Bye-Bye, Emanuel, But It's Too Late To Save Obama

Thank god Mr. Emanuel is departing the White House. His advice, which was taken by the Prez, has been a disaster through and through, and I for one, and happy to see him go.

Unfortunately for Obama, the damage done by Emanuel is DONE. This mid-term election will be proof of that.

DeMint says “this idea that government has to do something is not a good idea.”

Woke up this morning to this:

Speaking with host Bryan Fischer, DeMint argued that “this idea that government has to do something is not a good idea.” He then went on to insist that “the less we do, the better”:

FISCHER: Do you think some kind of gridlock is possible and what do you think will happen if that ensues?

DEMINT: Well I had a group of businessmen tell me the other day “if you can just stop the tax increases on us and then have two years of gridlock, that would be the best thing that could happen for business because at least we would know what to expect.” Right now they don’t know what the government is going to do to them next. So this idea that government has to do something is not a good idea. So I think the less we do, the better except maybe to dismantle some of the federal programs that are making it harder for America to be competitive.

First we had to deal with the Republicans claiming the mantle of the "party of No." Now we have One Republican God who feels it is his duty to make sure that the government does nothing. He specifically (DeMint) states that he does not believe the government should actually do anything! How about we don't pay you then? How about we take away your travel expenses and daily stipends? How about we take away your offices? If it is the job of government to do nothing, then why have the House, Senate or even a President? Let's just have a coup, set up a dictator and run with it, right?

I didn't realize the stupidity level was that high in the halls of Congress.

Need. More. Coffee.

HT Think Progress.

UPDATE: Seems someone in the Senate was "googling" the word "DeMint" and found their way to my blog LOL!

We Just Need To "Buck Up" So The President Says

Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be "inexcusable" and "irresponsible" for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years.

"People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up," Obama told Rolling Stone in an interview to be published Friday. The president told Democrats that making change happen is hard and "if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."

Sorry dude, but I think you've got the story backwards. YOU need to shake off this lethargy and get YOUR ass to work! We, the ones you keep wanting to make go away, but want to vote Democratic party ticket anyway, we got you and the majorities into the House, Senate and White House. We did that, Mr. President, and now you tell us to be satisfied with what little you have accomplished because it is "hard?" Hmmmm, now where have I heard before that being president is "hard" work? Oh yeah, that was Bush's favorite line, wasn't it!

And to now use the phrase that we want to take our ball and go home, that's just hitting below the belt to YOUR OWN minions, prezzie darling. You really just fucking lost the last few of those that were still trying to convince the rest of us to just give you another chance. Name calling, in this age of politics, is for the other side, damn you, not to be used against those that have expressed frustration that you are simply a loser at being president, and that you have NOT, let me repeat, NOT done what you said you would do. Don't throw that piece of shit health care at me because you and I and most of the progressives know you caved in from day one, and never ever tried to put the bill out there that we all NEEDED, let alone wanted. Don't toss out the stimulus package as an accomplishment, because we all KNOW it was TOO LITTLE and was only a band aid on what is yet to come. Catering to big business on all levels over WE progressives is an insult, and you sir, can reap the rewards of that insult. Go ahead and count on your corporate dollars, cuz they ain't gonna do shit when it comes time to actually vote ... we the PEOPLE have to actually submit a ballot, not your corporate donors. So you suck it up.

Prez, old buddy, we are sitting this one out, and tough shit for you and your corporate cronies. Not a dime has been coming into your coffers from we out here in fringe land as you like to call us while your hand is out begging. Nada dollars and nada votes. Remember, as John reminded readers, Bush got his agenda passed quite regularly, and he did it with 50 to 55 votes! So this excuse of a "super majority" problem isn't going over well with those of us that fucking gave you the damn 60 you needed! Don't you get it at all? We gave you the power to push the agenda, and YOU FUCKING CAVED at each and every battle. Sure you talk a good talk, but you ain't walked the good walk ... and now a lot of you will be walking ... bye bye.

If I'm going to be lied to, have my privacy invaded, be asked to agree to Democratic positions just because that is what the "party" has decided it stands for, etc., I might as well go back to letting the idiots run the show. At least when we go down the drain, we can blame it on them, because right now, the stink is all over you, Obama, and your entire majority in the House and in the Senate. It was your one and only chance to do something great, and just like most rookie quarterbacks, you called the wrong calls, threw the ball short, and your coach (ahem, Rahm, ahem) have called for punting way too fucking much.

Good luck trying to pry us from sitting on our hands this year. You dealt this hand of cards, and it's just too bad for you that the progressives are not going to ante up in this election.

"Stop Whining?" WTF?

This is, I believe, the third time that Obama (twice) and Biden (once) have recently belittled the Democratic base heading into this election. It's now clearly a White House strategy, for at least its wealthiest fundraisers, to knock the base of the party. That base would include labor, Latinos, gays, women, environmentalists, health care advocates, and more.

[snip]

The President, rather famously, routinely refuses to stand up to conservative Democrats and Republicans, and it's likely the primary reason we're about to lose the House. The President insisted on compromising out the gate on the stimulus - rather than asking for the amount of money we needed, he asked for half, then gave another 35% away in near-useless tax cuts, cutting the impact of the emergency legislation even further. The entire country, all of us with friends and family members currently out of a job, are paying dearly for this mistake. So for him and his to tell us and ours to stop whining is pretty pathetic. It's also a pretty idiotic strategy a month out from a crucial election.

John keeps hitting the nail on the head on this one, and I concur. I do not understand the abusive tone from the White House concerning the progressives, the GLBT groups, minorities, etc. And, if that was not enough, I get hit over the head from the "other" side of the progressive agenda (you know, the DK group) to just hold my nose and vote for the Democrats in my voting pool because, you know, they are better than the Republicans. Ya think?

