Sunday, January 13, 2008
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Primary Madness, a commerical enterprise
There's lots of money being thrown around with all these primaries, and with the Writer's Strike making a mess of the usual mind-numbing crap offerings, there's no one happier than the state run media networks. No one needs any scripts because people messed all that up by showing up to vote in large numbers, so they have to improvise their obligatory Bushie ass-kissing.
And they can break into scheduled programming with something other than a terror alert being raised from yellow to holy fuck look at Dubya's sinking poll numbers, but still retain that same breathless tone of voice that makes old people's hearts beat a little faster and hopefully stay so terrifyingly elevated they'll all vote Republican.
But there's a variable among the polished turds that can't quite be swept under the rug and that's the glaring fact that most of the GOP candidates are loonier than shit. They hear voices telling them the end is near and we should all abandon our trailers and head for the big RV park in the sky with Jesus. If they were standing on a street corner in dirty, urine-stained clothes spouting this madness, we would shake our head and murmur about all the crazies on the street. But because they're dressed in suits and have corporate donors, all of a sudden they are not crazy, but instead are trans morphed into values-driven god fearing,bible thumping, flag lapel wearing presidential candidates.
There's people like McCain who was trashed by the very party he embraces as some traitor instead of the war hero that he was. But he continues to support and kiss their asses like some mindless automaton.
Of course, someone like Huckabee is the perfect candidate for those who don't think McCain is loony enough. Look for him to be marching around with his REPENT sign to a street corner near you very soon.
But of all the whole crazy ass stew that the GOP is offering its poor, bewildered supporters, none is more insane than Rudy "The Ghoul" Giuliani. Now there's a man who has no qualms about scaring little old ladies and the mentally deficient. One can only suspect from such behavior that he grew up practicing it on the same people for "late" payments on shady loans. If he ever comes close to winning a primary, maybe he should make his campaign slogan something catchy like "Vote for me or I'll break your fucking arm." And he could back it up by sending his VP who already has years of experience torturing people: Dick Cheney.
Just this short list of candidates is enough to make anyone holler in disbelief: "Republicans have the nerve to call Kucinich crazy????"
And they can break into scheduled programming with something other than a terror alert being raised from yellow to holy fuck look at Dubya's sinking poll numbers, but still retain that same breathless tone of voice that makes old people's hearts beat a little faster and hopefully stay so terrifyingly elevated they'll all vote Republican.
But there's a variable among the polished turds that can't quite be swept under the rug and that's the glaring fact that most of the GOP candidates are loonier than shit. They hear voices telling them the end is near and we should all abandon our trailers and head for the big RV park in the sky with Jesus. If they were standing on a street corner in dirty, urine-stained clothes spouting this madness, we would shake our head and murmur about all the crazies on the street. But because they're dressed in suits and have corporate donors, all of a sudden they are not crazy, but instead are trans morphed into values-driven god fearing,bible thumping, flag lapel wearing presidential candidates.
There's people like McCain who was trashed by the very party he embraces as some traitor instead of the war hero that he was. But he continues to support and kiss their asses like some mindless automaton.
Of course, someone like Huckabee is the perfect candidate for those who don't think McCain is loony enough. Look for him to be marching around with his REPENT sign to a street corner near you very soon.
But of all the whole crazy ass stew that the GOP is offering its poor, bewildered supporters, none is more insane than Rudy "The Ghoul" Giuliani. Now there's a man who has no qualms about scaring little old ladies and the mentally deficient. One can only suspect from such behavior that he grew up practicing it on the same people for "late" payments on shady loans. If he ever comes close to winning a primary, maybe he should make his campaign slogan something catchy like "Vote for me or I'll break your fucking arm." And he could back it up by sending his VP who already has years of experience torturing people: Dick Cheney.
Just this short list of candidates is enough to make anyone holler in disbelief: "Republicans have the nerve to call Kucinich crazy????"
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Selling Us A President
America is a nation of merchants. Our education system prepares us for a lifetime of trying to sell ideas, people, and proposals to those whose pockets we wish to pick. As a result of this, we know no other way of being, so when it comes time to pick a mate, a religion, a place to live, or a President, the process is exactly the same.
First comes the slimy creature from some shit-based think tank with a handful of greasy bills ready to be traded for favors. Uncle Bubba's dimwit son now has a job polishing the thumbprints off black limos for the district representative. The process was the same as going up to the slimy guy that runs the night shift at the local greasy spoon, and slipping him a couple bucks to put cousin Doofus's idiot daughter to work in the kitchen.
