Jews should know. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and a few other crackpots new wrinkle the last couple of days is trying to sell the half baked conspiracy theory to their ignorant hardcore listeners that somehow health care reform and other Obama policies amount to some new form of the Third Reich's National Socialism.
What the fuck does reforming the health care system, lowering the cost of coverage or saving the economy have to do with Hitler? Answer is nothing. If nothing else Obama's policies are more centrist and mainstream American then most on the left would like to see. Limbaugh and Beck like to prey on the misinformed masses out there in an effort to improve their ratings and feed their egos. Much of this crap is far off point of course, but it muddles or blocks the real debate. In the fifties it was the commies are coming to get us. Now our brains are being taken over by some unseen Nazi agenda to place computer chips in your soon to be ethanized granny's head.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
White House Fires Back At Drudge False Claims On Health Care
The White House, is responding to a misleading and out of context Drudge Report linked video that catches Obama in 2003, that's six years ago, talking about how he would favor a single payer plan. Well good for him I'd say. But to the wingnuts it just more fuel for the socialist conspiracy mind meld takeover bullshit.
The rebuttal features Linda Douglass, formerly an ABC News correspondent and now a White House official, showing Drudge’s homepage on the screen of her office computer.
The rebuttal features Linda Douglass, formerly an ABC News correspondent and now a White House official, showing Drudge’s homepage on the screen of her office computer.
Keith Olbermann On Why Some In Congress Are Selling You Down The River On Health Care Reform
It's a battle to the death people.... I know this has been posted lots of places, but it just too good not to get posted one more in hopes that someone who may not of seen it, will.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Teabagging The Townhall Healthcare Reform Comics
click on image to enlargeI hope Norman Rockwell and FDR will forgive me.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
This Is The Type Of Health Care Rhetoric Obama Should Of Used At His Press Conference
The video below could be the first real salvo in the fight that is coming for real health care reform in America. Obama's new video from organizing for America raises the rhetorical bar to that of a full fledged political campaign.
The recent delays in Congressional committees have been interpreted by the main stream press as a victory for the forces of status quo, the insurance and health industry forces who want to kill any real reform. In fact that is how they killed it in 1994. It buys them more time to demonize reform and run millions of dollars in anti-reform ads hoping to only confuse us more. They think that the devil we know is better then the devil we don't know.
I am reasonably sure that the President knew this could or would happen and is now ready to take them on using the same tactics that got him elected president in the first place. Taking the message to the people outside the other Washington and framing it into a higher and more compelling goal.
Most pundits I've heard gave Obama low marks on his recent health care presser. He was like a college professor trying to explain the inside baseball aspects of the particular parts of what reform of health care would really look like. Unfortunately many Americans probably grabbed the clicker and switched over to shit for brains Glen Beck. Then of course, the presentation went completely south when it got sidetracked on the Gates arrest media feeding frenzy thing.
I think most Americans with a brain realize that health care needs reforming, but get lost when you get into he weeds with them on the details. This latest video I think returns the debate to a level that most Americans will better understand.
Are you ready to join in the fight? Because if your not health care reform it probably a goner. Just freaking die.
The recent delays in Congressional committees have been interpreted by the main stream press as a victory for the forces of status quo, the insurance and health industry forces who want to kill any real reform. In fact that is how they killed it in 1994. It buys them more time to demonize reform and run millions of dollars in anti-reform ads hoping to only confuse us more. They think that the devil we know is better then the devil we don't know.
I am reasonably sure that the President knew this could or would happen and is now ready to take them on using the same tactics that got him elected president in the first place. Taking the message to the people outside the other Washington and framing it into a higher and more compelling goal.
Most pundits I've heard gave Obama low marks on his recent health care presser. He was like a college professor trying to explain the inside baseball aspects of the particular parts of what reform of health care would really look like. Unfortunately many Americans probably grabbed the clicker and switched over to shit for brains Glen Beck. Then of course, the presentation went completely south when it got sidetracked on the Gates arrest media feeding frenzy thing.
I think most Americans with a brain realize that health care needs reforming, but get lost when you get into he weeds with them on the details. This latest video I think returns the debate to a level that most Americans will better understand.
Are you ready to join in the fight? Because if your not health care reform it probably a goner. Just freaking die.
Blue Dog Ben Nelson Is A Douche Bag
So called Blue Dog Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska is a real douche bag for sure, but I guess he's our douche bag. Which makes it even worse. He got over 2 million from health and insurance company special interest in contributions and now he's delaying real health care reform. Delay only works in the favor of the people who want to maintain the status quo. Send Ben a message and ask him what side he's on, the insurance companies or the working people?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Public Options Already Exists And Works Better Than Private
My mom gets treatment under medicare and I got my cancer successfully treated at the VA.
Both of us receive higher quality treatment then many in the private sector. That's if your actually covered under your expensive private insurance since insurance companies are liable to drop you if they think your illness costs too much to cure.
The truth is and studies show that programs like medicare and the VA provides coverage more efficiently and for less to millions than does the private sector. Most increasess in medicare cost are due to the rising cost of providing medical coverage with a broken system. The VA system is considered one of the most efficient and quality systems in the country by experts. Both are of course public systems provided by the government and are a glimpse of what the public option could be.
Wake up people. and start learning the truth about public health care not just Republican and corporate lies.
Both of us receive higher quality treatment then many in the private sector. That's if your actually covered under your expensive private insurance since insurance companies are liable to drop you if they think your illness costs too much to cure.
The truth is and studies show that programs like medicare and the VA provides coverage more efficiently and for less to millions than does the private sector. Most increasess in medicare cost are due to the rising cost of providing medical coverage with a broken system. The VA system is considered one of the most efficient and quality systems in the country by experts. Both are of course public systems provided by the government and are a glimpse of what the public option could be.
Wake up people. and start learning the truth about public health care not just Republican and corporate lies.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Boycott Montana
If Senator Baucus from Montana, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and insurance and drug company butt boy, manages to remove the public option from health care reform legislation I won't be visiting Montana any time soon to spend my tourist dollars.
I move you join me and send a message to Baucus that we will boycott his state if he sells us out to the insurance and drug companies with his so call bi-partisan compromise. My ass.
Call Baucus and tell him if the public option is off the table so is his state. Simply call the number and tell whoever answers you have a message for the Senator that your boycotting his state, since he more interested in protecting the insurance and drug companies then the working people. Here's the phone numbers.
Washington, D.C. 20510
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
(202) 224-2651(Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)
Missoula
280 E. Front St.
Suite 100 Missoula, MT 59802
406) 329-3123
I move you join me and send a message to Baucus that we will boycott his state if he sells us out to the insurance and drug companies with his so call bi-partisan compromise. My ass.
Call Baucus and tell him if the public option is off the table so is his state. Simply call the number and tell whoever answers you have a message for the Senator that your boycotting his state, since he more interested in protecting the insurance and drug companies then the working people. Here's the phone numbers.
Washington, D.C. 20510
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
(202) 224-2651(Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)
Missoula
280 E. Front St.
Suite 100 Missoula, MT 59802
406) 329-3123
Send The Blue Dogs Blocking Heathcare Reform A Message Now
Take action send a message to the gang of 6 blocking real health care reform.
Have you heard about the six senators who are out to kill health care reform. Of course, that's not how they'd phrase it. Sens. Baucus, Bingaman, Conrad, Enzi, Grassley and Snowe say they're striving for "bi-partisan compromise." But what they're actually doing is working to make sure reform won't include a public option or mandatory employer-based insurance - two key policies needed for effective reform.
There are 100 members of the Senate, but these six, inexplicably, seem to be holding all the cards when it comes to health care. So you probably won't be surprised to learn that all six have taken a huge amount of money from the health insurance industry and pharma.
via: credo action
Have you heard about the six senators who are out to kill health care reform. Of course, that's not how they'd phrase it. Sens. Baucus, Bingaman, Conrad, Enzi, Grassley and Snowe say they're striving for "bi-partisan compromise." But what they're actually doing is working to make sure reform won't include a public option or mandatory employer-based insurance - two key policies needed for effective reform.
There are 100 members of the Senate, but these six, inexplicably, seem to be holding all the cards when it comes to health care. So you probably won't be surprised to learn that all six have taken a huge amount of money from the health insurance industry and pharma.
via: credo action
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tweet Congress About Heathcare Reform Now
If you have a twitter account or want to create one then you can now tweet your lawmaker in Congress directly and tell them to support health care. Use the message composed already or write your own. Tell them to pass healthcare reform now and stop stalling. 60 years of waiting is enough.
WA Reichert and McMorris Defend Birthers
This is pretty good stuff. Firedoglake sent a reporter to Washington, DC to pin down suspected birther supporting members of Congress on just how they stood on the birther issue. Representative McMorris R 5th and Reichert R 8th of WA look pretty stupid defending this shit. McMorris is really not that surprising, we know she's a wingnut, but do the mostly well educated moderate folks in the 8th district know Reichert is propagating this crap.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Harvard Professor Failed Personality Test
Working as I did as a municipal court clerk for more then 25 years in Seattle, I saw my fair share of criminal cases come before the court that also involved police officers having to deal with unruly or abusive citizens or visa versa. Dealing with unruly officers is a story we all have some experience with.
