Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top Ten Worst Americans
Michael Tomasky has a list of the worst 19 Americans. Steve Benen adds a few of his own. Borrowing from them, I made my own list. For me, personal failings (Spitzer, Edwards) do not make the list. I looked for individuals or organizations that caused the greatest harm to large numbers of people or to institutions:
10. Rod Blagojevich - For staining a profession that's already viewed with much cynicism.
9. Michelle Bachmann - Her calls for a political witch hunt cut too close to Joe McCarthy.
8. Rick Warren - Better tone is not enough -- he still promotes hate and division, and his megaphone is getting louder.
7. Phil Gramm - As Steve said: Not only did Gramm's policies help create the financial nightmare, but he mocked Americans' pain, calling us a "nation of whiners."
6. Mormon Church - A despicable display of championing anti-civil rights and enormous cojones to boot, considering their history of marriage between a man and several women.
5. The Republican Party - For their penchant for disenfranchisement, their lack of ideas, their game plan of dividing Americans, their support of propaganda, and their array of the most unqualified and hateful presidential candidates.
4. Sarah Palin - Michael said it well: Never in my adult lifetime has one politician so perfectly embodied everything that is malign about my country: the proto-fascist nativism, the know-nothingism, the utterly cavalier lack of knowledge about the actual principles on which the country was founded. So, heck, you betcha she does!
3. Dick Cheney - A vile man in every respect. In some ways he deserves the number one spot, but the number two guy can never be worse than the one that lets him be there.
2. John McCain - He gets no free ride from me. He selected Palin, he hired Schmidt, he approved of a Karl Rove like campaign, and he scared the shit out of millions of Americans by spreading the Marxist-terrorist bullshit about Obama. Forget his Vietnam service; the man sunk to the bottom of the pond. Plus, of course, "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."
1. George Bush - Yglesias summarizes it well: he wrecked the world economy, he led to millions of Iraqis being forced to flee their homes, he’s a total disaster and a disgrace.
10. Rod Blagojevich - For staining a profession that's already viewed with much cynicism.
9. Michelle Bachmann - Her calls for a political witch hunt cut too close to Joe McCarthy.
8. Rick Warren - Better tone is not enough -- he still promotes hate and division, and his megaphone is getting louder.
7. Phil Gramm - As Steve said: Not only did Gramm's policies help create the financial nightmare, but he mocked Americans' pain, calling us a "nation of whiners."
6. Mormon Church - A despicable display of championing anti-civil rights and enormous cojones to boot, considering their history of marriage between a man and several women.
5. The Republican Party - For their penchant for disenfranchisement, their lack of ideas, their game plan of dividing Americans, their support of propaganda, and their array of the most unqualified and hateful presidential candidates.
4. Sarah Palin - Michael said it well: Never in my adult lifetime has one politician so perfectly embodied everything that is malign about my country: the proto-fascist nativism, the know-nothingism, the utterly cavalier lack of knowledge about the actual principles on which the country was founded. So, heck, you betcha she does!
3. Dick Cheney - A vile man in every respect. In some ways he deserves the number one spot, but the number two guy can never be worse than the one that lets him be there.
2. John McCain - He gets no free ride from me. He selected Palin, he hired Schmidt, he approved of a Karl Rove like campaign, and he scared the shit out of millions of Americans by spreading the Marxist-terrorist bullshit about Obama. Forget his Vietnam service; the man sunk to the bottom of the pond. Plus, of course, "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."
1. George Bush - Yglesias summarizes it well: he wrecked the world economy, he led to millions of Iraqis being forced to flee their homes, he’s a total disaster and a disgrace.
Bush's legacy
So George Bush is looking to fabricate a legacy, huh? If fabrication is what he wants, here's my suggestion:
Great moment in American television
Former US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski to Joe the Plumber Scarborough:
I love it when later in the video he says I'll spell it for you T-A-B-A... the Taba negotiations, look it up.
It is remarkable to listen to Dr. Brzezinski's clarity of thought and grasp of knowledge on the issues of the Middle East as compared to the pundit class.
I have to admit that, like Joe, I always believed that Arafat was the one to walk away from the deal that Clinton worked on. I'm sure that's how the American press (already under the spell of the Bush administration) spun that. I was amazed to find out, after reading about Taba, that it was not so! It was Ehud Barak, with no apparent pressure from Bush, who walked away from an almost done deal for peace in the middle east.
"You know, you have such a stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on that it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."This video is about 9 minutes long, but if you want to get a better sense of what's going on between the Palestinians and Israel right now, plus get to see Scarborough schooled, take a look:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
I love it when later in the video he says I'll spell it for you T-A-B-A... the Taba negotiations, look it up.
It is remarkable to listen to Dr. Brzezinski's clarity of thought and grasp of knowledge on the issues of the Middle East as compared to the pundit class.
I have to admit that, like Joe, I always believed that Arafat was the one to walk away from the deal that Clinton worked on. I'm sure that's how the American press (already under the spell of the Bush administration) spun that. I was amazed to find out, after reading about Taba, that it was not so! It was Ehud Barak, with no apparent pressure from Bush, who walked away from an almost done deal for peace in the middle east.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Bush, the avid reader
The task of trying to make up a legacy continues, this time with an op-ed piece by Carl Rove claiming that George Bush is an avid reader. OK... maybe he is, but Richard Cohen went through the list of books that Bush allegedly read, and reaches some interesting conclusions:
Besides, reading is one thing, but learning is another.
It is awfully late in the day for Rove -- and, presumably, Bush -- to assert the president's intellectual bona fides. Now feeling the hot breath of history, they are dropping the good ol' boy persona and picking up the ol' bifocals one. But the books themselves reveal -- actually, confirm -- something about Bush that maybe Rove did not intend. They are not the reading of a widely read man, but instead the books of a man who seeks -- and sees -- vindication in every page...I don't trust Carl Rove but giving him the benefit of the doubt for a minute, and assuming he's telling the truth, maybe Bush should have read fewer books and poked his head into the real world more often. Maybe he should have read newspapers, which he claims he did not do. Maybe he should have read the intelligence briefings himself instead of having them read to him.
My hat is off to Bush for the sheer volume and, often, high quality of his reading. But his books reflect a man who is seeking to learn what he already knows. The caricature of Bush as unread died today -- or was it yesterday? But the reality of the intellectually insulated man endures.
Besides, reading is one thing, but learning is another.
10 bad moments of the Bush presidency
We know he's the worst president ever. His failures are so many that it's hard to keep track. Here is a refresher of 10 of the Bush's administration bad moments.
This is a good selection, but frankly, the list could be of 100 bad moments, so fertile is the history of Bush's bumbling moments.
This is a good selection, but frankly, the list could be of 100 bad moments, so fertile is the history of Bush's bumbling moments.
Most annoying verbal ticks of 2008
Courtesy of Bill in Portland Maine:
- 'Look...' (Barack Obama)
- 'Ladies and gentlemen...' (Joe Biden)
- 'My friends...' (John McCain)
- 'Also...' (Sarah Palin)
- 'Well...' (Hillary Clinton)
- 'I understand that!' (George W. Bush)
- [Whine] (Joe Lieberman)
- 'Nine eleven' (Rudy Giuliani)
- 'If you will...' (Mitt Romney)
- 'It's not fair!' (PUMA)
A party in peril, part 2
Another sign that the Republican party won't find its way out of the wilderness anytime soon:
It really doesn't matter if you find the parody funny or not; this guy is not a comedian doing stand up at your local comedy club. He is aiming for the leadership of a political party, with all the symbolism that major political parties represent. That most leaders in that party don't see that speaks volumes about their disconnect with decent Americans.
It's now becoming clear that there is a good-sized contingent of Republicans who are openly defending Chip Saltsman, the former Tennessee GOP chairman and candidate for RNC chair who sent out a CD to committee members that includes a parody song called "Barack The Magic Negro."Remember, this CD was sent by a guy running for leadership of the party.
It really doesn't matter if you find the parody funny or not; this guy is not a comedian doing stand up at your local comedy club. He is aiming for the leadership of a political party, with all the symbolism that major political parties represent. That most leaders in that party don't see that speaks volumes about their disconnect with decent Americans.
He kept us safe
George Bush, some on his administration, and even his own wife, want to convince us that George Bush isn't the worst president ever because if nothing else, he kept us safe.
George Bush did not keep us safe!
