Monday, March 30, 2009

RIP Maurice Jarre

Maurice Jarre, the French-born composer who won Oscars for his powerfully evocative scores for the David Lean epics Lawrence of Arabia, "Doctor Zhivago and "A Passage to India," has died. He was 84.
I loved many of his scores, including "Ryan's Daughter."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Mike Doogan Is An Asshole

I read this piece in The Washington Monthly (posted by Hilzoy) about Mike Doogan, an Alaskan state Representative, outing the identity of AKMuckraker whose blog is Mudflats.

Only a handful of people who read my blog know my real identity. Hell, recently my own boss at work called me Carrie, much to the laughter of the rest of the office.

Carrie Cann has been my pseudonym for nearly 12 years, and everything I have written on the internet and on my blog in those 12 years bears my Carrie or Carrie Cann signature. I cannot fathom why anyone would give a shit about my "real" identity, as it has no bearing on my comments on the internet or my blogging. Even when I had a hockey website in 1998-2000, I still wrote under the name Carrie Cann.

If all I am doing is commenting on the politics of the day, with a dash here and there of personal stories and music, why should anyone care what my real name is? If I had a larger goal in mind, or wanted to enter the political arena as a viable candidate for an office, or step up and write for a legitimate newspaper, that would be a different story altogether. But to obsess over the identity of someone who simply comments on the news, especially when that obsession is by someone who does hold a political office -- isn't there more on that person's plate to do in these political times than to try to out an anonymous blogger?

You'd think, eh?

And How Did You Do With Earth Hour?

I did my part last night and turned off the lights at 8:30 p.m. to show my solidarity with Earth Hour. Too bad no one else around me did the same thing.

Read on C&L that the wingnuttia group decided to counter Earth Hour by turning on all the lights. What dipshits.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Planet Wingnuttia

So, this brought a laugh out of me when I read it (H/T to Crooks and Liars:

You see, on Planet Wingnuttia, Congress cannot empower someone from the Executive Branch to carry out its edicts because it's not written into the Constitution. At least, that's what she told Hannity.

Bachmann: I will say, Sean, our Constitution is to have a strict, enumerated powers of government. Government was never intended to have this sort of an incredible intervention in the economy. We are not a centralized, planned economy -- at least we're not supposed to be. We're free-market capitalism.

Of course, on Planet Earth, the specific empowerment of the Treasury Secretary by Congress to pursue business regulations is pretty much the way things have operated for most of the nation's existence under the Constitution that Bachmann seems to want to attach to her forehead and use as an antenna for receiving alien transmissions. If she thinks it's unconstitutional, why doesn't she challenge the law passed by Congress (and which Geithner is only dutifully fulfilling, as required by the Constitution), which is in fact the remedy provided by the Constitution for anyone who believes, as she apparently does, that the law is "unconstitutional"?


I added the bold typeface. That's the part that made me laugh out loud!

Good morning, all, and have a happy day on planet Earth!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Danny Seals ... OMG, No Way ... RIP Hon

I am so in shock that Danny died. Aside from family members that were musicians, most of us are still alive and kicking. Danny ...

John and Dan were friends of mine, and believe it or not, they performed at my first wedding (to husband KEITH DURAND, may he get a zillion hits from this, as if). They actually gave us 12 rhode island red baby chicks for a wedding gift (I am laughing at that memory).

I was more friendly with John, but still ... I am completely saddened by Danny's death.

My family is sending me stuff, and I will probably update this post with songs and videos celebrating Danny.

For now, RIP babe.

UPDATE: I tried to find the video of Love Is The Answer, the Todd Rundgren song they recorded. I was at the studio when it was being recorded, and the sound of the chorus was so awesome coming out of those gigantic speakers.

Alas, all that YouTube had to offer is the song that most people are familiar with -- I'd Really Love To See You Tonight, which I am posting below. I've also added a version of Bop that he recorded later, which I enjoyed.

