I just went around Oakland to really get out of the house, which means heading to places like Luka's, Cafe Van Kleef, and other venues. It's to socialize -- some of my best blog story tips have come in this way. But it's also to support the local businesses. In this case, the crowds generated by the successful appearance of Green Day at the Fox went away and downtown Oakland and the Lake was largely full of locals. So I dropped into The Alley really to get a copy of their menu, and the walked over to a drinkery called Smitty's two doors away.
Now I am not comfortable with Smitty's at all. Sorry but some of the clientele look like they're going to take hostages! Hey, I'm serious -- some rough-looking folks hang there. Not that I would not help raise money for an event there, but geez. I've had it with this "We're Oakland and so it's ok not to excel or be ambitious, in fact we'd prefer it if you want to be a loser."
Whatever.
That's why I'm happy for places like Pican and Flora, where you feel good for liking nice places and preferring to be around people who can dress appropriately!
Geez.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
CNN Needs To Axe Lou Dobbs
I don't know how many times I need to write or say this, but I'm sick and tired of Lou Dobbs. His entire CNN show is based on some outdated conservative idea that even he can't define and his shows have no example of his thinking being challenged. It's nuts. Why CNN has this guy on is unbelievable to me.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tea Parties in the works since August 2008
Stephen Leser of OpEd News (OEN) provides revealing information regarding the "Tea Party" domain:You can repeat the research easily yourself. It's just a matter of looking up registration information. Check it out:
http://who.godaddy.com/whoischeck.aspx?Domain=CHICAGOTEAPARTY.COM
Please note the date of creation, August 3, 2008.
Things that make you go "Hmmmm..."
Some are trying to portray these protests as "spontaneous, grass roots" protests that are a natural "organic" response to Obama's economic policies (including those that are extensions of the GOP/Bush bank bailouts.) Leser points out the date the idea was conceived "not only predates the implementation of Obama's policies and his Presidency, it predates Obama being officially named the Democratic Nominee for President."Now a lot of us wish taxes were lower, and suspect the rich already milk the system to pay lower tax rates despite what the rhetoric implies, but the facts support the assertion that this movement is anything but "spontaneous."
That's not exactly spontaneous, grass-roots sort of organizing.
"Who is Zachary Christenson, the owner of the domain? In turns out he is a right wing radio talk show host in the Chicago area with ties to several major Republican think tanks, and the Koch company, a Chicago area based conglomerate which heavily funds several Republican think tanks. These same Republican think tanks, like Freedomworks, the Cato Institute and Americans for Progress, just happen to be the primary groups behind the "Organic, Grass Roots" Tea Party protests. If you read the leadership of these think tanks, they are all led by heavy hitters in the RNC like Dick Armey and Steve Forbes...."Imagine the solutions we could be creating if the GOP was willing to work together with the new administration. Instead, these "spontaneous, organic" Tea Party Protests, and the curiously naive "tea-bagging" rallying cry were planned over a period of months. They are evidently orchestrated, bought, and paid for by GOP operatives with the full knowledge of the RNC. It's no surprise the conservative media outlets are in full support; it makes for fine infotainment.
"...protest too much, methinks."
Are the people insisting it's the government that's promoting bad behavior doing anything they can to keep people from noticing the they arearrogantly promoting bad behavior? That's positively Rovian.If you want to know the truth, my friends, follow the money.
Simon Cowell Leaving "American Idol"? YEAH!
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I just read the news that Simon Cowell, the British entertainment mogul who's terrible bedside temper brings an edge to the popular reality TV show "American Idol" is now considering leaving it. My reaction? YEAH! DO IT!
Look, I never really watched American Idol at all -- but I've seen at least once -- and the reason was Cowell. I've got to be honest. I don't like it when people are mean to each other when they're supposed to work together in the real world, and I like it even less on reality TV. Cowell tossed insults at fearful contestants like they're hand grenades then he sits back and watches them cry!
