Displaying 1,171 To 1,200 Of 2,270 Comments Cher, good analogy. Predators eat. Its nothing personal, its just what they do. » Posted By funksands On October 24, 2011 @ 10:52 am BREAKING!! OccupyBellevue in full swing!! There are at least 50 people standing outside the Art Museum. This COULD be one of the signs of the apocalypse. My wife is headed down there right now with her “riot gear” fully deployed and big head of steam. (I lost the rock/paper/scissors) “No, there isn’t a band of dirty fucking hippies camping out at Bellevue Square (though once we build light rail across the I-90 bridge, it’s Katie bar the door, Kemper) but with GOP evil-genius Karl Rove visiting the Bellevue Westin Hotel this evening to raise money for the Washington State Republican Party, today might be a good day to start an occupation. Joining Rove at the state GOP’s “Blueprint for Success” fundraiser will of course be Rob McKenna, demonstrating just how different this “different kind of Republican” really is. There will be rally outside the hotel at 5:30 pm, on the corner of N.E. 6th and Bellevue Way, protesting Rove and his particular brand of dirty politics. And the featured speaker knows what he’s talking about: Ambassador Joe Wilson, whose CIA operative wife, Valerie Plame, was infamously outed by Rove’s henchmen as payback for Wilson publicly speaking the truth about the yellowcake uranium hoax. So if you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and tell Rove to go fuck himself.” http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/10/18/occupy-bellevue How exciting! Will see if I can get some pics!! » Posted By funksands On October 18, 2011 @ 5:28 pm Its a BIIIIIIIG Tent. I like it that way. » Posted By funksands On October 18, 2011 @ 2:51 pm [img]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdeuuzXS_sY[/img] Citibank with new customer service program: Every time you open an account you get arrested. Shameful, utterly shameful » Posted By funksands On October 15, 2011 @ 5:21 pm Kes, I’m guessing that its dated wrong. I went to the OWS thread and there is no mention of it. Shame I have. » Posted By funksands On October 13, 2011 @ 9:00 pm These are not the droids you are looking for…. » Posted By funksands On October 13, 2011 @ 8:32 pm Bito, good find. What an incestuous cesspool. » Posted By funksands On October 11, 2011 @ 9:59 am No Glenn, just you. » Posted By funksands On October 11, 2011 @ 8:17 am Sally, he is such an opportunistic guy, you’d think that he’d rip off his microphone and join the protesters. That would be just the thing I would expect Geraldo to do. Must be getting soft in his autumn years. » Posted By funksands On October 11, 2011 @ 8:17 am Scooby double-take moment of the day: I turned on CNBC this morning (don’t ask why) and saw David Faber and his Brit co-host interviewing former Senator Judd Gregg. Gregg droned on and on about how the protesters hated capitalism, they should be looking for a job, they hate success, want socialism, etc etc, the standard talking points….then something weird happened. I haven’t found video yet, but I swear it happened! The brit co-host asks: (paraphrasing) “Mr. Gregg, I’ve attended and covered several of the G20 protests, and I’ve covered these protests. I’ve talked to protesters at both events and find that the protesters here are not anarchists, nor are they necessarily anti-capitalist, they are simply Americans who feel that their government and the system has let them down. Surely you can see the difference?” Senator Gregg stumbled a bit, but held fast to his agitator talking points. The real surprise came when David Faber, the lion of CNBC, chimes in with: (paraphrasing) “Senator Gregg, isn’t on of the main issues with Wall Street that it got away from its historical mission of simply allocating capital? It got into areas where transaction fees became the money maker and the risks it took to keep the fees going were simply too great?” Gregg looked poleaxed. He came up with something that eventually wound around to the government demanding poor people buy homes, and that action wrecked the economy. Faber disagreed with him! He said that most of the mortgages that went bad were re-finances through private lenders and not federally backed first-mortgages to poor people, and then he quickly moved on. (Who is this guy?) Faber THEN asked Gregg, (paraphrasing) “Senator Gregg, isn’t one of the reasons these protesters are down here is because the reaction the banking crisis didn’t fundamentally change anything?..” Gregg had had enough, he went into a tirade about big government, over-regulation, we had to bail the banks out, disaster was looming, overriding Faber three times until the clock ran out on the interview. Utterly surreal. For the first time, the VERY first time, I saw the corporate cheer-leading MSM actually say on air to a bigwig in the Government / Wall Street crowd that maybe the protesters have a point. This is exciting. I’m actually smiling while I write it. As soon as I find video I will post it. » Posted By funksands On October 11, 2011 @ 8:15 am Geraldo greeted by his adoring fans from OWS:[img]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxQHys4Tmf4[/img] » Posted By funksands On October 10, 2011 @ 10:30 pm Em, the FEC membership has been embroiled in turmoil for two years now. The GOP is blocking the President’s appointments to the FEC to replace three Bush appointees from 2008. These three were going to be cut, but because of the Congressional impass, they continue to serve and rule on campaign finance issues. You see the results of their handiwork. » Posted By funksands On October 9, 2011 @ 1:57 pm Ad, Rep. King does not have to answer to the likes of you..