How's this for NOT being better than the Republicans. From Glenn Greenwald:

At this point, I didn't believe it was possible, but the Obama administration has just reached an all-new low in its abysmal civil liberties record. In response to the lawsuit filed by Anwar Awlaki's father asking a court to enjoin the President from assassinating his son, a U.S. citizen, without any due process, the administration late last night, according to The Washington Post, filed a brief asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit without hearing the merits of the claims. That's not surprising: both the Bush and Obama administrations have repeatedly insisted that their secret conduct is legal but nonetheless urge courts not to even rule on its legality. But what's most notable here is that one of the arguments the Obama DOJ raises to demand dismissal of this lawsuit is "state secrets": in other words, not only does the President have the right to sentence Americans to death with no due process or charges of any kind, but his decisions as to who will be killed and why he wants them dead are "state secrets," and thus no court may adjudicate their legality.

Kind of makes me sick to my stomach to know that the President I voted for, and actually had such high hopes that he would be so much more different than the Bush regime, turns out to be actually far worse than Bush. I know, I am shaking my head at that, because it's so obscene, but I personally believe it to be true. Bush's administration knew they were fucking with civil liberties and all that, but at least they tried to hide it. Obama's administration is just in your fucking face with the same crap of arguments that Bush's team threw out.

I'm stymied at this, for sure, and there is absolutely no way in hell I'm putting any more Democrats in office. Let the Republicans take over. At least we know they are nutjobs (most of them). We expect more from Democrats. We expect more from the so called liberals we elect.

I'm not eating the pablum any more. I'm done with it. Let this country go to hell, because we can't fix it if our only choices are "more of the same, please" regardless of party!

Gonna go back to my football game, and try to stay cool! Hey, just noticed the temperature dropped to 95! Yippee! This calls for an early cocktail, ahem.

Is It Hot Or What?

Today in Los Angeles, we hit the hottest day EVER since recording the weather started in 1877. It was 113 degrees in Los Angeles (apparently it hit 112 in June 1990, but I'm not having any recollection of that heat wave). In all my life, I've never had to deal with that kind of weather in Los Angeles. Sure, in Vegas, in Palm Springs, and other places in say New Mexico and Airzona. Even in the Valley it's been that hot, but NOT in the city of Los Angeles, proper. Right now, as I am post this at about 4:15 p.m., it's still 105 degrees! I need to go to the market and I just can't stomach the idea of actually stepping out at this time. I can't even imagine that at the late time of 7 or 8 p.m. it will be under 100. Who knows ...

I Can't Even Say The "New" Name For The Rose Parade (Sigh), Another One For The Corporations

You know life has headed toward the really downward spiral of destruction when an old tradition succumbs ("The Tournament Of Roses Parade Sponsored By Honda"). Sure, we all are aware that the "corporations" control every thing from television (and what we see whether it be entertainment or news), government (thanks especially now to the SCOTUS decision on "Citizen's United" ruling), movies (don't get me started), sports (hell, why else did they redo just about every sports venue during the late 80's through 2000 to re-build stadiums just to have the "corporate boxes") - which is actually still undergoing a renovation given the Dallas Cowboys new stadium, and the Jets/Giants move to a brand new stadium next door to the demolished and now parking lot of the old stadium. The last bastion of private enterprise just dropped trousers to Honda. Too bad, another thing I have to add on my "I don't support corporate sponsorship" lifestyle.

I really can't imagine it's so bad one has to find a sponsor for the Rose Parade. Sheesh.

New Karaoke Machine For The Grandson

So, I bought Zaire a karaoke machine for his birthday. Here it is on top of the box it came in (because it was difficult for me to read stuff on the machine while "sitting" on the floor). I have yet to decide where to put it. Zaire tried it but he really didn't know the songs that were part of the two CD's I bought. Although we watched Camp Rock 2 two times, he still didn't really know the songs. The "chick" hot tunes disc (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, etc.) I was more familiar with (laughs). I am currently looking for a program to create CD-G's which are different from CD-R's or CD-RW's. The "G" format allows the words to appear on the screen. Otherwise, it's just an over sized MP3 player where you just sing over the original song. The karaoke machine WILL play regular CD's so one can sing exactly to the songs, but the sound sort of over shadows the volume of the microphone ... or maybe Zaire is not singing loud enough!

I do have to buy the second microphone so that duets can be sung with the machine. All in all, for under 60 bucks (for the machine, not counting the karaoke CD's) it was not a bad birthday present.

As for his first singing class (which, like I already mentioned that none of the parents could attend), all I could get out of Zaire was that they did the scales (vocally), to find every one's range (four girls, two guys in the class), and then the teacher started to teach them as a group to sing Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog."

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Lunch

Today one of the most bizarre things to ever happen to me, happened. And it's something that would/could only happen to a select number of people.

Zaire had his first singing class. I can't really comment on it because, silly me, I thought they would let the parents in to hear and see what was going on. NOT. Hell, for the kind of money that I paid for this class at the college extension, I could have just as easily paid for private singing lessons, which I am considering. But, enough about that for now.

After class was over, we decided to eat at J's Box (that's slang for Jack In The Box here in my part of the hood). However, across the street was this small corner "diner" as that term is generally applied, and I convinced Zaire we'd have more fun at the diner. So ... we go in, get seated, and the first thing that I notice are all the posters and shit on the walls, which are everything from old style movie posters, album covers of old school entertainers, newspaper articles from everything baseball (front page of paper when Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball game to shots of the atomic bomb parties that used to be held in Las Vegas - where I was born - in mid-40s at least through mid-50s). Then I saw this tiny television, old school, and a black and white show was being aired (obviously a conversion, using a DVD player to show program), and lo and behold, the show airing is The Red Skelton Show. And then I see my aunt, dancing. I can't tell you how quickly I tried to pull out my video camera, all the while (sadly) yelling, "that's my aunt, that's my aunt" and when I finally got the camera up, it was at the end of the segment (and blurry, I forgot to adjust the lense I was in such a hurry). I also took a picture from my cell phone of the tv, and you can at least, clearly see the actor in the following sketch.