Maybe Cowell is the perfect poster child for our fashionably rude society, and if that's the case and his departure would help improve American Culture, then the faster the better.
Cowell says he's tired; that going between two countries and doing three shows is hard "so one had to go" he told the British press. All I can say is please let it be "Idol" so he's not on in the American states for a while.
(And after unknown Susan Boyle's beautiful, blow-you-away rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables on "Britains Got Talent", I'm willing to be he's not skipping out on that show.)
Cowell's departure is good for Idol. Even Ryan Seacrest says this, pointing out the ratings drop I referred to earlier. But even then American Idol still rules the ratings its time slot. Maybe Americans like a villian, and Cowell is that. He told Seacrest to "Come out of the closet" and has been called childish, insulting, and a ton of names I can print here.
So who would replace Cowell? Well, someone mean, childish, ambitious, and cold for starters. For fun, let's make a list. Here's mine:
1. Dick Cheney for throwing President Obama under the bus, or trying to.
2. Sarah Palin for throwing everyone under the bus she's worked with.
3. Jamie Foxx for telling 16-year old Mylie Cyrus to make a sex tape and use heroin.
4. Rush Limbaugh for everything.
5. Chelsea Handler for having a cheap, racist TV show.
6. Alec Baldwin for yelling at his young daughter.
7. Jim Cramer, who I like but can wreck a company's stock in moments.
8. Naomi Campbell for throwing her cell phone at an employee.
9. J.J. Abrams for messing-up the San Francisco Skyline in "Star Trek" '
10. Perez Hilton who tosses made-up Internet rumors around weekly.
I'm sure you have your own list. Let's see it! Make a video of your "Top 10." I left "me" out because I didn't use the term "ego". I have a large one.
Monday, April 13, 2009
MN court declares Al Franken leading vote-getter. And the beat goes on...
Former Senator Norm Coleman has ten (10) days to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Once the petition is filed, it could further delay the seating of Minnesota's second senator for weeks. Bet he will - because even though Coleman once said he'd concede if the court found in Franken's favor more recently said he'd appeal all the way to the Supreme Court unless he won. Coleman isn't about a legal resolution, he's about staying in power - or, at best, letting the Republican machine drag out the contest at the expense of the citizens he claims to care about. How long will the GOP keep disenfranchising Minnesota voters? The citizens of Minnesota only have one Senator because they're not willing to play by the rules.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Somali Pirate Attacks Point To Need For Somalia Aid
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Today, Easter Sunday, an after an kidnapping affair that lasted for several days, American sea Captain Richard Phillips was rescued after NAVY Seal Snipers took three precision shots and killed three pirates from Somalia.
Conservative blogs and websites like "HotAir" have unintelligently called for us to go into Somalia and "bomb" the pirates, but such saber-rattling will only kill innocent women and children. In other words, "American Machismo" worked to rescue the captain, but it will not work for the resolution of this problem.
In what can be described as a "growth industry" pirating in Somalia is a function of the country's lack of a government, weak economy, little military funding, and lack of financial aid from the World. In order to stop these attacks, the people of Somalia themselves must be helped.
What will work is increasing aide to Somalia and helping them establish a central government but from a distance, not via invasion. Somalia has been without a true central government since 1991, and that country's civil war. (And the United States doesn't need another incursion into that country, or for that matter another situation where American solidiers are killed, which were the events captured in a movie called Black Hawk Down.)
We can't afford to take on the task now. But we can work with the United Nations and other countries impacted by piracy to improve the Somali economy. Somalia is poor. According to the CIA, its' Gross Domestic Product is just over $2 billion, and the average life expectancy is just 47 years old. That's right: 47 years old.
So when the average Somalian hears that a pirate's making as much as a share of $22 million for a heist, that's attractive. Indeed, the BBC reports that Somalian pirates are "living the high life" becoming very wealthy even by American standards in a country that's very poor by the World's standards. So much so is the economy a problem and piracy attractive that recruiting participants has become easier over the years. The monetary spigot has to be shut off in two ways: economic and military, but we can't afford to constantly patrol several hundred thousand square miles of ocean to watch every action a band of pirates might take.
