Dems snooze through Latin America's wake-up call
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Almost two years ago I knew the shit was gonna hit the fan
Cause the shit was splattered on me before I knew it was shit. I lasted four days as a temp at JP Morgan. I had never seen a mortgage file before and they did not want me learning anything about mortgage files. Especially these files. They were loans that never should have been given, were being called in because of these god awful balloon payments and the homes were incredibly overpriced little shit boxes sold to minorities who didn't know any better, or perhaps were red lined out of better housing. Now keep in mind that that is the opinion of someone who had never seen a mortgage file before. Evah. They also didn't want anything other than a slimy little hamster on a wheel working there. That's what worked there, & that's not what they got with me. I acted like I didn't get it because I got it the first day and I hated every second of it once I did get it. Some snippity little schmuck that worked there got in my face and said to me "Well it's not rocket science!" and I snarled back "There aren't any rocket scientists here, especially not the person who plans your fire drills!"
You see, big corporate culture isn't exactly where I fit in. Works quietly in her cubicle while taking it up the ass by working for nine bucks an hour (in a city where 18.00 bucks an hour barely gets by) isn't exactly on my resume.
7:39 PM 3/17/2008
Jersey Cynic over at Blondsense posted this music video today, & it reminded me of this post of mine, so I added it.
Randi gives one hell of a speech a year ago today
I like it :) and here's some other interesting stuff I found today:
Spitzer's Sex Life Is Weapon of Mass Distraction for Bunch of Bad News for Bush
10 Mar 2008
Yeah, that's what I thought.
And this article is only a month old, how quickly we forget how many powerful people Spitzer pissed off. You think maybe powerful people wanted him gone? Fucking duh.
Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers
By Eliot Spitzer
Thursday, February 14, 2008; Page A25
And then there's the attack on him by the religious nutjobs (You have to hear these Catholic whack-jobs to believe them. What is it with these fucking retards? The population on this planet has more than doubled in my lifetime)
Global Warming to Affect Transport
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Flooded roads and subways, deformed railroad tracks and weakened bridges may be the wave of the future with continuing global warming, a new study says...
...The report cites five major areas of growing threat:
- More heat waves, requiring load limits at hot-weather or high-altitude airports and causing thermal expansion of bridge joints and rail track deformities.
- Rising sea levels and storm surges flooding coastal roadways, forcing evacuations, inundating airports and rail lines, flooding tunnels and eroding bridge bases.
- More rainstorms, delaying air and ground traffic, flooding tunnels and railways, and eroding road, bridge and pipeline supports.
- More frequent strong hurricanes, disrupting air and shipping service, blowing debris onto roads and damaging buildings.
- Rising arctic temperatures thawing permafrost, resulting in road, railway and airport runway subsidence and potential pipeline failures...
CEI: Fixing Climate Change Will Cause ‘Death On A Massive Scale’ In The Developing World
3/11/2008
So big big changes are presenting big challenges for us here, especially in San Diego. How we going to deal with them?
How More Money Would Be Won for Firefighting
By WILL CARLESS Voice Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 As San Diego's city and county governments congregate to discuss, again, how to fix the region's wildfire preparedness problems, a key concern overshadows every move they make: How the region will scratch together the cash to better prepare itself for the next massive wildfire...
...The bill, the wording of which has not yet been finalized, would call for an amendment to the California Constitution to change the percentage of votes needed from 66 percent to 55 percent. Kehoe said she's introducing the bill because the last two catastrophic wildfires in 2003 and 2007 showed that the state is poorly prepared for wildfires, and that local governments are inadequately funded to properly defend themselves from firestorms....
