From Album 5 There’s a reason why Thom Tillis sounds a lot like Mitt Romney in asserting that nearly half of us are lazy moochers. It’s because that’s all they’ve got. For a generation or more, the lazy moocher lie wrapped in the tribal myth (“real Americans versus ‘those people’”) is the central tenet/lump-of-coal-heart of the Republican Party. A central tenet that exploits an easily manipulated emotion and, sadly, rather effective motivator, hate. Maybe we could call it base-hate. And it works for scoring votes…but it’s not so good when you’re trying to govern a civil society. Continue reading He Was There In Spirit

From Album 5 There’s a reason why Thom Tillis sounds a lot like Mitt Romney in asserting that nearly half of us are lazy moochers. It’s because that’s all they’ve got. For a generation or more, the lazy moocher lie wrapped in the tribal myth (“real Americans versus ‘those people’”) is the central tenet/lump-of-coal-heart of the Republican Party. A central tenet that exploits an easily manipulated emotion and, sadly, rather effective motivator, hate. Maybe we could call it base-hate. And it works for scoring votes…but it’s not so good when you’re trying to govern a civil society. Continue reading He Was There In Spirit

From Album4 And, you know, deep down, it actually makes perfect sense…provided you’re a stark raving, crazed lunatic. Continue reading The World, According To Jim

From Album4 And, you know, deep down, it actually makes perfect sense…provided you’re a stark raving, crazed lunatic. Continue reading The World, According To Jim

From Album 5 Emphasis on “Flake.” Noted chutzpah pronunciation expert Michele Bachmann has some more advice for “the Jewish community:” The Jewish community gave him their votes, their support, their financial support and as recently as last week, forty-eight Jewish donors who are big contributors to the president wrote a letter to the Democrat [sic] senators in the US Senate to tell them to not advance sanctions against Iran. This is clearly against Israel’s best interest. What has been shocking has been seeing and observing Jewish organizations who it appears have made it their priority to support the political priority … Continue reading Golden Gopher Flake

From Album 5 Emphasis on “Flake.” Noted chutzpah pronunciation expert Michele Bachmann has some more advice for “the Jewish community:” The Jewish community gave him their votes, their support, their financial support and as recently as last week, forty-eight Jewish donors who are big contributors to the president wrote a letter to the Democrat [sic] senators in the US Senate to tell them to not advance sanctions against Iran. This is clearly against Israel’s best interest. What has been shocking has been seeing and observing Jewish organizations who it appears have made it their priority to support the political priority … Continue reading Golden Gopher Flake

FromAlbum 5 They aren’t even bothering to hide it: I’m not sure why this isn’t a bigger deal. I hadn’t heard about it other than in this brief passage tucked away in a Politico article about the House GOP agriculture bill. But it takes a small program intended provide meals to children in the school lunch program during the summer months and says it can now only be used to benefit kids in “rural areas”. In other words, “urban” kids are now out of luck. I suppose this also makes the “moderate” wingnut position…let the kids work for food, you … Continue reading Country Mouse, CityMouse Mooch

From Album 5 They aren’t even bothering to hide it: I’m not sure why this isn’t a bigger deal. I hadn’t heard about it other than in this brief passage tucked away in a Politico article about the House GOP agriculture bill. But it takes a small program intended provide meals to children in the school lunch program during the summer months and says it can now only be used to benefit kids in “rural areas”. In other words, “urban” kids are now out of luck. I suppose this also makes the “moderate” wingnut position…let the kids work for food, … Continue reading Country Mouse, City Mouse Mooch

From Album 5 They aren’t even bothering to hide it: I’m not sure why this isn’t a bigger deal. I hadn’t heard about it other than in this brief passage tucked away in a Politico article about the House GOP agriculture bill. But it takes a small program intended provide meals to children in the school lunch program during the summer months and says it can now only be used to benefit kids in “rural areas”. In other words, “urban” kids are now out of luck. I suppose this also makes the “moderate” wingnut position…let the kids work for food, … Continue reading Country Mouse, City Mouse Mooch

From Album 5 So, wacko festival season ends this year with what reactionaries are promising will be some sort of cross between lunatic fringe Coachella and the Minutement at Lexington and Concord…well, plus layer after layer of beer gut from years of drinking canned Busch beer by the case, maybe some Confederate battle flags mixed in with the Stars and Stripes and Gadsden Flags (possibly attached to a Hoveround paid for by Medicare)…in other words, a place for vendors to hawk Jane Fonda was a Traitor Bitch bumper stickers that ISN’T a gun show. Speaking of, I wonder how many … Continue reading The Spirit of 76 Wingnut Special Forces

