TampaYankee

Apparently the entire GOP base may not be crazy. We'll see how accurate that is by how successful they are at purging the Tea Party office holders in the next election. I'm not holding my breath, and frankly, don't care much either way. After watching many formerly less radical GOP office holders rush to embrace the crazies and join to push extreme policies, I have little affinity for any but a very few sitting GOP office holders to remain on the scene. Two in the Senate are Richard Lugar and Lamar Alexander. Lugar because the told the Tea Party to effectively 'kiss his ass', not to mention he is a well-respected expert, on both sides of the isle, as an expert in arms and foreign affairs; and Alexander for getting dumped from Senate Leadership for not being radical enough. There might be one or two more. Probably a couple in the House too but the heard is so large over there it's hard to keep track. One GOP rep, first termer from VA, was on TV this am after giving a speech in the House that "not only must we cut spending but tax revenue is at an historic low and must be increased as part of the solution". Wish I remembered his name. We'll see if he survives the next election, that is if the Tea Party really subsides.

Excerpted from the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/2012-election-tea-party-barney-frank_n_1121475.html?ref=politics 2012 Election: Tea Party Losing Support, Dem Avoids Obama And The Race To Replace Barney Frank .... SURVEY SHOWS TEA PARTY IS LOSING SUPPORT -- IN TEA PARTY DISTRICTS A new Pew Research Center survey finds more Americans now disagree with the Tea Party movement than agree with it -- 27 percent disagree and 20 percent agree. Last year, those numbers were flipped. The poll lends credence to the idea that the Tea Party is hurting the Republican Party. Research shows overall support for the GOP is down in districts represented by Tea Party Caucus members: 48 percent reported having an unfavorable view of the GOP vs. 41 percent who held a favorable view. Interestingly, the loss of support for the Republican Party dropped even further in these conservative districts than in districts not represented by Tea Party members. The research was conducted from Sept. 22 to Oct. 4 and surveyed 345 adults.

Here is my last take on the question: Why gamble on it in a nice dish and take a chance of ruining the dish or at least compromising it. If you are going to use it in an unremarkable dish then why bother. Now if you just want to do an experiment and the knowlege gained outweighs the food and effort lost then... full speed ahead. Sacrifices must be made for science.

It is not a question of contamination but of oxidation. Between the ph and the alcohol not many kinds of bugs can survive. Acetobacter is one of the few, and most common, and it gives us vinegar. Acetobacter is a genus of acetic acid bacteria characterized by the ability to convert ethanol to acetic acid in the presence of oxygen. ... from Wikipedia

Ditto.

True, but he helped fuck up the Financial Reform Act. True he had lots of help in that starting with Summers, Geitner, Dodd, and Obama... and some conservadems. Still, I wish he had hung tougher on that one.

Will miss him. He is unique, not to mention smart and well informed. I love his wry sense of humor and irreverence.

I don't much care for the term and never heard of it before 4 or 5 years ago. I have Xmas shopped my entire life and never needed such a designation to help me observe the holiday. It is clear that it is blatant commercialism pushed by commercial interests to turn the holiday into a profit generating orgy of spending. I have nothing against exchanging gifts with friends and family at Christmas but the emphasis was always on exchanging, not buying. Sure, they go together but it seems that a period of a couple of weeks was enough to get the job done in the distant past. Now, its got to be a couple of months of unending hype and maddened crowds. Some seem to treat it as an endurance and strategy sport where the score is determined by who scores what and by how early. Not for me. One of the benefits of being older is remembering earlier times when the spirit of the season dominated the holidays through Santas and creches and huge Xmas cards on display, or decorations in the downtown streets with Xmas music. One year, businesses got together with the City of Tampa and arranged for an entire block of a downtown street to be blocked off. They trucked in tens of truckloads of snow from the north and built a three or four story ski jump. Sure, it was a device to get people downtown to shop but that wasn't the focus. It was showing kids and older natives what snow was like and to watch some ski jumping -- not the usual Florida sport. And people shopped the stores too. But not like todays version of the the Oklahoma Land Rush on the Department Store level. Retailers had not yet found how to turn Xmas shopping into a Coliseum blood-sport. But that was then.

