A fine actor, best known for his role on the M*A*S*H television series, Harry Morgan, has died.
My favorite Morgan vehicle, tho, is Inherit The Wind.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
2024's Herman Cain
He talks the talk, and is even dumb as a bag of hammers.
Regulation does not kill jobs. In fact, America is one of the LEAST regulated free market nations and the only free market nations experiencing job growth are the ones with strong regulations.
If You Live In The Northeast, Prepare For Lyme Disease Next Year
We know there will be a bad outbreak next year, because there aren't many acorns this year.
Considering His Future Plans...
Andrew Cuomo has all but announced that he would run for President in 2016. Considering the current attitude in this country about tax hikes, this is a bold move. He could easily have passed the plate.
But, on the other hand, if he does reduce the deficit without creating major economic damage, it will be an incredibly strong platform to run on.
On Black Friday, We Bought X-Boxes, iPads, Clothing...Guns....
It's true. Black Friday 2011 set the all-time record for gun sales in America, eclipsing Black Friday 2008 (just after the black Muslin socialist was elected).
In fact, gun ownership is trending upward, in large part due to the tough economic times which will undoubtedly spike crimes like burglary and robbery, along with the divisive nature of the far right wing, the hate speech of the Teabaggers, and of course, the ridiculous-yet-intriguing apolcalyptic talk of 2012.
It's enough to make me think I may need one sooner or later. Fortunately, I have enough LEO friends to not only get great advice on which guns, but to help train me better.
Throwing His Balls In
In the great Pokemon battle that has become the Teabaggers v. Mitt Romney, competitor after competitor has been laughed off the pitch: MickeyMousemann, Perryoopsie, Caintrain. The Teabaggers might finally have thrown a Pokeball that might have an effect against Mittman: Newtiechoo
Mitt Romney vows to make his "closing argument" for the GOP presidential nomination, including drawing some sharp distinctions with new front-runner Newt Gingrich.
Romney has led or been near the top of national public opinion polls this year, only to lose ground to Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry., Herman Cain and now Gingrich. They have been viewed as more conservative than Romney, who has drawn the ire of some in the GOP for the health care law he signed as Massachusetts governor.
Newtiechoo has taken a pretty commanding lead in Iowa polling, has pulled ahead in New Hampshire and has a strong lead in South Carolina, all states now critical to a Romney victory. Until now, Mittman had been able to rise above the crowd, confining his direct confrontation to the endless debates.
The two combatants find themselves in similar straits, with similar weapons and similar strengths and weaknesses (save for Newtiechoo's immoral behavior all his life.) This creates a distinct problem for Romney since the "Anyone But Romney" vote is almost three times as big as Romney's poll numbers.
Romney's saving grace is that Gingrich has his own baggage as far as the rank-and-file Teabaggers go. For example, his comments on Paul Ryan's "conservative social engineering" healthcare proposal could not have sat well, nor his flip-flop on an individual health insurance mandate. Both seem to support Obamacare. Both seem to support Romneycare. The debate on the far right will be about the lesser of two weasels.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Put It This Way
When this was launched, Jimmy Carter was President
There was no iPhone. No iPod. No Internet as we know it. There were no personal computers. Yet. No GPS. Cable was something only the really wealthy and the really lucky could afford. You could still dial a telephone call, but your phone and receiver were landlocked. Cell phones were bricks the weight of a shotput and had to be slung over your shoulder.
And even with all that, we made it to the edge of our Solar System using computers whose power today would fit on a fingernail.
Jon Stewart Has That Je Ne Sais Quoi Pas
Y'know, I never really thought of the Republican Presidential contest as a Pokemon battle before.
"Newtiechoo! I choose you!"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
Mitt "Republican Establishment" Romney criticizes the President for playing golf.
Gee, where was he the first eight years of this century?
I Suspect China Will Sign Off On Kyoto Long Before America Does
They have air so thick you can slice it.
So, I'm Flipping Channels On My DISH Last Night...
...when I come across this: Russia Today television.
OK, granted, it's as propaganda-laden as any of the mainstream media, but at least they're taking a fresh look at American stories (like Occupy Wall Street.)
And to my wondering eyes, what should appear on the TeeVee but one Robert Farley of Lawyers, Guns, and Money, one of my favorite hangouts on the web, discussing the apparent US-Israeli attacks on Iran that no one in the US media was talking about until it was almost impossible to ignore.
