You know, I've been in retail for thirty years now, and though I haven't risen past the rank of store manager, I think I can safely say that even a newbie with just a couple of months service realizes that if you don't keep your shelves full, your sales are going to suffer.
Apparently this was beyond the brain(dead)trust that runs the Wal-Mart stores, who decided to hire all kinds of temp workers instead of retaining their staff in the hope that fucking Oompa-Loompas were going to drop down from the stores' ceilings and stock everything from toilet paper to jock straps. In what must have come as a great surprise to Wal-Mart's leadership, the Oompa-Loompas were a no-show and now Wal-Mart's shelves are empty, sales have dropped, and they're having to play catch up to get full-time workers hired to complete what is retail 101 at its most basic: stocking the shelves.
I'm beginning to wonder if the reason I never advanced beyond the store level and into executive leadership is becaused I'm just not fucking stupid enough....
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, September 30, 2013
Open up that golden gate
Watching the republicans this week show yet again how little of a shit they give about the American people as they do everything in their power to shut the government down, and feeling the frustration that so many Americans feel with republicans complete and total inability to lead or to govern, it was nice to see this piece by Digby showing that when you elect sane people as they did in California over the last couple of election cycles, government can get good things done for the American people.
From immigration reform to sensible gun control, from balancing their budget to leading America in jobs created, from allowing gay marriage to protecting a woman's right to choose, California is leading the way for the rest of America.
And with demographics being what they are (lots of old white people dying, lots of Latinos turning 18), it's only a matter of time before more and more of America is seeing the same results as those in California.
California I'm coming home indeed.
Peace,
emaycee
From immigration reform to sensible gun control, from balancing their budget to leading America in jobs created, from allowing gay marriage to protecting a woman's right to choose, California is leading the way for the rest of America.
And with demographics being what they are (lots of old white people dying, lots of Latinos turning 18), it's only a matter of time before more and more of America is seeing the same results as those in California.
California I'm coming home indeed.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
I do not like Ted Cruz, Sam-I-Am
While wasting the nation's precious time with a 21 hour filibuster of which the aim was to stop poor and working class Americans from having affordable healthcare (and what a worthy goal that is), Ted Cruz decided he would read his children a bedtime story. The story he chose was a veritable American classic, one I have read to my children again and again: Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham.
Am I the only one who's bothered by the fact that as a (so-called) man was doing everything in his power to make sure that many children do not have adequate healthcare he invoked the name of a man who has brought so much joy to more children than Ted Cruz has dead brain cells?
Even worse--Theodore Geisel was a die hard Liberal. Chances are he would have approved of Obamacare--at the very least thought it was a good start.
Maybe during future pointless filibusters Cruz can read other childhood classics like Horton's Deaf Because He Lacked Adequate Healthcare and To Think I Let Them All Starve on Mulberry Street!
Peace,
emaycee
Am I the only one who's bothered by the fact that as a (so-called) man was doing everything in his power to make sure that many children do not have adequate healthcare he invoked the name of a man who has brought so much joy to more children than Ted Cruz has dead brain cells?
Even worse--Theodore Geisel was a die hard Liberal. Chances are he would have approved of Obamacare--at the very least thought it was a good start.
Maybe during future pointless filibusters Cruz can read other childhood classics like Horton's Deaf Because He Lacked Adequate Healthcare and To Think I Let Them All Starve on Mulberry Street!
Peace,
emaycee
Sheep to slaughter
AIG CEO Bob Benmosche told The Wall Street Journal this week that the anger and outrage over bonuses bestowed upon AIG executives after receiving a bailout with our tax dollars was just as bad as the lynch mobs and lynchings that once occurred in the deep South.
Leaving aside how heinous it is to compare people being angry about your greed to people getting murdered because of the color of their skin, and leaving aside the chutzpah it takes to whine in the face of people still struggling financially after said people bailed your incompetent ass out...
...you have to wonder how bright it is for a guy making seven figures for basically being an asshole to mention lynch mobs to the millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, to the millions who fell into poverty because of his idiocy, and the even more millions who believe bank executives are the moral equivalent of cousin Kevin from The Who's Tommy.
Peace,
emaycee
Leaving aside how heinous it is to compare people being angry about your greed to people getting murdered because of the color of their skin, and leaving aside the chutzpah it takes to whine in the face of people still struggling financially after said people bailed your incompetent ass out...
