May 21, 2022

George Carlin documentary on HBO.

Watched last night. It's an excellent, yet painful telling of his life's story.

https://slate.com/culture/2022/05/george-carlin-american-dream-hbo-free-speech-judd-apatow.html

His brother Patrick was featured in the doc. He died last month.

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/patrick-carlin-dead-90-george-carlin-brother-1235234338/


I saw Carlin in person just one time in 1999. He was an equal opportunity insulter. And he laid into the left for actually trying to do what he complained wasnt being done. Especially over the Environment. Too bad he didn't live to see Obama elected. In my mind had he died 1/21/09, he'd have been more at peace.

May 19, 2022

Democrats must tap into price gouging by the "GOP Oil Industry".

We know price gouging at the pump drives prices up everywhere. Not everyone else does though. That dirty energy resource has more money than God and uses much of it to lobby and support Republicans.

Dems need to focus on the fact that they can fix or hurt our economy at their whim and project that to voters. We need laws to hold gougers in check. And maybe this in tandem with personal choice could be a call to elect Dems to get progressives on the SCOTUS as well as lower courts.

IMHO Chuck Schumer should drive these issues into the mainstream. And Biden should bring serious attention to to these harmful entities - oil industry and SCOTUS.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/03/oil-and-gas-industry-has-pumped-millions-into-republican-campaigns

May 18, 2022

Elon Musk full on truth denier...

ELON ALL IN FOR GOP — CLAIMS DEMS ‘THE PARTY OF DIVISION & HATE’
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-republican-2022-primary-elections_n_62854144e4b050d9519a2bcb

May 5, 2022

Do it Dems!!

"The United States Supreme Court appears poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and end abortion rights in many states, but one columnist argued the Senate isn't powerless to stop what amounts to a tyrannical move.

The 5-4 decision drafted by Justice Samuel Alito would allow many states to criminalize abortion and severely undermine privacy rights under the 14th Amendment, which would expand government power into Americans' personal lives and endanger a number of basic liberties -- and Congress should take immediate action, argued Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin."

"Let’s throw out the term ‘culture wars.’ This is religious tyranny."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/04/culture-wars-diminishes-danger/


https://www.rawstory.com/senate-abortion-bill/

April 30, 2022

I think Putin watched "Man of Steel"

We're watching the 2013 movie now on HBO.. Repeatedly the idea that one people can just destroy a place and a people to take for themselves is driven by the lack of morality. It is spelled out clearly that lack of morality is part of evolution. At least that's what I've gleaned so far.

Putin = Zod

April 25, 2022

Twatter!

Musk's billions and ego won.

This is spooky stuff.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/25/business/elon-musk-twitter

April 22, 2022

Is Capitalism broken?

I can't get beyond thinking that inflation is driven by politics becase it could easily go away if those price gouging companies ceased gouging. It benefits them at a time like this to keep the public outraged at Democrats. But very unhealthy for our economic system. Before the Limbaughs of the world were paid outrageous salaries to promote shredding the safety net, we had a healthy middle class. And we weren't told to fear an educated public.

I also think because the number of monthly bills has more than doubled over the past 30 years, that most of us will never be able to have enough money to pay for all the extras we've come to rely on.

If gougers were controlled, they would cry "Socialism!" But they give Capitalism a very bad name and seem intent on destroyimg the whole thing. WE ARE THE ECONOMY.

Then there's this from The New Republic, that I missed:

"Don’t be hoodwinked. It isn’t Joe Biden who’s making record profits and gouging U.S. consumers. That would be corporate America.

The prices of everyday goods are going up, and everyone from members of Congress to talking heads on cable news have their own diagnoses as to why it’s happening. But they’re all missing the biggest piece of the puzzle about what is to blame—namely, corporate profiteering.

https://newrepublic.com/article/164505/inflation-corporate-profiteering-biden-consumers

April 22, 2022

Great retort to Florida's Don't Say Gay law from Jeremiah Brent

Truly inspiring and beautiful thoughts that I hope are shared far and wide:



https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccnhz0ELG6b/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

April 20, 2022

Who understands the status of the Infrastructure bill? And how can Dems run on it?

I don't fully understand the status or the implementation of it. Nobody is talking about it. It's "bipartisan". But that term no longer really applies during our current takeover of anti-democratic entities like Russia and the GOP. It should be promoted by all as its "bipartisan". And it should have lots of "sunshine" as the funds aren't distributed until after the midterms.

I googled around and this re: PA came up:

Gov. Wolf Announces $199 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 11 Counties
April 20, 2022

ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, PRESS RELEASE, PUBLIC HEALTH
Governor Tom Wolf today announced the investment of $199 million for 13 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source projects across 11 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).

“Ensuring the reliability of our most precious infrastructure is vital to the road to recovery for many of our communities,” said Gov. Wolf. “As we prepare for much-needed increases in federal and state resources, like those in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will bring more than $240 million to Pennsylvania next year alone for clean water infrastructure, I am confident that these projects will pave the way for successful growth and revitalization.”

Then there's stuff, which is clearly the place where the theft off all those tax dollars can be found. I found this article (which I can't copy and paste) that makes the matter even muddier, but helps to explain why everything is made way too complicated.

https://www.wvnews.com/news/around_the_web/aecom-introduces-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-digital-solution/article_0b353e1a-6fc7-5dc3-acfe-365681b09070.html

April 20, 2022

Al Franken straight talk about our present predicament.

Al Franken explains why MAGA Republicans are as dangerously 'Orwellian' as the Kremlin

“.....Trump lied thousands and thousands of times throughout the presidency, from the size of his inaugural crowd all the way through to the Big Lie that the election was stolen,” Franken explains. “And of course, he has no intentions to stop. Now, here’s the thing: Two-thirds of Republicans now believe the Big Lie.”

The right-wing media ecosystem, according to Franken, has as blatant a disregard for the truth as state-operated Kremlin media in Russia.

“What strikes me now at this moment — this horribly tragic moment in Ukraine — is that what we are seeing in Russia, where its people are being told and believing that their army is fighting Nazis, is not that far from the Big Lie,” Franken warns. “How far are we really from ‘1984,’ where one of our two political parties attempts to overturn an election with an act of political violence…. How far are they away from Orwell’s thought police and the ministry of truth? How far is 2022 from ‘1984?’

https://www.alternet.org/2022/04/al-franken-explains-why-maga-republicans-are-as-dangerously-orwellian-as-the-kremlin/