[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Denethor.JPG[/img] » Posted By funksands On October 9, 2011 @ 12:13 pm Ask corporations, Congress and the President what THEY feel is the most important thing we can do fix our nation and you’ll get a 1000 different answers. How is that any different than the OWStreeters / 99%’ers? One group has power, the other powerless except for their voice. » Posted By funksands On October 9, 2011 @ 12:11 pm When The Simmering Public Finally Erupts Murph, couldn’t agree more. Good to see you here. Hope to see more of you. » Posted By funksands On October 1, 2011 @ 2:24 pm Why America Fails: One Man’s Opinion jjgravitas, It’s a fascist-curious phase I bet Europe was hoping we would avoid. They’ve dabbled a few times, and we know how that turned out… » Posted By funksands On October 1, 2011 @ 3:33 pm Adonai, thanks so much for this post. It has made me chew on a lot of thoughts I hadn’t for a while. Corporate Socialism has been the law of the land for a 100 years or so. Corporations get protected and backstopped by the government, and in turn they agree to pay the workers and treat the workers in a reasonable fashion. In return, the workers stay off the streets and elect the aristocracy to run the government… Who in turn take a little off the top and continue to grease the wheels for corporations. Not a bad deal comparatively and historically speaking. Unfortunately, someone got greedy and broke the circle of trust. This feels like blowback, but when 75% of voters can’t be bothered to show up to a mid-term election in the middle of a huge economic slump am I fooling my self? Can there be “revolution” if 75% of the public doesn’t really care? » Posted By funksands On October 1, 2011 @ 3:31 pm Why Is Equality So “Controversial” for Republicans? Choice, I’ve found that for too many conservatives Jesus is like the fine china. Mostly for display and only brought out for company. » Posted By funksands On September 26, 2011 @ 11:26 am Great article atdnext. I suspect that your question you asked in the header might be rhetorical. You strike me as someone that has a pretty good handle on how and why some conservatives and Republicans think the way they do. I think the bumper-sticker speech patterns of the right are simply there to reinforce the symbolism and mysticism that has become right-thought in this country. Facts don’t matter, empirical evidence doesn’t matter, whether things work don’t matter either. All that matters is that the canons must be observed and obeyed. From this we get Conservatives that “support the troops” but are indifferent if not hostile to actual soldiers, especially wounded veterans. (ooo they are icky.) They fetishize 9-11 but filibuster health care for sick first responders. (ooo they are icky) Inequality offends them because in the greatest country in the universe, you simply have to work hard and be god-fearing and success will naturally come to you. Inequality is therefore relegated to being a choice rather than an outcome of complex issues. Admission that inequality is anything but a Dem trick to get more voters or a lazy person’s choice, is an admission that perhaps the canons are imperfect, that introspection might be needed, beliefs re-thought. To an ultra-right party, that type of thinking is counter-productive and dangerous. » Posted By funksands On September 25, 2011 @ 3:27 pm TAKE ACTION: Suggest and Support Petitions For The Obama Admin to Review That’s fair. » Posted By funksands On September 25, 2011 @ 3:28 pm Those are good points Bito. » Posted By funksands On September 25, 2011 @ 3:05 pm Bito, there are several examples of the Executive Branch “unsigning” or ignoring treaties or parts of treaties. Carter unilaterally ended the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1954 with Taiwan without involving Congress. Bush unilaterally terminated the 1972 ABM treaty in 2001, also without Congress. » Posted By funksands On September 25, 2011 @ 3:02 pm I may have changed my mind. I read an article in the Nation and followed it to the supporting article. 6.3 trillion of our total debt is due to our trade policies and outsourcing to other nations?????? WTF? Is this true? And this is from 2000-2008 alone? I knew it was bad, but THIS bad? I’d appreciate some thoughts about this. http://www.thefinancialhelpcenter.com/Economy/PA-Jobs.pdf » Posted By funksands On September 25, 2011 @ 2:53 pm Ad, I think that both of your suggestions are worthy ones, and ones that I would support. I plan to sign Patsy’s petition also. Other than the de-annexation of Texas, I might suggest the President begin to exempt us from some of the most onerous of the provisions of NAFTA and CAFTA. Given how squishy and complex that might become, I’ll throw my weight behind to the two items you’ve listed above. » Posted By funksands On September 24, 2011 @ 12:54 pm Boy Ad, that Plutocracy Cycle graph is powerful. Thanks for using it. To be fair to the private company, why should we expect them to hire just because we need them to? If it isn’t needed, why should they do it? The problem is primarily lack of demand, not lack of incentive. Keeping in mind that the problem isn’t millionaires, its the GOP, I think its about time people started to embrace the term class warfare before they lose another round voluntarily keeping their hands behind their back. Remember, when trillions and trillions of dollars got funneled from the middle class in to the pockets of the wealthiest of us, that’s TAX RELIEF. When they want some of it back, that’s CLASS WARFARE. » Posted By funksands On September 19, 2011 @ 4:35 pm Pundits Anonymous – The Prediction Addiction “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” “I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.” “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” “We don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.” “Stocks