Thursday, November 21, 2013

Pastoral


17 comments:

  1. It's all thanks to Howard Dean!

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  2. I agree with Bill; craisins are good, and signing up for Medicare was easy, both for Miyoko and for me. Nothing to it, no inch-thick books. Just followed the online instructions. Supplemental? We had already been with Kaiser for a long time, and continued with them. Application also easy as pie.

    The Medicare application took care of part of the Social Security signup paperwork later on--no need to resubmit. Online and subsequent over-the-phone signup for Social Security was bungled, but straightened out by an office visit. (Granted that our case was a little unusual, but I honestly suspect the phone rep had a learning disability.)

    --Alan

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  3. From talkingpointsmemo.com:

    "Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that he will move to change the filibuster rules. What we expect is that Reid will in the next few minutes bring up one of the Obama judicial nominees for a vote. When Republicans filibuster, Reid will formally call for a rules change and bring it to a vote. Senate Democrats will prevail on a simply majority vote and the filibuster as we know it will no longer apply to executive brank nominees and judicial nominees below the Supreme Court.

    An irate Mitch McConnell is speaking now, calling this move a raw power play and an attempt to distract from the Obamacare problems."


    --Alan

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    1. The "nuclear option" has now passed. The news story I saw said that Democrats had used a filibuster threat to block some of Bush's nominees, so it cuts both ways.

      The filibuster has been losing support for some time. It used to take a 2/3 vote to block a filibuster. Now it's 60% for the things that can still be filibustered. But now you can simply announce a filibuster without having to actually talk for hours.

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    2. It cuts both ways, naturally. But when all that's needed is the threat to bring the Senate to a grinding halt, something is wrong. Just the word filibuster is actually meaningless, just a bogie that makes grown men shake in their boots. Really! Neither McConnell nor any of those other pantywaist bullies have the wherewithall to mount and sustain a filibuster, and everybody knows it. But the Dems on their side are so spineless that the merest whisper of "the F word" makes them fold like a cheap suit. They're a bunch of worthless bums, the whole lot of 'em!

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    3. Not sure why you blame the Democrats -- the Republicans, should they win control of the Senate, will be bound by the same rule eliminating the need to actually talk. And I can see the rationale for this rule: If the votes to end the filibuster aren't there, why waste the Senate's time? Take the vote before debate actually starts and then move on.

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    4. My son posted a picture on Facebook. Caption" Republicans are Red. Democrats are blue. Neither one gives a f*** about you."

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    5. Not singling out either Reps or Dems, Bill. That was an equal opportunity rant. The way Susan's son put it is a trifle blunt, but pretty much spot on as far as I can see.

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  4. The credit union spotted fraudulent charges on my credit card. They canceled the card and are sending me a new one, though I am liable for a couple of the charges. Fortunately, they only amount to $10. I donno...it's upsetting. But better they catch any funny business than not!

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    1. Rats, Cat! It always feels like such a violation when that happens (because it is)!! I'm glad it was caught swiftly.

      We once got a call from our credit card company because we allowed our son to use our card while on a trip 5 states away AND we charged something locally on the same day. It was all fine, but certainly might not have been, and we appreciated the call.

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    2. That makes sense, listener - bi-locating credit cards usually aren't good.

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  5. Craisins. I'll have to remember that's the right name. :) Thanks, gentlemen.

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  6. Forgive me, but I do not like Craisins. It's not a bad idea, but I've never found any that weren't sugar-laden.

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    1. Well, yes. Fruits are sweet almost by definition, and drying them concentrates the sweetness. If you don't like sweet stuff, then dried fruit is not for you.

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    2. Forgiveness is certainly not necessary. Now, if you were misguided enough not to like Ben & Jerry's, *that* would require a few Mea Culpas. LOL

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  7. So, Grammy-Listener, how's the anti-litter-bug campaign started by four-year-old Grand going? Has she got her town organized yet?

    No, I'm not making fun. It truly wouldn't surprise me, given her genetic predisposition to activism.

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