Every worthless endeavor is made more valuable by the appropriate advertising. It starts off nice enough. Cousin Doofus's idiot daughter has something going for her other than an extreme lack of cranial capacity. It turns out her previous job swinging from poles left her with a small but devoted fan base, so she is chosen to make the commercial for the greasy spoon that turns the dining spot into an overnight success.
Meanwhile, Uncle Bubba's dimwit son has now accumulated a warehouse full of secrets from spying on what really goes on inside black limos. Powerful people begin to both fear what he knows about them and they use him to learn what he knows about their competition. He's invited to important parties to gather information and at one of them he meets Cousin Doofus's idiot daughter who is there as the date of the local (married) representative.
Recognizing each other in the way only two predators with little intelligence to go along with their cut-throat survival skills can, they form a life-long partnership based on who they know and who they blow. And as fate and a good amount of greasy bill swapping would have it, they end up running against each other for President.
And lucky us. We get to choose which one we want representing us to the rest of the world.
First comes the slimy creature from some shit-based think tank with a handful of greasy bills ready to be traded for favors. Uncle Bubba's dimwit son now has a job polishing the thumbprints off black limos for the district representative. The process was the same as going up to the slimy guy that runs the night shift at the local greasy spoon, and slipping him a couple bucks to put cousin Doofus's idiot daughter to work in the kitchen.
Every worthless endeavor is made more valuable by the appropriate advertising. It starts off nice enough. Cousin Doofus's idiot daughter has something going for her other than an extreme lack of cranial capacity. It turns out her previous job swinging from poles left her with a small but devoted fan base, so she is chosen to make the commercial for the greasy spoon that turns the dining spot into an overnight success.
Meanwhile, Uncle Bubba's dimwit son has now accumulated a warehouse full of secrets from spying on what really goes on inside black limos. Powerful people begin to both fear what he knows about them and they use him to learn what he knows about their competition. He's invited to important parties to gather information and at one of them he meets Cousin Doofus's idiot daughter who is there as the date of the local (married) representative.
Recognizing each other in the way only two predators with little intelligence to go along with their cut-throat survival skills can, they form a life-long partnership based on who they know and who they blow. And as fate and a good amount of greasy bill swapping would have it, they end up running against each other for President.
And lucky us. We get to choose which one we want representing us to the rest of the world.
Friday, January 04, 2008
When You Sell Your Party To The Devil...
My Republican neighbor is horrified that Huckabee won. Mumbled something about that's what happens when you court the religious crazies and it being the end of the Republican party, etc etc mumble mumble and that if he really is the nominee then he's going to vote for everyone but President...or stay home. He hasn't decided yet.
I have to admit I'm enjoying his misery over a rightwingnut potentially being the representative of his party. His misery last week was coming to terms with the painful reality that his favorite candidate belongs to a cult. (his description of Romney) Who knows what next week will bring? All I know is that the only excitement I feel is over the potential designs for t-shirts and bumper stickers this group inspires in me--left,right, middle, dem, repug, certifiably crazy....it's going to be fun for me the next few weeks. :-))))
And I do like Obama. I think Obama/Edwards has a nice ring to it. I also like Hillary but I don't think she gets it that Iraq is far more important to me than she seems to understand. I wouldn't want that same indifference applied to someplace like Iran or somewhere else in the world that is sitting on "our" oil. I'm kind of attached to this planet and would prefer it remain in one piece.
I also like Kucinich but people just aren't ready for him. And I really don't think it's because he sees UFOs and admits it. After all, he could draw a good many of McCain voters to him because most of them seem like they were badly alien probed at some time in their lives.
I have to admit I'm enjoying his misery over a rightwingnut potentially being the representative of his party. His misery last week was coming to terms with the painful reality that his favorite candidate belongs to a cult. (his description of Romney) Who knows what next week will bring? All I know is that the only excitement I feel is over the potential designs for t-shirts and bumper stickers this group inspires in me--left,right, middle, dem, repug, certifiably crazy....it's going to be fun for me the next few weeks. :-))))
And I do like Obama. I think Obama/Edwards has a nice ring to it. I also like Hillary but I don't think she gets it that Iraq is far more important to me than she seems to understand. I wouldn't want that same indifference applied to someplace like Iran or somewhere else in the world that is sitting on "our" oil. I'm kind of attached to this planet and would prefer it remain in one piece.
