Political Mumbles

[gotsnowgotslush]

That thread reminds me of those wrestling programs that were popular when I was I child, that were revived in the 1980s-1990s

Fake drama, fake wrestling. What a way to earn a living! It helped Cyndi Lauper to get noticed....*shrug*

The people mentioned in that thread, help Sarah Palin to get noticed....

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Watching PBS, and shocked at the thought of five million people dying of a mystery plague. Brings to mind lack of modern medicine, which a certain group is prompting.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Political Mumbles

FOUL OLE RON: . . . buggrit buggrit millennium hand and supply-side economic policy buggrit . . .

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Rev. Bob Ripley
Opinion column

http://www.lfpress.com/2014/02/06/ripley-religion-played-sad-role-in-slavery

Friday, February 7, 2014

Slavery has a long history (the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt for four centuries), but the role of religion cannot be ignored. Holy writ was both used to justify the subjugation of black slaves and, in time, offered spiritual liberation to them through the consolations of Christianity.

The curse of Ham, for instance, is the misuse of the story of Noah cursing his son Ham’s descendants to be slaves. Although there is no evidence that Ham was the “father” of Africans, various Jewish, Christian and Islamic writers came to believe that he was, and the connection helped to create a myth of inferiority based on skin pigmentation. Even the Church of England in Barbados once urged slaves to come to terms with “the place that God in his wisdom had chosen to put them.”

Elsewhere in the Bible, God seems to not only condone slavery but also expect it (Leviticus 25:44-46). There are a few provisions, mind you. If you beat a slave and they die, you should be punished but if they live a day or two, “no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property”. (Exodus 21:21). If you strike the eye of a slave you have to set them free. Likewise if you knock out their teeth. Jesus had no comment on the subject although St. Paul does admonish slaves to serve their masters well.

So what do we think of slavery today? Easy. Almost all the civilized world agrees that slavery is an abomination. When we hear of young girls caught and sold as slaves, we also hear of kind, courageous people who venture into harm’s way to buy them back and set them free. Bless them.

Part of celebrating the rich legacy of the African diaspora is reminding ourselves, Scripture notwithstanding, that no person should own another person. Ever. Period.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The Village Voice newspaper wants me to -

Listen to Rush Limbaugh Flame Out as He Realizes He Has No Clue What He's Talking About

(Um.... NO I will not attempt to listen to RL)
(The man's voice, attitude, and mindset, make me want to run away. Far away.)

But, I am willing to read about it-

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/02/rush_limbaugh_flames_out_60_minutes_cbs_news.php

"Here's the set-up. Last week, Limbaugh was carping on one of his favorite themes: That liberals fail to recognize fundamental differences between the sexes."

"But, as he often does, Limbaugh then leaps from one news story to another, no matter how unrelated they may be."

"At about 2:25 in this clip, as he snarls a response, he seems to realize that he's got the story cocked up--"

"Still, he does what he's done ever since burbling up out of whatever egg sac hatched him: Improvises. Kills time. Hauls out meaningless generalities.
And yells -- as if he can make up for having nothing to say by volume alone."

"....even he has no idea where to go next."

He tries "This is simply --" but can't complete the thought.

"Four seconds of silence pass, fat and slow as airships."

He begins to stutter. "I - I don't know how to decribe .... th-th-th-th-this is just --"

"He slaps some papers around, schtick he often resorts to, the idea being that he's so deluged with facts and truths that it's some effort to pick through them all."

"He does this for five full seconds."

"Then, with nowhere to go, he accidentally tells the truth, saying exactly what any thinking person who listened to this catastrophic segment would conclude
about narcissistic blowhards like Limbaugh, whose job is to find lots of things to pretend to be mad about."

"We're in trouble," he says. "We're in big trouble. Because these people are a primary source for news for most people in this country. We're in big trouble."

