Politics, Politics, Politics

[MacNfries]

If any natural born citizen of this country wishes to permanently move to another country, and denounce their citizenship over our government policies, I think the government should consider paying for their one-way airline ticket out of the country with a "Thank You" and a "don't let the door hit you in your ass as you leave". These individuals just need to sign an agreement that if they wish to later return, they reimburse the government 1,000% of the cost (cash only please) of the ticket, and get in the current so-well-organized immigration processing line.

In Sunday's news it was reported that the Republicans plan a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution forsing a balanced budget; requires 2/3 majority of states to ******* this con-con. Supposedly, 27 states have passed legislation to allow amendments to the Constitution, and another 9 are considering allowing changes. This sounds good, right? You'd think that this would ******* our representatives to sit down and establish a real government operating budget, but oh no ... that won't happen because that isn't the real objective. Their objective, as usual, is really about continuing their cuts to government revenue through tax cuts that will create bigger budget shortfalls that will ******* spending cuts, thus shrinking government. Of course, they won't come out and say that, but this is all they've got. And, they won't admit that the cost of doing this will be mostly on the backs of, who else, but the middle & poor working class. Same "trickle down" served deviously under another name. Possibly Democrats will grow some testicles and demand that 50% of any future revenue cuts be taken straight from military spending as offset.

 

[MacNfries]

And if excellent golf courses is what it takes to send one on his/her way, I might suggest checking out Ireland, Scottland, Australia and even South Africa. I'd even be willing to buy 'em a box of balls and carry their clubs to the plane.
"FORE!"

 

[Paulus50]

View attachment 415790 So as we wait, I thought I'd share my recipe for Low-Carb Margaritas. A local restaurant chain that my wife and I frequent endorsed my recipe with 2 free meals. ( It was worth $120) It is awesome, I might say ... only 9 carbs per ******* for those that love sweet drinks but can't handle the sugar due to diabetes, etc. You would never know it was low sugar.
If you love margaritas as much as my wife & I do, you'll never be able to settle for a margarita mixed any other way.

View attachment 415799

It´s an aphrodisiac ******* for women. Tested.

 

[MacNfries]

Thanks for the recipe. We love Margarita's and will try this tonight!

I haven't seen you on lately ... hope everything's ok with you.
I was just curious, did you ever have a chance to try my margarita recipe?
Take care ... Mac

 

[Torpedo]

If I ever considered moving to another country, which I will not, the quality of their golf courses would be important. Speaking of golf, if we made it a law in this country, that all men had to wear golf pants. a golf shirt, and golf spiked shoes, there would be considerably less convenient store robberies. First of all, have you ever seen a suspect of such a robbery dressed in golf attire? Secondly, it is difficult to flee on foot on a sidewalk or highway, wearing golf shoes. You slip and slide, and the clattering racket can be heard a hundred yards away.
I don't know if any golf fans read this. Here's hoping Jordan Spieth can put three more good rounds together at the Masters. Ben Crenshaw must have been embarrassed to shoot a 91 at his last Masters. The next high was 85.

You might be on to something with the golf attire. However getting mugged by someone wearing golf shoes could get ugly if you ended up on the ground and he started stomping.

The Marriot on St Kitts has an 18 hole par 71 that was designed by Thomas McBroom. He has designed more than 30 courses in Canada. He has been around since the1980's but has just taken off internationally in the last 10 or 15 years. I like his designs. With certain pleasures in life like golf, fishing, and women it is never worthwhile short changing yourself. I think between St. Kitts and Nevis there are three golf courses. The islands are only a couple of miles apart and there is regular ferry service

 

[Torpedo]

View attachment 554823 And if excellent golf courses is what it takes to send one on his/her way, I might suggest checking out Ireland, Scottland, Australia and even South Africa. I'd even be willing to buy 'em a box of balls and carry their clubs to the plane.
"FORE!"

One of the beauties of the internet is unless you are in North Korea or China or a similar repressive country a person can communicate easily with his/her friends and acquaintances from where ever he or she might be

 

[Torpedo]

If any natural born citizen of this country wishes to permanently move to another country, and denounce their citizenship over our government policies, I think the government should consider paying for their one-way airline ticket out of the country with a "Thank You" and a "don't let the door hit you in your ass as you leave". These individuals just need to sign an agreement that if they wish to later return, they reimburse the government 1,000% of the cost (cash only please) of the ticket, and get in the current so-well-organized immigration processing line.