Yet another reason to drop your corporacratic cable company or FOX-owned DirecTV and get yourself DISH Network. The unvarnished truth.
I Can Only Imagine The Right Wing Panty Twisting On This Story
Suicide bombing in Kabul kills dozens of Shi'ites.
No One Could Have Forseen This!
Under the cloud of possible layoffs and/or benefit cuts after working dozens of years, many experienced and knowledgable public sector workers are opting for early retirement to lock in their benefits.
And basically leaving government at all levels sorely lacking in wisdom at their time of most dire need.
Really smart, Teabaggers. Really smart.
Unexpected Consequences
I suppose that, in order to keep up appearances of "fairness" in dealing with Occupy Wall Street, extending the police state to include all street musicians is appropriate.
Fucking fascists.
Lies, By Airmail
The US Postal Service is in pretty drastic difficulty. Of course, the usual suspects are laying blame at the usual feet:
How did it come to this? The culprits include the internet, labor expenses, and, as with pretty much every problem our country faces now, Congress.
When you analyze the facts a little, as Weismann clearly has not, you begin to understand that it's the last that is responsible for the problems, in toto.
Let's take a look...
Keep in mind that the US Postal Service is two things: it is one of the few Federal agencies mandated in the Constitution (under the guise of "Post Office," but more on that in a bit,) and it is the only private corporation masquerading as a Federal agency (yes, you can make a case for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and all the other nym-lending agencies, but those are public corporations in which the government holds preferred stock.)
Yes, the Internet and e-mail have made first class mail almost...almost...superfluous. And the decline in total mail volume has clearly hurt the postal service. Remember, the Postal Service must guarantee delivery to every citizen in the United States, regardless of how remote that person may be.
And ever since Congress allowed for the privatization of express delivery services to FedEx and others, a very profitable arm of the postal service was amputated, the bleeding never staunched.
By the way, none of the delivery services has to guarantee delivery to anyplace. They can make you get in your car and drive to a local facility where you can pick up your package, and then it's up to you to get it home. Good luck with that.
Which now raises the second facet of this point: the Postal Service must clear any rate increases with the Postal Regulatory Commission, membership on which is subject to Senate confirmation and Presidential appointment.
Meaning that, if for example, the USPS was to ask for a rate increase that recognizes that bulk mail now makes up the lion's share of its carrying obligation (the "universal service obligation"), if the commission is comprised of smart people that rate will be allowed. But half the current commission (a commissioner's seat is vacant, awaiting Senate approval) is not smart, but Republican.
And we all know the lobbying that goes on in Republican quarters. Indeed, a rate hike in bulk mail would not only trigger protests from the junk mail senders (who have a substantial lobbying presence) but the banks, credit card companies, retailers...well, you get the picture.
So, once again, the revenue stream is hampered by a Congress which wants private industry to make as much money as possible, except for this particular private corporation, which it views as a government agency.
Which now introduces point #2: labor costs.
It's true, the US Postal Service seems at times to be the employer of last resort: if you're too old to go into the military and can't get a job anyplace else, there always seems to be some post office somewhere that could use a hand.
Remember, the USPS is under a Constitutional mandate to deliver your mail, anywhere, and under a statutory obligation to deliver your mail anywhere...within six days. End of discussion. All for less than 50 cents. That means manpower, because the USPS can't go to the capital markets to raise funds to, say, automate better. That means that 80% of the Postal service budget is spent on people. By contrast, Fedex (which can float bonds to raise capital) can automate to their hearts delight (as can UPS) and cut delivery services without anyone forcing them not to. Fedex still spends over half its budget on payroll related items. UPS, almost two thirds.
That doesn't sound out of line with the USPS when you think about it, but the USPS is a government job.
And as with so many government jobs, the pay is crap but the enticements to stick it out are great.
Like a pension. The Postal service pension obligation is somewhere in the billions of dollars annually, like any other large government operation.
Unlike any other government obligation, the Congress deemed fit to "tax" the Postal Service $5.5 billion dollars each year as a contribution to the pension fund, and if you factor out that olbigation, the USPS turns a pretty stunning profit right up until 2010 (it still earned $400 million dollars, pre-pension funding.)
Mind you, that funding is to shore up pensions payable over the next several decades, not the immediate obligations (which are fully funded, thankfully.)
