Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hello World
Another cathcy title, eh?
Still busy with a very sick mother, who is finally starting to show signs of improvement. I can’t wait to get really old, but I’ll do my best to be patient. She is a dyed in the wool Republican as are my brothers, and guess which one of us is down at the old homestead? Imagine that. Now you know why Democrats tend to be pissed off at Republicans.
At any rate she didn’t vote for Sain’t Ronald of Reagan in his second term because she thought he was too old, and now she is too old to get out and vote for Sain’t John of McCain, whom is in the same boat with her as the aformention Sain’t.
Anyway, I thought I ought to let my two readers know what I was doing. Now you do. I would have posted “Hello In There” by John Prine, but the youtube is blocked.
Try not to shoot anyone in the face. Peace
Friday, January 25, 2008
Rest Stop Blogging Blues
I wished I wasn’t your blogger
I wished we just shared one mind
then I wouldn’t have to bother
worrying you were being left behind.
I would love to live up in your mountains
pushing your boulders down the inclines
but I’ve passed through the bottom lands
and their sand is all I can find.
Maybe someday I’ll write you a letter
if I don’t I hope you’ll understand
while one of us was busy sinking roots
I was rolling across the land.
Someday I hope to meet you
in the cool shade of days gone by
and if I don’t then I can only hope
you will try to understand why
I wished I wasn’t your blogger
I wished we just shared one mind
then I wouldn’t have to bother
worrying you we’re being left behind.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
After Five Years of the Cakewalk in Iraq
With the Democrats we can be assured that there will be a cake when the music ends.
I Want To Believe In America Again
Although I am closer in policy to John Edwards, the time has come to stand up for what is best about America, and what is best for America, and I have concluded that Barack Obama is that candidate. No candidate is without flaws, and believe me, I am good at digging them up and pointing them out. Senator Obama does not just talk about the future, but is the candidate that is walking towards that future.
For those who worry of his inexperience’s, I urge you to send him your resume.
On the same note, there is a 70% chance that America may be headed into a recession. There is therefore a 30% chance that America is not. I urge you to also pursue what ever path is best for America in this regard too. Genius is still 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, so give what you have to the country.
I had hoped to wait until after the South Carolina primaries to make my final decision, but family matters compel me to do so now. In any case I will be voting for Sen. Obama when the primary is held here in Texas, and will do what I can to cover his back, when I return to posting, hopefully in two weeks or so.
As for the previous post, the sun is on its’ own, as are you, and you will have to use Google, both prospects of which I am optimistic will produce positive results, even if you do not see the worth of education for education’s sake.
In the meanwhile, try not to shoot anyone in the face.
Tommorrow, After I Make The Sun Rise
I’ll be looking into GSE’s and wonder why none of our intrepid investigative reporters will explain the implicit liability of so called free market bonds. On that, I’ll play nice.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, will unwind some bullshit for you.
New Links!
The logical fallacy links are probably the best long term information you can have.
The libertarian stuff is in case you like the gold standard and don’t have a drill that can reach 8-12,000 miles to get at the gold necessary for a modern global economy.
We’re All In Deep Voodoo Now
This is, I think, a very bad idea. While it’s true that entry-level property prices are much higher in certain parts of the country, that’s largely due to the fact that the housing bubble was much bigger than in the rest of the country. Prices need to come down, and this will prop them up.
Raising the conforming limit to $625,000. Because other kinds of stupidity take too long, I guess. Via Alex Stenback:
…
I can only hope Alex’s source is drinking cough syrup, because while this is not the dumbest thing I have ever heard of–I work in the mortgage business, the thresholds are very high–it is quite close.
Nuff said, really.
Thank You Senator Reid
Reid Backs Dodd, Says GOP Will Have to Filibuster
John Pilger’s article had some pretty snotty sweeping generalizations mixed in with facts, and a decidely disgusted opinion of the decline of American democracy. Actions such as these are the best response. More please.
Yes, It Isn’t Directed At You
Stock Markets Final Quotes
Bears stampede bulls, cowboys herd bulls into box canyon ahead of cliff, cowboys sing off key songs to bulls, bulls settle down and crap all over cowboys. Ranchers sell bulls, pocket profit, lay off cowboys. Sophisticated people with college degrees explain everything but. Rinse, repeat.
Update: People like me really should use spell checks.
Update2: Oh yeah, YMMV.
This One Will Hurt Your Feelings
The Danse Macabre of US-Style Democracy
It is bi-partisan though. The Villlage People should appreciate that.
Update: Yes, Ezekiel 34 also comes to mind.