Oh fer fuck's sake, here we go. Not one God damned thing is going to change in this city. The fucking developers own and operate this county and they're not changing. Why should they? They get the money for the housing they build and they don't have any responsibility beyond that. They come in, build with illegal and disposable labor, and bail. Then the government is scrambling to provide the residents of these overpriced crappily built places with schools, fire and police protection and oh yeah, water. You want public transportation with that? Bwwaaa ha ha ha ha ha.
and Michael Klare checks in over at Tomdispatch:
posted March 11, 2008 09:53 am Tomgram: Michael Klare, The Permanent Energy Crisis Hits Home
Monday, March 10, 2008
Bad news
3/10/2008
9 hours ago
...New York's main contract, light sweet crude for April delivery, soared over 107 dollars a barrel for the first time and then crossed 108 dollars, striking an all-time high of 108.21 dollars...
Economic woes lead to retail retrenchment
3/10/2008
Amid belt-tightening, many chain stores are struggling
Spitzer scandal stuns Wall Street
By Nick Godt, MarketWatch
Last update: 5:51 p.m. EDT March 10, 2008
One question hanging is governor's involvement in bond-insurer bailout
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Many on Wall Street were stunned and some apparently were pleased by a Monday report linking New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to prostitution, while stocks showed little immediate reaction.
Oh puhleeeeeze, if they were stunned why is this the first sentence in the article?
"Lots of people on Wall Street didn't like him because he went after certain people -- heads of firms, analysts and [former New York Stock Exchange chief Richard] Grasso," said Donald Selkin, head of equity at Joseph Stephens.
Anybody see Juno? When she goes into labor she sputters "Fuckity Fuckity Fuckity!"
This country is imploding, & most of the world is doing the golf clap.
Why?
Maybe we don't know enough of our own history?
Sorrows of Empire
Killing Hope
The Shock Doctrine
American Theocracy
Or maybe we just had our turn, eh?
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Gonna catch some heat for this one
[Note; to open link in new window use R click]
If one cannot specify precisely who or what constitutes an “elite” why do political scientists use the term?
In a word; Power. It refers to those who rule. The term ruling elites is commonly used. and commonly understood to mean the people who really have the power as any quick Google search will turn up.
I believe that is what political scientists are referring to when they use the term “elites.” They mean the ruling classes. According to this documentary there is The American Ruling Class. I haven't seen the documentary. This evening, however, I was a bit alarmed to find out that Presidential hopeful John McCain comes from a family that might be termed the military elite and he is endorsed by Rapture-seeking elite leader Pastor John Hagee. Despite his media created image, McCain is no maverick.
Page 93 (Roskin/Berry) in the text states that “Political scientists call the top or most influential people in a political system its “elites,” the people with real political clout. Also that “Much of political life consists of struggles, often out of public sight, among and within elites to control the country’s direction. Typically, the masses then follow.”
The restructuring following the collapse of the State Socialist system in the former Soviet Union is being studied and reported on by the IPSA Research Committee on Political Elites because of the major changes in International Political relations that this has spurred.Friday, March 07, 2008
Tracking CEO Compensation (watch with RealPlayer)
Today
">Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) chairs a House Oversight & Government Reform Cmte. hearing on CEO compensation. The Cmte. examines benefits and retirement packages granted by three companies involved in the current mortgage crisis.
House of Representatives MEMORANDUM March 6,2008 pdf
On Friday, March 7,2008, at 10 a.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office
Building, the Oversight Committee will hold a hearing to examine the compensation and
retirement packages awarded to the CEOs of three companies implicated in the mortgage crisis:
Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide Financial Corporation, E. Stanley O'Neal of Merrill Lynch, and Charles Prince of Citigroup.
Compensation Consultants?
For companies that fail?
Holy Fuck.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Lookin' at some spiffy golf tans here.
Except for Chris Cannon (R. Utah).
"Cannon was named Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law at the beginning of the 108th Congress in January of 2003. As chairman he oversees legislation involving bankruptcy reform, privacy, interstate compacts and tort reform. He also serves on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property."
Yeah, he looked a little pale as I was watching him earlier online on CSPAN. He wasn't too happy when the freeze rate bill thingy happened:
"Most Republicans said the bill would harm the market and called for Congress to show restraint. "What we're doing is putting a sledgehammer in the hands of borrowers," Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah."
