1/ It's hard to read Bob Herbert's column in the Times - he says what we choose to forget - this country is in the shitter, with the middle class under constant attack and the poor in desperate straits. Everyone reading this knows someone who took a job at lower pay after being laid off. Everyone knows a teenager who can't get a summer job any more. Everyone knows someone in their 50's who can't find work. You also realise if you have something put away it's earning a princely 1.5%, so if you are old and need income you will be going through your capital.
But the elites are doing just fine....the Dow is up, bankers bonuses are going to be at record levels, tax breaks are coming for the top 2%, the media continue to distract us without ever facing the real issues... etc etc. This is a very dangerous thing for the stability of our society. The blatant unfairness of it all has driven the anger of the Tea Party and the Republican rout three weeks ago, but the general public don't realise it is the corruption of our system by the corporate oligarchs that is the problem. Yet.
Oh well.....Bob Herbert captures what we choose to push to the back of our minds.....read it....
2/ Sarah Palin - her continuing popularity is a source of amazement to all of America with an IQ in three digits, but in a really interesting column Frank Rich analyses why this ditz is so popular....
There is a theory around that postulates the oligarchs picked Palin for the ticket in 08 because they knew she would make the Republicans lose....leaving Obama the disasterous financial mess he inherited and that we are living through, and setting the stage for a Republican comeback in 2010 [yup] and 2012..........
But although it is clear Tina Fey won the 08 election for Obama, Palin's milfy attractiveness to the Republican base scares "the boys", so the thought she might actually be the candidate in 2012 is getting everyone twitchy......read on.....
But logic doesn’t apply to Palin. What might bring down other politicians only seems to make her stronger: the malapropisms and gaffes, the cut-and-run half-term governorship, family scandals, shameless lying and rapacious self-merchandising. In an angry time when America’s experts and elites all seem to have failed, her amateurism and liabilities are badges of honor. She has turned fallibility into a formula for success.
Republican leaders who want to stop her, and they are legion, are utterly baffled about how to do so. Democrats, who gloat that she’s the Republicans’ problem, may be humoring themselves.
3/ Funny column on "zombie politics" from Gail Collins......by the way is "The Walking Dead" on your TiVo list?
On the other side, the Democrats are waking from an election night coma to find that the country is overrun with zombie Republicans who are demanding to be allowed to shut down the government even before their swearing-in. And when President Obama invited their leadership to break bread and talk about working together, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell said a pre-Thanksgiving sit-down didn’t fit into their schedules.
Wouldn’t want to be there when the meal finally comes off. “Bless us, oh Lord, and these, thy gifts, which ... aaauuurrgghchompchompchomp
In private, the Democratic senators complained bitterly about the old Obama let-us-reason-together strategy. Zombies aren’t going to make a deal on the Bush tax cuts or pass the arms treaty! All they care about is plump, tasty Democratic thighs and calves and kidneys.
4/ A photo essay of images from Las Vegas, with abandoned houses, unemployment, homeless people.....excellent photography.......Prozac anyone?
5/ The problem with having politicians who feed you bullshit all of the time is eventually you wake up with a really bad taste in your mouth....but by then it's too late.
Reading the headlines these days, I can’t help but repeat this truism: If you jump off the top of an 80-story building, for 79 floors you can think you’re flying. It’s the sudden stop at the end that tells you you’re not. It’s striking to me how many leaders and nations are behaving today as though they think they can fly — and ignoring that sudden stop at the end that’s sure to come.
..............................
Closer to home, America’s climate-deniers mounted an effective disinformation campaign that made “climate change” a four-letter word in the Republican Party. This undermined efforts to get a clean energy bill — the sort that might break our addiction to oil and take money away from the people our soldiers are fighting in the Middle East. And all of this happened in 2010, which is on track to be the Earth’s hottest year on record. So here’s the math: 98 climate scientists out of 100 will tell you that man’s continued carbon emissions pose the risk of disruptive climate change this century. Two out of 100 will tell you it doesn’t. And “conservatives” today tell you to bet on the two. If the climate-deniers are right — but we combat climate change anyway — we’ll have slightly higher energy prices but cleaner air, more renewable energy, a stronger dollar, more innovative industries and enemies with less money. If the deniers are wrong and we do nothing, your kids will meet the sudden stop at the end.
6/ The always excellent Rachael Maddow compares the old John McCain to the new John McCain, and finds a hollow shell of a man that stands for nothing consistent.....to think if he hadn't picked Palin for his running mate he may have had a decent shot at being President....frightening....5 minutes......
7/ Heard this on the radio - if you like dance music this is excellent....but I was surprised to find the video has girls in lingerie having pillowfights, with a stalker lurking around.....German video.....of course!.....3 minutes....
8/ If you don't believe corporate money has corrupted everything in this country read this story about how Massey Energy has persecuted a coal mine owner they forced out of business. This is getting like Russia.....
It’s not hard to see why. In 2002, a West Virginia jury awarded $50 million to Mr. Caperton after finding that the powerful chairman of Massey Energy, Don L. Blankenship, had set out to financially destroy him and his small coal company. But even as this state’s highest court repeatedly threw out that award, controversies emerged over ties between Mr. Blankenship and court judges.
One judge stepped aside in 2008 from the case after photographs emerged showing him vacationing alongside Mr. Blankenship in Monte Carlo, and another judge did so after the United States Supreme Court ruled last year that he should not have ruled on Massey’s appeals because Mr. Blankenship had spent $3 million supporting his election.
