Economy Commentary

No, "we" are not to blame for the current financial mess, which is nothing short of a scandal.

Derivatives play a major role in the meltdown:

Credit derivatives—those securities that few have ever seen—are one reason why this crisis is so different from 1929.

Derivatives weren't initially evil. They began as insurance policies on large loans. A bank that wished to lend money to a big, but shaky, venture, like what Ford or GM have become, could hedge its bet by buying a credit derivative to cover losses if the debtor defaulted. Derivatives weren't cheap, but in the era of globalization and declining American competitiveness, they were prudent. Interestingly, the company that put the basic hardware and software together for pricing and clearing derivatives was Bloomberg. It was quite expensive for a financial institution—say, a bank—to get a Bloomberg machine and receive the specialized training required to certify analysts who would figure out the terms of the insurance. These Bloomberg terminals, originally called Market Masters, were first installed at Merrill Lynch in the late 1980s.

Miscellaneous

As far as I am concerned, it's good riddance to the drag queen culture. If gays ever want to be taken seriously as some kind of oppressed group, this kind of garbage needs to go.

Politics IS serious business, and drag queens and gay pride parades do absolutely nothing to convince the general voting public of the gay activists' causes. As a group gays have no political sense whatsoever.
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One of the most bizarre stories of the past couple of weeks is the case of the woman who had octuplets, yet she already had six children previously. This woman is a divorced graduate student who is living with her mother.

Having 14 children is odd enough, but apparently these multiple births came about through IVF and raises all kinds of ethical questions going far beyond mere "choice":

The hospital where the octuplets were born - Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower, California - has said by the time the woman came to them she was already three months pregnant.

During an interview on CBS's The Early Show, Michael Tucker, scientific director of Georgia Reproductive Specialists, said: 'As the story's unfolded and it's gone from the potential use of just fertility drugs, or misuse thereof, to actual, apparently, IVF (in-vitro fertilization) with transfer of embryos, this is just remarkable to me that any practitioner in our field of reproductive medicine would undertake such a practice.'

The host asked Dr Tucker, who has a doctorate in reproductive physiology.

'Had she walked into a fertility clinic and said, "Listen, I've got other children, the oldest seven, the youngest two," is there any ethical responsibility on the clinic's part to say, "I'm not going to treat you," or, "You know what? This is not a good idea"?''

Dr Tucker's reply was unequivocal: 'I'm stunned, actually, that a clinic would proceed to treat a patient in this circumstance.'

And it gets better, for the woman, Nadya Suleman-Guiterrez, is said to have worked in a fertility facility.
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Get ready for some possible historical revisions regarding John Dean and Watergate.
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Merle Haggard is bouncing back from a bout with lung cancer.

He has this to say about the new president:

He confesses "I didn't vote for Obama," but can't deny the political and emotional sea change that the Illinois senator's ascension to the chief executive's office represents. "We're probably guilty of living up to the Constitution for the first time in the history of America, which is really something to say," Haggard says softly, looking a little battle-scarred in his Army-surplus jacket, black T-shirt, blue denim jeans and golden-brown ostrich boots.

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Obituaries

Boxer Ingemar Johansson, who gained notoriety for having knocked out Floyd Patterson to win the world heavyweight title in 1959, has died. He died in a Swedish nursing home following hospitalization with a bout (no pun intended) of pneumonia.

More Booming Economy

Not only are full-time workers feeling the pinch during this so-called "recession," but temporary workers are also.

This is a scary statistic:

Question: How many people go to work every week without being classified as a full-time worker?

Answer: Nearly one-third of the work force, about 42.6 million people, according to a 2006 report from the U.S. General Accountability Office. About 21.5 million of these workers either specialized in temp assignments, were independent contractors or were self-employed.

I suspect the self-employed are a minority of that statistic. It's scary because these people typically have no benefits.

Thank our federal officials for allowing far too many good jobs to go overseas and helping to decimate the quality of the jobs remaining here.
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With layoffs increasing, so are wrongful termination lawsuits, which are difficult to win in the best of cases.

One of the biggest regrets I have in my life was EVER allowing myself to sign an arbitration agreement, which the union and its lawyers did NOT explain waived all my rights to sue. I couldn't have witnesses, I couldn't bring in evidence, nothing. It was nothing but a kangaroo court process.
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The Booming Economy

L.A. public school teachers protest layoffs and budget cuts.

By the way, just because a teacher has "tenure" doesn't mean he or she has real job security. About the only thing "tenure" is good for is when it comes to layoffs, and districts have to go by seniority. But that's about it. It doesn't mean a teacher has a job for life or that districts can't get rid of him or her if they want. In fact, it is EASIER for districts to get rid of teachers they don't want with so-called "tenure" than if it didn't exist. The key is to con teachers marked for "death" to go through arbitration instead of hiring an outside lawyer and thus lose their rights to redress of grievances through trial by jury and be allowed witnesses. Neither exists in arbitration, which almost always favors the employer. Tenure is useful only during reductions in force; it isn't protection from asshole administrators.

The Great Depression

For those with no memory of the dark days of the 1930s, it is instructive to know just what it was like to live through the Great Depression.

My parents lived through it, so I heard many stories about how hard times were.

The Loyal Opposition

Could Michael Steele be in line for a possible presidential run?

That was what went through my head when the RNC announced he would be the new chair.

For the Curious,

just what is life like for the newly unemployed?

It's no picnic, let me tell you.

WHY TAX THE UNEMPLOYED?

I've been out of work for six months. My unemployment benefits, now reaching the final days of their last twelve-week extension, barely cover my basic monthly living expenses. While I am most grateful to receive them, I don't understand why the government taxes unemployment benefits. I'm facing a tax bill against benefits received in 2008 and I have no idea how I'm going to pay it. Worrying about this--on top of worrying about what I'll do if I become sick (since I have no health insurance), on top of searching for a job everyday--is almost too much. Thank you for providing a forum for the people most in need of economic help to have their voices heard.

