1/ Ignored in the gun debate is the fanaticism on the right, the kind that makes otherwise normal citizens think the "gumment" is coming for them in black helicopters.....
You can't deal with these people rationally.......good column from Charles Blow in the Times......
Listen closely.
That sound you hear is the sound of a cultural paranoia by people who have lost their grip on the reins of power, and on reality, and who fear the worst is coming.
And they are preparing for it, whatever it may be — a war, a revolution, an apocalypse.
These extremists make sensible, reasonable gun control hard to discuss, let alone achieve in this country, because they skew the conversations away from common-sense solutions on which both rational gun owners and non-gun owners can agree.
These people, a vocal minority, have extreme fears — gun confiscation, widespread civil instability, a tyrannical government — from which they are preparing to defend themselves with arsenals of weapons and stockpiles of ammunition.
If you pay attention to the right-wing’s rhetoric, you can hear a string of code words that feed the fears of these people and paralyze progress.
A collection of conservative groups have declared Jan. 19, during the weekend celebrating President Obama’s inauguration and Martin Luther King’s Birthday, as Gun Appreciation Day.
In a press release, the event chairman, Larry Ward, said, “The Obama administration has shown that it is more than willing to trample the Constitution to impose its dictates upon the American people.”
Using the word “dictates” is a subtle, but intentional, effort to frame the president as dangerous.
Andrew P. Napolitano, a Fox News analyst, said in avideo posted Thursday on the network’s GretaWire blog: “Here’s the dirty little secret about the Second Amendment, the Second Amendment was not written in order to protect your right to shoot deer, it was written to protect your right to shoot tyrants if they take over the government. How about chewing on that one.”
2/ This is an actual NRA ad targeting the President......
And although this is a Jimmy Kimmel spoof, I'll bet something similar is going round the right wing media........one minute......
3/ This is the hilarious seven minute opener of the Golden Globes awards, which aired Sunday night. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted, and did a great job by all accounts. Look at all the stars, and their reactions to the roasting.....
Very funny......and lots of glam......
4/ We may as well spell it out again how the middle class is being screwed........not that you've forgotten, but sometimes we need to run through the techniques the oligarchs are using.....
It's so artfully done, and so diabolical, that one can picture secret seminars in subterranean Wall Street meeting rooms, guiding young business recruits in the proven process of taking an extra share of wealth from the middle class. Their presentation might unfold as follows:
1. Boost productivity while keeping worker wages flat.
The trend is unmistakable, and startling: productivity has continued unabated while wages have simply stopped growing. Improved technologies have reduced the need for workers while globalization has introduced the corporate world to cheap labor. In effect, the workers who built a productive America over a half-century stopped getting paid for their efforts.
Paul Krugman suggests that a "sharp increase in monopoly power" is another reason for the disparity. As John D. Rockefeller said, "Competition is a sin." That certainly is the rule of thumb in banking and agriculture and health insurance and cell phones. Yet despite the fact that low-wage jobs are increasingly defining the American labor market, apologists for our meager minimum wage claim an increase will worsen unemployment. So it remains at $7.25. A minimum wage linked to productivity would be $21 per hour.
2. Build up a financial industry that has no maximum wage.
5/ A video of a drive along a coastal road in Norway, built on several small islands and reefs and crossed by eight bridges, several roads and overpasses. This road has a view of the open sea, which is rare on the roads along the Norwegian coast. You can see fjords and mountains as well as the ocean.........3 minutes.....
Quite beautiful......
http://www.youtube.com/embed/
6/ Some of the smartest companies in business today are in the casino industry, as it is no mean trick extracting peoples $$$ and still making them feel they have had fun, so they come back. Interesting article about electronic slots, and the techniques they use to make sure you keep playing and stay in "the zone".......
DIGITAL DOMAIN
I’m Losing Money. So Why Do I Feel So Good?
STEP into a casino and chances are good that slot machines are filling much of the space, as far as the eye can see. That dominant presence reflects the preference of many customers for machine gambling over human-mediated table games. Not surprisingly, electronic game machines contribute a clear majority of casino revenue in the states that permit them.
What may not be so evident is how a shift in casino gambling to screen-based games contributes to gambling addiction. It’s a story that would fill a book — and just such a book has arrived: “Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas” by Natasha Dow Schüll, an associate professor in the Program in Science, Technology and Society at M.I.T. The book offers a history of digital technology in casino gambling and shows how it grabs hold of players in ways never before available to equipment makers.
Professor Schüll, a cultural anthropologist, spent considerable time in Las Vegas casinos as part of her research. She met players who told her how they sought to enter a mindless state, a “zone,” in which all else is obliterated, and to stay there as long as possible.
