Well, let's see. White House sees us welcomed in the streets as liberators. White House sees deficits as being manageable. White House sees no threat of flooding in New Orleans. White House sees Harriet Myers qualified to sit on high court. And White House doesn't see global warming, the big bang or evolution as being reality.
But hey, White House sees housing market going to be fine and dandy. And White House sees the negative savings rate as hunky-dorry because hey, there's home price gains to retire on.
Run. Fast. Run. We're so screwed. And you know what, they know it too.
White House Predicts Safe Landing for High-Flying Housing Market, Growth for Economy
The high-flying housing market should make a safe landing by gradually losing altitude, the White House suggested Monday.
Housing has been an important source of power for the economy as home sales hit record highs in the past five years running. Low mortgage rates were a factor behind brisk housing activity.
A gradual slowing of homebuilding appears more likely than a sharp drop because the elevated level of house prices will sustain homebuilding as a profitable enterprise for some time," according to President Bush's annual economic report to Congress.
Then, just to make sure their credibility stayed in the toilet, they added (I can't believe I'm reading this. I can't believe it. Amazing):
In other matters, the report said:
The decline in Americans' personal savings rate "may not be cause for much alarm for retirement preparedness." The personal savings rate last year dropped to its lowest point since the Great Depression. The savings-rate measure doesn't provide a complete picture of households' finances because it does not capture gains from such things as higher real-estate values or financial investments, the White House report and private analysts say.
February 14, 2006
NOW IT'S TIME TO PANIC!!! White House Sees Slow Drop for Home Sales
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Pretty amazing.
austinyank - on the same page here. there are no options - the dems are as bad as the reps.
nobody wants to (or can) address our problems. social security? medicare? healthcare? the deficit? trade deficit? housing bubble? global warming? oil usage? environment? education?
nothing but hot air.
and if the dems are stupid enough to nominate hilary, 8 more years of what we deserve
mccain can't make it through the primaries - that'd be the only hope
Those articles that say that our savings rate is lowest since the depression do not tell the full story. That number is based on savings rate on disposable income. Many folks including myself participate in 401Ks, employer sponsored saving plans, etc. That figure the press is pushing does not include those savings. It's the whole apples to oranges thing all over again.
That being said, the rate is still surprising low being negative and such. The big question is what can we do as a nation to encourage folks to live within their means and become dilligent savers? Capital gains tax is already as low as 5% for low incomers. Since 1997, there has been a $250k exemption from capital gains on primary residences. There are no taxes on dividends. What's left to do?
New Zealand is where I would move as well.
Anon in Austin, TX
Many folks including myself participate in 401Ks, employer sponsored saving plans, etc. That figure the press is pushing does not include those savings. It's the whole apples to oranges thing all over again.
That's correct but it's difficult to spend money in 401k.
I sense a hard left shift in this country too. Moderate republicans like myself are disgusted with the hard right tack that is taking place. At this point, a good Democrat who promises less pork-barrel spending, less bureaucracy, and less religion in politics is going to be a winner.
Abortion is the hot button issue. If the right-wingers succeed in getting Roe vs. Wade overturned (which a majority of American's DO NOT want, according to Newsweek), I expect that will be the end of Republican era of gov't in my lifetime. After abortion, what's next? Taking away guns?
"good Democrat who promises less pork-barrel spending, less bureaucracy, and less religion in politics is going to be a winner"
who is that democrat? I don't think there is one
Anonymous said:
"Abortion is the hot button issue. If the right-wingers succeed in getting Roe vs. Wade overturned (which a majority of American's DO NOT want, according to Newsweek), I expect that will be the end of Republican era of gov't in my lifetime. After abortion, what's next? Taking away guns?"
Actually, SERIOUS public opinion polls show that abortion is NOT a hot button issue with a vast majority, which understands that it's stupid, since practicing responsible contraception would make it obsolete.
As for Newsweek's poll, the magazine didn't actually ask anybody if he or she knew what Roe vs. Wade had specifically legalized (unlimited abortion till birth, partial-birth abortion, etc., provided any quack--including the abortionist making money on the deal--states that a nine-month abortion is necessary for a woman's psychological well-being). The way questions are worded determines the way polls line up.
A majority of Americans supported the Iraq war and re-elected Bush. If what the majory thinks at any given moment actually matters, then we're all in trouble. Most Americans support gun ownership and believe Jesus is coming back in the clouds.
Whether something is reasonable or unreasonable has nothing to do with the size of its support or opposition. Talk about sheeple!!!
Now, can we please stick to the housing bubble? If Bush thinks inflated housing prices are going to save us, he's even dumber than I thought. Just goes to show that when you think you've seen it all, you haven't actually seen anything.
chris,
While offering no cover for the current administration, which deserves none, allow me to point out that Democrats were corrupt, abused power, and stole their share of elections when they were in control, too. That is one reason Republicans wrested power from them. Nothing would be much different if Gore were in the White House. Economics are cyclical, not political. You are viewing this subjectively rather than objectively. Greed of the people in an effort to make riches quickly and easily has inflated the bubbles, first in stocks (under Clinton), and now in housing (under Bush). Presidential politics has had nothing to do with it.
BYW, the debt has been in the trillions since the Reagan years. It was in the trillions throughout the Clinton years. I don't care if you're a Democrat, but please recognize they are responsible for this mess, too, and offer NO solutions that will make anything any better in the big picture - only for the few of their supporters who have little to contribute in return. I'm afraid we are past the point of no return.
