Seems Tom Tancredo thinks Obama withheld his birth certificate for so long to make "republicans look nuts."
Don't know why he's blaming Obama--pretty sure the republicans are pretty good at doing that on their own.
Peace,
emaycee
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Simple Simon the republican
Every now and again there comes an op-ed that is so poorly written that if defies belief. Christ, the idiot who wrote it even claims to have gone to law school--guess who I won't be hiring if I ever need a lawyer?
So old Nolan got the week off and we get this tripe--too nice of a word, no it should be shit, from Michael Barone. In it he claims that he debunks the "Tax the Rich" rhetoric which is sweeping America (except in statehouses and D.C.). Except, uh, his argument isn't really an argument. He basically makes a bunch of statements and says, "gee shucks, I learned this from some beloved law prof and isn't it just awful they want to tax the rich?" In a word or two: fuck no it isn't. In fact, unlike Mr. Barone (to steal a phrase from Gertrude Stein, there's no there, there--by which I mean brains) we actually have facts on our side--as Kos notes, there is no empirical evidence (note to dim-witted republicans: because Rush Limbaugh said so is not fucking empirical evidence) that tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs. Also important to note: the Bush the lesser tax cuts for the wealthy (as well as the effects of globalization) resulted in a 5% decrease in median household income between 1999 and 2009, and a whopping 3 million jobs. The Clinton tax increases, on the other hand, resulted in 22 million jobs.
You do the math.
Peace,
emaycee
So old Nolan got the week off and we get this tripe--too nice of a word, no it should be shit, from Michael Barone. In it he claims that he debunks the "Tax the Rich" rhetoric which is sweeping America (except in statehouses and D.C.). Except, uh, his argument isn't really an argument. He basically makes a bunch of statements and says, "gee shucks, I learned this from some beloved law prof and isn't it just awful they want to tax the rich?" In a word or two: fuck no it isn't. In fact, unlike Mr. Barone (to steal a phrase from Gertrude Stein, there's no there, there--by which I mean brains) we actually have facts on our side--as Kos notes, there is no empirical evidence (note to dim-witted republicans: because Rush Limbaugh said so is not fucking empirical evidence) that tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs. Also important to note: the Bush the lesser tax cuts for the wealthy (as well as the effects of globalization) resulted in a 5% decrease in median household income between 1999 and 2009, and a whopping 3 million jobs. The Clinton tax increases, on the other hand, resulted in 22 million jobs.
You do the math.
Peace,
emaycee
Oops!
Schadenfreude, how I love you, let me count the ways:
1) Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), 2) Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)--"We're done"? Typical gutless republican. 3) Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) --love the republicans are the "party of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich" comment. Right here in our home state, too! 4) Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH)--foiled by a fourteen-year-old! 5) Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI)--love the "if I can't have it my way I'm taking my ball(s) and going home" whininess. 6) Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), 7) Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA)--some mighty pissed off folks in PA--note to Pennsylvanians: this is what happens when blue staters vote for republicans! 8) And the coup de grace, the creme de la creme, the man we Democrats have to thank for the "Main Street Uprising," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who had the good fortune of getting booed at his own town hall event!
Pity it only took these folks forty-six years to figure out that the republicans only goal is to dismantle Medicare and if you or your kids or your grandkids can't afford medical care, too damn bad. Gotta take care of those corporations and rich folks first--God only knows how much better they can eat....
Think Progress has a nice highlight reel here--good times at the Town Halls.
It's also spurring other backlashes--like this NY constituent of Rep. Chris Gibson wondering why the gop congressman was worrying about immigrants not paying taxes (surprise, another republican lie) when multi-billions in profit GE pays none, or here in Michigan (again! we might catch up to those smart protestors in Wisconsin yet) where the constituents of dupe Tom Casperson are wondering why we're giving tax cuts to wealthy corporations for shits and grins and gutting our education funding....
As usual, Paul Krugman gets it right--there is no deficit crisis, and the goal of the heartless republicans is not to balance the budget but to destroy the social contract that has gone so far to make America what it is today. It's reverse Robin Hood--they want to take from the poor and middle class and give to the rich. Briefly: fuck that.
Peace,
emaycee
1) Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), 2) Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)--"We're done"? Typical gutless republican. 3) Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) --love the republicans are the "party of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich" comment. Right here in our home state, too! 4) Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH)--foiled by a fourteen-year-old! 5) Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI)--love the "if I can't have it my way I'm taking my ball(s) and going home" whininess. 6) Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), 7) Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA)--some mighty pissed off folks in PA--note to Pennsylvanians: this is what happens when blue staters vote for republicans! 8) And the coup de grace, the creme de la creme, the man we Democrats have to thank for the "Main Street Uprising," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who had the good fortune of getting booed at his own town hall event!
Pity it only took these folks forty-six years to figure out that the republicans only goal is to dismantle Medicare and if you or your kids or your grandkids can't afford medical care, too damn bad. Gotta take care of those corporations and rich folks first--God only knows how much better they can eat....
Think Progress has a nice highlight reel here--good times at the Town Halls.
It's also spurring other backlashes--like this NY constituent of Rep. Chris Gibson wondering why the gop congressman was worrying about immigrants not paying taxes (surprise, another republican lie) when multi-billions in profit GE pays none, or here in Michigan (again! we might catch up to those smart protestors in Wisconsin yet) where the constituents of dupe Tom Casperson are wondering why we're giving tax cuts to wealthy corporations for shits and grins and gutting our education funding....
As usual, Paul Krugman gets it right--there is no deficit crisis, and the goal of the heartless republicans is not to balance the budget but to destroy the social contract that has gone so far to make America what it is today. It's reverse Robin Hood--they want to take from the poor and middle class and give to the rich. Briefly: fuck that.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sanctimonius morons
That would be Liberal Democrats, if this piece by Sally Kohn is to be believed. Trust me, if there's one piece you read this week, make it be Kohn's study on how our tolerance, in the end, hurts us.
