Oct
20
2011
I’m not a fan of Tim Geithner by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m going to defend him here. He’s right that that the marginal increase being bandied about won’t have much of an impact on job creation at all (scaling back on onerous regulation would be much more effective). What really gets me are the cheap high school debating trick being employed by Rubio in this exchange. For instance, Rubio does not let Geithner ever finish an answer before he’s peppered with another question. Also, Rubio keeps asking questions about statements made by his boss, Barrack Obama. Those statements were made made during an election year attempt by the President to try and sway a few Conservative minded voter to the Democrats. It was an obvious ploy, a crass move by the President that didn’t pay off. It wasn’t Geithner who extended the tax rates. I don’t mind the point being raised, but too much time is spent by Rubio repeating this strategy over and over again. Geithner can’t answer it! That decision is on his boss.
It’s obvious the new bill, which is labeled as a jobs bill, is not a jobs bill. It’s yet another crass cynical political joke intended to highlight our political divide vs any remedy for the current recession, trying to be passed off as a jobs bill. Concentrate on that.
Oct
18
2011
What… I think their music still holds up pretty well!!!!
…. Oh, the “N”LRB????
Never Mind!
PS. Auto-Tune…. Bite Me!!!! This is how the adults do it!!!! 🙂
Oct
15
2011
Don’t have time to comment on this now, but Reich does lay out the main problem nicely. To summarize, he shows that the “Trickle Down” portion of supply side economics… never actually trickled down. The gains we saw over the last thirty years were due to, among other things, two huge stock market bubble, a mammoth housing bubble, and the over reliance on credit by both consumers and the financial industry.
I’m not against the rich at all… I’d like to be one of them. But Supply Side economics made it too easy to make money with money, too easy to grow capital without actually investing in brick-and-mortar and manufacturing jobs, thus, no trickle down to the middle class. Reich and I will, I suspect, part ways on what to do to fix the system, but that’s fine. We do agree on much of the problem.
PS. Here’s my thoughts on possible solutions to revive the economy.
Oct
14
2011
Dr Ramzi Amri, of Harvard Medical School seems to think so.
One thing I do find interesting is this very unscientific observation…. Liberals love to call Conservatives unscientific, mainly because Conservatives tend to give Creationism some weight, and have skeptical views of Global Warming. Meanwhile, it seems to me that it is liberals who are much more likely to eschew scientifically proven medical treatments for various alternative “cures” and remedies.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a blanket statement, as I know of some Conservatives who waste money on homeopathic products sold in stores, and I know of a few religiously minded liberals who believe in Creation. That said, in my experience, of the people I know personally and of things I’ve read of certain people supporting this or that “anti-scientific” position, it does seem to be the case.
I think there was a study or report / article about this very thing that came out a few weeks ago. Have to look for it.
PS. I am skeptical of some of the science used to push the alarmist global warming agenda, yet I’m also a HUGE fan of “The Skeptics Guide To The Universe“. I don’t have any problem with people who have differing views on any of this. The people I DO have a problem with are those who rip people off and at the same time doom them to certain death because they didn’t get actual medical treatment and shortened their lives.
Here is a solid rebuttal against Anri’s conjecture.
Oct
13
2011
Both movements are a reaction to perceived corruption within the economic / political system that currently overlays the US government. One side focuses more on big government failings, the other on corporate greed, but when you come right down to it, both coexist hand in hand. Big corp actually likes Big Govt. If you have a government that expands into business, then it’s very very easy for big business to buy off politicians to do their bidding and provide benefits, be it grants for solar industry or subsidies for big oil. Does anyone else not notice that most of the speeches read aloud on the floors of the House of Reps and the Senate are not only written by lobbyists, but most of the time the politician presenting the speech clearly has never even seen the speech until he or she is reading it.
For all the differences in the two movements, it’s the one thing both the Occupy and Tea Party movements have in common. They both recognize the corruption embedded in our current government system, and are not as far apart in agreement as it appears. Even though I’ve been tough on some of the stupidity on display at the Occupy Wall Street thing, I never the less support the uprising itself. It’s good for democracy. And we’re not going to clean house until both side realize it needs to be done.