Under George Bush's presidency, we suffered the worst terrorist attack in the world. His sympathizers like to say that the 9/11 attacks couldn't have been stopped, but that's a lie. We may not have succeeded in stopping the attacks, but we didn't even try, despite ample warning. So, no, George Bush did not keep us safe.
Of course, they add a disclaimer to the statement. "He kept us safe... after 9/11." But we shouldn't fall for that trap. He was president on 9/11/2001, and had been so for almost 9 months. He bears full responsibility for the inaction before it.
What about the anthrax attacks? Those happened on his watch. Not only did we accuse the wrong person, we never really stopped the culprit.
What about Americans in Iraq? America isn't just the expensive homes and lavish office buildings on its soil; it includes all Americans, regardless of where they live. Over 4,000 dead and over 44,000 wounded (and the numbers, unfortunately, is still rising) were not kept safe by this president.
What about all the Americans who died or were wounded in terrorist attacks in England, Spain, India, Indonesia, and many other parts of the world? They weren't kept safe by this president.
What about the victims of hurricane Katrina? Sure, the president isn't responsible for the hurricane itself and most of the damage it caused, but many died and suffered because the president simply didn't care. He was the one who appointed the brutally incompetent team that headed FEMA. George Bush did not keep those Americans safe.
And why are we still under code level orange for air travel? How safe are we if the threat level is that high and has been there all these years?
George Bush initially opposed the formation of the department of Homeland Security. He opposed its Secretary being a Cabinet position. And for crying out loud, he had initially picked Bernie Kerik to head that department.
Osama bin Laden and his organization are still alive and killing. Mohammed Omar and the Taliban are still alive and killing.
Let's face it, in many ways, George Bush spread more fear among the American population than any cave dweller on this planet. In fact, he kept the nation under such grip of fear that even one of our presidential candidates was perceived by many as a terrorist.
George Bush did not keep us safe!
George Bush did not keep us safe!
Under George Bush's presidency, we suffered the worst terrorist attack in the world. His sympathizers like to say that the 9/11 attacks couldn't have been stopped, but that's a lie. We may not have succeeded in stopping the attacks, but we didn't even try, despite ample warning. So, no, George Bush did not keep us safe.
Of course, they add a disclaimer to the statement. "He kept us safe... after 9/11." But we shouldn't fall for that trap. He was president on 9/11/2001, and had been so for almost 9 months. He bears full responsibility for the inaction before it.
What about the anthrax attacks? Those happened on his watch. Not only did we accuse the wrong person, we never really stopped the culprit.
What about Americans in Iraq? America isn't just the expensive homes and lavish office buildings on its soil; it includes all Americans, regardless of where they live. Over 4,000 dead and over 44,000 wounded (and the numbers, unfortunately, is still rising) were not kept safe by this president.
What about all the Americans who died or were wounded in terrorist attacks in England, Spain, India, Indonesia, and many other parts of the world? They weren't kept safe by this president.
What about the victims of hurricane Katrina? Sure, the president isn't responsible for the hurricane itself and most of the damage it caused, but many died and suffered because the president simply didn't care. He was the one who appointed the brutally incompetent team that headed FEMA. George Bush did not keep those Americans safe.
And why are we still under code level orange for air travel? How safe are we if the threat level is that high and has been there all these years?
George Bush initially opposed the formation of the department of Homeland Security. He opposed its Secretary being a Cabinet position. And for crying out loud, he had initially picked Bernie Kerik to head that department.
Osama bin Laden and his organization are still alive and killing. Mohammed Omar and the Taliban are still alive and killing.
Let's face it, in many ways, George Bush spread more fear among the American population than any cave dweller on this planet. In fact, he kept the nation under such grip of fear that even one of our presidential candidates was perceived by many as a terrorist.
George Bush did not keep us safe!
Monday, December 29, 2008
I'm not making this up: Conservatism 2.0
There's some kind of conference by right wingers to discuss the future of the conservative movement and one of the three stars of the conference is the eloquent, the visionary, the dazzling... Joe the plumber. *snicker*
Technorati Tags: conservatism 2.0, joe the plumber, future of conservatism, conservative conference
Abstinence pledges: like trickle down economics
The results of this study on abstinence don't really surprise me:
Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely to use condoms and other forms of birth control when they do, according to a study released today.How is this like trickle down economics? Because whether you like it or not, understand it or not, believe it or not, you're getting fucked anyway.
Torn between two opinions
The only thing I'm sure about economics is that I don't know enough about it to speak with authority on the subject. The bigger problem is I feel most talking heads are in the same boat. The difference of opinions by those "in-the-know" can be significant.
On one hand, Peter Schiff, about whom I just blogged about recently, and who saw the oncoming economic crisis coming with prescient clarity, thinks governments should behave like people -- when the going gets tough, tighten your belt. On the other hand, Nobel prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, is concerned mainly with the government not spending enough.
Ask ten economists a question and you get eleven answers, the saying goes. So, who to believe in this case?
I really don't know. I just hope Barack Obama is not as stuck in the middle as I am, and that his intuition is the right one.
On one hand, Peter Schiff, about whom I just blogged about recently, and who saw the oncoming economic crisis coming with prescient clarity, thinks governments should behave like people -- when the going gets tough, tighten your belt. On the other hand, Nobel prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, is concerned mainly with the government not spending enough.
Ask ten economists a question and you get eleven answers, the saying goes. So, who to believe in this case?
I really don't know. I just hope Barack Obama is not as stuck in the middle as I am, and that his intuition is the right one.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Something from nothing
I don't know much about Peter Schiff but I know that for a couple of years he has been warning us about the impending economic meltdown, describing what was to come with amazing accuracy. On November 25, 2008, I posted a video clip of Peter Schiff in several TV appearances over the last couple of years being laughed for predictations that proved to eventually be right.
Peter Schiff has an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about plans to get out of this economic mess, and he's not too happy about what he's hearing:
I'm feeling queezy about my plans for an early retirement.
Peter Schiff has an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about plans to get out of this economic mess, and he's not too happy about what he's hearing:
One one side we have this guy, who was right about the economic crisis, and on the other side we have guys like Bob Rubin, who had a hand in crafting the deregulation that helped get us into this giant mess. And who is advising Barack Obama? That's right, the "miracle weight-loss programs that require no dieting or exercise" guys.It would be irresponsible in the extreme for an individual to forestall a personal recession by taking out newer, bigger loans when the old loans can't be repaid. However, this is precisely what we are planning on a national level.
I believe these ideas hold sway largely because they promise happy, pain-free solutions. They are the economic equivalent of miracle weight-loss programs that require no dieting or exercise. The theories permit economists to claim mystic wisdom, governments to pretend that they have the power to dispel hardship with the whir of a printing press, and voters to believe that they can have recovery without sacrifice.
As a follower of the Austrian School of economics I believe that market forces apply equally to people and nations. The problems we face collectively are no different from those we face individually. Belt tightening is required by all, including government.
Governments cannot create but merely redirect. When the government spends, the money has to come from somewhere. If the government doesn't have a surplus, then it must come from taxes. If taxes don't go up, then it must come from increased borrowing. If lenders won't lend, then it must come from the printing press, which is where all these bailouts are headed. But each additional dollar printed diminishes the value those already in circulation. Something cannot be effortlessly created from nothing.
I'm feeling queezy about my plans for an early retirement.
Eternal life for some
I think far too many American Christians are going soft on us:
A majority of all American Christians (52%) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life. Indeed, among Christians who believe many religions can lead to eternal life, 80% name at least one non-Christian faith that can do so.What about me (atheist)? Where am I going?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The end of the world, as we know it
An asteroid destroys the planet, to music by Pink Floyd. This video is a wet dream for Rapture people, I'm sure. I just like the song.
A party in peril
"Sane" Republicans are talking about going back to the basics -- small government, lower taxes -- the basic message that got us in this mess in the first place. Mainstream Republicans (southerners) are re-fighting the civil war, this time using cars instead of guns. The right wingers are arming themselves to fight the Marxist, or put another way, the demons in their heads. Their preferred choice for 2012 is Sarah "we can see Russia" Palin.
Out of ideas, the Republican party is like a dick in cold water -- shrinking.
[Update] JedL takes another shot at the party in peril theme, and how irrelevant Republicans are becoming as they continue to use their old and tired tricks:
Out of ideas, the Republican party is like a dick in cold water -- shrinking.