And her conclusions should compel all of us to hold our leaders feet to the fire (yes, you Dick Durbin) concerning our core values--Medicare, Social Security, Union Rights, Corporate Regulation, etc.--that there is no room for compromise, and that when we consider it, we've already lost.
Peace,
emaycee
And her conclusions should compel all of us to hold our leaders feet to the fire (yes, you Dick Durbin) concerning our core values--Medicare, Social Security, Union Rights, Corporate Regulation, etc.--that there is no room for compromise, and that when we consider it, we've already lost.
Peace,
emaycee
Yes, but...
Stephen Henderson continues to give me a sliver of hope for the Free Press--his commentary on teachers and their compensation vis-a-vis their peformance was for the most part, very fair and well thought out. Still, two points I think he missed....
For one, the idea that somehow we're going to have the first profession in history that has no below average performing employees is, I think, a bit naive. That's not to say it isn't a goal worth striving for, it's just that there are no tests or performance evaluations in a profession of thousands that are going to completely eliminate incompetence. And how to judge talented individuals who might not swallow the groupthink?
The second, and more important, I think, is that no one seems to notice that paying teachers less and making their benefit package worse is not exactly going to draw the best and the brightest to the profession. Seriously--in what other field would anyone consider paying people with four years of college (and many of them much more), the very people you depend upon to lead and grow your business, less money to be a good decision for the future of the business?
As an aside, Mr. Henderson might want to get a word with the Free Press editorial board--it's going to be awfully hard to get some of his sensible suggestions in place if the traditional media keep giving Snyder kudos such as this: "On the whole, Snyder's budget remains the boldest fundamental blueprint we've seen for reinventing the Michigan economy." Bold would suggest new and good, but Snyder's budget is little more than Reagan's and Bush the lesser's trickle down economy, both of which were unmitigated disasters for the poor and the middle class. Which basically leaves Snyder's plan as a retread which will do very little to create jobs for those in Michigan who need them. About as bold as rice pudding is savory....
Peace,
emaycee
For one, the idea that somehow we're going to have the first profession in history that has no below average performing employees is, I think, a bit naive. That's not to say it isn't a goal worth striving for, it's just that there are no tests or performance evaluations in a profession of thousands that are going to completely eliminate incompetence. And how to judge talented individuals who might not swallow the groupthink?
The second, and more important, I think, is that no one seems to notice that paying teachers less and making their benefit package worse is not exactly going to draw the best and the brightest to the profession. Seriously--in what other field would anyone consider paying people with four years of college (and many of them much more), the very people you depend upon to lead and grow your business, less money to be a good decision for the future of the business?
As an aside, Mr. Henderson might want to get a word with the Free Press editorial board--it's going to be awfully hard to get some of his sensible suggestions in place if the traditional media keep giving Snyder kudos such as this: "On the whole, Snyder's budget remains the boldest fundamental blueprint we've seen for reinventing the Michigan economy." Bold would suggest new and good, but Snyder's budget is little more than Reagan's and Bush the lesser's trickle down economy, both of which were unmitigated disasters for the poor and the middle class. Which basically leaves Snyder's plan as a retread which will do very little to create jobs for those in Michigan who need them. About as bold as rice pudding is savory....
Peace,
emaycee
Smile on your brother...
Unless of course, you're a republican....
I mention this because of a couple of pieces that have appeared in our dear old Free Press in the last week. The first involves gop efforts here in Michigan who want our universities to send them reports on stem-cell research (which we as citizens passed in 2008); the second involves the gop outcry over a study which shows how medical marijuana (which usage we also passed in 2008) is being prescribed in Michigan. In a nutshell, Michigan republicans are not happy with the outcomes of initiatives they lost badly, and now want to use bureacratic mumbo-jumbo to end them (or make so hard for researchers and citizens to use that they might as well have been banned).
My initial reaction to this was...a shrug of the shoulders and "...hmmph, typical republican hypocrisy." Until I saw this piece in Think Progress which outlines at least six cases of the gop subverting the law to serve their own anti-freedom, anti-worker, anti-middle class agenda.
After some thought, it seems to me that republican hypocrisy doesn't begin to describe their actions. For all their talk about the will of the American people, they couldn't care less about what the American people want or believe. They don't trust us little plebes to make decisions for ourselves, so they're going to make them for us. It's usurping our democracy, and in the end, our ability to defend ourselves from tyrants such as those in the republican party.
And those who believe in the rule of law, need not apply.
Peace,
emaycee
I mention this because of a couple of pieces that have appeared in our dear old Free Press in the last week. The first involves gop efforts here in Michigan who want our universities to send them reports on stem-cell research (which we as citizens passed in 2008); the second involves the gop outcry over a study which shows how medical marijuana (which usage we also passed in 2008) is being prescribed in Michigan. In a nutshell, Michigan republicans are not happy with the outcomes of initiatives they lost badly, and now want to use bureacratic mumbo-jumbo to end them (or make so hard for researchers and citizens to use that they might as well have been banned).
My initial reaction to this was...a shrug of the shoulders and "...hmmph, typical republican hypocrisy." Until I saw this piece in Think Progress which outlines at least six cases of the gop subverting the law to serve their own anti-freedom, anti-worker, anti-middle class agenda.
After some thought, it seems to me that republican hypocrisy doesn't begin to describe their actions. For all their talk about the will of the American people, they couldn't care less about what the American people want or believe. They don't trust us little plebes to make decisions for ourselves, so they're going to make them for us. It's usurping our democracy, and in the end, our ability to defend ourselves from tyrants such as those in the republican party.
