phoenixbc's Comments (167)

“Clearly, I need to be less courteous in my sarcasm.

There have been many crappy stand-up comics (I mentioned Andrew Dice Clay earlier). Some have moved on to situation comedy and skit comedy. If the routine described in this article is the best that he can do, then (in my not-so-humble opinion) he does a poor job of stand-up.

Of course, I could be full of whatever it is he claims his wife did on the glass table.”

“Maybe his talent isn't really stand-up. Maybe he just needs a script and other actors. Nothing wrong with that.”

“The difference here is that "The Aristocrats" is not meant for the masses, and a stand-up routine is.

According to Wikipedia (yeah, I know): "Steven Wright has likened it to a secret handshake among comedians, and it is seen as something of a game in which those who tell it try to top each other in terms of shock value. It is thought of as a badge of honor among expert comedians and is notoriously hard to perform successfully"

The Aristocrats, when it comes down to it, really has no comic value. It is an exercise of sorts between comedian, like boxers sparring. Too many entertainers, such as Andrew Dice Clay, never rise above the level of thinking that a reference to defecation or raping the elderly has comedic connotations. If you're entertained, then fine, but you could do better. Richard Pryor was the perfect example of an artist who knows how to use raunch to create comedy.”

“Congressman Cao is showing himself to be a rare and brave representative of his constituents.

Anyone who has followed Louisiana politics since Hurricanes Rita & Katrina would know that the Republican party has gone out of its way to keep federal dollars from flowing to hospitals in the Gulf area. The illustrious Sen. David Vitter held up federal funds designated to rebuild charity hospitals in New Orleans. Health care has been cut off for some of the neediest communities, due hospitals and health centers which remain in shambles since the 2005 storm season.

Even in the absence of the President's commitment to address Louisiana health care issues, this legislation will benefit a significant sector of that population. Cao should be commended.”

“Another fluff piece by Murdoch's "news" empire. In Rupert's world, messing with money is God's work. These are the most unholy, soulless individuals on this earth, with the possible exception of murderers.”

“Republican women who tolerate Limbaugh's misogynistic accusations, no matter how he'll later claim he intends it, deserve the second-class, 77 cents status and treatment that they will continue to receive under the values of the Far Right Extremists.”

“You're right. Boehner, Cantor, and the rest of the group who made the announcement expected that the public would forget and that the media would spend all of its time on the protests that the insurance industry organized. Now that horrific stories have surfaced of infants and rape victims who cannot buy insurance, the public is realizing that the Republicans are only interested in protecting the multi-billion dollar insurance industry.”

“Do you have any idea whatsoever as to what you're writing? Are you listing these amendments to say that we have too many laws about health care (they do address other statutes, you know)? Are you saying that you have read each of these amendments, and disagree with the need and functionality of each? Are you saying that they require amendment, or that enforcement is lax, or that additional funding is needed, or that funding should cease?

As a health care economist and an attorney, it never ceases to amaze me when someone says that we have too many laws or that laws are too complicated, when what they're really saying is that they have no idea what the laws mean. They're also the first to bitch when someone screws them over and they need the law to protect their rights. Then they hope that someone "passed a law" for them.”

“This is a brilliant argument (not really). You claim that the "government" is stripping you of your rights (which the Supreme Court did), and then claim that the Franken bill goes too far. Which is it? The Franken bill attempts to undo what the Far Right majority of the Supreme Court did this last April when it ruled that compulsory arbitration in employment is enforceable.

Don't sign an arbitration clause? Expect that more private employers will use them, in light of the ruling. You won't be able to avoid them.

You direct your comment to "libs", which I presume means anyone who isn't a Far Right Conservative. Who do you think brought about both the arbitration clauses and the Supreme Court ruling?”

“Really? In the last 10 years? Golly gee, you should be really happy.

One thing, though - how come the Republicans didn't do any of these things while they controlled both the Congress and the White House?

Yeah. We trust them.”

“The useless crap is standing behind it and doesn't want to read it.”

“Too many "moreovers".”

“Moreover, tort reform does nothing more than reduce the exposure of malpractice insurance companies. Physicians pay just as much for malpractice insurance here in Michigan as they did before, if not more.

