American military casualties this past week

The Department of Defense released the names of seven service members who died this past week:

--US Army SFC Riley G Stephens, 39, Tolar, TX

--US Army SFC Aaron A Henderson, 33, Houlton, ME

--US Army SGT Thomas J Butler IV, 25, Wilmington, NC

--US Army SGT Jeremy F Hardison, 23, Maysville, NC

--US Army SGT Donna R Johnson, 29, Rasford, NC

--US Army SFC Daniel T Metcalfe, 29, Liverpool, NY

--US Marines Sgt Camella M Steedley, 31, San Diego, CA

According to iCasualties, the total number of allied service members killed in Afghanistan is now 3,199.

Links: http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/week-memoriam-163

http://icasualties.org/

3 Examples of what corporations and the rich are doing to us--and getting away with

Coincidentally, purely, these two articles came up online to me this afternoon:

Google pays just $10 million Irish tax bill by routing 9 billion euros profits abroad

And this one:

Fugitive Irish Lawyer Michael Lynns' $103 million is out of reach of the law in Brazil

You see what both this corporation and this lawyer did, don't you?

Each used current, existing laws to get and keep money away from the government in their operating country.

Pretty nice, eh?

Don't want to pay taxes in the country you live in, as in the case of the uber-rich attorney in Ireland?

You're a corporation somewhere--anywhere in the world, really--and, again, don't want to pay what would otherwise be a legitimate tax bill that would help keep that country you're operating in, running?

Offshore the profits, silly!

Before, the working person's problem was having his or her work devalued and so, paid less, because the company they worked for took the work overseas to be done by impoverished workers in foreign countries who would be desperate for the work.

Now, worse yet, we have individuals and these same corporations legally but immorally and unethically "offshoring profits" so they can escape tax bills.

Sounds like a certain Republican presidential candidate we know, too, doesn't it?

Disgusting.

Nations the world over need to outlaw these possibilities. If they don't, it will not only continue to happen but spiral upwards in use by these selfish, greedy pigs.


Links: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Google-pays-just-10-million-Irish-tax-bill-by-routing-9-billion-profits-abroad-173020581.html

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Fugitive-Irish-lawyer-Michael-Lynns-103-million-is-out-of-the-reach-of-the-law-in-Brazil-172867181.html

Quote of the day

“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”

--Eugene V. Debs, American union leader, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies), and several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_v_debs

2 KC Institutions that desperately need updating

There are two--count 'em, two--Kansas City retail institutions in the area that have locations that are in such really awful condition, it's difficult to believe how neglected and downright ugly they are.

The first is Berbiglia's Liquor stores.

The two stores that are ironically closest to the city's most prime retail space, the Country Club Plaza, are a couple of the best, worst examples of ugly retail spots in the city. The first is on Westport Road, just to the West of Southwest Trafficway while the 2nd is at the corner of 45th and Madison.

These 2 stores are dumps. It's stunning this company has the nerve to keep these ugly, rundown retail facilities open. It looks as though they only want to sell to alcoholic street people. Without updating this place, they have a lot of nerve keeping it open. It's an insult to the customers who come through the door. I should think the Berbiglia family is or would be embarrassed by these really awful eyesores, should any still be around, as I believe they are.

Both have what must surely the original linoleum vinyl tile flooring when the shops were opened, they look that bad. They're way overused and neglected. You'd think they'd be an embarrassment to the owners of the chain but clearly they're not. They've been in this condition for years and to date, it appears they have no regard for their stores and, worse, no respect for or appreciation of their customers. They simply want to suck all the money and profit from the stores they can and never update. The customers they seem to be catering to would be the alcoholics off the street. If this isn't the customers they want, they should invest in their stores at least enough to make it clear otherwise.

Their store out on 75th Street, near State Line makes it clear they know they wouldn't have clients without also having a nice-looking, attractive, comfortable store, too.

The second local company that sorely, sorely needs updating and a bit of investment are the two Winstead's restaurants.

Have you been in lately?

Sure, the hamburgers and fries are just as they ever were... but that carpet?

It's not only badly worn in the main path areas but it's downright filthy. Whatever shades of mauve it used to be is now a deep, dark, dirty brown. It is beyon not pretty. It doesn't give you the feeling you've walked into a clean restaurant, certainly. And it's true at both the Plaza location and the one out West on Shawnee Mission Parkway, near I-35.

