In light of Georgia passing greatly expanded gun rights legislation, one of its citizens got the not so bright idea to walk around a little league park flashing his gun to anyone he encountered and telling them there was nothing they could do about it. Worried parents eventually put their kids in the the field's dugout and stationed themselves in front of the dugout to protect their kids. When police eventually arrived, it turned out the erection challenged gun nut was correct--he was free to scare the shit out of these people thanks to the goobers in the Georgia legislature.
However, if I understand Georgia's Stand Your Ground Law correctly (admission: I'm not a lawyer), you are free to act in self-defense if you have a reasonable fear for your life. So in the above scenario, the brain dead moron would be free to wave his gun about all he wants, but if one of the parents felt a reasonable fear for the lives of their children, they could shoot his ass.
I'm not advocating violence, but that would seem to be the very definition of poetic justice.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Worried man blues
A recent study shows that the U.S. is now employing more private security guards than at any time in our history (note that the murder rate in America was on a projected pace for what would be a 40 year low), and that states with the highest rates of income inequality also employ the most private security guards.
Apparently rich folks in America are at least vaguely familiar with the French Revolution.
One supposes, too, that the old biblical saying about reaping what you sow has just a hint of truth to it.
Peace,
emaycee
Apparently rich folks in America are at least vaguely familiar with the French Revolution.
One supposes, too, that the old biblical saying about reaping what you sow has just a hint of truth to it.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Brotherhood, from sea to shining sea
The city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is preparing to pass legislation that would prohibit the homeless from having their possessions on public property, for aesthetic reasons. It is backed by business groups (surprise, surprise) who probably should worry a lot more about their sales and a lot less about a fucking stray backpack.
The state of Louisiana is on the verge of passing legislation that would make panhandling a misdemeanor punishable by a $200 fine and up to six months in jail. How exactly a homeless person holding a hat out for some spare change is supposed to come up with $200 probably wasn't considered.
You know what? Good jobs. A living wage. These are the solutions to the above. Taking away what few possessions they have or turning them into criminals is not going to help anyone in poverty--it is just pushing their suffering out of sight.
Which, pathetically, is probably the point.
Peace,
emaycee
The state of Louisiana is on the verge of passing legislation that would make panhandling a misdemeanor punishable by a $200 fine and up to six months in jail. How exactly a homeless person holding a hat out for some spare change is supposed to come up with $200 probably wasn't considered.
You know what? Good jobs. A living wage. These are the solutions to the above. Taking away what few possessions they have or turning them into criminals is not going to help anyone in poverty--it is just pushing their suffering out of sight.
Which, pathetically, is probably the point.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, April 27, 2014
And all the sinners saints
Kudos to the Catholic Church, which today canonized John Paul II, making him the first "saint" to currently be rotting in hell.
John Paul II is best known for presiding over the Church's sex abuse scandals which he tried to sweep under the rug as an American problem (what the fuck?) to protect the Church's financial assets and therefore allowed the rape of children by the Church's leadership to continue unabated. John Paul II was also so anti-abortion and anti-gay that he pushed the church toward political conservatives, thus doing his part to ensure that the living (that would be the rest of us) would suffer at the hands of rampant income inequality and unheralded greed (for starters). Starving children and extreme poverty? Fuck that--there's gays in them thar hills!
On the bright side, the mass of humanity now has a much better chance of being canonized--let's face it, the Church has set the bar for entry into sainthood pretty fucking low.
Peace,
emaycee
John Paul II is best known for presiding over the Church's sex abuse scandals which he tried to sweep under the rug as an American problem (what the fuck?) to protect the Church's financial assets and therefore allowed the rape of children by the Church's leadership to continue unabated. John Paul II was also so anti-abortion and anti-gay that he pushed the church toward political conservatives, thus doing his part to ensure that the living (that would be the rest of us) would suffer at the hands of rampant income inequality and unheralded greed (for starters). Starving children and extreme poverty? Fuck that--there's gays in them thar hills!
