A snapshot from the front yard ...
23 December 2008
18 December 2008
Font Abuse
Being very concerned with huge issues like potato chips and Mexican food ... I've been an active critic of font abuse over the years. Here's a good piece already done up about it. Read it before you commit font abuse.
HERE
12 December 2008
John Stewart vs. Mike Huckabee
Sometimes you're not inclined to take John Stewart seriously ... but watch him take Mike Huckabee apart. Zing! Wish we saw more of this side of Stewart.
Can I Get a Sparkle on Wheat?
Fri : 4:51am : np: Digable Planets - Dedicated
So ... I was running around running errands today .. and I was super late ... on my phone, while carrying stuff and so on ... but I had just one minute while I waited for someone and I popped into New York Subs downtown ... was totally on my phone for 5 minutes ... when the guy took my order I asked for a quarter sandwich ... which they'll do for you but it's like $3.50 vs. $5.00 ... (I mostly get it cuz I don't need a full half) and the guy was like, you want this or that ... tomatoes ... and I said ... no tomatoes ... wait, yes tomatoes, jeeze sorry got a lot on my mind. Dude just nods ... makes the sandwich ... hands it to me and says, made you a half cuz it seems like you're having a day. Total random dude I've never seen and I'm not a regular customer.
Totally small gesture ... but really nice. Don't want to start talking in cheesy aphorisms or folksy quotes or anything but that tiny gesture made kind of a difference in my trajectory for the day. This is perhaps not at all anything deep but it kinda made me think ... wow, we should really all try to do stuff like that more often. Especially these days ... I feel like it's just a really great opportunity to make connections ... for many reasons but it's really a time that is pregnant with possibility. From small things to huge ideas.
Overall ... I've been trying pretty hard to see the opportunities of this time on Earth ... what are the teaching moments ... what things are possible ... what things aren't we seeing or appreciating or moving on with the fire that we should be. I'm no swami, but I know that in my almost four decades on the planet I've not encountered a time like this ... and I feel like this time is powerful and full of promise. I'm thinking a lot about what is possible ... what we're meant to be doing right now ... what we're on the verge of ... or could be on the verge of. I think most people would agree ... from regular folks to the most inspired thinkers that this time is unique and powerful. I don't have the answer as to what we should be doing with this time but I know that there are probably a lot of good options ... and each of us should be thinking about what it means for them.
We see technology constantly evolving and creating new realities ... from the typewriter to the PC ... from the vinyl record to the iPod .. each one in some small way transforming the way things work. I feel that human thought and civilization can be on a similar trajectory. I know that in my life, I've experienced a ton of evolution in the way I think about and approach things and I look forward to more forward movement. But human civilization sometimes seems mired in something ... the past ... and is slow to change and is gripped by its own limitations. Tradition is seen as something positive without question. But I feel like this time on Earth is about progress. We saw it in the recent election ... both ways. On one hand was Obama, representing all that is new and possible and that was and is crushingly exciting and joyful ... and on the other hand you have Prop 8 ... where the evolution that needs to happen, wants to happen (will happen!) was denied by people stuck in the past. Finding their rules in some dusty Bronze Age book of fairy tales.
[There's something just crazy about getting your marching orders from some crusty book written thousands of years ago, but that's a whole 'nother story.]
For me ... this time is full of promise. Trying to get into that vibration. So much is possible.
.
So ... I was running around running errands today .. and I was super late ... on my phone, while carrying stuff and so on ... but I had just one minute while I waited for someone and I popped into New York Subs downtown ... was totally on my phone for 5 minutes ... when the guy took my order I asked for a quarter sandwich ... which they'll do for you but it's like $3.50 vs. $5.00 ... (I mostly get it cuz I don't need a full half) and the guy was like, you want this or that ... tomatoes ... and I said ... no tomatoes ... wait, yes tomatoes, jeeze sorry got a lot on my mind. Dude just nods ... makes the sandwich ... hands it to me and says, made you a half cuz it seems like you're having a day. Total random dude I've never seen and I'm not a regular customer.
Totally small gesture ... but really nice. Don't want to start talking in cheesy aphorisms or folksy quotes or anything but that tiny gesture made kind of a difference in my trajectory for the day. This is perhaps not at all anything deep but it kinda made me think ... wow, we should really all try to do stuff like that more often. Especially these days ... I feel like it's just a really great opportunity to make connections ... for many reasons but it's really a time that is pregnant with possibility. From small things to huge ideas.
Overall ... I've been trying pretty hard to see the opportunities of this time on Earth ... what are the teaching moments ... what things are possible ... what things aren't we seeing or appreciating or moving on with the fire that we should be. I'm no swami, but I know that in my almost four decades on the planet I've not encountered a time like this ... and I feel like this time is powerful and full of promise. I'm thinking a lot about what is possible ... what we're meant to be doing right now ... what we're on the verge of ... or could be on the verge of. I think most people would agree ... from regular folks to the most inspired thinkers that this time is unique and powerful. I don't have the answer as to what we should be doing with this time but I know that there are probably a lot of good options ... and each of us should be thinking about what it means for them.
We see technology constantly evolving and creating new realities ... from the typewriter to the PC ... from the vinyl record to the iPod .. each one in some small way transforming the way things work. I feel that human thought and civilization can be on a similar trajectory. I know that in my life, I've experienced a ton of evolution in the way I think about and approach things and I look forward to more forward movement. But human civilization sometimes seems mired in something ... the past ... and is slow to change and is gripped by its own limitations. Tradition is seen as something positive without question. But I feel like this time on Earth is about progress. We saw it in the recent election ... both ways. On one hand was Obama, representing all that is new and possible and that was and is crushingly exciting and joyful ... and on the other hand you have Prop 8 ... where the evolution that needs to happen, wants to happen (will happen!) was denied by people stuck in the past. Finding their rules in some dusty Bronze Age book of fairy tales.
[There's something just crazy about getting your marching orders from some crusty book written thousands of years ago, but that's a whole 'nother story.]
For me ... this time is full of promise. Trying to get into that vibration. So much is possible.
.
Lego Hip Hop
Thanks to Platurn for this ... classic hip hop album covers done up in Lego format. Choice!
