We Had To Tax The Retirement Plan In Order To Save It

Duncan (He can't be Sirius) Black, the econ degree holder formerly known as Atrios, explains in USA Today that baby boomers face a retirement crisis which can only be solved by raising both taxes and Social Security benefits. Really:

Recent and near-retirees, the first major cohort of the 401(k) era, do not have nearly enough in retirement savings to even come close to maintaining their current lifestyles.

We need an across the board increase in Social Security retirement benefits of 20% or more. We need it to happen right now, even if that means raising taxes on high incomes or removing the salary cap in Social Security taxes.

People want need (!) a more generous retirement plan and they want need someone else to pay for it! Hmm, one might have thought that means-testing of Social Security benefits would tie in here somewhere, if Social Security is really going to be re-imagined as a full welfare program for the elderly. And I assume that even though the cap on taxable earning may be removed, the cap on benefits will not be.

Fuzzy math is a key part of the argument:

According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the median household retirement account balance in 2010 for workers between the ages of 55-64 was just $120,000. For people expecting to retire at around age 65, and to live for another 15 years or more, this will provide for only a trivial supplement to Social Security benefits.

Hmm. Assuming a zero real return, $150,000 spent evenly over fifteen years is $8,000 per year. And what are Social Security benefits?

And that's for people who actually have a retirement account of some kind. A third of households do not. For these people, their sole retirement income, aside from potential aid from friends and family, comes from Social Security, for which the current average monthly benefit is $1,230.

Well, $1,230 per month is about $14,760 per year. Is $8,000 really a "trivial" supplement to that amount? Would $8,000 be a "trivial" supplement to double that amount, i.e., $30,000 per year? I encourage folks who think so to make a trivial donation here.

Moving the goalposts on the objective of Social Security is also part of the 'logic':

If the consensus is that we need policies in place to ensure that the vast majority of people have at least a comfortable retirement, then we need to adjust our current failing policies. Expecting people to save sufficiently for their retirement, even if those savings are subsidized by our tax code, is unrealistic.

"At least a comfortable retirement"? The long-stated goal of Social Security is to keep the elderly out of poverty, not necessarily living in comfort. Let's flash back to 1939:

"It is impossible under any social insurance system to provide ideal security for every individual. The practical objective is to pay benefits that provide a minimum degree of social security—as a basis upon which the worker, through his own efforts, will have a better chance to provide adequately for his individual security." -- From the Report of the Social Security Board recommending the changes which were embodied in the 1939 Amendments.

In other words, if people want comfort, they can get it on their own dime.

Finally, we are treated to a long exposition explaining that college grads and advanced degree holders are burdened with debt, so how can anyone be expected to save for their own retirement? The suggested answer is to raise taxes on someone else.

One might think that focusing on policies that promoted growth and employment would be the way to secure our future, but evidently, taxing the rich is the only way forward. In Atrios' world.

To be fair, this is a dreadful time to be retiring, with both housing prices and 401(k)s wiped out by the Great Recession. But raising Social Security benefits and taxes indiscriminately and forever is an overreaction, and a misdirected one.

Comments

[NK]

OL-- FY '13 revenue for the Fed Gov't should be about $2.7T-- 9 months of restored payroll taxes, plus the cap gains and income rate increases. With sequestration, spending should be about $3.5+T. "Rough Balance" is a deficit of 1+/-% of GDP, so $600+B of spending cuts, work on restructuring interest payments in light of reduced deficits, that should do it. I'd vote for $100B defense/DHS reductions, $150B non-defense (mostly ag subsidy and Education cuts), $400B entitlement cuts -- mostly from medicaid, unemployment and disability and foodstamp payments.) Almost 25% cut in entitlements gore everyone's steer politically-- hey its 50% of all spending, so you gotta cut where the spending is. Once you make the cuts, spending increases are limited to 20% of 2.5% GDP growth-- any revenue beyond that reduces outstandung debt. Simple arithmatic-- the politcal will?

[Extraneus]

Not a conservative righty. Not a lefty loony liberal. Just a mediocre squish who played the muddle middle. Can there be much demand for his opinion on anything?

Surprised he went for Fox. He could be a big star on a lib outfit with a resume like that.

