Roseanne and the State Rep

I’ve been in need of a bit of humor. Too many of my posts have been too serious lately.

Unfortunately, this may be a bit too true to be good. Your mileage may vary.

Bill Maher Attacks Reagan as the Original Tea Bagger

I agree! Reagan was an excellent leader who changed the paradigm. We’ve been following his voodoo economics and deregulation for 32 years with the result of the complete destruction of the American economy. Yes, Ronald Reagan changed everything in the U.S. to the point where a bill like Graham-Leach-Bliley could pass with bipartisan support. That created the current great bank depression that we are still stuck in the middle of. It created the conditions that led to the exploding income inequality in this country. It’s time to recognize Reagan for what he was, the original tea-bagger.

Ronald Reagan is single-handedly responsible for getting the Christian wrong Right to unknowingly worship an atheist named Ayn Rand and to become as patently un-Christian as it is possible to be. The Ayn-Randian Christian Right now believes that Jesus rode into town on a dinosaur wielding an AK-47 to heal the sick who could afford his care and to deport those who did not have citizenship papers.

It would be laughable if not for the utter destruction of America that Reagan has caused over the last 32 years.

Lady Pens; Lady Weights; Lady Cars — WTF?!

What the fuck is going on these days? Women, why are you allowing this? Why are these products selling? Is this all part of the repugnican war on women? Are women now allowing themselves to be subjugated in the way that repugnicans want, even down to the products they buy?

UN Predicts: Global Food Crisis 2013

I’m sure many who read my blog have been convinced for a while that I’m somewhat of a fear monger with respect to climate change and overpopulation. Perhaps. Before you make up your mind, read this:

UN warns of looming worldwide food crisis in 2013

The figures come as one of the world’s leading environmentalists issued a warning that the global food supply system could collapse at any point, leaving hundreds of millions more people hungry, sparking widespread riots and bringing down governments. In a shocking new assessment of the prospects of meeting food needs, Lester Brown, president of the Earth policy research centre in Washington, says that the climate is no longer reliable and the demands for food are growing so fast that a breakdown is inevitable, unless urgent action is taken.

Good thing climate change is just a hoax. Dig hole in sand. Insert head. Fill in hole. Ignorance is bliss.

“Armed aggression is no longer the principal threat to our future. The overriding threats to this century are climate change, population growth, spreading water shortages and rising food prices,” Brown says.

Speed-Debunking 7 Repugnican Lies

Misanthropia: Scott’s Suggestions for a Better America

I’ve titled this post Misanthropia because I believe that I have every bit as much chance of making these improvements as I do of creating a true Utopia, i.e. none.

Still, I’m going to label each suggestion either plausible or implausible. The plausible changes will be the ones I expect never to have implemented because the Koch brothers and other multi-gazillionaires own all of our politicians and control the whole system by which they are put in place. However, I expect that I would be able to convince most of the so-called 99% that these changes would be good. The implausible are the ones I feel strongly enough about to post despite the extreme likelihood that they are so radical that I couldn’t even convince a significant percentage of the so-called 99%.

Each of the following suggestions or cluster of suggestions are meant to be taken individually. I believe each on its own could help make the U.S. a better country. That said, even were all of these suggestions implemented tomorrow, I do not expect that it would fix all of our problems. I’m not that smart.

Welcome to the NYC Free Subway System

Here’s an interesting plan to solve two of New York City’s current problems in one fell swoop. First, the subway would be free, at least during off peak hours, and possibly ultimately around the clock. Second, vehicular traffic into the city would be expensive. This new Kheel plan from a long term veteran of conflict resolution promises a wonderful solution to the problems of a transit system in financial crisis and a city clogged with traffic.

Being the pessimist that I am, and looking at what happened to the Bloomberg plan for congestion pricing, I don’t really have much hope for this. However, this just might be exactly what New York needs.

Kheel Plan 2 Seeks to Plug MTA Budget Gap

For the full Kheel plan in PDF as well as an overview of the Theodore W. Kheel’s awe inspiring credentials, click below.

The Full Kheel Plan

Thanks to my wife for a great find.

The Real McCain 2

I’m not sure why the press doesn’t blast this guy every time he opens his mouth. He just keeps continually contradicting himself. Perhaps the press just finds him too easy a target. Perhaps it feels too much like kicking an old dog. Regardless of where you stand on the issues, you can’t believe a word the man says.

More Gore

Here’s another incredibly persuasive, inspiring, and informative video from Al Gore. He’s such an excellent speaker and offers real analysis and solutions to the crisis of our time, climate change. This is the big one. There is no problem facing humanity today that approaches the seriousness and certainty of climate change left unchecked. Please watch this enlightening, empowering, and uplifting video. Watch for his analogy regarding tar sands and shale; it’s a classic.

TED: Al Gore: New thinking on the climate crisis — Note: I recommend downloading the mp4. I had problems trying to watch it on the web page. It’s under 100M. Your mileage may vary.

Earth The Sequel

There is also a description of Earth the Sequel on EDF’s website. There’s a book signing in Manhattan. Details below pasted from an email I received from EDF.

Anti-consumerism For a Happier Life

This topic is intended to make life better and more enjoyable for anyone with any disposable income. I do not believe I can offer much assistance for someone truly living day to day. I also have no intention of providing investment advice. However, these simple tips may make life a little bit easier and are not typically considered by those of us that were brought up in our consumerist culture. I have had a bit more contact with people that were not born here and may be able to give a different outlook.

Dare to Cruise

I’m always on a kick to try to convince people to use cruise control whenever possible. Cruise control provides many benefits that I will list below. However, my main reason for being a cruise control advocate is that it really pisses me off when others on the road do not maintain a constant speed. They pass me then get over and slow down. I pass them back they do the same again. We go up a hill and everyone on the road slows down. We go down a hill and everyone races.

I don’t care how good a driver you are. I don’t care how much you think you watch your speedometer. There is no way you will ever maintain a more constant speed with your foot than a little cruise control bot can. It doesn’t get bored. It’s mind doesn’t wander. It doesn’t have to do the far more important job of watching the rest of the road to avoid hitting anything. That little cruisebot just sits there all damn day watching the speedometer and making corrections. Please let it do its job.

The Crap That Gets Bipartisan Support These Days …

Has everyone heard about this bill?

http://obama.senate.gov/press/061206-congress_passes/

If someone were to owe me money and be in bankruptcy proceedings, I would personally be very upset to hear that they were still giving money to charitable causes. At this point, I’d think they should be giving me the money. If I want to give it to the charity of my choosing, that is my business.

After all, I’m about to end up with 10 cents on the dollar and the bankrupt individual who owes me money is giving his/her money away. This is not a good thing.

Of course, just to add insult to injury, even though it seems to cover all types of charitable donations, it is couched in religious terms, violating separation of church and state. I was not aware that giving to religious organizations was in the bible or any other religious writing as a prerequisite for entry into heaven. If it is, then certainly this is a freedom of religion issue, and also probably time to look for a new religion.

This isn’t about leaving the bankrupt individual with enough to eat. This is about taking the money out of the creditor’s hands and giving it to a charity not of his/her own choosing.

Who’s standing up for the rights of the creditor to be able to pay his/her own bills with the money that is duly acknowledged to be owed to him/her?