Quote of the day--where we are now

“We are staring into our future and it does not work. The gush of filth” (BP’s Gulf Oil spill) “is a reminder that we have surrendered our independence to a technology we cannot master. Our energies are misdirected to expensive foreign wars whose purposes grow ever more obscure. We rail at one another in “cultural’ clashes irrelevant to our real problems.” “Meanwhile, the clockwork precision of our classical constitution has ground to a halt—depending as it does on consensus that no longer exists. Taking the long view, this is how republics die. ‘Someone’ clearly has to do ‘something.’ What do you propose?” --“Tony” from an article in yesterday’s New York Times, “Generations in the Balance” Link to original post: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/opinion/20judt.html?th&emc=th

Ladies and Gentlemen, your Supreme Court of the United States (and what they're doing to us)

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) railed against the Supreme Court in a speech to progressive legal scholars Thursday night, declaring that "the Roberts Court has systematically dismantled the legal protections that help ordinary people find justice when wronged by the economically powerful." Franken in particular decried the way conservative legal scholars have changed the popular perception of what Supreme Court justices do -- and what justice is. Thank you, Judy, for that introduction, and for your work on behalf of working Americans. Thank you to Caroline Fredrickson for your leadership and for inviting me to speak here tonight. Thank you all for being here tonight, and for the good work you do to defend the Constitution and the American values it represents. It is an honor to address this convention. Speakers at past ACS gatherings have included Supreme Court Justices, Attorneys General, other cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and distinguished legal scholars. So tonight I guess we'll finally get an answer to the question: "What do Stephen Breyer, Laurence Tribe, and Al Franken have in common?" Other than: "They were all in the front row when the Dead played the Garden back in '71." Tonight, we celebrate the rise of a new generation of progressive legal scholars and jurists. Look to your left. Look to your right. Odds are, at least one of the three of you will someday be filibustered by Senate Republicans. Speaking of which, I'd like to give a special shout-out to all the filibustered nominees we have here with us tonight. The Republican obstruction that is standing between you and the work you've agreed to do for your country is unacceptable. And we will continue to fight it. In particular, I want to recognize Dawn Johnsen, who should be the head of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice. What Republicans have done to keep you from doing that important job is flat out wrong. And I want to recognize Goodwin Liu, who should be sitting on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals right now, and who deserves an up-or-down vote. When I joined the Senate, I was thrown right into the fire as a member of the Judiciary Committee, where, by the way, I enthusiastically voted for Goodwin. On my fifth day in office, I found myself taking part in the confirmation hearings for now-Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Just like I am tonight, I was one of the few non-lawyers in the room, but I didn't mind. You see, I did some research, and it turns out that most Minnesotans aren't lawyers, either. But that doesn't mean they aren't directly affected every day by what happens on the Supreme Court, and in our legal system. I don't think you need to be a lawyer to recognize that the Roberts Court has, consistently and intentionally, protected and promoted the interests of the powerful over those of individual Americans. And you certainly don't need to be a lawyer to understand what that means for the working people who are losing their rights, one 5-4 decision at a time. Tonight, I'd like to talk about how we got to this sad moment in American legal history - because it didn't happen by accident. Conservative activists - led by the Federalist Society - have waged a remarkably successful battle to re-shape our legal discourse, and thus our legal system. And they're not done yet. I should acknowledge up front that this story is kind of a downer. But there's good news: the ending has not yet been written. And I really believe that, if we pay attention to how things got so bad, we'll learn how to make them better. Link to original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/al-franken-slams-supreme_n_617448.html

West Edge Project: Coming down?

There is a rumor out in town about the West Edge Project, just off the Plaza, that it will soon go up for sale in a bidding situation and that there will be no "bottom" price unconsidered. As if that isn't enough, from this same source, it is considered "85% sure" that it will be demolished. Not pretty. Wow. That's fairly incredible. These are strange economic times we're living in, folks. This ain't your daddy's recession. Have a great weekend, y'all.