For those that have short memories of things I drop on this blog from time to time, my aunt danced in a lot of those old school, 1950's television shows, including the Jimmy Durante Show and the Red Skelton Show. She was always a principal dancer (they generally had three) and would also act in the skits that followed where the "guest star" would do their segment with Red.

Now, I happen to own the DVD set, and I've watched all of them, so I even knew the episode. I met the owner of the restaurant and told him that it was very interesting and weird to see my aunt on the television in a restaurant. He told me that he had always hoped someone would come in and say something like "hey, that's me up there," so I came pretty damn close to that. He asked me where my aunt was today, and I told him she lives in Bejing, and he was, like (pardon my Valspeak), "OMG, I used to live in Shanghai, in fact, I'm going there next month!" So, I promised him that when my aunt returned in January, I would bring her to his restaurant and they can chat.

Here are some pictures from my cell phone, they are so bad, I don't know why I am so pathetic at taking these photos. I really should have used the video camera, which takes better stills than it does video. And the short video is also provided, but I am sorry it is so blurry and I couldn't tell for sure, but I think she was the first couple (guy/girl combo) that went off camera. I don't think she was the dark haired woman in the last frame. Either way, she, in the non-blurry part of the show I saw, was very clear, and it was just really eerie! And, of course, if anyone loved Red Skelton, you can buy the DVD's. My aunt told me that Red said his shows would never be rebroadcast, and they really only recently have begun to be available. She told me after his son died, he really became angry and was a horrible person to work for during the last part of the duration of his shows. I have no idea how they finally got the release, but for me, it was just fabulous when I bought them, and laughed at the hysterically bad choreography at that time (when you compare it to the dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance"). But, to actually just go into a place to eat and then see this up on the wall, that floored me!











She's the first brunette dancer in the black dress.

For Zaire's birthday present, I bought him a karaoke machine from Best Buy (so it's not one of those Hannah Montana kind). It's trippy. You have to have those special CD-G cd's that show the words (I think there is a program you can download to make your own CD-G's). I bought two CD's for him, one from Camp Rock 2, and the other some hits from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce, and others. It was fun watching him perform. He had never held a real microphone in his hand, before. It was always a brush, or some other object, like most kids that pretend to sing.

Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin ...

I am sure I have a dozen Journey videos up on my blog. Was just watching some ice skating YouTubes to Journey songs, and decided to just listen and post Journey, LOL.

Pretty much one of my fave Journey songs.

RIP Eddie Fisher

The man we all grew to hate back in the day when he left his then wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry Elizabeth Taylor (whom he was consoling after the tragic death of Taylor's then husband, Mike Todd), passed away yesterday. Condolences to those that were close and dear to him, or just got over it (like Carrie Fisher).

RIP.

ANY TIME

Rebel Yell

Well, we all know I am a Billy Idol (ahem) "fan," but I also love Scooter (I am so a fan of house/techno/etc music).

Feeling like a "rebel" after tonight's encounter with some of the "best" of the left. Glad I ate at "the Bounty" and had a few drinks (ha ha, my bad) before I went to the "kos" meeting (for which they were handing out some sort of get something for free or whatever if you went over to the H.M.S. Bounty for drinks and shit afterward). Hell, I had the leftovers from my steak in my purse at the "meeting." But, then again, it's my stomping grounds for that old school bar feel. I cannot even imagine that any of those under 30 even get how cool this place is.

Daily Kos Meeting With Markos Overrated

So, I went to this "blog" event featuring Markos Moulitsas. There were others involved, but I found out about it because I am a registered member of DailyKos, and of course, got a "personal" email from Markos. The fact that the event was just across the street from my office was the deciding factor in attending the event ... otherwise I would have passed it up.



Now that I've made my point that "I am busy, stop calling me," I have a few comments to make. First off, Markos was very nice to me in the beginning, and signed the book that I overpaid for (just to put some money in the "progressive" coffers). But, after he gave his speech and took questions, and ignored my raised hand for most of the time, when I did eventually ask my question, I personally felt I got the brush off (because I am part of the "dump Obama" group).


I asked what advice he had that would help those of us that are truly liberal and progressive, and based on religious reasons, cannot register for a particular political party, hence, we can't vote in primaries, that would keep us in the "fight" and not just give up and let the whole thing (government as we know it) end up as one person called it "walking the fired up coals" or something to that effect.

From his first look at me after my question, call me sensitive, NOT, I could hear the disdain in his voice and the see the dismissal in his mannerisms. See, I'm not part of his plan to "change" how the two party system works, and so, therefore, I guess I am not useful to him. Whatever.

I also met a lot of "kos" followers, sort of like the groupies I have always encountered in the entertainment industry.

I was considering going to one of those netroots conventions sponsored by "kos" but now I am pretty sure I am just fine doing what I do here in my own little part of the world. Mr. Moulitsas gave me nothing whatsoever that inspired me. Although, he did personally autograph his book that I bought.

Now, I was not aware that John Amato of Crooks and Liars was also going to be there. I definitely love his blog, and it is part of my daily morning routine of reading (AMERICAblog, Think Progress, DJRix, my blog, then Crooks and Liars, followed by MyYahoo page of news, then Google news) before I go off to work. John was actually very nice, and also autographed his book for me, and I took a picture of him (as well as the podium picture). First, let me state that access to both of these guys was not restricted, so taking pictures was not a big thing. But these are my crappy cell phone pictures, so they mean more to me than just cutting and pasting some other person's pictures, OK? LOL!

