Comments for Okay. This is scary...

Okay. This is scary...

2009-03-23T11:10:43Z

...for a reason which triggered memories going back to my original 'Structor Pilot training.

I didn't see the TV show, but the transcript is, I'll assume, accurate:

In a wide ranging interview broadcast Sunday night, Obama was pressed by Steve Kroft on "60 Minutes" for at times laughing or smiling while discussing the global economic crisis.

"You're sitting here. And you're laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems," Kroft told the president. "Are people going to look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money?' How do you deal with -- I mean: explain ... Are you punch-drunk?"

"No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day," Obama replied, with a laugh.

What raised my hackles? Well, among other things, when us 'Structor Pilots are taught the various methods of teaching someone the Arcane Art of Aviating, we're also taught to recognize the various signs that the trainee is floundering -- in other words, he's past Task-Saturation and well into Task-OverSaturation. His brain uncages and he goes into Uncomprehending Ingratiation Mode, waiting for the 'Structor Pilot to save the day.

One of the biggies is called "Inappropriate Laughter" -- someone grins and laughs when an entirely different reaction would be an appropriate response.

Obama may even have confirmed my hunch.

The president also acknowledged surprise at how quickly the U.S. economy crumbled between his November election and January inauguration.

"I don't think that we anticipated how steep the decline would be," he said in the "60 Minutes" interview on CBS television. "That slope is a lot steeper than anything that we've said [my emphasis] -- we've seen before."

'Nother warning sign of a floundering trainee -- blurting things out without thinking them through.

He seems to do that a *lot*...

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled highly-structured activities.

Or not.

Comment from Before Gore Kneel on 2009-03-26

2009-03-26T18:19:09Z

The market is up again (this is Thursday) chiefly because options expired Friday the 20th, and
1) Geithner hasn't completely screwed the pooch
2) the entire market was oversold dipping a bit below August 20's lows. In other words room for a 40% upside move other the next two months.
3) and a growing realization that Obama has lost his momentum and its all downhill for him now. He's squandered his hundred days and his popularity and now the nitpicking begins. It's not long before his numeric dyslexia is revealed routinely by even his BFF's
4) Analysis of Obama's rhetorical tricks have become commonplace. And his thirst for the limelight will prove his critics have his number.

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-24

2009-03-24T06:13:24Z

Embarrass YOU? can it be done?

Good point.

Comment from Maggie on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T03:19:06Z

The SugarButtons Brigade, the paramilitary adjunct to the Castle's Regular Guard and Praetorians of the Jungle Room.

You rang? Are we having a meeting? Who is bartending? Hold on while I retie the sash on my silk wrapper. Who has my other slipper?

Comment from olga on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T02:03:19Z

Thank you!

Comment from bad cat robot on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T01:11:29Z

Like all really good callsigns, "SugarButtons" was selected a) without any thought of pleasing the victim and b) with the intent of ~~ticking him off~~ yanking his chain. Plus it is easy to remember.

Embarrass YOU? can it be done?

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-23

2009-03-24T00:10:18Z

*ahem*

The SugarButtons Brigade, the paramilitary adjunct to the Castle's Regular Guard and Praetorians of the Jungle Room, refer to me as such. For reasons unmentionable at this time.

However, knowing the proclivity of some of the Denizennes for mentioning unmentionables, dollars to donut holes that at least *one* of the ~~li'l weaselettes~~ Ladies be falling over backwards in their haste to ~~embarrass the sh*t out of me~~ enlighten you one of these days...

Comment from Saker on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T21:40:53Z

It's okay, Bill. Finding out that your nickname is SugarButtons and your moustache is a sedative made it all worth it.

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T20:18:43Z

Eeep!

First Saker, now Olga -- honest, Ladies, I didn't mean to scare you *that* badly.

Here y'go, Olga -- save your scrolling finger.

Prolly not a good idea to claim time spent mustache-gazing as a medical expense, though...

Comment from olga on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T19:46:25Z

SugarButtons,
you scared the s##t out of me... I knew it was bad but I did not realise it was THAT bad...
(scrolling through the site looking for a picture of your mustache to calm down...)

Comment from htom on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:18:06Z

Thanks, Bill. I think he's figured out, now, that he doesn't know how to swim, but he has yet to notice either how deep the water is or how far away the shore is -- and don't talk to him about sharks..

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T18:02:37Z

That Nigerian alluvial gold stock finally came in the mail, eh?

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T16:28:02Z

No wonder I'm all smiles as of late.

Comment from Kirk on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T16:18:59Z

He and his minion will appear as geniuses..the market is up over 300 points. Everyone will assume it is because of his great leadership, not that it's simply a response to Geithner's plan to buy up all the toxic assets in existence...with money that doesn't really exist. It follows along a similar line of the young adult with their first checking account. They assume as long as there are checks in the checkbook, they can write more checks regardless of the balance.

Comment from KCSteve on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T16:10:59Z

Don't worry Saker - The One's going to make you a millionare!

Heck, if he screws things up enough you could even be a billionaire -- in the Zimbabwain sense, unfortunately.

Comment from Robert on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T15:50:34Z

.
How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws.

--Lewis Carroll

Comment from AFSister on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T15:30:48Z

Yet people continue to support and praise this man, this complete and total AMATEUR running our country!

This is not the blind leading the blind- this is the blind leading those with sight- both hind-sight and fore-sight. It's a recipe for disaster that half of this country IGNORED last November- and now we're all paying for it!

All of his uh's, um's, ah's, repeated words, sputters, and inappropriate laughter all adds up one giant FAILURE.... and he's taking us all down with the ship. B*st*rd.

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T15:03:42Z

"Okay, I have the controls -- take a break and walk around outside for a bit."

If he gave you a "You didn't just say what I thought you said" look, he was probably salvageable for another flight hour.

If he actually started to unstrap, rolling the throttle off and bottoming the collective would trigger his survival instinct.

I'm not sure that particular action would be advisable in this particular instance...

Comment from bad cat robot on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T14:42:50Z

You left out some crucial information, SugarButtons. Like how the 'structor Pilot (or electorate) gets the giggling trainee rational and functioning. Do you tell 'em to get out and push? Pull a quick Immelman to increase blood flow to the brain?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T13:00:20Z

Come to Leavenworth, Saker. We desperately need good wait staff.

Of course, we pay them diddly and are bad tippers.

Never mind.

Comment from Saker on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T12:56:50Z

Um.

This is cheerful news for someone who is graduating with student loans to pay off... hopefully there will always be a market for good waitresses.

Comment from fdcol63 on 2009-03-23

2009-03-23T12:27:29Z

Margaret Thatcher said something along these lines: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

Continue to sap investor confidence by reinforcing the notion that we're in the worst economic period since the Great Depression, pass a $1 trillion "stimulus" bill that does nothing but increase spending, create a populist backlash against the Wall Street people you're depending on to help you out of this mess, and perpetuate a class war where the productive people in society are completely disincentivized from producing enough to support your spending ....... and what do you expect? A downward spiral.

Instead of "equalizing" upward whatever disparities exist among the classes in America, the Obama administration is bringing everyone down to the level of those in the poverty bracket.