If the owners are smart, they'll one day put in new carpet, then give the staff a bit of a refresher on great service and have a kind of "Grand re-opening" so it gets them some notice and--shock of shocks--free press, media attention and advertising. Imagine that--helping your business and sales by investing in it.

Both of these businesses need to do just that and the sooner the better.

In each case, would it cost the company to update? Sure, you bet it would.

But would it also pay the respective companies in media attention and increased sales?

I think it absolutely would.

Here's hoping.

Links: http://www.berbiglia.com/

http://www.winsteadssteakburger.com

Great question

“Why is it that if you take advantage of a tax break, you’re a smart businessman, but if you take advantage of something---he was referencing food stamps---you need to not be hungry, you’re a moocher?”

--Jon Stewart, last evening, in his mock debate against Bill O'Reilly

Links: http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/10/06/jon-stewart-bill-oreilly-rumble-top-lines/

http://news.yahoo.com/oreilly-stewart-tangle-mock-debate-014019527.html

Perspective

We really are all in this together, folks.

But we knew that.


Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

David Glass reaches for yet more brass ring

In an outrageous show of arrogance or chutzpah or both, our own Major League Baseball pretenders, the Kansas City Royals, without doubt lead by their uber-wealthy and uber-greedy owner, former Wal-Mart executive David Glass, announced today they will be raising prices for tickets for games in next year's season.

From the Star, today:

Royals' Notes: Prices going up for season tickets

It’s going to cost more next year to take in a game at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals are instituting an increase in season-ticket prices for 2013 for virtually all seats except those in the ritzy Crown Club, which are actually dropping by $5 a ticket. (As usual, see link at bottom.)

Can you believe the chutzpah?

With the crappy, nearly obscene losing season they put on this year?

And then the season is JUST OVER and they announce this?

And it goes up for everyone--except for the people who can afford it, the wealthy for whom their price goes down.

What unmitigated gall.

To the Hall Family--won't you please, please buy this team and keep it here and make it the winner it could be?

Please??

This is just one more, though glaring reason why we need "No More Glass": http://www.no-more-glass.com

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/05/3849769/royals-notes-prices-going-up-for.html

KC: No. 15 out of 50

Yes, it's been covered by The Pitch Magazine and likely elsewhere online, too, across town but I still think it's good to cover this story and point out a few things differently.

Kansas City was ranked a bit of a surprising number 15 out of a total of 50 cities, nationwide, out of Businessweek Magazines'--with an assist from Bloomberg Rankings, it says-- "50 Best Cities to Live." (See links at bottom).

So good for us but first things, first--where does this come from and what may it mean for us?

First, from where this ranking comes:

The magazines say the cities are "... evaluated 100 of the country’s largest cities based on leisure attributes (the number of restaurants, bars, libraries, museums, professional sports teams, and park acres by population); educational attributes (public school performance, the number of colleges, and graduate degree holders), economic factors (2011 income and June and July 2012 unemployment), crime, and air quality. Major professional league and minor league teams, as well as U.S.-based teams belonging to international leagues in that city were included. The greatest weighting was placed on leisure amenities, followed by educational metrics and economic metrics, and then crime and air quality."

So, all told, that should mean especially good things for us, being based on these items. It's good company--all those cities--good competition and great overall reasons to grant these rankings.

(It has to be noted that it sucks, here, on this list, to be Dallas or Los Angeles or Phoenix, too. Wow).

Next, let's take a pause here and see what the article has to say about us:

Rank: 15
Population: 458,064

Were it not for its high crime rate, Missouri’s largest city might rank even higher. Residents working in the city’s downtown area are watched over by the iconic Kansas City Power & Light Building, while shoppers can get lost in local shopping centers such as Country Club Plaza and the Legends at Village West. For a unique blend of technology, arts, and history, residents can always stop by the city’s old transportation hub, Union Station.

Bars: 113
Restaurants: 921
Museums: 28
Libraries: 19
Pro sports teams: 3
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 36
Colleges: 15
Percent with graduate degree: 7.3
Median household income: $59,980
Percent unemployed: 6.9

I think it's interesting that the ranking is specifically for Kansas City, Missouri, yet they mention the Legends at Village West. That's a cute oversight on their part.

So, finally, then, what does this mean for us?

I think it means a couple things, really, at least.

First, it means we're getting good, national attention and coverage and that's always good.

Second, I think it's clear that, without the arts, Kansas City would be nowhere near this list. The arts and our three national sports teams--baseball, football and now soccer. What's ironic is that that last one, the new, "fereign" one, soccer, is the one that wins more than the other two.

