We all got slapped hard by that invisible hand. And the people who drove us into this mess have learned nothing. Absolutely nothing. They're vermin, and they'll be back to their old tricks the second things start to recover.

Although, he held his cards a bit closer to his chest. Remember when he said he would "want a Supreme Court justice who would have overturned the Dredd Scott decision"? That's what he meant.

He was speaking in code to his "base" - the rabidly fascist, fundamentalist wing of his party.

Huckabee is doing the same thing, but he is obviously more blatant in his positions. Regardless, I hope he doesn't gain a wider platform in the coming years. The last thing we need is a presidential candidate who wants to drag us back into the dark ages just when we're finally making baby steps into the 21st century.

I agree. And therein lies the problem. To me (and many others I've spoken with) it sets a bad precedent when the financial sector can act like a bunch of drunks with blowtorches and then expect a bailout from the federal government time after time.

They have no incentive to learn from their mistakes, or to correct their bad behavior, because there are NO consequences for them. They can do anything they want, because they know Uncle Sam will be waiting with a fat sack of cash whenever things go belly up.

What a great article.

It brings a few things to mind. One, the economy being as it is has reminded people of the fundamental values of life- surrounding yourself with loved ones, and putting our personal energies into something that is more than simply monetary. We've been so busy feeding our wallets (and our credit card debts) that we collectively forgot how wonderful creative activity can be.

Does this mean that every one of us who wants to write or paint or act will create a career out of it? Probably not. Any creative enterprise done successfully is a result of endless years of hard work, refining your craft and putting your work out there. It is hardly an overnight success type of field. It's the worst thing to do for fame, but the best thing to do in order to fulfill an inner need.

A lot of us have been wondering about the system we find ourselves in. We're dissatisfied with moving the bales- not because we lack the desire or drive to work- but we question the point of being loyal workers to a system that tosses us aside like rubbish at a moments notice, and not due to our performance or abilities.

Both your friend and her new husband show unbelievable levels of selfishness. True friends do not cheat you into paying a higher price while everyone else gets a deal. And real friends would NEVER call you out on your husbands absence at a wedding. That is unconscionable. Real friends would understand the financial hardship and understand that your husband was unable to attend solely due to that fact, and not because he didn't want to be there.

I'm sorry that you had to bear the brunt of that, because you certainly didn't deserve it. You were there to support a friend and got slapped in the face.

If you never see either of these people again, consider yourself very lucky.

"Make no mistake: Anything other than an immediate and compliant, 'Why no sir, I don't want the president to fail,' is treated as some sort of act of treason, civil disobedience or political obstructionism,"

Actually, that was the last guy.

Pot is a harmless drug. It also has many potential medical uses, which cannot be properly studied due to our absurd and draconian drug laws which consider pot, heroin and cocaine as drugs of equal danger. They're not.

I see no reason why pot should not be legalized in the same way that alcohol is legalized. It would be an enormous source of tax revenue for the government, and it would conveniently take pot off of the black market. Which means no one gets gunned down by cartels and no one spends five years in jail for having a few joints in their pockets.

But of course Obama had to shoot that one down. The very idea that any president could be rational and considerate about our absurd drug policies is absolutely verboten. Every since St. Ronnie enshrined our War on Drugs, no one can dare tamper with it. Imagine the screaming chorus of "concerned parents" who Chicken Little their way into every policy issue.

So, unsurprisingly, our disastrous and enormously costly War on Drugs will continue unabated. Americans have never been rational about our drug policies, and now is no time to start.

is still bullshit.

if it weren't so painfully true. The sad music, the plaintive and sincere tone and the dark clouds.

The winds are strong and YOU are afraid? Afraid of WHAT exactly? Not being able to visit your partner in the hospital? Not having equal rights under the law? Not being able to will your estate to your partner? Are you afraid of losing you job because of your sexual orientation? Probably not- although that is a reality that gay and lesbian Americans face in over 30 states.

Or is it that you're really afraid that you won't be able to push your personal religious beliefs into government and legislation?

Pathetic. Utterly pathetic. These people act as though granting equal rights to gay and lesbian American citizens, that they themselves will be forced at gunpoint into same sex relationships. False dichotomy, anyone?

"A rainbow coalition of every creed and color are coming together to protect marriage." Just look- bigotry can come in all ethnicities, genders and backgrounds! Sorry, but where I come from love actually means love. It doesn't mean hatred and divisive bigotry wrapped in lies and false advertisement.