Update2: Nobody over here gives a rats ass what the Brits think, John
Update3: I broke the link too. I’m leaving the post so you can google it if you want to. The slur of Mr. Obama was completely uncalled for, and following Antiwars poor judgement with my own I gave it more travel than it deserved. Apologies to all.
Republicans Agree To Expand Rebate Checks
Checks to be 8 inches by 30 inches.
But it appears that most of the measures that would do that — benefits to the unemployed, food stamps, aid to state and local governments — are being bargained away. Even the tax credit is apparently not fully refundable, so those who need it most, and are most likely to spend it, won’t get the full amount.
John McCain’s War
pinched from Juan Cole
Guerrillas were stockpiling munitions in an unoccupied building in the Zanjabili district near the Houston-sized northern city of Mosul. Someone informed the Iraqi security forces of the stockpile, and apparently the guerrillas had good intelligence on such things, so they blew up the arms warehouse to deny it to their foes. It blasted surrounding apartment buildings, killing 17 persons and wounding 132, including women and children. It reverberated through the city as no explosion ever had before. The casualty toll is likely to rise, since there were still people trapped under rubble at the site of the massive explosion.
Note To Presidential Candidates
Please email me your current spin, I won’t mock you. Seriously. No, really, I mean it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
I’m Shocked!
Banks can borrow at 3.5% and inflation is 4.1% and their stock rises. Whoda thunk?
UD: Best as I can tell anyone into the “market” is stay in it for the long haul, since as the last week and half, but especially the last two days have shown us, is that the markets are driven by the herd physchology of bulls and bears. It’s an indicator of what experts think the future value of a stock will be based on fundamentals and hunches. Most companies are really worth their assets that can be melted down into base metals. Their value derives from projected earnings and dividends.
Notes From Texas
http://EZSmirkzz1_files/0YompJ3ke14rel0color10xd6d6d6color20xf0f0f0border0.swf
I won’t do it again.
Hold me back…Hold me back!
Democratic leaders respond to call for leadership.
All that is required to fight this is for Clinton or Obama to put the glare of the Presidential spotlight in the Senate. To, you know, lead. All three campaigns are well-aware of this fight, and at least Clinton and Obama have been completely unresponsive.
Top Dems have decided to hold off on dealing with White House aides Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers. They’re afraid it will “step on their message” of bipartisan unity on an economic stimulus plan.
Bonier would be crushed.
Cut $30 Billion It’ll Be Just Right
Military Measure Goes to President
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved a revised military spending bill on Tuesday and sidestepped a veto showdown with President Bush.
The 91-to-3 vote sends the $696 billion measure, which includes a 3.5 percent raise for troops, to Mr. Bush for his expected signature.
The Devil’s in the details. What say ye George?
The Bare Cupboards Are Loose
We won’t see a global recession, everybody agreed, but if the panellists were right, then the United States and – to a lesser extent – Europe are in for a really rough ride.
The world’s poor, meanwhile, will have to brace themselves for sharply rising food prices. Good news for farmers, not so good news for the rest of the developing world
Well I can see where we need to raise farm subsidies and cut food stamps. After all what do the poor not understand about gleaning?
Note To Rush, Michelle, et al
Jack Welch would like you to just quit bashing Democrats and offer policy that Jack Welch thinks Democrats would like.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Concern Trolls
Pundits and Very Serious People in the New Washorking City area, who sneer and bemoan the bohemians in the Democratic Party for demanding that their leaders lead, a thing which they then deride as uncivilized.
What Pundits and Very Serious People in the New Washorking City area call personal animosity, I call inoculation against Republicanisms and Pundits and Very Serious People in the New Washorking City area who sneer and bemoan the bohemians in the Democratic Party for demanding that their leaders lead, a thing which Pundits and Very Serious People in the New Washorking City area then deride as being uncivilized.
Wall Street Goes Soft On Socialism
For the rich. Bailout
Ud: I think I should add that the government is going to flood the field with their experts, the same experts that got us into this mess, telling everyone that “we” have it under control, so you may want to check with a financial advisor that is more interested in your portfolio and well being than the previously mentioned experts before making big decisions about your investments.
Of course, as the man at the link has said many times, I’m just a blogger, what the hell do I know?
Catch Your Breathe
Not often you can wake up on a Monday and eight hours later it is Tuesday evening. I lay it off on Jehovah, oh ye of little or no faith, YMMV.
Echelon, Carnivore, FISA
Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA, Echelon, Carnivore, FISA,
Note to Republicans- Catch a Clue!