And, of course, gonna have to put up Meet Me In Montana, which he did with Marie Osmond.




Monday, March 23, 2009

Playing For Change - Don't Worry

You Tube is on fix it tonight so I didn't have the ability to get all the songs into one post. I'm just transfixed by the global networking of singing these songs.


Playing For A Change - One Love

I am still looking for the "War/No More Trouble" song from the show, but this version of Bob Marley's "One Love" is fabulous.

Enjoy!


Playing For Change - Stand By Me

I had my usual allergy attack that kept me home from work today, mainly because I have to take all those pills that make me fall asleep!

Anyway, I woke up around 8 this evening, and turned on the television, and stopped on PBS which was airing international music. I pressed the "info" button and discovered it was from a 2003 show entitled "Playing For Change."

At first I couldn't understand why all the bands were wearing headsets, and then I realized they were all listening to the same song, and singing to it.

This is one of the highlights from the show. Awesome. Gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Malware Detected In Diebold ATMs

According to The Brad Blog, who is the authority on all things Diebold, it appears that the ATM machines have been infected/installed with a malware program that is designed to swipe your access code and other information.



"It appears to be an inside job, as it uses undocumented functions of the ATM software and appears to use the printer. This suggests the people behind the malware have access to the Diebold software".

[snip]

Seriously, can't somebody finally put this horrible company out of America's (and the world's) misery?!

I am in complete agreement.

The Global Warming Mug

I have no idea if this is an actual real item that one can purchase, but the advertisement is very funny ... and spot on.


Thursday, March 19, 2009

An Anniversary I Can Live Without

Six years later, still in a war that our government told us would take a few weeks, at most, and would pay for itself. And let's not forget the "they will greet us as heroes" portion, or the erecting a statue for Bush garbage. And speaking of garbage, how IS Iraq faring these days? Water, anyone? Electricity, anyone? I thought not.

Wrong war, wrong time, wrong place.

To all those brave men and women who have died in this war, RIP. To all the Iraqis who have died, RIP. To those Iraqis that have been forever displaced, I apologize for my country's completely insidious behavior.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What Is Hip - More Tower of Power

I should have included this in last post, but really didn't think I'd find it. What Is Hip ... my mantra!!!!!


Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now

Funk Fusion has always been my favorite music, next to authentic disco.

Tower of Power, in it's original format, was the best. Even incarnated (which is how I found Billy Vera & The Beaters at the Roxy in the 1980's) they were still great.

Enjoy.


RIP Natasha

When I read the news that Natasha Richardson died after her skiing accident, I was very sad. First off, she was on the bunny slope as we skiers would call it, taking a lesson. Secondly, she didn't Sono Bono plow into a tree at an amazing speed. So, it comes as quite a shock that her fall was actually fatal.

I loved the Redgrave family, especially Vanessa and Lynn, not to mention those ladies' quite famous parents. I feel for Liam and family losing their wife and mother.

RIP -- you were taken much too early from us.

Some Serious AIG Grilling -- Anyone Need More Barbecue Sauce?

This is just astounding to watch. AIG head refuses to name the names of people who worked for AIG in the very department that caused them to go into the ground. And the asshole first claims he actually has no knowledge of the names of the employees who work for him, and secondly, he has to seek advice of counsel before providing congress with any names because, as he slips up, he starts to say that he doesn't want to provide congress or anyone else (that meaning G.Q. Public) with ammunition to do something. Yeah, like raise holy hell and file class action suits on behalf of the taxpaying people, Mr. AIG dude.

Slime, pure slime. And under Bush's watch, congress couldn't jump higher or run faster to pass the bill that gave these shitheads taxpayer money in the first place, without proper restrictions and oversight.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Pat's Day

A little tidbit:

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick's Day and the "luck of the Irish" to go with it. There are many humorous explanations for this expression. One comes from the legend of the 'Little People' of the land, know as leprechauns. Finding or catching a leprechaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland ! The Irish are descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders. Their natural fighting skills often ensured survival & hence they became known as the 'lucky' people .a classic case of making your own luck ! But then "The Luck of the Irish" may all be legend.
My grandmother came from Norway, but my grandfather was Irish, Capt. Herbert J. Kelly (Coast Guard).