09 December 2008
08 December 2008
Mexican Food in Bend
We keep it Real here at Le Smoosh. We're so in the realness it hurts. We have nothing but mundane mind-numbing everyday shit to talk about here ... you can't get any more salt-of-the-earth than that.
I was commenting to a friend the other day that I liked Baja Fresh ... and this friend is knowledgeable about Mexican food ... and she was surprised at my choice. She wanted to talk about the Taco Stand and Rico's Tacos and so on.
Look ... Baja Fresh is a chain, yes. And it's nice and clean and well lit, yes. But honestly, it's the third best Mexican food in town behind La Rosa, Hola', and perhaps El Burrito. Notably, it's managed and staffed by 100% real Mexicans. And most of the clientele seems to be brown as well.
Don't talk to me about Taco Stand, Super Burrito, T. Jalapenos or Rigobertos ... they're all super cheap nasty NASTY joints. Perhaps Taco Stand achieves first world status, but they're simply tortillas from a bag and beans from a can, nothing added. Listen ... carne asada means GRILLED MEAT. Not fried meat. Not fried chunks of super low budget meat. Anyplace that serves fried meat and calls it carne asada is just a total joke. Those places have zero pride. None. Their salsas are totally out of a can. Baja Fresh uses no cans, no freezers, no microwaves.
Don't talk to me about Longboard Louie's ... give me a break. No way. Teenagers making food is all that is. I'd rather eat at Parilla and that's saying something. That place has no concept of the details.
El Caporal and all the other family Mexican places in town besides La Rosa and perhaps Hola ... total shite. Edible, but they better be for the price. Totally overpriced considering that 90% of the menu consists of: choice of meat, choice of tortilla, fried or not fried, choice of sauce, and standard sides (rice beans guac, sc, etc). And none of it ever tastes *good* ... it's all just ... decent.
Rico's Tacos might be the real deal taco truck experience, but I guarantee u they cut every corner imaginable. Perhaps they make authentic decent taco truck food, but they're still using the cheapest possible ingredients.
Hola is #1 ... La Rosa is #2 ... and Baja Fresh is clearly #3 ... depending on whether or not u like El Burrito.
Here's what Baja Fresh does right: good salsa bar that includes a few salsas (including a fire roasted black poblano salsa) and peppers and fresh cilantro ... good meats that are GRILLED ... several kinds of tacos and burritos ... the perfect prep on tortillas (flat top with some oil, always perfectly warm and soft) ... decent salads and sides and chips and soups and it's CHEAP and their fountain machine actually works correctly.
Lets face it ... a lot of times it comes down to the salsa (that's where El Burrito falls short). La Rosa would be less of a restaurant if it weren't for their excellent chipotle salsa and always perfectly fresh chips. And meats. Baja Fresh's chicken is all white meat grilled nicely ... tender ... yummy. Their Baja fish taco is pretty decent. Even their tortilla soup isn't bad and you're in and out of there in 20 minutes for $5-7 with considerably better food than most of the other places in town.
Now ... I dislike corporate chains as much as the next guy ... but ... this joint is getting it right and you know, that's also important, isn't it? I mean, I'd rather have quality fresh grilled chicken rather than fried mystery cuts. Your aversion for corporate chains shouldn't result in you eating crap. It should be about the food, not just about being down with the little guy, right? I mean, long live the little guy but it's really whether he or she can make a decent taco.
This while I sit here eating a Totino's pizza. It's great being a Gemini! :)
I was commenting to a friend the other day that I liked Baja Fresh ... and this friend is knowledgeable about Mexican food ... and she was surprised at my choice. She wanted to talk about the Taco Stand and Rico's Tacos and so on.
Look ... Baja Fresh is a chain, yes. And it's nice and clean and well lit, yes. But honestly, it's the third best Mexican food in town behind La Rosa, Hola', and perhaps El Burrito. Notably, it's managed and staffed by 100% real Mexicans. And most of the clientele seems to be brown as well.
Don't talk to me about Taco Stand, Super Burrito, T. Jalapenos or Rigobertos ... they're all super cheap nasty NASTY joints. Perhaps Taco Stand achieves first world status, but they're simply tortillas from a bag and beans from a can, nothing added. Listen ... carne asada means GRILLED MEAT. Not fried meat. Not fried chunks of super low budget meat. Anyplace that serves fried meat and calls it carne asada is just a total joke. Those places have zero pride. None. Their salsas are totally out of a can. Baja Fresh uses no cans, no freezers, no microwaves.
Don't talk to me about Longboard Louie's ... give me a break. No way. Teenagers making food is all that is. I'd rather eat at Parilla and that's saying something. That place has no concept of the details.
El Caporal and all the other family Mexican places in town besides La Rosa and perhaps Hola ... total shite. Edible, but they better be for the price. Totally overpriced considering that 90% of the menu consists of: choice of meat, choice of tortilla, fried or not fried, choice of sauce, and standard sides (rice beans guac, sc, etc). And none of it ever tastes *good* ... it's all just ... decent.
Rico's Tacos might be the real deal taco truck experience, but I guarantee u they cut every corner imaginable. Perhaps they make authentic decent taco truck food, but they're still using the cheapest possible ingredients.
Hola is #1 ... La Rosa is #2 ... and Baja Fresh is clearly #3 ... depending on whether or not u like El Burrito.
Here's what Baja Fresh does right: good salsa bar that includes a few salsas (including a fire roasted black poblano salsa) and peppers and fresh cilantro ... good meats that are GRILLED ... several kinds of tacos and burritos ... the perfect prep on tortillas (flat top with some oil, always perfectly warm and soft) ... decent salads and sides and chips and soups and it's CHEAP and their fountain machine actually works correctly.
Lets face it ... a lot of times it comes down to the salsa (that's where El Burrito falls short). La Rosa would be less of a restaurant if it weren't for their excellent chipotle salsa and always perfectly fresh chips. And meats. Baja Fresh's chicken is all white meat grilled nicely ... tender ... yummy. Their Baja fish taco is pretty decent. Even their tortilla soup isn't bad and you're in and out of there in 20 minutes for $5-7 with considerably better food than most of the other places in town.
