This article made me smile

... and the dpressing update --

Friday, 10 August 2012 16:19
The Battle Over Killer Coke and Coca Leafs in Bolivia
Bolivia appeared set to become the fourth nation to ban Coca-Cola (Myanmar, North Korea, and Cuba), but quickly backed off this past week.


Bolivia pushes back against Swiss commodities giant Glencore
Bolivia pushes back against Swiss commodities giant Glencore
by Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero, CorpWatch Blog
July 24th, 2012

“...Massive corporations like Glencore, the world’s largest commodity trading company, and the privately held and secretive Cargill, the world’s biggest trader of agricultural commodities, are moving to further consolidate their control of world grain markets and vertically integrate their global supply chains in a new form of food imperialism designed to profit off global misery,” wrote journalist Christian Parenti in the Nation magazine. “While bread triggered war and revolution in the Middle East, Glencore made windfall profits on the surge in grain prices. And the more expensive our loaf of bread becomes, the more money firms like Glencore and Cargill stand to make...”

Jaw-Dropping Corruption: America's 47 Million Hungry Mouths Are Just Another Corporate Cash Cow

An attorney's courageous report exposes just how ruthless and greedy big business is capable of being.
July 22, 2012 |
Mark Anderson
Alternet

"...This issue has become so touchy that at least one journalist, Michael Morisy (MuckRock.com), is in hot water with the USDA for managing to obtain some of this data..."

Yeah. A regulatory agency of the US government. Supposed to protect the citizens of the US...


Oh yeah, Citizens United was the last nail in the coffin of that dream. Only CORPORATE citizens are protected now. And big ones at that.

Ahhh home...

OMG, R U FKN KIDDING ME?  He unpacked his room.  That's it. Im gone a week and EVERYTHING IS EXACTLY WHERE I LEFT IT.  I have a torchiere floor lamp sitting in my kitchen.


Hijole.


There's a reason he has his own room.


Fuck.  Next time I go somewhere it just might be somewhere where I got a stupid fucking T-shirt from and HE got to actually see the place.

Mitt Romney Ties It Up In Virginia: Poll

The title of this article shows that presidential races have become just a show, a horserace, made interesting to the people by faux competition and faux differences.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Banks in Collusion With the Fed Shamelessly Spike Up Price of Oil/Gasoline

Banksters are like parasites who kill their hosts.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Siqueiros shout out for muralism

Avoiding everything

I have barely even been online this week.  I still haven't unpacked my boxes.  I'm visiting friends in LA.  Man LA is different.  Just driving and looking for parking is a pain.  Helped a friend today and I'm pooped.

Out of the loop lately

They are repainting and recarpeting. I can't belive how much crap is in this place. Man, I would love to get rid of some of this shit.   Unfortunately, it's his shit and I can't. This is only a tiny portion of what we packed, and we didn't pack 3 rooms!  I do not know how we got so much stuff.


I can't wait till they actually do the work.  This is my lovely 3 year carpet that has been in my little craphole for 13 years.  I know I won't like the new carpet, I saw a sample and instead of warm mottled brown it's strait grayish dirt brown.  

What killed Arafat?

Tests hint at possible Arafat poisoning
Nine-month investigation by Al Jazeera discovers rare, radioactive polonium on ex-Palestinian leader's final belongings.
Gregg Carlstrom Last Modified: 03 Jul 2012 16:27

Hmmmmm.

And so it begins

5 Things Corporate Counsel Need to Know About Obamacare
By Andrew Chow, JD on July 2, 2012 5:04 AM | No TrackBacks
The U.S. Supreme Court's upholding of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, may lead to a long list of legal questions for corporations.

How should you advise your corporate clients about the best ways to proceed, especially regarding the ACA's employer mandate?

Here are 5 things that corporate counsel need to know about the High Court's Obamacare ruling:

Most corporations must comply with the employer mandate, but not all. The Affordable Care Act's mandate only applies to corporations with at least 50 "full-time" employees, according to the Health and Human Services Department. "Full-time" means at least 30 hours a week.

Options for employee health-care coverage must comply with existing reforms. Corporations that fall under the ACA's mandate must offer employee health-insurance plans that meet the new standards for such plans. That includes coverage for pre-existing conditions, and coverage of dependents until age 26, among other provisions.

Compliance may cost more than non-compliance. Failure to comply with the Affordable Care Act's mandate results in a tax of $2,000 per employee, beyond the first 30 employees. Only 2% of employers will have to pay these assessments, according to HHS. Still, some small and mid-sized businesses may find it more cost-effective to just pay the tax.

Employers have new IRS reporting requirements. Corporations will have to report the total cost of group health insurance on W-2s. This reporting is for informational purposes only, to provide employees with greater transparency into health-care costs.

Legal battles aren't over yet. Some religious- and faith-based employers like Catholic hospitals are challenging new rules that require all employers to pay for birth control and other procedures. As more rules are written, additional legal challenges are likely, the Boston Herald reports.
You can read the entire Supreme Court Affordable Care Act decision at FindLaw's Courtside blog.