My grandmother learned to cook corned beef and cabbage, and generally, as children, you turn up your nose at vegetables, but one thing is for sure, we ate up the cabbage!

As we got older, my grandfather would take us out for steak dinner, ironically, at a place called "Kelly's."

In my time, I've made corned beef and cabbage, and it has turned out pretty good, especially if you have some decent home made horseradish to go along with it. Oh, and boiled potatoes are a must!

No green beer, though, UGH! A nice stout works for me on St. Pat's day, which, by the way, is one of the three holidays I believe it is perfectly normal to be drunk before noon! (That and Super Bowl Sunday and the Fourth of July holiday!)

Enjoy some Flogging Molly music, before the YouTube police remove the videos.



Sunday, March 15, 2009

Is Baha'i a religion or a political organization?

I often wondered why many of my Jewish friends tended to dismiss me when I would favor the attitude of the Palestinians over the Israelis, especially when I get the "you’ve never been persecuted" look, or comment. Then I read this article which reminded me of my upbringing in the Baha'i Faith, and how Baha’is have been persecuted, ever since the religion came into existence.

Putting that aside, for the moment, let me just say that I have never been comfortable with the hard line Israeli attitude since the 1967 war, nor with how they took land that was not theirs, and displaced a great many Palestinians in the process. I understand the level of persecution and aggression directed towards Israel since it was granted statehood in the 1940's, but there has to be a solution that resolves the issue of the land that was taken, and Israel has conceded that it will never give back the land it took from the Palestinians. Therein lies the permanent dilemma.

First there was the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) whose mandate was a return to Palestinian self-rule. Eventually, the PLO stood for a Palestinian state within the boundaries of Israel. Yasser Arafat became the recognized leader of the PLO by most of the world, including Israel. The PLO sought support from other Arab nations such as Jordan, Syria and Egypt, and over the past 40 years, has been helped by these countries and then expelled from these countries, depending on the changing ideology of the Arabs at specific times in history and their own peculiar problems within their own nations. Suffice it to say that the PLO was oftentimes supported by other Arab nations in its continued quest for Palestinian independence, and sometimes abandoned by the same Arab nations when political pressure was exerted by Israel, the United States, and other leading countries. The PLO has always been considered by Israel and the United States to be a terrorist organization until around the early 1990's. Most of the world had recognized the PLO to be the representative of the Palestinians.

PLO committed many terrorists acts in concert with other Arab nations’ political terrorist groups in Jordan, Syria and Egypt. The United States, after 9/11, reclassified the PLO as a terrorist organization in 2004.

In the Arab nations, terrorism is almost a common comport to daily living and politics. Infighting amongst many organizations, all of which mainly had in common the opposition to the state of Israel, created many diverse and disparate terrorist groups, most of which could not inflict a great deal of damage – at least not on the level that Israel has shown it has the capacity to do.

Now we move on to Hamas, which was originally founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as an Islamic charity, and an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, and was at the time of its inception supported by the Israeli government. This support by Israel was, of course, an effort to undermine the PLO’s influence in the area, and especially with Palestine. Israel considered Hamas as a counter balance to the PLO, the former being a charitable group, the latter a terrorist group. Thereafter, based on Arafat’s support of Saddam Hussein’s invasion into Kuwait, Arab groups began to withdraw their financial support of the PLO and direct it to Hamas. As the PLO and its influence was waning and Hamas was on the rise, the following is interesting to note:

"The 1993 Oslo agreement inaugurated the final phase of the PLO's degeneration, as its leadership -- or rather the leading nucleus of this leadership, bypassing the official leading bodies -- was granted guardianship over the Palestinian population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This came in exchange for what amounted to a capitulation: the PLO leadership abandoned the minimal conditions that were demanded by the Palestinian negotiators from the 1967 occupied territories, above all an Israeli pledge to freeze and reverse the construction of settlements which were colonizing their land. The very conditions of this capitulation -- which doomed the Oslo agreements to tragic failure as critics very rightly predicted from the start -- made certain that the shift in the popular political mood would speed up. The Zionist state took advantage of the lull brought to the 1967 territories by the Palestinian Authority's fulfillment of the role of police force by proxy ascribed to it, by drastically intensifying the colonization and building an infrastructure designed to facilitate its military control over these territories. Accordingly, the discredit of the PA increased inexorably. This loss in public support hampered more and more its ability to crack down on the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement -- as was required from it and as it began attempting as early as 1994 -- let alone its ability to marginalize the Islamic movement politically and ideologically. Moreover, the transfer of the PLO bureaucracy from exile into the 1967 territories, as a ruling apparatus entrusted with the task of surveillance over the population that waged the Intifada, quickly led to its corruption reaching abysmal levels -- something that the population of the territories hadn't seen first-hand before. At the same time, Hamas, like most sections of the Islamic fundamentalist mass movement -- in contrast with "substitutionist" strictly terrorist organizations of which al-Qaeda has become the most spectacular example -- was keen on paying attention to popular basic needs, organizing social services, and cultivating a reputation of austerity and incorruptibility."

Let’s switch now to Hezbollah, which although based in Lebanon, has been supported by the Iranian government. Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah was defined by its own actions from its inception, as terrorists. It was linked to the PLO until they distanced themselves from the PLO after Israel began massive attacks against Lebanon.

Hamas eventually went on to win parliamentary victory in Palestine territories, much to the shock of the United States. From Juan Cole:

"The sweeping electoral victory of Hamas is but one of the products of the intensive use made by the United States in the Muslim world, since the 1950's, of Islamic fundamentalism as an ideological weapon against both progressive nationalism and communism. This was done in close collaboration with the Saudi kingdom -- a de facto U.S. protectorate almost from its foundation in 1932. The promotion of the most reactionary interpretation of the Islamic religion, exploiting deeply-rooted popular religious beliefs, led to this ideology filling the vacuum left by the exhaustion by the 1970's of the two ideological currents it served to fight. The road was thus paved in the entire Muslim world for the transformation of Islamic fundamentalism into the dominant expression of mass national and social resentment, to the great dismay of the U.S. and its Saudi protectorate. The story of Washington's relation with Islamic fundamentalism is the most striking modern illustration of the sorcerer's apprenticeship. (I have described this at length in my Clash of Barbarisms.)"

According to Iran, the Baha'i Faith is not a religion, it is a political organization bent on the destruction of Islam, and Iran, in particular. The religion is banned in Iran, and many Baha'is are arrested on a regular basis. Therefore, its members are considered terrorists.

From Wikipedia: "The Iranian constitution that was drafted during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in 1906 set the groundwork for the institutionalized persecution of Bahá'ís. While the constitution was modeled on Belgium's 1831 constitution, the provisions guaranteeing freedom of worship were omitted. Subsequent legislation provided some recognition to Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians as equal citizens under state law, but it did not guarantee freedom of religion and ‘gave unprecedented institutional powers to the clerical establishment.’ The Islamic Republic of Iran, that was established after the Iranian revolution, recognizes four religions, whose status is formally protected: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Members of the first three minority religions receive special treatment under Iranian law. For example, their members are allowed to drink alcohol, and representatives of several minority communities are guaranteed seats in parliament."

