Time to submit your Oscar worthies even though no one cares

For all I know, the Oscars are already over. Oh wait!

What’s that? They’re getting ready… there’s still time.

RELATED: Mouthing off in America: When it comes to opinions, we're all living in an intellectual Costco, where it's volume, volume, volume

Editorial cartoon by Signe Wilkinson / Philadelphia Daily News

Writer makes good argument : it’s ‘Harder to Get Started Today’

If you read my column last Sunday The real American Dream – jobs for everyone you’ll remember I talked about the same subject. I really like the way Trent laid it out. He uses a lot of statistics and facts to make his argument air-tight. Solid read:

 Written by Trent

“Over the past weekend, I had a long conversation with a man in our community who was nearing retirement age. He felt comfortable about his own coming retirement, but he seemed very pessimistic that his children would ever be ready to retire. “They just don’t know how to save money,” he told me.

I told him that, although I agreed with him that young people should save more, there is also a strong case that it is much more difficult today for a young person to establish themselves financially as he did when he was a young adult.

He looked at me strangely. “What do you mean?” he asked.

So, I laid it out for him, piece by piece. Afterward, it occurred to me that the entire discussion might make for a good post here, particularly with some specific research to back it up:

Real wages Let’s start with income. In 1970, the average wage earner took home $312 per week (in 1982 dollars). In 2004, the average wage earner brought home $277 per week (in 1982 dollars) – and it’s still falling. That means that, once you factor out inflation, the average wage earner in 1970 brought home about 18% more than the average wage earner today.

Home prices Even if you adjust for inflation – and even if you take into account the crash of the housing bubble from 2007 to today – the median price for a home in the United States has gone up more than 50% since 1970. Remember, that number accounts for inflation, so what that number actually means is that the cost of a home requires 50% more of a person’s paycheck than it did in 1970.”

READ THE REST HERE

Dancing for Dictators: if the dollars are right they’ll perform any night

How much would you have to get paid to perform for a dictator or one of their family members? It's one of those hypotheticals people love to throw around in the entertainment world and in the case of Beyonce and the Gadhafi clan, the magic number seems to be $2 million.

Other artists -- including Mariah Carey and Sting -- have performed for controversial figures for far less. Take a look through this gallery to see who has danced and crooned for dictators and their families.

Tyranny is the topic of this Sunday’s As It Stands, in the Times-Standard. I ask the question? Can you name all the dictators America does business with?

Army targeted U.S. senators with psy-ops to gain more funding

Manipulating lawmakers to elicit more funding for troops…what’s next?

 Lt. Colonel Michael Holmes was asked how to secretly manipulate the lawmakers, according to a Rolling Stone article released yesterday.

Lt. Gen. William Caldwell (Photo right) ordered a specialized "psychological operations" team to manipulate dignitaries visiting Afghanistan and convince them to boost funding and troop numbers.

QUOTE:

"My job in psy-ops is to play with people's heads, to get the enemy to behave the way we want them to behave," the officer, Lt. Colonel Michael Holmes, told Rolling Stone.

"I'm prohibited from doing that to our own people. When you ask me to try to use these skills on senators and congressman, you're crossing a line," he added. FULL STORY

Parting shots…

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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
— Albert Einstein

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As It Stands: 'I know I'm right' syndrome or being stupid and proud of it

-one of my personal favorites from last year.

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"Stupid is as stupid does.-Forrest Gump

"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change." -Confucius

         
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Cleopatra's Palace believed to be underwater off shores of Alexandria

Off the shores of Alexandria, the city of Alexander the Great, lies what is believed to be the ruins of the royal quarters of Cleopatra. A team of marine archaeologists led by Frenchman Franck Goddio made excavation on this ancient city from where Cleopatra, the last queen of the Ptolemies, ruled Egypt.

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Historians believe this site was submerged by earthquakes and tidal waves more than 1,600 years ago.

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The excavations concentrated on the submerged island of Antirhodus. Cleopatra is said to have had a palace there. Other discoveries include a well-preserved shipwreck and red granite columns with Greek inscriptions. There were also founded two statues which were lifted out of the harbor. One was a priest of the goddess Isis; the other a sphinx whose face is said to represent Cleopatra's father, King Ptolemy XII. The artifacts were returned to their silent, because the Egyptian Government says it wants to leave most of them in place to create an underwater museum. Story and Photos

Conservative Guest Opinion: The pillars of conservatism

In my quest to show all sides of the political spectrum I discovered this well-written (and thought out) opinion column in the Los Angeles Times.

It’s important not to demonize any political party if you want to be seen as objective and open-minded. The same for ideologies. You don’t have to agree with them, but if you understand where they’re coming from compromise, and hopefully respect, will lead to progress on thorny issues. I’m often accused of leaning left, or even of being an outright Liberal.

While it may have been true once, it no longer describes me. I’d rather be thought of as a Centrist (if I have to be stereotyped). I’d rather not have a label attached at all, but I understand some people’s need to put everyone in some ideological box in order keep their little world orderly. So be it. Meanwhile, I will continue offering you views from ALL SIDES of each controversial issue featured in this blog.

Understand one thing – when it’s my opinion posted here, you’ll have no doubt about it. I’m not shy about sharing my views. Don’t be afraid to comment, as I assure you that you’ll be treated with respect. But, if you act like a complete ass…guess what? I’m going to treat you like one!

Let’s take a look at this piece:

The Pillars of Conservatism  

By Frank Cannon

“Of all the mischaracterizations of social conservatives, none is more stubborn and pernicious than the notion (promulgated by liberals and eagerly snatched up by credulous media voices) that groups and politicians that espouse a "values" philosophy seek to impose a draconian moral code on a dissenting populace.” Read whole column

Wisconsin governor’s candid comments reveal desire to bust unions

Oh that Scott Walker! What a guy…why just the other day he thought he was talking to one of his biggest backers, David Koch (yea, that Koch, as in the notorious Koch Brothers):

Bragging about how he won’t budge from his position Walker assured Koch he would “…talk, not negotiate.”

“If you heard I was going to talk to them that’s the only reason why,” he went on to tell his pal David.

And what was Koch’s reply to that? “Bring a baseball bat. That’s what I’d do.”

Isn’t this conversation just delicious? You haven’t heard anything yet. Go here to see why Gov. Scott Walker is being accused of wanting to break unions. Warning! It’s not pretty, but it sure is revealing. One more thing: he wasn’t really talking with David Koch, he was talking with Daily Beast editor, Ian Murphy! BUSTED!

McKinnleyville Girl Missing: contact family with any information

Yolanda “Yolie” Quiroga (photo) (Breaking News thanks to Redheaded Blackbelt)

Congressman’s erratic behavior causes staff members to resign

Oregon Congressman David Wu has showed erratic behavior before, but his constituents keep re-electing him (seven times now). After last year’s re-election Wu’s staff members have been “moving on” to ,shall we say, saner pastures!  

I don’t see the big deal about wearing a Tiger costume and sending the photo to staff, but taking non-prescription pain-killers is a problem. He’s sought mental health help, but doesn’t believe he needs to check into an in-house program. He told ABC News that he’s “in a good place now” despite his staff defections.

Excerpt: 

“Seven of his staff members have left since he won re-election in November: his chief of staff, spokeswoman, three field representatives in Oregon, and two others in Washington, D.C. In addition, he lost his campaign pollster and campaign fundraiser. His campaign treasurer resigned last week, and Wu named himself treasurer.”

FULL STORY