[Update] JedL takes another shot at the party in peril theme, and how irrelevant Republicans are becoming as they continue to use their old and tired tricks:
While you were busy talking about how "unfortunate" it is that the Blago mess drags on and on, President-elect Obama was busy dealing with the nation's real problems -- and racking up an 82% approval rating for having done so...
While you were dreaming of another Whitewater, Obama was becoming the most admired man in America. (And by the way, Hillary Clinton -- not Sarah Palin -- is the most admired woman in America.)...
while you were busy doing everything possible to avoid discussing the fundamental economic challenges that we face, Barack Obama and his administration were busy working on a plan to start the recovery from the Bush Recession.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Viagra: 21st century weapon
A little happy story from Afghanistan:
The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.
Four blue pills. Viagra.
"Take one of these. You'll love it," the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.
The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes -- followed by a request for more pills.
They should give them Cialis -- it lasts longer.
What stood out to me was this part: "tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women." Do right wing nuts and Christian Right baffoons realize that our Treasury is being raped and our military men and women are dying to support a society where marriage is not between a man and ONE woman?
Guess the year
A few quotes for you to ponder:
If you guessed 2008 -- December 23, 2008, to be exact -- you'd be correct. Those are the words of one Dennis Prager, who is, according to Wikipedia "an American syndicated radio talk show host, columnist, author, ethicist, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political views and for his study of the consequences of secularism in the 20th century."
You know... GLBTs are angry with Rick Warren and other such critters of the fundamentalist religious kind -- and I might add, with good reason -- but despite the setbacks, they should thank their lucky stars they're not married to this asshole.
It is an axiom of contemporary marital life that if a wife is not in the mood, she need not have sex with her husband. Here are some arguments why a woman who loves her husband might want to rethink this axiom.Believe you me, there's a lot more from where that came from. You can read the whole thing here. But before you click that link, guess when that article was written. BC? 1200's? 1600's? 1800's? When do you think?
First, women need to recognize how a man understands a wife's refusal to have sex with him: A husband knows that his wife loves him first and foremost by her willingness to give her body to him. This is rarely the case for women. Few women know their husband loves them because he gives her his body (the idea sounds almost funny)...
A woman who often deprives her husband of her body is guaranteed to injure him and to injure the marriage — no matter what her female friends say, no matter what a sympathetic therapist says, and no matter what her man says...
Every man who is sexually faithful to his wife already engages in daily heroic self-control. He has married knowing he will have to deny his sexual nature's desire for variety for the rest of his life. To ask that he also regularly deny himself sex with the one woman in the world with whom he is permitted sex is asking far too much.
If you guessed 2008 -- December 23, 2008, to be exact -- you'd be correct. Those are the words of one Dennis Prager, who is, according to Wikipedia "an American syndicated radio talk show host, columnist, author, ethicist, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political views and for his study of the consequences of secularism in the 20th century."
You know... GLBTs are angry with Rick Warren and other such critters of the fundamentalist religious kind -- and I might add, with good reason -- but despite the setbacks, they should thank their lucky stars they're not married to this asshole.
Porn: The new NASA?
We have had a slew of innovations and inventions as a result of the work NASA has performed, things like: invisible braces, scratch-resistant lenses, memory foam, and many more.
On the internet, no group has promoted innovation more than the porn industry. As PC World says:
On the internet, no group has promoted innovation more than the porn industry. As PC World says:
The sex industry is behind many innovations that today's Netizens can't live without, as well as some nasty bits we wish had never existed.Click here for 12 of these innovations.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Bogus headline
The headline of an article by Annette Fuentes reads: Is Obama's Education Pick the Sarah Palin of the School System?
Ms. Fuentes article covers Arne Duncan's years in the Chicago school system. It details some failures and some successes as evidenced by this passage:
In any case, that's not the point of this post. The point is the disconnect between the article and the attention grabbing headline. To tie Arne Duncan's qualifications to Sarah Palin's when there isn't a smidgen of resemblance to that comparison in the article itself is plain ridiculous. The article mainly makes the point that Arne Duncan has been an engaged and dedicated professional, who has supporters and detractors, and lists some success and some questionable decisions.
Not mentioned in the article is that Arne Duncan is an Harvard University graduate who speaks coherently and doesn't end every other sentence with the words "also" or "there".
Heck, Arne doesn't even wear lipstick (in public, anyway).
I think the person responsible for that headline is the one who has something in common with Sarah Palin.
Ms. Fuentes article covers Arne Duncan's years in the Chicago school system. It details some failures and some successes as evidenced by this passage:
Duncan's seven years as Chicago schools' chief earned mixed grades, advocates say. While most agree that Duncan was sincere about education reform, they also say he stumbled badly in enacting school reforms and in relations with the African-American and Latino communities most affected by his plans. Many also said he was hamstrung by Chicago's strong-mayor political system and unable to enact his own reforms.I don't want to defend the guy's record because I simply don't know it. It is safe to assume that anyone coming in to shake up the system is going to make a fair share of enemies, so quoting those don't necessarily bode badly for mister Duncan.
In any case, that's not the point of this post. The point is the disconnect between the article and the attention grabbing headline. To tie Arne Duncan's qualifications to Sarah Palin's when there isn't a smidgen of resemblance to that comparison in the article itself is plain ridiculous. The article mainly makes the point that Arne Duncan has been an engaged and dedicated professional, who has supporters and detractors, and lists some success and some questionable decisions.
Not mentioned in the article is that Arne Duncan is an Harvard University graduate who speaks coherently and doesn't end every other sentence with the words "also" or "there".
Heck, Arne doesn't even wear lipstick (in public, anyway).
I think the person responsible for that headline is the one who has something in common with Sarah Palin.
Hardships of the super rich
86-year-old Liliane Bettencourt, the world's wealthiest woman, is reported to be a victim of the Madoff fraud. She is number 17 on the 2008 Forbes list of the world's richest people, with an estimated wealth of 22.9 billion. Now, if she lost close to a billion dollars -- she didn't, but let me over estimate -- she still is worth 22 billion.
The point of this post is not to knock the lady. It's her money and no one should have to lose it through fraud. But this lady is just one example of what is so wrong with right winger arguments about the super rich.
She didn't get rich via hard work, she did it the way most super rich today do -- she inherited it from her parents. And her company, L'Oreal was a notorious animal tester even after it became well-known how cruel that is and that other methods were available.
I'm just wondering, with their super concern for the super rich, are poor right wingers across America going to start a collection to help the old lady? You know, in the spirit of Christmas and all. After all, they're so keen to take money out of their pockets so that the rich can keep theirs.
The point of this post is not to knock the lady. It's her money and no one should have to lose it through fraud. But this lady is just one example of what is so wrong with right winger arguments about the super rich.
She didn't get rich via hard work, she did it the way most super rich today do -- she inherited it from her parents. And her company, L'Oreal was a notorious animal tester even after it became well-known how cruel that is and that other methods were available.
I'm just wondering, with their super concern for the super rich, are poor right wingers across America going to start a collection to help the old lady? You know, in the spirit of Christmas and all. After all, they're so keen to take money out of their pockets so that the rich can keep theirs.
A good sign
I have to confess I don't know enough about the economy to know what will get us out of this mess. Listening to economists is a mixed bag as very often they are wrong, or are spinning for a particular cause. But I think Barack Obama may be on the right track with his infrastructure plans. How do I know that? Well, this is what Carl Rove said:
And "the wisdom of private individuals in the market"... is that even a wise thing to say these days?
ROVE: What we’ve got to worry about some of these sort of goofy, pie-in-the-sky spending ideas in which this wisdom of the government is substituted for the wisdom of private individuals in the market, and there we have every right to question. For example, look, I’m in favor of infrastructure spending, but let’s be honest about it. It’s not stimulative.If Carl Rove doesn't like the idea, chances are that it'll work. The man is the perfect barometer for failure.
And "the wisdom of private individuals in the market"... is that even a wise thing to say these days?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Jennifer Biel Saves Christmas
Jennifer Biel helps deal with the money tightness situation:
Hey Billo
Merry Holidays to you and all Xmas warriors.
To everyone else: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or just enjoy your day off.
To everyone else: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or just enjoy your day off.
Brazil: helicopters and submarines
This bit of news about Brazil's military ambitions stood out to me:
Brazil has signed an 8.6bn euro ($12bn; £8.2bn) defence deal with France to buy 50 helicopters and five submarines.Of course every nation has a right, even a duty to its citizens, to be prepared to defend itself. In the case of Brazil, who knows, those pesky Paraguayans may get restless and come across the border to nibble on the beautiful Brazilian woman (not that the submarines would be much help), but having been in Brazil more than once, I know they have some serious problems with violent crime and heart-wrenching poverty. I wish they'd address those issues with much more intensity before they start having dreams of being a military power.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Twice?
