Something Worth Sharing

I happened to catch this today, along with an article in the KC Star that the efforts of the Administration to jump start the economy has worked. But, since the US is now careening perilously towards stupidity, many will not believe it since Rush or Glenn or some other entertainer didn't scream it out.

"Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid?" Writes E. J Donne of the Washington Post. Then there's the structure of our government. Does any other democracy have a powerful legislative branch as undemocratic as the U.S. Senate?

"When our republic was created, the population ratio between the largest and smallest state was 13 to 1. Now, it's 68 to 1. Because of the abuse of the filibuster, 41 senators representing less than 11 percent of the nation's population can, in principle, block action supported by 59 senators representing more than 89 percent of our population. And you wonder why it's so hard to get anything done in Washington?"

Mr Dionne is more optimistic than I am, I think the US is in a steep decline and becoming increasingly irrelevant. But since Rush doesn't think the same... all is well.

In American Politics, Stupidity is the Name of the Game

In a Bad Mood

On this 13th of December, 2009 I hereby declare I am now 100% apolitical. I hate Democrats, Republicans, independents, Joe Lieberman, Sarah Palin, the idiot mayor of Kansas City, and all others but Jolie Justus, the hard toiling but ultimately frustrated State Senator from our district.

The mere fact that the US Congress can not see the fact that people need health care and talk real reform down over what it might cost while we waste trillions of dollars and thousands of lives on war is pathetic. How do these mothers sleep at night? Oh that is right, they are taken care of and are rich and powerful. Fuck the rest.

I am glad, however, that the health care deal is going down in flames. It is worthless; forcing people to buy likely lousy insurance, making the insurance companies richer as they continue to collect premiums and still manage to deny payments. Without a public option, it is worthless crap. Come on, fellow citizens, the rest of the world takes better care of their people and they have not slid into fascist states, espouse communism or worse. Frankly, they are laughing at us, but the "leaders" still think our system is the best. The pansy Congress has not the courage to say "let's move forward", because well... the bribes were nice and I do have re-election coming up, can't do anything to piss anyone off.

Oh,by the way idiots, listen... we are already paying for insurance big time. Not through a tax, but through high prices and bankruptcies as companies struggle and fold trying to pay for health benefits.

This rudderless, sinking bulk of a country is fucked beyond all belief. Our industries are shadows of their past; no one wants to buy US autos, Boeing can't get its new plane off the ground, everything is made overseas. We are a nation consigned to selling hamburgers to each other.

Discourse is at rock bottom. Most nations would be proud to have their president receive a Nobel Peace Prize, the US thinks Obama's is silly and undeserved.

So I am just saying fuck it with the rest of you, sitting at home getting drunk and hopefully becoming a burden to you all.

I sort of agree with Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright, God Damn America.

I think he already has.

A New Rise

While sorting through some of my old books, I came across my old copy of William Shirer's classic book "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", still today considered the definitive story of the Nazi era in Germany. I did not read the whole thing cover to cover again, but I did pick chapters here and there to review, mostly from the rise era.

It scared me to death.

For you see, I found frightening parallels between the rise of the right wing fanatic Adolf Hitler during Germany's greatest economic and political crisis and the USA's summer of discontent. Well trained and motivated hooligans are making a living going around comparing Obama and Democrats to Hitler. The most disturbing, and insane, images are these young (should I go so far as say Brownshirts or Hitler Youth???? maybe) instigators holding signs with Obama's image disfigured to look like Hitler.

These poor schleps can't even get history right. Hitler cared not a wink about people, especially poor, we all know that. If there is a Nazi movement in the US, it is from the right, not the left.

In 1930, Germany was a defeated, economically challenged disaster. The once proud nation was reeling. No longer a world power, no longer a leader, ashamed, crushed. Germans, looking around at their world, saw immigrants and people not like themselves coming in and taking jobs, making money, gaining power. Political leadership was corrupt, old fashioned and totally inept.

In the last decade, the US has faced similar, but hardly exact challenges, but similar enough to give one pause. The US is battered by a fast changing world economy, American industrial icons like General Motors, Chrysler, Boeing, General Electric, Kodak, I could name more, are no longer world leaders, usurped by Asia, Europe and even Latin America.

