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February 05, 2014


Danube on iPad

I will repeat my question:

If you believe that the reduction in person-hours worked, subsidized bybtaxpayer dollars, is sound policy, is there any principle that suggests it would be unsound to quintuple unemployment benefits, and make them permanent?


Dean Baker is the K Mart of left wing idiot economists; almost nobody goes there but if they do there's nothing on the shelves.


Your shit sandwich is not the shit sandwich you were expecting?

Quelle fromage!!

Eric in Boise

Danube, that's how I feel about mandatory mininum wages. If raising the minimum wage to $10 is good policy, why isn't raising it to $100 even better policy?

When proponents cry "No, raising it to $100 is silly!", my response is along this line : If you believe that raising it to $10 is eminently sensible, and raising it to $100 is completely silly, then where is the line between sensible and silly? Why is the line where you're drawing it? Should it be drawn somewhere else? Should it be drawn at all?


This Watts Up link from Bori on the other thread, about Lord Moncton calling out Prince Charlie, is so damn good that I'm posting it again:

Big laughs and an excellent read: Monckton: Challenge to Prince Charles

Brings to mind two of my favorite comments re: Prince Charles.

1) From Charlie to Camilla: "I want to be reincarnated as your tampon."

2) From Richard Dawkins to Charles: "We must be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."


In the sequel to the original House of Cards, which Pbs is replaying, Urquart finds a way to undermine a King Charles (shudder), who had similar foolish notions.


>>>If hours fall by 1.5 to 2.0 percent, but compensation falls by 1.0 percent, then compensation per hour rises by 0.5-1.0 percent due to the ACA.<<<

oh that is what I was doing wrong...I was getting a raise, I just didn't realize it.

Danube on iPad

Eric, they will never, ever answer that question, and for the same reason Dave M will never answer mine: they love short-term benefits for a favored few, but steadfastly refuse to discuss the long-term harm to the society as a whole.

Eric in Boise

Obama and the other statists know full well that it's possible for individuals to slack their way to success. As they become more entitled and more dependent, it's a success.. for the statists.

For the individuals, not so much. But for the statists, that's a feature rather than a bug.


Hasn't Monckton been outed as a loon?

Stephanie VIP shhhhh its fight club

Isn't it time to change the blog's tag line from

"Following the Arc From "Yes We Can" To "You Sit Thinking, 'You Know, Maybe. I don't know"


"slacking our way to success"

Just saying it's time for a change and that seems apropos.


Maybe Obama should have called his campaign Dope and some Change, since that is what it has become.

Beasts of England

How are the floors, Steph?


On problems related to Obamacare's implementation, the top story now at Instapundit is on Oregon's "Cover Oregon" mega-screw-ups:

New Cover Oregon allegations: 'If it's true, someone's going to prison'

But as you watch the video and read the story about all the problems:

1) Hiring Incompetents to create a website
2) Lying about the security of the website
3) Lying to everyone about how well the website is working
4) Lying that it is signing up people easily
5) etc

you realize that it is no different whatever from the rollout of HealthCare.Gov, and as you see the reporters running around trying to corner the Former Head of "Cover Oregon", who has now fled the state for California, you discover that the Investigation is not even bothering to call her in to answer questions or do any testifying at all, so it appears to be exactly like the Federal cluster@#$% rollout; Lying, criminality and incompetence, but nobody will be held accountable and nobody is going to jail.


For Porch and Rick Ballard from a couple of threads back. I'm always late to the party..:-)


An apple a day keeps the doc away.


What cracks me up about these Reporters in Sochi thinking their rooms are "empty".

Wait'll they leave their valuables in their rooms and go out to an event. When they come back, that's when they'll find out what "empty" looks like.


wow glasater that is a fantastic photo!

dslr? and how did you get the timing on the sun?


Hi glasater!

I like d'em apples!

Long time no see.


LESS THAN ONE MINUTE! Don't turn your smartphone on! NBC: All Visitors to Sochi Olympics Immediately Hacked



Thanks rich and daddy. I believe that photo was taken with my Nikon D3 full frame and a 14-22mm f2.8 lens. Depth of field is great even when right on top of the subject.
I was looking for that starburst twinkle through a teeny hole in the branches and leaves but couldn't really see it until I downloaded it to the computer.

