Battle of words while filling my tank today... pressures are high!

so I pull into a snack food/gas station to put 62.99 of gas into my Tacoma (yes, I did click it to make it even!). A woman behind me was railing about gas prices, about Republicans, about Bush - she saw my various bumper stickers (Fear, perfected by Bush, Impeach - it's time for responsibility, DU, etc) - we had a grand old time comparing notes on the demise of the US over the past 7 plus years. At the pump next to us, this old codger hears us, doesn't say much - then out comes the line "our problems are all because of bleeding heart liberals. I started out poor, but made it - and I think that everyone can make it on their own if they try hard enough. Bleeding heart liberals bailing people out is the problem" - then he started on how liberals are responsible for all of the junk on TV, for the decline of our morals, etc....I got exasperated - told him that I hope that God has mercy on his soul for helping to put the Idiot in chief in office, for his horrible, selfish, self centered, egotistic, narrow minded view of the world - then got into my truck and drove off. First time I've had a political blow up out in public - but I suspect that with tensions high, gas prices where they are, so many out of work (I got laid off from my job two weeks ago), this act must be playing everywhere. It felt good to take a stand for altruism, for a better way, for hope. I was wondering how many people in NC - in the US - felt the way that the old fart did.

Just think - by Christmas, we will have a truly great gift - a Democrat poised to enter the White House, and the end of 8 very dark, destructive years......Hope is a beautiful word!

:shrug:

Thank you for all of yours....

K&R

:patriot:

Someone is going to get shot one of these days.

I'm driving from Maryland to Michigan next week, and I have an Obama bumper sticker. I'm concerned about violence along the way (Pennsylvania, especially), but even more concerned that I'm spending a week in a small town in Michigan with a long history of not taking kindly to black folk (I'm white).

I'm close to Old Fartage, but I was threatened with violence many times when I was young for protesting against the Vietnam War in Middle America. Didn't like it then, and I see it coming now.

remind him he has forgotten the social contract- he is a selfish narrow minded ass hat.

One thing I've learned from political work is that you can change people's minds -- anyone's -- but you have to be persistent. When codger has to hear about the W disaster for the 67th, or 132nd, or 6,728th time, a crack will open in that old decrepit POV.

He'll forget he ever defended the Bush Mob and act like he's always been a liberal. I've seen that too often not to acknowledge the weasel like contortions of people like him. When Nixon fell from grace you couldn't find a single person who ever voted for him.

Republican assholes heed to have their faces rubbed in the big pile that they have turned the country into. Don't like the gas prices? Well what did you expect with two oilmen in the White House? Credit cards giving you a problem? House getting foreclosed on? Another gift of Republican lawmakers. Health insurance not covering your health problems? Isn't that just too bad? Hope it's serious and you won't be around in November to keep voting like you have been!

Getting ass-raped

the Dem's' took over the house in '06.....? One of those things that just make you wonder how dumb people can be......As for your old fart, sure he worked hard and made it. The G.I. bill of rights was a large part of that and gave him a decent loan so he could own a house, and the unions that gave him a good job and retirement and social security , and a manufacturing base that made the U.S. the strongest middle class in the world and enabled his children to go to college. Like to see him try that today with two jobs at Wal-Mart and Lowes......but he got his , so the hell with the rest!:wtf:

that when President Clinton left office gas was $1.46 a gallon. If I see a W04 sticker I really lay it on about Bush has to be the stupidest SOB ever elected.

harder to bear! x( No difference between bu$h and Gore, my ass! :grr:

:scared:

My last full tank, two weeks ago, was about $55; I was on empty when I pulled in.

I need to fill up again this weekend. I hope I've got enough money.

Here's a positive thing: I live in a rural, red, conservative area, and I find fewer and fewer republicans who will defend Bush or quote Rush.

I hope I live to see the day that they become extinct. Meanwhile, I'm glad, with tensions rising, that your battle was verbal.

If things keep up like this, there will be people who won't limit themselves to verbal battles.

get 65 MPG.

October through April, it's in the 20s, or lower, on my way to work, and icy, and can be that cold on my way home, too.

My Tacoma is a compromise. It handles the snow, so I don't have to pay to plow the 300 foot long gravel drive. It drags the harrow, and can haul 1/2 ton of hay.

