Pat is Crazy

Oakland's Vinyl Vault

2012-02-03T00:31:00.002-06:00

Hello again! This week, I will be looking and listening to Darkness on the Edge of Town by the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.

Release Date: June 2, 1978
Singles: Prove It All Night, Badlands

I have to admit, this is an album that I rarely listen to. One of the reasons I wanted to do this project of reviewing all my albums was to force myself to actually listen to all my albums, instead of just my favorite ones.

This album is raw Springsteen. The cover says it all. Working-class guy from Jersey. Things may seem good, but there's darkness on the edge of town (get it?). If this album were a baseball player, it would be Nick Punto. Gritty. White. Underrated. Announcers/music critics all love it. There's no hit single on this album, no star (I mean, can you tell me how "Prove It All Night" goes, because I can't and I just listened to the damn thing!).

This album is a true album, not just a collection of songs. It has a theme. I've always felt that Springsteen gets somewhat overlooked as one of the great American songwriters. But I say, if he's good enough for Joe Posnanski, he's good enough for me!

Rating: 7 thumbs up - Great listen, solid all the way through. Springsteen's passion really comes through. I think I'm going to have to put this one into the regular rotation.

And now, without further ado, that "hit" single, Prove It All Night. Enjoy!

Pat Is Crazy

Oakland's Vinyl Vault

2012-01-24T22:30:00.004-06:00

Greetings faithful follower(s)! This week I have decided to start a new (possibly) weekly tradition: I will review an album from my vinyl collection. I (of course) already have a spreadsheet of all the albums that I own, and I have put them in random order with the help of the internet, and I will go through them one by one! I will try to give a little information about each album (with the help of Wikipedia) and give my thoughts about it.

First up: Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel.

Release date: January 17, 1966
Singles: The Sounds of Silence (previously released), I Am a Rock

The name of the album obviously comes from their hit single, which had been previously released on their debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. The art work is kind of interesting to me. On the front cover, it appears that Simon and Garfunkel are either being harassed by the trailing photographer or are else looking back as they flee the scene of a crime. The back cover has shots of Simon and Garfunkel in what I can only assume are attempts to look like tough guys, smoking cigarettes and loitering.

The album is pretty much what you'd expect from Simon and Garfunkel: folk rock. One thing that I thought was a little odd was that side 2 opens with back to back songs about a man committing suicide: "Richard Cory" and "A Most Peculiar Man." Actually, in general the album is pretty dark. There isn't a single happy song on this album. Even "We've Got a Groovy Thing Goin'" (which the back of the album says was "just for fun")is about that groovy thing leaving Simon and/or Garfunkel's depressed ass. Hello darkness, my old friend indeed.

Rating: 5 thumbs up - It's a solid album. It's not my favorite album of Simon and Garfunkel's, but it's a good listen nonetheless.

Now here's "Richard Cory," which for some reason somebody synched up to The Shawshank Redemption. Enjoy!

Pat is crazy.

Oakland's Inferno - Part III

2012-01-17T17:59:00.003-06:00

Here is the long awaited part three of my journey. Here are Part I and Part II in the likely case you have no idea what I'm talking about.

As my guide, Obi-Wan, and I walked along the perilous path through hell, a great wind began to blow. "We are now entering the second circle of hell, where those who succumbed to desire reside," my master informed me.

As I struggled to keep my eyes open before the fierce gusts, I looked around for the tortured souls of the lustful, but could not find anyone. "Where are they, Obi-Wan?" The old jedi smiled as I followed his gaze upwards.

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!" cried a shade as it soared above us, being blown about by the wind. As I looked closer, I noticed that the sky was filled with shades like this one.

"Wow!" I said. "That must be quite a thrill! I'd love to talk with one of them and hear about how they got here."

With a wave of Obi-Wan's hand, one of the souls imprisoned in this circle floated down towards us. "O condemned soul, my friend here is curious to learn more about your plight. Please, tell us who you are, and how you ended up here," he said to the soul.

"I am Sir Lancelot of Camelot. While I lived, I did many great deeds. Alas, it was my love for my lord's lovely lady Guinevere that has doomed me to this place. Our love was forbidden, and was a destructive force. In the end I lost everything. After Arthur died, Lady Guinevere became a nun, and I a hermit. Long did I live afterwards, and eventually I came to peace with the actions of my youth, but I guess that God did not, for he sent my soul here upon my death."

"Man, that is rough," I responded.

"Actually, it's not that bad here," replied Lancelot. "I fly around all day like a bird. The worst part is simply that we are here for eternity, and that there is not much to do. We're all great philosophers now, since we have had so much time to think. If you would like, I could share with you some of my insights."

"Unfortunately, we do not have time for that," cut in Obi-Wan. "We must be going now. Farewell!"

And so we continued on to the next circle of hell. "Here the gluttonous are punished. I hope you brought an umbrella," said my master.

"Why's that?" I asked, "there's not a cloud in the sky. In fact, we're underground. It couldn't possibly ra..."

My voice trailed off as we came to a solid wall of rain. The third circle of hell was eternally rained upon. "Damn," I swore. "Let's move quickly through this one, shall we?"

We plunged into the third circle, our hands over our heads, trying futilely to stay dry. As we ran, I looked around and saw giant crowds of obese people. It looked like a state fair.

Finally, we got to the fourth circle, and the rain ceased. To find out what I and Obi-Wan discovered there, tune in next time!

Pat is crazy.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T14:16:00.002-06:00

Star Wars Episode IV 1/2 in its entirety:

CERN Detects Evidence of FSM

2011-12-13T22:30:00.000-06:00

Does the above remind you of anything?

Oakland's Inferno - Part II

2011-11-21T15:19:00.003-06:00

Bet you thought I wasn't coming back! Well I did. Now let's continue the story:

As Obi-Wan and I stood on the edge of the river Acheron, a boat drifted towards us, captained by a solitary figure. "Charon!" my master called out, "come. You must ferry me and my companion to the other side."

"I can take you, Jedi. But you're companion still has a living soul, and cannot pass here," replied Charon.

"What if I knocked him unconscious, would that do?" replied my master.

"Yeah, I'll let that slide."

"Wait, wha-" I started to say, and then world went black.

I awoke with the back of my head throbbing. Rubbing it, I looked around, and saw the old Jedi. "Ugh, what was that about? You could have warned me, you know." Obi-Wan looked at me and simply raised his eyebrows. "Well where are we anyhow?" I asked him.

"We are in Limbo, the outermost circle of Hell. Here reside those who were virtuous in life, but cannot go to Heaven because nobody dumped some water on their heads. Even those who could not possibly have been baptized because they lived before the ritual was invented, or come from a galaxy far, far away, must linger here for eternity. There's not a lot of logic to it. Kind of like on a boat with women and children first. I mean why should they..."

"Did you just quote Arrested Development?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah," he replied. "We're dead, so we don't have any responsibilities, and we've been here for eternity, so we have a lot of free time. The invention of the TV has really helped. Anyway, let's keep moving, we have a long way yet to go."

As we walked along, Obi-Wan pointed out the great thinkers of history, like Socrates and Plato, Euclid and Archimedes. I longed to talk to them, but they were in the middle of an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

At last we came to an imposing figure. "This is Minos, the judge of the dead. Long ago he was the king of Crete. Now he decides which circle a sinner will spend eternity in. Come, let us speak to him," my guide said to me as we approached Minos.

"Halt!" he cried out. "I have been on the lookout for two souls of your description, one living, the other dead. You cannot pass here!"

"We are not the souls you are looking for," Obi-Wan said with the wave of his hand.

"You are not the souls I am looking for!" boomed Minos.

"We can go about our business," replied the old Jedi.

"You can go about your business," said the judge of the dead.

And we passed deeper into Hell without further molestation.

"That was AWESOME!" I shouted when we had gotten out of earshot of the ancient king.

"Just an old trick I knew," Obi-Wan said, and winked at me knowingly.

Tune in next time to find out what horrors lay ahead in the depths of Hell!

Pat is Crazy.

9-9-9

2011-11-19T17:36:00.001-06:00

Two of these videos were actually produced by the Herman Cain campaign:

More Cain madness:

Cain Train Baby

The Smoking Ad

Cain Mutiny

Herman Cain on Libya

Rise

2011-11-15T07:49:00.000-06:00

Aloha!

2011-11-14T23:22:00.002-06:00

Last weekend Hawaiian musician and singer Makana was invited to perform at a gala for President Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and other world leaders at the APEC (a "free" trade cabal) conference in Hawaii. Instead of playing his approved set he played a 45 minute rendition of this song:

Tiny Paper Plane

2011-11-14T23:18:00.000-06:00

Oakland's Inferno - Part I

2011-11-07T13:37:00.004-06:00

Well boys and girls, I've been gone a long time. Where have I been, you ask? Let me tell you, it is quite the (completely true) story:

One day I was out camping in the woods of Minnesota. As is tradition on camping trips everywhere, I had been drinking. Stumbling through the woods looking for a place to relieve myself, I came to a clearing. Suddenly I heard a fierce growling coming from the long grass. There a saw a leopard crouched and ready to pounce. From the left I saw movement and when I turned, a mighty lion did I behold. The breaking of a branch behind me alerted me to a giant she-wolf approaching, cutting off my retreat to camp.

"What the shit?" I muttered to myself, "was there a breakout at the zoo or something?" I could no longer tell whether I was urinating from the pressure on my bladder or the terror in my heart. Without zipping up, I fought the urge to run and slowly backed away from the three beasts. As I turned to run in the only direction left open to me, a root grabbed my foot and I fell to the ground. When I looked up I beheld a sight even more unbelievable than the previous three.

"Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!" I blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

"Relax, son. Fear not, the beasts will not hurt you, but you cannot go back to camp that way. You must follow me down through the depths of the earth. It is the only way." And with that he led me through the dark and tangled woods, away from the three vicious animals.

"All hope abandon, ye who enter in!" read the sign above the gate to which Old Ben had led me. "Are you sure this is the right way, master?" I asked.

"Trust your instincts," he replied, "or better yet, trust mine." Thus we entered into that horrible place that only a handful of living souls have ever seen: Hell.

On the other side of the gate I beheld a vast crowd of people. All of them were facing a giant white flag, and appeared to be saluting. "Who are these people, and what are they doing?" I asked the old jedi.

"In life, these people were neither good nor bad. They had no causes that drove them, and so now, they must salute this flag every day. The rest of the day, they pretty much just sit around and play Xbox," replied Obi-wan as we walked through the crowd. At length, we arrived on the shore of a great river. "This is Acheron, the river that divides Hell proper from this outer region."

And so I stood at the edge of hell, not knowing what lay ahead, but not able to turn back. I trusted that my guide, the old jedi Obi-wan Kenobi, would lead me through safely, just as he had led Luke safely to Alderaan (it wasn't his fault that it had been blown up when they arrived). Tune in next time to find out what happened next!

Pat is crazy.

Immortal Technique

2011-11-04T00:02:00.000-05:00

Brand new from Immortal Technique featuring Killer Mike, Chuck D and Brother Ali:

#occupytheculture

The Decemberists

2011-11-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

Talking 'Bout A Revolution

2011-10-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

99% Movement has Broad Support

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

From Think Progress:

As the Occupy Wall Street protest and growing 99 Percent Movement enters its second month, poll after poll shows public support for the movement.

Here’s the rundown.

82… percent of New York State voters think it’s OK for the Occupy Wall Street protesters to protest.
67… percent of Americans think it would be a “bad idea” to lower taxes on large corporations.
66 …percent of Americans think the distribution of money and wealth in this country should be “more evenly distributed among more people.”

65 …percent of Americans think taxes should be raised on millionaires.
58 …percent of New York State voters agree with the views of the Wall Street protesters.
46 …percent of Americans think the 99 Percent Movement “reflect[s] the views of most Americans,” compared to just 34 percent who say it does not.
43 …percent of Americans agree with the views of protesters, compared to just 27 percent who disagree.
68 …percent of millionaire investors support raising taxes on millionaires.
61 …percent of investors with a net worth of more than $5 million support raising taxes on millionaires.
69 …percent of Americans think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress “favor the rich.”

9 …percent of Americans think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress“favor the middle class.”

2 …percent of Americans (who apparently don’t get out much) think that the policies of the Republicans in Congress “favor the poor.”

Oakland!

2011-10-26T22:55:00.003-05:00

Takin These

2011-10-26T22:54:00.000-05:00

Editorial in today's Guardian from Slavoj Žižek:

The direct conservative attacks are easy to answer. Are the protests un-American? When conservative fundamentalists claim that America is a Christian nation, one should remember what Christianity is: the Holy Spirit, the free egalitarian community of believers united by love. It is the protesters who are the Holy Spirit, while on Wall Street pagans worship false idols.

Are the protesters violent? True, their very language may appear violent (occupation, and so on), but they are violent only in the sense in which Mahatma Gandhi was violent. They are violent because they want to put a stop to the way things are – but what is this violence compared with the violence needed to sustain the smooth functioning of the global capitalist system?

Oakland musician Boots Riley has been protesting along side the people, the 99%, of Occupy Oakland:

Watch Occupy Wall Street Movement Live

2011-10-13T21:11:00.004-05:00

Occupy Wall Street Camp Being Threatened by Mayor, watch live:

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

Sign Language from socially_awkwrd on Vimeo.

Chimes of Freedom Flashing

2011-10-13T21:11:00.003-05:00

All You Fascists Bound to Lose

2011-10-13T21:07:00.002-05:00

Come Together

2011-10-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

Right Here All Over

2011-10-05T23:32:00.001-05:00

Right Here All Over (Occupy Wall St.) from Alex Mallis on Vimeo.

Occupy Wall Street is now being supported by MoveOn, a 2 million strong progressive organization, the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters, and a whole bunch more.
#OWS endorsed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.
An Occupy Wall Street Library has now opened- no library card required!
Unlike Congress and President Obama, the public has a favorable opinion of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The march today went quite well, police got a little carried away at times, but protesters showed great restraint:

Goethe

2011-10-03T23:02:00.048-05:00

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

Anti-Wall Street protests spreading to cities large and small.
Fannie Mae, the mortgage finance giant, knew as early as 2003 of extensive foreclosure abuses.
Send food and supplies to those occupying Wall Street.
#OccupyUSA live blog. Wednesday will be fun.
A manifesto of sorts has emerged from Occupy Wall Street:
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

Zizek!

2011-10-02T18:20:00.002-05:00

With protests and revolutions spreading across the world, what better time to start thinking about the type of world we want to construct? Some interesting ideas come from Slavoj Zizek, a senior researcher at the Institute of Sociology, University of Ljubljana and a professor at the European Graduate School, considered to be one of the world’s leading intellectuals, and currently the "hip" philosopher of our time. And some Golden Gopher pride, Zizek formerly taught at the University of Minnesota.

Zizek has had more impact than just in the classroom and theory, individuals such as Julian Assange, the publisher of Wikileaks, cite Zizek’s philosophical outlook as influential in their work. A Sundance documentary on Zizek can be watched on YouTube.

#OccupyWallStreet

2011-10-02T16:32:00.003-05:00

Here comes the American Autumn:

More than 700 protesters were arrested yesterday in New York.
The New York Transit Workers Union, the United Federation of Teachers, Workers United and the local Service Employees International Union have in the last 48 hours joined the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Statements of solidarity have been issued by the United Steelworkers and National Nurses United, among others.
The local SEIU chapter will be providing meals and medical training to protesters for the next week.
Fuck the politicians, but props to the one's fighting the good fight: Senator Bernie Sanders, former President Jimmy Carter, former Vice President Al Gore, Elizabeth Warren, Representative Keith Ellison.
People are starting to organize across the country - check out Occupy Together to learn about events taking place in your neighborhood.
Message from Anonymous regarding #OccupyWallStreet:

Creator of The Wire on Future of America

2011-09-28T21:42:00.001-05:00

From Dangerous Minds:

David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme, gives a sobering assessment of the future of America in these powerful clips from a 2007 talk at Loyola College.

Simon feels we’re headed for separate Americas, where the “haves” exploit the “have-nots,” and where human beings will lose their value. He faults “raw, unencumbered Capitalism” for making our country numb to the plight of the most vulnerable among us. America makes the wrong choices every time, he says, and unless we change, Simon predicts “we are doomed.”

The man is a genius, and as a writer and journalist, he’s explored the very darkest corners of our fraying “civilization”—trust me, this is really worth listening to… Keep in mind as you watch that this was recorded a year before the world economy did a belly-flop on concrete.

The Message

2011-09-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Future of the Economy: Relocalize and Deglobalize

2011-09-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

The End of Work: An Interview with Charles Hugh Smith from DANGEROUS MINDS on Vimeo.

The Pound Is Sinking

2011-08-05T21:08:00.002-05:00

Countdown

2011-08-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

Vice President Gore on Why America Needs a Non-Violent Tahrir Square:

Senator Sanders

2011-08-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from December:

The Future

2011-04-12T21:01:00.003-05:00

Pat is Crazy is on twitter. Please follow us for updates on Pat's daily doings.

Pat is Crazy.

Lick My Decals Off, Baby

2011-04-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

Why Libya isn't quite the moral issue Obama claims

2011-04-02T13:30:00.001-05:00

Via the Progressive Review:

Pepe Escobar, Asia Times - You invade Bahrain. We take out Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. This, in short, is the essence of a deal struck between the Barack Obama administration and the House of Saud. Two diplomatic sources at the United Nations independently confirmed that Washington, via Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gave the go-ahead for Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain and crush the pro-democracy movement in their neighbor in exchange for a "yes" vote by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya - the main rationale that led to United Nations Security Council resolution 1973.

One of the diplomats said, "This is the reason why we could not support resolution 1973. We were arguing that Libya, Bahrain and Yemen were similar cases, and calling for a fact-finding mission. We maintain our official position that the resolution is not clear, and may be interpreted in a belligerent manner."

Future Reflections

2011-03-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

Drop the World

2011-03-28T20:59:00.004-05:00

Lil Wayne - Drop the World (ft. Eminem) - Uncut Music Video from Sean Watson on Vimeo.

News and notes:

Obama finally addresses nation on U.S. military action in Libya in a not ready for prime time speech (6:30 central, what's that about?).
Looking more likely Republicans will force the federal government to be shut down.
Exposed: U.S. Military creating fake social media profiles to spread "American" propaganda.
The Kill Team.
500,000 plus protest in London.
People are continuing to stand up in Syria even as protesters are being fired upon.
Saudi Arabia has invaded Bahrain in effort to keep U.S. puppet state in power.
Is it 'game over' in Yemen?
NATO nation Turkey flexes it's power, attacks west for it's actions in Libya:

Reçep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, cast doubt on the motives for the French-led intervention, telling a conference: “I advise our western friends, when they look at this region, to see the hungry children, the suffering mothers, the poverty . . . I wish they would not only see oil, gold mines or underground wealth.”

Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, is on trial, facing fraud charges.
Ruling party of German chancellor Angel Merkel loses state elections, with a historic victory by German Green Party.
New Dangerous Minds radio hour.

Let's keep the rap going:

Rap News 7

2011-03-27T23:35:00.001-05:00

Ride Into the Sun

2011-03-14T06:44:00.001-05:00

More Velvet Underground:

News Roundup

2011-03-13T16:08:00.003-05:00

This morning's Wisconsin newspapers:

News:

Nuclear crisis spreads to 4th plant in Japan.
Assistant Secretary of State PJ Crowley is forced to resign after speaking out against the continuing torture of Private Bradley Manning. From Crowley's resignation letter: "The exercise of power must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values."
Anonymous to start "Operation: Empire State Rebellion" tomorrow. Will reportedly release incriminating documents from Bank of America. Also will start "a relentless campaign of non-violent, peaceful, civil disobedience" that will not stop until: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke steps down, the "Primary Dealers within the Federal Reserve banking system be broken up and held accountable for rigging markets and destroying the global economy," and "the rule of law" is restored in the country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday told international troops to "stop their operations in our land." Karzai continued: "I would like to ask NATO and the US with honour and humbleness and not with arrogance to stop their operations in our land. We are very tolerant people but now our tolerance has run out."
Republicans in Michigan were successful in passing "financial martial law" bill. Protests expected in Lansing this week.
Florida Republicans are on the verge on passing a bill which would force a woman who wants to terminate her pregnancy to submit to having a vaginal ultrasound, an intrusive and unnecessary medical procedure.
Boycott of businesses that support Scott Walker starts.
Police fire on protesters in Yemen, as the country sees its largest protests to date.
France recognizes rebels as legitimate government of Libya.
Cote d'Ivoire experience more deadly clashes, Civil War looms.
Protests are growing in Bahrain, if the revolution is successful there, it would be a big boost for the Revolution movement in Saudi Arabia:

Here we go

2011-03-10T21:11:00.000-06:00

Make no mistake about it, we are at war.

What can we do right now? Here are a couple ideas:

1. Transfer your money to a Credit Union or a community bank. Not only will it be easier to sleep at night knowing your money isn't supporting anti-American institutions, your money will be much safer in the event the banking industry collapses. Firefighters are taking the lead, today they withdrew over $192,000 from M&I Bank in Madison, as many others also followed their example, forcing the bank to be closed down. Find a Community Bank or Credit Union near you today.

2. Do you live within driving distance to Madison? Be there this Saturday.

Democracy

2011-03-10T20:18:00.001-06:00

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

GOP Illegally Act to End Collective Bargaining

2011-03-10T11:01:00.001-06:00

Wisconsin Republicans illegally attempt to end collective bargaining:

It will be up to the people to restore democracy for Wisconsin.

(Nothing But) Flowers

2011-03-08T23:43:00.001-06:00

Trailer for this year's Academy Award winning best documentary:

News:

100 days and counting of Cablegate.
Torture of Bradley Manning continues, now being forced nude seven hours a day.
Oil markets brace for Saudi 'rage' protests.
Airport workers in Spain prepare for strike which would shut down air travel in the country.
Police in the United Kingdom threaten to strike and threaten to start strike just prior to royal wedding.
China is rapidly increasing the size of their military.
The Middle East feminist revolution.
Obama's war against transparent government.
Governor of Michigan is pushing a bill that would grant him emergency powers that would enable him to: 1) unilaterally declare a "financial emergency", 2) disincorporate entire municipal governments, 3) dismiss elected officials with no replacement election to follow, 4) seize control of local civil services, 5) hand taxpayer money, services and powers to private, for-profit firms.
Imagine if sane and moral legislation had any chance of passing? Senator Bernie Sanders is suggesting an emergency surtax on millionaires. A 5.4 percent surtax on adjusted gross incomes over $1 million would raise as much as $50 billion a year. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published last week showed overwhelming support for that concept.

New Dangerous Minds radio hour.

More music!

America is Not Broke

2011-03-08T00:44:00.002-06:00

Michael Moore:

America is not broke. Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you’ll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It’s just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich.

Today just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined.

Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer “bailout” of 2008, now have more loot, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can’t bring yourself to call that a financial coup d’état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true.

And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we’d have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic—and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it.

Aftershock

2011-03-05T14:17:00.000-06:00

Via Dangerous Minds: Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich’s latest book, Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future can more or less, be summed up in a single sentence: Until we deal with the preposterous wealth disparity in this country, America’s fucked and it’s going to stay that way:

Christopher Morris

2011-03-03T22:49:00.002-06:00

FOUR LIONS and Chris Morris Retrospective, March 3-5! from Cinefamily on Vimeo.

Green Chemistry

2011-03-02T18:55:00.003-06:00

I watched a very interesting speech at work the other day and I thought I'd share it with all of you. This is a speech made by Dr. John Warner, super smart guy and father of the green chemistry movement, that he made on January 7th at a conference put on by the Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum. I know it's long, but I think that it is definitely worth it (although you can skip his introduction. Dr. Warner's speech begins at the 6:30 mark). He does an excellent job of explaining what the green chemistry movement is really about and what needs to happen for it to succeed. And don't worry if you do not know anything about chemistry, as a chemistry background is not required to understand what he is talking about. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Pat is crazy.

Jefferson

2011-03-02T08:21:00.006-06:00

From Corporatewelfare.org:

Even after the American Revolution was over, the fight to preserve the people’s liberties continued for Thomas Jefferson, and he found its threats at every turn. He tried to instill conditions in which the fight could be continued indefinitely, and if not, he knew the republic would fall. Coming fresh out from under British rule, Thomas Jefferson felt danger to liberty was inherent in a consolidated centralized government. Although it was clear that Jefferson was concerned with any tyranny or usurpation of power, the most prominent cause for concern at the time was over extended power of one’s own government. Jefferson’s mission was to equip the people and the states with the tools they needed to prevent any tyranny, especially that of their own government.

Thomas Jefferson falls within the assemblage of the greatest liberals of all time. For Jefferson, democracy was power of the peoples. Jefferson pressed that "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is its natural manure" (qtd. in Familiar Quotations 343). To Jefferson, protecting the natural rights and power of the individuals was the primary purpose of government. Jefferson wanted equal voting for all, with each and every person the same ability to be a part of the democracy. Concentration of wealth, and financial influence on democracy, which are accepted practices in modern society, would not have been permitted in the Jefferson's (vision for the country). Jefferson was a liberal for the general welfare of all people at any cost. He was a man who hated government favoritism given to bankers or industrialists, and equated this favoritism to the path to the monarchy he had just fought against. Jeffersonian principles are misunderstood, and misused to support big business, even though this staunch agrarian hated urbanization. He feared industrialization as the root of corruption.

Preserving the natural rights for man is an ancient idea, developed to protect the average person from tyranny of the powerful. A significant leap in these rights can be traced to the Magna Carta of 1215, which was used by rich barons to protect themselves against the tyranny of their King. It was a powerful statement for our founding fathers to write a Bill of Rights in the Constitution of our country as law. One of the men who insisted upon its inclusion was Thomas Jefferson. After Thomas Jefferson reviewed the newly drawn up Constitution, he told Madison of his primary grievance. "First the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly and without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury" (Portable Jefferson 429).

A Bill of Rights was necessary for the type of political structure Jefferson envisioned, one in which every person was equal in power, and no single person or institution would be able to abuse their power. Jefferson wanted the fundamental rights of each individual to take precedent over all other laws:

Jefferson’s theory of local self-government and individualism obviously could not have been derived from French political institutions. And while he started from the hypothesis of Hobbes and Locke that in a state of nature man is free, he maintained contrary to Rousseau and Locke, that upon forming a civil society man does not surrender all of his natural rights. While Locke used the doctrine of natural rights to limit the state, Jefferson used it as a basis for a fundamental law established by the people. Jefferson was as original as Rousseau, Hobbes, Harrington, Montesquie, or Locke-all in fact borrowing from the same general stock of ideas, though differing fundamentally in their combination of such elements. (Principles 8)

Concerned about the rise of any form of tyranny, Jefferson wanted tools in government to work as inherent checks upon itself and provide safeguards against the vandalism of the Bill of Rights. Of these tools were to have an unrestricted press, an educated public to judge it with, and the right for all to vote. Although no system is perfect, he thought it better to allow the people to err, rather than to permit a power that restricts the people. "The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep the true principles of their institution. To only punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of public liberty" (Portable Jefferson 414).

It's not only about preserving democracy, it is about making the country self-sustaining again and preventing human civilization from committing suicide through environmental destruction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarianism

Take the Hit

2011-03-02T07:57:00.001-06:00

From Dangerous Minds:

Mutamassik’s 13-track That Which Death Cannot Destroy was one of 2010’s most under-recognized releases in underground music. It could also turn out to be a brilliant soundtrack to the current anti-authoritarian street-fight spreading throughout... the Middle East.

Even better—the whole album is offered for FREE download.

Mutamassik (meaning “stronghold” and “tenacity” in Arabic) is the nom de tune of Giulia Lolli, a half-Italian/half-Egyptian composer and DJ with a background that’s reflected in her splintered internationalist musical style. Born in Italy and raised in the American Rustbelt, Lolli went to New York City in time to swoop quickly in and out of the illbient scene of the mid-‘90s before heading out to Cairo, and finally landing up in what she terms a “CAVEmen-style” existence with her husband, Brooklyn guitarist Morgan Craft, and child in Tuscany.

