Some very good pieces this week, starting with #1 and #2.......
1/ One the many things that vex most liberals is how poor whites can possibly vote Republican, i.e. against their own interests. This fascinating article from the Guardian explains why, and the answers won't please the left wing mind.
Here's the headline of the story........
Why do poor white voters reject the Democrats? Well, why shouldn't they?
The white working class is said to 'vote against its own interests'. This only exposes the patronising assumptions of their accusers
And here's the start of the piece.So white people who are struggling financially are going to vote Republican. And not by a narrow margin. Asked in a recent Washington Post poll which candidate would do more to advance their families' economic interests, middle-class white voters who said they were struggling to maintain their financial positions chose Mitt Romney. And not by a small margin. In this category he beats Barack Obama by 58% to 32%.
Such news is generally greeted on the left by a mixture of despair and ridicule. Here is a group of people, it seems, who simply do not understand what's good for them. Whites without college degrees, as reasonable if flawed an indicator of "class" in this country as exists, backed John McCain by 58 to 40 in 2008 and George W Bush in 2004 and 2000 by similar amounts. Failing to sense the liberation the Democrats have in store for them, they have been seized by a collective bout of false consciousness and are once again set to vote against their own interests. Having thus infantilised them as ostensible adults in need of protection against themselves, progressives will then wonder why this particular group of people do not flock to them at the polls.
There are several problems with this response – not least the condescension towards a group that too many liberals feel too comfortable disparaging – but for now let's just concentrate on two.
First, it interprets interests too narrowly. As a well-paid journalist, I vote against my economic interests when I support parties that favour wealth redistribution. That's because my own economic interests are not the only things that interest me when I vote. I have a vision of a society that I'd like to live in that goes beyond my own bank account.
It's patronising in the extreme to assume that poorer white people don't understand that. I may disagree with their decisions to vote on issues like abortion and gay marriage, but it's a different thing entirely to suggest that when they prioritise those things it's because they don't know what's best for them. Paradoxically, given that this argument comes from liberals, it is underpinned by an insistence not that they be less selfish, but more.
Secondly, if they were voting on economic issues alone, that might be a reason not to vote Republican but it's not necessarily a reason to vote Democrat.
2/ A fascinating TED talk on how liberals and conservatives have real differences in how they view the world, and how this affects the moral values we tend to hold most dear.
Sounds boring, but it isn't. The speaker, a psychologist, will give you insights on why you think the way you do.....and a few jokes too. Watch the first 2 minutes, and you will be hooked.....especially if you have an "open" mind.....
http://www.ted.com/talks/
3/ Life lessons from the Honey Badger.....some psychologists use the commentary from the famous "Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger" clip to give good advice for all of us.....and the 3 minute video is at the end of the piece......actually this was a great excuse to put HB in again.....
Somewhere around the 30th (300th?) time we watched that hilarious viral video known as "The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger," it hit us: There is actually some great real-world advice for living fearlessly hidden in the midst of this thing. Yes, it's true: If we all lived like the honey badger, we would indeed be more fearless.
Here, four great lessons on fearlessness, taken straight from the video -- plus a few words from various HuffPost experts as to how these lessons apply in the real (i.e., human) world....
LESSON ONE: Stop Caring What Other People Think!
Video: “The honey badger has been referred to by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most fearless animal in all of the animal kingdom. It really doesn’t give a shit. It just takes what it wants."
Video: “The honey badger has been referred to by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most fearless animal in all of the animal kingdom. It really doesn’t give a shit. It just takes what it wants."
HuffPost expert says: "The addiction to what other people think has... significant impact; it represses us, which in turn keeps us in a sort of purgatory, afraid of the consequences of pursuing the life we really want. 'If I do this, they will say ______ ....' You won't be happy because you believe that people are judging you. It becomes easier to stay miserable so everyone else in the status quo will be fine.... When I was able to let go of caring about what other people thought and make my decisions free and clear of other people's opinions, I could easily and powerfully move forward on my own terms." -- Tom Ferry, bestselling author of "Life By Design"
4/ The first two stories deal with the differences between left and right thinking in our politics, but for an example of what happens when the extreme right has total control of a state go to Arizona where the whackos are in charge.....eeeeek.....