It's so hard to believe this could happen twice. I hope it's not a trend.
The eagerness of the stupid
Conservative Matt Lewis was so eager to find something wrong with the just released report by the Obama team about their meetings with Blago that he went fin foil on us and just proved his own stupidity:
I don't believe for a moment that Matt is so ignorant that he doesn't know Hawaii is a state, I just think right wingers are so eager to put a negative spin on everything Obama does that they often sound just plain stupid.
"You could make an argument," Lewis says, "that if he wants it to appear to not be a big deal, that he would be out of the country."Hawaii is "out of the country"?
I don't believe for a moment that Matt is so ignorant that he doesn't know Hawaii is a state, I just think right wingers are so eager to put a negative spin on everything Obama does that they often sound just plain stupid.
No criminal charges for you
I know better than to trust Dick Cheney, but his claims that congressional Democrats were consultant on the torture and eavesdropping plans and supported them are the best reason to understand why Democrats have shown no interest in bringing criminal charges against the tyrants -- members of the Democratic leadership are guilty too.
And so the criminals like Dick Cheney can make the rounds of TV interviews gloating about their misdeeds because they know no one will touch them.
How disappointing.
[UPDATE] Barton Gellman, Cheney's biographer, questions Cheney's recollection:
And so the criminals like Dick Cheney can make the rounds of TV interviews gloating about their misdeeds because they know no one will touch them.
How disappointing.
[UPDATE] Barton Gellman, Cheney's biographer, questions Cheney's recollection:
Gellman also disputed Cheney’s claim that members of Congress who were briefed on Bush’s illegal surveillance program wholeheartedly endorsed it. “Now, I talked to four people who were in that meeting…and all of them dispute that that’s the way it happened,” he said.So, let's wait and see what Democrats have to say about this.
In no god we trust
With Rick Warren saying he loves gays, and even removing the negative comments from his website, it'll be just a matter of decades before we elect an openly gay president. So... start getting ready to move over LGBT people, Americans have a new group to hate -- atheists.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, asking Americans who they'd be willing to vote for for President, atheists came in at the very bottom of the list: below blacks, below women, below Jews, below gays. Below every other marginalized group on the list.It won't be long before we have Proposition 666 somewhere.
Monday, December 22, 2008
It's just a game
Thanks to sanantonerose who sent me this link, I've been spending a portion of my afternoon hitting Bush in the face with a shoe. My record is at 12. I must do better.
http://www.aksalser.com/game.htm
Give it a shot yourself.
Childish, I know. So?
http://www.aksalser.com/game.htm
Give it a shot yourself.
Childish, I know. So?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Economy: The major culprits
The NY Times has a must read article detailing how we got to the current economic mess. It's 6 pages long, but at least read the first page. Here's a choice passage:
Eight years after arriving in Washington vowing to spread the dream of homeownership, Mr. Bush is leaving office, as he himself said recently, “faced with the prospect of a global meltdown” with roots in the housing sector he so ardently championed.The more details we get of the behind the scenes of this administration the more incompetence we see. Just imagine what we're going to be finding out in the years ahead.There are plenty of culprits, like lenders who peddled easy credit, consumers who took on mortgages they could not afford and Wall Street chieftains who loaded up on mortgage-backed securities without regard to the risk.
But the story of how we got here is partly one of Mr. Bush’s own making, according to a review of his tenure that included interviews with dozens of current and former administration officials.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Definition of insanity
Dear imaginary lord, can anyone still take these three clowns seriously? John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsy Graham (or as Atrios calls them, the three stooges), have a joint op-ed piece in the Washington Post that starts this way:
If the Washington Post had to give anyone equal time for a rebuttal, it would have to be to Baghdad Bob.
After our visit to Iraq this month, it is clear that what was once unthinkable there is now taking place: A stable, safe and free Iraq is emerging.For how many years have they been repeating similar lines? They are the three insane fucks who have cried wolf way too many times. Even if one of these years they are bound to be right, they have lost all credibility on this subject.
If the Washington Post had to give anyone equal time for a rebuttal, it would have to be to Baghdad Bob.
Made in Turkey
There has been a lot of talk about the shoe thrower, but what about the shoes? Seems like they are stars on their own:
I'll pass on the shoes. I'm a bigger fan of the pretzels.The brown, thick-soled “Model 271” may soon be renamed “The Bush Shoe” or “Bye-Bye Bush,” Ramazan Baydan, who owns the Istanbul-based producer Baydan Ayakkabicilik San. & Tic., said in a telephone interview today.
....Baydan has received orders for 300,000 pairs of the shoes since the attack, more than four times the number his company sold each year since the model was introduced in 1999. The company plans to employ 100 more staff to meet demand, he said.
....Baydan has received a request for 4,000 pairs from a company called Davidson, based in Maryland. He declined to provide further details.
Science, science, science
"That one" took a giant step with this morning's weekly address. The emphasis that Barack Obama places on science warms my heart. And as a tiny bonus, he pisses off Bill O'Reilly as the video ends. "Happy Holidays" indeed.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Get your virginity back
Don't laugh. This could save a few thousand lives in Muslim countries (and for the rest of us, it could be wacky fun):
Good news via the Frisky: It's now easier than ever to avoid the shame of being exposed as an impure woman, thanks to the Artificial Virginity Hymen! It leaks fake blood and causes your vagina to become inflamed and swollen, all for just $14.90. What a deal.
Bad News for Obama
You think Blago is bad news for Obama? Or the economy? Or Rick Warren? Gays and lesbians pissed at him? The far left being annoyed? The Right being disgusted? That's all kid's stuff. The truth is you ain't heard nothing yet. There are a lot more bad news for the president elect, and Jade has the tip of the iceberg.
I would not want to be that man come tomorrow morning.
I would not want to be that man come tomorrow morning.
Senator Al Franken?
I don't want to jinx it, but start getting used to the sound of "Senator Al Franken." Yeah... I like the sound of that.
Franken is currently about 250 votes ahead of Norm Coleman. The StarTribune is projecting him to win by 78 votes. There are still over 5000 ballots to go. You can follow the results and see the ballots in question right here.
Let's hope for the best.
Franken is currently about 250 votes ahead of Norm Coleman. The StarTribune is projecting him to win by 78 votes. There are still over 5000 ballots to go. You can follow the results and see the ballots in question right here.
Let's hope for the best.
Thieves running free
It's good to be a white-collar criminal during the Bush administration:
There has been a nearly 82 percent drop in white-collar criminal prosecutions between 2001 and 2007, the Syracuse University-based Transactional Records and Access Clearinghouse found, using Justice Department data.Bushies keep repeating the "nobody could have predicted..." line, but that's only because they haven't even bothered looking.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Civil War continues
In the article The Economic Civil War, Michael Lind says:
I really do believe that the current battle is just an excuse to break-up a union; it is that, but also much more.
The South's attempt to kill the North's auto industry is the latest battle in an ongoing conflict. It's time for a Third Reconstruction to put an end to it...Mr. Lind goes on to propose what should be done to end yet another chapter of the war between the states.
The nation-states of the European Union collaborate with each other in order to compete against foreign economic rivals, including the U.S., Japan, and China. By contrast, many states, particularly in the South, collaborate with foreign economic rivals of the U.S. in order to compete against other American states. Any British or French or German leader who proposed collaborating with Japan or the U.S. in order to wipe out industry and destroy jobs in neighboring EU member states would be jeered out of office. But it is perfectly acceptable for American states to connive with Asian and European countries in the destruction of industry elsewhere in the U.S.
I really do believe that the current battle is just an excuse to break-up a union; it is that, but also much more.
Rick Warren
Reverend Rick Warren is the type of man that gives credence to just about every negative comment that Reverend Jeremiah Wright made about America.
Let me put it another way: The reason Reverend Wright was mostly wrong with his negative comments about America is because fortunately there aren't enough men in this country like the despicable Rick Warren.
Let me put it another way: The reason Reverend Wright was mostly wrong with his negative comments about America is because fortunately there aren't enough men in this country like the despicable Rick Warren.