Now ... I dislike corporate chains as much as the next guy ... but ... this joint is getting it right and you know, that's also important, isn't it? I mean, I'd rather have quality fresh grilled chicken rather than fried mystery cuts. Your aversion for corporate chains shouldn't result in you eating crap. It should be about the food, not just about being down with the little guy, right? I mean, long live the little guy but it's really whether he or she can make a decent taco.
This while I sit here eating a Totino's pizza. It's great being a Gemini! :)
07 December 2008
Hate of the Day
I have so much hate to share. The Hate of the Day Award for today, though, has to go to: that awful BBQ flavor you find on potato chips.
You first had it on some wack Lay's chips or something ... and you've tried other brands ... even more upscale kettle cooked stuff ... and yet ... despite what the package says ... it's all the same noxious BBQ seasoning. They list individual ingredients on the package ... yet ... they all taste precisely the same. You KNOW there's just some packaged BBQ flavor powder out there made by Kraft or something.
Look ... the concept of "BBQ" is a worldwide phenomenon. Everyone has BBQ. Koreans have their kind of BBQ. Africans have BBQ. Caribbeans have BBQ. Everyone. And it's damn good ... so why do we think this awful BBQ flavored red powder is anything but an affront to civilization? I don't know, but I think whomever developed this stuff needs to get a backhand.
And the companies that use this shit need to stop. For the love of God ... there's dozens and dozens of ways to season BBQ ... and really ... the concept of smoke or wood smoke flavor is also kinda essential. But even if you just think about spices ... there's a ton of different ways to season stuff for the BBQ ... it doesn't all need to be tomato powder and molasses powder and whatever else is in that red shit. FUCK THAT. Make up some chips and toss them with a little cumin and salt and lime ... or some smoked paprika ... or something. Please God just don't use that stupid red powder. I think a potato chip that's seasoned with some BBQ style stuff sounds great ... except everyone seems to just buy the red crap and call it good. SO SAD.
Next up in Hate of the Day: CHINESE RESTAURANTS!!
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04 December 2008
Album of the Day : Jazztronica - Live @ Pi-Rem
Laptop Theft
Second in a series of very riveting posts today ... not the most entertaining of subjects I realize ... but I had a friend who got her laptop stolen recently ... right out of her damn house. I got mine yanked out of my car. You never think it'll happen but it could. Or you could leave it on the roof of your car and drive away. Or smash it with a falling surfboard. It happens.
Lemme just tell u ... three things u should be doing ... easy and you'll kick yourself if you lose your laptop and u haven't done these things
1. write down the serial number, make and model and keep it someplace safe. this is one of the only hopes of getting it back (and you'll need for insurance and all that). if your shit gets stolen, you can't read off the serial number off the machine itself. tricky, eh?
2. put a login password on your machine so you have to type the password every time you log on or turn your machine on. this might seem annoying, but it means nobody can use your computer if they jack it ... they'll have to wipe the hard drive manually and none of your personal info will fall into wrong hands ... including banking info, address info, passwords, etc. for macs this is done in the preferences under security. for PCs ... well I think if you use a PC you should just let it get stolen
3. back up your shit. it's cheap and easy ... and you have no excuse. computers die spontaneously in addition to getting stoled up and crunched ... you'll lose everything ... get an external hard drive bigger than your internal hard drive. for macs, use the Time Capsule utility built in. it's elegant and very nice. for PCs, see #2 above
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Stunning News: Fabric Softener
Breaking news, folks. I just read what is in fabric softener ... have ya ever wondered? Well ... it's lard ... lard and rendered horse fat and other animal fats ... and a host of chemicals like antimicrobials to keep the fats from globbing up and going rancid.
Spooky. Spray some melted horse on your clothes! Keeps 'em soft!
Riveting reporting going on here. Maybe I should look for a job or something? Come on though that is gross.
02 December 2008
24 November 2008
19 November 2008
17 November 2008
12 November 2008
The End of Wall Street
Absolutely fascinating account of the implosion of Wall Street by Michael Lewis ... acclaimed author of Liar's Poker ... a seminal expose' of 80s Wall Street madness. Really nicely written. Check it out at Portfolio HERE Read it if you don't understand how ... as PJ O'Rourke said "Jim Jerk down the road from me, with all the cars up on blocks in his front yard, falls behind in his mortgage payments, and the economy of Iceland implodes."
Will also really make you stoked to know that we've put the cost of this shit on the tab of the taxpayers. Just amazing.
And if you crave more Michael Lewis after this article ... he's got a nice one in the Oct 08 edition that's hilarious about the housing "crisis" HERE
And check out a recent story in the NYTM HERE about the wierd world of disaster prediction and insurance.
Kinda can't say enough about his writing. I love it. And random fact: dude's married to Tabetha Soren from the old MTV days. Heh
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11 November 2008
DJ Barisone - Soul's Yer Face!
BRS dropping a new soul mix ... hot off the presses ... verrrry nice! Check it out on our mixtape/music archive HERE
Enjoy!
10 November 2008
The Real Tuesday Weld
Dunno why ... but I'm really digging The Real Tuesday Weld ... London based "antique beat" band ... (no, not Beats Antique (cue Life of Brian quote)) ... the name says it all ... super groovy production and fairy-tale melodies. I just put it up in my music folder if y'all wannit : HERE
04 November 2008
OBAMA
From a Huffington reader:
"Nothing in my life has actually changed in the 30 minutes since it was announced Obama will be our next president. I have the same bills, the same amount of money in the bank, my dishwasher is still broken, and my 5 month old beagle won't stop peeing on my carpet. Everything in my life is exactly the same as it was 30 minutes ago; and yet I feel as though everything is different.
I feel so much hope. I feel so much pride. I feel like my one vote was a single drop of water in a great Tsunami of change. I feel like I was one of a million voices screaming in the night, " I love my country and I'm taking it back!" I'm so proud of the country that I love and have so much hope in my heart that we can together heal the wounds that have been such a source of pain and anger to us all.
I know Obama isn't going to fix the economy overnight, I know he won't be able to provide healthcare to all Americans by February '09. I know Obama isn't a Messiah who four years from now will have turned this country into a fabled utopia. But I also know Obama will make moral decisions. I know Obama will try to unite where others try to divide. I know Obama will help to make America the beacon of hope it once was to others. I know that at 27 years of age, I witnessed one of the most important and hopefully glorious chapters in American history.
