viatroy

no the point is I'm satisfied without having much. I work to live, not live to work. And the taxes I pay put a whole lot more hurting on me than they do on someone worth millions. For me it just always begs the questions -- how much do you need/wants/gots to have? I'm suggesting if someone works for 40 hours a week, regardless of what they're doing, they should be able to expect a wage that allows them to feed, shelter and clothe themselves and their families. Even heat their homes. Transport themselves. It blows my mind how middle class folks (say, oh, up to $250,000 in income a y

yeah, cuz it's just sitting under the mattresses.

I don't know how I'd set the rate without looking at the demographics. There's a number that keeps floating around ... something like the richest 400 families in America control as much wealth as the lowest 50? (75? 90?) percent. So I am talking about a wealth surtax too.

See, I have a little problem with the Protestant work ethic. Why is your life better if you work harder? What are you trying to prove? and to whom? I'm happy to work to have just enough, and spend more of my life doing what I enjoy. It's also why I work for nonprofits -- I feel like I'm contributing something worthwhile, something that's not a widget. The older I get, the more of a hippy I become.

So it has always seemed to me. Interesting to see we've taken a page from the Scandinavians in terms of how they resolved their own financial crisis. Might be time to look at the excellent social models they provide too. A very high standard of living, shared broadly, better health indicators, universal health and education, transformation of their energy economies, .... sounds damn good to me. High taxes, so what? The country as a whole benefits, and no one seems to be suffering for it. I really think our problems stem from the prevailing psyche -- acquisitiveness, an economy

I want a more equitable distribution of wealth -- you may disagree with that politically, and that's okay with me, it's definitely the dominant paradigm. There is enough wealth concentrated in very few hands (and for what purpose?) to allow people at the bottom get paid well enough to enjoy a reasonable standard of living. American productivity, still strong, has created massive wealth at the top, and it's not trickling down. Morton Freidman, Alan Greenspan and their neocon pals have driven this thing into the ground. Time for an major overhaul.

WAMC, the public radio behemoth of the northeast, uses a lot of Wilco in their intro's, etc. They just launched Pieholden Suite (the last instrumental bit) as the official theme music of their 3 hour morning show. They're just giddy for Wilco after the Tanglewood show.

I'm afraid the "we work hard for ours" argument is bullshit. Everyone works hard for the money -- someone's got to fill all those minimum wage McJobs so that investors can prosper. And that person, who likely has to work a second job, perhaps raise kids while they're at it, after working hard for as many hours as it takes, doesn't have the opportunity to scrimp and save and buy a house and invest what's left -- because there IS nothing left (and no healthcare along the way). The idea that everyone has the opportunity to rise to the top is horseshit -- capitalism needs its wage slaves to

I will fight you.

I've got a giant new bag of clothespins, so I think I'm gonna weather the storm alright. And hang my laundry outside.

Gary Oldman was great though.

re Biden; that's shocking. and Sarah Palin was harboring drug dealers in her own home!@!@ OMG!

that's just sick. Apparently McCain told a crowd of Latinos that their donkey is on fire. Can that possibly be true?

3 drunken KY rednecks (and a dog) on a four wheeler sharing their insightful political opinion.

a darwin award waiting to happen

very happy birthday flick!

Bilderbergers

Obama and Biden seem much more gentlemanly by character, more statesmanlike. I think they should stick to it. Now that people are turning to Obama based on a substantial issue, I like to think they'll be turned off by the Rove-inspired hyena attacks. But then I remind myself of some very bad election nights ... Reagan, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Bush. Of course Bush the elder now seems like a prince compared to his village idiot son.

color me impressed! you can do eet!~~~!!

Wages and prices are definitely much higher in the big cities -- I couldn't do it again. But I'm amazed and appalled at the price of houses even in podunk. When I get near a metropolis, the proliferation of fields of McMansions is what really blows me away. I always drive around asking myself, what do these people do that live in these big ass houses? And who cleans them? I mostly grew up outside DC, in a plain little 50's ranch house at the edge of the burbs -- which was then Falls Church. I know my folks bought it for like$17K in the early sixties. Same style houses in the same nei

thanks, but no thanks

Don't sweat it; I didn't. Alot of fed-up lefties are in the mad-as-hell-and-not-gonna-take-it-anymore mode. What's July 14th?

I owned two fairly short-lived goldfish when I was a kid, Hannibal Hayes and Kid Curry. That is all.

lucky! I dunno .... I'm job hunting, so not soon. Maybe I'll drag Aman along next time! I did, and he made quite the convincing argument. At least the people of VT are well represented.