Roy is back; Roy is right

Roy Lofquist has left a new comment on your post "James --- you are right --- but WRONG": Dear Ben,I have been told all of my life that deficit spending would be the death of us. I'm 64 and things have just gotten better and better. "The Good News is the Bad News is all Wrong". At least we no longer have the perennial debate about the cost of a first class stamp. (I know that that will befuddle many of your younger readers.)I have developed a fine sense of smell about politicians. If you have heard more than half of their statements many times before from others then they are lifeless political machines.I despair at the current crop of candidates. There are only two, Rudy and Mitt, who seem original in any sense. But then we haven't realy heard from them that much.These are perilous times. We were lucky to get GWB. I hope we are lucky the next time.Regards,Roy

Ben's response:

Roy,

Add John McCain and Joe Lieberman to your (deservedly) short list. The BS never stops does it?

Pic: Huge mound of BS

Here we go again ...

Check out Nothing clean or bright in Biden's '08 opener - Nation/Politics - T

Here we go again ... as an election campaign starts up every single word a major candidate makes is scrutinized, including whether he/she had oatmeal or eggs-over-easy for breakfast.

Joe Biden is an acquired taste --- but would probably make a pretty President.

I came to know him when I was on several presidential commissions tasked with expanding the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty "surrogate broadcasting" to the Asian nations that allow little freedom of expression.

Biden was a powerful force behind that --- and deserves credit.

Pic of Biden in full throat.

Dear Ben,

The revised figures for the last quarter show a 3.5% annual growth rate. If this keeps up in 20 years the economy will be twice as large (actually 1.98..).

If technology continues apace (lower income people today live better than the rich of 50 years ago) then the foretold horrors of Social Security and Medicare will fade into the sunset.

Regards,
Roy
Dear Ben,

The revised figures for the last quarter show a 3.5% annual growth rate. If this keeps up in 20 years the economy will be twice as large (actually 1.98..).

If technology continues apace (lower income people today live better than the rich of 50 years ago) then the foretold horrors of Social Security and Medicare will fade into the sunset.

Regards,
Roy
Dear Ben,

The revised figures for the last quarter show a 3.5% annual growth rate. If this keeps up in 20 years the economy will be twice as large (actually 1.98..).

If technology continues apace (lower income people today live better than the rich of 50 years ago) then the foretold horrors of Social Security and Medicare will fade into the sunset.

Regards,
Roy

:)?

What do you think of the emoticon below as a personal logo for Ben?

:)?

Would any ony one like to make a wager...

Would any ony one like to make a wager... regarding the course of the stock market this day? I bet a penny it will go up; would anyone like to wager a penny it will go down
:?)

Pic: Enlarge :?)

Iranian Lawmaker ...

Click here: FOXNews.com - Iranian Lawmaker Says Country Has Begun Installing 3,000 Centrifuges - International News | News of

Seems to me Iranian lawmaker is guiding his country to a nuclear disaster.

James --- you are right --- but WRONG

James, NY has left a new comment on your post "1/25/2007 07:42:00 AM": Surely you can't be serious Ben. 2006's federal budget deficit was actually more than $400 BILLION, with a B, dollars. That brought our total national debt to $8.6 TRILLION, with a T. The interest payments on that amount are $406 BILLION dollars for fiscal year 2006. We don't need to be adding any more debt to this $8.6 trillion total, Ben. That's the bottom line.

Ben's response:

Yes, James, that was the deficit in FY 2006. But we are already well into FY 2007 and the a healthy economy is yielding more tax revenues.

IAE >In Any Event < $.4 - $.5 B< is just about chump change in a $14 Trillion (ca.) economy.

Style

Purists, particularly conservative purists, moan and groan about how sloppy we have become.

Women in jeans? A bandanna from an American flag? Ragged pants with un-tied shoelaces?

My observation leads me to believe that most Americans dress with a great sense of (their own) style.

Even that very fat man whose belly is falling out of his falling out of his pants.

(Appropriate pix)

What next ???

I am told that there is now a device that will parallel-park a car.

That has been the bane of not-so-good drivers since the earliest days of automobiles.

(Pic here of Model T)

There were some recent stories about how the U.S. , particularly it's economy, was not functioning well.

Thus: Some great experts have opined that the U.S. couldn't come out of deficit until 2012, but only if the Bush tax cuts were dropped etc. etc.

But no one knows.

On a roughly $14 trillion economy a $1-200 billion deficit is --- chump change.

President Bush is right about that...

From the State of the Union Address...

A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy -- and that is what we have. We're now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth, in a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs -- so far. Unemployment is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move, and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government, but with more enterprise. (Applause.)

Ben's comment:

President Bush is right about that... and it is making me almost :'-) {>Happy crying}

President Bush is right about that...

From the State of the Union Address...

A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy -- and that is what we have. We're now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth, in a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs -- so far. Unemployment is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move, and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government, but with more enterprise. (Applause.)

Ben's comment:

President Bush is right about that... and it is making me almost :'-) {>Happy crying}

Pic: Typical investor almost :'-)

Uh, goodbye Europe...

Uh, goodbye Europe... you had a pretty good and pretty productive run.

Rest of world: Careful, you are not far behind.

The USA: If you think you are the super-power, multi-power, maxi-power, omni-power now --- you ain't seen nothing yet.

Pic Globe showing USA disproportionately large:

+++

See Below:

The developed world experienced a very visible decline in fertility rates in the post World War II period because of changes in the economics of parenthood, medical advances and various institutional factors.