We interrupt reality to bring you Arizona, once known as the Grand Canyon state. So glorious, this home to sublime cacti and ugly javelina, an outdoor stage for the high histrionics of geologic time, but so very, very crazy. Even a spate of recent temperatures in the 105-degree range cannot explain the latest doings of government by crackpots.
Let’s start with the secretary of state, a wide-eyed fellow named Ken Bennett. He is Arizona’s chief elections officer. He is a Republican. He is also co-chairman of Mitt Romney’s campaign in Arizona. Recently, a few hundred people who probably spend their lives searching the Internet looking for proof that the moon landing was fake asked Mr. Secretary of State to investigate the birth certificate of the president of the United States.
5/ Do you go to high end coffee shops for your skim milk latte with soy lowfat chocolate flakes? You may relate to this clip about coffee shop monsters.....3 minutes.....
http://www.funnyordie.com/6/ Paul Krugman evicerates the Republican mantra of "fiscal responsibility" for what it is, which is tax cuts and more for the rich, and cutting the middle class safety nets to pay for them ......and has as an example Chris Christie, the [fat] darling of the right......
Quick quiz: What’s a good five-letter description of Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, that ends in “y”?
The obvious choice is, of course, “bully.” But as a recent debate over the state’s budget reveals, “phony” is an equally valid answer. And as Mr. Christie goes, so goes his party.
Until now the attack of the fiscal phonies has been mainly a national rather than a state issue, with Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, as the prime example. As regular readers of this column know, Mr. Ryan has somehow acquired a reputation as a stern fiscal hawk despite offering budget proposals that, far from being focused on deficit reduction, are mainly about cutting taxes for the rich while slashing aid to the poor and unlucky. In fact, once you strip out Mr. Ryan’s “magic asterisks” — claims that he will somehow increase revenues and cut spending in ways that he refuses to specify — what you’re left with are plans that would increase, not reduce, federal debt.
The same can be said of Mitt Romney, who claims that he will balance the budget but whose actual proposals consist mainly of huge tax cuts (for corporations and the wealthy, of course) plus a promise not to cut defense spending.
Both Mr. Ryan and Mr. Romney, then, are fake deficit hawks.
7/ New York Airports are installing female holograms to deal with customer questions.....Jimmy Kimmel has some amusing commentary on this innovation.....1 minute....
8/ As you may know the "birther" BS has come up again, so Bill Maher decided to fight back and create a 'wifer" controversy about Mitt Romney....very funny, with some deeper overtones - this is how the right wing attack machine works......
Actually forget the deeper stuff.....this is hilarious.....one of his better ones.....
9/ Naomi Wolf with a great article on what is really behind the war on women - it's really about control of us all, starting with women and sexuality......fascinating, and actually pretty scary. I think behind it all the oligarchy is ramping up ways to control and repress the backlash that is, or will, come from the poor and lower middle classes.....
Excellent article, and not just for women.....
Are women suddenly running rampant in the streets by the millions, threatening society in unexpected ways?
You would surely think so by looking at the pattern that is visible across the nation: state by state, a well-funded legislative war on women is being unleashed. Many of these new proposed bills, or recently passed state laws, attack in novel ways women's rights to ownership of their bodies and their basic life choices, which second-wave feminists thought long won.
Planned Parenthood appears to be target No 1: Maine, Texas, Arizona,Ohio,
Target No 2 is abortion rights. Since 2011, 92 new laws against abortion took effect, in 11 states: some states, such as Tennessee, are passing creative new restrictions on abortion rights. On 12 April, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a new law banning abortions later than 18 weeks after fertilization, and imposing new regulations making abortion more difficult to obtain.