The 4wd helps on the slick winter roads.

It doesn't haul my horses, or the large loads of hay I get in late summer to see us through the winter. It does do everything else, though, for a smaller purchase price and better gas mileage than a full size truck.

Can you haul groceries on your scooter? I usually try to make my shopping trips on the way home from work, so that I don't have to drive to town on the weekend. A good second vehicle for me would be one that could handle winter roads and make a weekly grocery trip.

tough enough to ride in the winter either. I have a Suzuki Burgman 400 and yes you would be surprised how many groceries it can carry. I can carry about 4 of those plastic Kroger bags in the trunk, just for example you can put two 12 packs of pop in it. The best part, they are fun to ride and 65 MPG is hard to beat. I also have a 2006 Tacoma, it's kind of a gas hog at 19MPG.

I'm wondering how practical it would be for rural living. A different kind of lifestyle: I stay home more than not. When I do go to town, though, it's 8 miles one way into the closest small town, and about 18 miles to the closest larger town. We tend to plan everything we need to do into one trip. Outside of stopping on the way home from work at the grocery store once a week, I probably only go into town for that one big trip about once a month.

When I'm not stopping for groceries, I never go into town at all. It's 13.5 miles to work, but I can get there with no stoplights, and just 4 stop signs if I go the back way.

distance as ours. I drive 50 miles to work round trip, two stop signs no lights. I must say I would go nuts if I didn't go to town more than one a month, I live by myself it would be kind of lonely.

but now have a grown son and grandson with me. They are independent, but I miss the solitude.

I'm TRULY a lone wolf, preferring solitude to company most of the time.

I'm an exception to the human norm, though.

start out poor and make decent life (he was probably able to do that because of "liberals"). Since these repug assholes took over not very many people get that option anymore. Then tell him to go fuck himself.

has confused behavioral liberalism (which a lot of older people are disturbed by) with political liberalism (such as the New Deal, which he probably benefited from).

I wish we could find a new word for either the behavioral or the political aspects.

We need to finally stop letting the Repubs change their meaning with impunity.

to define new terms.

And in fact, using liberalism to define one end of both the behavioral and political spectrum IS confusing.

As long as people are economically hurting, they are going to be susceptible to demagogues who tell them that everything is the fault of other races, of gays, of "liberal elites."

And indeed, the DLC type of Democrats are all about behavioral liberalism, while at the same time advocating economic policies that make a Republican elite's heart sing with joy.

Take care of the economic problems, and a lot of the behavioral rigidity will fade away.

Happy, secure people who feel that they have a fair chance in life don't hate. If you look at the haters, you'll find that they're miserable all around.

they think many social problems which always existed but people didn't talk about them until a few short decades ago, were CAUSED by liberals. Including, but not limited to incest, date/acquaintance rape, domestic violence, alcoholism/drug addiction in "ordinary middle-class people," etc.

If anybody can think of any others, feel free to add to the list.

:dunce: :dunce: :dunce:

should take care of your $62.99 for the summer:sarcasm:

That's it. So many of us don't try hard enough. :sarcasm:

I was in a traffic jam the other day here in Maryland and some jerk saw my Unitarian bumpersticker (Creed Free) and my Darwin fish, gave me the finger, and accused me of being an atheist. He told me to go back to Russia. I told him God believes in Darwin too.

I really like the fact that some of these rightwing asshole blowhards are waking up to the fact that millions of people in this country think Bush is a piece of shit and Rush Limbaugh is a freakin' moron, etc.

If the guy had been 30 years old, he would have been passed off as a "moron," or a "right-wing asshole," etc. But since he had some years on him, he gets stereotyped as the "old fart," and so on. It's the kind of thing that, with some enlightenment, people have moved past with minorities and gays (hopefully).

At some point this society has to get beyond the perception of its older citizens as detriments and objects of derision simply because of their age -- plenty of seniors are aware of the problems caused by the * administration, and will be voting Democratic this November.

My mother-in-law is in her late 70s, and each Saturday she joins group that protests against the illegal war.

The thing about old people is, that with some luck, we'll all be there someday.

in our family - heck, even my and my wife's parents call themselves old farts and old codgers!! But I get your point, and it is a good one - thanks.

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