• In the early 1970s according to the UN, only six of Europe’s 22 countries, specifically Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, had fertility rates below the population maintenance rate of 2.1 children per women. Today only Albania is at or above the population maintenance rate.
• According to Jean-Claude Chesnais, a French demographer, Italy and Spain have experienced the lowest fertility ever seen in the history of mankind.
• Today the population of Europe is declining in absolute terms. For instance, the Russian population is losing 800,000 people per year.

March 2002 is significant because that was the date that the UN Population Division recognized that –

1. The Total Fertility Rate (“TFR”) of the Less Developed Countries would emulate the more developed nations and fall below the 2.1 TFR replacement level.
2. The world population would decline in the latter part of the twenty-first century.

Ben Wattenberg, the moderator for the PBS program “Think Tank”, states “Never have birth and fertility rates fallen so far, so fast, so low, for so long, in so many places, so surprisingly.”

The developed world experienced a very visible decline in fertility rates in the post World War II period because of changes in the economics of parenthood, medical advances and various institutional factors.

• In the early 1970s according to the UN, only six of Europe’s 22 countries, specifically Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, had fertility rates below the population maintenance rate of 2.1 children per women. Today only Albania is at or above the population maintenance rate.
• According to Jean-Claude Chesnais, a French demographer, Italy and Spain have experienced the lowest fertility ever seen in the history of mankind.
• Today the population of Europe is declining in absolute terms. For instance, the Russian population is losing 800,000 people per year.

March 2002 is significant because that was the date that the UN Population Division recognized that –

1. The Total Fertility Rate (“TFR”) of the Less Developed Countries would emulate the more developed nations and fall below the 2.1 TFR replacement level.
2. The world population would decline in the latter part of the twenty-first century.

Ben Wattenberg, the moderator for the PBS program “Think Tank”, states “Never have birth and fertility rates fallen so far, so fast, so low, for so long, in so many places, so surprisingly.”

(>ahem...<)

First class

Click here: E. J. Dionne Jr. - How Obama Vs. Clinton Shapes Up - washingtonpost.com

E.J Dionne was a guest on Think Tank.

He is a little left-of-center.

I guess I am a little right of center.

He is a first class political writer.

Pic of EJD goes here

This is very interesting....

Monday, January 22, 2007

Is Hillary electable?

Cut through all of the media hoopla about Hillary Clinton’s weekend announcement that she is in the Democratic presidential race “to win,” and you quickly discover that she has some big obstacles to overcome that few in the news business want to acknowledge.

Such as the early caucuses and primaries where she is either running well behind her chief rivals for the nomination or is in a dead heat. The TV and newspaper smarty-pants pundits refer to her as the “frontrunner,” but nominations are not won on a national basis. Presidential candidates must win their party’s nomination state by state — and the New York senator is anything but a frontrunner in the first three or four contests that will take place in January of 2008.

Pic: nice picture of Sen. HRC with a mildly pronouced "Not" slash through it.

Who is he...

Click here: FOXNews.com - In Video, Al Qaeda No. 2 Al-Zawahiri Taunts President Bush's New Iraq Plan - International News | Ne

Who is he... to taunt the the most important man in the world, who is not hiding and murdering children?

(Picture of a --- rat.)

birth --- and death...

Priests, ministers and rabbis all say that the saddest funerals are of those who never had children. There are going to be many sad funerals coming up, in America and much more so in Europe, Japan --- and even in many Less Developed Countries.




http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/weekinreview/21zernike.html?em&ex=1169614800&en=b104feb86f0b5781&ei=5087%0A

Ideas & Trends
Why Are There So Many Single Americans?

By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: January 21, 2007
THE news that 51 percent of all women live without a spouse might be enough to make you invest in cat futures.

By Ron Barrett

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse January 16, 2007

George Clooney Commitment-phobic, but not a typical single man.
But consider, too, the flip side: about half of all men find themselves in the same situation. As the number of people marrying has dropped off in the last 45 years, the marriage rate has declined equally for men and for women.

The stereotype has been cemented in the popular culture: the hard-charging career girl who gets her comeuppance, either violently or dying a slow death by late-night memo and Chinese takeout. Think Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction” and Sigourney Weaver in “Working Girl,” two enduring icons. In last year’s model, Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” ends up single, if still singularly successful.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/weekinreview/21zernike.html?em&ex=1169614800&en=b104feb86f0b5781&ei=5087%0A

Ideas & Trends
Why Are There So Many Single Americans?

By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: January 21, 2007
THE news that 51 percent of all women live without a spouse might be enough to make you invest in cat futures.

By Ron Barrett

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse January 16, 2007

George Clooney Commitment-phobic, but not a typical single man.
But consider, too, the flip side: about half of all men find themselves in the same situation. As the number of people marrying has dropped off in the last 45 years, the marriage rate has declined equally for men and for women.

The stereotype has been cemented in the popular culture: the hard-charging career girl who gets her comeuppance, either violently or dying a slow death by late-night memo and Chinese takeout. Think Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction” and Sigourney Weaver in “Working Girl,” two enduring icons. In last year’s model, Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” ends up single, if still singularly successful.

Sock in the jaw

){

Movies routinely stage brawls, with bad guys punching good guys and good guys punching bad guys, with repeated socks to jaw.

Fact is a sock in the jaw will often lead to a broken jaw or a broken hand.

It is typically done by trick photography --- the clenched fist --- smacking the open palm of the puncher. (The hand is quicker than the eye.) The sound is put in later in post-production.