Target No 2 is abortion rights. Since 2011, 92 new laws against abortion took effect, in 11 states: some states, such as Tennessee, are passing creative new restrictions on abortion rights. On 12 April, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a new law banning abortions later than 18 weeks after fertilization, and imposing new regulations making abortion more difficult to obtain.
Other bills impose waiting periods for women after they have sought medical help – so that they are forced to "think it over" in a manner, and for a period, mandated by the state. A law in Utah requires women to wait 72 hours after receiving medical counselling, for instance, before having an abortion. A similar law is passed in South Dakota.
Finally, some bills – in a way that defies the US constitution – limit or criminalize certain kinds of speech to pregnant women: a law in Kansas would allow medical professionals to refuse giving abortion-seeking women information about clinics and doctors.
But women who want abortions aren't just facing a closing window of time to get the procedure done, or a mandated wait to extend an already agonizing decision period, or a longer journey to find an abortion provider. They and their medical teams are also increasingly likely to risk facing criminal charges – or even violence. A bill that was under consideration in South Dakota last year would have recast killing an abortion provider as "justifiable homicide". It was later shelved.
But women who want abortions aren't just facing a closing window of time to get the procedure done, or a mandated wait to extend an already agonizing decision period, or a longer journey to find an abortion provider. They and their medical teams are also increasingly likely to risk facing criminal charges – or even violence. A bill that was under consideration in South Dakota last year would have recast killing an abortion provider as "justifiable homicide". It was later shelved.
What is this flurry of legislation about? Is it about the sanctity of life?
10/ Time for our monthly compilation of fails, i.e. stupid, drunk or overconfident people doing dumb stuff......9 minutes of mayhem.......
11/ Miralax is a laxative that is supposed to be for adults only, and should only be taken for a week.....but doctors have been prescribing this powerful drug to children, for years at a time. As a hard and fast rule, all drugs have side effects they don't tell you about, so what it is doing to these kids is anyone's guess.....
Note to our readers - if you have poopage issues, it's your diet. If you need help, use Metamucil.
Since it was first introduced 13 years ago, a drug called Miralax — an odorless, tasteless laxative that can be easily diluted in orange juice or water — has become a staple in many American households.
But the way many families use Miralax and its many generic equivalents has strayed far from its original intent. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for use only by adults, and for only seven days at a time.
Instead, Miralax has become a long-term solution for childhood constipation — a problem that can be troubling not just physically, but also emotionally — rather than a short-term fix so that parents can change their children’s diets to include more fruits and vegetables.
“I’ve had kids on it daily for years,” said Dr. Scott W. Cohen, a pediatrician in Beverly Hills, Calif., adding that he will generally refer them to a specialist in prolonged cases. For children with chronic constipation who are not being helped by dietary changes, “We literally give it like water.”
No studies have shown that the drug’s active ingredient — polyethylene glycol 3350, or PEG — has severe side effects. But there is a growing chorus of questions about why it has been used and prescribed for children for so many years.
12/ Marina and the Diamonds with "Primadonna Girl"....quite fascinating because the singer, Marina, tries to come off as a glam Madonna type figure but can't get it right.....fun song, flawed but interesting nonetheless.......
13/ Real estate - fascinating story about how walkable housing is going up in price faster than houses in the burbs.......people are moving back to cities and towns where they can walk/public transport to shops, restaurants and entertainment, instead of having to drive everywhere.....and it's also an indicator of your class.....
WALKING isn’t just good for you. It has become an indicator of your socioeconomic status.
Until the 1990s, exclusive suburban homes that were accessible only by car cost more, per square foot, than other kinds of American housing. Now, however, these suburbs have become overbuilt, and housing values have fallen. Today, the most valuable real estate lies in walkable urban locations. Many of these now pricey places were slums just 30 years ago.
Mariela Alfonzo and I just released a Brookings Institution study that measures values of commercial and residential real estate in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, which includes the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland. Our research shows that real estate values increase as neighborhoods became more walkable, where everyday needs, including working, can be met by walking, transit or biking. There is a five-step “ladder” of walkability, from least to most walkable. On average, each step up the walkability ladder adds $9 per square foot to annual office rents, $7 per square foot to retail rents, more than $300 per month to apartment rents and nearly $82 per square foot to home values.
