from Iraq. Urge them to support an amendment to this effect when it is offered on the floor of the Senate. Contacting your Senators is easy: go to
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=7366956&type=CO,
enter your zip code in the “take action now” box and click “go.”
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0504/07/ip.01.html