caroljane

Jonathan, I have it on good authority that there will be enough cake to go around. A large devils-food one out of which at least one surprise guest will jump, and smaller marble cakes baked in shape of LP's last remaining one.

As per the above, I have not found any such direct evidence in our particular national economy over the last few years. As a non-economist the most I can say is, it didn't help, it didn't hurt.

Why should I be? Have they been "lenient" with me? I don't suffer fools gladly. Which means I don't suffer the majority of human beings gladly. JR “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” Mark Twain Oh, I think our Dr J. Swift Riggenbach gets a good deal of amusement out of his "suffering."

Just noticed the thread title and how it has drifted from war and dreadful death to commonality and weird funny life.

Adam, given the context, I can assure you that the Call of the Loon would have been more appropriate audio. OK - now this was the first reference to one of my favorite birds, and today, on another thread, you made another reference the loon...towards that end... Call of the Loon Common Loon, Flat lake I saw my first one just at sunrise on a fog cloaked Delaware River in Pennsylvania. Not in their normal range which is further North, but they migrate throughout that area. In the summer, it's voice ranges to "falsetto wails, weird yodeling, maniacal quavering laughter; at night,at night a tremulous ha-oo-oo. In flight a barking kwuk. Loons are usually silent in the winter." From Peterson's Field Guides:Eastern Birds. very cool website http://soundbible.com/ all kinds of sound clips Adam, I have mastered the weird yodelling and the barking kwuk, and as to maniacal quavering laughter speak for yourself. I haven't forgotten your cackles in the horrid void. I am in therapy about the winter silence, and will just say in valedictory, ha-ooo-ooo Carol one of your best, love it

Where I live it is quite unnecessary to exert oneself in order to sweat. (Not even slightly.) JR I get you. My cousin Cindy lives in El Paso and has not gone outdoors there willingly for 20 years.

Interesting. As a reluctant and untalented participant in team sports (I was good at hurdles and gymnastics though) and a lifelong luxuriant in watching them, I think I get an idea of the intensely masculine intellectual slant of your essentially anti=collectivist feelings. Sweat and beer are just human liquids, the results of exertion and the reward for them however unearned.

It dawns on me that my question is not really about the morality of keeping what one has earned; it's actually about how the interests of rational men do not conflict. The popular image of the corporate executive is of a fiscal rapist, willing to take whatever he can get away with, or in other words, thinking only in the short term. I assume the idea is he should pay more taxes to keep him from cheating too much, or something like that. Can't let people like that on the loose, or they will consume every resource they can and leave nothing for anyone else (like the Once-ler in The Lorax). "What can he say?" Well that's the point, isn't it? I mean, he lowered taxes and (I'm assuming) wants it to be understood that the result was improvement in the economy. Meanwhile, his opponents say no, there's no evidence there was any connection. If the interests of rational men do not conflict, there ought to be some evidence. Both sides of the argument can't back off into "You're the one who has to prove it" postures. It isn't a legal case, with a judge who is making a single decision. It's about persuasion. To persuade one has to present facts. That's what I'm trying to understand. "The interests of rational men do not conflict." Exactly. The interests of each of our election contenders are identical, and they try only to show that slightly different methods will best advance these interests. Being rational, they know that no presentation of facts will persuade voters that a certain course of action will improve the life of everybody. Few of the voters expect an improvement of life because of government change. What we expect of our leaders is the upholding and enhancement of the status quo: Canadianness.

Geez. Am I the only one who caught the ironic gleam in JR's eye when he invited us to a "tea party"? Oh puh-leez! Raucous and rollicking, that's more his style, for bad girls and boys. (If you aren't one yet, you will be by the end.) No philosophy allowed, and if you lot have to talk books, off to his library with you. Tony B) Tony, I am guessing that you are not a wedding freak like me but I know you appreciate a decent teatime. Certain of my correspondents of the Royal Wedding Fanwomen network live in SA and are hosting open house showings with cucumber sandwiches, canapes, scones and cream cakes, tea and Pimm;s Cup, and a selection of iced cakes, and if you want to attend I can properly introduce you . Or improperly if that's your pleasure. Sense of Lively, Caroline Elizabeth Carol, Hell, you've found me out, in spite of my kidding about rambunctious japes earlier. (Now, how do you always manage to make me extend my vocab this way?) Genteel and sedate, sounds fine. I'm really not much of a drinker, but Pimm's is tasty. Throw in a scattering of attractive, elegant ladies, and I'll be in my element. I promise to try not to dribble, drip or drool any tea and cake on them. Tony They have been intrigued by your exploits at Polarcon and would I am sure not mind any manly slurping. I feel the Commonwealth should rally round at times like these. Nanook wants me to say that he, for one, does not believe the ridiculous rumour about you and the Grand Shaman's nieces.