I instantly liked John, probably because he's a musician and you all know my musical background.





I will read both books, and Markos definitely knows his stuff, but he is nothing more to me than a Democratic partisan hack, I am sorry to say. He had no use for me once I labeled myself as "non partisan." I could be wrong and misinterpreted things, so I am open to that. But I am going to stick with my gut, which is why I have read Crooks and Liars several times a day, every day, for over five years. You rock, John!



Props to the singer with her guitar that had to do a "bar gig" with a talkative audience. I enjoyed singing along to "The Circle Game."

Zaire Will Start Singing Classes

Saturday starts the first of a five week course (courtesy of Los Angeles City College) that offers extension classes, for Zaire to take singing lessons.

I have been working with him. I feel like I'm Randy on American Idol telling him he's a bit pitchy here and there (laughs).

I am making sure he's the dapper dresser for the class (I love the classy fedora hat he has, exactly like the one above) to help him in the class!

Jennifer Grey, "Baby" Does It Again

I'm not really a fan of Dancing With The Stars. I watched a few episodes during the beginning of their phenomena, but I have never watched an entire season through.

Last year, train wreck Kate + 8 chick and Pamela Anderson were enough to make me watch a few episodes.

This year, I had no interest in watching any of it, except I accidentally read (based on the fact we are west coast, and east coast version already aired) that Jennifer Grey was most definitely "channelling" Patrick Swayze, and that got my attention.

I have to say, watching her dance, she was definitely channelling Patrick. So much of having to do the Viennese Waltz revolved around arm space and things that were a big part of "Baby" having to learn to fill in for (name of character Penny) Cynthia Rhodes in their dance gig, it was eerie.

FDA Still Ineffective

As the Food and Drug Administration considers whether to approve genetically modified salmon, one thing seems certain: Shoppers staring at fillets in the seafood department will find it tough to pick out the conventional fish from the one created with genes from another species.

Oh great! Not only can I not eat shellfish bought at any local market because I cannot tell where it came from, and I sure as hell am not going to eat anything caught in the Gulf region, now I have to deal with fake fish masquarading as genuinely caught fresh fish?

I have to tell you that the move to buying only organic not only has paid off with great tasting food, coupled with a complete sense of security about the food, my shopping bill has been less then it was at my regular standard grocery store, even though the prices at Whole Foods are much higher. First off, though, I am buying less, and as a result, throwing away much less. That has always been a problem with fresh produce -- it rots before I have time to use it all.

This weekend I found these funny looking potatoes grown by a local farmer. They were so tiny that many of them did not even need to be cut up for my beef stew I was making in the crock pot. And they were in four distinct colors -- red, purple, yellow and white. They made the stew look fabulous, not to mention the grass fed cows that the beef came from and certified as organic, was tender and tasty.

America at its best - corporate profits over America's health! If it's FDA approved, run away, run away fast!

Lady Gaga And DADT

I think it is rather cool that Lady Gaga is calling for her "lil monsters" to gather at a rally in Portland, Maine to drum up support for repeal of DADT. She's been tweeting about it for about a week or so now. You can follow her here.

Nice Speech, Obama -- NOT

This comment from Obama was all over the web this weekend. I commented about it over on AMERICAblog, but did not have time to blog about it here.

There's a debate going on as to whether President Obama's recent comments at a fundraiser - where he seemed to criticize liberals - are worthy of note, or simply the standard fare for political fundraiser. Here, first, are the President's comments:

Democrats, just congenitally, tend to get — to see the glass as half empty. (Laughter.) If we get an historic health care bill passed - oh, well, the public option wasn't there. If you get the financial reform bill passed — then, well, I don't know about this particular derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. And gosh, we haven't yet brought about world peace and — (laughter.) I thought that was going to happen quicker. (Laughter.) You know who you are. (Laughter.) We have had the most productive, progressive legislative session in at least a generation.

Now, I don't know about you, but these comments made me furious, and sort of reminded me of another president making fun of WMD at a press dinner of sorts.

Check out all the comments (and there are plenty, let me tell you that much) over at John's blog.

I, for one, have been banging this drum for a while, that Obama is a backstabbing corporate centrist piece of shit, and I hope he turns out to be a one-term president. And to help that along, I'm not voting this year (I don't care if the marijuana initiative is on the ballot here in California). It is no longer in my temperament to support Democrats (or Republicans or any other group out there) when all they do is just get to Washington and act like we, the progressive liberals that got them elected, are their batshit crazy relatives they have to pretend they don't know.

Obama says we progressives and liberals see the glass as half empty? Who the fuck is he to say that? I'm not a pessimist, and never have been. I'm the one in my group they always growl about for being way too optimistic, and I sure as hell am a person that always sees the glass half full. Just because I find fault with the president who has failed to fulfill his promises he made on the campaign, for which we gave him millions of dollars to help him do the things he said he was going to do, does NOT make us see the glass as half empty.

And the comment about world peace just burns me up. He never said he'd do that, and we never asked him to. But let's not forget he did get a Nobel Peace award, so ...

I'm not staying out of politics, but I am sitting out this election. At least when it was a Bush administration, you knew you were getting fucked. Obama thinks he's pretty funny pulling one over on us ... we shall see who is laughing in 2012.

BP Still Stopping People From Digging In Beach Sand

Well, so much for that theory -- the oil is gone from Florida beaches, all is well, go for a swim, play on the beach. I seem to remember just recently a president taking his daughter into the water off the coast of Florida saying come on in, the water is fine. Well, guess you just can't build sandcastles or make mud pies, or just plain dig in the sand! What's the fun in that?

