Quote of the Day -- on our national economics

Veterans Day, 2014

"I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.” 

--Mohandas K Gandhi

Veterans Day

Tributes:







Let's REALLY support the troops...  and stop creating wars.

From Bernie Sanders -- A New Direction for America

If only...

Quote of the day -- on America's health care system

Check out what's coming from Right Wing, Republican, "Conservative", "Small Government" Southwest Missouri

Check out what just came out of Southwest Missouri---and don't think it won't be headed your way:

First sobriety checkpoint using 'No refusal' guidelines

If this isn't a rights travesty, I don't know what is. Check out the details:

Numerous arrests were made during sobriety checkpoint Friday evening.

The four-hour checkpoint at the intersection of Kansas Expressway and Broadmoor Street involved more than 900 motorists.

According to a news release, this was the first checkpoint in which the agencies utilized a "no refusal" program announced by Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson earlier this week.

This new program is an effort to help keep impaired drivers off the streets.

It is called a "no refusal" policy because all arrested impaired drivers who refuse breath testing are subject to blood testing for alcohol if a judge approves a warrant. The ability of law enforcement officers to submit their search warrant applications to judges electronically make this process both easy and relatively quick.

The checkpoint was funded through a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Division of Highway Safety.

There are so many things to say about this, I'll do my best to be brief.

And understand, up front, I have personally been the victim of two drunk driving accidents where the person smashed into my car. My own injuries were extensive in each, too, so I'm not against keeping drunks or drug addicts off the streets and out from behind the wheels of cars, don't get me wrong.

What I am patently against here is the presumption, from the outset, of sobriety checkpoints, first, and then, this second, added feature of a "no refusal" policy for a breath test.

What part of "innocent until proven guilty" do these people not understand?

This is what we've come to in America? Personal rights be damned, full speed ahead?

And I love that they got everyone on board here, too--the county sheriff, the local police, the highway patrol, the whole kitten-kaboodle. I'm surprised the Boy Scouts of America weren't asked to participate. "Sure! Get 'em all on board! Let's show 'em how we treat rights in America!"

Whatever in the world happen to Fifth Amendment rights and the Presumption of innocence?

I say again, this is supposed to be Right Wing, if not extreme Right Wing, very Republican, very "red", "small government", "conservative" Southwest Missouri and Springfield. Where are these Gestapo tactics coming from?

I think people ought to organize down there in Springfield and the surrounding area, Greene County and others, and go straight for the next weekend checkpoint. Then, when they're pulled over, all say the same thing: "No, I won't take a breathalyzer test. I've done nothing wrong. I know my rights. This is America, after all."

Then, let them drag them all, hopefully hundreds of them, into jail.

I'd join that party.

Entertainment Overnight -- Amazed

From the upcoming album of other artists covering Paul McCartney tunes:



Hope y'all are having a great weekend.

Making Sure Missourians Know How One Billionaire Was Trying to Buy This Election

And that billionaire is--no surprise--Rex Sinquefield.  Did you all see this from a week or so ago?

Sinquefield rep tried to get reporters to write for his PAC on the side

Here's the story:

ST. LOUIS • A representative of a Missouri PAC funded by wealthy conservative political activist Rex Sinquefield tried to recruit several political reporters from mainstream media outlets around the state to write copy on the side for its causes — a clear no-no among working journalists, as the PAC's representative quickly learned.

The public relations firm Skyword Press, representing the Sinquefield PAC Grow Missouri, sent out an email to several reporters in which it offered $250 per article for the journalists to write about tax reform, politics and other controversial issues on which the PAC lobbies.

Some of the offers were sent to reporters who regularly cover Sinquefield's political activities, including Alex Stuckey of the Post-Dispatch Jefferson City Bureau. Some of the emails specified that the writers would be allowed to write anonymously.

National media blogger Jim Romenesko, who wrote on the issue Friday, said others who reported having been approached include St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Columbia Daily Tribune’s Rudi Keller.

It's disgusting. It's vile. And it's blatant.

