turkeyfoot

Geoff, This is probably where we disagree on a fundamental. Politics is simple--very simple, not complex. The politicians like to make it appear complex for obvious reasons of self-aggrandizement and deception, but it's as simple as wielding power to achieve a desired outcome. Which outcome does a politician truly desire? The one he says or another? That is the million dollar question. And the answer is usually quite simple. You're right. There is no depth, nor does Trump have any intention of providing any. Just clarity about the outcomes to problems he wants to resolve. (Trump is reported to have an IQ of 135 and, as people are slowly beginning to realize, he's as disciplined as a Marine drill sergeant.) Think of Reagan's phrase about the outcome of the Cold War: "We win, they lose." Everybody said the Cold War was too complicated to end. No it wasn't. It was simple. Simple ended it. Not depth. Michael Its a good case you lay out and you do so with solid examples. Im not arguing this with you now, just my 2 cents. Your perspective has informed you of how politics is simple. I too appreciate the simplicity in the way AR put forth her limited government thesis. Thats my gold standard of governments proper role. Its been soundly rejected by the governed, imo. Reagans meme re, "Im from the govt and Im here to help" distilled his limited government approach while spending tripled. His IQ was said to be 105. This is just trivia, of course as is FDR's reported IQ of 145. ) There was something machiavellian in selling his bill of goods vs simple honest explication. Listening to the debates and watching the subsequent rise in polls for Rubio and Cruz has been interesting. Their popularity has risen in the wake of Trumps being unable to answer policy questions with much specificity or comprehension. The contrasting styles of the pairs lend credence to an argument of Trumps being unable to wrap his head around the grinding political resolutions. I might get more out of it if I seriously studied the matter. On the surface, it being a debate, Trump was less substantive than others although maybe more clear. He said himself that he brought the subject of immigration to the forefront so he certainly deserves that credit, imo. When the answer to sending 20M illegals home was posited as an impossible goal is when his level headed answers strayed from public consumption. Whether he wants the presidency to satisfy his ego or wants the loftier goal of intervening in governments heavy hand or not, (Im not sure witch) as inspiring as it has become on some level, his command presence is going to be challenged like no others. It will mostly take place off stage in the minds of "confused" voters. ) Its as engaging as are your posts, Michael. I throughly enjoy your insights.

I understand your disgust with the "system," however, I do not know what you mean about "...the outcome is not in doubt." The floor is yours... A... I was being vague. I meant by my comment that there wont be a substantive change in the political manner or kind or in how business is conducted in Washington DC no matter who is elected president. I had the sense that there are some who felt Trump is the answer to hope and change. I may have forgotten who the audience is. )

This is what might make Trump supporters appear unintelligent. They don't engage with the studious erudite liars any more. And they have a great archetypical image in their minds: Trump looking sternly at the intelligentsia (including all those screw-up politicians), pointing a finger and saying: "You're fired." They feel he's doing that in their name. And he is. Michael I get your sense of the theatrics. Its the hue and cry over his propensity for the sound bite that resonates. Voters compartmentalize attributes, theyre dumb because of the complexity of politics and their overall view of what government means personally but wish to express their choice even though theyre free choice results in one option ie; more government, a Hobsons choice. Im not seeing depth in his debating tactics. Hes stirring it up, great, and hes succeeded in that sense. Dont see the beef or gravitas. As Ive said I have the sense to know the measure is one of just how far the once mighty have fallen.

Salon? Really? A... Sorry Adam, I dont know how to answer one word questions. Im not voting. Its a circus with a live wire act and Im queasy watching the performance. High stakes, for sure, though the outcome is not in doubt. If you know what I mean.

“I’ve had my fill of fucking intellectuals,” http://tinyurl.com/zouavkw “I love Trump,” he says. “He’s not an intellectual. He says he’s going to make America great again, that excites me. I got so excited I went out and bought a tricycle. I can’t hardly walk, but I bought a tricycle on just hope. I got it in August—end of October, 14 miles I was going on it, my Trump hat on backwards, going down the highway.” In a nut shell, this explains what has eluded me about the Trump rise. Its not about Trump, its a projection for getting even with the vile things people believe they suffer in their lives. A emotional reaction based on a stirred up sense of gumption. The intellectual attempts to explain but cant put a finger on it. Its the feeling of, "its Friday, the end of a long work week, Im free to do what I want. Theres a party, Im want to be part of it." Theres no real difference between the popularity of Obama (08,12) and Trump (16) or their philosophies. Or I should say I dont see it. Theres a rising tide of mediocrity in politics, one will soon replace the other. In other words theres no real substance to the whys and wherefores of a Trump supporter. Its more my guy can beat yours. The American voters acumen didnt change overnite.

