tar sands oil pipeline lies

I spent a few days with a worker from a tar sands camp in Alberta.  This person lives in one of the 2,500 people stacked trailer camps, your fired for taking any pictures in camp or on the job, any wolf or bear sighted is shot on sight.

A few years ago the tar sand looked like this.

Today it looks like this, miles and miles of stripped land, filled water ways, dead bears, dead wolfs.  Oil companies and pipeline builders want us to believe this will be oil for the US, very little will be for us, Valero and others have already sold contracts for much of it to go to Europe and South America.

Veteran of the war on christmas back home

Went to Austin to be with family for the war on christmas, foolish though to drive thru texican lands  without our shots.  Excellent dinner my son made, spent lots of time with extended family one is a phd climate scientist, very interesting he and his studies.
Will expound on some of these climate things eventually and maybe share some kick ass vegan soups recipes that had everyone over-eating they were so damn good, people were going on and on, they were book worthy.
Good news though, got back to Kansas to find the city has without discussion just one day brought up and voted to OK guns in all city properties and buildings except a police station, anywhere the city council is holding a meeting or official function, and two sports complexs.  Of all the sports fields and parks why these two, only, must be their kids play there.  Also, a guy the same day went to a shooting range where you can just walk in and rent guns to shoot, picked out a gun slapped a clip in it whipped it into his mouth and splatted his brains all over the walls.
Merry xmas

A stolen Christmas poem

‘Twas the night before Iowa, when all through the state,
The wingnuts were fuming, their heads fat with hate.
The caucus was planned, in just over a week,
Yet the GOP candidates were unelectable freaks!

The reporters were nestled in bedbug motels.
Their noses recoiling from strange Iowa smells,
Of corn syrup fields, and thick manure dollops,
and visions of Newt giving trinkets to trollops.

When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
Candy Crowley ran out to see what was the matter.
Out by the remote truck, a big plane had crashed.
And a zombie crawled out with a sackful of cash.

The moonlight it bounced off the black salted ice,
As the undead old man told the same dumb joke twice.
Then he turned mean and weird and his voice was a bark,
Aimed at eight tiny cretins holding hands in the dark.

This grim wrinkled ghoul in his Air Force One slippers,
I knew in a flash that it must be The Gipper!
More vapid than talk shows, more empty than air.
Could this rotten old corpse save the eight cretins there?

“Now Bachmann, now Huntsman, on Ricky and Mittens,
Ron Paul and Johnson, Santorum and Gingrich:
To the top of the polls, to the top of the Oh-Twelve.
You jellybean oafs with the stature of elves.”

Like the insane extreme weather the Republicans caused,
by burning all carbon and flapping their jaws,
The eight tiny cretins leapt in front of the jet,
And heaved and then ho’d, which Gingrich liked best!

And then in a news cycle, I heard on the tube,
The prancing and mincing of each GOP dude.
As I drew back in horror and ran for the hills,
There went Crazy Bachmann with a brain full of pills.

The old man chuckled grimly like that Dickens’ creep Fagin.
There was no doubt about it, this monster was Reagan.
He was in a blue suit with a red boring tie.
And his hair was greased back and all blackened with dye.

His dead eyes did glisten, his skin loose and scary.
His cheeks were all rouged, like cough syrup cherry.
His grim lifeless mouth like a wall-mounted fish,
While the cold snow collected his falling-off flesh.

A Chesterfield filter clenched tight in his dentures,
While his imp, Wee Lee Atwater, burst forth from Hell’s ventures.
“This fella will help you,” Reagan said with a snigger.
“To win next November ‘gainst that slick Kenyan Hitler.”

Gary Johnson got drowned, no-one knew he was swimmin.’
Herman Cain put his pecker in too many women.
Bachmann was nutty, Rick Perry was frothy,
Like blobs of Santorum in ruined morning coffee.

Huntsman worked for Obama, imagine the gall!
That left only the Newt, Romney and Paul.
A swollen crook piglet in a war of attrition,
A Taxachusetts Mormon who kept changing positions.

