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  • johnman
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    you're right gonz
    but i believe it was 85 bil. alone just for AIG...i may be mistaken.......i know for sure my attention span is at LEAST 13 minutes...it took me THAT long to spell "believe".
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    No answer, Boros? I thought not....
    Your comment really betrays you as one who has a very shallow understanding of economics and recent news. The bailout was a ONE HELLUVA LOT MORE than $85 Billion (speaking only to one point). As usual, the average American attention span is about ten minutes. God help us all.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    re: above
    Approximately 3 to 3.5 Americans out of 10 are out of work or underemployed.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    The "Great Enabler"
    I was watching 'Closing Bell' last week on cable (a business show) and there was a refreshingly honest statement saying that Obama has become the "Great Enabler" by rigging the economy so that we can continue to live beyond our means post-meltdown. All of the negativity against Obama is not coming from right wing-nuts. The tea-baggers are some normal, decent, conservative people who are upset that the government is spending copious amounts of money it does not have. Though Obama has pledged not to raise taxes on those whose income is less that 250k, he will not be president forever. In 8 years, or sooner, a new president will come along and deliver the news that the middle class is going to have to pony up. All of Obama's actions are based on the premise that consumer spending is going to continue to drive the economy as it has always done. Unfortunately that won't be the case. Approximately 3 to 3.5 Americans are out of work or underemployed. It remains to be seen whether these Americans will get the education they need to find decent paying jobs. More likely they will become permanently part of the service sector and underground economy. The standard of living will fall and our kids will be paying more taxes for less service... But the Great Enabler will allow the baby boomers to retire in style, for a little while anyway.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    Beg to differ, Boros
    I thought Obama's "change" would start with how HE handled this economic crisis -- we know very well what Dubya did. Even in the name of Perception Management (the PR art of creating reality for the consuming public) he could have decided NOT TO BAIL OUT THE BANKS 100%. By giving them say, 75 cents on the dollar we would have saved about 100 Billion. Not saying Obama is not a good, decent man. But let us not be deluded. He is part of Democratic party and plays by the rules. Obama called Chris Dodd (D Conn., chairman of the senate banking committee) and had Dodd insert language in a bill IN FAVOR the freaking bonuses to be paid!!! Then Dodd lied like a rug for a week until Senator Olympia Snowe dimed him to CNN. When confronted he finally told the truth. This went down in late March of 09, on Obama's watch. Dodd said Treasury called and asked him to do it. Think about the campaign. First, Kennedy delivers the Death Blow to Billary by passing the mantle of Camelot to Obama, albeit with the quid pro quo of promoting health care reform at any cost. It's a tight race well into the summer and McCain caves to the Goldwater faction of his party and appoints Palin as his running mate. This breathes new life into his campaign and then, in September, Lehman Brothers goes upside down and suddenly the economic sky is falling.... suddenly, 2 months before the election -- yeah, right! Perception Management, remember? Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Obama than anybody else except Howard Dean, who won the damn election for Obama as DNC chairperson, directing a fifty state strategy that treated McCain to barbed wire whipping party as he toured the country. Think of election night at 11pm. America elects it's first black president and 300,000 people flood into Grant Park in Chicage to corronate our new King. One can almost imagine the ghosts of MLK, Medgar Evers and every other black martyr's ghost chanting "Free at last. Free at last! The problem is that we haven't moved beyond race and Palin stirred up entire pantheon of ultra-right wingnuts -- everybody from the neo-nazis to the Birchers to the NRA. I am deeply troubled by the political climate in this country. I stand by my statement that the great unwashed and uneducated masses have been whipped into a frenzy, looking for a target of oppotunity as they suffer from this economic tragedy by the Repub/Demo death dance that Obama is part of.
  • Anonymous (not verified)
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    Kirk, Spock & Bones...
    ,,, My problem children! Great vid, enjoyed every bit! Thx badger!
  • cosmicbadger
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    jefferson airplane meets star trek trip
    this is funny!