Pic: Enlarge ){ an emotican showing a sock in the jaw.

I - Max I - Never

I visted some of Washington DC's amazing museums,

The Museum of Natural History features an Imax movie.

It is astonishing, It seems as if a herd of a elephants is coming right at your head.


They are not.

I never saw anything like Imax.


>Pic of a herd of a elephants coming right at your head.<

If "wing-nut" conservatives...

Click here: Conservatives slam Bush policies - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

If you should ever be A Republican Presidet (of all the people) and if "wing-nut" conservatives... slam you ---

You are probably doing something right.

Insert pic of GWB on trail bike.

Alas, there was a moving smiley with this:

I was shopping at Wal-Mart and noticed a little old lady following me around.


I stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at me.


She finally overtook me at the checkout, and she turned to me and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that you look so much like my late son."

I answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Good bye, Mom,' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."

She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, I called out, "Goodbye, Mom."

The little old lady waved, and smiled back at me Pleased that I had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, I went to pay for my groceries.

"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk.


"How come so much!? I only bought 5 items.."

The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your Mother said you'd be paying for her things, too."



Don't trust little Old Ladies!!!

Did it show up?

Another powerful new langauge

Icon Meaning
:) Standard smile
:-) With nose
:-E Buck-tooth
>-) Evil grin
:( Sad or frown smile
:-( Sad with nose
:-< Super sad
(((H))) Hugs
:-X Kiss on the lips
`:-) One eyebrow raised
:^) A broken nose
:-& tongue tied
E-:-) a Ham radio operator
Icon Meaning
:-# With braces
:'-) Happy Crying
{:-) Toupee smile
;) Winking smile
;-) Winking smile with nose
O:-) I'm an angel (boy)
O*-) I'm an angel (girl)
|-O Yawn
(:-D Gossip, blabbermouth
@>--;-- Rose
=^.^= Cat
O.o Confused
C=:-) A chef
Icon Meaning
:-! "Foot in mouth"
:-D Laughter
:*) Drunk smile
:@ Exclamation "What???"
:-@ Scream
:-0 Yell
%-( Confused
:-----) Long nose (Liar!)
:-.) Madonna
:-($) Put your money where your mouth is
(:I An egghead
|-O Yawning

Illustration: All invited: Make some of these move --- in color

Note: There are supposed to be at least 50 emotions that can registed on the face of a human being. Inculding: Come hither, snarl, wink, smile, surprise, evil grin etc.

A dog has fewer, a bird fewer still, a snake --- none?

New Language --- Guess which one I like best

Abbreviation Meaning
N
n00b Newbie
N1 Nice one
NBD No big deal
NE Any
NE1 Anyone
NFM None for me / Not for me
NIMBY Not in my back yard
NLT No later than
NM Nothing much / Never mind
NMH Not much here
NO1 No one
NOYB None of your business
NP No problem
NRN No response/reply necessary
NVM Never mind
NW No way
NW) No way out

O
OIC Oh, I see
OMG Oh my God
OMW On my way
OO Over and out
OOH Out of here
OOTD One of these days
OP On phone
OTB Off to bed
OTL Out to lunch
OTOH On the other hand
OTT Over the top
OTTOMH Off the top of my head
OTW Off to work
OVA Over

P
PCM Please call me
PDQ Pretty darn quick
PLMK Please let me know
PLS Please
PLZ Please
PM Private Message
PMFI Pardon me for interrupting
PMFJI Pardon me for jumping in
POAHF Put on a happy face
POS Parent over shoulder
PPL People
PROLLY Probably
PRT Party
PRW People/parents are watching
PTL Praise the Lord
PTMM Please tell me more
PXT Please explain that
PU That stinks!

Q
Q Queue
QIK Quick
QT Cutie

R
RL Real life
RME Rolling my eyes
ROFL Rolling on floor laughing (That's what the one four places down has me doing.)
ROTFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLUTS Rolling on the floor laughing unable to speak
RSN Real soon now
RTFM Read the f***ing manual (! ! ! :))
RUOK Are you okay?

{No need to illustrate. SFI >Speaks For Itself<

Aach --- again --- Aach --- wise again :)

Some thoughts on your thoughts:

The aging workforce comment was not meant to indicate that older individuals can't do the work on an individual level - but that a lot of nuclear workers retire and take their years of accumulated experience with them when they do. The work just isn't fulfilling enough for most to keep doing it when they could be fishing instead. There's a pressure/burnout factor as well.

Regarding cookie-cutter plants - in general this is a good idea, though you want several models so that one design flaw doesn't shut everything down.

I would propose that it's not saddling nuclear power with regulations that has made it a less-popular career choice - - it is the long-standing public perceptions about the industry that keep students from even giving it even a glance. Also, as with most power plants, the nuclear ones tend not to be in glamorous locations, and working conditions can sometimes be more akin to a construction site than a nice office. Long hours and sometimes less than competitive pay can also play a part. (In fact, the whole utility industry is struggling with aging workforce issues and attracting enough new employees to replace retirees.)

Regulations do, of course, play a part in the costs associated with nuclear, and these expenses are ultimately mandated by the public via their government. These required costs are often in stark contrast to the public's parallel expectation for cheap, reliable electricity and the frequent lack of understanding about the realistic options for producing this commodity in the vast quantities that are desired.

--
Posted by James Aach to Wattenblog at 1/19/2007 03:34:40 PM

Pic: Nuclear Mushoom Cloud with a red slash over it. Regular nuclear power has been is the safest energy source in history. No one died at Three Mile Island.