Fortunately, a government representative is saying something about it, if even without out-and-out naming him. This, then, from The Turner Report:

Schweich rips into Sinquefield during victory speech

In one of the best Missouri political speeches in recent memory, State Auditor Thomas Schweich rips into the corruption in Jefferson City and without mentioning him by name mentions "candidates who seem to be bought and paid for by one donor." Of course, the candidate to whom Schweich is referring is former Speaker of the House Catherine Hanaway, who is running for governor and has been receiving hefty contributions from retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield. Schweich will likely be an opponent of Hanaway in the 2016 Republican primary, but that doesn't lessen the truth in what he is saying.

Here's the video:


Missouri needs campaign contribution limits put back in place in Jefferson City, without question. This is beyond disgusting. And the change needs to come from us.

Quote of the day -- on that election

It needs to be said

Have a nice weekend anyway, y'all.

It's back to dropping again. Some more

God love 'em

Entertainment Overnight -- Flashback

On that election...

Unlike

On David Glass and his/our Kansas City Royals

Here's hoping Kansas City Royals owner David Glass has gotten spoiled this year by having his/our team go first into the playoffs and then the actual Series.


Hoping he got addicted to all that extra money so he'll do all he can---including spending money--to make sure we get back there again.

And again.

And again.

Go Royals!

Entertainment Overnight -- from last night

Big Chris Botti fan here. This is from last evening's Monday Night Football game.


this is very good by dm_520cd98243c9e

The Problems With Our Government--and Our Elections

The problems with our government are that

a) the elections for our representatives in our governement go on forever

b) we've made "campaign contributions" legal and

c) we've made unlimited spending on these campaigns not just legal but unlimited. That's insanity.

This is true for our national as well as state elections, too.

The fix?

We need to do what the Brits did, years ago, and limit our elections to one or, at most, two months in length, by law. This way, the big campaign money wouldn't be needed.

It's simple. It's badly, wildly needed. It's long overdue. It's simple.

But Americans and especially the wealthy and corporations won't easily go along with this just as so many don't understand the benefits of the Fairness Doctrine in our media we used to have.

We can only hope.

Fight and work for change.

And hope.

Link:  We could learn a lot from the U.K. election

Kansas heads will be 'asplodin' today

First this:

Federal judge orders Kansas to allow same-sex marriages

And then tonight, some Republicans losing, and big time?

Go. Now. Or soon as possible

We have to fight for an end to campaign contributions

(click on picture for easier viewing)

For tomorrow's election day

Kev Mo

Like

Obama bad for America?

Really?

Entertainment Overnight -- And Overhead

Entertainment Overnight -- Moonlight Sonata

"Why are you a Democrat?"

LOTS of reasons:

Like

Still Don't Think Obamacare is working?

For anyone still holding out that the Affordable Care Act--"Obamacare"--hasn't helped or isn't helping Americans, check this out:

One Map Shows Exactly What Obamacare Has Done To The Country

And to save you the time and trouble, here are the facts:

The number of Americans without health insurance hit an all-time high in 2006. Nearly 44 million people (close to 17% of Americans) lacked even the most basic coverage, meaning they'd have to pay full price for any health treatment, from annual checkups to prescription medications.

Today, more Americans have health insurance than ever before.

Since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, an additional 10 million people who would have previously had to pay full price for any health treatment can now afford an annual checkup, eye glasses, or birth control pills.

So here's what the number of uninsured looks like now, nationally:

Courtesy @MetricMaps
Note that not only are far fewer Americans now uninsured but also, tragically, the most Americans are still uninsured in "red", Republican, Right Wing states.

Some people just refuse to learn. Or let someone help them.

Finally, notice the source is the Business Insider not The Huffington Post or some other Left Wing, Liberal source. Business-friendly, conservative Business Insider.

Could we stop hating on "Obamacare" and this President now?

Please?

Kudos, Kansas City

Let's always be like this. Even and maybe especially to each other. All the time:

Quote of the day -- Something America Needs Far More

Entertainment Overnight -- On Time

Don't forget to turn your clock back tonight folks. We get another hour. Sort of.



Enjoy the rest of your weekend, y'all.

They're "Job Creators", all right

The Common, Repeated, Everyday Use of Fear in America

It's gotten old.

Really old.

We should be smarter than to let anyone do this to us.

Quote of the day -- on Voting and Democracy