(I want to thank Alan Scherstuhl, very much, for writing this article, and for sparing my eardrums, and mind from abuse that they get from the the voice and thoughts of RL)

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

eek

Deadly Avalanche Deaths Increase 2014

Global Climate Change has nothing to do with it. Yeah, right, keep denying until existence is hellish.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Anything goes ?

Why is Comcast allowed to do this ?

Comcast and Time Warner were already the country's two biggest cable companies, so when Comcast announced its purchase of Time Warner
this week, consumer advocates cried foul, warning it will create a behemoth with too much control over the media industry.

Two of the nations two biggest cable companies will combine their forces to squeeze the fuck out of everyone else, to get more money ?

Congress takes notice of what impact this merger might have....

66% of cable TV and internet users will be at their combined mercy ?

Do not worry about this merger killing competition, because there is no competition ?

Greater Boston discussion participants discuss experiences dealing with Comcast, as a customer (cable TV and internet service)

gsgs comment- Does Comcast have a license to steal from their customers ?

Video available-

http://wgbhnews.org/post/cable-consolidation-will-comcast-have-too-much-control

 

[LadyVer]

Watching PBS, and shocked at the thought of five million people dying of a mystery plague. Brings to mind lack of modern medicine, which a certain group is prompting.

Valley Fever?

Regarding Comcast: see Gilded Age.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

One woman reported that the ******** Police detective in her case informed her that because "no one had a limb cut off and there was no video of the incident,"
prosecutors "wouldn't see this [the rape] as anything more than a girl getting drunk at a party."

In one instance, for example, a Deputy County Attorney quoted religious passages to a woman who had reported a sexual assault, in a way that the victim
interpreted to mean that the Deputy County Attorney was judging her negatively for having made the report. We also spoke to a woman whose daughter
was sexually assault, at the age of five, by an adolescent boy. In response to a question about why the perpetrator had been sentence to only two years
of community service, the prosecutor handling the case reportedly told the women that "boys will be boys."

Advocates told us that Deputy County Attorneys "said terrible things to victims," including saying to one woman in the course of discussing the decision
not to prosecute her sexual assault, "All you want is revenge."

The County Attorney does not provide Deputy County Attorneys with the basic knowledge and training about sexual assault necessary to effectively
and impartially investigate and prosecute these cases;

The County Attorney's Office generally does not develop evidence in support of sexual assault prosecutions, either on its own or in cooperation with
other law enforcement agencies

Adult women victims, particularly victims of non-stranger sexual assault and rape, are often treated with disrespect, not informed of the status of
their case and re-victimized by the process; and

The County Attorney's Office routinely fails to engage in the most basic communication about its cases of sexual assault with law enforcement
and advocacy partners.

http://jezebel.com/montana-attorneys-said-terrible-things-to-rape-victim-1524327069

gsgs comment- Let us talk about how quickly the rape kits are processed....

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Public documents from Anchorage NBC affiliate KTUU show that Americans for Prosperity had reserved space for $101,000 worth of political ads,
with dozens of spots expected to run between Feb. 10 until March 2.

The Virginia-based ad agency representing AFP, Smart Media Group, revoked the plans, initially calling each day and asking for the spots to be
delayed then finally, late last week, canceling the remaining ads.

The ad agency took the same approach in Fairbanks at TV station KTVF, after reserving three weeks of Americans for Prosperity ads worth
more than $9,000 beginning Feb. 11 and running through March 2, said general manager DeeDee Caciari.

“They kept pushing it off, saying ‘They don’t have the ad. They don’t have the ad,’” she said.

But they ultimately canceled everything on Friday, she said.

“The agency has not said why, other than they're not getting approval on their ad,” she said.

Some of the cancellations weren’t made within KTVF’s two-week cancellation period, which made things challenging because the station had to
fill the canceled slots with replacement ads. The station charged the agency about $3,000 for ads that weren’t canceled in time, she said.