Blame the GOP for that. It used to be UI wasn't taxed; I believe the move to tax benefits was during the Reagan years, because there is this mentality among too many in the GOP that people who are on UI are a bunch of bums. Never mind it is an insurance program for people who find themselves out of a job, whether through layoff or termination.

Obama's stimulus plan might be too slow.

The situation is truly dire.

Miscellaneous

The Smithsonian would like to have Aretha Franklin's now-famous hat she wore at the inauguration, and she is considering donating it.

It's sad in a way hats went out of style after the early 1960s except among African American women. Hats had a lot of elegance, and women back then always wore hats, white gloves, and matching purses and shoes before they went out.

Fashion has been pretty much "anything goes" since the late 1960s.
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Bill Ayers has decided to lengthen his 15 minutes of infamy and go around the country to talk about his education reform, thanks to his association with President Obama.

Naturally he attracted protests when he spoke in San Francisco.

Don't forget to watch the video clip.
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Republican Follies

The GOP plots a comeback, but of course the problem is if they continue to obstruct, obstruct, obstruct, they will be put into further irrelevance.

Most of these elected officials simply don't care about the American voter, and because this is true, Democrats should heed John Kerry's words to ignore these bastards.

Changing the filibuster rules in the Senate so Republicans who want to obstruct have to literally talk the bill to death 24/7, would take care of that problem.

The Booming Economy

The latest economic figures show the country's economy is continuing to contract.

More layoffs are listed in this article.
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Kodak has announced a major layoff.

Political Scandals Not Involving Blagojevich

A former U.S. representative elected in the redneck Oregon congressional district where I grew up until scandal forced him out of re-election is now in the news again. From the AP report:

Former Oregon Congressman Wes Cooley has been indicted in Los Angeles on federal money laundering and tax charges.

Prosecutors say the indictment filed Thursday is related to an investment fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million.

Cooley, 76, served in Congress with less than distinction during the years 1995-1997. Afterwards, he moved to Palm Springs.

Here is some information about Cooley's past scandals in case people don't know or forgot (from Wikipedia):

Cooley became embroiled in controversy after it was alleged that he had made false claims about serving in the Korean War. Cooley maintained that he had indeed served in the Korean War but that he was unable to prove his claim because he had served in the top-secret Army Special Forces and had been sworn to secrecy. He also claimed that the records of his service had been "destroyed in a fire", and that his immediate commander, Sergeant Major Clifford Poppy, had been killed in action.

A newspaper reporter tracked down the still-living Poppy, who had not been a member of the Special Forces but a drill instructor who had participated in Cooley's basic training at boot camp. When asked about Cooley's claims, Poppy harshly replied, "Tell him he’s a liar. Tell him Sergeant Poppy said that.” Poppy's response was later corroborated by three other former soldiers who, like many veterans, were concerned about a veteran with disputed status. Cooley responded with a veiled (and unsubstantiated) accusation that Poppy was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

Cooley became something of a national laughingstock, a caricature of the lying politician. He was a repeat subject of derisive coverage in News of the Weird, as it further came to light that he had "mistakenly" claimed a Phi Beta Kappa key and had fabricated or exaggerated achievements in a world motorcycle competition. When asked about the Phi Beta Kappa "mistake," Cooley responded that he was actually a member of another honor society, but he couldn't recall that society's name. When further pressed on both incidents, he stated that the "liberal media was engaging in character assassination."

The embattled Cooley was additionally plagued by allegations that his wife, Rosemary Herron Cooley (whose first husband died in a military plane crash in 1965), continued to receive benefit checks from the government as the widow of a veteran, several years after she had married Cooley (which would make them both felons, as a widow's benefits immediately cease upon remarriage, and there are severe penalties for falsifying federal documents). Cooley refused to answer questions about the date of his marriage, and his press spokesman explained that before Cooley could make a statement about when he got married, the congressman would first need to gather all the "facts at his disposal." Cooley finally stated they had been married in 1991, which is when his wife had stopped receiving the benefit checks; this was a full six years later than they had previously claimed.

Cooley got into major legal trouble for lying on the voter information pamphlet and was sentenced to two years probation.

Jimbo Eruptions

Even 25 percent approval is way too much for the dolt from Carson City.

Obituaries

One of the last silent film stars, French actress Marie Glory, died January 24 at the impressive age of 103.

Not much is out there on the internet about her death, so here is a snip from Wikipedia:

She was born in Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne, Normandy. Along with Doris Eaton Travis, Miriam Seegar, Dorothy Janis and Barbara Kent, she was one of the last living silent film actors who had lead roles as an adult. She made her film debut in 1924 with a small role in Raymond Bernard's historical epic Le Miracle des Loups under the stage name "Arlette Genny", which she used until 1927.

From then on, she was credited under the name "Marie Glory". In the more than three-hour French-German co-production L'Argent (1928), directed by Marcel L'Herbier, she played the lead female role alongside Brigitte Helm and Pierre Alcover. She starred with Jean Angelo, Lil Dagover and Gaston Modot in another French-German co-production, Henri Fescourt's The Count of Monte Cristo. She made her German film debut in 1929 in Vater und Sohn, directed by Géza von Bolváry.

Chickenshits of a Feather Stick Together

Chickenshits of both political parties in Illinois have decided to fall for the bullshit of Patrick Fitzgerald and throw out their embarrassment in the governor's mansion.

Not a single state senator stood up for Blago. Not one.

To put it on a more local level, Nevadans can't and won't get rid of the idiot in Carson City, and he is 100 times the embarrassment Blago is.

And here are those interviews from The View of ol' Rod three days ago:

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4 is here.