When it comes to the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates, that we are all learning more about each day because of the involvement of the President who apparently saw the incident as a teaching moment when asked the question about it in a nationally televised press conference, police and legal profession types have often referred to such a arrest in the classic legal system slang as the citizen who, “failed the personality test”.
What it usually involves is a unruly, drunk or disrespectful citizen/suspect who’s verbal abuse of officers, or other high jinks have given way inevitably to a form of police abuse of power and retribution the cops jokingly call the failure to pass the personality test.
The Gate’s case I think is a classic example.
Often officers will end up more or less throwing the book at the abusive disrespectful person, and taking him to jail for what maybe considered normally minor or chippie violations of the law. The defendant ends up spending the night in jail and having to deal with the pending charges. If the charges are dropped, as was the case in the Gates case, the officer has still successfully played the roll of prosecutor, judge, and jury because the defendant has been punished whether the prosecutorial authority pursues the case(s) or not. In most cases like this one when the charge person has little or no criminal record the punishment of one day in jail and all the legal hassles involved with dealing with the charge(s) are more punishment then the defendant would of received had he in fact inevitably been found guilty.
Professor Gates and President Obama are probably the two worst people in the world for a cop to pick on or deal with in such a circumstance. Gates made his name promoting and teaching civil rights and certainly knows more then the average cop will about racial based abuse by the police in this country. Obama made his political bones as an Illinois State Senator championing laws to protect against racial profiling.
So it’s no wonder that Obama and Gates are apparently making an effort to make the incident a teachable moment for the rest of us oblivious white folks. Maybe in the long run it may raise consciousness, if your not already a right wing racial bigot. In which case it will probably reinforce all your fears about loss of white power because of the election of a African American as president.
When Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times asked the question during the press conference about the Gate’s incident I’m sure Obama though he’s been thrown a soft ball question about a subject he is well verse on, racial profiling. This is where the problem started. He immediately became the professor talking to a class of students at Harvard law school about the history of racial profiling in America. He started off all right by disclosing the professor was a friend and that he knew nothing about the real facts of the case. But soon drifted into a general condemnation of racial profiling in this nation which included the “police acted stupidly it appears in this case” remark. He been better off saying I don’t know what happened but it appears the charges have been dropped, and left it at that. Leaving the teaching for later.
Most knowledgeable observers of the case admit the police overreacted. Even though there is evidence that Gates was abusive to officers in his own home the smart or streetwise officer in most cases would of just said, “have a nice day” and left the scene happy to not have to hear the professor harangue them anymore as racists or profiling. Plus they would of not had to fill out all the paperwork involved with the arrest and booking.
It be back to the donuts shop for them.
It has always amazed me the things people will do when confronted with dealing with a police situation or officer. Standing up to police when your rights are being violated is one thing, but acting stupid or getting worked up when it comes to dealing with the police is another. Usually it involves some form of intoxication. Blacks and Latinos do experience racial profiling and police abuse of power often, especially in locations where that type of thing is institutionalized. That’s a reality that we all must accept and do what we can to overcome.
But in this case I think what really happened here is that both Gates and the officers overreacted. Gates by going into a tirade about race and directing it in a personal way to the officers, and the officers for not realizing that because of Gates personal life experience he needed to blow off some steam. The officers employed the personality test on Gates and in their minds they felt justified because of the no one should ever disrespect police code cops often are encourage to buy into or otherwise known on the street as failing the police personality test.
I'm sure Gates probably felt pretty dumb losing his keys and having to break into his own home to start with. The incident also says tons about his neighbor who apparently didn’t know him well enough to be able to recognize him as the person trying to gain entry through a window, which led them to call 911 in the first place.
When it comes to the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates, that we are all learning more about each day because of the involvement of the President who apparently saw the incident as a teaching moment when asked the question about it in a nationally televised press conference, police and legal profession types have often referred to such a arrest in the classic legal system slang as the citizen who, “failed the personality test”.
What it usually involves is a unruly, drunk or disrespectful citizen/suspect who’s verbal abuse of officers, or other high jinks have given way inevitably to a form of police abuse of power and retribution the cops jokingly call the failure to pass the personality test.
The Gate’s case I think is a classic example.
Often officers will end up more or less throwing the book at the abusive disrespectful person, and taking him to jail for what maybe considered normally minor or chippie violations of the law. The defendant ends up spending the night in jail and having to deal with the pending charges. If the charges are dropped, as was the case in the Gates case, the officer has still successfully played the roll of prosecutor, judge, and jury because the defendant has been punished whether the prosecutorial authority pursues the case(s) or not. In most cases like this one when the charge person has little or no criminal record the punishment of one day in jail and all the legal hassles involved with dealing with the charge(s) are more punishment then the defendant would of received had he in fact inevitably been found guilty.
Professor Gates and President Obama are probably the two worst people in the world for a cop to pick on or deal with in such a circumstance. Gates made his name promoting and teaching civil rights and certainly knows more then the average cop will about racial based abuse by the police in this country. Obama made his political bones as an Illinois State Senator championing laws to protect against racial profiling.
So it’s no wonder that Obama and Gates are apparently making an effort to make the incident a teachable moment for the rest of us oblivious white folks. Maybe in the long run it may raise consciousness, if your not already a right wing racial bigot. In which case it will probably reinforce all your fears about loss of white power because of the election of a African American as president.
When Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times asked the question during the press conference about the Gate’s incident I’m sure Obama though he’s been thrown a soft ball question about a subject he is well verse on, racial profiling. This is where the problem started. He immediately became the professor talking to a class of students at Harvard law school about the history of racial profiling in America. He started off all right by disclosing the professor was a friend and that he knew nothing about the real facts of the case. But soon drifted into a general condemnation of racial profiling in this nation which included the “police acted stupidly it appears in this case” remark. He been better off saying I don’t know what happened but it appears the charges have been dropped, and left it at that. Leaving the teaching for later.
Most knowledgeable observers of the case admit the police overreacted. Even though there is evidence that Gates was abusive to officers in his own home the smart or streetwise officer in most cases would of just said, “have a nice day” and left the scene happy to not have to hear the professor harangue them anymore as racists or profiling. Plus they would of not had to fill out all the paperwork involved with the arrest and booking.
It be back to the donuts shop for them.
It has always amazed me the things people will do when confronted with dealing with a police situation or officer. Standing up to police when your rights are being violated is one thing, but acting stupid or getting worked up when it comes to dealing with the police is another. Usually it involves some form of intoxication. Blacks and Latinos do experience racial profiling and police abuse of power often, especially in locations where that type of thing is institutionalized. That’s a reality that we all must accept and do what we can to overcome.
But in this case I think what really happened here is that both Gates and the officers overreacted. Gates by going into a tirade about race and directing it in a personal way to the officers, and the officers for not realizing that because of Gates personal life experience he needed to blow off some steam. The officers employed the personality test on Gates and in their minds they felt justified because of the no one should ever disrespect police code cops often are encourage to buy into or otherwise known on the street as failing the police personality test.
I'm sure Gates probably felt pretty dumb losing his keys and having to break into his own home to start with. The incident also says tons about his neighbor who apparently didn’t know him well enough to be able to recognize him as the person trying to gain entry through a window, which led them to call 911 in the first place.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
It's Official A Nation of Retards Has Morphed Into The New GOP
Right wing bozos loved to label liberals as un-American traitor kooks and crybabies when they complained vigorously after the 2000 and 2004 elections or questioned American foreign or domestic policy disasters during the George W. Bush years. Little did we realize the extent that these same accusers were in fact a bunch of bat shit crazies who now represented the new base of the out of power malingering Republican party.
Yes, now with the shoe on the other foot, nothing has unloosed the fear filled nut case lunatic fringe ditto heads apparently more then the tea bagging bunch of crazies and malcontent we are now faced with on a daily basis since the election of President Barack Obama.
There is a certain fear that is palpable with this group of nuts that shouts the fact that they know deep down that their all white people's brand of Judeo Christian power wheeling and dealing is finally being pried from their cold dead hands, so to speak. They are liable to say and do anything in the state of desperation they now find themselves, desperately attempting to maintain their fleeting hold on power. But, it's over baby. In twenty years or so you'll be the minority race whether you like it or not.
Thus the truth has little chance or importance with this bunch right now, and like the communists, who long had represented the straw horse they've demonized, they have adopted the belief that the end justifies the means. They now more often then not take on the actual characteristics of those they have profess to hate as the antithesis of Americana they claim they have been empowered to guard and represent.
