New Ledgie saying hi to all!

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Seriously though, I think anyone can jump in. They better, however be prepared and well read because this is a tough crowd They also better be prepared with better than a blanket statement like "George W. Bush is the best thing that ever happened to this country - he protects us" or "John Kerry would have been the best thing for this nation because he would better protect us" - that kind of blanket crap just won't fly. Around here, ya better get ready to discuss the facts, which sadly, rarely support anything W has ever done, unless effectively you are really rich, employed, white Christian who has private medical insurance and owns Halliburton stock BTW - I have the facts to back that up

On edit - welcome everyone!

You mean like, "GWB has the diplomatic tact of a bull in a china shop," followed by a long list of his diplomatic blunders, including when 99 Australians were killed in a nightclub in Indonesia a few years back simply because of Australia's long association with this country, and he didn't say boo about it, not "I'm sorry" or anything, even though Australians have fought and died beside Americans in wars at least since WWI; they even fought in Vietnam. Something like that? Or the fact he treats the entirety of Britain like America's lapdog? And those countries are our allies; don't even get me started on countries we're fighting or with whome we have strained relations.

I'm an American, BTW, if that's important. I don't mean to piss anyone off; just my opinion.

Oh, and don't forget the Pennezoil stock.

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by johnny4406

My mom only owned "Bella Donna" and always felt it was a masterpiece,

Johnny, you are a man of taste! (Bella's a fave of mine, too, of course.)

Thanks for the welcome, and welcome to you, too!

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I'd love to - but somehow I think I'd be entirely too distracted afterwards to be able to complete anything. It would be quite counter productive I think.

Yes, but that would make your stronger - make you hold on to you

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by bushesandbriars

You mean like, "GWB has the diplomatic tact of a bull in a china shop," followed by a long list of his diplomatic blunders, including when 99 Australians were killed in a nightclub in Indonesia a few years back simply because of Australia's long association with this country, and he didn't say boo about it, not "I'm sorry" or anything, even though Australians have fought and died beside Americans in wars at least since WWI; they even fought in Vietnam. Something like that? Or the fact he treats the entirety of Britain like America's lapdog? And those countries are our allies; don't even get me started on countries we're fighting or with whome we have strained relations.

Well, there's that Not to mention my pet peeve, which is if gay people cause such dissention in the ranks of American troops, I think we should refuse to ally ourselves with countries that accept openly gay troops, lest one of our politically alleged ultra sensitive troops has some horrifying exposure. But, nooooooooooooo - then it is fine because that would mean not allying with GB, Australia and many others. Hypocrites - the lot of them


Welcome aboard - Dissention and Goldie will be examining your liberal credentials on the Chit Chat forum - mine probably failed BTW

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I mostly write short fiction but am currently attempting my first novel. I haven't had anything published yet but you can download and read three of my stories

I followed the link and read "Innocent and Unknowing" because you said that was your favorite of the ones posted. I liked it a lot; I thought the drama of the story was really immediate, and the pace was right. You moved things along really well, which I thought suited the overall atmosphere and mood of the action, especially Darren's frenetic, unhappy state of mind. (God, I sound like someone's high school creative writing teacher; I mean what I say, though.) What's your novel about, if that's not too personal and won't mess up your writing karma? (I find if I go on about an idea, sometimes I lose it.)

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

If only I knew a cure for writer's block - then maybe the dozen or so half-completed stories would actually get done and my novel would have been finished years ago (I've been working on it about five years now).
I tend to start a story, get blocked, quit, start a new story, get blocked, look at the first story, still have no new ideas, then start a third story, get blocked again, look at the previous two, still have no new ideas, and start a fourth story. And so goes the vicious cycle. As such I've only completed a handful of works (in the ten years or so that I've been writing), and I only consider three of them (those posted in the link above) to be at all worthwhile.

You sound precisely like me; I have several things I'm working on, and have been for several years, but I tend to get a few ideas and write on them in bursts, then reach an impasse, or life interferes. Dratted real life! If I ever come up with a cure for writer's block, I'm bottling and selling it and making my fortune.

Do you ever read Anne Lamott? I'm not much on her novels, but she wrote this book about writing called Bird by Bird, and I find bits of it preachy, but some of her actual advice is good. She suggests that every day before you write, you work up a little ritual to tell your brain it's time to get in writer mode, like lighting a candle and taking a few deep breaths and taking a moment to just relax and get focused, and I find that pretty valuable, so that may help you, if you don't already have a ritual worked out. Actually ritual sounds a little dramatic; maybe routine is a better word. And keep at it, which I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, if you've been writing this long already. I firmly believe writing is a calling of sorts, and if you have it, and it sure looks like you do, it'll be with you all the time. That's the thing that keeps me going when I feel frustrated and miserable with it.

