Pink and crew dance for 1 Billion Rising for Justice

Justice Watch: Right-wing crankiness on full display

Justice Watch: Right-wing crankiness on full display: In his new book, The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court , Jeffrey Toobin writes that the dissent Justice Antonin Scalia wrot...

Hmm - I think I was Angry then...- a 'spare' poem from Aug 2009

Found this poem of mine from a very very bad period of grief, morass and depression. I'd just lost my sister, was losing my lover and had lost the use of my left hand - all in the same month. Was obviously tired of watching the TV in pain...Enjoy or shiver and feel cold and abandoned, whichever it leaves you:

Spare me…

your wasted judgments, and petty low-thinks,
haterisms, check me against the magazine,
the TV, the cable fixer-upper show, the internet a-list,
the talking heads of newsdom, where all the told news is old news - washed-rinsed-repeated into new news that
I can’t find any relevance in or make logic fit and sucks like slow sinks.

Spare me.

The lies of love and loving and my guilt stinks,
placaterisms, holds us in this old scene,
the bed empty even of politeness, and Oh, so full of loneliness,
our talking heads bobbing in cold silence, no news is good news, breaking up and making up is same news and
I can’t find myself between us or in you –as foreign to me as ice rinks.

Spare me…

of any responsibility…

And Herman Cain says racism is in the past...

Disenfranchisement of the Formerly Incarcerated Remains Serious Problem in Alabama

November 14, 2011

The State of Alabama continues to deny the right to vote to citizens who have served and completed sentences for felony convictions. Alabama's disenfranchisement rate of one in 14 residents is triple the national average.
Mass incarceration has a disproportionate effect on the voting power of poor and minority communities. According to a 2006 report, Alabama denies the right to vote to more than 250,000 citizens who have been convicted of felonies.
The majority of disenfranchised Alabamians are African American. Though comprising only 26% of the state’s total population at the time of the 2008 presidential election, African Americans made up 70% of all disenfranchised persons in Alabama.
Currently, 180,000 African Americans in Alabama are excluded from the franchise. EJI estimates that without significant reform the percentage of all black men in Alabama facing disenfranchisement could increase from about 30% today to 40% by 2020.

• New York Times: Who Gets to Vote? [1]

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Source URL: http://eji.org/eji/node/579

Links:
[1] http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/who-gets-to-vote/

ON the Left! No, No - on the right! Herman has attackers everywhere

Didn't Herman Cain just say the other day this is all an orchestrat

­ed attack from the REPUBLICAN camp of Rick Perry and yet today in his press conference­, he claimed it was the "Democrati­c Machine" now against him? Which is it Herman? "Trouble to left of me, trouble to the right... here I am, stuck in the middle with you".

Herman Cain is through...or at least he should be

Wow - I called it over two months ago that Herman Cain would not last. I think I got it right. 9-9-9 is a mathematical impossibility and a joke. His lack of statesmanship and knowledge of foreign anything - should be a deal-killer. But where there's smoke, there is usually fire. 4 women and probably more. I think you can stick a fork in Mr. Cain - he's done. And if he isn't done now, because the Repugnicans want to keep pretending they aren't racists - well, he should be.  My bet is that he was a token candidate anyway, to pull attention away from all the racist crapola they've launched in Obama's direction since early 2008.
 We need real election reform that prevents the PACs, SuperPACs etc from giving money to these jokers. That would end the circus and maybe restore some respect for the electoral process. I won't vote Republican, but if you are, then Buddy Roemer is the only one who is running an honest race the way it should be.

So true...

By elevating the children of farmers and janitors as well as lawyers and stockbrokers, we’ve created what seems like the most capable, hardworking, high-I.Q. elite in all of human history.

And for the last 10 years, we’ve watched this same elite lead us off a cliff — mostly by being too smart for its own good. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/opinion/sunday/douthat-our-reckless-meritocracy.html?src=me&ref=general

Bloodthirsty - What's wrong with the "Tea Party" Republicans?

HuffPost Discusses "let him die" audience remarks -

Ok - we've had two Repugnican debates - to help us Dems and independents decide which Repugnican we should duck/take cover from/fight against next fall, and so far - their audiences are scarier than they are. In the Iowa debates - Brian Williams looked like I felt when the crowd at the Reagan Library Debate cheered the many executions Gov Rick Perry has managed in Texas. I thought to myself - why is it always a bunch of pro-lifers who are always happy about executing people? In fact, it seems in this weird right-wing bunch, to be a Christian Tea Partier, you gotta want to kill some people and punish others a lot with policy and not a lot of facts or proofs. The Jesus Christ I learned about was about not killing and not judging and letting God take care of vengeance at Judgment Day. These bloodthirsty a$$holes don't agree with  Christ!

I never misunder-estimate the DUH in Floriduh...so not too surprised when, at the debate for the CNN Tea Party in Tampa, they shout "Yeah! Let him die! " when Ron Paul is asked about the hypothetical 30 yr old young man with no insurance who has catastrophic illness (coma).  Who ARE these people?