Hey, Señor Cannon?
Theese eez for ju.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
revenge for the deaths of nearly 130 Palestinians since Feb. 27.
Don’t Blame The Inmates Of The Lunatic Asylum
Cosby Makes Challenge to Black Community
I can say I've been a Cosby fan since I was a little kid in the 60's. I can tell you that when I found it almost impossible to communicate with my teenaged daughter that this video helped us laugh together. I will give credit to Mr. Cosby's work for helping me save my relationship with her. We wore that video out. When I had to evacuate because of the fires last October I made sure that I grabbed that DVD.
Cosby is on Oprah today.
Update 4:59 PM 3/6/2008 Okaybee Mr. Cosby, I listened to what you had to say and I gotta tell you that that shit wouldn't have worked with my kid. I tried it and it drove me AND the kid crazy and accomplished nothing productive. She didn't need me all up in her business any more. Maybe the difference is I already had confidence that I had a good egg, who was going through a bad time, and she would figure it out on her own. And she did. Every kid is different.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Bankruptcy Makes Gift Cards Worthless
By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO AP Business Writer
As more retailers file for bankruptcy or go out of business, more than $75 million in gift cards are at risk of becoming worthless pieces of plastic this year...
Completely unrelated, but speaking of worthless, you smell a sting here too?
Peeeee-yeeeeew.
Red state brainiacs fail and renewable energy tax incentive bill passes anyway
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 | ||
02/27/2008 House Roll Call No. 84 110th Congress, 2nd Session Passed: 236-182 (see complete tally) | ||
The House passed H.R. 5351, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for the production of renewable energy and energy conservation, by a yea-and-nay vote of 236 yeas to 182 nays, Roll No. 84. |
Vote Map: House Roll Call No. 84 |
236 | |||
182 | |||
11 |
|
My congresswhore voted against it. Yeah, the one who's only response to e-mails is "Mailbox Unattended." Fucking RepugnantThuglican tool.
The Three Trillion Dollar War --authors interviewed on Democracy Now
Ill say it again. Democracy Now shows up the complete failure of the MainStream Media to report anything of importance to the American people. What I mean is that the msm doesn't help us to become an informed constituency.
Tomgram: William Hartung, The Cost of a Week in Hell
posted March 04, 2008 11:44 am
Monday, March 03, 2008
Diebold Stock Soars After $3 Billion Takeover Bid by Defense Contractor Conglomerate United Technologies
BLOGGED BY Brad Friedman ON 3/3/2008 12:17PM
UTC Chairman Says Irresponsible Republican Voting Machine Company an 'Excellent Fit', in Letter Explaining Hostile Offer, Twice Rejected by Diebold...
Election Integrity Advodcates Bristle at 'Disastrous', 'Surreal' News...
(click on pic to see what this is)
I'm wondering if the MIC is going to zap us with this fucker if we protest that the vote was stolen by the machines, or if they'll just cut to the chase and zap the people they don't want voting anyway?
Sunday, March 02, 2008
I'm starting to hate school
2. How did Lenin's approach to world politics change after he assumed power in
“Lenin was born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov April 22, 1870 in the city of Simbirsk His father was the director of public education for the province of and during Lenin’s childhood, and his service to the state earned him the title of hereditary nobleman. While Lenin was finishing school in Simbirsk in 1887, his older brother, Aleksandr, was arrested and executed in
Lenin became radicalized after loss of his father and brother within a year of each other and the banishment of his sister to the family estate. While living on his mother’s estate in Kokushkino after being kicked out of
Lenin dreamed of a proletarian revolution that would spread throughout the world, starting in industrialized
The pressure of dealing with the Russian_Revolution_of_1917 and the civil war , and WWI may have led to the increase in number and usage of the gulag system inside
Thus began the Red Terror, which helped win the civil war for the Bolsheviks and defined the nature of Communist power.”