Aid to Somalia must be increased -- dramatically. But for now, I don't expect these attacks to stop, indeed, the lure of money and the culture that's developed around it is too intense to be curbed by America's success at recovering its people, even if the pirate hostage-takers were killed. They will try again, perhaps with some other country's vessel, but they will strike again.
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Special Interests inside the beltway fight health care reform
Both initiatives will help spur on reform in the health care insurance industry, and not a moment to soon. According to a recent article from Maggie Fox of Reuters,
"U.S. government economists predict that public and private health spending will hit $2.5 trillion this year, taking up a 17.6 percent share of gross domestic product. Yet studies suggest Americans get poorer care than people in other industrialized countries that have national healthcare plans, and 46million Americans have no health insurance at all."
While Howard Dean is a visible and credible public face, the effort requires your commitment, too. Change doesn't come about in Washington unless politicians know their constituents are paying attention to an issue. You've got to keep writing to them, and to newspapers, and inform your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about the shabby state of affairs caused by insurance company profiteers siphoning off lavish pay and bonuses that drive up all our costs but add no value to the health care industry.
You can help financially, too, even if you're not the sort to write to congress.
The President has nominated Nancy-Ann DeParle (who worked in the Clinton administration) to be Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform. Barack Obama has a grand vision, he knows the system is broken and he's working to bring meaningful change so that health insurance works for people instead of just corporate profits despite the powerful special interests fighting to influence your representatives in Congress to leave the system just the way big insurance likes it. Don't let the folks in D.C. forget you're out here, watching.
The President's plan will promote public health and require coverage of preventive services, including cancer screenings. Catch the fever - make some noise!"In 2009, Congress must take up and act on meaningful health reform legislation that achieves coverage for every American while also addressing the underlying problems in our health system. The urgency of this task has become undeniable."
President Obama Was Correct To Bow To King Abdullah; Conservatives Are Idiots Here
Warning. If you're conservative, you're not going to like this post, ok? But the fact is President Barack Obama was correct in his act of bowing to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. It's called - drumroll please - the right protocol. What it does reflect, is the end of American Machismo in foreign affairs. You know what I mean. The desire to show we're better than someone else, (because they're different) which could be thought of as a kind of racism since the basic idea is to put someone down because of their race. President Obama is a breath of fresh air here. He seeks to make partnerships around the World, not line up new candidates for industrial exploitation.
Conservatives are upset because many it seems want Obama to show America as tough. OK. That got us September 11th 2001, or what we call "9-11." Yes, much of our foreign relations have been tied to America showing its military or economic muscle over the decades, but now the era of Pax Americana is over. We have to use another approach. It's called diplomacy. But the general, accepted rule is Royalty outranks heads of state. The idea is a President is only such for a few years, but Kings and Queens are that for life.
Obama not only did the right thing, even if his press secretary is trying to make it go away, but Obama signaled a major shift from how America has dealt with the Arab world, and he did it at the right time. We need to have a better image around the World.
Also, bowing is considered a move of affection in East Asia and Obama was expressing just that. What masks an appreciation of Obama's act is simple, pure, American ignorance. The xenophobic idea that one who's of the USA doesn't need to know about another country or its customs, but that everyone should know about ours. It explains why so many of us don't know another language let alone english, or embrace the themes of other cultures. Here, the San Francisco Bay Area is different from America (come to think of it, so is Manhattan and Seattle and LA, and Miami). We don't have that problem to as great a degree as in, say South Carolina, and at least in what I call the "Inner Bay Area", which is between the Pacific Ocean and the Hayward Fault line.
But other parts of America need a whole sale intellectual cleanup. And yes, we have a lot of appologizing to do around the World because we've screwed up so much of late -- that's what created 9-11. Remember our ill-advised President Clinton-directed 1993 Somalian incursion under the idea of a humanitarian mission, when it was really an occupation? It was Osama Bin Ladin's group that got us out of there. And successful, they were emboldened to consider an attack on America which led to 9-11.
