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lorax
04-29-2009, 07:40 AM
In the best interests of not politicking up Harvey's lovely Peace, Love, and Beads thread, please gripe about politics here.

I'll kick it off, because my country's waiting on election results, and I'm kind of hoping that the second place candidate will come out of the blue when they count the jungle votes. His policies are a darn sight better than Correa's - de-dollarization, for one. Then again, if they find out that Correa's been corrupt and used public funds for his campaign, he gets the steel boot and we go back to the urns. Fricking Guayaquilenos and their dirty dirty money - I'm kind of hoping they find out he's secretly being funded by FARC Narcoterrorists.

Your gripes below.

Thank you.

Bob
04-29-2009, 08:25 AM
I don't have enough knowledge about Ecuador to have an opinion but for the sake of argument, I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!!

harveyc
04-29-2009, 08:59 AM
LOL, Bob.

Well, it's been clear from other threads in the past that I'm no Obama supporter. While I don't think McCain was a great choice, he was far better than Obama. Neither candidate was much for retaining U.S. jobs or border controls. There was lots of talk about how Bush over-spent, Obama has tried to out-spend him in just his first 100 days. My biggest gripe, admittedly, is that he is the most pro-abortion President we have ever had. His cabinet nominations are terrible, with one equating motherhood to slavery and even puts down marriage. 100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES FOR BARACK OBAMA - New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/100_days__100_mistakes_166177.htm?page=0)

Within California we have a Republican governor who isn't acting like he's really Republican and I see wasteful state spending despite the fact we're broke.

I frequently want to move out of here, but to where?

Tog Tan
04-29-2009, 09:26 AM
LOL, Bob.
I frequently want to move out of here, but to where?

To Malaysia? I promise to tell you jokes and talk black beans with you everyday. Good enaf? :ha:

Bob
04-29-2009, 09:37 AM
Harvey , at least our president didn't fly over your neighborhood with AF 1 and a fighter plane in hot pursuit for a photo op scaring thousands who lived through that for real a few short years ago. Somehow I envisioned him at the controls with a 40.:ha::ha::ha:

Dalmatiansoap
04-29-2009, 09:38 AM
Count me in Tog. Never enough of good beans storyes. I can sleep under Ta nee three. U never knows!?
:woohoonaner:

john_ny
04-29-2009, 10:36 AM
In the best interests of not politicking up Harvey's lovely Peace, Love, and Beads thread, please gripe about politics here.

I'll kick it off, because my country's waiting on election results, and I'm kind of hoping that the second place candidate will come out of the blue when they count the jungle votes. His policies are a darn sight better than Correa's - de-dollarization, for one. Then again, if they find out that Correa's been corrupt and used public funds for his campaign, he gets the steel boot and we go back to the urns. Fricking Guayaquilenos and their dirty dirty money - I'm kind of hoping they find out he's secretly being funded by FARC Narcoterrorists.

Your gripes below.

Thank you.

Lorax -
You say you want to get the politics out of Harvey's thread. Then you start this new one, and say he's corrupt. LOL

Correia Chestnut Farm (Harvey's)

turtile
04-29-2009, 10:52 AM
hey now im a tree hugger....i just dont smoke pot or any other type of drugs.....well i smoke tabacco.....but yall want to talk about peace love and happiness? ok here it comes! get that idiot out the white house who wants to sit down and have tea and cake with the enemies of the UNITED STATES( which btw if your a citizen they are your enemies too....read the constitution!) bring our jobs back to our country to raise our economy( whick btw will bring the worlds economy back up.....regannomics) make it honorable to say on the tag..MADE IN THE U>S>A> not usa china but the United States of America. make every drop of blood that has been dropped by every American in every war that we have ever been in, make it count for something other then being a scape goat for these little countries who cant get over their inflated egos, and their freaudian anal stages. then there will be peace love and happiness. jmo!

I don't see how labeling others as enemies is going to create peace. I don't see how one person is born in one place and one in another makes them enemies. No peace will come from instilling hate in our younger generations.

The economy of the United States is dominated by the sevice sector. This is the most profitable part of our economy because the US as a whole is specialized in their line of work. Goods are unable to compete with countries like China due to the regulations in the United States that allow the citizens to make a descent living without risk of severe injury at work and live in a healthy environment.

Patty in Wisc
04-29-2009, 11:51 AM
"Make Love Not War" - and I guess they did a lot back in the 60's, like little bunny rabbits LOL. Good thing they didn't have as many diseases then. (my Mom told me)
I'll go smoke a joint now....see you in a week.
PEACE

I have a really cool short video of Dean Martin & John Wayne that I'd love to post here - or somewhere. Can someone who knows how to post it here send me your email addy so I can FWD the email to you?
It is heartwarming.

Patty in Wisc
04-29-2009, 12:08 PM
Bob, wasn't there just another episode of planes flying low & scaring the hell out of ppl - somewhere on the east coast?

