How could anyone vote for someone who murders wildlife as a hobby? Not really setting a good example is she.

Between McCain and his war record and this gun slinginging floosie, I expect bombing to begin right after the election. Just the kind of folk you want in power...

In other news, the Oz PM, Kevin Rudd, was crying in his morning coffee over Congress' refusal to pass the bailout bill.  Rudd believes the fallout from this decision will prompt Australian banks to hike up interest rates, thus placing greater stress on Oz home buyers... meaning for people who are renting, like me, rents will also rise.  While I could probably sustain a relatively small rent rise, there will be many who will not be able to... meaning the number of homeless will rise, while thousands of rental properties stand vacant.

It is a ridiculous situation!  If I were a property investor, I would like to see 'some' return for my outlay, even if it was below market value, just to keep the dollars ticking over to help reduce my debts.  However, the investors/agents won't do that... it's like they're holding out in the hope someone better off will come along.  Unfortunately, it has gone way beyond that... those who were slightly better off financially are also struggling because of high gas and food prices, etc, so it is becoming increasingly unlikely thareduced/t someone 'better off' will/can come along... thus the houses stand empty and the debts accumulate through higher interest on reduced and/or non-payment.

Yup, it truly is a sad, sad situation... and while the finacial sector is in strife, other industries (eg: building,  manufacturing and transport) will also suffer downturns in produvtivity/profits... then service industries like hotels, restaraunts and theatres will suffer because unemployment is up and nobody can afford to go to them.

It would be good if we could get back to basics: a fair day's work for a fair day's pay; equitable prices on goods and services; and keeping manufacturing/employment on-shore.  However, those with a vested interest in maximising profits and personal wealth would fight it tooth and nail, all the way to the bank.

Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran! Sing it with me now!

starkers, if its like it is here, if their rentals are vacant, they can write that off their taxes.  So they don't lose a thing.  The greed of people is whats to blame for things.  Not one party or the other.  Both are greedy and do things to enhance their stance.  They vote  for whatever is best for themselves.  Shame.

As a moderator, I guess I should say something to LW.  Hi LW.

Starkers is so right. I can't take it! Greed, stupidity and the worst administration in history!

Decent, hardworking people being screwed out of everything they ever almost had. And what are &*^*(^&*&(  politicos interested in?

You guessed it....power and staying in power.

I wish Cheney would invite them to go hunting with him.

Yeah, and Iran...who are we going to borrow money from to do that, huh Bebi? LOL. One thing hasn't changed, though: "War's great business. Invest your sons and daughters."

WOM, you voice our impotent rage.

And that shooting animals from helicopters? How come they don't go after something that could shoot back?

Well, I'm 61 today. I see this country I love falling into pieces and floundering in a stormy sea: Rudderless and leaderless. I just feel so depressed.

A lot of people look at the bailout as helping big business.  A lot of people look at it as saving their pension plans.  The stock market will correct it self in time whichever way this goes.  Just a lot of companies will go under or be bought out and a lot of people will have to work longer.  When I retired, I moved my money to IRA, CD's, so money wise, it doesn't effect me like it does a lot of people.  Stop this stupid was/police action or whatever you want to call it and we'll save a billion $ a day and maybe we can start putting this country back on a solid financial footing.  I may be for Mc Cain, but I've voted against Bush for everything he ran for.  And Dr J0622, Happy Birthday.

Our tax laws allow for some of it to be written off, but never enough to recoup the losses incurred by vacant properties, nor to counter the rising debt they find themselves in.

I do agree that greed is the primary cause of this financial crisis... like I said before capitalism is not a good economic model when the haves seek to profit at all costs/ the expense of the have-nots... and when they're cutting one another's throats to gain economic advantage, the loser is most often the little person with very little to lose to begin with.

These bastards who award themselves fat bonuses aren't really losing anything in this financial meltdown... they invest other peoples money and live off the commissions, while their amassed fortunes sit safely in some offshore bank account.  They are parasites living of the hard earned money of others... sitting up there in their ivory towers while hard working honest people are being made homeless through greedy interest rates and foreclosures.

As far as I'm concerned, while Saddam Hussein was more blood thirsty and violent, these parasites have inflicted as much misery and suffering, if not more so, and should swing on the end of a rope.

A very, very happy birthday to you Doc... I wish you all the best and hope you have a fantastic day.

Thanx, WOM. Glad you're not getting screwed. Starkers, why waste the rope? Yeah, it could be reused but who'd want to with their slime on it?

I wish there were some fix to it, but there isn't. As for Iraq, Iran is going to be a huge force in that country (already is) and we can thank that mental midget GWB for that. He couldn't even learn from the reasons his father didn't invade.

What a difference: GHWB/GWB and John Adams/John Quincey Adams. The gene pool has gone shallow, and not just in the white house. The fault lies in ideology being more important than humanity.

It is not, nor has it ever been. Everytime it has occurred, we've ended up in a mess, and this is no exception: Ideology and the boundless greed attached to the Neocon ideology along with it's own brand of associated religious fanaticism.

<------ The cloud Dr. J. is under today. 

Thanx, Mark....but it's just a gloom and doom day.

If anyone wants/needs a good laugh, take a look @ LW's blog:

http://little-whip.impulsedriven.net/article/302206/Have_a_Happy_Period

You have to cheer up a tad after this!

Sorry to be a drag, mates....just missing someone very much.

To be honest, I would not want to see them on the end of a rope... the sentiment is just a way of expressing the anger I feel for the greed driven destruction they have caused, particularly to those who can least afford the consequences of this financial meltdown.  However, while I am a non-violent pacifist who does not believe in taking another human life, do do believe these people should be punishied for the damage they've caused... siezing their assets would be one way, and prison terms for those who broke the law to profit.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin's 'Igloos Across America' project is gaining momentum and backers. An un-named Alaskan engineer has put forward an idea to save on power/refrigeration to lowerinfrastructure costs.  This engineer, reportedly a relative of Palin, proposes to cut off a piece of the Arctic Circle and tow it South to somewhere in US central, thus negating the need for artificial cooling by naturally lowering the temperature with Arctic ice.

Another backer of the scheme, a great white hunter, is going to herd up all the polar bears and shoo them all over the Russian border to Alaska... the idea being to eliminate the eventuality of yellow snow and ice, something he believes would present a health hazrd to igloo dwellers and burden the health system.

Apparently, Ms Palin is quite enthusiastic and excited about the project, believing it will completely eliminate homelessness right across america.  OK, so she's a gun toting moose murderer, but I have to commend Ms Palin for investigating an alternative to the housing/mortgage crisis to what those reverse Robin Hoods are thinking... to give to the rich so they can keep stealing from the poor.

How could anyone vote for someone who supports babies that are born alive being left to die because it wasn't supposed to happen that way?

I just don't understand the ridiculous left. Killing babies is fine but killing animals is terrible.

Yeah, idiot Bush just opened the door for Iran.  With a strong Iraq, even with Sadam in power, Iran could,'t move on any of its neighbors.  Now there isn't a country there, save for Isreal, to stop Iran.  So that would mean someone elses presence there.  Who, Russia?  France?  Nope, U.S. with the Saudies paying the bill.

It's all about priorities, just john.

John, please dial it down a bit....No one kills babies as a requirement for thinking left as opposed to religious right.

Oh yes, and thanks for helping to elect the fool who accomplished what Al Qaida couldn't: The destruction of The Constitution and the loss of the crown of Jurisprudence and Justice: Habeas Corpus.

WOM: Yep! Aren't you proud of the "Mission Accomplished" from TX? (actually, Connecticut).

Pictoratus: