Editorial cartoon by Tom Toles / Washington Post
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Guest Opinion: The Party of NO (compromise) shudders at the thought of ‘working together’
Before my Conservative readers launch an all-out attack on me, please note this is NOT my opinion that I’m sharing with you. It’s a guest opinion. It doesn’t make me a Liberal, or any other party affiliation, for sharing it.
I treat Liberals the same way I treat all politicians; with suspicion. Visit my archives in case you don’t believe me. ALL POLITICIANS and ideologies are fair game (see Page Header). With that in mind, I’d like to hear comments from ALL sides. Let’s stay on issue and see what happens:
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg:
The Party of No (Compromise): In his "60 Minutes" interview right before becoming House speaker, John Boehner drew plenty of eyebrows, even from questioner Lesley Stahl, when he wouldn't say the C-word: compromise.
“Said Stahl: “But governing means compromising.” Boehner: “It means working together.” Stahl: “It also means compromising.” Boehner: “It means finding common ground… When you say the word ‘compromise’…a lot of Americans look up and go, ‘Uh-oh, they're gonna sell me out.’ And so finding common ground, I think, makes more sense.” Later, Stahl asked, “Why won't you say you're afraid of the word?” Boehner: “I reject the word.” And Boehner isn’t the only Republican leader rejecting it. In the standoff in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) is refusing to negotiate with Democrats and labor (Go here). And in Indiana, a Republican senator known for compromising -- Indiana’s Dick Lugar -- could very well lose his GOP primary next year (Go here).
The C-word has become a four-letter word to the party bases, more so on the GOP side these days. And there is a difference between "common ground" and "compromising," the two words are NOT interchangeable, especially in the eye of the GOP primary voter these days.”
Negotations break down: four American hostages killed by Somali pirates
Does anyone else feel like I do about getting the international community together to solve this pirate problem once and for all?
Thus far all efforts have been useless because there was no united goal to stop the situation. Just reactions like paying ransoms which have encouraged the pirates to keep up their deadly attacks.
Why hasn’t someone captured one of these so-called “mother ships?” If we know what the bastards are doing then why has the world been so helpless thus far?
It’s hard to believe some ignorant modern day pirates are holding the world hostage. It doesn’t make sense. America might get a little more involved because of this incident – the murder of four of our own – but without a definite game plan to stop the pirates all efforts will come up short.
“Four Americans captured by Somali pirates while sailing in the Indian Ocean have been shot and killed, NBC News reported today.” Story here.
Pirates captured 1,181 sailors aboard 53 ships in 2010, according to a report from the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau. Eight of the captives were killed, the report says.
Monday, February 21, 2011
As It Stands ‘Scum of the Month Runner-Up - ‘Blago’ - is looking like a strong candidate for 2011 ‘Scum of The Year’
I know it’s still too early to get real excited about “Blogo’s” chances of being awarded Scum-of- The-Year, but following his defense in court sure is making a good argument for it:
Blagojevich Defense Wants Wiretaps Tossed Due to Gaps
Blagojevich Trying to Keep Recordings Out of Court
Defense: Lift seal on Blagojevich evidence
As It Stands: The real American Dream -- jobs for everyone
By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Posted: 02/20/2011 01:30:18 AM PST
When I graduated from high school in 1968, I knew I had several options. One, I could easily find an unskilled production job that offered a living wage, go to college, or go into the military and risk a tour of duty in Vietnam.
The options for students today are narrower. When they graduate, the prospects of finding unskilled production work at a living wage is bleak at best. As for going to college, it usually means getting student loans and facing years of paying them back. To make matters worse, when students do graduate from college these days, there's no guarantee jobs will be offered to them.
They have to compete in the toughest job market in decades. Almost 2 million college graduates are unemployed. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts companies will hire 22 percent fewer graduating seniors than last year. Joining the military is still an option, but it may mean multiple tours in Afghanistan. The same goes for the National Guard, who at least weren't sent to Vietnam back in the day.