Third, I think we need to, once again, stop a moment here and thank all kinds of people but maybe especially the Kauffman family since, without Ewing, Marion and Julia, we would have neither the Royals Major League Baseball team nor the incredible, in so many ways, new Performing Arts Center. Those are two big factors on this ranking, I think.

Where we have to sit up and take note--what we have to work on, this ranking shows--is that we clearly need, as we all surely know, that we have to get the crime rate down and the shootings and killings to stop.

Now if we just knew how, right?

Here's another note, too and it's in our favor: St. Louis is ranked 47th and really took a beating in all this. They have the big, major league teams but, in the magazine's own words, "St. Louis rated the worst on this list...in crime."

Ouch.

So, not only does this give us some bragging rights and some things for the Chamber of Commerce to crow about and promote and advertise, but it also gives us something to work on and for. Maybe if we get that crime rate down and the shootings and killings to decrease or, better yet, stop, we'll climb up this list even higher.

Here's hoping.

Congratulations, Kansas City. You got some good to great press here. Now let's get out there and get even better.


Links: http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2012/10/05/kc-is-americas-15th-best-city-says-businessweek

http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2012-09-26/americas-50-best-cities.html

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-26/san-francisco-is-americas-best-city-in-2012

http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2012-09-26/americas-50-best-cities.html#slide37

Undecided?

How could anyone possibly be undecided in this presidential race if you've always known you were going to vote in it?

You're looking at two men who could nearly not possibly be more diametrically opposed.

Romney and Obama have nearly completely different views, political, financial, tax, world, everything.

Undecided?

What? You had a lobotomy?

Either that or your heart was removed from your chest.

One or the other.

Links: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/presidential_debate_shows_star.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/24/opinion/frum-real-vision-obama-romney/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

On that debate last night, Part II

It's nearly unbelievable President Obama didn't come out fighting in the debate last evening in Denver.

At least twice, former Liberal Massachusetts Governor, now uber-conservative Republican Mitt Romney brought up his lie that this administration was going to take $716 billion from Medicare and put it on the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").

It's a known, proven lie and the President let him get away with it at least two times. (For more on the $716 billion lie, see the 2nd link, below).

What is that about?

He needed to go after Romney and this point, at least briefly, and show it was not only untrue but that it will save the US many more millions in our health care spending.

The Obama campaign must now take on the theme Alice Cooper so eloquently put it, years ago:



Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/03/3847023/romney-obama-spar-over-domestic.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1139914/-Romney-s-big-Medicare-lie-takes-center-stage-in-debate

Mitt Romney, the "Karma Chameleon"

If we learned anything this year, with the presidential campaign, we know that Mitt Romney is the "chameleon candidate." He's made it extremely clear that he has and will say virtually anything his immediate audience wants to hear, in order to be elected.



The lyrics of the song seem as though they come straight from Mittens himself:

"I'm a man without conviction..."

This, to me, is, by far, the most dangerous thing about Mitt Romney's campaign.

Think about it.

The precedent his election would set for this nation and for political campaigns in the future could be huge.

We're all familiar with the fact that Jimmy Carter's campaign set for all future campaigns was that people would have to start early, at least 2 years bfore the campaign.

Now, with Romney, even though we have video of him from years back, as well as more recently, saying he's both for and against various policies, time and again, repeatedly, people are still taking him seriously as a viable candidate.

Is this really the kind of candidates and campaigns we want to lead our states or the nation?

Surely not.

The big thing for the nation is that he--Romney--is still a successful, viable presidential candidate that could, possibly, win the White House this Fall, even with his shape-shifting and chameleon-like abilities.

Seriously, that is scary. It's crazy.

In the past, expressing different opinions, for and against the same issues would be enough to kill a campaign, Amazingly, frustratingly, nearly inconceivably, it hasn't destroyed Romney's campaign yet. Quite the opposite, it's still working.

The big, over-arching message, should Romney win, given his campaign, is that this squishiness of his, this shape-shifting on issues, day to day, works and that other candidates should use it.

This guy just cannot, cannot possibly win the White House.

Funny but such stupidity from the hypocrites

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Did you know October is National Pizza Month?

As though we needed an excuse, right?

Entertainment overnight

All we need to know about the debate tonight

Sure, Mitt. Brilliant. You bet.



Not.

