Three stories on our corruption....the superwealthy, politicians and the corporate oligarchy......
1/ The Bush tax cuts - the situation now is that Obama is giving signals that he is ready to compromise with himself again and extend the tax cuts for the wealthy, but as Frank Rich points out in this excellent column this won't do anything but cement the class divisions that are threatening this country. I truly believe if he caves on this it's over - this country is headed for a boatload of trouble, and the Democratic party is finished.
Watch this space, as they say.....
The wealthy Americans we should worry about instead are the ones who implicitly won the election — those who take far more from America than they give back. They were not on the ballot, and most of them are not household names. Unlike Whitman and the other defeated self-financing candidates, they are all but certain to cash in on the Nov. 2 results. There’s no one in Washington in either party with the fortitude to try to stop them from grabbing anything that’s not nailed down.
The Americans I’m talking about are not just those shadowy anonymous corporate campaign contributors who flooded this campaign. No less triumphant were those individuals at the apex of the economic pyramid — the superrich who have gotten spectacularly richer over the last four decades while their fellow citizens either treaded water or lost ground.
2/ Senator Dan Coats, Republican from Indiana, just elected......a story that confirms everything thats rotten and corrupt with our political system. A former Senator, became a lobbyist, now he's back as a Senator again.....he told the voters of Indiana his lobbyist connections with 35 large corporations wouldn't influence his voting on any issues, and I guess they believed him.....where is Indiana anyway? Must be one of those stupid states in the middle....
Now Mr. Coats, a Republican from Indiana, is about to make a striking transition. He is spinning the revolving door backward.
As part of the Republican wave in this year’s midterm elections, Mr. Coats will join the Senate again and is seeking a coveted spot on the Finance Committee, the same panel that tried to shut the tax loophole and that the Obama administration has pushed to again consider such a move.
There is no rule that would keep Mr. Coats from voting on issues that he handled as a lobbyist, and he does not intend to recuse himself when former clients are affected by his votes. But he has said he will not let prior connections influence him.
3/ The corporate oligarchy. How cigarette companies are much more aggressive outside the US and Europe, and are basically bullying medium sized countries when they try to bring in anti-smoking laws.....this is the way of the world - the corporations have more money than a lot of countries and aren't shy about using it.....
But Philip Morris International, the separate company spun out of Altria in 2008 to expand the company’s presence in foreign markets, has been especially aggressive in fighting new restrictions overseas.
It has not only sued Uruguay, but also Brazil, arguing that images the government wants to put on cigarette packages do not accurately depict the health effects of smoking and “vilify” tobacco companies. The pictures depict more grotesque health effects than the smaller labels recommended in the United States, including one showing a fetus with the warning that smoking can cause spontaneous abortion.
In Ireland and Norway, Philip Morris subsidiaries are suing over prohibitions on store displays.
In Australia, where the government announced a plan that would require cigarettes to be in plain brown or white packaging to make them less attractive to buyers, a Philip Morris official directed an opposition media campaign during the federal elections last summer, according to documents obtained by an Australian television program, and later obtained by The New York Times.
The $5 million campaign, purporting to come from small store owners, was also partly financed by British American and Imperial Tobacco.
4/ The Times takes a look at webisodes, which are series you can only see on the web, normally under 10 minutes each. They review a few of the most popular, but the one below you may have seen before on DDD - Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow.....
Beginning this week in Arts & Leisure we will periodically round up some current and recent examples of purpose-made (as opposed to spur-of-the-moment) online video, focusing on original content but also keeping an eye out for hard-to-find television shows and films that have been given a home on the Web. We hope it will serve as both a snapshot of what’s being made and a guide for the casual but interested consumer.
Web Therapy
Ms. Kudrow’s series starring herself as Fiona Wallace, an abrasive and unhelpful online therapist, posted its 46th episode last week, and it’s a good one. The “Web Therapy” viewer sees both sides of Fiona’s iChat conversations; here she discusses her husband’s sexuality with histherapist, played by a hilariously winsome and breathy Meryl Streep.
This is one of the Meryl Streep episodes of Web Therapy.... good subtle humour.....
5/ "The Haggler" gives a rare positive review to an airline - Jet Blue. Flying has become a chore, a hassle from start to finish, security lines, crowded airports, tiny seats, no meals, nickel and dimed to death but as the article says Jet Blue does it's best.....so all things being equal and the cost comparisons close......think Blue.....
Mary and I have flown on JB about 8 times, and our impressions were they are a lot better than AA for instance, but I guess you have to work for the New York Times to get amazingly good service like this.....
And, here, JetBlue is pretty exceptional. A few weeks ago, the Haggler was running really late for a flight out of J.F.K. So late that his first question as he approached the ticket counter was, “What else do you have tonight heading to Tampa?”
The guy behind the counter looked at the ticket, and said, “Follow me.” He then escorted the Haggler to a security line marked “Jet Blue Employees Only,” and in moments the Haggler and his bag were being whisked through a metal detector and an X-ray machine.
As this was happening, a memory returned. Five years ago, another JetBlue employee offered the exact same expedited service jaunt to security, for the same reason. (Yes, the Haggler needs to work on his airport arrival times.)
In both cases, the striking part was the subtext: the Haggler’s problem was the employees’ problem, too. The employees treated the issue the way you’d expect them to treat it if they were the ones running late.
6/ TRON - the trailer for the 3D movie coming out soon, and it's cool.....Jeff Bridges....hope there's plot to go along with the coolness.......anyway an unusual and atmospheric video....2 minutes.....
7/ Most interesting glimpse into the future - Oprah reveals plans for how fans can join her in her tomb .........an Onion News exclusive.......2 minutes....
Don't know about you but I love these little videos.....sarcasm indeed......
8/ Next week is Thanksgiving, so here's a chance to preview the delightfully racist tunes of Darlene McBride's Thanksgiving.....operators are standing by.......2 minutes
Todays Threat Level joke
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Todays golf joke
It was a sunny morning, a little before 8.00am, on the first hole of a busy course. I was beginning my pre-shot routine, visualizing my upcoming shot with a few practice swings when a piercing voice came over the club house loud speaker :
"Would the gentleman on the woman's tee back up to the men's tee please!"
I could feel every eye on the course looking at me. I was still deep in my routine, seemingly impervious to the interruption.
Again the announcement, "Would the man on the woman's tee kindly back up to the men's tee." I simply ignored the guy and kept concentrating.
When once more, the man yelled, "Would the man on the woman's tee back up to the men's tee, please!"
I finally stopped, turned, cupped my hands and shouted back : "Would the asshole with the microphone kindly keep quiet and let me play my second shot!"
Todays Chinese joke
Learn Chinese in 5 minutes (You MUST read them aloud) English - Chinese
That's not right! Sum Ting Wong
Are you harbouring a fugitive? Hu Yu Hai Ding
See me ASAP ; Kum Hia Nao
Stupid Man Dum Fuk
Small Horse Tai Ni Po Ni
Did you go to the beach? Wai Yu So Tan
I bumped into a coffee table! Ai Bang Mai Fu Kin Ni
I think you need a face lift! Chin Tu Fat
It's very dark in here! Wai So Dim
I thought you were on a diet! Wai Yu Mun Ching
This is a tow away zone! No Pah King
Our meeting is scheduled for next week! Wai Yu Kum Nao
Staying out of sight Lei Ying Lo
He's cleaning his automobile Wa Shing Ka
Your body odour is offensive Yu Stin Ki Pu
Great Fa Kin Su Pa
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