I also like Kucinich but people just aren't ready for him. And I really don't think it's because he sees UFOs and admits it. After all, he could draw a good many of McCain voters to him because most of them seem like they were badly alien probed at some time in their lives.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year
2008 started off in the Pacific Northwest with the blue screen of erectile dysfunction when a software glitch caused the fireworks show at the Seattle space needle to put on a pathetic display of the classic difference between a feature and a bug. Maybe they should pass out t-shirts.
Probably the most amusing part of it all is the inevitable whining and complaining that accompanies such a disappointing display of wasted manhood. It's just so Seattle to whine insignificantly about things. I tend more toward it was a sucky year for a lot of people and as 2007 skulked away in shame, 2008 is still appalled at how bad things were for so many that it's reluctant to step in and take over properly.
And speaking of skulking away in shame, if they were capable of such a human emotion, only twelve more months until Bush and Cheney leave the residences they have permanently soiled. They'll probably sneak out in the middle of the night like the thieves they are and history will remember them as.
A computer "glitch" brought them into power and another one will herald the year of their departure.
Probably the most amusing part of it all is the inevitable whining and complaining that accompanies such a disappointing display of wasted manhood. It's just so Seattle to whine insignificantly about things. I tend more toward it was a sucky year for a lot of people and as 2007 skulked away in shame, 2008 is still appalled at how bad things were for so many that it's reluctant to step in and take over properly.
And speaking of skulking away in shame, if they were capable of such a human emotion, only twelve more months until Bush and Cheney leave the residences they have permanently soiled. They'll probably sneak out in the middle of the night like the thieves they are and history will remember them as.
A computer "glitch" brought them into power and another one will herald the year of their departure.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Today's Working Poor, Tomorrow's Homeless Seniors
What does it mean to be part of the working poor in America? It means living from paycheck to paycheck, with many times finding the paycheck doesn't quite stretch to cover all the bills. It means worrying constantly that someone will get sick and there won't be money for medicine. It means borrowing money at shocking rates that penalize people for being poor. It means having your utilities shut off at least once, your cupboards so empty you know everything in them, and pretending you weren't hungry so the kids could eat. It means all these things and more.
But what it should mean and what needs to be addressed now is what will happen when all these working poor become too old too work. What will happen when the low wages they were paid results in a low social security check that doesn't even cover the rent. What will happen when our elderly population can't eat, can't get health care, can't get a warm place to get out of the cold, can't even afford to be buried? Will we then bulldoze them out of the way and forget them? Or will we find solutions now before the aging boomers, the people who raised the generation coming of age now, are passed by on the street as we turn our head hoping they don't beg too loudly for our pocket change.
But what it should mean and what needs to be addressed now is what will happen when all these working poor become too old too work. What will happen when the low wages they were paid results in a low social security check that doesn't even cover the rent. What will happen when our elderly population can't eat, can't get health care, can't get a warm place to get out of the cold, can't even afford to be buried? Will we then bulldoze them out of the way and forget them? Or will we find solutions now before the aging boomers, the people who raised the generation coming of age now, are passed by on the street as we turn our head hoping they don't beg too loudly for our pocket change.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Jingle Mail
I read about a new term today "jingle mail." It means putting your house keys in an envelope and dropping them off at the mortgage company. It's hard to imagine a worse situation than someone who has put all their money and time and dreams into their home, and then has to walk away because they can't make the payments and have no more equity to borrow against. It's even sadder when you consider that many of these people lived on what they were able to borrow against their homes. Now that their extra "income" has dried up, the next defaulting will be on credit cards, car loans, department store credit accounts. People will end up walking away from it all, especially since the cushion of bankruptcy was taken away by corporate donations given to Republicans to make sure that cushion was ripped to shreds.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
How America Treats Its Elderly
George Bush has brought shame to this country in a lot of ways, and if anyone doubts that rot starts from the top down, all they have to do is take a look at how America is treating its aging population. As the days go by now that Christmas is over and the mean people are back in charge, look for more homeless on the street, more utility shut-offs causing more old people to freeze to death, more hunger that stays hidden because the former middle class, the aging boomers without retirement accounts or financial cushions are too proud to go to food banks or beg for a break from banks, credit card companies, and other poor people's traditional means of being propped up in lean times.
We've been hearing a lot lately about the sub-prime mortgage mess. There's a reason for it, not the least which is to build a sympathy buzz to bail out the mortgage lenders to keep them from eating the cost of their greed. After all, during the first Bush administration, daddy bailed out Neil from the Savings and Loan scandal. Which Bushie is going to get his or her butt saved this time? I'm sure it's not the poor suckers who fell for those loans so they could fantasize the American dream was really and truly within their reach. They're just the smokescreen to keep us from looking too closely at what's happening to our own neighbors.