[Pops]

I no longer understand the Republicans. They need to change their brand completely. It is not a winning argument to keep arguig against spending and then voting for spending, tax increases and more debt.

I SAY THE REPUBLICANS NEED TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THEIR VIEW AND TAKE THE ARGUMENT TO THE LIBERALS.

REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE FOR DOUBLING SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS AND TRIPLE THEM FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS.

If Democrats won't go along, they are against the elderly, want to throw grandma off a cliff and hate black people.

They should be for far more Federal spending and argue the liberals hate people if they won't match the Republican spending.

Then when they ask how to pay, you say, the same way you do, you borrow it all, what difference does it make at this point??

Where going bankrupt anyway...what does it matter if it takes 5 years or 15?

At least Republicans can bribe their way into office to manage the bankruptcy.

And if the press insists Republicans find taxes, then sure I say quadruple government fees for public airwaves, put a 2 dollar tax per newspaper and magazine to save the environment. Put a 50% tax on X-rated materials. Tax marijuana and other drugs. Put huge tax increases on lottery and gambling winnings, etc. etc.

Then we can have a real argument over should we borrow trillions to pay Solyndra and Fisker, or build cool new aircraft carriers and drones.

[Threadkiller]

I like this one:

Washington D.C. – A new front on the legal battle to establish that Barack Hussein Obama, II, is ineligible to be President was opened today by Montgomery Blair Sibley.

To date, no federal court has taken up the merits of Obama's eligibility relying instead on the dubious legal doctrine of “standing” to dismiss every lawsuit. Accordingly, Sibley has released his Stuxnet-like Motion to Dismiss Indictment into the federal prison system. The Motion makes the simple argument that: (i) no federal law is valid under Article I, § 7, cl. 2, of the Constitution unless it is presented to the President, (ii) Obama is not a legitimate President and thus (iii) his signing of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 (“FERA”) is void. Accordingly, every person charge and/or convicted under FERA is entitled to be released.

The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees: “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall . . . have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor.” Thus the Motion demands federal subpoenas for Obama’s: (i) certificates of live birth, (ii) college applications from Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School, (iii) U.S. Passport application, (iv) Social Security application and (v) Selective Service registration information – documents Obama has refused to reveal despite repeated requests.

Sibley has sent the Motion to prisoners convicted under FERA and their defense attorneys and expects his Motion to be filed in dozens of FERA cases by them in the near future. Sibley said: “Like the Stuxnet computer virus, my Motion will circulate among the prison and population and criminal defense bar both of which are very adept at bringing legal pleadings to Court. Once the Motion is properly presented, the Courts will be forced to deal with the merits of Obama’s legitimacy. The doctrine of ‘standing’ will no longer be a barrier to adjudication. My Motion forces the Courts to make the choice of issuing the requested subpoenas – thereby finally settling the issue of Obama’s eligibility to be President – or affirming that the Sixth Amendment has been repealed by Judicial fiat because it threatens the status quo. Either way, we will know where we stand as a People and whether it is time to convene a Constitutional Convention to re-assert our fundamental rights in a federal judicial system which has evolved to ignore those sacred rights when they challenge the ruling class.” -End-

http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogspot.com/2013/02/sibley-demands-federal-subpoenas-for-obama-records.html

Links at the link.

[Extraneus]

Rubio to deliver GOP’s State of the Union response, of course

[narciso]

So, this is just a coincidence;

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/02/06/a_murder_in_tunis_belaid_assassination

[narciso]

Well they have a beat to it;

http://twitchy.com/2013/02/06/replacesongtitlewithdrone-drone-weaver-and-other-greatest-obama-hits/

[rse]

Ol-

Your comment on known accounts reminds me of my neighborhood in ATL. Now you can stand on the street and tell significant differences among houses but some people bought the lots and worked with a builder and for others there is a total sale price.

None of the houses where there is no total sale price on record have the property taxes of the houses where there is. Regardless of size.

It's that mentality of wanting something to look at.

I have been working on this global citizenship back door aspect all day and we really do need to be careful on the immigration front. There is quite a bit in there on this front. But then again we have now invented the term neurodiversity to move away from focusing on what students cannot do. I don't know who they think will pay for all this equality regardless of effort. Just carve that fixed pie I suppose.

