Archive for September 30, 2010
“Citizens United Productions” — Watch For This Symbol in Political Ads
I’m watching Olbermann and I just saw an ad that was designed to scare the bejesus out of me. (Can’t find it on the Internets at the moment but I’ll keep looking.)
The ad opened with this symbol on the screen for about a second:
Heads up folks. Citizens United is the group that wants to buy our government out from under us.
Oh, and this is one to watch for too:
Two Years Ago, Fox News Wanted Us to Think of TARP as a “Rescue”
Two years ago today, one of Fox’s premier White House stenographers, Neil Cavuto, also known as the “managing editor of business news for the Fox News Channel,” took his queues from the then Bush administration and fellow stenographer Fred Barnes, and tried to reframe the Wall Street bailout as a Wall Street “rescue” (note the chyron):
Three days later, on October 3, 2008, George W. Bush would sign the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill or, TARP, after his Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, waved a single piece of paper in front of freaked-out Senators while telling them that the world as we knew it would end if they didn’t vote in favor of the few paragraphs written on it.
Fast forward to today, and the conservative media has succeeded in convincing almost half of all Americans that TARP was passed during the Obama administration (which took office on January 20, 2009).
Bottom line? While Bush was in office TARP was a “rescue.” When the Obama administration took office, it was a BAILOUT, BAILOUT, BAILOUT.
Happenings in Ecuador
Insofar as our media doesn’t cover anything that happens outside the boundaries of the United States, I thought I alert to the fact that something is happening in Ecuador. Sounds like a disorganized, spur-of-the-moment coup attempt because people, as in the police, are pissed off at the “austerity measures” the government wants to implement. People are suffering everywhere. Thanks Wall Street!
Ecuador’s army chief has demanded that a group of renegade police officers end an uprising against the government, which has already shut down the country’s main airport and sent the president to the hospital.
A state of emergency was declared on Thursday after officers stormed the runway at Quito’s international airport, while others burned tyres outside of bases across the capital.
The military is now in charge of public order, with civil liberties suspended and soldiers authorised to carry out searches without a warrant.
Rafael Correa, the president, was attacked with tear gas when he tried to speak to officers at a police barracks in Quito. The officers are angry about a law that has cut their benefits.
Local media reported that Correa challenged the officers to kill him.
“I’m not taking one step back,” he reportedly said. “Gentlemen, if you want to kill the president, here he is, kill him if you have the guts.”
General Ernesto Gonzalez, the army chief, has said that the officers involved “would have their rights respected” if they turn themselves in.
He said that the military remained loyal to Correa. “We are in a state of law. We are loyal to the maximum authority, which is the president,” he told reporters.
Millionaire Republican Senate Candidate Wants to “Review” the Minimum Wage — But Doesn’t Know How Much it Is
My God. Can you imagine, in the middle of a recession, with millions and millions of people out of work or losing their jobs, being a candidate for the United States Senate and — four weeks before the actual vote — not knowing how much the minimum wage is?!
Well, that would be the case with Linda McMahon, the Republican candidate for the Senate in Connecticut:
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Linda McMahon visited a commercial cleaning service contractor here on Thursday where she accepted the endorsement of a small business organization whose policy positions include opposition to increases in the federal minimum wage.
“What I think what we have to look at whenever we’re talking about minimum wage increases is where is our economy is at this particular point, and how’s that going to impact the businesses that are going to have to pay those wages?” McMahon said.
Asked for clarification on just how she perceives the minimum wage after the news conference, McMahon said she does not endorse getting rid of the minimum wage, but she believes any proposed or scheduled increases should be reviewed.
[...]
Pressed further, McMahon admitted she did not know the current minimum wage or if anyone at World Wrestling Entertainment is earning that amount.
More rich arrogance.
Unbelievable.
Break Time — Mexican Food!
I can’t decide whether Mexican or Italian/Mediterranean food is my favorite but the photos and descriptions of Mexican dishes in this article — Genuine Mexican Foods That You Must Not Miss When You’re in Mexico — make me think I’m leaning Mexican today.
These tacos look so scrumptious I went out this morning and bought some pork, some cilantro and an avocado and I’m gonna make them for dinner tonight:
Before anything else: stop. right. there.