9/ Companies and politics
Here are two corporations you may deal with on a regular basis that are contributing to far right causes....Publix and AT&T.
If you are a Republican, this is good and give them more of your business.
If you are a Democrat, be advised accordingly and Costco looks better and better.....
Publix Supermarkets are the number two contributor to the Republican Party in Florida and have been for years. Progress Energy is number one.
Florida Tax Watch a Right-Wing political action committee was founded by Publix and has two members on the board today.
Publix gave $200.000 to fight amendment 4 to two PACS “Citizens for Lower Taxes” and “Floridians for Smarter Growth”. The greater the growth the more profit for Publix!
Many Publix Board Members contribute individually to the Republican Party and Republican Candidates.
But AT&T is not CREDO.
• AT&T was the top contributor — with a whopping $351,500 — to members of the House Tea Party Caucus, led by the extremist Michele Bachmann, according to July totals from OpenSecrets.org.(1)
• AT&T contributed to the Senate Conservatives Fund, which raised money for Christine O'Donnell, Joe Miller, Ken Buck, Sharron Angle, and Rand Paul — all backed by the Tea Party.(2)
• AT&T's political action committee was recently ranked by Opensecrets.org as one of the biggest political contributors in the 2009-2010 cycle.(3)
And of course ANYBODY is better than the bastards at AT&T........
Todays video - a DDD favourite......if you didn't watch this three weeks ago now's the time.....
This video is like a kick in the stomach. It's a video made by the Australian Government of Victoria that was shown on Aussie TV to try to educate people about the carnage caused by drunk driving. It's powerful, real, shockingly violent but also incredibly moving.....should be mandatory for every teenage driver before they get their license.....
Excellent soundtrack "Everybody Hurts" by REM....
Highly, highly recommended....
Todays courtroom jokes
Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.
Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks
Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.
Q: How old is your son, the one living with you.
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years
Q: And where was the location of the accident?
A: Approximately milepost 499.
Q: And where is milepost 499?
A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500.
A: Approximately milepost 499.
Q: And where is milepost 499?
A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500.
Q: Did you blow your horn or anything?
A: After the accident?
Q: Before the accident.
A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.
A: After the accident?
Q: Before the accident.
A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.
Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in the voodoo?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.
Q: Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your red and blue lights flashing?
A: Yes.
Q: Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What did she say?
A: What disco am I at?
A: Yes.
Q: Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What did she say?
A: What disco am I at?
Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?
Todays Catholic joke
Four Catholic men and a Catholic woman were having coffee.
The first Catholic man tells his friends, "My son is a priest, when he walks into a room, everyone calls him 'Father'."
The second Catholic man chirps, "My son is a Bishop. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Grace'."
The third Catholic gent says, "My son is a Cardinal. When he enters a room everyone says 'Your Eminence'."
The fourth Catholic man then says, "My son is the Pope. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Holiness'."
Since the lone Catholic woman was sipping her coffee in silence, the four men give her a subtle, "Well....?"
She proudly replies, "I have a daughter; slim, tall, 38D breasts, 24" waist, 34" hips. When she walks into a room people say...
"Oh My God!!....."
The first Catholic man tells his friends, "My son is a priest, when he walks into a room, everyone calls him 'Father'."
The second Catholic man chirps, "My son is a Bishop. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Grace'."
The third Catholic gent says, "My son is a Cardinal. When he enters a room everyone says 'Your Eminence'."
The fourth Catholic man then says, "My son is the Pope. When he walks into a room people call him 'Your Holiness'."
Since the lone Catholic woman was sipping her coffee in silence, the four men give her a subtle, "Well....?"
She proudly replies, "I have a daughter; slim, tall, 38D breasts, 24" waist, 34" hips. When she walks into a room people say...
"Oh My God!!....."
Todays seniors joke
UP & DOWN SEXAt a Senior Citizen's luncheon, an elderly gentleman and an elderly ladystruck up a conversation and discovered that they both loved to fish.Since both of them were widowed,they decided to go fishing together the next day.The gentleman picked the lady up, and theyheaded to the river to his fishing boat andstarted out on their adventure.They were riding down the river when there was afork in the river, and the gentleman asked the lady,'Do you want to go up or down?'All of a sudden the lady stripped off her shirtand pants and made mad passionate love to the manright there in the boat !When they finished, the man couldn't believewhat had just happened, but he had just experiencedthe best sex that he'd had in years.They fished for a while and continued on down theriver, when soon they came upon another fork in theriver.He again asked the lady , 'Up or down ?'There she went again, stripped off her clothes,and made wild passionate love to him again.This really impressed the elderly gentleman, sohe asked her to go fishing again the next day..She said yes and there they were the next day,riding in the boat when they came upon the fork inriver, and the elderly gentleman asked, 'Up or down ?'The woman replied, 'Down.'A little puzzled and disappointed, the gentlemanguided the boat down the river when he came uponanother fork in the river and he asked thelady, ‘Up or down ?'She replied, 'Up.'This really confused the gentleman so he asked,'What's the deal? Yesterday, every time I askedyou if you wanted to go up or down you made madpassionate love to me. Now today, nothing!'She replied, 'Well, yesterday I wasn't wearingmy hearing aid and I thought the choices werefuck or drown!”
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