Good for Claire--good for us

Our own Senator Claire McCaskill is apparently going to get the "secret holds" of Presidential appointments finally done away with in the Senate, thank goodness. According to the newspaper this morning, Sen. McCaskill has rounded up at least 67 votes--Democrats and Republicans alike--to do away with these holds that Senators could put on presidential nominations, without having their name on them. They could individually hold up an important process without any identification of who was doing it and so, of why, either. It made no sense and it's a great thing it's going to go away. It's just one more thing that Claire has done for us since she's run for elected offices. It was assinine that a senator could somewhat cowardly get a nomination for a government seat be put on hold but then not have their name associated with it so the person was held more responsible for just why it was on hold. Lots of judicial nominations for the courts have been on holds for years, with no way of telling who put the person on that hold. That was no way to run a governement, that's for sure. This is a big improvement and we have Senator Claire McCaskill to thank for it, if and when it gets passed. Link to original post: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/17/2026088/mccaskill-wins-majority-support.html

The fact is, anti-abortion people really don't want abortions to go away

First there was RU486, the "day after" contraceptive pill and now there is a new one that is reputedly effective up to 120 hours after conception. So, the fact is, we have two different ways to make sure that a true abortion procedure never has to happen again. That's a fact. But the other fact is, the anti-abortion side, the anti-abortion people don't want this issue to go away. They want to keep their "good fight". And it's stupid. It's tragic. Young men and women, ladies and gentlemen--even not so young, for that matter--are going to have sex. They are going to "mess around." They are going to procreate, whether they want a child or not. And after that experience, some of those young women are going to conceive--an egg will be fertilized in some of those cases, like it or not, wanted or not. And if these young women could take a simple, effective pill to avoid going further to term with that conception, then so much the better, clearly. An unwanted child wouldn't have to be brought into the world. An abortion would be avoided. Clearly, that's a good thing. But the anti-abortion people have fought RU486 and they will, no doubt, fight this new, even more effective pill with all their might, all so they won't lose their one objection--so they won't lose their goal and job and that is, fighting abortions. It's stupid. It's senseless and if these people really had the interests of the possible infant and the young woman in mind, they would absolutely allow these new contraceptive pills in as soon as possible, so abortions would be decreased, if not even eliminated. But it won't happen because they want their fight. They know millions of dollars can be raised in the name of fighting abortions and they don't want to lose that power and energy. So abortions will go on, and all because of them, instead. Stupid. Really stupid. Selfish. Irresponsible. Nearly insane.

For the purest "Libertarians" out there

To libertarian extremists who want a world with no government: Move to Somalia: That's what a world with no functioning government looks like.

Who is Gov. Nixon trying to "zoom", here?

I personally don't follow "Pac 10" or "Big 12" or "Little Bighorn" or whatever those football and basketball groups are that much. I mean, come on, life is too short. But listening to the news the last few days, I was bound to hear and learn some things about all these groups and that there were possibly going to be some dissolution of some and creation of new ones. Then, yesterday, the big news. Texas and Texas Tech (I think, right?) thought about it and decided they'd stay right where they are. And that's great for Kansas City, because we get to keep some tournaments and their requisite dollars right here, thank you all very much. But the "frosting on the cake" for me was hearing, today, that our own Governor Nixon had to blast Colorado and Nebraska and their teams by saying "the remaining Big 12 schools are in better position to make the NCAA tournament because the conference lost its 'the two weakest basketball programs' when Colorado and Nebraska left." If I were the Governor's best friend, I'd be telling him, "Dude, SHUT UP. LET IT GO. The right thing happened for the state of Missouri--can you not just let well enough be?" But then, we wouldn't have as entertaining a moment out of all this trivial, inconsequential nonsense right now, would we? Thanks, Gov! Link to original story here: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/06/missouri-governor-nixon-takes-shot-at-basketball-programs-of-colorado-nebraska/1

With Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lawford? And Sammy Davis, Jr??