In Sunday's news it was reported that the Republicans plan a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution forsing a balanced budget; requires 2/3 majority of states to ******* this con-con. Supposedly, 27 states have passed legislation to allow amendments to the Constitution, and another 9 are considering allowing changes. This sounds good, right? You'd think that this would ******* our representatives to sit down and establish a real government operating budget, but oh no ... that won't happen because that isn't the real objective. Their objective, as usual, is really about continuing their cuts to government revenue through tax cuts that will create bigger budget shortfalls that will ******* spending cuts, thus shrinking government. Of course, they won't come out and say that, but this is all they've got. And, they won't admit that the cost of doing this will be mostly on the backs of, who else, but the middle & poor working class. Same "trickle down" View attachment 554819 served deviously under another name. Possibly Democrats will grow some testicles and demand that 50% of any future revenue cuts be taken straight from military spending as offset.

The spending of medicare/medicaid and social security both exceed the spending on defense. Medicare/medicaid spending is currently at 1.55 times the amount spent on the military (defense). Social security is currently at 1.45 times the amount spent on defense. The net interest on the national is equal to 40% of what is spent on defense. That's over 240 billion dollars just for the interest. By 2020 the interest alone on the national debt is projected to be a trillion dollars per year. The figures I used are treasuries own numbers.

 

[Torpedo]

View attachment 554823 And if excellent golf courses is what it takes to send one on his/her way, I might suggest checking out Ireland, Scottland, Australia and even South Africa. I'd even be willing to buy 'em a box of balls and carry their clubs to the plane.
"FORE!"

There are several companies that will take good quality golf balls and imprint them with a picture. I have thought about taking a small picture such as one might use for an avatar and having it imprinted on some golf balls and see how it would effect my game.

 

[falcondfw69]

Man, there is nothing like Top-Flite off the tee. Why ruin it with narcisim? lol. The ink might cause you to lose 10 yards.

 

[LukeAdams]

The spending of medicare/medicaid and social security both exceed the spending on defense. Medicare/medicaid spending is currently at 1.55 times the amount spent on the military (defense). Social security is currently at 1.45 times the amount spent on defense. The net interest on the national is equal to 40% of what is spent on defense. That's over 240 billion dollars just for the interest. By 2020 the interest alone on the national debt is projected to be a trillion dollars per year. The figures I used are treasuries own numbers.

For those that do not believe you about the looming problem with social security and Medicare/Medicaid spending, they can read economist Robert Samuelson in the Washington Post. Although I subscribe, you can access several columns a month without subscribing and paying. Read the titles of his columns in his archive. I think he most recently wrote about it in the column before last. You can read Samuelson for a year and not know whether he is a Repub or a Dem.
The cost curve on health care spending is bending slightly down, but I do not think this is due to Obamacare. Of course, the Dems will disagree with that. All pols take credit for anything good that happens.
Regarding Social Security, think of three people on one block, who made the same amount of reported income to SS over their lifetime. One gambles it all away. Another gives most of it to charity. Another gives it to his children, over time, by the annual gift tax limit. Two other people live on the same block, who had the opportunities to work and earn income. But they did not want to work. One received money from his family. The other scrounged coupons, lived hand to mouth, bummed free meals, etc. In addition, on this block there is a person with bad health, lack of opportunity, etc. who did the best he could, but was not able to save anything, and depends on his social security payments to survive.
I named six persons in my example. There is one more. The seventh worked hard, invested well but conservatively, and has a high net worth. I do not intend to imply these are indicate of the real proportion of each example in the entire U.S.
From a first glance, it is ridiculous that a person with high net worth should be able to collect social security payments over his remaining years. But if you eliminate his Social Security payments, that person will rightfully cite folks as I did in my example above, that mostly could have saved like he did, but did not.
However, life is unfair. My social security years are a long way off. However, if I was retirement age today, I could live comfortably with the capping of my Social Security payout at what I originally paid into Social Security, adjusted for interest.
Most of my best friends are Dems, which is my unique cross to bear. One friend ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress a few years ago. He gets the purple cool-aid line straight from the sources that the deeply invested activists access. I asked him why the Dems never proposed capping Social Security benefits as I proposed above, since one would think a disproportionate number are Repubs. He did some checking. He told me the idea is anathema to Dem office holders. The thinking is that the proposal would so alienate the general population, that support for the poverty programs would sink. The thinking is that even among Dems, if you propose cutting Dems' own benefits, they would no longer support Dem programs.
The Repubs are little better, if any. This is why it is so disheartening, that President Obama walked away from the Simpson Bowles recommendations. True, they might not have passed anyway, but he could have shown leadership and fought for it.
This country will have a severe fiscal crisis and probably resulting depression, primarily due to our locked in entitlement spending. Most thing it is 7-15 years off, as Torpedo writes. Both parties are too blame. No one has the guts to do anything. And don't get me started on economist Paul Krugman of the NY Times.