[Jack is Back! (On his iPad)]

ICYMI.

To all Texans and patriots nearby or in the vicinity:

Chris Kyle Memorial Service
Date: Monday, February 11, 2013
Time: 1:00 pm
Location: Cowboy Stadium, Arlington, Texas

They need that much room.

[narciso]

Put the jack hammer down, before you hurt yourself;

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/06/Rove-Aide-Calls-Bozell-Hater-Weird-Axes-To-Grind

[narciso]

Ah, he was a part of the digital scam;

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jonathan-collegio/b/788/3

[jimmyk]

And there's the usual non-apology apology: "I apologize to Mr. Bozell if it offended him."

[Old Lurker]

Brown at Fox?

One more boob to skip through. The ratio is already making the news hour watchable in 10 minutes or so. I trust Jane that he is a nice guy but so what...last thing our team needs is a nice squish.

RSE I get your point about needing to see things.

[narciso]

We're so far away, from where we could be on this day, which I have to think is deliberate;

[narciso]

Well this explains his preference for certain sundry despots, of various flavors

hhtp://powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/02/hagel-refuses-to-tell-senate-which-foreigners-have-paid-him.php

[Rick Ballard]

"I don't know who they think will pay for all this equality regardless of effort."

RSE,

You know 'think' just ain't innit. They may feel the burden of the debased credential will be "shared equally" but a debased credential will be treated in the age old manner in which debased coins were treated. The bad will drive the good into strongboxes (good jobs) while continuing to circulate, perpetually seeking some one dumb enough to hold them longer than the time required to determine the level of debasement.

It's happening today and it will continue and become as commonplace as the 'black' coinage of the Elizabethan age in very short order.

[narciso]

This Patriciu seems to be the exception, among the rest of his benefactors, then again.

[Old Lurker]

Dunno NK...we will see how close the income and spending are this year. I'm from MO about them. And I always thought "rough balance" being plus or minus 1% of GDP is not fair since that implies it can be over more or less as often as under, which it never ever is so calling it rough balance is just a way to sugarcoat "still broke". Which I know you know.

[Compguy]

Did you catch the contestant on jeopardy today? Smart 17 year old in a tie.

Alex asks why he would be a good president. What would he bring to the table that is different from the past few decades?

The kid answers without missing a beat, "competence and accountability"

[Rick Ballard]

OL,

Have you noted the attempts by public companies taking a hit to earnings due to the impact of ZIRP on their defined benefit plans to try and classify the damage as similar to a non-recurring item? Mad Ben's death spiral may have already begun to shrink rather than grow GDP and we still haven't seen official notice taken of the obvious repeal of Okun's Law.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--OL-- FY '13 revenue for the Fed Gov't should be about $2.7T-- 9 months of restored payroll taxes, plus the cap gains and income rate increases.--

It was 2.47T in 2012. Is it really going to jump 10% this year with the first quarter starting out negative?
Cap gains tax increases will likely cost revenue rather than generate it.

--so $600+B of spending cuts--

They need their fainting couches for a couple of hundred billion through sequestration. The idea of $600billion is as likely as a congressional pay cut or the lard asses not naming bridges and buildings after the biggest crooks and frauds the nation is able to produce.

[narciso]

Confy chairs, don't forget those,

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

AmSpec on the coming Obamacare Recession.
One thing will grow exponentially in the coming years; 49 employee companies will spread like wild fire.
Of course the fact that most of them used to be 100-300 employee companies may not actually yield a net positive.

[jimmyk]

Is it really going to jump 10% this year with the first quarter starting out negative?

Not to mention that millions of people spent December figuring out ways to move income from 2013 into 2012. I'd be very surprised to see even 5% revenue growth absent a real pickup in growth (which would also be surprising).

And what Iggy said about $600B in cuts. Some chance. When they talk about numbers like that it's over 10 years,

[Janet]

The kid answers without missing a beat, "competence and accountability"

That's great, Compguy!

[MarkO]

What about succession and a joint defense agreement?

After all, what difference does it make?

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--What about succession and a joint defense agreement?--

Do you mean secesssion, Mark?
Or are you talking about Barry's economy = suckcession?

