The vote was 54 in favor and 42 against. Just about any where in the world that would mean a proposal to raise the minimum wage, over a 30 month period, from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 per hour would have passed. Unfortunately the United States Senate isn't just any where in the world. In that hallowed chamber of congress you need 60 votes in order to get a measure through.
Not that it matters. Those conservative cretins in the house would have killed it quicker than you can say John Boehner once it arrived there.
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas accused the democrats of playing politics with the issue. NBC reports he was whining those in favor of the bill were simply trying to make the GOP look, "hard hearted," during an election year. Perhaps, but Senator you'll have to admit it is pretty fucking easy to make republicans look hard hearted any time, whether there are elections coming up, or not.
That is what happens when many of your party, especially in the house, want to do away with the minimum wage altogether, while others tell single parents minimum wage jobs were never meant to raise people out poverty to begin with. You bet, next time, baby give head and, by the way, I'll take a large order of fries with my burger.
NBC quoted Washington democratic Senator, Patty Murray as saying, "Their vote today defines their priorities."
The republicans are justifying these beastly acts by claiming they are trying to save small businesses. Of course their love of mom and pop stores has never stopped each and every one of them from accepting contributions offered by people like the Walton family, who have spent their entire lives driving mom and pop operations straight into bankruptcy.
The vote in the Senate came on the eve of May first, which is a traditional spring holiday across the globe, particularly in Europe. The first day in May, or "May Day," is also known as International Workers Day in many places. Because it is recognized and celebrated by a lot of people the United States government has traditionally disliked--you know, communists, socialists, minimum wage workers, and just about anyone wanting to make a decent and dignified living--the American version of International Workers Day was set in September and called, simply, Labor Day.
May Day came about because of a minor demonstration held on the night of May 4th, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago. Prior to the 4th that year there had been a general strike of laborers which began on May 1st. The walkouts involved upwards to 300,000 workers nationwide. The demonstrations in Chicago continued beyond the first, mainly because there was an ongoing strike at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. On the third of May things turned ugly when strikers, who were incensed by replacement workers, were fired on by Chicago police. Depending on who you believe, between two and six strikers were killed.
The next night in Haymarket Square a crowd of somewhere between 600 and 3,000 showed up to listen to some radical left speakers. It was raining and as usual the guys making speeches were boring and by 10 or 10:30 pm a lot of people had drifted away. According to Wikipedia the demonstrators were so laid back, the mayor of Chicago left the square early, thinking there was nothing to worry about.
However, those of us who are a certain age know all about the Chicago police department, it's tactics, and the violent tradition it is so proud of. As the demonstration was winding down a phalanx of cops came marching down the street and the officer in charge ordered the "mob" to disperse. What happened next is up to historical interpretation. Someone threw a bomb toward the police lines. It went off. The police began shooting into the crowd. Absolute chaos ensued. There were reports of people at the demonstration firing on the cops, although later, at least one official said, many of the police who had been shot were downed by fellow officers firing blindly in the darkness, confusion, and rain. By the time it was done seven policemen were dead, as were four civilians. At least 70 were wounded, although it is generally acknowledged there were many injured demonstrators who refused to go to hospitals out of fear they'd be arrested.
Whatever the case may be, the night became a cause celebre. Within a year and a half, Illinois hung four guys, none of whom threw the bomb, or built it. Another killed himself before he could be executed. Three others were eventually pardoned, because a few years later a progressive governor recognized all eight of the accused had been railroaded. The person who actually chucked the explosive device was never caught. Some primordial leftist conspiracy theorists claimed an unnamed Pinkerton's detective had infiltrated the labor movement and committed the act in order to discredit it. Finally, the governor who issued the pardons was defeated when he ran for re-election, because he was accused of being a socialist sonofabitch.
So, what was the terrible trigger for all the violence, death, turmoil, and political retribution? Well, the workers in the streets on the very first May Day, at McCormick Harvesting, and in the Haymarket were demanding an eight hour work day.
Yes, they were fighting for the very same job institution the huge majority of us take for granted in the year 2014.
It would seem some things never change. If you're poor and abused by your employer there are vast forces actively at work to keep you that way--then and now. According to them the poverty you were born into is your fault and any attempt you make to break out of it is tantamount to stealing from them.They have and will continue to call this cruel scam stuff like, The American Way and Free Enterprise. If you question these phrases you are considered a traitor to the nation they control and you, despite the terrible mistreatment, still love.
Welcome to the land of the free.
The bar is down the hall and thankfully, it is open.
sic vita est
4-30-14
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Donald Sterling Gets the Boot and Lawyers Begin to Line Up For a Big Pay Day
So long Don Sterling.
The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came down hard on the rogue owner of the Los Angeles Clippers a little while ago. He had little choice as the outrage over Sterling's taped comments about African Americans has gone not just viral, but nuclear.
At the moment, Mr. Sterling still owns the team, but cannot participate in either it's operations, or the league's for the rest of his unnatural life. In addition, he is forbidden to attend any games and must pay a $2.5 million fine.
According to an NBC report, in order to sell the team out from under him, Silver needs the support of three fourths of the league owners. No doubt the Commissioner wants this clown as far away from the game as possible, but even if he gets the necessary votes everyone is looking at a legal quagmire which could last decades. Huge numbers of lawyers are lining up at a couple of doors as I type and every last one of them is expecting a big pay day.
The first and foremost problem is Sterling himself. The man loves to tie things up in courts for years. The feds have been after him since 2009 on housing discrimination charges and the case is still pending because of his delaying tactics. Second, his estranged spouse, Rochelle is apparently heavily involved with the club's operation and she hasn't been accused of anything, other than perhaps rotten judgement when it comes to her marriage. The bottom line is it will likely take an army of litigators to sort out all the civil ramifications involved with taking the team from not just, Don, but his wife--especially if she files for divorce and gets half his share of the club in the settlement.