And those who believe in the rule of law, need not apply.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Count me among the unimpressed
I've never written political journalism, but like any other job, I assume it can have dull patches. And that during those dull patches, anything a bit offbeat is probably like an oasis in the desert. I don't really have a problem with the Free Press' Todd Spangler writing this piece on ultra-extremist, western Michigan republican and U.S. House member Justin Amash and his propensity for voting present instead of yea or nay. I don't really think it's much of a political issue--Amash is in a very conservative district in the state and barring his announcing he's coming out of the closet and is actually a flaming homosexual (he's not--married with children) he's going to win re-election as often as he chooses.
No, what bothers me is for someone who comes from a party that is so concerned about government waste and spending to be such a waste of government spending. Don't the voters of his district deserve someone who at least has the decency to vote yes or no? I mean, how hard is it? And I'm not really all that convinced that his votes are about his convictions: all too often for conservatives, the "Constitution" becomes a convenient receptacle for their worldview, kind of like Christians who can find some obscure passage in the Bible to support their worldview despite the fact that Jesus Christ never mentioned it ("Christ" being the reason they're "Christians") or flat out condemned it (see also, rich man, heaven, and eye of needle).
Frankly, I think young Amash is little more than a con man, someone trying to get paid for doing the heavy lifting, without doing any of the heavy lifting. It's the height of irresponsibility.
And it's your tea party, America....
Peace,
emaycee
No, what bothers me is for someone who comes from a party that is so concerned about government waste and spending to be such a waste of government spending. Don't the voters of his district deserve someone who at least has the decency to vote yes or no? I mean, how hard is it? And I'm not really all that convinced that his votes are about his convictions: all too often for conservatives, the "Constitution" becomes a convenient receptacle for their worldview, kind of like Christians who can find some obscure passage in the Bible to support their worldview despite the fact that Jesus Christ never mentioned it ("Christ" being the reason they're "Christians") or flat out condemned it (see also, rich man, heaven, and eye of needle).
Frankly, I think young Amash is little more than a con man, someone trying to get paid for doing the heavy lifting, without doing any of the heavy lifting. It's the height of irresponsibility.
And it's your tea party, America....
Peace,
emaycee
Fair and Balanced
As much as I bitch about the Free Press getting it wrong, I should give them their kudos when they get it right: the coverage they gave the protests this week in Lansing against Gov. Snyder and the republican policies here in Michigan (5000+ in attendance) versus the coverage they gave the tea party response the following day (less than 500 in attendance) was really pretty fair. They gave more ink to the bigger rally and it got a little more prominent heading (as it should have based on interest).
But the best part was the tone of the articles: the article on the good guys was hopeful and empowering; the one on the tea party losers clearly showed the negativity, their lack of gravitas, and was a decidedly sadder look at the future of America.
Basically, the 2012 elections in a nutshell.
Peace,
emaycee
But the best part was the tone of the articles: the article on the good guys was hopeful and empowering; the one on the tea party losers clearly showed the negativity, their lack of gravitas, and was a decidedly sadder look at the future of America.
Basically, the 2012 elections in a nutshell.
Peace,
emaycee
Don't you believe them...
Trust me, the next sound you hear will be not be tea party members, republicans, or conservatives complaining about how overpaid Ford CEO Alan Mulally is: $26.5 million for 2010. But, you know, $50,000 for a teacher, or a firefighter, or a law enforcement officer....I keep reading these pieces from conservatives telling us how everyone has made sacrifices and public sector workers should, too. How about CEOs, guys? Didn't think so (slurp, slurp).
Make no mistake--Mulally did a whale of a job, and Ford has really turned it around. But $26.5 million worth? As Bob King, UAW President, notes, it's "morally wrong."
And the worst part? Reading Mulally trying to defend the indefensible, saying his pay was aligned with the company's performance, and was the "...way it should be." Should be in what alternate universe? Because unless Ford employees began shitting gold bars last year, it wasn't great enough to create that kind of salary in this universe. Period.
Peace,
emaycee
Make no mistake--Mulally did a whale of a job, and Ford has really turned it around. But $26.5 million worth? As Bob King, UAW President, notes, it's "morally wrong."
And the worst part? Reading Mulally trying to defend the indefensible, saying his pay was aligned with the company's performance, and was the "...way it should be." Should be in what alternate universe? Because unless Ford employees began shitting gold bars last year, it wasn't great enough to create that kind of salary in this universe. Period.
Peace,
emaycee
F for Michigan, A+ for Democrats
Well the Free Press has given us a scorecard for Gov. Snyder's first 100 days--they don't really give him a grade, other than to say he's been busy and time will tell. I'll give the grade: F. There is really very little difference between what Gov. Snyder has done here in our home state, and what Gov. Walker has done in Wisconsin (or Kasich in Ohio). It's the same old tired republican bullshit: take from the poor and middle class and give to the rich. Thanks, but no fucking thanks, Gov.
However, from a political, election of 2012 aspect, the Governor has passed with flying colors: A+. Thanks, Governor! Because if anyone thinks there's a Democrat in this state that will ever again vote for a republican who claims to be a moderate, he or she is sorely mistaken. Once bitten, twice shy.... My guess is President Obama cruises to an electoral college victory and Stabenow holds a much needed Senate seat easily. Hell, Snyder has done such a bang-up job they're even putting Virg Bernero--he of the getting his ass kicked by 18 points in last fall's governor's election--back on TV defending the working folks of Michigan.
Hell, our campaign will be as simple as reminding people what happened when they turned their livelihoods and futures over to republicans in 2010--whoops, there it goes! I've even got our slogan: "Fuck you, next idiot please!"