...you have to wonder how bright it is for a guy making seven figures for basically being an asshole to mention lynch mobs to the millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, to the millions who fell into poverty because of his idiocy, and the even more millions who believe bank executives are the moral equivalent of cousin Kevin from The Who's Tommy.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, September 20, 2013
Republican math
Two hundred twenty-eight republicans and two "Democrats" voted to defund Obamacare today, prompting Harvard graduate and Senator from Texas Ted Cruz to congratulate House republicans for passing the bill with "strong bipartisan support."
If anyone happens to know who taught Ted Cruz basic math, could you please let me know? Because if Mr. Cruz thinks that 2 out of 195 Democrats (less than 2%) constitutes healthy bipartisanship, I don't want the mother fucker who taught him math anywhere near my kid.
I'd rather my son not grow up to be an idiot.
Peace,
emaycee
If anyone happens to know who taught Ted Cruz basic math, could you please let me know? Because if Mr. Cruz thinks that 2 out of 195 Democrats (less than 2%) constitutes healthy bipartisanship, I don't want the mother fucker who taught him math anywhere near my kid.
I'd rather my son not grow up to be an idiot.
Peace,
emaycee
Cursed are the unmerciful
As expected, House republicans passed $40 billion worth of cuts to SNAP benefits yesterday on a vote of 217-210. I missed the amount of republicans voting against the bill by five--fifteen of them put their careers above their politics. The republicans tried to tie work requirements and/or job training to the receiving of benefits. Since they've done nothing the last three years to encourage job growth and the bill provided no funding for job training their efforts are comparable to trying to go swimming in a sandbox.
Their other big accomplishments for the week are their continuing efforts to sabotage, slow down, or defund Obamacare. Three years after Obamacare was enacted, republicans have yet to hold a vote on a plan of their own to tackle the healthcare crisis.
Is it any wonder how fucked up America is when one of the only two parties to control our political process answer to those going hungry is to starve, and whose answer for those without healthcare is to die?
Peace,
emaycee
Their other big accomplishments for the week are their continuing efforts to sabotage, slow down, or defund Obamacare. Three years after Obamacare was enacted, republicans have yet to hold a vote on a plan of their own to tackle the healthcare crisis.
Is it any wonder how fucked up America is when one of the only two parties to control our political process answer to those going hungry is to starve, and whose answer for those without healthcare is to die?
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Isn't it ironic?
Actually, it might not be--I've never been able to tell the difference between irony and coincidence....
It seems two drivers here in my home state, near Grand Rapids, got into an altercation involving tailgating as they raced down the highway, and as they confronted each other outside their cars managed to fire shots that killed each other.
Both drivers had concealed carry permits.
This is not schadenfreude--two deaths are not anything that should be celebrated. But it sure does seem the old saying is true: live by the sword, die by the sword.
So to speak.
Peace,
emaycee
It seems two drivers here in my home state, near Grand Rapids, got into an altercation involving tailgating as they raced down the highway, and as they confronted each other outside their cars managed to fire shots that killed each other.
Both drivers had concealed carry permits.
This is not schadenfreude--two deaths are not anything that should be celebrated. But it sure does seem the old saying is true: live by the sword, die by the sword.
So to speak.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Hunger games
At the non-profit thrift store where I work, we play a DVD of our yearly telethon (local, small scale, though it does worlds of good for many in poverty) and there's a segment on it where a young girl, probably twelve or thirteen years old, talks about what it's like to be hungry, what it's like to go to school hungry, and at the end she breaks down crying because she's so grateful for the help our organization provides.
I note this not to give myself or the non-profit I work for a pat on the back--I note it because in the richest nation in the history of civilization I'm not really sure how American "exceptionalism" is reinforced by 20% of our children living in poverty, and by 50 million Americans not having enough money for food.
Between the Washington Navy Yard shootings, the debt ceiling showdown, the situation in Syria, and the fight over funding the government after September 30th, it will probably escape most Americans that the republicans in the House will be holding a vote tomorrow to cut food stamp benfits by $40 billion dollars, despite the numbers noted above, despite the lingering employment crisis, and leave 4 to 6 million Americans without any food assistance. For all those who clamor there is no difference between Democrats and republicans, this is the point that blows your argument to shit: for all the problems the Democrats may have, there will be zero--that's right, fucking zero--Democratic votes for this bill tomorrow. I will be amazed if any republicans buck their party and do the right thing--if any do, it will be less than ten.
