I've wished for years that the "social conservative" (aka reactionary fundamentalist christians) would go away so that the republican party could be conservative again. Actual conservatives tend to be pro choice, etc. We just think the govenrmant needs to leave people alone unless help or joint action is really needed. Issues like abortion, gay marraige, evolution, and flag burning are not conservative issues, but seem to define the republicans.

Conservatives have understood for years that conservative does not equal republican. Now, in Kansas, maybe liberal does not equal democrat. Cool.

I can understand the liberals getting mad when wrong thinkers obtain power as democrats. Its natural. Conservatives feel that way about the christian fundamenalists having republican power. Regardless, let the crazies own a marginalised republican party. Then the democratic primary becomes the real election. Wouldn't it be super cool if he republicans lost major party status?

Slightly off subject - didn't waste my time with the TV show.

But...

Tim says something about: "the fallacy of choosing an inadequate president based on a trumped-up notion of restoring 'honesty and integrity' to the White House."

That's not quite true. Clinton had a worse civil rights record than Reagan. All those nasties in the patriot act? They didn't invent them in the week after 9/11/01. The clinton administration had been pushing for them for years. A republican congress blocked them.

Many of us believed gore would maintain clinton's policies. Hard to believe now, but in 2000 a vote for either bush was a vote for civil liberties.

With shit on our faces, we got to watch clinton's wish list get packaged up by a republican president and passed by a republican congress.

By the way, the dems haven't changed. They came out against portions of the patriot act in 2004 to get votes. Otherwise, they'd have at least said something once they figured out what they signed.

Hey, us conservatives are still here. Why are you liberals looking to us to protect your rights? We know damn well you won't help protect ours. Bush Co. wiped their collective asses with the amendments they don't like. The dems will wipe theirs with the remainder.

Everyone wants to jump up and support Floundering. Cary is right, she needs professional face to face help badly. There are too many people with too many issues and too many agendas. Maybe Floundering can learn that she was a full participant in the family fights as she grew up. They're still fighting and she's playing the abuse card. Why? Is she protecting her own or is she trying to win the old fight? Are the parents and grandparents using the new generation to strike blows? The older is five, surely old enough to throw down on one side or the other!

Reread that letter. The parents fought, the child jumped in, "bore the brunt", and then spent hours consoling mom (thereby defeating dad). That is pathologic. Of course Floundering says her dad was mean and overbearing. Her and her mom surely said worse in their little support group. What a terrible way to grow up. Huddled with mom against dad.

Now they are all, both Floundering and her parents, trying to enlist the children into their war. Sick.

I feel sorry for that man. He's giving up way too much. His friends should be concerned. They know him better than his bride does. They know he'll be back. Tired, bruised, and sad. He'll go back to his friends and they'll heal him with beer, crude jokes, and teasing. They'll get him good and properly laid.

Sadly, they also know he'll come back weaker, slower, and less mentally focused. Hence, more likely to crash.

For those of you that don't understand racing, think what it might be like to excel at meditation. You can clear your mind and join with the moment. Racing, when you're in the groove, is very centering. That is the "addiction" you want to cure. Different people reach zen in different ways. Find your own.

I'm so sorry for you.

Wills, trusts, insurance policies - those are how you meet your support obligations.

Other than that, love life. Especially if you have kids. Don't show them that parenting is a prison. Show them that it is part of an adventure. Take them along. They'll like you more. They'll respect you more. They'll be more interesting. They'll be your friends after they grow up. Most importantly, they are more likely to grace you with grand kids.

Love life, to keep your marraige alive. When little passions die, big ones wither. Be interesting so she's interested. You don't want to look up out of your rut and see her rutting with someone else.

Remember when "far right" meant very conservative or perhaps libertarian? Now it means reactionary christian fundamentalist. Not conservative at all.

For those making fun of the fundamentalists - you merely repeat the common wisdom in your own echo chamber. I'm not impressed.

Oil companies are subject to it on many facets. They employ oil field services companies. As supply ramps, oil prices drop AND the resources of the services companies become extended. So there is also a cycle as the services companies ramp their own capability, etc. You can't snap your fingers and suddenly have experienced workers and specialized heavy equipment.

Just tossing in another bit of speculation