The Lief Reservoir of Simple Truths and Smart One-Liners

[traininthedistance]

Obviously Ottawa or Halifax style amalgamation incorporating rural areas is dumb. But balkanizing a metro area, thus making metropolitan governance and planning much more difficult, is even worse.

I really do not see what is wrong with the amalgamation of Toronto, for example. The only argument I've seen against it really is that it was a plan to gerrymander the city conservative--but considering that greater Toronto is a right-wing area, that's sort of tough luck. Toronto (and in this sense I include Pickering and Oshawa and Scarborough, which are as much a part of the city as downtown) is a right-wing city.

[traininthedistance]

Post of the year-so-far:

I don't know how much politics even play into it.  He's a Cuomo-winger. 

Andrew Cuomo doesn't care about New York.  He doesn't care about the people of this state.  He doesn't care about the wisdom of his decisions.  He doesn't care who he hurts.  He always makes the decision that is politically easiest for Andrew Cuomo.  So, he uses budgetary alchemy that he hopes nobody will call him on.  He would steal candy from a baby, he would sucker punch your grandmother, he would light an orphanage on fire, he would tie a damsel to the rail road tacks, as long as he thought it would be politically beneficial and safe for Andrew Cuomo.  He has no scruples.  As we say in New York, he's gaab-age.

[traininthedistance]

Context obviously important:

Firstly, it is not a contest. Secondly, that's statistically untrue at present.

[traininthedistance]

Sad but true:

Unfortunately with this forums strong anti-Italian bias (Phil can explain) Japan will win here.

[traininthedistance]

You're not being cute, BRTD. Cut it out. This is akin to arguing that you'd cheerfully sign up for fighting in the trenches on the Western Front for the chance to see the beautiful French countryside.

[traininthedistance]

the REAL estate tax is Medicaid.  Medicaid chews up the assets of upper-middle class (and below) folks when they need long-term care (ie nursing home) unless those families have had time to "think ahead" and transfer wealth to a trust or a relative a while ago -- or if they've been paying long-term care insurance for decades.  Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care

[traininthedistance]

I've read a couple of "embedded journalism" pieces about the Juggalos and their Gathering. I get the impression that they provide a sense of community and family for a lot of people who don't otherwise have one because of various life traumas or disadvantages or just being "different."

Yeah, but writing them off as "white trash" is a lot easier than acknowledging that they're real human beings with emotions and a need to relate to other people.

One of the worst and dumbest subcultures ever. The way they're like a cult would be creepy if it wasn't just so stupid.

BRTD, are you trying to be ironic? This reads exactly like the least charitable reactions to your own subculture of choice. You, more than most people here, should be capable of reading the ugly, classist subtext.