Republicans claim this needs to be done to stop all the fraud--despite the fact that a recent Department of Agriculture report which showed virtually zero problems with SNAP benefits (but $17 million worth in the republicans giveaway to the agriculture industry). Dimwit Rand Paul says it's being done because food stamps are like slavery--fortunately for Mr. Paul's there are no living American slaves to school his dumb ass in how foods stamps are absolutely nothing like fucking slavery. Republicans will vote for it despite the fact that of the 250 counties in America with the highest amount of food stamp recipients, 227 of them fall solely in one Congressional district, and of those 227, 160 are represented by republicans (thanks for the votes, suckers!). Their followers are convinced these republicans are right because food stamp beneficiaries are scamming the system in downtown Detroit not knowing that over 50% of food stamp recipients live in the suburbs--they're basically their friends and neighbors. And House republicans will vote for it despite the fact that the cuts will cost the American taxpayer more money than will be saved because of the increase in healthcare expenditures.
Republicans are quick to wear their Christianity on their sleeves when it suits their purposes--not so much when it doesn't. To wit, Matthew 25:45: "...Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
One can only surmise that republicans are more than happy--as they are for their fellow Americans--to let Jesus starve.
Peace,
emaycee
I note this not to give myself or the non-profit I work for a pat on the back--I note it because in the richest nation in the history of civilization I'm not really sure how American "exceptionalism" is reinforced by 20% of our children living in poverty, and by 50 million Americans not having enough money for food.
Between the Washington Navy Yard shootings, the debt ceiling showdown, the situation in Syria, and the fight over funding the government after September 30th, it will probably escape most Americans that the republicans in the House will be holding a vote tomorrow to cut food stamp benfits by $40 billion dollars, despite the numbers noted above, despite the lingering employment crisis, and leave 4 to 6 million Americans without any food assistance. For all those who clamor there is no difference between Democrats and republicans, this is the point that blows your argument to shit: for all the problems the Democrats may have, there will be zero--that's right, fucking zero--Democratic votes for this bill tomorrow. I will be amazed if any republicans buck their party and do the right thing--if any do, it will be less than ten.
Republicans claim this needs to be done to stop all the fraud--despite the fact that a recent Department of Agriculture report which showed virtually zero problems with SNAP benefits (but $17 million worth in the republicans giveaway to the agriculture industry). Dimwit Rand Paul says it's being done because food stamps are like slavery--fortunately for Mr. Paul's there are no living American slaves to school his dumb ass in how foods stamps are absolutely nothing like fucking slavery. Republicans will vote for it despite the fact that of the 250 counties in America with the highest amount of food stamp recipients, 227 of them fall solely in one Congressional district, and of those 227, 160 are represented by republicans (thanks for the votes, suckers!). Their followers are convinced these republicans are right because food stamp beneficiaries are scamming the system in downtown Detroit not knowing that over 50% of food stamp recipients live in the suburbs--they're basically their friends and neighbors. And House republicans will vote for it despite the fact that the cuts will cost the American taxpayer more money than will be saved because of the increase in healthcare expenditures.
Republicans are quick to wear their Christianity on their sleeves when it suits their purposes--not so much when it doesn't. To wit, Matthew 25:45: "...Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
One can only surmise that republicans are more than happy--as they are for their fellow Americans--to let Jesus starve.
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, September 16, 2013
Isn't it rich?
With all due respect to the twelve people killed today in the Washington Navy Yard, as I watched the Mayor of Washington, D. C., Vincent Gray, speak about the shootings this evening, I couldn't help but think that his concern rang just a little bit hollow.
I mean, this is the man who a week ago vetoed the Large Retail Accountability Act, which would have forced large retailers in Washington, D.C. to pay a living wage of $12.50 an hour (that's a whopping $26,000 a year, if you work 40 hours a week--and good luck with that) to basically make the Walton family, the handful of billionaires who run Wal-Mart, happy.
How many people in Washington, D.C. will die early as a result of living their lives in poverty because Mayor Gray had not the courage to stand up to Wal-Mart and say "Fuck you, pay the citizens of my town a living wage."? How many residents will die because of the crime that poverty causes, an effect that could have at least been blunted with a living wage? How many kids will go without food? How many kids will have their education stunted so billionaires can have even more money?