Ripple

2011-03-01T00:47:00.001-06:00

What's going on?

Protests have broken out in Oman. Entering the third day of protests, growing every day.
Another ally of the U.S. ruling elite, Bahrain, is trembling as protests engulf the country.
Terrible violence in China, as the government tries to prevent the Jasmine Revolution from taking root.
Leading opposition figures in Iran have been jailed, as protests continue despite violence and mass imprisonment.
Violence has escalated against protesters in the Ivory Coast.
Mass protests have broken out in Mauritania.
Protesters reject attempt by Yemen's current government to stay in power.
International Criminal Court starts criminal procedures against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddaffi. Obama opposes International Criminal Court, fears Bush and other U.S. officials may face war crimes charges.
Arctic Sea ice extent is at it's lowest in recorded history. Reminder: Some of the world's leading climate scientists say if the world does not make drastic changes in our environmental policy, human beings might not be around much longer.
A message to the citizens of the United States of America from Anonymous concerning Wisconsin.
Close to 125,000 protesters in Madison the other day. Largest protests in Wisconsin since Vietnam. There were protests at every state capital over the weekend.
It's the People's House. The People will not leave.
Americans oppose weakening the bargaining rights of public employee unions by a margin of nearly two to one: 60 percent to 33 percent.
They are scarred: big drop in foreclosures as banks fear further scandals.
You are just a deer in the headlights Mr. President, the story is bigger than you now.

Yes, more music:

Volunteers

2011-02-28T20:59:00.000-06:00

Look what's happening out in the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Hey I'm dancing down the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Ain't it amazing all the people I meet
Got a revolution Got to revolution
One generation got old
One generation got soul
This generation got no destination to hold
Pick up the cry
Hey now it's time for you and me
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Come on now we're marching to the sea
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Who will take it from you
We will and who are we
We are volunteers of America

Direct Action

2011-02-27T20:55:00.006-06:00

Some facts (h/t Boing Boing):

BANK OF AMERICA: In 2009, Bank of America didn't pay a single penny in federal income taxes, exploiting the tax code so as to avoid paying its fair share. "Oh, yeah, this happens all the time," said Robert Willens, a tax accounting expert interviewed by McClatchy. "If you go out and try to make money and you don't do it, why should the government pay you for your losses?" asked Bob McIntyre of Citizens for Tax Justice. The same year, the mega-bank's top executives received pay "ranging from $6 million to nearly $30 million."

- BOEING: Despite receiving billions of dollars from the federal government every single year in taxpayer subsidies from the U.S. government, Boeing didn't "pay a dime of U.S. federal corporate income taxes" between 2008 and 2010.

- CITIGROUP: Citigroup's deferred income taxes for the third quarter of 2010 amounted to a grand total of $0.00. At the same time, Citigroup has continued to pay its staff lavishly. "John Havens, the head of Citigroup's investment bank, is expected to be the bank's highest paid executive for the second year in a row, with a compensation package worth $9.5 million."

Some of America's largest corporations are making record profits, yet they are not only not paying their fair share of taxes, in many cases they are not paying anything at all. They own Washington, so what can we do?

The UK Uncut Movement is continuing to pick up steam. This is direct action protest, similar to the sit-ins of the Civil Rights era. How it works: A bunch of people go into a bank, or another tax dodging institution, sit down, and don't leave. The movement has now started in the United States: US Uncut-

US Uncut is about taking action against unnecessary and unfair cuts to public services across the US. Washington’s proposed budget for the coming year sends a clear message: The wrath of budget cuts will fall upon the shoulders of hard-working Americans.
Obama seeks to trim $1.1 trillion from the budget in the next ten years by cutting or eliminating over 200 federal programs, many dedicated to social services and education. For instance, it cuts in half funding to subsidize heating for low-income Americans; limits an expansion of the Pell grant program for students; and decreases Environmental Protection Agency funding by over 12%.
Meanwhile, Republicans are using their new House majority to slash spending even more brutally. The GOP has made it clear that they are bent on raiding funds for Social Security, Medicare, education; determined to kill health care reform; and gut needed investments in infrastructure, climate change and job creation, at a time when America needs it most.These cuts will come on top of very painful austerity measures made at the state-level across our nation–-worth hundreds of billions--since the recession began.
In short, budget cuts demonstrate that Washington has abandoned ordinary Americans.
But there is an alternative: Make corporate tax avoiders pay. Enjoying record profits and taxpayer-funded bailouts as the economy slowly recovers from a financial crisis, nearly two-thirds of US corporations don't pay any income taxes, instead opting to abuse tax loopholes and offshore tax havens. According to this study from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, 83 of the top 100 publicly traded corporations that operate in the US exploit corporate tax havens. Since 2009, America’s most profitable companies such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, Bank of America and Citigroup all paid a grand total of $0 in federal income taxes to Uncle Sam. Tax havens alone account for up to $1 trillion in tax revenue lost every decade, money that could be invested in K-12 education, colleges, public health, job creation and hundreds of other worthy public programs.
If we pay our taxes, why don’t they? If corporations profit here, shouldn't they pay here?
It’s time for ordinary Americans to fight back and demand an end to the corporate tax avoidance. Join US Uncut and together let's make corporate tax avoiders pay.
US Uncut is a horizontal movement. There are no centrally planned protests. If you want one in your town or city, you'll have to take it on yourself. Read our blog about what to do next.
Also remember to visit UK Uncut for some inspiration.
See you on the streets.

The Fascist State

2011-02-27T18:40:00.002-06:00

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." -Benito Mussolini

Journalist John Pilger:

Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, I interviewed Ray McGovern, one of an elite group of CIA officers who prepared the President’s daily intelligence brief. McGovern was at the apex of the “national security” monolith that is American power and had retired with presidential plaudits. On the eve of the invasion, he and 45 other senior officers of the CIA and other intelligence agencies wrote to President George W. Bush that the “drumbeat for war” was based not on intelligence, but lies.

“It was 95 per cent charade,” McGovern told me.

“How did they get away with it?”

“The press allowed the crazies to get away with it.”

“Who are the crazies?”

“The people running the [Bush] administration have a set of beliefs a lot like those expressed in Mein Kampf... these are the same people who were referred to in the circles in which I moved, at the top, as ‘the crazies’.”

I said, “Norman Mailer has written that that he believes America has entered a pre-fascist state. What’s your view of that?”

“Well... I hope he’s right, because there are others saying we are already in a fascist mode.”

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich:

The truth that Obama and Democrats must tell is government spending has absolutely nothing to do with high unemployment, declining wages, falling home prices, and all the other horribles that continue to haunt most Americans.

Indeed, too little spending will prolong the horribles for years more because there's not enough demand in the economy without it.

The truth is that while the proximate cause of America's economic plunge was Wall Street's excesses leading up to the crash of 2008, its underlying cause -- and the reason the economy continues to be lousy for most Americans -- is so much income and wealth have been going to the very top that the vast majority no longer has the purchasing power to lift the economy out of its doldrums. American's aren't buying cars (they bought 17 million new cars in 2005, just 12 million last year). They're not buying homes (7.5 million in 2005, 4.6 million last year). They're not going to the malls (high-end retailers are booming but Wal-Mart's sales are down).

Only the richest 5 percent of Americans are back in the stores because their stock portfolios have soared. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has doubled from its crisis low. Wall Street pay is up to record levels. Total compensation and benefits at the 25 major Wall St firms had been $130 billion in 2007, before the crash; now it's close to $140 billion.

But a strong recovery can't be built on the purchases of the richest 5 percent.

The truth is if the super-rich paid their fair share of taxes, government wouldn't be broke. If Governor Scott Walker hadn't handed out tax breaks to corporations and the well-off, Wisconsin wouldn't be in a budget crisis. If Washington hadn't extended the Bush tax cuts for the rich, eviscerated the estate tax, and created loopholes for private-equity and hedge-fund managers, the federal budget wouldn't look nearly as bad.

And if America had higher marginal tax rates and more tax brackets at the top - for those raking in $1 million, $5 million, $15 million a year - the budget would look even better. We wouldn't be firing teachers or slashing Medicaid or hurting the most vulnerable members of our society. We wouldn't be in a tizzy over Social Security. We'd slow the rise in healthcare costs but we wouldn't cut Medicare. We'd cut defense spending and lop off subsidies to giant agribusinesses but we wouldn't view the government as our national nemesis.

The final truth is as income and wealth have risen to the top, so has political power. The reason all of this is proving so difficult to get across is the super-rich, such as the Koch brothers, have been using their billions to corrupt politics, hoodwink the public, and enlarge and entrench their outsized fortunes. They're bankrolling Republicans who are mounting showdowns and threatening shutdowns, and who want the public to believe government spending is the problem.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address:

All you fascists bound to lose.