It starts simply enough as it did to my own neighbors. For many years they worked in the social services, the lower end of the middle class. They struggled to pay their bills and maintain a decent credit rating because without it they were out on the street. They worked hard and got by. They were the real foundation of America. Not the super rich. Not the very poor. Not the solidly middle class professionals.
Six months ago the private care facility they both worked for shut down because the funding dried up. The patients were sent to various institutions run by the state that received the minimum of public funding to say open. And my neighbors went on unemployment.
But they were smarter than the average rat and started their own business. It started slow and for months they relied on their good credit history to get by during the months that sales were quite enough to pay expenses. They had worked hard for twenty years and they had excellent credit with their bank. They were given enough overdraft protection to get them from month to month. At first.
The third month their protection was lowered to half of what they were used to. But they knew they would survive because business was finally booming and by the beginning of the new year they could get caught up and not have to rely on the overdraft protection to get them through the month. They always covered the amount within the 30 day period. They were never overdrawn for more than a week. They blessed their good credit that allowed them to survive and they splurged for the first time in months on a bottle of wine to celebrate the huge check coming next month from Christmas sales. It was a victory they achieved from 12-14 hour days putting together the product they sold in astonishing quantities. They began to look forward to a better life and leaving the bad times behind.
But today, with three weeks to go before they get their hard-earned check, their bank cut off their overdraft protection. It didn't matter that they have all this money coming. It didn't matter that they made sure to pay all their bills. It didn't matter that not once did they violate the rules. The bank didn't care. It had an arbitrary time limit where such "help" could be provided. And that limit was reached the day after Christmas, today. And there was no use in trying to talk to the bank. As my neighbor told me sadly, banks don't care unless you have a huge amount of money. Then they care. They care when your name is Bush and you've screwed thousands out of their homes. They care when your name is Halliburton and you've stolen more in a day than most people will ever earn in a lifetime. But the average person who plays by all the rules and needs a small break, that person can rot for all the banks care.
I emptied out all the food I had in the cupboards and gave it to them. I maxed out a credit cared to get some cash so they could at least keep their heat on. And I know they will pay me back when they get their check next month because they are those kind of people, the working class people that make up the myth and culture of America. It's too bad that the only people who care whether they live or die are other poor people, other people like me living from check to check and hoping no one gets sick. I also know they will succeed because they have a good product, a strong work ethic, and people who care whether they live or die.
To keep them in the focus and to help other people with their same story and keep the truth out there that gets buried by the heartless many who are the gears of these callous institutions, I'll be using THE FLIES ON THE WALL t0 tell the story of an elderly couple who got evicted on the day after Christmas.
I don't personally know these people, but they are a composite of many working poor, especially in a town like Bellingham, Washington--a town that prides itself on being an All-America city winner, but is probably the cruelest and less compassionate toward the poor and working poor than any place in this country. The only medal this place deserves is for being the most shallow as they perfect the ability to talk out of multiple sides of their mouths and asses. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting ride for the flies.
We've been hearing a lot lately about the sub-prime mortgage mess. There's a reason for it, not the least which is to build a sympathy buzz to bail out the mortgage lenders to keep them from eating the cost of their greed. After all, during the first Bush administration, daddy bailed out Neil from the Savings and Loan scandal. Which Bushie is going to get his or her butt saved this time? I'm sure it's not the poor suckers who fell for those loans so they could fantasize the American dream was really and truly within their reach. They're just the smokescreen to keep us from looking too closely at what's happening to our own neighbors.
It starts simply enough as it did to my own neighbors. For many years they worked in the social services, the lower end of the middle class. They struggled to pay their bills and maintain a decent credit rating because without it they were out on the street. They worked hard and got by. They were the real foundation of America. Not the super rich. Not the very poor. Not the solidly middle class professionals.
Six months ago the private care facility they both worked for shut down because the funding dried up. The patients were sent to various institutions run by the state that received the minimum of public funding to say open. And my neighbors went on unemployment.
But they were smarter than the average rat and started their own business. It started slow and for months they relied on their good credit history to get by during the months that sales were quite enough to pay expenses. They had worked hard for twenty years and they had excellent credit with their bank. They were given enough overdraft protection to get them from month to month. At first.