[Rob Crawford]

So they're finally doing a CSI/CSI:NY crossover, and, disappointingly, it's not an investigation into the erratic behavior of the chief CSI in Miami.

[narciso]

They've done a cup of crossovers, to introduce CSI New York, for instance, but each CSI prime guy, is nuttier then the last,

[Old Lurker]

Happy to have other cynics in MO with me about the Fed budget.

And Rick wait till you make those pension calculations without the aid of a phony pop in the stock market.

I'm sure all the savings from Obamacare will save the day right?

[fdcol63]

Remember the Dems' mantra of "choice and competition"?

Not much of either in a single-payer system where the gov't has a monopoly.

[narciso]

Tney were actually saying the budget will be one trillion dollars!!!lower in ten years, on all the outlets.

[jimmyk]

lower than what, narc? I should have added in my post above, cuts are always relative to some high growth baseline. Need a $trillion in cuts? Just add a $trillion to the baseline.

[Janet]

The fact that we are affected by so much crap coming out of DC just shows how the Fed. govt. has gotten out-of-control.
The few things the Fed. govt. is SUPPOSE to do...they don't even want to do anymore. Shrinking the military. Welcoming illegals? Really?...we're not even a sovereign nation anymore. Our State Dept. screwing around with electric cars while our Ambassador is killed. It is crazy.
They pretty much just gum up the works of free people.
What do we do?

[Janet]

Is there a list of the people that got or are gonna get Pigford money?
This Dec. 2012 Breitbart article says - "thousands of people who never farmed a day in their life will be collecting billions of government dollars in 2013."

Pigford for blacks, Love settlement for women, and the Garcia Hispanic / Latino farmer settlement. ????

"Here's how you can collect $50,000, tax free.

This first point can't be stressed enough; nobody will verify the information you provide. Any claim you make will be accepted as true."

[Captain Hate]

They've done a cup of crossovers, to introduce CSI New York, for instance, but each CSI prime guy, is nuttier then the last

CSI Sam Malone? Fortunately they appealed to my baser instincts by tarting the joint up with Elisabeth Shue.

narc, have you ever read or heard of Europe Central by William Vollman? He admits to being *very* influenced by Danilo Kis whom he really resembles in his Borges-ian stories that read like fact involving real people until you realize he can't know some things (and some things are just flat out weird), at least in this book.

[Captain Hate]

Btw, ace had a nice "why do you keep posting things that get Matt Lauer upset" meltdown this afternoon. He got some suck up and some STFU. Situation normal.

[narciso]

No, I haven't, seems a bit of a departure for him, a little like Gravity's Rainbow,

[Captain Hate]

Don't say that; I hated Gravity's Rainbow.

Btw, the perils of getting DVDs from the library caught up with me on season 3 of Burn Notice; the first disc blew up for a segment of the first 3 episodes. I took it back and another one should be ready tomorrow. Usually it's the oldest ones that get the most wear but seasons 1 and 2 went off without a major hitch. Yes I realize any numbskull can screw one up.

[Rob Crawford]

Btw, ace had a nice "why do you keep posting things that get Matt Lauer upset" meltdown this afternoon.

It was amusing. The Dems held "hearings" that were antisemitic festivals during the Bush administration, but we're going too far when we question the honesty of a Joyce Foundation board member when he claims to skeet shoot "all the time"?

[Janet]

Clarice had this up on FB from the Conservative Treehouse - Beyond Absurd – About Witness #8 (Dee Dee) Telephone Interview Trayvon Martin Family Attorney Benjamin Crump “I Did Not Ask Her Name or Address”….

Dee Dee might be totally made up.

[Rob Crawford]

Dee Dee might be totally made up.

I read that stuff earlier, and I'm not following their conclusion. Is the "DeeDee" evidence sketchy? Yes. Is the "DeeDee" evidence mostly hear-say and emotionalism? Yes. Is the Crump character just a race-baiter who saw his chance to get on the grievance gravy train? Yes.

But I don't see the "DeeDee doesn't exist" hook. "DeeDee was coached"? Maybe.

[narciso]

There's no evidence that she isn't really, Janet, but there's no interest in it, the Orlando paper, that inspires bgates, didn't flag it, and my own fishwrap, well need I say more,

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

I wanted to thank narciso and Captain Hate for turning me on to Justified.
What a hoot.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

How do I get in on that Love settlement for women?

