Displaying 511 To 540 Of 13,190 Comments Profit-based propaganda machines — that’s an accurate description of much of the MSM these days, AdLib. And worse. When it comes to the President and the democratic process they come pretty close to being saboteurs. The President is in a very unenviable situation. While he’s facing down elements like ISIS and Putin, the MSM and the Koch-fueled GOP are plunging knives in his back. These people talk about solidarity with France, but they don’t know the meaning of the word solidarity. Or even decency, for that matter. » Posted By kesmarn On January 13, 2015 @ 11:27 am Well done, AdLib! And the graphic is one of the best ever. Isn’t it amazing that Roger Ailes and FOX “News” are so sensitive these days? So exquisitely tuned in to the sensibilities of the citizens of France? One would scarcely believe that a mere 12 years ago, when they were drumming up support for Dubya’s misguided Iraq war, those same citizens were “cheese-eating surrender-monkeys who begged to be driven to the nearest mall so that they could give themselves up to the nearest security guard.” Yes, FOX… you’ve come a long way. In the wrong direction. The real offense to the French people comes from hate-mongering people like Ailes and Rupert Murdoch — who had a large hand in propagating the Iraq war in the first place. Talk about an event that radicalized thousands! Now that’s offensive. » Posted By kesmarn On January 12, 2015 @ 8:54 pm You Can’t Tell The GOP’s Bad Players Without a Program AdLib and jj, I think we have the beginnings of a serious photoshop project here! 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On January 8, 2015 @ 10:59 am What a rogues gallery, AdLib! Well done! Then we have — [[fanfare]] — the Leader of the Rat Pack Stepping into the batter’s circle is none other than — JEB BUSH! Here are 23 — count ’em — 23 legally shady activities that the Jebster has been involved in: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/23-reasons-why-jeb-bush-shouldnt-run-president » Posted By kesmarn On January 7, 2015 @ 6:51 pm Weekend Music Thread — Time Travel Right back to you, ExFan! » Posted By kesmarn On January 11, 2015 @ 4:55 pm Great choice, Beatlex! Moving at this time of year!? If it’s as cold there as it is here … Wow! More power to you! Hope it all goes smoothly and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by. » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 8:48 pm Always so interesting to hear the backstory on what a given song means to any person, Homie. Thanks so much for telling this one. Speaking of “transistor” radios, I had one too, and I remember being very young and hearing Mary Wells’ “My Guy” for the first time. I recall thinking — “Wow…I just love this Motown sound!” Still do!
» Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 8:43 pm Nice. » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:37 pm Thanks so much, Homie! I’m not always sure time really is on my side, but I’ll take Mick Jagger’s word for it! (Seems to be working for him!) 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:35 pm Here’s to your Mom, ExFan! And a tribute to France is so appropriate — especially after this past week. » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:31 pm This is the favorite song of all time for one of my cousins, Nirek. It’s a real classic. » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:28 pm Nirek, that’s a fascinating story connected to this song. “A hero to everyone but himself.” I had never heard of Ira Hayes. Thanks so much for posting this! » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:25 pm One of my all time favorites, Homie! Always takes me back to a happy time. » Posted By kesmarn On January 10, 2015 @ 6:22 pm Starting the New Year with a Smile – The Year in PlanetPOV Art OMG! I’d missed some of these! They’re all awesome, but somehow I hadn’t seen Miss Lindsey Scarlett O’Hara Graham. Unbelievably funny! Thanks so much for the year-end gift, AdLib! 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On January 2, 2015 @ 5:57 pm Nirek, it took me until January 4th to get to your wonderful New Year’s wishes, but it was worth the wait. What a great collection of hopes for the coming year. Granted — wishing for Republicans to become sane is a very ambitious wish 😆 — but I share that one with you as well. Hope that 2015 brings all the best to you and yours too! » Posted By kesmarn On January 4, 2015 @ 8:18 am Will 2015 Be a Good Year for Americans? AdLib, I always take your analyses and predictions seriously (in spite of the fact that you are a very funny guy) because you have a remarkable track record when it comes to getting it right. I don’t have much hope of good things coming