I had a little twitter exchange with Mr Bernstein after one of his semi regular appearances on Kudlow awhile back. I believe in calling these people on the statements they make on air and some do respond.

Happy you liked this picture :-)

Stephanie VIP shhhhh its fight club

The floors are done, beasts. YEA!

The quarter round is in and painted and the master bath got painted tonight.

Quick trip to Island View in Gulfport tomorrow til Sunday.

We come back to pulling up the floor in the master bath and tiling it, painting the moulding in the master bath, retiling around the Jacuzzi in the master bath and pulling a line of tile in the shower and retiling it with glass tiles to match the new tile around the Jacuzzi and then I'm gonna make new vanity doors, restain the vanities and put new marble countertops on them with new faucets and new lights and build a linen cabinet to replace the knee hole make-up space between the vanities that's worthless space now. Then I get to sew all the window treatments in the 3 bedrooms and the master bath.

Then I get to go back to actual work.

The master bedroom is gonna be painted and refloored at night after work. Then the hallway is gonna be recarpeted and I'm gonna make new treads for the stairs to replace the carpet on them now.

Then it's spring and we're gonna expand the deck.

I love to remodel and do most of the work with my husband.


>>>More than half of all Chinese multimillionaires have either left or plan to emigrate, according to surveys. Countries around the world are lining up to attract them, creating a growing business and economy around selling them residency.<<<


I think I figured out why FOX's Red Eye Show with Greg Gutfeld has had such improved ratings lately.

Gutfeld dumped this regular panelist
and replaced him with Miss New York 2013

Nice move Greg!

Stephanie VIP shhhhh its fight club

Lovely pic, glasater.

My eyesight has gotten so whacky I can't tell if a pic is in focus. Lots of deletes. :( damned astigmatism.

I envy you.


Cross post--Looking for permission from Stephanie and Holly--

It appears David M doesn't have a basic grasp of math, and not a clue as to how insurance companies operate if he doesn't intrinsically comprehend that it is impossible to increase coverage and include
all comers without increasing costs.

I suggest we abandon any hope of educating him.

Holly, may I post your 12:27 post anonymously on an MD site I frequent? Incredible illustration of how people who vote on their teenage emotions-- "Everyone deserves health care"-- end up causing enormous harm.

Stephanie, I'd like to use yours too, about your husband's inability to find a PCP who takes Medicare.

I'd say "from unintended consequences," but I have come to believe that all that is happening was the intended consequence of this government takeover of 16% of the economy.

More accurate would be "the consequences of their ignorance."


Actor Patrick Macnee of the Avengers is 92 years old today. HB, Patrick.


Steph, the Dave M brigade here think it is racist to require exchange navigators to pass insurance exams. You would think the CFPB would be going nuts protecting consumers from these fraudsters, nut they are too busy losing on Jeopardy.

Stephanie VIP shhhhh its fight club

No problem anonamom post away. It's frustrating that you can't get a doctor who wants to treat you to treat you because the damn government won't pay the doc a "living wage" to treat Medicare patients.

Jack is Back! (But in Typhus Hell)

Forget the doorknobs, or lack of them, no flushing toliets, no light bulbs.

Now, No Chobani Yoghurt for you Americansi

This going to end up being the Marx Brothers Olympics directed by Mack Sennett and starring W. C. Fields.


Well look at this. Apparently there is another Obamacare fan in the US besides David M.


Guess that makes 2.


The distinction to this argument today is that ObamaDoesn’tCare in fact doesn’t force employers to not employ these 2 to 2.5 million people but that these people will see that it is to their advantage not to work additional hours and will cut themselves off.
Wow! The government has create as disincentive to work, to be more productive, to remain in your station, to create more income inequality.
If that isn’t the ultimate argument against upward mobility, there just isn’t one out there.

Miss Marple

pagar, The Treasury is already in the hole paying for the care of that grad student's burns.

Miss Marple


What is going to happen is that the smarter and more industrious of the poor are going to be working off the books and not reporting it.

Over the last year I have had guys come by in trucks wanting to sell me firewood, guys who want to trim my trees and bushes, guys who want to shovel my walk and drive. Al of these have been adult men, not schoolboys or college kids.