“We had to play hardball with them trying to cancel,” she said. “They first tried to push the order back, saying it can’t start today. "

"We said we have a cancellation policy, we can’t just keep doing this.”

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/artic...ads-after-koch-brothers-alaska-refinery-shuts

Possible Reasons The Koch Brothers Delayed $100k Of Mark Begich Attack Ads

The Koch Brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity bought $100k in Alaska TV ads attacking U.S. Senator Mark Begich.
Then the Koch Brothers announced the closure of an Alaska refinery while Americans for Prosperity repeatedly delayed their
attack ads.

Nine possible reasons why the Koch Brothers are delaying their attack ads

February 12, 2014

1. They’re Looking For An Alaskan To Be In The Ad

(Americans for Prosperity got panned for running an ad with an actress from Maryland playing an Alaskan.)

2. They Just Closed An Alaska Refinery

(The Koch Brothers just announced the closure of the Flint Hills refinery in North Pole, Alaska eliminating 80 jobs.)

3. Their “Local” Americans For Prosperity Chapter Thinks They’re A Problem

(The “local” group admitted closing the Koch-owned refinery is a problem for Interior Alaska.)

4. The Kochs Just Fired 80 Alaskans
(While spending millions on political ads nationwide)

5. Alaska Republicans Are Pissed At The Koch Brothers

(Elected Republicans from Interior Alaska, like State Representative Doug Isaacson, are “LIVID” the Kochs closed the Flint Hill refinery)

6. Outside Groups Are Too Liberal For Joe Miller

(“they don’t want another Ted Cruz in the Senate.” —Joe Miller on Outside groups)

7. Mead Treadwell Hasn’t “Certified” The Ad

(Mead Treadwell DID claim responsibility for certifying new invasive regulations on women’s health that had been rejected by the state legislature)

8. They Are Still Confused About Their Dan Sullivans

(It’s tough to buy a Senate seat when there’s two politicians with the same name)

9. They Mistakenly Put Elvi Gray-Jackson In Their Ad

(“Anti-women” U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan got ripped for putting a local elected official in a web video without her permission)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alaskademocrats/possible-reasons-the-koch-brothers-delayed-100k-o-k7nu

Did the Koch brothers promise to clean up the industrial chemical solvent spill ?

The DEC tested local gardens for sulfolane levels and found trace amounts of the solvent. It was found in higher levels in the leaves of plants.
After the study, the DEC said fruit and vegetables watered using contaminated water weren’t likely to harm people, but they recommend
gardeners use water free of sulfolane to hydrate their edible plants. Flint Hills offered water for gardening to people in the affected areas.

http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/uncertain-future-for-polluted-north-pole/24361000

Kochworld, Texas Observer, October 2012
In Corpus Christi's Hillcrest, where Koch Industries enjoys tax incentives and lax environmental regulations, health problems abound.
Despite having faced federal indictments for polluting Corpus Christi's air and waterways, the Kochs have continued to make millions
off of their refineries and have plans to expand.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest residents living in the shadow of the Koch refineries are "mired in illness and poverty."

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/02/reading-guide-billionaire-koch-brothers

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

despicable

This person is despicable-
Woman in a black BMW with California plates, driving on RT. 9 in Massachusetts
She threw a kitten out of her car, onto the side of the road.

The kitten nose is so scraped, it is bloody. The kitten has road rash on its head and paws.

The scarf that the kitten was wrapped in, was found near the kitten.

X-Rays show the kitten has a broken leg.

Why did Disney choose the word despicable, for a film title ? Why provide a word that is powerful tool, with pleasant associations ?

Maybe, Disney is doing things that others might find to be despicable ? (gsgs comment-Clever, to pull teeth that might bite them.)

http://www.shalereporter.com/blog/suzie_gilbert/article_4ac0671c-77ab-11e3-9864-001a4bcf6878.html

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

ditch your conscience and morals, at the door- It is all about the Money

Welcome to 2014, and modern America

http://temecula.patch.com/blogs/original-pechangas-blog?content_subdomain=temecula

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The bill is similar to a proposal last year brought by Yarbrough but vetoed by Brewer. That legislation also would have allowed people or
religious groups to sue if they believed they might be subject to a government regulation that infringed on their religious rights.
Yarbrough stripped a provision from the bill in hopes Brewer will embrace the new version.

