Quote of the day

"The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil." --Albert Einstein (1949)

Kansas and Missouri in 25 worst states for mental health

Yikes. This one hurt. There is a new report out from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency (SAMHSA) that was linked from The Huffington Post. As the headline above says, our good old Kansas and Missouri didn't fare too well. Kansas is somewhat better, ranked at number 18 (worst) while Missouri is ranked at--ulp--14. Iowa? 40. Neighboring Nebraska? 21. The Dakotas? South at 46, North at 49 with Illinois in the middle of those two at 47th. From the article: "The report shows 20.9 percent of Missouri residents experienced some form of mental illness." At least we're not as bad off as Arkansas (at 10) or Oklahoma (7). The worst? Rhode Island, according to the report. That said, however, the gap between best and worst of all 51 areas is only 8%, from about 16% of each state's population to about 24%. Oh, well. Better luck next list, eh? Links: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/mental-health-states-america_n_1007844.html#s404428&title=51_Maryland; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/mental-health-states-america_n_1007844.html#s404479&title=14_Missouri; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/mental-health-states-america_n_1007844.html#s404466&title=18_Kansas

Comparisons, anyone?

On "Occupy Wall Street"

Quote of the day

"The most common way people have of giving up their power is by thinking they don't have any." --Alice Walker

The corporations vs. the people: It's an old, tired battle

"The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, and more selfish than bureaucracy. It denounces as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the Bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe.. corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money powers of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of a few, and the Republic is destroyed." --Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the day (decade?)

"When you say "radical right" today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republican Party, and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye." - Barry Goldwater, Republican, Conservative and presidential candidate, quote 1994

GOP: What it means now

At least that's what it means to the leadership in Washington, at minimum.

What "Occupy Wall Street"--and America--is all about

We need to get Alan Grayson back in Congress, to join Sen. Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich.

Now the NBA: It's the rich and fatcats against the poor slobs again

First it was Wall Street, screwing us all with their bad mortgage loans they created but sold as AAA rated material. We all know what that got us--the 2008 financial collapse that went worldwide. Then, on a far smaller scale, it was the NFL owners, trying to grab yet more money for themselves, from the players. Fortunately that got worked out. Now? The NBA owners--rich as they are--just don't feel they have or get enough so they're putting another infamous squeeze on their players so the schedule for this year has been put back at least a week. Forget that in both the NFL and NBA--all sports, really, of course--the players are only able to play for a few years, make what they can and then get out. Of course, they also have to hope, especially in professional football, that their health isn't wrecked. The owners? They're there ad infinitum--nearly forever, raking in millions and millions of dollars annually yet these greedheads think they need yet more money. Is it any wonder the "little guy", the "person on the street", the working people of America are finally fighting back, since our wages have been falling for more than a decade? We're fighting for our lives while the wealthy and uber-wealthy are just fighting--us--for yet more millions for themselves. Links: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/07/25/138671825/reports-nfl-owners-players-agree-to-new-deal-ending-lockout; http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-10181629

Sprint can't seem to get a break

Lately, it seems anything and everything Sprint does just gets them in worse stock market/business trouble. They announced they were going to get the iPhone, at long last but what happens? They say they're going to buy 30 million of the things, investors think it's too much, a bad idea so the stock falls 10%, right off the bat. The fact is, Apple more recently reported that pre-orders for the new iPhone 4S hit 1 million, surpassing the previous model so it looks like it might be good for Sprint. But who knows? The latest bad news for Sprint is that Standard and Poors says they may downgrade their stock. These guys just can't get a break, can they? Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/03/3183886/closing-bell-sprint-stock-falls.html; http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111010-708117.html

On our broken health care system (quote)

"The 50 million uninsured may seem invisible, but today their ranks are equal to the combined populations of Oklahoma, Connecticut, Iowa, Mississippi, Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Utah, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, West Virginia, Nebraska, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming. Would America turn its back on these 25 states if they all lacked basic health coverage? That is what we’ve been doing for decades." --Matt Miller, Opinion Contributor, The Washington Post. Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-third-party-stump-speech-we-need/2011/09/22/gIQAjzx8wK_story_2.html

Speaking truth to power

“Some see this as class warfare. I see it as a simple choice. We can either keep taxes exactly as they are for millionaires and billionaires, or we can ask them to pay at least the same rate as a plumber or a bus driver.” —President Obama speaking about the American Jobs Act this weekend

Quote of the day

"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me." --Troy Davis, executed by the state of Georgia, in spite of 7 of 9 witnesses from his original trial rescinding their original testimony against him. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_davis

Video of the day: Welcome to the Jungle

I love these guys. As it happens, they're also from my paternal grandparent's homeland, too. Enjoy.

I think we agree Vietnam was a "quagmire"

So if Vietnam was a quagmire (defined: (figuratively) A perilous, mixed up and troubled situation; a hopeless tangle; a predicament as in "The paperwork got lost in a quagmire of bureaucracy" or "Those election results are a quagmire for any coalition except one of national union.") then what do you call a war we've been in for now just over 10 years--the longest in the nation's history? Surely, that's a "quagmire." Thankfully, we haven't lost the 50+ thousand troops we did in Southeast Asia but there is no way out yet and no way to "win" this mess. At what point do we learn, get wise and get out? Link: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/afghanistan/index.html

Our Afghanistan War, 10 years on

"The longest war ever, fought by the smallest amount of our population--one-half of one percent." --from KCUR 89.3 FM and NPR's program "Talk of the Nation" earlier today: "The Impact of War: Soldiers Say It's Hard to Return to Civilian Life". And our longest war ever, too. Tell me, what part of this makes any sense at all? Links: http://www.npr.org/programs/talk-of-the-nation/; http://www.kcur.org.

