I somehow managed to get there just by randomly starting to click things.

This may be true but do we really want to say that our elected officials should do what their constituents want them to do unless the officials feel that they know better? (I understand that we elect officials to act on our behalf and not to literally do what we tell them to do but if an official goes against the will of the majority the majority can elect someone else next time and the all-knowing official will be out of a job so the net effec is that they act on our behalf according to our wishes.) If the majority of the electorate decides to do a bone-headed thing it is not the function of our elected officials to wrest control from us and take over until they've decided we've come to our senses. That's a whole different kind of government. ETA: Possibly, you are being very sarcastic here and if so then I am agreeing wholeheartedly with your sarcasm!

:grouphug:

So is their vote about age or about Palin? I'd like to point out that the Huffington Post article links back to Us Magazine. Now, I realize that the National Enquirer is the one that broke the story about Edwards' recent affair so we can't dismiss celebrity tabloids out of hand, but, I will wait for a more complete report from a few other sources. I'd like to know if $5000 is for the artist to travel with him to locations and includes the cost of make-up or if it is actually $5000 for just make-up as you suggest. I'd also like to know what the typical cost of a make-up artist is for politicians.

No one else here said that the imagined threat of a political philosophy was laughable. The "you too" argument isn't a particularly good one, especially in this case. 'Well, democracy kills people too so what's the problem?' We weren't discussing democracy. That can be a different topic but let's stick with this one. No one used the term Pinko.

He said it in an interview several years ago and you can google it. A cell phone or blackberry is not a keyboard and it seems fairly obvious that those are different movements.

Here's another one who has had this related to anxiety exacerbated by tons of caffeine.

Nicely done. I agree that it does sound flippant to call a concern about moving toward a communist society laughable if you have never seen the suffering of people who have lived under a regime inspired by the teachings of Marx. My grandfather spent 5 years in a communist prison camp. I have read, "The Communist Manifesto".

No way.

I 've had 2 MRI's done and I found that the anticipation was much more anxiety provoking than the procedure. Wishing for the best outcome.

Thanks for the update, rivendellmom!

I've heard it used in that context too. Or even just to refer to someone who isn't too bright. But never as an exclamatory. When I lived in IN I was always amused by people exclaiming, "Jiminy Christmas!", when they expressed surprised. I grew up just hours away (southeastern MI) but had never heard that expression.

You definitely need an enzymatic cleaner. One problem that can happen is that your drywall can wick up the urine and then your only option is to cut it out and replace it. If it is in the subfloor you can try to treat it with the enzymatic cleaner but failing that you can put on a heavy primer like Kilz over the area and this is pretty effective. Ask me how I know.

But, without agreeing or disagreeing with you on that point, I don't consider that to be visceral. That's intellectual. That's a concern that isn't just a gut reaction or feeling that hasn't been subjected to reason. Even though you feel passionately about it, it isn't purely visceral. I do, however, think a lot of the reaction to her has been visceral, more in the beginning than now but those reactions set off a chain of events that will have an impact on party politics in the future.

You first reason is substantive and there ARE many substantive reasons but they get lost under the angrier "Weather Girl" type comments. If people stuck to the substantive reasons and left aside the pejoratives they would still have strong arguments. They would even be better arguments for their lack of hyperbole. That's all I said about that. I also said that her poor performance during that interview should count against her. I absolutely did not mean her religion. I did not mean anything specifically. I actually meant visceral. I don't think being concerned about how her religion would affect her governance is visceral.

Oh no! :grouphug::grouphug: The calf is so sweet. :grouphug:

Yeah, that was bad. It was all the things I hate about French farce with none of the things I liked about Fraser. Also, the one about the recently divorced couple was bad.

Much appreciated! I almost forgot.

The Couric interview wasn't impressive and it is appropriate to make some inferences about Palin's ability to lead based upon her answers. But, I think the hyperbole that's embedded in most of the criticism of her has been astounding where simple statements would do just as well and actually better. It makes me think that the real issues that people have with her aren't even the substantive ones. The substantive ones are window dressing for the visceral ones when it should be the other way around.

We're using SOTW but we read chapters from CHOW. I like it but like others have mentioned, I wouldn't use it alone.

I have both but I'm only using the Usborne with my 6 & almost 9 yos. I think the 9yo will be ready for the Kingfisher next year.

We're starting our 4th week and we are start Lesson Two tomorrow. We did a lot of the intro and I'm keeping the lessons short. Its a favorite so far and I'm in no hurry.

I wish I knew one. I tend to go for the awkward silence.

And, I'll just say it, the Vietnam model isn't a great one either. I have some experience with this. It is, of course, anecdotal and related to the suffering of just one peasant family (mine, although I managed to spared any suffering due to my father being able to get us out) but it bears mentioning because it certainly must have some impact on my world view.

A government couldn't really "follow" Marxism as it was supposed to occur organically, without manipulation. Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism etc. Adaptations of Marx. Those we've seen. Not pretty.