Peace,
emaycee
However, from a political, election of 2012 aspect, the Governor has passed with flying colors: A+. Thanks, Governor! Because if anyone thinks there's a Democrat in this state that will ever again vote for a republican who claims to be a moderate, he or she is sorely mistaken. Once bitten, twice shy.... My guess is President Obama cruises to an electoral college victory and Stabenow holds a much needed Senate seat easily. Hell, Snyder has done such a bang-up job they're even putting Virg Bernero--he of the getting his ass kicked by 18 points in last fall's governor's election--back on TV defending the working folks of Michigan.
Hell, our campaign will be as simple as reminding people what happened when they turned their livelihoods and futures over to republicans in 2010--whoops, there it goes! I've even got our slogan: "Fuck you, next idiot please!"
Peace,
emaycee
Preach it, Nolan
There's nothing but the usual republican bullshit in old Nolan's piece last week--completely misreading the American people, thinking republicans got elected last fall to do anything other than improve jobs and the economic outlook for ordinary Americans--except for this:
"But if republicans who came to Washington to battle the deficit won't lead at this critical moment, there's
no point in them staying there."
There's really no point in them ever staying there, but I like hearing republicans help us say it.
Peace,
emaycee
"But if republicans who came to Washington to battle the deficit won't lead at this critical moment, there's
no point in them staying there."
There's really no point in them ever staying there, but I like hearing republicans help us say it.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Here's a thought...
After the two competing plans for how best to cut the U. S. budget deficit have been unveiled in the past couple of weeks (not that I'm convinced this is necessary at this time--I've just become inured to its inevitability), I wonder if anybody will ever take a look at shit like this. Christ, look at some of the corporate names--and they paid zero in taxes. How many more are there? Shouldn't somebody be looking into this and figuring out a way to see that they do pay taxes like the rest of us peons who make a lot less? I mean, after Citizens United, corporations are people right? And don't people (e.g., people like me and you) have to pay taxes unless they're certifiably poor? Do any of these corporations look poor to you?
Just, uh, wondering.
Peace,
emaycee
Just, uh, wondering.
Peace,
emaycee
Leading us on?
Well, the President gave his much dreaded (Liberal side) budget speech today--good news, it's not the disaster that had been feared. It's a pretty good Liberal outlook on the budget--ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, protecting the poor, elderly, and the middle class, fixing Medicare by improving services and health care, not by putting it on the backs of those who can least afford it. Digby basically liked it, then later a little less so. Paul Ryan hated it--which may be a pretty good endorsement (and a good chuckle from Jed Lewison for calling Ryan an FLCB--fucking little cry-baby).
Concerns: 1) Hard to believe anyone is serious about cutting budget deficits if there isn't a serious discussion about cutting defense spending in a serious fashion. 2) I'm afraid it didn't start far enough to the left, vis-a-vis Paul Ryan's plan, which is so far to the right that Ayn Rand is dancing in hell (excellent rebuttal from Krugman on Ryan's plan here). Obama's plan can only go to the right from here--it might have behooved him to start from the People's Budget. This could, though, be shrewd politics on Obama's part--independents are not enamored already of republican leadership since last January, and Obama's handlers may have felt he'd apppeal to them more by staying center-left rather than far left. 3) I'm not convinced the economy is strong enough to begin cutting federal spending--Great Britain was not hammered quite as hard as the U.S. in the global downturn and their stab at austerity has been less than successful. Further, with unemployment still hovering near 9% I'm not sure the country can handle the job losses that will come with cutting spending. 4) (And this may be my biggest concern) Is Obama leading us on knowing that he's going to need us for his re-election in 2012, only to turn his back on us after wrapping up another four years in the White House? Hope is a pretty powerful word in the Liberal Dictionary, and I think plenty of us are still longing for the promise that was candidate Obama in 2008.
Still...can't remember the last time that President Obama gave a speech that caused me to pump my fist in the air--and his speech today had me doing it several times. Not a bad day for the good guys....
Peace,
emaycee
Concerns: 1) Hard to believe anyone is serious about cutting budget deficits if there isn't a serious discussion about cutting defense spending in a serious fashion. 2) I'm afraid it didn't start far enough to the left, vis-a-vis Paul Ryan's plan, which is so far to the right that Ayn Rand is dancing in hell (excellent rebuttal from Krugman on Ryan's plan here). Obama's plan can only go to the right from here--it might have behooved him to start from the People's Budget. This could, though, be shrewd politics on Obama's part--independents are not enamored already of republican leadership since last January, and Obama's handlers may have felt he'd apppeal to them more by staying center-left rather than far left. 3) I'm not convinced the economy is strong enough to begin cutting federal spending--Great Britain was not hammered quite as hard as the U.S. in the global downturn and their stab at austerity has been less than successful. Further, with unemployment still hovering near 9% I'm not sure the country can handle the job losses that will come with cutting spending. 4) (And this may be my biggest concern) Is Obama leading us on knowing that he's going to need us for his re-election in 2012, only to turn his back on us after wrapping up another four years in the White House? Hope is a pretty powerful word in the Liberal Dictionary, and I think plenty of us are still longing for the promise that was candidate Obama in 2008.
Still...can't remember the last time that President Obama gave a speech that caused me to pump my fist in the air--and his speech today had me doing it several times. Not a bad day for the good guys....
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, April 10, 2011
There never seems to be enough time...
...and you have to wonder if I'm running out of music themed post titles when I start using Jim Croce lyrics.
Three quick takes on things not involving Michigan's continued horrible weather that pissed me off this week:
1) Old Nolan is still getting tummy troubles from the fact that school teachers actually believe they should get paid for the work they do--and that they should be paid a little more because unlike most of his dim-witted followers, they actually went to college to better themselves (not, of course, believing that fellating the wealthy would take care of this for them). When will someone of more stature than a piss ant like me ask old Nolan this simple question: WHY DO YOU HATE WORKING PEOPLE YOU FASCIST FUCK? They could even ask it in a nice fashion if they so choose.
