The Potomac Tavern

The Watering Hole :: RE: Daily Facts and Trivia - May 2008

Mark D Hamill wrote: Haven't a clue. I will guess Portnoy's Complaint.

National Affairs :: RE: Hagee and Wright

Mark D Hamill wrote: The Clinton campaign is no longer using it as a campaign issue? If so, then I have to assume Clinton realizes her campaign is hopeless.

The Watering Hole :: RE: The Devil's Dictionary - May 2008

Mark D Hamill wrote: Babbitt was probably Sinclair Lewis' best book. Frankly, I found Babbitt loathsome and he reminded me of too many Republicans, but it was quite fascinating and extremely well written.

Elmer Gantry and Main Street are also page turners.

National Affairs :: RE: Ethanol, a big mistake?

Mark D Hamill wrote: All of us in the first world are guilty of the sin of excess carbon usage and environmental degradation. All I am really doing is making a few small efforts to have less of an impact on the environment. Actually not too much as changed other than buying a hybrid four years ago. I have been in carpools and vanpools pretty much all of my federal career. Of course if you are heading downtown, you save both time and money, so it was win-win. My current job with USGS is the first one I have really considered driving to every day as an option. Fortunately, I can bike to work rather easily, and I actually prefer to bike unless weather is a factor.

As for home loans, wherever you can find one that is a good deal is okay. One benefit of going FHA is that the rules are very clear and generally first time home buyers get the best deal. You might want to check their web site to see what the latest terms are.

As I said, this is a great time to buy. Prices are down, mortgage rates are low, so it's mainly a matter of having a good job and the ready capital. I doubt unemployment will be one of your worries. If you can afford to buy in your neighborhood I think you would be well set up for appreciation. You are convenient to buses and subways and have a huge number of shopping options well within reach. Of course real estate is always tricky, so it is possible you could buy in the wrong sort of complex, but in general you would do very well.

Europe has had to deal with the Cold War just like we did, but even while they were dealing with it they still had heavy gasoline taxes and invested heavily in their infrastructure.

National Affairs :: RE: Clinton should concede

Mark D Hamill wrote: Hillary went with the old money network, which was what she knew, rather than getting money online like Barack did. Barack learned from Howard Dean's experience. Clinton tapped out her donors early. Barack has a much larger base that can contribute over and over again and most don't come close to the $2300 limit. Consequently as costs mounted Clinton had to pony up her own dough just to stay competitive.

Her campaign will be seen in retrospect as a good example of what not to do. She was overly cautious and overly presumptuous that she was entitled to the nomination. She didn't read the political wind correctly. She went with the experience meme, which was her strong point, and ignored that this is a change election and that's what people are looking for. Like Gore and Kerry she went with established political hacks like Mark Penn instead of looking outside the box. She want not astute enough to realize the game had changed. She should have taken a lesson from Howard Dean.

Rest assured Democratic Party leaders are working behind the scenes to give her the unpleasant news. I think she is too astute to not know the game is up. At some point she just makes herself look ridiculous and clueless.

A good consolation prize, not that I am sure she has earned it, would be Senate Majority Leader. She won't be our first woman president. She is already 61, which means she will be nearly as old as McCain in 8 years if she wants to try again. However, first female Senate Majority leader is something and has a lot of power. I think she would be good in the job too. I am not sure Sen. Reid is anxious to step aside, but he has not been terribly effective in the job, so I suspect he will have some competition for the post in the new Congress.

Business and the Economy :: RE: Oil at $120 a barrel, are your driving habits affected?

Mark D Hamill wrote: We are in a similar boat. My wife is affected because she drives to Merrifield for her job, but I drive to work 1-2 days a week otherwise I bike it, since it is only 3 miles. Also, I had the foresight to buy a hybrid in 2004, so I typically get 37-38 mpg anyhow. Yes, I am affected by higher oil prices, but much less than most.

As I mentioned in another thread, if I lived in a far flung community or in the country, I'd likely be feeling the hurt big time.

That's Entertainment! :: RE: Anyone watch Boston Legal lately

Mark D Hamill wrote: His classic Trek stuff was just dreadful, with one or two exceptions. You could almost read his mind: "I am just doing this for a pay check". I haven't really kept up on his career since then but the few shows I have caught him in did not change my opinion.

The Watering Hole :: RE: Daily Facts and Trivia - April 2008

Mark D Hamill wrote: Okay, I give up. I'm not sure what the name for the great Australian desert is, but I am sure Pat can tell us.

That's Entertainment! :: RE: Sweeney Todd

Mark D Hamill wrote: Angela, he was great. Aside from the gruesomeness it was really quite an excellent film, so Jim is right to praise it. It deserved best picture.

Global Affairs :: RE: Carter meets with Hamas

Mark D Hamill wrote: I agree that Hamas is a terrorist organization. So was the PLO, but Israel eventually sat down and talked with them, albeit with some arm twisting by the U.S. They differ from al Qaeda in that they apply terrorism against Israeli Jews, not people in general in the hope of changing dynamics.