Bible Belt Corruption
I have no idea if the methodology used here is a good one, but the results seem to jive with my perception of what has been going on in the last 10 years or so:
When it comes to corruption convictions per 100,000 residents, the four worst states in the union are in the Bible Belt: Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama.Well, maybe the methodology used doesn't matter because somehow I think that no matter how you slice it, the states from that region are likely to lead in just about anything political that's not good.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tax schemes of the super rich
The American tax code is wide-open to massive manipulation by the rich and super rich. As a result, the effective tax rates for the rich is too low (read this interview to find out how it works):
David Cay Johnston is one of the few people in the United States who's exposing the American tax code for what it is: backwards socialism. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning tax reporter for the New York Times, Johnston has, over the past nine years, uncovered the inner workings of a system that coddles, aids, and abets the rich in their various attempts to get out of paying taxes, forcing the upper-middle, middle, and working classes to pay for government on their own.This table also shows that most tax brackets are relatively close, and the richest Americans actually pay a lower rate than many of us.
The top 400 taxpayers...have doubled their share of income in the past decade or two but have decreased their tax burden by nearly half.Why do so many -- mostly conservative -- poor and middle-class folks defend the super rich? Frankly, their tax contributions aren't anywhere what they should be to reach tax fairness.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The shoes
I have no idea what benefit will come to anyone by having one man throw a pair of shoes at another. But to ignore, and even dismiss, the rage that can cause such an act, in the aftermath of destroying the shoeless man's country and killing hundreds of thousands of his countrymen, while indiscriminately arresting and torturing thousands more, denotes the lack of sensibility that encouraged and supported the carnage and atrocities in the first place.
Barack Obama has bigger shoes to fill than he ever expected in trying to restore sanity to our political discourse because the proverbial fat, ignorant, and we can now add, sadistic American has grown to epidemic proportions.
Barack Obama has bigger shoes to fill than he ever expected in trying to restore sanity to our political discourse because the proverbial fat, ignorant, and we can now add, sadistic American has grown to epidemic proportions.
Science and Facts
While introducing Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist as Secretary of Energy, Barack Obama said:
His appointment should send a signal to all that my administration will value science, we will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that the facts demand bold action.We have a long way to go to recover from the dark-ages of the Bush presidency, but the signs point to us taking giants steps to do so. Science and facts will matter once again. And that signal, in particular to those of us on the left, is enormous.
Monday, December 15, 2008
A modern day hero?
"I only regret that I have but two shoes to give for my country."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Bigger fish to fry
I have not posted much about governor Blagojevich's scandal because: 1) we have much bigger fish to fry in this country, and 2) Republicans are using that story to mask decades of Republican-made crisis and disasters.
Frank Rich shares that view:
Frank Rich shares that view:
Blagojevich’s alleged crimes pale next to the larger scandals of Washington and Wall Street. Yet those who promoted and condoned the twin national catastrophes of reckless war in Iraq and reckless gambling in our markets have largely escaped the accountability that now seems to await the Chicago punk... The surveillance tapes of Blagojevich are so fabulous it seems a tragedy we don’t have similar audio records of the bigger fish who have wrecked the country.So, yeah, let's put this punk away but let's not take our eyes off the ball: the problems afflicting every day Americans are the result of an ideology that encourages and rewards hate, greed, and stupidity. We don't need surveillance tapes to put conservative ideology away for good.
Wondering in the wilderness
Click this link to see an animated, 30 second Nick Anderson clip that shows why Republicans seem lost in the political landscape.
Back to the future
Thom Hartmann laying down the truth many conservatives refuse to accept:
when Reagan came into office we were the largest exporter of manufacturing goods and the largest importer of raw materials on the planet. And, the largest creditor—more people owed us money than anybody else in the world. Now, just 28 years later, we’re the largest importer of finished goods, manufactured goods; the largest exporter of raw materials—which is kind of the definition of a third-world nation—and we’re the most in-debt of any country in the world. This is the absolute consequence of Reaganomics.From Ronald Reagan to George Bush (and yes, Clinton to some extent included), we have seen a gross misjudgment of what free markets and globalization should look like. "Small government" is code for "let us rob you blind." It's time to turn back the clock and do this thing over.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Big, Beautiful Moon
There will be a beautiful full moon tonight:
The biggest full moon in 15 years is set to grace the Northern Hemisphere tonight.
Because the moon orbits along an egg-shaped ellipse, not a circle, its distance from us changes. Today, the moon is approaching its nearest point to Earth, so it should look about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than this year's other full moons, according to NASA.
Is God an idiot or just a sadist?
If you believe many of his followers, I'd suggest the answer is both -- god is an idiot and a sadist. Take this end-times scholar as an example:
I'm sure end-times folks have an answer to that question, and I bet the answer has its roots on the bible, which or course, renders the answer invalid -- it's like taking the words of the worst president ever as justification for his criminal war.
Author John McTernan fears Obama's policies will hasten God's judgment on America...45 natural disaster because of our policy towards Israel? With such powers, why doesn't God just solve the problem himself instead of hurting everyday folks who have nothing to do with the policies of the US government?
McTernan believes that presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have pursued an Israel policy that has brought on 45 major natural and man-made disasters on the very same days the American government has pressured Israel to divide the land...
"... I can see [Obama] coming on strong to pressure Israel to divide Jerusalem and to create a Palestinian state, which I believe with all my heart will accelerate God's judgment on America."
I'm sure end-times folks have an answer to that question, and I bet the answer has its roots on the bible, which or course, renders the answer invalid -- it's like taking the words of the worst president ever as justification for his criminal war.
Amen
Atrios speaks the truth:
One of the more frustrating things about being a godless heathen in this society is that we're generally the ones actually fighting for religious freedom while it's religious people (not all, of course) who are doing their best to stamp it out.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Did the vote go as planned?
The Senate voted to reject a loan to the automakers. But was it by design? Because as it went down, this is how I see it:
-- Democrats (and the auto workers union) didn't have to settle with a bill that gave away too much from union workers, and not enough from management.
-- Republicans can say to their constituents, specially the southern senators, that they stood tough.
-- Bush has no choice but to do what he said all along he didn't want to do -- use TARP money. Now, he will have to, the fool.
This is how it will shake down:
The auto industry will get the money to get by until Obama takes over, and by then the Democrats will have the votes to pass a better bill, and Senate Republicans can say there's nothing they can do because they are in a small minority.
I think George Bush has been had.
-- Democrats (and the auto workers union) didn't have to settle with a bill that gave away too much from union workers, and not enough from management.
-- Republicans can say to their constituents, specially the southern senators, that they stood tough.
-- Bush has no choice but to do what he said all along he didn't want to do -- use TARP money. Now, he will have to, the fool.
This is how it will shake down:
The auto industry will get the money to get by until Obama takes over, and by then the Democrats will have the votes to pass a better bill, and Senate Republicans can say there's nothing they can do because they are in a small minority.
I think George Bush has been had.
Conservatives: one happy bunch
So how is George Bush doing? If you ask conservatives, he's doing just fine:
But since they're not in power, we can expect -- and are beginning to see -- a return to the 90's and the playbook that was used to attack the Clintons:
While averaging a dismal 29 percent job approval rating among all Americans, Bush enjoys a 72 percent approval rate among conservatives.Anyone expecting Republicans to become a little moderate will be disappointed. Nothing will make these people happy than more wars, lower wages, out of control health care costs, increasing unemployment, economic collapse, gutting environmental laws, violations of the Constitution, cronyism, incompetence... and on and on.
But since they're not in power, we can expect -- and are beginning to see -- a return to the 90's and the playbook that was used to attack the Clintons:
From the kooky obsession with his place of birth on WorldNetDaily to insinuations about his Chicago pedigree by the Associated Press, all of the attacks launched lately on Barack Obama give off the same familiar smell.
Having nothing to sustain them for the moment except a whiff of Democratic scandal, they can hardly help themselves. They will persist in their partisan efforts to undermine the new president.As for the rest of us, including mainstream reporters, perhaps we should be mindful of the vast amounts of money, time, and journalistic, prosecutorial, congressional and presidential effort that were squandered on the mythical crimes of the Clinton era. Can America still afford that kind of stupidity?
Never mind what America can afford; the party of greed, hate, and stupid will do what it knows how to do best -- destroy!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Palin and Republicans
Anyone who: A) thinks the Republican party has gone ashtray just because of a few nuts in the leadership, and B) that Sarah Palin will disappear, needs to look at the results of this NBC poll:
I'm telling you: Sarah Palin is here to stay and she will be the face of the Republican party. While the left saw a clueless politician on that turkey video, the right saw a strong willed, tough, and determined woman willing to fight hard. And oh, how Republicans love tough and stupid.