2) The Free Press continues its love affair with that oh so different, tea party jihadist, Gov. Snyder. What a piss poor interview (if you want to call it that--in reality it's just Gov. Snyder said, "some bullshit in quotation marks")--the Free Press just seems to love any idiot who claims he's going to do something different, even if it isn't different, and regardless of whether it will work or not. Word to the wise: there were plenty of people who bought George W. Bush's bullshit about compassionate conservatism and all they were sold was a radical right wing agenda that nearly bankrupted the country both financially and spiritually. Michigan cannot afford even four years of some GWB clone.
3) Can't find a link for this so I'll hold my nose and type the Free Press' "Quote of the Week": "My band can't negotiate sick days. If you don't play, you don't get paid." (Ted Nugent, saying how he thinks union members are coddled). Leaving aside the fact that outside of the Free Press and conservative media (Christ, they have so few celebrity endorsements they'd fucking take Charles Manson if he joined the cause) there isn't a media outlet in the fucking universe that doesn't realize how culturally irrelevant Ted Nugent is (and always has been--Christ, we have Bob Seger, Eminem, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Berry Gordy, and Jack White--to name a few--what the fuck did Nugent ever do of import? Even in his heyday he was a minor celebrity at best, and a talentless leech at worst) a few notes: pretty sure most of the members in his band belong to the Musician's Union already, not hard to worry about sick days when you work about a hundred days a year, for five or six hours a day, and don't have to show up for work until five or six in the afternoon, not to mention the fact that musicians list of demands for concert promoters is the definition of coddled and how many of us get to rehearse for a few hours before we do our job and get to call it a day's work? What the motherfucking fuck--the war on stupidity can begin with Ted Nugent and the Detroit Free Press (though Nugent's been brain dead so long he may be a lost cause....).
Peace,
emaycee
Three quick takes on things not involving Michigan's continued horrible weather that pissed me off this week:
1) Old Nolan is still getting tummy troubles from the fact that school teachers actually believe they should get paid for the work they do--and that they should be paid a little more because unlike most of his dim-witted followers, they actually went to college to better themselves (not, of course, believing that fellating the wealthy would take care of this for them). When will someone of more stature than a piss ant like me ask old Nolan this simple question: WHY DO YOU HATE WORKING PEOPLE YOU FASCIST FUCK? They could even ask it in a nice fashion if they so choose.
2) The Free Press continues its love affair with that oh so different, tea party jihadist, Gov. Snyder. What a piss poor interview (if you want to call it that--in reality it's just Gov. Snyder said, "some bullshit in quotation marks")--the Free Press just seems to love any idiot who claims he's going to do something different, even if it isn't different, and regardless of whether it will work or not. Word to the wise: there were plenty of people who bought George W. Bush's bullshit about compassionate conservatism and all they were sold was a radical right wing agenda that nearly bankrupted the country both financially and spiritually. Michigan cannot afford even four years of some GWB clone.
3) Can't find a link for this so I'll hold my nose and type the Free Press' "Quote of the Week": "My band can't negotiate sick days. If you don't play, you don't get paid." (Ted Nugent, saying how he thinks union members are coddled). Leaving aside the fact that outside of the Free Press and conservative media (Christ, they have so few celebrity endorsements they'd fucking take Charles Manson if he joined the cause) there isn't a media outlet in the fucking universe that doesn't realize how culturally irrelevant Ted Nugent is (and always has been--Christ, we have Bob Seger, Eminem, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Berry Gordy, and Jack White--to name a few--what the fuck did Nugent ever do of import? Even in his heyday he was a minor celebrity at best, and a talentless leech at worst) a few notes: pretty sure most of the members in his band belong to the Musician's Union already, not hard to worry about sick days when you work about a hundred days a year, for five or six hours a day, and don't have to show up for work until five or six in the afternoon, not to mention the fact that musicians list of demands for concert promoters is the definition of coddled and how many of us get to rehearse for a few hours before we do our job and get to call it a day's work? What the motherfucking fuck--the war on stupidity can begin with Ted Nugent and the Detroit Free Press (though Nugent's been brain dead so long he may be a lost cause....).
Peace,
emaycee
Do over, please!
So on Thursday I got a brain fart and decided that I'd get on the extol Obama bandwagon early. The Daily Kos appears to still be there running this piece about Obama's fairly good chances for re-election (pretty much provided the republicans continue to flail about finding a contender and the economy doesn't take a turn for the worse), and this piece by brooklynbadboy which is basically an insider's take on the same points in the piece I linked to Mark Morford, i.e., he isn't perfect, but he's our guy and better than the alternative by a country mile.
Needless to say, after last Friday's debacle, I'm having second thoughts. And after reading this post by Digby, my blood is beginning to boil. The scary thing is how right she is: Obama has delivered a mortal blow--and it may be the death knell with his speech this Wednesday--to Liberalism. He's fucking giving up on our signature issues--the social safety net--and saying he saved some small social programs (Planned Parenthood and NPR--whoop-dee-fucking-doo) and for this we're supposed to be grateful. He's doing the opposite of what he should be doing as a fucking Democrat, and if the austerity kick in Britain is any indication, things are going to get worse again.
brooklynbadboy may well be right--in the close to his piece cited above, he says he's come to believe that it will be people power like we saw in Wisconsin that will turn the tide, and not a great leader. But for what history has shown us what Franklin Roosevelt meant to the working class in this country, I'm not holding my breath. A President has to lead for those who cannot, and President Obama has shown no inclination to be a leader for those without.
FDR--and the Mrs.--must be turning over in their graves.