Frankly, it appears that if you're a resident of Washington, D.C. and want Mayor Gray to give a shit about your life, you need to get shot to death.
Peace,
emaycee
I mean, this is the man who a week ago vetoed the Large Retail Accountability Act, which would have forced large retailers in Washington, D.C. to pay a living wage of $12.50 an hour (that's a whopping $26,000 a year, if you work 40 hours a week--and good luck with that) to basically make the Walton family, the handful of billionaires who run Wal-Mart, happy.
How many people in Washington, D.C. will die early as a result of living their lives in poverty because Mayor Gray had not the courage to stand up to Wal-Mart and say "Fuck you, pay the citizens of my town a living wage."? How many residents will die because of the crime that poverty causes, an effect that could have at least been blunted with a living wage? How many kids will go without food? How many kids will have their education stunted so billionaires can have even more money?
Frankly, it appears that if you're a resident of Washington, D.C. and want Mayor Gray to give a shit about your life, you need to get shot to death.
Peace,
emaycee
Why I'm not a fortuneteller
Ahem.
It's a good thing I don't try to earn a living by making predictions--on August 4th, I predicted that despite all of our petitions, bitching and bellyaching, and threats to disown President Obama, he would appoint Larry Summers as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve and our miserable economic lives would continue ad nauseum.
Larry Summers went and fucked up a perfectly good prediction by announcing he was withdrawing his name for consideration as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve because he feared (perhaps rightly so) that he would be too acrimonius of a choice for the President.
As my father would say, fuck me to tears. I'm wrong and we won--I could get used to this.
Wonder if I should start making predictions on how President Obama will handle the upcoming debt ceiling negotiations and his cuts to Social Security....
Peace,
emaycee
It's a good thing I don't try to earn a living by making predictions--on August 4th, I predicted that despite all of our petitions, bitching and bellyaching, and threats to disown President Obama, he would appoint Larry Summers as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve and our miserable economic lives would continue ad nauseum.
Larry Summers went and fucked up a perfectly good prediction by announcing he was withdrawing his name for consideration as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve because he feared (perhaps rightly so) that he would be too acrimonius of a choice for the President.
As my father would say, fuck me to tears. I'm wrong and we won--I could get used to this.
Wonder if I should start making predictions on how President Obama will handle the upcoming debt ceiling negotiations and his cuts to Social Security....
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The black guy in the White House must just be killing them
A couple of weeks after Colorado State Senator (surprise! she's a republican) suggested that a disproportionate number of American blacks and other American minorities live in poverty because they eat too much chicken and barbecue (if ever there was a "what the fuck?" moment...), a republican colleague, Rep. Lori Saine, brought a box of Popeye's chicken to a hearing on poverty reduction which she placed in plain view of the spectators and was reportedly overheard saying it was a "silent protest" against the criticism Sen. Marble received for her comments.
I know I don't have the republican gene for blatant ignorance, but for the life of me I can't quite figure out exactly what she's protesting--the last time I checked there was no Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing the right to be fucking stupid.
Peace,
emaycee
I know I don't have the republican gene for blatant ignorance, but for the life of me I can't quite figure out exactly what she's protesting--the last time I checked there was no Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing the right to be fucking stupid.
Peace,
emaycee
The second greatest trick
A new study reports that in 2012, the top 10% of Americans took home over 50% of all income. This number represents the largest gap since such information was first gathered in 1917.
You know, there's a great line in The Usual Suspects where Verbal Kint (portrayed by Kevin Spacey) tells Agent Dave Kujan (portrayed by Chazz Palminteri) that, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
If that's true, than the second greatest trick he ever pulled was convincing enough Americans that it was somehow in their best interest to live on the edge of poverty and economic insecurity ad inifinitum so that a very few could amass untold wealth.
How else to explain how any working class America could ever vote for a republican?
Peace,
emaycee
You know, there's a great line in The Usual Suspects where Verbal Kint (portrayed by Kevin Spacey) tells Agent Dave Kujan (portrayed by Chazz Palminteri) that, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
If that's true, than the second greatest trick he ever pulled was convincing enough Americans that it was somehow in their best interest to live on the edge of poverty and economic insecurity ad inifinitum so that a very few could amass untold wealth.
How else to explain how any working class America could ever vote for a republican?