Civil liberties and secular groups countered that Yarbrough and the Center for Arizona Policy had sought to minimize concerns that last year’s
bill had far-reaching and hidden implications. During the Senate debate Wednesday, Democrats said the bill could allow people to break nearly
any law and cite religious freedom as a defense.

http://www.edgeboston.com/news/nati...scrimination_and_calls_it_’religious_freedom’

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Way back when, the royals grabbed the lion's share, and left the people who did the work, with crumbs and starvation.
All the royal's favored pals wanted their share of wealth, so even the crumbs were withheld. Mass murder started.
Now, Wall Street and the International Banking System does the same. What is the difference ?

We were puzzled, when we watched Japanese men kill themselves from overwork.
Never could happen here, in the good ol' USA!
(Arrived in a New York minute.)
How soon, will modern Chinese- style work habits arrive in the USA ?
Mitt Romney was intoxicated by the sight of Chinese wage slaves.

At the peak of wholesome American hope, and good deeds- Happy, smiling, sincere companies were newly formed.
These same companies, shipped products that brought smiles to the faces of consumers-
So worth those few more pennies, more. Happiness and security at the workplace.
They were knocked down, and dragged away. The maw of Wall Street needed to be fed.
Sell to us, Wall Street said- We will buy it and fill it with hot air!
It will float high, and sell high.

Or your lovely, happy company will die and shrivel. It will be starved out of existence.
Play the game, the way that we want you to-
We are ripping and tearing holes in others
for a fraction of a cent.

High salary, big rewards, big perks, high life
Like the gods of old, The Big Deals dwell in high places
They cannot see the human beings that live
below the clouds.
Specks!
Not visible.
Pixels!
Not alive,
like us
The Big Deals said

Poisoned baby formula, and poisoned baby food ? Adulterated, and contaminated baby medicine ?
Products that will kill the baby, or, injure it for life. "People will do anything for a potato," the boy said.
What kind of potato, is worth killing a baby ?

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Pleas on TV- Who is pleading for sanity, today ?

Apple Warns Arizona Governor Anti-Gay Bill Will Hurt Highly Anticipated Sapphire Glass Factory
February 25, 2013

Apple joins other major companies, including Marriott and American Airlines, in warning Brewer about the bill’s potential damage to the economy. It “would have profound negative impacts on the hospitality industry on the Arizona and on the state’s overall economic climate for years to come,” Marriott predicted in a public statement. The state Super Bowl Committee, Arizona businesses and even conservative lawmakers also who originally voted in favor of the bill all support a veto. One of Arizona’s largest employers, Intel also offered support Tuesday to veto in response to LGBT blogger and activist Scott Wooledge‘s email request.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/02/25/3328891/apple-arizona-anti-gay/

Salon lets on, to the nasty surprises, hiding in the discrimination bill....

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The real David Bar Katz, stands up

National Enquirer Takes Out NY Times Ad Apologizing For Fake Philip Seymour Hoffman-Is-Gay Article

http://gothamist.com/2014/02/26/national_enquirer_hoffman.php

And on Tuesday, less than three weeks after the article was published, Mr. Katz said he had formed the American Playwriting Foundation, which will give out an annual prize of $45,000 for an unproduced play. In honor of Mr. Hoffman’s dogged pursuit of artistic truth, it will be called the Relentless Award.

The foundation and the prize are being paid for by The Enquirer and its publisher, American Media Incorporated, under a settlement of the lawsuit, said Judd Burstein, the lawyer for Mr. Katz. As part of the agreement, The Enquirer has also bought a full-page advertisement in the main news section of The New York Times on Wednesday. In it, The Enquirer says it was duped by a person claiming to be the same Mr. Katz. Mr. Burstein provided the text of the ad.