On the bright side, the mass of humanity now has a much better chance of being canonized--let's face it, the Church has set the bar for entry into sainthood pretty fucking low.
Peace,
emaycee
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Married...with an idiot
Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Texas Lt. Gov. and republican gubenatorial candidate Greg Abott. Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Know what these men all have in common? After championing deadbeat Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy, they all spent a few moments this week choking on their own saliva after hearing Mr. Bundy prove himself to be your garden variety republican racist, on film no less. And just to put a cherry on top, Mr. Bundy did it a second time, invoking Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to boot.
I want to tell you one more thing I know about the republicans--there's nothing in the world of politics more enjoyable than watching them take a well-deserved round of bitch slaps from everybody for being foolish enough to trust another in a long line of goobers in a blatant attempt to score political points.
Schadenfreude deluxe!
Peace,
emaycee
Know what these men all have in common? After championing deadbeat Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy, they all spent a few moments this week choking on their own saliva after hearing Mr. Bundy prove himself to be your garden variety republican racist, on film no less. And just to put a cherry on top, Mr. Bundy did it a second time, invoking Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks to boot.
I want to tell you one more thing I know about the republicans--there's nothing in the world of politics more enjoyable than watching them take a well-deserved round of bitch slaps from everybody for being foolish enough to trust another in a long line of goobers in a blatant attempt to score political points.
Schadenfreude deluxe!
Peace,
emaycee
O Canada
It was reported earlier this week that data shows that the middle class in our neighbor to the north, Canada, is now worth more after taxes than those in the middle class in America.
National healthcare? Check. Strong labor unions? Check. Solid safety net spending? Check.
Just in case you were curious as to why.
Wonder how long it is before our neighbors to the south pass us by, too.
Peace,
emaycee
National healthcare? Check. Strong labor unions? Check. Solid safety net spending? Check.
Just in case you were curious as to why.
Wonder how long it is before our neighbors to the south pass us by, too.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Why Chris Hayes is dead wrong
Last week, Chris Hayes interviewed republican assemblywoman Michele Fiore of Nevada concerning the actions surrounding the deadbeat Nevada rancher, Cliven Bundy. Fiore ranted and raved, and as is often the case when Hayes interviews a nutjob in the interest of fairness, Hayes got his fucking clock cleaned (also happened when he interviewed Jennifer Stefano of Americans for Prosperity--it was just brutal). Not on the merits, mind you, but he ends up looking feckless like we all too often do when we think these battles can be won intellectually. They can't--if they could be, we would have won a long time ago. Republicans get this--that's why they go for the heart, not the head.
I didn't witness this carnage--after watching Hayes get his ass kicked several times now I just change the channel when he introduces a wingnut. It's kind of like watching your favorite baseball team when they're getting the shit knocked out of them--life's hard enough without adding to the depression. And these folks just go on the show to fire up their base--they're just yelling and yelling and Hayes thinks he's making them look batshit insane, but really he's just feeding the fire.
Crooks and Liars rightfully took Hayes to task for his foolhardiness with Fiore, causing Hayes to shoot back in a segment on Monday that he believed all viewpoints should be presented and he would continue to have those with conservative viewpoints on All In to argue their case. In rebuttal, Crooks and Liars noted correctly that his conservative guests weren't debating a point, they were screaming over him and he was completely unprepared. Hayes tried to rebut Fiore on an ensuing show, but as Crooks and Liars pointed out, by then it was way too late--kind of like a Presidential debate, you can spin it all you want after the fact, but if you lost the actual debate, you fucking lost the debate (google either of Hayes' interviews noted above, and you will find about ten conservative web site links crowing over their victories debating Hayes to every one Liberal cringing over said victories).
I think a couple more points are in order. First of all, this notion that we the people are looking for arguments from both sides as an approach to the problems this nation faces is utter bullshit. We're looking for fucking solutions, not more fucking arguments that frankly we've heard again and again. Not to mention that republicans are more than happy to argue policy issues into eternity--if we're arguing, we're not solving our problems and that suits them just fine as they flat don't give a rat's ass about helping the American people.
