US Government Downgraded Again, This Time by… Kansas?
**Written by Doug Powers
Well, it’s not a formal downgrade, but there is certainly a growing sense that the federal government may eventually collapse under its own weight, and continued dependence could be hazardous to your state’s health:
Kansas will return a $31.5 million grant to the federal government that aimed to help the state set up a health-insurance exchange, state officials announced on Tuesday.
GOP Gov. Sam Brownback said the state would return the money because of doubts surrounding the federal government’s ability to pay for the grant in the future. Kansas was one of six states to receive extra funding in February.
“There is much uncertainty surrounding the ability of the federal government to meet its already budgeted future spending obligations. Every state should be preparing for fewer federal resources, not more…. That requires freeing Kansas from the strings attached to the Early Innovator Grant,” Brownback said in a statement.
Kansas is following the “standard & poor” philosophy: If depending on the federal government is your only standard, you’re going to end up poor.
Couple that with a chance that the health care law could be repealed if 2012 heavily favors the GOP, and prudence might lead states to wait to accept federal dollars to set up a system that states might have to pay to dismantle in a couple of years.
Florida and Oklahoma have also refused Obamacare dollars.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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He doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
Reading back, I realized I wasn’t specific enough about where I thought that he erred, but I’m not going to reopen the discussion again. We’ve pretty much beat a minor disagreement into the ground.
I got your point & I agree, Maj.O
debate, discourse & verbal interaction is one thing.
Would you like to be talking to your friends at a party, or school, or church, and some dude keeps running into the middle of the conversation or onto the pulpit & shouts ‘Cucumbers!’ or ‘Burma!’ ?
If I’m not mistaken, I pretty much said why I thought that.
Can’t you just ignore him and he’ll then go away?
I said I was sorry. Geez, can you please let it go.
P.S. Thanks for not mentioning that I was walking like a penguin with my pants around my ankles.
Burma? I hardly know her!
Fallacious reasoning. Naturally there’s a big difference between a post on a message board and a physical confrontation, and it’s foolish to suggest that people would or should react to both the same way.
Toht: You Americans, you’re all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions.
Why did you say ‘Burma’?
I panicked.
I don’t think so. I think it totally applies and the difference is simply one that you’ve tacked on to the situation by fiat. Much less do I think it “foolish.”
huh.
I think I was just called a ‘fallacious’ reasoner and ‘foolish’ in the same post.
Now you know I wasn’t talking about that time…that’s why I used the term ‘verbal interaction’ rather than ‘verbal intercourse’.
More on Biden and His Fat Mouth
The other day I noted how Joe Biden had run his mouth about who killed bin Laden, putting SEAL Team 6 at risk, saying: “there is no way to know whether this was an orchestrated ambush targeting Team 6. But it is an important reminder why it’s not just comedy relief to have cynical glory-seekers and complete buffoons at the highest levels of government.”
Did the families fear this? You betcha. Watch at 2:58 as the dad of one of the fallen SEALs goes off Matt Lauer’s feel-good script to lash out at the “sheep” like Biden who put his son at risk:
http://patterico.com/2011/08/08/more-on-biden-and…
Next October when Hollywood is spending tens of millions to release a big “Obama killed bin Laden” movie blockbuster to influence the election, let’s keep in mind what the buffoons — the sheep — like Biden did. Is that me making it political? No, sir. It’s me noting when others do. When morons like Biden run their mouths, they put good men at risk. When the Obama administration decided to release all the information about who killed bin Laden, they put good men at risk.
***
RE: Troll
He/she/it is only here to insult and annoy, in true alinsky ways, never have I seen a clever or worthwhile comment, however, the idiot seems to enjoy being sliced, diced and demeaned daily…
Must be dark and lonely in that basement.
Tell Uncle George the Hobbits said “Hi” loser!
You should put a comedy act together and tour! Your quick wit leaves me laughing almost every time.
spacey: You diduuuun’t. heh.
Txvet2: C’mon, you know the made-up names we create for ILMC are soooo funny…sometimes, I laugh myself breathless.
Between here, Hot Air, and pretty much anything Mark Steyn writes, I find myself laughing to the point of tears. Truly some of the wittiest folks that I’ve ever encountered.
Sorry, Major, I think I’ve got you upset and you’re just trying to find a way to continue the argument. There is a difference between physical presence and an online message board. For that matter, the guy at the party shouting stupid things wouldn’t bother me, either. Drunks do that – in fact, that was precisely the example you used earlier.