Nope, not at all. As Mondays go this was not a bad one at all. A collection of one-off photos accumulated in my odds & ends bin and I thought I'd share. Sorry if it depressed you or you thought I was depressed or otherwise disturbed. I felt peachy keen this AM. Early AM posts mean either up real late or very early. Either is likely in my schedule which is totally free-form. Last night I went to bed early... so I got up seeking the worm, and found several. lol If these posts are distressing anyone please let me know so that I can measure them more strictly and provide warnings beyond simply putting them in the Porn and Photos forum.

Great report, thanks for sharing.

Very nice looking facilities. How's the food and the prices? The photos look good enough to eat. Looks like you are off to a great start. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Seen here first...

I'd certainly make him an offer.

The Biggest Box-Office Turkeys of 2011 By Kurt Orzeck | The Wrap Wed, Nov 23, 2011 2:25 PM EST Turkey Day comes once a year, but in a year that's been short on big motion-picture success stories, it seems like a fresh bird has landed at the box office every weekend. In honor of the biggest film-going holiday on the calendar, TheWrap has assembled a list of 2011's biggest duds so far: THE RUM DIARY With Johnny Depp movies having amassed an astronomical $7.67 billion across the globe over the course of his career, this film stands out like a bad batch of hooch. Grossing just $19.1 million worldwide on a $45 million budget, it was Depp's least successful film since 1999's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," another movie based on the actor's close friend, the late Hunter S. Thompson. It was perhaps an even greater disappointment for director Bruce Robinson, who battled with alcohol and writer's block while penning the screenplay, and who hadn't directed a film since 1992 ("Jennifer 8"). For the remainder of this flock of turkeys see: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies-didnt-cut-biggest-turkeys-11-001410495.html

I think you might find the result of that set up to lead to shocking results in the governing of our country. One need only look to Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan to see the drawback of true one party rule. Similarly egregious actions could be taken by the left in the future. The voters are somewhat better at repairing fiscos than they are at avoiding them. But that is after the damage has been done. If there is a consensus for changing direction of the country it is better to have it done over two or three election cycles to make sure their is a true consensus and that any change in direction actually results in what was sought and anticipated. Again, reference Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan.

Salvatore Montagna, Bonnano Crime Boss Suspect, Dead Near Montreal First Posted: 11/24/11 04:52 PM ET Updated: 11/24/11 11:50 PM ET MONTREAL - The body of an alleged Mafia boss, who U.S. authorities said once headed New York's notorious Bonanno crime family, was fished out from a river north of Montreal on Thursday. Reports identified the body as Salvatore Montagna, although police wouldn't immediately confirm or deny the identity. Nicknamed "Sal The Iron Worker," he owned and operated a successful steel business in the U.S. The FBI once called him the acting boss of the Bonanno crime family — prompting one of New York's tabloids to dub him the "Bambino Boss" because of his rise to power in his mid-30s. His death is the latest in a series of Mafia-related killings and disappearances over the last two years. Montagna was considered a contender to take over the decimated Rizzuto family. Montagna was born in Montreal but raised in Sicily and, although he moved to the United States at 15, he never obtained U.S. citizenship. The married father of three was deported to Canada from the United States in 2009 because of a conviction for refusing to testify before a grand jury on illegal gambling. He pled guilty to the minor charge, but it made him ineligible to stay in the U.S. Montagna had no criminal record in Canada and re-entered this country without any trouble. His arrival in Montreal occurred just months before members of the Rizzuto family began being killed. The FBI had called Montagna the acting boss of the Bonanno crime family, an allegation his lawyer publicly denied. The Bonanno crime family is one of the five largest Mafia families in New York — one of the notorious criminal gangs that formed the original Commission, along with Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. The Bonannos also had close ties to the Montreal Mafia. There had been speculation that Montagna had been part of the new Mafia leadership in Montreal and was trying to reorganize the leaderless group. His death comes just two months after another man with Mafia ties, Raynald Desjardins, narrowly escaped death in a shooting in Laval, a suburb north of Montreal. Desjardins had close ties to Vito Rizzuto, the reputed head of the Montreal Mafia who is currently imprisoned in the United States. A rash of killings and disappearances in late 2009 and early 2010 decimated the operation and have robbed him of many of his closest family members. Rizzuto's father and son were gunned down, as were other friends, while his brother-in-law simply vanished. Montagna became the latest name on the list. A provincial police spokesman said Thursday that a private citizen called just after 10 a.m., having spotted a body along the shores of the L'Assomption River. The same person also reported to local police that he heard gunshots, but Sgt. Benoit Richard said he couldn't confirm just how the victim died. "When (police) arrived, they saw a man lying near the river, they took him out of the water and started doing CPR with the help of the emergency personnel," Richard said. "The man was transported to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead." Richard said police will await the results of an autopsy, scheduled for Friday, to determine the cause of death. See original article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/11/24/salvatore-montagna-bonnano-crime-boss_n_1112261.html