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, September 9, 2013
If at first you don't secede...
California. Colorado. Maryland. Texas.
What the fuck is it with republicans who, when they can't win elections on the merits, decide that secession is the answer? How the fuck is that patriotic? How the fuck is quitting a good family value?
I don't ever remember a more disappointing election night than November 3rd, 2004 when the hopelessly inept George W. Bush won re-election, but I don't remember Democrats running around screaming about seceding from the Union. No, we ran better candidates and did a better job of selling our ideas and won the House and Senate in 2006 and the White House in 2008. Election night in 2010 wasn't much better--we absolutely got our clocks cleaned in the House and lost seats in the Senate. Again, there were no calls for secession--we weren't prepared and we lost. We rallied in 2012 and won back seats in the House and Senate and President Obama won re-election.
Having a minority opinion in a democracy means you're going to lose most, it not all, elections. Want representation that better suits your ideals? Don't act shit upon like some whiny kid, do a better fucking job of selling your ideas. And if you can't, tough shit. There's another election in two years.
Unfortunately, these rantings will fall on deaf ears--these secessionists aren't interested in rallying Americans around their minority ideals. They don't want to live in a democracy--they want to rule as a dictatorship.
Peace,
emaycee
What the fuck is it with republicans who, when they can't win elections on the merits, decide that secession is the answer? How the fuck is that patriotic? How the fuck is quitting a good family value?
I don't ever remember a more disappointing election night than November 3rd, 2004 when the hopelessly inept George W. Bush won re-election, but I don't remember Democrats running around screaming about seceding from the Union. No, we ran better candidates and did a better job of selling our ideas and won the House and Senate in 2006 and the White House in 2008. Election night in 2010 wasn't much better--we absolutely got our clocks cleaned in the House and lost seats in the Senate. Again, there were no calls for secession--we weren't prepared and we lost. We rallied in 2012 and won back seats in the House and Senate and President Obama won re-election.
Having a minority opinion in a democracy means you're going to lose most, it not all, elections. Want representation that better suits your ideals? Don't act shit upon like some whiny kid, do a better fucking job of selling your ideas. And if you can't, tough shit. There's another election in two years.
Unfortunately, these rantings will fall on deaf ears--these secessionists aren't interested in rallying Americans around their minority ideals. They don't want to live in a democracy--they want to rule as a dictatorship.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Now I got a job, but it don't pay
With their record on job creation about as sterling as a charcoal briquet, republicans are turning to their age old bullshit: there's plenty of jobs out there, but no one can pass a drug test and those lavish unemployment benefits are keeping people from taking a job. Why, they're saying, all sorts of businesses are having these problems. Setting aside the facts that a) drugs cost money, and b) unemployment benefits are finite, here is a lesson in employment economics:
I have a "friend" who has been unemployed for some time now. Said friend has never used drugs (doesn't drink, either) and unemployment benefits ended a couple of years ago. My friend has given up on finding a full-time job (wise decision, they're just not offering those jobs anymore) and decided to look into a part-time position with several nearby retailers (all of which are nationally known). My friend found that the only jobs available average fifteen to twenty hours a week, and that an open availability was required. My friend has one child and a spouse who works in retail, as well. The numbers for one week:
Michigan minimum wage ($7.40) x 20 hours: $148.00
Taxes (conservatively @ 20%): -$29.60
Gas expense (again conservatively): -$15.00
Child care expense (10 hours at $5 an hour): -$50.00
Net pay: $53.40
Keep in mind that I figured my friend could get some hours when the child was at school/the spouse wasn't scheduled. If that didn't happen, my friend would fucking lose money if you add the half-hour travel time per scheduled day. As is, this comes to roughly $2600 a year--and for that my friend has to work nights, weekends, holidays, swallow customers bullshit, swallow management's bullshit, entrust the child's care to strangers, and receive zero benefits..all for what is effectively $2.50 an hour. It's often said that part-time minimum wage jobs are good for students, but if our national merchants had to run their stores with nothing other than students working for spending money they'd be out of business in a few weeks. Frankly, these comapnies are run by people like my friend, but absent a living wage, it's easy to see why so many of them are saying fuck you and staying home.
One of the great early lessons my parents taught me and my siblings was that in this world, you get what you pay for. I'm not the slightest bit surprised that many businesses are having trouble finding candidates to fill all their open positions--when you pay next to nothing, you get next to nothing.
