One of my previous humstles was the Temptations' Ball Of Confusion.
Tomorrow is the 13th anniversary of 9/11. Just about every poll taken shows that currently the Barack Obama is more unpopular that George W. Bush and the new media king of Meet The Press, Chuck Todd compared this unpopularity to that of Jimmy Carter- pretty chilling. And of course, sadder than sad, since David Gregory was bad enough- but now we get to hear the gloom and doom from Chuck Todd, who was as heartless today on MSNBC's Morning Joe as any of the fine people over at that fair and balanced bastion Fox News.
But if you're Steve Wynn, owner of various Las Vegas resorts and facilities, you're just as mad at Obama as the people polled. He's regularly criticized the President for being "terrible for business." His anger has been echoed by notable business gadflies such as Ken Langone of Home Depot and former GE CEO, Jack Welch who if they've ever said anything nice about the guy, obviously I was not in attendance at that moment. Incidentally, even though he still is regularly invited to to come on CNBC or Fox Business to dump on the President for anything from how he hates big business to being soft on existential terror threats, Ken Langone's company is sorta smarting from the news that millions of its credit card holders personal information was hacked and their financial privacy is at great peril. He hasn't done too badly in these 5 years either, since this "terrible" President has done his best to have ruined our country. Obviously, there has been no job growth, Wall Street folks have not done very well at all and here is ISIL, streaming through our southern borders to blow up our citizens in malls, movie theatres and public events.
Terrible for business. At the close of trading on January 20th , 2009, Steve Wynn's Wynn Resorts and Gaming's stock closed at $34.00 per share. It is reported that over the years, Steve Wynn, while running his mouth and running down the President for his anti business policies, acquired nearly 2 million shares of common stock. In today's trading, the Wynn Corporation's stock is hovering at or above a $180.00 per share price.
I think my basic math skills are above average, but I'm not going to try to compute this for you. Please feel free., though and while you're at it, try to figure out that while these men, which include Langone and Wynn's buddy Sheldon Adelson gave hundreds of millions of dollars through Political Action Committees to elect Republican candidates who support their views and companies and regularly vote to cut SNAP benefits, Minimum Wage, Immigration Reform, Gender pay Equality, deny expansion of Medicaid which prevents sick Americans from having to go to Emergency Rooms, repeal of Dodd Frank and the Affordable Care Act. I have to take a breath here. I have left out significant things that they're just not for.
Which brings us a speech tonight about Iraq, Syria, the Middle Eastern neighborhood and why millions of people hate us and want to cut off our heads. It doesn't matter that they've told us time and again why they feel this way. So off we'll merrily go to once again to impose our "American Exceptionalism" on people who are sick of us not leaving them the fuck alone!! While the vile groups spawned by this hatred are indeed, that, even this guy who is not so good at math can calculate that there are many more people like them than there are people like us. So, if by chance they had stated at some point that in addition to terrorizing us, they were going to make sure that we spent not only our blood, but our treasure in trying to carry out what Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson told Sean (Pulitzer Prize) Hannity last week. "Either we're going to have to convert them or kill them." Just in case we run out of money, do you think that Steve Wynn or Ken Langone or Shel Adelson kick in a few extra bucks? Didn't think so
So happy 9/11 tomorrow. God help us, but here we go again. We are giving in terror and we have been frightened enough to spend billions we would better spend on our own poeple, to wipe out billions of others. I think that's code for "degrade and destroy."
13th anniversary. Not a good number. But I hope it comes and goes with the proper solemnity. I used to sign off with a a 'call someone and tell them you love them.'
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Like you need my advice
Advice to Ferguson (all inhabitants, including media):
You would do well to acquaint yourself with the ancient Cherokee Legend.
A boy and his grandfather happened upon a fight between two wolves. It was a fierce fight and neither could say what or which wolf started it. There they were, locked in mortal combat. And the child asked the grandfather, "grandfather, who will win?" The grandfather looked at his grandson and replied, "the one you feed."
Thank you. that is all for today.
You would do well to acquaint yourself with the ancient Cherokee Legend.
