Here is yet one more reason why the constitution made sure that Bush despite what he thinks is not the only "decider".

FBI misused letters to snoop, report says http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/13/fbi.nsl/index.html

Here's some fodder for the fire. No recession. I know that disappoints you.

That's quite a statement, considering even Bush said the economy might have gone negative this quarter. I suspect you are going to be eating crow before long. And all it takes is one quarter of negative growth...although I believe it will be longer than that.

Actually Kerry, your going to probably eating crow sooner than even I thought. Read it and weap.

Most Economists Say Recession Has Arrived as Outlook Darkens http://tinyurl.com/2k6j44

Of course I am sure you won't acknowledge it until Bush finally acknowledges it five months after it happens.

ahmanrah,

There's a reason economics is called the "dismal science." It's meteorology with money.

A recession is TWO consecutive quarters of negative growth. We have not had ONE yet.

Just because the Democrats want to tank the economy doesn't mean the economy is in the tank.

An amazing 5100+ comment discussion is taking place at: http://richarddawkins.net/articleComments,2285,Fleabytes,Paula-Kirby,page104#143426

Aside from your first thoughts about visiting Richard Dawkins website, there is a writer who responded to "The God Delusion" who is defending a review of his book. The discussion, which has it's moments, needs another theists to comment, I doubt you'd be interested, especially since it's already at such a great length, but it's been a fantastic discussion, from both sides. Although, I must say, many of the comments from nonbelievers are not very constructive; the same would be the case if the discussion occurred on a theist based site. If you don't check it out, I don't blame you, just thought I’d extend an invite.

Kerry,

That's funny, in the same sentence you not only bash economics, but then turn around and use their definition...which must mean you accept it. And there is no such thing as Democracts wanting a recession. We can't cause one...sorry. A MAJORITY (71%) of noted, well respected economist say we ARE IN A RECESSION. Now I know you people out on the extremes don't really care for Majority of opinions, otherwise you would have joined the Majority of Americans who for over a year have said Bush is a nut! His mismanagement of the economic, and massive run up of debt is the true cause of this crash, not democrats. Plus you give Democrats way to credit, thinking that in less than 2 years of holding the house and senate we could possibly destroy 6 years of complete republican control.

Oh and Kerry, if Republicans are so great at running the economy, why were they unable, holding all branches of government for 6 years...totally incapable of producing an economic bubble twice as large as the one that existed during Clinton's two terms in office. After all you all had no excuses, since you controlled a majority of all branches of government. You should have been unstoppable.

I know the answer of course. Your belief that Republicans are all good for the economy and democrats are all bad is bullshit. But what's new.

"Oh and Kerry, if Republicans are so great at running the economy, why were they unable, holding all branches of government for 6 years...totally incapable of producing an economic bubble twice as large as the one that existed during Clinton's two terms in office."

Because Clinton's was a chimeric bubble with nothing inside of it.

As to recession, I tend to take the rules as they are made. The "economists" being surveyed in the article are FORECASTING, not REPORTING. That means they don't have any DATA from the quarters that would tell them the answer to the question. They are guessing.

Kerry,

Oh and I suppose what happen to Bear Stearns to day is just another day at the office. Yah there is no recession, no finacial problems....its just a made up bullshit feast by democrats. Uh huh. Yepper...

Fed and Rival Bail Out Bear Stearns http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080314/bear_stearns.html

Pretty bad when the Fed has a use a financial tool it hasn't used since the depression to prevent the 5th largest bank in the US from going from solvent to bankrupt in less than 24 hours.

Kerry, I really don't want the economy to tank, but it's heading that way. You're going to come around, because eventually it will be beyond doubt. Even Bush is starting to admit there could be some problems.

Just this week, the Fed announced an unprecedented bailout (yes, bailout) of the markets to the tune of $400B. That sent the market up for a few days -- but now the steady drumbeat of bad news brings it back down, as Bear Sterns reaches out to JP Morgan in an unprecedented display of weakness.

Sure, everyone likes to be proven right, but I need money just like everyone else, and I don't want this crisis to happen. There are no surprises here. The housing bubble has been apparent for at least four years now, and concerns about the cost of oil and the weakness of US currency are all coming home to roost at once. It's not the high price of corn, wingnuts.