The Chicago Sun Times ran a shameful opinion piece on this matter and Sun Times Columnist Steve Hunley wrote a column that represents the macho, non-thinking American more concerned with being tough than being smart. I just hope he's not that way.
Frankly, Rambo was a dumb movie and an even dumber idea. Best to leave him where he belongs -- in the past.
Conservatives are upset because many it seems want Obama to show America as tough. OK. That got us September 11th 2001, or what we call "9-11." Yes, much of our foreign relations have been tied to America showing its military or economic muscle over the decades, but now the era of Pax Americana is over. We have to use another approach. It's called diplomacy. But the general, accepted rule is Royalty outranks heads of state. The idea is a President is only such for a few years, but Kings and Queens are that for life.
Obama not only did the right thing, even if his press secretary is trying to make it go away, but Obama signaled a major shift from how America has dealt with the Arab world, and he did it at the right time. We need to have a better image around the World.
Also, bowing is considered a move of affection in East Asia and Obama was expressing just that. What masks an appreciation of Obama's act is simple, pure, American ignorance. The xenophobic idea that one who's of the USA doesn't need to know about another country or its customs, but that everyone should know about ours. It explains why so many of us don't know another language let alone english, or embrace the themes of other cultures. Here, the San Francisco Bay Area is different from America (come to think of it, so is Manhattan and Seattle and LA, and Miami). We don't have that problem to as great a degree as in, say South Carolina, and at least in what I call the "Inner Bay Area", which is between the Pacific Ocean and the Hayward Fault line.
But other parts of America need a whole sale intellectual cleanup. And yes, we have a lot of appologizing to do around the World because we've screwed up so much of late -- that's what created 9-11. Remember our ill-advised President Clinton-directed 1993 Somalian incursion under the idea of a humanitarian mission, when it was really an occupation? It was Osama Bin Ladin's group that got us out of there. And successful, they were emboldened to consider an attack on America which led to 9-11.
The Chicago Sun Times ran a shameful opinion piece on this matter and Sun Times Columnist Steve Hunley wrote a column that represents the macho, non-thinking American more concerned with being tough than being smart. I just hope he's not that way.
Frankly, Rambo was a dumb movie and an even dumber idea. Best to leave him where he belongs -- in the past.
On Brain Solis Post "Can the Statusphere Save Journalism"? No.
Brian Solis wrote a TechCrunch blog post where he states ask "Can the Statusphere Save Journalism?" With all due respect to Brian, he missed the real problem with journalism: money.
Conservatives Can't Stand Being Outside The Lines So They Throw Bricks
O Willie's right. (Or Oliver Willis.) Conservatives, basically shut out of the policy-making process in Washington, have taken to throwing stones and acting, well, immature. But they keep stumbing all over themselves, you know? Take Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who's own attempt to get her voice into the mix is consistently mangled by some bad news coming from her own family.
And she's a well-known Conservative! If it's not her family issues, it's Rush Limbaugh running off at the mouth to get part of his $400 million, or Michael Steele trying to find his manhood, or Chip Saltsman stocking up on racist songs to put on a CD!
No wonder they're angry!
And she's a well-known Conservative! If it's not her family issues, it's Rush Limbaugh running off at the mouth to get part of his $400 million, or Michael Steele trying to find his manhood, or Chip Saltsman stocking up on racist songs to put on a CD!
No wonder they're angry!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Founders Seek to Buy Skype Back From EBay
The European duo who created Skype and sold it to eBay for billions may have another trick up their sleeve: buying it back. The founders of Skype are said to have approached several private equity firms to make a bid for the Internet calling service.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Fort Worth Cop breaks nose of deaf man for not obeying orders
FORT WORTH - A deaf man ended up with a broken nose after he found himself in a struggle with a Fort Worth police officer.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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