A breakdown of tonight's presidential debate

From MAD Magazine:

(Click on picture for bigger, easier viewing)

Pledge Week on National Public Radio

1) I hate pledge week on National Public Radio but know it's a "necessary evil" and

2) KPR out of Lawrence is a lot less obnoxious in its fundraising than KCUR.

I know you gotta' do what you gotta' do but wow. It's so nice when it's over.

Please, if you do listen, phone in or go online and pledge. The phone numbers and links, both, are at bottom.

And if you don't listen but aren't familiar with it, you might check it out. Between either news or entertainment--or both--you may well enjoy what you hear.

--KCUR, Kansas City phone number: 816.235.5287

Kansas Public Radio, KPR, out of Lawrence and Kansas: 785-864-5268

Not to be forgotten, there is Warrensburg, Missouri's own KTBG, The Bridge, at 90.9 FM: 866.909.2743 (toll free).

Links: http://kcur.org/

http://www.kansaspublicradio.org/

http://www.ktbg.fm/

Maxine, on the Right Wing

Our own government sprayed St. Louis with radioactive particles--and for years

Wow.

Is it any wonder people don't think our government is or can be against us? I just saw this article online:

Revealed: Army scientists secretly sprayed St Louis with 'radioactive' particles for YEARS to test chemical warfare technology

The United States Military conducted top secret experiments on the citizens of St. Louis, Missouri, for years, exposing them to radioactive compounds, a researcher has claimed.

While it was known that the government sprayed 'harmless' zinc cadmium silfide particles over the general population in St Louis, Professor Lisa Martino-Taylor, a sociologist at St. Louis Community College, claims that a radioactive additive was also mixed with the compound.

She has accrued detailed descriptions as well as photographs of the spraying which exposed the unwitting public, predominantly in low-income and minority communities, to radioactive particles.

It's bad enough the government did it, period, but then to also do it to "low-income and minority communities"?

What the hell are we supposed to think about our own government?

And who's to say what causes cancer in the US?

This is just stunning and extremely disappointing to me. Not completely surprising but still a bit of a shock.

So what are they doing to us now? Nothing? Hopefully? And are we supposed to believe that?

Is it any wonder people think the contrails of jet planes are poisoning us, even now? I just hope the ones who believe that are mistaken.

And then, to add yet more indignation to this whole mess, look where it's coming from. The story here is reported from the UK, not a media source here in the States. That's not to say some national or local news source didn't report it but this is the first I've seen of it.

Check out just this one bit of information from the article:

"...the greatest concentration of spraying in St Louis was at the Pruit-Igoe public housing complex, which was home to 10,000 low income residents. She said that 70 per cent of those residents were children under the age of 12."

How disgusting, how revolting is that?

With a bit of further digging, I found the military and government did this over not just St. Louis, either, but over Corpus Christi, Texas, too. (See 2nd link, below).

What are we to think or trust of our government?

Links to original article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210415/Revealed-Army-scientists-secretly-sprayed-St-Louis-radioactive-particles-YEARS-test-chemical-warfare-technology.html

http://rt.com/usa/news/us-radioactive-louis-martino-taylor-443/

Some video from the original article, above:

From the "You Gotta' Be Kidding Me" File

A brief article in the Star this morning:

"Vandals scribbled on the outer walls of one of Jerusalem's best-known churches early Tuesday morning, Israeli police said. Extremist Jewish West Bank settlers are suspected in the defacement of a wall leading to the Church of the Dormition. The century-old structure is built on the site where tradition says the Virgin Mary died."

I mean, come on. Are you kidding me? Are we not adults?

I wonder what they wrote. "Mary cheated on Joseph"?

Sheesh.

For once and for all, could we kill the whole "FEMA Camps" notion?

Thank goodness.

Popular Mechanics, of all organizations, finally did what I was hoping someone, anyone would. They put together a seemingly complete list of claims and actual facts on what people say are "FEMA Camps" this President and his administration are creating, in which they can put us, the American people:

The Evidence: Debunking FEMA Camp Myths

Earlier this week, PM editor-in-chief James Meigs appeared on Glenn Beck's FOX news program twice to debunk conspiracy theories regarding supposed "concentration camps" being built by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But PM's research went beyond what could fit in the short segments. Below are more details regarding some of the most prevalent claims, and facts, uncovered through PM's independent investigation.

I get so tired of hearing people claim these are being built.

Thank you, Popular Mechanics, for doing what so desperately needed to be done here.

Not that the "true believers" will believe the facts, mind you, but at least you tried and in the meantime, now we have some facts and information to go against this nonsense.