My hunch is that the ignorant mavens who run our businesses don't care either. They'll just make everybody who is working for them work harder to make up for the lack of help.
After all, masters can do that with slaves.
Peace,
emaycee
I have a "friend" who has been unemployed for some time now. Said friend has never used drugs (doesn't drink, either) and unemployment benefits ended a couple of years ago. My friend has given up on finding a full-time job (wise decision, they're just not offering those jobs anymore) and decided to look into a part-time position with several nearby retailers (all of which are nationally known). My friend found that the only jobs available average fifteen to twenty hours a week, and that an open availability was required. My friend has one child and a spouse who works in retail, as well. The numbers for one week:
Michigan minimum wage ($7.40) x 20 hours: $148.00
Taxes (conservatively @ 20%): -$29.60
Gas expense (again conservatively): -$15.00
Child care expense (10 hours at $5 an hour): -$50.00
Net pay: $53.40
Keep in mind that I figured my friend could get some hours when the child was at school/the spouse wasn't scheduled. If that didn't happen, my friend would fucking lose money if you add the half-hour travel time per scheduled day. As is, this comes to roughly $2600 a year--and for that my friend has to work nights, weekends, holidays, swallow customers bullshit, swallow management's bullshit, entrust the child's care to strangers, and receive zero benefits..all for what is effectively $2.50 an hour. It's often said that part-time minimum wage jobs are good for students, but if our national merchants had to run their stores with nothing other than students working for spending money they'd be out of business in a few weeks. Frankly, these comapnies are run by people like my friend, but absent a living wage, it's easy to see why so many of them are saying fuck you and staying home.
One of the great early lessons my parents taught me and my siblings was that in this world, you get what you pay for. I'm not the slightest bit surprised that many businesses are having trouble finding candidates to fill all their open positions--when you pay next to nothing, you get next to nothing.
My hunch is that the ignorant mavens who run our businesses don't care either. They'll just make everybody who is working for them work harder to make up for the lack of help.
After all, masters can do that with slaves.
Peace,
emaycee
Saturday, September 7, 2013
D'oh
Teen births in America have hit their lowest level in the 73 years that such records have been kept. The culprit? Teens are using birth control at much higher levels.
Who would have ever guessed--especially considering the genius level scientific information that has been spread by the religious right and the Catholic Church--that birth control would prevent births?
God only knows how many more births--and abortions and children in poverty--we could have prevented over the last couple of decades if we'd listened to health care experts and not been cowed by religious zealots whose only concern is shoving their sexual mores down our throats.
And who, for all their "pro-life" chatter, don't give two shits about actual human lives.
Peace,
emaycee
Who would have ever guessed--especially considering the genius level scientific information that has been spread by the religious right and the Catholic Church--that birth control would prevent births?
God only knows how many more births--and abortions and children in poverty--we could have prevented over the last couple of decades if we'd listened to health care experts and not been cowed by religious zealots whose only concern is shoving their sexual mores down our throats.
And who, for all their "pro-life" chatter, don't give two shits about actual human lives.
Peace,
emaycee
A friend with weed
Well, lookee here--seems John McCain is beginning to wonder if maybe it's time to consider legalizing the use of marijuana.
You know the War on Drugs' days are numbered when a white guy who's old enough to have starred in "Reefer Madness" is beginning to question whether or not we should be legalizing hemp. Frankly, we've wasted a lot of time, effort, money and lives to have put absolutely no dent whatsoever in either the sales or usage of pot.
McCain's right (for once in his life)--it's time to end the charade and collect the billions in taxes that we're missing out on with a pointless crusade.
Peace,
emaycee
You know the War on Drugs' days are numbered when a white guy who's old enough to have starred in "Reefer Madness" is beginning to question whether or not we should be legalizing hemp. Frankly, we've wasted a lot of time, effort, money and lives to have put absolutely no dent whatsoever in either the sales or usage of pot.
McCain's right (for once in his life)--it's time to end the charade and collect the billions in taxes that we're missing out on with a pointless crusade.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Whistle while you (don't) work
A short while ago I read a fairly uninteresting piece with a very interesting premise: Is corporate America trying to distract us from our dismal economic situation with their support for social issues (specifically gay rights)? The answer, not surprisingly, was yes.