[A]mong Republicans only, the most popular [Republican] is Palin -- with a whopping 73%-13% rating. But Palin's overall score is a net negative, 35%-45%, which means she fares poorly among Democrats and independents.So, the admiration of Republicans for divisive personalities, empty ideas, religious fanaticism, and just plain old fashion stupidity and ignorance is very prevalent among 3/4 of those who identify themselves as Republicans.
I'm telling you: Sarah Palin is here to stay and she will be the face of the Republican party. While the left saw a clueless politician on that turkey video, the right saw a strong willed, tough, and determined woman willing to fight hard. And oh, how Republicans love tough and stupid.
Deep Frustration
In a crappy article in the New York Times, we see how the media likes to stir problems when none exist:
For the record, I'm not frustrated at all with the appointments, just with reporters who make up shit.
President-elect Barack Obama’s appointments have tilted so much to the political center that they have drawn praise from the likes of Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh... The choices have deeply frustrated liberals who thought Mr. Obama’s election signaled the rise of a new progressive era.Nowhere in the article do they quote anyone on the left that is "deeply frustrated." Some have pointed out that they'd have preferred more left leaning appointments, but even those are few and far in between.
For the record, I'm not frustrated at all with the appointments, just with reporters who make up shit.
I may need a lawyer
Why would I need a lawyer? Well, see, I worked in the Chicago area for about a year a few years ago, and I've stopped over at the O'Hare airport several times since. And since conservative pundits are casting a net soooo wide around this governor Blagojevich scandal trying to ensnare Barack Obama in it, that net is so ridiculously wide that it might catch me too.
Sure, I'm not an Illinois politician and have never done business with the state, but then again, I haven't been excluded by name from this scandal by the prosecutor in the case, as has been the case with Mr. Obama. Since that, in the eyes of conservatives, hasn't excused Obama, I fear for little ol' me.
Sure, I'm not an Illinois politician and have never done business with the state, but then again, I haven't been excluded by name from this scandal by the prosecutor in the case, as has been the case with Mr. Obama. Since that, in the eyes of conservatives, hasn't excused Obama, I fear for little ol' me.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Hussein! Hussein! Hussein!
I fully support the idea of mending fences with the Muslim word, but there's another reason reason I like this:
Ya betcha, turkeys!
Barack Obama says his presidency is an opportunity for the United States to spread a message of tolerance, starting the day of his inauguration and continuing with a speech he plans to deliver somewhere in the Muslim world.I understand why Barack Husesein Obama avoided the use of his middle name during the campaign, but now that he has won the election, I'd love to have the president-elect use his middle name all the time. Not only to help remove the negative stigma just because it's a popular Muslim name, but the little boy in me loves the idea of the sound of his middle name rubbing it in the face of certain people in this country.
And when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he plans to be sworn in like other presidents, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama.
Ya betcha, turkeys!
How did we get here?
Understanding how we got at the current economic crisis is not easy, but Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, in an easy to read article in Vanity Fair, gives us his take. He lists five major causes that led to the economic crisis, explains why they mattered, and concludes with this:
I hope Mr. Stiglitz's message is heard loud and clear because he's totally right about this:
The truth is most of the individual mistakes boil down to just one: a belief that markets are self-adjusting and that the role of government should be minimal.Yet, Republicans (and blue dog Democrats) refuse to accept this time-tried truth.
I hope Mr. Stiglitz's message is heard loud and clear because he's totally right about this:
Behind the debates over future policy is a debate over history—a debate over the causes of our current situation. The battle for the past will determine the battle for the present. So it’s crucial to get the history straight.If we don't accept the truth that capitalism run amok is a failed approach, we're bound to repeat the mistakes.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
A national disaster
CNN has a new poll out showing that Barack Obama has a 79/18 approval/disapproval rating, which prompted Bill Schneider to say:
An Obama job approval rating of 79 percent! That’s the sort of rating you see when the public rallies around a leader after a national disaster. To many Americans, the Bush Administration was a national disaster.A national disaster! That's putting it mildly. Now Bill, tell us something we haven't already known for years.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Listen to the Nobel prize winner
Good advice from Paul Krugman about the current economic crisis:
But I want truth and reconciliation across the board, and progressives have to make it clear that it was an ideology, not an act of God, that made this crisis possible.We can fairly and accurately say that the current economic crisis is the result of long standing Republican ideology. And even if there are some Democrats along the way who facilitated this assault on common sense, there is no doubt that it is the Republican ideology that has so grossly failed.
No Caroline
Ever since the buzz about Caroline Kennedy taking Hillary Clinton's place in the Senate started, I've been uneasy about the whole idea without being able to put my finger on it. But Jane Hamsher has helped me:
Well, not everyone was salivating at the idea, but at least now, I can clearly articulate my objection. Thanks Jane.Everyone seems to be salivating because Caroline Kennedy called David Patterson and is apparently interested in the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton.
It's a truly terrible idea.
Her leadership could have been really helpful when the rest of us were trying to keep the progressive lights on and getting the stuffing beaten out of us by a very well-financed right wing for the past eight years. But when things were tough, she was nowhere to be found.
Now that the Democrats are in power, she'd like to come in at the top. We have absolutely no idea if she's qualified, or whether she can take the heat of being a Kennedy in public life. She's certainly shown no appetite for it in the past. She'll have a target on her back and if she can't take it, if she crumbles, she will become a rallying point that the right will easily organize around.
NRA: Big losers in 2008
The National Rifle Association (NRA), a group that has for years used strong-arm tactics to defend their death toys, took a beating during the 2008 elections:
Although the gun group unleashed everything in its arsenal to defeat Barack Obama and dozens of down ticket gun-control candidates, it lost by a margin as historic as the war chest it opened in an attempt to convince voters that Democrats were mortal enemies of the Second Amendment. Despite expending nearly $7 million in a national fear campaign, NRA-endorsed candidates lost 80 percent of their races against gun-control candidates. More than 90 percent of candidates endorsed by the NRA's nemesis, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, won their races.Oh poor babies. Charlton Heston must be turning in his grave as his gun is being pried from his cold hands.
Technorati Tags: nra loses, gun control, losing their guns, guns and elections
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Christmas Gift Idea for Right Wingers
This item costs less than $10, a real affordable gift for right wingers, considering what's coming with an Obama administration:
See... not only is Barack Obama a non-natural born citizen, a Marxist, a Muslim, a terrorist's pal, but the evidence is equally as strong that he is also a zombie. That's right. A zombie. And soon the zombies will be coming to get all the right wingers.
So, if you have a relative who fears Barack Obama, go here, and get them their Christmas gift.
See... not only is Barack Obama a non-natural born citizen, a Marxist, a Muslim, a terrorist's pal, but the evidence is equally as strong that he is also a zombie. That's right. A zombie. And soon the zombies will be coming to get all the right wingers.
So, if you have a relative who fears Barack Obama, go here, and get them their Christmas gift.
Technorati Tags: barack obama, zombies, christmas gift idea for right wingers
Meet the Press
I haven't watched Meet the Press, or any other such shows, for about eight years. I had better things to do than to watch charlatans, liars, sycophants, and political discourse that simple didn't reflect reality. Today, however, they had Barack Obama as the guest. And let me say, with each passing day he's becoming even more presidential, more reassuring, and making me feel better about my vote.
Two Giants
When I talk about America never having produced a world class soccer player -- a statement I stand by until Landon Donovan finds the heart to prove me wrong -- I should clarify that I'm talking about field players.*
I'm watching the Everton vs Aston Villa English Premier League match, and both goalkeepers are two giants of the English league, and two bona fide world class goalkeepers: Tim Howard and Brad Friedel.
* Yes, I'm excluding Giuseppe Rossi, because even though he was born and raised in New Jersey, his formative years and the choice of country he's chosen to represent doesn't qualify him for this purpose.
I'm watching the Everton vs Aston Villa English Premier League match, and both goalkeepers are two giants of the English league, and two bona fide world class goalkeepers: Tim Howard and Brad Friedel.
* Yes, I'm excluding Giuseppe Rossi, because even though he was born and raised in New Jersey, his formative years and the choice of country he's chosen to represent doesn't qualify him for this purpose.