Gore's surplus was the result of the Internet and related stock bubble and the vast profits it generated for a lot of corrupt people, and millions of Americans were destroyed as a result. Sure the federal budget was balanced, but what about all those retirement plans wiped out, and people's savings destroyed?
Now we have another goofy president and another insane bubble, and millions more people in danger of losing everything.
I hate to tell you, but all the newspapers in Florida got together and counted all the votes, and Bush actually DID win, so stop whining about it. He also got re-elected. Since I live in Florida and know about punch ballots, I can tell you that the idiots in Palm Beach county who couldn't follow the very simple directions shoudn't have been voting in the first place (many, it seems, had already voted up North). Some of these people appeared to be legally dead, and just propped up for the occasion. Gore tried to make sure that ONLY disqualified punch cards in heavily Democratic counties were re-counted, and the Supreme Court finally stepped in and said enough is enough. Either ALL the votes throughout the entire state should have been recounted, or none. Gore was a very bad loser, which tells me all I need to know about the kind of foot-stomping, V-for victimhood president he would have made.
Bush, I already knew, was an idiot, and he hasn't proved me wrong. But if you think that 9/11 was conspired by our government because crazy people who believe lizard aliens say so (yes the same conspiracy crowd in involved in ALL these ridiculous ideas), then I think you need to move to Wyoming and live in a bunker with the other paranoid lunatics. And don't forget your rifle.
By the way, for those crackpots who think the Masons are behind it all, have a gander.
http://www.masonicinfo.com/sitemap.htm
You've been duped by David Icke far too long.
We, all Americans, are in this mess together, and must hang together. Our two major political parties have betrayed us, and care simply about getting their sorry a$$es reelected. After they are in office, they care only about beating up on each other, and posturing for political gain.
We can take our country back. Republicans: reject your silly right-wing zealots in favor of moderates who want to fix things. Don't be persuaded when the silly zealots label them as "liberals." Democrats: reject your bunch of left-wing clowns in favor of moderates who want to solve our problems fairly. Don't be persuaded when your ridiculous left-wing clowns label them as "Republican Lite."
My auntie passed this article on to me. It has helped with my understanding. Hope it helps your readers
eldridge north scott press
eldridge north scott press
Children with ADHD
There is a perplexing state of affairs in today's society, there lies a strong correlation between the affluence of a society and the amount of disease that is present. There is also another correlation that troubles many a people and that is with affluence comes disease at an Earlier age.
Working with children and the parents of these children I often get asked the question, 'Why are Children with ADHD on the increase?'
The answer as you shall find is one that is both interesting and challenging.
Children of today are really no more different from the children of yesterday in terms of genetic makeup. However, if you examine the issue more closely you will tend to find that many children today have been given labels. For example, 'Oh, those are children with ADHD' or 'Those are the children who can't sit still.' Or 'That is the kid that always gets into trouble.'
These labels are not only destructive but also become a self fulfilling prophecy as it is repeated adnauseum.
So as a 21st century parent or a parent with a child with ADHD or a parent with children with ADHD, what knowledge framework do you need to equip yourself with to ensure your children live out their true potential?
Here is a quick reference list for thinking about ADHD
� ADHD is a source of great frustration because it is misunderstood
� ADHD medications are a great short term time buying device and should be avoided long term
� The above point goes for any sort of drug consumption. Think about it for a minute. Unless you have a biochemical deficiency in your body like Type 1 diabetes where your body fails to produce enough insulin or any at all, why would you take an external drug? A body that is in balance is totally healthy. It is only when the body is out of balance that dis-ease symptoms start to creep up.
� ADHD is a biochemical imbalance of the mind and body.
� The Head of Psychiatry in Harvard states that drugs for ADHD simply mask the effects of ADHD. It does not cure ADHD. This is an important point because a cure implies never to have to take the medication. This means that once you start on medication you will have to be on it for the rest of your life i.e. you have medically acquired a dependency for a biochemical imbalance. That is like stuffing all your rubbish (problematic behaviors) into a closet (medication) where no one can see it. But if you continue to stuff more rubbish into that closet, one day you will not have enough space and need to do one of two things. You either empty the rubbish (the natural conclusion) or you get a bigger closet (i.e. change to stronger medication to control the symptoms). The choice is obvious but sometimes when you don't have the necessary tools to deal with ADHD you tend to think the bigger closet is the only option.
� ADHD children are super sensitive to the emotions around them. Often they pick up emotional cues from their parents without realizing. Many parents come home frustrated or annoyed from work, the child with ADHD picks this up and starts to 'cause trouble' by becoming restless. Parents frustration increase because they just want some peace and quiet. They get angry which in turn is picked up by the child who then intensifies their activity. Things get way out of hand and some sort of punishment is handed down to the child who has no idea what just happened. The cycle repeats itself every so often.
� Our brains are wired emotionally. Positive praise is interpreted as an analytical/thinking exercise. Negative criticism including scolding, name calling, physical punishment all go directly to the emotional brain of children with ADHD. This means in order to ensure you get your message across in the most optimal way, you need to learn how to communicate with your ADHD children the way they like to be communicated with.
� Every negative comment requires 16 positive comments to neutralize the emotion. Save yourself the frustration and agitation by practicing positive communication.
The list is by no means complete. In dealing with children with ADHD there are a certain set of behavioural principles to follow. I will detail these steps in the coming weeks. I'll also build on the list as you continue to learn about what appears to be a mystical disorder known as 'Children with ADHD'
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