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

I wonder if I changed my name to Ignacio Rodriguez if I could get some of that Hispanic tree farmer money.

[narciso]

They brought back Natalie Zea, for a moment) in yesterday's episode, Raylan doesn'r suffer fools, and you'd be surprised how many of them
show up in Harlan Cty.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ig-

Only if you can produce whole pecans from your properties are you allowed to play.

After your dues are subtracted, of course.

(Isn't anyone noticing that every single action of this Administration is dedicated to the sole purpose of defunding their perceived "enemy"? Just think about it. Every DoJ action is not against an industry action, it's sole entities whom, at majority shareholder level, finance GOP actions. It's just about the money, which is all Chicago politics is about. Contribution flows.)

[Captain Hate]

I wanted to thank narciso and Captain Hate for turning me on to Justified.

That must be somebody other than me unless I had a stroke and all memory of that has been erased.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rant off.

G'night.

[Rob Crawford]

It's just about the money, which is all Chicago politics is about. Contribution flows.

Remember the picture of Obama "lecturing" and drawing on the text board? Wasn't that the point he was making?

That's also one of the reasons they lust for higher taxes -- less disposable income to support causes and candidates.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Hagel vote in Sen. Armed Services Committee delayed and NOT rescheduled. Sam Powers next up, I bet.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Done, bye.

Prayers to the West Coast Division of JOM from just little me.

[narciso]

Toxic idiocy, now with a Clear Channel brand;

http://twitchy.com/2013/02/05/rick-sanchez-prefers-questionable-drone-strikes-to-unwinnable-wars/

[Rick Ballard]

DeeDee is just as real as Tawana Brawley.

[Ignatz]

Captain,
Coulda swore it was you and narc talking about Justified one time which prompted me to take a look.
If not, thank you unknown dude.

[Dublindave]

I can't live on Social security alone and the notion of having a nest egg whence I retire is absurd.

What happens to dubby???? Am I to just crawl into a corner and f****ing die????
Yizz all need to start kickin in for ole dubby's retirement. Take two weeks in the south of France instead of 5.

[narciso]

It's a good show, and except for one particular opening scene yesterday, it doesn't have extreme violence like much of Elmore Leonard's work.

[narciso]

I guess the trick is getting caught;

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/11/01/Flashback-Sen-Menendez-Says-Secret-Service-Men-Should-Be-Fired-For-Prostitute-Scandal

[BR]

In three hours' time there's a great movie on Showtime - The Deceivers - about the Thuggee Kali cult, and good acting by Pierce Brosnan. I've seen it before but will probably watch it again. The last scene is especially memorable when he sits exhausted after his undercover adventures and his naive wife is totally oblivious to what he just went through.

[narciso]

So, they didn't take the Valentine;

http://news.yahoo.com/irans-khamenei-rejects-offer-direct-talks-u-101218624.html

[narciso]

And a little more resistance here as well;

http://news.yahoo.com/tunisian-government-dissolved-critics-killing-causes-fury-003902616.html

[narciso]

So in another echo of Silva, the base from which we struck Awlaki, has been revealed.

[Patriot4Freedom]

narciso -

Do you think there is *ANY* information re the intel community/military's efforts in the GWT that this admin cannot find *some* way to release to the public, thereby endangering even more lives?

Leakier than a sieve, indeed.

Oh, and HRC's response to this news? . . .

“What difference, at this point, does it make?”

[Patriot4Freedom]

narciso -

Do you think there is *ANY* information about the intel community/military's efforts in the GWT that this admin can manage to *not* reveal, thereby endangering even more lives?

Leakier than a sieve, indeed.

Oh, and HRC's response to this latest revelation. . . ?

“What difference, at this point, does it make?”

[NK]

Ig/DD scoff at Federal spending dropping $600B per year-- and rightfully so. The politicians won't legislate an orderly restructuring of welfare bribes to the muddle (SocSecPonzi, Medicare, Medicaid, FoodStamps, Obamacare), and cutout all their hard fought for Pork. Of course not, but the US Gov't borrows 40% of its operating budget--- 40%. It BORROWS 8+% of GDP just to pay expenses every year. Even Greece didn't do that; So when there is no one around to buy T-Bonds at 2% -- the spending ends because it can't continue. And it ends abruptly, and so the worst injured will be poor shites like DD-- no more Medicaid, no more Food Stamp paid for smokes and beer-- no more nothin'. Barry gonna warm up them drones to ..uh.. attend to inner city and farmland (ag subsidies go to) uprisings. It's the iron law of arithmatic.

