Count-down: 24 Days to Government Shutdown (Redux)

Hey.  It's NEVER too early to shout out to to our congress that they need to start to REALLY work.

Our country's fiscal year is over on September 30th.  What are the chances this "DO NOTHING except defeat the incumbent president"  (to  quote the GOP senate Minority Leader)  Congress will actually consider a budget before September 25th??? Zero to Null percentage of that happening.

TWICE this year (the spring budget problem), and the Summer Debt ceiling crisis the American people were HIJACKED by the Republican party and the so called "Tea Party" patriots.


NOT AGAIN.   It's time for us to remind OUR CONGRESS we want ACTION NOW, and forget about the bull-sh*t of not approving the budget until we make more cuts in the deficit.


I KEEP saying (and SCREAMING...), saying it's THE JOBS stupid.  NOT the deficit.

And WNYC/Brian Lehrer:
It's time to get out AHEAD of the media for a change on this issue...
Why dont you have a daily "Days to budget" countdown every day!??

shame-out... Why the heck am I screaming? Hello ???

It's another Shame out.  Over 5 years ago, I realized the following:
1)  We were heading into a GREAT recessions (I call it depression 2.0)
2)  Our Economy was devastated,
3)  Our school system was shot.
4)  Our tax (income tax) system is unfair.
5)  The wealth in this country is not fairly distributed
6)  We Are NOT in a fairly distributed society (unequal education).
7) The  Infrastructure in this country is shot.
What did I say we need?  
A serious look at the conditions show us that our conditions today are EXACTLY the same as just after the "Great Depression" (Depression 1.0).
How did Herbert Hoover deal with the "great crash of 1929?"  HE CUT THE DEFICIT, and made the problem MUCH MUCH worse.
What does the Tea-Baggers party (I refuse to call them the tea-party..., sorry!) want? 
TO CUT the deficit, just like HERBERT HOOVER did.
What do we REALLY NEED>?
* A works project Administration
* A new LIVING wage, as well as a renamed 'minimum wage' (to be called a TRAINING wage)
* REALLY tax the wealthy.  NO more claiming millions in income, and ZERO paid in taxes (a la G.E., and many other billionaires)..
* Fair Training,
* SINGLE PAYER GOVERNMENT Provided Universal Health Care for all (phased in over 20 years, starting with our current private system, and then gettin g to 5 or 6 nationwide provider networks.
* Educational REFORM... starting with a privately run government paid day care starting at six months ... (Think Geofery Canada in NYC)

Shudder: Planes? Trains, or Automobiles?

This is totally Creepy:

NYTimes Travel Section:

On our return trip, we flew out of Heathrow. The flight wasn’t overbooked, so my wife and I each claimed an entire middle row of seats so we could relax and sleep.

The plane was quite old. There were big, blocky TV monitors, stationed about every 10 rows. All of the monitors were black, except the one nearest to me, which was gray. There were ashtrays in the armrests, despite the no smoking rule. I opened the ashtray in my left armrest and found a green breath mint wrapper and a cigarette butt.

About 10 minutes into the flight, I started experiencing a weird panic along with an overwhelming urge to look out of the right side of the plane. All I saw were sunny skies, not some gremlin like in that classic “Twilight Zone” episode.

After a few minutes, I settled down and tried to sleep.

As I was nodding off, there was an explosion. I looked out of the right side of the plane and saw smoke.

I was sure we were going to die. Everyone on the plane seemed to think the same thing. Even the attendants were nervous.

The captain announced we had lost the right engine after hitting a flock of geese. He also said we were perfectly safe.

I don’t think any of us believed him, but we sat quietly as we headed back to Heathrow.

The airline sent us to the V.I.P. lounge, where we waited for another plane for nearly 10 hours.

A plane finally arrived, and we were told to board with our original boarding passes and to sit in the same row and seat that we had previously occupied.

I noticed the TV monitor closest to me was gray and all the others were black. There were ashtrays in the armrests. The ashtray in my left armrest had a cigarette butt and a green breath mint wrapper.

Now I felt like a character in “The Twilight Zone.”

I called the steward and asked if this was the same plane. I was told no. But then I showed off my find: the cigarette butt and the green breath mint wrapper.

