Baby Geese In Dog Bowl

Atrios is "amazed at these idiocies". What idiocies? Idiocies like politicians wanting to create a "Really Unpopular Complicated Expensive" GPS-based toll-charging mechanism in order to pay for roads, instead of 'increasing the damn gas tax.'

Now why would they do that? Is there some reason that politicians not want to add to the cost of gas?

Just FYI, I'm starting a new Name That Tune. This one will be a little special.

Expect it sometime later in the week.

Tell your friends and enemies!

There may be a real prize.

The tornado(s) that came through the state this past weekend did a lot of damage to areas south and east of our house; many communities were hit pretty hard. But, aside from some heavy rain and small hail, our part of the county didn't really see much action. Thankfully.

But, as a reminder that other areas were hit, everywhere you look, even 30 miles from the places that were hardest hit, you can find bits of fiberglass home insulation:

Most, like this one in front of my office, are just a few inches across. Some are a couple of feet across. But, they are everywhere. Creepy.

Letters like this will just make it harder for businesses to offer the new products and services their customers demand, and will ultimately lead to higher costs and less choice for consumers. Why does %%TARGETNAME%% want to harm the American public ? Keep politics out of the market, %%TARGETTITLE%% !

ht

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

-- e e cummings

Let's You And Him Sacrifice!

We're on our way down, folks.

The "return window" for my new video card ran out this past Friday. What do you think the video card did Saturday afternoon?

If you guessed "Completely Stopped Working", you win a dead VisionTek HD 5450 low-profile video card!

Let's cast our gaze back to 2001 and watch as The Heritage Foundation cheerleads Bush's 2001 tax cuts:

One element of the debate over President Bush's tax plan concerns how it will affect household and government budgets as well as the U.S. economy. To assess the plan's economic and budgetary effects and to help frame this debate, analysts in The Heritage Foundation Center for Data Analysis (CDA) conducted a dynamic simulation of the proposals in the President's tax relief plan. The final results show that the Bush plan would significantly increase economic growth and family income while substantially reducing federal debt. For example:

• Under President Bush's plan, an average family of four's inflation-adjusted disposable income would increase by $4,544 in fiscal year (FY) 2011, and the national debt would effectively be paid off by FY 2010.
• The net tax revenue reduction, after accounting for the larger tax base that would result from higher employment and faster economic growth under the Bush plan, is $1.1 trillion from FY 2002 to FY 2011, 33.4 percent less than conventional static estimates.
• The plan would save the entire Social Security surplus and increase personal savings while the federal government accumulated $1.8 trillion in uncommitted funds from FY 2008 to FY 2011, revenue that could be used to reform the Social Security and Medicare systems and reduce the payroll tax.

Oh well, as Meatloaf sang, don't be sad; cause 0 out of three ain't bad.

Here's their summary:

This dynamic analysis shows that President Bush's tax plan will boost economic activity, create over 1.6 million new jobs, and strengthen the incomes of taxpayers. The plan would reduce excess tax revenue and effectively pay off the publicly held federal debt by FY 2010. Real economic growth, which recently has slowed dramatically, would rise an average of $147 billion per year from FY 2002 to FY 2011. On average, a family of four's after-tax budget would increase by $4,544, which would lead to an increase in consumption and saving. Spending on personal items such as health care and school clothes would increase by an average of $163 billion, and America's anemic savings rate would increase from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent.

Ahh... the perils of predicting the future.