Peace,
emaycee
Needless to say, after last Friday's debacle, I'm having second thoughts. And after reading this post by Digby, my blood is beginning to boil. The scary thing is how right she is: Obama has delivered a mortal blow--and it may be the death knell with his speech this Wednesday--to Liberalism. He's fucking giving up on our signature issues--the social safety net--and saying he saved some small social programs (Planned Parenthood and NPR--whoop-dee-fucking-doo) and for this we're supposed to be grateful. He's doing the opposite of what he should be doing as a fucking Democrat, and if the austerity kick in Britain is any indication, things are going to get worse again.
brooklynbadboy may well be right--in the close to his piece cited above, he says he's come to believe that it will be people power like we saw in Wisconsin that will turn the tide, and not a great leader. But for what history has shown us what Franklin Roosevelt meant to the working class in this country, I'm not holding my breath. A President has to lead for those who cannot, and President Obama has shown no inclination to be a leader for those without.
FDR--and the Mrs.--must be turning over in their graves.
Peace,
emaycee
Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing
I guess one could take the glass is half-full outlook of this piece about the "we won--oops, no we lost" outcome of this week's Wisconsin state supreme court election. There probably is cause to celebrate in the improved "blue" numbers, and that we made a race where six weeks ago we trailed by almost 30 points competitve. But....I'd say its more cause for concern for us than the republicans.
Despite spending weeks where we had a concerned, motivated base converging on Madison concerning collective bargaining rights, we lost. Despite having the edge in voter enthusiasm, we lost. But what scares me the most is that the fight in Wisconsin appears to be lost on the national party (see also, Obama, Barack) and that Wisconsin is basically a blue state. Sure, like Michigan or Pennsylvania, they'll occasionally go red when they're pissed off--but Wisconsin hasn't voted for a republican for President since 1984. And any way you slice it, in a nationally noteworthy election, we lost. The republicans didn't lose in West Virginia and New Jersey in 2009--and it carried over to 2010.
I just don't like the looks of it.
Peace,
emaycee
Despite spending weeks where we had a concerned, motivated base converging on Madison concerning collective bargaining rights, we lost. Despite having the edge in voter enthusiasm, we lost. But what scares me the most is that the fight in Wisconsin appears to be lost on the national party (see also, Obama, Barack) and that Wisconsin is basically a blue state. Sure, like Michigan or Pennsylvania, they'll occasionally go red when they're pissed off--but Wisconsin hasn't voted for a republican for President since 1984. And any way you slice it, in a nationally noteworthy election, we lost. The republicans didn't lose in West Virginia and New Jersey in 2009--and it carried over to 2010.
I just don't like the looks of it.
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I'm dyin' here...
So I've spent the last week preparing to write a piece about what a disaster President Obama has been...and then I went and read this piece by Mark Morford where he spells out all of Obama's failures, what a disappointment he's been to Liberals...and how many thousands of times better he is than the alternative. Morford mentions mostly the republican's potential candidates for 2012 as to why Liberals will still flock to Obama a year from this November, but I think Gov. Kasich in Ohio, Gov. Walker in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott in Florida, and our very own Gov. Snyder here in Michigan--not to mention the Boehner led republican U.S. House--will help just as much. So much for my piece!
It may be "...moral and political relativism, writ large" as Morford states. I'm not nearly as eloquent: the difference between President Obama and the republicans is the difference between making love and getting kicked in the testicles.
For all of our disappointment, I'd be willing to bet Liberals will be President Obama's staunchest defenders as we roll up to the election....
Peace,
emaycee
It may be "...moral and political relativism, writ large" as Morford states. I'm not nearly as eloquent: the difference between President Obama and the republicans is the difference between making love and getting kicked in the testicles.
For all of our disappointment, I'd be willing to bet Liberals will be President Obama's staunchest defenders as we roll up to the election....
Peace,
emaycee
Lord have mercy
For their sake I hope he does, because you can count me the fuck out.
I really appreciate that the business pages of virtually any daily newspaper are not going to be union friendly. My guess is most ordinary people flip through the business pages like I flip through the fashion pages--a quick glance on the way to the good stuff. Business pages are written for businessmen, free market worshippers, and tea party members looking for some false validation of their sad little lives. Still...this one is going just a bit far. In what is ostensibly a nice business page mention for the UAW--membership rose 6% in 2010, the first increase in six years--the author decides to use four paragraphs to discuss the wages paid to the UAW's leadership. Apparently, the top 25 officers were paid $3.4 million in 2010, which sounds like a lot of money...until you put some thought behind it. It actually comes to about $136,000--yes, it's much more than I make, but it's not like these people have lotto type riches. Further, there's 355,000 members in the UAW; its leader, Bob King, makes $168,000. The company I work for employs approximately 70,000 people--our CEO makes almost as much as the top 25 officers of the UAW (and much more with his stock options) combined. The pay of our top 25 officers would completely dwarf the pay of the UAW's top leaders.
My question is...why are their salaries even noted in the piece? The money they are paid is completely irrelevant to the piece...unless it was discussed as part of a bonus they received for increasing membership 6%. The CEO of the company I work for led us to a sales decrease last year--he still has a job. And I can flat guarantee you he didn't do nearly as much to improve the lives of the people working for him as Bob King did for the people he leads.
It's another sop from the traditional media to corporations and the small minded, not particularly bright conservative readers who just can't believe their GED didn't get them a six figure job.