Mr. Remnick interviews “Dmitri Likhachev, an eminent scholar of medieval Russian literature and an embodiment of the tragic history of his city. (The city was called
These internal pressures were intensified when “on March 3, 1918, the German and Soviet Governments signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in which the Soviet government ceded to Germany a vast amount of Russian territory, containing about one-third of Russia’s population, one-third of its cultivated land, and one-half of its industry. Although Lenin was convinced that these harsh terms must be accepted in order to end
In the 1920s, as the new Soviet state temporarily retreated from the revolutionary path to socialism, the party also adopted a less ideological approach in its relations with the rest of the world. Lenin, ever the practical leader, having become convinced that socialist revolution would not break out in other countries in the near future, realized that his government required normal relations with the Western world for it to survive. Not only were good relations important to national security, but the economy also required trade with the industrial countries. Blocking Soviet attainment of these objectives were lingering suspicions about communism on the part of the Western powers and concern over foreign debts incurred by the tsarist government, which the Soviet government had unilaterally repudiated. In April 1922, the Soviet commissar of foreign affairs, Georgiy Chicherin, circumvented these difficulties by achieving an understanding with
Toward the non-Western world, the Soviet leadership limited its revolutionary activity to promoting opposition among the indigenous populations against "imperialist exploitation." The Soviet Union did pursue an active policy in
“According to Soviet theorists, the basic character of Soviet foreign policy was set forth in Vladimir I. Lenin's Decree on Peace, adopted by the Second Congress of Soviets in November 1917. It set forth the dual nature of Soviet foreign policy, which encompasses both proletarian internationalism and peaceful coexistence. On the one hand, proletarian internationalism refers to the common cause of the working classes of all countries in struggling to overthrow the bourgeoisie and to establish communist regimes. Peaceful coexistence, on the other hand, refers to measures to ensure relatively peaceful government-to-government relations with capitalist states. Both policies can be pursued simultaneously: "Peaceful coexistence does not rule out but presupposes determined opposition to imperialist aggression and support for peoples defending their revolutionary gains or fighting foreign oppression."[1]
The general foreign policy goals of the
Collections of Lenin’s writings are archived here .
Poke me with a fork, I'm so done. I am no Condoleezza Rice, that's fer sure. Sick of Russian history? Yeah, me too, how about some Russian current events?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Essay and Discussion Questions
1. How does geography structure Russia's history and security
policies? How does this differ from those of the U.S.?
2. How did Lenin's approach to world politics change after he
assumed power in Russia?
(Update at 10:41 PM 3/2/2008. The question above is the lucky question winner, & here's what I turned in. Fucker's due in 20 minutes and I don't have time to fix it if it's wrong. Of course I feel like a complete idiot right now, because I just discovered these nice blogs, one of them being on Russian history, via ROTUS
3. In general, does a country's foreign policy tend to be
ideological or pragmatic?
4. What were Stalin's foreign policy blunders?
5. Could the 1945 Yalta meeting have resulted in an appreciably
different outcome for East and Central Europe?
I can't think of anything less interesting to answer than any of these 5 questions right now. Bleh.
Could be also that I'm distracted by the asshole next door's music pounding on the wall directly behind my computer.
Leap Year
All the rest have thirty-one,
Save February, she alone hath eight days and a score
Til leap year gives her one day more.
Completely unrelated to leap year, I haven't read any of James Risen's books, but I know who he is & I know who Sibel Edmonds is and I HATE the Bush Administration's "Justice Department" & just watch it, it's only a 4 1/2 minute video
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Moving Tax Breaks From Oil to Sun and Wind?
By Andrew C. Revkin
If oil lost its subsidies, and solar power and similar options got them, would the world be better off? The political debate continues.