Obama's have to learn some etiquette!! The president forgot to salute our men in uniform while getting off his plane. Didn't anyone tell him about how to salute & when?
And, you don't put your arm around the Queen when introduced like Mrs. Obama just did!! You should not talk untill spoken to by the Queen.
I don't know much about "Queenly etiquette" but I know that much cuz I know the Queen really wants to meet me. I'll prolly fall down when I curtsy.

just kidding :)

Bob
04-29-2009, 12:16 PM
Yeah Patty , I don't know what he was thinking. Very poor judgment. From what I've heard there were a lot of terrified people in Manhattan over a political publicity stunt. Great use of tax dollars.

If you get fruit(even a flower) off of your Ice Cream this year , you'll be as good as the Queen!

harveyc
04-29-2009, 12:36 PM
Lorax -
You say you want to get the politics out of Harvey's thread. Then you start this new one, and say he's corrupt. LOL

Correia Chestnut Farm (Harvey's)

I assure you, I'm not related to Correa!!! :D

chong
04-29-2009, 12:59 PM
I don't have enough knowledge about Ecuador to have an opinion but for the sake of argument, I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!!

To steal a quote from "Terms of Endearment", "Well then, you must be from New York!" (grocery scene)

harveyc
04-29-2009, 02:51 PM
"Make Love Not War" - and I guess they did a lot back in the 60's, like little bunny rabbits LOL. Good thing they didn't have as many diseases then. (my Mom told me)
I'll go smoke a joint now....see you in a week.
PEACE

I have a really cool short video of Dean Martin & John Wayne that I'd love to post here - or somewhere. Can someone who knows how to post it here send me your email addy so I can FWD the email to you?
It is heartwarming.


Patty, I found that video on YouTube. John Wayne makes a good point about being appreciative for what he have (had). Here it is:

YouTube - Dean Martin & John Wayne on Values (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_64L7Msp9I)

Note: Patty's post was originally in the "Get Together" thread of mine but got moved here so I moved my reply as well. Just in case you thought you were going nuts! ;)

chong
04-29-2009, 03:11 PM
Note: Patty's post was originally in the "Get Together" thread of mine but got moved here so I moved my reply as well. Just in case you thought you were going nuts! ;)

No, Harvey,
We just thought that you were! I couldn't help that - you are, aren't you?

harveyc
04-29-2009, 03:18 PM
Yes, the last I checked. Better than the alternative...being Chong! :P

chong
04-29-2009, 04:00 PM
Yes, the last I checked. Better than the alternative...being Chong! :P

O-o-o-h-h! Harvey, I'm so very sorry to hear that. I DID try to be your role model. But I can certainly understand that there are some people who just cannot handle PERFECTION!

Tog Tan
04-29-2009, 04:11 PM
I have been down and out, I feel so terrible not making a good living. Many things I do get wrong. I feel so bad cos of this. I do feel like a nobody. Well then since nobody is perfect.... I guess I am PERFECT.

I know this is an old one, since I can't sleep, it's nice to knock you guys! Good morning Chong and Harv at 5.11am here!

Cheers! :ha::ha::ha:

harveyc
04-29-2009, 04:27 PM
I gave a shot at being perfect and always right, but it upset people.

There are some people that never admit to not knowing whatever the question might be when that isn't really a realistic goal. There are many things I don't know and I try to be objective in assessing that. In my prior career from which I retired (I made good money at it because others felt I did a good job), I had be be objective in assessing people's work, conditions, etc. It made it hard at times, as I found I needed to give a bad review to people I was fond of if they had done a poor job and I had to give a good review to someone I thought had a bad personality, if they had done a good job. If I assessed something incorrectly, it was always brought to my attention and it was essential that I be able to go back and take a second look at something and re-evaluate my position. I was usually right, but was also wrong some of the time. People usually agreed with my position if I explained it well, though they obviously sometimes thought the problem was less severe than I thought it was. It was a high pressure job, though, and I enjoy my farming life much more for at least 10 months out of the year. If I took up smoking peace pipes (cigars), the rest of the time might seem okay also. ;)

Watch out, Chong, it's a long ways to fall from that pedestal! ;)

Tog Tan
04-29-2009, 04:36 PM
Harv, being a professional has it yucky moments. I was always the guy to fire the idiots my partner hired, so I know what you mean. Being in your present situation is what I am doing right now, I am a semi recluse. I am idiot intolerant, so if I shut them up they are pissed. If I don't, me and others are pissed. So let them have their world of total ignorance.