Count me in too... wishing you the Happiest of Birthdays with many many more to look forward to.

In response to the thread title: yes, they are nuts. And not just those three, include all the other candidates except Huntsman and include most of the GOP base. I predict one of two things: either the GOP will crash and burn after getting in bed with the extreme right wing... or the country will crash and burn if the crazies take over. Well maybe we will just return to the 1880s age of robber barrons, no labor laws, no middle class, no social safety net. The one difference will be more wars to protect robber barron interests over seas.

Let me know when the airlines halve their fares to BKK. I'll be all aboard.

De nada. I was really suprised to see Honda nameplates on the list. The Japanese are taking some hits the past couple of years. I guess nobody can stay at the top forever. I guess Rome wasn't a fluke.

Worst car flops of 2011 The Lincoln MKT joins eight other vehicles that have performed below expectations this year. Along with the Acura ZDX, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, and Chevrolet Aveo, these are the worst automotive flops of 2011. By Hannah Elliott | Forbes – 22 hours ago The redesigned 2012 Honda Civic suffered from numb driving dynamics and a downgraded interior. John McElroy, the loquacious host of the Autoline Detroit TV and radio shows, is optimistic about the auto industry. More than one million new cars sell each month in the United States, he points out. Ford and GM have become more profitable than many analysts had expected; record sales numbers at luxury brands like Audi and BMW don’t hurt, either. And there are some exciting new models in the pipeline for 2012 and beyond. Just don’t ask McElroy about some of the cars on the market this year. You’re likely to get a different story. “The Lincoln MKT is an unmitigated disaster,” McElroy says. “It’s actually a vehicle I like, but nobody agrees with me. No matter how you slice it, the MKT is just a dud.” The MKT joins eight other vehicles that have performed significantly less than expected this year in the United States. Along with the Acura ZDX, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Chevrolet Aveo, these are the worst automotive flops of 2011. Behind The Story To develop this list of cars, we consulted three expert analysts: Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports; Tim Healey, the senior writer at Web2Carz, an automotive website; and McElroy. Each discussed what they think are the worst vehicles on the market, all things considered. Nominations were allowed for any 2011 model-year vehicles and any 2012 model-year vehicles available for sale this year. Admittedly, it’s a subjective tally. Dwindling sales are one way to determine an automotive flop. Excessive hype before a launch, with media silence afterward (see: Acura ZDX) is another. So is a round of scathing reviews from auto critics, or a Consumer Reports rating that places it among the 10 worst values of the year (see: Dodge Nitro). Sales Matter, Sometimes Still, flops do indeed have much to do with sales rates. The Chevrolet Aveo, for instance, sold just 65 cars nationwide last month, down 98 percent for the same period in 2010. It’s largely because Chevy’s Aveo replacement, the 2012 Sonic, is much better than its predecessor and already scooping up sales. The same can’t be said for the Smart Fortwo, which sold just 327 units in October, down 11 percent for the month and nearly 21 percent for the year to date. (The car will have a successor, in a forthcoming partnership with Renault, but it won’t be ready for next year.) Things Are Looking Up The bottom line, despite the stragglers on this list, is that the general level of quality, performance and value of both domestic and foreign vehicles on the American market has never been better. Each expert consulted for this list agreed that the future is bright for drivers in America. “Automakers have gotten a lot better at producing what the public want,” Healey says. “They’ve realized that it really is all about the product—it’s not just about marking. And that’s a good thing.” 