The scandal has attracted a ground swell of skeptics who are hinting, not too subtlety, Big Don was set up by his girlfriend/companion/fantasy sugar baby. Actually, Ms. V. Stiviano is a bit of a mystery. Some reports label her as a model. FOX sports says her, "bio," lists her occupations as, "artist, lover, writer, chef, poet, stylist, and philanthropist." It is unclear where FOX discovered the "bio," but such an eclectic group of professions does make her sound a little iffy.
A quick look didn't turn up a Wikipedia page referencing her and every other web mention of Stiviano had to do with the leaked tape which screwed Don so completely. In addition, Rochelle is suing her for the return of gifts Don lavished on her, including four autos and a duplex, coincidently a figure which comes to $2.5 million.
A couple of conspiracy theorists are contending, Earvin, "Magic" Johnson is orchestrating the whole affair because he wants to buy the Clippers on the cheap. As everyone knows, he was in the Stiviano instagram photo which pushed Sterling over the edge. As weird as the accusation sounds, Johnson felt the need to issue a denial he was interested in buying the franchise.
Of course, even if it was a set up, the evil fuck said what he said. Criminal entrapment is one thing, being baited into speaking your feeble mind and exposing your attitudes toward an entire race of people is another altogether.
Luckily for Adam Silver the scandal hit just a couple of months after he took over command of the league. Now he'll be able to dodge some questions which will be directed toward former Commish, David Stern. As more than a few people have noted, Sterling's attitude, at least toward potential tenants, has been public knowledge for years. When it comes to the NBA, basketball legend and former Clipper employee, Elgin Baylor made some pointed attacks on his boss's views regarding African Americans in a law suit he filed against Sterling in 2009. That was all during Stern's watch and he didn't do a thing to censure the guy.
To take it a step further, Stern put the kibosh on a trade between New Orleans and the L.A. Lakers which involved the league's premier point guard, Chris Paul. Then, after some negotiations the, then Hornets, traded Paul to Sterling's Clippers. At the time the New Orleans team didn't have a viable owner and was being controlled by the league itself. In other words, Stern okay'd the final deal, which had a direct and positive impact on the Clippers and Sterling's pocketbook.
Yes, there is going to be some serious soul searching and more than one reputation will go down in flames before this is over. Stern's legacy is now open for debate. The NAACP barely dodged a bullet--for some unfathomable reason they were within an inch of giving this cretin a "life time achievement award."
Our pal Rush Limbaugh claimed Sterling is a "Hollywood democrat" and no one would be howling for his head if he had only kicked a big contribution to Barack Obama during the last presidential election. As usual, Brother Limbaugh had his facts wrong. Although Sterling was a democrat once and contributed money to a handful of democrats in the past, the L.A. county registrar's office shows he became a republican in 1998.
Not that it matters.
As Keith Olbermann tweeted the other day, "I don't care what political party he belongs to. He is still a pig."
Indeed.
4-29-14
The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came down hard on the rogue owner of the Los Angeles Clippers a little while ago. He had little choice as the outrage over Sterling's taped comments about African Americans has gone not just viral, but nuclear.
At the moment, Mr. Sterling still owns the team, but cannot participate in either it's operations, or the league's for the rest of his unnatural life. In addition, he is forbidden to attend any games and must pay a $2.5 million fine.
According to an NBC report, in order to sell the team out from under him, Silver needs the support of three fourths of the league owners. No doubt the Commissioner wants this clown as far away from the game as possible, but even if he gets the necessary votes everyone is looking at a legal quagmire which could last decades. Huge numbers of lawyers are lining up at a couple of doors as I type and every last one of them is expecting a big pay day.
The first and foremost problem is Sterling himself. The man loves to tie things up in courts for years. The feds have been after him since 2009 on housing discrimination charges and the case is still pending because of his delaying tactics. Second, his estranged spouse, Rochelle is apparently heavily involved with the club's operation and she hasn't been accused of anything, other than perhaps rotten judgement when it comes to her marriage. The bottom line is it will likely take an army of litigators to sort out all the civil ramifications involved with taking the team from not just, Don, but his wife--especially if she files for divorce and gets half his share of the club in the settlement.
The scandal has attracted a ground swell of skeptics who are hinting, not too subtlety, Big Don was set up by his girlfriend/companion/fantasy sugar baby. Actually, Ms. V. Stiviano is a bit of a mystery. Some reports label her as a model. FOX sports says her, "bio," lists her occupations as, "artist, lover, writer, chef, poet, stylist, and philanthropist." It is unclear where FOX discovered the "bio," but such an eclectic group of professions does make her sound a little iffy.
A quick look didn't turn up a Wikipedia page referencing her and every other web mention of Stiviano had to do with the leaked tape which screwed Don so completely. In addition, Rochelle is suing her for the return of gifts Don lavished on her, including four autos and a duplex, coincidently a figure which comes to $2.5 million.
A couple of conspiracy theorists are contending, Earvin, "Magic" Johnson is orchestrating the whole affair because he wants to buy the Clippers on the cheap. As everyone knows, he was in the Stiviano instagram photo which pushed Sterling over the edge. As weird as the accusation sounds, Johnson felt the need to issue a denial he was interested in buying the franchise.
Of course, even if it was a set up, the evil fuck said what he said. Criminal entrapment is one thing, being baited into speaking your feeble mind and exposing your attitudes toward an entire race of people is another altogether.