With them it is no wonder the dumb shit average American is easily duped by stupid and unsubstantiated Republican claims that health care reform is just a socialist form of demon worship or a communist plot to bring about world enslavement under a demon seed Manchurian candidate Muslim represented in the person of Barack Obama.
In actually universal health care is not a demon or a political system but common sense policy that strengthens the community's underpinnings as they are intended to be in any modern fair and just society.
When exactly did the public educational system in this country become so verifiability worthless that it continually failed to teach people the basic use of logic, common sense and the workings of our political system. Nearly half of these Americans have apparently turned into a nation of idiots who now spend their free time having doubts about the sitting president's birth and citizenship. Or openly preach discrimination and hatred towards any and all people who are not of white European heritage, religion or in agreement with their personal sexual morality standards. These people think gun ownership and use is the highest right in the land surpassing the overall security of the country and any and all others major issues of the day, including their own life or death.
In California these substance negative flag waving zealots have so severely limited the ability of the State to tax the citizens through bogus self centered people's initiatives that the government cannot fulfill the most basic of the State's responsibilities. Fuck paying for education, infrastructure or any other thing that used to represent what a progressive community felt were the basic requirements of a modern civilized society. Fuck you all I don't believe in taxes. You can all go die in hell, while at this very moment they are trying to bring this bullshit based form of government financing to my State. These are the self righteous, phony, religious types so selfish they see no benefit in helping others by the simple act of paying their fair share in taxes.
Ironically un-Christ like in their actions while preaching the tenets of their freaking doctored and misinterpreted self serving good book as justification for any and all of their wild hair up your ass ideas. These people call themselves Christians and hypocritically point fingers accusingly at those who are fortunate enough not to have gotten involved in the hypocrisy. I have news for you bastards your about as far from Christ like as Bozo the freaking Clown. If a hell exist, I'm sure your going to be the ones who burn the brightest and the longest in the fire of eternal freaking damnation.
It's only a matter of time before one of these self righteous gerbil wheel brained fuckers does something real crazy being all full of their own self fulfilling diarrhea of stupid god on our side baseless ideas of what is right and wrong. Driven over the edge by Sara Palin's phony outrage or just one to many Glenn Beck shows watched or neo Nazi themes rationalized out there in the boonies before they snap like a cheap rope pulling too much dead weight. It won't be pretty I'm sure we all fear and realize.
Yes, now with the shoe on the other foot, nothing has unloosed the fear filled nut case lunatic fringe ditto heads apparently more then the tea bagging bunch of crazies and malcontent we are now faced with on a daily basis since the election of President Barack Obama.
There is a certain fear that is palpable with this group of nuts that shouts the fact that they know deep down that their all white people's brand of Judeo Christian power wheeling and dealing is finally being pried from their cold dead hands, so to speak. They are liable to say and do anything in the state of desperation they now find themselves, desperately attempting to maintain their fleeting hold on power. But, it's over baby. In twenty years or so you'll be the minority race whether you like it or not.
Thus the truth has little chance or importance with this bunch right now, and like the communists, who long had represented the straw horse they've demonized, they have adopted the belief that the end justifies the means. They now more often then not take on the actual characteristics of those they have profess to hate as the antithesis of Americana they claim they have been empowered to guard and represent.
With them it is no wonder the dumb shit average American is easily duped by stupid and unsubstantiated Republican claims that health care reform is just a socialist form of demon worship or a communist plot to bring about world enslavement under a demon seed Manchurian candidate Muslim represented in the person of Barack Obama.
In actually universal health care is not a demon or a political system but common sense policy that strengthens the community's underpinnings as they are intended to be in any modern fair and just society.
When exactly did the public educational system in this country become so verifiability worthless that it continually failed to teach people the basic use of logic, common sense and the workings of our political system. Nearly half of these Americans have apparently turned into a nation of idiots who now spend their free time having doubts about the sitting president's birth and citizenship. Or openly preach discrimination and hatred towards any and all people who are not of white European heritage, religion or in agreement with their personal sexual morality standards. These people think gun ownership and use is the highest right in the land surpassing the overall security of the country and any and all others major issues of the day, including their own life or death.
In California these substance negative flag waving zealots have so severely limited the ability of the State to tax the citizens through bogus self centered people's initiatives that the government cannot fulfill the most basic of the State's responsibilities. Fuck paying for education, infrastructure or any other thing that used to represent what a progressive community felt were the basic requirements of a modern civilized society. Fuck you all I don't believe in taxes. You can all go die in hell, while at this very moment they are trying to bring this bullshit based form of government financing to my State. These are the self righteous, phony, religious types so selfish they see no benefit in helping others by the simple act of paying their fair share in taxes.
Ironically un-Christ like in their actions while preaching the tenets of their freaking doctored and misinterpreted self serving good book as justification for any and all of their wild hair up your ass ideas. These people call themselves Christians and hypocritically point fingers accusingly at those who are fortunate enough not to have gotten involved in the hypocrisy. I have news for you bastards your about as far from Christ like as Bozo the freaking Clown. If a hell exist, I'm sure your going to be the ones who burn the brightest and the longest in the fire of eternal freaking damnation.
It's only a matter of time before one of these self righteous gerbil wheel brained fuckers does something real crazy being all full of their own self fulfilling diarrhea of stupid god on our side baseless ideas of what is right and wrong. Driven over the edge by Sara Palin's phony outrage or just one to many Glenn Beck shows watched or neo Nazi themes rationalized out there in the boonies before they snap like a cheap rope pulling too much dead weight. It won't be pretty I'm sure we all fear and realize.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Obstructionist Senators Need To Hear From You On Healthcare Reform Now
If you haven't heard yet there are six conservative Senators who sent a letter to Senate leadership requesting a delay on health care reform legislation. Despite their phony proselytizing about their concern for the health of the American people, the phony reasoning for delay they layout is their supposed concern about costs.
The real reason is they are shills for the medical industry interests and wingnut conservatives in the states they come from who want things to remain the same. I think we all need to contact these so called representatives and tell them how we really feel about their obstructionism.
This delaying tactic is the same one the opponents of Hillarycare in 1994 used to stop that attempt at reform. Fifty years of talking about health care reform in this country must end now.
The six Senate obstructionists are listed below. I suggest you pick one, google their website and write an email to them about your objections to ANY delay of health care reform.
Ben Nelson (D) Nebraska (ringleader)
Olympia Snowe (R) Maine
Joe Lieberman (I) Connecticut
Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana
Ron Wyden (D) Oregon
Susan M Collins (R) Maine
Here's my email letter to Senator Nelson sent through his website that may give you an rough outline when composing your letter.
Dear Senator Nelson,
Americans are dying out here in the real world because of political obstructionist like you.
Your continuing attempts to stall or kill health care reform are hypocritical and show what a shill you are for the powers who want to block health care progress in this country. You say you are concerned about cost, but your record shows you had little of no concern about costs when industry supported bills like the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was passed or when it came to supporting the boondoggle of a god damn war in Iraq with billions of dollars without question.
That's because the truth is your either a total ignoramus or totally in the bag with the medical industry forces who want to maintain the status quo.
Probably both.
Your a phony and soon everyone will realize it. I will do everything in my power personally to see that you are defeated and I will work with other individuals who oppose your continued obstructionism should you run for reelection. We need Senators in this country who actually have the personal courage to finally fix the health care mess and fight for the people not the interest of the wealthy.
God knows we don't need anymore cronies of big business like you. We've got the totally brain dead Republican party for that. And you call yourself a Democrat. What Bullshit!
Sincerely,
Daniel O'Brien
Vashon, WA
Below is Obama's weekly address that points out that delay is exactly what we don't need now.
The real reason is they are shills for the medical industry interests and wingnut conservatives in the states they come from who want things to remain the same. I think we all need to contact these so called representatives and tell them how we really feel about their obstructionism.
This delaying tactic is the same one the opponents of Hillarycare in 1994 used to stop that attempt at reform. Fifty years of talking about health care reform in this country must end now.
The six Senate obstructionists are listed below. I suggest you pick one, google their website and write an email to them about your objections to ANY delay of health care reform.
Ben Nelson (D) Nebraska (ringleader)
Olympia Snowe (R) Maine
Joe Lieberman (I) Connecticut
Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana
Ron Wyden (D) Oregon
Susan M Collins (R) Maine
Here's my email letter to Senator Nelson sent through his website that may give you an rough outline when composing your letter.
Dear Senator Nelson,
Americans are dying out here in the real world because of political obstructionist like you.
Your continuing attempts to stall or kill health care reform are hypocritical and show what a shill you are for the powers who want to block health care progress in this country. You say you are concerned about cost, but your record shows you had little of no concern about costs when industry supported bills like the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was passed or when it came to supporting the boondoggle of a god damn war in Iraq with billions of dollars without question.
That's because the truth is your either a total ignoramus or totally in the bag with the medical industry forces who want to maintain the status quo.
Probably both.
