Wendy said:

 

Wow - I am the first one here? I am always late to the party, so how is it that I am opening it up?

Topic of discussion for today - Jerry Falwell was pronounced dead this morning after being found unresponsive in his office at Liberty University...

And - GO!

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

If true, the linked article makes me want to vomit.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/15/ashcroft.ns...

 

Dubya said:

 

Wow..yea, some of the things that go on behind the curtains in our political system are just digusting. How does that even work? He was hospitalized and did NOT have the power of Attorney General. What would his signature get them?

I guess they could say "he was sick when he signed it" to get out of any hot water the bill might invoke in the future.

It's a shame sometimes.

~Dubya

 

Wendy said:

 

Just another prime example of the abuses of office this administration has perpetrated for their own gains. Lest anyone get confused, I am not saying this has not happened in other administrations because we all know it has, HOWEVER, this is the one that is directly affecting us NOW and this is the one we have the power to deal with. And this administration claims to be a godly one? Obviously by godly they mean they consider themselves to be gods...

 

lindainks55 said:

 

I must not comment on Falwell's death out of respect for his family.

 

Tracy Phillips said:

 

Good morning old friends.

 

Wendy said:

 

Hi Tracy! Things have been really quiet around here lately...

 

Tracy Phillips said:

 

Wendy, to get in on the fun, click on my name here.
That should take you to my blogspot.
Linda, VT, WSC & friends check in daily.
Trace

 

Gster said:

 

Anyone giving odds that "Wolf the Whiz" is going to retain his position at the the World Bank?

I'm amazed how much trouble the Shrub creates for himself by choosing loyalty over ability when filling his various jobs! He never seems to get it!

Come to think of it, that's how he got "elected" in the first place- for loyalty , not ability.

Hmmm???

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

A bit on the ever-increasing retail price of gasoline, seeing as how the prevailing price here in Wichita as of 10:30 pm 5/15/07 was $3.19 per gallon for unleaded self-serve regular.

Listening yesterday morning to some radio news show on the way to the office, a person who was portrayed as an industry analyst said the following (paraphrased from memory):

The current price for a barrel of oil is around $62, which is a reduction from recent highs. This translates into approximately $1.50 per gallon of gasoline. The market price for refined gasoline is about $2.30 per gallon, an $0.80 per gallon "premium" for refined product. This premium is at a historic high, as the commentator remarked the traditional premium per gallon of refined product is some $0.20 to $0.30. He assigned blame to hedge speculators in the market, who are betting on further instability in the mid-East, increasing demand from China, et al, and other factors, including the summer driving season demand and the current reduced refining capacity in the U.S. due to, inter alia, the fire at the Oklahoma refinery in their ability to profit from the current per gallon premium being paid. Cutting to the chase: the analyst says that those hedge traders believe the supply will become more scarce, and the price they will receive for their contract positions will result in the recovery of the $0.80 per gallon and then some. More succinctly: the price is gonna go up even more!

 

lindainks55 said:

 

Just a little ray of sunshine, aren't you Vaughn!?

Gster, what never ceases to amaze me is that he gets away with all he does. How's that? Are we accusing him of not being "able," when we should be praising him? Talk about SLICK! He puts the guy they called slick willy to shame. Of course, I don't think being the best at avoiding accountability is worthy of praise. How many does he have bought off in order to fly as far under the radar as he does?

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

Linda, it is my belief that he doesn't have folks "bought off". Instead, he hires those who pass the loyalty test, those who have been indoctrinated into a particular way of thinking, those who truly believe he is right in the way he operates. If one limits one's subalterns to these classes of folks, it becomes unneccessary to buy anyone off, as these types have already surrendered their ability to independently think for something other than lucre.

 

lindainks55 said:

 

Good point. But in order to be that loyal to that man and his ideals wouldn't those same people need to be totally lacking in the thinking department (I mean more stupid than stupid??), thus making it easier to trip them up? I don't even like to think about, know about the kind of person who could be that greedy! Call me Pollyanna.

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

Speaking of greedy: the U.S. is offering $200,000 for information on the missing soldiers in Iraq, counting on inherent greed to break the case. Now, I could use $200,000, but should I be one in the area, it would need to be at least $20,000,000 and accompanied by mandatory immigration of my family and me out of Iraq immediately, together with something like a "witness protection program" for my family and me so long as any of us, including all descendants, should live. Then, maybe, I'd be the snitch.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/16/iraq.mai...

 

Gster said:

 

It looks as if "Wolf the Whiz" days of woofing are about over. I guess good work is it's own reward.

I hope has has a box big enough to take all of his ego when he leaves!

Watch out for the door knob, they can be painful.

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

Gster, "Wolf the Whiz" cannot find a box big enough to take all of his ego, one that big has yet to be produced. To try to produce one large enough to meet the assigned task would result in deforestation of much of the world.

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

Interesting (from a cnn.com article) that while support for him is dropping rapidly in the White House, the Vice President is being resistant. I guess he's running out of folks with whom to talk or something.

 

Gster said:

 

I wonder where "Wolf the Whiz" will slither off to after has is given his duly rewarded walking papers.

Back to Bushland, or some "think tank"?

He's definitely make a fine Walmart greeter, or a shopping cart ninja! He could have his business cards printed with "Presidential Advisor and Walmart Lot Guru"!

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

My guess is a "think tank". The political temp is too high for him to be back in the White House, IMHO.

I like your suggestion that he could be a WalMart greeter; wonder if he could get his girlfriend a job as a checker?

 

Vaughn Tolle said:

 

From our friends across the pond; a British think tank believes that Iraq is headed to fragmentation. Most interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6663935.stm...

An interesting comment about how the "surge" is working from some high ranking Brit officer is contained therein. My parsing notes he very carefully limits his comments to Baghdad, with no mention of what has been occurring outside Baghdad.

 

Gster said:

 

Do they have a Walmart in Crawful Texas?
Hmmmmm.

With a little training, who knows? It might just fly!

Someone might have a new second career.

 

lindainks55 said:

 

But if prices keep rising and I have to think about the unthinkable of working again, I thought I might be able to get that Wal-mart Greeter job! Maybe there will be two openings.