14 Responses:

1. Bro Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

   "The financial and credit system probably was days from collapse when he received the first $350 billion of TARP funds." The banks are now hoarding that money and are refusing to lend it to each other (credit freeze), and are only using it to buy other, weaker, smaller banks and to pay employee bonuses. So how is that saving the financial and credit systems from collapse? Credit is still frozen, isn't it? The financial institutions are still insolvent, aren't they? So the sky really wasn't falling, the big banks just didn't have the money to buy the weaker, smaller banks at bargain prices and also pay the usual billions of dollars in bonuses. Why would they buy a smaller, weaker bank that is also drowning in its own troubled assets? Oh yeah, that's right, they didn't buy it, we did. How could an insolvent financial institution pay their employees billions in bonuses? Oh yeah, that's right, they didn't, we did. So if the troubled assets are still troubled, and many have merely just found a new home, then the sky must still be falling, right? What have we got so far for our $350 billion dollars? Bigger and fewer banks and even richer (greedy) employees. Wasn't that what got us into this mess? "Too big to fail" financial institutions and irresponsibly greedy behavior? "In an ideal world, they would not have been given those bonuses. But, Paulson was not willing to push that point. He did not have the time to make the effort." Oh gee, how about I don't have the time to make the effort to pay taxes?

2. Dr. Know Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

   Ditto, Bro.

   BTW, Happy Belated Birthday, QG. I've not been able to comment or read much of anything here in days, so I was unable to send a virtual shooter. Your host apparently doesn't care for routes which pass through GA. (Not that I'd blame them, mind you...) I get no graphics, partial text, and an inability to read or post comments. I'd complain to Gator if I were youse guys - unless it's on porpoise. No other sites are problematic, including PCAnywhere type IT support to places around the country and Canada - just the Blue Herald. Say, are you guys *gasp* subversives?

3. Dr. Know Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

   BTW, I was thinking of heading south at some undetermined point, but the realization of fighting traffic in Tampa (Super Bowl Madness) kinda delayed that plan a bit. It would be the quick, nature and pub oriented economy road trip emcompassing the cities and parks I lived in or visited from Tampa south - Tampa, St. Pete, Bradenton, Naples, and maybe even Miami, Hollywood and Key West. Anything new and exciting to look for or casual progressive meetings worth attending? The Liberally Drinking group in GA sucks - they only talk about weddings, school, and other personal trappings. Most new people who attend pull me to one side for a short discussion about actual issues, complain about the lack of organization, and never come back. Ideas?

4. QuestionGirl Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

   I'm not that familiar with what's going on on the west coast. I'll send you some links to groups that meet up on the east coast. There's a drinking liberally group in Ft. Lauderdale and one that meets at Tobacco Road in Miami. I haven't attended either. I just drink liberally other places. LOL I will send you some info, though!!

5. QuestionGirl Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

   and thanks for the birthday wishes. I'm playing with my birthday present now. A pair of ableplanet headphones. Niiiiice!!!

6. QuestionGirl Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

   Oh gee, how about I don’t have the time to make the effort to pay taxes?

   BINGO...we have a winner!!

7. Dr. Know Says:
   January 31st, 2009 at 5:33 am

   Thanks. Don't know where you live, but please tell me it's not St. Augustine. I may try Brevard again as well, it almost went blue last election.

   As for the headphones, I like to rattle the windows with 300 watts of 30hz bass. Well, I used to anyway...

8. Buck Says:
   January 31st, 2009 at 7:39 am

   I wish I had quality headphones. All I have are a cheap set that sticks "in" my ears, that came with a Walkman Cleve owned back years and years ago.

   It's not fair, I tells yas!

   BTW, what's wrong with St. Augustine? First place I ever visited in Florida. I almost moved there! Then again, this was back in 1984. May have been nicer then? I remember going to an alligator farm. And I remember some kind of zoo or something where there were ostriches. Might have been one big place... I don't remember.

   But I can still remember the smell of the ocean - smelling it for the first time. Just too damned far away.

9. QuestionGirl Says:
   January 31st, 2009 at 11:07 am

   We're in Homestead, right down by the border to the Conch Republic, which is where we're headed. I've been to St. Augustine. I thought it was a nice town. Took my Mom there once and we went to the old fort, went shopping and had lunch. It's the oldest city in the nation. Historical place. Now I don't know what it would be like to LIVE there, but it was a nice place to visit.

10. Buck Says:
    January 31st, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    Yes, QGirl, I remember that - oldest city.

    Truthfully, I don't remember too much about the town itself... just that it was the first time I saw the ocean. I guess that has biased me a bit.

11. Dr. Know Says:
    January 31st, 2009 at 10:09 pm

    I didn't mean to imply there was anything wrong with St. Augustine, only that my last trip to Florida (late 2006) was to that city, for a short week at the beach, and I was attached by hanger-on right-wingers preaching the glories of fighting them there rag-haed terrerists. Everyone else was cool, especially the nubile college women. Ahh, to be 25 again...

12. Buck Says:
    January 31st, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Nubile college women??! *shudder*

    Now those pipe-smoking, bearded college professors... oooh, baby!

    

13. Dr. Know Says:
    February 1st, 2009 at 4:25 am

    Yeah, we know... Being a bearded, pipe-smoking, pseudo-professor, I'm gonna have to watch out for Buck. And isn't it referred to as a bong these day?
    But *shudder*? Why the disdain?
    Not all women are gold-digging, heart-wrenching shrews. Only the single ones I meet these days.

14. Buck Says:
    February 1st, 2009 at 9:03 am

    LOL!

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