You may have noticed that the secret files the FBI had on the Kennedy family were just released. Yes, they were. And since there's no great hue and cry coming out due to this, you know it must be pretty dull stuff. But after reading The Daily Beast yesterday, I came across this little tidbit: Were There Kennedy Sex Parties? The Smoking Gun turned up one scintillating memo describing the report of sex parties involving the Kennedy brothers, in-laws, three members of the Rat Pack, and one Hollywood bombshell. The source of the report is unclear. The memo reads, “It was reported that Mrs. Jacqueline Hammond”—the ex-wife of the former ambassador to Spain—“…has considerable information concerning sex parties which took place at the Hotel Carlyle in NYC, and in which a number of persons participated at different times. Among those mentioned were the following individuals: “Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe.” I'm sorry but I remember Peter Lawford (not naked, mind you) and Sammy Davis, Jr., and all I can say is, ICK. And believe me, I'm trying to be mature, adult and sophisticated in my response. Now go turn on the TV and get this image out of your head. Link to original post: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-14/kennedy-fbi-files-death-threats-sinatra-monroe/

All hail, Tom Watson!

There is a terrific article on Tom Watson today--this morning--in The New York Times on him, his turning 60 and preparing for Pebble Beach and it's from right here, out of Kansas City, Missouri. As our computer repair person just said in our office, "cool beans". You can read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/sports/golf/15watson.html?th&emc=th Have a great day, y'all.

Quote of the day

Recently the south seems to have lost it’s collective mind. Apparently to live in the south means that you have to become a hyper religious, intolerant, badly educated, George Bush loving ass. Missouri is only marginally better. Marginally.

Utah – The south only with more white people.



Link to original post:
http://damnitkage.com/2010/06/some-places-i-want-to-visit-and-some-places-that-i-dont/

Quote for the day--from a Bush family member, on health care

She may have been born into a Republican family, but Barbara Bush, the 28-year-old daughter of former President George W. Bush, sounded more like a Democrat this weekend during an interview with Fox News. When "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked her whether she supports President Obama's health care reform plan, she responded: "I guess I'm glad the bill was passed."

"Why do, basically, people with money have good health care and why do people who live on lower salaries not have good health care?" she said. "Health should be a right for everyone." She is president of the Global Health Corps, an organization that champions global health equity.

There is, apparently, a heart beating in a Bush family chest somewhere after all.

Just not a Cheney.

Link to original quote:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/14/barbara-bush-health-care/

Three sides of three prominent Republican mouths

First up, Rep. John "Get Outta My Sunlight" Boehner:

Boehner Claims He’s Said ‘From The Beginning’ That BP Should Pay For All Oil Clean Up

Click here to read about this beauty.

"Boehner the Bonehead" first says BP and the government are both responsible for the oil spill and clean up, then he says only BP is, then he goes back to saying both of them. It becomes clear he isn't sure what he himself means. Crazy.

Next, from Texas Governor Rick "Don't Make Me Think" Perry:

After Balancing His Budget With The Stimulus, Perry Again Says He’ll Reject Federal Funding

You can read all about that here.

Keep in mind, the good Governor has done this before--taking Federal money for Texas but claiming it was all so horrible, virtually simultaneously.

And lastly, from Karl "I'll Just Shout Over You" Rove:

Rove Says Obama Should Hear From Academics On Oil Spill, Then Complains He Is Surrounded By Academics

Check that out here.

And some of the American electorate believe this crap. Or they profess to, anyway. They're comfortable with it all and the Party and these people.

Yikes.

If you weren't familiar with the phrase "talking out of both sides of one's mouth", you should be now.

Ten Things You Should Know About Hurricane Season

With the beginning of hurricane season and because a)there has been a prediction of an active season and b) we're concerned about the oil in the Gulf of Mexico right now and through the end of the year (by Sarah Nelson):

1. Hurricane season takes up nearly half the year. Typically it last from June 1 through the end of November. Approximately 97 percent of all hurricanes occur during the official hurricane season.