Hes held up a mirror to himself and we can see in it how far the once mighty have fallen. Imo, its not something to celebrate, instead its tragic.

I enjoy a great revenge tale. ) "The basic narrative fuel is always the slow unveiling of the final answer. So don’t bake cakes. Make your family hungry instead." http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/a-simple-way-to-create-suspense ‘I am indifferent to food,’ he said. ‘I have to eat, obviously, but I work better when I am hungry.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2396190/Lee-Child-Ive-smoked-cannabis-nights-week-44-years-dealers-speed-dial.html

Neat kitchen trick. Aside from the admonition that one shall eat everything on ones plate, while growing up the potato skin was buttered and eaten somewhat like dessert. Dont understand why peel potatoes??

Interesting subject, Marcus! The numbers were in as AR realized, reeling from the post publishing reception to AS. Her greatest success was her mother paying for a 1st class ticket out of hell. Her second was writing fiction. Her greatest achievement was capturing the imagination of N Branden, who brought it to the masses. No one since had more success communicating those ideas. That ended somewhat in what, 1968? The West Point address to cadets could be a template for communicating her ideas. But when I think of eager minds of engineering students inculcated with loyalty to duty, honor and country and upon graduation hearing the mature wisdom from an originator, its hard to imagine the how of anyone attempting to stand in her shoes and the when of finding an audience ready and willing to actively listen. Mostly though I figure people embrace philosophically heady ideas for the basis of their survival or for academic success. There are ample ways to survive without an articulated philosophy. Who really needs philosophy?? ;) Apart from the idea of sexiness, its a tantalizing prospect but it takes more than one element to reach a mind. Sure, TEDs metrics are impressive. No one is rating the numbers of people convinced the ideas have permanence in their lives. I also think the ARI views dont convey an accurate measure of the numbers positively affected by AR's influence. Ive watched few, and remember fewer, probably for the reasons you cite. And I wouldnt attribute much of anything to Trumps communication skills other than the use of simple messages to find common agreement. A fleshed out philosophy cant compete with simple general messages and the difficulty finding agreement on specifics ranging over how one lives their life is exponentially greater than the uh huh, me too's, we see.

"Isn’t it an odd human trait to “become” a character? Weird." Yes. Maybe no more weird than emulating virtues by first seeing and then adopting examples of good human traits. I knew what integrity and honesty were far earlier than what AR wrote. I wasnt sucked into an AR psychological vortex. For better or worse they were beat into me so I adopted them as protection and then by extension knew they worked for me and made sense. I had baseball and basketball coaches and players, and neighbors that served as real life examples for me that I saw being less monsterous than my parent. From birth to 14 I wasnt allowed to watch TV, other than a rare invite. My father would check the TV for warmth radiating from the set to insure we didnt. Never wanted to be Scooby Doo. Never wanted to be as strong as Superman, just stronger than I was in the midst of terrorism at home. It was real so I didnt need to ruminate over fantasy heroes, it wouldnt save me from anything, I needed to see human virtues expressed to know life could be better than it was. Strangely or perhaps not, as they were simply good folks, they were my heroes.

Theres one way to test the theory. ) Never pass up a splendid opportunity to make something sound better than it really is. ) I cant make a general comment about everyone or most people. I can more accurately say something about people who are close or those for whom I have more personal details. The women I grew up with were bigger than life and often approached life in theatrical ways which I refer to as manic. Inside I sensed despair and unhappiness. I saw myself as down to earth. They saw me as boring. After my sperm donors death, I took 2 hrs to relate a story to my siblings. Something they could not have known until I told them. In that instance I could see a decided resistance to accept the telling on its merits preferring instead to hold on to the feelings they wanted to keep. They were sympathetic towards me but unabashed in their feelings that we not dwell on it, by noting my take and wanting to move on. And instead insert a narrative or bs, as you say, that theyd rather promote. Ive wondered how my sister, who says she has the happy gene and that she is love, handles the patently absurd notion. Although she has never confessed her need to drink, a reliable family member told me she drinks heavily. So yes, it happens in fact, the idea of maintaining a facade that says bs. But few rise, to that level in my personal life. Far more to see in public figures. In a way, AR and other authors who made heroic characters, that I read about in my youth, provided intestinal fortitude that was missing in my personal life. So for me, though they were fictional and may have had some bs quotient they exemplified an aspect of humanness I wanted. I thrived on and needed those inspired stories made up of created characters, real lives too. In that way I somewhat avoided the reality of really bullshitty things and instead stayed focused and dwelt on positives that had value for me. I really think these characters provided some of the impetus to "undo" and replace the damaging effects from my early bio. ) Thankfully there are enough real life stories that help to focus on value laden virtues. A few positives have an appreciable affect.