Real ID – FUD Faces Facts
Analysis: Metcalfe’s Law + Real ID = more crime, less safety
“We have a saying in this business: ‘Privacy and security are a zero-sum game.'” Thus spake security consultant Ed Giorgio in a widely-quoted New Yorker article on the US intelligence community’s plans to vacuum up and sift through everything that flies across the wires. But Giorgio is wrong—catastrophically wrong. The story of Fidencio Estrada, a drug runner who bribed Florida Customs agent Rafael Pacheco to (among other things) access multiple federal law enforcement databases on his behalf, suggests that when it comes to the government collecting data on innocent civilians for law enforcement purposes, privacy and security are essentially the same thing.
Bushco=Fear Uncertainty and Doubt
Note To John McCain
Dear John,
As a Faaarrrr leftist, I am pleased to inform you that I, too, am doing what I can.
Gen JC Christianly yours,
EZSmirkzz
PS: I included a link,
XOXO
EZ
Teh Awesome!
Updated: For shameless self promotion,
Dirty eFing Hippies Calming the Markets!
To be repaid with longer hours, less pay, and excuses of it’s the economy stupid.
or;
1) You’re lucky to have a blog job boy.
2)We’re barely making ends meet.
3)Heard the rumors of lay offs?
4)Look! A Butterfly!
5) Clean up your act and we’ll see what we can do.
6) If only you loved Murica
Edited to restore original intent of the founding farmers.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Debating On An Iceberg
There is a lot of fire on the floor, but I think that the debate questions are based on the past. From what I can discern the worlds economy is like a half full tanker truck that has had the baffles removed, heading down a hill where the road pavement has turned to gravel and it’s been raining for a week.
8:11 Podiums are being removed so the cage and mat can be installed.
9:23 Good finish. I prefer the brass knuckles of the Democrats to the subtle poison of the Republicans, hands down. The spin machine is trying to make more of it than there is there.
UD: I didn’t want to crash leaving a sweeping generaliztion on media wankery up, especially since I’ve spent a good part of the day being a wanker myself. (Not in my posting. I actually have a real life, dull, but real.)
I Bow To The Wisdom of an Old Friend
In a primary filled with bitter, obnoxious, meanspirited people whose devotion to a single individual is worth casting aside both logic and friendships, is worth the clearcutting of argument, and the flouting of the usual conventions of civilized discourse, and is even worth plain fabrication of fact, in order to gain the slightest of momentary advantages, I feel terribly lonely not being part of the team of the one candidate whose spite and venom and fabrication is entirely justified and noble.
Hunter is right.
A lot of us are getting our *flags crossed up out here in the blogosphere, and the media, always a fan of the blogs is playing us like a drum. If Edwards pulls out, I’ll support Obama, If Clinton gets the nomination I’ll support Clinton.
*Mike Huckabee wiil understand this. The original Confederate flag in the field was often confused with the Stars and Stripes so Confederate Units often fired on each other, hence the battle flag. By all rights Huckabee should have hoisted himself on his own petard with his remarks about the losers not the winners flag. That he was saved that embarassment is a function of the liberal media.
Ud:FWIW department, my family proudly shot at other members of my family in both New Mexico and Virginia, like many other families in the United States. Like it or not, in US History 102 in college the instructor started out by having the class recite, “the South lost the war,” which was not easy for all students to say.
It Is Not Enough To Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants
It is necessary to march to the horizons of their visions and become giants in the land ourselves.
http://EZSmirkzz1_files/T1CCMqm1EBgrel0color10xd6d6d6color20xf0f0f0border0.swf
The Perfect Blog Post
One which would anger and upset all people, of all factions, for different reasons which they cannot articulate, beyond they don’t like it.
The god of John McCain
McCain and the Militarist Mentality In the McCainiac worldview, there is no corner of the globe that wouldn’t benefit from American boots on the ground. If you liked President Bush’s infamous “fire in the mind” second inaugural address, in which he averred that the proper objective of U.S. foreign policy is “ending tyranny in our world,” then you’ll love President McCain’s world-saving neo-Wilsonianism. Matthew Yglesias, writing on his Atlantic blog, succinctly summarizes the McCainiac mentality when it comes to foreign policy issues:
“For McCain, a certain culture of honor, militarism, and nationalism are their own reward. The military is to be celebrated and supported not for what it does but for what it is. Thus, a given military venture doesn’t need to have a real purpose or be ‘worth it’ in any particular sense. It is what it is, and what we need to do is keep on doing it for as long as ‘it’ takes and it doesn’t matter if ‘it’ is pointless or futile or even if ‘it’ isn’t anything in particular at all. The war is its own rationale.”