Your a phony and soon everyone will realize it. I will do everything in my power personally to see that you are defeated and I will work with other individuals who oppose your continued obstructionism should you run for reelection. We need Senators in this country who actually have the personal courage to finally fix the health care mess and fight for the people not the interest of the wealthy.
God knows we don't need anymore cronies of big business like you. We've got the totally brain dead Republican party for that. And you call yourself a Democrat. What Bullshit!
Sincerely,
Daniel O'Brien
Vashon, WA
Below is Obama's weekly address that points out that delay is exactly what we don't need now.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Obama's Remarkable Speech To NAACP
This 35 minute speech I think is one of the President's best lately. Worth spending the time to watch. God I love this president's ability to communicate. Every old white man bigot in America should be required to watch this.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Monday, July 06, 2009
25 Year Old Bay Area Geek Who Facilitates Iranian Web Protests Info Under Direct Attack From Iran
Austin Heap a 25 year old bay area geek and IT director is developing a program called haystack that allows Iranian protesters to get their message through to the outside world in spite of the Iranian government establishment attempts to shutdown internet and phone access.
Heap has become somewhat of a local Iranian community and media darling since he developed methods that allowed Iranians to tweet and use other web communities to report what they see and hear is going on on the ground in Iran in the early days of the recent protests.
Prior to the the uprising Heap knew little about the internal workings of Iran. But he started the project because he strongly believes in free speech. "Americans ignored the subversion of their democracy. When the Iranians stood up to secure theirs, I could not let them down. The revolution may not be televised, but it will be tweeted." Heap is quoted as saying.
Heap has become somewhat of a local Iranian community and media darling since he developed methods that allowed Iranians to tweet and use other web communities to report what they see and hear is going on on the ground in Iran in the early days of the recent protests.
Prior to the the uprising Heap knew little about the internal workings of Iran. But he started the project because he strongly believes in free speech. "Americans ignored the subversion of their democracy. When the Iranians stood up to secure theirs, I could not let them down. The revolution may not be televised, but it will be tweeted." Heap is quoted as saying.
"Heap's weapon in the past few days was the proxy server, a computer configured to act as an intermediary between a computer user and the Internet. Such servers have many legitimate functions, such as speeding response times, and some illegitimate ones, such as helping spammers hide their identities."Heap needs your help. His web server has been under attack directly by the Iranian government and that's the least of his problems. He is attempting to bring other willing programmers to San Francisco to work on the project but lacks the funds. He is trying disparately to get Haystack completed to coincide with the upcoming general strike in Iran. You can help by donating money and getting the word out to your friends and their friends in your online social communities like twitter, facebook and myspace.
What interested Heap was the use of a proxy server to bypass censorship. Properly configured, a proxy server could identify Web surfers in Iran and route them to Twitter and other sites the government had restricted. People around the world were posting network addresses for such proxies on Twitter and elsewhere, Heap said, but there was no organization and the servers were unpredictable."
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Pictures From Space Station Include Vashon Seattle Tacoma
Thirty-five great photos taken over the last several months of the earth from the ISS. One photo even features the center of my universe Vashon Island, WA. via: boston.com big picture
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Iran We hear Your Cry For Freedom!
I see the battle taking place in Iran as one between generations. The old one who remembers the 1979 uprising and blindly believe in the leaders who came to power in that earlier revolution and, the younger generation that sees the outside world and longs for greater personal freedom and a move away form an autocratic government.Ironically the older generation always sees its revolution as being different from the one that follows. They suppress and brand the protesters as a "mob" or illegitimate, yet they are no more illegitimate then their generation was when they called for revolution in the past. "don't stand in the doorway don't block up the hall" , as Dylan put it in the song "times they are a changing".
There is a interesting story here about Neda the woman shot dead by a police sniper in the first days of the protests. Her violent death has become a symbol of the brutal suppression of the protests by Iranian authorities. Apparently her own mother is in denial about the responsibility for her death being caused by the those in power.“That’s what comes from pouring into the streets,” the mother is quoted as saying in the story. In the same story her brother talks of the disconnect between the older and younger generation in present day Iran.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Right Wing Media Enabling Racists Extremists And Lunatic Fringe
The ex-wife of James von Brunn, the racist nut who shot up the holocaust museum in Washington, DC yesterday, says she divorced him because he was totally consumed with hatred for Jews and "Negros" that “ate him alive like a cancer”.
How the heck can one be so fucking hateful and not be call on it by someone. Maybe it's because most of these nuts feel justified by what the right wing media passes off as news these days. Joe Scarborough of MSNBC thought it quite comical at the time that the Department of Homeland Security report indicated that right wing extremist groups and individuals posed a terror treat to the US. He remains to this day one of the biggest dumbshits on cable TV.
Hey Joe now that we've had the Tiller murder and the holocaust shooting, both by right wing crazies, what do you think of that DHS report now?
How the heck can one be so fucking hateful and not be call on it by someone. Maybe it's because most of these nuts feel justified by what the right wing media passes off as news these days. Joe Scarborough of MSNBC thought it quite comical at the time that the Department of Homeland Security report indicated that right wing extremist groups and individuals posed a terror treat to the US. He remains to this day one of the biggest dumbshits on cable TV.
Hey Joe now that we've had the Tiller murder and the holocaust shooting, both by right wing crazies, what do you think of that DHS report now?
Sunday, June 07, 2009
More Proof Senator Shelby Is An Idiot!
He claims that health care system in US is "best health care in the world". Well, that maybe if you actually have coverage provided and your an insulated rich SOB. Shelby somehow misses the point that we have the most expensive system in he world delivering what could the the worst coverage for the money spent, or that there are millions who have no medical coverage at all. We also have a huge population of unhealthy fat assess with no idea of what healthy living looks like. Many of these medically challenged obese are located in the region of the country where Shelby is considered to be a genius.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Moving Sculpture On Omaha Beach Comemorates D Day
Les Braves, by French sculptor Anilore Banon set up on Omaha Beach makes a moving statement I think that out does conventional attempts to portray just what happen that June day in 1944.
via: winds of change net
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Alcoholic Monkeys Not Just Found At The Local Party
I always thought that people acted like monkeys when they indulged too much at the local party. Now I come to find out that monkeys mirror people with their drinking habits and actions after getting hammered. We're lucky monkeys can't drive.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A Photo Of Every Apple Product Ever Released
Yes a photo of every Apple product that's every been released. If you like to see a even bigger enlargement click here.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A New Practical Party Instead of the Republican Party Perhaps
I say woe to the left if someone could put together a political party that supported a mix between the best of libertarian thinking (not ideology) while also supporting practical efficient and needed basic government services to citizens. I think the Democrats would have their hands full. One of the best things about Obama has been his basic belief in doing what works, not necessarily doing what ideologues in his party or the other want.
Jesse Ventura the ex wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota, who appeared on CNN last night, seems to also be interested in doing what works when it comes to politics. As we all know by now Ventura is an interesting character and definitely a man's man type of fellow who is unbowed by the typical rhetoric from both the left of right.
I admire his ability to think for himself and not just blindly go with the flow like most ideologues and idiots do on both the right and the left. He got me thinking, especially in the light of the pending demise of the Republican Party who’s old angry white guy theme seems to be headed nowhere or the a left wing led Congress with the likes of go with the flow Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi or more Republican than Democratic Democrats
If independent populist reformers and libertarians like Ventura every completely got over their fear of government and its intervention in the lives of common people when necessary to provide basic public services we'd probably have something. I think they would be a formidable political force and the alternative to the present day no idea Republicans or the obstructing right wing Democratic types.
Let's call it the Practical Party. A new party that would be willing to be open minded enough to support a national health care program, for instance, or see the benefit of social security for the elderly. Or be open to things like federally mandated worker protections and unions. Or stop interfering in marriage rights of its citizens or interjecting religion into politics. Or make it a policy to curtail American propensity for xenophobia and militarism.
Instead of just the ideological of every man or woman for himself or no tax anti government of any type that pervade most of the right wing types or the equally frustrating lemming like lefties that toe the party line even when it's not working or practical. I'm talking a hybrid here, so let's simply forget the use of too many labels.
Admittedly Ventura has never been one to follow any one ideology. He seems more interested in practical solutions to the problems at hand and solutions that offer the least amount of government intervention into the private affairs of citizens. He wants to decriminalize drugs, create rapid transit and rail, and prosecutes Cheney and anyone else involved in torture, get organized religion out of politics and on and on. He supports same sex marriage civil unions and many things most liberals, lefties and libertarians would agree with.
He now is living in Mexico part time and as he said "off the grid". He claims he watches no TV anymore and instead does lots of reading and surfing. If nothing else he is definitely an original and one has to admire him for that. Here is the interview from Larry King last night.
Jesse Ventura the ex wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota, who appeared on CNN last night, seems to also be interested in doing what works when it comes to politics. As we all know by now Ventura is an interesting character and definitely a man's man type of fellow who is unbowed by the typical rhetoric from both the left of right.