Second, and more importantly, while Hayes is giving these people a voice to spew their lies and helping to keep republicans in office, real people are suffering. One in six Americans live in poverty, one in five have been food insecure in the past year, millions of Americans have lost much needed unemployment benefits, families are being torn apart because we can't pass immigration reform, poverty wages rule the day, income inequality is at record highs--you get the picture. Frankly, Hayes sounds more like he's interested in hosting some lame ass network show like Meet the Press than helping to solve these problem.
There's a wing of our party/movement that still believes we can win these policy battles by reasoning with the right, presenting charts and graphs and figures, and in the end this will sway the Amerian people. And it's this view that has led to us being on the defensive when it comes to policy, getting our ass kicked in these debates, or ending up with watered down legislation since Ronald Reagan was President. I'm not advocating that we turn into a party of dunces like republicans, but there's a reason E.T. grossed hundreds of millions of dollars and Gandhi didn't.
Most Americans have neither the time nor the patience to delve into the finer points of our policy debates--which is why republicans scream the right words and phrases over their liberal counterparts. If Hayes insists on having these clowns on his show, the least he can do is scream back instead of looking like a seal in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy.
Peace,
emaycee
I didn't witness this carnage--after watching Hayes get his ass kicked several times now I just change the channel when he introduces a wingnut. It's kind of like watching your favorite baseball team when they're getting the shit knocked out of them--life's hard enough without adding to the depression. And these folks just go on the show to fire up their base--they're just yelling and yelling and Hayes thinks he's making them look batshit insane, but really he's just feeding the fire.
Crooks and Liars rightfully took Hayes to task for his foolhardiness with Fiore, causing Hayes to shoot back in a segment on Monday that he believed all viewpoints should be presented and he would continue to have those with conservative viewpoints on All In to argue their case. In rebuttal, Crooks and Liars noted correctly that his conservative guests weren't debating a point, they were screaming over him and he was completely unprepared. Hayes tried to rebut Fiore on an ensuing show, but as Crooks and Liars pointed out, by then it was way too late--kind of like a Presidential debate, you can spin it all you want after the fact, but if you lost the actual debate, you fucking lost the debate (google either of Hayes' interviews noted above, and you will find about ten conservative web site links crowing over their victories debating Hayes to every one Liberal cringing over said victories).
I think a couple more points are in order. First of all, this notion that we the people are looking for arguments from both sides as an approach to the problems this nation faces is utter bullshit. We're looking for fucking solutions, not more fucking arguments that frankly we've heard again and again. Not to mention that republicans are more than happy to argue policy issues into eternity--if we're arguing, we're not solving our problems and that suits them just fine as they flat don't give a rat's ass about helping the American people.
Second, and more importantly, while Hayes is giving these people a voice to spew their lies and helping to keep republicans in office, real people are suffering. One in six Americans live in poverty, one in five have been food insecure in the past year, millions of Americans have lost much needed unemployment benefits, families are being torn apart because we can't pass immigration reform, poverty wages rule the day, income inequality is at record highs--you get the picture. Frankly, Hayes sounds more like he's interested in hosting some lame ass network show like Meet the Press than helping to solve these problem.
There's a wing of our party/movement that still believes we can win these policy battles by reasoning with the right, presenting charts and graphs and figures, and in the end this will sway the Amerian people. And it's this view that has led to us being on the defensive when it comes to policy, getting our ass kicked in these debates, or ending up with watered down legislation since Ronald Reagan was President. I'm not advocating that we turn into a party of dunces like republicans, but there's a reason E.T. grossed hundreds of millions of dollars and Gandhi didn't.