Let's set aside the challenge of jobs for college graduates and those who choose the military, and take a closer look at what high school graduates face in today's job market.
The manufacturing sector has made productivity gains, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That should be good news, right? Not so fast. Good news for whom? More manufacturing jobs for humans disappear every year. When we hear about levels of output per hour worked rising by 2.6 percent in the last three months of 2010, it sounds positive.
Upon closer examination, these gains in productivity are thanks to robots. Once upon a time, a human laborer turned out so many widgets an hour, and everyone made a profit. A worker could count on working the same job until retirement because American manufacturing led the entire world.
That's changed. There are fewer human workers and more robots. Humans are trained to watch over the robots and to repair them, but that is skilled work and requires training.
The experts talk about productivity rising in America and how specialization is the key to manufacturing success, but that has translated into a jobless future for unskilled production workers. In an interview last month, Tom Runiewicz, an economist at IHS Global Insight who keeps track of the manufacturing sector, warned that the unskilled production worker will soon be obsolete.
The sad truth is most economists expect the jobless rate to remain stubbornly high for a long time to come -- especially among lower-skilled workers. The prospects aren't pretty. Although the unemployment rate has improved in the past couple of months, it remains at 9 percent, well above historic norms, with 14 million Americans looking for work.
Those figures don't tell the whole story. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says more than 8 million people who are working part-time would rather work full-time.
Another 1 million people are classified as “discouraged workers,” which means they would like to work but don't think there's a job out there for them.
And there you have it folks. Capitalism marches on. So what will happen to those people? They are more than just unfortunate statistics. Those men and women whose lives were devalued when their skills were automated? Family dreams shattered? Where do they fit into this 21st Century reality? It's sad to think I once took it for granted that there would always be jobs for someone willing to work. To see the harsh reality of no work facing millions of hard-working Americans concerns me.
The mainstream media tells us things are looking up on Wall Street and Americans are becoming more productive. Yet I look around at the swelling ranks of the unemployed, the long lines at community Food Banks, and I wonder how long this can go on?
As It Stands, I think when people knew there was a job for them if they were willing to work hard was the real American Dream.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Big donations don’t always guarantee getting elected locally
I’m glad to see that less was spent in last year’s political campaigning locally, than in 2008. I think it’s great there’s a $500 cap now (as of Jan.1). It’s a good thing to keep local campaigning on a level playing field where democracy has a chance against big money.
From the Times Standard this morning…
Eureka candidates spent over $130,000 in November election
“The November election showed that big donations don't always guarantee a win in Eureka. Bill and Elizabeth Pierson filed a major donor expenditure statement, indicating they donated $44,000 to five candidates in 2010. Three of those were to Eureka candidates -- Larry Glass, Ron Kuhnel and LaVallee -- all of whom were not elected.” Story here.
‘Beyblades’ destroy tub: Mom sells kids' toys on eBay as punishment
Used to be, kids were made to take a timeout when they acted up, or maybe even a spanking. But now, parents have other options, like selling their treasured toys on eBay as punishment.
One mom, fed up with her boys' fancy spinning tops and how they wrecked her bathtub, decided to gather the offending tops — the popular Japanese manga Beyblade toy — and put them on eBay. She even posted a picture of her sons, one clearly in tears, while the younger one has a mug shot look, resigned to his fate, as he holds up the zip lock bag of Beyblades to present to the buying public. (See image above.) STORY HERE
Something to consider: Beyblades are supposed to be played with in a little arena provided for that purpose. The instructions clearly state this. Where was Mom when they were making a racket (they had to be) in the bathroom? How long did it take for the damage to show up? I suspect Mom should have watched her sons a little closer…
City to get RoboCop statue with fan funding
I’m not sure what kind of message a statue of RoboCop sends, but the idea of a police state (however fictional)top cop standing next to Boxer Joe Lewis seems…well weird!