Manny Muravchik and Josh Muravchik reveal some of the greatness of America. Instead of the younger generation automatically being more "liberal" than their parents, a full dose of freedom allows people to go where their heat takes them.

We all benefit from this.

But what about...

Completely off topic, but I found the following energy comparison to be very interesting, and thought you might as well: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jan07/4820 It has a link to a nice graphic.

To summarize it: To obtain the same amount of energy that the world extracts from oil in a SINGLE year, you'd need to run one of the following for FIFTY years: 104 large coal-burning plants, 52 commercial nuclear reactors, over 32,000 large wind turbines, or over 91 million home-sized solar panel setups.

Ben's comment:

That is amazing.

But nuclear power is virtually unlimited isn't it?

Picture of lots of nuclear reactors.

Hmnn...

http://www.heritage.org/index/topten.cfm

Hmnn... 8 of the top 10 are English-speaking, the offspring of Adam Smith, John Locke etc.

Not an accident.

New language ... + pic

Below is a very small piece of a very new very extensive new language.

Thank you, Binyamin Joelkovsky, of the wonderful site/blog Jewish World Review and (SOMETHING Mavens.)

ISTQR (Isn't That Quite Remarkable)


B/F Boyfriend
B4 Before
B4N Bye for now
BAK Back at keyboard
BAU Business as usual
BB Be back
BBIAF Be back in a few
BBIAM Be back in a minute
BBIAS Be back in a sec
BBL Be back later
BBS Be back soon

Pic: Illustrate with jacket of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. CWY (Copesetic With You?)Brandon

That's true... and one of the villains is ...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Solution to The Birth Dearth ???":

The Louise Brown solution is not part of the solution to the Birth Dearth, and here's why: "test tube" fertilization is only useful for women who can't have children. The vast majority of child-bearing age women are fertile and should have no need to avail themselves of this technology. The reason why fertility rates are plummeting has a lot to do with the fact that more and more women simply do not want children, or are delaying their first pregnancies until much later in life and are having fewer children as a result.

As for baby farming, well, it certainly would be a way to create large numbers of babies, but who would raise them? The state? That's a prescription for disaster, not a solution. People have to not only want to have children, but they have to have the desire to raise them, to keep societies around the globe from "going out of business."

Baby farming and test tube babies are only a solution for Aldus Huxley's "Brave New World." I don't think we're anywhere near that point, nor would we want that to be our "solution."

Ben's comment:

That's true... and one of the villains is ... TELEVISION.

There is hardly a spot on earth where most people do not have access to television (often in a communal setting.) IIHTB (It It Is Hard To Believe) but given a choice between sex and/or reproduction --- or other entertainment --- many people choose other entertainment.

Actually, not so hard to believe. You don't have to educate, clothe, feed and house a television.

Pics of: ???

If I were that erudite...

Honey is kosher because it is not excreted from a bee or produced inside the bee. Honey is actually produced outside the body of the bee and therefore not the "product of" a non-kosher animal, like pig's milk would be, for example.


If I were that erudite... I wouldn't be "annonymous."

Let's hear it for...

Reach for Dark Chocolate!
Here's a good reason to treat yourself to a little taste of dark chocolate now and then — it's good for your heart! Dark chocolate may protect your arteries from hardening, according to a new study conducted at the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.

Let's hear it for... medical researchers.

(Insert yummy pic of chocolate)

I met a Jewish Doctor

I met a Jewish Doctor from a small town in Virginia.

He lives in a rural setting on 120 acres.

Each of three children has a "job."

One child raises vegetables.

One child tends chickens.

And one child, Rachel, makes honey --- called "Rachel's Honey."

He told me that honey is the only food product coming from an insect --- that is kosher.

Why? I assume because it is so healthy.

(Insert picture of a big bee.)

They shout...

Click here: Matinee Idol Takes Center Stage - washingtonpost.com

They shout... "M.V.P, M.V.P" each time Gilbert hits a long three.

He is a most remarkable player --- a hoop dream.

He was just 25 --- he has the potential to be up there with Michael --- with a less abrasive persoanlity.

Solution to The Birth Dearth ???

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,243705,00.html

With birth and fertility rates plummeting to below-replacement levels --- around the world --- the Louise Brown solution, coupled with "baby farming" may be the only way to keep from (almost) "going out of business."

(Pic of one baby carriage in a crowded street.)

The other one is not...

The link to whatever article you're referring to about the female secretaries of state is missing. I assume you're referring to Condoleeza Rice, but who is the second Secretary of State? We've only had two, Rice and Albright.

The other one is not... Ms Albright but the foreign minister of Israel.

(Show pix of Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister whose name is WHAT?

Who would have thought it ?

Click here: Rice traverses Middle East for Iraq plan - World - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Who would have thought it ?

Two relatively young, relatively attractive Secretaries of State, more-than-competent --- are women.

Wouldn't have happened --- even 15 years ago.

Real progrss.

Pix of 2 SofSs from WashTimes.

Speaks for itself --- no pix

G.O.P. pols probably do the same, but they do not intensely preach the opposite. Is this hypocrisy? Comments invited.


