patrick.net

"Did I mention that the chicks are hot?"

Hmm. Could this be an unaccounted-for factor in SB's bubble?

"the large orange cat, Mr. Fuchs, is missing."

I'm sorry about your cat. Both of the cats I've had disappeared on a few occasions for days and days. During that time, I was frantic but tried to console myself with the idea that at least they'd gone out having some crazy adventure rather than being stuck in the house bored and fat. But they eventually reappeared all dirty and hungry. So there's still hope. Have you tried leaving food outside? That usually brings every cat in the neighborhood around.

Coastal blue state middle-class homeowners. The changes are target towards them.

Except that elimination of state and local tax deductibility will significantly shift tax burdens away from red states and towards higher-state-tax blue states. Or is that what you mean?

I had read in the WSJ that there was to be regional indexing, but that appears to have been dropped from the final recommendations. There is a huge legal problem with indexing. As I understand it such indexing is prone to be challenged and potentially overturned by the Supremes. We'll see when they finally rule on state-tax business incentives.

Eurozone inflation hits highest rate since 2001.

If the ECB finally moves on rates, then things will start to get interesting, as if we're short of content.

Except that elimination of state and local tax deductibility will significantly shift tax burdens away from red states and towards higher-state-tax blue states. Or is that what you mean?

Right. Indexing will not work because it defeats the purpose of simplifying the tax code.

Not sure whether this is the right thread to post this….Huh?

Huh? I thought we discuss everything here.

Have you tried leaving food outside

Jamie, thanks for the idea, I called the Mrs. and had her put a bowl out. Good idea, perhaps the other panhandling felines will tell him where he can get a hand out. He's the most amazing cat you'll ever see, 8 toes, 18lbs, bery bery beautiful and an asshole.

did you try fliers in the neighborhood?

Tried flyers, there is a hill right behind our shack and tons of area for a jerk cat to hide. I'm putting reward fliers in all neighborhood mailboxes this weekend. Orange fucker cat is getting hobbled when he comes back. His outside priviledges are revoked!

why don’t we annex the damn federal reverse too . paying a privately held company to print our money is retarded.

The Federal Reserve System already operates by the will of Congress. It is a quasi-government corporation which serves to shield it from politics of the moment. Congress already has the power to directly reclaim this priveldge (but I wouldn't hold your breath). The creation of such a system is one of the basic tenants of economic market theory.

Clause 5, Section 8 of the US Consitution:
"To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; "

Surfer-X

My orange cat's an asshole too, but then aren't they all? But we love them anyway. My old tom cat used to disappear around mating season. He'd stagger in happy and beat up about a week after he left, so hopefully yours will turn up soon. I think the food outside is a good idea.

Legalizing drugs? My only problem is that if my kids decide to give it a try I couldn't even use the argument that they're illegal. You can bet I'll tell my kids how dangerous they are, but if they can go to the local drug store and actually buy hard core drugs it would probably be a losing battle.

Yikes, I said 'hard core.' That's asking for trouble around here.

I do not let my cats go outside...

Legalizing drugs?

Nah. Drugs are bad. We should have mandatory death sentences for deal dealers.

SactoQT, thanks, yup those orange ones are jerks. Mine especially so. He has an empty velvet sack, no huevos, so I really don't know what his problem is. Each time I take him in for a check up I have them massage the velvet bag to make sure, he seems to like it, usually the interns are pretty hot, so I've thought about asking....never mind. He went AWOL once for 14 days, so he's got a few more days before I really lose it. Have had him for 10 years or so, too big of a hit to lose him. Not replaceable.

I do not let my cats go outside…

Peter P, almost impossible to keep him inside, the female brown/black/silver tabby yes, the big orange dummy, very very hard. Our street (san luis & bay) backs against the hill in Pismo and dead ends, so very low danger of a car getting him. My biggest worry is a poacher, he's very beautiful, giant, and very orange. Don't know if someone would just keep him, but hey I've been shocked how the greater unwashed behaves.

He went AWOL once for 14 days, so he’s got a few more days before I really lose it. Have had him for 10 years or so, too big of a hit to lose him. Not replaceable.

Let's hope that your cat will be back soon. Does he have a microchip?

Nah. Drugs are bad. We should have mandatory death sentences for deal dealers.

That's pretty harsh. Would you extend that to Glaxo Wellcome, for the drugs they produce and market which are misused to societal detrement? The problem with drugs is supply-side solutions are impractical. And criminalization clearly doesn't work on the demand-side, or do we need to return to the history of the great experiment in prohibition?

yup those orange ones are jerks.
I saw a thing on TV about Mackerel Tabby's once, and they said if you look at their foreheads you can actually see a pattern in the fur that forms an M. We looked at ours and lo and behold, there it was. We decided it stands for "menace."

Maybe the cat doesn't need huevos to think the chicks are hot........
My mom's dog doesn't have any either and that hasn't stopped him. Pets.. gotta love em.

I do hope your cat turns up though.

I do not let my cats go outside…

Mine no longer has outdoor privileges either, saves me some headaches.