As a neighborhood moves up each step of the five-step walkability ladder, the average household income of those who live there increases some $10,000. People who live in more walkable places tend to earn more, but they also tend to pay a higher percentage of their income for housing.
14/ Read this story about Louisiana's prison systems, and this is where Rick Scott wants to take Florida.......don't forget Floriduh has one of the most draconian drug sentencing laws in the country, as well as the minimum mandatory sentences for any crime committed with a gun........remember the Jacksonville woman who got 20 years for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband?
If our Guv tries again to privatise more prisons [thankfully voted down this year] look for more "tough on crime" laws coming down the pike......it all about business, and it's hopelessly corrupt......
“Louisiana is the world’s prison capital. The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana’s incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran’s, seven times China’s and 10 times Germany’s.”
That paragraph opens a devastating eight-part seriespublished this month by The Times-Picayune of New Orleans about how the state’s largely private prison system profits from high incarceration rates and tough sentencing, and how many with the power to curtail the system actually have a financial incentive to perpetuate it.
The picture that emerges is one of convicts as chattel and a legal system essentially based on human commodification.
First, some facts from the series:
• One in 86 Louisiana adults is in the prison system, which is nearly double the national average.
• More than 50 percent of Louisiana’s inmates are in local prisons, which is more than any other state. The next highest state is Kentucky at 33 percent. The national average is 5 percent.
• Louisiana leads the nation in the percentage of its prisoners serving life without parole.
• Louisiana spends less on local inmates than any other state.
• Nearly two-thirds of Louisiana’s prisoners are nonviolent offenders. The national average is less than half.
In the early 1990s, the state was under a federal court order to reduce overcrowding, but instead of releasing prisoners or loosening sentencing guidelines, the state incentivized the building of private prisons. But, in what the newspaper called “a uniquely Louisiana twist,” most of the prison entrepreneurs were actually rural sheriffs. They saw a way to make a profit and did.
It also was a chance to employ local people, especially failed farmers forced into bankruptcy court by a severe drop in the crop prices.
But in order for the local prisons to remain profitable, the beds, which one prison operator in the series distastefully refers to as “honey holes,” must remain full. That means that on almost a daily basis, local prison officials are on the phones bartering for prisoners with overcrowded jails in the big cities.
It also means that criminal sentences must remain stiff, which the sheriff’s association has supported. This has meant that Louisiana has some of the stiffest sentencing guidelines in the country. Writing bad checks in Louisiana can earn you up to 10 years in prison. In California, by comparison, jail time would be no more than a year.
15/ They are going to steal the Florida elections again folks.....our intrepid Governor is disenfranchising thousands of voters, just because he can....a cynical ploy to get Mitt Romney president, as Florida is a swing state and very important in this race.....
On Wednesday, November 7, Mitt Romney could wake up as the President-elect thanks to one man: Florida Governor Rick Scott. With little fanfare, Scott is undertaking an audacious plan to kick thousands of Floridians off the ballot just before this year’s elections. It’s a sloppy, chaotic andpossibly illegal plan. But it just might work. Here’s how:
1. Scott has created a massive list of Floridians to purge from the voting rolls before the election. Late last year, Governor Scott ordered his Secretary of State, Kurt Browning, to “to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls.” But Browning did not have access to reliable citizenship data. The state attempted to identify non-U.S. citizens by comparing the voting file with data from the state motor vehicle administration, but the motor vehicle data does not contain updated citizenship information. The process, which created a list of 182,000 people, was considered so flawed by Browning that he refused to release the data to county election officials. Browning resigned in February and Scott has pressed forward with the purge, starting with about 2600 voters.
2. The list of “ineligible” voters is riddled with errors and includes hundreds of eligible U.S. citizens
16/ Our Florida Universities are in severe funding trouble, but the Legislature has voted to create another University, basically to please a powerful but scummy State Senator who retired this year......