I would also point out that there are factions inside the Israeli government that believe all Palestinians should be expelled from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and they populate illegal settlements in these areas, and the Israeli government repeatedly has authorized expansion of settlements or turned a blind eye to them. No, these groups typically do not employ terrorist tactics against Palestinians. They are kept in check primarily by the Israeli government conceding things they should not concede, otherwise they would likely be engaged in violence. I believe to some extent terrorism is a result of oppression and disempowerment. When your enemy has an overwhelming advantage in money and arms and does not seem interested in seriously negotiating your key grievances terrorism is an unsurprising result.

Sadly, I can confidently predict that by both sides moving toward extremes we will see more terrorism in the future.

The Watering Hole :: RE: The Devil's Dictionary - April

MsDebby wrote: This week's theme: words derived from the names of mythical creatures.

centaur (SEN-tor) noun

1. An expert horse rider.

2. An unnatural creation made of disparate entities.

[After Centaur, a race of monsters having the torso of a human and lower body of a horse. Also, early Greek literature depicted Centaurs as a tribe from Thessaly whose members were skilled horse riders.]

"When Claire is on a horse, she loses her limp and is in charge of the universe, a centaur."
Michael Ondaatje; Divisadero; Knopf; 2007.

Sports, Health and Leisure :: RE: Olympic torch controversy

Jim Goldbloom wrote: Exactly, the IOC knows China will spend lotsa money to improve their cities involved in presenting the games, i.e. tons of infrastructure modernization including roads, bridges, local economy, tourism as well as the stadiums and sports arenas, training facilities, etc. It was a POLITICAL mistake in the sense you described, of course, and we all agree on that (human rights).

But the benefits are so great, it's worthwhile from the IOC's perspective and I happen to agree with that sentiment.

-jim

Sports, Health and Leisure :: RE: Why jerking off is good for you

Mark D Hamill wrote: May is National Masturbation Month. Things reach a climax on the 28th, apparently.

Yeah, I don't expect this will be approved by Congress, but it is sort of established in some places and I have even heard there have been group masturbation sessions on May the 5th. I never received an invitation though.

In any event now that I know it reduces my risk of prostate cancer, I won't hesitate if needed.

National Affairs :: RE: Obama's got the nomination thing wrapped up

Mark D Hamill wrote: Well, thanks to her victory she got an infusion of $10M overnight. Not a bad haul.

I have seen surveys that say Democrats overall don't care how long this contest goes on. They are enjoying it.

And although I support Obama, I am not a Hillary hater. Either would make fine candidates.

The overall dynamics changed only very marginally as a result of the PA primary. Hillary will pick up no more than a net of ten delegates, and Obama is likely to make that up in new superdelegates committing to him over the next couple weeks anyhow.

Obama needs to stay positive, try to avoid going negative and stay above the fray. The dynamics are in his favor. He just should not screw up. I would not have spent as much money as he did in PA. It was mostly wasted and she was going to win anyhow. Save it for the fall campaign, if that is allowed.

Obama is doing a lot behind the scenes locking up superdelegates. Every day a few more come out for him, but relatively few for Hillary. Overall his campaign is being very intelligent about this.

Humor :: Dogs' Letters to God

MsDebby wrote: Dear God,
How come people love to smell flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another? Where are their priorities?

Dear God,
When we get to Heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?

Dear God,
Excuse me, but why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not one named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! I know every breed cannot have its own model, but it would be easy to rename the Chrysler Eagle the Chrysler Beagle!

Dear God,
If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God,
When my foster mom's friend comes over to our house, he smells like musk! What's he been rolling around in?

Dear God,
Is it true that in Heaven, dining room tables have on-ramps?

Dear God,
If we come back as humans, is that good or bad?

Dear God,
More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God,
When we get to the Pearly Gates, do we have to shake hands to get in?

Dear God,
We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs, electromagnetic energy fields, and frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God,
Are there dogs on other planets, or are we alone? I have been howling at the moon and stars for a long time, but all I ever hear back is the beagle across the street!

Dear God,
Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God,
Is it true that dogs are not allowed in restaurants because we can't make up our minds what NOT to order? Or is it the carpets again?

Dear God,
When my family eats dinner they always bless their food. But they never bless mine. So, I've been wagging my tail extra fast when they fill my bowl. Have you noticed my own blessing?

Dear God,
I've always lived at the shelter and I have everything I need. But many of the cats here have names and I don't. Could you give me a name please? It would be good for my self-esteem.

Dear God,
The new terrier I live with just peed on the Oriental rug and I have a feeling my family might blame me 'cuz they think I'm jealous of this stupid dog. Since they have no sense of smell, how can I convince them I'm innocent? Does Petsmart sell lie detectors?

From: Pets' Letters to God - Mark Bricklin, translator