I admire his ability to think for himself and not just blindly go with the flow like most ideologues and idiots do on both the right and the left. He got me thinking, especially in the light of the pending demise of the Republican Party who’s old angry white guy theme seems to be headed nowhere or the a left wing led Congress with the likes of go with the flow Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi or more Republican than Democratic Democrats
If independent populist reformers and libertarians like Ventura every completely got over their fear of government and its intervention in the lives of common people when necessary to provide basic public services we'd probably have something. I think they would be a formidable political force and the alternative to the present day no idea Republicans or the obstructing right wing Democratic types.
Let's call it the Practical Party. A new party that would be willing to be open minded enough to support a national health care program, for instance, or see the benefit of social security for the elderly. Or be open to things like federally mandated worker protections and unions. Or stop interfering in marriage rights of its citizens or interjecting religion into politics. Or make it a policy to curtail American propensity for xenophobia and militarism.
Instead of just the ideological of every man or woman for himself or no tax anti government of any type that pervade most of the right wing types or the equally frustrating lemming like lefties that toe the party line even when it's not working or practical. I'm talking a hybrid here, so let's simply forget the use of too many labels.
Admittedly Ventura has never been one to follow any one ideology. He seems more interested in practical solutions to the problems at hand and solutions that offer the least amount of government intervention into the private affairs of citizens. He wants to decriminalize drugs, create rapid transit and rail, and prosecutes Cheney and anyone else involved in torture, get organized religion out of politics and on and on. He supports same sex marriage civil unions and many things most liberals, lefties and libertarians would agree with.
He now is living in Mexico part time and as he said "off the grid". He claims he watches no TV anymore and instead does lots of reading and surfing. If nothing else he is definitely an original and one has to admire him for that. Here is the interview from Larry King last night.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Gay Marriage Proponents Attack On Bimbo Miss California Counterproductive
Okay she’s as dumb as a post. but I believe the 21 year old sheltered and conservative Carrie Prejean may not be the best target for gay marriage proponents to focus their wrath. As we all know now, she mangled the $20000 dollar question about gay marriage during the Miss America pageant and invented a new definition in the American lexicon of “opposite marriage” doing it.
First off Perez Hilton called the woman a “cunt” on cable television the day after which had to play badly and flame the fire with the vary people the gay marriage movement seeks support. It went down hill from there. I believe that Hilton’s antics played badly with straight moderates and independents in the middle of this question.
I also think this type of behavior from Hilton and the likes of Michael Musto cheapen the conversation and made gay talking heads look petty and superficial. The 21 years old beauty pageant contestant from a conservative family probably has a better chance to go to the moon then to know anything about the issue of gay marriage. She was viciously and immediately attacked for the mistake of stating her ditto head opinions.
I realize that same sex marriage is a civil right that needs to be codified in law throughout the nation. Perez Hilton and other self appointed gay marriage spokespersons lower themselves and the bar to the level of the opposition when they trivialize and belittle this unworldly blond little Miss Sunshine. I believe Miss Prejean would have had her 15 minutes of fame and that would have been the end of it except for the antics of Hilton and others to demonize her based on her own ignorance. In the end they made it all about intolerance, her and her breast augmentation.
Hilton certainly had a teachable moment, but instead he decided to turn it into drama queen catfight. I think Hilton saw that there’s no such thing as bad publicity and reviled in promoting the controversy by calling the woman a “dumb bitch” the night of the pageant then retracting the statement only to reinstate it the next day, adding that he should of called her a “the C word” instead. Then there’s the leaked news that the woman’s tits weren’t even real. She had a boob job paid for by the Miss California people I guess. It seemed like the leak was a cheap shot aimed at solidifying the beauty queen’s bimbonic status. Hypocrisy from the gay community that spends a lot of time dressing things up to make them appear like something else.
Most straight women, and many men, who are supportive of gay marriage would not approve of a woman being called a bimbo and cunt on national TV no matter what their feelings on the legalities of same sex marriage. Hilton selfishly inflamed the controversy with his potty mouth for personal gain, fame and fortune, using the righteousness of the gay marriage issue as a smokescreen. This motivation poisoned most meaningful and respectable discussion of the issue from the beginning of the controversy. Perez has also helped make the woman a national symbol for bigots to roll out when needed. I think it painted the same sex marriage movement as intolerant and reactionary rather then what it really is a rights movement interested in simple justice. God she’s freaking beauty queen, not a Harvard lawyer.
In the end I think most straight people saw the whole drama as overkill or ganging up on a weakling who really didn't deserve that much attention.
First off Perez Hilton called the woman a “cunt” on cable television the day after which had to play badly and flame the fire with the vary people the gay marriage movement seeks support. It went down hill from there. I believe that Hilton’s antics played badly with straight moderates and independents in the middle of this question.
I also think this type of behavior from Hilton and the likes of Michael Musto cheapen the conversation and made gay talking heads look petty and superficial. The 21 years old beauty pageant contestant from a conservative family probably has a better chance to go to the moon then to know anything about the issue of gay marriage. She was viciously and immediately attacked for the mistake of stating her ditto head opinions.
I realize that same sex marriage is a civil right that needs to be codified in law throughout the nation. Perez Hilton and other self appointed gay marriage spokespersons lower themselves and the bar to the level of the opposition when they trivialize and belittle this unworldly blond little Miss Sunshine. I believe Miss Prejean would have had her 15 minutes of fame and that would have been the end of it except for the antics of Hilton and others to demonize her based on her own ignorance. In the end they made it all about intolerance, her and her breast augmentation.
Hilton certainly had a teachable moment, but instead he decided to turn it into drama queen catfight. I think Hilton saw that there’s no such thing as bad publicity and reviled in promoting the controversy by calling the woman a “dumb bitch” the night of the pageant then retracting the statement only to reinstate it the next day, adding that he should of called her a “the C word” instead. Then there’s the leaked news that the woman’s tits weren’t even real. She had a boob job paid for by the Miss California people I guess. It seemed like the leak was a cheap shot aimed at solidifying the beauty queen’s bimbonic status. Hypocrisy from the gay community that spends a lot of time dressing things up to make them appear like something else.
Most straight women, and many men, who are supportive of gay marriage would not approve of a woman being called a bimbo and cunt on national TV no matter what their feelings on the legalities of same sex marriage. Hilton selfishly inflamed the controversy with his potty mouth for personal gain, fame and fortune, using the righteousness of the gay marriage issue as a smokescreen. This motivation poisoned most meaningful and respectable discussion of the issue from the beginning of the controversy. Perez has also helped make the woman a national symbol for bigots to roll out when needed. I think it painted the same sex marriage movement as intolerant and reactionary rather then what it really is a rights movement interested in simple justice. God she’s freaking beauty queen, not a Harvard lawyer.
In the end I think most straight people saw the whole drama as overkill or ganging up on a weakling who really didn't deserve that much attention.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Condi Says If The President Authorizes Torture It's Okay
The Young Turks produced this excellent cell phone capture video from a meeting with students at Stanford University where former Secretary of State Condi Rice, in the style of the trailer of the Frost-Nixon movie, states in so many words, "if the President authorizes torture it's okay." Extraordinary!
God I'm sick of the main stream media enabling the authorization of torture, by using the rationalization that if it worked, which is questionable, irrelevant and probably a lie, it is somehow justified. It's a god damn crime people! If you rob a bank, the cops don't let you go if your successful, like the constitutional law professor has pointed out. IT'S A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW GET IT. We are a nation of laws. Justice is blind.
I'm going to vomit on the TV the next time Chris Matthews, or some other supposedly well informed news anchor, claims torture is justified because a polls says 62% of the dumb ass uninformed citizens say it's so. Have we become a nation of retards who can't put 2 and 2 together when it comes to enforcing the law. Ask yourself, are we going to leave it to a Spanish court to enforce the law and prosecute the criminals who authorized torture?
God I'm sick of the main stream media enabling the authorization of torture, by using the rationalization that if it worked, which is questionable, irrelevant and probably a lie, it is somehow justified. It's a god damn crime people! If you rob a bank, the cops don't let you go if your successful, like the constitutional law professor has pointed out. IT'S A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW GET IT. We are a nation of laws. Justice is blind.
I'm going to vomit on the TV the next time Chris Matthews, or some other supposedly well informed news anchor, claims torture is justified because a polls says 62% of the dumb ass uninformed citizens say it's so. Have we become a nation of retards who can't put 2 and 2 together when it comes to enforcing the law. Ask yourself, are we going to leave it to a Spanish court to enforce the law and prosecute the criminals who authorized torture?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I Not Against Guns I'm Against Paranoid Nuts With Guns And Assault Weapons
I more or less grew up with guns around. I when hunting when I was younger. I use firearms in the army during the Vietnam Era. In fact I now get a disability check each month from the VA because my hearing was permanently damaged from firing a rifle repeatedly without proper ear protection while in the service.