And Larry King:

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:



Part 6:



Part 7:



Part 8:



A link to these videos is here.

Riddle of the Day

What do you call a thousand penises?

Answer: Dick Armey




Shame on him.

Shameless Asshole Republicans

As if there are any other kind. Now they want to use the xenophobic/racist card in order to torpedo Obama's stimulus plan.

They DON'T want him to succeed, and they think by driving the economy further into the ditch this will benefit them in 2010 or 2012.

The Booming Economy

Although Marvin Schur was buried, questions remain unburied about just why in the hell he was allowed to freeze to death in his Michigan home.

Anyway one looks at it, this is homicide as sure as if somebody had come in and shot him in the head.

The WSWS has some video:



link

Obituaries to Note

Parade columnist James Brady, 80, possibly of a stroke.
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Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell, 56, apparently of heart problems.
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Singer and actress Susanna Foster, 84, best known for her performance in the 1943 version of Phantom of the Opera, of heart failure.
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NFL player Billy Wilson, 81, of cancer.
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Jazz saxophonist David (Fathead) Newman, 75, of pancreatic cancer.
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Famed women's basketball coach Kay Yow, 66, of cancer.
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My Baby Just Cares for Me

With all of the crap going on in my life right now, it is so great to listen and watch a truly great entertainer of the past do his thing, and yep, in that politically incorrect blackface:



From Whoopee (1930) in early color.

Cantor's performances here and elsewhere really brighten the mood. I wish there were entertainers of this caliber now.

Political Commentary

Unlike Ted Rall, I will give Obama a month to prove his mettle, medal, meddle, or whatever.

But don't say I didn't warn people about Obama long, long ago.

Kissing the ass of the other side is a recipe for failure.

Congressional Stupidity

"My" congressman Dean Heller never fails to disappoint.

More Booming Economy

Starbucks is laying off 6,700 and closing 300 stores.
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My Honey Said Yes, Yes!

I found this great video clip of the great Eddie Cantor and featuring a dance sequence from the equally great Busby Berkeley from the film Palmy Days:



link

This was from 1931, which was pre-Hays Code Hollywood. The sound quality is great for the time.


They really don't make 'em like this anymore. Cantor is largely forgotten by modern audiences, which is truly sad. He was one of the greats, absolutely adorable, with tons of talent and charisma.

He mentions actress Clara Bow in this song, which is likely an in-joke of sorts. Cantor, who was married for years and years, reportedly had an affair with her.

Cantor retired in the 1950s from show business and died in 1964. He died at about the same time as show business greats Gracie Allen and Harpo Marx passed away.

The Booming Economy

A job layoff was to blame for a father killing his family in Los Angeles.

The children, whose pictures are posted on the sidebar of the article, were adorable. What a horrendous tragedy.
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Student protests against Governor Jim Gibbons' proposed draconian higher education budget cuts will likely have an impact on the legislature.

I am rather disappointed the turnout was relatively anemic given the fact UNR was providing transportation to Carson City.
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The WSWS lists some recent layoffs--as recent as the past couple of days--in this piece.
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The utility company in this outrageous case should be charged with murder.

It's just too bad, so sad the 93-year-old man froze to death. It was his fault, after all:

Local officials have reacted with callousness. The electricity commissioner and the mayor attempted to pin the blame on Schur. “I’m certain if there had been some communication we could have solved this without the tragedy that occurred,” Newston said.
“It’s just unfortunate that this gentleman didn’t reach out,” Mayor Charles Brunner said. “We would have been there. We would have pointed him in the right direction or put him on some sort of payment plan.” Brunner is among the Michigan mayors who lobbied Congress for a bailout of the auto industry, and was recently in attendance at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, who in his inaugural address said American people were to blame for the economic crisis because they had failed “to make hard choices.”

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Delusional,

thy name is Dee Dee Myers.

Obama's famous, but so is every president of the United States just by virtue of being president.

But he ain't Jesus, he ain't Diana, and he sure as hell ain't Elvis.

Jimbo Eruptions

About 400 students held a rally outside the Legislative Building in Carson City to protest Jimbo's attempt to completely eviscerate education in Nevada.

Obama

Obama is trying to implement the spirit of bipartisanship by trying to get some Republicans on board with his economic stimulus proposals.

The problem is most of the Republicans won't work with him; they don't want him to succeed because it is better for their party, or so they think. They don't care about the country.

Something needs to be done about the Senate filibuster rules so that a minority of senators can't torpedo Obama's proposals. Bill Clinton had so many of his ideas blocked because of stubborn Republicans.

The Booming Economy

One in eleven Nevada workers, including yours truly, is jobless.
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Best Buy will be laying off employees.
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Obituaries

The celebrated writer John Updike, 76, has died of lung cancer:

An old-fashioned believer in hard work, he published more than 50 books in a career that started in the 1950s. Updike won virtually every literary prize, including two Pulitzers, for “Rabbit Is Rich” and “Rabbit at Rest,” and two National Book Awards.

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Obituaries

Philosopher Arne Naess, 96. He was big on "deep ecology."
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Prop 8 Aftermath

Opponents of the California same-sex marriage ban blame consultants and leaders for its passage.

The blame is misplaced. The reason the measure passed is because SSM advocates completely overestimated its support in California. They are rightly afraid that if such a measure could pass there, it would pass everywhere in the country, and measures similar have passed all over the country. That's why they have gone overboard in their protests.

The Booming Economy

Home Depot to slash 7,000 jobs.
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Nevada's unemployment rate is now at a 25-year high.
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GM--2,000 jobs cut.
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Why is it a Republican has to be the one to question H1Bs in layoffs:

These work visa programs were never intended to allow a company to retain foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American workers, when that company cuts jobs during an economic downturn," Grassley wrote in a letter sent Thursday to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The letter asked Microsoft to detail the types of jobs that will be eliminated and how those cuts will affect the company's H-1B workers.