A boy and his grandfather happened upon a fight between two wolves. It was a fierce fight and neither could say what or which wolf started it. There they were, locked in mortal combat. And the child asked the grandfather, "grandfather, who will win?" The grandfather looked at his grandson and replied, "the one you feed."
Thank you. that is all for today.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Galvanize THIS
Everyone else (it seems) is a fucking expert about the Ferguson Missouri events. May I weigh in?
What has happened and continues to happen is tragic- and an out and out travesty. Our wonderful internet and social media enables everybody to have their say. And say, they've had.
There are significant issues that continue to drive the deep divide in our country. And I certainly hope that our post racial President has been the galvanizing force to at once, show the world- and locally, all of us how Presidential "weigh ins" on issues of this sort do nothing to foster understanding.
These almost 6 years have been painful to me, the rollback of restraint and some sort of decency-- which of course was the big smokescreen to give us the feeling that we have made progress in this country. It's worse today than it was and Ferguson teaches us this with dramatic effect. If 1000 public figures read my thoughts, perhaps 990 would disagree with me. But as the famous "beer summit" proved, Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates, James Crowley and Joe Biden sitting down, having a beer together and 'hugging one out' was one of the biggest examples of bullshit theater one might possibly witness. How many times could the great minds gather at the 92nd Street Y in New York City to have a "meaningful discussion" about a great issue of the day. Another theatre of the absurd. Another staged event with "famous" people who have really "interesting and important" things to say.
If anybody had any balls, they would get a really good camera, a quiet room and three extreme people- one black and one white and one brown and let them say to each and for all of us, what they really think and feel about each other. REALLY think and FEEL.
And until the world hears that discussion, we're just jerking ourselves off. The manner in which we disseminate, and report so called "news" is stunningly callous, a waste of time and so irrelevant as to its stupidity. It's a goddamned insult. When you're a news and politics junkie and this is what you get, you're getting shortchanged.
And I'm only talking about race today, not the 9% approval ratings of people we repeatedly elect and re-elect. Not talking about professional liars who constantly beat the drums of war while ignoring the will of the people who elected them. The sense of hope that is lost because a small group of people need to make more money and wield more power and influence to compensate for small brains, and small sexual organs. Uh, oh. smd is back. It never really goes away does it?
Every once in a while, I have a day like this and these thoughts pour out of me. I hope tomorrow is a better day. We all need a better day. I'd rather be thinking about one of the great events of my life, but my thoughts are far from a farm in Bethel, New York where a half a million poeple gathered peacefully to listen to some music 45 years ago.
We all make a difference if we choose to. But we get weary, crushed by the huge amount of bullshit that precludes us from doing so as often as we can.
I keep hoping. The audacity of hope. Rush Limbaugh? God help us.
Mr. President-- don't tell me that you could have been Michael Brown.
Instead think of Paul Simon's Dangling Conversation:
"lost in the dangling conversation- and the superficial sighs- in the borders of our lives.
Today's humstle
I'll keep coming back
What has happened and continues to happen is tragic- and an out and out travesty. Our wonderful internet and social media enables everybody to have their say. And say, they've had.
There are significant issues that continue to drive the deep divide in our country. And I certainly hope that our post racial President has been the galvanizing force to at once, show the world- and locally, all of us how Presidential "weigh ins" on issues of this sort do nothing to foster understanding.
These almost 6 years have been painful to me, the rollback of restraint and some sort of decency-- which of course was the big smokescreen to give us the feeling that we have made progress in this country. It's worse today than it was and Ferguson teaches us this with dramatic effect. If 1000 public figures read my thoughts, perhaps 990 would disagree with me. But as the famous "beer summit" proved, Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates, James Crowley and Joe Biden sitting down, having a beer together and 'hugging one out' was one of the biggest examples of bullshit theater one might possibly witness. How many times could the great minds gather at the 92nd Street Y in New York City to have a "meaningful discussion" about a great issue of the day. Another theatre of the absurd. Another staged event with "famous" people who have really "interesting and important" things to say.