But in those days the people I knew in the army and in civilian life who had an appreciation of guns for hunting, or even self defense weren't ideological nuts or neo-Nazis like "Obama going to take our guns away" crowd of douches bags we see around today. Nearly all of these folks appear to have a screw loose. They come off sounding like a broken record of unfounded right wing cliches and psycho-babble when you try to talk to them about THEIR guns.
No one is going to take their freaking guns away, and you don't need an assault weapon for sport hunting or self defense. Their politics on guns is based mostly on unfounded fear or ideological tea bag extremism.
"Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets." (from Organizing for America Obama website urban plan)
When I worked for the Obama campaign door to door in Texas and Montana last year the fear of "Obama repealing the 2nd amendment" comprised the main objection of the anti Obama crowd I had interactions with. In many cases these folks barely had a pot to piss in, yet this one issue trumped all others including such things as having a job or universal medical coverage. I was struck with confusing nature of their priorities. It seemed illogical to me that you'd put this blind and unfounded fear of not being able to own a gun, including assault weepons, above all others.
They seemed to have all bought into the narrative of Obama the Muslim Manchirian candidate or Obama the Socialist, fascist or whatever the favor of the day is, being promoted by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh types or their local racist group or other wing nut of the month club. These clubs and groups of individuals bred in these people irrational justifications for taking armed action, if neccessary to save a supposedly brainwashed nation. It is no wonder that the Department of Homeland Securities recent report named right wing groups as a growing threat to our democracy.
Monday, April 27, 2009
1918 Influenza Pandemic Could It Happen Again?
The answer is yes! The only question is the new outbreak of swine flu currently centered in Mexico the begining of the modern pandemic. Hear a podcast synopsis from the PBS American Experience documentary Influenza 1918.In 1918 people around the world soon came to the realization that nothing could stop the spread of this common and deadly Spanish flu. Medical science, limited in it's understanding of the virus, was unable to find a cure. Has our complacency, and our modern human egos once again put us at risk of making the same mistake of underestimating the killing power of such a flu pandemic?
Republicans moderates demanded we cut 870 million dollars from the stimulus package aimed directly at research and preparation for such a flu pandemic. Carl Rove howled about wasting taxpayers money on pork. Now they look like the dumb assholes that they actually are.
I wrote about Bush administration pandemic preparation foot dragging nearly 4 years ago. The problem with Republicans is they fail to see that government is the last
defense against a medical crisis of this nature. It's every rich bastard for himself or herself with them. They figure their not going to be the ones that die. As it is in their dirty little wars that's for us unwashed masses out here to do.
My Little Pontiac GTO
Back when Americans made things that had a certain quality their was GM's Pontiac. These were damn good cars. Yes they guzzled gas, but at 32 cents a gallon who cared. The concern for good gas mileage , in due course, came later. The sheet metal was thick and the durability and quality of the cars was considered to be the best in the world of consumer cars. Nowadays you can't even get a stapler made in America that will go through more then two sheets of papers without getting jammed. Then Japanese and other foreign automobiles were considered inferior. Boy have things changed.
General Motors announce today that it was discontinuing the Pontiac Model line as part of bankruptcy reorganization. I have sweet spot in my heart for Pontiac. My mother loved Pontiacs and bought a 1958 Bonneville 2 door hard top. She occasionally let me take the car on a spin. Invariably I’d take it to cruise the Golden Gardens or Alki beach in the summer making sure the kids I hung out with saw me. Pat Sloan, my best buddy in high school, dad had a 1959 Bonneville 2 door hardtop that he spent many a Friday night burning rubber with as we left the local Dag’s or Dick’s drive in.
Pontiacs were later known for power and torque muscle cars like the GTO. I owned a 1964 GTO for about a year that I impulsively sold one day because a GTO nut made a offer that I couldn’t refuse and I needed beer money.
With the announcement today by GM I sure it’s must be a sad day for Pontiac lovers everywhere.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Another Nitwit Republican Gets In Over Her Head With Al Gore
Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee continues the GOP tendency to have their head up their ass while trying to paint Al Gore as motivated by greed when it comes to climate change.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Seattle Moisture Festival Photos
The 2009 Moisture Festival just concluded and it was a roaring success. Many of us who where involved in the festival felt it was the best ever. Here's a link to photos by Michelle Bates. Check it out and mark you calendar for next year's festival.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Tea Bag Your Tea Bag
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
My niece inadvertently posted an announcement in my facebook news feed about how I should consider attending a local tea party to protest high taxes, government bailouts and "the pork".
I fired back that apparently she hadn't gotten the memo that being a nitwit isn't allowed in our family. She responded that her husband had misappropriated the use of her account on facebook and posted the right wing drivel. "Obviously too much something of the AM radio persuasion", she offered. I'm not sure what his source is, but it's apparent he loves Glenn Beck and tends to believe all the bullshit you normally find on FOX News, where Beck has free reign to make up shit as he goes along and put it out there into the national intellect.
Beck's main message lately is that the Obama administration is really just a fascist plot to destroy America. In actuality Beck and some right wing radio personalities represent plain old fashion demagoguery the likes of which we've seen before during the era of Joe McCarthy or Father Coughlin. Unfortunately, it appears most of these folks who buy into this crap don't know the difference. But grassroots movement it's really not. Simply explained, it is corporate America using the marginally informed to centralize it's power so it can fuck them over some more. Wake up and smell the fucking coffee people!
What's worse is I have a growing fear that nuts like Beck maybe inflaming the unstable and unbalanced fringe elements of the right into doing the unthinkable. The question is who gets shot next. I believe that conservatives have the right to speak their mind. They can complain as much as they like. They should organize and protest if motivated to do so. But thinking and fact finding are also important. Most of these people are actually protesting against things the government is doing that are actually in their own interest. They end up protecting the corporate and conservative oligarchy and only prolonging their own exploitation by these powerful elements.
It's not a big surprise that wingnuts are unable to separate fact from fiction. Shrinking numbers of right wing diehards egged on by FOX News and other conservative radio talk nitwits blindly protest tax increases when most of them will get a tax cut in Obama's new budget if they make under $250K. They oppose reforming health care coverage when many of them are uninsured or paying skyrocketing medical costs. They protest bailouts but offer no alternative to stimulate the economy. Protest pork when it is a small portion of the real problem with government spending, if it is in fact a problem at all. My congressional district or State's pork is good and yours is bad I guess. No one has convinced me that pork barrel spending is a bad thing. It's just another easy target for right wing ditto heads.
I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but you'd think that these people would see their being boondoggled again by the same criminals and nitwits who created the real crisis with are living in today.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Bush Administration Job Safety Policies Lead Directly To Death Of Workers
The Republican pro business and deregulated Bush administration policy of ignoring OSHA regulations and programs directly lead to the death of workers according to a new study.
Not that it's much of a surprise that profits were more important to these bastards then the lives and safety of their workers. You may want to ask yourself who the fuck should be held accountable for the failure of government to enforce the laws that protect the lives of these workers.These were actual human beings with families, who no doubt must of been devastated by their untimely deaths.
Not that it's much of a surprise that profits were more important to these bastards then the lives and safety of their workers. You may want to ask yourself who the fuck should be held accountable for the failure of government to enforce the laws that protect the lives of these workers.These were actual human beings with families, who no doubt must of been devastated by their untimely deaths.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Life And Getty Images Launch LIFE.com
Probably one of the most amazing collection of photography anywhere is now on line with Life and Getty images launch of Life.com. (beta) Enjoy!
Some Bad And Not So Bad Paintings Of Barack Obama
Well it was bound to happen. Lots of marginally artistic painters (I know what's that) out there and the phenomenon of Obama's presidency have generated enough bad and not so bad paintings found here of our fearless leader to have a coffee house opening. But, I must say I actually love several of these works of art and others not so much.(Note: click on image after jump to move to the next painting)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Drudge Finds Intelligent Explaination Of Economic Crisis And Cure Boring
Funny how wingnuts find an intelligent discussion and explanation of what President Obama has done, or intends to do in the future to turn the economy around to "being boring". Not enough ideological divisive wedge issue creating bullshit for these halfwits I guess. To them a national political discussion of the economy, health care, the educational, and energy crisis is some sort of waste of time not worthy of anyones attention.They'd rather be hearing about shit like "Armed customer kills robber at BURGER KING, or "Sen. McConnell: Budget makes USA worse than Cuba". These folks are what's been wrong with political discourse in America for at least the last decade. Stupid in is Stupid out.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Will The People Complaining About Snow Removal In Seattle Please Shut The F@#k Up!
The newest rehashing of the controversy about the winter snow storms is the investigative news reporting in a Seattle Times article pointing out that City officials apparently didn’t have a workable snow removal plan in place when Seattle turned into Montana for about a month this last winter. So tell us something we don't know. Hello everyone, Seattle doesn’t really have snow in the winter usually, so why would the city put lots of scares tax dollars or manpower aside for these type of services. Then they'd surely be accused of not having their priorities straight.
