The Chatter Line

[nc211]

In light of some recently hijacked threads, I start this one on a free-flowing basis. Discuss as the topics evolve.

Up first, a continuation of the "should i claim insurance" thread, regarding the state of the economy, and how Bush is responsible for Britney Spears downfall, and some speculate the pregnancy of Halle Berry...that dog...

Economy is in the tank.....why?

[dcfish]

The cost of Cheetos and Beer Ride the wave (or swell in these times)...............

[nc211]

Oh dear lord....we're off to a grand ole' start now! Actually, I had lots of Cheetos and Beer last weekend with the "Bubbas" down along the coast. And, got between the swells a bit too, about 5 miles out into the ocean. But, after the 8th beer, no more Cheetos, and swells growing to about 5 feet, the ole' shins couldn't take it anymore, and lunch was closing in on the exit, via the entry, if you catch my drift...

It was my last weekend with the amigos before I become a responsible father who "sets" the example, one last time to "be" the example. :chairshot:

Now it's all baby stuff, and hoping things level out soon economical wise..

[jcrome04]

Liberals make the cost of stupid corn so high with e85 ethanol makes me steamed! It's no more efficient than gas! It's a waste of time, resources, and man power!! Corn is what most livestock feed on in the US. Expect the prices of farm dependant food to only climb higher than it already has! That is what's killing the economy, liberals trying to take control of everything.

Sierra Club won't let us drill for oil in the US. JUST imagine what the economy would be like in the US if we drilled 100% of our oil domestically! It would be phenomenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The good ol' USA could be just as cool as it used to! :D I'm tired of everything getting tied up in "red tape" because someone if offended by something. What happened to being proud of the country you live in and wanting the best for it?

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." -JFK

I know a liberal said it......but come on..... If everyone just wants to live off the government and rely on them for life...we're going to turn into Cuba. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like too much fun to me!!!!!

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Give me freedom, or give me death! What happened to guys like that??

[SW03ES]

Jchrome, the site's rules of conduct still exist even in off topic threads.

Feel free to express your opinions, but insulting others be they individuals or groups of people isn't appropriate.

[jcrome04]

Im simply stating what they do, everything I said is the truth whats the harm in that? and it's my opinon that their choices are wrong. Not trying to insult anyone.

but i guess i could take a few of the "stupids" out hehe

[SW03ES]

Tone down your rhetoric. Calling groups of people stupid and crap like that is incendiary and is just going to start a flamewar.

You sound smarter and your message is stronger if you don't denigrate the other side of your argument.

To get back to the discussion. This is something that has always really intrigued me about people with your viewpoint.

For some background I have always been a republican mainly because I'm a fiscal conservative. On many issues I am socially liberal. I am always amused by the right's attempts to make the word "liberal" an insult and a dirty word.

How specifically do you think "liberals" want to live off the government and rely on them for life?

The general consensus is that "conservatives" are in favor of smaller government, and more individual liberty and soverignity of states while "liberals" are in favor of a larger central government with more jurisdiciton over social programs. Yet when it comes to abortion for instance, "conservatives" become "liberal" and want to control what people do with their own bodies.

Why is that?

[jcrome04]

Just using the word liberal to refer to liberals. Not trying to use it as a dirty word.

I'm really not trying to offend you or anyone else! promise

and an example to your question, I think socialized health care is living off the government. One thing a majority of the democratic party support. I think would be a horrible step for America to take.

Once again, really not trying to offend anyone. Just expressing some opinions! And if someone disagrees they're more than welcome to share their point of view as well! It's part of being an American! Being able to choose who and what to support!

[nc211]

You two better stop fighting, or I'll turn this car around right now! Hahaha.... I'm just practicing my pending parenting skills!

Either way, liberal, democrat, republican, indi, or, um, some dude named Ron Paul who wants to blow up the IRS? I think it's pretty safe to say that we're all ready for a new direction in the White House. I've been a Bush supporter over the years, as some of you remember my old avatar "that I took down after the VT shootings due to Bush allowing the assult riffle bill to expire". Bush is a war president, plain and simple, which I think for a while after 9/11 was the right thing to be. But, when it comes to the economy....he's a complete moron. I don't think he understands how things spin, roll, flow in the economic world, what so ever. And I for one, am looking forward to something different. I'm sad to see what's going on in the economy today, but I am thankful Bush won't be around much longer to deal with it. Anyone who made thier money from bankrupt operations, isn't a long term player in the terms of business. If you recall, Bush made his millions off of bankrupting the Texas Rangers baseball team. I can't recall how it all went down, I do recall reading about it in the 2000 election. Rolling Stone magazine did a great piece on him, and he was known as the "hatchet man" during his father's administration. Because he was clueless on so many things, that everything he touched ended with the thud of a hatchet.