Happy Birthday (as well) To The Budman!

Yup, the Budman, in real time!

Happy Birthday, bro.

P.S. Send me back the blow up doll. I have plans ...

Zaire And "Simon"

Fun picture of Zaire with advertisement cutouts.



I realized that my "television" boyfriend (laughing) actually does the voice of Simon. I've asked Linda to see if she can get him to autograph the cardboard cutout for Zaire's birthday.

Here (again) is a signed picture of Matthew taken on the set of Criminal Minds, that he gave me for my birthday this year (I could scan it, but I took an [ok crappy] picture of it in the frame with my cell phone).

Some Fun Pictures Of My Grandson And His Dad On His Birthday

Zaire turned 8 this past Monday, and his dad came out from Chicago to hang out with him. Mercedes took this pictures of Zaire and his dad.







And she took these pictures at his pool party!

PG&E = Murderers

So, let me get this straight. PG&E asked the California Public Utilities Commission for the right to increase their rates to their consumers in 2007 to the tune of $5 million dollars in order to repair faulty pipelines such as the one that blew in San Bruno, and asked for the same amount in 2009, but they did not repair the pipelines, instead, giving the money it received from the rate increases as bonuses and other such extravagant things to the corporate bosses and CEO's. PG&E, after extracting $10 million from its users to repair pipelines, never repaired them??????!!!

And, they used that same money (and more, to the tune of $50 million dollars) from the consumers and the two tax hikes to SUPPORT Proposition 16.

Let's not forget the foolishness of (1) not repairing the pipelines despite two requests for rate hikes to do just that, (2) giving $50 million dollars to a campaign in California to basically give PG&E a monopoly over utility rights and (3) causing the death of at least four people and the destruction of over 40 homes. All this so that some fatcats at PG&E can screw regular people who fucking need their utilities (this is not part of an option in life, it's mandatory that you have light, heat, air, electricity, etc. in your HOME, damn it) in order to MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM.

This is the theme over, and over, and over, and over, and over again with big business. Lies, lies, lies. Give me the money, I'll give you less services, and you all just shut the fuck up because we have the government in our pockets.

I sure hope those San Bruno victims sue the shit out of PG&E. (Call me, we do fire cases at our firm tee hee hee).

Yeah, we don't need no stinking regulations! (adjusting mi sombrero).

HT ThinkProgress.

Don't Eat The Food

This is why I'm eating organic only.

Once again, the GOP shows how little it cares about people other than corporate interests. It's laughable to suggest that the FDA is a troubled agency, since it was the GOP who created those problems in the first place. They have denied the agencies ability to issue food recalls, instead relying on the classic Republican lie that self-regulation works. It doesn't, as we know from Wall Street to food. The FDA has been one of the more improved agencies during Obama's term and they're pushing for more corporate responsibility. If there's one thing the Republicans hate, it's corporate responsibility.

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma says the bill, which has stalled in the Senate for more than a year, adds to the deficit and expands the power of an already troubled agency.

Advocates for the bill say it is crucial to strengthen the nation's toothless food safety oversight and would help prevent large outbreaks of tainted food.

Coburn's office said Wednesday the senator will object to bringing up the bill if his concerns aren't addressed. His objections are a major blow to supporters' chances of passing the legislation this year.

Hand Dancing (Thanks To John Aravosis)

UPDATE: December 12, 2010 - I just saw this couple on TV doing a commercial for McDonalds! Ha ha. Well, good for them, but McDonalds?

Wow, I have to investigate the "hand dancing" thing. H/T of course to AMERICAblog for the video.



Here's "Hand Jive" which is what I relate to!

Google Photos

It seems that some of my photos (as well as some of my copies of photos, with proper credit of course) draw a lot of hits on my blog as well as on my grandson's blog.

I've noted an uptake this weekend and today, and I realized that all searches were about the new school opening in Los Angeles, which I blogged about here. Much like how I get a lot of hits whenever the CSI episode about the Chateau Rouge airs. But, I was surprised at the various locations that have an interest in this new school, named for Robert F. Kennedy, and built on the site where he was killed after he had won the California primary in June of 1968. The old Ambassador Hotel remained unused except for movie production shooting, and finally, the city of Los Angeles, after countless lawsuits, obtained the rights to the property and demolished most of the hotel and built a K-12 school on the grounds. Today was the first day it opened for full attendance (it had opened earlier for the elementary school portion, but I can't say right at the moment just when, only "remember" that it was at least a year ago) of all grades K-12.

I noticed that most of the search links were via Google for "RFK school."

As for my grandson, his damn effin fracking mohawk is the top search that brings people to HIS blog!

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON, BABY!

Some interesting games today. I watched three, the Giants' home opener (they won), the Green Bay game (they won), and currently watching the Redskins (with new quarterback McNabb) lead Dallas by six points with a minute left to go.

And Detroit -- that, to me, was a touchdown, damn it! Sorry, dudes.

Tim Tebow was a bust tonight, despite all the hoopla. Oh, and Peyton took a beating as well, tee hee!

The season opened last Thursday, and my beloved Chargers will play on an ESPN double header Monday Night Football.

Man I love the smell of pigskin in the morning!

More 9/11 Ground Zero Bullshit

Can any of the stupid people tell me why they are against the building of a prayer center (in which a small mosque will accommodate Muslims and others) "near" ground zero based on the "insult to 9/11 victims" theory, when there were already prayer rooms for Muslims in both the Pentagon and on the 17th floor of the south tower ON THE DAY the 9/11 attacks occurred?

If prayer rooms ORIGINALLY existed at these sites, so Muslims could worship, why is building one now in NYC a show of disrespect to anyone, other than showing disrespect to Muslims? It's not as if this building is housing a large mosque. It's a community center which will also offer prayer services, much like the ones at the Pentagon and which existed prior in the building whose prime real estate space is now being called ground zero.