I know hope."
GOOD Magazine
Really cool magazine ... GOOD ... "an entertaining magazine about things that matter"
Check it out ... www.good.is ... and get this, you pick your subscription price ... and 100% of the money goes to the nonprofit of your choice. Dig this mag a lot.
31 October 2008
30 October 2008
Obama on the Daily Show
Obama was on the Daily Show on Oct. 29 ... and man, I just gotta say that he is such as stud I can barely stand it! Check it: DAILY SHOW
Did people check out the 1/2 hour Obama infomercial? Super nice. Really really nice. U can see it on HuffingtonPost if you want (here). Really nicely done and almost entirely cheese free. The Obama camp is just next level.
29 October 2008
Send a Bullet
Saw an amazing film today ... called Manda Bala ... about Brazil ... killed it at Sundance ... incredible film ... about corruption and the human condition ... also probably one of the more visually striking films I've seen in a while. Some of the shots are just stunning. Shot in pimped-out widescreen format and sports a really nice soundtrack as well. Blurring the line between documentary and noir film.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manda_bala/
http://www.mandabala.com
Can't recommend this film enough. Definitely students of Errol Morris ... doing an incredibly crushing and beautiful film exposing both the light and the darkness of humanity. God DAMN can humans be fucking awful awful awful. And pretty mindboggling to think of living in a country where you really need a bulletproof car or a helicopter if you have any money. And Brazil is hardly a failed state ... certainly there are other countries that are way worse off. Needless to say the tourism board in Brazil isn't gonna want u to see this one. Some similarities to City of God.
This film functions as it's own little Koyaanisqatsi ... exposing life way way WAY out of balance ... and the cannibalistic cycle of the rich stealing from the poor and the poor stealing from the rich. Amazing film. Smart, dark, stunning, understated and cliche'-free. And the reality about humanity ... two things you can say for sure are: (1) some of us are good and some of us are just wretchedly evil, awful, and crazy and (2) there's definitely WAY too fucking MANY of us on this planet. Way too many. If you think the economic "crisis" is a big deal, consider that the environment is tanking while the population is spiking. Shit's gonna get real interesting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7696197.stm
Speaking of Koyaanisqatsi (and Powaqqatsi) ... see those if you haven't ... incredible films about life out of balance. And in fact, if you're a fan of nonverbal films in general like Baraka and Winged Migration ... check out www.spiritofbaraka.com.
28 October 2008
Letter to the Red States
(author unknown ... though it sounds like Bill Maher to me)
Dear Red States:
We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly: You get Texas , Oklahoma, Idaho and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty . You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America 's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama and racism. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America 's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford , Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University , Clemson and the University of Georgia . We get Hollywood and Yosemite , thank you.
Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11... and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.
Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico .
Peace out,
The Blue States
Racism in America
Thanks to Diana Brown for this piece: author unknown
"Think about the following...
What if the 2008 Presidential Candidate backgrounds were reversed? Think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different? Could racism be an influence? What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if Obama had a campaign manager who co-authored the Congressional Bill that deregulated the banking system, leading to the current financial crisis?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes? (Do 'Swift Boat' tactics come to mind?)
What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.
And consider the candidates' educational backgrounds:
Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude. Editor of the Law Review
Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism (Sports Broadcasting)
Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing throughout the world.
This made me think a bit. what if it had been the black man who had graduated near the bottom of his class, crashed those planes, run around on a handicapped wife, had an affair while still married, divorced and remarried a woman who would later become addicted and gotten her drugs illegally from her own charitable organization? And what if he were running against a white man who had been the head of the Harvard law review, married 16 years to the same woman?"
States where McCain is the strongest: Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Alabama
Nuff said. I wonder what the Obama majority would be if they took out all the fucking racists.
And Palin ... Andrew Sullivan, the brilliant blogger at the Atlantic (http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/) (a Republican) noted that if he had received Palin's resume' for a position as an INTERN he would have turned it down. 4 colleges and a BA in Sports Journalism?? Dude.
"Think about the following...
What if the 2008 Presidential Candidate backgrounds were reversed? Think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different? Could racism be an influence? What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if Obama had a campaign manager who co-authored the Congressional Bill that deregulated the banking system, leading to the current financial crisis?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes? (Do 'Swift Boat' tactics come to mind?)
What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.
And consider the candidates' educational backgrounds:
Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude. Editor of the Law Review
Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism (Sports Broadcasting)
Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing throughout the world.
This made me think a bit. what if it had been the black man who had graduated near the bottom of his class, crashed those planes, run around on a handicapped wife, had an affair while still married, divorced and remarried a woman who would later become addicted and gotten her drugs illegally from her own charitable organization? And what if he were running against a white man who had been the head of the Harvard law review, married 16 years to the same woman?"
States where McCain is the strongest: Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Alabama
Nuff said. I wonder what the Obama majority would be if they took out all the fucking racists.
And Palin ... Andrew Sullivan, the brilliant blogger at the Atlantic (http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/) (a Republican) noted that if he had received Palin's resume' for a position as an INTERN he would have turned it down. 4 colleges and a BA in Sports Journalism?? Dude.
16 October 2008
Huntley on the Move
A little bit of local restaurant news ... one of our favorite chefs in town, Jeff Hunt, recently moved from Marz to the Astro Lounge. This is significant because now you can get Jeff Hunt vittles at a more reasonable price point. And get this (drumroll please) ... BREAKFAST! That's right, suckas ... the Astro is doing breakfast on weekends and as a nod to those of us that think 3PM when we think breakfast, it's an all day thing. Plus ... Astro's happy hour is not only daily from 5-7PM but all day and night Sunday through Wednesday.
I've been in to sample the wares and they're damn good. Jeff takes food very serously and he's doing a great job even within a more bar menu context. The hush puppies are to die for and there's some good stuff on the breakfast menu.
I've been in to sample the wares and they're damn good. Jeff takes food very serously and he's doing a great job even within a more bar menu context. The hush puppies are to die for and there's some good stuff on the breakfast menu.