 

[LukeAdams]

There are several companies that will take good quality golf balls and imprint them with a picture. I have thought about taking a small picture such as one might use for an avatar and having it imprinted on some golf balls and see how it would effect my game.

About 30 years ago, a friend played golf at the Mount Kenya Safari Club. They issued him the clubs and two balls. He said the course was surrounded by a see through fence, to keep the animals out. He hit one ball over the fence.
After the round, he returned his clubs and one ball. A half hour later, a very polite man called him in his room, and inquired how the round of golf was. My friend said very good. The caller apologized, but said that he only returned one ball, and perhaps he still had it in his pocket. No, my friend said. Well then, unfortunately we will have to charge your room for the additional ball. There must have been more to the story, but my friend is not the questioning kind.

 

[Torpedo]

Man, there is nothing like Top-Flite off the tee. Why ruin it with narcisim? lol. The ink might cause you to lose 10 yards.

I wouldn't want my picture on a golf ball. There is someone that comes to mind though. It would be a good incentive to improve my accuracy. Connect the sweet spot with his nose in the picture on the ball and see how far it flies. Mizuno JPX-EZ were invented for people people like me. Never can have to big of a sweet spot. . I am reasonable certain that Rory McIlroy , Bubba Watson or any of the other top pro's never loose any sleep worrying about me showing up.

 

[falcondfw69]

I wouldn't want my picture on a golf ball. There is someone that comes to mind though. It would be a good incentive to improve my accuracy. Connect the sweet spot with his nose in the picture on the ball and see how far it flies. Mizuno JPX-EZ were invented for people people like me. Never can have to big of a sweet spot. . I am reasonable certain that Rory McIlroy , Bubba Watson or any of the other top pro's never loose any sleep worrying about me showing up.

lol. Love ya, Torp. Give me a rock hard pinnacle and I will take on anyone. lol. McIlroy, Woods, I don't care. I will beat you into submission. lol. LOVE golf. Been playing for 35 years.

 

[Torpedo]

For those that do not believe you about the looming problem with social security and Medicare/Medicaid spending, they can read economist Robert Samuelson in the Washington Post. Although I subscribe, you can access several columns a month without subscribing and paying. Read the titles of his columns in his archive. I think he most recently wrote about it in the column before last. You can read Samuelson for a year and not know whether he is a Repub or a Dem.
The cost curve on Medicare/Medicaid is bending slightly down, but I do not think this is due to Obamacare. Of course, the Dems will disagree with that. All pols take credit for anything good that happens.
Regarding Social Security, think of three people on one block, who made the same amount of reported income to SS over their lifetime. One gambles it all away. Another gives most of it to charity. Another gives it to his children, over time, by the annual gift tax limit. Two other people live on the same block, who had the opportunities to work and earn income. But they did not want to work. One received money from his family. The other scrounged coupons, lived hand to mouth, bummed free meals, etc. In addition, on this block there is a person with bad health, lack of opportunity, etc. who did the best he could, but was not able to save anything, and depends on his social security payments to survive.
I named six persons in my example. There is one more. The seventh worked hard, invested well but conservatively, and has a high net worth. I do not intend to imply these are indicate of the real proportion of each example in the entire U.S.
From a first glance, it is ridiculous that a person with high net worth should be able to collect social security payments over his remaining years. But if you eliminate his Social Security payments, that person will rightfully cite folks as I did in my example above, that mostly could have saved like he did, but did not.
However, life is unfair. My social security years are not too far off. I could live comfortably with the capping of my Social Security payout at what I originally paid into Social Security, adjusted for interest.
Most of my best friends are Dems, which is my unique cross to bear. One friend ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress a few years ago. He gets the purple cool-aid line straight from the sources that the deeply invested activists access. I asked him why the Dems never proposed capping Social Security benefits as I proposed above, since one would think a disproportionate number are Repubs. He did some checking. He told me the idea is anathema to Dem office holders. The thinking is that the proposal would so alienate the general population, that support for the poverty programs would sink. The thinking is that even among Dems, if you propose cutting Dems' own benefits, they would no longer support Dem programs.
The Repubs are little better, if any. This is why it is so disheartening, that President Obama walked away from the Simpson Bowles recommendations. True, they might not have passed anyway, but he could have shown leadership and fought for it.
This country will have a severe fiscal crisis and probably resulting depression, primarily due to our locked in entitlement spending. Most thing it is 7-15 years off, as Torpedo writes. Both parties are too blame. No one has the guts to do anything. And don't get me started on economist Paul Krugman of the NY Times.