Oil ends at new high of $102.59; natural gas surges
Oil up on Nigeria, weak dollar; natural-gas inventories down for 14th week
By Polya Lesova & Moming Zhou, MarketWatch
Last update: 3:56 p.m. EST Feb. 28, 2008
Exxon suxx. McCain duxx.
Published February 27th, 2008 in Articles, Podcasts
Exxon Mobil appeals $2.5 bln Valdez oil spill award
Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:12pm EST
...the huge Texas-based oil company reported the highest-ever quarterly profit for a U.S. company of $11.7 billion...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Oscars
Four looked interesting to me after watching the Oscars:
1. Taxi to the Dark Side
Because Alex Gibnney's dad was a military interrogator and was infuriated by the story.
2. Michael Clayton
I like George Clooney, OK?
3. There Will be Blood
"A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business."
Greed and oil, what a frickin surprise, eh?
4. Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Because who but Johnny Depp could pull off a horror musical on the big screen?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
More than you want to know about water in the US
It's going to hit San Diego, but it's not going to be enough, even with the snow pack in the Sierra Nevadas to solve the water problems, like running out , that we have here.
Of course all over the country there is the looming sinkhole crisis from crumbling infrastructure problems. Who us? Waste water? Read my lips, No New Taxes.
But the prize for all around stupidity has to be that US has been MINING WATER and lowering the Ogallala Aquifer for decades now, for taxpayer subsidized crops, some of it making Cargill piggies fatter off of poor people in Mexico.
I watched Bill Moyers' show on earmarks last night. I never knew that the original meaning for earmarks was a mark on the ears of livestock.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Project Vote Smart Presidential Candidates
The Obama/Clinton/McCain rich fuck circle jerk/boxing match is starting to nauseate me. I know damn well that a LOT of people are looking at these candidates like WTF man? I don't like any of 'em, & I'm gonna have to hold my nose and pick one because that's who the rich fucks want, and that's who is being presented to me as my choice of canddiates.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Concerns over Economy Push George W. Bush's Overall Job Approval to New Low
Among all Americans, 19% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 77% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 14% approve and 79% disapprove.
Hat tip to Make them Accountable
I couldn't figure out why my friend's roomate was always talking out of her ass about Obama, saying she wouldn't vote for him because he was a Muslim and he wouldn't say the pledge of allegiance. Click on the graphic above to enlarge it.
She told me the time before last time that I was over there that my news was boring. I tried to explain that her newz showz didn't give a crap about whether she got the story or not, that she was just a pair of eyeballs that they could sell shit to.
So the other day I'm over there & I hear this really annoying voice coming from the teevee & I go out to investigate it. I turned around and looked at her and snarled on my way out of the room, "I fucking hate Wolf Blitzer, & I'm sorry that you need sensationalized bullshit to keep your attention. Oy, no wonder the rest of the world thinks we're stupid, we are." Frankly, I'm sick of her willful ignorance. She watches CNN all the time.
and also today...
Danny asks an important question:
Yesterday in this blog, I reported on
that the President of a Hedge Fund was calling on the government to indict the businesses and business men who profited from subprime scams. Now, I asked a top CEO if he thought anyone would go to jail as a result of the economic disaster they created.
“No, “ he told me.
But Bob, said I, trading on how being in the same room with the high and the might allowed me to have one on one first person familiarity:
“You just agreed with NACA that this housing crisis was a created by the industry as a deceptive scheme to make money, not advance home ownership.”
“Yes,” he said, as he scrambled to get away from me.
“It was a scheme but it was not malicious, just driven by greed and opportunity. That’s not criminal.
HUhhh????