Luckily for Adam Silver the scandal hit just a couple of months after he took over command of the league. Now he'll be able to dodge some questions which will be directed toward former Commish, David Stern. As more than a few people have noted, Sterling's attitude, at least toward potential tenants, has been public knowledge for years. When it comes to the NBA, basketball legend and former Clipper employee, Elgin Baylor made some pointed attacks on his boss's views regarding African Americans in a law suit he filed against Sterling in 2009. That was all during Stern's watch and he didn't do a thing to censure the guy.
To take it a step further, Stern put the kibosh on a trade between New Orleans and the L.A. Lakers which involved the league's premier point guard, Chris Paul. Then, after some negotiations the, then Hornets, traded Paul to Sterling's Clippers. At the time the New Orleans team didn't have a viable owner and was being controlled by the league itself. In other words, Stern okay'd the final deal, which had a direct and positive impact on the Clippers and Sterling's pocketbook.
Yes, there is going to be some serious soul searching and more than one reputation will go down in flames before this is over. Stern's legacy is now open for debate. The NAACP barely dodged a bullet--for some unfathomable reason they were within an inch of giving this cretin a "life time achievement award."
Our pal Rush Limbaugh claimed Sterling is a "Hollywood democrat" and no one would be howling for his head if he had only kicked a big contribution to Barack Obama during the last presidential election. As usual, Brother Limbaugh had his facts wrong. Although Sterling was a democrat once and contributed money to a handful of democrats in the past, the L.A. county registrar's office shows he became a republican in 1998.
Not that it matters.
As Keith Olbermann tweeted the other day, "I don't care what political party he belongs to. He is still a pig."
Indeed.
4-29-14
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Don Sterling on Tape
The hits just keep on coming.
I have a conservative friend who tells me, among other things, liberals and especially African American liberals play the race card as if this nation is still mired in the Jim Crow era. She has constantly challenged me when I say things like, in the dark heart of many tea party quacks there lies an incurable strain of racism. It has been my contention that racism is what has driven the "birther" movement and the virulent, unreasonable, hatred of Barack Obama. Her argument is that while there are racists they are generally confined to skin head groups and covens of the Ku Klux Klan. According to her, it is politics and politics alone which causes tea party types to post photos of the president dressed in stereotypical Hollywood style African bushman costumes, complete with a bone through his nose.
Out in Los Angeles a twenty something model named V. Stiviano recently taped an argument she and her 81year old boyfriend had on the phone. He was plenty pissed she had posted a photo on instagram which showed her with former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
He had this to say about it. "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?
There was more. "I'm just saying, in your lousy fucking instagrams you don't have to show yourself walking with black people."
Then: "Don't put him (Johnson) on an instagram for the world to see, so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games."
Games? Who is this beast? What sort of crude outback Yahoo are we dealing with here?
Well, his name is Donald Tokowitz Sterling. He owns the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. In 2013 his reported net worth was $1.9 billion. The skinheads and KKK won't let him join because he is Jewish.
Mr. Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million. That was when they were in San Diego and lucky to win 20 games a season. Now they are in the playoffs and according to Forbes Magazine, last year the franchise had an estimated value of $575 million. As you might guess, there are more than a few African Americans playing on the team and they are obviously making Don Sterling tons and tons of money.
Okay, maybe ol' Don just went a little funny in the head during a heated moment. After all dating a woman 50 years younger than you is liable to effect you in strange ways. Let's face it, God only knows what the running tab for Viagra costs the man.
Actually Sterling, who made his initial fortune in real estate, was taken to court by the feds in 2005 for not renting apartments to African Americans, Latinos, or families with children. According to Wikipedia he ended up having to pay a $2.7 million fine and court costs amounting to nearly $5 million.
In 2009 NBA legend Elgin Baylor, who worked for the Clippers, accused Sterling of discriminating against him based on his age and race. A jury let the boss off the hook. Later in same year the U.S. Department of Justice sued his ass, charging he refused to rent to non Koreans in the Koreatown district of L.A. and wouldn't rent to African Americans at a Beverly Hills property he owned. One of the accusations made in the suit is that Sterling claimed he wouldn't rent to blacks because they smelled and attracted vermin. The case is still pending.
TMZ, who broke the story, posted a few, brief responses to the contents of the tape. Earvin Johnson called Sterling, "Shameful." Sports guy Keith Olbermann wants the Clipper's players to boycott the rest of the playoffs. Reverend Al Sharpton suggested the league should take the team away from him. My favorite, however, came from rap star, Snoop Dogg. He had this to say about Don Sterling, "He's a bitch ass redneck, white bread, chicken shit, mother fucker."
Now there is eloquence.
And honestly--there is not a thing I could possibly add to it.
4-26-14
I have a conservative friend who tells me, among other things, liberals and especially African American liberals play the race card as if this nation is still mired in the Jim Crow era. She has constantly challenged me when I say things like, in the dark heart of many tea party quacks there lies an incurable strain of racism. It has been my contention that racism is what has driven the "birther" movement and the virulent, unreasonable, hatred of Barack Obama. Her argument is that while there are racists they are generally confined to skin head groups and covens of the Ku Klux Klan. According to her, it is politics and politics alone which causes tea party types to post photos of the president dressed in stereotypical Hollywood style African bushman costumes, complete with a bone through his nose.
Out in Los Angeles a twenty something model named V. Stiviano recently taped an argument she and her 81year old boyfriend had on the phone. He was plenty pissed she had posted a photo on instagram which showed her with former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
He had this to say about it. "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?
There was more. "I'm just saying, in your lousy fucking instagrams you don't have to show yourself walking with black people."
Then: "Don't put him (Johnson) on an instagram for the world to see, so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games."
Games? Who is this beast? What sort of crude outback Yahoo are we dealing with here?
Well, his name is Donald Tokowitz Sterling. He owns the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. In 2013 his reported net worth was $1.9 billion. The skinheads and KKK won't let him join because he is Jewish.