LOL. You’re getting stats and information from Andrew Sullivan? You do know he has brain damage from all his HIV meds? He’s been gone for 10 years.
I don’t have any problem with that, despite what I said earlier. It was more in the spirit of the choices I was presenting. I find some of them funny, too – I just find it more worthwhile to simply ignore him.
Is this the part where fellacious comes in?
Wow! I’m wrong, fallacious, foolish and now I’m upset! Remind me to call you when I want to know how I’m feeling, OK?
Uhhhmm no. Project much? The fact is, I think you’re dead wrong and were shown wrong and you’re trying to take the commanding road. Everything I’ve said is inline with MM’s stated policy about the blog. In no way have I insulted you or instructed you what you ought to do–both of which you have done to me and yet you say you don’t take it personally. Huh…
In the case of the analogies, both situations have norms that were violated adn there are steps to take to deal with the violators of the norms. It doesn’t mean that you deal with a drunk the same way as a poster on a comments board, but it does mean that there are commensurate steps you can take with a “troll” such as banning. An analogy is never, ever exactly corresponding to the thing it is trying to show.
And just as I surmised–the one that disagrees becomes more of an irritant than the troll and has to be dealt with accordingly.
Actually, I was talking to Major O, not you. Your post was the launching point, but my comment referred to his sarcastic response.
Joe Biden reminds me of the Paul Reiser character on Alien II who tried to have a conversation with the alien just before it bit his head off. And these are the people running the country…. into the ground.
My friend, you are definitely not foolish, and your sexual habits are nobody’s business but your own.
Actually, I wasn’t being sarcastic. I was trying to be witty given the current discussion–nothing more, nothing less.
‘rectum, darn near killed ‘em… you know the joke.
Gee, now I’m “commanding”?? You claim not to be upset, but you sure act it. If I insulted you, it wasn’t by intent, although it would appear that you’re doing your level best to insult me, albeit in the most genteel of terms. I suggest we call a truce. We don’t and won’t agree on this particular subject, and we’re getting far afield. (Besides, I’m having trouble keeping up with all of the people I’ve insulted today between you and John and Spacey – it’s hard to respond to everything.)
Dude… you just need to chill. Sharks are drawn to blood and you are bleeding now. Just a suggestion… as someone that agrees with your original premise of banning trolls.
Well it’s like that old skit:
guy1 You seem upset.
guy2 No, not at all. I’m just thinking.
guy1 Oh, Ok. Cuz you seem really upset.
guy1 (looking up at guy2) Nope. Like I said I was just thinking.
guy2 Whatever you say. Sure seem upset to me.
guy1 I’M NOT UPSET, OK??
Trolls I can handle.
Snipers should be banned.
Yes, that means “IlovethelittlebunnyrabbitsGeorge”
Not bleeding whatsoever. If you want, I’ll give you my e-mail and you can CALL me and put this silliness to rest. Honest. It’s all good. I am just as plain a talker as txvet and hold my own views just as much as anyone else here. Can I do that without “bleeding”? (sounds messy anyways) I’ve just been called “wrong” (with no opportunity for it just being a difference in opinion), told in no uncertain terms “Don’t generalize” (even after I politely added that my tone wasn’t to tell anyone what to do) then I was called “fallacious” and “foolish” which even spaceycakes took umbrage at, then said to be upset because I disagreed with all those characterizations, and I’M bleeding because I push back? Whoa Nellie! No wonder we disagree on how trolls ought to be treated.
That said, there are enough battles for our country to make enemies where none need be and I’m not doing so now, but as anyone that knows me knows, I don’t just sit idle while people comment about me either. I try to be Christian and not vindictive or mean-spirited and if I’ve violated that, by all means, call me on it.
See? I knew you were upset!
Ok, that was good. I admit…
On August 10th, 2011 at 5:00 pm, Major O said:
Member-VRWC said:
Correct, sarc tags all the way! Now, the CREW accusations were not fabricated, and as you noted of our math-challenged friends, their rent was wholly appropriate.
The very next paragraph in the article points that out and exhonerates Sam across the board. I’m just so tired of trolldom’s daily practices and abuses.
A full and fair disclosure from inception clears the whole matter up, but w/ some creative license, you get play The Left and see just how fun being misleading can be!
That’s their ‘thrill’. Their jollies and their aim. Also notice the whole deception had -zero- to do w/ the matter at hand. Fun With Semantics!
And here we come to the reason ILMC takes 5 minutes a day to vomit in our general direction. Because Major O and some others are passionate about the subject, and txvet2 wouldn’t know tact if it kicked him in the aft section, there is disruption because of someone whose posts are valueless except as an example of how intellectually vacant, and morally bankrupt much of our opposition is.