Just as many Germans were concerned over foreign and Jewish ownership of business and feared a take over, a flood of immigrant and threats at home by terrorists have shaken many Americans. My GOD! Even the Supreme Court has a Latina and a black man ("Uncle Tom" though he may be) trying to destroy the Constitution. Many right wing publications, commentators and religious leaders are quick to scream that "True Christian Americans" are under attack. The "birther" idiocy... is that just a cover to make sure no "Muslim named, African" can ever become president again? The term "Pure Aryan Stock" ring a bell, anyone?

Our airwaves have been taken over by a right wing propaganda machine that spits out such abuse at its opponents and weaves so many fear mongering lies that would give Nazi Propaganda Minster Joseph Goebbels a hard on. The truth is what we tell you, spouts the "Völkischer Beobachter" (for the uninformed, the Nazi Party Paper from 1920-1945) and Fox News (the American Right Wing voice since 1996). Lies become truth, and once debunked, they are kept alive by attacking those who dare to challenge.

The USA is a frustrated country. Frustrated and irate at a government that lied and led the country into an unwinnable and unpopular war. Coffers drained, military might stifled, prestige bruised. It is frustrated by its inept and cruel handling of disastrous hurricane Katrina and its victims. The last administration presided over an historic economic collapse, while the new one went on a spending spree leading to the inevitable crushing debt.

Then today Senate Repub leaders came to Kansas City for "Closed Town Hall Meeting" What the FUCK is that?? Oh yes, A Republican town hall, where all the like minded agree on everything the leaders say. In this meeting, Rep Sen Mc Connell of KY said it was time to start over on healthcare. Sure Sen. McConnell wants to start over on health care. The current versions won't protect the mega profits of the insurance industry that is bankrolling his re-election campaigns and those of his friends. To the tune of 2 million plus In Mc Connell's case.

Isn't is amazing that they can have a "closed door town hall" and think they are getting a "fair and balanced" set of opinions? Oops, I forgot, "fair and balanced" means only the right gets to express an opinion. And the Repub's idea of bi-partisanship is 'do it our way or else we'll whine about it to Rush Limbaugh."

Or have you eliminated.

The Queen Mary: A Swan Song

Yes... the fabled Queen Mary is likely gone....sadly not my real choice, but I am being pragmatic and facing the inevitable.

She is the victim of my recalcitrance to license her in MO, being slow to license in IL and not paying some tickets from 2004. So the KC police decided she (and I) were a bigger menace than druggies, vagrants, shooters and such and spent 3 officer's time and 4 hours being complete jerks. Since she was a menace, off to the tow lot she goes.

Sadly, all sentimentality has to be set aside and I have to realize it would cost more than she is worth to get it back. So they can have her. She understands... she was running on borrowed time anyway. The paint was shot, the tires were shot, the engine was starting to nickel and dime to death, plus I know underneath she was a rust bucket waiting to happen. She was junk yard bound anyway.

For $1000 4 years ago I got my money's worth.

For now, I am forgoing automobiles for a while. I am sick of police, speed traps, red light cameras, no turns, bla bla bla, all for this hell hole of a city to make money. I got a bike now, for the long distance runs. I can walk to:

Grocery
Bank
Garden
Drug Store
Post office
Barber Shop
Liquor Store
Favorite Bar
Plaza
Westport

Express Bus direct to:

Church
Downtown
Crossroads
Crown Center (not like I go there every day)

I don't think I'll miss it much. I will later, I am sure and sometime a new vehicle may occupy my spot. For now, a further simplification of my life.

Queen Mary: July 23, 2005-August 7, 2009

The Queen in her Better Days:

Coupl'a Things XXI

1) As the old saying goes, be careful of what you ask for, you might get it. I had been bitching about the cool spring and now it looks like the 90s are here for a while. The AC units are roaring, the towers treasurer is bitching about power bill (but this pathetic twit bitches about birds in the yard so I don't listen to him much), the doors are swelling and sticking, needing constant attention and pugwalks have been suspended until further notice.

Summer be here now!