Mr. Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million. That was when they were in San Diego and lucky to win 20 games a season. Now they are in the playoffs and according to Forbes Magazine, last year the franchise had an estimated value of $575 million. As you might guess, there are more than a few African Americans playing on the team and they are obviously making Don Sterling tons and tons of money.
Okay, maybe ol' Don just went a little funny in the head during a heated moment. After all dating a woman 50 years younger than you is liable to effect you in strange ways. Let's face it, God only knows what the running tab for Viagra costs the man.
Actually Sterling, who made his initial fortune in real estate, was taken to court by the feds in 2005 for not renting apartments to African Americans, Latinos, or families with children. According to Wikipedia he ended up having to pay a $2.7 million fine and court costs amounting to nearly $5 million.
In 2009 NBA legend Elgin Baylor, who worked for the Clippers, accused Sterling of discriminating against him based on his age and race. A jury let the boss off the hook. Later in same year the U.S. Department of Justice sued his ass, charging he refused to rent to non Koreans in the Koreatown district of L.A. and wouldn't rent to African Americans at a Beverly Hills property he owned. One of the accusations made in the suit is that Sterling claimed he wouldn't rent to blacks because they smelled and attracted vermin. The case is still pending.
TMZ, who broke the story, posted a few, brief responses to the contents of the tape. Earvin Johnson called Sterling, "Shameful." Sports guy Keith Olbermann wants the Clipper's players to boycott the rest of the playoffs. Reverend Al Sharpton suggested the league should take the team away from him. My favorite, however, came from rap star, Snoop Dogg. He had this to say about Don Sterling, "He's a bitch ass redneck, white bread, chicken shit, mother fucker."
Now there is eloquence.
And honestly--there is not a thing I could possibly add to it.
4-26-14
Friday, April 25, 2014
Friday Dispatches: The NRA Boogie Man De Jour, Plebeians in Pennsylvania, and Cliven Bundy Says Martin Luther King Jr. Hasn't Done His Job
Time certainly does fly when you're having fun. It seemed like the last NRA annual convention was held only a week ago, but here they are again--just as ripe, righteous, angry, and blustery as ever.
The boogie man de jour this time around is former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He made the hit list because he is coughing up $50 million of his own money to combat the NRA's influence during the 2014 election cycle. Our old pal, Wayne LaPierre appeared on video and told the congregation, "He's (Bloomberg) a guy with millions and we're millions with our 25 bucks. Let's see who crushes who."
Equally as subtle was the NRA's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, who called Bloomberg, "an arrogant hypocrite." Okay, arrogant maybe, but one has to wonder about the hypocrite part, because Bloomberg has been as consistent on the issue of gun control as Cox's employer has. He went on to tell Bloomberg to, "Stay the hell out of our gun cabinets because this freedom is not for sale."
Yes, but the guys who are speaking to the group later today sure are. FL Senator, Marco Rubio, LA Governor, Bobby Jindal, IN Governor, Mike Pence, and former PA Senator, Rick Santorum will all be auditioning for large amounts of moolah this afternoon. Each man is entertaining a run for the republican presidential nomination. At the moment they are long shots and no doubt in need of a steady influx of cash, no matter how unsavory the source might be.
Hey, when you're a pro you suck every penis, no matter who it is attached to.
Meanwhile, NBC is reporting new details have emerged in the deadly case of Alex Hribal. He is the kid who armed himself with two knives on April 9th, then raced down the crowded halls of his high school stabbing and slashing everyone within reach.
NBC says court records show that after he was taken to the ground by Assistant Principal Sam King he initially refused to let go of the knives because, "My work is not done. I have more people to kill."
Luckily he didn't kill anyone, but he did wound 21, a couple severely. Police found a note in his locker which was dated three days before the attack. It read, "I can't wait to see the priceless and helpless looks on the faces of the students of one of the best schools in Pennsylvania (when they) realize their precious lives are going to be taken by the only one among them that isn't a plebeian."
After the assault, Hribal's attorney, Patrick Thomassy told the press his client had no previous history of mental health problems.
Well, counselor, he certainly does now. Alex Hribal has been charged with 21 counts of attempted homicide and will be tried as adult.
Finally, it appears, Cliven Bundy is just too stupid to shut up. He is the Nevada rancher who has grazed his cattle for decades on federal land, all the while refusing to pay the government fees for the privilege. He had the complete support of some FOX celebrities, plus a couple of heavy duty politicians until the other day when he went off into a vile rant about, "the Negro" not knowing how to pick cotton any more. During this revelation of personal philosophy he also speculated that African Americans might be better off if they were still slaves.
Today he gave an interview to CNN and explained himself this way, "If I say negro, or black boy, or slave and those people cannot take those kind of words and not be offended then Martin Luther King hasn't done his job yet."
Someone from FOX might want to call this guy and let him in on the breaking news. You know, that Martin Luther King Jr. "hasn't done his job yet," because he was assassinated 46 fucking years ago.
Bundy's racist nonsense has caused two United States Senators and a few FOX personalities to duck and cover. The most prominent of the FOX people, Sean Hannity. issued a statement in which he babbled that his support was never for Bundy per se, but the issue of government overreach. He even went so far as to hint the "liberal" media was trying use Bundy's personal views on race to distract the public from the real issue.
An outfit called Media Watch noted FOX devoted nearly five hours of air time to Bundy's confrontation with the feds before he went all Nathan Bedford Forrest. However, once the shit hit the fan, he hasn't been mentioned by name once and the network's focus has shifted entirely to a land dispute in Texas.
Fair and balanced indeed.
And people wonder why so many of us loathe these cretins..