Most Americans have neither the time nor the patience to delve into the finer points of our policy debates--which is why republicans scream the right words and phrases over their liberal counterparts. If Hayes insists on having these clowns on his show, the least he can do is scream back instead of looking like a seal in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, April 20, 2014
We may have a winner
I stopped watching CNN a number of years ago because watching it had become like watching the movie Network without the satire, humor, or talented cast. Whatever half-assed bullshit CNN could put on screen to attract viewers, it would.
I know it's still early, but CNN may have outdone itself in the "Stupid is as stupid does" competition for lamest piece of this year. In light of a former Klan leader last week killing three people in Kansas, some genius at CNN thought to ask the question, "Can the KKK rebrand?" Seriously--rebrand itself as what? Peace loving white supremacists? A Mom and Pop hate group? In fairness to CNN, the piece answered the question as no, but why even fucking ask?
Wonder how soon before we'll see CNN's story on how Lee Harvey Oswald can rebuild his legacy?
Peace,
emayce
I know it's still early, but CNN may have outdone itself in the "Stupid is as stupid does" competition for lamest piece of this year. In light of a former Klan leader last week killing three people in Kansas, some genius at CNN thought to ask the question, "Can the KKK rebrand?" Seriously--rebrand itself as what? Peace loving white supremacists? A Mom and Pop hate group? In fairness to CNN, the piece answered the question as no, but why even fucking ask?
Wonder how soon before we'll see CNN's story on how Lee Harvey Oswald can rebuild his legacy?
Peace,
emayce
Friday, April 18, 2014
In America
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of watching a quaint little film called In America. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film tells the story of the travails of an Irish family upon their immigration to America. Much like having a child can remind a parent over and over of the wonders of this world, seeing America through the eyes of Sheridan's immigrant family reminded me of the wonder that is America.
I thought of that film today while at work. As I've noted before, I manage a thrift store for a non-profit, and we cater to many different immigrants--Eastern Europe, the Middle East, south of our border. This can be both fun (I wished a young Latina woman a nice day a few days ago and she smiled brightly and said "Me, too!") and a pain in the neck (many of the immigrants who shop our store come from countries where buying goods isn't like it is here--walk in Wal-Mart or Target, if it says $2.99 for toilet paper, that's what you pay--and want to bargain for everything like we're on the set of Let's Make a Deal). Tonight a young immigrant woman (although I don't know for sure, I'd guess she was from Eastern Europe) was shopping our store and found an entertainment center she wanted for $25. The stand was huge--probably 7' x 7' and weighing a couple hundred pounds. Unfortunately, she had no vehicle large enough to get it to her home, but after a lot of broken English and hand gestures, I agreed to let her borrow our four wheel cart so she could wheel it down the street to her home. Her father left to get her boys (ten or eleven) and I helped them get the center on our cart and out the door, and then watched as she held on as if it were a Faberge egg as she and her sons wheeled it down the streets of Utica, Michigan to their home.
Now I ask you: what's the truer picture of the glory that is America--this immigrant woman and her boys full of moxie pushing their two hundred pound entertainment center through the streets of her adopted hometown, or some old white republican pissing and moaning about how horrible immigrants and immigration reform are?
Peace,
emaycee
I thought of that film today while at work. As I've noted before, I manage a thrift store for a non-profit, and we cater to many different immigrants--Eastern Europe, the Middle East, south of our border. This can be both fun (I wished a young Latina woman a nice day a few days ago and she smiled brightly and said "Me, too!") and a pain in the neck (many of the immigrants who shop our store come from countries where buying goods isn't like it is here--walk in Wal-Mart or Target, if it says $2.99 for toilet paper, that's what you pay--and want to bargain for everything like we're on the set of Let's Make a Deal). Tonight a young immigrant woman (although I don't know for sure, I'd guess she was from Eastern Europe) was shopping our store and found an entertainment center she wanted for $25. The stand was huge--probably 7' x 7' and weighing a couple hundred pounds. Unfortunately, she had no vehicle large enough to get it to her home, but after a lot of broken English and hand gestures, I agreed to let her borrow our four wheel cart so she could wheel it down the street to her home. Her father left to get her boys (ten or eleven) and I helped them get the center on our cart and out the door, and then watched as she held on as if it were a Faberge egg as she and her sons wheeled it down the streets of Utica, Michigan to their home.