Read and see more (please) at these links: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/4312850

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513024,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513257,00.html

To the "Job Creators"

A note to the local, national and international Muslim Community

I just saw this local news online:

Local Muslims petition Obama to restrict 'hate speech'

The article:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - More than 300 local Muslims are petitioning the White House for change.

Members of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City tell 41 Action News they have good reasons for wanting to limit first amendment rights. They said their petition to ban language that defames, insults or provokes violence has been sparked by a video that has caused outrage across the globe.

From violent attacks, to angry marches, the "Innocence of Muslims" film has encouraged local Muslims to fight for change.

"Insulting somebody else or putting somebody down can insight violence and lead to people losing their lives. We’re trying not to give these people a chance to misbehave," said Mohammed Kohia, who started the petition along with the executive board of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City.

First things, first here--sure, I'm all for a bit of limitation on true "hate speech." Millions of Jews were killed all across Europe due to the inflammation of this type of speech, sure, as just one example.

But what we're talking about here is limiting our Constitutional right of free speech OR ELSE MUSLIMS WILL KILL THE PEOPLE THEY SEE AS OFFENDERS.

It's patently not the same thing.

This is what happened in the last few days in Bangladesh. (see 2nd link below) Someone reportedly put a picture that offended some followers of the Muslim faith on their own Facebook page so thousands of followers of Mohammed took the law into their own hands and burned down Buddhist Temples and 40 people's homes.

And now, apparently, the local Muslim community wants us to limit our free speech, just so they won't have to--what?--go all crazy on us?

No. No, I don't think so.

It's as I said yesterday out on the internet--the entire, rational, educated, peace-loving Muslim world out there needs to come down squarely on the side of logic, sanity and reason and say that the radical Islamists must not, ever again, kill, maim, torture or otherwise go all looney on people just because they perceive Mohammed was defamed in some way. That, ladies and gentlemen, are what judicial courts are for. No one--no one--is supposed to take the law, immediately, into their own hands, as the radical, terrorist Muslim community has done, repeatedly, time and again, across the world.

We need an end to the terrorism and torture and killing, not an end or limitation of free speech.

So, in response to your request to us to limit our speech?

Oh, hell no.

Links: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/lifestyle/local-muslims-petition-president-obama-to-restrict-freedom-of-speech

http://photos.denverpost.com/2012/10/02/photos-thousands-of-muslims-go-on-rampage-burn-more-than-a-dozen-temples/

The Interwebs fighting over Kansas City

It seems both Kansas Cities made it into The Wall Street Journal today:

Web Rivals Want What Google Got

To entice Google Inc. to build its ultra-high-speed fiber network there, Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., offered the Internet company sweeteners including several free or discounted city services. Now, Time Warner Cable Inc. and AT&T Inc., the incumbent Internet and TV providers in town, are angling to get the same deal.

Among the sweeteners granted Google by both cities are free office space and free power for Google's equipment, according to the agreement on file with the cities. The company also gets the use of all the cities' 'assets and infrastructure'—including fiber, buildings, land and computer tools..."

Who knew?

Maybe this was in The Star at some point--who gets and reads all those papers? (Well, except maybe aged barbers in town or elderly citizens).

I had no idea the city gave them all that access.

Seems like a good idea, too, for once.

Both sides--the respective city and Google--benefit. And now we benefit even more, too, what with all the computer companies like Time Warner Cable and AT&T fighting over us. How great. Yet more benefits.

Kansas City--both sides of the state line--wins. Right here in good, old "flyover" country.

So, enjoy, Kansas City. It won't last long but for a while, we're top of the technology heap.

I be lovin' me some good, old-fashioned competition right about now.

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443862604578030671101065746.html

Beginning of the end for Apple's dominance?

Any Apple computer follower--and lots of others--heard the news last week, surely:

Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for New Maps Glitches

It seems when Apple introduced its own maps feature, it didn't work.

At all.

And between this rather glaring shortcoming, combined with the last iPhone release that was, while hugely financially successful (read: they sold a lot), the phone didn't have that many new, great, new gadgets or features to it.

I think Samsung hits Apple pretty hard because of it, too, in this, their latest advertisement:



We'll see, of course.

Perhaps it's just a blip. Maybe it's not over for Apple's ascendancy.