15 October 2008
Z-Trip Obama Mix
Z-TRIP put his recent work up for everyone to download ... an Obama themed mix ... check it out HERE
.
13 October 2008
Bill Maher
Saw Bill Maher's "Religulous" tonight at the theatre and freaking absolutely LOVED it. Damn. I have me a major man-crush on Bill Maher. Dude is the biggest stud on the planet far as I'm concerned. The film was excellent ... the new HBO show is really great ... he nails stuff so squarely it hurts. And the guests he has on are awesome. He gets major profile guests (like Ralph Nader and Benjamin Netanyahu! ... meets Chris Rock and smart bloggers and so on) Dude is just so smart. And funny as hell. But he's also got a lot to say ... he's a rare combination of a really good comedian and a scalpel sharp wit who does his homework ... doesn't pull any punches. His critiques of religion are so excellent (if it wasn't so scary). Definitely in the lineage of Carlin or Dennis Miller. I totally have a man-crush. Go see the new movie, seriously.
Real Time Promo HERE
http://www.billmaher.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Maher
http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUYDt7kC3Z0
And you can get audio podcasts of the HBO show on iTunes under podcasts.
12 October 2008
Lucius
Posted a super nice mixtape from our friend Lucius ... new-ish DJ type (plays Saturdays at Bo) around here ... really sick indie electronica ... great grooves ... super nice beats ... tons of cutting edge pop. Essential.
www.thegrove411.net/FileSpace/Music
.
Pollen on the Food System
From Michael Pollen:
"This Sunday's New York Times Magazine will carry my open letter to the next president, outlining a new food and farming agenda. It's called "Farmer-in-Chief" and it was just posted on the New York Times website at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin
My intent is to inject these issues into the public debate, especially during the transition, by demonstrating that it will be impossible for the next Administration to make progress on energy independence, health care costs, or climate change without comprehensively addressing the problems of the food system.
I hope you'll take a look at the piece (as well as the rest of the issue, which is terrific) and share your reactions.
All best,
Michael"
"This Sunday's New York Times Magazine will carry my open letter to the next president, outlining a new food and farming agenda. It's called "Farmer-in-Chief" and it was just posted on the New York Times website at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin
My intent is to inject these issues into the public debate, especially during the transition, by demonstrating that it will be impossible for the next Administration to make progress on energy independence, health care costs, or climate change without comprehensively addressing the problems of the food system.
I hope you'll take a look at the piece (as well as the rest of the issue, which is terrific) and share your reactions.
All best,
Michael"
09 October 2008
Halloween 08!
Hell yes. So ... OK, this is going to be similar to last year in that we're teaming up with Human Dignity ... they're doing their drag show from 8-10PM or so ... that part of the show is a benefit ... tickets are like $24 or something (proceeds to HDC) and we're handling the afterparty (starting at 10PM). We're bringing up a couple super sick guys from the Reno-Tahoe posse and mixing in Barisone and Lacuna/MUD (and Mosley Wotta) ... it's gonna be a sick sick SICK night of music! The ticket price drops to $10 at 10PM if you don't wanna do the drag show part, but regardless it's gonna be a silly good time as it was last year. We're moving it to the bigger room to make room for a bunch of tables and more room to roam and dance (last year was super packed). The drag show is really fun so you should try to make it out for that. Definitely not something you're gonna see in Bend ever (aside from this). And the mixing of that scene and energy and some octane fueled bass ... is a good time. See u there!
06 October 2008
Outback "Festival" 2008
Hit up the latest Summer Lake hot springs gathering ... good to see everyone. Gorgeous spot ... even despite the cold and rain ... nothing like some cold wind and hot water to invigorate ya. Feels good to be outside. The party was underattended ... but we still had a good time. Well, except for Saturday night.
The party had a chance on Saturday ... and stuff was primed and ready. People were ready to get down. And then ... a deafening ... nothing ... happened. First up, Eleven Eyes ... acid jazz fusion ... went on for a little too long and were a little underwhelming ... followed by an hour of setup while DJ Trademark tried to set up his DJ-wizardry setup ... while the sound guys played really sleepy non-party music. Trademark couldn't get his gimmicky shit to work, so he just did his thing on his laptop. And it was unspeakably stupid ... bad ... stupid stuff. Mashups ... yeah we get it ... and bad ones. And really wierd ones ... and a little too much circus on acid. Not good. If you're going to be all "DJ theatre" you better be good.
Most people hid outside by the fire, which was a good fire. Especially compared to the terrible music.
After Trademark came a cavalcade of ... strangeness and ... alientation. First up was MUD/Lacuna who rocked a set of super custom urban shit from all over the globe ... which was awesome, but totally not what the bulk of the crowd could connect with. The people that were left over were subjected to a harsh set by Red Eye of cheesy hard trance and techno and bad mixing that was just kinda bad. It was like the soundtrack to a hyperviolent video game. When that was over, the handfull of stalwarts that were left were perked by a couple of smooth opening tracks by Mark Rada ... but that idea was sidelined by Defekt who came on after three or so records to again hammer us again with hard rave shit that was again totally impossible to fit with the vibe of the party. The remaining people stumbled off to bed ... confused.
In Rada We Trust
Look ... there's a couple kinds of DJs out there ... there's DJs that can vibe on the vibe of the party ... and play stuff that fits ... and that are flexible. These are the good DJs. There are other DJs who just play what they play no matter what the setting. These types can be fun, but only if they're put into appropriate parties by someone who gets it. Cuz these guys don't seem to be able to get that they just shouldn't play a party in a barn with a bunch of hippies if they're going to play hard German techno. DJs that do that shit should be ashamed, basically. In fact, DJs in general are really very guilty of just wanting to play ... regardless of whether they'll actually help the situation.
Music is powerful ... it's very influential on the emotional tone of a gathering ... and DJs who aren't at all concerned about the vibe that people are or want to enjoy and just play whatever the fuck they want are ... interesting. Ego comes to mind, really. Or stupidity. And when you play an entire set and you notice that even though there's a PARTY going on, or supposedly going on ... that everyone has run away from you and is hiding outside in the cold ... do you GET that you aren't jiving? DJs need to seriously consider the responsibility it is to be in control of the music at a party. It's not just about you. Get it? If you play rave shit or hyper industrial shit ... u perhaps should limit yourself to gigs where people are going to appreciate that sort of thing.