This is really the essence of militarism that Yglesias is describing: an ideological commitment to war as an end in itself, if not a virtuous act then a condition – perhaps the only condition – under which it is possible to demonstrate one’s commitment to the highest values. Honor, duty, country, sacrifice – these are the words that are used to evoke and rationalize McCainian militarism. Yet there is no honor in a foreign policy based on axiomatic aggressiveness. There is no “duty” to pursue a policy that neither benefits this country, nor those we are ostensibly “liberating,” especially when what is being sacrificed, in the bargain, is the economic and moral health of our republic.
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god; he shall even speak marvelous things against the God of gods and shall prosper until the fury is completed. For that which is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall not regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women; yea, he will not come to any god. For he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place he shall honor the god of forces, and he shall honor a god whom his fathers did not know, with gold and silver and with precious stones, and desirable things.
Simple Answer to Stupid Questions, Or What Digby Said
Obama’s Age Gap: Is It Race?
No.
This is an article that has one of those leading headlines that really doesn’t have anything to with the article, but it has everything to with selling advertising.
How about young voters have so far proven unwilling to vote for an older person? Is it ageism? Really, this is ridiculous.
I’d read Digby, and ignore the CBS post.
Ud: I broke the CBS link.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Light Through A Crack In The Doorway Shines
America Must Avoid Presidents Who Will Use Conflict to Define His or Her Presidencies I can’t think of anything to add.
If I heard more commentary like that from pols — that took risks at the pulpit and did less pandering — I might revise a bit of my objection to this sort of politicking.
But kudos to Barack Obama for surprising a devout secularist today.
Steve’s roll is your gain. Avail yourself.
How Doo-Doo Is That Vodoo Bushco Do?
The Fraud of Bushenomics: They’re Looting the Country
But for the most part, the assets of the United States, our collective wealth, could not be sold off in such a direct manner.
In order to turn them into cash, what the administration did was borrow against them.
That is, they cut taxes while continuing to spend lavishly, creating debt.
The debt is owed by all of us, the collective people of the United States….
ud: That’s worth restating. From 2001 to 2005, the income of the average working person declined by $2,000.
You think corporate tax cuts are deserved?
Would you like to buy a bridge? Donate to Rudy?
Democrats Divided
The Divisive Frauds in the Media
The Jackson candidacy has the potential of broad effects in the black community. It appears to have generated a growing sense of political involvement among blacks, but it also has divided black leaders between Mr. Jackson and Walter F. Mondale, with potential for repercussions for some leaders’ own political future.
Addendum: Are the media sandbagging themselves? Just wondering.
Millions In Tribute! Not One Penny In Sense!
Moreover, recent evidence suggests that the United States is tacitly abandoning its efforts to create a truly functional government in Baghdad. By offering arms and bribes to Sunni insurgents — an initiative that has been far more important to the temporary reduction in the level of violence than the influx of additional American troops — U.S. forces have affirmed the fundamental irrelevance of the political apparatus bunkered inside the Green Zone.
via Juan Cole, who observes,
If someone came to you six years ago and said that for only $2 trillion, you could have for your colony a burned out country, a failed state, and a semi-permanent incubator of terrorism and hatred against the US, would you have ponied up the money?
Well, using my Kristol Math calculator, and figuring the circular logic of squares using someone else money, multiplied by the chicken-hawks in the administration, and dividing the US population. You bet!
Heh Updated a little so the calculator would make sense.
Double Reverse Physchology With a Back Flip and, Hey Look a Banana
Catchy title huh? Google that.
FWIW I never supported Huckabee. I supported John Edwards, who thereafter generated zero national television coverage because I have become the all powerful plunger boy, feel my power! Rule one, never diss the McMedias in an election year. Sorry John, they couldn’t have done without me. But it was worth it if truth, justice and the American way, hey wait a minute, that’s mixed metaphore. Look a banana~!
Of course like some unnamed joker I will deny it. That’s my line, and I’m sticking to it. I always knew that Hillary and Mitt would win in Nevada, and that McCain would overcome the Republicans distaste for him to listen to the rumors from the Bloomberg campaign, that hasn’t become a campaign yet because they don’t if I support him yet, and there is always a chance that I’ll jump ship and become a McCainiac in search of Sain’thood. Redeem us John, make me proud to be an American blogger!
I’ll do almost anything to generate traffic. It’s my I 35 religious duty on the the information hiway.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Only In America
Obama wins Nevada According to The Nation;
A source with knowledge of the Nevada Democratic Party’s projections told The Nation that under the arcane weighting system, Obama would win 13 national convention delegates and Clinton would win 12 delegates. The state party has not released an official count yet.