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Publishing the blogrolls
fabulous and new to me
distributorcapNY
My Two Cents
The Amazing Guys from Area 51
Clarcks picks (a blog about music)
Kitchen Sink Collective
Ornery Bastard
ThePoliticalCat
Blanton's and Ashton's
The Osterly Times
R World
The Democratic Daily
The Great Endarkenment
Arredonald
pygalgia
Rook's Rant
Jonestown
d r i f t g l a s s
forty two
last left turn before Hooterville
Rotus
Heather Annastasia's Politics and Religion Blog
Stacy Taylor Spikeorama Web
johniwanski.com
The Red Scare
by BlogRolling
non-rightwing nutjob blogs
skippy the bush kangaroo
Seeing the Forest
One Pissed Off Vet
Blondesense
BradBlog
Informed Comment
Americablog
TERRYFACEPLACE
moxiegrrrl
John Swift
NEWSCOMA
Blue Girl, Red State
Welcome to Pottersville
Rudepundit
No Quarter
Growth is Madness
The Carpetbagger Report
Feministing
Morning Martini
Harp and Sword
Fatima & Ahmed's son Ridwan Laher
i'm sorry world
Scoobie Davis
freewayblogger weblog
Constantly Amazed, Yet Never Surprised
neo-resistance
DownWithTyranny!
Alternate Brain
Stories in America
Pen and Sword
Carl Luna
The Apostate
Some Snohomish Women
Clusterfuck Nation
David Sirota
Badtux the Snarky Penguin
Grumpy Old Man
Baghdad Burning
Agitprop
My Left Wing
by BlogRolling
news
The News Dissector
Huffington Post
Crooks and Liars
The Oil Drum
Truthdig
Truthout
BBC News International
The Nation
Mother Jones
Alternet
Google News
Narco News
Wayne Madsen International Links
Corporate Crime Reporter
San Diego CityBeat
Think Progress
voice of san diego.org
AlJazeera
KCRW F
Media Matters
The Randi Rhodes Show
TomDispatch
Calitics
TPM
Buzzflash
TPM Mucraker
Reporters without Borders
Greg Palast
MediaChannel.org
Antiwar.com
Bill Moyers Journal
PBS NOW
LA Times T
Fishwrap W
NY Times M
Wa Po Th
Asia Times
Guardian UK
Daily Howler
the raw story
The Real News
KPBS radio (San Diego)
a reality check--World Population Awarenes
Democracy Now
Information Clearing House
Stacy Taylor on 1700 AM 3-6 pm PST
Hightower Lowdown
treehugger
Columbia Journalism Review
Research stuff
YouTube
multinational monitor
World Changing.com
Corpwatch
Die Off - a population crash resource page
Media Matters
Third World Traveler
RightWeb
McCarthyism Watch
Solarbus election justice center
Life after the oil crash
Project on Govt Oversight
Association for the Study of Peak Oil & gas
From the Wilderness
Buy books
Common Courage PressAlibris
Barnes and Noble
Bookfinder
Amazon
blogrolling.com - documentation and how to
by BlogRolling
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
This
Monday, February 18, 2008
The plight of journalists in 98 countries reviewed
The plight of journalists in 98 countries reviewed
Reporters Without Borders criticises lack of public commitment to press freedom and expresses fears of anti-media violence in coming months, as it releases its annual report today.
PDF - 3.3 Mb
2008 Annual Report
PDF, 3.3 Mo
Reporters Without Borders today accused public officials around the world of “impotence, cowardice and duplicity” in defending freedom of expression.
“The spinelessness of some Western countries and major international bodies is harming press freedom,” secretary-general Robert Ménard said in the organisation’s annual press freedom report, out today (13 February) and available at www.rsf.org. “The lack of determination by democratic countries in defending the values they supposedly stand for is alarming.”
Gee, ya think?
My thoughts on McCain and Iran
Ummmmm, I think that a man who will sing " Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran" in public with the cameras on and an audience there to watch him, probably won't react with good humor to the opening of the Iranian Oil Bourse,:
1st Phase of Iran Oil Bourse Inaugurated on Kish Island
By IRNA
The Submarine Cable Disruptions didn't slow it down much at all.
Something tells me McCain won't like it if OPEC considers dumping US dollar either
If this guy wins the Presidency, we're McFucked.