The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I am reading the "Millenium" series by Stieg Larssson. The books are excellent.

I am also watching the 6 part extended Swedish tv mini series and this version is soooooo much better than the American version of the film.  It's streaming on Netflix and this is the 3rd time I've watched it.

The Leveraged Buyout of America

"Feudal." Perfect description for the big 'banksters. How stupid do they think we are?'
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bob Filner Resignation Expected, Mayor Seen Leaving Office With Boxes: Reports (UPDATED)

As a life long resident of San Diego I am not surprised that it didn't take long to dig up dirt on the Democratic mayor and get rid of him. I wondered "Why now? Oh yeah, stuff that never mattered before he was a threat to the Rethugs matters now."



"For several decades, ending in 2013, all five supervisors were Republican, white, graduates of San Diego State University, and had been in office since 1995 or earlier. The Board was criticized for this homogeneity, which was made possible because supervisors draw their own district lines and are not subject to term limits.[35] (In 2010 voters put term limits in place, but they only apply going forward, so that each incumbent supervisor can serve an additional two terms before being termed out.[36]) That pattern was broken in 2013 when Slater-Price retired; she was replaced by Democrat Dave Roberts, who won election to the seat in November 2012 and was inaugurated in January 2013.[37]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_County,_California#Law.2C_government_and_politics



g'head g'head, all you people who don't have a clue about how this county works, bash away at me...
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

JPMorgan Chase's Culture as Economic Parasite

Thank you Mr. Learsy for your (once again) sane assesment of the insanity of the banksters in action.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Jebus computers are frustrating

I am not a computer geek. I don't want to spend all day dicking around with the computers. I. Really. Don't.

Tools of War Come Home to America

"Those D.C.-based aerostats will certainly not have deployed the Gorgon Stare system, now in use in Afghanistan to rave reviews. "



Makes me wonder if the "men" who name these things invaded my city last weekend....ComicCon.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Shocking Things Wall Street Financiers Say Off the Record About Their Bloated, Corrupt Industry A new survey shows how brazenly immoral Wall Street is.

Shocking Things Wall Street Financiers Say Off the Record About Their Bloated, Corrupt Industry
A new survey shows how brazenly immoral Wall Street is.

The Psychology of Neo-McCarthyism

Thank you for this sane analysis.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Happy 4th of July 2013

Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins.

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. --Ben Franklin

This is for you NSA -- Me

Immigration Officer Allegedly Bribed With 200 Egg Rolls

Immigration Officer Allegedly Bribed With 200 Egg Rolls
By Aditi Mukherji on June 27, 2013 10:40 AM

Big Lie: America Doesn't Have #1 Richest Middle-Class in the World... We're Ranked 27th!

"...Our tax structures favor the rich and their corporations who no longer pay their fair share. They move money to foreign tax havens, they create and use tax loopholes, and they fight to make sure the source of most of their wealth -- capital gains -- is taxed at low rates. Meanwhile the rest of us are pressed to make up the difference or suffer deteriorating public services..."



I wonder how many times I've tried to explain this to a financially struggling Republican who considerers themselves "middle class" all the while spouting the GOP rehetoric about taxes being too high for everyone. It's like trying to explain colors to someone blind from birth.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Jeff Olson, California Man, Faces 13 Years In Jail For Writing Anti-Big Bank Messages In Chalk

Why does it not surprise me that this is a San Diego case? Oh yeah, could be that I was born and raised here and the business community is supposed to be blindly worshipped. Banksters. Gah.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Prop. 8: Supreme Court clears way for gay marriage in California Comments 1

Prop. 8: Supreme Court clears way for gay marriage in California
LA Times
By David G. Savage
June 26, 2013, 7:32 a.m.

" WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court cleared the way Wednesday for same-sex marriages to resume in California as the justices, in a procedural ruling, turned away the defenders of Proposition 8.

Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking for the 5-4 majority, said the private sponsors of Prop. 8 did not have legal standing to appeal after the ballot measure was struck down by a federal judge in San Francisco.

"We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to," he said. "We decline to do so for the first time here."

The court’s action, while not a sweeping ruling, sends the case back to California, where state and federal judges and the state’s top officials have said same-sex marriage is a matter of equal rights.

Last fall, the high court agreed to hear a last-chance appeal from the sponsors of the 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage to the union of a man and a woman.