Now I ask you: what's the truer picture of the glory that is America--this immigrant woman and her boys full of moxie pushing their two hundred pound entertainment center through the streets of her adopted hometown, or some old white republican pissing and moaning about how horrible immigrants and immigration reform are?
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Cherry Kochs
Right wing media this week has been celebrating one Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher who for the past twenty years has been refusing to pay land grazing rights to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM took action by confiscating Bundy's cattle, and a bunch of rednecks with guns (gotta love that second amendment--no one's too stupid to own a gun) beat back that mean old federal government. Note that Mr. Bundy is an old, white male--were he an African-American or Hispanic-American or a woman, these same right wing media channels would be calling him a deadbeat mooching off of their tax dollars.
Needless to say, those bastions of American mediocrity, the Koch brothers, have taken up Mr. Bundy's cause as well through their not so thinly veiled PAC, Americans for Prosperity.
I'd just like to ask the Koch brothers to please pour as much money into this cause as they have into bashing Obamacare. After their epic fail in criticizing a program that's working better than expected and making life easier for so many Americans, as we enter the fall elections I could think of nothing better than poltical ad after political ad touting republican candidates by extolling a man who doesn't recognize the federal government surrounded by a bunch of nutjobs with guns who were willing to use their womenfolk as human shields.
Because only republicans are happy to vote for the clinically batshit insane.
Peace,
emaycee
Needless to say, those bastions of American mediocrity, the Koch brothers, have taken up Mr. Bundy's cause as well through their not so thinly veiled PAC, Americans for Prosperity.
I'd just like to ask the Koch brothers to please pour as much money into this cause as they have into bashing Obamacare. After their epic fail in criticizing a program that's working better than expected and making life easier for so many Americans, as we enter the fall elections I could think of nothing better than poltical ad after political ad touting republican candidates by extolling a man who doesn't recognize the federal government surrounded by a bunch of nutjobs with guns who were willing to use their womenfolk as human shields.
Because only republicans are happy to vote for the clinically batshit insane.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Oklahoma, where the corporate sycophants come sweepin' down the plain
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin yesterday signed a bill into law that prohibits local communities from enacting minimum wage increases and paid sick day/vacation requirements.
Today's republican party: the locals know best until they ask corporations to pay people a living wage. Then, they need the guiding hand of government to protect them from having a decent life so some corporate CEO can have eight houses instead of seven.
You know what's really sad? This woman just fucked over one-fifth of the residents of her state, justified it with easily discredited reasons, and made her state's economy worse (consumer spending drives the entire country's economy), and yet she'll win re-election in a walk.
Oklahoma, not O.K.
Peace,
emaycee
Today's republican party: the locals know best until they ask corporations to pay people a living wage. Then, they need the guiding hand of government to protect them from having a decent life so some corporate CEO can have eight houses instead of seven.
You know what's really sad? This woman just fucked over one-fifth of the residents of her state, justified it with easily discredited reasons, and made her state's economy worse (consumer spending drives the entire country's economy), and yet she'll win re-election in a walk.
Oklahoma, not O.K.
Peace,
emaycee
Should have been in the NSA, kid
Seems a young man at South Fayette High School in Pennsylvania who suffers from ADHD was sick and tired of being bullied and recorded on his iPad kids as they were bullying him. Assistant Principal Aaron Skrbin (has there ever been an Assistant Principal anywhere who didn't make Niedermeyer from Animal House look like a bastion of righteousness?) reported that the bullying previously reported didn't measure up to his definition of bullying (sure to be a circle of hell reserved for him). Principal Scott Milburn contacted police over what he considered to be a "wiretapping incident." Lt. Robert Kurta interviewed the young man and told him to destroy the recording and charged him with disorderly conduct. Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet upheld the charge and the young man was fined $25 and had to pay court costs.