This special NewsMax report reveals:

California Democrat Nancy Pelosi receives large-scale financial support from organized labor – while she and her husband own a vineyard and stakes in a hotel and a restaurant chain that are all non-union shops.
“Environmentalist” Pelosi also has a stake in a posh country club that skirted environmental protection provisions.
Ted Kennedy fights for the estate tax and rails against tax shelters – while benefiting from trusts and private foundations that have shielded most of his family’s fortune from the IRS.
The deeply personal reason why Kennedy opposed a plan to provide clean alternative energy to Cape Cod.
Robert Kennedy Jr. proclaims that it’s not moral to profit from natural resources, but receives an annual check from his family’s oil profits.
Al Franken attacks conservatives because they “lack diversity,” yet less than 1 percent of the employees he has hired over the past 15 years were African-American.
Socialist radical Noam Chomsky charges that the Pentagon is the “most hideous institution on earth” – while being paid millions by the Pentagon over the last 40 years.
Ralph Nader says unions are essential to protect worker rights – but fired his employees when they tried to form a union.
Barbra Streisand urges Americans to cut back on their conspicuous consumption – while spending $22,000 a year to water her lawn.
Billionaire George Soros maintains that the wealthy should pay higher tax rates, but holds the bulk of his fortune in tax-free overseas accounts.
Hillary Clinton says 13-year-old girls are capable of deciding to have abortions without parental consent – but prevented her 13-year-old daughter from getting her ears pierced.
Why Schweizer – who spent two years researching liberal hypocrisy – calls his discoveries “stunning.”

Klan ? Opaque ??

Click here: Robert Byrd Third in Line for Presidency

Yes, Robert Byrd was former Klansman. But while the Klan was evil, all the people in it were not. I interviewed people in Indiana --- where the Klan was the strongest --- not in the Deep South --- and some people though of it as a social club.

Innocently, they invited Jewish merchants to join them at a cross-burning picnic
(!!!)

{Pic of Bob Byrd and/or a placid picnic and/or a cross-burning.}

Jimmy Carter from bad to worse.

Click here: Carter Center Advisers Quit to Protest Book - New York Times

Jimmy Carter, an ex-President of the U.S., was not a very good President. He holds a novel distinction among bad ex=Presidnets Presidents: He has been worse as an ex-President.

In 1984, ex-Pres Carter was a keynote speaker at the Young Presidents Association plenary meeting in Melbourne, Australia. There were two others, and a fourth, me.

The over-whelming majority of the YPO members were Americans.

In his remarks ex-President Carter ("former-President" is the title used for Presidents who were not beaten) said: "The Soviet Union has has never lied to us."

There was a stunned silence.

Then patriotic Americans boo-ed their ex-President on foreign soil.

I never thought I'd see it or hear it.

(Pic: Carter of the goofy grin.)

ML King-Vietnam-Iraq-CKing

(Washington Post)

From Dr. King, a Reminder on Iraq

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, January 13, 2007; Page A19

Forty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom the nation will honor on Monday, took to the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York City at a meeting organized by Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam. The date was April 4, 1967, one year before his assassination in Memphis.

King said he was in New York because his conscience had left him no choice. In his speech, "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence," King declared: "That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam."

Ben's response:

How is Iraq different from Vietnam? Let me count (some) ways:

1) There are no American draftees in Iraq --- zip

2) There are no super-powers backing Iraq. In Vietnam there were two: The (late, not-vey lamented ) USSR and "Red" China.

3) Many American GIs are volunteering to serve 2-3-4 tours, even some who have been injured. Blogs published by American GIs in Iraq complain that the press is giving an unfair portrait of the war.

4) The North Vietnamese had great international support, even among many of America's (putative) allies. Saddam's Iraq had none --- zip.

(Pic OK: Grunts in Vietnam; grunts in Iraq)

Test

Test (no pic)

Sez what ? Test

Click here: USATODAY.com

GRF

Click here: FOXNews.com - Former President Ford Called Carter Presidency a 'Disaster', Reagan's Cold War Impact Overrated - Po

GRF wasn't right about everything, but he was right about ex-President Carter.

more blah

more blah do not illustrate

blah

blah

Why ???

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Iraqi "resentment"":

Wait a minute, I thought the reason we were in Iraq was because the U.S., and the world, were facing a mortal threat from Islamic terrorism. If the U.S. and the world "would survive" if America pulled out its troops from Iraq, then why are we even there?Wait a minute, I thought the reason we were in Iraq was because the U.S., and the world, were facing a mortal threat from Islamic terrorism. If the U.S. and the world "would survive" if America pulled out its troops from Iraq, then why are we even there?

Ben's response:

Why ???

Because since the 1620s and Rev John Winthrop's stating boldly that America should be "a city on the hill" and "a light unto the nations" America has been defending liberty when it has been threatened and extending freedom --- usually non-coercively.

It has been an on-and-off-policy. "Isolationism" was not always a bad word.

There have some dumb American moves; the invasion of The Phillipines was one such.

In Iraq, Saddam Hussein used "weapons of mass destruction" (poison gas is officially categorized as one such WMD) on his own people. He told his subalterns to re-start the nuclear weapons program (we have that on tape.)

He tried to assainate an American President. He gave bonuses to Palestinian "martyrs"who put bombs in Arab babies to kill Israeli babies.

A recent poll --- not by Bushies --- showed that 70% of Iraqis favor a secular democracy.

Unlike any recent war the entire American force is composed of volunteers. Many of them have re-enlisted three or four times --- even after wounds.

They write blogs that say the press is sensationalizing the war.

The current much-publicized argument between the Iraqi government and the US government will almost surely blow over.

(Insert pix of dead Kurds and Iraqi women waving their purple fingers in the air signifying that they braved danger --- to vote.)

Each year, at least once...

Each year, at least once, I say or write something that turns out not to be correct.