Honestly though about this e85 stuff and corn, it's actually a good thing for North Carolina, as it has given alot of the failing tobacco farmers a new crop to grow and profit from. We're a changing state when it comes to agriculture, as I'm sure RXinNC can attest to. Head out into the countryside, and although you'll still see tabackie, but you see a lot more row of corn now too. And we've got biotech companies coming in to set up shop everyday now to support the emerging biofuel industry.

I don't know fellas...so much is changing now, people are being forced out of their comfort zone...the dust is definetly up in the air... But, with change, comes opportunity. If you don't have change, you end up with stagnation. The only result of stagnation, is elimination....and that ain't good for anybody

[SW03ES]

and an example to your question, I think socialized health care is living off the government. One thing a majority of the democratic party support. I think would be a horrible step for America to take.

I've never been a fan of socialized medicine, but there is something to the idea that we're the only first world nation that doesn't have government subsidized healthcare.

You can't deny that the healthcare system in this country is in serious need of something. I don't know is socializing it is the right thing to do, but something has to be done.

Even that though is not living off of the government. You're paying for it, the government is just running it.

[mburnickas]

What I do not get is that no one needs to pay for health insurance but everyone gets it. Example, in Texas 1 in 4 do not have Health care; gee, I am shocked. But EVERYONE/anyone can walk into a ER and get it. No money do not worry, pay what you can. I have seen it and the signs on the wall (english and spanish).

I personaly think either way nothing will change in this area. We all pay either way.

[jcrome04]

totaly true guys.

One thing that I really hate is welfare. It is such a joke where I live. All the white trash just live off of it and have no motivation to better their lives or earn their own living. They do the same thing with unemployement, and L&I claims, and idiotic court cases... Is itlike this where you all reside??

I'm doing alright.. being a new business owner, but I'm content as long as the bills get paid for now. I proud that I'm making it on my own and don't need welfare or anything.

[scottmcc]

Your Social Security

Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones too!!) didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it.

Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what .And, it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts!!!

Our Social Security

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social

Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be

Completely voluntary,

2.) That the participants would only have to pay

1% of the first $1,400 of their annual

Incomes into the Program,

3.) That the money the participants elected to put

into the Program would be deductible from

their income for tax purposes each year,

4.) That the money the participants put into the

independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the

general operating fund, and therefore, would

only be used to fund the Social Security

Retirement Program, and no other

Government program, and,

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees

would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are

now receiving a Social Security check every month --

and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of

the money we paid to the Federal government to "put

away" -- you may be interested in the following:

-------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the

independent "Trust Fund" and put it into the

general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically

controlled House and Senate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax

deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social

Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the

"tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the

Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving

annuity payments to immigrants?

AND MY FAVORITE:

A: That's right!

Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.

immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,

began to receive Social Security payments! The

Democratic Party gave these payments to them,

even though they never paid a dime into it!

-------------- -------------------------- ------------------------------

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of

awareness will be planted and maybe changes will

evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully

sure of what isn't so.

But it's worth a try. How many people can YOU send this to?

Actions speak louder than bumper stickers.

AND CONGRESS GIVES THEMSELVES 100% RETIREMENT FOR ONLY SERVING ONE TERM!!!

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.

-Thomas Jefferson

[scottmcc]

I agree with your opinion of the welfare system.. Here in michigan it is jacked up..

I own a few homes that I rent out.. some of my tenants are on welfare and sometimes have to sell thier food stamps to pay rent.. Yet they always seem to have expensive hair and nails.. They really don't make much of an effort other than to have more children so they can get more money from the government..

This is a true story: I was shocked to hear this but I guess many people do it.. My tenants daughter is 21 and has 2 childeren. She gets assistance for these kids. She works at an employment agency for a few months a year to earn around 1800 to 2000.. Come tax time she will claim what she earned from the employment agency which is not enough to get earned income credit.. She will then say she made $1200 doing hair on the side..which will get her over the $3000 amount needed to get the earned income credit. She pays the tax on the phoney $1200 she reported but nets a couple thousand in the end in income tax refunds...These people are clearly working the system and we have to pay for it....

[dcfish]

So Really, What the hell is going on in Area 51 ? (Just thought I would change the tone around here)

[nc211]

So Really, What the hell is going on in Area 51 ? (Just thought I would change the tone around here)

You were watching Independence Day today on Encore, weren't cha' DC?

[dcfish]

So Really, What the hell is going on in Area 51 ? (Just thought I would change the tone around here)

You were watching Independence Day today on Encore, weren't cha' DC?