Technorati Tags: tim howard, brad friedel, premiership, english premier, world class, soccer, goalkeepers, american soccer players
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Bill Ayers speaks
In an excellent piece in the New York Times, Bill Ayers explains why he didn't join the fray during the 2008 presidential election. The whole short piece is well-worth reading in full.
But the same cannot be said about John McCain and Sarah Palin. Their actions, views, and words showed us a dark side of American politics: distasteful, disrespectful, dishonest, divisive, and selfish, with a motivation that sought to win at any cost.
Between John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Bill Ayers, if given a choice of whom to pal around with, I'd choose Bill Ayers.
Of course Bill Ayers is going to shine as good a light on his past as possible, just as his enemies shine the worst. And while there is enough about his past to dislike, I make no judgment about his present. And as a private citizen, whatever his views are today, they are of no importance to me.The dishonesty of the narrative about Mr. Obama during the campaign went a step further with its assumption that if you can place two people in the same room at the same time, or if you can show that they held a conversation, shared a cup of coffee, took the bus downtown together or had any of a thousand other associations, then you have demonstrated that they share ideas, policies, outlook, influences and, especially, responsibility for each other’s behavior. There is a long and sad history of guilt by association in our political culture, and at crucial times we’ve been unable to rise above it...
Demonization, guilt by association, and the politics of fear did not triumph, not this time. Let’s hope they never will again. And let’s hope we might now assert that in our wildly diverse society, talking and listening to the widest range of people is not a sin, but a virtue.
But the same cannot be said about John McCain and Sarah Palin. Their actions, views, and words showed us a dark side of American politics: distasteful, disrespectful, dishonest, divisive, and selfish, with a motivation that sought to win at any cost.
Between John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Bill Ayers, if given a choice of whom to pal around with, I'd choose Bill Ayers.
The Obama birth certificate conspiracy will go on
Forever and ever, there will be a small group of conspiracy aficionados who will never accept that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. Alex Kopperlman explains why:
People who believe in a conspiracy theory "develop a selective perception, their mind refuses to accept contrary evidence," Chip Berlet, a senior analyst with Political Research Associates who studies such theories, says. "As soon as you criticize a conspiracy theory, you become part of the conspiracy."Which is why, as I mentioned before, the best we can do is laugh at these people and feed them information that will drive them bunkers and make them waste energy, time, and money on this nonsense, while Obama ignores them and goes about the business of turning the USA into a Muslim, socialist, friendly to terrorists, country.
Gary Kreep, who heads the United States Justice Foundation...has said his group will file suit to challenge each and every one of Obama's actions as president.He may well inspire others... If Obama isn't really president, then laws he signs have no effect, Department of Justice prosecutors have no authority and judges he appoints aren't legally judges. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just part of the conspiracy.
Technorati Tags: barack obama, birth certificate conspiracy
Friday, December 05, 2008
Headlines translated
What the headline says it's not always what it means. Here's a couple of examples:
Click here for more headline translations.Headline: Administration was warned of collapse
Translation: Henry Paulson previous experience includes managing arabian showhorse associationHeadline: Fox’s Wallace: Bush not a crook
Translation: “Stupidity not technically illegal”
Barney is right
It just keeps on getting worse:
Employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, according to the Labor Department, bringing the unemployment rate to 6.7%, or the largest figure since 1993. The last time so many jobs were lost in a month was 1974.We have no time to waste. Barack Obama, whether he likes it or not, whether he's ready or not, can't wait till January 20th to do something about it. Barney Franks is right on target:
At a time of great crisis with mortgage foreclosures and autos, [Obama] says we only have one president at a time... I'm afraid that overstates the number of presidents we have.Obama is right when he says we only have one president at the time but, when it comes to the economy, he is that only one president.
I've got a bug
Study says:
This also explains Jon Stewart commenting on the Daily Show, the day after the election:
Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.That must explain why I'm feeling pretty good. Must be the Obama flu. Or maybe my new MacBook Pro flu. Or maybe the "I love seeing Republicans lose" flu.
This also explains Jon Stewart commenting on the Daily Show, the day after the election:
As you walk the streets of New York City, people are making eye contact and they're nodding and smiling. What is this, the 1800s, people?...I'm literally afraid that someone on the street is going to invite me over for pie."It was no joke; it was happiness spreading.
Technorati Tags: happiness, daily show, obama win
Happy Holidays, Bill
Stuff like this puts me in a solid cheerful holiday spirit:
Any day that finds Bill O'Reilly going nuts about anything is a good day in my neighborhood, but it's extra sweet when it has to do with Christmas.
Happy Holidays, Bill. :)
Earlier this week we mentioned that some people were upset about a sign placed in the Washington state Capitol by the Freedom From Religion Foundation that reads "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." The sign sits in the Capitol alongside a Christmas tree and a nativity sceneAnd guess who's bent out of shape over this? Yes, Bill O'Reilly himself.
Any day that finds Bill O'Reilly going nuts about anything is a good day in my neighborhood, but it's extra sweet when it has to do with Christmas.
Happy Holidays, Bill. :)
Technorati Tags: bill o'reilly, war on christmas, happy holidays, washington state sign,
Thursday, December 04, 2008
In defense of the doubters
A message to those who believe Barack Obama is not a proper citizen of the United States:
I agree with you!
From what I know, the evidence is overwhelming that Obama was born outside of the United States. The evidence is also super strong that he's really a Muslim, subscribes to Marxist theories, and is sympathetic to terrorist and their methods. And for the next 8 years, this fake impostor is going to be president, opening the doors to massive looting of the country, redistribution of wealth, and shredding of the American constitution. This man is the single biggest threat this country has ever faced and no one seems to care!
Keep going folks. Don't ever give up. Sell your houses, cars, boats, guns, whatever you can to fight this injustice. Quit your jobs and go camp in front of the Supreme Court. You must never fail this country by giving up. Never! Cause if you fail, he'll be your president too. Each and every day, for the next 8 years (maybe more as I'm sure he won't abide by term limits). How do you like the sound of: The United States of Obama?
You must fight against this abuse of our beloved constitution as hard as you fought against George Bush's abuses. Just as hard!
I agree with you!
From what I know, the evidence is overwhelming that Obama was born outside of the United States. The evidence is also super strong that he's really a Muslim, subscribes to Marxist theories, and is sympathetic to terrorist and their methods. And for the next 8 years, this fake impostor is going to be president, opening the doors to massive looting of the country, redistribution of wealth, and shredding of the American constitution. This man is the single biggest threat this country has ever faced and no one seems to care!
Keep going folks. Don't ever give up. Sell your houses, cars, boats, guns, whatever you can to fight this injustice. Quit your jobs and go camp in front of the Supreme Court. You must never fail this country by giving up. Never! Cause if you fail, he'll be your president too. Each and every day, for the next 8 years (maybe more as I'm sure he won't abide by term limits). How do you like the sound of: The United States of Obama?
You must fight against this abuse of our beloved constitution as hard as you fought against George Bush's abuses. Just as hard!
Technorati Tags: obama birth certificate, obama not citizen, obama is an impostor, obama violates constitution
Stupid symbolic gestures
The use of stupid symbolic gestures annoy me. Now, we have this:
Let's face it, whether they are driving or flying, these fuckers don't have a clue, and no symbolic gesture is going to change that.
What if the company in crisis was Boeing? How would we expect its CEO to make it from Chicago to Washington, DC?
This time GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) CEO Alan Mulally and Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli drove fuel-efficient hybrids to Washington, rather than flying in on corporate jets as they did two weeks ago.Isn't this absurd? Why should any CEO, drive from Detroit to Washington, DC? I know the symbolism of using private jets a couple of weeks ago wasn't so great, but what's the point of going to this other extreme?
Let's face it, whether they are driving or flying, these fuckers don't have a clue, and no symbolic gesture is going to change that.
What if the company in crisis was Boeing? How would we expect its CEO to make it from Chicago to Washington, DC?
Spitzer and the bailout
Eliot Spitzer (yes, the former governor of New York), makes a lot of sense about this whole bailout business:
A more sensible approach would focus not just on rescuing pre-existing financial institutions but, instead, on creating a structure for more contained and competitive ones. For years, we have accepted a theory of financial concentration—not only across all lines of previously differentiated sectors (insurance, commercial banking, investment banking, retail brokerage, etc.) but in terms of sheer size. The theory was that capital depth would permit the various entities, dubbed financial supermarkets, to compete and provide full service to customers while cross-marketing various products. That model has failed...I don't know if Mr. Spitzer will be a regular columnist at Slate. I hope so. Despite is personal peccadilloes, the man has a lot to offer.