4-25-14
The boogie man de jour this time around is former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He made the hit list because he is coughing up $50 million of his own money to combat the NRA's influence during the 2014 election cycle. Our old pal, Wayne LaPierre appeared on video and told the congregation, "He's (Bloomberg) a guy with millions and we're millions with our 25 bucks. Let's see who crushes who."
Equally as subtle was the NRA's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, who called Bloomberg, "an arrogant hypocrite." Okay, arrogant maybe, but one has to wonder about the hypocrite part, because Bloomberg has been as consistent on the issue of gun control as Cox's employer has. He went on to tell Bloomberg to, "Stay the hell out of our gun cabinets because this freedom is not for sale."
Yes, but the guys who are speaking to the group later today sure are. FL Senator, Marco Rubio, LA Governor, Bobby Jindal, IN Governor, Mike Pence, and former PA Senator, Rick Santorum will all be auditioning for large amounts of moolah this afternoon. Each man is entertaining a run for the republican presidential nomination. At the moment they are long shots and no doubt in need of a steady influx of cash, no matter how unsavory the source might be.
Hey, when you're a pro you suck every penis, no matter who it is attached to.
Meanwhile, NBC is reporting new details have emerged in the deadly case of Alex Hribal. He is the kid who armed himself with two knives on April 9th, then raced down the crowded halls of his high school stabbing and slashing everyone within reach.
NBC says court records show that after he was taken to the ground by Assistant Principal Sam King he initially refused to let go of the knives because, "My work is not done. I have more people to kill."
Luckily he didn't kill anyone, but he did wound 21, a couple severely. Police found a note in his locker which was dated three days before the attack. It read, "I can't wait to see the priceless and helpless looks on the faces of the students of one of the best schools in Pennsylvania (when they) realize their precious lives are going to be taken by the only one among them that isn't a plebeian."
After the assault, Hribal's attorney, Patrick Thomassy told the press his client had no previous history of mental health problems.
Well, counselor, he certainly does now. Alex Hribal has been charged with 21 counts of attempted homicide and will be tried as adult.
Finally, it appears, Cliven Bundy is just too stupid to shut up. He is the Nevada rancher who has grazed his cattle for decades on federal land, all the while refusing to pay the government fees for the privilege. He had the complete support of some FOX celebrities, plus a couple of heavy duty politicians until the other day when he went off into a vile rant about, "the Negro" not knowing how to pick cotton any more. During this revelation of personal philosophy he also speculated that African Americans might be better off if they were still slaves.
Today he gave an interview to CNN and explained himself this way, "If I say negro, or black boy, or slave and those people cannot take those kind of words and not be offended then Martin Luther King hasn't done his job yet."
Someone from FOX might want to call this guy and let him in on the breaking news. You know, that Martin Luther King Jr. "hasn't done his job yet," because he was assassinated 46 fucking years ago.
Bundy's racist nonsense has caused two United States Senators and a few FOX personalities to duck and cover. The most prominent of the FOX people, Sean Hannity. issued a statement in which he babbled that his support was never for Bundy per se, but the issue of government overreach. He even went so far as to hint the "liberal" media was trying use Bundy's personal views on race to distract the public from the real issue.
An outfit called Media Watch noted FOX devoted nearly five hours of air time to Bundy's confrontation with the feds before he went all Nathan Bedford Forrest. However, once the shit hit the fan, he hasn't been mentioned by name once and the network's focus has shifted entirely to a land dispute in Texas.
Fair and balanced indeed.
And people wonder why so many of us loathe these cretins..
4-25-14
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Cliven Bundy Knows Things About, "The Negro"
What Senator Reid may call terrorists, I call patriots.
Senator Dean Heller, R-NV, referring to rancher Cliven Bundy and his pals as they face off against the Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights, fees, and cattle confiscations.
I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro. They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton.
Cliven Bundy, in an interview with the New York Times.
Oops. .
It would seem all that kowtowing to the ultra right wing can backfire on you once in a while. Especially when you actually believe the gooey bilge which insists the tea party movement isn't chock full of guys who will tell you, one more thing they know about the Negro.
Even Rand Paul was singed by brother Bundy's patriotism. He had lectured Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about his level of rhetoric when, after they pulled guns on federal agents, Reid called the Bundy Bunch, "...domestic, violent, terrorist wannabes." Paul also mused, "The federal government shouldn't violate the law, nor should we have 43 federal agencies carrying weapons and having SWAT teams."
The Senator from Kentucky, who has had his own problems when it comes to African Americans and race relations, was quick to bail on Bundy and crew. He issued a statement saying, "His remarks on race are offensive and I whole heartedly disagree with him."
Heller, perhaps too embarrassed to show up in public, had his people release a statement which read, (the Senator) "completely disagrees with Mr. Bundy's appalling and racist statements and condemns them in the most strenuous way."
Heller's first clue about true nature of this vivid splash of neo patriotism should have come when Bundy supporter, Richard Mack told reporters, "We're actually strategizing right now to put all the women up at the front. If they are going to start shooting, it's going to be women that are going to be televised all across the world getting shot by these rogue federal officers."
I'll admit that sometimes I'm a little fuzzy on my history, but honestly, I don't recall the Minute Men employing that particular tactic on the Lexington Green, or at the bridge in Concord. Obviously they didn't have a strategizer as brave and resourceful as Mack, who is reportedly a former Arizona sheriff.
Bundy's conflict with the government has gone on for years and involves not only grazing fees and fines, but environmental concerns and at least one endangered species. He and the Bureau of Land Management have faced off in court on numerous occasions and he has lost every decision.
He likes to portray this as some dramatic constitutional issue involving state's rights, but it really isn't. It is more akin to when Terry Nichols tried to skip out on $40,000 in credit card debt by claiming since he didn't recognize the government of the United States, it's laws didn't apply to him. After the courts refused to agree, he went out and helped Tim McVeigh blow up the Oklahoma City federal building.