2) Obama, you are beginning to be a disappointment. Ok, he has at least not been a George Bush and the world still seems to love him. But his scattershot approach to the economy and strange Supreme Court nominee (I don't trust her) has me wondering about him. This "fierce advocate" for gay and lesbian rights, as he called himself in the campaign, has turned out to be a paper tiger. No firm stand on marriage and allowing the Department of Injustice to issue a defence of the "Defence of Marriage Act" (the most hypocritical and laughable piece of "legislation" ever written, future generations will get a kick out of it) that made Rush and Pat Robertson giddy with glee that the administration agreed with them that gay marriage was the same as incestuous marriage, were supposedly tempered by giving a few Gay and Lesbian employees a few benefits, but not full equality and temporary ones at that. Our G/L "leaders" such as the Human Rights Campaign, did little but express regret and muted praise. We need to stop supporting those who can't come to grips with the fact that GLBT people are citizens and deserve equal treatment. Took the USA a war and then a hundred years to figure that out over racial equality.... maybe we need a war?

We wont... all the queers I know are just dreaming of moving to the mythical warm climates where they can party all year long in expensive locales. Dumb asses.

3) Saw a cute semi-staged reading of an old play "The Octette Bridge Club" as a benefit for the Coterie Theature, KC's children's theatre. Bravo ladies!

4) Tried to think of something else... but it is not coming to me... so guess that is it. How's that for a finale?

Places to Avoid

More streets to avoid:

Wornall Road and 79th Street.

63rd Street and Prospect Avenue.

39th and Main streets.

19th and Walnut streets.

Southwest Trafficway and 27th Street.

These are the latest red light camera locations here in KC.

More idiotic, revenue generators for the bankrupt New Detroit, aka Kansas City, MO. Does nothing but increase donut time for police. I am sure this will not decrease the response time when 911 is called to report a theft or drug activity. That means real work and does not make $$$$ for the disaster that is called KC.

Coupl'a Things XIV

1) To Attorney General Eric Holder, who is whining about Americans being "cowards" in discussing race. What a self serving little rant. Race has been talked to death, frankly, few societies have ever had has frank and open discussions. Why not move on to more pressing justice issues? Gay and Lesbian rights, the overwhelming use of the death penalty, more people incarcerated than in all of the countries of the European Union, treatment of the mentally ill as criminals, reasonable sex offender laws, reintegration of inmates, prosecutorial misconduct and the over all feeling among many that the justice system takes care of its own and functions to make government money and to advance lawyers' and politicians' careers?

These have to be addressed and are not talked about at all.

2) Speaking of money makers, KC has installed its first red light cameras. I now avoid 39th and SW Trafficway like the plague. Police are thrilled, more donut time.

3) RIP, Wendy Richard, better known as Miss Brahms from the long running British comedy show Are You Being Served?. Richard was 65 and died after a year long cancer battle. She was a fixture of British TV, also starring in the long running "East Enders" show. She was most known across the pond for her role as the cheeky Miss Brahms, the Junior clerk in the ladies department at Grace Brothers on AYBS.

Just Another Day at the Capitol

Since I drive the venerable Queen Mary around Kansas City with Illinois license plates (never heard them called tags until I got here to Missouri), I am sometimes asked what I think about the current controversy surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. First of all, you have to believe me that I am from Illinois as I could spell Blagojevich without looking it up. Second of all, you know I am a son of the Land of Lincoln because I am not real excited about it. Frankly, for Illinois, this is par for the course.

Since 1960:

William Stratton (R): not convicted but charged with tax evasion.

Otto Kerner (D): was bribed by owner of racetracks. The bribes came to light when the owner deducted them from her income tax as normal and customary business expenses. He was no longer governor but was a federal judge when he was convicted and sent to prison for 3 years.

Dan Walker (D): hated by all. After serving was convicted of fraudulent loans and practices surrounding an oil change franchise.

Jim Thompson (R): never convicted or charged but led one of the most patronage riddled administrations ever, only disbanded after a long court battle. To get the most menial of state jobs, you had to be a member in good standing of the Republican party. I know, that is why after getting a degree in Public Administration, I had to leave Illinois, I could not get a job.

George Ryan (R): Currently serving time in Federal prison for corruption. It is possible he may get a pardon. Ironically for a Republican, Ryan actually is a hero of mine. He had the boldness to stop the death penalty in Illinois due to concerns over the morality and fairness of it. "We have now freed more people than we have put to death under our system," he said. "There is a flaw in the system, without question, and it needs to be studied." He eventually commuted all death sentences to life and pardoned some with flimsy evidence.