2. Across the country, 12 percent of Americans live in hurricane-prone regions.

3. Hurricanes are categorized by their wind force and storm surge (the height of water pushed ashore). The weakest hurricane has winds ranging anywhere from 74 to 95 miles an hour. A category five hurricane has winds of more than 155 miles per hour. Major hurricanes are ranked as either category three, four or five storms.

4. Experts anticipate an active 2010 hurricane season. Current estimates predict 14 to 23 named storms, and three to seven major hurricanes. The annual average is 11 named stormed with six hurricanes – two of which are major.

5. The year 2005 was the most active hurricane season in recorded history with 28 named storms. Including Katrina, 2005 had 15 hurricanes, seven of which were major. Prior to that year, the most active season on record was 1933 which had a total of 21 storms.

6. The longest category five hurricane was Hurricane Allen in 1980. The storm lasted 12 days and moved from the coast of Africa all the way to Northern Mexico before dissipating into a tropical depression.

7. Hurricane evacuation orders are serious business. If local authorities evacuate a region, following instructions can be a matter of life and death. Ninety percent of hurricane-related deaths are caused by storm surge, not winds.

8. When a hurricane causes severe damage to region, a request is often made to retire that hurricane’s name. Retirement means the name cannot be used for at least ten years after the storm. In 2005, five hurricane names were retired – the most names ever retired in a single year.

9. Most hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and less frequently in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Major storms that cross between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are renamed. Only nine storms have ever crossed oceans. The most recent major hurricane to cross oceans was Atlantic Hurricane Cesar, which became Northeast Pacific Hurricane Douglas, in 1996.

10. The frequency of tropical cyclones (a term that includes hurricanes and typhoons) over the last 35 years. Whether or not global climate change is driving the increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes and other stories remains a topic under debate – much like the ongoing and highly politicized struggle over climate change science itself.

Link to original post:
http://www.causecast.org/news_items/9842-ten-things-you-should-know-about-hurricane-season?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+causecast%2Flatest_news+%28Causecast+-+Latest+News%29

Top 10 Dumbest Quotes About the Gulf Oil Spill

The Most Ridiculous and Delusional Statements About BP's Oil Spill Disaster

By Daniel Kurtzman, About.com Guide

1. "We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back." —BP chief executive Tony Hayward, on the oil spill disaster that claimed 11 lives and has spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, May 31, 2010

2. "I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest." —Tony Hayward, interview with Sky News television, May 18, 2010

3. "What better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants, than by blowing up a rig? I'm just noting the timing, here." —Rush Limbaugh, suggesting that "environmentalist whackos" deliberately blew up the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in order to stop offshore drilling, April 29, 2010

4. "Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country's energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas. It's catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proves it." —Sarah Palin, blaming the Gulf oil spill disaster on "extreme environmentalists," Facebook message, June 2, 2010

5. "The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there. It's natural. It's as natural as the ocean water is." —Rush Limbaugh, May 3, 2010

6. "There's a good question today if you are standing on the Gulf, and that is: Where is the oil?" —FOX News anchor Brit Hume, scoffing at the BP oil spill disaster, May 16, 2010

7. "What I don't like from the president's administration is this sort of, 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP. I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business. I've heard nothing from BP about not paying for the spill. And I think it's part of this sort of blame-game society in the sense that it's always got to be someone's fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen." —Rand Paul, the conservative Tea Party candidate who won the Republican Senate primary in Kentucky, May 21, 2010

8. "From time to time there are going to be things that occur that are acts of God that cannot be prevented." —Texas Gov. Rick Perry, May 3, 2010

9. "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." —Tony Hayward, May 14, 2010

10. Yeah, of course I am." —Tony Hayward, when asked if he sleeps at night, Forbes, May 18, 2010

Link to original post:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/stupidquotes/a/gulf-oil-spill-quotes.htm

New data on suicide--and two predictions.