But even more important, from a structural perspective, our dependence on entities of this size ensured that we would fall prey to a "too big to fail" argument in favor of bailouts... The better policy is to return to an era of vibrant competition among multiple, smaller entities—none so essential to the entire structure that it is indispensable.
Prop 8, the short musical
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Let's buy them out
Should we bailout the auto makers? No, says Michael Moore; we should buy them out:
You could buy ALL the common shares of stock in General Motors for less than $3 billion. Why should we give GM $18 billion or $25 billion or anything? Take the money and buy the company! (You're going to demand collateral anyway if you give them the "loan," and because we know they will default on that loan, you're going to own the company in the end as it is. So why wait? Just buy them out now.)As I often say, it's a Republican myth that private business can run things better than government (somethings they can't, many they can't). And Michael pointed to a very good example of when government did the right thing:
The national rail system was in shambles in the '70s. The government took it over. A decade later it was turning a profit, so the government returned it to private/public hands, and got a couple billion dollars put back in the treasury.Let's turn the auto industry over to smart public servants who care about people (tax payers, consumers, and employees) more than they care about just themselves, instead of giving the greedy and clueless more money to continue to build terrible cars.
Bad timing
I started reading this interview at Salon with Nick Davis, but before the actual interview, it says this:
Last week, Salon spoke with Nick Davis, a former British Army pilot, who now heads a firm that addresses piracy by non-lethal means. Davis, founder and CEO of the U.K.-based Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS), argues that the Somali pirates are far less aggressive than their image in the media would suggest, and that the best way to counteract them is via high-tech audio, not guns. Recent events, however, may undermine Davis' business plan: On Nov. 28, three days after this interview, and after Davis insisted the non-lethal strategy was effective, a three-man crew from his firm had to jump into the ocean to escape from pirates who had overwhelmed a tanker they had been hired to protect. Davis' team was rescued by a German naval helicopter; the tanker's crew of 25 was still being held hostage at press time. Salon spoke with Davis by phone.I lost interest in the interview. What's the point of his "expertize", after learning that his approach failed so miserably?
It's soccer to me
I have no idea if, in general, governments kicking in cash to build stadiums is a good idea but it would be nice if reporters, trying to make a point, didn't omit and distort important information from us, and refrained from making plain dumb points.
Take this article by Karen Heller talking about a soccer stadium being built in Chester PA, as an example. In it she says that:
Further, nowhere in the article does Ms. Heller mention that the plan is to spend $500 million at that location from private investors, of which the stadium is only about $115 million ($77 from the government). The balance of the money is to build office space and housing, which are being built to create new tax revenue and jobs for the city.
Lastly, the number of events will be higher than the number she mentions. This point has been debunked many times. Between playoff, pre-season games, friendlies, qualifying matches, college games, concerts, etc. that number will be much higher than she suggested.
I really have no idea if that project makes any sense, but how am I suppose to be informed when this writer is so off the mark?
Take this article by Karen Heller talking about a soccer stadium being built in Chester PA, as an example. In it she says that:
- Less than 10% of Chester's population has a college degree.
- Chester is the poorest city in Pennsylvania.
- There's hardly a place to get a decent cup of coffee.
- So poor that they don't even have a supermarket.
- The team will play 18 home and two exhibition games - roughly 40 hours of play. And the arena will host a few concerts and festivals, for 31 events total.
- And she ends by saying that "a supermarket would have cost so much less."
Further, nowhere in the article does Ms. Heller mention that the plan is to spend $500 million at that location from private investors, of which the stadium is only about $115 million ($77 from the government). The balance of the money is to build office space and housing, which are being built to create new tax revenue and jobs for the city.
Lastly, the number of events will be higher than the number she mentions. This point has been debunked many times. Between playoff, pre-season games, friendlies, qualifying matches, college games, concerts, etc. that number will be much higher than she suggested.
I really have no idea if that project makes any sense, but how am I suppose to be informed when this writer is so off the mark?
Technorati Tags: chester soccer stadium, mls, philadelphia soccer
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
How about Merry Holidays?
What is it with conservatives always finding a reason to keeping a perpetual state of war?
Anyway, there is no war, really, except for the one being fought on the conservative side.
Sen. Chris Buttars of Utah is sponsoring a resolution calling on everyone to say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" and doing so, he insists, because he's "sick of the Christmas wars"Wouldn't being tired of the war be resolved by just letting people say whatever they damn well please? Let them exercise their first amendment right and presto -- we have instant peace.
Anyway, there is no war, really, except for the one being fought on the conservative side.
Technorati Tags: christmas war, happy holidays, merry christmas
1968 versus 2008
Are we better off today than in 1968, in terms of social and economic freedom? Veronique de Rugy things so. While she makes good points, frankly, her logic is very incomplete or even distorting:
She also says this:
There’s a better measure of living standards than raw wealth: consumption. By this measure, the United States is also doing very well. Luxury goods that few could afford in 1968 are now standard in most households, including poor ones. Writing in the July/August 2008 American, Michael Cox and Richard Alm, the senior vice president and chief economist and the senior economics writer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, reported that in 2005 a full 85 percent of households that are classified as poor by the Census Bureau have air conditioning (compared to only 36 percent in 1971); 97 percent have a color television (compared to 40 percent in 1971); 40 percent have an automatic dishwasher (as opposed to 20 percent in 1971); and almost 100 percent own a refrigerator (a 25 percent increase over 1970).That sounds good but what she does not talk about is how many people are now up to their necks in debt (credit cards, student loans, etc.) Also, no mention of how many families had one income back then versus having to have multiple incomes today to survive.
She also says this:
It’s not hard to point to other areas where government has grown and liberty yielded. Look no further than your morning routine. The federal government has put its imprimatur on the mattress on your bed (through the Consumer Product Safety Commission). The Federal Communications Commission regulates the transmission and content of your favorite morning show. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, regulate the coffee you drink and the sugar you add to it. The USDA regulates the milk you pour in the coffee, as well as cheese, butter, and other dairy products you might eat for breakfast. And the FDA has its say about the shampoo, soap, and toothpaste you use with water that’s regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.Except for the annoyance of security related to air travel, how have I yielded liberties because producers must ensure that their products are safer? I beg to differ with her assertion that we yielded liberty. I actually believe I have greater freedom today because I have less to worry about when I go shopping. And cable television is much freer now than network television was back in 1968.
I'll take it
Reports are that Bill Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are not interested in Hillary Clinton's seat as the Senator from New York. Hey, offer it to me, I'll take it... with one condition: that I can refer to some Republican senators as "you fucking jerks" right on the Senate floor. Deal?
Monday, December 01, 2008
War on Christmas
Catherine has advice for some "special" Christians.
'Tis the season for parents everywhere to demonstrate for their children the real meaning of the holidays.And so she does... say a thing or two.
I'd like to take this minute to learn the Bill O'Reilly crowd a thing or two.
Soccer on snow
Someday, the soccer season in the USA will be September through May (I think it would be cool to start the season on Labor day and end it on Memorial day). After all, soccer really is a winter sport, as this little clip of a game from the Dutch league shows. Notice the full stands and the bicycle kick goal.
(Clip link from Soccer Insider)
(Clip link from Soccer Insider)
Technorati Tags: soccer in usa, soccer in winter, mls winter season, dutch football
The Brits are horny toads
The results of this survey showing the Brits as the most promiscuous people in the western world are a surprise to me, although after Hugh Grant and George Micheal's sexual incidents, it shouldn't be:
Anyway, here's the list of rankings by country:
when it comes to one-night stands, numbers of partners and attitudes to casual sex, Britain leads the field, ahead of even liberal nations such as the Netherlands and the passionate Italians. The researchers believe that [Britain's] place at the top of the table could be linked to the way society has become more tolerant of sexual promiscuity among women as well as men. Women are now as accepting of one-night stands as men, they claimed.I just don't know why the author chose to use phrases such as "It is far from an achievement to be proud of" and "Researchers blamed the situation on" as if sex is something to be ashamed of. There are a lot worst things the British should be scolded for... such as The Spice Girls, their food, and their royal family, to name a few.
Anyway, here's the list of rankings by country:
Technorati Tags: promiscuous, sex survey, casual sex, sexual tolerance, one-night stands