So...four adults had the opportunity to right a wrong, and all four chose to turn their heads, not do their fucking jobs, and blame the messenger rather than rectify the message.
The people of South Fayette, Pennsylvania must be so proud to have four leaders setting such a fine example for their kids--if, of course, they want their kids not to know how to lead a pack of starving dogs to fucking meat.
Too bad for the young man that he wasn't in the NSA--he could have just said the bullies were Al-Qaeda members and their asses would have been shipped off to Guantanamo.
Peace.
emaycee
So...four adults had the opportunity to right a wrong, and all four chose to turn their heads, not do their fucking jobs, and blame the messenger rather than rectify the message.
The people of South Fayette, Pennsylvania must be so proud to have four leaders setting such a fine example for their kids--if, of course, they want their kids not to know how to lead a pack of starving dogs to fucking meat.
Too bad for the young man that he wasn't in the NSA--he could have just said the bullies were Al-Qaeda members and their asses would have been shipped off to Guantanamo.
Peace.
emaycee
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Kotex, Monistat, and Lisa Brown
Michigan Democratic gubenatorial candidate Mark Schauer last week chose former Michigan House representative Lisa Brown for his running mate. While many may recall from a couple of years ago that two Democratic female representatives were barred by republican legislators from speaking on the floor concerning anti-abortion bills for saying the word "vagina," not many may know that Lisa Brown was one of the two ("Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but 'no' means 'no.'").
Predictably (it's not called "politics" for the hell of it), republican pundits have begun chastising Schauer for his choice, but Nolan Finley of The Detroit News this week set the bar pretty fucking high for abject political lunacy here in the Wolvernine State by stating that Brown was "...still milking the vagina business, and is a minor celebrity among feminists."
What the fuck?
While it wouldn't be words I would choose, one could say that Kotex was in the vagina business. The same could be said for Monistat. But an accomplished female running for Lieutenant Governor in the great state of Michigan in the 21st century?
Methinks Finley's greatest fear is that Lisa Brown will be a stark reminder to many of the voting women in Michigan of our current governor, republican Rick Snyder, standing helplessly by as Michigan republicans rammed anti-abortion bills through the legislature in our left of center state that basically will necessitate our mothers, wives, and daughters getting rape insurance.
Peace,
emaycee
Predictably (it's not called "politics" for the hell of it), republican pundits have begun chastising Schauer for his choice, but Nolan Finley of The Detroit News this week set the bar pretty fucking high for abject political lunacy here in the Wolvernine State by stating that Brown was "...still milking the vagina business, and is a minor celebrity among feminists."
What the fuck?
While it wouldn't be words I would choose, one could say that Kotex was in the vagina business. The same could be said for Monistat. But an accomplished female running for Lieutenant Governor in the great state of Michigan in the 21st century?
Methinks Finley's greatest fear is that Lisa Brown will be a stark reminder to many of the voting women in Michigan of our current governor, republican Rick Snyder, standing helplessly by as Michigan republicans rammed anti-abortion bills through the legislature in our left of center state that basically will necessitate our mothers, wives, and daughters getting rape insurance.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Owning up
After 8000 votes to repeal Obamacare (slight exaggeration for the sarcasm challenged), it was really rich to hear republicans whine today about Democrat's holding a "political vote" on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Because our Senate is so dysfunctional (and to a degree, because Democrats lack a strong enough spine), the Paycheck Fairness Act failed today despite having 54 votes for to 43 against. Remember, this is an Act that the American public supports overwhelmingly.
You'd be hard pressed to come up with any significant legislation the modern republican party has enacted which benefitted ordinary Americans. The plain truth of the matter is that the Paycheck Fairness Act, and likewise, votes to raise the minimum wage, are core Democratic Party values, and that republicans lack the guts to tell the American people what they really feel--that they're fine with women making less than men for doing the same job, and that they don't care if people can work full-time hours and still make little enough to live below the poverty level, as long as their corporate backers keep sending the checks.