Peace,
emaycee
I really appreciate that the business pages of virtually any daily newspaper are not going to be union friendly. My guess is most ordinary people flip through the business pages like I flip through the fashion pages--a quick glance on the way to the good stuff. Business pages are written for businessmen, free market worshippers, and tea party members looking for some false validation of their sad little lives. Still...this one is going just a bit far. In what is ostensibly a nice business page mention for the UAW--membership rose 6% in 2010, the first increase in six years--the author decides to use four paragraphs to discuss the wages paid to the UAW's leadership. Apparently, the top 25 officers were paid $3.4 million in 2010, which sounds like a lot of money...until you put some thought behind it. It actually comes to about $136,000--yes, it's much more than I make, but it's not like these people have lotto type riches. Further, there's 355,000 members in the UAW; its leader, Bob King, makes $168,000. The company I work for employs approximately 70,000 people--our CEO makes almost as much as the top 25 officers of the UAW (and much more with his stock options) combined. The pay of our top 25 officers would completely dwarf the pay of the UAW's top leaders.
My question is...why are their salaries even noted in the piece? The money they are paid is completely irrelevant to the piece...unless it was discussed as part of a bonus they received for increasing membership 6%. The CEO of the company I work for led us to a sales decrease last year--he still has a job. And I can flat guarantee you he didn't do nearly as much to improve the lives of the people working for him as Bob King did for the people he leads.
It's another sop from the traditional media to corporations and the small minded, not particularly bright conservative readers who just can't believe their GED didn't get them a six figure job.
Peace,
emaycee
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Did their parents have any children that lived?
Digby features a piece of hate mail received by Kos (note for the squeamish: it is tremendously vulgar) and pretty much hits the nail on the head: these conservatives may or may not have psychological problems but beyond a shadow of a doubt they are flat out fucking stupid.
I mention this because of late I've noticed more and more, whether it's in their letters to the editor, their comments on blog pieces, the ruminations coming out of the mouths of their leaders just how utterly moronic these people are--it is truly frightening. So what this country really needs is not a war on terrorism, or a war on drugs, but a war on stupidity.
Because if we don't drown out these brain dead blowhards, America is truly doomed.
And if this makes me one of their "elitist" bugaboos, I can live with it.
Peace,
emaycee
I mention this because of late I've noticed more and more, whether it's in their letters to the editor, their comments on blog pieces, the ruminations coming out of the mouths of their leaders just how utterly moronic these people are--it is truly frightening. So what this country really needs is not a war on terrorism, or a war on drugs, but a war on stupidity.
Because if we don't drown out these brain dead blowhards, America is truly doomed.
And if this makes me one of their "elitist" bugaboos, I can live with it.
Peace,
emaycee
Two writers
Kudos to Stephen Henderson for continuing the fight against ending Michigan's EITC. As he points out, it averages only $83 a family--money that is earned by having a job, and money that is spent, further helping Michigan's economy. Exactly where are Michigan's Democrats on this one (I'd say with Mark Brewer's leadership it's hardly surprising--perhaps he can manage to piss off one of the few constituencies still in our camp so we can suffer even worse electoral defeats next time around)? Isn't this our constituency? God knows republicans will never get off their fat, wealthy asses to help the less financially fortunate. As Mr. Henderson notes, not having anyone right now advocating for Michigan's poor is indeed a moral shortcoming and does not bode well for our future.
Hisses to Wonk for another in a long line of pointless columns concerning the future of Michigan. He points out the census numbers from 2010 (surprise--they're bad) and says we can't continue on the current path we are on lest the numbers from 2020 be even worse. He offers nothing in the way of solutions, and frankly, is blind to the obvious: the ship for the future of the state of Michigan has already sailed. Gov. Snyder and the republican majorities have already decided to invest in corporations and the wealthy and not in the citizens of Michigan--those census numbers will continue to decline and the only question is whether we'll be somewhat relevant like Minnesota or completely irrelevant like the Dakotas.
Peace,
emaycee
Hisses to Wonk for another in a long line of pointless columns concerning the future of Michigan. He points out the census numbers from 2010 (surprise--they're bad) and says we can't continue on the current path we are on lest the numbers from 2020 be even worse. He offers nothing in the way of solutions, and frankly, is blind to the obvious: the ship for the future of the state of Michigan has already sailed. Gov. Snyder and the republican majorities have already decided to invest in corporations and the wealthy and not in the citizens of Michigan--those census numbers will continue to decline and the only question is whether we'll be somewhat relevant like Minnesota or completely irrelevant like the Dakotas.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, April 1, 2011
The enemy that never sleeps
Two pieces of interest this week, one farcical, the other maddening.
So...an adulterer, an idiot, and a racist walk into a bar--not really, it's only a republican shindig in Iowa featuring Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, and Haley Barbour where they had their usual circle jerk and predicted big gains in 2012. Against who--the fucking Green Party? Kudos to the AP writer who wrote this piece and presumably somehow managed to keep a straight face. I mean, this is the We're from Fucking Pluto wing of the republican party.
The second is a little more troubling. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy--a smaller scale version of the anti-worker Chamber of Commerce--is filing FOIA requests for e-mails from labor department studies at various Michigan universities that use the words "Scott Walker," "Wisconsin," "Madison," or "Maddow" (Rachel? what the mother fucking fuck?) and claiming there's nothing remarkable about their requests. Horseshit. While they are perfectly within their rights to do so, anyone who believes their claim that this is about worrying over public universities using public funds for political purposes is either really stupid, a republican, or more likely, both. The Mackinac Center is to Michigan workers what a lit match was to the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. They don't give a rat's ass about the good people of Michigan and whatever they can do to keep us getting paid less and CEO's and corporations getting paid more, they'll do. The Mackinac Center specializes in fellating at the altar of corporations and the wealthy.
Peace,
emaycee
So...an adulterer, an idiot, and a racist walk into a bar--not really, it's only a republican shindig in Iowa featuring Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, and Haley Barbour where they had their usual circle jerk and predicted big gains in 2012. Against who--the fucking Green Party? Kudos to the AP writer who wrote this piece and presumably somehow managed to keep a straight face. I mean, this is the We're from Fucking Pluto wing of the republican party.