Wake Up and smell the Coffee

Hey, Check out the Coffee Party.  They have nothing to do with that other beverage party and everything to do about fixing our democracy.   http://coffeepartyusa.com/dashboard Thanks!

FW: Dear Congress: I Pay Taxes, I Did Not Cause the Recession.

Dear Friend or Acquaintance:

 

I'm not trying to change your political stance on anything here. But this shutdown nonsense only hurts our troops and Social Security recipients and government employees and the like. Can you live without your paycheck for an indefinite time? I sure can't. It's not fair. So if you have a moment, send a letter or call your congressman's office and explain why the Speak of the House Boehner is wrong with what he's proposing to allow to happen. Especially for our troops……….Thanks.

 

Kari Bunch

mailto:karibunch@yahoo.com

If I have sent this to you in error – delete it and please let me know and I promise I will never do it again…It's very rare that I send things out to a lot of my contact lists, which is why I chose to use BCC instead of CC. I believe in everyone's right to privacy, but I feel rather strongly about this issue. - krb

 

From: Annabel Park [mailto:info@coffeepartyusa.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 11:58 AM
To: karibunch@yahoo.com
Subject: Dear Congress: I Pay Taxes, I Did Not Cause the Recession.

 

Friend, It appears likely that our government will shut down tomorrow. We are deeply disappointed that a small gang of beltway insiders have chosen this drastic political stunt, which will slow our economic recovery and hurt American families. We have initiated a letter-writing campaign to Congress to ask them to do better, now and in the future. Will you sign the letter below and share it with your friends? To sign this letter, click here or go here: http://my.coffeepartyusa.com/page/speakout/I_Pay_Taxes To get more information about the issues raised in the letter, click here. To contribute to the Coffee Break to Save America campaign, click here. Thank you, Annabel, Eric B, Lynda, Eric W, Gloria, Mark, Beth, Tina, Corinne and the Coffee Break to Save America Team   Dear Congress, Please remember: you are fighting over how to spend our money.  We the People pay 33.7% of the Federal Fund while corporations pay 7.2%. Many corporations pay no taxes at all.  Yet your entire focus during this budget battle has been on how much to hurt the people. We did not cause the recession, the deficit, or the national debt.  We know this, and we need you to know that we are aware of a corrupt system in which corporations spend their vast wealth to lobby and manipulate you. We know that's why the tax code so unjustly burdens us while favoring them. We know this is why Elizabeth Warren and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are under attack from the US Chamber of Commerce and other powerful lobbyists. We know that is why your policies reward multinational corporations, including those that DID cause the recession, with bailouts, bonuses, and tax benefits. As you wrangle over how much to hurt our quality of life and jeopardize our future, consider ways to create jobs and invest in our future. Congress should work together on how to help us, not fight over how to hurt us. Sincerely, To sign this letter, click here or go here: http://my.coffeepartyusa.com/page/speakout/I_Pay_Taxes

 

Visit us: http://coffeepartyusa.com This email was sent to: karibunch@yahoo.com

To unsubscribe, click here

Thoughts On...Gay Marriage Positions

1. (The Religious Right point of view) - You can't have what 50% of us don't keep as sacred. Fuck You!
2. (The Blase' Left) - You ought to be free to suffer through what 50% of us don't keep as sacred. Get Fucked!

I'm guess I'm on the Left. I KNOW Misery LOVES company. Marriage is a farce and doesn't follow the biological imperatives anyway. And to pretend that our economy supports it is absolute bullshit. Evidence: 50% Marriages = Epic Fail and 50% of Jobs aren't available or don't pay a livable wage, and by that definition also = Epic Fail.

(i'm not bitter at all)

Ciao 4 Now!

Apportionment Counts are Coming!

1.

A decent Constitutional Lesson

I have to agree with the author, Ilya Shapiro. This is a correct reading of the commerce clause. The funny thing that strikes me is that it was a GOP push to have this in the damn healthcare bill, and I think they did it just so they could use it as a counterstrike to challenge it altogether. Which means to me Mr. Obama (or his counsel team) are not the clever lawyers as first believed... Yes I want a public option but no, I don't think it should be hinged on forcing people to buy health insurance from private companies. And that's exactly what I think happened here. GOP lobbied to get something bad put in so they could cry and get it thrown out altogether. It only scares me that these selfish bastards one-upped the President.

However, I think a blanket ruling will open up a whole new can of worms about things the government can't make you buy - I think the car insurance analogy mentioned in this article does have a faulty premise if the Supreme Court's eventual ruling is a blanket statement. I am going to look for more examples of what the government (state or federal) forces it's citizens to purchase to be legal. I'm sure there is something out there...

For the moment - CNN commenter on story of bodies found on the beach

Wonder land

ppl freeze to death. Ppl kill each other. Ppl r just cruel, mean n hateful. Most ppl r selfish. Dont put ur self in a situation to be killed. Evil exist in this world. Trust no one n u wont be disappointed!
December 14, 2010 at 3:23 am | Report abuse | Reply

*
Havoth

hate to let ya down – but as long as you're here on Earth – and not immortal – you are in a position of dying at some point. Let the cruel nature of it go and enjoy the moment you are having right now – for it's wisdom, its humor, its poignancy or whatever this moment has to offer...Love

Madoff son found dead of apparent suicide

I guess you may have seen that the son of  Bernie Madoff (serving a 150 yr sentence), Mark Madoff killed himself yesterday.  That is sad. The sons pay for the sins of the fathers, don’t they?