Gasoline jumps 10 to 12 cents per gallon today

The European Union declared they're going to strongly support the banks and financial system over there so the Dow and markets zoom up by nearly 300 points. Following that, oil per barrel zooms up in price, due to speculators. The result? You and I pay 10 to 12 more cents per gallon today at the pump. Ah, progress. We need to stop oil speculation, folks. It's not good for the country, let alone the world. It used to be illegal. It needs to be again. Links: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-jump-european-pledge-help-banks-134246596.html; http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Oil-prices-above-85-for-first-apf-972074541.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=

In honor of Columbus Day

I saw a great idea/suggestion on Facebook, of all places, today. It was that we should rename Columbus Day "Native American Day". So true.

The Denver Post on our Kauffman Center

If you haven't seen it, the Denver Post newspaper did a story on our new Kauffman Center (link below). Just one of the things they had to say: "Holy cow, it makes us look cheap in Denver. While the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is scrambling just to stay alive, and has so far failed to raise $30 million in matching funds to make Boettcher Concert Hall a better place to hear music...the folks in K.C. were able to go ahead with a gleaming new concert hall to the tune of $413 million. Suck on that, all you naysayers. For the rest of us, let's just enjoy. Link: http://blogs.denverpost.com/artmosphere/2011/10/03/architecture-kansas-citys-new-kauffman-center-gives-denver-something-to-envy/2410/#disqus_thread

Noted economist Joseph Stiglitz on the "Occupy Wall Street" protests

"You are right to be indignant. The fact is the system is not working right. It is not right that we have so many people without jobs when we have so many needs that we have to fulfill. It’s not right that we are throwing people out of their houses when we have so many homeless people. Our financial markets have an important role to play. They’re supposed to allocate capital, manage risks. But they misallocated capital, and they created risk. We are bearing the cost of their misdeeds. There’s a system where we’ve socialized losses and privatized gains. That’s not capitalism; that’s not a market economy. That’s a distorted economy, and if we continue with that, we won’t succeed in growing, and we won’t succeed in creating a just society." --Joseph Stiglitz, Economist to the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters. Links: http://dangerousintersection.org/2011/10/06/economist-joseph-stiglitz-speaks-to-the-wall-street-occupiers/; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/09/3196907/hundreds-march-in-kc-occupy-movement.html#storylink=omni_popular

On the Chiefs: The bookies were wrong

The bookies and Vegas and the odds were set yesterday and called for the Chiefs to lose. We were right, those of us who called it against the Colts. After all, as I said last week, their quarterback was out. Sure, they have tough games and a tough season ahead of them but for now, that's two wins in a row. And after all, all we have is now, right? Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/09/3197595/chiefs-bounce-back-after-another.html

Skies, Benton's and the Peppercorn Duck Club: Is it out that they'll be gone soon?

A friend told me this weekend that Skies, Benton's and the Peppercorn Duck Club, in Crown Center, are all to be shut down by December 1. If you're a big fan--and I'm a big fan of Skies views of the city--you'd better get there as soon and frequently as you want now. It may be well known in town but I hadn't heard anything of it until now.

Quote of the day

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." --Albert Einstein

Truth be told: Even American Soldiers are against our wars

Out of Afghanistan now. Ten years is far too long.

If you haven't seen the movie "Inside Job"

As an American, you need to see this film. It documents what people, companies and our government did up to, during and after the 2008 financial meltdown that emanated from Wall Street. It tells very clearly what the "Occupy Wall Street" people are either fighting or should be fighting. It is fascinating and disturbing, at least. It is also further proof of what I've said for some time, too. It's documented and documentable proof that we need to get Goldman Sachs--and everyone like them--out of our government, along with "campaign contributions." Then, after you've seen it (rent it?), get out there and have a great weekend. Enjoy that beautiful, comfortable Autumn weather. Link: http://www.insidejobmovie.com.au/

On Solyndra and that 535 million dollars we "loaned" them

About those two executives of the solar panel company, Solyndra, and the $535 million we loaned them. Remember they were taken before Congress and asked questions about the money and all they--we--got in answers to the questions were "I'll take the fifth"? Yeah, well, I have to say, I hope this is being pursued to see if those two--or anyone, really--did anything remotely illegal with and/or about that half-a-billion dollars they got. I hope this is being pursued. I see where the Department of Energy official who set this debacle up is leaving the agency. I hope our government isn't just walking away from this episode without seeing if anything illegal was done. I'd like to look into getting some--most?--of that money back. I hope SOMEBODY is looking into this. Link: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/10/energy-department-official-involved-solyndra-controversy-resigns/43431/

USA Today on Chiefs vs. Colts

Between the fact that the Chiefs are 1-3 on the season vs. the Indianapolis Colts' 0 and 4 and that they don't have their quarterback, I figured we have a pretty good chance to make this season a 2 and 3 ranking after the weekend's game, even if it is being played in Indy. According to USA Today? Not so. They're predictors--Bodog.net and Sagarin--call it for the Colts either by 3 or by 4.67, respectively. Yikes. I hope it turns out otherwise, of course. Good luck and go Chiefs!

Unending War---Is this who we've become?

We won't get out until we--the people--demand it. Side note: I miss the old, intelligent Republican Party that was for a strong and bright America and that was less polarized.

10 years in Afghanistan

And to what end? Are they better for it? I hope so. We certainly aren't. We need a plan. We need a resolution. Endless war makes no sense.