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16 years ago
The author of your quote put it far more eloquently than I, jablake. Thanks for posting that.
Rand was right. Consider: can you name a single altruist? Really?
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16 years ago
MG, the two major economic models are based on assumptions about human nature. Let's test the principal assumption: do you tend naturally to spend your limited resources on yourself and loved ones first, or do you tend naturally to give your limited resources away and hope for the best?
Supply side assumes most people behave as one who would answer the former, while demand side assumes the opposite.
The supply side assumption is consistent with reality, which is why that model always works and the demand side model always fails.
As for your recap of recent history, you focused on the executive branch, but the legislative branch writes the budget. In recent history, when the legislative branch has made fiscal policy based on supply side principles (notably during the "republican revolution" of the mid-nineties), the economic engine has purred the sweetest. You may recall that President Clinton said the "balanced budget" would take at least 9 years (i.e., not on my watch), but Newt's congress said they'd do it in 6, and they actually did it in 4.
And even though we still have not been in a recession in these past few years, economic times have gotten notably gloomier lately. What happened in the past couple years that has in fact had a worse impact on the economy than 9/11 and Katrina combined? (Hint: Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid)
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16 years ago
Cyn, after reading your post, I have a question:
Will you marry me? ;)
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16 years ago
The singer I'd choose is Alizee.
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16 years ago
jablake, your contention in the post with that UN report appears to be this: "The Taliban should have been left alone, because one result of removing them was an increase in drug production."
I reject your contention, and all sane people would. You may be too ill-informed or too unintelligent to understand why. Almost everything you contend appears to be based on assumptions that are inconsistent with reality.
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16 years ago
jablake, you've posted many things regarding international geopolitics and defense policy, and frankly there are just too many nonsensical statements in your posts for me to address. But you are wrong about virtually everything you have contended relating to the global war on terror.
One example: you said we have turned Afghanistan into a "narco state." Having been deployed to Afghanistan as part of OEF, I know something about what we are doing there. Poppy (particularly opium poppy) has long been a prevalent crop in Afghanistan. Since we routed the Taliban and Karzai became the president, the coalition has had a program to eradicate opium poppy. Great Britain is the lead nation for this part of the overall coalition effort. It's going to take time, because simply destroying all the poppy fields will have undesirable consequences related to the people's opinion of the coalition participants. One thing that will help is for the local imams to tell the people the same thing they do in neighboring Pakistan: "it is not merely wrong to consume opium, it is also wrong to produce it." That has not been the message from the religious leaders in Afghanistan, as it has been in other nearby nations--that is why Afghanistan has long been the opium capital of the world. But we (the coalition) are improving that situation, rather than "turning Afghanistan into a narco-state."
I could provide a similar rebuttal to just about every contention you've made, but I don't think that is really necessary.
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16 years ago
One of the major presidential candidates wants to increase federal spending (and therefore either increase taxes or the deficit or both); the other wants to curb federal spending a bit and not increase taxes on us. If you don't want the economy to get worse, hope the latter candidate wins.
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16 years ago
jablake, I'm proud that we as a nation stand against genocidal maniacs, whatever it may cost us.
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16 years ago
jablake said, "PLEASE you don't arm and finance another people's enemy (Israel) without expecting to get kicked in the balls at some point e.g. 911."
We are right to consider Israel our friend, and indeed Israel's enemies are the enemies of all decent people worldwide, including muslims and islamists who don't approve of terror tactics and don't seek the destruction of an entire ethnic group (as do Israel's and our mutual enemies).
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16 years ago
Posted by: lopaw : "It's unimaginable that this could be true."
It's not, as pointed out in the second post in this thread. The original post gives the impression that the administration is working on legislation that would equate birth control devices that prevent conception with abortion. That's false. Could be a strawman argument, or just mis-information.
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16 years ago
Actually, there are two different elements to the protection proposed in the legislation. One is for workers who refuse to participate in abortive measures, the second is for workers who refuse to dispense birth control. The legislation does not in fact equate abortion with birth control measures that prevent conception.
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16 years ago
Even the notorious 9th Circuit Court would not likely rule in favor of the proposed local legislation. Cities and municipalities are bound to stay within certain legal limits of their state, just as states are bound in certain ways to follow federal laws.
However, a state can make prostitution legal without running afoul of federal law. California could legalize prostitution, but I don't think any city in California can tie the hands of LE in the manner proposed.
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16 years ago
Adding to the list:
Kate Beckinsale
Keeley Hazel
There's a couple nice Brits, eh?
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16 years ago
jablake said, "One young dancer appeared very upset by my honest answer i.e. she wasn't my type. As she was getting more upset, I asked her if I was her type? She saw a chance to get even and protect her self-esteem. She shook her head and said No, and confidently walked away."
That was nice of you to give her that opportunity to restore her self-esteem. I'm not sure why, but it does seem self-esteem can be an issue for many dancers, even those who are physically stunning. A few kind words (coupled with sincerity) can preclude an uncomfortable situation.
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16 years ago
If they were charging over 10 times what FS ITC goes for almost everywhere else, then it serves 'em right! ;)
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16 years ago
Since this is just pipe dream territory, I thought I'd incorporate a time machine. Here are my choices by decade, based primarily on beauty rather than strictly sex appeal:
1940s Ingrid Bergman, Rita Hayworth
1950s Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly
1960s Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren, Natalie Wood
1970s Raquel Welch, Jane Seymour
1980s Michelle Pfeiffer, Jaclyn Smith
1990s Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron, Monica Belucci
2000s Scarlett Johansson, Aishwarya Rai
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16 years ago
Pornstar: Jenna Haze
Mainstream Actress: Scarlett Johansson
Political Figure: ?? Perhaps if she counts in the category, Ann Coulter.
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16 years ago
I don't assume anything about anyone based on ethnicity, but most of my favorite dancers have been Latina.
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16 years ago
Seems ironic that you cannot presently afford what you want, and you had it for free but gave that up. Whatever is best for you, of course.
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16 years ago
"Don't come inside me; I'm ovulating." -- [Name withheld], Camelot Club, Universal City, TX, 2003.
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16 years ago
This is very typical. In fact, it happens often before any "dancing" even begins.
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16 years ago
I did have a squirter once at a club; my shorts were drenched. She said she was embarrassed, but I assured her it was fine. I was glad to have given her that release.
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16 years ago
Shadowcat, you've mentioned many examples here, I suspect trying to answer your thread question with "it is real affection." So be it. If it's real to you, it should matter not what any of us have to say about it.
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16 years ago
twbird, aren't you going to finish that story?
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16 years ago
I was in a club a couple of weeks ago, and for awhile was the only customer. I was tipping each of the dancers on stage. One of them complained to me that if I stayed, she'd have to keep dancing! That's about the best "lazy stripper" story I can offer, and it's 100% true.