Plus who the hell really anticipated the enormous amount of snow that fell and remained during that two to three week period that ended up paralyzing the city for much of the time when it was happening. I say stop your damn bitching you spoil self-centered, and most likely transplanted complainers. “My driveway was block and I can get out, and my street is slippery and it’s so bad I can’t drive my SUV to work”. Well too fucking bad for you buddy! It’s all so typically part of the modern American way of getting hung up on the small shit. Or complaining because your not personally getting your way.
Historically speaking this last winter has got to be one of the worst years for snow accumulation this region has seen here in years. I personally think it was the worst, and I was born and raised here. But instead of being seen as a weather anomaly, like it probably should be, it will for sure be likely fodder for someone who wants to beat up on the Mayor or the city in the upcoming mayoral campaign or city council elections.
I say grow a pair and stop complaining about this shit, and next time be ready with your own personal transportation disaster plan for snow. In that way you'll be demonstrating some self-reliance which is more historically what real Washingtonians do .
Plus who the hell really anticipated the enormous amount of snow that fell and remained during that two to three week period that ended up paralyzing the city for much of the time when it was happening. I say stop your damn bitching you spoil self-centered, and most likely transplanted complainers. “My driveway was block and I can get out, and my street is slippery and it’s so bad I can’t drive my SUV to work”. Well too fucking bad for you buddy! It’s all so typically part of the modern American way of getting hung up on the small shit. Or complaining because your not personally getting your way.
Historically speaking this last winter has got to be one of the worst years for snow accumulation this region has seen here in years. I personally think it was the worst, and I was born and raised here. But instead of being seen as a weather anomaly, like it probably should be, it will for sure be likely fodder for someone who wants to beat up on the Mayor or the city in the upcoming mayoral campaign or city council elections.
I say grow a pair and stop complaining about this shit, and next time be ready with your own personal transportation disaster plan for snow. In that way you'll be demonstrating some self-reliance which is more historically what real Washingtonians do .
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Photo Of My Late Brother Hawking The Post Intelligencer Circa 1958
Well there you go. I previously had a post on the demise of the PI. Me and my brothers loved the PI. It was our main source of pocket money when we were growing up. RIP PI. Christopher O'Brien my brother died in a auto crash in 1967. He was in college at the time and was a talented athlete who played basketball on a college scholarship and loved to water ski on Lake Washington in the Summer. The photo was taken at the Canadian Pacific Dock on Seattle's waterfront the old pier 64.
Wingnut Power Grab Alert Election For King County KC Conservation District Board of Supervisors
King County Conservation District Board March 19th election polling locations listed below with endorsement of environmentalist Mark Sollitto.
Here's information from the press release from a 34th LD political activist. Apparently Republicans and rightwing property rights wingnuts have been able to dominate this important county conservation board because no one really pays attention to the fact there's an election.
You can make a difference to protect the environment by taking the time to drop by the Vashon Library this Thursday, March 19th to vote. Because of a technical error the progressive candidate’s name, Mark Sollitto was left off the ballot, and to vote for him you will have to actually write his name on the ballot.
Sierra Club supports Mark Sollitto who is a WRITE-IN Candidate, Mark has a masters in public administration. Here is his community experience: Chair, North Bend Park Board; board of directors, Snoqualmie Valley Rotary; Eastside Fire and Rescue; Snoqualmie Valley Cities Association; Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association. He is or was a council member from North Bend. Mark filed to be a candidate, but due to a technical error, was not placed on the ballot – hence he is a write-in candidate
Very few people know about this election, so one of the Republicans, like Preston Drew, who opposes King County’s Critical Areas Ordinance which is designed to protect streams, wildlife and wetlands, could easily win this election if progressives don’t turn out in healthy numbers to support Sierra Club’s choice Write-in candidate: Mark Sollitto.
KCD is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by Washington State and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Its mission is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible stewardship. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for all District programs and activities. Since 1949, the KCD has been helping the people of King County manage their natural resources.
When:
This Thursday, March 19th
Polling Locations
AUBURN
King County Library/Muckleshoot Branch - 39917 Auburn Enumclaw Road S.E. , Auburn WA 98092
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
BELLEVUE
King County Library/Bellevue Regional Branch - 1111 110th Avenue NE , Bellevue WA 98004
Poll hours 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
CARNATION
King County Library/Carnation Branch - 4804 Tolt Avenue , Carnation WA 98014
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
COVINGTON
King County Library/Covington Branch - 27100 164th Ave. S.E. , Covington WA 98042
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DES MOINES
King County Library/Des Moines Branch - 21620 11th Avenue S. , Des Moines WA 98198
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw Public Library - 1700 First Street , Enumclaw WA 98022
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
ISSAQUAH
King County Library/Issaquah Branch - 10 W. Sunset Way, Issaquah WA 98027
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
NORTH BEND
King County Library/North Bend Branch - 115 E. 4th, North Bend WA 98045
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
REDMOND
King County Library/Redmond Regional Branch - 15990 N.E. 85th, Redmond WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
RENTON
Renton Community Center - 1715 Maple valley Hwy., Renton WA 98057
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
SEATTLE
Seattle Public Library (Downtown Main Branch) - 1000 Fourth Ave. Seattle WA 98104
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
SHORELINE
King County Library/Shoreline Branch - 345 NE 175th, Shoreline WA 98155
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
VASHON
King County Library/Vashon Branch - 17210 Vashon Hwy. S.W. , Vashon Island WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m
Please take the time to vote on Thursday for Mark Sollitto.
Here's information from the press release from a 34th LD political activist. Apparently Republicans and rightwing property rights wingnuts have been able to dominate this important county conservation board because no one really pays attention to the fact there's an election.
You can make a difference to protect the environment by taking the time to drop by the Vashon Library this Thursday, March 19th to vote. Because of a technical error the progressive candidate’s name, Mark Sollitto was left off the ballot, and to vote for him you will have to actually write his name on the ballot.
Sierra Club supports Mark Sollitto who is a WRITE-IN Candidate, Mark has a masters in public administration. Here is his community experience: Chair, North Bend Park Board; board of directors, Snoqualmie Valley Rotary; Eastside Fire and Rescue; Snoqualmie Valley Cities Association; Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association. He is or was a council member from North Bend. Mark filed to be a candidate, but due to a technical error, was not placed on the ballot – hence he is a write-in candidate
Very few people know about this election, so one of the Republicans, like Preston Drew, who opposes King County’s Critical Areas Ordinance which is designed to protect streams, wildlife and wetlands, could easily win this election if progressives don’t turn out in healthy numbers to support Sierra Club’s choice Write-in candidate: Mark Sollitto.
KCD is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by Washington State and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Its mission is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible stewardship. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for all District programs and activities. Since 1949, the KCD has been helping the people of King County manage their natural resources.
When:
This Thursday, March 19th
Polling Locations
AUBURN
King County Library/Muckleshoot Branch - 39917 Auburn Enumclaw Road S.E. , Auburn WA 98092
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
BELLEVUE
King County Library/Bellevue Regional Branch - 1111 110th Avenue NE , Bellevue WA 98004
Poll hours 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
CARNATION
King County Library/Carnation Branch - 4804 Tolt Avenue , Carnation WA 98014
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
COVINGTON
King County Library/Covington Branch - 27100 164th Ave. S.E. , Covington WA 98042
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DES MOINES
King County Library/Des Moines Branch - 21620 11th Avenue S. , Des Moines WA 98198
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw Public Library - 1700 First Street , Enumclaw WA 98022
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
ISSAQUAH
King County Library/Issaquah Branch - 10 W. Sunset Way, Issaquah WA 98027
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
NORTH BEND
King County Library/North Bend Branch - 115 E. 4th, North Bend WA 98045
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
REDMOND
King County Library/Redmond Regional Branch - 15990 N.E. 85th, Redmond WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
RENTON
Renton Community Center - 1715 Maple valley Hwy., Renton WA 98057
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
SEATTLE
Seattle Public Library (Downtown Main Branch) - 1000 Fourth Ave. Seattle WA 98104
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
SHORELINE
King County Library/Shoreline Branch - 345 NE 175th, Shoreline WA 98155
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
VASHON
King County Library/Vashon Branch - 17210 Vashon Hwy. S.W. , Vashon Island WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m
Please take the time to vote on Thursday for Mark Sollitto.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Boswell Sisters Heebie Jeebies (1932)
Depression era harmonies.
Thanks to Howard Patterson for pointing this out..
Thanks to Howard Patterson for pointing this out..
Friday, March 13, 2009
60 Trillion Dollar Time Bomb Worth Of Credit Default Swaps Out There
That's more then the annual global GDP.
Here's how the banks and speculators gambled with your and your grandparents savings, 401K and mutual fund investments in what was similar to putting your money on a horse at the rack track or the using it to play at the roulette table in Las Vegas. The only question I have is, when will these bastards be charged, jailed, tried and sentenced? Like Goldy says over at HorsesAss, the only one really reporting this stuff it seems is a freaking comedian named John Stewart.