Life and Music

2011-02-27T14:38:00.000-06:00

War in Peace

2011-02-26T17:34:00.001-06:00

From Alexander Spence's 1969 album Oar:

And now the news roundup:

In Gaddafi's desperation, the soon to be ended Libyan regime jams satellite phones, TV, and mobile phones.
Gaddafi blames the Revolution on "hallucinogenic drugs."
Gaddafi has murdered thousands, but the people are now in control of most the country, including most of Libya's oil fields.
The U.S. Army deployed a specialized "psychological operations" team in 2009 to help convince American legislators to boost funding and troop numbers for the war in Afghanistan.
The CIA is spying on reporters.
Federal prosecutors have indicted a 78 year old professor for reminding people of jury nullification.
Madison's Police Chief wants Scott Walker to answer questions concerning why he considered sending provocateurs poising as protesters to discredit the ongoing peaceful protests in Wisconsin.
Even Forbes Magazine admits Scott Walker is a liar.
Abraham Lincoln would be proud of the state legislators of Wisconsin and Indiana currently in Lincoln's state of Illinois. In 1840, serving as a state legislator, Lincoln jumped out of a window in order to deny quorum to prevent an early adjournment.
Though the Union busting bill still has to go through the Senate, where there is not a quorum, yesterday at nearly 2 AM the Republicans in Wisconsin's lower house abruptly cut of debate and passed the bill in a matter of seconds. This is the response in the Chamber:

Prank Call of the Year

2011-02-24T20:01:00.003-06:00

This was mentioned in Justin's post below, but in case you have not heard, Governor Scott Walker of the cheesy state of Wisconsin (although it's not THE cheese, that's from California!) was prank called by a Mr. Murphy. Murphy called the governor pretending to be mega-rich guy David Koch. You can read the original post and hear the audio here.

I found this to be wonderful. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the parts that I found to be quite interesting, using the transcript that is provided on the original post:

The Senate majority leader had a great plan he told about this morning—he told the Senate Democrats about and he’s going to announce it later today, and that is: The Senate organization committee is going to meet and pass a rule that says if you don’t show up for two consecutive days on a session day—in the state Senate, the Senate chief clerk—it’s a little procedural thing here, but—can actually have your payroll stopped from being automatically deducted—
Koch: Beautiful.

Walker: —into your checking account and instead—you still get a check, but the check has to be personally picked up and he’s instructing them—which we just loved—to lock them in their desk on the floor of the state Senate.

The situation is this (as I understand it): the democrats in the Wisconsin state Senate have left in order to make it so they do not have enough members present to hold a vote (there are more Republicans, so they would undoubtedly win the vote if there were to be one). So one plan appears to be to force democrats to come to the Senate to pick up their paychecks, and then forcibly hold them at the capitol so they can hold a vote. I'm no lawyer, but isn't that kidnapping or something. It certainly sounds illegal.

Walker: I would be willing to sit down and talk to him, the assembly Democrat leader, plus the other two Republican leaders—talk, not negotiate and listen to what they have to say if they will in turn—but I’ll only do it if all 14 of them will come back and sit down in the state assembly…legally, we believe, once they’ve gone into session, they don’t physically have to be there. If they’re actually in session for that day, and they take a recess, the 19 Senate Republicans could then go into action and they’d have quorum…so we’re double checking that. If you heard I was going to talk to them that’s the only reason why. We’d only do it if they came back to the capital with all 14 of them.

Another wily trick by Walker and the Republicans. Once again, the Republicans have no interest in actually hearing what the Democrats (or anybody else) have to say. They just need them in the building so that they can pass whatever they want.

As the conversation progresses what really stands out to me is not anything in particular that Walker says (other than not caring that the protesters are out there and seeming to believe that the public is on his side - this man is delusional) but rather just how he reacts to (who he thinks is) David Koch. He is eager to please him and agree with everything he says. He is really far up that guy's asshole. It really just goes to show who is really running this country - the wealthy elite. It's not surprising at all to me, but it still saddens me to see this clear of evidence of it.

I encourage all of you to listen to the conversation yourselves and make your own opinions of it. I also encourage all of you to make more prank phone calls. Long live the Jerky Boys!

Pat is crazy.

Dig it

2011-02-23T23:59:00.000-06:00

For Oakland Steve:

Solidarity Forever

2011-02-23T23:25:00.008-06:00

What's up?

Over 1,000 feared murdered by Gaddafi and his thugs, but the people have taken control of roughly half of Libya. Key ministers and numerous elements of the Army join the pro-democracy protesters, as Gaddafi's grip on power crumbles.
Protests in Northern Iraq have been huge since last Thursday. There have been calls for this upcoming Friday for a national revolt.
Members of Yemen parliament resign in protest of government's violence against pro-democracy protesters.
U.S. and Canada agree to share military in case of civil unrest.
A step closer to ending the unconstitutional denial of legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Obama is still enforcing "don't ask, don't tell" policy months after its repeal.
U.S. Supreme Court rules pharmaceutical companies can poison your kids, but you can't sue them.
JPMorgan Chase and Citi knew Bernie Madoff was committing fraud.
Obama's new Chief of Staff William Daley made $15.4 million from JP Morgan Chase while serving as its Midwest Director, his previous job before joining the White House.
Despite what Walker says, his attack on the rights of the people of Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing Wisconsin's budget.
Scott Walker prank called, thinks he is talking to billionaire David Koch.
The public is strongly opposed to efforts to take away Union rights.
The Republicans are using the old "shock doctrine" to try and pass unconstitutional legislation. Under the guise of balancing budgets, they are gutting the political strength of the middle and working class.
Revolt in the Midwest spreads: Indiana Senate Democrats flee state to prevent another Union busting bill.
Tens of thousands protest in Ohio.
Nice. New Dangerous Minds Radio Hour.

Reminder (h/t Progressive Review):

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Here is article #23:

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Music time:

Happy Birthday, George Washington!

2011-02-22T18:36:00.003-06:00

Hey kids! Long time, no write. I apologize for being away for so long, but, well, I'm lazy and Justin has been doing such an amazing job that I didn't feel like I was needed.

Speaking of which, I would like to thank Justin for his efforts the last couple months at keeping us all informed with the very important events going on in our world. And for posting some great music as well! Justin, you have raised the bar for this blog, and I thank you, good sir. Montana is lucky to have you.

I don't have much to post today except to say "Keep up the good work, Justin!"

And because it is Washington's birthday today, here's a classic:

I'll try to have more substantive posts from now on.

Pat is crazy.

Radiohead

2011-02-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

Radiohead's new album, The King of Limbs, came out last Friday, Bloom:

Uprising

2011-02-21T15:34:00.002-06:00

Libya update: Despite a massacre against the people, Libyan protesters have taken control of Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, as protests also engulf the capital. There is information to suggest Gaddafi is preparing to flee to Venezuela. Follow the Guardian's live blog for the latest. Or watch Al Jazeera live.

Cyber Activism

2011-02-20T19:11:00.000-06:00

A message from Anonymous:

A message from the start of the Egyptian Revolution:

What Did You Learn in School?

2011-02-20T14:47:00.002-06:00

The Whole World is Watching

2011-02-20T14:24:00.003-06:00

Some more revelations by Wikileaks:

Pfitzer tested antibiotics on Nigerian children, contravening national and international standards on medical ethics.
Obama and the Republicans worked together to kill a criminal probe into actions committed by the Bush administration.
The British government has been training a Bangladeshi paramilitary force condemned by human rights organisations as a "government death squad."
Russian Dictator Putin is "frustrated, stressed, and anxious."
Russian paper shut down for running a story on Putin.

More news:

Largest protests yet in Wisconsin. School shut down spreads to Milwaukee.
Study: Wisconsin's public workers are underpaid. Yet the Unions, the teachers and Wisconsin Democrats have agreed to Scott Walker's demands for pay cuts and higher insurance costs, but they are refusing to give away their right of collective bargaining. Walker refuses to compromise.
The Republicans are engaging in political terrorism. Republicans threaten Federal Government shut down.
Libyan protesters assert control, despite government violence.
American who sparked diplomatic crisis in January for murdering two Pakistanis is a CIA spy.
Protests grow even larger in Yemen.
We need to get out of Afghanistan.
Large protests expected in Morocco, riots are already breaking out.
Seattle Times backs legalized marijuana.

Music:

Information Age

2011-02-19T13:55:00.000-06:00

Back in the day, in my conservative high school Dave Chappelle was very popular. That always amused me.

Wonderwall Music

2011-02-17T06:44:00.002-06:00

A song from George Harrison's 1968 solo album Wonderwall Music:

A War on Women

2011-02-16T23:48:00.010-06:00

The United States House of Representatives has launched the most dangerous legislative assault on women's health ever:

More News:

Bought and Paid for Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin has threatened to send the National Guard to disrupt protests of Wisconsin public workers. People aren't happy with Mr. Walker. Members of the Super Bowl champions, the community-owned, non-profit Green Bay Packers, have released a statement in support of Wisconsin's workers (h/t Stephanie):

We know that it is teamwork on and off the field that makes the Packers and Wisconsin great. As a publicly owned team we wouldn’t have been able to win the Super Bowl without the support of our fans. It is the same dedication of our public workers every day that makes Wisconsin run. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. But now in an unprecedented political attack Governor Walker is trying to take away their right to have a voice and bargain at work. The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class. When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL workers by raising community standards. Wisconsin’s long standing tradition of allowing public sector workers to have a voice on the job has worked for the state since the 1930s. It has created greater consistency in the relationship between labor and management and a shared approach to public work. These public workers are Wisconsin’s champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights.

Wikileaks statement on Washington efforts to obtain the account information of Twitter users:

This is an outrageous attack by the Obama administration on the privacy and free speech rights of Twitter's customers - many of them American citizens. More shocking, at this time, is that it amounts to an attack on the right to freedom of association, a freedom that the people of Tunisia and Egypt, for example, spurred on by the information released by Wikileaks, have found so valuable.