And then there was Ron Paul, a fringe whining elf,
At the top of the polls, in spite of himself!
With his harsh words of Negroes and worship of gold,
And he, just like Reagan, about a thousand years old!

The Gipper then read from a cue card in space:
“You keep Rove and Atwater, you can still take first place.
The corporations will still run the wars that they bring,
While you whine about freedom, because facts are stupid things.”

Adapted from “Desolation Row” by William Jennings Bryan, 1776.

ripped from Wonkette, 

What kind of sportsmen hunt dogs? Ok, other than Sarah Palin?

Join, or at least visit a site and hit the "take action" button and see what you can do in a few minutes.

http://www.nrdc.org
http://www.sierraclub.org/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/

buy Chiquita bananas, screw the tar sands, screw the oil companies

Inter industry warfare?  The fossil fuel industry is asking for the public to boycott Chiquita bananas.  The fruit company came out a few days ago with a brave position against the the XL pipeline moving tar sands oil from Alberta Canada to the US gulf coast, mostly for export to other nations, was "all risk, and no benefit"to the US.   They also made reference to resulting dirty oil smoke harming the tropical fruit business.

The tropical Fruit Farmers and their marketing organizations know production of fruit is being harmed by rising global temperatures and pollution.   Boycott farmers and marketers that dare to care about their fruit production, and your ability to buy it?  No, I think the opposite will happen, I think people will reward  Chiquita.

Another GOP cure for something that was not real.

OK, now the FBI won't kick down your door and pistol whip you for using tungsten filament lights and pissing away 3 to 5 times as many of your energy dollars, well your safe now thanks to the GOP passing another law protecting you from Obama's lighting thugs.
Neither will the EPA shoot farmers off their tractors for making dust, the GOP has rumored for months the EPA would outlaw dust on the farm, think about that for a minute.
What's next, oh more voter fraud or gay plots will have to be outlawed by the party who is against government rules.

Life style of the wretched and famished, they are surplus to the capitalist system, not needed, please just go away.

The US budget deal of today was designed to let the poorest fall further into third world mode.  Example:
Cut 518 billion from Pentagon, that is a 1% boost in the military.  WTF?  It's being called a cut because they had intended to buy so much shit they can't now, this is only a cut in the jump, it's not a fucking cut, it's an increase.
Cut 3.5 billion for low-income heating and utility subsidies, a 25% cut, it is an actual cut.  Somewhere some will freeze, some will fall ill, some will have to move out, some will forego meds for heat.  Welcome to the lifestyle of the wretched and famished.

Yesterdays economic model insured by the corporations that own the US government

Tuesday China decided to boost it's solar energy installations goals from now to 2015 again by 50%.  That's  50% over an earlier boost.  The rapid pace and success of bringing new energy sources on line in a matter of months when they thought it would be years is the main reason.  Nothing succeeds like success.

Above you can see the oil industry spending on dirty energy sources, renewables, and the welfare they take from tax payers to keep the US in yesterdays economic model.

2.5 million kids have health care that would be without if the GOP had their way

According to Secretary of Health K. Sebelius because of Obama care 2.5 million kids and young people in the US got to stay 1 year longer on their parents policy (age limit increased) and younger kids could not be denied due to their health history gave us at least this many receiving health that would not have otherwise.   If the GOP gets their way, these kids will be cut off, parents will go bankrupt caring for them, kids will die.
What do the Gingrich and Romney death panels look like? A GOP win at the ballot box.

One percent are job killers, look at the last few years what they did.

The richest of the capitalist corporations and individuals in the US have between 1.4 and 3 trillion dollars in cash setting around right now.  Its thought to be equal to between 8 and 15% of the nations annual GDP.

How the hell can the GOP get people to listen to their plans for tax cuts, how the hell can they say with straight face that if we would just cut tax on the rich and the corporations, remember precious and rare job creators, then.......then the economy will grow and jobs will return.

These rising trillions in cash setting idle are proof of just the opposite.  The so called "job creators" do not create jobs  with money, they kill jobs with money by taking it out of circulation.   The 99% better pay attention, your paying the taxes, your paying the price, you better pay attention.