The steward finally conceded and said I had two choices. I could shut up since they had replaced the engine and we were perfectly safe. Or I could keep talking and cause a panic.

I shut up. We landed safely and some people kissed the ground. I kissed my wife.

I still like to fly. Kind of. But I’ve never quite felt the same about geese, breath mint wrappers or cigarette butts. I don’t think I ever will.

Shudder... Shudder...
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
OK, you wanted a Political discussion: Here goes.

The background I believe that:
* We're HEADING into a DEPRESSION.
* It's going to be as BAD as the last one.
* According to Robert Reich (former Sec'y of Labor under Clinton): The only number that he EVER saw, defining the
depression was that the unemployment rate hovered around 25%.
* We need a new deal.
* After 58 years of NO Health Care Reform (since 1950!) it will FINALLY be coming soon...
* We've managed to WASTE a FULL generation (from Zero to thirty) with decaying social, educational, and interpersonal skills.
* Our nation is no longer DOING (producing) anything.
SO, from these few premises, I have extrapolated a great deal of items to FIX our society...

But....
We need to make sure that a number of issues are resolved ALL at once.
If we don't do them ALL at once, its like juggling three RUNNING chain saws, but dropping one!

Here's what I came up with:

We need to do the FOLLOWING to FIX our Society:
* Create A Living Wage
* Create a National Single payer Healthcare
* Create a National 3-4 year draft (or alternate service)
* Create a Federally paid Day Care starting at six months
* Implement Tax Reform on the ULTRA Rich
* Lobbying (Political Reform)
* Education
* Infrastructure (road /bridge/Systems repairs)
* Lack of Training/futures
* Truth and Reconcilliation Commission
* A new "Manhattan" project, focusing on Energy INDEPENDENCE

See my other blog: http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com for more details.

Shame-OUT: fix the executive-normal pay G A P!!!

AP Reports that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac:

CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Earned Roughly $30 Million in Salary Last Year

this is despicable. We need to fix this. we need to start taxing the HIGHEST paid 10,000 people in this company... a Straight 40% tax on ALL income (and dividends, and NO SPECIAL capital gains allowances)!!!
see my other blog below...

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
OK, you wanted a Political discussion: Here goes.

The background I believe that:
* We're HEADING into a DEPRESSION.
* It's going to be as BAD as the last one.
* According to Robert Reich (former Sec'y of Labor under Clinton): The only number that he EVER saw, defining the
depression was that the unemployment rate hovered around 25%.
* We need a new deal.
* After 58 years of NO Health Care Reform (since 1950!) it will FINALLY be coming soon...
* We've managed to WASTE a FULL generation (from Zero to thirty) with decaying social, educational, and interpersonal skills.
* Our nation is no longer DOING (producing) anything.
SO, from these few premises, I have extrapolated a great deal of items to FIX our society...

But....
We need to make sure that a number of issues are resolved ALL at once.
If we don't do them ALL at once, its like juggling three RUNNING chain saws, but dropping one!

Here's what I came up with:

We need to do the FOLLOWING to FIX our Society:
* Create A Living Wage
* Create a National Single payer Healthcare
* Create a National 3-4 year draft (or alternate service)
* Create a Federally paid Day Care starting at six months
* Implement Tax Reform on the ULTRA Rich
* Lobbying (Political Reform)
* Education
* Infrastructure (road /bridge/Systems repairs)
* Lack of Training/futures
* Truth and Reconcilliation Commission
* A new "Manhattan" project, focusing on Energy INDEPENDENCE

See my other blog: http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com for more details.

RanDom: Sick of Kids.

Old post from 8-16-06... Same sentiments, different year.


Ok. Everyone with kids. Keep reading. Those who have chosen not to have children, feel free to move past this post.


ME: how was your day?
Kid: UGH.
ME: Do you want a snack before you start your HW?
Kid: NOO. I wannna Watch TEEVEE.
ME: NOO. What do we do Every day after school bus brings you home? Snack and 15 min break, then HOMEWORK, then play or computer. Never TV before HW
Kid: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Starts FIT HERE)
ME: Oh well, tell me when you're calm again, and we'll talk then...
Kid: F#$#(*$(*&#$(*&#$#(*&#$(*&$#
ME: 5 minute time out for language. Are you leaving or am I?
Kid: Curse, curse, curse
ME: OK, I'm leaving... see you in 10 minutes
Kid: 10 Minutes, 5 minutes for a time out.
ME: Yes, but you cursed twice, see you when you're calm.