Twitter is supposedly fighting the subpoena to release their users' information. It is believed Google and Facebook have already released their users' information to the government without objection.
Bill Moyers on why some Americans don't want the truth, and why we must be exposed to it, even if it hurts.
The guy the Bush Administration used to claim that Iraq had WMDs, admits he was lying. Anyone who was paying attention back in 2002 knew "Curveball" was spouting a bunch of bullshit, but our news media failed to get that info to the masses.
Protests intensify in Algeria, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen. Protests spread to Iraq.

Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?

2011-02-16T23:28:00.001-06:00

Matt Taibbi, perhaps the best muckraking journalist left in the United States, has a new piece in Rolling Stone:

Over drinks at a bar on a dreary, snowy night in Washington this past month, a former Senate investigator laughed as he polished off his beer.

"Everything's fucked up, and nobody goes to jail," he said. "That's your whole story right there. Hell, you don't even have to write the rest of it. Just write that."
I put down my notebook. "Just that?"

"That's right," he said, signaling to the waitress for the check. "Everything's fucked up, and nobody goes to jail. You can end the piece right there."

Nobody goes to jail. This is the mantra of the financial-crisis era, one that saw virtually every major bank and financial company on Wall Street embroiled in obscene criminal scandals that impoverished millions and collectively destroyed hundreds of billions, in fact, trillions of dollars of the world's wealth — and nobody went to jail. Nobody, that is, except Bernie Madoff, a flamboyant and pathological celebrity con artist, whose victims happened to be other rich and famous people.

Check out this earlier story by Taibbi, does the best job I've seen explaining the housing crisis.

Cold War

2011-02-14T19:50:00.004-06:00

News of the day:

Protests break out across Bahrain. Approximately 70 percent of Bahrain is Shia, yet they are widely discriminated against by Bahrain's Sunni rulers. The protests in Bahrain could also embolden those in nearby Saudi Arabia.
Massive protests in Iran.
Protests continue in Algeria.
Protests continue in Yemen.
Egypt's military says they will give in to protesters demands and have elections in six months. Protests continue in Egypt as the people are calling for the immediate transfer to civilian control of the country.
Palestinian Authority cabinet resigns.
Over a million protesters in Italy:

The World is Waking Up

2011-02-14T19:42:00.000-06:00

Quotes from Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell:

"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."

"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

"If all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth."

"All rulers in all ages have tried to impose a false view of the world upon their followers."

"If there is hope... it lies in the proles."

Weekend Update

2011-02-13T11:47:00.001-06:00

Living Dream

2011-02-12T20:42:00.003-06:00

PBC is one of the most under appreciated bands of the last Renaissance period of American history. Centuries of time confuse the mind...

More.

News.

Wikileaks: U.S. spied on NATO's top official.
Protests break out across Algeria. Protesters are demanding Algerian dictator Abdelaziz Bouteflika step down. Security forces arrested hundreds of protesters, including human rights activists and members of the General Union of Algerian Workers. The Internet in Algeria was also shut down.
Chief Palestinian negotiator resigns after leak of Palestine Papers.
Protests in Italy calling for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign.
Iranian opposition leaders are planning large scale protests to take place on Monday.
The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed court motions defending Twitter users from being targeted due to following Wikileaks on Twitter. Wikileaks has 100,000 more followers since it was revealed the government issued a subpoena to gather information on all of Wikileaks Twitter followers (hey, that includes me!).

Alcohol ranked most harmful drug

2011-02-12T19:47:00.003-06:00

Wouldn't it be wild if we had a national drug policy based on, I don't know, science and rationality, instead of propaganda and fear? The British medical journal, The Lancet, last November released one of the most comprehensive studies into harms associated with various drugs:

Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.

British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole. Researchers analyzed how addictive a drug is and how it harms the human body, in addition to other criteria like environmental damage caused by the drug, its role in breaking up families and its economic costs, such as health care, social services and prison.

Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most harmful to individuals. When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the worst.

Overall, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower.

There's hope though. A poll released last Thursday showed 58 percent of Americans now favor regulating marijuana the same as alcohol. Anecdotally, here in Montana, marijuana is essentially legal, and, at least among the under 40 crowd, it seems those who choose marijuana as their drug of preference rivals those who choose alcohol. There was an analysis I read a few years back, but I couldn't seem to find now, that predicted that by 2024 marijuana would surpass alcohol as the nation's drug of choice.

I don't care what anyone chooses as their drug, if any, however from purely a public health and safety standpoint, I think it is important we start moving our society towards cannabis. There are close to 100,000 alcohol related deaths a year in the United States. Close to 450,000 tobacco related deaths a year. There are zero marijuana related deaths a year. Marijuana also has less addictive qualities than substances such as alcohol and tobacco.

In addition, alcohol contributes significantly to the rate of violent crime and domestic abuse in this country. Over half of all violent crime in this country, alcohol is involved. Close to 70 percent of all reported domestic violence incidences, alcohol is involved. Whereas marijuana I'm pretty sure is an antonym to violence.

Here's the great comedian Bill Hicks take on drug policy:

Anonymous

2011-02-12T15:56:00.004-06:00

Last week Aaron Barr, a top executive at corporate computer security firm HB Gary, boasted to the Financial Times that his firm had started to expose individuals supporting Anonymous, a leaderless group of anyone who, while unaffiliated with, are defending WikiLeaks from cyber attacks, and who have helped the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. For instance, when the Internet was shut down in Egypt, fax machines still operated. So Anonymous starting faxing thousands of diplomatic cables concerning Egypt to fax machines all across the country.

The other day, in response to Mr. Barr's comments, Anonymous hacked into HB Gary, and released 50,000 corporate emails to the public. Among the emails released, was a plan for a disinformation campaign devised for Bank of America to attack Wikileaks.

Change is Now

2011-02-11T18:59:00.001-06:00

Information is power and it makes us all equal.

The Revolution has ousted Mubarak.

Two dictators down, all others to go.

When is Enough, Enough?

2011-02-08T23:53:00.001-06:00

Our political system may be broken and corrupt, but there are still a few true public servants out there.

Bernie Sanders:

Olbermann to Current TV

2011-02-08T23:02:00.007-06:00

Keith Olbermann will be returning to television and the internet in late spring. It was announced today Olbermann will have a nightly program on Current TV, as well as becoming the channel's Chief News Officer:

In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday morning, Olbermann said that "nothing is more vital to a free America than a free media, and nothing is more vital to my concept of a free media than news that is produced independently of corporate interference." He called Current "the model truth seeking entity" in television, and said that his new show was "the most exciting event in my career."

Olbermann said the show "will be for all intents and purposes an improved and we hope amplified and stronger version of the show that I just did at my previous network." He could not, however, provide details of the name and time of the show, saying only, "stay tuned."
Al Gore, the chairman of Current TV, also spoke on the conference call. He said he was "extremely honored and delighted" that Olbermann was coming to Current. He said Olbermann was a "great fit with Current in every way."

Olbermann will also be the executive producer of the new show. In the conference call, he called Current the only "independent news and information" channel in the United States. He said he was looking forward to working somewhere where "purely market forces are not the deciding factor in what we're doing here."

In other news:

Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has become the highest ranking official to publicly break with the Obama Administration's stance on escalating the War in Afghanistan. Kerry has also broke with Obama on Egypt and has called for Mubarak to step down.
Wikileaks cables: "A senior adviser to Gordon Brown put pressure on the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan to play down the “bleak and deteriorating” situation to reduce criticism of his government, leaked documents disclose."
Largest demonstrations yet, despite U.S. efforts to stifle the revolution in Egypt.
George W. Bush cancels a planned trip to Switzerland for fear he will face prosecution for committing torture.
Wikileaks cables: U.S. convinced by Saudi expert that the world's largest oil exporter has overestimated it's oil reserves by 40 percent.
In response to protests, and in an attempt to reduce further protests, Syria will reportedly unblock Facebook and YouTube today.
It's hard to improve people's methods of thinking.
Wikileaks cables: More details emerge on the "odd" 1982 death of Chilean President.
More on Obama's man for Egypt.
Obama wants a 50 percent cut to the nation's Community Services Block Grant:

Community Action is 46 years old, a breathing and important creation of Great Society programs. The organization impacts 9.3 million households and works with Head Start, workforce training, health, nutrition, and energy conservation. In 2009, five billion dollars from the program went toward nationwide energy-saving weatherization projects that affecting 300,000 people. Yet Obama’s declared intention to cut funds to this demonstrably successful organization—one that his own Cabinet members and website praises as a “top 10 performer”—a decision which goes further in jeopardizing this valuable program than any free marketeer ever has.

While George W. Bush hoped for cuts in community action, Congressional Democrats kept the dollars flowing. Nixon kept his hands off the program while Reagan and Bush went after it, albeit unsuccessfully. In the mid ‘90s, the Gingrich gang plotted to deny the Community Services Block Grant—community action’s fiscal oxygen—but Director Bradley, a protégé of the late Sargent Shriver, in a feat of impressive political jujitsu, used the opportunity to parade the successes of community action before Congress.

He won. Not only did community action receive funding, it saw a $100 million increase from the Reaganaut authors of Contract with America.