“You aren’t really there — you’re with the machine and that’s all you’re with,” one subject said, describing the zone “where nothing else matters.”
7/ This is amusing for anyone who watched the opening episode of Downton Abbey Season 3 - did you know they had a Facebook page in the 20's? Quite amusing......
The "Martha" posting is from the Shirley Maclaine character.....
8/ A scientific report has just come out on climate change, but as usual is being and will be ignored in Washington.....but you may as well read the synopsis.....
Note the predictions are very conservative, probably to get consensus from the 300+ scientists contributing to the report. The reality is the whole process is accelerating.......
Climate change set to make America hotter, drier and more disaster-prone
Draft report from NCA makes clear link between climate change and extreme weather as groups urge Obama to take action
Future generations of Americans can expect to spend 25 days a year sweltering in temperatures above 100F (38C), with climate change on course to turn the country into a hotter, drier, and more disaster-prone place.
The National Climate Assessment, released in draft form on Friday , provided the fullest picture to date of the real-time effects of climate change on US life, and the most likely consequences for the future.
The 1,000-page report, the work of the more than 300 government scientists and outside experts, was unequivocal on the human causes of climate change, and on the links between climate change and extreme weather.
"Climate change is already affecting the American people," the draft report said. "Certain types of weather events have become more frequent and/or intense including heat waves, heavy downpours and in some regions floods and drought. Sea level is rising, oceans are becoming more acidic, and glaciers and Arctic sea ice are melting."
The report, which is not due for adoption until 2014, was produced to guide federal, state and city governments in America in making long-term plans.
9/ Another excellent moment from the Golden Globes, where Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell pretend to have seen all the movies in the best comedy actress award....
A very funny four minutes.....
10/ Excellent column from Carl Hiaasen in the Miami Herald on the NRA and their paid shill in the Florida Legislature, Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala......
It’s only fitting that the NRA’s biggest tool in Florida is a funeral director.
He is Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican who does whatever the gun lobby wants.
Three days after the slaughter of first-graders in Newtown, Conn., Baxley made national headlines by suggesting that weapons should be carried by employees at public schools.
Said he: “In our zealousness to protect people from harm we’ve created all these gun-free zones, and what we’ve inadvertently done is we’ve made them a target. A helpless target is exactly what a deranged person is looking for where they cannot be stopped.”
So that’s the problem. It’s not crackpots with Bushmasters, it’s those darn gun-free zones.
And since a brain-free zone usually encircles Florida’s Legislature, count on some eager-beaver lawmaker to follow up on Baxley’s idea of arming teachers, coaches, maybe even cafeteria workers.
You might be wondering what kind of a person would advocate saturating our schools with loaded firearms. How about a grandfather of eight who lists his hobbies as fishing, reading and “listening to Gospel music”?
Rock on, Dennis. Nearer my Glock to thee!
Although Baxley has been on the boards of child-protection groups in Marion County, the massacre of those innocent children in Connecticut failed to shake his faith in a guns-for-all philosophy.
He’s been a long-time darling of the NRA. In 2004 the group gave him an A-plus rating and a “Defender of Freedom” award, and four years later it pumped $35,000 into his election campaign, according to Mother Jones magazine.
In return, Baxley has been obedient and loyal as a puppy. He’s responsible for Florida’s half-baked “Stand Your Ground” law, now a go-to legal defense for any dope dealer or gang banger who shoots down a rival on the street.
The law has been so problematic for prosecutors that Gov. Rick Scott last year formed a task force to review it. Baxley, of course, was given a prime seat.
11/ Taylor Swift with a change in tone from the flowing white gowns - a goofy video for a change....."We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together".......lively, catchy and musicians in mouseketeer costumes......
12/ Ooooooh - two of our favourite people, fighting. Jon Stewart had some commentary on Paul Krugman's column on the trillion dollar coin, Krugman went on Sunday talk and dissed Stewart, now we have a mini-feud going.......
Jon had a response to the criticism, witty as usual.....4 minutes......
Mr. Krugman - some advice - don't take on a comedian with his own TV show.......you won't win!
13/ And of course it's always a pleasure to read Dave Barry, who has some thoughts on the great python hunt in the Everglades.....
Very funny........
Ever fearful that Florida isn’t seen as insane enough, the state has invited the gun-toting world to come here and blast a python.
BY DAVE BARRY
Would you like to make some extra money, and at the same time run the risk of being eaten by a carnivorous reptile the size of a war canoe?