I've been thinking about this premise over the past few days as any number of the Liberal websites I visit regularly have been overrun with pieces (a good one here) discussing what our role--mostly against any role--should be in Syria (the uproar on those same sites about the NSA revelations brought out the same thought). Not so much that corporate America has orchestrated either of them, but that all the while Liberals are discussing Syria and the NSA, we're not discussing the piss poor state of our economy and American corporations can continue their survival of the richest campaign unabated.
For the record, mostly because of our abysmal record in the Middle East, I am against any kind of action in Syria. But regardless of what Congress decides on the President's call to arms (and I'll give President Obama his deserved props for not acting unilaterally as has become the precedent), whether we drop bombs or not, when it's all over the ever increasing gap in income inequality will not have been whittled one iota, wage stagnation will have remained constant, one in six Americans will still live in poverty, one in five Americans will still have not had enough money to buy food, the number of poor Americans will continue to grow, and the middle class will continue to shrink.
And for the life of me, I don't know why the average American should give two shits about what Congress decides to do concerning the use of chemical weapons in a country thousands of miles away.
Peace,
emaycee
I've been thinking about this premise over the past few days as any number of the Liberal websites I visit regularly have been overrun with pieces (a good one here) discussing what our role--mostly against any role--should be in Syria (the uproar on those same sites about the NSA revelations brought out the same thought). Not so much that corporate America has orchestrated either of them, but that all the while Liberals are discussing Syria and the NSA, we're not discussing the piss poor state of our economy and American corporations can continue their survival of the richest campaign unabated.
For the record, mostly because of our abysmal record in the Middle East, I am against any kind of action in Syria. But regardless of what Congress decides on the President's call to arms (and I'll give President Obama his deserved props for not acting unilaterally as has become the precedent), whether we drop bombs or not, when it's all over the ever increasing gap in income inequality will not have been whittled one iota, wage stagnation will have remained constant, one in six Americans will still live in poverty, one in five Americans will still have not had enough money to buy food, the number of poor Americans will continue to grow, and the middle class will continue to shrink.
And for the life of me, I don't know why the average American should give two shits about what Congress decides to do concerning the use of chemical weapons in a country thousands of miles away.
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, September 2, 2013
It's my favorite holiday of the year
I could wax poetic about the eight hour workday, company paid health insurance, paid vacations, minimum wage, paid holidays, higher wages, safer workplaces, the NLRB, OSHA, child labor laws--all of which have made the American worker's life much better and all of which were fought for (and in some cases died for) by labor unions.
I could also note that for a day that's supposed to celebrate labor, there were a whole hell of a lot of us workers (myself included) who spent today working--far too many of us to sell shit that people could live without for a day, but we couldn't have that because it might cost corporate America's moneyed elite a nickel.
But I liked this better (and it makes me proud to be a Liberal supporter of unions):
On a side note, can you imagine a republican toadie or a corporate hack coming up with a video this clever? No? And you know why? Because their version of "free enterprise" stifles creativity--it's not about the average American worker, it's about the moneyed elite.
I also liked this better--and it is the epitome of the courage our cause inspires (and instills more union pride). People with everything to lose fighting back against the moneyed elite of corporate America for a living wage. Note, too, that it's a "living" wage--ain't a lot of people going to be vacationing on the Riviera who make $15.00 an hour:
Hope everyone had a Happy Labor Day--or as I like to call it, Happy Fuck Rich People Day!
Peace,
emaycee
I could also note that for a day that's supposed to celebrate labor, there were a whole hell of a lot of us workers (myself included) who spent today working--far too many of us to sell shit that people could live without for a day, but we couldn't have that because it might cost corporate America's moneyed elite a nickel.
But I liked this better (and it makes me proud to be a Liberal supporter of unions):
On a side note, can you imagine a republican toadie or a corporate hack coming up with a video this clever? No? And you know why? Because their version of "free enterprise" stifles creativity--it's not about the average American worker, it's about the moneyed elite.
I also liked this better--and it is the epitome of the courage our cause inspires (and instills more union pride). People with everything to lose fighting back against the moneyed elite of corporate America for a living wage. Note, too, that it's a "living" wage--ain't a lot of people going to be vacationing on the Riviera who make $15.00 an hour:
Hope everyone had a Happy Labor Day--or as I like to call it, Happy Fuck Rich People Day!
Peace,
emaycee
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