Texas

[Jungleexplorer]

Friggin' losers in D.C. will get this ironed out, and back-pay obligations so unless your school kicks you out I wouldn't worry. It's more if the dysfunctional Congress starts cutting programs when they fight over the debt ceiling in two weeks that you might need to worry.

I grew up in California where they went for about a decade never getting a budget passed on time and shutting down every year. My solution was/is "house arrest" in the Capitol building until the budget is passed and send to the President or Governor. No fancy dinners, mistresses, comfy apartments or any of that. They get locked in the Capitol building with sleeping cots and cold sandwiches until they do their **** jobs and pass a budget. Only ways out would be 1) Do the job and pass a budget, 2) Quit/Resign so we can replace their sorry butts, 3) Die.

The current American system of government is BROKEN.

I agree that the government is broken, but since it is an elected government, then we need to look at the greater issue, which is voter ignorance and laziness. Most people spend more time deciding what new smart phone they are going to upgrade to then who they are going to vote for. I have talked with thousands of educated people about this subject and I think I can explain the voter problem very simply.

Ask 1000 people if they trust politicians and and you will get 1000 very emphatic, NOs!

Ask 1000 people if the will vote for someone with no political experience and you will most likely get 1000. Nos.

So, here in lies the ideological hypocrisy of the American mentality. We know that politicians are corrupt, and yet we won't vote for anyone who is not a politician. Since we have a elected government, I think the blame for what it has become, lays completely on the shoulders of the us, the voting public.

 

[mandaleigh1981]

Hey, does anyone have any experience with filing AFLAC claims? I am trying to file for High grade cervical dysplasia, and everywhere I am reading drs consider that to be carcinoma in situ, which is supposed to be covered on our cancer rider. Anyone have experience with this? It has taken multiple surgeries which aren't all completed yet, and will pay out enough to cover all our out of pocket expenses so far. That would be a huge blessing! Thanks.

 

[erikk]

Glad to hear he is doing so well. Sounds like you are going about it the right way. If push comes to shove, the dog will win if he is determined, especially since the young cockerel has no spurs at this point. All the cockerel can really do at this point is posture. If the dog respects that, it will go fine. If the dog does not respect it and test the cockerel, it will not be good. It is important that the issue of dominance between the dog and the cockerel be established from the first. If the dog ever cows the cockerel, he will be ruined, so it might be best to wait a little more. It is hard to say really, it all depends on the dog. It is a battle of wills and the dog is better equipped. There are things you can do to help the cockerel out, but it takes some effort. You can use a shock collar. I used one to train my Irish Setter. He was uncontrollable at first and would go right after the chickens. I bought a cheap shock collar off amazon.com and used it to train him. The collar has a vibrate mode and adjustable shock rate. I put him in a large 60' x 60' pen with some chickens and every time he got close to a bird I buzzed him until he stopped going after the birds. He responded more to the vibrate then the shock (of course I did not have the shock on maximum, it was just enough for him to feel it). All you really need to do is get your dog to associate the buzz or the shock with your chickens. For instance, when he looks at them, buzz him, if he goes after them shock him. If you can get him to this point, then when the cockerel comes after him or starts posturing close to him, he will back off.

I did not even think about it when you guys were out the other day. I would have given you the shock collar system. If you want we can meet in town in the next couple days and I will give it to you (we are headed to Galveston on Friday). Just give me a call.

I bought shock collars. I just haven't wanted to use them. Maybe I'll use it along with the cockerel so maybe the dogs will associate the cockerel with the sensation. I want the cockerel to be flock leader. He seems to have the demeanor so I'll just have to see how it goes.

 

[erikk]

here in lies the ideological hypocrisy of the American mentality

I believe America's most developed talents are hypocrisy and self-justification. If we want something we'll self-justify anything, anyhow to attain it. Hypocrisy is just so rampant because we seem to have lost the ability to think critically.

I believe the American system of government is BROKEN for a variety of structural reasons. First, the politicians determine the district lines. The politicians choose their voters when they draw the districts. That's why the maps have been fought over in court recently. Republicans are in power in the TX Legislature and naturally drew as many "safe" districts for Republicans as possible and as few Democrat or mixed districts as possible. If you live in a solid Republican district like I do then it's almost a waste of time for anyone to run, even a D, but far more futile for a 3rd party or independent candidate.