If anybody had any balls, they would get a really good camera, a quiet room and three extreme people- one black and one white and one brown and let them say to each and for all of us, what they really think and feel about each other. REALLY think and FEEL.
And until the world hears that discussion, we're just jerking ourselves off. The manner in which we disseminate, and report so called "news" is stunningly callous, a waste of time and so irrelevant as to its stupidity. It's a goddamned insult. When you're a news and politics junkie and this is what you get, you're getting shortchanged.
And I'm only talking about race today, not the 9% approval ratings of people we repeatedly elect and re-elect. Not talking about professional liars who constantly beat the drums of war while ignoring the will of the people who elected them. The sense of hope that is lost because a small group of people need to make more money and wield more power and influence to compensate for small brains, and small sexual organs. Uh, oh. smd is back. It never really goes away does it?
Every once in a while, I have a day like this and these thoughts pour out of me. I hope tomorrow is a better day. We all need a better day. I'd rather be thinking about one of the great events of my life, but my thoughts are far from a farm in Bethel, New York where a half a million poeple gathered peacefully to listen to some music 45 years ago.
We all make a difference if we choose to. But we get weary, crushed by the huge amount of bullshit that precludes us from doing so as often as we can.
I keep hoping. The audacity of hope. Rush Limbaugh? God help us.
Mr. President-- don't tell me that you could have been Michael Brown.
Instead think of Paul Simon's Dangling Conversation:
"lost in the dangling conversation- and the superficial sighs- in the borders of our lives.
Today's humstle
I'll keep coming back
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Then and Now 4
The answer is money. Then power. Or power, then money.
We live in a world where the 7 deadly sins pretty much rule a vast majority of behavior.
Consider that well before we felt the need to turn Iraq into a democracy, we were aware of the geopolitical stakes involved in our need for fossil fuels. The Mideast has this commodity in huge abundance.This is no secret. If you're one of the 4500 some odd families who lost loved ones in this stupid (like all other stupid) war we declared, based upon poor intelligence and shoddy information (aluminum tubes that held cake uranium) ( or try this one; that portable rocket launchers existed in neighborhoods, armed with chemical warheads that could be driven to a launch location and launched with 15 minutes.) Thanks Colin Powell, thanks Dick Cheney, thanks Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz and the rest of the gang. But especially, thanks George W. Bush for providing the cute little clubhouse where this puppet show could be perpetrated.
Money and power. Influence and the status quo. Rich get richer and poor people's children die, not for anything noble, but a perpetuation of this awful behavior.
I knew you knew that, but it still pisses many people off.
We are now spending money that should be earmarked for so many other worthy things than this. And what is the this? We are bombing and destroying our own equipment that we gave to A Shia majority and a Shia government that we pushed for so that our companies could continue to reap the benefits of the "all biness" in Iraq; reportedly a country that represents one of the top 5 reserves in the world. Remember though, it isn't about the oil (that Sec Def Rumsfeld promised would finance the entire war, which would last roughly 6 weeks after we were welcomed as liberators.)
I'm going to stop. According to Rush Limbaugh, I am an unhappy leftist who dwells on these negative lies and I probably will end up killing myself- as Robin Williams did because lefties are so unhappy. After all, angst is what we do best.
The impact of Williams' death is finally hitting home. There is so much else going on, I tried to block it out. Robin Williams gets hours of press (rightly so, although the actual coverage makes me want to puke.) and Lauren Bacall gets a 120 second blurb because of her come on to Humphrey Bogart in To Have And Have Not .
I always loved Robin's dramatic performances much more than his comedic talents. He was truly one of a kind and I will miss him. It shouldn't take his death to alert us to another low info drive by about mental illness and depression.
I am installing a permanent humstle, one portrayed in the first "THEN AND NOW post: Master Jack. "It's a mighty strange world, we live in, Master Jack."
See you.
We live in a world where the 7 deadly sins pretty much rule a vast majority of behavior.