2011 Smart Fortwo McElroy says the jerky transmission in this tiny two-door has hurt it the worst — he called it “the worst transmission maybe of all time.” The car has reportedly lost more money than it has made for the Daimler family since its launch in the late 1990s; rumors have circulated for years that the company will shutter the brand. An agreement to share a new platform with Renault could mean a big improvement for the coupe in a few years. 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Fisher says the 2011 redesign cost the Jetta much of what had made it a standout in the small car segment. Its responsive handling and sharp steering are long gone, Fisher says, and the high-quality interior has been replaced with hard plastics that don’t fit together well. The engines in the new Jetta are unimpressive with regard to both acceleration and fuel economy. 2012 Honda Civic Like the new Jetta, the latest Civic was designed only for the U.S. market. The 2012 redesign plummeted in Consumer Reports scores from one of the best small cars to one of the worst, Fisher says. Its nimble handling was replaced with a “soggy” suspension, and braking distances are too long. The interior quality also declined, with lots of hard plastics throughout the cabin. 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Fisher says “there’s nothing sporty about the Outlander Sport SUV, and there’s not much utility either.” Compared to the larger Mitsubishi Outlander, it is barely cheaper and barely more fuel efficient. More apparent are the cramped interior and numb steering, he adds. The Outlander is a better value and much sportier to drive. 2011 Acura ZDX McElroy says that while the ZDX isn’t horribly bad in any one category, it suffered from the compilation of several minor inconveniences with no real outstanding qualities: cramped quarters, polarizing looks, lackluster handling. And it didn’t sell a whit: Acura sold 131 of them last month. Total. 2011 Lincoln MKT McElroy says the MKT suffers from “ungainly” body styling and an “unmitigated disaster” in sales. The fact that the Lincoln brand is no longer en vogue, coupled with the fact that Ford shuttered its sister brand, Mercury, has only served to enlarge the problem. So far, only 4,000 have been sold stateside this year. 2011 Dodge Nitro The Nitro shares many design attributes with the much-panned Jeep Liberty. It earns only 16mpg on average and is rated in Consumer Reports as a noisy SUV that is clumsy and stiff while lacking agility. Web2Cars calls it “behind the times.” 2011 Chevrolet Aveo Chevy’s tiny coupe gets sub-average reliability ratings and unimpressive acceleration. Driving can feel clunky and noisy, and the interior quality is subpar compared to other affordable compacts. Look for the Aveo replacement for 2012: the Chevrolet Sonic. 2011 Nissan Titan Web2Cars warns potential buyers that the Titan’s “noisy V-8 and exhaust may interrupt the driving experience.” It also notes that the truck’s reliability has dropped well below average for the past five model years. The Titan lacks a full-time AWD to match the power output, and a lack of passenger room for crew cab models makes it subpar compared to competitors. See more photos and links in the original article at: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/worst-car-flops-of-2011.html?page=1

I haven't noticed any particular slowdown since early this AM (3 am ET). Hopefully, Oz will see this soon and pulse the server sitters.

Lurkerspeaks, Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many happy returns. Also, a premature congratulations on your next post which will be # 1000.

In recognition of Lurkerspeaks birthday, his impending 1000th post, and his many contributions to the community, November 15, 2011 is hereby proclaimed Lurkerspeaks Day.

Impressive start on this reader. Congrats to Lucky and to us for having access to a crisply written, interesting, informative read, with pretty pics too. Now, if you could only serve it with a latte I'd be all set for my AM read. I eagerly anticipate the next issue. Lookin, your posts are just too wonderful for words -- a masterful mix of words and supporting graphics so well matched to each other and to the subject of your post. You are nothing short of a communications artist. I would have said wordsmith but that falls far short of your combined written and graphical presentations.