From The New York Times (I actually saw a small blurb on this in last Sunday's Kansas City Star newspaper but upon doing a search just now for it, as usual, it didn't work--way to go, Star):

Rise in Suicides of Middle-Aged Is Continuing
By Patricia Cohen
Published: June 4, 2010

For the second year in a row, middle-aged adults have registered the highest suicide rate in the country, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Historically, the eldest segment of the population, those 80 and older, have had the highest rates of suicide in the United States. Starting in 2006, however, the suicide rate among men and women between the ages of 45 and 54 was the highest of any age group.

The most recent figures released, from 2007, reveal that the 45-to-54 age group had a suicide rate of 17.6 per every 100,000 people. The second highest was the 75-to-84 age range, with a rate of 16.4, followed by those between 35 and 44, with a 16.3.

The rate for 45- to 54-year-olds in 2006 was 17.2 per 100,000 people, and in 2005 it was 16.3.


My predictions:

1) While the economy is certainly, I think it can be shown, better this year than last, I believe, too, that it's going to stay "not good" and get a bit worse. Frankly, I hope I'm wrong, of course, but I think that's where we're headed and that it has an impact on these numbers;

2) These rates, above, will increase still more and dramatically, I'm afraid. (literally);

Again, naturally, I hope I'm wrong.

Link to original post:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/us/06suicide.html

Additional information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/us/19suicide.html

Quote of the day--on religion

"I knew I should have gone to work today There is no God there was no Moses your are no longer 5 There was no jesus mohammed was an opportunistic soldier that used peoples gullibility and fear of the people to do his bidding there is no satan there is no hell there is only this natural world that is explainable through a fundamental understanding of the laws which govern its behavior if it is so easy for you to accept supernatural reasons for everything then perhaps you can accept that this sentence is punctuated perfectly...why...because the pink invisible unicorn seated to your right says so"

--on a friend's Facebook page, yesterday

Best city to raise a family?

Well, Des Moines has done it again.

They've come out on top of a list of "best"--this time, the "Best City to Raise a Family." It comes from Forbes Magazine.

I have to say, as an aside, this is fairly clever on Forbes' part as the magazine repeatedly gets quoted for these rather arbitrary rankings, first, and second, Americans love rankings and competitions, if even phony ones. Also, they only rank the "top ten", it seems, so we have no way of knowing where Kansas City ranks.

So hats off to you, Des Moines--great job.

The cities were ranked on cost of living, crime rate, commuting, household income, home ownership, homeowner costs and education.

There are some notable points of this list:

First, New York State was the one state that had more ranked cities in it than any other: Buffalo-Niagara Falls (10), Albany/Schenectady/Troy (9), Syracuse (4) and Rochester (3). For one state, that's fairly outstanding. New York State gets kudos, too.

Second, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh-7 and Harrisburg-2) and Utah (Ogden-6 and Provo/Orem-5) each had 2 top ten rankings. Not shabby.

Third, I'm thinking our local political and city leaders shouldn't maybe mosey up to Des Moines in the near future, to see what they're doing right that we could emulate.

Fourth, I think we should try, if anything, shrinking our city limits so the core of the city is valued more and we don't keep sprawling. It hurts us maintaining all of it (sewers, streets, schools, etc.) and makes commuting that much worse, too.

Finally, I know our local crime rate hurts us, of course, in this ranking but I'm wondering if those same local political and city leaders (hear that, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor, etc?) might look at these and, after addressing our most pressing problems (especially the shootings, murders, murder rate, drive-by killings, etc.), they might not try to get us higher on these categories, for our own benefit.

That would make this list a valuable assist to us, at least here in town, so we could make this a better place to live yet.


Link to original post:
http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/best-places-family-lifestyle-real-estate-cities-kids_slide.html?partner=yahoore

Quote of the day--On corporations, costs and failures

"I have personally found the transition from an attitude of 'mostly working' to 'never failing' to be very intellectually challenging. Too often the critical importance of a 'never failing' attitude only becomes obvious to corporate boards and senior executives after a critical failure has occurred and earnings and stock prices have taken a hit. Not only is the corporate heart attack victim already at risk for not surviving, the corporate checkbook is wide open to attempt recovery while also doing what should have been done in the first place. Just as important, senior executive and board time will be diverted for months or even years dealing with governmental investigation and rebuilding public trust for their brand."