Related Resources:

Obamacare Upheld, Small Business Community Divided (Fox Business)
The Importance of a Backup Plan: SCOTUS Upholds Individual Mandate (FindLaw's U.S. Supreme Court blog)
3 Ways Healthcare Reform Can Affect Small Businesses (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
Affordable Care Act Upheld (FindLaw's Decided)

Eskow nails it.

Published: Monday 2 July 2012
Stock prices in the for-profit hospital industry soared, rising 7 percent in heavy trading immediately after the Court ruling.

Don’t Kid Yourself. It’s Still a Corporate Court. Here are 10 Lessons From CEO

"Was today's ruling a victory for justice over corporate power? Did Chief Justice John Roberts rise above partisan differences because that's where an honest reading of the law took him?

Nah. The majority on this Supreme Court is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Corporate America. Call it SCOTUS™ Inc., and it's brought to you by the same fine folks that gave you Citizens United and Bush v. Gore. John Roberts is its CEO, not its Chief Justice.

The point isn't to reinforce anybody's cynicism. But you can't be idealistic in an effective way until you see things as they really are..."

reminds me of this cartoon

Oil Price Skyrockets 9.36 Percent in Friday's Trading, Supply and Demand. Eh??

Thank you Mr. Learsy,



I like that someone who understands these things is paying attention and writing about it.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bonnie Raitt & Alison Krauss: Papa come quick HD

One of my favorites too, Bonnie :)

How to Read Insurers' Reaction to Supreme Court Decision to Learn What They Plan to Do Next

Thank you Mr. Potter. Now I know exactly why I had very mixed feelings about this ruling.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Stop Calling it a Sex Scandal

Dear media: Learn the difference between abuse and sex -- otherwise, you're sensationalizing violence and rape
Salon / By Mary Elizabeth Williams via Alternet

the most reasoned, rational response to the SC ruling on Obamacare

Supreme Court Health Care Decision: Individual Mandate Survives

I've never been so pleased that my predicitions were wrong.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Individual mandate.

Supreme Court Health Care Decision Will Define The Future Of The American Health Care System
Posted: 06/27/2012 12:36 pm Updated: 06/27/2012 2:40 pm

Crap. Without the individual mandate Obamacare will fail. Congratulations Republican tools for the health insurance companies, you're destroying the country, but hey, your goal of hurting Obama just may work.


Fucking fucks.


Obamacare Opponents Are Fat Cats Masquerading As Small Business
"Small businesses don't give multi-million-dollar contributions."
June 27, 2012 |

This action by the Supreme Court may backfire though:

"...Buttressing that theory, retiring conservative Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) warned Wednesday that, “If they strike down the mandate, the Supreme Court will be paving the way to a single-payer system, or back to the old broken health care system - neither of which are good for Nebraskans.”..."
TPM

Gawd I hate the Robert's Court. Arrogant, corporate owned and operated assholes. Not that I think the individual mandate is a great thing, here's part of the reason why:


Flip-flop on Healh-Care Reform Casts President as Modern-Day Julius Caesar
by WENDELL POTTER on JUNE 25TH, 2012

Mitt Romney Billed $10,000 By Newport Beach, Calif. To Cover Cost Of Officer Overtime

I love this article. I needed something to make me laugh today :)
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Taibbi

The Scam Wall Street Learned From the Mafia
How America's biggest banks took part in a nationwide bid-rigging conspiracy - until they were caught on tape

"...The banks achieved this gigantic rip-off by secretly colluding to rig the public bids on municipal bonds, a business worth $3.7 trillion....

...In fact, stripped of all the camouflaging financial verbiage, the crimes the defendants and their co-conspirators committed were virtually indistinguishable from the kind of thuggery practiced for decades by the Mafia, which has long made manipulation of public bids for things like garbage collection and construction contracts a cornerstone of its business...."


Read the whole thing, Taibbi is a master at cutting through the bullshit,  explaining complex and tedious things in sometimes salty, oftentimes humorous language, which I for one greatly appreciate.


You know?  It just dawned on me that I absolutely loathe movies and tv shows about the mafia.  And I loathe banksters.  Hmmm.

My saviors from reading more Romney crap

Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney.  Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney.  Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney, Romney.


Jebus I'm sick of that doof. That rich, greedy tool of the rich and greedy can go fuck himself. Job creators?  Nonsense, that shithead destroyed a shitload of American jobs and made beaucoup bucks doing it.  


 I'm sick of the ridiculous charade that national politics is, especially Presidential election politics. The only way I can stand to look for some article that is remotely interesting and is mildly political in nature is to listen to Blue Gal and Driftglass on the Professional Left Podcast. I found myself impatiently wating for it yesterday and then I thought I would hold off and save it for this morning's coffee on the porch.


Here's part of my view when I sit there.




And I was pleasantly surprised to hear those two talk about themselves and how they came to do the podcast.