You might think you’re all too familiar with the famous taco. After all, you’ve had dozens of it before in food fairs and at the cafeteria; but there is nothing the like having a taco in its hometown. Ordering a taco from a fast food chain back home is different from stepping outdoors at seven in the morning, the sunlight hitting your half closed eyes still yearning for sleeps, and wobbly making your way to the corner to join the other people in the neighborhood who are lining up for some fresh, steaming tacos on their way to work.
Make sure you pace yourself when the taquero expertly carves the meat and spoons it onto the warm tortillas; then watch closely as he folds the tortillas into manageable, moon-sized pieces. Bet your local food chain doesn’t do that.
The real Mexican taco comes not just with ground meat and cheese but also a number of other toppings starting with the guacamole, some cilantro and a dabble of chili sauce to spike. These flavors go terrific with the taste of the corn and meat that there’s simply no point in comparing it to the ones back home. It is also customary to finish off the taco with your fingers, licking each one to rightfully end your meal.
More yummy stuff at the link above.
The Incredible Arrogance of the Rich
John Stossel, in an article against, natch, “Taxing the Rich,” quotes Donald Trump in a jaw-droppingly arrogant statement:
Donald Trump, who knows something about making money, says of course the rich will leave when hit with higher taxes. “I know these people,” he told me. “They’re international people. Whether they live here or live in a place like Switzerland doesn’t really matter to them.”
You haven’t left, I told him.
“I haven’t left yet. … Look, the rich people are going to leave. And other people are going to leave. You’re going to end up with lots of people that don’t produce. And then that’s the spiral. That’s the end.”
So, in other words, the rich produce everything and we, the Little People lemmings, would be lost without them. The country would collapse.
Wow.
Kim Jong-Il Selects the Fattest Kid in North Korea to Succeed Him
North Korean president Kim Jong-il has selected his son, Kim Jong-un to be his successor and today, for the first time ever, we get to see what he looks like:
What is Karl Rove Afraid Of?
Karl Rove is set to deliver a speech at the University of California/Merced on October 8. The Merced Sun-Star wrote an editorial today protesting the restrictions Rove and his handlers have placed on the event and they ask the obvious question: What is Karl Rove afraid of?
Our View: ‘Censorship’ Fog Hangs over Rove Speech
Karl Rove, “Bush’s Brain,” according to a best-selling biography by Jim Moore and Wayne Slater, will speak at UC Merced on Oct. 8.
First lady Michelle Obama and former President Jimmy Carter also have come to speak here. And it keeps UC Merced up to speed with CSU Stanislaus, which hosted former vice-presidental candidate and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin in June.
But UC Merced should be ashamed of itself for kowtowing to the ground rules Rove and his handlers have imposed: the event is not open to the public — you have to buy a ticket to attend; all recording devices must be turned off after the first five minutes of Rove’s speech; reporters are not permitted to record Rove’s speech; there will be no media availability before or after Rove’s lecture; the question-and-answer session is for audience participation only.
Carter’s appearance was a ticketed affair, but there were no coverage restrictions, and he gave a one-on-one interview to the Sun-Star.
These are unreasonable restraints on a free press and the public’s right to know.
Who is Rove afraid of? What is UC Merced afraid of? How could an accurate and full account of Rove’s remarks damage either the speaker or the institution? Is it Rove or is it UC Merced who’s scared to let real live reporters ask questions? Or are both too timid to field questions from professional journalists?
And Rove acts like such a tough guy.
Best Environmental Photos of 2010
The National Geographic is out with its “Best Environmental Photos of 2010.” They are fantastic, amazing and wonderful. Check them out.
Here’s a sample:
Like a soothsayer with a crystal ball, a fly rubs a bead of water in the backyard of Bulgarian photographer Radoslav Radoslavov Valkov, winner of the “Under 21″ category of the 2010 Young Environmental Photographer of the Year award.
“At first I was astonished to know that I was even shortlisted, and later absolutely delighted to realize that I have received my first serious international artistic recognition,” Valkov said in a press statement.
A green pit viper eyes a hummingbird in Hungarian photographer Bence Mate’s winning picture
Good Morning
I’m trying to think of a good reason why it’s a good morning but I can’t because I’m up and out of bed before I want to be.
It IS nice and cool though, so that’s good.