Federal courts in San Francisco had struck down the measure on the grounds that it unfairly discriminated against gays and lesbians who wished to marry.

Usually, the governor and state’s lawyers defend state laws in federal court, but both Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris refused to defend Prop. 8.

Several sponsors of the ballot measure stepped in to defend the law, but there were questions about whether they had legal standing to represent the state in court.

Eeeeeeeeeeep!   It's about fucking time!   

The Great Gatsby

The movie.  The old one.  Meh. I never liked Mia Farrow and I thought Redford trying to look enthralled with her was just painful to watch.  Bruce Dern does creepy well, so he was ok. Overall, I gave it a big fat meh.

Will I see the new version?  Probably not.  Why should I make Punky Doodle DiCaprio richer by plunking down 13 bucks? Watching it today made me glad I didn't have to trudge through the damn book in high school.  Why is this country so fascinated with the wealthy anyway?  Buncha arrogant neurotic assholes, who cares?

‘We Steal Secrets’: State Agitprop

‘We Steal Secrets’: State Agitprop
Posted on Jun 2, 2013

By Chris Hedges

...“We Steal Secrets” is agitprop for the security and surveillance state...."

Well, that's kind of disappointing coming from Alex Gibney, but understandable considering the state of the state in the US today. It's why I rarely bother to complain about the spineless Dems and ridiculous RepugnanThuglicans any more. I don't think it's even worth the effort to complain about a political system so rife with corruption that it feels hopeless a lot of times.

The Accused

The Accused (1988)
111 min - Crime | Drama - 14 October 1988 (USA)

I just finished watching it after many years and it is still a great movie.  It was loosely based on the gang rape of  Cheryl Araujo.  

It saddens me that even 25  years after the film brought to light how poorly the rape victims are treated in the "justice system" the fight continues.

True Blood Season 5

Yes, I am a year behind on True Blood.  Don't have cable, never have, hate the advertising.  I even play rounds of Song Pop during the ads when I watch shows online.  tee hee.  

I suppose this bitch is tired of bitching about politics for the moment.  Life is short, I'd like to  have some fun before I die.  I've just recently lost some people, so fuggit, I'm gonna enjoy. 

Memorial Day

Iraq violence: Baghdad car bombs kill more than 50


I had an argument with my husband years ago about the Iraq war. I pled with him to look closely at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I asked him how it was going? He said "We'll see."

I see. He never will. He dosen't want to. He is a veteran.

So is Gordon, and he said exactly what I was thinking this morning.



Iraq Bombing Attacks: Explosions Rip Through Baghdad, Killing Dozens
By ADAM SCHRECK and SINAN SALAHEDDIN 05/27/13 05:14 PM ET EDT

"..More than 450 people have been killed across Iraq in May..." 

Fox’s Andrea Tantaros Tells Listeners: If You See Obama Supporters, ‘Punch Them In The Face’

Look at that face.  Doesn't it look like a Jr. High mean girl?  And listen to the audio, in the video link even the Southern fried idiot that called in to complain about Obama was a bit disturbed at the advocation of violence.  Why can't Fox just get over it?  Obama has been elected twice.

Breaking The Male Code: After Steubenville, A Call To Action

Funny how my mom mentioned this to me this morning and I just spent the weekend with my friend and her teenaged boys in their home.  My mother and I talk about what would be good ideas to teach boys growing up, but the thought of actually having the resposibility  of raising boys makes me glad I had a girl.

Aw who gives a crap?

I keep trying to force myself to post here rather than FB  or at least post here once a week something politcal and timely and I just don't care any more.  It's a Goddamned motherfucking corrupt ass political system and the differences between the bankster/corporate owned Dems and Rethugs are becoming less and less. All my friends and family are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

Most 3rd graders have a pretty good idea of what's wrong in this country and how to fix it, but nothing is changing.

When I see an article about Jamie Dimon maybe having to step down I'm just disgusted.  

Step down?  

Awwww poow widdwe Jaimie...

The fucker should be sent to the guillotine along with that squeaby little fuck Lloyd Blankfein and a few others. A few other major overhauls and simplifications that I am too damn tired to go into  (Like a lobbyist turkey shoot) and things might start changing for the better instead of worse.