Speaking of oil, notice how Saudi Arabia rebuffed Bush's plaintive request for higher supply targets? You know why? Because they can't. There are no swing producers, anymore.

Kerry, you can pretend that talk of an impending or current recession is just crazy leftist banter. However, if you just open up your newspaper and read about what's going on in the financial markets, you can't come away with that viewpoint. I don't feel a need to argue this point too strongly, because I believe reality will make my case in the coming months. If I'm wrong, that will just be fantastic.

Since this is the off-topic thread...

Are there any other fans of The Wire on this board? I'm still mourning the finale. I'm one of those drones who goes around saying that The Wire is/was the best television show I've ever seen, bar none. I'd say something about the finale, but I don't want to spoil things for anyone who's not caught up.

Of course, The Wire has some relevance to a board like this (if you find it credible). The third season veered into an Baltimore politics, which became a central part of the show in the fourth and fifth (final) seasons.

The series also took on the media in the fifth season. The show's creator (David Simon, creator of Homicide and The Corner) was a Baltimore Sun reporter on the crime beat. His main co-writer, Ed Burns, was a homicide detective and school teacher before he became a writer (the fourth season focuses heavily on the inner city schools). HBO allowed them free reign to tell what they believed to be the truth, in fictional form. A show like this could have never appeared on any other network, and its closure perhaps marks the end of HBO's "great series" era (for the time being).

If you haven't seen this show, I urge you to pick up the first season DVDs. It focuses entirely on a powerful gang of drug dealers, and the police detail that's investigating them. This is really gritty stuff with very little exposition and LOTS of Baltimore street slang, so be prepared to give it the twice over. Even police jargon is tossed around with no explanation, requiring a careful study.

Everything about the show screams "reality", all the way down to richly drawn characters with a minimum of forced melodrama. This isn't stuff for kids. There's plenty of profanity and violence, although the violence is not what I'd call "pornographic" (i.e. reveling in the spectacle itself). In other words, it serves the story.

For those of you who have seen the show, what did you think of the last season? The last episode? I don't want to spoil anything for those who aren't caught up, so I'm keeping the details minimal for now.

SF,

Haven't seen it yet. I was always a hard-core "Homicide" fan (even in quotation marks, that still sounds bad) and a police-drama junkie. Maybe I'll see if Netflix has it.

Speaking of hard-core and television, anyone see Breaking Bad? I was fascinated by about two episodes, then I just didn't care anymore. Not sure what that was about.

I've never actually seen Homicide, although I've heard good things. However, The Wire is definitely a more "complete" rendering of Simon's vision. For anyone who wants to know more, The Atlantic has a good article about the roots of the show.

Kerry, Breaking Bad is currently one of my favorite shows on television; there were only 5 or 6 episodes for this first season, the season finale being last Sunday (3/9) I thought the performances by the leads were superb.

Great news!!!!

The herring have started their spawning run in the northeast....showed up in the Middleboro, MA herring run over this past weekend.

Striped bass will be here in 3 weeks.....it's time for 6 months of striper fishin' and, sorry Paul McCartney and PETA....striper eating.

Booga booga.........9/11 was an inside job.....WTC7!!!!! "Pull it!" THEY KNEW!!!

......booga booga.....

what is "booga booga"?

"booga booga" is the sound made by the tin-foil-hat boogey man before and after some asinine conspiracy theory is uttered.

Booga booga.....no plane hit the Pentagon...booga booga....

Ah, yes, quite right! Carry on then!

Booga Booga!

Has anyone caught the John Adams miniseries? I watched some of it on demand today and thought it was quite good. Some of the performances are fantastic.

Sarge,

Isn't that what the head-hunters say on Monty Python?

"Has anyone caught the John Adams miniseries? I watched some of it on demand today and thought it was quite good. Some of the performances are fantastic."

I'm DVRing it until we can get some time to sit down seriously and watch it. It's not like a 1/2 hour episode of Frasier. This one we have to pay attention to. But my 10-year old is looking forward to it, as am I.

Happy Eostre!

http://www.nobeliefs.com/easter.htm