Busted, No not really, But I have seen some unexplained objects in the nights sky over Lake Michigan that would turn right angles and reverse direction on a dime. There were 4 of us witnessing this. No, We weren't smokin or drinkin.....................Weird stuff.

[RFeldes]

Isn't Area 51 an inter-galactic McDonalds? Little green burgers by the sack. DC, I saw a flyover in my backyard with 2 occupants flying low with cabin glow and no sound. That was six years after I quit Jack Daniel's. Maybe it was the Merlot...

[jcrome04]

AAAAAAAALLLLLLIIIIIIIEEEEEEEENNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSS AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha

Who knows?? I wish someone could find out for sure that would be cool to know whats up in there.

[smooth1]

Hey DC, I just bought one of those new laser pointers. You were probably seeing me playing around with it in the back yard. Hahahah!

[dcfish]

Hey DC, I just bought one of those new laser pointers. You were probably seeing me playing around with it in the back yard. Hahahah!

Yu much funny joe.

[nc211]

The ones who will HANG in the near future are the oil traders who are artificially running up the gas prices with manipulating the futures contracts on wall street. Mark my words, once the election picture is clearer, no matter who wins, and Big Oil is out of the White House, the hammer will drop on the oil sector and we'll be back to normal gas prices.....mark my words. But expect to pay the highest ever during this last and final summer of Bush/Cheney.... The Oil guys will take full advantage of the last spin around the golden fountain.

This is a quote from me in another thread from a couple of weeks ago....

Here it comes...... $110 a barrel.... Get ready everybody, it's squeeze time courtesy of the boys at Haliburton... Read an article today where Bush "hopes" a visit from Cheney to OPEC will lower prices...what a joke! Someone please explain to me how the theory of supply and demand are even relevant these days, when supply output has remained constant, yet demand is being forced downward by economic pressures. For example, I'll use myself, I have a V8 4runner, and a I4 Mazda 3. Now that I'm the only one making a commute m-f and the wife is now at home, I use the Mazda for my 40 mile roundtrip, which takes about 7 gallons a week. The 4runner takes twice that. Now, I know I'm not alone out there making these kinds of switches. Which when you add up all those making similar changes, how can demand still be increasing??? It can't! and it's not! It's all in the hands of the wall street players, hedging against the subprime losses in the banking/real estate stocks. The worse the losses in the banking sector, the more demand for "life sustaining" investments, like food and fuel...

You can call me crazy all day long here. But I firmly believe that if you need an SUV and are able to either use it sparingly or able to afford $100 fill ups for a few months, soon will be the best time to pick one up at deep deep deep discount prices. Supply for those is high, but demand is low, which puts the buying power in the hands of the buyer. Here locally, a Ford dealership is advertising price cuts of over $10,000 for haus-mobiles. I played this card for the 4runner last August, and picked it up for below "fair" rated KBB value, and it's in prestine condition. The guy started on the high side, but when I questioned my need for something so thirsty at the pump, the price fell like a stone to basically whatever I was willing to pay, fairly. Funny, they've only had an handful of SUVs sitting on that lot ever since.

Same goes for hotels and vacation desitnations. The big box hotels aren't quite there yet with incentives to get you off the couch and in their hotel lobbies, but the smaller, boutique ones are starting to show up everywhere with specials. For instance, and RXnNC might of seen this one here, the hotel "The Grove" where they filmed Dirty Dancing up in the mountains is advertising here like crazy to come visit. Offers like "stay 2 nights, get the 3rd free" and stuff like that. The Grove is one very swanky place, that hasn't had to do this for a long long time. So, if you or your family are looking to hit the road, there are good deals to be had as well in terms of lodging. Basically, anything "luxury" related, or "disposable income" driven, is about to get cheap.

SW03ES....i'm speaking your language here amigo....

[SW03ES]

I agree, I just wish I had more disposable income lying around to dispose on some of those deals lol

[jcrome04]

I can't wait for gas prices to go down. I remember when I started driving back in..........late 01, (wow...that's it??? ) lol gas in WA was JUST nudging over $1.00 a gallon for reg. i remember it went up to $1.18 and I was like OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL!!! LOL.....

awww how I long for the good old days.... B) filling up the 95 Ford Escort LX coupe for $12 from totally empty :) hahah

[dcfish]

I can't wait for gas prices to go down. I remember when I started driving back in..........late 01, (wow...that's it??? ) lol gas in WA was JUST nudging over $1.00 a gallon for reg. i remember it went up to $1.18 and I was like OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL!!! LOL.....

awww how I long for the good old days.... B) filling up the 95 Ford Escort LX coupe for $12 from totally empty :) hahah

I remember when gas was 29 cents/gal. :o Talk about the good old days :whistles: Now it's like this