It is important to watch Obama’s “move to the middle” (as many are calling his recent caving to Republican domestic demands) because it seems a retrograde move only a consensus-loving Democrat could make. Daniel Patrtick Moynihan famously wrote to Nixon reminding the old Quaker criminal that it was “Tory men with liberal policies who have enlarged democracy.” And if that truism is overblown the last twenty years have definitively proven the inverse: Those on the liberal end of the respectable spectrum with conservative policies do the worst damage. In campaign ’92, candidate Clinton’s opportunistic criticism of George Bush Sr.’s brave threat to deny America’s loan guarantees to Israel had significant repercussions. Running to the political right of Bush on this point, Clinton’s maneuver subsequently shackled Democrats to whatever reactionary, settler-friendly government Israel put up. Again, but this time in the domestic realm, Clinton proposed the infamous welfare “reform.” This crippling blow to the New Deal was a shameless swing to the right—a piece of legislation far more merciless to children living in poverty than anything conservatives had seriously proposed.

Yuck.

Sir Shake-A-Lot

2011-02-06T22:56:00.001-06:00

Vintage Burger King commercial from 1980:

Amazing. h/t Dangerous Minds.

Revolution

2011-02-06T19:23:00.000-06:00

On this day in 1945, Bob Marley was born:

Paper Planes

2011-02-06T17:03:00.000-06:00

Download M.I.A.'s newest ViCKi LEEKX Mixtape for free.

A Revolution Calender

2011-02-05T18:20:00.002-06:00

Popuporai postings:

Joshua Holland of Alternet has put together seven of the worst dictators being backed by the United States.
Al Jazeera is now banned in Egypt, it has been blacked out of the United States for much longer.
A word from President John F. Kennedy on secrecy and censorship.
In response to protests, Yemen's President has announced he will step down in 2013. Protests are continuing.
The United States is currently trying to get Mubarak ally, and recently appointed Vice President of Egypt, General Omar Suleiman, to take over for Mubarak. Suleiman played a crucial role in the United States government's "Extraordinary Rendition" torture program.
Wade Davis' TED talk on endangered cultures.
Hey, the Super Bowl is tomorrow! Usually I pull for the AFC team, but I'm going for the Packers this year.
Sociology term of the day: social control.
Latest Dangerous Minds Radio Hour.
Egyptian Rap Group Arabian Knightz:

REBEL from Zoltan on Vimeo.

The Suburbs

2011-02-04T19:01:00.001-06:00

Real vs. Fake

2011-02-04T00:08:00.001-06:00

The "Enemy"

2011-02-03T22:42:00.005-06:00

The other day former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called Egyptian Dictator Hosni Mubarak "immensely courageous" and "a force for good." I would say this woman would better fit that description. But I digress.

Remember when we were all worked up about that bin Laden guy? Remember him, the guy the CIA trained and funded in the 1980s to kill the Soviets? He has yet to be brought to justice.

Did you know that Osama bin Laden is unpopular in the Arab world? After 9/11 his popularity declined even further. When the United States and England attacked Iraq, bin Laden's status did go up a bit, but the majority in the Arab world still stood strongly opposed to bin Laden and other extremist religious zealots, and as the years have pasted his popularity has continued to decline.

The fact is, people like Tony Blair have caused far more harm in the world, than crazies like bin Laden. If you believe this study's numbers, a million Iraqis have been killed since 2003. If you believe the military's numbers, disclosed by Wikileaks, over 100,000 civilians are confirmed dead. The leaked Downing Street Memos have shown the Brits knew a bunch of what their government was telling the public about Iraq was bullshit as they were making their case for war. As anyone who was paying attention and staying away from watching the nightly "news" knew at the time. But, Hugh Grant played Tony Blair, so he can't be that bad of a guy, right?

The Iraq War and Western governments continuing support and aid to anti-democratic governments around the world are all about controlling the people in these countries while they exploit the people's resources for the benefit of the wealthy elite in their respective nations. This is crime against humanity. We must stand together against this behavior.

--

Noam Chomsky discusses the "most remarkable regional uprising" he can remember and the United States role in fighting progressive reform in the Arab world, and why the U.S. is supporting repressive regimes and radical Islam:

Only People

2011-02-03T21:27:00.003-06:00

Hard to pick a single revolutionary Lennon song, here's three of them:

Courage is Contagious.

Empathy, Evolution and Technology

2011-02-01T22:10:00.000-06:00

Democracy Now!

2011-02-01T22:07:00.000-06:00

Mubarak now says he will step down as President, but not until September. The millions of people on the streets in Egypt, as well as opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, have rejected Mubarak's attempt to cling on to power. ElBaradei has told Mubarak to leave Egypt by Friday.

Once in a Lifetime

2011-01-31T07:22:00.002-06:00

Ellison: US Must 'Get on the Right Side' of Middle East Democracy Wave

2011-01-30T20:14:00.000-06:00

Congressman Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) is one of the few elected officials to clearly and consistently stand up for the princple of democracy in the Middle East. From The Nation:

President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have been at times embarrassingly cautious in the remarks regarding the Egyptian street protests that may yet topple Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—one of the more unsavory of the US government's many unsavory clients—while Vice President Biden has actually gone around claiming that Mubarak is not a dictator.

Congressional leaders on both sides of the partisan aisle have not been much better.

But Ellison—who because of his "first Muslim in Congress" status is a better-known figure on the international stage than in the US—has emerged as an unblinking champion of the best of America's historic ideals: democracy, self-determination and freedom.

His messages in official statements, interviews and Twitter have been consistent and clear. The message is summed up by a tweet the congressman sent: " Ppl of Egypt DESERVE freedom; I stand w/ them."

After Mubarak's forces arrested Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize–winning former head of the United Nations' nuclear monitoring agency, was detained, Ellison urged Americans to tell President Obama to put more pressure on the Egyptian leader. "Let's do something," Ellison tweeted. “10k ltrs [letters] to WH urging pressure on Egyptian govt to release of M. El-Baradei, stop violence against protestors. C'mon!"

Ellison's message, for domestic and international consumption, boils down to an argument that the Mubarak government should accept calls for reform and democracy, and just as importantly that the United States government should signal its strong support for protests against authoritarian regimes—rather than shoring them up.

"The Middle East would be a much more powerful and dynamic place if there were less authoritarian regimes, and historically the U.S. has supported all of them,” argues Ellison. “We’re always on the side of 'stability' rather than justice. So let’s get on the right side this time.”

Minneapolis should be proud of Keith Ellison, who is one of the best members of Congress in my view, and as the newly elected Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House of Representatives hopefully the volume of his megaphone will increase in this new Congress.

The Youth

2011-01-29T18:14:00.000-06:00

What's next?

2011-01-29T17:52:00.001-06:00

Thousands of people took to the streets in Jordan today. Protesters are demanding that Samir Rifa, the Prime Minister of Jordan, step down. Protesters also are demanding the government curb food prices, unemployment and inflation.
Protests continue to build in Yemen.
The King of Saudi Arabia, a US ally, and one of the most human rights violating states in the world according to Amnesty International, condemned the protests in Egypt and elsewhere. Saudi Arabian political leaders have expressed growing concern protests could start in Saudi Arabia as well.
Here's a song by a Tunisian rapper who helped overthrow the Tunisian government.
Follow the developing events in Egypt.
Rich Fulcher, of Bob Fossil fame, talks to Craig Ferguson about some simple ways to fight the man. George Carlin had a few more.
Wikileaks Co-Founder Julian Assange to appear on 60 Minutes tomorrow night. Will it be a hit piece or a fair shake?

Revolution in Egypt

2011-01-28T09:03:00.002-06:00

Wikileaks is releasing more Egyptian cables--> follow here.

Internet and Mobile Phone access is down in Egypt.

Numerous protesters have been killed.

Pro-Democracy leader detained.

Reports of some police now taking the side of protesters.

Vice President Joe Biden calls Julian Assange "a terrorist" and says US backed dictator Mubarak should not step down. Assange to be on 60 Minutes Sunday.

Follow the events throughout the day here.

Watch events happening here.

What the Revolutions Mean to America

2011-01-26T07:15:00.004-06:00

The information provided by the publication of leaked diplomatic cables, classified war logs, corporate memos, transcripts of leaders backroom meetings, and the rest by Wikileaks and others have largely backed up the Chomsky view of the world. Put simplistically, the biggest obstacle to promoting a more fair and just world, at the present moment, is the United States of America.

Taking a wide angle view of what these documents reveal is really what many already knew. Some of the world’s most oppressive, human rights violating states are being supported and in some cases totally propped up by the United States. Democracy for the world is not in the best economic interest of the United States, or at least for a certain economic class in the United States. Therefore our leaders, both political and corporate (if there is any need to make a distinction), over many years have invested a lot of resources (i.e. your tax dollars) to keep dictators in power. Why would our leaders want dictators instead of truly representative government? Capitalism is all about maximizing profit. It’s much easier for ExxonMobil, for example, to not only gain access to, but receive the most profit possible, from the natural resources they exploit from poorer nations, when leaders of those poorer nations are corrupt.

The United States was not founded as a capitalist state. There is no mention of capitalism in our Declaration of Independence or our Constitution. The most farsighted of our nation’s forebears dreamed America would one day become a beacon in the world for the principles of liberty, equal opportunity, and democratic government. We have strayed from those ideals.

Capitalism, at least the style of capitalism that currently dominates our society and culture, is not compatible to the concept of democracy. Democracy is about giving equal weight, equal voice to every citizen. Capitalism is about trying to take as much as you can for yourself. We as a nation, and as individuals, must decide what our nation should be and should become. Should we stand for democratic government? Should we stand for human rights? Against genocide? Should we stand for liberty and equal opportunity? Or should we abandon and/or forget those lofty ideals? Should we now conclude our experiment of having a country based on rights, freedoms and principles, as opposed to blind loyalty to a King, a failure?