So the USPS is a private corporation when they want it to be, but a public corporation when they want it to be, which means things are pretty muddled and it really is all Congress' fault. If Congress treated it like a government operation, that entire pension would be funded out of our tax dollars instead of our tax dollars.
Huh?
That's right: you and I subsidize that bulk mail thingie in both our postage and whatever small fundings Congress deems appropriate.
And it's this part that Weismann actually gets right: the Postal Service can't shut a branch without Congressional approval, despite the fact that 25,000 of 32,000 branches run an operating loss. It can't act as a private corporation when it has to.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Clueless Douchebag Is Clueless
Here's a clue: maybe if they created jobs, people wouldn't be so pissed.
Some Sanity
Now, I have no issue with churches, particularly small, struggling ones.
That said, I'm glad the SCOTUS took a rational position here.
When Will The Dems Get It?
There's no compromising with these asshats. There's only beating the tar out of them.
Here's The Thing
The US Postal Service is the only "private" company in the world that is guaranteed to lose money because it is required to pay an annual stipend to the Federal government of $5 billion.
It is also the only private company in the country that is required by the US Constitution (yes, I know, it only requires a postal service, but this is the form we've put it in.)
So how in the hell can Weaker Boener allow this to happen?
This
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think stinking up your clothes and body is somehow more pleasant than bathing daily and using a modicum of cologne.
Newt-Onian Physics
There's an interesting dynamic now taking shape in the GOP race: the rise of Newt Gingrich
In and of itself, that's a remarkable statement: Gingrich hasn't been on the national political scene since he was forced out as Speaker of the House way back in the Clinton administration. Even President Dumbya was smart enough to stay away from this pudgie toxic waste dump of stoopid.
But when you consider how Gingrich both withered away-- revelations of his demanding a divorce from his wife on what could have been her death-bed, complete with notepad of how to divide the marital assets, his numerous affairs with women clearly out of his league, his tantrum when he was forced to sit in the back of Air Force One on a state visit-- and his intervening years-- making television commercials with both Al Sharpton and Nancy Pelosi, calling out Paul Ryan's budget plan, accepting money from Freddie Mac while deriding them publicly, coming out in favor of a healthcare mandate, to name just a few-- make his "comeback," however temporary it is fated to be, pretty astounding.
It would not be unlike Eliot Spitzer deciding to run for President, and becoming the front-runner by basically making shit up about his past: "Twitter? What's that?"
I'm pretty convinced by now that President Obama and the Democratic party are egging on this "flavor-of-the-month" gallop by the various nags and dodgepots in the horserace to accomplish two things: to force the nomination into Mitt Romney's hands and then to force an insurgency candidacy by (choose your poison.)
Newt is just the current bookmark until the race begins in earnest early next year. The ideal scenario for the Democrats would be a bloody, heated battle between Newt (or whomever) and Mitt that would last well into the spring, exhausting the financial resources of both while tallying up much-needed ammunition for the general campaign.
I know, it's really unfair to hold a candidate to his own words, but what the hey, right?
That Newt believes he is more electable than anyone else running is a black mark on both the Republican party and Newt himself.
Newt's self-image is grossly out of proportion to his actual essence as a cad, liar, and coward. Somehow, tho, he's managed to surround himself with enough desperate people to "yes" him to death. This, I think, explains the mulitude of enticements that have been put in his way. Too, I think his success has come about because he operates at his best in an environment that applauds mediocrity. If Newt was playing tee ball today, he'd get a trpophy for getting the bat off his shoulder, is what I'm saying.
As for the party, that Newt can still be taken seriously as a candidate speaks to the shallowness of the gene pool, which happens when a small but vocal minority of your party has oversized influence. It would be nice to see the Olympia Snowes and Amo Houghtons of the GOP get a chance in the spotlight, but those candidacies would be non-starters, precisely because they want to work to make the country a better place, not pray it does.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
MEMO
TO: Fathead Newt Gingrich
FROM: Actor212
SUBJECT: Reponsibility
I quote you:
Gingrich tells about 500 insurance company employees at their Des Moines headquarters that they have responsibilities to their community and to their neighborhood, and “we’re all going to have to roll up our sleeves and be a little bit more responsible in the next 30 years.”
1) After 9-11, when President Bush told Americans to just relax and go shopping, we did.
2) When President Bush told us America was an ownership society, we took him seriously, went out and bought houses.
Why do you think we're in the mess we're all in, but we were being responsible according to the leader of YOUR OWN PARTY.