 I feel the most for the 2 yr old boy Mark Madoff (named recently in several lawsuits as direct investors try to recoup their losses) left behind. That’s truly a shame. For some reason I can’t help but think Bernie, in prison, will only be able to show his humanity by promptly dying of grief himself  -if only to satisfy some angry people.  The whole thing is a shame.  But the pure viciousness of some readers just take my breath away:

• ·         batman13  -What would have made this a REALLY happy story would have been if when Bernie got the news, he had a heart attack and died. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.
• ·         bbqbearII  - one can only hope it was a slow painful wretching death.. one he hadn't expected..
• ·         AzWildcat  - Too bad the rest of the Republican Party won't follow his lead

[nonsense, hateful vicious nonsense, Havoth says – even in wishing Repugnicans dead – I don’t like the hard core conservatives who work tirelessly for the rich bastards, bankers, and PACs who have screwed up our country, either, but I don’t wish them dead…I wish the populace was SMARTER in their chosen representatives – Stop voting for the guy you’d like to get drunk with or the Ice Queen you’d like to fuck – vote for someone who can explain shit and do something about it in the People’s favor – Like…uh…say…Bill Clinton!!!!]

However, one of the more positive and just commenters on a CNN article said: “The only mistake Bernie made was to steal from rich people. They [rich people/Republican hard core conservatives and the like] don't like that. ‘You steal from the poor like the rest of us!’ If you can't pay one mortgage you’re a deadbeat, If you can't pay a million mortgages, then your Bear Sterns and we bail you out.”

Now that’s a really sad but true thing to say. A very strange example of how our money system works in this country.

Rally To Restore Sanity and (not) Fear Worked for Me!

I have to say I was pretty excited Saturday watching the telecast on Comedy Central for Jon Stewart's Rally. And I was wowed by the size of the crowd and glad that somewhere Glenn Beck is crying. I thought Kid Rock did so-so and Sheryl Crow - whom I really do like normally - didn't know the song. And that Bruce Springsteen should have been there instead. Or Prince. Or Styx, or anybody but Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. But the bit with Yusuf and Ozzy - pretty funny. And wowed again by the O Jays. Yes, the Love Train is one we all can ride. PK Winsome's bit was tragically long and unfunny. The Mythbusters made great points.  And Sam Waterston RULED. And Tony Bennett was beautifully in fine form.

But it was all a 3 hour warm up for speech by Jon Stewart that achieved its purpose. I could have listened to Jon talk all afternoon. He is just so - so - reasonable. Funny, yes, but more than that, he does speak for more Americans right now. The silent majority isn't really silent you know, they are just being shouted down by the crazies. Thank you, Jon Stewart. Keep up the good work.

P.S.  - I'm going to vote tomorrow. I haven't found that my lefty vote really matters here in Dallas TX. But I occasionally vote for a republican that makes sense. But in the governor's race here - Mr. Perry needs to take a hike. I'm just not sure about that other guy.

Super-Yachts from Stem to Stern Culture: vanityfair.com

Super-Yachts from Stem to Stern Culture: vanityfair.com

Aahhhhh!!! the life....

 Courtesy of Vanity Fair: As of now, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse is the biggest yacht in the world, beating the Sheikh of Dubai’s Dubai by at least 18 inches. © Michael Meyer/Action Press/Zuma Press.

success!!!

managed to get these two things hooked up! - so testing testing 123...

Happy Birthday Robert Daniel

Happy Birthday, Robert Daniel, where ever you are...

Bishop Jackson's opinion piece on CNN - a response

OK- here's another one of those things where I read it and then responded. But I wanted to keep it here, so for posterity's sake here it. 

While the bishop supposedly cites some scientific studies to back up his opinion, I think he read them wrong and left a few out. How about the study that says 52% of heterosexual marriages end in divorce. And of the 48% left, another 15% would like to be divorced or are already separated. How about the fact that gay co...uples who raise children by any means, tend to stay married and their children do better in schools? I cannot possibly believe that the nuclear family unit is threatened by anything more than the economy that does not allow at least one parent to be the stay-at-home parent or for them to trade off. The economy has been hugely responsible for the separation of families in the majority of circumstances. And my own personal experience is that maybe a quarter of any one I know is close to their blood relatives. Most consider their friends closer and more reliable than their families. So how about legal recognition of those family units? Whether sex is involved or not, the raising of children to a successful end takes far more than the heterosexual union that produced them. My conclusion would be that any committed partners in raising a family are good, when committed. And how they have sex has little bearing on that fact. And for Diggit's benefit - I'm not gay.
(Diggit posited earlier on the comments that most of the commenters on CNN's site for this article are "gays")