Here's how the banks and speculators gambled with your and your grandparents savings, 401K and mutual fund investments in what was similar to putting your money on a horse at the rack track or the using it to play at the roulette table in Las Vegas. The only question I have is, when will these bastards be charged, jailed, tried and sentenced? Like Goldy says over at HorsesAss, the only one really reporting this stuff it seems is a freaking comedian named John Stewart.
Earmarks Are A Good Thing
John McCain why don't you shut the F*@k up, or at least tell your fellow Republicans to practice what they freaking preach. McCain has made a career out of complaining about money earmarked for such things as beaver management. But what McCain does not tell you is the $650,000 spend on that project ends up preventing $5 million in potential damage done by beavers in North Carolina. If I hear him use that line about studying bears DNA in Montana again I'll probably puke all over my TV set.
Sure there are bad earmarks but in the big scheme of things the money spent on earmarks is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions wasted in bottomless pits like military spending or money for phony wars in Iraq or elsewhere. Most of the things that gets done because of earmarks are good, not bad. It sound like you give a shit about spending when you bitch about earmarks but it's just phony political theater.
When a Congressman or Senator brought home the bacon in the form of a earmark in the old days it meant jobs and capitol projects getting built, and probably their reelection. Now the phony Republicans with not much else to offer have turned earmarks into a negative. Bring on the damn earmarks as far as I'm concerned and stop this hypocrisy. The real argument should be about transparency when it comes to earmarks, not banning them.
Sure there are bad earmarks but in the big scheme of things the money spent on earmarks is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions wasted in bottomless pits like military spending or money for phony wars in Iraq or elsewhere. Most of the things that gets done because of earmarks are good, not bad. It sound like you give a shit about spending when you bitch about earmarks but it's just phony political theater.
When a Congressman or Senator brought home the bacon in the form of a earmark in the old days it meant jobs and capitol projects getting built, and probably their reelection. Now the phony Republicans with not much else to offer have turned earmarks into a negative. Bring on the damn earmarks as far as I'm concerned and stop this hypocrisy. The real argument should be about transparency when it comes to earmarks, not banning them.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Vashon Boys Kings of 1A Basketball Destroy Kings HS In Final
Vashon High's boys basketball team destroyed Kings 49 to 24 Saturday night in Yakima to claim the state 1a championship. Vashon uber alles!(Bill Gage photo)
Friday, March 06, 2009
Colbert Outdoes Himself Lampooning Glenn Beck
These two clips from The Colbert Report must be watch back to back. Fucking Hilarious! The first one is mostly observations of Beck's new gone haywire doomsday scenario show segment and the second, and better one, is Colbert's takeoff of it.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
John Steward Takes On The Rick Santelli's And Cramer's Of The World
Proving once again that if you take financial advise or rely on insightful commentary from these CNBC yahoos your in trouble..... This is just too good not to post again just in case you haven't seen it.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Seattle's Moisture Festival Opens Four Week Run March 11th
Sally Pepper - photo by Michelle BatesNow for something close to my heart. That would be Seattle's very own Moisture Festival, now about to enter it's sixth season when it opens with a Gala performance March 11th at A Contemporary Theater, ACT downtown .
The Moisture festival brings variete and burleseque performers together from around the world and to Seattle for this four week long festival. The festival has become one of the largest vaudeville, burlesque and variete festivals of it's kind in the world. The Stranger newspaper awarded the Moisture Festival one of it's Genius Awards in 2007. Often called the poor person's Thetro Zinzani, the festival has earned a reputation, high praise and the willing participation of some of the best variete and burlesque acts found in this unique area of theatrical performance. Here's more information on the the line-up of variete and burlesque artists at this year festival and you can find information on how to get your hands on tickets here.
The festival is a celebration of the renewal of the vaudeville genre while also being a unique Seattle centric community and world renowned arts festival. The Moisture Festival was started six years ago by performers and for performers. The Moisture festival is a non profit organization and the proceeds from festival ticket sales are basically shared by the performers after overhead and other expenses are paid. The festival also receives support from outside sponsorships, grants and a large number of volunteers.
This year the Moisture Festival has also added a film festival aspect with the involvement of SIFF. The Seattle International Film Festival aspect will feature vaudeville comedy variete and burlesque related films at SIFF's Seattle Center movie theater during the festival. The films should be a special treat for vaudeville and burlesque buffs and historians of the genre.
The festival opens at ACT theater downtown with a Gala March 11th. ACT shows will offer a combination of Burlesque and Variete show performances. The festival will then move to the 250 seat Hale's Palladium in Fremont March 19th for the final 3 weeks through April 5th. The festival is especially well and widely known for bringing some of the finest and most talented Burlesque artists together to showcase their acts before larger audiences in a traditional theater setting. Also the festival has a heavy emphasis on aerial performers being presented in a way that is visually stimulating and theatrical. Every show features a least one aerial act. There are also a number of benefit shows, workshops and other special events incorporated into the festival, also weekend matinees that tend to be orientated more to the children and family friendly type of audience. All Moisture Festival variete shows are acceptable for families with children, while the burlesque shows are limited to adults.
The festival has been known to sell out early and often, so I suggest you get your tickets early and I hope to see you there.
Have a great Moisture festival in 2009!
Danny O'Brien
Moisture Festival Artist Liaison
danny@moistruefestival.org
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Are Geithner Past Ties To Powerful Banks A Problem When It Comes To Fixing Them
Just asking.
More and more with each passing day you hear criticism mostly by the MSM of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner handling of the banking crisis. Many economist and experts are calling for a more systematic approach in dealing with failing banks. Everyone for this type of approach says that the rules should be laid out so they could be understood by all on just how the government will proceed when it comes to dealing with the bad banks. Not approaching the problem in this way will only create more uncertainly and could prolong the crisis or make things worse.
Up to this time the federal government's approach under former Treasury Secretary Paulson and now Giethner has been to deal with the overwhelming crisis in what could be called a piece meal way. A company like AIG gets in trouble and the federal government rushes in and give them billions. The rules seem to change day to day. AIG has now been given 3 massive bailouts. Once again financial experts think the government should move swiftly towards a systematic, well understood by all, approach to identify troubled banks and nationalization them if necessary instead of going from crisis to crisis.
Yet Geithner seems not to be listening. Could it be that he is too tied to these same bankers he now must stand up to in dealing with such questions as whether to take them over or not? Remember that Geithner actually came from the New York Federal Reserve Bank and much of what has happened has happened on his watch while he was there. It was his job to oversee the very banks that are now the problem. Many of the bankers that got us into the problem worked closely with Geithner when he was in New York. Another question is why the government is so willing to give billions to the same unscrupulous bankers who were the ones who screw things up in the first place. Why haven't they been fired and replaced with new people. This appears to makes no sense.
Simon Johnson a MIT professor and a former research director of the IMF analyzes the bank bailout plans and other alternatives in an extensive interview on NPR. The interview touches on just about every aspect of the crisis, including Geithner's conflicts, and Johnson does a remarkable job making this complex issue understandable for the average person I think. I only hope the president is also getting this type of information and I'm the just being paranoid.
More and more with each passing day you hear criticism mostly by the MSM of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner handling of the banking crisis. Many economist and experts are calling for a more systematic approach in dealing with failing banks. Everyone for this type of approach says that the rules should be laid out so they could be understood by all on just how the government will proceed when it comes to dealing with the bad banks. Not approaching the problem in this way will only create more uncertainly and could prolong the crisis or make things worse.
Up to this time the federal government's approach under former Treasury Secretary Paulson and now Giethner has been to deal with the overwhelming crisis in what could be called a piece meal way. A company like AIG gets in trouble and the federal government rushes in and give them billions. The rules seem to change day to day. AIG has now been given 3 massive bailouts. Once again financial experts think the government should move swiftly towards a systematic, well understood by all, approach to identify troubled banks and nationalization them if necessary instead of going from crisis to crisis.
Yet Geithner seems not to be listening. Could it be that he is too tied to these same bankers he now must stand up to in dealing with such questions as whether to take them over or not? Remember that Geithner actually came from the New York Federal Reserve Bank and much of what has happened has happened on his watch while he was there. It was his job to oversee the very banks that are now the problem. Many of the bankers that got us into the problem worked closely with Geithner when he was in New York. Another question is why the government is so willing to give billions to the same unscrupulous bankers who were the ones who screw things up in the first place. Why haven't they been fired and replaced with new people. This appears to makes no sense.
Simon Johnson a MIT professor and a former research director of the IMF analyzes the bank bailout plans and other alternatives in an extensive interview on NPR. The interview touches on just about every aspect of the crisis, including Geithner's conflicts, and Johnson does a remarkable job making this complex issue understandable for the average person I think. I only hope the president is also getting this type of information and I'm the just being paranoid.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
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