It's not about politics--it's about our core values versus their core values. It's not our fault if the the majority of Americans think the republican party's core values suck.
Peace,
emaycee
You'd be hard pressed to come up with any significant legislation the modern republican party has enacted which benefitted ordinary Americans. The plain truth of the matter is that the Paycheck Fairness Act, and likewise, votes to raise the minimum wage, are core Democratic Party values, and that republicans lack the guts to tell the American people what they really feel--that they're fine with women making less than men for doing the same job, and that they don't care if people can work full-time hours and still make little enough to live below the poverty level, as long as their corporate backers keep sending the checks.
It's not about politics--it's about our core values versus their core values. It's not our fault if the the majority of Americans think the republican party's core values suck.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Not so equal pay day
To celebrate Equal Pay Day, republicans chose to once again fellate the powers that be in corporate America and continue to do all they can to make sure that women do not make as much money as men. Their fearful Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, went so far as to claim that equal pay was "...the left's latest bizarre obsession." (One would hope, that between this crackbrained comment and McConnell's equally dotty earlier remark about Obamacare being a catastrophe that Sen. McConnell would sign up for Obamacare so he can get some psychiatric help.)
Just to make sure that everyone knows that they're not just discriminating against women, House republicans today noted that despite the Senate passing an emergency unemployment aid package, House republicans felt it was time for the program to come to an end. So, considering there are three applicants for every job opening, republicans in essence have told those two unlucky applicants that they, and their children, are now free to starve to death.
I'd say it was rare to see this level of political incompetence, but hell, this is the modern republican party we're talking about.
And they're doing their damndest to make sure we Democrats stay competitive in the 2014 mid-terms.
Peace,
emaycee
Just to make sure that everyone knows that they're not just discriminating against women, House republicans today noted that despite the Senate passing an emergency unemployment aid package, House republicans felt it was time for the program to come to an end. So, considering there are three applicants for every job opening, republicans in essence have told those two unlucky applicants that they, and their children, are now free to starve to death.
I'd say it was rare to see this level of political incompetence, but hell, this is the modern republican party we're talking about.
And they're doing their damndest to make sure we Democrats stay competitive in the 2014 mid-terms.
Peace,
emaycee
Trickle down sociopathy
So I'm reading this really long article on the sociopathological tendencies of the 1% and it dawns on me how far down the corporate ladder these tendencies have reached. From the vastly inflated sense of self worth, to the lack of caring for others, to the catering to individual wants (executive level management loves to talk about teamwork as long as it deals with the piss ants below them and not themselves) it's amazing how far down it reaches...right about to those of us who live paycheck to paycheck, or even worse, try to survive on poverty wages.
The only thing scarier was the realization I also had of how many sociopathic traits apply to republicans as well....
Peace,
emaycee
The only thing scarier was the realization I also had of how many sociopathic traits apply to republicans as well....
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, April 7, 2014
Feeding the rich while we bury the poor
There were two reports in the past couple of weeks that have really stood out for me:
It also reminded me of this from a recent article from Thomas Frank, of What's the Matter with Kansas? fame:
“Inequality” is the most basic issue of them all, the very reason for liberalism’s existence. It is about who we are and how we live. Virtually every other liberal cause pales by comparison. This is the World War II of political subjects, and if we are going to win it must be a people’s war...."
Who we are and how we live...from his pen to the Liberal Gods' ears.
Peace,
emaycee
- In a big surprise, corporate profits rose to an all-time high of almost $1.7 trillion (that number looks like this: $1,700,000,000,000) in 2013. In another big surprise, despite a 25% increase in productivity, wages are growing at the slowest pace since the 1960s.
- Over 50 million Americans, or 18.9% of us, were food insecure last year.