Take today. At three minutes before the Opening Bell, I noted that the markets would likely fall in advance of the loon three-day weekend. They didn't. They up solidly.

Hooray

Iraqi "resentment"

Iraqi resentment

I am a hawk, but if the Iraqis really resent our presence --- we could always leave. The U.S. would survive. The world would survive.


Would Iraq?

Good question.

I suspect that if the situation were put that way to the Iraqis --- they would stop resenting the U.S. --- and invite them in for dinner.

Derring do ...

The economy is doing swell. The markets are doing well. But just four minutes before they open --- I predict --- that they won't do so well.

The three-day weekend coming up gets investors --- particularly speculators --- quite nervous. They tend to sell.

I can't imagine that Dr. King would want to have inconvenienced people.

Word games ... dynamite

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"


-------------------------------------------
Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
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The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
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Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.


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Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
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Coca-Cola was originally green.


-------------------------------------------
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
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The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
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The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)
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The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
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The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400
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The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000
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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
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The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
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The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
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If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
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Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
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Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand
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Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
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Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------------
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
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It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
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In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."
It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty
uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The
phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the
ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
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YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2007 when...
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.
Go on, forward this to your friends. You know you want to!

Dolphins --- and --- penguins

The picture is an incredible one --- showing dolphins at play.

I recently saw the March of the Penguins --- perhaps even more incredible.

All the DVDs are turning me into quite a naturalist. Next thing you know, I'll be an environmentalist --- a greenie tree-hugger !!!

Sooner or later ...

Click here: Oil Falls to $53 as U.S. Fuel Stocks Rise - New York Times

Sooner or later, markets work.

Sooner or later, the only real resource --- renewable --- kicks in. It is the mind of man.

Three hundred or-so years ago, coal was a rock. A hundred and fifty or-so years ago oil was black gunk that fouled the pleasant streams of Pennsylvania. Seventy or-so years ago uranium was a rock.

This has been understood by many, but no one put a name on it as well as the late Julian Simon in his magum opus The Ultimate Resource

(Pic of Julian Simon goes here)

Speaks for itself.

Ben,

I'm happy to report "Rad Decision: A Novel of Nuclear Power" is now available at the major online retailers.

Hopefully you've already received the preview copy, and the bullet points (sent separately).

Rad Decision also remains free online for the time being at RadDecision.blogspot.com. (To keep the cost down, I'm currently taking no royalties from the printed edition anyway.)

Regards, Jim Aach

That is for new-born babies !!!

This in an incredible datum. It is for "life expectancy at birth." It would mean ,roughly,that a person aged,say, 60, could expect to live to about age 85.


Check out the new edition of the "Statistical Abstract of the United States," one of the great books of the world.

Dow --- no picture...

The markets gained smartly on Wednesday Jan. 10.

Looks like a good 2007 --- perhaps very good.

Never (hardly ever) sell America short.

Now that a picture-making capacity has been established by Ben (actually, by his vast tech support troops) --- pictures will not be used promisculously.

(But they are such fun !!! Blogpals, what do you think?)

The old car ++

I now see the point you are trying to make. But I think this "making money by borrowing" idea only works if you look at it a certain way. Sure, if you have $20,000 free to invest in the market because you took out a car loan, you could make money under the right circumstance. But, looking at it from another perspective, if you kept the old car for a few more years, or just decided to stop owning a car and use the subway, you could have made even more money. If the car loan's APR was 3.9%, and you made 5.9% on the liquid $20,000 you invested, that's 2% profit. But if you didn't take out the loan at all, and invested that same $20,000 and made the same 5.9%, you'd have a 5.9% profit.



Ben's response:

The old car was a total lemon from Day # 1.

I am not wealthy, but I feel I do need the personal mobility of my own vehicle.

You are correct, in one sense , about the investment strategy you sketch out. But a rule of big-time investors --- (like Big Time Ben) is to use "OPM" (Other People's Money.) Or put in this way: The going rate for a margin loan is about 9%. Ergo, this is a pretty good deal.

Do you like the pretty picture?

Let's see if I understand it...

Of course money is fungible, all things being equal. But that's not true about a car loan. The money the bank lends you to buy a car MUST be spent on a car, it can't be spent on something else. In fact, most banks go out of their way to make sure the loan funds get disbursed directly to the car dealer instead of some other shady person who will spend the money on something other than a car. In most cases you must also provide proof that you will properly insure the car in order to receive a bank loan to pay for it.

On the other hand, as you pointed out, Aunt Tillie can give you money if she chooses to grant you an unrestricted loan. In that case, the money IS fungible. You can invest in whatever you want with that money.

Bottom line, the only thing you can "invest" in with a car loan is a car. That's why it's called a "car" loan.

Ben's response.
Let's see if I understand it...I traded in a lemon and used it as a down payment. I am paying 3.9% interest on the roughly $20K balance. If I had put up the $20K I wouldn't have it liquid. If I have it liquid I can invest it. No one (including me) knows whether the $20K I invest "comes" from the loan or the myriad of other that pour freshets, streams, and mighty rivers of $$$ into Wattempire.

Ergo: I can invest it.

Correct? (You seem to know much more than I about the topic.)

Econ 101

Ben, I took it as a given that I would need to invest the money from the 3.9% interest loan into something that would yield more than a 3.9% return. What I don't follow about your idea of making money from a car loan is the "CAR" part. Last I checked, concerning car loans, the only thing a bank will allow you to invest in with that money is an automobile, which starts depreciating before you even drive it off the lot. I suppose if you got a lender to just give you the cash so you could invest it in something other than a car, then you could make money on that investment. But it wouldn't be a "car loan" anymore...