Corrupt, and stupid.....Floriduh indeed........excellent story from Carl Hiaasen.......
IN MY OPINION
Hail to our newest campus: Useless State
BY CARL HIAASEN
CHIAASEN@MIAMIHERALD.COM
At a time when Florida’s 11 state universities are financially gasping, the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott are throwing $50 million away on a whimsical new school that might as well be called Useless State.
It’s the work of a Lake Wales Republican named JD Alexander, who — sadly for taxpayers — chaired the powerful Senate Budget Committee.
Alexander is leaving the Legislature because of term limits, but as a going-away present he demanded that his colleagues fund a new university in his home district. And then he basically stomped his little feet and held his breath and huffily threatened to gut another school’s budget if he didn’t get his way.
And most of his fellow Republicans, including our governor, caved in like the phonies and wimps they are.
As a result, Floridians are paying for a new university that we don’t need, and is already millions over budget before the first class meets. It’s a foolhardy and very expensive mistake, and its name is Florida Polytechnic.
17/ Movie News
"Men in Black 3", in theaters now gets a surprisingly good review in the Times......you think you know what you're getting if you have seen the first two "MIB's", but this one goes off in unexpected directions......so if you like aliens, special effects, laconic dialogue and fun.....this one's for you.....
Can you think of a new movie with less reason for existing than “Men in Black 3”? What? “Battleship”? Yes, O.K. Good point. Hadn’t thought of that. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”? Fair enough. But still. “The Avengers”? Let’s not go there. And stop interrupting me when I’m trying to make a serious point.
Apart from the urgent necessity of reminding us that Will Smith is a movie star (and the usual need to wring a few more dollars out of a profitable franchise), “Men in Black 3” arrives in the multiplexes of the world with no particular agenda. Which may be part of the reason it turns out to be so much fun. You don’t need to study up on the previous installments or master a body of bogus fanboy lore to enjoy this movie for the breezy pop throwaway it is. Your expectations may be pleasantly low, and you may therefore be pleasantly surprised when they are exceeded.
The first “Men in Black” movie, a playful adaptation of Lowell Cunningham’s offbeat comic books, was released 15 years ago, and a decade has gone by since the sequel — called “Men in Black 2” and every bit as memorable as its name — cashed in big and skyrocketed into the realm of bloated, tongue-in-cheek, special-effects-heavy spectacle. No. 3, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a script by Etan Cohen, starts out somewhat dispiritingly in that tapped-out vein, with a barrage of state-of-the-art weaponry, meticulously rendered slime and jokes that seem more than a little stale. There are no talking dogs and not too many references to the earlier installments.
For the first 20 minutes or so, nothing special is going on, and it seems that “Men in Black 3” will be content to spin its wheels and collect its money en route through the usual overscaled action set pieces toward a superloud, planet-saving final showdown. The music sounds less like a score by Danny Elfman than like a score by Danny Elfman’s smartphone app, and it carries dreadful intimations of forced fun. But even as the movie carefully fulfills its blockbuster imperatives — with chases and explosions and elaborately contrived plot twists — it swerves into some marvelously silly, unexpectedly witty and genuinely fresh territory. Go figure.
MIB3 trailer.....
Wes Anderson is one of those movie directors you either love or hate........his latest "Moonrise Kingdom" is out this week, and is definitely on our list.....
Wes Anderson makes films about small worlds in which big things happen: love, heartbreak, calamities, death. In his latest, the wondrous storybook tale “Moonrise Kingdom,” a girl and a boy, both 12, run off to a remote inlet on an island where most of the adults seem disappointed and more than a little sad. The girl and the boy are very serious — about love, their plans, books, life itself — and often act older than their age. She wears bright blue eyeliner; he puffs on a corncob pipe. You wonder what their hurry is, given that here adulthood, with its quarrels, regrets and anguished pillow talk, can feel as dangerous as the storm that’s hurtling toward the island, ready to blow it all down.