I was born in this country, worked hard, my first paying job was when I was 12 YO. I spent 4 years in the military, got a college education, got some lucky breaks and have done well. Now as I slide into retirement I see a government that doesn't seem to know how to balance a checkbook and is casting about for any sources of revenue they can get their hands on to squander. Health care in this country is twice as expensive as the number two on the list. Number 2 is Norway in health care cost. There it is half the cost of health care in the U.S. and Norway rates number 2 or 3 world wide in the quality of care. The United States doesn't even make the top 10. In ******* mortality we are tied with Yemen. If I renounce my citizenship I loose my Social Security but I think as time goes on it will become a lesser loss because at some point they are going to have to cut benefits.

The only viable solution is for a 3rd party that doesn't have the ties to special interests night now. Doesn't make any difference whether a Democrat or a Republican is the next president, either way the United States is screwed.

 

[Torpedo]

lol. Love ya, Torp. Give me a rock hard pinnacle and I will take on anyone. lol. McIlroy, Woods, I don't care. I will beat you into submission. lol. LOVE golf. Been playing for 35 years.

I would never turn down the opportunity to play against any pro. I have done some of my best thinking on the golf course. Every so often I will grab a few balls and a 5 iron and play 9 holes with just the 5 iron. It's great once in awhile gives the game a very different perspective.

 

[falcondfw69]

For those that do not believe you about the looming problem with social security and Medicare/Medicaid spending, they can read economist Robert Samuelson in the Washington Post. Although I subscribe, you can access several columns a month without subscribing and paying. Read the titles of his columns in his archive. I think he most recently wrote about it in the column before last. You can read Samuelson for a year and not know whether he is a Repub or a Dem.
The cost curve on health care spending is bending slightly down, but I do not think this is due to Obamacare. Of course, the Dems will disagree with that. All pols take credit for anything good that happens.
Regarding Social Security, think of three people on one block, who made the same amount of reported income to SS over their lifetime. One gambles it all away. Another gives most of it to charity. Another gives it to his children, over time, by the annual gift tax limit. Two other people live on the same block, who had the opportunities to work and earn income. But they did not want to work. One received money from his family. The other scrounged coupons, lived hand to mouth, bummed free meals, etc. In addition, on this block there is a person with bad health, lack of opportunity, etc. who did the best he could, but was not able to save anything, and depends on his social security payments to survive.
I named six persons in my example. There is one more. The seventh worked hard, invested well but conservatively, and has a high net worth. I do not intend to imply these are indicate of the real proportion of each example in the entire U.S.
From a first glance, it is ridiculous that a person with high net worth should be able to collect social security payments over his remaining years. But if you eliminate his Social Security payments, that person will rightfully cite folks as I did in my example above, that mostly could have saved like he did, but did not.
However, life is unfair. My social security years are not too far off. I could live comfortably with the capping of my Social Security payout at what I originally paid into Social Security, adjusted for interest.
Most of my best friends are Dems, which is my unique cross to bear. One friend ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress a few years ago. He gets the purple cool-aid line straight from the sources that the deeply invested activists access. I asked him why the Dems never proposed capping Social Security benefits as I proposed above, since one would think a disproportionate number are Repubs. He did some checking. He told me the idea is anathema to Dem office holders. The thinking is that the proposal would so alienate the general population, that support for the poverty programs would sink. The thinking is that even among Dems, if you propose cutting Dems' own benefits, they would no longer support Dem programs.
The Repubs are little better, if any. This is why it is so disheartening, that President Obama walked away from the Simpson Bowles recommendations. True, they might not have passed anyway, but he could have shown leadership and fought for it.
This country will have a severe fiscal crisis and probably resulting depression, primarily due to our locked in entitlement spending. Most thing it is 7-15 years off, as Torpedo writes. Both parties are too blame. No one has the guts to do anything. And don't get me started on economist Paul Krugman of the NY Times.