BITCH: bitch-slap her... Reprise (Heather Mills)

ok.. The AP (via ABC news says)
that Heather (I had Paul; but I lost him) Mills said, "Mills Explains Divorce Court Outburst" from Las Vegas, where she was judging The Miss USA pagent.

that...

(...I...)"became angry when his lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, argued that full details of the case, including some related to the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Beatrice, should be disclosed.

"Mrs. Shackleton said something under her breath so I cleansed and baptized her," Mills said. "I thought she looked fantastic - I thought it did her the world of good."


What a stupid, self-righteous bitch... Kick her off the judging pool, and CUT off her GOOD leg... That's be better...

And she can take the 40 million she DID get, and she can buy bionic legs..

Then her legs will match her BALLS... Bionic that is...


wow... two posts in ONE day... I guess the blog is ACTIVE again!

PolicY: The Reconstruction Agency (draft) update: 10-16-07

This is a placeholder for my "Big" rebuilding program.

Since the year 2000 our country has been RAPED, Pillaged, Lied to and Destroyed by the current incumbent of the White House. This post is NOT designed to place blame, but to try and rebuild our society.

I propose that we need to institute a FAR REACHING recovery program to REPAIR our society.

Several global programs are involved, and I feel that Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" legislation is a good way to start.

Items would include:

1. Nationwide Health Insurance for ALL (finally!)
2. six month till three year old day care for all
3. National LIVING wage
4. Mandatory three year conscription/service (military/alternative) after 3 year grace period.
5. National Truth and Reconstruction Commission for crimes committed by REPUBLICANS and Political Donors
6. Campaign FINANCE reform: $100.00 via interenet period.
7. Nationwide "WPA" type reconstruction agency
8. "Service Acadamy" (West point type) for people wishing advanced degrees in
   
1. National MATH/Science training
2. Advanced/Accelerated Teaching program
3. Late life adult retraining institute

Essentially, my view is if you start with poverty, and work it backwards, it touches every single aspect of American life.

If we have a real living wage (we can no longer call it a minimum wage, because that's a farce!), then people will be able to support a family making this wage.

* I'd expect the base living wage to be around $15-18.00 an hour.
This also ties into the day care issue, as affordable day care (like they have in France) is a good start to getting our kids TRAINED to learn and LIKE learning.

* Next comes job training. Some will do the day care, in LOCAL, formal day care centers (which will have NO Television SETS at ALL!) Also will have formalized training programs, utilizing the service corp conscripts.

* After this is mandatory and full nationalized health care.
I'd like to propose a 15 year phase in of a single payer national mandatory plan, which will give the insurance companies time to transition.

** Alternative note, if we have a draft, and a 20 year reserve commitment, an alternative way to phase in full coverage is that all draft recruits receive full insurance, and it phases in as family benefit....

*Next is the Three year draft. UNPRIVATIZE the Cheney/Rumsfeld led "private military taxpayer fleecing act".
Army/Navy KP and laundry will be needed forever.

Three years because they WILL need to learn the high tech weapons too.
* The new military will have a mandatory reserve corp component for 20 years too. Once every year, just like the Israeli army.

There will need to be a 3-5 year phase in of the draft because the effect it will have on the universities and other associated industries.
* the conscientious objectors can go into the service corps, and serve the country instead.

* The new "Service Acadamy" (like West Point/Annapolis/Air Force/etc) will be used for training others

*and this leads to a good start to eliminate poverty, one of the reasons we have had this crisis in this country.


PS: updated update: On October 15th, Paul Krugman, the Op-Ed columnist for the NY Times was on Leonard Lopate on WNYC...Listen yourself HERE

More to come!
This is posted to start a conversation!

Mark Brown.


PS: spread the Haiku: Impeach Cheney. Pelosi Pardons. Democracy Restored.