Comments for I'm crabby. And the weather has nothing to do with it.

I'm crabby. And the weather has nothing to do with it.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:47:27 -0600

I actually like cold and snow like today. Reminds me of my misspent youth where I went gadding about the maneuver-rights boxes in the Bundesrepublik.Okay. Now we're talking about possibly bailing out the losses of people who invested in the Ponzi scheme Bernard Madoff was running.And possibly two of the Big Three.Not too mention all that TARP money. More money committed in two months than we spent on the war. Sigh.So - apparently I'm simply a sucker. A dope. Here SWWBO and I have paid our bills, managed our mortgages, set aside money in investment accounts and 401(k)s, and now, because I make enough...

Comment from Josh on 2008-12-17

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:31:58 -0600

The Al Gore cult still seriously anticipates the fall of civilization.

And they don't really talk about it, but if you pressed them, they'd probably still claim that the ozone layer is disappearing as well, just on general tree-hugger principles...

Comment from Casey on 2008-12-17

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:43:50 -0600

Anonymous is, in fact, incorrect. The actual proportion for non-taxing is approximately 30%.

I know that's not very good, but let's not pad the figures, eh?

These things take time. As in years, at least.

Riffing on John's joke about "you know you're older when..." who here remembers the Cold War at its height? Deep concerns about an accidental nuclear war, or the Soviets spending us into submission while the moral equivalence crowd cowered? Remember the Survivalist movement, when people seriously anticipated the fall of civilization? Overpopulation? The loss of the Ozone Layer?

Did any of that happen?

P.S. Spellcheck works fine, now boss. Thanks!

Comment from Pogue on 2008-12-17

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:23:28 -0600

I hear you, John. Personally, I'm just taking some simple steps. I will no longer do business with any company that takes bailout money. I moved from banks to credit unions years ago since they seem to be able to provide better service while staying out of trouble (so far), and the big three (and UAW) can bite me if they think I'll ever buy one of their vehicles again. My opinions will be reflected in my voting, although at this point it looks like pretty much the whole lot of current politicians (I except a couple at the state level) should be flushed. Now to figure out what I can do to minimize my tax foot print.

Comment from BillT on 2008-12-17

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:05:00 -0600

Since I'm of a conservative bent, I favor Tim's traditional remedy. However, I'm modern enough to suggest a modest amelioration: cut the tar 50-50 -- with Superglue...

Comment from Josh on 2008-12-17

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:30:57 -0600

Anonymous makes a good point here, I wonder if we really WILL have a Boston Tea Party of sorts...I've been complaining for years about the thousands and thousands of pages of tax code...but as the tax burden becomes consolidated to a smaller and smaller segment of the citizenry, maybe that top 5% of the income earners will refuse to accept a 90% bracket and hire entire law firms to dig through those huge volumes and devise arcane loopholes to get out of paying anything at all. When it's all riding on a few people and those few people don't pony up the cash, tax revenue suddenly will be reduced to a mere trickle...then what? Does America have enough credit these days to just keep expanding federal spending when every dime is borrowed? Or will the welfare checks just start bouncing? What would Congress DO if somebody told them that they actually CAN'T spend as much as they please, no matter how badly they want to?

Comment from Maggie on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:36:09 -0600

Quite the start to read the title of this post.

Don't go putting airs.......you can be crabby.....but I am Princess Crabby.

Comment from Anonymous on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:38:26 -0600

No man is obliged to arrange their affairs so as to pay higher taxes.

Think, learn, plot connive, scheme, but keep it all legal and don't give the guvmint a dime more than you have to.

We are already near the tipping point where fewer than half the citizenry actually pay taxes (the income kind). When that happens, the impetus will be to merely tax the producers out the wazoo. I don't know about others, but my wazoo is tired of being taxed to support the ungrateful, the unwilling, the indolent, the wasteful and the imprudent. Screw the whole lot of them. Live within your means, or get a job, or do without.

As Reagan said "The government is not the solution, the government is the problem."

Comment from Hunter on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:16:02 -0600

John, I'm with you on this one. Debi and I are both Army retirees. We purchased a small house, pay all our bills, keep the one credit card way below its limit, travel a bit, donate to our church and local non-profits, and we will still, under threat of law, help bail out some movers and shakers that took, took, took, and will now be allowed to take some more. I'm not looking for the barricades, but I want to see some assumption of responsibility on the part of someone other than myself. Bah! Where's the Highland Park 12yo? Hunter Ketchikan

Comment from AW1 Tim on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:30:06 -0600

Don't waste good tea. It's high time we broke out the tar and feathers and gave a few special people a ride on a rail.

Comment from Josh on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:23:12 -0600

At what point do we start throwing the tea into the ocean?

Although we might want to toss the Starbucks instead if we want anybody to notice...

Comment from Punctilious on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:01:27 -0600

And all the other kids are screaming that all their friends got bailouts so why can't they have one too.

Comment from Fishmugger on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:58:57 -0600

John,

That's what the calvados is for.

The only bright thing coming out of Madoff is that the Senior Senator from NJ may be broke and may not be able to support himself. Oh...I forgot this is NJ and the politicians will make money the old fashion way. We make IL look like pikers.

Comment from Barb on 2008-12-16

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:08:38 -0600

S'almost enough to make one Shrug, as in Atlas style.
*sigh*

It's definitely not fair or just. And I can't help but think that it's the same as bailing out a child in trouble, they won't learn, and we'll end up doing it again. That's my fear.