From sci-fi cult film, to Twitter phenomenon to Detroit landmark-in-the-making.
Plans for a statue honoring RoboCop, the half-man, half-machine crimefighter of the 1987 movie, are moving ahead after a group of artists and entrepreneurs in Detroit, Michigan raised more than $50,000 via Facebook and an online fund-raising site.
The RoboCop statue could go somewhere downtown if the city approves, perhaps near the landmark fist statue honoring legendary boxer Joe Louis. Story here
Town changes name to SpeedKills in road safety campaign
A small town in the Australian Outback has decided to change its name in an attempt to persuade drivers to slow down. Story here. I can think of some Midwestern states where there are no speed limit laws, like Montana, that would benefit from naming a town or two SpeedKills.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
And in conclusion . . . What does one trillion dollars look like?
$100. We'll start with a hundred dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomina
$10,000. A packet of one hundred hundred dollar bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains ten thousand dollars (Below). Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for a week or two of shamefully decadent fun.
$100,000,000. While a measly 1 million dollars looked a little unimpressive, 100 million dollars is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...below.
To See What a TRILLION DOLLARS LOOKS LIKE.
Pretty awesome, and still inconceivable despite the graphics.
Here’s Some Amazing Artwork by Russian artist Aton Semenov
DARK ART
to see more examples from the portfolio of this “darkly” talented artist.
Colombian military shows off homemade drug runner submarine
Authorities said that the homemade submarine was ready to be loaded with drugs when found in Timbiqui
“The Colombian military says it has seized a submarine capable of transporting more than seven tons of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico.” Story Here.
We all know what would have happened if this delivery had made it to Mexico. This shit would have been on America streets ASAP!
Why? Because we have porous borders…but what’s to be done?
20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of things that aren’t fair in this world. It’s no secret that all Americans aren’t treated equally.
Still, if we’re aware of what isn’t fair, sometimes we can do something about it.
From Homelessness, Health, to Intergenerational Income Mobility, here are 20 Facts about inequality in our society.
Fingers and toes point the way to detect disease dangers and more
I wonder what people who read palms thing about this study? Maybe it’ll give them more credibility. After all, the fingers are attached to the palms right?
“For that storied window to the soul, we give you the eyes.
But for a snapshot of physical wellness, a glimmer of hidden health risks, and a peek at natural strengths, we give you the finger.
Now, don’t go away mad: We actually give you all 10 fingers.
According to a bevy of recent medical studies, your digits hold clues to disease dangers along with hints of sports prowess, financial acumen and, possibly, your softer side.”
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Now’s not the time to play Fido! Cop quips: ‘I wish everyone traveled with their own personal drug dog’
Okay. Just when you thought you heard everything when it came to pot busts, this guy’s pit bull raises the bar.
“A sheriff's deputy didn't need a drug dog to point out a stash during a recent traffic stop. The driver's dog did it for him.
KGW-TV reports Sherman County sheriff's Sgt. John Terrel was pulling over a pickup truck Feb. 9 when he saw a sock fly out the window. It turned out to be stuffed with marijuana and hashish.
The driver told Terrel he was trying to hide the sock, but his pit bull mix grabbed it and wouldn't let go, enjoying a tug-of-war game.
The dog won the tussle and tossed the sock out the window, and the 32-year-old driver was indicted on drug possession charges.
Sheriff Brad Lohrey says he wished everyone traveled with their own personal drug dog.”
Wisc. Governor Makes a Threat to Sic the National Guard on Union Workers
If the National Guard is called out in Wisconsin, workers across the country should take a page from Egypt and go out on a general strike.
“Last week, Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker threatened to use the National Guard if his state's public employees go on strike in response to his proposal to strip them of the right to bargain collectively.
By merely mentioning the possibility of employing the Guard to prevent a strike, Governor Walker has threatened to militarize the attack on unions. The 150-year history of the American labor movement shows that such moves often lead to the deaths of union members.” Read article here.
