Ezra Klein “Today’s Republican Party thinks the key problem America faces is out-of-control entitlement spending. But cutting entitlement spending is unpopular and the GOP’s coalition relies heavily on seniors. And so they don’t want to propose entitlement cuts. If possible, they’d even like to attack President Obama for proposing entitlement cuts. But they also want to see entitlements cut and will refuse to solve the fiscal cliff or raise the debt ceiling unless there are entitlement cuts.

You can see why these negotiations aren’t going well.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/30/the-republican-party-in-one-tweet/

 

 

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,200 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

With the fiscal cliff rapidly approaching, President Obama was unflinching in his tax stance on Friday, threatening to use his leverage to force Republicans into an unenviable position if they fail to agree to a deal in time.

After a White House meeting with congressional leaders, Obama held a news conference to issue a tough ultimatum to Congress: reach a deal now or block my middle class tax cut in the new year.

“So if we don’t see an agreement between the two leaders in the Senate,” the president said, “I expect a bill to go on the floor — and I’ve asked Senator Reid to do this — put a bill on the floor that makes sure that taxes on middle class families don’t go up, that unemployment insurance is still available for 2 million people and lays the groundwork then for additional deficit reduction and economic growth steps.”

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/obama-ultimatum-taxes.php?ref=fpa

Ezra Klein “Here`s what happens if we go over the cliff. You get more than $5 trillion in tax increases off the bat. And now, here`s what happens if we pass the sainted Simpson-Bowles plan. You`ve heard the Simpson-Bowles, the big bipartisan debt commission plan. They have $2.6 trillion in tax increases. President Obama`s latest offer to John Boehner has $1.2 trillion in taxes. That is half as much, less than half than, in fact, as Simpson-Bowles, and less than a quarter of what is in — simply going over the fiscal cliff.

Now, I think the tax increases in Obama`s offer are too little. But still, they are what they are. And it`s something to remember as we reach the edge and you hear a lot of complaints about the tax side of Obama`s offer.

What he`s asking for in terms of tax increases is not that radical, it is way less than if we don`t reach a deal.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50306206/ns/msnbc-rachel_maddow_show/#.UN7kEKzhfTo

Walk for the music

Walk as far as it takes

 

When someone looks so deeply at their soul

And brings it to this world

With music to accentuate their words

You just have to love the effort

You just have to love the execution

When they do it right

 

And some people do it right

A lot of people do it right

And if you’re gonna do it right

And if you’re gonna do it in my town

I will walk for the music

I’ll walk as far as it takes

 

 

Kiss me

Kiss me if you can handle the magnet

Kiss me if you can handle the attraction

I will emit to keep drawing you close

To keep you kissing me

 

Turn me on

Flip my switch and let me wrap you with my love

Let me lightly touch your sensitive lips, as I

Kiss you with love and caress you gently

To keep us turning us on

 

Be attracted to me

As I turn myself into a magnet

And succumb to the force attracting me to you

The physical force taught by Newton, to

Keep you attracted to me

 

Kiss me

Not just with your soft beautiful lips

Kiss me with everything in your soul

Kiss me like the only way I can kiss you

And when we kiss just right

Let’s keep on kissing

For every moment that we can

 

 

Two spots

Right in the back

Two fingers please

Any, or thumbs

 

Right there

On the top inner parts

Of the shoulder blades

You know the spots

 

Two fingers

Set so gently

You can almost feel them

 

Slightly more pressure

Can be applied

Then slightly more

 

Many minutes later

You can finally feel them

Quite clearly

 

A slight circle motion

If you please

Work the hot spots

Oh so gently

 

Then press solidly

But not hard

On the two points

With the two fingers

And when you’re

Comfortable

Slightly decrease the pressure

 

Slightly less pressure

Can be applied

Then slightly less

 

Many minutes later

You can still feel them

Even though

They’ve broken contact

With your hot spots

 

The goals we set

Unfulfilled

Cause us tension

Tightening muscles

And arteries

And thoughts

And feelings

 

The instilled

Desire to succeed

Causes us tension

Consuming our wonder

And our beauty

And our magnificence

 

To gain enough to be full

Our desire to succeed

Relieving our tension

Finally being safe

Finally being secure

Finally being home

 

We confuse spiritual goals

With our physical realities

Using our tension

To find out who we are

To make it who we are

To be who we are

 

The goal to which we strive

Riches beyond our dreams

Free from the tension

We buy the new car

We take the pilgrimage

To hide from who we are

 

Knowing that we’re unknowing

Is what really drives us mad

Ramping up the tension

Wanting to know why

Wanting to know how

Wanting to know who

 

Then look away from business and see

The magnificent you you can be

Completely at peace with the tension

Wanting just to sing

Wanting just to dance

Wanting just to play

 

Falling down

Falling down the hill

Rolling without control

Onwards downwards

To your destiny

 

Destiny’s falling

The idea of the plan

Lost in decisions of quarks

Choices of moments

Directing it all

 

Whenever you choose

Not to fall down the hill

And decide to control

Your choice of actions

Creates your reality

 

Reality dealing

Is all that we can do

Balancing control

Propelling onwards

Despite our destiny

Late in March the day full of sun

The walk home from work was work

But the warmth demanded more

It demanded more time in the sun

More time to move through the air

More time to find the walking groove

And let it flow

 

Flow out the door and step down the stairs

Snap on the gloves while crossing the street

Head to the sidewalk and ascend

To cruising speed

 

Walk with the flow of the energy of life

Every interaction with the ground

Propelling you foreword

Onwards towards the goal

Onwards towards the other place

 

As if walking isn’t the goal

As if being on the planet

Under the sun

Moving through air

Bounding off ground

Delighting in being

Isn’t the goal

 

Don’t get me wrong

You get plenty of delights

At the other place

It’s a worthy destination

Of reality in our world

Easily as much as walking

 

But there’s something about

Moving through air

Delight without care

Walking this earth

For our limited time

Enjoying each step

Wherever it leads

 

Whether it’s own heaven

Or the other place