"It is imperative that in implementing its layoff plan, Microsoft ensures that American workers have priority in keeping their jobs over foreign workers on visa programs," Grassley added.

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Sprint--8,000 jobs to be cut.
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Pfizer--8,000 jobs cut.
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Caterpillar--20,000 jobs cut.
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ING--7,000 jobs to be cut
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More than 71,400 job cuts have been announced today alone.
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Paul Krugman

Krugman decides to take apart some of the most ridiculous arguments opponents (read Republicans) make against Obama's proposed stimulus plan.

They keep on with this tax cut mantra when they should know better.

The Booming Economy

Just who are the culprits most responsible for the current economic mess?

Don't think you are off the hook, either:

There's no escaping the fact: politicians might have teed up the financial system and failed to police it properly and Wall Street's greedy bankers might have got carried away with the riches they could generate, but if millions of Americans had just realised they were borrowing more than they could repay then we would not be in this mess. The British public got just as carried away. We are the credit junkies of Europe and many of our problems could easily have been avoided if we had been more sensible and just said no.

Miscellaneous

The coach of Dallas' Covenant School girls' basketball game has been given the sack. The team, you will recall, scored a 100-0 victory over a team of special needs kids.

The game should have been stopped when the losing team was hopelessly beaten.
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Madoff made off with a pile of Zsa Zsa Gabor's money.

Gabor, 91, has been in declining health for years.

This is Why I Think Russ Feingold is a Moron

He wants to introduce a constitutional amendment to force special elections on Senate seats rather than governors appointing them.

Talk about wanting to hand seats to the GOP. Not only that, but states can't afford to hold special elections.

What a dolt.

My Sisters

went down this weekend to see the new flick called Frost/Nixon, which I will probably see in a day or two, and I thought I'd post this video showing clips from the original interviews:

Richard Nixon Interviewed by David Frost
by pixies-hey

More Personal Stuff

Since I am without transportation and may be for a long time if not permanently, any ideas for home-based employment would be appreciated.

I know there are a lot of scams, but I would like to know about legitimate jobs.

Personal Stuff

I am not in much of a mood to blog right now. I lost my job through the arbitration process, a TRUE joke of a process, and now I have to figure out what to do next. I really want to file a major lawsuit against WCSD, the hospital, the physician's service, and, yes, even the union because of scapegoating behavior beginning two years ago with a bad principal and escalating into the termination over what amounted to a clerical error, called "dishonesty" by another piece of shit principal.

The kicker of the whole thing is the district wants me to cooperate in that lawsuit that I am named in regarding alleged rapes at Sparks Middle School two years ago. You tell me WHY, after the crap this district has pulled, why I would give a flying fuck what happens to them. They can go to hell.

I am this close to taking my gripes to the local media.

Obama

Obama has decided to overturn the "Mexico City Policy" implemented during the Reagan years. This had to to with international funding for family planning groups providing abortions.

Obama has really been on a tear these first few days of his presidency.

Miscellaneous News

Another Josef Fritzl-like pervert (sans the imprisonment) gets his comeuppance.
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Unemployment Figures

California's unemployment rate is headed towards double digits. December figures put it at 9.3 percent.

Michigan is already in the double digits, with 10.6 percent in December.

The Booming Economy

Union Pacific is looking to shed 3,150 jobs and possibly more.
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I think it is good of Obama to criticize companies that are squandering taxpayer-funded bailouts.

Companies should be held accountable for the money:

Moving forward, the president said, it would be necessary to pass reforms
ensuring the kind of “oversight, transparency, accountability that’s going to
be required in order for the American people to confidence in what we’re
doing.”

Exactly.
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In more good news, Obama says he is going to keep the estate tax.

If anything, he should increase the estate tax on the wealthiest individuals.

The estate tax is absolutely crucial in this country not only to raise revenue but to prevent an inherited aristocracy. The lack of an aristocratic class in this country is one characteristic distinguishing the United States from so many others despite the best efforts of the GOP right to create one.
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Obama says his new stimulus package is on target.

There is a video of his remarks:


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The latest housing and unemployment figures are far worse than economists anticipated.
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Harley-Davidson plans to cut 1,100 jobs.
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What a Goddamned STUPID Idea

Some idiot Nevada legislator, a Democrat named Bob Coffin, wants to put the nail into his career by looking into the possibility of legalizing prostitution all over the state of Nevada in order to raise additional tax revenue.

No, this is no joke. This is one of the most appalling things I have ever heard. In truth, the legal whorehouses (called "brothels" in Nevada) should be put out of business in the state. Only a truly ignorant person would even suggest such a thing as legalizing something that is a human rights violation. The prostitutes in the legal brothels in Nevada live and "work" in the middle of nowhere and as virtual prisoners. Moreover, Las Vegas is already known as one of the major world centers for sex trafficking. But to hear the advocates for legal prostitution, who see nothing wrong with exploiting women's bodies for money, it's a "victimless" crime between two "consenting" adults.

I have written on this blog about how I feel Phil Donahue and other television talk show hosts of the 1970s and 1980s did a terrible disservice to the public by glorifying this kind of thing, even making the likes of tax dodger and pimp Joe Conforte into some kind of folk hero.

I have linked this article before, but it's worth noting it again:

Described as "pussy penitentiaries" by one interviewee, the brothels tend to be in the middle of nowhere, out of sight of ordinary Nevadans. (Brothels are officially allowed only in counties with populations of fewer than 400,000, so prostitution remains an illegal - though vast - trade in conurbations such as Las Vegas.) The brothel prostitutes often live in prison-like conditions, locked in or forbidden to leave.