If Muslims died on 9/11 (and not the terrorists, stupid people) and their houses of worship were allowed at both the Pentagon and the twin towers, I do not understand the vehemence with which certain of the stupid people oppose this building in NYC.

When watching one of the shows on 9/11 (meaning on that day, not about 9/11) I watched this one woman calmly claim that she didn't want a building near ground zero that could possibly be funded by Saudi Arabia. I had to laugh, and then yell at the television set -- "hey, birdbrain, who do you think is one of the largest shareholders of good old Fox Television?" Um, can you say "a Saudi?" LOL! Stupid people and their stupid mantras, always show their stupidity. Stop listening to talking points, lady, and educate yourself.

I think the funniest part of watching the teabaggers who are made up of primarily stupid people, is the chatter they use on and on about their convictions. Most of them can't put a coherent thought together as to why they oppose "this" or "that." And most of them seriously admit they don't really know much about the issues they are against, but they just know they are against them because they saw it on Fox news or heard it on right wing talk radio.

And don't quote me the "majority" are against it mantra. Dick Vader already said American's opinions don't matter.

What The World Needs Now

Click Here.

HOW DO YOU SPEND 9/11?

The first two or three years were the hardest for me. I could not work on that day, I was totally unable to even type or write "September 11" or "9/11" in any fashion. I watched like a maniac each and every program that was aired on that day those first couple of years, and back then, there was pretty much 24/7 coverage.

After the invasion of Iraq, there appeared to be less 24/7 coverage of the events of 9/11, and as I watch a complete repeat of a live broadcast on MSNBC, I already see the lies about the incident being fed to the media as we know some things to be different from hindsight. For a specific example, I take the comments made by the newscasters many, many times, (did I say MANY? You could get drunk if you took a shot every time the broadcasters and the people they were talking to said "no warning") that the government had absolutely no indication that terrorists would hijack a plane and fly it into a building, as one of those misleading statements, since we already know that the government WAS warned this very thing WOULD happen a month earlier!

The phrase "never forget" was utilized for a number of years, and has been taken in different ways. Some use "never forget" as the mantra for a continued war on the religion of Islam and countries that are Islamic, and others have taken it to remember what NOT to do, retaliate irresponsibly or even at all. Remember and never forget what hate creates. I subscribe to the latter view.

I am quite amazed at the level of hate that has slowly creeped into the mindset of some of America, thanks, in no part, to the manipulation of our media to keep up the "rah rah" for the Iraq invasion, and continue to associate the 9/11 tragedy with the Bush Administration's (and neocons alike) reason for invading Iraq (and not trying to capture and crush the revolutionary ideolouges actually responsible for this attack - Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden). Had the U.S. taken true advantage of the world's outrage at this attack, and proceeded to take out Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden and their control over the Afghans ... well, you can write in your own opinion after the ellipses.

Anyway, it MAY be nine years later, but I will never, ever, forget what happened. I don't harbor any hate toward the perpetrators or toward Islam, as many of the stupid people do. When you think of the nature of tragedies, man made and nature oriented, many more severe devastating and loss of life things have happened that far outweigh the carnage of 9/11. With that in perspective, I mourn for a place that was deep a part of me, the twin towers. I mourn for those that had to make a choice to burn up or jump off of the towers - I cannot even possibly get a grip of what that has to feel like. I mourn for those passengers on the airplanes when they realized they were going to fly into buildings and die, and their mindsets moments before they died. I mourn for those passengers of Flight 93 that did not allow the final plane to reach its intended destination, even though all aboard perished. I mourn for the loved ones that had to hear the last words of those that perished in these events of 9/11, and can only slightly begin to feel the pain such phone calls illicited of the recepients.

Mostly, I remember how easily corporate interests, and religious intolerance and hate can morph into what we have seen the past few years. Nothing has gotten better. It has only gotten worse. America has descended into economic chaos, and Osama bin Laden could not be happier. The stupid Americans are tripping all over themselves to undo all that is truly American, much to the amusement of Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda has fragmented and grown to such proportions that Osama bin Laden must feel proud that he was able to orchestrate American's intense divisiveness, and have turned on each other in ways "no one could have anticipated" to quote our government's favorite excuse.

And, unfortunately, all the speeches Obama as President makes, are meaningless, because he and his administration have espoused just about everything the Bush administration put forth in the realm of "state secrets" and homeland security issues, which policies don't exactly tell the truth that the Obama administration has actually gone many steps further than Bush, for example, the "shoot to kill" American citizens residing other countries, without a trial, without an arrest, without a conviction (even if it were in abstentia, but no, NADA provocative reason), such that to be an American right now is not exactly the best thing when compared to the overall state of the world.

I shall never forget, even if all I do is remind others of the REAL events that occurred, and steer them away from the perversion that has slowly creeped into the "understanding" of the events of 9/11.


Click on the link in the heading of the post to be directed to an interactive CNN website devoted to those who lost their lives on 9/11.

Fold The Damn Flag Properly, If You Are Going To Fly It!

I was having dinner at The Farmers Market in Los Angeles, and I saw one of the security guards go over to the flag poles and take down the California state flag first, and then the United States flag last. I was appalled, to say the least, at the manner in which the individual handled the flags. While there are no rules for lowering and folding most flags, there are an abundance of rules (see here, here, here, here and here) as to how the American flag is to be raised, lowered and FOLDED. In fact, there is a section of our government code about the flag, entitled United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag. Needless to say, after I finished eating, I tried to locate the management office, but first found the little police station that is on the premises, and lo and behold, the American flag was all bundled up in a mess as if just tossed onto the bench in the office! I nearly freaked. I was raised in a military family and I knew how to fold a flag when I was a little girl, and was just blown away that I saw the flag in a crumpled mess on a bench, no less. I explained my problem with the flag, and the officer told me the business office of The Farmers Market was still open. So I went up there and talked with one of the staff and suggested that she bring it up to management to properly train the employees who handle the American flag on the correct way to fold it. She asked for my name and telephone number, which I gave her, and said she had no idea there was a certain way to handle the flag, but that she would give the message to the day staff that would be the ones to act on it.