  • TigerLilly
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    Right on, as usual Oroboros
    Can't tell you how often I got sick of hearing how Obama has "ruined" the economy, on my US voyage. This comment is meant to be neither for, nor against him, BUT sheesh-how illogical and unfactual can such a statement be? He has only been prez for 9 months now, and a disaster was handed over to him-just as you were pointing out, Oroboros.********************************** Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge. Mark Twain
  • Oroboros
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    A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth- Lenin
    The 9-16-08 Wall Street Journal (not exactly a liberal source) chronicles President Geo. Bush's oversight of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's 85 billion dollar bailout of AIG. (Aren't these guys Bush appointees ?) lamagonzo- this 'bailout' event took place months before Obama was even elected (in November). You are entitled to your own opinion of Obama, but you are not entitled to your own facts. There have been enough bailouts since then that time you can lay at Barrak's feet, but it is interesting you try to lay off (no pun intended) President Bush's wretched handling of the economy ie. tax cuts + massive government spending + war spending (which was kept 'off books') + massive bailout&executive bonus = as Obama's fault? Please! But Vladamir Lenin did have it right, a lie repeated often enough does become the truth. At least for some people. Especially for those who want to believe it to be true. The Truth is realized in an instant, the act is practiced step by step.
  • free idea
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    planet Love it already is
    Love is real Not fade away hate is just an illusion a false belief in something other than Love Love= real, not fade away hate= not real, fades away Love-->fulll of its own power hate-->no power but what we give it Love-->intelligence itself hate--->dumb as a rock planet Love we share both with the seeing and the blind If a blind man bumps into you, you don't push him down, you say, excuse me, May I help you?
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16 years 11 months
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continuing the free-form from where we left it...
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16 years 11 months
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still walking, so we know that he can dance! Welcome back!
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16 years 9 months
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Good to see you back home Johnman!!!!!! xoxox
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16 years 11 months
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johnman:dig out yer blue jeans pants suit, and get ready to do the hippy hippy shake: might be tough at first.... but you'll get the hang of it in no time, anyways... ain't nobody watching.... keep tough with the physical re-hab and physical therapy, brother. peace.
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16 years 11 months
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Walter Cronkite Special on 60 minutes tonight with the honorable Mr. Mickey Hart. A must see.
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16 years 4 months
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"the most trusted man in america"......mite be worth watching even WITHOUT mickey.........thanx for the encouragement cc....no real physical therapy....just walking, walking, walking...............
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16 years 4 months
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what the hell is wrong with those people.....all sittin' down. security musta sucked. the mine field guy looks like he's doin' invisible twister. and the funky chicken
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16 years 10 months
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As I left work yesterday I saw that Mark Buerhle had pitched a perfect game for the Chisox against the Rays. In my car CD player was Todd Snider's "The Excitement Plan", and the second song to queue up as I headed home was "America's Favorite Pastime", his retelling of the day that the Pirate's Doc Ellis pitched a no-hitter on acid. It's a funny song and I recommend the album...and it was a completely fitting way to spend a few moments perusing the day's perfect game. Doc definitely wasn't on 'droids... "Hallucinating halloween scenes With each new swing of the bat His sinker looked like it was falling off a table But nobody was hallucinating that!"
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16 years 10 months
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I guess I meant 'roids. I doubt that R2D2 was around that day, but who knows what Doc was seeing. The story according Snopes is here. http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/ellis.asp You'll need to wade through a bit to get to the no-hitter on acid story.
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16 years 9 months
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I feared my wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to. I thought she might need a hearing aid. >>>> (Too many Who concerts?) <<<< Not quite sure how to approach her on the subject, I called the family doctor to discuss the problem. Doctor told me there is a simple informal test I could perform to give him a better idea about her hearing loss. "Here's what you do." said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and say something in a normal conversational speaking tone, to see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response." Last evening, my wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and I was in the den. I said to myself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone I ask, " Honey, what's for dinner?" > No response. So I move closer to the kitchen, 30 feet from my wife and repeat, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still, no response. Next, I move into the dining room, 20 feet from my wife and ask, "Honey, what's for dinner?" "Geez" I said to myself, after again, no response. So, I walk up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again, there is no response. So I walk right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?" "Doofus!, for the FIFTH time, it's CHICKEN!"
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16 years 11 months
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whatda say? : )
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16 years 8 months
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that is classic...........really! HUH? whatda say? :)))
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16 years 8 months
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what was for dinner again? I can't remember .......
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16 years 10 months
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Huh? It's really great when I'm with my Dad, who preceded me down this hearing-impaired road. Huh? Huh? Huh? HUH??? Actually, I revert a lot to "I'm sorry?" That way I communicate that I didn't hear, that it's my fault, and, you know, I'm sorry for making you repeat what you said. Ted, your story made my day...