Okay, enough rambling on from me

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Well, there's that Not to mention my pet peeve, which is if gay people cause such dissention in the ranks of American troops, I think we should refuse to ally ourselves with countries that accept openly gay troops, lest one of our politically alleged ultra sensitive troops has some horrifying exposure. But, nooooooooooooo - then it is fine because that would mean not allying with GB, Australia and many others. Hypocrites - the lot of them

I agree with you; that whole thing gives me a migraine. It's like, Okay, you can kill people, but men having a relationship is just too immoral for your delicate blood? Whatever. It just goes back to the point I was making about how we disrespect other countries, even ones that are supposed to be our allies. I always thought "ally" meant you helped each other out of tight spots, not, "Okay, we'll give you economic assistance if you'll do what we say, when we say. If not, we'll just cut you off." It's probably naive of me to think that, but I do find it an incredibly cynical way of doing business. But then, it is a business, isn't it?

Okay, I feel a rant coming on, so I'll just stop.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Welcome aboard - Dissention and Goldie will be examining your liberal credentials on the Chit Chat forum - mine probably failed BTW

I know Dissention a bit, but not Goldie, and I think we'll get along. And thanks for the welcome.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by bushesandbriars

. . .

Okay, I feel a rant coming on, so I'll just stop.

LOL - rant all you want - we usually do around here I think I failed the liberal test because I never really immediately conclude - I have to think it through - and I am for a flat tax - and that usually pisses people off ( :wavey Tower )

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

LOL - rant all you want - we usually do around here I think I failed the liberal test because I never really immediately conclude - I have to think it through.

I think things through, too, and I don't really see that as being antithetical to being liberal, just to being a reactionary. I don't much care for kneejerk-ism on either side of the line.

Originally Posted by stranindinthewind

and I am for a flat tax - and that usually pisses people off ( :wavey Tower )

I am, too, actually, as long as it applied to everyone, and not just people in lower tax brackets now. If Donald trump paid ten percent or whatever of what he makes, with no tax breaks or exceptions, he would be paying his fair share, because 10% of $10,000,000 is a lot more than 10% of $30,000, as opposed to the nearly 33% most working and middle class people pay right now, while upper brackets pay very little, because they use the tax laws for all sorts of breaks. I actually think a flat tax that applied to all would be a break for the little (and mid-size) guy.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by bushesandbriars

. . . I am, too, actually, as long as it applied to everyone, and not just people in lower tax brackets now. If Donald trump paid ten percent or whatever of what he makes, with no tax breaks or exceptions, he would be paying his fair share, because 10% of $10,000,000 is a lot more than 10% of $30,000, as opposed to the nearly 33% most working and middle class people pay right now, while upper brackets pay very little, because they use the tax laws for all sorts of breaks. I actually think a flat tax that applied to all would be a break for the little (and mid-size) guy.

Ah - great minds think alike - but wait till Dissy has a hissy in here about this

AND - I would even be for not taxing anything under $30,000 a year and taxing everyone else at 15% with no (and I mean NO) esxemptions. I think the idea that some people pay over a third of what they make just in Fed. Income tax (not to mention SS tax, state income tax, excise taxes, etc.) is reprehensible.

[amber]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Ah - great minds think alike - but wait till Dissy has a hissy in here about this

AND - I would even be for not taxing anything under $30,000 a year and taxing everyone else at 15% with no (and I mean NO) esxemptions. I think the idea that some people pay over a third of what they make just in Fed. Income tax (not to mention SS tax, state income tax, excise taxes, etc.) is reprehensible.

Flat taxes are still regressive.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by amber

Flat taxes are still regressive.

SEE - what did I tell ya

Amber - AND BTW - if we exclude any income earners under $30,000 how is that such a bad thing?

[dissention]

Welcome to the board.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

Welcome to the board.

and another liberal to boot though his position on the flat tax may prevent him, like me, from the golden key to the Executive Washroom, which BTW is very Republican of you all

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Welcome aboard - Dissention and Goldie will be examining your liberal credentials on the Chit Chat forum - mine probably failed BTW

You make us sound so evil.

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Ah - great minds think alike - but wait till Dissy has a hissy in here about this

AND - I would even be for not taxing anything under $30,000 a year and taxing everyone else at 15% with no (and I mean NO) esxemptions. I think the idea that some people pay over a third of what they make just in Fed. Income tax (not to mention SS tax, state income tax, excise taxes, etc.) is reprehensible.

You're probably right about the $30,000 and under; no one living on the edge of poverty or below should have to pay a single dime. People who are barely getting by should not have to pay. I actually think Britain has a lot of great ideas about programs that are government run, like the way they do student payback for university--you don't pay anything until you're through university, and people who can't pay, like new mothers and the unemployed, don't pay into the system after graduation until they're ready to. I think that's great. It removed the (very elitist) cap on how many students could attend university. I do admire Blair for that, though I have to wonder since he and Bush are so tight. I know he's having a helluva time with his popularity as well. (I also have a vague crush on him, but that's neither here nor there. )