One of those 8 or is it 9 of Perry's Supremes recuses herself, again.

Justice Kegan recuses herself for the 12th time, not something Scalia or Thomas are use to in their many  years on the bench senior to Kegan.  It must be bewildering to the right to see an "activist" judge set out, what kind of trickery is this?  What if this becomes expected of conservative Supremes as well?  Nah, never happen.

Warm weather and drought in Europe could be a lack of political ignorance

Ski slopes in many parts of the Alps are still without snow, missing the late Oct. early Nov. opening.  Downslope the snows should be feeding into the Rhine and Danube rivers, which in Europe are major freight ways.  The Rhine as it leaves Switzerland should be 4 meters deep, about 13 feet, but it's 1.5M, about 5 feet.  Near Koblenz Germany it is so low WWII bombs are spotted laying in the mud, causing 45,000 people to be evacuated while a brittish one tonner was disarmed.  Barges are running with 1/4 the normal tonnage of freight to avoid dragging bottom.  In one wide spot the Rhine is 20" deep, most barge operators have halted operations leaving a scramble for trucks and rail capacity driving up rates and slowing commerce.  
See in Europe they are having global warming, if they had the politicians we have they wouldn't have global warming.

I wanted to buy a congressman, but this wasn't enough.

How will I ever get rich enough to not pay tax?

Tin foil helmets and rubber spears to fight the upper class

Results of various polls these last few weeks, some are overwhelming, some are a mere 51% here are the publics positions on various issues in the US.  And for most of these items the public is willing to pay more for the product or in taxes to have it, yet the GOP blocks these things on behalf of their capitalist owners.

When polled, we want: higher milage lower polluting vehicles, more bus/train service, reduced noise in cities and on the job, increased energy efficient building standards, cleaner air, cleaner water, removal of dangerous yard and farm chemicals, energy from solar/wind/thermal and an end to coal power plants, stronger banking laws and prosecutions, stronger regulations on markets, outlaw payday loan companies, increase testing of food/restaurants, enforcement of consumer and product safety laws, get corporations out of the process at FDA, harsh laws on lobbyist access/support/legislative input to government and elected officials, protection for wildlife, increase in tax on the richest/corporations, increase in education at all levels, restore cuts that punished the poor, stop blocking judge appointments, the senate and congress should be exempted from any government pension plan and buy their own insurance.

There are very few outside the GOP hard core who are against these things, yet this is the norm of the day with the GOP and a few of the running scared Dems.

Here is my new law for lobbying:  lobbying (or having a sibling-spouse-child-parent lobbyist) disqualifies you from ever holding any government job, or I would compromise at 10 years after ceasing and being estranged from the firms and key people represented.  Also one would be forbidden to lobby for 10 years after leaving any government job or elected position or the military if at a rank above E7 (a high level sergeant).  Senators and Congress should not have government pension but plan their own  401K or savings account, Senators and Congress should have to work in DC 4 full days a week.  Lobbyist should have to enter/exit any government building by the citizen/tourist door and stand in line.  No staff member can be on "loan or receive value, promise or retainer from outside government and must be on the Senator or Congress staff's payroll.

Class warfare?  Yep,  you see I am jealous beause I can't afford to buy a congressmen, or even the city council.  But the capitalist upper class can.  I can't afford to run lies on TV, secretly, to smear the minorities and unemployed,  or cause doubts about science.  I don't even make enough money to pay the millionaires lower tax rate.  All I cling to is a little hope and my class warfare fantasy.

Do not go gently into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Pushing back on the icebreaker. .........  Ice cover in the Polar Bears home fell to a new low last summer, more ships are coming.

A Reichwing wordsmith gives the GOP the latest spin lesson.

Progressives need to know these code words the GOP will use these next few months, and keep the original terms in use, don't fall into their language patterns.  Below is the GOP's lesson plan:

1. Don't say 'capitalism.'

"I'm trying to get that word removed and we're replacing it with either 'economic freedom' or 'free market,' " Luntz said. "The public . . . still prefers capitalism to socialism, but they think capitalism is immoral. And if we're seen as defenders of quote, Wall Street, end quote, we've got a problem." 