"On the day of the BP explosion plaques were being distributed to employees for seven years of uninterrupted safety."

Link to original post:
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/25/oil-spill-engineering-technology-cio-network-bp.html?partner=seealso

And now for something completely similar...

(With apologies to Monty Python's creators for appropriating their line).

Now, the latest energy news:

HOUSTON (Reuters) – A natural gas pipeline exploded in north Texas on Monday afternoon, CNN reported.

The blast was originally thought to be an oil well explosion.

An electrical crew was digging a hole when it struck the gas pipeline, an emergency services spokesman in Hood County, Texas, said.

WFAA-TV, the Dallas/Fort Worth station, reported three people were dead and 10 were unaccounted for after the blast.

People dying in large numbers in China, in coal mine explosions and collapses.

People dying in record numbers here, in the US, in the same.

An oil well explosion and leak in the Gulf of Mexico, creating the biggest natural disaster ever.

And now this.

Mind you, this last one is small (unless you're one of the 3 dead or one of their family or friends) but what is it going to take to point us all, as a nation--if not as a world--that we need to invest heavily in the far safer, cleaner and so, smarter solar power, particularly with photovoltaic cells?

If we all have these on our businesses and homes, along with new and better battery technology which, from what I understand is coming along pretty well, all things considered, we would need far less energy companies since we could create a lot of our own power through a calendar year.

Our air would be far cleaner. We would pollute far less, having gotten rid of coal, the transportation of coal and the burning of fossil fuels.

We could also, then, switch the jobs from out of coal mines with their requisite coal dust and health problems for the miners, to much better, cleaner jobs, perhaps installing the solar cells or some other, better, cleaner work.

Is it easy?

Certainly not.

Can we do it overnight?

Again, no way.

But do we need to do it?

I think we all know the answer to that is a resounding "yes".

And it would be "something completely different..."

Link to original post:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100607/us_nm/us_natgas_blast_texas

Have we no fiscal will power at all?

Word out today says the national debt rose this month, for the first time ever, to over $13 trillion dollars.

Say it again: thirteen trillion dollars.

Yowza.

That's a lotta salami.

One analyst describes us as likely going into a "super debt cycle", where we continually owe more and more, due to interest rates and compounding debt.

Dan Fuss, who manages the Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, which beat 94 percent of competitors the past year, said last week that he sold all of his Treasury bonds because of prospects interest rates will rise as the U.S. borrows unprecedented amounts. Obama is borrowing record amounts to fund spending programs to help the economy recover from its longest recession since the 1930s.

“The incremental borrower of funds in the U.S. capital markets is rapidly becoming the U.S. Treasury,” Boston-based Fuss said. “Do you really want to buy the debt of the biggest issuer?”

Most of us have heard this before and it's surely getting a lot of coverage.

And we can agree that one day we have to take care of this, sure, absolutely. Further, we can agree that now would be a particularly bad time to attack the problem, what with the Great Recession we're plodding though.

But it seems there are at least three good--and easy and smart--things we could do about this, if only we get smart.

First, would it be so tough to, right now, do away with "earmarks" Congress creates? I wouldn't think so.

These are rather arbitrary costs we give ourselves, through these legislators.

Let's get rid of these things and the sooner the better.

And it could happen, we could get rid of them, if we make enough noise.

The second easy and intelligent thing I would think we could and should do would be to take away any and all tax breaks--whatever exists--for firms to take manufacturing offshore.

If that ever made sense, it surely doesn't now.

This would have two positive effects, too: First, it would raise income for the country, possibly. Sure, people and corporations would scream that it's a tax increase but so what? Why should we reward firms for producing elsewhere?

The other good effect is that it could, possibly, bring some manufacturing back home, here to the States, of course.

And what would be bad about that? More jobs, back here in our country. Who could be against that?