The amount of money being paid by The Enquirer will not be disclosed, Mr. Burstein said, adding, “It’s enough for the foundation to give out these grants for years to come.” On Tuesday, he formally filed papers to dismiss the lawsuit.

gsgs comment- In the age of google, how can they claim they could not tell the real one, from the fake one ?

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

It is always the same- They throw something at the wall, and wait to see if it will stick.

It will cause problems for real people, real money will be taken away from the taxpayer's pool of cash.
It will take up time, and waste it. Time better spent on basic needs.

But, it will buy publicity, and attract nutcases that will give donations. The donations will fuel more nonsense.

And they will complain that nothing is being built , or repaired.
When it is them, that distracts everyone from constructive activities.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

February 27, 2014
Mike Tipping
Analysis and explanation on Maine politics and policy

I don’t believe that a few mistakes in the past should prevent anyone from engaging in government, but Lockman has a consistent history of words and actions on rape, AIDS, taxes, education and gay and lesbian Mainers that should prompt us all, especially the voters who elected him, to have some significant concerns about his role as a legislator and public figure. At the very least, his history of extremism should be kept in mind when evaluating his current actions as a lawmaker.

This look back also illustrates that the radicalism and anger that we now ascribe to the tea party has existed in corners of our political environment for decades. The current conservative movement has only magnified it and brought it closer to the levers of power.

In the early 1990s, Lockman was active on the issue of abortion. He became a director of the Pro Life Education Association and in 1990 was quoted as saying “If a woman has (the right to abortion), why shouldn’t a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist’s pursuit of sexual freedom doesn’t (in most cases) result in anyone’s death.”

http://thetippingpoint.bangordailyn...-lockmans-deacades-long-history-of-extremism/

Friday, February 28, 2014

Lockman did not respond to several press inquiries Tuesday. On Wednesday, he released a written statement.

“I have always been passionate about my beliefs, and years ago I said things that I regret. I hold no animosity toward anyone by virtue of their gender or sexual orientation, and today I am focused on ensuring freedom and economic prosperity for all Mainers,” he said.

House Republican leader Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, also issued a statement.

“I do not condone these or any statements that are intentionally hurtful toward others on account of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation,” he said.

http://www*******sentinel.com/polit...man_says_he_regrets_divisive_statements_.html

“In the overwhelming majority of cases, people are dying because of their addiction to sodomy,” Lockman wrote in a 1987 letter to the editor to the Lewiston Daily Sun arguing against funding for AIDS education. “They are dying because progressive, enlightened, tolerant people in politics and in medicine have assured the public that the practice of sodomy is a legitimate alternative lifestyle, rather than a perverted, depraved crime against humanity.”

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Ah, the lovely Koch brothers /end sarcasm

David Koch has Neil deGrasse Tyson over to his home, in Southhampton. To teach the members of the family how to use the telescope.

(See- Feb. 17& 24, 2014 issue of New Yorker "Starman" page 83)

Meanwhile, the propaganda machines that the Koch brothers have funded, are fueled by people who do not believe in evolution.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

“To many, Zimmerman appeared to have racially profiled Trayvon and shot and killed him based on the deepest, ugliest stereotypes still embedded in the American psyche: that blacks are criminals, dangerous—“they” get away with their crimes—“they” must be watched, followed—those assholes. Most of black America grasped immediately that a boy was dead from those prejudices.”

“Many African-American commentators spoke about the personal pain they felt in hearing Trayvon lumped in with “these assholes” and “fucking punks”—that recorded language confirming their fears that they were constantly misjudged, stereotyped, suspicious merely for walking while black.”