Yes, Cliven Bundy and his supporters can caterwaul all they want about federal over reach and an individual's rights, but in the end he is just another two bit tax evader, much like Leona Helmsley was. They threw her saggy ass in prison for it and they should do the same to him.
Then he'll really know another thing about some, Negros.
4-24-14
Senator Dean Heller, R-NV, referring to rancher Cliven Bundy and his pals as they face off against the Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights, fees, and cattle confiscations.
I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro. They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton.
Cliven Bundy, in an interview with the New York Times.
Oops. .
It would seem all that kowtowing to the ultra right wing can backfire on you once in a while. Especially when you actually believe the gooey bilge which insists the tea party movement isn't chock full of guys who will tell you, one more thing they know about the Negro.
Even Rand Paul was singed by brother Bundy's patriotism. He had lectured Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about his level of rhetoric when, after they pulled guns on federal agents, Reid called the Bundy Bunch, "...domestic, violent, terrorist wannabes." Paul also mused, "The federal government shouldn't violate the law, nor should we have 43 federal agencies carrying weapons and having SWAT teams."
The Senator from Kentucky, who has had his own problems when it comes to African Americans and race relations, was quick to bail on Bundy and crew. He issued a statement saying, "His remarks on race are offensive and I whole heartedly disagree with him."
Heller, perhaps too embarrassed to show up in public, had his people release a statement which read, (the Senator) "completely disagrees with Mr. Bundy's appalling and racist statements and condemns them in the most strenuous way."
Heller's first clue about true nature of this vivid splash of neo patriotism should have come when Bundy supporter, Richard Mack told reporters, "We're actually strategizing right now to put all the women up at the front. If they are going to start shooting, it's going to be women that are going to be televised all across the world getting shot by these rogue federal officers."
I'll admit that sometimes I'm a little fuzzy on my history, but honestly, I don't recall the Minute Men employing that particular tactic on the Lexington Green, or at the bridge in Concord. Obviously they didn't have a strategizer as brave and resourceful as Mack, who is reportedly a former Arizona sheriff.
Bundy's conflict with the government has gone on for years and involves not only grazing fees and fines, but environmental concerns and at least one endangered species. He and the Bureau of Land Management have faced off in court on numerous occasions and he has lost every decision.
He likes to portray this as some dramatic constitutional issue involving state's rights, but it really isn't. It is more akin to when Terry Nichols tried to skip out on $40,000 in credit card debt by claiming since he didn't recognize the government of the United States, it's laws didn't apply to him. After the courts refused to agree, he went out and helped Tim McVeigh blow up the Oklahoma City federal building.
Yes, Cliven Bundy and his supporters can caterwaul all they want about federal over reach and an individual's rights, but in the end he is just another two bit tax evader, much like Leona Helmsley was. They threw her saggy ass in prison for it and they should do the same to him.
Then he'll really know another thing about some, Negros.
4-24-14
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The Four Suckers in the Mix and Ted Cruz Casts a Vote in the Oklahoma Senate Race
There are seven Oklahoma republicans running for the senate seat being vacated by retiring incumbent Tom Coburn. Four of them bring little or no political experience to the table. In fact a few of us have to wonder what sort of Quixotic fantasies are floating about inside the skulls of, army veteran Andrew Craig, college professor Kevin Crow, mechanical contractor Eric McCray, and paramedic Jason Weger.
Let's face it, a statewide race for the U.S. Senate isn't cheap. Hell, it costs $1,000 just to file and honestly, as decent as Craig, Crow, McCray, and Weger might be personally, they have less name recognition among the locals than the University of Oklahoma's football team punter.
At some point idealism and ego cross the line into those murky depths known as stupidity and out right insanity. What ever the case may be, as the man once said, "There is a sucker born every minute," and honestly, without them guys like Sheldon Adelson wouldn't make millions of dollars a day, seven days a week. Indeed, there isn't a casino in the world who doesn't love calling some loser's long shot bet. .
The other candidates are former state senator, Randy Brogdon, U.S. Congressman James Lankford, and former Oklahoma House Speaker, T.W. Shannon. Of those three, Brogdon is the least likely to be a factor in the June republican primary. A poll taken last month showed him mired in third place, so far behind Lankford and Shannon, his only major impact might be as a vocal campaigner for the winner of a runoff election. Hey, everyone needs a job and there is no telling what might come available via a new Senator's office.
The leader out of the gate has been Lankford. He has the support of the largest newspaper in the state and has socked back a ton of cash. In addition he has a masters of divinity from a Baptist seminary, which is never a bad thing in a state where nearly one out of three people is a Southern Baptist. Prior to 2011 he worked for the Southern Baptist General Convention and was the program director for the Falls Creek Camp, the largest youth camp in the U.S. run by a Christian denomination.
Despite the evangelical credentials there is a problem in paradise. A story in Brietbart darkly notes Lankford is unacceptable in many eyes because, "he has been cozy with the GOP leadership in congress."
No, that wasn't a typo. Jim Lankford has drawn opposition from here and out of state, not because he was some republican in name only who played pat-a-cake with Barack H. Obama. He is being hammered by the right edge, because he played ball with the senior leadership of his own political party.
T.W. Shannon, on the other hand, untainted by such a sin, is now raking in money as fast as bank transfers can be made. The, "non profit social welfare organization," Oklahomans for a Conservative Future spent nearly $400,000 on pro Shannon television ads and direct mailings in March, which dramatically dropped Lankford's lead in the polls. Since OCF is a non profit it doesn't have to list the people or corporations donating money to it so long as it spends 51% of it's income on--well--social welfare. Right, we can all just imagine what those projects are. As of late last month it's "headquarters" was a mail box at an Oklahoma City UPS store.