Itd be difficult for me to imagine a consistent storyline for a character who evolved from a slight regarded as traumatizing to a resolute, fully realized independent, thinker/producer. Her other characters provide the contrast needed to heighten the portrayal of Roarke. Her opening description of Roarke doesnt mince words, on the contrary he appears as comfortable as granite finding refuge in nature and not in his fellow man. She moves quickly from there to the expulsion which is described as his first freedom. Theres nothing particularly human about him. ) But if I understand what youre saying, if there was a context for judging him vulnerable to being hurt, I think we could come away from that identifying and admiring him all the more.

Thanks Stephen! The opening of FH and Kiras Viking provoked something creative though these many years later. I realized just how difficult writing can be. Firstly, imo, It takes an iron butt. <snip> HE LOOKED TOWARDS the vast horizon. A thinly veiled expression of contempt lined his face. The wind whipped atop the granite bluff as he knotted the cloak draped at his neck, and with a casual motion secured his footing and launched, leaning into the void. Sea birds careened over rising columns of air high above the perch as he landed on a rock shoulder. Raising a hand to shield his eyes he scanned the sun strewn vista searching for a glimpse. Heavy waves capped in white foam broke against the shore of his homeland, the Isle of Skye. A mast, barely visible in the distance, vanished with a blink. An anguish seared his chest and armed with his vision, he stepped towards those values and his love for her. Sheer crags underfoot formed a precipice on which the balance of their lives hung. A plan was forged. Sinewy hands gripped the broadswords leather hilt and as he lifted it above his head the bright sunlight radiated off the blade giving it the appearance of a distress beacon. Its scything motion loosed a scream in the wake of the carved arc as he swore his silent oath.

"Remarkable" as in highly doubtful that the subject is the author. I certainly don't take it at face value, it's an amusing take that hits all the notes. He was 30 years a slave, perhaps he should be considered a saint in his treatment towards his "benefactor". It just doesn't ring true for me.

Its been a long time since I read FH. And then I read this. "Isnt this superflous?" Roark asked. "Its past. Theres no point of discussing my choice of subjects now." ) The author is channeling her penchant for forward moving action to help describe the character rather than appealing to a biographic account that explains the motives for his choices. There doesnt seem to be much regret in her characters. They make choices in the moment and move on with no concern for the past. It underscores a lack of doubt, assuredness, a principled unbothered stoic and those things we equate in general with AR's characters. Im writing a story. It has no mention of the past other than to say something explicit about forefathers. Theres an excitement to being a reader to being given the slightest bits of information/baggage, as if operating in the dark, with nothing but a flashlight shedding light on those things that are important, to the story and to the author.

Remarkable articulation from a slave for whom things like readin and writin skills werent ordinarily a given. Considering he was a slave he was very generous in his remarks. America has treated people it regarded as inferior - abysmally, criminally. Leading up to the civil war Ole Hickory reneged on the Cherokees after John Marshalls SC ruled in their favor 6-1 saying "Marshall may have had his ruling but lets see him try to enforce it." He sent the military in resettling 12,000 in Oklahoma after being taken from their prime farming lands in Georgia. An American Betrayal:Cherokee Patriots and the Trail of Tears by Daniel Blake Smith.

The thought of someone maiming themselves is personally revolting. If they wish to do it, however, I wont stop them, its their body - their life. I would not provide any charitable assistance and would hope that any organization worth its salt would put all its efforts into helping people with genetic or accidental disabilities. Dont know whether shes on public assistance but if so, all those people who admire or understand her dilemma are insane too.

Heres where that came from. During emails coming of age, it was my street address. And it has proven to be a good one too. Google can kma. ) It takes one to know one. ) My given name is Geoff. I feel a little funny introducing myself to whYNOT. ) Only funnin' with ya Geoff. Are you old enough to remember A Boy Named Sue from way back? Pleased to meet you. Peshaw. Jesus you nailed it with that song. "Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had, And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye. He was big and bent and gray and old, And I looked at him and my blood ran cold" Nice to make your acquaintance also, Tony.