Then you have the Elections laws that make it difficult or impossible to run as an independent or 3rd party. So then the easy route is to run as a Republican or Democrat but the party bosses and PACs decide who gets organizational help and $$$. The establishment backs the candidates they like, which often puts the establishment incumbent/candidate ahead of potentially more worthy/honest candidates in the Primary elections (which too few Americans pay attention to anyway). Then the November ballot ends up with two establishment candidates from the two established parties. I believe people delude themselves thinking the parties are much different. They're both dominated by corporate campaign contributions and Wall St. Each administration whether R or D for the last 3 decades at least has appointed key Wall St/Big Bank people to the various Executive branch positions. Dems gave the corporations NAFTA and China WTO status under Clinton, Bush gave the banks/Wall St. the financial bailout and the drug companies Medicare Part D, and Obama is giving the medical insurers Obamacare/ACA. Bush tried to give SS to Wall St. but the public uproar and financial crash killed that (for now, they won't forget to try later).

This game is rigged against the American voter. More and more money is funneled to the top 1% (actually more 0.001) from the taxpayers. Those folks have FAR more money than they need so they buy Congressmen and Presidents. Do you or I have K Street lobbyists running around D.C.? Nope, but the corporations do. Even any Congress-critters who want to do the right thing are just destined to get bound up in group think. Everyone around them says/screams/repeats such and such and the oh-so-distant voices of the actual voters back home are maybe a whisper by comparison.

I believe the system of governance we have is fundamentally and structurally broken. There seems to be no adherance to the Constitution by either party. Whatever power they can grab and get away with they excersice in their own self-interest. We used to have a much more functional and honest system but the 2-party power structure has changed laws to cement their dominance, even if individual elected positions flip-flop parties. It's like a game of musical chairs to them and only Ds and Rs are let into the room to play.

A complete reset is warranted, with public financing of campaigns so the $$$ power of corporations and PACs is made a thing of the past. Equal access to the public airwaves should be restored. Ranked choice voting would allow everyone's vote to count. No more worries of "wasted votes" and I believe we'd see viable alternatives to the Ds and Rs come forth. Ranked Choice voting would also ensure any eventual winner did at least have a majority of the voters willing to have them be elected. And for goodness sake abolish the Electoral College. That's whips and buggy era thinking. Direct votes for the President is not only fair but logical.

This system we have will struggle and stumble on until it ultimately fails. I don't see the will by the PRICs (People/Politicians Really In Charge) to change or adopt these good-governance measures. What we have is what we get until it all comes crashing down.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I bought shock collars. I just haven't wanted to use them. Maybe I'll use it along with the cockerel so maybe the dogs will associate the cockerel with the sensation. I want the cockerel to be flock leader. He seems to have the demeanor so I'll just have to see how it goes.

You have to be really careful when you are using aversives (shock collar). Some animals (and people) respond to aversives and punishment with increased aggression. Also, some dogs have a stronger prey drive than others. Some dogs will be prepared to put up with a tremendous amount of pain and will still go after your chickens.

I was very surprised at how helpless my chickens were when my my 8 pound mini dachshund got hold of them.

 

[Teri Metcalf]

For the past 10 minutes it's been pouring in our College Station neighborhood. Our baby beans and broccolis are loving it. It' really been spotty, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's as dry as a bone a mile away.

 

[back2simplelife]

For the past 10 minutes it's been pouring in our College Station neighborhood. Our baby beans and broccolis are loving it. It' really been spotty, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's as dry as a bone a mile away.

just started here in Caldwell..sprinkling though, nothing like last night! but after the 11 inches in the past 11 days, my garden is NOT happy!

 

[hungnguyen]

Sunny and humid here at San Marcos This morning I checked the 10 day forcast and 3 forecasts were placed next to each other. Once said 70% rain, the other said 0%. Apparantly that someone forgot to type a number before the zero.

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
I believe many people vote for the candidate that would be the mostly likely to issue FREE smart phones...just sayin

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
my littlest dachshund is 6 and a half lbs....I had a mean 35yr old amazon parrot that was mostly perch bound, she mostly stayed on the playpen I top of her cage....don't know how the bird got to the floor for the dog to get hold of but she killed it!! when I found her I literally hit the floor!! I still have the dog but I still cry for that mean bird!!