Finally, the third thing we could and should do for our country is put in place, as I've written before, a minimum 10% (or some figure) tax for any and all companies and corporations to pay, regardless of deductions.

This way, no matter what a corporation deducts, they would pay at least a small amount for access to this country's markets, infrastructure and all that entails.

No person or company should be able to operate in this country as a business and not pay any taxes. That makes no sense at all.

These 3 options seem simple, intelligent and beneficial for the country.

So my question is, do we not have the will, as a people and a country, to do even the most simple, obvious and, again, helpful things in order to start down a better and more intelligent path to fiscal responsibility?

I hope we do. I hope the answer is, yes, we do have that will.


Link to original post:
http://preview.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-04/u-s-s-13-trillion-debt-poised-to-overtake-weigh-down-gdp-chart-of-day.html

In honor of the war protest on the Plaza today (2 pm at JC Nichols Fountain)

They put my YouTube video back up. (I didn't know they did).

One, two, three, four, what are we fighting for?

Quote of the day

Who on earth are we?

Why are we as a species too stupid to understand even how not to annihilate ourselves, but then we turn around and still tell each other we’re geniuses? Why is that?

And why would we presume we can inflict this kind of mindless suffering without having it inflicted upon ourselves in return?


Try to enjoy your Sunday, folks.


Link to original post (a good, short read, worth reading):
http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-4-2010-who-on-earth-are-we.html

In an effort to help a good cause

End the Occupation Protest/Rally – STATEWIDE
Protest to end the occupations/the global empire

We’ve given President Obama enough time to fulfill his promise to bring our troops home. He said 16 months, it’s been 16 months.

Let’s peacefully demonstrate to end the occupation and bring our men and women home. Let’s rally to stop funding these wars.

KANSAS CITY AREA PROTEST/RALLY
Sunday, June 6th
2-4pm
At the Fountain on the Plaza
47th and JC Nichols Parkway
Kansas City, MO

SAINT LOUIS AREA PROTEST/RALLY
Sunday, June 6th
Noon – 2pm
The Hampton Round About near the Zoo
St. Louis, MO

COLUMBIA AREA PROTEST/RALLY
Sunday, June 6th
1-3pm
Corner of 9th and Broadway, Downtown Columbia
Columbia, Mo

Iraq Veterans Against War will be joining forces with LRP for this event.

After all, this is how the Vietnam War protests started and they did, in fact, have some effect on our getting out of Southeast Asia.

Think happy thoughts.

Link to original post:
http://www.libertyrestorationproject.org/2010/06/04/end-the-occupation-protestrally-statewide/

British Petroleum's gift to the world

It's not just the gulf, folks.

At this point, I'm sure the other big oil companies realize this isn't just British Petroleum's problem, too. Far from it. This is going to create problems for "Big Oil" in many parts of the world, not just the "slow to get it" United States.

Note: In all fairness and accuracy, this shows that a "dye" travels this path. Question: Is the dye as thick and heavy as this oil? Doubtful. Would that effect the results? I would surely think so, if in nothing else but time it takes to travel this path, at minimum.

Quote of the day

"Life throws a lot at you. Sometimes you don't like it."

--Frank Morris, KCUR FM News Director, paraphrasing Louisianans on the Gulf, after Hurricane Katrina, the cleanup (and lack thereof) and the current Gulf oil spill.



Have a great weekend, y'all.

Now, the opposite: things I love and things I think we need

In sharp contrast to my entry earlier, here are all the things I like/love. (Because my friend wanted me to be positive, admittedly):

Peace
Love
Understanding
Open-mindedness
Sunrises
Sunsets
Lakes
Vacations
Nature
Mountains
Trees
Flowers
Friends (this one should be far higher up, forgive me)
Happiness
Music
Classical Music
Rock and Roll
The Beatles
Van Morrison
Smiles
Travel
Blues music
Food
Cooking
Conversation
Dining in (with friends)
Hallowe'en
Costumes
Childhood
Youth
Clean (as in being)
Swimming
Hiking
Camping
Photography

The friend's additions:

"Coffee talks"
Conversation
Laughing with friends
Laughing at friends
Reading
DVRs
T-shirts (with really good cotton--my addition. lol)
Hammocks
Pool parties
Sarcasm (just not when I do it. kidding. mostly)
Wine (good point. Sorry I missed this one)
Family visits
Violence prevention
Cuddling (yow)
NPR
PBS


Have a great weekend, y'all!