On Thursday of this week an all star cast will show up in Tulsa at what is being billed as the, "Liberty Rally" on Shannon's behalf. Sarah Palin and Utah Senator Mike Lee will be there, as well as the Master Blaster of all things tea party, Ted Cruz.
Cruz's office issued this statement about the former speaker, "T.W. Shannon is a strong constitutional conservative who will fight for individual liberty and help turn our country around. T.W. embodies the American dream. I'm proud to offer T.W. my enthusiastic endorsement, because he will not only vote the right way, but he'll stand up and fight with us in the senate to stop President Obama's assault on our liberties and defend America's founding principles."
In other words, he'll listen to me, rather than Mitch McConnell and vote however I tell him.
So, it would appear Oklahoma has become the latest arena in what amounts to a political putsch orchestrated by the mad Canadian. He is, at the moment, as busy as a rabid beaver trying to remake the entire GOP into his mirror image and he won't be satisfied until it is.
Yes, make no mistake about it. We are witnessing a vicious purge in it's infancy. According to the gospel of Ted Cruz there can be no dissent in his party and there certainly can't be any compromise on an issue--ever. As for two plus centuries of house and senate rules and traditions? They're all decadent and must be done away with.
The body politic of the United States of America has never been confronted by such a massive and unrepentant ego.
He scares me. And--no matter what your political affiliation--he should scare you too.
4-22-14
Let's face it, a statewide race for the U.S. Senate isn't cheap. Hell, it costs $1,000 just to file and honestly, as decent as Craig, Crow, McCray, and Weger might be personally, they have less name recognition among the locals than the University of Oklahoma's football team punter.
At some point idealism and ego cross the line into those murky depths known as stupidity and out right insanity. What ever the case may be, as the man once said, "There is a sucker born every minute," and honestly, without them guys like Sheldon Adelson wouldn't make millions of dollars a day, seven days a week. Indeed, there isn't a casino in the world who doesn't love calling some loser's long shot bet. .
The other candidates are former state senator, Randy Brogdon, U.S. Congressman James Lankford, and former Oklahoma House Speaker, T.W. Shannon. Of those three, Brogdon is the least likely to be a factor in the June republican primary. A poll taken last month showed him mired in third place, so far behind Lankford and Shannon, his only major impact might be as a vocal campaigner for the winner of a runoff election. Hey, everyone needs a job and there is no telling what might come available via a new Senator's office.
The leader out of the gate has been Lankford. He has the support of the largest newspaper in the state and has socked back a ton of cash. In addition he has a masters of divinity from a Baptist seminary, which is never a bad thing in a state where nearly one out of three people is a Southern Baptist. Prior to 2011 he worked for the Southern Baptist General Convention and was the program director for the Falls Creek Camp, the largest youth camp in the U.S. run by a Christian denomination.
Despite the evangelical credentials there is a problem in paradise. A story in Brietbart darkly notes Lankford is unacceptable in many eyes because, "he has been cozy with the GOP leadership in congress."
No, that wasn't a typo. Jim Lankford has drawn opposition from here and out of state, not because he was some republican in name only who played pat-a-cake with Barack H. Obama. He is being hammered by the right edge, because he played ball with the senior leadership of his own political party.
T.W. Shannon, on the other hand, untainted by such a sin, is now raking in money as fast as bank transfers can be made. The, "non profit social welfare organization," Oklahomans for a Conservative Future spent nearly $400,000 on pro Shannon television ads and direct mailings in March, which dramatically dropped Lankford's lead in the polls. Since OCF is a non profit it doesn't have to list the people or corporations donating money to it so long as it spends 51% of it's income on--well--social welfare. Right, we can all just imagine what those projects are. As of late last month it's "headquarters" was a mail box at an Oklahoma City UPS store.
On Thursday of this week an all star cast will show up in Tulsa at what is being billed as the, "Liberty Rally" on Shannon's behalf. Sarah Palin and Utah Senator Mike Lee will be there, as well as the Master Blaster of all things tea party, Ted Cruz.
Cruz's office issued this statement about the former speaker, "T.W. Shannon is a strong constitutional conservative who will fight for individual liberty and help turn our country around. T.W. embodies the American dream. I'm proud to offer T.W. my enthusiastic endorsement, because he will not only vote the right way, but he'll stand up and fight with us in the senate to stop President Obama's assault on our liberties and defend America's founding principles."
In other words, he'll listen to me, rather than Mitch McConnell and vote however I tell him.
So, it would appear Oklahoma has become the latest arena in what amounts to a political putsch orchestrated by the mad Canadian. He is, at the moment, as busy as a rabid beaver trying to remake the entire GOP into his mirror image and he won't be satisfied until it is.
Yes, make no mistake about it. We are witnessing a vicious purge in it's infancy. According to the gospel of Ted Cruz there can be no dissent in his party and there certainly can't be any compromise on an issue--ever. As for two plus centuries of house and senate rules and traditions? They're all decadent and must be done away with.
The body politic of the United States of America has never been confronted by such a massive and unrepentant ego.
He scares me. And--no matter what your political affiliation--he should scare you too.
4-22-14
Friday, April 18, 2014
Stormfront: Evil Lurks in the Heart of Man
Evil lurks in the heart of man and anonymity tends to bring it out. Internet flamers would never say the jagged things they do if they had to sign their names.
Garrison Keillor
Right. Actually some of the time they love to make sure you know who they are. The site in question is called Stormfront.org. It is run by a guy named Don Black. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center in the last five years at least 100 people have been murdered by active users of this particular corner of the internet. In fact the SPLC study calls it, "a magnet for the deadly and deranged."