I would bet there are also women who clean houses, babysit, and take in ironing for cash. My sister's neighbor cleans houses on weekends. I also bet that come spring the garage sales will be much more numerous.

None of this income will be reported or taxed. And I frankly do not blame these people one bit.


Our practice was bought by Eastern Maine Medical,the behemoth in central and eastern Maine. Last week,hubby had a nasty cold,he called the practice Friday and they said go to walk-in care,also owned by EMMC. Hubby told the PA,don't give me antibiotics(Crohn's disease). The PA said well,I'll give you a prescription anyway. Saturday evening,while preparing supper,he sliced his finger while dicing onions,a deep cut.So,back to urgent care,where he joked with the PA,I'm back! We have insurance and can also write a check.But,if we can't get into the doctor,what difference,at this point,does it make? The choices will become more limited as the doctors narrow their practices.

Miss Marple

Marlene, I am so sympathetic. When I signed up for Medicare last full my insurance agent and I discussed whether to get a supplement or Medicare Advantage. I opted for a supplement at the highest level, called Plan F, which guarantees payment even for charges Medicare calls "exhorbitant." I figure MAYBE a doctor will see me if they think they will get more money than just a regular Medicare patient.

I don't know how well this will work. I have to go to my doc in March for my annual BP prescription, so we will see.


"Gutfeld dumped this regular panelist"

That's right - I've seen RedEye twice lately and he hasn't been on. I wonder what happened. What's his name, anyway?

I've been trying to stay awake to see the last few nights of Leno. I think tonite may be his last.


When running a con;



There are five lights;


Captain Hate

Are you people done arguing with that ignorant troll? If so, here's something that Rupert's Gazette has provided a good forum for (not sure if the firewall will make it problematic): http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303442704579360763037116186?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303442704579360763037116186.html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

I saw these guys well before this was written at Ritchie Coliseum in Maryland and everything he writes is very accurate. A few years ago a buddy of mine called me up to see if I wanted to go see a reunion tour of theirs. Ordinarily I'm immune to the charm of such boomer nostalgia garbage but I was in on this. It was fun and I was glad I went but something was still missing from the original experience. Btw, Peter Wolf has done a number of solo albums which got cut out almost immediately but they're all very good examples of solid R&B and rock.


Lot of tragic deaths for that warehouse fire in Argentina. Thanks for the link, narciso.


Well the distinction between a troll and trainee at Carlos Slim's is exeedingly narroe;

take that Op Ed, on the contraceptive mandate,
which relies on a law professor's insight, who doesnt care about the constitution,


Maybe TM can take a crack at this;


Miss Marple

pagar, do we know who the nine deaths were? I am still thinking of the 3 banker "suicides."


First responders, trying to put out the fire,
per the Post

Miss Marple

narciso, thanks.

Captain Hate

narc, got a link for an earlier op-ed where those Consitutional experts weighed in on the mooooooooooooooslims getting a blanket exemption from 404Care? I'm sure their outrage hit eleventy.


Pagina 12, one of the left wing papers over there, has covered the story rather comprehensively, this one is about one of the first responder;


Miss Marple

Captain Hate, That blanket exemption for Muslims just absolutely enrages me, given how Christians are being treated.

I don't get to write op-eds, however.

Danube on iPad

"Hasn't Monckton been outed as a loon?"

Absolutely. He outed himself with his probabilistic "analysis" of the forged pdf, which put him in the same league as Leo Donofrio (now Dark Knight Oracle) and Orly Taitz.


Muslim Exemption? is there a link describing that? That sort of sbuse will lead to unwinding exemptiions under this 'tax law'. Remember 5 members of the SCOTUS ruled there was no power under the commerce clause to impose the indivdual mandate.


The firm, Iron Mountain, suffered similar damages in Aprillia, Italy in 2011, London and Ottawa in 2008, and anther instance in a New Jersey subsidiary,

Jeff Dobbs



Happy birthday, JiB, the particular passage relates to section 1402 of the internal reveneue code, which focuses on the Amish,
the Hutterites and other such sects, hence
Janet's riff on the subject, that she was going to become an Amish evangelical,

Captain Hate




So, hit your fave gal, Granholm's Pac, will sit out the midterms, so she save up the rants for 2016.