That fits right in with Edwards anemic showing.
OOHHHHHH The Humanity!
Sprezzy’s bill of particulars against the blogosphere includes this incoherent claim:
Better the old press than the new tyranny of bloggers. Their self-interest, he says, makes them more mainstream than any standard news source could possibly be.
But I’m exactly like The New York Times. No one would pay to read this shit on the web, so I give it away for free. What’s in it for me?
Yeah, you just can’t buffalo in roller derby, heard.
Sometimes I’m intimidated by the sheer volume of blogs, I try to read all seven hundred and sixty two million, five hundred and thirty two thousand, four hundred and twelve of them, but the asshattery of the professionals is just too time consuming for me to get around to it. For all I know someone out there is saying mean, mean, mean things about me and I just don’t give a f^#k. hoot.
Update: That was rude.
Polls Still Suck
First, Romney looks like he won with about 46%-47% of the vote, beating McCain by more than 30%. In fact, it appears that Ron Paul finished second in Nevada ahead of McCain, and did so by at least 5%. Both of these results are nowhere near the pre-caucus polls, none of which had shown Paul higher than fourth, Romney ahead by more than 15%, or McCain below 19%. So, our first lesson is that Nevada polls are entirely unreflective of Nevada results so far.
MSNBC just said that their entrance polls – showing big Clinton win – didn’t include the strip locations. FYI
Basic of Accrual Accounting
Some of you–bless your lovely hearts–may be entirely innocent of any background in accounting. You may be struggling to follow the conversation in part because you make the common civilian error of forgetting that bank accounting is “backwards.” To you, a loan is a liability and a deposit account is an asset. To the bank, the loan is an asset and the deposit account is a liability. It does get more complicated than that, but it never makes any sense at all until you do get past that point.
Probably the best thing you can read two or three times today if your not familiar with the dismal sciences. Or President of the US.
Why The Media Sucks
Sun-Times Exclusive: Obama surfaces in Rekzo’s federal corruption case
The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. And there’s no evidence Obama knew contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign came from schemes Rezko is accused of orchestrating.
Yeah, but Obama sells papers and gets eyeballs.
Ma! Ma! Where’s Pa?!
Update: When I was a kid a friend and I got stuck out in the boondocks after a hike to some forgotten peak, and it got dark while we were on top of a mesa, which we had climbed up on because we thought that was a shortcut, (Doh!), so we stayed put for the night. We could almost see our houses on the next messa over.The next day we ran into a CAP volunteer around 9:00 O’clock in the morning and he let us eat his lunch. He had two sandwiches and a thermos of soup, so we ate his sandwiches. Of course the papers all said we were lost and devoured his food. None of which was accurate. Cynical, nah, not me.
With padding!
Three Golds And Two Silvers
Time to piss test Romney.
Update: For anabolic steroids.
Update2: It is surprising how much emphasis is put on his turning businesses around. Would that it were 2000.
Update3: Matt looks at the delegate count, Noam Scheiber Place Your Money on Romney
Second, Romney doesn’t need enough money/momentum to win the nomination outright. He just needs enough money & mo’ to survive a winnowing of the field down to two candidates. Should he make it into a one-on-one scenario with any of his four plausible rivals (I don’t consider Fred Thompson plausible at this point, though he could prove me wrong Saturday), I suspect the GOP establishment will rally around him with lots of money and support.
I know mayors with more money.
John McCain’s War
After five years of war 75% of Baghdad is secure. Of course 40% of it is rubble too.
Political Movement
If you really want to know what I think about political developments, (elections, strategy, and YoungRich2’s beloved, Tactics! tactics!) use the contact info. Include your blog link, maybe I’ll let ya in. No bloggin, no log in.
Who Is Stephen Andrew, & Why Is He Making Sense In My Newspaper?
When science and faith find common ground
If I were religious, I might find cause to feel honored and humble at being descended from a long line of God’s wondrous creations and for sharing the amazingly complex biochemical processes those ancestral benefactors endowed us with. The technical skill and artistic vision of such is to be admired in awe, and in that context evolution should be worthy of consideration, maybe even respect. I’d praise our evolutionary lineage and thank our Linnaean cousins from the primates to the microbes. For the evidence indicates that through them, God crafted and then willed to us the finest physical possessions we will ever know: this planet, our bodies, and our brains.
via DKos Someone who notices the difference between an artist and the brush.
(you can pinch this Mitt, Mike)
Terraformed 