And now Rod. And that is just the Governors.

Business as usual. All the hacks in the state are going ballistic over his troubles. Why? They can't stand him personally, not because he is crooked. Obama? He is an Illinois politician. Of course he is shady... but in this case, I don't think he was involved.

So to take advantage of the current media attention and to enshrine corruption as intrinsic to Illinois as Lincoln and prairies, the state has recently decided to revise the state song:

By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois
All thy Gov'ners to prison going, Illinois, Illinois

The state license plate will now feature a likeness of Lincoln and a border made of handcuffs and prison bars.

I kind of like the idea.

You have Fucking GOT to be kidding.....

Olathe police have investigated allegations that a 13-year-old boy inappropriately hugged a school faculty member, the department announced today.

The female faculty member reported the incident Nov. 11 at the Chisholm Trail Junior High School at 16700 W. 159th St., police said.

The boy was released to his parents, and police have forwarded the case to the Johnson County district attorney’s office for review on a possible charge. So far no charge has been filed, a spokesman said.

Say What Presidente?

Oh give me a break! Demonstrations and signs declaring "No Dictatorship" are part of the landscape of much of Nicaragua. The Venezuela oil deal was supposed to give poor Nicaraguans access to less expensive fuel... not happened. Ortega is more hated, per capita than Bush. Even his own friends and colleagues desert him. Yet the now state controlled or at least state intimidated media announce this package of lies and distortions:

After Transparency International ranked Nicaragua as the fifth most corrupt country in Latin America, Nicaragua's Comptroller General Luis Angel Montenegro announced that not one public official has been punished for corruption during the first 18 months of President Daniel Ortega's term.

Montenegro said the lack of sanctions against public officials for corruption reflects an improvement in the way Sandinista government employees conduct themselves compared with past governments. In the first year of ex-President Arnoldo Aleman's government, the comptroller sanctioned more than 150 public officials, Montenegro pointed out.

“This is a government without corruption,” he told state-run TV channel Multinoticias.

Transparency International's 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index, released Sept. 23, paints a different picture. The survey, which indicates the degree of public sector corruption as perceived by business people and country analysts on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (highly clean), gave Nicaragua a score of 2.5 – the worst corruption ranking in Central America. Nicaragua placed 134 out of 180 countries, tied with Pakistan and Ukraine. In Latin America, only Haiti, Venezuela, Ecuador and Paraguay outranked Nicaragua for perceived corruption.

The Ortega administration has been under fire from opposition at home and observers abroad for opaque management of some $520 million in Venezuelan aid.

So, I guess this can be a lesson for the mayor and police of Kansas City.. don't arrest anyone and claim crime is non existent.

Stupid Government Tricks

Drown, Get Rescued, Get Arrested

Tressa Gets Her Reward

I am lazy today, and yesterday too. Did not want to expend the energy bitching about something thus no post for Wednesday. I did, however, find out a sure fire way of getting your blog noticed, post cute pictures of a pug. Puggles' pics and story on Tues accounted for a dramatic rise in the number of hits for the blog.

Playbill Arts has an update on the Tressa Waggoner story. She is receiving an honor from Opera America for her efforts to expand the closed, stupid minds of Bennett, CO. You can read it here:

Opera America to Honor Teacher Fired for Playing Faust

I guess it has a somewhat happy ending after all. See my blog on Feb 3 and March 19th for more on this absolutely stupid affair.

All for now.... sorry no dog pics today.

Losing Minds in Kansas

Living close (but not in thank you, even though the word "Kansas" is in the name of my city, I live in the Missouri side) to the state of Kansas, I get a bird's eye view of all the silliness that has emerged from The Sunflower State. It almost seems that the right wing boobies have invaded the place and are bent on making it a world unto its own. Most of it comes from the crazy people they elect to office. You know, maybe those are not turnpike toll booths outside of Topeka, but mind warping devices. The most egregious perpetrators are the stupefyingly bizarre State School Board and the Out of Control Attorney General Phil Kline. Here are just a few of the recent tricks these nuts have been up to:

Kansas was thoroughly humiliated in the great "intelligent design" debate and the same school board continues to stick their nose in everything but how well students are learning.