Consider that well before we felt the need to turn Iraq into a democracy, we were aware of the geopolitical stakes involved in our need for fossil fuels. The Mideast has this commodity in huge abundance.This is no secret. If you're one of the 4500 some odd families who lost loved ones in this stupid (like all other stupid) war we declared, based upon poor intelligence and shoddy information (aluminum tubes that held cake uranium) ( or try this one; that portable rocket launchers existed in neighborhoods, armed with chemical warheads that could be driven to a launch location and launched with 15 minutes.) Thanks Colin Powell, thanks Dick Cheney, thanks Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz and the rest of the gang. But especially, thanks George W. Bush for providing the cute little clubhouse where this puppet show could be perpetrated.
Money and power. Influence and the status quo. Rich get richer and poor people's children die, not for anything noble, but a perpetuation of this awful behavior.
I knew you knew that, but it still pisses many people off.
We are now spending money that should be earmarked for so many other worthy things than this. And what is the this? We are bombing and destroying our own equipment that we gave to A Shia majority and a Shia government that we pushed for so that our companies could continue to reap the benefits of the "all biness" in Iraq; reportedly a country that represents one of the top 5 reserves in the world. Remember though, it isn't about the oil (that Sec Def Rumsfeld promised would finance the entire war, which would last roughly 6 weeks after we were welcomed as liberators.)
I'm going to stop. According to Rush Limbaugh, I am an unhappy leftist who dwells on these negative lies and I probably will end up killing myself- as Robin Williams did because lefties are so unhappy. After all, angst is what we do best.
The impact of Williams' death is finally hitting home. There is so much else going on, I tried to block it out. Robin Williams gets hours of press (rightly so, although the actual coverage makes me want to puke.) and Lauren Bacall gets a 120 second blurb because of her come on to Humphrey Bogart in To Have And Have Not .
I always loved Robin's dramatic performances much more than his comedic talents. He was truly one of a kind and I will miss him. It shouldn't take his death to alert us to another low info drive by about mental illness and depression.
I am installing a permanent humstle, one portrayed in the first "THEN AND NOW post: Master Jack. "It's a mighty strange world, we live in, Master Jack."
See you.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Then and now 3
I promised you an answer to yesterday's dual view of today vs the innocent 50's.
In 1952, the United States learned of the desire of duly elected Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh to nationalize Iranian oil reserves. This was seen as a major blow to multinational oil companies owned by British and American businessmen and a great PR and economic victory for the Soviet Union.
In a declassified report, the American CIA has admitted its involvement in overthrowing the government of Iran and installing the Shah Reza Pahlevi in Mossadegh's place. According to many reports, this incident cast a shadow over US, Iranian relations to this very day.
So this begs a question. As we pan forward to the present and recent past, what was the prime factor in the gestation of virulent anti American sentiment in the Middle East? answer tomorrow.
In the meantime, today's humstle is Billy Joel's Keepin the Faith. The key line in the song to me, is "well the good ol' days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.
We're such a young country- so full of ourselves and somehow, we think the world hungers for our leadership and influence. Guess what? They don't.
Tomorrow, then.
In 1952, the United States learned of the desire of duly elected Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh to nationalize Iranian oil reserves. This was seen as a major blow to multinational oil companies owned by British and American businessmen and a great PR and economic victory for the Soviet Union.
In a declassified report, the American CIA has admitted its involvement in overthrowing the government of Iran and installing the Shah Reza Pahlevi in Mossadegh's place. According to many reports, this incident cast a shadow over US, Iranian relations to this very day.
So this begs a question. As we pan forward to the present and recent past, what was the prime factor in the gestation of virulent anti American sentiment in the Middle East? answer tomorrow.
In the meantime, today's humstle is Billy Joel's Keepin the Faith. The key line in the song to me, is "well the good ol' days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.
We're such a young country- so full of ourselves and somehow, we think the world hungers for our leadership and influence. Guess what? They don't.
Tomorrow, then.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Then and Now 2
In 1955, a gallon of gas cost 24 cents. If it went up as adjusted for normal inflation, today's price would be $196.00 a gallon. Would we be debating about carbon footprints, energy self sufficiency or alternative sources?
A loaf of bread was 18 cents. By the same logic, today's price would be $37.80 per loaf. Would red state opposotion to a reduced carbohydrate diet in schools be as pronounced?