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Like many of Mr. Anderson’s films, including his last one, the truly fantastic “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” there’s a deliberate, self-conscious once-upon-a-time quality to “Moonrise Kingdom.” From the minute the film opens, quickly settling on a needlepoint image of a house — a representation of the one in which Suzy lives, where it all begins — Mr. Anderson, who’s more fabulist than traditional realist, underscores the obvious point that you’re watching a story. This heightened sense of self-awareness is underscored by the exhilarating camera movements that sweep across the house from right to left, left to right, and up and down, and take you on a time and space tour through the house, past Suzy’s father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand, both touching).
"Moonrise Kingdom" trailer......strange, but wonderfully obscure.......great cast......
Todays video - "The Front Fell Off", an interview on Australian TV with a politician about a shipping disaster......funny....
And the truth about the interview......
Todays joke for both sexes......
The Frog and the woman golfer
A woman was out golfing one day when she hit the ball into the woods. She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, "If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes."
The woman freed the frog, and the frog said, "Thank you, but I failed to mention that there is a condition to your wishes. Whatever you wish for, your husband will get times ten!"
The woman said, "That's okay."
For her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world.
The frog warned her, "You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis whom women will flock to."
The woman replied, "That's okay, because I will be the most beautiful woman and he will have eyes only for me." So, KAZAM - she's the most beautiful woman in the world!
For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world.
The frog said, "That will make your husband the richest man in the world. And he will be ten times richer than you."
The woman said, "That's okay, because what's mine is his and what's his is mine." So, KAZAM - she's the richest woman in the world!
The frog then inquired about her third wish, and she answered, "I'd like a mild heart attack."
Moral of the story: Women are clever. Don't mess with them.
Attention female readers: This is the end of the joke for you. Stop here and continue feeling good.
Male readers: Please scroll down.
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Attention female readers: This is the end of the joke for you. Stop here and continue feeling good.
Male readers: Please scroll down.
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The man had a heart attack ten times milder than his wife …
Moral of the story: Women are not really smart, they just think they are.
Let them continue to think that way and just enjoy life.
PS: If you are a woman and are still reading this; it only proves that women never listen!!!
Moral of the story: Women are not really smart, they just think they are.
Let them continue to think that way and just enjoy life.
PS: If you are a woman and are still reading this; it only proves that women never listen!!!
Todays joke for the ladies.....
Here's A Recent Study That You Ladies Should Find InterestingThere is a new study just released by the American Psychiatric Association about women and how they feel about their asses. The results are pretty interesting:
1. 15% of women surveyed feel their ass is too big.
2. 5% of women surveyed feel their ass is too small.
3. The remaining 80% say they don't care; they love him; he's a good guy and they would have married him anyway.
Todays Military joke
A crusty old Marine Sergeant Major found himself at a gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college. There was no shortage of extremely young idealistic ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant Major for conversation.
"Excuse me, Sergeant Major, but you seem to be a very serious man. Is something bothering you?"
"Negative, ma'am. Just serious by nature."
The young lady looked at his awards and decorations and said, "It looks like you have seen a lot of action."
"Yes, ma'am, a lot of action."
The young lady, tiring of trying to start up a conversation, said, "You know, you should lighten up. Relax and enjoy yourself."
The Sergeant Major just stare at her in his serious manner.
Finally the young lady said, "You know, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but when is the last time you had sex?"
"1955, ma'am."
"Well, there you are. No wonder you're so serious. You really need to chill out! I mean, no sex since 1955!
She took his hand and led him to a private room where she proceeded to "relax" him several times.
Afterwards, panting for breath, she leaned against his bare chest and said, "Wow, you sure didn't forget much since 1955."
The Sergeant Major said, after glancing at his watch, "I hope not, ma'am; it's only 2130 now."
Todays short but wise joke
Women always say that giving birth is way more painful than a guy getting kicked in the nuts.
There is no way to prove that they are wrong.
But a year or so after giving birth a woman will often say, "It would be nice to have another kid".
You never hear a guy say, “It would be nice to get kicked in the nuts again".