"The physical appearance of these buildings is shocking," says Farley. "They look like wide trailers with barbed wire around them - little jails." The rooms all have panic buttons, but many women told her that they had experienced violent and sexual abuse from the customers and pimps.

"I saw a grated iron door in one brothel," says Farley. "The women's food was shoved through the door's steel bars between the kitchen and the brothel area. One pimp starved a woman he considered too fat. She made a friend outside the brothel who would throw food over the fence for her." Another pimp told Farley matter-of-factly that many of the women working for him had histories of sexual abuse and mental ill-health. "Most," he said, "have been sexually abused as kids. Some are bipolar, some are schizophrenic."

Then there is the fact that legal prostitutes seem to lose the rights ordinary citizens enjoy. From 1987, prostitutes in Nevada have been legally required to be tested once a week for sexually transmitted diseases and monthly for HIV. Customers are not required to be tested. The women must present their medical clearance to the police station and be finger-printed, even though such registration is detrimental: if a woman is known to work as a prostitute, she may be refused health insurance, face discrimination in housing or future employment, or endure accusations of unfit motherhood. In addition, there are countries that will not permit registered prostitutes to settle, so their movement is severely restricted.

What a great career and lifestyle to which all women should aspire.

Another Anniversary to Note

This coming Monday, January 26, will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of former New York governor and vice president Nelson Rockefeller:





With his death and the end of the Ford presidency in 1977, the GOP and the country went on the road of (almost) no return.

By the way, according to Wikipedia, Rockefeller "assistant" Megan Marshack, now 55, is married and lives in California.

Among Some of the Things Obama Has Done Right

in these early days of his presidency is reaffirm the right of women to have legal abortions. Today marks the 36th anniversary of the USSC decision Roe v. Wade. Although there have been attempts to curtail access to abortion, often successfully, abortion still remains legal.

Not that the anti-abortion activists weren't out there in full force today with their annual "March for Life" rallies. They were, and they will continue to protest each year, just as they have since the 1973 court decision. They will be protesting in D.C. ten years from now, twenty years from now, fifty years from now, a hundred years from now, and abortion will still be legal. Talk an exercise in futility, talk about a lost cause. Talk about people who foolishly let themselves be used by the Republicans in their cynical attempt to get the anti-abortion activists' votes while having NO intention of outlawing abortion. Why would they? It would take away a useful wedge issue.

If the GOP had EVER been serious about outlawing abortion, they'd have done it.

As I have said time and again on this blog over the years, the abortion issue has never been about the rights of the so-called "unborn." It has always been about women and their roles in society. Scratch an anti-abortion activist, and 99 times out of 100 this person will have very traditional attitudes towards women.

Political Soap Operas

The latest gossip on the Carolinegate fiasco comes from rumors Ted Kennedy's inner circle, including members of his own family, are very unhappy with the way this whole thing was botched. They are upset at reports Caroline Kennedy withdrew her name because of her uncle's latest medical crisis. The reports made it look like Ted was on death's door.

Supposedly these were the reasons she decided to withdraw.
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Jimbo Eruptions

Nevada's chancellor says the state's public education system is a "disaster" and will get worse if Jimbo has his way.

Of course it is true. But as somebody who has lived in this state for 25 years and probably not much longer, there are too many people in this state who want a free ride and think the state shouldn't have to spend any money on public services. They are also very resentful of people who work in the public sector, as they have made terrible occupational choices and are jealous of those who have had relatively secure jobs. A case in point was when the Reno Gazette-Journal decided to publish the salaries of public employees in some kind of attempt I believe to create animosity with the general public and without giving some kind of background as to why the salaries are the way they are. Yesterday the paper's online edition had a section about firefighters, and noted 41 percent of Reno fire department workers made over $100,000 in 2007. Naturally, as comments poured in trying to straighten the writer out as to WHY this was so, including many firefighters going out of state to fight fires and racking up overtime pay as a result--which is required by law, by the way, as they are hourly workers--other commenters were just beside themselves in anger that these lazy bums were drawing giant paychecks while sitting around at the fire station eating and watching television. These same fools don't seem to object when robber barons like Madoff can get rich ripping off people of millions and millions of dollars, or when our government bails out robber barons on Wall Street. But if a public sector employee makes anything even approaching a middle-class income, these idiots yell and scream about it.

It's divisive tactics like the newspaper's "data collection" articles and what Jimbo is pulling which makes fools who should know better fall for the anti-government, anti-public schools, anti-public employee propaganda. What is tragic is Nevada is dying on the vine without some drastic changes in its revenue base. Nevada can't depend solely on tourism and warehouse distribution for revenue and jobs. That's why it is necessary to fund education, which in turn attracts businesses to the area and creates jobs.

More facts are here about state spending. Not that the rednecks care one iota. Government isn't supposed to exist anyway, so ANY amount of money spent is bad.

Nonsensical Political Commentary

Why should anybody be surprised Rush Limbaugh wants Obama to "fail," assuming Rush Limbaugh actually believes a single word he spouts. I don't believe he does, but the fact of the matter is Limbaugh's tirades against a sitting Democratic president are better for his career. He made scads of money in the 1990s pushing the anti-Clinton nonsense. That's how he made his mark. Although many people in the blogosphere and the like continued to respond to Limbaugh's silliness after our dictator stole the 2000 election and was installed in the White House in 2001, the bloviator's career has been on the downhill slide. It was inevitable. Now with Obama in the White House, Limbaugh hopes to regain some of his former glory.