If your answer is “yes,” I have an exciting opportunity for you. It’s called the Python Challenge, and I am not making it up. It’s a real event that was dreamed up by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which apparently was concerned that Florida does not seem insane enough to people in normal states.
The Python Challenge is a month-long contest; its purpose, according to the official website (pythonchallenge.org) is “to raise public awareness about Burmese pythons.”
Q. What do they mean by “raise public awareness about?”
A. They mean “kill.”
The contest is open to anybody who registers, pays a $25 fee and takes an online training course; so far about 400 people have signed up. These people have from Jan. 12 through Feb. 10 to go out in the Everglades and raise public awareness on as many pythons as they can. There’s a $1,500 prize for whoever kills the most pythons, a $1,000 prize for whoever kills the longest python, and a $500 prize for whoever kills the python with the best personality.
I’m kidding about that last prize, of course. Burmese pythons do not have personalities: All they do is eat and destroy the ecosystem. They are the teenage males of the animal kingdom. That’s why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is trying to get rid of them.
Be advised, however, that you cannot kill these pythons any old way you want. No, sir: This is an official state-sponsored event, and if there is one word that comes to mind whenever you hear the name “Florida,” that word is “ethics.” The Python Challenge guidelines clearly state that you have — this is an actual quote — “an ethical obligation to ensure a Burmese python is killed in a humane manner.” That means you cannot kill your python using cruel and inhumane methods such as forcing it to watch Here Comes Honey Boo Boo until it commits suicide, or placing it at the entrance to a Boca Raton restaurant just as the Early Bird special begins, where it would be trampled to death in seconds.
14/ I love this story - Satanists are planning a rally for Governor Rick Scott......maybe it's because of his resemblance to Lord Voldemort.......
Florida Gov. Rick Scott may have earned himself a new constituency, but the devil is in the details.
Local news site WPBF.com reported that a group of Satanists plans to hold a rally outside Scott's office on Jan. 25 to support the governor’s signing of a bill that allows students to pray at school events.
"We've gotten such a response, it's just impossible for me to know what that translates into," Satanic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves told WPBF, regarding how many will show up at the rally.
“You don’t build up your membership unless people know about you,” Greaves said in a separate interview with the Palm Beach Post. “So this allows us to get our message out in public. We’re hoping it will reduce the stigmatism.”
The Satanic Temple was launched in 2012 with what Greaves described as being “more or less an online community.”
15/ Mount Dorans
The Farmers Market in Sunday mornings is getting better and better.....great vendors, with fresh seafood, organic produce and fresh vegetables, cheeses, breads, soups, an Oriental food vendor and a lady that sells dog treats among many others........
If you haven't tried it I recommend it highly.....9am to 2pm on Sunday mornings at Evans Park [Lawn Bowling place].....
Support local vendors, farmers and craftsmen.....not a giant corporation like Publix that still won't pay the tomato pickers their 1 cent a pound.....
Todays video - the barber shop scene from "High Plains Drifter", in my opinion one of Clint Eastwoods best westerns.......
Todays smartass jokes
SMART ASS ANSWER #6
It was mealtime during an airline flight.
'Would you like dinner?', the flight attendant asked John, seated in front.
'What are my choices?' John asked.
'Yes or no,' she replied.
It was mealtime during an airline flight.
'Would you like dinner?', the flight attendant asked John, seated in front.
'What are my choices?' John asked.
'Yes or no,' she replied.
SMART ASS ANSWER #5
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.'
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.'
SMART ASS ANSWER #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'
The police officer got out of his car as the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the officer said.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
SMART ASS ANSWER #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'
SMART ASS #1 ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2012!!
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!'
A smart-ass student in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?'
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand.'
A BONUS EXTRA
A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly... I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect!'
It doesn't say when he'll recover
Todays IRS joke
The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office.
The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up
with his attorney.
The auditor said, 'Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle
and no full-time employment, Which you explain by saying
that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable.'
I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it,' says Grandpa. 'How
about a demonstration?'
The auditor thinks for a moment and said, 'Okay. Go ahead.'
Grandpa says, 'I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.'
The auditor thinks a moment and says, 'It's a bet.'
Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops.
Grandpa says, 'Now, I'll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.'
Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn't blind, so he takes the bet.
Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye.
The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.
'Want to go double or nothing?' Grandpa asks 'I'll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.'
The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again.
Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but
although he strains mightily, he can't make the stream reach
the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the auditor's desk.
The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win.
But Grandpa's own attorney moans and puts his head in
his hands.
'Are you okay?' the auditor asks.
'Not really,' says the attorney. 'This morning, when Grandpa
told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and piss all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it!'
I keep telling you! Don't Mess with Old People
Todays apology joke.....
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