from this GOP dominated Congress in 2015. (After all, the newly elected GOP members are already talking about getting rid of the food stamps program entirely. Not just tweaking it — but annihilating it.) So I’m more grateful than ever that the Prez has the power of the veto pen. May he use it until there’s a national ink shortage. My hope is that — in the process of attempting things like slashing pensions and getting rid of SNAP — the GOP is finally revealed to even the densest, most oblivious citizens for what it really is. Every bit of arrogant over-reach should come back to haunt them then in 2016. My hope, too, is that the SCOTUS doesn’t demolish the one decent thing it has done in the recent past by un-doing the ACA over a silly technicality. I hope Roberts has more sense and more concern for the way history will eventually judge him than to do that. He already has some pretty shady dealings to try to live down — including Citizens United. Does he really want to go down as the worst Chief Justice in history? With regard to the police, my New Years wish is that — even if the hearts and minds of racist cops (and granted, they’re not all racist) can’t be swayed by arguments for decency to do the right things — the cameras they will soon be wearing (Lord willing) will cause them to improve their behavior. In health care, it was amazing to see the attitude changes that resulted when there were financial penalties to hospitals who had poor ratings from patients for customer service. Holding people accountable really can work if it’s done right. The same thing needs to happen with police departments. Bad cops need to be fired. And those cameras just might supply the evidence to get that done. Granted — the presence of cameras at the Garner murder scene didn’t seem to do much good. But a day-in, day-out pattern of prejudice that’s recorded in audio and video? That’s going to be hard for most police chiefs to ignore. Let me take a last minute to echo Kalima’s sentiment too. Thanks so much — to you and to her as well — for the many hours spent keeping the Planet funny, lively, safe and well-informed throughout 2014! And here’s to a great 2015 here on the Planet! » Posted By kesmarn On December 30, 2014 @ 6:48 pm Merry Christmas From PlanetPOV – 2014! 😆 AdLib, my son is home from grad school and I read this to him. He laughed so hard! He thought it was hilarious — and so do I. Thanks for one of the best laughs of the day on Christmas! And all the best to you and the family. » Posted By kesmarn On December 25, 2014 @ 2:49 pm A Bit of History: Cuba and the USA Nirek, tonight I was watching the news on PBS and ironically a lot of American businesses (like Carnival Cruises and Caterpillar) are really excited about this development. They already have plans in the works that involve potential new Cuban markets. How’s the GOP going to talk badly about something that’s so good for business? 😆 I’m in total agreement with you about this Pope. He really has his priorities straight. » Posted By kesmarn On December 18, 2014 @ 4:51 pm Nirek, thank you so much — not only for a concise and clear summary of the history of relations between the US and Cuba — but also for a touching tribute to our late friend Bitohistory (or just “bito,” as he was known here on the Planet). I’m proud of the President for making this move too. As you said, it’s long overdue. It can only help both countries to drop 50 years of fruitless animosity. Isn’t it ridiculous that people like Marco Rubio are ranting about how much they object to this policy change, when (as you noted) the US has diplomatic relations with Vitenam after a much more complex history there? And then there’s the issue of China. Tell us again, Mr. Rubio, how we shouldn’t even consider having diplomacy and trade with a Communist nation? The GOP will never take prizes for their intellectual consistency, that’s for sure. Good for Pope Francis for lending a hand in clearing the path for this to happen too. Yesterday was his birthday, and I truly hope he’s around for a lot more of them because I do like what I’ve seen so far! » Posted By kesmarn On December 18, 2014 @ 9:47 am Putin, The Police and Citigroup – The Powerful Create Their Own Powerful Adversaries AdLib, even in the most dire circumstances, you can manage to find a glimmer of optimism. That’s a real gift. And I don’t think that what you’re saying here is falsely hopeful. For quite a while, I’ve been mulling over what appeared to be very limited options for the 99% (world-wide, really, not just in the US) to fight back. I mean, really — when you look at the way the Ferguson police were armored-up and equipped with massive tanks — how does anyone think any sort of armed citizen uprising is going