Which brings me back to the universal question: Is Baha'i a religion or a political organization with terrorist thoughts and/or activities on its mind or under its belt? It is obvious that it is a religion, but Iran has chosen to ignore that fact and raise it to the level of terrorist group, subject to penalty of death. Yet, Iran supports Hezbollah, whose main operation is the destruction of Israel, while it allows Judaism to exist within its borders. Why, then, is Iran so threatened by the Baha’is? Why are they not allowed recognition within Iran, the country of the religion’s birth?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Phonetic Pronunciation

I've seen this routine many times over the years, and it is still hysterical.

I think all politicians should use phonetic pronunciation. It might make what they say more palatable!

Monday, March 09, 2009

Just What We Need, More Outsourcing

BANGALORE: The second-biggest bank of the US, JP Morgan Chase, which acquired Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns recently, will increase its outsourcing to India by 25% this year to nearly $400 million. It will also manage the integration of the acquired companies from India to bring down the cost of integrating different information technology (IT) systems.


Right now, JP Morgan outsources $250-300 million worth of IT and back-office projects every year to Cognizant, TCS and Accenture, apart from to its own captive centre in Mumbai.


“JP Morgan CIO Guy Chiarello said last week that he will increase outsourcing to India, and will drive several integration projects from there,” a New York-based expert, familiar with JP Morgan’s outsourcing plans, told ET last week, on conditions of anonymity. A spokeswoman for JP Morgan India could not reply to an email query sent by ET on Friday, and the bank’s spokesperson in the US too did not reply.

What If The Stimulus Fails To Stimulate? Then What?

Uh oh. No, he didn't say that, did he?

A real fix for the troubles of the banking system might help make up for the inadequate size of the stimulus plan, so it was good to hear that Mr. Obama spends at least an hour each day with his economic advisors, “talking through how we are approaching the financial markets.” But he went on to dismiss calls for decisive action as coming from “blogs” (actually, they’re coming from many other places, including at least one president of a Federal Reserve bank), and suggested that critics want to “nationalize all the banks” (something nobody is proposing). (emphasis added by me).

First off, Krugman's op-ed piece is a must read.

But, more alarming to me is the dismissal of "blogs" by Obama, just a casual throw away line. Again, call me stupid if you want, but I do believe this line of thinking still comes from Rahm Emanuel, who has the president's ear these days. And we all know how Emanuel despises the netroots.

Obama is not getting sound, credible advice on the economy. As Krugman has already pointed out, the Obama plan to create 3.5 million jobs by 2010 is just not going to cut it when we're losing 600,000 a month. All that money that the Bush administration blew on his wars only made a handful of American's wealthy at the expense of the taxpayers and off their backs. The TARP money has done nothing but continue to line the pockets of Wall Street and the banks, but has done very little to stimulate the economy or stave off the number of jobs being lost each month. Billions go to a handful of people, while millions of Americans are left holding the bill.

As Krugman and other economists have indicated, Obama's economic policies are still coming up short and will not prevent the eventual slide into a full blown, world wide, depression. As for the future, Krugman notes:

But he can’t get his new plan through Congress because approval for his economic policies has plummeted, partly because his policies are seen to have failed, partly because job-creation policies are conflated in the public mind with deeply unpopular bank bailouts. And as a result, the recession rages on, unchecked.


Oh well. I hate to see this happen on his watch because it will just feed fuel to the fire to the other, not very well intentioned, side.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Deja Vu, CSI?

The CSI episode about the Chateau Rouge must have aired recently in Europe because I am getting all kinds of hits from London, Belgrade, Brussels, and all sorts of other European cities using Google UK search engine, and they are hitting my post about the Moulin Rouge in Las Vegas that I put up back in December.

And, of course, my hits spiked last night with the election, and my support for Gordon Turner. I hope he decides to try again in four years, because he was in the top three, leaving the rest in the dust.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

I Voted, Did You?

Today were elections in Los Angeles, including for mayor.