They have a valid argument. Anders Breivik, the Norwegian sweet heart who killed 77 of his countrymen, many of them high school age kids, was a three year alum of the site. According to him, he did it because the Norwegian government was allowing the country to be overrun by Muslims.
Wade Michael Page was a ten year member. He killed six and wounded four at a Wisconsin Sikh temple in 2012 before blowing his own diseased brains out.
Richard Poplawski was a two year veteran of the site. In April 2009 he shot and killed three Pittsburgh cops and wounded a fourth a couple of hours after his last post.
The list goes on, but you get the drift. Black was interviewed by NBC the other day and called the SPLC report a bunch of bullshit. According to him, when you have 280,000 plus users the law of averages dictates there will be a few bad apples in the ol' barrel.
He says the site doesn't tolerate anyone who advocates illegal violence and it exists solely to, "educate people as to the threats we're facing which we consider to be literally white genocide." In addition he claims Stormfront provides a community to the, "embattled white minority" which, in fact, helps prevent acts of violence by it's members.
Yes, there is nothing more comforting to some out of work, blazing racist, who owns a ton of guns, than a place which assures him every person of color in the world wants him dead.
The SPLC notes membership in the site sky rocketed after Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and acts of deadly violence perpetrated by Stormfront users began to spike after his inauguration.
A quick peek at just one of the many areas on Stormfront--a section addressing revisionism--revealed these samples of entries: "The Holocaust Cartoons," "Top Ten Reasons The Holocaust Didn't Happen," and "The Persecution of Revisionists." Another promised it would prove there is, "no physical, or forensic evidence of a holocaust either by gassing, or bullets." There was other stuff. A lot of it concerned the deliberate mis-quoting of Adolf Hitler by allied propagandists. The theory being it was done in order to mis-lead us into thinking he was saying only Germans were the master race, rather than all white people, no matter what their nationality.
In the end, it would seem no matter how many times we kick evil's ass it always returns. We just can't get rid of it. It is like a horrid weed you pull out of the garden time and time again. No matter how deep you dig into the soil, you simply can't kill the whole root.
Think not? In September of 1941, over a two day period, German troops, aided by units of Ukrainian auxiliary police, killed more than 33,000 Jews in Kiev. The ravine where they did it was called Babi Yar. On Wednesday, three masked men handed out flyers in Donetsk, Ukraine. The sheets of paper ordered all Jews over the age of 16 to register at the regional government office, now controlled by pro-Russian dissidents.
Both sides of the separatist dispute are blaming the other for the outrage. Both sides also know how it resonates throughout Europe and America. Tragically, in a far darker way, it also touches a chord on the pages of places like Stormfront.org. We, as a species, are the lesser in both cases.
sic vita est
4-18-14
Garrison Keillor
Right. Actually some of the time they love to make sure you know who they are. The site in question is called Stormfront.org. It is run by a guy named Don Black. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center in the last five years at least 100 people have been murdered by active users of this particular corner of the internet. In fact the SPLC study calls it, "a magnet for the deadly and deranged."
They have a valid argument. Anders Breivik, the Norwegian sweet heart who killed 77 of his countrymen, many of them high school age kids, was a three year alum of the site. According to him, he did it because the Norwegian government was allowing the country to be overrun by Muslims.
Wade Michael Page was a ten year member. He killed six and wounded four at a Wisconsin Sikh temple in 2012 before blowing his own diseased brains out.
Richard Poplawski was a two year veteran of the site. In April 2009 he shot and killed three Pittsburgh cops and wounded a fourth a couple of hours after his last post.
The list goes on, but you get the drift. Black was interviewed by NBC the other day and called the SPLC report a bunch of bullshit. According to him, when you have 280,000 plus users the law of averages dictates there will be a few bad apples in the ol' barrel.
He says the site doesn't tolerate anyone who advocates illegal violence and it exists solely to, "educate people as to the threats we're facing which we consider to be literally white genocide." In addition he claims Stormfront provides a community to the, "embattled white minority" which, in fact, helps prevent acts of violence by it's members.
Yes, there is nothing more comforting to some out of work, blazing racist, who owns a ton of guns, than a place which assures him every person of color in the world wants him dead.
The SPLC notes membership in the site sky rocketed after Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and acts of deadly violence perpetrated by Stormfront users began to spike after his inauguration.
A quick peek at just one of the many areas on Stormfront--a section addressing revisionism--revealed these samples of entries: "The Holocaust Cartoons," "Top Ten Reasons The Holocaust Didn't Happen," and "The Persecution of Revisionists." Another promised it would prove there is, "no physical, or forensic evidence of a holocaust either by gassing, or bullets." There was other stuff. A lot of it concerned the deliberate mis-quoting of Adolf Hitler by allied propagandists. The theory being it was done in order to mis-lead us into thinking he was saying only Germans were the master race, rather than all white people, no matter what their nationality.
In the end, it would seem no matter how many times we kick evil's ass it always returns. We just can't get rid of it. It is like a horrid weed you pull out of the garden time and time again. No matter how deep you dig into the soil, you simply can't kill the whole root.
Think not? In September of 1941, over a two day period, German troops, aided by units of Ukrainian auxiliary police, killed more than 33,000 Jews in Kiev. The ravine where they did it was called Babi Yar. On Wednesday, three masked men handed out flyers in Donetsk, Ukraine. The sheets of paper ordered all Jews over the age of 16 to register at the regional government office, now controlled by pro-Russian dissidents.
Both sides of the separatist dispute are blaming the other for the outrage. Both sides also know how it resonates throughout Europe and America. Tragically, in a far darker way, it also touches a chord on the pages of places like Stormfront.org. We, as a species, are the lesser in both cases.
sic vita est
4-18-14
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