FromAlbum 5 So, wacko festival seasonends this year with what reactionaries are promising will be some sort of cross between lunatic fringe Coachella and the Minutement at Lexington and Concord…well, plus layer after layer of beer gut from years of drinking canned Busch beer by the case, maybe some Confederate battle flags mixed in with the Stars and Stripes and Gadsden Flags (possibly attached to a Hoveround paid for by Medicare)…in other words, a place for vendors to hawk Jane Fonda was a Traitor Bitch bumper stickers that ISN’T a gun show. Speaking of, I wonder how many open carry … Continue reading The Spirit of76 Wingnut Special Forces

From Album 5 So, wacko festival season ends this year with what reactionaries are promising will be some sort of cross between lunatic fringe Coachella and the Minutement at Lexington and Concord…well, plus layer after layer of beer gut from years of drinking canned Busch beer by the case, maybe some Confederate battle flags mixed in with the Stars and Stripes and Gadsden Flags (possibly attached to a Hoveround paid for by Medicare)…in other words, a place for vendors to hawk Jane Fonda was a Traitor Bitch bumper stickers that ISN’T a gun show. Speaking of, I wonder how many … Continue reading The Spirit of 76 Wingnut Special Forces

From Album 5 Who wouldn’t think “Gandhi” when considering the Bundy Ranch standoff? As others point out, you’ve got, um, cows (sacred vs. slaughter, amirite?), women as human shields, Tea Party Patriots armed to the teeth — and Attaturk notes the Mahatma was a victim of gun violence — so, isn’t it…obvious? Continue reading Right…Because The Resemblance Is So…Uncanny

From Album 5 Who wouldn’t think “Gandhi” when considering the Bundy Ranch standoff? As others point out, you’ve got, um, cows (sacred vs. slaughter, amirite?), women as human shields, Tea Party Patriots armed to the teeth — and Attaturk notes the Mahatma was a victim of gun violence — so, isn’t it…obvious? Continue reading Right…Because The Resemblance Is So…Uncanny

From Album 5 Who wouldn’t think “Gandhi” when considering the Bundy Ranch standoff? As others point out, you’ve got, um, cows (sacred vs. slaughter, amirite?), women as human shields, Tea Party Patriots armed to the teeth — and Attaturk notes the Mahatma was a victim of gun violence — so, isn’t it…obvious? Continue reading Right…Because The Resemblance Is So…Uncanny

From Album 5 I guess in the present scheme of things this is really more icing on the cake — individuals and/or corporations can already shovel (shovel? What am I saying? They don’t actually work), anyway, they can already endow SuperPacs and lord knows what with enough cash to fund a third world military regime…but it does display a pretty hearty contempt for ordinary citizens, whose cash reserves don’t permit them the degree of free speech that, say, wealth inheritors Charles and/or David Koch possess. But what can you do? Hell, at this point you might want to make politicians … Continue reading I’d Like To Buy A Vowel An Election

From Album 5 Though not really something front and center on my radar screen (as I get older and more brittle, football is something I’m less interested in), this caught my attention, not the least reason being it’s more exposure of the rank hypocrisy of “amateur athletics.” By the way, if anyone out there really believes that big-time college sports feature strictly “student-athletes…” can I interest you in some soon-to-be-drained Florida swampland (Hoffa’s final resting place? Maybe!)…and a bridge to get you there? Some college sports — like football — have always been big business. Hugh McElhenny took a pay … Continue reading Will Analysts Look At The Price Of Sacks In The Long Run?

From Album 5 Though not really something front and center on my radar screen (as I get older and more brittle, football is something I’m less interested in), this caught my attention, not the least reason being it’s more exposure of the rank hypocrisy of “amateur athletics.” By the way, if anyone out there really believes that big-time college sports feature strictly “student-athletes…” can I interest you in some soon-to-be-drained Florida swampland (Hoffa’s final resting place? Maybe!)…and a bridge to get you there? Some college sports — like football — have always been big business. Hugh McElhenny took a pay … Continue reading Will Analysts Look At The Price Of Sacks In The Long Run?