2. Don't say that the government 'taxes the rich.' Instead, tell them that the government 'takes from the rich.'

"If you talk about raising taxes on the rich," the public responds favorably, Luntz cautioned. But  "if you talk about government taking the money from hardworking Americans, the public says no.Taxing, the public will say yes."

3. Republicans should forget about winning the battle over the 'middle class.' Call them 'hardworking taxpayers.'

"They cannot win if the fight is on hardworking taxpayers. We can say we defend the 'middle class' and the public will say, I'm not sure about that. But defending 'hardworking taxpayers' and Republicans have the advantage."

4. Don't talk about 'jobs.' Talk about 'careers.'

"Everyone in this room talks about 'jobs,'" Luntz said. "Watch this."

He then asked everyone to raise their hand if they want a "job." Few hands went up. Then he asked who wants a "career." Almost every hand was raised.

"So why are we talking about jobs?"

5. Don't say 'government spending.' Call it 'waste.'

"It's not about 'government spending.' It's about 'waste.' That's what makes people angry."

6. Don't ever say you're willing to 'compromise.'

"If you talk about 'compromise,' they'll say you're selling out. Your side doesn't want you to 'compromise.' What you use in that to replace it with is 'cooperation.' It means the same thing. But cooperation means you stick to your principles but still get the job done. Compromise says that you're selling out those principles."

7. The three most important words you can say to an Occupier: 'I get it.'

"First off, here are three words for you all: 'I get it.' . . . 'I get that you're angry. I get that you've seen inequality. I get that you want to fix the system."

Then, he instructed, offer Republican solutions to the problem.

8. Out: 'Entrepreneur.' In: 'Job creator.'

Use the phrases "small business owners" and "job creators" instead of "entrepreneurs" and "innovators."

9. Don't ever ask anyone to 'sacrifice.'

"There isn't an American today in November of 2011 who doesn't think they've already sacrificed. If you tell them you want them to 'sacrifice,' they're going to be be pretty angry at you. You talk about how 'we're all in this together.' We either succeed together or we fail together."

10. Always blame Washington.

Tell them, "You shouldn't be occupying Wall Street, you should be occupying Washington. You should occupy the White House because it's the policies over the past few years that have created this problem."

BONUS:

Don't say 'bonus!'

Luntz advised that if they give their employees an income boost during the holiday season, they should never refer to it as a "bonus." 

"If you give out a bonus at a time of financial hardship, you're going to make people angry. It's 'pay for performance.'"

How did the police go from our best buddies to looking like the Egyptian army?

I am sure this lady was such a threat to the safety of these guys in riot gear that stepping on her head was the only way possible to ensure public tranquility.  

Question: Under the law voted last night by the United States Senate, if one of these officers said the person being stood on made a threat against the nation, she could be turned over to the military for a life time of imprisonment with no lawyer or legal recourse, no rights, back to the middle ages, dungeons.  Obama must veto this military budget, he must not sign it with this law as part of it.  This creates a police.  We have all heard of planted evidence, lies and corruption of some police over the years resulted in innocent in jail, even executions.  Well........  If bat shit crazy Bachmann, Noot, and Fox news so easily claims some democrats should be jailed for perceived ties to terrorist, muslims and so on, then where the hell do you think this law will lead to if those people are running the nation?

"Stream of Conscience" Music Video by 2/3 Goat

GOP "inequality good, government bad, unemployed bad, lay offs good, WTF?

We should all remember this.  We hear often that all the spending and public works programs didn't get the US out of the great depression, it was WWII that finally did it.  This, though partially correct it did not return industry to a rolling boil it provided work for millions planting forests, building parks and roads, but this popular myth bends us to an absurd logic if taken to conclusion, seeing the Axis powers as the best job creators this nation ever had.  Which leads me to suspect the GOP would gladly land us in another war one day to have the excuse to do what they cannot do now, stimulate the economy through government spending.