Heres where that came from. During emails coming of age, it was my street address. And it has proven to be a good one too. Google can kma. ) It takes one to know one. ) My given name is Geoff. I feel a little funny introducing myself to whYNOT. )

Very rare that movie villians or monsters jolt me, because no matter how well its done I know its a fiction. The scariest things are reality based. Although Psycho made an impression at 9 yrs old. Picked up again with Dexter. Now that for me was a scary tale basing his character on a disturbing scene in his youth. It was very human. Thomas Harris wrote his story and based it on a real person. http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/04/20/the-terrifying-hannibal-lecter-was-based-on-a-real-criminal/ No one scared me more than my old man. He ate snakes. )

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2015-02-16-US--Health%20Overhaul-Penalties/id-b1c64dfc3f7946adba5dcd09c2ec5ff4 A... Don't you just love the fine which is $95.00 or 1% of your income, whichever is the greater!! Now the IRS can impute income to you to ramp up the fines... The IRS can only legally collect the fines if you overpay your taxes by taking them out of the refund due. They can't take them out of your bank account, for instance. --Brant so I read Thats technically accurate. For someone filing quarterly though, its difficult to hit the mark where the refund can be lower than the penalty. For many the way to avoid paying a penalty for underpayment of taxes is to pay 110% of the previous yrs taxes. The late filing penalty is 5% of the additional taxes owed amount for every month (or fraction thereof) your return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. If you file more than 60 days after the due date, the minimum penalty is $135 or 100% of your unpaid tax, whichever is smaller. That almost assuredly complicates avoiding the "shared responsibility payment". Pick your poison. ) I am uninsured this year making me liable for $x. The math works in my favor for now.

Do you mean Carson and Kasich[sp?] ? I did not watch the "debate." Im sorry. Unfortunately, what I remembered and what exactly was said are two different things. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/28/the-third-republican-debate-annotating-the-transcript/ There were 7 mentions, four, in the context of "moral" authority to lead the country, 2 of those by Harwood, the moderator, of the 2 others, two in the context of entitlements and 1 by Kascich in closing about public service. 1."this is not about math, its about morality". The latter exchange was in the limited context by the preacher, Huckabee, over entitlements. Thats nothing but a plea to continue SS because itd be wrong (immoral) to stop anything once its started. 2. a. CHRISTIE: ...The only way we're going to be moral, the only way we're going to keep our promise to seniors is start by following the first rule we should all follow, which is to look at them, treat them like adults, and tell them the truth. b.CHRISTIE: John, I'll tell you something. You want to talk about moral authority. Let's talk about something that happened this week in the news. You know, the FBI director, the president's appointed FBI director has said this week that because of a lack of support from politicians like the president of the United States, that police officers are afraid to get out of their cars; that they're afraid to enforce the law. And he says, the president's appointee, that crime is going up because of this. And when the president of the United States gets out to speak about it, does he support police officers? Does he stand up for law enforcement? No, he doesn't. I'll tell you this, the number one job of the president of the United States is to protect the safety and security of the American people. This president has failed, and when I'm in the Oval Office, police officers will know that they will have the support of the president of the Untied States. That's real moral authority that we need in the Oval Office. It isn't there anymore, Mike. They stole it. It got stolen from them. It's not theirs anymore. The government stole it, and spent it a long time ago... Christies' replies were compelling however being for truth and justice doesnt substitute for a workable philosophy. I couldnt be more wrong about the use of the word, sorry, no cigar. )

I always enjoy Rick Santelli and he asked about the Fed, a germane economic question. The repubs have finally understood what they are fighting for. And it took a few non politicians to get their dander up. They have cohesive arguments but its based on one upmanship and not being left behind. Without direction provided by Fiorina, Trump and Carson they are vacuous bobble heads, with the exception of Paul. I see Trump as being more isolated with his government bashing generalist attitude,. when so many are now speaking his language although much clearer on specifics. I have never heard politicians speak of morality when discussing govts role, and was pleased to hear it.

It was said anyone could destill kerosene from rock oil for a $300 equipment purchase and make the initial investment back on the first sale. The intelligent refiners became convinced by a look at his books that they hadnt a chance and either sold out, got on board or sought a productive endeavor. Tarbell had a juvenile reaction to someone "hurting" her father. 26 yrs later wrote "one of the best 20 investigative pieces in journalistic history" that resonated with the public. It was the ole, cant do as well as Johnnie or Janie no matter how hard you try so you nurse hatred or petty feelings because of it. She wrote but didnt say much. She even opined about Forest Hill, his residence not being as extravagant as it could be and ventured it was bad taste. That was really below the belt. ) Much the same in MS vs DOJ. Its not the power of businessmen that worry me. Its the arbitrary concentration of power and the state monopoly on the use of force in the hands of politicians. Anti Trust; A Greespan. "the entire petroleum industry amounted to less than one percent of the Gross National Product and was barely one-third as large as the shoe" industry....

I don't know Brant. I discovered Rockefeller was a value creator not a wild speculator. He didn't need a corporate shield to hide behind.