JiB-- Happy and healthy birthday to you Big Guy.

Centralcal on iPad

Good morning. Are we actually troll free for awhile? Yay!

A very happy birthday wish to you, Jack.



cc: don't ring the bell.


Happy Birthday, JiB !


Today's WSJ lead story: its insurers fault that you can't see your doctor, regulators blame them for following regulations. (I guess that's why they get a bailout).


Happy Birthday Jack!


JiB all the best!

Hmmm...Who will Caudillo Fernandez blame? The International Banking Conspiracy? The US?

As to our troll last night, I have come to the conclusion that the criminal conspiracy known as the Obama administration has hired part time OFA activists to muddy the waters any way they can in light of one devastating report after another.

"If you want your plan, you can keep your plan" has morphed into "nanananana I can't hear you". And the ratfink at the top simply prevaricates further every time he is asked to explain his complete dishonesty.

Now Issa says he has e mails between Lerner and others indicating a back door, off the books set of policies to codify harassment of conservative groups.

Since we also have the case of Lisa Jackson/Richard Windsor and others, it may be a sign that the senior apparatchiks established a policy from the outset of KGB style deception. This would be a criminal conspiracy if it can be proven.

This should be red meat for investigative reporters. It goes right to the heart of government transparency.400+ visits by the IRS Counsel to the WH and no records of what was discussed? Capone and Luciano were not this good.


But a bailout doesn't solve the problem of administrative malfeasance;


Miss Marple

NK, I have been looking for a link for you. Here is what I found out.

There are nine religious groups which are exempt from Social Security and medicare. Members of these groups have to fill out a form and get their religious leader or official to sign it. 3 copies get submitted to Social Security and IRS. You have to swear that you will not attempt to get any benefits.

In every single writing I have seen from insurance companies, they use Mennonites and Amish as the example. The religious group has to have a tenet prohibiting the use of insurance.

There are nine such religious groups, but nowhere can I find a list which lists them all, just the typical "such as the Amish."

Seems to me that the information on this is being deliberately obfuscated. I would like to know who all 9 groups are, and wouldn't be surprised to find out that not only Muslims but Scientologists are on it.

Captain Hate

(I guess that's why they get a bailout)

Let us use you as a pinata for this garbage POS legislation, which none of us read, and we'll make you whole financially.


Meanwhile the Cloud City i mean GM deal, just gets better and better.


Schaden, meet Freude. NYT profits down another 50%. LUN.


this is what I meant;


too bad they couldn't get Fiat to buy them out,


Ah, they are hiring nutrooters now;


Jack is Back! (But in Typhus Hell)

More on those Argentine fire-fighters who died at the Iron Mountain fire from the BA Hearld

Most likely protected by a Halon system which protects documents whle quenching a fire. Usually computer controlled so hacking it is a strong possibility. Kirchner would have those resources. If true she and her Peronistas have blood on their hands. Wouldn't put it past her or her ilk.


And here's the Bloomberg News take on the death throes of the NYT. The Sultzbergers even have the temerity to pay a dividend again to themselves (last graph) albeit at 1/6th the rate they paid themselves in 2008. Last licks before they have to sellout cheap to Carlos Slim. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-06/new-york-times-fourth-quarter-profit-declines-on-lower-ad-sales.html

Miss Marple

Report on Sochi Olympics accomodations trouble was on Fox radio news last night, but the Fox reporter at Sochi said their accomodations were just fine. LOL!

I will be watching the opening ceremonies tomorrow night in the hopes that Bob Costas gets arrested and deported.

Stephanie VIP shhhhh its fight club

Happy birthday, JiB!

There is actual Olympic competition starting today/night prime time - coverage begins at 8.

Y'all have fun while I'm gone. Just don't bloody the trolls too much. Soros only employs them for 28 hours a week to avoid obamacare mandates doncha know.


