The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen and Time Bandits - loved them both, but not 100% kid friendly.

Then there was the "5000 Fingers of DR T - saw it as a kid and it creeped me out.

Then again, the Abominable Snowmonster in Rudolph and the Wicked witch in the wizard of oz also did a number on me...

followed up by Millers Crossing, Raising Arizona, and Burn After Reading - can't figure out why this one was so pilloried...

Pax

I work for a school and my wife is a licensed social worker.

We are lower-middle class - upper-lower class in the SF Bay area, We could not afford to buy the cheapest home, so ACORN helped us get a loan on a below-market-rate condo ($270,000 - that's cheap for our neighborhood) and we didn't have to pay PMI even though we only put down 3%.

The repugs can blow me - and I have donated to ACORN since.

Even if a benighted employee gave stupid advice to an undercover person, this does not make their whole program corrupt.

If Chicago had won and Obama hadn't gone - Obama would be accused of not being interested in the US, and that his input was valueless.

If Chicago had won, and Obama had gone - Obama would be accused of sucking up to tin-horned dictators and socialists - of which he is one, the other or both.

If Chicago had lost and Obama hadn't gone, he would be accused of not caring about Americans or the jobs that the games would bring.

Since Chicago lost and Obama went, he is inconsequential and failed despite his efforts.

And Bush spent nearly 1000 days of his presidency at Camp David or the "ranch".

I always wondered why poor Americans would fight so hard to protect the privileges of the wealthy...

I have have family members who make just over minimum wage (as people adults in their 50's) who have crap insurance or none at all and they are afraid of the government taking over their non-existent health care coverage.

To paraphrase Will Farrell - "Are you people taking crazy pills?"

...

except crazy pills are not available under your coverage. There is a generic alternative that is also not covered, but out of pocket costs will be $200/month...

I can't be accused of having a dog in this fight, but we should legalize and tax mj in CA.

The big aspect that no one talks about is stoner tourism.

There were several of my friends who went to Amsterdam in our college years, solely for the obvious reason.

California could become a tourist hot spot - for both American and world tourists - and they would pay tax not only on the weed, but also in hotels, restaurants, and tie-dyed t-shirt stores...

Having the Arnold as a the governor of the Weed State would finally make sense - or "sinse" - as he is the only seated governor who has been video'ed smoking up - link on my name.

Come on California - seize your destiny!

I had a patient who was dying of skin cancer - on his head.

It was from too much sun.

The process was long, gruesome, agonizing, and brutal.

I always try to wear sunscreen and when I forget and can't get some, I avoid the sun or try to cover up.

Take care of yourselves.

Pax

when I was young, single male and went to bars all the time.

I liked being able to drink and read at the same time. If I was so inclined, I could put the book down and socialize. I got good service because I was quiet, polite, and tipped well. I knew most of the bartenders and sometimes stayed after hours to drink and chat - with both male and female bartenders. Women would sometimes talk to me a little more freely, because I was not an illiterate mouth-breather. A book actually worked as a conversation starter and a pre-filter. If the woman was interested in the topic that I was reading, she might approach, or if she didn't like the topic or readers in general, she could avoid me.

I have been married for 17 years, so someone must have found me tolerable.

Pax

That means 90% aren't and if obesity went away completely today - we would still have 90% of our current costs.

The study doesn't look at the costs associated with smoking, a carnivorous diet, excessive alcohol consumption, driving too fast and too much, or watching TV.

As a guy who has lost 40 lbs and needs to loose 30 more, I cost the system far less than my athletic buddies who have had back surgeries, hip replacements (2 guys before 50), and multiple knee surgeries.

If we all put down the remote and went for a walk in our neighborhoods after dinner, we and our communities would be healthier.

Pax

Not everyone - I work for a community college- an I will retire at 67 with 25 years experience. I will have no health coverage except Medicare,and I will get approximately 2/3 of my annual wages.

I pay 7.5% of my pay to the retirement system.

My father and most of his brothers died before 70, so I may not get any retirement at all.

Yay, me.

Prop. 13 opened up loopholes for corporate landowners so their properties are often never reassessed and their property taxes remain at artificially low levels forever. This has shifted the tax burden to the backs of individuals and first-time homeowners and has dramatically reduced California's overall tax base, forcing the draconian cuts to vital services that we see today.

Here’s a staggering example: 30 years ago in San Francisco, commercial property owners contributed 59 percent of property tax revenues while residential property owners contributed 41 percent. Today, we see a virtual flip: commercial property owners contributed just 43 percent of property taxes in 2008 while residential property owners contributed 57 percent.

http://www.calitics.com/diary/8991/close-the-prop13-loophole