There May Be a New President,

but the layoffs continue:

Microsoft--5,000 jobs

More:

Interstate Hotels & Resorts -45

Stealth Layoffs at IBM

Huntsman -1,175

Jobless Claims Rise 589,000

Truseal -25

Hawker Beechcraft 2nd Round

Williams Sonoma -1,400

Philippines Fear 60,000 Job Losses

FLSmitdth Group -600

Jeld-Wen in Bend Oregon -51

Layoff Report in Audio

Solar Companies Laying Off

Davidson County Sheriff's Office -36

Nichols Aluminum -55

Costco Store in Billings, MT -22

Dow Seadrift -50

CSX Corp. -1,600

Bluegreen Timeshare

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Schools -40

Hitchcock Schools -20

Sterling Jewelers Inc. -114

City of Vacaville -5

City of Indian Wells -16

Retail Shutdown and Layoff List

ABX Air 30 More

The Layoff Daily is a must-read for those interested in the continuing massacre of the nation's workforce.

By the way, home construction is at its lowest since the 1950s.

Inaugural Commentary

It is absolutely true Obama's inauguration Tuesday was a triumph of the civil rights of African Americans while at the same time the good ol' patriarchy is still in place.

It probably will be fifty years at least before a woman becomes president after almost every other country in the world has had one. The 2008 campaign was a shameful example of sexism at work, some 40 years after the second wave of feminism supposedly changed people's minds about women's roles and their place on the world stage.
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Obama has barely been in office two days, yet the pundits are trying to analyze how effective of a president he is.

Not even I, who has been highly critical of Obama in the past, am that presumptuous to either call him the second coming of FDR or to write off his presidency.

Of course the media should do its job:

A lot of people, and not just conservatives, think the media have rolled over for Obama. I've certainly been critical of the coverage at times. But what's past is prologue. If journalists don't start holding the 44th president accountable -- in the same way the left wanted us to hold George W. Bush accountable -- we will have defaulted on our mission. It will be bad for the country, and bad for Obama. He didn't run as a black candidate. He ran as a politician who happened to be black. And so our journalism must be color-blind as well.

As we know, the media by and large NEVER held Bush accountable for anything, while at the same time reporters and pundits held Bill Clinton accountable for EVERYTHING from the time he was in utero. Why is Kurtz wringing his hands over the media possibly not doing their job on Obama? The media haven't done their job in years.
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Here is another commentary from the WSWS about Obama's inaugural address:

Most popular among this socio-political layer were the sections of the speech suggesting that the economic collapse precipitated by Wall Street is the fault of the American people as a whole, who now must accept sacrifice in the interests of the nation. In particular, they fastened on the lines about a “new era of responsibility” and the financial meltdown being the result of “greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.”

Columnist George Will, who hosted Obama at a pre-inauguration dinner with other right-wing commentators, praised in particular his use of the Biblical phrase, “The time has come to set aside childish things,” interpreting it as an admonition to the vast majority of the American people for demanding “more goods and services than they are willing to pay for.” Driven by his contempt for working people, Will happily endorses the demand that they give up such “childish things” as the belief that they have a right to a job, a home, health care and a decent income.

That's why the alarm bells went off in my head when I listened to him.
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Here is some good commentary mentioning some New Deal revisionism and also Obama's swiping words and phrases from other people.

And yes, it is true Obama is not a great orator. He's okay, but in listening to him and listening to other presidents' speeches, he doesn't particularly stand out. Bill Clinton for one was and is a much better orator when not running overtime.

Clinton SOS Vote

Voting is in progress, and one can watch the live stream here.

Almost all of the senators have voted for her. DeMint and Vitter have voted "no," but the vote is overwhelming in confirming her.

The nomination is confirmed, 94-2. The Senate erupted into applause.

Jimbo Eruptions

Although Gibbons' ridiculous excuse for a budget proposal is dead in the water, that hasn't stopped one Nevada campus newspaper from calling for his impeachment.

The problem with Gibbons is he is a typical Republican still enamored with discredited economic policies. It's a religion with these people, and they will cling to it until they die.

Snip:

If the legislature does plan to pursue any tax increases, even miniscule ones, then Gibbons must be removed. If not, the fight that is likely to arise will further stall the process of making our state function financially.

Instead, our elected representatives must simply stop the misconduct of the governor before the seat belt has a chance to snap.

There MUST be new sources of revenue created, but nothing is going to pass with this person in the governor's mansion.

We will see if UNLV's students actually care enough to protest the governor's insane proposals tomorrow.

Gene Lyons

Gene Lyons notes that while Obama talks about "bipartisanship," it is important for him to remember that since the Republicans have been wrong on every single economic issue, it would be destructive to try and compromise between "wisdom and folly." What is needed instead is to persuade those few Republicans who have their heads in reality to come on board and help fix the the economic problems that are so desperately needed.

Lyons isn't as alarmed as I am about some of Obama's statements yesterday; he notes Obama's wish to raise the SS cap, for example. Medicare is harder, and there is probably little chance to expand it to cover everybody (universal health insurance). However, steps are needed towards this end, for American companies cannot be competitive with countries having universal health care.

The problems are daunting and will take years to correct, if ever.

Obama's Inaugural Address

Amid all of the rhetorical flourishes in Obama's speech yesterday, there were some bad signs Obama would not actually work in the interests of the people who elected him. The parts that jumped out at me were the GOP-style remarks about people (the non-elites) taking "responsibility" and for reviewing programs as to whether or not they work.

This is bad, and it is NOT progress. Moreover, while Obama tried to channel FDR, he failed miserably:

Yet what was most notable was Obama's inability to speak in the frank manner of Roosevelt 76 years ago. What characterized the new president's inaugural address above all was an appalling lack of concreteness about anything.

All by design, of course.

There was more channeling of Ronald Reagan than there was of FDR:

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward," he said. "Where the answer is no, programs will end." Again, there was no specificity about what programs will be terminated, but in the past week he has indicated his intention to radically cut back bedrock social programs, including Social Security and Medicare, as a means of attacking the government's fiscal crisis.

"Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill," Obama continued. "Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched." He allowed that the present crisis showed the need for a "watchful eye" and voiced the belief that the "reach of prosperity" should be extended by offering "opportunity to every willing heart." There is nothing here that could not have been lifted from the speeches of Ronald Reagan or any of the other right-wing politicians that have ruled on behalf of Wall Street and corporate America for the last three decades.

I have always been wary of Obama, and this speech doesn't give me much optimism.

Miscellaneous

Note to the "Adam" troll: If you can't figure out "how" you got here, then you are the one who is an embarrassment, a fool, and someone with less than a third-grade mentality.

It might help if you'd stop hitting the sauce, dumbass.

You're not welcome back, either.
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Roman Polanski is basing his move to dismiss the ages-old rape case against him on a documentary about it.

Apparently he is not interested in returning to the United States but wants to be able to work outside of France. He is not able to do this as long as the case is not dismissed.
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If at first you don't succeed...
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I didn't think Caroline Kennedy would go to the Senate, and I am sure she has more important priorities.

Now reports are saying she didn't withdraw.

Now they are saying she did.

Sheesh.

More Bad Songs of Note

I don't count rap and hip hop songs as among the worst ever made because I don't consider either to be real music. Virtually all of those songs stink. So excluding those genres, the worst music ever made had to come from the 1970s, though there were some legendary baddies in the late 1960s I will note later on.

But I thought for the dinner hour these two songs would be appropriate to put on the blog.

"D.O.A." was a catchy little ditty first released in 1971 by a group called Bloodrock. The title pretty much tells the story. This upload is one of several versions of the song:




Another classic from 1971 is a tune called "Timothy" by a group called The Buoys. For obvious reasons this was their only hit:

Same Shit, Different Administration?

Are taxpayers going to take it in the ass again, despite a new administration, but one full of people who still believe in the horseshit of the GOP past? Are more handouts to the robber barons on the table?

That's what worries me most about Obama, his capitulation to GOP ideas which are totally discredited and debunked.

Inaugural Parade/Balls

Live streaming of the parade is here, among other places.

I didn't think much of Michelle's outfit for the occasion; it didn't flatter her at all:






And poor Michelle doesn't look any better at the inaugural balls. For one thing, she needs to wear her hair up. The dress isn't terribly flattering, either:



Past gowns of first ladies can be seen here for comparison.

Not Good

Senator Edward Kennedy has collapsed at an inaugural luncheon just a short time ago.

Later reports had Kennedy doing much better.

Senator Robert Byrd, 91, also had a medical issue, but his office said he was fine.

Obama's Inaugural Speech

MSNBC was quick to post it:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This is the same speech, from C-SPAN this time, that one can upload to the iPod or whatever as I am going to do:

Here is the Full Text

of Obama's speech:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

It looks longer than it was. It was a short speech, as almost all inaugural speeches are. Obama just finished. It was an okay speech, but I was never impressed with his lecture-style oratory.

Joe Biden

has been sworn in. Obama should take his oath in a matter of minutes.

9:06 PST: Obama has been sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts fluffled his lines a little bit, but Obama was sworn in.

The Speech is underway. Technically, Barack, just 43 people have taken the office; Grover Cleveland had two nonconsecutive terms.

I will post the speech when it becomes available.

Despite Some Kool-Aid Nonsense

about Obama's alleged oratorial talent, this post has some good points and agrees with my contention about compromising with the GOP assholes, especially in the Senate:

I believe that there are valuable lessons to be learned by the outcomes of these conciliatory presidencies. They were wholly ineffective in bringing about reconciliation and the nation suffered greatly by the compromises and failures by the more beneficent party (ALWAYS the Democrats)

Further lessons can be learned by looking at the presidency of Jimmy Carter, another conciliator who was thwarted at every turn by the obstructionists whose strength arose from Carter's conciliation. Everything Carter wanted to do was what we needed, and although he is not remembered this way, his policies were a HUGE success, the credit for which Reagan successfully stole. That effort to include the other side in our doings was painted by those very same opponents as weakness and, to our great discomfort, he was defeated when he ran for reelection, precisely as a direct result of his unwillingness to engage in strongarm tactics.

And, perhaps more importantly and relevantly, lessons should be taken from the most successful presidency in our entire history, that of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was NOT a conciliator by any definition, attacking the Republicans and their robber baron constituency boldly and bluntly at every turn. He made no pretense at reconciliation, preferring instead to move America in the direction it needed to go.

Roosevelt took office under conditions very similar to what we face today. We will fail if we give strength to our opponents through compromise and conciliation. We must do what is RIGHT, not what we think will stop their whining. NOTHING will stop their whining, and we cannot permit the media and the American people to give any weight to this whining by incorporating it into our policies and programs now. The Boehners and McConnells of our political landscape and their desire to obstruct and destroy whatever we try to build have to be belittled, despised, demonized, just as they have so routinely done to us, and their influence must be reduced to a universally ridiculed nothingness, nothing more than a mote in the eye of the body politic.

There is no strength in weakness. If Obama really wants to hit the ground running, he needs to come out swinging to clear the road ahead.

Absolutely, but given Obama's penchant for asskissing the other side, I ain't hopeful. Let's hope he doesn't.

Political Commentary

The WSWS never has anything good to say about Democrats, and Obama is no exception. Despite this, there is real reason to worry about Obama, given his stated goals of trying to "reach across the aisle" to people who have no intention of compromise and against the will of the voters who put him in office:

Obama has already indicated that his policies will in all essentials be a continuation of those of the outgoing administration, perhaps in a somewhat more skillfully packaged form. He has surrounded himself with individuals associated with imperialist crimes and financial scandals, including Bush's Pentagon chief, Robert Gates, who presided over the military "surge" in Iraq and opposed any timetable for withdrawing US troops from the devastated country.