As we have deftly done for as many years as I can remember, we have propped up idiots in countries that had substantial oil reserves. When these same idiots have not done the bidding of our corporate controlled government, we have had them suffer "accidental" circumstances- coups, heart attacks, local insurrections, diversionary military skirmishes. Can anyone name the country who had an idiot (who wouldn't do our bidding in 1953) deposed (with our help) for a strongman who would? And why? answer tomorrow.
Who are Orville Faubus and Melinda Patillo and what were their roles in the innocence of the 1950's?
Just so you don't think I am needlessly manipulating information for no reason, let me assure you, the Chicago Cubs were 9 games under .500 in 1955 and finished 11 games under- a 71-82 finish as the Brooklyn Dodgers were on their way to a NL pennant and a world series victory, with Jackie Robinson among those leading the way. The Cubs would have finished 12 games under, but as they were mired in the second division of the National league, making up a rain delayed game wouldn't have made much difference.
In the 1950's personal responsibility were still one of the strongest values taught in the home, schools and houses of worship. Where do you think we're at as a nation today? Does our government act in a contrarian way as compared to this value? Because I think this question is really important as to why an NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll reported that 71% of Americans think our country is on the wrong track. What's the right track?
I would urge you to visit the sites, The Daily Caller and The Daily Kos. I think it would be educational. Sort of like taking a field trip without leaving your home. See if you agree about the divergence of opinion in this country and what we've become in terms of some of our values and how we express them-- and in context of our nation's first President of color.
Today's humstle is Paul Anka's You're Having My Baby. I make no bones about my love of the Grateful Dead, but the social network is rife with rumors about the recent cancellation of a sizable chunk of Bob Weir's Ratdog's tour. One of the big speculations is that he may be about to become a father again. So hence, the Paul Anka song. All things "Dead" don't run through my soul like a river anymore, so I am amused. If it's serious, I wish Bobby well. He entertained me on many an occasion.
Peace out- refusniks.
A loaf of bread was 18 cents. By the same logic, today's price would be $37.80 per loaf. Would red state opposotion to a reduced carbohydrate diet in schools be as pronounced?
As we have deftly done for as many years as I can remember, we have propped up idiots in countries that had substantial oil reserves. When these same idiots have not done the bidding of our corporate controlled government, we have had them suffer "accidental" circumstances- coups, heart attacks, local insurrections, diversionary military skirmishes. Can anyone name the country who had an idiot (who wouldn't do our bidding in 1953) deposed (with our help) for a strongman who would? And why? answer tomorrow.
Who are Orville Faubus and Melinda Patillo and what were their roles in the innocence of the 1950's?
Just so you don't think I am needlessly manipulating information for no reason, let me assure you, the Chicago Cubs were 9 games under .500 in 1955 and finished 11 games under- a 71-82 finish as the Brooklyn Dodgers were on their way to a NL pennant and a world series victory, with Jackie Robinson among those leading the way. The Cubs would have finished 12 games under, but as they were mired in the second division of the National league, making up a rain delayed game wouldn't have made much difference.
In the 1950's personal responsibility were still one of the strongest values taught in the home, schools and houses of worship. Where do you think we're at as a nation today? Does our government act in a contrarian way as compared to this value? Because I think this question is really important as to why an NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll reported that 71% of Americans think our country is on the wrong track. What's the right track?
I would urge you to visit the sites, The Daily Caller and The Daily Kos. I think it would be educational. Sort of like taking a field trip without leaving your home. See if you agree about the divergence of opinion in this country and what we've become in terms of some of our values and how we express them-- and in context of our nation's first President of color.
Today's humstle is Paul Anka's You're Having My Baby. I make no bones about my love of the Grateful Dead, but the social network is rife with rumors about the recent cancellation of a sizable chunk of Bob Weir's Ratdog's tour. One of the big speculations is that he may be about to become a father again. So hence, the Paul Anka song. All things "Dead" don't run through my soul like a river anymore, so I am amused. If it's serious, I wish Bobby well. He entertained me on many an occasion.
Peace out- refusniks.
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