My fishwrap doesn't bother with this story, it outsources to the industry newsletter and big ACA proponent;



He really is trying to lose in the worst way;



Here's the New York view of Lefty Daily Beast about Walker. Most importantly, Walker is in contact with NY area $$$, and even the Daily Beast has to recognize the effectiveness of Walker's 'pro Taxpayer NOT anti-union' position. If walker beats a woman -- a faux centrrist woman-- in November, I think he gets all of the McCain/RudyG/Christie $$$. He becomes a fusion TP/Establishment candidate. As you know, I believe that is the best bet for 2016. http://news.yahoo.com/scott-walker-answer-104500407--politics.html


From the prior thread.Looks like the entire front page section of today's WaPo is devoted to attacking the latest CBO projection.And the front page devotes a lot of pace to a Brazilian program where people are each granted $20/month to pursue cultural activities.


How do they not know what he took;



Happy Birthday, JIB.

I found it impossible to get my mother decent simple medical care in South Fla under the state's medicare advantage program in which she was enrolled. No good doctors on her program.

Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself

Happy Birthday, JiB! Lots of love to you!!

I think the journalists need to start embracing the charm of poverty. Curtains are falling down?...well in a lot of countries there aren't hardware stores on every corner & evil "big box" Home Depots to run to & get the small hook needed.

All the little manufactured items we take for granted are hard to get in lots of countries. Replacement parts, curtain hooks, door knobs,...
The most mundane things are hard to get.
When all of the journalist idiots tear apart America...they don't realize what a wonderful country America is.
They sit in squalor & moan & then work to bring the same thing here.


Sorry to hear that clarice,

Now since Thomas and Eisner, helped debunk the slur against Pope Pius on the German side, now they have to go with Duce appeaser,


Well this couldn't go wrong could it, wait it already has;


there was even a NCIS episode about it.


Slightly amusing that Republicans have been preaching against the dangers of job-lock for years.....now that a negro has introduced a plan to give 2.5 million Americans a way out of job-lock Republicans are pro job-lock.

How shall our counter campaign go this fall.....'the GOP wants you to work more hours'.

btw Tom.....you about the cherryiest picking mother sucker in the history of cherry pickers...

Jack is Back! (But in Typhus Hell)



the Bailout wars, they have begun;


JiB (On the 6th Ring of Typhus Hell)

Can't post. Changing name and email.

JiB (On the 6th Ring of Typhus Hell)

Thanks for all the greetings and wishes.

Jack is Back!

Thanks for all the greetings and wishes.


Happy Happy JiB! Minus 35 at our place on Flathead Lake. Texted the neighbor to check the heat and pipes. Suggested using hairspray to deplete the ozone layer to warm things up. ;-D!

James D.

Happy birthday, JiB! And many more!


Today's Soros' Dancing Chimp. Heh, they got nuthin', except vulgarities, racial ones at that. Love it.

TomM, I do note that you sre being disingenuous about the Dems' plan to pay the wages of Prog parasites sitting on their asses and doing nothing, VOILA Hollande's 75% tax rate. There will be fewer Americans working, but they will be paying FAR moar taxes.

Thomas Collins

Happy Birthday, JiB! I guess the other Jack is back, too!



they take an Andrew Jackson attitude toward the court;


Jack is Back!


When Mrs. JiB returned from her DC meetings, she brought Frederick a Redskins RGIII jersey and a NCIS Washington T-shirt. Which one do you think he wants to wear all the time? Its his favorite TV show but only the reruns on TBS or TNT - don't which one since she and he watch it while I read:)

Miss Marple

narciso, When I was in Rome the cab driver we had (youngish guy in mid-30's) took us by the building where Mussolini used to make his speeches.

His opinion was that Mussolini made the pact with Hitler to avoid being conquered by the Germans. "That didn't work out so well," said the cabbie.


How many people on this planet have the name "Universal Allah"? At least one, the grandson* of Rep Gwen Moore. This one got busted for stealing a Stradivarius from the Milwaukee Symphony's First Violin.

*could be a grand-nephew or something. Don't know, don't care.


Happy Birthday JIB.

Cleta Mitchell is knocking it out of the park at the IRS hearings - and I think Obama screwed himself with his "nothing to see here" remarks to O'Reilly.

Then again, the media will yawn.


Universal Allah?

If Obama had a god he would like...


Happy Birthday JiB!


Probably so, Miss Marple, but that isn't the template they are going for:


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