to work out? Not in favor of the little guy, that’s for sure. And then there’s the option of the mass demonstration — which used to be pretty darned effective. Now? Maybe not so much. In an era when the MSM can simply erase tens of thousands of marchers by refusing to show any images or air the story, it’s like shouting to the world from a sound-proof room. But more and more I’m beginning to think there’s a third way. (And your article suggests this, too.) I call it, simply — not buying whatever it is they’re selling. Whether it’s a product, a service or a lie. Don’t buy it. This is actually something I’m learning from the Millennials. They’re one of the least gullible and least materialistic generations ever. A sizable percentage of them don’t own houses and don’t want to. There goes Citigroup’s power to peddle shitty mortgages and then sell them as “derivatives.” They don’t want to own cars (they’ll use mass transit or use a car-sharing service instead). So much for ridiculous insurance profits and unnecessary pollution. I think the Prez used the same technique with Putin. In spite of all the cries from the right to get down in the mud and wrestle with him militarily over the Ukraine invasion, Obama just made sure that what Putin was selling (oil) would become worthless. He “stopped the buying.” Now the ruble is tanking. We can stop buying Cheney’s idea that torture works. We can stop buying the idea that cops don’t need to wear body cameras and that they’re always justified in using whatever amount of force they choose to. WalMart’s and McDonald’s sales are (and have been for a while) down. When they opt to pay starvation wages to their workers and to peddle cheap junk, people figure things out. They stop buying. And it’s so frickin’ non-violent! In the words of Reverend Billy, “stop shopping.” (And that goes for buying crazy Cheneyan or Putinist ideas, too.)
» Posted By kesmarn On December 17, 2014 @ 8:39 am Noel Purcell – Father Christmas (VIDEO) PPO, thanks so much for sharing this with us! I’ve only been able to watch about 10 minutes worth so far (apparently a bit of a problem streaming on my Chromebook), but I’m going to keep at it. So far it’s absolutely charming. All the best to your Mom too. I know about that situation with dementia; my dad has it too. It is a cruel condition, isn’t it? But it seems that — mercifully — the people who have it don’t seem to be fully aware of it. It almost seems to be tougher on family members than on the victims themselves. I guess all we can do is love them and be supportive of them as long as we’re lucky enough to have them with us. Best to you and yours at this holiday season, and thanks again! » Posted By kesmarn On December 22, 2014 @ 7:55 pm Weekend Music Thread: Music From Around The World We may have get a Planetary troupe going here, SLM. » Posted By kesmarn On December 21, 2014 @ 10:59 am So that’s your Da singing there, is it? That makes it even better! » Posted By kesmarn On December 21, 2014 @ 10:50 am PPO, I’ve never heard the song “Dublin Can Be Heaven” before. It’s so sweet! Like those music hall tunes from the turn of the 19th-20th century. And I loved the pictures of street scenes in Dublin — like a little tour of the town. Thanks so much! » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 9:29 pm Absolutely! And the socks that aren’t really socks? You know — the ones with the big empty space between your calf and your ankle? When it comes to head-slapping, can I have Dick Cheney? I want to hear his brains rattling like seeds in a dried gourd. » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 9:25 pm Makes me want to zip up to Detroit and cross over the bridge to Windsor to soak up some Canadian culture, Beatlex! Thanks for posting! » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 9:18 pm 😆 😆 😆 LOVE the German slap dancing. Especially when the girl gets into the mix at the end! Greensleaves has been a favorite of mine ever since I was so little that I didn’t even know the name of the tune. And Sakura is so lovely too. You included all of your cultural roots there, Kalima! » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 8:18 pm His voice is so outstanding I think a lot of people forget what an incredible instrumentalist he was. » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 3:58 pm You can just see rows of happy beer drinkers with their arms around each others’ shoulders swaying back and forth to that one, Nirek. » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 3:54 pm She’s quite the YouTube sensation these days, Nirek! 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On December 20, 2014 @ 3:48 pmComments Posted By kesmarn
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