Luke,
Don't sell "Repubs" short. What do you think started the Tea Party?
Medicare and medicaid can be fixed in many ways. So can Social Security. Only a very few on Capitol Hill have the courage to actually fix them.
Anyone who has made a payroll or been in business (ok. most) know what is important for this economy. Unfortunately, our President has never done either and none of his advisors have either.
We all have this cross to bear.
If things do not turn around, honestly, I will be out of here shortly after the 2016 elections. I am not going to be a captive to watching us commit national suicide. I will watch it from a distance. If CONSERVATIVES (notice I did not say Repubs) do not take the white house back in 2016, this country is done.

 

[Torpedo]

Luke,
Don't sell "Repubs" short. What do you think started the Tea Party?
Medicare and medicaid can be fixed in many ways. So can Social Security. Only a very few on Capitol Hill have the courage to actually fix them.
Anyone who has made a payroll or been in business (ok. most) know what is important for this economy. Unfortunately, our President has never done either and none of his advisors have either.
We all have this cross to bear.
If things do not turn around, honestly, I will be out of here shortly after the 2016 elections. I am not going to be a captive to watching us commit national suicide. I will watch it from a distance. If CONSERVATIVES (notice I did not say Repubs) do not take the white house back in 2016, this country is done.

You make a very good point. The biggest business in the United States is the U.S. Government and it is run by people that have no understanding of business.. For me to consider leaving the U.S. has been a long difficult decision. If you do decide to leave take a serious look at St. Kitts. There is a lot of opportunity there.

 

[falcondfw69]

I was born in this country, worked hard, my first paying job was when I was 12 YO. I spent 4 years in the military, got a college education, got some lucky breaks and have done well. Now as I slide into retirement I see a government that doesn't seem to know how to balance a checkbook and is casting about for any sources of revenue they can get their hands on to squander. Health care in this country is twice as expensive as the number two on the list. Number 2 is Norway in health care cost. There it is half the cost of health care in the U.S. and Norway rates number 2 or 3 world wide in the quality of care. The United States doesn't even make the top 10. In ******* mortality we are tied with Yemen. If I renounce my citizenship I loose my Social Security but I think as time goes on it will become a lesser loss because at some point they are going to have to cut benefits.

The only viable solution is for a 3rd party that doesn't have the ties to special interests night now. Doesn't make any difference whether a Democrat or a Republican is the next president, either way the United States is screwed.

First job was a paper route. Yes, really. lol. All through high school, I used to caddy on a golf course. Made some damned good money sometimes. Fell in love with the game. On the high school team as a freshman. Spent time in the military. Friends are lifers, in several ways.
Government knows how to balance a checkbook. Anyone can log on to intuit, quickbooks, tax cut, etc. Government just refuses to.
Health care in this country is so expensive because the ******* companies and health care companies have the best people and best equipment in the world. They can attempt things and do things here that they cannot do in the rest of the world. Many other countries have "death panels". If grandma is 85 years old and has heart issues, maybe we should not pay for a new hip for her.
When you compare apples to apples, there is no place like the good 'ole usa for proper health care.
As for SS, I think you are very correct. In order for it to be soluable for the long term, there are going to have to be MAJOR changes and I don't think you or I will be consulted. I don't even think we will get the benefits of what we have payed into.

 

[falcondfw69]

You make a very good point. The biggest business in the United States is the U.S. Government and it is run by people that have no understanding of business.. For me to consider leaving the U.S. has been a long difficult decision. If you do decide to leave take a serious look at St. Kitts. There is a lot of opportunity there.

I will, my friend. But I truly love the Philippines. My goal is to live six months in Dallas and 6 months in the Philippines. But I am trying to be open about it. I know MANY guys who are ex-pats in the Philippines.

 

[syscom3]

I think the reason for the polarization is the internet has demolished the information gatekeepers. We are no longer beholden to the MSM and can form our own opinions and groups of like minded people with little effort.

I see this gridlock as beneficial. The federal govt is ultimately going to crack and give up power to regional entities.

Example; why should someone from Vermont have any say on water policy within a state residing in the southwest? Or why should someone in Nevada have any say on fishery management in the northeast?