From Album 5 So, once again we’ve got one of our mighty corporate big shots going all Godwin — funny how our sensitive they can be, considering they’re supposedly forever fighting cutthroat competition — anyway, maybe Ken Langone just doesn’t realize how, well, regimented placed like Home Depot can be. For decades now productivity gains have gone strictly to the top…while strict has become the watchword for the rest of us, strict as in STFU and keep working. I’m very fortunate these days to have a job that I like in a field I like, where I’m treated more or … Continue reading But How DID Economic Inequality Get So Skewed?

From Album 5 The hand wringing and pearl clutching of some chattering class members is instructive — though more as to their own bizarre fetishes than anything about Obama, Lincoln, or the office of the presidency. These are the same folks who tolerated a flightsuit-wearing, “bring ’em on” boasting man child, who seemed to view the entire presidential experience as a means of dealing with some sort of Oedipal daddy complex. Christ. Besides, if Obama — or Lincoln — wanted to demean the office, they’d speak at CPAC…and something tells me pigs would soar first. Continue reading Tonight, On Between Two Ferns

From Album 5 The hand wringing and pearl clutching of some chattering class members is instructive — though more as to their own bizarre fetishes than anything about Obama, Lincoln, or the office of the presidency. These are the same folks who tolerated a flightsuit-wearing, “bring ’em on” boasting man child, who seemed to view the entire presidential experience as a means of dealing with some sort of Oedipal daddy complex. Christ. Besides, if Obama — or Lincoln — wanted to demean the office, they’d speak at CPAC…and something tells me pigs would soar first. Continue reading Tonight, On Between Two Ferns

From Album 5 Emphasis on “Flake.” Noted chutzpah pronunciation expert Michele Bachmann has some more advice for “the Jewish community:” The Jewish community gave him their votes, their support, their financial support and as recently as last week, forty-eight Jewish donors who are big contributors to the president wrote a letter to the Democrat [sic] senators in the US Senate to tell them to not advance sanctions against Iran. This is clearly against Israel’s best interest. What has been shocking has been seeing and observing Jewish organizations who it appears have made it their priority to support the political priority … Continue reading Golden Gopher Flake

From Album 5 I guess in the present scheme of things this is really more icing on the cake — individuals and/or corporations can already shovel (shovel? What am I saying? They don’t actually work), anyway, they can already endow SuperPacs and lord knows what with enough cash to fund a third world military regime…but it does display a pretty hearty contempt for ordinary citizens, whose cash reserves don’t permit them the degree of free speech that, say, wealth inheritors Charles and/or David Koch possess. But what can you do? Hell, at this point you might want to make politicians … Continue reading I’d Like To Buy A Vowel An Election

From Album 5 I guess in the present scheme of things this is really more icing on the cake — individuals and/or corporations can already shovel (shovel? What am I saying? They don’t actually work), anyway, they can already endow SuperPacs and lord knows what with enough cash to fund a third world military regime…but it does display a pretty hearty contempt for ordinary citizens, whose cash reserves don’t permit them the degree of free speech that, say, wealth inheritors Charles and/or David Koch possess. But what can you do? Hell, at this point you might want to make politicians … Continue reading I’d Like To Buy A Vowel An Election

FromAlbum 5 I guess in the present scheme of things this is reallymore icing on the cake — individuals and/or corporations can already shovel (shovel? What am I saying? They don’t actually work), anyway, they can already endow SuperPacs and lord knows what with enough cash to fund a third world military regime…but it does display a pretty hearty contempt for ordinary citizens, whose cash reserves don’t permit them the degree of free speech that, say, wealth inheritors Charles and/or David Koch possess. But what can you do? Hell, at this point you might want to make politicians wear the … Continue reading I’d Like To BuyA Vowel An Election

From Album 5 David Cay Johnson points to this database compiled by Good Jobs First, which tracks how tax dollars funnel not to the poor, who barely scrape by (particularly if they don’t have children), but the rich, who benefit hugely from subsidies, tax expenditures, etc…to such an extent I couldn’t find a single local project that didn’t obtain some sort of subsidy. To be fair, I don’t necessarily think taxpayer subsidies are a bad idea — but if we’re going to spend public dollars on things that benefit society, then maybe we should look at…things that benefit society…like, oh, … Continue reading Alms For The Not-So-Poor