Happy Blab Year

[earlnemo]

Just one moonshine mary after all that coffee was just right to lube my joints without peeing in the coal box. 7 shining souls for brunch- if they portend how my time with humanity is spent this year I'm set. Washed dishes, fussed around straightening up behind the barn until dark and inside the barn until 30 minutes ago. Started a pot of rice, onions celery pepper and diced up ham in the skillet. When the rice is done I dump it in the skillet and boil up some frozen blackeyes for the final push, quart of canned tomatoes. Dear ole Hopping John. Big pot of it and she won't eat any. Ya'll come on. I dropped your dime in it. (and leftover corn waffles from brunch- genuine Lady bass made, too!)

[Ian]

Just one moonshine mary after all that coffee was just right to lube my joints without peeing in the coal box. 7 shining souls for brunch- if they portend how my time with humanity is spent this year I'm set. Washed dishes, fussed around straightening up behind the barn until dark and inside the barn until 30 minutes ago. Started a pot of rice, onions celery pepper and diced up ham in the skillet. When the rice is done I dump it in the skillet and boil up some frozen blackeyes for the final push, quart of canned tomatoes. Dear ole Hopping John. Big pot of it and she won't eat any. Ya'll come on. I dropped your dime in it. (and leftover corn waffles from brunch- genuine Lady bass made, too!)

That's as good a blab benediction for the new year as I ever read.

Cheers, y'all!

[Keef Riffers]

"♩ ♪ ♫ ♬...may old adjacent parking lots...♩ ♪ ♫"

Weeee! I promise to be nicer this year.























Except to my MIL.






















Blabby new year!!

[SnM]

Deals on the cusp

Cliff avoided: Congress staves off tax hikes

[Demitra]

I heard the other day that we have finally reached the debt ceiling.....I would have to ask you people, I recently lost my contact a couple of weeks ago that used to explain political things to me........

[Scott Barker]

I heard the other day that we have finally reached the debt ceiling.....I would have to ask you people, I recently lost my contact a couple of weeks ago that used to explain political things to me........

This is an admittedly simple analysis:

The debt ceiling is an artificially created limit for the country's long-term borrowing. Congress sets the ceiling, not any sort of lending authority, so that makes it artificial. Basically, we set our own credit card limit. We haven't hit it yet, though we will in 2013.

It's kind of like your credit score. If the credit agencies are concerned you can't repay loans, you get a lower score and must pay more in interest if you can borrow money. Works the same way with governments, though the stakes are higher.

When Congress sets the limit (debt ceiling), that's all we legally can borrow. Not raising the limit would send a signal to those who would invest in U.S. government bonds (they -- including the Chinese government, unions and investment funds -- are the lenders) that the U.S. government might not meet its obligations (provide a return on that investment). The notion that the U.S. government will pay what it owes is one of the foundations of our economic system so the debt ceiling is a big deal.

This is overly simplistic, but I hope it helps.

[Rocky Hillian]

This is an admittedly simple analysis:

The debt ceiling is an artificially created limit for the country's long-term borrowing. Congress sets the ceiling, not any sort of lending authority, so that makes it artificial. Basically, we set our own credit card limit. We haven't hit it yet, though we will in 2013.

It's kind of like your credit score. If the credit agencies are concerned you can't repay loans, you get a lower score and must pay more in interest if you can borrow money. Works the same way with governments, though the stakes are higher.

When Congress sets the limit (debt ceiling), that's all we legally can borrow. Not raising the limit would send a signal to those who would invest in U.S. government bonds (they -- including the Chinese government, unions and investment funds -- are the lenders) that the U.S. government might not meet its obligations (provide a return on that investment). The notion that the U.S. government will pay what it owes is one of the foundations of our economic system so the debt ceiling is a big deal.

This is overly simplistic, but I hope it helps.

In other words, its a made up number bandied about for political purposes, but can have real consequences - see down-rating after last fight over it in 2011.