Ben's response:

Money is fungible. It doesn't really matter (I don't think) whether it comes from a car loan or in a 3.9% loan from your Aunt Tillie. If you can invest it at 4.9% or 5.9% you are well ahead of the game. Right?

Here's how:

You write that "with smooth economic sailing one should be able to make money with the money you borrow." But Ben, how can you make money off of a car loan?

Ben's response:

Here's how to make money on a 3.9% car loan: Invest the money so that it yields more than 3.9% counting interest,dividends, appreciation etc. which should not be too difficult if there is smooth economic sailing.

I bought a new car ...

I bought a new car recently.

Not wanting to seem ostentatious (moi?)I bought a Chevrolet Impala --- not quite top-of the line.

The financing is at 3.9%. With smooth economic sailing one should be able to make money
with the money you borrow.

The car --- Wat-Rocket VII --- warms my butt, starts before you enter it, and via "On-Star" puts me in touch with nice people from Toronto, Michigan and North Carolina (Go Tarheels! --- what is a Tarheel, anyway?)It even plays Bach and Sinatra.

This technologogy was not available 10-15 years ago in Rolls or a Cadillac.

Amazing.

Hats off to Courtland Carter at Chevy Chase Chevrolet.

Not for the first time...

U.S. News and World Report

Commentary

Measure for Measure

By Fouad Ajami

January 15, 2007

There was mayhem at the gallows, and there was justice at the gallows. Saddam Hussein had divided Iraqis and Arabs-and others-while he lived, and he was to do so again on the day of his execution. In the best of worlds, Saddam's executioners would have been "clinical" about the thing and subdued, and they would have given the event the dignity it deserved. But this was a despot who had cut a swath of terror through the land, and the prime minister who had come to power from the Shiite underground was determined to bring the matter of Saddam Hussein to a fitting end. It wasn't pretty, that spectacle of execution, and there should have been no cellphone video recording of the deed, but the truth at the heart of what played out in Saddam's old military intelligence headquarters was plain and simple justice and retribution. Men are not angels, and the dictator reaped what he had sown.

Not for the first time... and I trust not the last Fouad Ajami has it spot on.

Israeli nukes --- Dan sez click here

The Israeli's have announced that they are not preparing to nuke the Iranians who are threatening them.

Of course ! That's what they would say whether or not they were preparing to protect themselves.

One of the great miracles of our time has been that no nuclear weapon has been shot off in anger since 1945 --- more than 60 years ! No one could have predicted that.

Whatever...

Annoymous wrote in saying that the "Goldilocks" economyand the "Mama-Bear" economy were not the same.

There does seem to be a "soft landing" in sight -- the, uh, "just right" scenario.

Although not apparent on theis morning of 1/08/07.

Much to the consternation ...

Click here: For Arenas, 3 Letters Define His Play: MVP - washingtonpost.com

Much to the consternation ... of some of his early critics, Chief Justice Earl Warren said he used to read the sports pages first.

Me too; in hard copy, or, increasingly, on-line.

I bet the CJ would be rooting for Gilbert as MVP.

He deserves it.

I should hope so ...

Click here: Israel Plans Nuke Strike on Iran: Paper

Whether or not the Israeli's are making a contingency plan to attack Iraq, if necessary, is not the point. (I hope they are.)

But whatever the fact of the matter --- they should put out such a word.

Always keep your potential adversaries off balance and worried.

Is this the famous ...

Click here: Upward Bound, Just Not as Fast - washingtonpost.com

Is this the famous ... "Mama Bear" not-too-hot-not-too-cold soft-landing for the U.S economy?

If so , be in heaven --- buy in "07 !

To be sure...

Ben's response:

To be sure ... there are many "earmarks." Notice that Rep. Obey does not talk about all earmarks, just ones that he arbitrarily chooses.

We know that cost/benefit team has had some monumental screw-ups ( Katrina ) --- as well as some truly fine work.

Why can some folks not fathom that Congresspersons who may well have lived all their lives there --- can also make some good choices.

After all, if they make bad choices , and create dangerous situations right back at home, they might well face the wrath of the voters.



Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hmnn ... not really":

From the article: "Mr. Obey said Friday that over the last 12 years of Republican control the number of earmarks in the labor, health and education spending bill had risen to 3,000, from zero."

This vast increase in pet projects, like museums for teapots and the famous "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska, is what's at issue here. And if you think that earmarks aren't a problem, you aren't paying attention.

Hmnn ... not really

Click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/washington/06cong.html?hp&ex=1168059600&en=f5ce5eb1f11cda56&ei=5094&partner=home

Pork barrel ?

Not so often...

The (truly) remarkable U.S. Corps of Engineers did not figure Katrina right, did they?

Who could possibly think that a US Congressman, who has lived in the district all of her/his life, might know better than than U.S. Corps of Engineers and their cost/benefit ratios?

They often do.

Economy is producing lots of jobs...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/05/business/05cnd-jobs.html?


Economy is producing lots of new jobs --- probably more than all the other industrialized nations put together.

The famous picture of Charlie Chaplin ( on the left) shows modern man over-whelmed by technology.

Marty...

Marty ---

In living color.

A wonderful man. A wonderful American.

Seymour Martin Lipset ...

Seymour Martin Lipset died the other evening.

He was a brilliant and prolific sociologist, a great American, and a champion of freedom.

I was very proud to call him colleague.

RIP

This sounds partisan... Is it true?