I’ll end this rant with a quote from the end of an old speech by the late United States Senator from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone:

Can I conclude on this personal note? As I get older I learn more. When our first child was born, I was only twenty years old. Now we have three grandkids now and our oldest has just turned eight. When she was a baby, I held her in my hands and I thought to myself "I know what I believe in." What I believe is that whatever infant I hold in my hands - it doesn't matter the color of skin, doesn't matter rich or poor, doesn't matter religion, doesn't matter boy or girl, doesn't matter urban or rural - every child in our country, the greatest country in the world, should have the same opportunity to develop her full potential, and his full potential. That is the American dream, that is the goodness of our country, that is what unites and binds and ties all of us together as Americans, and that is the principle of economic justice. That is why I come here as a United States Senator to honor your hard work and to tell you that we have our work cut out for us.

Reminds me of a great speech given by Wendell Phillips, an abolitionist in the 1840s. You might remember from your history that both political parties then were worried about taking on slavery, because it would create uncomfortable cleavages in each party. But not Wendell, he would not equivocate. He was speaking at this gathering and he said, "slavery is a moral outrage, it should be abolished." That Wendell Phillips, he wouldn't give an inch. And he finished speaking and a friend came up to him and said "Wendell, why are you so on fire?" My favorite quote. Wendell came up to his friend and said "Brother May, I'm on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt." We have mountains of ice before us to melt and we will do it in the spirit of solidarity. Thank you brothers and sisters.

Egypt

2011-01-26T07:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday protests broke out across all of Egypt. Protesters have three demands-

One: Raising the minimum wage to 1,200 EGP and providing subventions to the unemployed.

Two: Ending the State of Emergency which has been caused a long paralysis to the Egyptian civil and political life for more than three decades, and releasing all the detainees who are prisoned with no definite charges.

Three: Dissolution of the People’s Assembly of Egypt, the Egyptian Parliament, and changing the constitution to limit the presidential terms to two only.

Some highlights of the day's events, from the Guardian's live blog of the protests:

Massive numbers of anti-government protesters have clashed with police in Cairo and other cities in the largest demonstration in Egypt in a generation. Demonstrators want an end to the authoritarian president Hosni Mubarak's near 30 years of power.
Waves of protesters filled Cairo's central Tahrir Square, vowing to remain in place until the government fell, however police used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear the area at around 1am. Protesters fled to side streets and bridges across the river Nile, some pledging to continue protesting on Wednesday.
The Egyptian government has reportedly blocked Twitter – which protester used to coordinate movements – and shut down mobile phone and internet networks.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Mubarak's government is stable despite the demonstrations. Mubarak is an important US partner in the Middle East.
As night falls in Egypt protests have also broken out in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. Roads are also being blocked by demonstrators in the Sinai Peninsula, and large rallies are being reported across the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal region.
Gamal Mubarak, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's son who was to be his successor, has reportedly fled to London with his family.

Videos:

The State of the Union

2011-01-25T20:14:00.003-06:00

I know very little about politics. That's Justin's domain. That being said, here are my thoughts during Applause-fest 2011, also known as the State of the Union.

Boehner looks uncomfortable back there. He looks like he's thinking: "How long is this thing going to last? Man, I want to get out of here."

"No workers are more productive than ours... we're the home to the world's best universities..." I have a hard time believing this is true. But sure, we're #1! We're #1!

Obama's talking about the space race. What is our moon? The moon! We're going there again, baby! Woo! I'd like to see Osama do that!

"We need to eliminate the billions of dollars we give to oil companies." Well, that didn't get a very warm round of applause. Shocker.

"Become a teacher. Your country needs you!" I'm sick of this bullshit. How come nobody says that about engineers, huh? We're just as important as teachers or doctors or whatever. I demand respect, damn it!

"America's the nation that built the trans-continental railway!" [Cut to shot of chinaman].

I kind of like this mixing up the democrats and republicans idea. The problem is that it's really obvious who the democrats are because they're the only ones standing up.

On reorganizing the government: "I will submit a bill to congress and work to get it passed" (or something like that). Boehner's reaction: "Good luck getting that passed, asshole."

Ok, it's over now. Hope you kids out there enjoyed it. Just remember, talk is cheap. Let's see some action.

Pat is crazy.

Good Night and Good Luck

2011-01-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Palestine Papers

2011-01-23T17:38:00.002-06:00

Whoa. Breaking: Another massive leak, this time not coming from WikiLeaks, but rather the Guardian UK and Al Jazerra. Essentially, the documents show the Middle East Peace process is a sham.

From the Guardian:

The biggest leak of confidential documents in the history of the Middle East conflict has revealed that Palestinian negotiators secretly agreed to accept Israel's annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in occupied East Jerusalem. This unprecedented proposal was one of a string of concessions that will cause shockwaves among Palestinians and in the wider Arab world.

A cache of thousands of pages of confidential Palestinian records covering more than a decade of negotiations with Israel and the US has been obtained by al-Jazeera TV and shared exclusively with the Guardian. The papers provide an extraordinary and vivid insight into the disintegration of the 20-year peace process, which is now regarded as all but dead.

The documents – many of which will be published by the Guardian over the coming days – also reveal:

• The scale of confidential concessions offered by Palestinian negotiators, including on the highly sensitive issue of the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

• How Israeli leaders privately asked for some Arab citizens to be transferred to a new Palestinian state.

• The intimate level of covert co-operation between Israeli security forces and the Palestinian Authority.

• The central role of British intelligence in drawing up a secret plan to crush Hamas in the Palestinian territories.

• How Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders were privately tipped off about Israel's 2008-9 war in Gaza.

The world is on fire.

Unrest in Yemen

2011-01-23T15:06:00.004-06:00

In response to the uprising in Tunisia, mass protests broke out yesterday in Yemen. Protesters are demanding the removal of dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for the past 32 years.

In other news:

In Albania, police clashed with over 20,000 protesters, leaving 3 dead and 55 injured. Tensions have been rising in Albania over the exposure of government corruption.
The FCC and the Justice Department have approved Comcast's takeover of NBC/Universal, a move further concentrating media in the United States. Senator Al Franken was one of only a few elected officials who really tried to stop the merger. Franken on the merger:

With approval of this merger, the FCC has given a single media conglomerate unprecedented control over the flow of information in America. This will ultimately mean higher cable and Internet bills, fewer independent voices in the media, and less freedom of choice for all American consumers. And it will leave Minnesotans at the mercy of a shrinking number of very powerful media conglomerates. We count on competition in this country to keep corporations in check, and we have designed antitrust laws to ensure that companies do not become too big or too powerful. I fear this is only the first domino in a cascade to come. By approving this merger, the FCC may have just given a green light to AT&T and Verizon to pursue similar mergers with ABC/Disney or CBS/Viacom. But, this does not mean the fight is over. A growing number of Americans stand behind me ready to fight any further media consolidation of this kind.

In an "unrelated" note, NBC has made a financial settlement with Keith Olbermann ending his program on MSNBC. Olbermann had grown increasingly upset with executives interference with his show and there are rumors Olbermann may try to start a new media program on the Internet. Countdown with Keith Olbermann was the highest and most profitable program on MSNBC. Ironically, Olbermann replaced Phil Donahue in 2002, who at the time also had the highest rated program on MSNBC. A leaked NBC memo from 2002 stated Donahue was fired for being too questioning of a possible war in Iraq. Executives felt it would not make good business sense for General Electric (which in addition to owning NBC and making microwaves, is a defense contractor) to give a platform to an anti-war voice.
If Sarah Palin visits Australia she may face prosecution for inciting violence. Palin, and a number of other high profile politicians, have called for violence against journalists, including for the assassination of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange.
More on the Swiss Bank leak:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Assange slams whistle-blower's arrest.

Update

2011-01-18T13:07:00.006-06:00

Here's a rundown of the latest news concerning WikiLeaks:

In what some are describing as the first WikiLeaks revolution, the dictator of Tunisia has been overthrown. Diplomatic cables, released by WikiLeaks, described widespread corruption and political oppression in Tunisia which helped spark widespread protests and riots throughout the country. Today's Democracy Now! devoted it's entire show to the Tunisian uprising.

Libyan Dictator Moammar Gaddaffi blamed WikiLeaks for the revolt in Tunisia and stated his worry unrest will spread throughout the Arab world. Keep an eye on Egypt, the democracy movement could hit there next.

Yesterday a former prominent Swiss banker, turned whistle-blower, turned over to WikiLeaks the banking information of 2,000 of the world's richest individuals and companies. It is alleged the information provided in this leak shows these individuals and companies engaged in tax evasion and other criminal behavior. WikiLeaks will analyze the documents and release the information in a few months.

WikiLeaks will be partnering with Novaya Gazeta, a Russian weekly newspaper run by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. WikiLeaks has stated it has information showing massive corruption being committed by the Russian state. Russia has been cracking down even more in the past few months on the limited press freedom that exists in that country.

The Los Angeles Times blasts the "inhumane" and "indefensible" treatment of U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, the person alleged to have leaked the war logs and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. The United Nations is currently investigating the United States for committing torture against Manning. Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com has more.

WikiLeaks has stated it's next "megaleak" will concern a major American bank. It is believed that bank is Bank of America. There is some speculation this leak will show BoA is being kept alive only through accounting tricks and ongoing government subsidies.

Thus far WikiLeaks and their media partners have only released roughly 2.3% of the U.S. diplomatic cables.

Greetings from Big Sky Country!

2011-01-18T12:44:00.004-06:00