Note to retards, especially those fucktarded enough to vote Republican and work for one of the redundant 16 Na'tl security agencies: I am not avocating murder, I am only venting my feelings

It Might Get Loud

Watching now  

"...Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim focuses his probing lens on a subject that's decidedly less urgent but no less fascinating with this look at the electric guitar featuring Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's the Edge, and the White Stripes' Jack White. Growing up, all three guitarists realized their rebellion through music: Page was attempting to subvert the sugary-sweet pop music of the 1960s, the Edge was hell-bent on making the guitar solos of the 1970s a distant memory, and White used his screeching strings to buzz out the droning bass machines of the 1980s. Later, Page makes his way to Headley Grange to revisit the birthplace of "Stairway to Heaven," The Edge digs out the original four-track rehearsals for "Where the Streets Have No Name" in Dublin, and White expresses his exuberance for revered bluesman Son House -- all the while displaying their deep love for their instrument of choice by permitting the viewer a rare chance to see them refining as-yet-unreleased material. When the trio comes together for a landmark jam session, their spectacularly diverse styles and instruments become just as apparent as the shared passion that binds them all together..."

Sooo, how can you resist such songs as  Icky Thump , Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Stairway to Heaven?  The talent in this film is amazing.  Frankly, my favorite Zep song is NOT Stairway to Heaven and I'll take the other two songs in moderation, but then again my favorite guitarists are not rockers, they are jazz, and blues artists.  Don't get me wrong, I dearly love Misty Mountain Hop and When the Levee Breaks.  So watching these 3 play The Weight really is neat.

Military Sexual Assaults Spike Despite Efforts To Combat Epidemic

Pffft. Shocked? Who's shocked? Do you know what I had to teach my daughter while she was growing up in an area that is basically one huge military base?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Big Love

I never watched the show while it was running, but I'm watching it now.  The characters are  interesting and I like the show.  Bill Paxton is NOT attractive and the character he plays is almost as revolting as the Roman character.   I really would like to know though how they manage to insert every pop song that I ever loathed in my life?  It's truly amazing how much I hate the soundrack, because I like music that spans so many genres. I am really glad that I'm watching it on DVD because I especially hate the Beach Boys. Yep, it's true, you can be born and raised in Southern California and hate the Beach Boys.

tired today

that is all, carry on

Undercover Police Stings Target Front Lines Of Stolen iPhone Market

Boy am I grateful for my pos phone. NObody is going to steal it, lol.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Greed kills

Scores dead in Bangladesh building collapse
Government announces a national day of mourning as rescue workers continue search for survivors trapped under rubble.
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2013 18:25
AlJazeera


After the Texas Explosion: A Firestorm of Lawsuits?
By Hilary Hylton
April 22, 2013


Over 26,000 annual deaths for uninsured: report

By David Morgan
WASHINGTON | Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:02pm EDT
(Reuters) - More than 26,000 working-age adults die prematurely in the United States each year because they lack health insurance, according to a study published ahead of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law.



Greed kills

scanning the headlines this morning

over at HuffPo and it's Boston Boston Boston.

I found this over there too: 



(Credit: Facebook/America Loves Iraq)

The two boys in the photo "understand far too well what it is like in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack," Gosztola wrote. "The boys not only stand in solidarity with the victims of the Boston explosions, but they also empathize because this is what they’ve experienced. Part of this message is being shared with Americans because they want them to know they understand the pain Americans are going through."

At least 33 people were killed and more than 160 were injured after a "wave of bombings" struck the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Fallujah and Kirkuk on the same day as the Boston Marathon tragedy.

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance

"...The fertilizer plant that exploded on Wednesday, obliterating part of a small Texas town and killing at least 14 people, had last year been storing 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)...."



What good are regulations if the regulatory agencies are grossly underfunded?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Boston bombing

So.  My thoughts just in case you're interested.  If you're reading this it's possible you are so I will continue. 

My thoughts before I read the HuffPost article  were quite cynical.  I wondered about the huge base called Camp Bondsteel  in Kosovo and how close it was to Chechnya where the suspects are from and, once I placed the geography, whether or not it has an airfield and who controls the airspace over the Black Sea.  And whether or not the geniuses at the Pentagon were cooking up more shit that will make the whole damn planet hate US foreign policy even more than they already do. 

From the Wikipedia photo it doesn't look like it has an airfield, and I hope that with one suspect dead and the other soon to be caught, that this remains a police matter, and those investigations do not lead outside the US. 

Although I am disappointed that Obama has continued US military (and international mercenary) involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan I believe he is much more level headed than Bush was and won't turn this into another international clusterfuck.