So yeah, whatever. I'm not trying to hate for hate's sake ... and I certainly support artistic freedom ... and I don't think the crowd should be calling all the shots ... but come on ... a little sense and sensibility maybe? It's not like it was just me who wasn't into it. Nobody danced ALL NIGHT!
Rant rant. Sorry.
It was still a fun weekend with friends so whatever. And the long slow toodle back to Bend through gray skies and rain was super nice ... just listening to some Beta Band and zoning the hell out. Looking forward to some good shows around here and Halloween!
Happy Monday
I'm sitting around the house on this breezy Monday listening to The Real Tuesday Weld and reading Saveur in my furry slippers. Does that make me totally gay? Check the box.
03 October 2008
BAILOUT YARRR!
Subject: Here's How to Fix the Wall Street Mess ...from Michael Moore
Friends,
The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans combined. 400 rich Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they are now demanding we give to them for the "bailout." Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!
Of course, they are not going to do that -- at least not voluntarily. George W. Bush was handed a $127 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not his, he did what the rich prefer to do -- spend it and never look back. Now we have a $9.5 trillion debt. Why on earth would we even think of giving these robber barons any more of our money?
I would like to propose my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, are predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps. Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: There... is... no... free... lunch. And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there will be no handouts from us to you. The Senate, tonight, is going to try to rush their version of a "bailout" bill to a vote. They must be stopped. We did it on Monday with the House, and we can do it again today with the Senate.
It is clear, though, that we cannot simply keep protesting without proposing exactly what it is we think Congress should do. So, after consulting with a number of people smarter than Phil Gramm, here is my proposal, now known as "Mike's Rescue Plan." It has 10 simple, straightforward points. They are:
1. APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money is expended, Congress must commit, by resolution, to criminally prosecute anyone who had anything to do with the attempted sacking of our economy. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse must go to jail. This Congress must call for a Special Prosecutor who will vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in the future.
2. THE RICH MUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT. They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than $2,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class are going to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.
If they truly need the $700 billion they say they need, well, here is an easy way they can raise it:
a) Every couple who makes over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over $500,000 a year will pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It's the Senator Sanders plan. He's like Colonel Sanders, only he's out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich will still be paying less income tax than when Carter was president. This will raise a total of $300 billion.
b) Like nearly every other democracy, charge a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This will raise more than $200 billion in a year.
c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders will forgo receiving a dividend check for one quarter and instead this money will go the treasury to help pay for the bailout.
d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raise the corporate income tax back to the level of the 1950s, that gives us an extra $500 billion.
All of this combined should be enough to end the calamity. The rich will get to keep their mansions and their servants, and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") will have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools.
3. BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME. There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, pay down each of these mortgages by $100,000. Force the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner can pay on its current value. To insure that this help does no go to speculators and those who have tried to make money by flipping houses, this bailout is only for people's primary residence. And in return for the $100K paydown on the existing mortgage, the government gets to share in the holding of the mortgage so that it can get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is $150 billion, not $700 billion.
And let's set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want and most of us still get: a home to call their own. But during the Bush years, millions of them lost the decent paying jobs they had. Six million fell into poverty. Seven million lost their health insurance. And every one of them saw their real wages go down by $2,000. Those who dare to look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ashamed. We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home that they own.
4. IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GETS ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that's how it's done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back -- with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk -- and necessary for the good of the country -- then you can get a loan, but we will own you. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.
5. ALL REGULATIONS MUST BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD. This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the henhouse. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here's what Sen. Phil Gramm, McCain's chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:
"In the 1930s ... it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."
This bill must be repealed. Bill Clinton can help by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they're done with that, they can restore the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" must have enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.
6. IF IT'S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S TOO BIG TO EXIST. Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No one or two companies should have this kind of power. The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can't happen when you have hundreds -- thousands -- of institutions where people have their money. When you have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we don't face a national disaster. If you have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can't call all the shots (I know... What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a strong and free press!). Laws must be enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the giant falls and dies. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that no one can understand. If you can't explain it in two sentences, you shouldn't be taking anyone's money.
7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How this can happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it's only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an outrage. We have created the mess we're in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. This has to stop. Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be fired before the company receives any help.
8. STRENGTHEN THE FDIC AND MAKE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE'S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct yesterday to propose expanding FDIC protection of people's savings in their banks to $250,000. But this same sort of government insurance must be given to our nation's pension funds. People should never have to worry about whether or not the money they've put away for their old age will be there. This will mean strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees' funds -- or perhaps it means that the companies will have to turn over those funds and their management to the government. People's private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it's time to consider not having one's retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market. Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about ending up destitute.
9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off the TV! We are not in the Second Great Depression. The sky is not falling. Pundits and politicians are lying to us so fast and furious it's hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I, yesterday, wrote to you and repeated what I heard on the news, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that's true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the '80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn't go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into the Jacuzzi.
As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan this week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. Life has gone on. Not a single person has lost any of their money if it's in a bank or a treasury note or a CD. And the most amazing thing is that the American public hasn't bought the scare campaign. The citizens didn't blink, and instead told Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn't the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say 'Saddam has da bomb' so many times before the people realize you're a lying sack of shite. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can't take it any longer.
10. CREATE A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE'S BANK." If we really are itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don't we give it to ourselves? Now that we own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a people's bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And now that we own AIG, the country's largest insurance company, let's take the next step and provide health insurance for everyone. Medicare for all. It will save us so much money in the long run. And we won't be 12th on the life expectancy list. We'll be able to have a longer life, enjoying our government-protected pension, and living to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused so much misery are let out of prison so that we can help reacclimate them to civilian life -- a life with one nice home and a gas-free car that was invented with help from the People's Bank.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
P.S. Call your Senators now. They are going to attempt their own version of the Looting of America tonight. And let your reps know if you agree with my 10-point plan.
Friends,
The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans combined. 400 rich Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they are now demanding we give to them for the "bailout." Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!