have reached a permanently high plateau.” “No matter what happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.” “Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” » Posted By funksands On September 16, 2011 @ 9:29 pm PWND: A Brief History of Video Games Adonai, this was a really great article, and took me back deep into my childhood. The original Atari console was my Xmas present back in 1980 or so and hooked me with claws into video games forever. I’ll never forgive/forget it. As I got older my love of video games started to fade until the FinalFantasy series came out on the NES and SNES. Hooked again all the way through college with only one other competitor: Tecmo and SuperTecmo Bowl. Over the years my interest waned significantly until my wife, in a fit of pure madness got me a Wii. Hooked again. The first game she got me was Super Mario Galaxy 2, which imo was the best video game I’ve ever played from a play-ability, visual graphic, uniqueness, and fun standpoint. I never, ever thought that I would end up having a 30 year love affair with video games, and despite some long lulls, there is still some magic there. Thanks for the look back into the past. » Posted By funksands On October 17, 2011 @ 1:51 pm On Opposing the U.S.A Patriot Act – Russell Feingold Adonai, in principle I agree with you. That’s the problem with extraordinary powers. They are pretty nice to have. Even the most well meaning administration is going to find it nearly impossible to dismantle the security apparatus that was feverishly set up for 8 years under Bush. And after a while, they are simply too useful to get rid of at all. Creeping normalcy. I think many of the arguments that CLady is making have some merit though as the examples of the DOJ enforcing law “as pled” by the prior administration exist. I also think that the voluntary measures that the DOJ and the administration say they have put in place to moderate some aspects of the Patriot Act on an executive and law-enforcement basis are good. Voluntary by definition though is just that. The next administration is not compelled to follow the same guidelines. » Posted By funksands On September 12, 2011 @ 4:10 pm KT, it showed me that our lawmakers are not immune to the fears and hysteria that grip the general populace. Indeed they may be more susceptible because they are “in the know”. I find it hard to believe that if 100 average citizens were pulled off the street and asked to vote for the Patriot Act a month after 9-11 occurred that 99 of them would say yes. » Posted By funksands On September 12, 2011 @ 4:03 pm What’s good about the original bill is that even Congress felt that perhaps in the heat of the moment certain provisions would need to be continually renewed rather than become permanent law. Such as: 1. Authorizing the FBI to use roving wiretaps on surveillance targets When the Act came up for renewal, Patrick Leahy and Rand Paul offered a list of amendments that would have increased Congressional oversight of these types of provisions. The proposed amendments were never voted on and the Act was renewed. There have been no significant changes to the Patriot Act since it was passed in 2001. The ACLU, the Heritage Foundation and everyone in between seems to agree with this assessment. However, to the administration’s credit, the DOJ has apparently decided to voluntarily adopt many of the proposals outlined in the Leahy/Paul amendments. According to Leahy, the DOJ responded to him via letter that they had enacted the following: • Implemented a requirement that, when library or bookseller records are sought via a Section 215 order for business records, a statement of specific and articulable facts showing relevance to an authorized investigation must be produced; Leahy also said that DOJ had agreed to work with Congress to determine ways to make additional information publicly available regarding the use of FISA authorities. http://leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/AmendmentText-Leahy-PaulAmendment.pdf http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/usa-patriot-act-what-has-changed-and-what-hasnt/ http://www.aclu.org/files/pdfs/about/herman_usapaf.pdf » Posted By funksands On September 12, 2011 @ 3:59 pmComments Posted By funksands
Decca executive, 1962, after turning down the Beatles.
Gary Cooper, after turning down the lead role in Gone With The Wind.
Albert Einstein, 1932
Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp. 1977
Hewlett Packard excuse to Steve Jobs, who founded Apple Computers instead.
Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929
U.S. Secretary of Navy, December 4, 1941
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin English scientist, 1899
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2. Allowing the government access to “any tangible items,” such as library records, in the course of surveillance
3. Allowing for the surveillance of targets who are not connected to an identified terrorist group.
• Adopted a policy requiring the FBI to retain a statement of facts showing that the information sought through a National Security Letter (NSL) is relevant to an authorized investigation, to facilitate better auditing and accountability;
• Adopted procedures to provide notification to recipients of NSLs of their opportunity to contest any nondisclosure requirement attached to the NSL;
• Agreed to ensure that NSL recipients who challenge nondisclosure orders are notified by the FBI when compliance with such nondisclosure orders are no longer required;
• Adopted procedures for the collection, use and storage of information derived from National Security Letters, which were approved by Attorney General Holder on October 1, 2010.
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