To be safe, I emailed the Farmers Market via its website and included the same links here in this post on how to fold the flag, and what each fold of the flag actually means.

Some interesting things to know: the flag should NEVER touch the ground, and if it does, it should be burned; the flag should not be old and ratty, when it gets to that stage it should be burned; the flag should always be stored in a clean container; the flag should always be carried aloft and never draped over an object except when used in military funerals where it is draped over the coffin; the flag should never be worn as a garment; the flag should never be flown upside down (expect in an extreme emergency and when used to alert or seek help).

And it should never be handled like this:

Health Insurance Companies The Real Abortionists

I believe that when insurance companies refuse to cover children with deadly diseases they are no different than doctors who perform abortions, and I am truly concerned with the two faced ideology espoused by the corporate elite republican wing nuts.

How is letting a child die because you don't want to pay (this isn't about not being able to pay, but is simply NOT wanting to pay) for treatment that can sometimes save that child's life, any different than an individual making the choice to abort a baby that she doesn't want or can't take care of?

The difference is that the one has the right to choose and one does not have the right to choose. And the right to life party is overtly opposed to aborting a child (claiming it is a real person at point of conception) yet is silent, pointedly so (in fact in support of) of the right of a private health insurance company to decide a child will have to die because the insurance company does not want to cut their bottom line, which is financial profit for a fucking corporation.

Since the Republicans have kept the Democrats from labeling their stance in support of a woman's right to choose what to do with her body, and be the party for choice not against choice, how can they support a policy of choosing to kill children, and why can't we just call them what they really are (since it riles up the Republican!)-- abortionists, or in favor of abortion like actions?

Health America decided to allow five year old Kyler Van Nocker to die rather than pay for more medicine, even though Health America raked in $97 million dollars in profits last year.

These are the actions of the corporate Americans that shame me as an American.

Daley Out, Emanuel In?

Bringing Obama's approval rating from the 70s to the low 40s was quite an accomplishment. One of Rahm's job was to make sure that the first two years of the Obama administration didn't mimic the first two years of Clinton. Great job with that.

My prayers will so be answered if the very first presidential decision that Obama made (hiring Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff) is finally a bad experiment that is ending. Obama cannot possibly have a deaf ear as to what many Democrats feel about Emanuel's impact on this presidency, and he would be a fool to not replace Emanuel FINALLY with someone that actually has a pulse (and one that is on the real Americans that the President is supposed to represent).

So Much For An "End" To American "Combat" Forces In Iraq

US troops have been called in to help Iraqi forces battle insurgents who attacked an army base in Baghdad, killing 12 people, officials say.

It marks the first such use of US troops since the end of US combat operations five days ago.

And it only took five fucking days for the "combat" to begin again! It's all a game of charade. Or the mind game of the Jedi. Either way, nothing to see here, move along. The 50,000 combat troops still in Iraq aren't really "combating" anything. And, of course, the stupid people believe this. But then again, it was the stupid people that applauded the invasion of Iraq in the first place, so why should we be surprised that taking a few troops out of Iraq while simultaneously leaving an alarming 50,000 (and yes, they are wearing combat fatigues, my friends) troops, and calling it an "end" to the "invasion" is just another perverse way Obama is trying to put a check mark to his imaginary promises he alluded to during his campaign to be elected President.

Glenn Greenwald Nails It On Social Security Comission's Aim To Gut SS Benefits

Even those who are ideologically opposed to "social programs" as confiscatory or "socialist" should find this glaring disparity in treatment highly objectionable. The government policies which most benefit the wealthiest -- the owners of the Government -- continue unabated: endless war, private Surveillance State explosions, Wall Street bailouts, too-big-to-fail banks, perhaps even extending Bush tax cuts, while the programs on which the most vulnernable depend are targeted to pay for all that. There have been some gestures during the Obama presidency to work against this trend -- most notably the increase of health care subsidies for millions of poor people -- but targeting Social Security in order to pay for wars, to feed the private Surveillance State, and to extend Bush tax cuts or the suspension of the estate tax is pernicious no matter one's economic ideology. This isn't about free market capitalism; it's crony capitalism -- oligarchy -- where government policies are constructed to transfer wealth to the same small faction at the top.

In the Post today, Milbank justifies the targeting of Social Security recipients and wounded veterans on the ground that nothing should be "sacrosanct" when considering how to solve America's deficit problem. Leaving aside the fact that Social Security is not really a deficit issue, the true causes of America's debt and deficits are absolutely sacrosanct and will never be attacked by this Commission. Does anyone believe it's even remotely possible that meaningful cuts in America's war and military spending, surveillance and intelligence networks, or even corporate-plundering of America's health care system will be enacted as a result of this Commission process? Of course not. Those genuine debt-causing policies are "sacrosanct" because the people who profit from them own and control Washington (and share common socio-economic interests with the millionaire Commission members targeting social programs and the billionaires who are behind this). It's the people who don't control Washington -- ordinary Americans who need Social Security -- who are being targeted in order to feed even further the fattest, most piggish factions actually in control. That's what makes this process so ugly and odious.

A very concise analysis of the current administration's stealth plan to keep the rich rich and the poor poor, as well as move the middle class out of the middle class and into the poor class. Simpson's outbursts are just the tip of the iceberg in this Social Security "commission" and the eventual gutting of the only program that has kept seniors from being put out into the street.