[NK]

Narc-- great links. I infer from Khamenei's public bitch slap of sloejoe that the Mullahs have their deliverable bomb. Your thoughts?

R Sanchez-- the "Media" are complete slags, just part of Team Left/Dem. Disgrace.

[Dublindave]

And it ends abruptly, and so the worst injured will be poor shites like DD-- no more Medicaid, no more Food Stamp paid for smokes and beer-- no more nothin'.

Wrong- we'll raise the tax rate to 80%....hell 90% if that's what it takes to pay for me and me wifes beer and smokes. It's unfair and I know i'm an asshole for even suggesting it but in this life you got to take what you can get when you can get it. Rich people do it so why shud't the poor???

[NJJan]

Regarding Fox News commentators, I just finished reading Lawrence Wright's book on Scientology, Going Clear and learned that Greta Van Susteren and her husband are members. They maintain a mansion in Clearwater near Scientology Flag operation and have lent their yacht for various occasions. After reading the results of Wright's investigation and research into Scientology, it really lowered my opinion of Greta.

[Mark Folkestad]

Odd bit of news, NJJan, about Greta. She doesn't seem the type of airhead that usually falls for Scientology.

[Gus]

Biden is a clown. He got elected to the Senate at 29 or 30. He's never had a job.
Joe Biden is a 5 year old girls soccer coach pretending to coach in the WORLD CUP.
It is sad and quite dangerous.

[NK]

DD@8:34-- sorry DD, it won't play out that way-- you'll be drone-zapped first. Yep DD-- socialists crush the muddle when it rebels-- see Greek riot police, and NYC cops batoning OWS. Obama knows that slugs like you are pussies, and with overhead drone surveillance, the DHS 'special forces' will crush just a few of your skulls and restore 'order'. Then he'll say, so sorry-- it was all Bush's fault I had to screw you guys. ALOHA!

[Chubby]

watched "The Crossing" on YouTube last night.

LUN

really good movie

((The drama is about George Washington crossing the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War. The film opens with the retreat of the Continental Army across New Jersey after repeated losses and defeats during the campaign of 1776.

After the army narrowly escapes across the river to the Pennsylvania shore, Washington, realizing that something must be done or the Revolution will collapse, conceives a plan to cross the river and conduct a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton.

Despite their own fatigue and the winter weather, Washington manages to lift his weary soldiers' spirits, allowing the army to cross the river on Christmas night. The crossing is done in one night, allowing the troops to attack Trenton at eight o' clock on December 26, 1776, and gains a stunning victory, capturing almost all the Hessians to their own advantage))

[NK]

News from ChiTown-- Jesse Jr going to Marion? MelR-- how did this happen... OK.. we all know Jesse Jr's a crook, but how did the DOJ greenlight calling Jr on it?http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/18059047-452/sneed-exclusive-pending-jesse-jackson-jr-plea-deal-includes-significant-jail-time-source-says.html

[Janet]

Is this Ignatz? Logger shaving with an axe!

[NJJan]

Mark@8:46am

I was surprised that Greta was involved in Scientology too. Although, according to book, once in its very hard to leave. According to book, people are threatened, harassed, and their "audits" or confessions of wrong doing are held over them. I can't picture her being involved in this type of outfit, although the book claims that celebrity members are shielded from the nastier aspects like reeducation camps, etc.

[AliceH]

via Coalition of the Swilling: A short clip with Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel

I had to google them, but I gather those in the NYC area remember them.

[jimmyk]

Janet, that looks more like Curly and the Three Stooges.

Anyone catch Rand's rant? "You're pro-choice for abortion but not for light bulbs and toilets."

http://www.saysuncle.com/2013/02/06/rand-paul-for-president/

[NK]

AliceH@934-- of course "The Eyewitness News Team", with Tex "Confucious Say" Antoine doing weather, and Howard Cosell/Jim Bouton doing sports, and roving human interest reporter Jerry Rivers... I mean... Geraldo Rivera. It was quite a crew. Both have died.