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16 years 10 months
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i went to school today to get ready for the new semester to begin (monday 8/10)... this year we have a new principal- AND HE'S A DEADHEAD! gee, how do i want to characterize this....??? ...!!! how does KICK ASS sound?! it may not make him a perfect boss or anything, but at least i know there's common ground... yeah! and the favorite word in our house was one of those typically stupid hoosierisms: "do wha?" we gave up 'huh?' as too confusing i guess! caroline
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16 years 4 months
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extremely awesome news!!........see what ya can get him to play over the p.a. system!!
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16 years 10 months
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this is why i need you in my life- i would never have thought of that! it might revolutionize mornings... we'll have announcements, do the pledge, have 30 seconds of silence... then we can twirl!!! yeah!!! caroline
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16 years 9 months
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Opening the morning classes, I'd fade in with a kick-ass version of Bertha. At the closing bell I'd do an 8 beat BIODTL. Best wishes for a successful school year for you and your students, Caroline.
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16 years 10 months
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I suppose a rousing version of 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' at the start of every day might be considered inappropriate!
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16 years 3 months
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the 9 of august 1995 was the sadest day i could imagine.a friend came buy and said "hey man,the GD...."....".....are coming to prague?"i asked and the answer was not at all what i expected.HAVE A GRATE PEACEFUL TIME WHILE JAMMIN WITH MOZART,RON,JANIS....
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16 years 4 months
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it's been 14 years.....and hurts just as bad. wonder what kinda custom jobs alembic does for heaven?
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16 years 10 months
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Wow! There was a long time where I thought I was the only school administrator who was a "deadhead". The best thing is the attitude you bring to the job that creates a culture unlike any you will find in school system! I run a charter school and answer only to my board Your guy may have mandates and orders from on high - it a livin, we all gotta eat - don't fault him for that. Oh - yeah the whole point - I was able to secure a grant that allows our students to drum in the morning (we were able to purchase 150 different kinds of hand drums). Drumming for wellness is what we call it. t's voluntary, but there are few who do not participate. We have K-12 in one building and what an awesome sight - and sound to watch and hear those kids play every morning. They start the day smiling! As for the rousing Bertha every morning - many don't get it - I also teach a literary theory class and pass out "poems" by Robert Hunter for them to analyze and have yet to have a student say, "hey this is a dead song." While I think it would be great - it's something they have to come to on their own ( my son is 18 and I took him to Buffalo and Rothbury - Have a true convert - awesome!). Not many out there who really live for the music instead of the party (not that the party ins't great - but make the show ya know). There's a reason only 1% of the poulation get it! To tell you the truth, i'm glad it isn't more and even happier that I am one of 1%!! Truly, WEIR EVERYWHERE!!!
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16 years 11 months
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the drumming story!
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16 years 5 months
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Those are some beutiful pictures , your wife does wonderfull work !! And the Rocky Mntns , wow man it`s been so long since i`ve been out that way i almost forgot what it looks like . Thank you !!
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16 years 11 months
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mary provided a similar link to this vid, which is really important: for the sake of convenience, I am repeating it here and putting in the full version PLEASE watch and please remember your rights: it is important to note that concert / festival venues and the like are private property, so the private security staff has the right to search you BEFORE you go in, but not after you are inside. You CAN refuse a private security search by leaving the venue. better to miss half a show and go home than miss the rest of the tour by ending up insidde jail. peace.
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16 years 1 month
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I used to listen to my motherBut strangers with candy gave me better advice She shoots me a look that says lets go
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16 years 11 months
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heading out of civilization again day after tomorrow. back in a couple of months. peace.
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16 years 11 months
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just did, johnman... had to trim some unsavory grouwth back yesterday, rainy season made the garden FLOURISH in my absense a slippery saw... not to worry, 'it's just a flesh wound' peace.
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16 years 9 months
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Safe travels bro!! Peace & Love,Gigi
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16 years 1 month
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Been trying to upload picturesFrom the Eugene shows All I got to say Computers really blow
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16 years 9 months
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Every time I try to upload a pic it comes up a question mark, it takes me like 10 times to finally be able to pre view it then post :( Can someone help us here please :)
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16 years 10 months
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Just a couple of hours on the East Coast before we hit 09:09:09 am EDT on 09/09/09. Since today seems to be Beatles day, I'd crank up a short playlist including: One after 909 Revolution #9 #9 Dream Cloud 9 But I'm at work, will be in a meeting, so that just won't happen.