“Me….and my……shaddddddddow
Strolling down the Aaaaaavennnnnue…..”
Serious thought here but…ILMC just trolls here and spouts off. I am dead serious when I say it will not surprise me if we’re able to gain a majority of the government in the next elections and some Lefties take the next step in their opposition–actual physical violence. Somehow, it’ll be blamed on Conservatives (like the Jared Loughner (sp?) deal). And maybe that in collusion with the homegrown jihadis.
Not hoping for it, but I’m braced for it.
Easy now…EASY!!
Some already have. There has already been physical intimidation and even assault on TEA Party members by union types.
I recognize violence escalation as a possibility, but I don’t worry about it nearly as much as a “martial law for our own good” scenario. That’s probably because most liberals I know are the pseudo-intellectual pacifist type.
Yes, she is a kind lady. Probably takes in stray animals as well.
Juvenile that I am, I try and throttle back in a “MM thread” and go ahead full in a “Doug Powers thread.”
I just hope ILMC never sends a post about Niagra Falls. I will not be responsible for my actions.
Doug is amused I am sure.
While you, of course, are a paragon of moderation and good will.
Good thing Obama never mentions anything about visiting there. The Secret Service might have to wrestle some poor deranged amn to the ground.
So, I posted this about 1/2 hour after your post, on another thread. It disappeared from view and I thought I had lost the post. Then it turns up on this thread. Please don’t ask me to try and explain because I feel like I woke up in the twilight zone. Oh, well, it wasn’t that important anyway. It was about the troll IHateMyLife.
This is what I posted on the other thread and it should have been here!
I missed the part where I was insulted by you. Either that I’m just not smart enough to recognize it. And here I was just going along thinking everything was fine between us. *sniff*
It’s a little late to go into this now because I’m about to go do my road work and then I have to go run errands. I seldom say or write things without some thought, and without the intent of inspiring some thought in others, this disjointed back-and-forth with MajorO notwithstanding. You were responding to my post to JohnDeaux:
You and several others have called on Michelle (many times) to ban ILMC for a variety of reasons, generally because he (in your words) “is a troll who has NO REDEEMING VALUE WHATSOEVER”
What, then, pray tell, is the redeeming value in any one of the variations on his pseudonym? If he should be banned for what he posts, mightn’t you be banned for your responses? For that matter, about 75% of everything on the board is of little redeeming value. Should everybody be banned?
My point is that you don’t have to read his posts or respond to them. Ignore him long enough and he’ll go away without having to be banned, because you deny him the attention he craves. By continuing to shower him with attention, you’re giving him his reward (both the attention and, through the name-calling, vindication of his low opinion of conservatives) causing him to continue to post. You want him off the board? Ignore him.
Now I really gotta go.
I know you may be gone, but I want to respond to this because I need to set the record straight. When I said that ILMC has no redeeming value on these threads, you equated our banter and our making fun of his name with having little or no redeeming value ourselves. There is a huge difference here, and I think you know that. We don’t swoop into a thread, say something nasty and insulting, have nothing to do with the thread (thus takng it off topic every time)then leave. We discuss, argue, debate, act silly, any combination of those things. ILMC does none of that. Thus, NO REDEEMING VALUE ON THESE THREADS. Has ILMC ever contributed anything to the discussion? NO. Making fun of his name was so easy and fun, we enjoyed it and it gave comic relief. Lord knows we need that sometimes!! If it wasn’t for the wit of the posters here, I would have been long gone. A sense of humor is essential.
You are right, though, that we should ignore ILoveToMakeMusicWithMyArmpits. I try. Sometime I can and sometimes I can’t. I would be happy to never hear from that mindless twit again.
Aw c’mon…why you’all be hating on ILoveMyDisgustingTeeth. He be why I’ve been able to laugh at all his stupid posts. Please, don’t ban him for my sake..sniff, sniff.
Hi happy,
I mentioned this ILMC over at Doug’s last night, as I suspect he’s an old troll to Doug.
Not sure if you ever go to Doug’s, but if you are a registered member there is a “IntenseDebate Reputation Meter” that accumulates a score to your name. A while back, said troll registered, and every time he posted he was getting positive points on his ReputationMeter.
I mentioned this to Doug and I think he misunderstood what I was asking him and replied (sic) that he doesn’t believe in banning anyone unless it’s way way out of control. His reason is that usually they make an idiot out of themselves, which is normally true and priceless to watch make happen.