[NK]

Pinch took one for the Team -- Team Left/Dem-- here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/06/us-newspapers-accused-complicity-drone

[NK]

.. unless of course the House of Saud wrote a big check to the Sulzberger Family Foundation in exchange for the NYT to keep its mouth shut.

[jimmyk]

Anyone following the news about Richard III? Sounds like he was a great and honorable leader who got unjustly maligned by his successors (sound familiar?), to whom Shakespeare copied up by writing his play. Of course, Shakespeare did not claim to be a "journalist." Steve Landsburg recommends a biography that sounds like a good read.

http://www.thebigquestions.com/2013/02/06/the-ricardian-model/

[jimmyk]

Copied = copied (stupid IPad)

[jimmyk]

Arghh, cozied

[Sue]

Ahhh....Justified. My guilty pleasure. Did you realize that Raylan is Thomas Gabriel, the bad guy in Live Free or Die Hard? Speaking of Bruce Willis...only 7 more days!!!! until A Good Day to Die Hard. Anyone with me in their excitement?

[Threadkiller]

I am always with you.

[Sue]

TK,

::grin:: Thanks.

[NK]

The Storm-- ugh-- real 1960s-70s thing. Blizzard from the Hudson Valley on East and North, monster accumulations in places like Worcester Ma, IN CONTRAST in NYC, LI, and Coastal Ctto Cape Cod, snow, THEN RAIN, then back to snow, keeps accumulations down under a foot. We had a bunch of these back in the day. For people like me on the coast, just grey wet snow, coastal flooding and trees down will be the biggest problem.

[Chubby]

(("You're pro-choice for abortion but not for light bulbs and toilets."))

the scary part was the response that the regulations were stellar examples of "bipartisan" efforts

[Jane: Mock the Media]

NK,

I'm 10 miles from Worcester.

[Chubby]

the "aura" of the person Rand was questioning was the color of self-satisfied smug, self rightous arrogance

[rse]

jimmy k-

I am following the news on Richard and understanding the Wars of the Roses and the end of the Plantagenets and the Tudors is a cherished hobby.

I found it fascinating that he did have scoliosis although it couldn't have been severe without putting pressure on lungs. I explained elsewhere that the little princes were a threat because Edward had eloped with a commoner who were seen as trying to rule through them. And minority kingships had a tragic history in the War of the Roses.

Red was funny when she was about 14 and told me she had found out that none of her friends knew who Eleanor of Aquitaine was we she showed up in the BBC Robin Hood series.

[rse]

wee seen refers to Elizabeth Woodville's relatives.

[NK]

Jane-- get that snowblower ready-- think back to Feb '78.

[henry]

If it makes you feel better NK, the freezing rain here just switched to snow. Now a modest 4-6 inches expected. Of course my plow truck needs a new starter motor, ugh. We had a big storm 2 years ago where the snow was 2 -3 feet with big drifts, my plow worked then, but only got one truck length out of the barn before getting stuck. Stock up on beer / food now, it takes a while to clean up that much snow!

[Peter]

Alice H, loved, Tex Antoine, Bill Beutel and Roger Grimsby. They even had former Yankee pitcher/outcast Jim Bouton doing sports.

[NK]

henry-- were you in Ct in 78 or 79 for those big dumps? Anything below 18" gets cleaned up pretty quickly. All bets are off with 2FT.

[maryrose]

Sue:
I saw a 15 minute preview show on HBO last night for the new DieHard movie. It looks awesome. They actually have a huge helicopter that will be used in some combat scenes. It is John and his son Jack doing the fighting. I am not A DieHard fan but even I was impressed.Enjoy the movie when it premieres.

[sbwaters]

Jane:I'm 10 miles from Worcester.

Yes, but in the correct direction.

[Thomas Collins]

I'm predicting a fizzle. Not that it won't be a nasty storm, but that it will be far from historic. I think storm grading is now as dumbed down as course grading in the humanities and social sciences at pseudo-elite schools. What once was called a typical New England snowstorm is now described in a manner that would make one think that the Old Testament God had taken out His wrath on New England through snow.