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16 years 10 months
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When I was in the States, I was reading the newspaper articles about parents objecting to Obama speaking to schoolchildren. What is wrong with this plan? Even if parents agree with Obama's political agenda, is it not a perfect platform for home discussion? It is incomprehensible to me that there are parents over there who would not want their children to hear what their president has to say.********************************** Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge. Mark Twain
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16 years 9 months
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Good morning Tiger Lilly from deep in the heart of the USA, in red state Kansas. In November of 2008, US voters gave a majority of votes to Barack Obama indicating acceptance of a need for change here in America. Finally, a return to honesty, a cleaner environment, alternative energy prospects and access to health care for all! A very noble and ambitious agenda, indeed.As you've seen and heard, there is a voice of discontent bent on disabling President Obama's agenda to bring about change. Rather than working with the Democratic majority in Congress, the Republicans have chosen not to cooperate, nor contribute, to any successful endeavor. At risk are millions of people without health insurance, including my 2 young adult sons and their lady friends. Fueling this obstruction is a right-wing attack machine using the various media to discredit and weave fabrications to derail any effort to bring progress to this country. Too many people listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Pat Robertson and Glenn Beck. These few have been able to bring disrespect and discord, daily, to the American public, many of whom actually indicate belief that Obama may be forcing some evil socialist agenda upon us. It's very discouraging to see this negativity receiving so much attention, rather than focusing on the real needs of the American people. It is therefore difficult for the Obama administration to rise above this wave of negativity and to maintain a positive structured approach to bringing about any change. Next year we'll have a congressional election where new candidates will be elected and, hopefully, many of the non-productive obstructionists will be booted out!
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16 years 10 months
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Just now saw my jet-lagged typo. Meant to type " even if parents DISaggree". Thanks Ted! I certainly heard plenty of illogical disrespect while I was over there! For example it is impossible that Obama has "ruined" the country in his 9 months in office-and I heard that statement a couple of times. Am I utterly naive, or are not facts and information required to be able to form an opinion? ********************************** Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge. Mark Twain
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16 years 4 months
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I'm not sure that's the right way to describe it. Perhaps overly optimistic? Facts and information are only required to form an informed opinion. There are no rules prohibiting uninformed opinions or their dissemination. It is up to each individual to bother to inform themselves. And that's probably for the best in the end. I certainly wouldn't want to be subjected to a regime where only "official" opinions were allowed. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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While I admire Barak Obama for his great skill in oratory (certainly the best speech maker since Lincoln), I think it would be unfortunate to see him as some kind of savior. Yes, yes and yes he is moving forward in some important areas such as health care but when crunch time came on the economy he chose to bail out AIG and investment banks 100 cents on the dollar rather than to cut some type of deal. 32 billion will be paid out to executives in the largest banks for bonuses this year. He has sent more than 20,000 more troops to Afghanistan where there is no clear route to "victory". Iraq remains problematic. This year is the dealiest for US forces of the entire war. It is clearly business as usual for our country with a few flourishes in such areas as health care and the green economy. It is indeed unfortunate to see how the great unwashed and eneducated masses can be whipped up into a foaming-at-the-mouth hysteria regarding all things Barak by these moping maggots of mendacity, but it is only economic fear and racism that is driving them. ~ The rich man in his summer home saying just leave well enough alone ~
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16 years 4 months
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but he was duly elected by a majority of the people, as close as the election actually was. i am concerned how ever about what appears on the surface. apparently the government now controls most banking, most of the auto industry and soon, possibly, health care. i am all for comprehensive health for all citizens but at what price?...i'm still adhering to my "wait and see" philosophy, hoping taxes won't be raised...i can't afford it.
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16 years 1 month
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Are we just delaying the inevitable? Has the beast gotten out of control? How long can a system based on mass consumption at the expense of the environment we depend on and were given for free go on? As long as people hate each other we'll be in a world of hurt. Do you believe in miracles? Everything's gonna be all-right,someday.
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16 years 4 months
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i have always considered hate to be a waste of energy, anyway...couldn't we use that energy to power my cd player?...oh yeah...and the fridge....jus' for my beer ya unnerstan. cuz, ya know....ain't no time to hate
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15 years 8 months
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Love is real Not fade away hate is just an illusion a false belief in something other than Love Love= real, not fade away hate= not real, fades away Love-->fulll of its own power hate-->no power but what we give it Love-->intelligence itself hate--->dumb as a rock planet Love we share both with the seeing and the blind If a blind man bumps into you, you don't push him down, you say, excuse me, May I help you?