So far, my candidates are not faring that well, and my No on Prop B is even not doing so well. But, it is only almost an hour after the polls have closed so the precincts counts are only just coming in. My guy is in third, though, for mayor, outperforming Zuma Dog, which gives me hope. The only candidate that I thought was viable in challenging Villaraigosa, was Walter Moore, but that was mostly because he came the closest to the mayor in raising money. Turner is making a great showing, one of the top three thus far tonight, Villaraigosa, Moore and Turner. Still, Villaragosa is over the 51 %, which would preclude a run-off election.

I'll post updates as they come in.

Another Rhetorical Post, Even At This Bar

I am just completely and totally amazed at the mass, non-liberal, (cough, cough) media and Republican politicians going on the record as hoping for a President of America to fail! That astounds me.

In a country that overwhelmingly in 2008, in city, state and federal elections, elected more Democrats to office than Republicans, the very small minority opinion party is espousing a policy of failure?

Ma ma mamacita, donde es santa claus? (quoting Cheech & Chong).

Do they not realize that most of America does not agree with this minority party's platform, and said so in the voting booth, despite the same old attempts to rig Republican votes. Even with Coleman still trying to figure out a way to make it a two year fight so that Al Franken never gets to represent his state, are these people so out of touch that they don't think the American public will vote them even more out of office?

I cannot imagine every day Republicans being in agreement with this new Limbaugh "Policy of Failure" attitude. I know the ones in my office building are shaking their heads and holding their hands up (as in, "well, what can you do"), which is in stark contrast to their vocal support of the Republican platform during the past eight years.

Just about everyone I know has only a one degree of separation from someone that is (a) either in a foreclosure, (b) filing bankruptcy, (c) lost their job, (d) lost their apartment, (e) lost their health plan, (f) lost their retirement, (g) lost a good deal of their financial portfolio, (h) dropped out of college because of losing grants, or (h) any combination of the above. This is what real Americans are facing.

And the Republican party in the last eight years has fallen all over themselves in trying to hand out taxpayer money to the Haliburton war profiteers and their ilk, hand over wads of cash, I'm talking cash, people, to anyone and everyone in Iraq that had agreed to anything and everything any young 20 something who was managing Iraq right after the invasion, said were qualifications for the money, deregulate the shit out of this country, free trade the shit out of this country, send our jobs out of this country, etc. so who the fuck are they to have any job qualification to pontificate over a policy of failure?

Is that Beltway bubble so tight these people and their cronies really and truly do not have a clue as to what their constituents (their voters) really want from this government?

And they say the Democrats have no balls. How the ruling policy maker of the Republican has become Limbaugh is beyond my rather bright mind to comprehend. Oh, the quivering and shaking of the Republican party, Rush said this, Rush said that, mantra this, mantra that, bullshit. It's now a true meme -- Republicans actually root for failure. I was taught all Americans root for success, otherwise, you don't succeed. But in our government, especially those in Washington, Republicans truly believe that Americans will support their rather small opinion that Americans want our President of the United States, to fail. Poll, after poll, after poll, completely debunks this theory, and yet, on tv and in Washington, you can't drop to the floor fast enough to repeat after Rush -- "We want Obama to fail."

And who was it that said ""I didn’t vote for [John Kennedy], but he’s my president, and I hope he does a good job," oh, yeah, John Wayne!

I need another drink.

UPDATE: Funny quote -- “I’m sorry Limbaugh called for harsh sentences for drug addicts while he was a drug addict. I’m also sorry that he’s bent on seeing America fail. And I’m sorry that Limbaugh is one sorry excuse for a human being.” [Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)]

Monday, March 02, 2009

A little late night music ...

Ignore the subtitles, and I apologize for the lack of good lighting. This movie kept me up real late last night, despite the fact that I've seen it a few times.

Paul does his own singing, but Andre's dubbed.




And then there is this song, at the ending.

Still Hearing You, Sid

Sid, sending me off to my doomsday, the senior prom.

Sid, with MY grandparents at their 50th wedding anniversary.

Sid, at my wedding (k, to first husband, I didn't excactly invite family to my second or third one ...)




One year ...

RIP, uncle Sid.