Supreme Court: U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Undefeated This Term

Yup, I knew who these jokers were playing golf with.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

U.S. Financial Professionals Call for Transaction Tax

interpress service /news report
Published: Friday 22 June 2012

"...The tax would cover stock trading, derivatives and other financial instruments, but, proponents say, would have a significant impact only on so-called high-frequency trades, in which computer-driven speculators typically hold stocks for mere milliseconds..."


"...In May, however, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to set a blanket tax on trades at .1 percent and on derivatives at .01 percent. Several EU countries are now reportedly ready to move forward, either collectively or individually, led by Germany and France..."

".01% on deriviatives?"

 Are you fucking kidding me? Why are those those fucking things still legal?

Health Insurance Interests Invest Heavily in California Campaigns

by Linda Casey, April 19, 2012
FollowTheMoney

How Many More Mexicans Must Die for America's Drugs?

Thank you Mr. Drucker for telling it like it is.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

SCOTUS sides with big bidness again, what a surprise...

not.


SCOTUS Overrules 2nd Cir on Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Overtime Pay
By Robyn Hagan Cain on June 19, 2012 3:04 PM

"Ethos"

Streaming on Netflix now. A documentary worth watching. Or watch here. (beware, there are preznit Stupie McFuckwit clips in it, and that fucktard still pisses me off)

Gardener Sues City of Tulsa For Cutting Down Her Edible Garden

at Treehugger
Ramon Gonzalez
Living / Lawn & Garden
June 18, 2012

"...Everything that Morrison grew could be eaten. At the time the gardener was unemployed and not covered by insurance. She used her garden not only to feed herself, but to treat her diabetes, high-blood pressure and arthritis. According to Morrison, when she explained this to the enforcement officials she was told “we don’t care.” Morrison has filed a civil rights lawsuit arguing that the enforcement officials overstepped their bounds..."





Well, Law enforcement organizations are doing pretty well ensuring that the rights of BigPharma and Food Inc.'s rights to screw us endlessly are not violated.


I'm sure somebody who spent time in law enforcement will comment that I didn't understand this story and then give me the neatly compartmentalized version of what happened.


Fine.


Geometric cubby hole thinking and an emphasis on capitalistic endeavors without counting the human (and other species) cost is what's fucking this planet and everything trying to live on it.


Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery Talk Dark Money With Bill Moyers
—By Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery| Fri Jun. 15, 2012 5:00 PM PDT

Has the Drug Industry's Grip On Health Care Become a Pharmageddon?


Published on Saturday, June 16, 2012 by Rolling Stone
Senators Grovel, Embarrass Themselves at Dimon Hearing
by Matt Taibbi

Squeeze us some more why doncha?

Published on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 by RobertReich.org
Why The Economy Can’t Get Out of First Gear: The Rich Have Sucked It Dry
by Robert Reich

"...If you have any doubt, just take a look at the Survey of Consumer Finances, released Monday by the Federal Reserve. Median family income was $49,600 in 2007. By 2010 it was $45,800 – a drop of 7.7%..."

"...Bottom line: The American economy is still struggling because the vast American middle class can’t spend more to get it out of first gear..."


Published: Friday 15 June 2012
See You at the Club: Fed Fat Cats Dip Into the Till
Robert Scheer - Truthdig

The Fed backed the bailout of Citigroup, the result of deals dreamed up by Dimon, who before his JPMorgan days had teamed with Sanford Weill to merge privately held investment firms with government-insured commercial banks, which would have been illegal under the Glass-Steagall law.

"... Dimon—whose company last year paid him $24 million, compared to the $45,800 median U.S. family income—testified that the bank could manage its own affairs. But that is hardly reassuring given that the Fed provided JPMorgan Chase $391 billion in total assistance as well as paying the bank to administer the government’s emergency lending program. It was the Fed that back in March of 2008 made $29 billion available to Dimon’s bank so it could acquire beleaguered Bear Stearns; the Fed also agreed to purchase Bear Stearns’ most toxic assets before the merger..."

Hmmm, wonder which consumers will actually buy this article?

Swiss bankers drop holiday plans on fear of arrest
MARTIN DE SA’PINTO AND EMMA FARGE
Zurich and Geneva — Reuters
Published Thursday, Jun. 14 2012, 3:41 PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Jun. 14 2012, 4:52 PM EDT


After all...

The Greeks today

WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 15-17, 2012
Greeks Face Momentous Elections
Left Threat Terrifies Bankers: Out of the Eurozone, Into Bankruptcy?
by PATRICK COCKBURN
Athens

"As Greeks prepare to vote in the most important election in their history on Sunday, people in Athens fear they are facing a future full of uncertainty, poverty and violence. Well-publicized crimes help create an atmosphere of violence as the wealthy and vulnerable immigrants alike come under attack..."


I never thought I'd be glad to hear that Papou wasn't visiting his home country at the moment.


Man it's cold today.  Halfway through June and it's ususally the hottest part of the day and it's 65 ° outside.  According to this the  La Nina event has concluded. Whatever. I'm freezing my ass off today.