The second is a little more troubling. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy--a smaller scale version of the anti-worker Chamber of Commerce--is filing FOIA requests for e-mails from labor department studies at various Michigan universities that use the words "Scott Walker," "Wisconsin," "Madison," or "Maddow" (Rachel? what the mother fucking fuck?) and claiming there's nothing remarkable about their requests. Horseshit. While they are perfectly within their rights to do so, anyone who believes their claim that this is about worrying over public universities using public funds for political purposes is either really stupid, a republican, or more likely, both. The Mackinac Center is to Michigan workers what a lit match was to the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. They don't give a rat's ass about the good people of Michigan and whatever they can do to keep us getting paid less and CEO's and corporations getting paid more, they'll do. The Mackinac Center specializes in fellating at the altar of corporations and the wealthy.
Peace,
emaycee
It sounds like a whisper
Well, well, well...who would have thought five short months ago that the significant gains of the republicans in 2010 would be already be in jeopardy? Thank you Govs. Scott of Florida, Snyder of Michigan, Kasich of Ohio, and Walker of Wisconsin for doing your best to hand us back the majority.
You can tell because old Nolan is bemoaning that nasty liberal media (which exists only in his fragile mind) for letting the unions get away with murder--murder, I daresay!--while the tea party was just crucified. Was it just me or is there anyone on the entire planet earth who did not see the Hitler depictions, the armed citizenry, the shouting down of politicians by the union rallies and protests? Old Nolan did, though--maybe old Nolan needs to visit his doctor pronto. Methinks he's seeing things. Old Nolan also claims that the union movement has a history of violence--they sure do, if you count protecting themselves from the thugs hired by corporations in the days of yore to intimidate them. I would also defy old Nolan to name the last time an American union got violent--he couldn't because unions are not stupid. The quickest way to lose the support of the American people is to get violent.
The Free Press also jumped on the revolution bandwagon (well, as much as a vanilla flavored newspaper can) with this piece by Steven Thomma that shows how as union influence has waned since the 1980s (thanks, Ronald Reagan, you asshole) so has the financial power of the working men and woman of America. Unfortunately, there is still work to be done--too many fault the government (not that it is completely without blame) when the bulk of the problem lies with the power of corporations and the wealthy to influence our democratic process and turn the distribution of wealth in this country completely in their favor, and at a rate that is unsustainable to our future well-being. As Plutarch said, "An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics."
It would also help if the traditional media would do its homework like Digby does--this whole notion that tea party members are anti-big business is a fallacy. As Digby points out, they are little more than "willing serfs" who fellate at the altar of the wealthy.
More proof the revolution will be televised--enough signatures have been obtained in Wisconsin to start the recall process against one state senator. Dan Kapanake, the pleasure has been all yours. And the referendum process has already begun in Ohio to overturn Gov. Kasich's union busting bill--they have ninety days to collect 200,000 signatures (about 1 out of every eight who voted Democrat in the last Ohio election).
Still not convinced? Check this out: while doing "research" for this post, I looked up the lyrics to Tracy Chapman's "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution" (thus the title to this post) and discovered that in the past ten months 70,000 have checked out the song's lyrics just on this one site. Methinks I'm not the only one writing about a revolution these days.
Peace,
emaycee
You can tell because old Nolan is bemoaning that nasty liberal media (which exists only in his fragile mind) for letting the unions get away with murder--murder, I daresay!--while the tea party was just crucified. Was it just me or is there anyone on the entire planet earth who did not see the Hitler depictions, the armed citizenry, the shouting down of politicians by the union rallies and protests? Old Nolan did, though--maybe old Nolan needs to visit his doctor pronto. Methinks he's seeing things. Old Nolan also claims that the union movement has a history of violence--they sure do, if you count protecting themselves from the thugs hired by corporations in the days of yore to intimidate them. I would also defy old Nolan to name the last time an American union got violent--he couldn't because unions are not stupid. The quickest way to lose the support of the American people is to get violent.
The Free Press also jumped on the revolution bandwagon (well, as much as a vanilla flavored newspaper can) with this piece by Steven Thomma that shows how as union influence has waned since the 1980s (thanks, Ronald Reagan, you asshole) so has the financial power of the working men and woman of America. Unfortunately, there is still work to be done--too many fault the government (not that it is completely without blame) when the bulk of the problem lies with the power of corporations and the wealthy to influence our democratic process and turn the distribution of wealth in this country completely in their favor, and at a rate that is unsustainable to our future well-being. As Plutarch said, "An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics."
It would also help if the traditional media would do its homework like Digby does--this whole notion that tea party members are anti-big business is a fallacy. As Digby points out, they are little more than "willing serfs" who fellate at the altar of the wealthy.
More proof the revolution will be televised--enough signatures have been obtained in Wisconsin to start the recall process against one state senator. Dan Kapanake, the pleasure has been all yours. And the referendum process has already begun in Ohio to overturn Gov. Kasich's union busting bill--they have ninety days to collect 200,000 signatures (about 1 out of every eight who voted Democrat in the last Ohio election).
Still not convinced? Check this out: while doing "research" for this post, I looked up the lyrics to Tracy Chapman's "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution" (thus the title to this post) and discovered that in the past ten months 70,000 have checked out the song's lyrics just on this one site. Methinks I'm not the only one writing about a revolution these days.
Peace,
emaycee
April fools...
...which would be us, the man and women of America who actually do the work that keeps this country going. Guess what? Last year, your CEO got a 27% pay raise, while you my friends and neighbors, got a measly 2%. Is your CEO worth that much to your company?
Didn't think so--mine isn't either.
Peace,
emaycee
Didn't think so--mine isn't either.
Peace,
emaycee
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