I'm afraid, for them, it may well be.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-apologizes-maps-glitches-131156675--abc-news-tech.html

Entertainment overnight

The magnificent, too-often either forgotten or overlooked, I expect, nowadays, anyway, Nina Simone:

Quote of the day

"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." --Former US President Jimmy Carter

While Rome burns, Congress fiddles

Americans, nationwide, being busy with trying to keep our jobs and homes and families and lives intact are, mostly, going on with our lives, of course but in the meantime, our own US Congress declared an 8 week vacation for itself and vacated Washington.

Wonderful.

Forget that the nation is facing a "fiscal cliff" that will hit us January 1--of their making--if they don't come up with a budget. Forget that.

They're going to come back right after the November election and have precious little time to do the rather huge job of working together and compromising to make that budget agreement so huge cuts aren't imposed.

In the meantime, there's little media coverage, really.

This, thankfully, broke today:


If Congress Goes Over The Fiscal Cliff, Here's How You'll Get Hurt At Tax Time (Link at bottom).

From the article:

If Congressional gridlock sends the U.S. government tumbling over the fiscal cliff later this year, Americans could face an average tax hike of almost $3,500 in 2013. Nearly 9 of every 10 households would pay higher taxes. Every income group would see their taxes rise by at least 3.5 percent, but high-income households would suffer the biggest hit by far, according to a new Tax Policy Center analysis.

And that's just a small part of what will happen if Congress doesn't get back to work.

From Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, as reported from MISH'S Global Economic
Trend Analysis Blog:

"...the Congress and the Administration will soon have to address the so-called fiscal cliff, a combination of sharply higher taxes and reduced spending that is set to happen at the beginning of the year. According to the Congressional Budget Office and virtually all other experts, if that were allowed to occur, it would likely throw the economy back into recession. The Congress and the Administration will also have to raise the debt ceiling to prevent the Treasury from defaulting on its obligations, an outcome that would have extremely negative consequences for the country for years to come. Achieving these fiscal goals would be even more difficult if monetary policy were not helping support the economic recovery."

So, Congress, get busy.

Please get back to work, get busy and start compromising.

Links: http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2012/10/01/if-congress-goes-over-the-fiscal-cliff-heres-how-youll-get-hurt-at-tax-time/

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/10/bernanke-begs-congress-to-address.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MishsGlobalEconomicTrendAnalysis+%28Mish%27s+Global+Economic+Trend+Analysis%29


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/01/162088383/report-if-congress-ignores-fiscal-cliff-most-americans-will-pay-more-taxes

Muslims--and the world--need to make clear this is not acceptable

From the Star today:

Bangladeshi Muslims torch Buddhist temples, homes

Check this out:

Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims set fire to at least 10 Buddhist temples and 40 homes in anger over a Facebook photo of a burned Quran before authorities restored order.

So let's get this straight.

Thousands--thousands--of people set fire to Buddhist religious buildings--their temples--and homes because there was a picture on Facebook of a burned book.

Right. Got it.

That's logical, right?

Heck no.

All peaceful and peace-loving Muslims, Islamists and followers of their leader, Mohammed, as well as the world, need to make clear to the rest of the world that torching other people's homes and religious buildings and even the murders which have taken place are not acceptable or an option, in any situation.

On the contrary, it's insane. It's psychotic.

If the point is that only 10 to 15 percent of the Muslim world are terrorists, fine but then the rest of the Muslims of the world need to make crystal clear to these lunatics that this is not acceptable and not what Mohammed would have them do.

To remain silent gives these people consent to continue this insanity.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/30/3840857/bangladesh-muslims-torch-buddhist.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

October is "National Vegetarian Awareness Month"?

Does this seem like a good idea?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great if someone is vegetarian, for sure. In fact, I try to eat lots more vegetables and fruits for my health and waist, everything, sure. I can't do away, totally, with meat in my diet yet but I do all right. I think I probably eat less red meat, at least, than the average American.

My point is, if we're talking increasing vegetarian awareness, wouldn't it make more sense to do it in, say, August, because of the heat? I know it's a lot easier for me to eat more vegetables in the form of salads and so on, because it's usually so bloody hot (no pun intended) here in the Midwest. And this year would have been a great one for it, since we were so much hotter than normal.

In October, when it's getting cooler, as it's about to, here in the Midwest this week, it seems like that's the time when people are maybe firing up more barbecues to grill--gasp--red meat (or chicken or pork or whatever).

Barbecue seems to taste especially good when it's cooler but maybe that's me.

Anyway, here's to National Vegetarian Awareness Month.

Maybe put on that big pot of vegetable soup.

Good luck with it.

Link: http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/features-month/october/vegetarian-awareness-month