It also reminded me of this from a recent article from Thomas Frank, of What's the Matter with Kansas? fame:
“Inequality” is the most basic issue of them all, the very reason for liberalism’s existence. It is about who we are and how we live. Virtually every other liberal cause pales by comparison. This is the World War II of political subjects, and if we are going to win it must be a people’s war...."
Who we are and how we live...from his pen to the Liberal Gods' ears.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The noose gets a little tighter
The five conservative judges on the Supreme Court today made it easier and more likely that people who have a shitload more money than folks like us can donate even larger sums than Citizen's United begat to, let's face it, mostly republican candidates. Much hand-wringing has begun among the good guys--rightfully so--as working class America has had another impediment thrown in the path of trying to feed, clothe, house, and educate its families.
McCutcheon v. FEC will cost Democrats some seats in Congress and the rest of us some financial security--in the short term. If there's anything we've learned since the monied elite caused our economy to crash resulting in the Great Recession, it's that the wealthy really aren't that bright and their inflated sense of self-worth will eventually lead them astray. The Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson threw countless millions of dolars into the 2012 elections, and exactly how well did that turn out for them?
One of two things will happen eventually--as voting demographics turn more and more our way, enough Progressives will get elected to turn the tide of the Reagan Devolution and enact campaign finance laws that will actually serve our democracy (with a left-leaning SCOTUS to back it up), or the wealthy will overplay their hand and end up a bunch of castrati, a la the French Revolution.
Either way, in the end, we win.
Peace,
emaycee
McCutcheon v. FEC will cost Democrats some seats in Congress and the rest of us some financial security--in the short term. If there's anything we've learned since the monied elite caused our economy to crash resulting in the Great Recession, it's that the wealthy really aren't that bright and their inflated sense of self-worth will eventually lead them astray. The Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson threw countless millions of dolars into the 2012 elections, and exactly how well did that turn out for them?
One of two things will happen eventually--as voting demographics turn more and more our way, enough Progressives will get elected to turn the tide of the Reagan Devolution and enact campaign finance laws that will actually serve our democracy (with a left-leaning SCOTUS to back it up), or the wealthy will overplay their hand and end up a bunch of castrati, a la the French Revolution.
Either way, in the end, we win.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Come on now...celebration
Despite several thousand repeal votes, unprecedented republican threats to shut down the government, zillions of Koch brothers dollars, misinformation on an historic scale from Faux News, and the best efforts of professional nutjobs like Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, and Ted Cruz, enrollments for Obamacare reached the projected goal of 7 million before yesterday's cutoff date.
The President and many congressional Democrats rightfully took a victory lap today. As it's not likely to be much of a year for celebrating Democratic victories (hoping against hope, though), might as well put on your dancing shoes tonight:
Peace,
emaycee
The President and many congressional Democrats rightfully took a victory lap today. As it's not likely to be much of a year for celebrating Democratic victories (hoping against hope, though), might as well put on your dancing shoes tonight:
Peace,
emaycee
Just give me money
Andy Puzder, CEO of the parent company for Hardee's and Carl Jr.'s fast food restaurants whines in The Wall Street Journal about President Obama's executive action to increase the the number of those eligible for overtime pay, and declares that salaried managers prefer stature to overtime pay.
I have worked in retail for thirty years now, and I can honestly say that Mr. Puzder is completely and totally full of shit. I don't know of a manager I ever worked with that would take stature over overtime pay, yours truly included. In fact, if they'd given me overtime pay, they could have given me the title Pinhead In Charge--and I would have laughed all the way to the bank.
Mr. Puzder's claims are the very definition of fucking obtuse.
Peace,
emaycee
I have worked in retail for thirty years now, and I can honestly say that Mr. Puzder is completely and totally full of shit. I don't know of a manager I ever worked with that would take stature over overtime pay, yours truly included. In fact, if they'd given me overtime pay, they could have given me the title Pinhead In Charge--and I would have laughed all the way to the bank.
Mr. Puzder's claims are the very definition of fucking obtuse.
Peace,
emaycee
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