That’s pretty harsh. Would you extend that to Glaxo Wellcome, for the drugs they produce and market which are misused to societal detrement? The problem with drugs is supply-side solutions are impractical. And criminalization clearly doesn’t work on the demand-side, or do we need to return to the history of the great experiment in prohibition?

But Singapore got it working, no?

What's Singapore's stance on drugs? They're pretty harsh aren't they?

see a pattern in the fur that forms an M. We looked at ours and lo and behold, there it was. We decided it stands for “menace.”

Mine has one too, but I thought it stood for "Mach 5"

But Singapore got it working, no?

Sure, it is possible as in Singapore (which is easy to defend from suppliers compared to the US). But at what cost? The US was just harshly criticizing Singapore on human rights issues last weekend as our Embassador of many years retired. Heavy handed solutions which sacrifice personal liberties are not solutions, in my opinion. Perhaps people just need to be given the motives and education to act responsibly, and those who don't should be dealt with (and probably not by executing them, lol). "If a man does not choose feely between good and evil, then he is neither good nor evil".

My cat's too lazy to be called "Mach 5." Mosey or meander would be more accurate.

What’s Singapore’s stance on drugs? They’re pretty harsh aren’t they?

They are...

http://tinyurl.com/8rcyh

The funniest thing about stripey cats is when you wet them the stripes go away. One of the most amusing things I've ever seen. Wet orange cat has no stripes. Wet silver tabby turns into a salt/pepper pattern when wet. It's part of my dissertation work, "On the effects of moisture on the North American Domestic Medium hair feline".

I'm afraid to get my cat wet.

“If a man does not choose feely between good and evil, then he is neither good nor evil”

Law enforcement is more than a form of punishment. It is also a form of deterrence. Whether someone is good or evil is irrelevant IMO.

If we use caning and execution more widely, the prison over-crowding problem will be solved and funds can be put into good uses.

If we use caning and execution more widely, the prison over-crowding problem will be solved and funds can be put into good uses.

Wow Peter, I didn't know you had it in you.

Peter
I'm not making any judgements, sometimes what works is harsh, but necessary.

If we use caning and execution more widely, the prison over-crowding problem will be solved and funds can be put into good uses.

Only if done in public. Way back when I was in elementary school if you were sent to the Principles office he had the option of paddling you. Our Principle had one arm and word on the street was the strength from the missing arm went into the remaining one. Needless to say, you avoided a trip to his office at all costs.

Let the caning begin.

I went to school in Oregon for awhile and they called a paddling a "hacking." Most kids were afraid of that punishment. Since they are no longer allowed, kids don't have any fear left. Now it's the teachers who are afraid. IMO

Very true….The roles have reversed….The kids can do just about anything they want and if the teacher lays a hand on them, major lawsuit.

Yup.

How about they hold them for six months….and force them to use the drugs they deal in large quantities and if they live, let them go….They won’t last very long!

Good idea!

Wow Peter, I didn’t know you had it in you.

I just think that being kind to the criminals is being cruel to the people.

I just think that being kind to the criminals is being cruel to the people.

You're right. I think all pedophiles should be shot the day they are convicted.

You’re right. I think all pedophiles should be shot the day they are convicted.

I agree.

That wouldn’t be good enough for them! I have some good ideas for what we can do with them, but some of you might get offended or grossed out if I discussed it.

Nah. We are civilized people. The judicial system should not engage in torture or forms of execution that cause excessive pain.

Most kids were afraid of that punishment. Since they are no longer allowed, kids don’t have any fear left. Now it’s the teachers who are afraid. IMO

I had a 5th grade principal who would paddle quite liberally, too. The problem was she would only paddle black kids and catholic kids (the bad kids according to the majority where i grew up). ...Oh, nostalgia. How things were certainly better back then.

How about they hold them for six months….and force them to use the drugs they deal in large quantities and if they live, let them go….They won’t last very long!

Good idea!

Sometimes people do make mistakes and recover to be highly responsible, contributing citizens. I'm glad you guys weren't in charge when I made my "youthful mistakes". Amazingly, I ended up ok despite having never been executed, publicly caned, or force-fed toxic quantities of narcotics.

I ended up ok

Ahem, Randy, I think this might be debated :) ;)

I ended up ok

Ahem, Randy, I think this might be debated

True enough. My mother-in-law would readily agree.

I had a 5th grade principal who would paddle quite liberally, too. The problem was she would only paddle black kids and catholic kids (the bad kids according to the majority where i grew up). …Oh, nostalgia. How things were certainly better back then.

Good points. But I still don't think being overly liberal is working either. I'm all for a happy medium, whatever that is.

Good points. But I still don’t think being overly liberal is working either. I’m all for a happy medium, whatever that is.

I agree. I'm just insisting if the solutions were really so simple we'd already have implemented them. The problem isn't figuring out how to dish out deterrence, or scare/educate/illustrate the negatives. The problem is defining who, when, where, and how much. I tremble to think of the "elders" where I grew up making these decisions without some oversight. The Taliban look tame compared to those bigoted, ignorant crackers. (and any oversight you'd force on them they'd cry "you're too liberal" about)