My principle in life is that I should respect a person as he/she is. That is, if he/she is an idiot, treat them/it like one. End of story. :ha:

lorax
04-30-2009, 05:15 PM
Lorax -
You say you want to get the politics out of Harvey's thread. Then you start this new one, and say he's corrupt. LOL

Correia Chestnut Farm (Harvey's)

Rafael Correa Delgado, not Harvey Correia. They're not even spelled the same way!

john_ny
04-30-2009, 05:52 PM
Beth - joke, joke

A long time aquaintance/ friend of mine who is a prominent local businessman had a relative that spelled his name the same, but pronounced it differently.
One morning, some time ago, when I ran into him, in the local diner, I mentioned that there were pictures in the newspaper, of a Supreme Court Justice, that spelled his name the same, but pronounced it different, and even looked a little like my friend. His reply was, "Oh yes, We're cousins. Our grandfathers were brothers." I guess that makes them something like second cousins, but the point is, over the years, many families change the pronunciation or the spelling of their names.
In any case, it was only meant as a joke, and I hope that Harvey wasn't offended.

(BTW: my last name is Johnson, the second most common name in the U.S. Do you know how many criminals are named Johnson, none related to me?)

Patty in Wisc
04-30-2009, 06:43 PM
over the years, many families change the pronunciation or the spelling of their names.
(BTW: my last name is Johnson, the second most common name in the U.S. Do you know how many criminals are named Johnson, none related to me?)
You are lucky to have a name like 'Johnson'. When my grandfather came here - off the boat, they tried to americanize his name with a completely different spelling. We have 3 different pronunciations for it LOL. And, it's only 2 syllables!!
Once in a while, I'll see a name similar & wonder if they are a relative. One was listed in credits in a Spielburg movie.

harveyc
04-30-2009, 06:50 PM
No offense taken, John, I thought it was funny too.

My Godfather spelled his name the same and was my dad's best friend, being raised about 200 yards from my dad. But there was no blood relationship between them, my grandparents came from Madeira and my Godfather's parents came from the Azores.

I once met a Portuguese guy with the last name of Terry and I remarked that it was an uncommon Portuguese name. He told me that his father had come to California and lived in San Leandro under the name of Tieceirra (or close to that) but there were seven other families on the same street with the name and mail always got mixed up so he changed his name in a big way. My own name is pronounced locally as Korea while in Portugal it would be something like Ko ray ah but I've also met someone who pronounced their name (spelled the same way) like Corrie.

Beth, what do you think is corrupt about your government?

Our own president not only has many policies I disagree with, but I'm one of the few how would like to see him prove his eligibility to serve as President by showing us proof of a U.S. birth certificate. The document in Hawaii which has had some copies floating around is just a document saying he was born, but not where. People that have tried to take this up in the legal system have been told that they don't have "legal standing" in the matter. That' s a corrupt system, IMO.

buzzwinder
04-30-2009, 07:31 PM
Question.
IS there an honest Government official? I'm 52 and have never seen this elusive creature. I live in Illinois, Home of the most, past governors and politicians doing time, and our most recent candidate Rod Blagojevich looking at possibly 200 years for corruption. Will Rogers an american humorist, made many a comment on politicians. My favorite being, " I guess congress should get that pay raise they asked for! Only problem with that, is every young man in america will want to run for public office. And everybody knows that once a young person has held public office, they aint no good for no Honest work anymore" :bananas_b Will Rogers ( gotta love him )

lorax
04-30-2009, 09:31 PM
Beth, what do you think is corrupt about your government?

You mean beyond the top politicians' blatant acceptance of bribes and the police's extensive extortion rings and the use of public funds to pay for an extensive electoral campaign, and the 47 (count 'em 47) provincial deputies who were recently caught and sentenced for accepting money from the FARC for looking the other way when the guerrillas run cocaine from Colombia through the country to points south? Or do you mean the way that one has to quietly pass money under the table to ministerial officials if you want to even have a pale hope that your request will be looked at, or the same manner of bribery to ensure that your problems are solved at the phone company, the power company, and the water company? Or are you talking about the "Gringo Tax" that inflates prices for me by between 10 and 100% depending on what I'm trying to buy, simply because I'm tall, blonde, and pale-skinned (like about 12% of natural Ecuadorean citizens)?

Don't get me started. Yeesh.

chong
04-30-2009, 11:16 PM
Question.
IS there an honest Government official? I'm 52 and have never seen this elusive creature. I live in Illinois, Home of the most, past governors and politicians doing time, and our most recent candidate Rod Blagojevich looking at possibly 200 years for corruption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :bananas_b Will Rogers ( gotta love him )

There is one, but he was so misguided when he was in office, and probably the worst and most ineffective one to be in that position. His name is Jimmie Carter. I had great hopes for him when I voted for him the first time he ran. He lived in a world of Disney. I'm afraid we're headed that same way again now, as when he was in office. His appeasement attitude towards the Iran hostage situation led us to be where we are now. IMHO. Of all the US leaders, I believe that Gen. Douglas MacArthur best understood eastern cultures and their attitudes. Just look at Japan's reaction to him when he toured Japan after the war. He was treated like a king. The Korean War, and for that matter, the Vietnam War, would not have lasted as long as they did had he been in command and allowed to run the war the way he knew how. Too many politicians and their appeasement attitudes caused wars to be prolonged.