Moreover, physicians here in Michigan no longer are offered "occurrence" coverage, under which they have coverage whenever the lawsuit is filed as long as insurance was in effect at the time of the treatment complained of. Now, they can obtain only "claims made" coverage, which means that they must always purchase insurance, even if they cease practicing.

In total, tort reform has increased the cost to physicians, rather than reduced it. Boehner and the Far Right Extremists are doing nothing more than protecting insurance companies, and their proposals do nothing to reduce the cost of health care.”

“John Boehner needs every argument that he can make to the public, most of whom he knows will not seek out the text, which is here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-3200

Each page is double-spaced, with wide left/right margins that take up nearly half of each page (the .pdf version is the original). Taking all of that into account, the bill is approximately 500 pages, far fewer Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire. Middle-school children can read that many pages.

If Boehner can't be bothered to do the job he was hired to do (that it, read the legislation and vote on it after), then maybe he needs to go back to his old job in the plastics industry.”

“Ironically, he was welcomed back to Party activities with the goal of having 60 votes on key legislation.”

“It is curious that, with all the anti-option voices that have been heard throughout the drafting of this bill, Lieberman has waited until now to raise his. This 11th-hour announcement suggests that Lieberman either is getting ready to leverage for something or already has made a deal.

The Democrats have realized by now, no doubt, that trusting him and welcoming him back into the Party during this time of its controlling Congress was a mistake.”

“Assuming that this is a serious question, consider that it was used to wiretap U.S. citizens for matters unrelated to national security, and to obtain telephone records and banking records of U.S. citizens who were not suspected of being a threat to national security. It wasn't a slip, or an "unfortunate mistake", and it began as soon as the Act was passed. The Act was not passed for the purpose that Bush and Congress said.”

“The "Patriot Act" is a lie. What "truth" could possibly be posted?”

“If this is true (and Karzai denies it), then it is painfully obvious why the President cannot make an immediate, knee-jerk response to McCrystal's request for more troops.

A mercenary, as A.W. Karzai is alleged to be, will take money from any source and has no allegiance to employer or country. If he is paid by the CIA, then he also would take funds from the drug trades. If he is using some of the undisclosed alleged sums to recruit, then those persons also have no reliable allegiance to Afghanistan. The U.S. would be paying money to keep someone in power, possibly against the will of the Afghan people.

There is no justification, long-term or short-term, for paying any sums to individual leaders or their governments. Any aid should be calculated to benefit the people, and not the reigning governing power.

To those who dismiss this strategy as naive (as both Reagan and Bush Administrations tended to do), this is the result. We are now locked in a no-win war, supporting a questionable government, and further destroying our credibility to both our allies and those whom we hope to make allies.”

“Yeah, I'm sure you know of several millionaire teachers who "padded their retirements".”

“You think that the only ones protesting are NPA members? And you still think that the whole reason for the economic collapse was because of bad mortgages? Maybe you should stop listening to Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and Eric Cantor, and read a few analyses by some economists. Wall Street collapsed because of a dearth of regulation and the shifting of manufacturing to the Far East. You can't run an economy on Wall Street earnings. The banks believed that we could.”

“The last thing that a propaganda machine wants to hear is that it has been found out to be a propaganda machine. The dizzying task of calling out Fox News on each falsehood has culminated in the opinion, by the President and most independent thinkers, that its reporting is not news.

Were Fox News truly a news organization, it would have shrugged off the comment and gone about with its broadcasts of whatever it thinks constitutes "news". Instead, it has devoted significant air time crying to its "Mommy" listeners and pointing the finger at the "big bad terrorist fist-jabbing" man who called it a name.

Maybe what really worries Fox News is that Republicans will stop paying it to advance their agendas.”

“It's been done, and it turns out to be a full-time job. Eventually, it makes sense to just call it what the facts show it to be. If some choose to believe that the Fox broadcasts are factual, then so be it.

Some believed Fox when, following Bush's infamous "tax rebates", it reported over and over that the economy had "turned around" and that unemployment was ending.”

“Doesn't sound whiny to most people.

Doesn't sound like he wants to destroy it either. Didn't hear a threat or a challenge.

Fox News, on the other hand, can't stop talking about the fact that the President talked about it.

Which one is whiny?”

“I just love this cartoon. My favorite part is where BooBoo Bear says, "I don't think Mr. Ranger would like that," and then the ranger guy chases Yogi Beck. They don't make cartoons like that anymore . . . or do they?”