Of course, they are not going to do that -- at least not voluntarily. George W. Bush was handed a $127 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not his, he did what the rich prefer to do -- spend it and never look back. Now we have a $9.5 trillion debt. Why on earth would we even think of giving these robber barons any more of our money?
I would like to propose my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, are predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps. Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: There... is... no... free... lunch. And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there will be no handouts from us to you. The Senate, tonight, is going to try to rush their version of a "bailout" bill to a vote. They must be stopped. We did it on Monday with the House, and we can do it again today with the Senate.
It is clear, though, that we cannot simply keep protesting without proposing exactly what it is we think Congress should do. So, after consulting with a number of people smarter than Phil Gramm, here is my proposal, now known as "Mike's Rescue Plan." It has 10 simple, straightforward points. They are:
1. APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money is expended, Congress must commit, by resolution, to criminally prosecute anyone who had anything to do with the attempted sacking of our economy. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse must go to jail. This Congress must call for a Special Prosecutor who will vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in the future.
2. THE RICH MUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT. They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than $2,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class are going to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.
If they truly need the $700 billion they say they need, well, here is an easy way they can raise it:
a) Every couple who makes over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over $500,000 a year will pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It's the Senator Sanders plan. He's like Colonel Sanders, only he's out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich will still be paying less income tax than when Carter was president. This will raise a total of $300 billion.
b) Like nearly every other democracy, charge a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This will raise more than $200 billion in a year.
c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders will forgo receiving a dividend check for one quarter and instead this money will go the treasury to help pay for the bailout.
d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raise the corporate income tax back to the level of the 1950s, that gives us an extra $500 billion.
All of this combined should be enough to end the calamity. The rich will get to keep their mansions and their servants, and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") will have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools.
3. BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME. There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, pay down each of these mortgages by $100,000. Force the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner can pay on its current value. To insure that this help does no go to speculators and those who have tried to make money by flipping houses, this bailout is only for people's primary residence. And in return for the $100K paydown on the existing mortgage, the government gets to share in the holding of the mortgage so that it can get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is $150 billion, not $700 billion.
And let's set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want and most of us still get: a home to call their own. But during the Bush years, millions of them lost the decent paying jobs they had. Six million fell into poverty. Seven million lost their health insurance. And every one of them saw their real wages go down by $2,000. Those who dare to look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ashamed. We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home that they own.
4. IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GETS ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that's how it's done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back -- with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk -- and necessary for the good of the country -- then you can get a loan, but we will own you. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.
5. ALL REGULATIONS MUST BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD. This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the henhouse. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here's what Sen. Phil Gramm, McCain's chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:
"In the 1930s ... it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."
This bill must be repealed. Bill Clinton can help by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they're done with that, they can restore the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" must have enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.
6. IF IT'S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S TOO BIG TO EXIST. Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No one or two companies should have this kind of power. The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can't happen when you have hundreds -- thousands -- of institutions where people have their money. When you have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we don't face a national disaster. If you have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can't call all the shots (I know... What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a strong and free press!). Laws must be enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the giant falls and dies. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that no one can understand. If you can't explain it in two sentences, you shouldn't be taking anyone's money.
7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How this can happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it's only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an outrage. We have created the mess we're in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. This has to stop. Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be fired before the company receives any help.
8. STRENGTHEN THE FDIC AND MAKE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE'S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct yesterday to propose expanding FDIC protection of people's savings in their banks to $250,000. But this same sort of government insurance must be given to our nation's pension funds. People should never have to worry about whether or not the money they've put away for their old age will be there. This will mean strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees' funds -- or perhaps it means that the companies will have to turn over those funds and their management to the government. People's private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it's time to consider not having one's retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market. Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about ending up destitute.
9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off the TV! We are not in the Second Great Depression. The sky is not falling. Pundits and politicians are lying to us so fast and furious it's hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I, yesterday, wrote to you and repeated what I heard on the news, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that's true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the '80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn't go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into the Jacuzzi.
As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan this week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. Life has gone on. Not a single person has lost any of their money if it's in a bank or a treasury note or a CD. And the most amazing thing is that the American public hasn't bought the scare campaign. The citizens didn't blink, and instead told Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn't the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say 'Saddam has da bomb' so many times before the people realize you're a lying sack of shite. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can't take it any longer.
10. CREATE A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE'S BANK." If we really are itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don't we give it to ourselves? Now that we own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a people's bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And now that we own AIG, the country's largest insurance company, let's take the next step and provide health insurance for everyone. Medicare for all. It will save us so much money in the long run. And we won't be 12th on the life expectancy list. We'll be able to have a longer life, enjoying our government-protected pension, and living to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused so much misery are let out of prison so that we can help reacclimate them to civilian life -- a life with one nice home and a gas-free car that was invented with help from the People's Bank.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
P.S. Call your Senators now. They are going to attempt their own version of the Looting of America tonight. And let your reps know if you agree with my 10-point plan.
29 September 2008
25 September 2008
17 September 2008
Blogs I Like
Thanks to Tea for the tip to Sorry I Missed Your Party (http://www.sorryimissedyourparty.com/) which is basically just someone trolling Flickr for random photos and then heckling them. Kinda like the Vice fashion do's and don'ts but for all of life.
Of course Stuff White People Like (www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com) is super solid and very educational. Self awareness, baby! No matter how hard it hurts!
And don't forget to check in with I Can Haz Cheezeburger (http://icanhascheezburger.com/) ... check the "Ninja Cat" video from today.
And for you Bend peoples. The random ramblings of Bend's party master, Todd Cover (http://thebenditos.blogspot.com/)
Of course Stuff White People Like (www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com) is super solid and very educational. Self awareness, baby! No matter how hard it hurts!
And don't forget to check in with I Can Haz Cheezeburger (http://icanhascheezburger.com/) ... check the "Ninja Cat" video from today.
And for you Bend peoples. The random ramblings of Bend's party master, Todd Cover (http://thebenditos.blogspot.com/)
Dirtdance: Hippies. Lasers. Etc.
