TampaYankee

Even more egregious is the Texas Board of Education commissioning national book publishers to produce text books that are factually inaccurate about science and history or pick and choose which facts and persons are to be presented in their text books. As an example, they have chosen to omit founding fathers: Jefferson, Washington and Adams from their history curriculum. (http://nerdfighters.ning.com/forum/topics/rewriting-history-the-texas-textbook-debacle) Imagine what they do to science, especially the biological sciences. I wouldn't much care about those Texas assholes turning their state into an intellectual outhouse if it only influenced Texas education. Seems sort of fitting. But what Texas does influences the text books that are offered to all of the states for the modern curriculum. The reason for this is buying power. Texas buys so many textbooks that they can demand what they want. Other states are not big enough buyers to commission their own curricula, so they fall in line or do without. Louisiana and Jindal are pissing in their own well and will have to drink from it. I have no problem with that if Jindal, the pols, and the stupid electorate want vie with Mississippi as the armpit of the nation. That is States Rights. But Texas is pissing in every state's well fucking all of us over. Another great example of unbridled capitalism at work.

QUite a find, lurker. You're to be envied by many. I know at least one.

Ditto.

I much prefer the Latin Boyz vids to the Latin Jocks. The former tend toward twinks and the latter toward beef. LJ production values are poorer too. The video quality sucks. That being said, LJ can offer up some really hot studs on occasion it you can put up with the video quality.

There were some specific reasons why Oz and I started this site and some had to do with the forum there. We saw management issues, policy issues, and atmosphere issues. We sought to do some things differently. We are happy with our alternative. Personally, I never wanted a wholesale co-opting of that forum in its entirety for this site. Too many issues and abrasive personalities. There were some great contributors that were desired. Some found their way here. For that we are thankful. I'm very happy with the quality of our contributors here and from the feedback, members seem to appreciate the management style, generally.

I too find the performance variable. I spend most of my time in admin which differs from regular users. Some times are slower than others and sometimes in the same several minutes I can get speedy performances and then I can get hangs too for what seems like minutes although not really that long. There seems to be no rhyme of reason as for predicting when the hangs might happen with the exception that it seems to happen more consistently when the software downloads photos for display on my machine.

Dallas summers are to die for, literally.

Your expectation or desire is somewhat less than 72 and certainly not virgins, hopefully.

It will come eventually but not any time soon and certainly not next. Give it a decade, maybe a little less.

Just how is Obama spending so much more money on vacations? As for Obama not doing much for the economy, we would be much better off if the GOP put their shoulders to the wheel to help Obama. I'd settle for just having them get out of the way. Instead, they want to cut their way to economic paradise leaving the middle class and social safety net in a shambles while bestowing largesse on Big Business and the Wealth Class. The Brits and Europe have shown how austerity has lead the way to a significantly worsening economy. There but for the grace of Obama and the Senate goes the US. It is clear to any unbiased observer and most biased observers that the #1 GOP goal was and remains obstrucitng Obama, even to the detriment of the country. They have put Party above the Country and upholding the Constitution. Their actions, arguably, have been treasoness. Those are strong words but so has their purposeful malfeasance been just as strong. Obama's failure, and yes there is one, has been to buy in to the Deficit as the #1 problem on the table rather than jobs and the economy. He should have effectively rallied the population to demand more jobs programs including massive infrastructure development and renewal. Instead, knowing the GOP would block any big effort he went small in the hopes of tearing away few GOP senators off the pack for filibuster defeat. He should have gone on the attack and ripped the GOP a new asshole when it came to jobs and infrastructure. He needs to regain control of the House, an almost impossible task in off year elections. Now people have pretty much bought into muddling our way out of the mess over time.

Just another manifestation of this right wing gun madness!! Guns generally do not belong in public establishments, especially where alcohol or sex is served.

My sympathy to you EXPAT. I know personally how this is a very sad and trying time. There is little to be said that can take the sharp edges off an experience like this.

lookin, Remarkably well said. I salute you.

Such is the way of literary license. In the end it is less about facts and history than what the producers think will sell -- either tickets or advertising. Capitalism is a cruel mistress that takes few prisoners. To be fair it also dies by the sword, so to speak.

Sorry, I cannot get my panties in a bunch about Presidents taking vacations, which really aren't. People pissed on Ike for golfing and Kennedy for sailing. Then there was Ronnie and W's ranching and George H W's cigarette boating in Maine. The opposition always pisses on the opposite party President and never mention their own guy. Just part of the politics in this country. Presidents are on the jobe 24/7 like few other people in the world. Even on vacation. And wherever the President goes the office has to go with him, whether to Israel or the G20 or Hawaii or Martha's vineyard. Pissing and moaning about any President taking vacation is just low politics.

I think we agree much more on this than we disagree. I believe everyone should pay in to SS and everyone should collect it, according to a sliding scale based on non-SS income, i.e. means testing. As for government and military pensions, I believe they have been tightened up in the last decade or so. That doesn't mean more might not be needed. I tracked down O's tax return. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/04/13/us/politics/13obama-tax.html It looks pretty Kosher to me. I think he would have paid quite a bit more if those 'deductions' were reduced along the lines that Romney proselytized for in the election. I believe some are still in favor of that, as am I.

There might be if we knew a little more about it. Can you provide background? As for Social Security it is my understanding that Government, Military, Postal and Railroad workers do not participate in SS and thus do not to contribute. At least that was my understanding once upon a time. I do not recall anything regarding that fact being changed. I doubt that they have made any special tax laws for Obama or that he is treated any differently from the previous presidents. I also doubt that he benefits from any of that 'Carried Interest' bullshit that permits hedge fund owners and other Big Business tycoons to change income subject to normal taxes into magic income subject to 15% rates. Remember also, his rate did NOT go up with the Fiscal Cliff Tax Increase because the GOP demanded an increase in the effected bracket negotiated up from $250K to $400K, more for families, I believe. Even so, i'm interested to see how his taxes break down. I doubt he voluntarily paid an extra couple of millions dollars in tax though to improve the optics of his return. Anybody that does that is a real patriot as long as they do not file an ammended return to recover that overpayment while no one is looking.

I have varied results as well. The system is not working as it should be.

So sad. Words fail me. Not only about her passing but also her struggle thru adult life.

Gawd. I wish I looked that good at 30. Can't believe he is 50.

Not sure what tax breaks married couples get? I know there used to be a marriage penalty.

Seems a rather short sighted view to take on potential liability. But then I've said for some time that we have the best government that money can buy. Neither party is immune to seduction by money. One reason to get money out of politics -- the major one.

Really wish I could join you but circumstances dictate otherwise this year. Maybe the future will bring a change in those. BTW, those boys above do wear their dollar bills very well.

The long answer is NO.

This is why Presidential elections are soooooo important. This is the BIGGER picture. When bitter primary losers huff and puff about not supporting the winner... you know he's going to make a much better appointment than the guy from the other party. As I have said many times, this is the overriding factor in casting a vote if you have skin in the rights game. SOTUS appointments last a lifetime... of the appointed. That is easily twenty, sometimes thirty years. That is a long time for homophobes, racists, and servants of the rich and powerful to influence the Law of the Land. So put petty grievances aside if your primary candidate loses. There's bigger fish to fry. Remember this come next election season.