Remember Gen. Norman Swarzkopf? Imagine if he were allowed to finish the job during Desert Storm. Just like with MacArthur, appeasement politicians, and even his own immediate commander, decided to get in the way of Swartzkopf. WWII ended because the US showed its might, and the US didn't even have to go to Berlin after Japan surrendered. The apparent "You're next" message was enough to get the Germans to surrender.

Beth laments the unfortunate situation in Ecuador. But that country is not unique in that regard. The majority of countries that were colonized by Latin European countries, esp. Spain, suffer from what I call the "Spanish colony syndrome". Sadly, the Philippines is one of them. Some well meaning citizens in those countries do nothing but complain about their colonizers, yet offer no solution to the current conditions other than to keep the foreigners out. Militant politicians want to kick out remaining symbols and military from their country, under the guise of "how can we learn how to run, if we don't learn how to walk by ourselves first" philosophy. As and example, the US bases in the Philippines were closed at the insistence of radical politicians because of the above philosophy. After the bases were closed, 90% of the businesses in the immediate areas closed for obvious reasons. What did these politicians do for them? Nothing. That's because they're all self-serving. And they don't need to campaign for votes, money and/or intimidation is all they need.

I realize that that is true everywhere, even here. The only difference is that here it's a lot more discreet, and politicians that actually get caught can actually get prosecuted. But then again, what about that congressman from LA, who hid $90,000, wrapped in aluminum foil, in his freezer?

Wow! Did I say all that? Wish I had more time. . . .

lorax
05-01-2009, 12:59 AM
Chong, absolutely I know the situation vis a vis corruption is not only bad here in Ecuador. In my personal experience, it's worse in Colombia and Peru, and worse again in Canada, although better hidden (as you were saying, North Americans seem to be a bit more discreet with their corrupt practices....) Ecuador is better than most of the former Spanish colonies, in that they don't actively try to prohibit the in-migration of foreigners or foreign investment - doesn't mean that it's easy, but it's not impossible either.

On another note, I hope my American friends here won't take offence by what I say next.... I need to have my little rant, and I hope you respect that.

By and large, United-Statesians are some of the most FEARFUL people I've ever met. My god, you guys. I'll give you an example. I just returned from the hot springs at Papallacta, which are isolated in the extinct caldera complex of a megavolcano, in an extremely remote area of the Northern Andes. I met there an American couple who were so terrified of getting Swine Flu that they wouldn't even eat with the other guests and had confined themselves to their rooms when they weren't in the springs. I tried to explain to them that their odds of catching the bug in a country that has 0 confirmed cases, which immediately quarantines anybody with flu symptoms and anybody arriving from an affected country, and moreover in an extremely remote area known largely to the Ecuadorean elite and not many others, they had a greater chance of being struck by a piece of rock thrown by the extinct volcano. I've had equally frustrating conversations with US citizens who are afraid they'll be subject to a terrorist attack in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere Ecuador, and others who fear to ride the bus because it might tip into a canyon (again, you've got a greater chance of being eaten by a bear here, bearing in mind that our only ursine specimens are primarily bamboo-eaters.) If y'all could just CALM THE FRICK DOWN the world would most likely be a much more peaceful place. Not everything is a threat.

Equally, coming back to what Chong was saying, if the people prosecuting the wars that America has been involved in were the ones who actually understood (or made a concerted effort to understand) the cultures they were fighting, the actions would be over that much more quickly and with less fuss.

I've said my bit. Thank you.

PS - John: you think Johnson's a bad last name? Try Campbell.

momoese
05-01-2009, 02:04 PM
No offense taken, I actually agree with you. I don't know about other countries but there is some serious fear mongering going on here so it not hard to imagine a bunch of terrified US tourists.

My friends are completely the other way round. As a matter of fact I have a friend who is going to wed a Zulu princes in her home village after he kills a cow with his bare hands! Two of my young attractive women friends just returned from solo trips to Malaysia, one of them is blond and tall, sticks out like a sore thumb! They both had a great time.

Tog Tan
05-01-2009, 02:21 PM
Two of my young attractive women friends just returned from solo trips to Malaysia, one of them is blond and tall, sticks out like a sore thumb! They both had a great time.

Give them my contact should they come again. I am a gracious host by any standards. If your guy friends come, I may not be in the country.

momoese
05-01-2009, 02:32 PM
:ha:

lorax
05-01-2009, 02:46 PM
...terrified US tourists.

Here, we tend to call those ones "terroristas" instead of "turistas" - they certainly tend to terrorize hosteria staff enough.