Carol: Ok lady...you never answered this question that you posed! This is a pretty interesting thread. I won't mention who did not make an appearance. Adam Brant made me do it by going back to his #3 Sorry Adam, it was My Theodosia about Aaron Burr's daughter, by Anya Seton. I am scared of Brant too and trying to keep out of his way till next weeks awards, the bribe subcommittee are on my back day and night.

I came across a site called "Ayn Rand Myths" which gives canned answers to the most common misconceptions about her. Has anyone else seen it? To me it seemed that the refutations were just as mythological as the false assertions. If this is what young Objectivists rely on they are no better equipped than the Mormon missionaries.

Dear Sir, We object to your characterization of Mr. Ames and similar deranged individuals as a loon. The loon is a peaceful fowl which has never been known to raise its distinctive voice in delusional invective. Admittedly it is not the highest mentally-abled of our peaceful lakeside creatures but it does not deserve to be even cybernetically associated with the likes of Mr. Ames, who probably owns a speedboat, we know the type. Empathetically, Harold Elizabeth Parayanamalingam-Urg Director of Political Correctness Royal Canadian Mint

Playing devil's advocate here - why? Why could not a private company protect intellectual property rights and patents? What do you think he should say? What facts show that it WAS tax-cutting that brought you out of recession? What can he say? The fact that our economy is out of recession and doing better than other G8 countries, doesn't prove that the single factor of corporate tax cuts caused the whole effect. He doesn't try to say so; just that the cuts are one factor. His argument is the usual one, that raising the taxes again would derail the recovery - trying to prove a hypothetical negative. This was discussed in the leaders' debates last week (the French debate was rescheduled due to the hockey game). I was startled to find that in our socialist country corporate tax is less than half the rate paid in the US, and going lower (M. Sheikh in the Globe and Mail, April 20). My impression was that we paid way more taxes than Americans, though we go to jail way less for not paying them.

I think you've won the contest. The Awards committee will have a tough time next week.

Where are these quotes? I just did a Google search on Comrade Sonia's site and these didn't come up. I'm not up for manually hunting for them. Link please. It was Drew H. on Thread 261 on 4/17, 3.28 pm - "Atlas Shrugged My Review". I'm sorry ND, I don't know how to do links, I will probably inherit Phil's snippeter mantle.

Was the complaint legible because usually his shaky writing with the crayon is not easy to understand? Yes, barely legible. Our team of graphologists is working on it now with the assistance of a Crayon Consultant. We will be taking pledges for access to their secret report (loyalty oath required).

It's easy for you to theorize and analyze. You are not a survivor of the moral chaos, anarchy and sheer horror of the War of the Last Carton of Chocolate Milk.

I would say that whether or not tax cuts "work" to stimulate the economy is a secondary concern. The fact is that the money a company or individual is theirs and they should get to keep as much of the fruit of their labor as possible. I don't think America's ready for a voluntarily funded government yet but right now we should (in my humble opinion) be focusing on our energy on cutting taxes and cutting spending big time. This is the standpoint our Conservative PM Harper actually comes from, very libertarian. Before he went into politics he was head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. But like Rearden he "shouldn't say it" except in private, so he needs to show that it was tax-cutting that brought us out of recession. His opponents of course are saying that it wasn't. If he has to quit after the election, maybe he can go down to the US and give you guys a hand. David Frum and Mark Steyn will give him good references.

Now this is funny. With no evidence at all I had up to now thought that Ellen's husband was Larry Sechrest - and I don't know who Sechrest is except vaguely or why I made the association. Your mixup is understandable at least!

Adam and Cjoy, the original quote comes from a specific context - in a debate on our upcoming national election. In fact corporate taxes have been cut in our country and the economy has not improved thereafter. Of course, post hoc propter hoc is no argument. Our current prime minister who made the cuts is an economist by trade. Well that disqualifies him automatically...sorry could not resist, but our "economists" down here are constantly shocked, surprised and perplexed when their asinine little fantasy ideas fail to work in the real world. Adam, I totally agree, economics is the most hindsight nonscience there is. That being said, do you think that five years in which corporate taxes have been lowered, yet the economic activity in the sectors have also lowered, has any significance?

For no reason, the BOW committee has received a complaint from the legal representatives of one Leonard Peikoff, in response to which which we unreservedly apologize for characterizing the complainant as "Betty Crocker Peikoff" and will heretofore refer to him as "Dr. Sara Lee Peikoff, Ph.D"

Adam and Cjoy, the original quote comes from a specific context - in a debate on our upcoming national election. In fact corporate taxes have been cut in our country and the economy has not improved thereafter. Of course, post hoc propter hoc is no argument. Our current prime minister who made the cuts is an economist by trade.

Well, he set the tone for our political leaders. Modest patriots doing their jobs.

I also have a question for Joel, thinking of the historical forces that shaped Lincoln and Macdonald, and their similarities and differences; what did they think of each other (if they ever did)- or would have?

Well seid yerself, Sir J.MacDonald