Suspicion Nation : The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why
We Are Continue to Repeat It
Lisa Bloom

The 2013 trial of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin lasted only a little over a month. But its legacy will be considerably longer and, to many, deeply discouraging. For attorney and author Lisa Bloom, one thing is crystal clear: The prosecution bungled things by mismanaging witnesses, failing to present key evidence, and allowing the jury to deliberate without ever hearing a clear state’s version of what happened “that dark, wet night in that small Southern town.” Prosecutors represent the state, not the victim; still, Bloom writes, they can and should be his voice. In this case, she argues, “Trayvon Martin did not get a fair trial. Not even close.”

The first half of Bloom’s book, in which she dissects the trial itself, is riveting and quick-paced in the manner of all courtroom dramas. She proposes alternative ways of handling key witnesses and invents a far, far better closing argument than the one prosecutors used. By the time Bloom has taken us through her second theme — the violence and destruction that occur when
fear and prejudice meet guns and overly broad self-defense laws — it’s hard not to despair as it seems certain there will be more Trayvon Martins in a “culture where guns blaze and our children fall."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/boo...tion-titles/DOLau7fgA6sywaFQyQ0zSI/story.html

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

It looks as if Jimmy Kimmel staged an intervention, during his show-
(Interventions are not meant to "jolly, or "amusing.")

March 4 2014

The darkest part of the interview came when Kimmel asked Ford point-blank if he was an alcoholic. “You seem like a very nice guy to me, and if you are an alcoholic—which, you know, if you’re drinking enough that you can try crack in your 40s and not remember it—maybe that’s something you might want to think about talking to somebody about,” Kimmel said.

Ford replied, “Who among us hasn’t tried crack in a drunken stupor,” attempting to laugh off the charge.
“I wasn’t elected to be perfect Jimmy............"

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2014/03/jimmy-kimmel-skewers-rob-ford

gsgs comment-

What does Rob Ford do, that is beneficial to the people who elected him?

The Mardi Gras float, looks a bit frightening. The caricature of Rob Ford must scare children,
more than the caterpillar in the Alice in Wonderland film.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

*shakes head, because the lack of common sense, is making my eyes cross* "Blockhead!"

 

[KingOrfeo]

What does Rob Ford do, that is beneficial to the people who elected him?

He occasionally reminds the world that Toronto exists.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The Never Ending Story of Governor Scott Walker's Wisconsin *wince*

http://uppitywis.org/

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The Koch brothers want workers, who won’t ever vote, or burden the state with children to educate.

The Koch brothers want workers, that are not Americans.

Koch Wish List-

Block the Medicaid expansion (Wish granted!) Millions denied medical care.

Solve the problem of our overworked Emergency Rooms
by letting the rural hospitals all go into bankruptcy and close.

Run the public schools down to the point where vouchers
and home schooling are competitive.

Letting the actual value of the vouchers slide to the point
where Parents working at our low paying jobs are
attempting to pay most of the cost of their children’s education.

Privatize the roads in a state which hates tolls and paying for parking.
Sell off the state parks .

Shut down whole sections of Government.
Drive off or allow to die off everyone who is dependent on Government services.

The costs of the poor have been “driven out of the system.”
Import more guest workers.

The mystery of why the Koch brothers do not want poor women to get health care, and safe access to abortion-

“If you want to promote a pro-corporate agenda, you’re only going to get so far."
“But when you start weaving in these social issues like abortion and other reproductive rights issues,
then you’re gonna appeal to a broader range of people, and a very motivated voting bloc.
They will turn out. So it serves your larger cause.”
-Sue Sturgis, theDurham, North Carolina-based editorial director
Facing South

Massachusetts provides services for the disadvantaged, and the unfortunate.
Massachusetts has seen the migration away from states that are granting wishes
to the Koch brothers.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/04/1282006/-Ron-Paul-Polo-Ponies

http://billmoyers.com/2013/11/10/an...-brothers-are-funding-the-anti-choice-agenda/

Massachusetts is hosting the people that those states have discarded.