The third month their protection was lowered to half of what they were used to. But they knew they would survive because business was finally booming and by the beginning of the new year they could get caught up and not have to rely on the overdraft protection to get them through the month. They always covered the amount within the 30 day period. They were never overdrawn for more than a week. They blessed their good credit that allowed them to survive and they splurged for the first time in months on a bottle of wine to celebrate the huge check coming next month from Christmas sales. It was a victory they achieved from 12-14 hour days putting together the product they sold in astonishing quantities. They began to look forward to a better life and leaving the bad times behind.
But today, with three weeks to go before they get their hard-earned check, their bank cut off their overdraft protection. It didn't matter that they have all this money coming. It didn't matter that they made sure to pay all their bills. It didn't matter that not once did they violate the rules. The bank didn't care. It had an arbitrary time limit where such "help" could be provided. And that limit was reached the day after Christmas, today. And there was no use in trying to talk to the bank. As my neighbor told me sadly, banks don't care unless you have a huge amount of money. Then they care. They care when your name is Bush and you've screwed thousands out of their homes. They care when your name is Halliburton and you've stolen more in a day than most people will ever earn in a lifetime. But the average person who plays by all the rules and needs a small break, that person can rot for all the banks care.
I emptied out all the food I had in the cupboards and gave it to them. I maxed out a credit cared to get some cash so they could at least keep their heat on. And I know they will pay me back when they get their check next month because they are those kind of people, the working class people that make up the myth and culture of America. It's too bad that the only people who care whether they live or die are other poor people, other people like me living from check to check and hoping no one gets sick. I also know they will succeed because they have a good product, a strong work ethic, and people who care whether they live or die.
To keep them in the focus and to help other people with their same story and keep the truth out there that gets buried by the heartless many who are the gears of these callous institutions, I'll be using THE FLIES ON THE WALL t0 tell the story of an elderly couple who got evicted on the day after Christmas.
I don't personally know these people, but they are a composite of many working poor, especially in a town like Bellingham, Washington--a town that prides itself on being an All-America city winner, but is probably the cruelest and less compassionate toward the poor and working poor than any place in this country. The only medal this place deserves is for being the most shallow as they perfect the ability to talk out of multiple sides of their mouths and asses. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting ride for the flies.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
393 days and counting
It's almost the end of the year and I always get sentimental around this time. It's almost January 20, which will make it exactly one more year of shame, humiliation, and disgust until Dubya goes marching off to his real ranch, not the one in Potemkin, Texas. One can only hope he doesn't throw some evil temper tantrum over having to leave the playhouse for the last time.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
When Monsters Attack
I'm really enjoying watching the GOP panic over Huckabee right now. He's marching to the top of the shit pile with the machine-like precision of a monster created to court other monsters...the right wing nuts that helped elect the current Sociopath. But with their cleanest candidate Romney defending his cult membership and making up crap about his father marching with MLK, what are you going to do?
Run something like Ghouliani who is not only a liar and a cheating, adultering, charging the public for his mistress type of guy?
Or McCain who is one snarl away from taking off someone's head for daring to disagree with him? Doesn't Cheney already fill this function?
Or how about another nightmare, Ron Paul. Now here's a man who truly represents the GOP's sordid last few years with his anti-choice, racist, homophobic agenda. Too bad he's got that anti-war thing going. But then that does come with being an isolationist Bircher baby.
Actually, the worse it gets the more I enjoy it. It's usually the Democrats who implode in a sea of ideologues who couldn't find their voice even if someone was hanging them by the balls and whacking them on the head with a list of issues to bring up and debate seriously. This year all we have to choose between is the first Woman, the first Hispanic, the first Black, the first Alien Abductee, and the first real chance of taking back our country from the shit-stained hands of the wide-stance party.
Run something like Ghouliani who is not only a liar and a cheating, adultering, charging the public for his mistress type of guy?
Or McCain who is one snarl away from taking off someone's head for daring to disagree with him? Doesn't Cheney already fill this function?
Or how about another nightmare, Ron Paul. Now here's a man who truly represents the GOP's sordid last few years with his anti-choice, racist, homophobic agenda. Too bad he's got that anti-war thing going. But then that does come with being an isolationist Bircher baby.
Actually, the worse it gets the more I enjoy it. It's usually the Democrats who implode in a sea of ideologues who couldn't find their voice even if someone was hanging them by the balls and whacking them on the head with a list of issues to bring up and debate seriously. This year all we have to choose between is the first Woman, the first Hispanic, the first Black, the first Alien Abductee, and the first real chance of taking back our country from the shit-stained hands of the wide-stance party.
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