I can't jump 120 feet high.

[Atticus]

It's about that much of a climb from the creek below our house up to the meadow where we live. When I'm down there, I can see the edge of my yard, but I can't get there in one jump or giant step. The path is steep and winding with switch-backs and blow-downs. But, eventually, if I just keep pushing onward and upward, I arrive home.

When I chop firewood, it would be nice to split the hardwood with one blow of the axe or splitting maul. Most of the time, it takes numerous blows from one side of the sawed round to the other and, even then, it often requires a sledge and wedge to split two foot oak pieces into usable firewood. But, one blow at a time, sometimes one blister at at time, eventually fills the rick with firewood.

If you are someone who insists on succeeding quickly and easily or you won't even try, don't ever try life in the country.

And, stay the hell out of politics.

[tabatha]

1. Excellent.

The first airplane was not a Boeing 707.

[demmiblue]

2. And you will never arrive home if you are not traveling in the left direction.

:P

[TheKentuckian]

3. Where does the quick and easy crap come from? The problem is tapping the log with the blunt side of

the axe and pretending it is chopped.

The problem isn't the uphill climb but going a route that will only get you back to the house via China and a couple of slogs through the oceans rather than tackling that hill.

[Atticus]

5. You're right. Let's just throw the axe away, sit in the creek and bitch because we're cold. nt

[TheKentuckian]

6. Careful with that ax, Eugene.

[jgraz]

10. Apparently "life in the country" does not require a grasp of nuance.

[Winterblues]

18. You know, sometimes the squeeky wheel gets the grease.

If you stay silent when you don't like something or don't agree with something, how will anyone know?

[Atticus]

20. I have absolutely no problem with anyone who wants to "get the grease".

I just don't think we should throw the wheel away or put unnecessary obstacles in its way.

[readmoreoften]

13. The problem is putting a glossy picture of chopped wood on top of an uncut log and saying

"look it's chopped." And then when someone says "no it's not" saying "imagination is an important first step? why are you people against those who are trying their best?"

[unkachuck]

4. my powder....

....is now old and dry and functionally obsolete....

....I've been waiting all my life to see the US establish Universal Healthcare like any other 'normal' first world country....but thanks, now I realize I was rushing things....

[tabatha]

7. Were you expecting anything from Republicans?

If not, deduct the years of Republican Presidency.

Did you see what happened when Bill and Hillary tried HCR - we lost the house and the senate, and Bill was impeached, and two wars resulted.

Deduct 8 years for Bill Clinton.

Obama tried. He passed something to get a foot in the door. The only way to convince people of the benefits is for them to experience the benefits; otherwise the right-wing noise machine is going to lie to them so that they say stupid things like this:

“Don’t steal from Medicare to support socialized medicine”

If you know how to fight the right-wing noise machine, then please let the Democrats know. This is a democracy, and Obama cannot pass anything without the votes.

[TheKentuckian]

14. People are going to be very impressed with higher costs, less coverage, and an IRS enforced mandate

Hence the problem with a crap plan, it pisses people and they want nothing else to do with it.

The corrupt insurance cartel is still the gatekeeper.

Cost is still out of control and will stay there while we hope things will get less bad, less quickly.

Still captured in the stupid employer based system.

Broke and overwhelmed states are still doing the oversight.

Cost continue to shift to the individual.

Insurance industry still a cartel with an anti-trust exemption.

The vast majority of people on the outside looking in on the exchanges used to sell the package.

Lots of people still uncovered.

Potentially even less people will be able to actually afford needed care.

System encourages self triage and sets up a lonely "Death Panel" of one, the individual hoping to get by because after the IRS extracts every loose nickle there is nothing for "cost sharing".

Escalating costs pushing more and more into being taxed for their benefits as the years pass.

I mean its so great that it'll practically sell it's self! Wait till Ensign's "wellness exams" kick in and the rates really jack up for folks, that will get them to testify and no telling what other landmines are in place tucked into the 100+ TeaPubliKlan amendments or placed by our friendly neighborhood conservadems set us up with.

[tomp]

8. go jump in a creek. nt

[gratuitous]

9. Thanks for this

I was going to jump the Grand Canyon, and I see now that it should be done in a series of small jumps, rather than one leap. A question though: Where do I stand for the second jump? Thanks for any further advice you can offer.

I'd rather shoot for the moon and miss than aim at a skunk and hit it.

[jgraz]

11. How quickly do you get home if you run backwards?

And if your neighbor points out that you're going the wrong way, do you tell him that he shouldn't be so negative?

[Fumesucker]

12. Unrecced for a simplistic analogy that does not address the actual issues..

The biggest one of which is moving in the wrong damn direction, it's much further when you travel entirely around the world to get home than if you start out from the creek moving toward your house in the first place.

[Atticus]

15. Just checked in after nearly 24 hours and, even after all this time spent reading and posting

on DU, I am genuinely amazed at the negativity.

Look, if you've read many of my posts, you'll know that I share many of your frustrations with this White House and this Congress. I could let myself write some of your snarky posts, but I am of the opinion that, at this point, pre-midterm, pissing on each other only helps the Dark Side.

I can do nuance. I can also do smash-mouth, but not with my friends. And, every non-troll who posts here is my friend.

Why not heed the advice Michael Corleone gave to Fredo: “don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again…ever”

Fuhgeddaboudit!

[gratuitous]

16. Geez you try to agree with someone

And this is the thanks I get?!

Okay, I did pose one little question, but I was content to wait for an answer before making any unwarranted leaps.

[bigtree]

17. no, no

. . . you make a very valid point about politics.

The many disparate and diverse interests which are represented by our legislators around the country make the crafting and advancing of laws and initiatives in our political system a very slow and indeterminate process.

Pointing that out isn't an endorsement (as you well know), just an observation.

[tabasco]

19. I have to haul fire wood up a hill, too.

Right now I use a one-wheel wheelbarrow. One of those two-wheel deals looks a lot better.

I bring the cut logs up the hill and split it with a maul and stack it near the house.

In a day, I can do about a cord. I am way behind and need to work hard in September.

You are right about instant gratification. Ain't gonna happen.

Unfortunately, the utopians do not stay out of politics.

They are the same people who deserted the Democrats and voted for Reagan, starting us on the road to the current hell we inhabit.

[Fumesucker]

21. I disagree about voting for Reagan..

The people who are criticizing Obama from the *left* aren't going to vote Republican.

They might stay home but they won't vote Republican.

It's the sensible, pragmatic centrists who are likely to vote Republican, not the professional left.

[asdjrocky]

22. Leave the axe in the shed-

Get yourself a chainsaw.