Gotta love me some Obama ... not. I really hope that after the 2010 election, and everyone forgets to do the job they were voted in to do and start "campaigning" again for 2012, that the netroots really, really, really get going on someone to challenge Obama in the primary for 2012 and show him how we really feel by making him a one term president. That ought to slap a little reality into politics ... or not.

I, for one, have never paid into Social Security (don't ask), and so, I've been aware for most of my adult life I was not going to get anything. I may not be a Republican rich person, but I am definitely hoarding my cash (not putting it in any banks). I didn't have a 401K or any money invested in stocks or bonds, so I didn't see my "portfolio" vanish. I never owned a house, so I didn't end up losing one. I switched to public transit, so I don't have to deal with insurance, gas and vehicle maintenance. I don't get sick and have never had health insurance, and I sure as hell don't miss not having it. The few visits I have to make for check ups cost me less than having insurance premiums to pay, and having the insurance companies decide not to pay for my doctors, anyway. All the things that were once a show of American excellence are now the bane of the average American, and the province of the rich and privileged.

I don't trust corporations and I don't trust our government, local, state or federal. I'm hunkering down and maintaining my lifestyle in a low-key fashion. If corporate America (including our corporate government controlled by corporate "people" thanks to SCOTUS) feels it is necessary to destroy this country, so be it. Just hurry up so we real Americans can start to build it from the bottom up. Only an idiot believes that we have to cut benefits to Americans, and middle class Americans at that, in order to keep paying for Iraq and Afghanistan's rebuilding! America is crumbling and our money is being syphoned by fat cats and foreigners.

At least I have a home in Bejing that I can retire to, and take my money with me. China will probably end up being the new America, anyway.

I Rest My Case

Asked to name the current chief justice of the Supreme Court, and given four possible names, nearly one-in-ten Americans (8%) choose Thurgood Marshall, despite the fact that Justice Marshall left the Supreme Court roughly 20 years ago, and passed away in 1993. In fact, very few Americans can name the current chief justice in a Pew Research news quiz; just 28% were able to correctly identify John Roberts. Another 6% thought the recently retired Justice John Paul Stevens was chief justice, while 4% named Sen. Harry Reid. A majority (53%) admitted that they did not know the answer.

H/T to Think Progress

Sigh.

The stupid people win.

Just How Much More Can A Worker Take?

Reporting from Washington —

As employers struggle with rising healthcare costs and a sour economy, U.S. workers for the first time in at least a decade are being asked to shoulder the entire increase in the cost of health benefits on their own.

The average worker with a family plan was hit with 14% premium increase this year, pushing the bill to nearly $4,000 a year, according to a survey by the nonprofit Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

That is the largest annual increase since the survey began in 1999 and a marked change from previous years, when employers generally split the rise in the cost of premiums with their employees.

Tell me again about Obama's health reform package that was passed??????????

And they wonder why we are pissed, we the "base?" Hell, the regular people, not the base, not the liberals, not the lefties, they are the ones Bush, and now Obama, fuck over and over and over.

If no one is willing to work for an end to this crap, an end to the lies, you better start watching movies from the 1940's to get a clue how life will be for a while.

Um - September 2, 2010, But In Hollywood Language, That Is 9/02/10

Yeah, and Beverly Hills is taking advantage of the calender numeration of 90210 (ha ha).

MMMMM, Korean Tacos!

I finally made it to a Koggi BBQ truck and had my very first Korean taco! Wow, is all I can say.

I heard of the Koggi truck about a year ago, when Twitter was starting to be "the rage" in personal communication. Koggi would tweet where they were going to be, and people would gather and wait. Of course, the food had to be good enough to make people want to wait 30 deep in a line just to get some Korean BBQ in a taco, with the best salsa that is not of Spanish origin (well, I'm pretty sure I saw/tasted some cilantro)!

You can see where their four trucks will be at their website. And you can also follow them via twitter.

I liked the tacos. I can't wait to try something else.

"How Did Stupid Get To Be A Badge Of Honor"

A good line from Keith Olbermann tonight. Finally, my meme worked it's way up to prime time (laughing my ass off!)

Quite honestly, the stupidity meter has been in high gear the past week, I've had no real ability to take the time to put a coherent post together. Each time I have a piece in mind after reading about some inane (or insane) idea, opinion, speech, action, etc. I read about some other inane (or insane) idea, opinion, speech, action, etc.

It has literally become repetitive -- the stupid Glen Beck "March" on Washington (and the "guide list" of where to avoid black people), the birthers that still think Obama was born in Kenya (and the thoroughly and expertly debunked post), the continuous "surprise!" that is expressed by those communities still using these voting machines, that 75% of the BP oil spill is cleaned up, not to mention that the "government" BP handler of the pay out money to those harmed by the spill is trying his damndest to move it along (and make people who take the money sign contract giving away their rights to ever sue BP for these damages!), being a country so full of hate that if we wear the fucking wrong jersey to a game we will be escorted by the police from the sporting event, Obama people not understanding why the LEFT IS FUCKING MAD and will not vote, (and calling for drug testing us whackos!) -- stopping to take a breath!

You get what I mean.

Good Grief, More Meddling By Feinstein

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic former mayor of San Francisco, will co-chair the campaign to defeat Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot in November, according to a press release today.

How does this woman get off calling herself a Democrat? She's a complete disgrace to the State of California.

It's 2010 for Christ's sake, woman! This is what happens when we keep electing STUPID FUCKING PEOPLE. Hell, this is what we get because we have stupid people fucking!

More Interesting Viewers To My Blog

Another interesting viewer of my blog from Australia at the Parliamentary Library, no less!