The Democrats new promise "A New Direction For America - Vote Democratic"

The stock market is at a new all-time high and America 's 401K's are back.
A new direction from there means, what?

Unemployment is at 25 year low.
A new direction from there means, what?

Taxes are at 20 year lows.
A new direction from there means, what?

Federal tax revenues are at all-time highs.
A new direction from there means, what?

The Federal deficit is down almost 50%, just as predicted over last year.
A new direction from there means. what?

Home values are up significantly over the past 4-6 years.
A new direction from there means, what?

Inflation is in check, hovering at 20 year lows.
A new direction from there means, what?

Not a single terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11/01.
A new direction from there means, what?

Osama bin Laden is living under a rock in a dark cave, having not surfaced in years, if he's alive at all, while 95% of Al Qaeda's top dogs are either dead or in custody, cooperating with US Intel.
A new direction from there means, what?

Several major terrorist attacks already thwarted by US and British Intel, including the recent planned attack involving 10 Jumbo Jets being exploded in mid-air over major US cities in order to celebrate the anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks.
A new direction from there means, what?

Just as President Bush foretold us on a number of occasions, Iraq was to be made "ground zero" for the war on terrorism -- and just as President Bush said they would, terrorist cells from all over the region are arriving from the shadows of their hiding places and flooding into Iraq in order to get their faces blown off by US Marines rather than boarding planes and heading to the United States to wage war on us here.
A new direction from there means, what?


Now let me see, do I have this right? I can expect:

The economy to go south
Illegals to go north
Taxes to go up
Employment to go down
Terrorism to come in
Tax breaks to go out
Social Security to go away
Health Care to go the same way gas prices have gone

But what the heck !

I can gain comfort by knowing that Nancy P, Hillory C, John K, Edward K, Howard D, Harry R and Obama have worked hard to create a comprehensive National Security Plan, Health Care Plan, Immigration Reform Plan, Gay Rights Plan, Same Sex Marriage Plan, Abortion On Demand Plan, Tolerance of Everyone and Everything Plan, How to Return all Troops to the U.S. in The Next Six Months Plan, A Get Tough Plan, adapted from the French Plan by the same name and a How Everyone Can Become as Wealthy as We Are Plan. I forgot the No More Katrina Storm Plan.

Now I know why I feel good after the elections.
I am going to be able to sleep soooooo much better at nights knowing these dedicated politicians are thinking of me and my welfare.

Pass this good news along to all of your friends so they can feel better also.

Swallow Spring

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Dow Wow Pow":

Well, it looks like the big jump in the Dow you reported earlier today is almost totally gone. Do you still think today is an "augury for the year?" Or, is the Dow only "predictive" for you when it's going UP, Ben?

You should really wait till the close of the trading day before making such a serious prediction.

Ben's response:

One swallow does not make a Spring.

Anyway up a little is better than down a little.

Dow Wow Pow

Big jump in markets.

An augury for the year?

I think so.

The Global Warming Folks ...

Click here: Plains States Struggle to Dig Out - washingtonpost.com

The Global Warming Folks ... have their bets covered. They maintain that any change --- up or down --- proves their point.

Good start for the markets...

After --- wrong-headedly --- being closed on Tuesday --- President Ford would not have it that way --- the markets opened smartly as the New Year began.

The very last thing that...

The very last thing that President Gerald R. Ford would have wanted was to close down the Post Office and the Stock Market in a tribute to his life. He did not like to inconveniece people.

Accidental President? I think not. He was the Republican Minorty Leader in the Congress. He had actively considered a run for the Presidency in 1968.

Chuck, Wash DC writes:

I've lived in Washington for over 50 years and I don't think I've ever once heard anyone refer to it as the "Metroplex." Dallas-Fort Worth is often referred to as the "Metroplex," and I believe it is the only place in the country where people use that term.

Chuck,

I have live in DC for only 40 years --- but I hear it all the time.

(And I put a picture in my response.)

Clarke --- Clueless ??

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/29/AR2006122901238.html

Richard Clarke is sure that we will not prevail in Iraq.

How does he know that???

When I came here ...

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

Click here: Maryland biotech hit its stride in '06 - Business - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
The Washington DC area was regarded as a "sleepy southern town."

Now it is called the "Washington Metroplex."

I think it is the most important city in the world.

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

I don't usually buy what forecasters say...

Click here: Economy Poised For '07 Rebound, Forecasters Say - WSJ.com

I don't usually buy what forecasters say ... but as long as they agree with me I'll accept it.

Do nice guys finish last?

LUBBOCK, Texas — Bob Knight has long been the most ornery coach in men's basketball. Now he's got the most wins, too.

It is said that "nice guys finish last."

Maybe so.

But winners --- ornery or not --- have a passion for victory.

This is an interesting one...

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''

Click here: D.C. eateries set to snuff out smoking - Business - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

I used to smoke --- cigarettes, cigars, pipes.

Then --- on a dare I quit.

For several years I walked behind smokers to get a whiff.

Then the very smell of tobacco became repugnant to me.

My then-wife and I established a smoke-free home.

It stinks !!!

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''

The Difference between 'Realistically' and 'Potentially'

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then, ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course, I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great university!"

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh good heavens! I LOVE Brad Pitt and I would sleep with him in a heartbeat. Are you nuts?"

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million bucks would buy?"

The boy pondered the answers for awhile and then went back to his dad.

His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'"?

The boy replied: "Yes. 'Potentially' you and I are sitting on three million dollars, but 'realistically,' we're living with two hookers and a future Congressman.''