Things I'm tired of

Yesterday, I was listening to KCPT and NPR as usual and, as usual--at least of late--they were speaking of the oil mess in the Gulf and I got to thinking, "Man, I'm tired of this."

And that got me thinking.

It got me thinking of all the things I'm tired of and tired of hearing about.

In spite of what anyone might think or say--you know who you are--this is not a negative entry/post. It's not. This is just a list of things that, yes, I'm tired of but that, if they weren't in the world, it would be a better place.

Herewith:

Oil
British Petroleum
Gulf Oil Spill
Israel
The Middle East
The Middle East War
Iraq
Afghanistan
Soldier Casualties
"Earmarks"
Politician's hypocrisies
Terrorists
Terrorism
Murder/homicides
Religious intolerance
Bigotry
Discrimination
Famine
Pollution
Religious Fundamentalism
Sunni Muslims
Shiia' Muslims
Hate
Al qaeda
Pakistan
WMD's
Recession
AIDs
Closed-mindedness
Ignorance
SUV's
Urban sprawl
Poverty (we should have solutions for this, that's why I'm tired of it)
Facebook (actually, a friend thought of and added this but I have to agree)

Mind you, I think it's important we hear about these, in some ways, so we can create solutions but, really, they can get so tiresome.

Later today---the positive and good things in life.

Yeehaw!

Let's have a great weekend, y'all.

When will we ever learn?

Another promising young life was taken this week.

Another tragedy.

It's been a busy week for me so I hadn't seen the paper and didn't know of it.

One Juan Garcia--a promising, hard-working young student--was gunned down at his home, I understand.

And for no good reason, of course.

So tragic.

Kevin Hopkins, Jr., some months ago--and many more--too many--before and now this.

No point.

No need.

A life gone.

A beautiful young person.

And still no call for cohesion and work for solutions from the Mayor, his office, the City Council, the local churches or church or community leaders.

That makes no sense to me at all.

Calls to repair sidewalks around schools but no call to try to work against senseless shootings and murders in the city.

Link to original story:
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/01/1986181/family-friends-mourn-teen-slain.html
http://www.kctv5.com/news/23778070/detail.html

Oh, yeah, the Iraq War was a terrific idea and a great success

Estimates of civilian deaths from violence in Iraq alone range from a conservative 105,000 (Iraq Body Count project) to over 1.2 million (UK pollster Opinion Research Business), with estimates by Johns Hopkins at 655,000. More than 125,000 civilians have been injured in Iraq and 4 million displaced, with civilian death and injury in 2010 rising each month. By most estimates, tens of thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed or injured since the 2001 invasion, over 200,00 have been internally displaced, and over 2 million have become refugees, with civilian deaths and injuries rising dramatically in 2010.

The war in Iraq is in its seventh year. The war in Afghanistan, in its ninth year, is the longest war in our history.

That and the fact there were no WMD's.

But let's not nitpick, huh?

Thanks, George. Thanks, Dick.

(You dicks).

Link to original post:
http://www.alternet.org/world/147042/10_things_we_must_remember_on_memorial_day?page=2

But by all means, yes, let's put female enlisted personnel on submarines

In 2009, there were 3,230 reports of sexual assault including rape, according to the DoD, with many more that number thought to be unreported. In a 2003 survey of female veterans 30 percent reported being raped in the military. A 2004 study of veterans with PTSD reported that 71 percent of women seeking treatment said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving in the military.

Yeah, terrific idea.


Link to original post:
http://www.alternet.org/world/147042/10_things_we_must_remember_on_memorial_day