Obama has devoted the months since his election—a sweeping popular repudiation of the Bush administration's policies of war, repression and social reaction—to conciliating and reassuring the Republican right. The New York Times reported Monday that Obama has regularly consulted his defeated opponent, Republican Senator John McCain, allowing the virulently pro-war senator to vet his nominees for top national security posts. The Times notes that, according to South Carolina senator and McCain associate Lindsey Graham, McCain has told colleagues "that many of these appointments he would have made himself." McCain was Obama's guest of honor at his pre-inaugural dinner Monday night.

To the extent that there is any basis for the self-congratulatory tone of the media hype, it is the fact that Obama is the first African-American president. This is undoubtedly a milestone. But its significance is vastly eroded by the fact that in the current historical circumstances it is impossible to associate his ascendancy with a revival of policies that promote social equality.

Even if he were truly sympathetic to the plight of the American people, the problems are such he may not be able to fix them. And once again, my belief the Republicans "allowed" him to win in order to set him up for failure still holds. One thing the Democrats in the Senate NEED to do is restore the old filibuster rules so that the fascists actually have to argue a bill to death just as senators did in the old days. The GOP senators are going to do nothing but obstruct, popular will be damned. They are in survival mode, and that's why they feel they have to obstruct.

If Obama succeeds and actually acts like a Democrat, the GOP could face a long period of irrelevance, which may be permanent given the demographic changes in this country. But if he is nothing but an appeaser with his "transformative" bullshit, he will fail, and then we will be in deep, deep shit.

Live Steaming of the Inauguration

is here, if you can stand the insufferable Keith Olbermann:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Other networks are televising it as well. The temperature is colder than a pile of polar bear shit in Washington.

Frankly, I am going to skip that nauseating crap from MSNBC. I will look at C-SPAN, if I can access it, or CBS.

The Booming Economy

Many of the jobless are hopeful yet skeptical the new administration can do something about their plight:

As John Arnette sat beneath the pale glow of the fluorescent lights, waiting to inquire why his check had suddenly stopped, he worried that Mr. Obama was promising to spend money the country did not really have, adding to long-term debts.

“You’ve got all the money that’s been given to the financial sector, plus all the money that’s going to the Big Three auto companies,” he said. “Where’s the money going to come from?”

The answer is simple: The government pours money into job creation, even if it means going into debt, thus creating more taxpayers, which means filling up the government coffers and paying down the debt.
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Bank of America--4,000 jobs to be cut

Inaugural Madness

The AP's Ron Edmonds decided to take a picture of the crowd at the Washington Mall early this morning to demonstrate just how huge the crowds are for Obama's inauguration. It is certainly a triumph of hope and wishful thinking on the part of the masses to think Obama can magically turn things around. I remain a skeptic though I wish him the best of luck. He better rely heavily on Joe Biden, who DOES know his stuff even if he tends to make verbal gaffes.

Inaugural Addresses

The media pundits, who built up the myth of Obama from the get-go, will likely trip all over themselves with praise on what a masterpiece of oratory his inaugural speech is. Granted, anybody looks good compared to the Inarticulate One who occupied the White House the previous eight years, but it isn't saying much. I don't believe Obama is a good orator at all, and his speeches tend to be the same old dreck cribbed from other speeches.

It probably won't be the worst inaugural address either.

It would be hard to top William Henry Harrison's speech in 1841, which directly led to his death.

I Have Been Listening to a Lot of Bad Songs

lately, and I thought this all-time stinker was somewhat appropriate in saluting the all-time worst president as he leaves to that ranch in Crawford or wherever the hell he is going:




Death rock is ALWAYS bad, and Ray Peterson's timeless classic ranks among the legends of musical dreck.

Ray Peterson sadly died in 2005. Depending on the source, he was born either in 1935 or 1939.

Miscellaneous

Reno once again becomes a national laughingstock.

Here is the document. Sad, really.
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John Foley of Ridgefield, Washington, also wants to make his city a laughingstock.

This is the embarrassing column in question:

The time has arrived to update the literature we use in high school classrooms. Barack Obama is president-elect of the United States, and novels that use the "N-word" repeatedly need to go.

To a certain extent, this saddens me, because I love "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Of Mice and Men" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." All are American classics, and my students read them as part of approved sophomore and junior units, as do millions of students across the nation.

They all must go.

I hope they go to private and public libraries and remain in high school classrooms. I would keep copies in my own classroom and encourage students to read them. But they don't belong on the curriculum. Not anymore. Those books are old, and we're ready for new.

My God. These books are part of our national heritage, and the last thing students need is to be ignorant of these famous works.
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Another dumbass politician is caught with his pants down.
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A pair of conjoined twins have been separated in Oklahoma:

Conjoined twins born Oct. 25 have been separated by surgeons at Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center during an operation that lasted a little more than three hours on Monday.

Hospital spokesman Allen Poston said Preslee Faith Wells and Kylee Hope Wells, who had been joined at the chest since birth, were separated at 12:14 p.m., a little more than an hour after the operation began. The process involved splitting the girls' livers and a tissue bridge that connected them.

After the girls were separated, they were placed on their backs on separate beds in the operating room so that the surgical team, led by David Tuggle and Cameron Mantor, could begin the closing process, Poston said.

The surgeons, who said before the operation that it might last four to six hours, finished shortly after 2 p.m.

"Everything went well," Poston said.

The girls, believed to be the first known American Indian conjoined twins, are listed in critical condition and are in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, where they've been cared for since their birth.

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Blasts From the Past, Part II

Jimmy Carter (1977):



This video is NOT complete, and C-SPAN doesn't have it up yet.


Ronald Reagan (1981):




George H.W. Bush (1989):




Bill Clinton (1993):





George W. Bush (2001):




Note there are no videos of second-term presidential inaugural addresses.