They drug the administration of the Blue Valley School district into one of their conclaves to demand why they want students to read any book outside the Bible and "Why George Bush is Next to God". Some parents in Johnson County (aka Cupcake Land, where the Blue Valley School district lies) objected to some books and the School Board actually had the balls to tell them to go away.

Board member John Bacon said parents who have challenged books in Blue Valley tell him they were ignored. He said he plans to continue pressing the local district to drop the books. "I don'’t believe it's going to go away any time soon", he threatened. So taxpayer $ will be spent on his vendetta...and Johnny still can't read, or spell. Have you noticed how horrible spelling is these days??

Blue Valley Superintendent Tom Trigg said literature that ignores challenging issues and paints only a flattering view of history, race and culture would fail the students. "I don't think that'’s the kind of world we live in (and) I don't think that's why writers write," he said according to the KC Star. The KS School Board thinks they know better.

THEN....

Last month board member Kathy Martin of Clay Center decided that sex education in Kansas focus on abstinence and the flaws of contraceptives, the dangers of sexually transmitted disease and unwanted pregnancy. Forget the fact that (GASP!) kids are going to have sex because the "Intelligent Designer" made it so humans mature sexually faster than they mature rationally. Try telling a horny 17 yr old to cool it because the KS School Board said so.

Then Martin said it would be up to local school districts to decide the specifics, as long as they stress that abstinence is the best way to avoid the negative consequences of teen sex.

Those who came to protest this silly proposal told the board they already talk about abstinence and the dangers of teen sex. Just like the redundant "Marriage Protection" Constitutional amendments are over kill, so is this proposal.

"At this point I a’m highly confused," said one board member. Think how the students must feel.

Then we have Mr. Kline, who must be so sexualy frustrated that he can only focus on sex and "sex crimes". The case of Matthew Limon, a mentally retarded young man of 15 he wanted to prosecute (and is still after, he wants to brand him a sex offender) for a blow job (the kid has a low IQ and was in a group home for God's sake)until he finally lost in the KS Supreme Court. He still wants abortion records so he can look into possible charges of rape. Good God man, go get some and quit sticking your fat face in the bedrooms of your fellow citizens. Especially kids having sex. Sounds like a pedophile to me.

Kansas' tourism motto is "Kansas, as Big as it Looks" (a whole laugh unto itself).. "Kansas, as Bigoted as it Looks" is an alternative.

Amnesty International Slams US Police Treatment of GLBT Citizens

Amnesty International has released the above linked press release aregarding the treatment of Gay and Lesbian citizens by police here in the Land of "Freedom". I generally dislike police and trust them even less. This just confirms my feelings.

Speaking of freedom, are you all, like me, sick of the word "Freedom" being misused by the right wing to deescribe their warped view of the world? Freedom to them means freedom to fuck over anyone they want, freedom to make life miserable for those that dare to challenge or disagree with them, freedom to legislate their hypocritcal morality.

Please fellow citizens, redeem this country and vote out the right wing nuts.

It is Official

It's official...the USA is fucked up:

FIRST GRADER SUSPENDED FOR HARASSMENT

No wonder US students don't learn and academically fall behind most of the world. We worry about harassment more than if they learn anything. Good God, I did that when I was 6, as did we all. No wonder the US prisons are full of sex offenders; anymore any sex or talk is an offense. If I were a parent, I would be afraid to talk to my kids about sex. What if they said something to the neighbor kid and he/she said something to his/her parents. And they decided it was wrong and called the cops or Family Service.

We are sexaphobic, thanks to the over influence of Religion and a long Puritan tradition. I do not see much hope for same sex marriage and gay/lesbian rights here as long as sex in general is such an issue.

Someone once said:

"In the great emigration from England in the 1600's, the US got the religious puritans and Australia got the convicts. I think Australia got the better end of the deal"

I have to agree!

Annoyed

Don't be annoyed by this ok?? Further example of why we need a revolution (oops just annoyed someone I am sure, better get ready for prison). With domestic spying ok according to our Fuhrer (oops double annoy)I am sure I will be targeted.

Thanks to Steve for annoying me with this information...arrest that man!!