My guess is, Michelle is similar in policy. Normally, I am able to do as txvet2 says and ignore him. Partially because I can’t hang on the net much during the day M-F and ILMC has been already gone and usually
ILMC has already been made an idiot. Occasionally, I can’t help myself and say something as I don’t have the luxury of choking the ever living sh!t out of him.
I have to admit, he gave me one of the best belly laughs of my life when he asked why we weren’t out slopping the hogs. Priceless. But that was the only time he said anything worth reading, in my opinion. Poor, sad demented creature needs serious help.
I have missed this conversation all day because of something with this site and my pc don’t get along.
When anyone needs a hand smakin ILMC into reality let me know.
Let the troll stay. I usually say WTF you haven’t learned a thing by being on MM’s blog.
For the record, Happy, I don’t think you should be banned, either.
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Evelyn Beatrice Hall
I couldn’t have put it better.
I suspect he’s an old troll here, too. The style reminds me very much of OMU, as I’ve mentioned before.
I guess OMU is before my time of reading here or OMU is an acronym staring me in the face that refuses to resolve
Using your comment, I forgot to mention what I said about Doug’s comment to me on banning people, he also mentioned the 1st Amendment… again, I would guess this is Michelle’s position as well.
Sniping and trolling are not the same.
Our hostess has pulled the trigger on several trolls in the past, as well as a could posters hawking their blogs. I agreed with all of them.
IMO two years ago ILMC would long since have been toast.
ILMC as a sniper…… the visual is too humorous to contemplate.
He posted as “OMU”, “OurMonkeysUncle” (hence the OMU), and a couple of others that escape me now. Sounded a lot like this guy.
As is her prerogative. Personally, I like to have a few around to remind us that they really are as loony as we like to think they are. Banning the ones who hawk their blogs, on the other hand, meets my full approval, and IMO should be done no later than the second occurrence. I don’t see that as a “free speech” issue – it’s unpaid advertising.
Thanks, tx. I never considered myself a troll. But I guess you have put me in the same kind of category as ILoveToPlayWithMyKenDoll. Sorry to hear that. I always thought we agreed on most things. Oh well.
As I said, he’s tactless. “Ill-considered” might also be apt in this case, as he has managed to be more insulting to posters who actually contribute than to a troll (or sniper or seagull or whatever), and equates the postings of same by saying they are all ban-worthy.
Yeah, I guess I must have ticked him off by being honest and critical of him. Good grief, we disagree all the time here…that is called debate. It is hard to imagine why anyone one would compare me, a staunch conservative and carries a large skillet. to a regressive, moonbat troll with NOTHING EVER to contribute I always thought that moral equivalency belonged to the left!!
Rock On - Happy Scrapper.
I think Txvet2 was being funny and I took it as no offense to you. I love to read what you post, so no going anywhere, ‘kay?
Thanks FirstSkirt! I’m not going anywhere. It takes a lot to get rid of me! Sometimes it is hard to “read” what a person means. That is why e-mails, etc. can easily be mis-interpreted. I think that is also one of the reasons why people aren’t getting along in this world as well as we used to. When you do most of your communicating by written word and not face-to-face, it definitely loses something in the translation!
Her date: oh, you have a parrot! Polly wanna cracker?
Parrot: You’re with her, you crack her.
by the way, I’m not insulted at all. I just happen to agree that ILMC should kick rocks.
And I do think it is disruptive and does nothing to add to the conversation/thread.
If he isn’t banned, then I will continue to mock him and point out his lack of sulci and gyri.
Hey Doc, how come it hurts when I do this?
In English, girlfriend, English. I am afraid,but I just have to know, what sulci and gyri means.
It was a joke, Happy. You’re taking things way too seriously. By that argument, you’re equating yourself with everybody on the board, because I don’t believe anybody else should be banned just for posting thing others don’t like. As I said more than once, it’s MM’s prerogative, not ours.
And you’re commenting on things you know absolutely nothing about.
Of course, she’s correct. I was thinking the same thing last night. If MajorO and I had been having the same conversation face-to-face, it would have lasted about a minute, because we would know by expression, body language, etc. exactly what was meant and spared ourselves all the misunderstanding that comes with such an impersonal medium.
I’m glad you aren’t insulted. That wasn’t my intent, although it might have looked that way.
those are the Latin, scientific terms for the ‘hills & valleys’ on the brain surface—what we would call ‘folds’. If you are familiar with the function of higher thought processes, I just called ilmc a smooth brain. LOL