Thousands descend on Wis. Capitol in protest – Story
Open Mouth-Insert Foot: If Jobs Are Lost As A Result Of GOP Spending Cuts 'So Be It' Boehner says
Boehner didn't cite a source for the claim that Obama had added 200,000 employees to the federal payroll. And he said he didn't have an estimate of how many jobs would be lost as a result of the GOP cuts.
But once the extent of the cuts is finalized, economists will provide them. And then we'll have an answer for a question Boehner made famous during the 2010 campaign: "Where are the jobs?!"
Wild Wednesday News: whining students, a lucky couple, and a girl with 12 fingers and 14 toes!
Teacher strikes nerve with 'lazy whiners' blog
'My students are out of control,' teacher wrote in one post, drawing a suspension
“A high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia who was suspended for a profanity-laced blog in which she called her young charges "disengaged, lazy whiners" is driving a sensation by daring to ask: Why are today's students unmotivated — and what's wrong with calling them out?”
Just in time: Couple claims lotto prize right before deadline
Raleigh Hill bought winning Mega Millions ticket last summer; lost track of it at one point
“A North Carolina couple has claimed a $1 million lotto prize just a day before it expired.
Raleigh Hill bought the Mega Millions ticket last summer. The state lottery agency said Hill and his wife claimed the prize Tuesday at the agency's headquarters.”
Girl with 12 fingers, 14 toes reaches for a record
'She seems to have a stronger grip on things — so she doesn't drop things much'
“A mother in Myanmar says her baby girl's 12 fingers and 14 toes have been no disadvantage — her grip may even be stronger than normal — and now she's grasping for a Guinness record.
Phyo Min Min Soe, 26, knew her girl Le Yati Min had a little something extra since nearly the moment she was born.
"I asked the nurses whether my kid was born complete with hands and legs," says her mother. "They replied that the baby even has more than she needs."
Born with 12 fingers and 14 toes, Le may be the most "digitally enhanced" person in the world. Now, the 16-month-old girl's family in impoverished Myanmar is seeking a Guinness World Record to prove it.”
-
-
Iran opposition defiant as clashes continue
Updated 116 minutes ago 2/16/2011 3:36:15 PM +00:00 Iran's opposition leaders remained defiant despite calls from hard-liners for them to be put to death, with one saying he was willing to "pay any price" in pursuit of democratic change. Full story
- Updated 0 minutes ago 2/16/2011 5:32:47 PM +00:00 First Egypt-style protests hit Gadhafi's Libya
- Updated 26 minutes ago 2/16/2011 5:06:58 PM +00:00 Protests spread across Yemen, demonstrator dies
- Updated 67 minutes ago 2/16/2011 4:25:08 PM +00:00 Bahrain protesters step up pressure on rulers
- Thousands flock to see Prophet Muhammad's hair
-
.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
U.S. used lies by Iraqi defector 'Curveball' to help justify the Iraq war
History is slowly unmasking George Bush’s Regime. The lies they passed on to you and I about WMDs were based upon information gleaned from the likes of this Iraqi defector who went by the codename “Curveball.”
He has publicly admitted for the first time that he made up stories about mobile bioweapons trucks and secret factories to try to bring down Saddam Hussein’s regime.
"I had a problem with the Saddam regime," Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who fled Iraq in 1995, told The Guardian newspaper. "I wanted to get rid of him and now I had this chance."Al-Janabi’s information was used in part by the U.S. as justification for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. More than 100,000 people, most of them Iraqi civilians, have died in the war. Story Here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Seeking Sherlock Holmes to Solve the Ghislaine Maxwell Mystery
It's a mystery to me why a convicted pedophile suddenly was transferred from her minimum-security prison in Florida to the cushiest low...
-
It's hard to believe that so many people viewed this column ( There's a monopoly on marijuana growing & research in America. ... -
If it's Sunday then it's time for As It Stands! Today's column is - Prosthetic ears, thieves, and payback. This, unlike last we...