Oct
11
2011
Just wrote it on a whim for Althouses Blog!
“Oh my Gaia I’m so distressed
I can’t afford expensive dress
Cause I’m kind of poor but we know that
I’m a young progressive DemocratI march all day and yell and scream
I’m joined by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream!
I’ve not a clue my message is flawed
I’m simply here to support the cause…What-ever that is
Crap ona cop car
Oh yeah baby
Crap ona cop carNever mind we’re wearing all these corporate made things
I just twittered “You’re all guilty of capitalist sins!”.Sex and drugs and drum patrol
We’ve turned this park into a festering hole
But it’s OK ’cause we’re here to vent
About right wingers destroying the environmentIt doesn’t matter that we make no sense
Cause the government you know will pay my rent
Oh you won’t believe the time we’ve had
The sex is cool though we stink real bad…But it’s all cool
Crap ona cop car
Oh Yeah
Crap ona cop car
I said Crap ona cop car
Bithces
Crap ona cop car!!!”
UPDATE: OK. I just had another brain-storm! I won’t have time to put down any music for this. So, any guitar / musicians out there who wnat to add music… Take a stab at it! This will be a running contest!!!
Oct
10
2011
Some more video of the “enlightened masses” that make up the majority of the Occupy [insert city here] movement.
He’s holding a sign that says “Hitler’s Bankers” but he states over and over again Wall Street is controlled by “The Jews”…
So, Which Is It???…
Are the Jews controlling the banks…
Or is it Hitler?….
Because, well, uhm, it can’t be both…
Can it???
PS. More Youtube banter:
“google it, google wallstreet jews”
anti jews? are parasitic scum. Google was made by jews.
Oct
10
2011
This…
Reminds me of this…
Of course, there’s this!
Now, the YouTube Banter:
Anyone else struck by how they took 10+ minutes discussing “how they feel about the idea of letting Lewis speak” when Lewis probably could have said everything he wanted to say in 7?
Good, but this wins the prize!
I would like to say (I would like to say), that these morons (that these morons), should be locked away (should be locked away) in the nuthouse (in the nuthouse) indefinitely (indefinitely). Thank you (Thank you). Please stop repeating everything I say (please? stop saying everything I say). No really! (No really). Stop it! (Stop it.) Arrrgh! (Argggh)
Best (best)…. YouTube (YouTube)… Banter (banter)… Ever (ever)! (!)
Oct
9
2011
Uhm… There hasn’t been any. 🙁
But I have good reason. Work has kept me fairly busy.
I had recorded bits and pieces of a few songs, but realized I was still a little lost on the new digital recording software I’m now using, Presonus’s Studio One. It’s not that different from the old tried and true Adode Audition 1.5 I’ve been using for the last, oh eight years, but it has a ton of features that weren’t even invented yet when AA 1.5 was new.
I have to change the crank shaft seal on one of the cars today. But after that, I think I’ve got enough of a handle on the new software to start recording.
PS. The Presonus FireStudio Project (or “precious” as the Sonic-Mate calls it given the way I fawn over it) is an awesome interface! Audio signal is vrey clean! Can’t recommend it enough!!!
Oct
9
2011
On Friday, I did something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time. I gave a donation to KFCF / KPFA Pacifica Radio.
What, don’t you call them “Communist Radio”?
Yes I do.
The views and political editorials aired on the Pacifica stations is far left at its mildest, and completely lunatic at its boldest! But, I am a firm believer in free speech, and absolutely support their right to have their opinions heard, even if, in my view, they are sometime 100% wrong and insanely nutty!
My pledge was a small donation; business is slowing down and I can’t afford to give much out of my wallet. But it felt really good doing it. And it’s worth it. They have some very interesting book reviews and chats with the authors. Plus, they also air various Congressional hearings in their entirety, something no other commercial radio station would ever be able to do. That alone, to me, is worth the cost of the donation.