Nice Quote: The Can't-Do Nation - NYTimes.com

The Can't-Do Nation - NYTimes.com: "What’s truly wimpy is telling everyone to go to the mall and shop while putting two wars on the credit card and committing countless lives to mortal danger. This advice by then-President George W. Bush gave the majority of the country no reason to sacrifice — just chant “U.S.A.!” and wave some flags." Timothy Egan

The Fast Food Industry is Evil, Hates You, and Hates America!

God Bless America and pass the ketchup!  The propagandists for capitalism will preach the virtues of personal responsibility, while at the same time pushing busy working people to stop by for some hot, fast, convenient, artery clogging, ass engorging, pile of shit.  All in the short term pursuit of profits.  


Of course, all the corporate executives and investors who get rich off these things probably also love to tell us how patriotic they are and how much they love this country.  Too bad they really don't give a hoot about the health of the American people.  

Restaurants: Fast-food restaurants plan a heaping helping of excess - latimes.com

Rolling into 2011, fast-food joints across the country are set to deploy a potent new arsenal of greasy goodness for Americans who have grown numb to mere burgers. Think spicier, cheesier, gooier. The new items flout principles of healthful eating and instead celebrate a spirit of wanton gluttony.

 It does look delicious doesn't it?

Hubby and Willow Bored to Death With Sarah Palin's Narcissism?

Looking at clip of Sarah Palin being so proud of herself for her word inventing, and the reactions of her husband and daughter is priceless.  Watch Todd bite his lip, and Willow almost roll her eyes.  The best they can do is maintain a blank face.  They are obviously not that into her!

Roosevelt Gets Four out of Five

The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.--Theodore Roosevelt

Well, that about settles it, America is in the process of self-destruction.  Roosevelt had a few things right here, but ironically what he got wrong was that "peace at any price" would be some kind of problem for America.  Instead, we have "war at any price" as one of the problems that is destroying America. 

Facinating Links Recomended by Your's Truly

Three cheers for collectivism and individuality! Here is an interesting article suggesting that there is group intelligence based on the unique contributions of group participants.  


Group IQ - The Boston Globe

Glenn Greenwald does a partial sum-up of what we have learned from Wikileaks this year.

Michael Moore and Wikileaks revelations on the health care industry and Bush Administration's inappropriate attempts to smear him and his movies. The latter seems strangely out of proportionate concern about over Moore's influence.

Holy smokes!  Quick, somebody call in a Marxist to untangle this convoluted discussion about class in America!  All of the contributors have the dominant view that social  classes are a state of aspirational consciousness and identity, and based on this the vast majority of Americans are still "middle-class".  Even the Chief Economist at the Department of Labor, Betsey Stevensen takes this view: 

"So what defines the middle class? Not income. Your current income is a poor predictor of the social class with which you identify." 

Not a single mention of a more objective or scientific perspective on class such as that one's class is defined by an objective relationship to a societies organization of production. 

What is the environmental damage of factory farming in the U.S. Southwest?

Pointers for Dealing with Climate Change Denialists

Inevitably you hear it every year, "global warming is a lie, look at the snow and how cold it is outside!"  Conversely you also hear the eronneous "this hot day proves that anthropogenic global warming is real." 

To correct these misunderstanding of anthropogenic climate change, you might refer the rational person to George Monbiot's article explaining how extreme winter weather is perfectly consistent with global warming.  If you have to engage a person of the non-rational type, then this following video can give you some pointers on dealing with such a person. 

Stupid Shit People Say on the Internet I

From the comment section of a Fox News Article:

"any parent who has a problem with their kid saying the pledge of alligiance deserves to be deported. even if they don't believe in God, the point of that pledge is to acknowledge their appreciation for their own freedom. what a bunch of selfish brats, probably never spent a second thinking about the price that was paid so they can "have their rights""

And there is a lot more where that came from.


I wonder if the commenter knows that the Supreme Court ruled that it cannot be compulsory to say the pledge of allegiance in school?  The test case concerned Jehovah's Witnesses who believe that one should only pledge allegiance to God, and not to any idol of any state or country.  I wonder if they consider that maybe those permission slips are for religious minorities who believe something like this?


Many liberals actually have no problem with the pledge of allegiance.  I on the other hand do.  The emphasis on the pledge of allegiance is a distratction from what really ailes this country, like poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunity.  It is used to promote wars that are actually doing harm to working peoples' interests here in the United States, and represses dissent.

Even Pat Robertson Gets Some Things Right Now and Then!

Politicians should take note, if even somebody like Pat Robertson recognizes that marijuana being illegal is ridiculous, and we shouldn't be putting people in jail for it, then it is time to change the law.

Secondly, this is about the second time Robertson has gotten something right that I can remember.  The first being when he said "global warming must really be happening", although he admitted it for the wrong reason.  It was very hot that summer week.  Oh well, credit where credit is due.

Greenwald Sum-up of U.S. Government and Media Stance On Wikileaks

Joe Biden v. Joe Biden on WikiLeaks

"It's really not an overstatement to say that WikiLeaks and Julian Assange are the new Iraqi WMDs because the government and establishment media are jointly manufacturing and disseminating an endless stream of fear-mongering falsehoods designed to depict them as scary villains threatening the security of The American People and who must therefore be stopped at any cost. "

Wikileaks, Democracy, and Happy Birthday Bradley Manning!

Ohhhh hooray! I am still working on this blogging thing, trying to get it going an I have just discovered that I can hit a button and blog on an article. This one is important! But this post is an experiment, but enjoy the link!

Wikileaks Cables Show Why Washington Won’t Allow Democracy in Haiti


We should also say Happy Birthday to Bradley Manning, who may have made all of this possible!

Julian Assange is Not a Journalist Because.......

Apparently Julian Assange is not considered to be considered a journalist by the U.S. State Department because.......he has a political objective!  Gasp!


By this standard the writers for the liberal-left The Nation, and Mother Jones and the right-wing conservative rags National Review and The Weekly Standard cannot be considered "journalists."  


But seriously, there is a better reason why Assange is not a journalist.  Because he shares all of his scoops and sources with many other journalists and media organizations.  Is that anyway to build a career in journalism?

Punk Rock and Neil Diamond

Back when I was an obnoxious teenager into hardcore punk rock, I had a deep dark secret............... I liked me some Neil Diamond. Not to cool in my teen days.

This is my favorite song of his. Congratulations to Neil Diamond for being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Next, waiting for the Dead Kennedys! :)

Sequoia National Park and The Karl Marx Tree

From Today's Inside NPS page (no link, its Intra-net):

SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS--Annual Trek To Nation’s Christmas Tree Held....Approximately 400 visitors participated last Sunday in the annual trek to the General Grant Tree, known as the “Nation’s Christmas Tree,” located in Kings Canyon National Park........During the ceremony, which was conducted by the City of Sanger, the National Park Service placed a large wreath at the base of the tree, in keeping with a resolution from 1956 which designated the General Grant Tree as “…a national shrine in memory of men and women of the Armed Forces who have served and fought and died to keep this nation free and to preserve the spiritual, human, and civil rights which are the essence of our American heritage.”

Did you know that Sequoia NP was the location of a utopian socialist community, the Kaweah Colony? What is now the General Grant tree, was formerly named after General Sherman. The Kaweah Colony attempted to rename the tree after Karl Marx who had just recently died in 1883.
So who says socialism is un-American.  Socialist movements have a long history in America.

My New Blog, Lets Start With Some Music Shall We?