If you only remember one thing about this episode, remember that bureaucrats in the government running up massive debt and  borrowing launched full employment overnight.  Industry did not wake up in Dec. 41 and decide to build bomb fins or recycle scrap steel.  No, government cut the checks and mailed them out to make it happen.  Like it or not the government is the only thing that can quickly restart a stuck economy the size of the US.  Within days of Pearl Harbor money was flying out with the plans and orders, they ordered thousands of precision grinding machines, purchased land for new air bases, increased hundred fold every armament contract on the books.  Industry built the machinery of war but it was overseen, planned and funded by government agencies, the "job creators" of the day were firmly attached to the pigs tit, sure they had some latitude, but it was a massive socialist system that they profited from and the nation won the war with.

As to government debt, it can be a scary thing indeed.  However, we should not view it as a number out there that sets alone.  The debt is not so scary if it is set next to a good growth rate, if the population of future workers is growing, if revenues are increasing.  Republicans, especially the really stupid ones, talk about *Greece or other nations in dire straights as comparison, but there is none.  Greece has a crazy big  debt per cap than us, it has defaulted on it's debt a couple dozen times since WWII, tax cheating is national hobby, the economy is tiny and very narrow compared to the US, they don't have a currency of their own, so it's hardly worth the discussion. The lesson we should be learning, the experiment under way in the US, in the states, in the cities, is to cut governments income (revenues) and the services provided.  Under the voodoo economics theory this will stimulate growth.  This experiment is taking place also in parts of Europe at the same time.  Already the results are becoming evident.  Laying off hundreds of thousands of government workers, teachers and food inspectors does little to stimulate houses to be built or the next educated work force to emerge.  Cutting hiway projects cause private sector jobs to dry up, this too apparently fails at stimulating a housing boom.  The experiment is already a failure, it should be stopped before the patient dies.  You cannot help the out of work become workers and tax payers by making it free for the rich to live among us while we reduce every form of service for the common good and meanly add to the unemployed rolls.

Now, the job creators of today.  Where are they?  If we are to believe the GOP, the upper 1%, or 10% ,use what you will, are the blessing of the world delivered to the USA by God to trickle down on us, and most important to give us jobs for our share of the American Dream.  Bull shit.  I think it was a politician of the faire sex from Maine if I have it right, a few days ago said something like ....... very few of the 1%ers are job creators.  Think about it.  Many of these people make their money off the markets and by speculating or collecting royalties.  They are not tinkering in an R&D shop with some craftsmen they hired to invent washable toilet paper or a faster power window for the Lexus.  No, the closest they come to job creation is contracting for maid service when they visit their homes in Aspen or Cayman Islands.  She suggest we devise a way to tax the idle rich and leave the job creators alone.  Excellent, but sure as shoot'n their lobbyest will claim they are all job creators if they hold a poor guys mortgage papers, or if they own Boeing stock.  Look, stock trading is a secondary market, buy stock and you don't invest one fucking cent in the company, you invest in speculation, a bet that someone else will want it enough to pay more some day.  The exception, the guys that started the company, and the IPO stock buyers, everyone else who buys stocks later on can pound trash up there ass and have the same impact on job creation at that corporation.
There are job creators, the guy that put the roof on my house, the guy that bought a machine and started making widgets.  But collecting dads insurance policy, or trading foreign currency, or overlooking the bay in Miami while collecting oil well payments from the Texas desert isn't job creating.  It's good that these people are able to eat and have shelter, but they should not own the government, nor should we buy the myth they are our blessing, our manna from heaven.  Should manna smell like nursing home piss?

(*the reason Greece and some other Euro nations are getting so much attention from the world for it's debt, is in part due to those so called job creators, the bankers and traders who bought these debt/default/swap instruments that brought us to our knees in 2008, in other words, at the same time some try to save it, some take the bet it will fail, if it fails none of these people or banks know the ramifications, other than billions will be swept into the hands of a few somewhere on a sunny isle or penthouse in Dallas while other banks and the Greeks could be brought down.)