By the way, how many times you been divorced? Were you being responsible while Callista was suckign your dick in your office?
It Occurs To Me
If there were actual, real young Republicans, John Huntsman would be a slam dunk for the nomination.
Today In "So, ,We're Really Fucked"....
The Economist, that bastion of socialist thinking, sees no hope.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, I Don't Think That's Going To Work, Boys
The Senate GOP are going to try to blackmail President Obama into fast-track approval of the XL pipeline, in the name of....get this...jobs.
The Law Of Unintended Consequences
Alabama passes immigrant-hate legislation.
A St. Louis newspaper suggests Mercedes pulls their factory out, after a German executive was arrested for not having his "Papers, please!"
You can't explain it.
How Serious Is Newt's Campaign?
Well, serious enough that Ron Paul senses an opening.
I swear, it's like watching a pro-wrestling battle royal as they try to dump each other over the top rope.
Needless To Say
No One Could Have Forseen This Coming
Dispossessed families, foreclosed from too-big homes, living in their next largest asset: the family car.
Never has unemployment been so high for so long. And as a result, more than 16 million kids are living in poverty - the most since 1962. It's worst where the construction industry collapsed. And one of those places is central Florida.
We went there eight months ago to meet families who'd become homeless for the first time in their lives. So many were living day-to-day that school buses changed their routes to pick up all the kids living in cheap motels. We called the story "Hard Times Generation."
Now, we've gone back to see how things have changed. It turns out some families are losing their grip on the motels and discovering the homeless shelters are full. Where do they go then? They keep up appearances by day and try to stay out of sight at night - holding on to one another in a hidden America - a place you wouldn't notice unless you ran into the people that we met in the moments before dawn.
But hey, those one-percenters, they have their yachts and second and third homes to live in if by some queer freak chance, they were foreclosed on by the banks, right?
Look, I don't want to sound alarmist, but I think the country...the world...is in deeper trouble than anyone realistically wants to admit. We seem to be devolving from a middle class society, with strong middle class values and an economy dependent on our middle class for both production and consumption, into an almost feudal serfdom, with itinerant workers grabbing scraps of work where they can and putting down their heads wherever they can.
Desperation sets in and pretty soon all sorts of behavior becomes the norm in places where there is no security, no safety net. Right whingers complain about the Occupy movement, claiming it's just a bunch of shiftless, spoiled kids who ought to take a bath and get a job. But as the people in the linked piece demonstrate, nearly all of them want to work, want to be productive members of society, but society has been slowly closing the gates on productive work paying a living wage that anyone can do in favor of the affluent and their minions.
It's going to stop, to be sure. and if the Right Whingers think Occupy is a sham movement fronting for socialism, well, they ain't seen nothing yet. The hungry, the destitute, the desperate, once they begin to march, they won't be polite. They won't be respectful. They won't merely shout and obstuct, they will be violent and raging, and tearing things up and down.
Once those folks no longer have homes and jobs and prospects for work, they will turn their attention on those who do. Human survival, ultimately, comes down to ensuring your own personal survival first. This is what I would call "the capitalism of the cave."
If economic capitalism is defined as each individual acting in his own self-interest contributing to the greater good, the cave-capitalism will be equally cold-blooded. If economic competition is defined as being that much better than your rival, cave-competition is going to incorporate that, but on a scale that will not be limited to lawful means of satisfying your self-interest.
There will be no safe places. I don't care how carefully guarded your gated community is, or how many security cameras you have or attack dogs. At the end of the day, if fifty starving people swarm your walls, maybe five or ten will be caught. That still leaves forty to ransack your home, steal your car and things, and eat your food.
The Statue of Liberty has a line in its commemoration plaque:
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Translated to 21st Century language, it says "We were kicked out of all the cool countries because we didn't fit in with their notion of proper society."
You really expect their descendants to be any different?
The great liberal, John F. Kennedy, wrote in Profiles In Courage, "A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality."
But he also said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
This is not a war the 99% choose to wage, but we are willing to battle.
That Slapping Sound You Heard?
Wingnuts all over America responding to this bizarre story.
I'll be honest: I don't watch the Miss America pageant anymore, have no real interest in it, and I think it may be a dated product of a different generation, but I'm thinking in the heartland, there's still a significant number of people who follow it, and this is bound to give rise to a bunch of idiotic blogposts.
In addition to this one, of course.
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