Stomp stomp stomp ... the dust forms a palpable haze in the early evening air. Dirt covers everything with a fine layer. It's impossible to really feel clean. The line for the showers is so long that it's basically not an option. The opening jams of Spearhead's headline set waft across the valley. Welcome to Dirtdance 2008. Laytonville, California's ostensible Woodstock type thing. Mendocino County. 5000 of the stinkiest, dirtiest, hairyest sideways wasted hippies you've ever seen in one place gathered in the time honored tribal tradition of getting together, getting dressed up and promendading (or stumbling) down the thoroughfare.
Three stages and three discussion-workshop-yoga spaces ... tons of people peddling their material and immaterial wares. Random hippies pledging fealty to various Native American slash Rastafarian slash Hindu worldviews. Tons of feather, leather, hemp, and DMT. I had no idea there were so many hippies out there. And how so many of them look and act like they just walked out of 1969. And this being their big party, there wasn't an existential connundrum in the place. Everyone was feeling VALIDATED. And that's not a good thing.
It's funny how even counter-cultural "movements" will tend to fall into an orderly line ... and display all the inherent characteristics of any human culture (and certainly animal ones as well ... check out my tail feathers!). What makes (some) hippies so annoying is that they seem to think that they're different (or better) than everyone else. Different flavor perhaps, but that shit's still ice cream. They're just the rednecks of the left.
Whatever. We came we saw we conquered. We sold a ton of T-shirts for Rise Up and we got some quality heckling in. I checked out some bands ... some vendors ... and we blasted out before the rush. The Redwood Highway is as nice as ever. The redwood country is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
The main highlights of the festival included being able to walk between Vibesquad playing and Digable Planets and stopping for a hot fry bread drizzled in strawberry jam and honey on the way. One of the main let-downs was Digable Planets, though.
Certainly ... Digable is one of the best hip hop bands in all of recorded history (though it's rumored that the Babylonians could freestyle like crazy). But ... unfortunately ... it was somewhat clear that they hadn't really been playing many shows (or practicing at all) before this gig. Perhaps they were just having an off night, but they were pretty loose. Their dance moves were mad rusty and they were wearing some indexplicably lame outfits. Not exactly living up to the pedestal that I had them on ... but I realize that's mostly based solely on the fact that I just love their music and nothing more really. But I had envisioned them as some sort of uber-humans possessing ... nay ... dripping with such cool that it would make your eyes cross if you even tried to look at them. But ... apparently they're just people in the end. Their attempts at hype-the-crowd hip hop were lackluster and out of character and they just didn't have the fire that some of the younger acts had. Understandable I suppose.
I skipped the Saturday "Prayer for Peace" which happened in syncronicity with the other 260 Earthdance parties happening around the world on the same day. I failed to understand how that would affect the powers that be and I grumbled that those hippies are too lazy to write their representatives for the most part but just delight at synchronized prayer. No small coincidence that they're not calling the shots.
I spent the afternoon reading Chuck Klosterman's "IV" ... a collection of essays about pop culture which was pretty fucking delightful wherein he deconstructs facets of American life like our obsession with pirates (considering that actual pirates are not nice people) (Sept 19 = National Talk Like a Pirate Day) and what bands are overrated, underrated, accurately rated, and why that's all silly anyway.
There was some good music ... but it was difficult to enjoy it many times ... big crowds of foul smelling hairy hempsters were distracting. At one point in the "Temple of Electronica" dome ( Worst. Name. Ever. BTW) some random woman came barreling out of the crowd in front of me ... proceeded to give me a huge bear hug, then a kiss right on the face. Not sure what she was aiming at, but it was one of those awkward kisses where one person is kissing but the other person is not. Her girlfriend (and her boyfriend) were tugging on her arm saying "come have sex with us" ... she turned to me and almost apologetically informed me that she had to go have sex. "Yeah, knock yourself out."
The rastafarians were in full force and effect ... rocking their adopted cult-isms about Marcus Garvey and Babylon and so forth. Jah ... etc. Mixing Star of David iconography with red-gold-n-green and some emperor from Ethiopia. Needless to say this seemed as strange as ever for suburban white kids to be doing this. But I doubt many of them have really considered it. It's all just about belonging to something and songs about weed.
Like the woman who was standing before a makeshift shrine to Ganesh ... holding her baby and waving the baby's hand at Ganesh and saying "hi Ganesh" ... "hi Ganesh" ... "we love you Ganesh". I just happened to be there looking for an electrical hook up and I chuckled as I squeezed in front of her and plugged my phone into Ganesh's power strip.
Overall the festival was fine ... ish ... if that's your thing. The area was suffering from a 60 year high drought which meant that the river was not even flowing ... in fact, it was mostly dry ... which made the hot dusty days a bit of a bummer. The food and vendables were stupid overpriced ... which was also a bummer. One thing that baffles me about hippies is their ability to just fuck you on the price of things and not feel bad about it. I tried to buy some ice from the festival ice vendor ... and they wanted $12 for a 20lb bag. Of frozen water. That shit *retails* for about $4 at the supermarket. Tickets were $180. Food was similarly jacked up. And nobody thinks that's antisocial behavior. They talk the love but they act like your average Moroccan hawker (or Regal Cinema) most of the time. Selling $0.15 bottles of water for $2. One dude was selling cart-based solar power rigs ... integrated 120w panels with a battery and charge controller and inverter. That setup costs about $500 max. Or $3,900 from this guy. So ... you're basically profiteering on people's desire to buy renewable energy. AND you think you're soooo "conscious". I love it. And when you come to our booth ... where we're selling t-shirts for less than anyone else and routing the proceeds to humanitarian efforts and you're going to try to get "deals".
Now ... it's certainly no fair to stereotype an entire group of people based on some bad apples ... but ... yeah. I just needed to vent, I guess. Hippies are certainly not even in the bottom half of unpleasant people. They're pretty awesome, actually ... but ... it's hard to have your face stuck deep in that smelly armpit without making a face.
Anyway it was a good time in Mendocino. Mostly because rolling with Nolan is just classic every time right down to the broken down on the side of the road in the mystery RV at 6 in the morning. Hell yeah!
.
Blogging
People (and by that I mean like three or two people) have been commenting that I haven't written anything lately ... which I don't get cuz I don't get why anyone would read any of this, but yeah. Summer's been really busy ... but looking forward to that slowing down quite a bit. Need some quiet time.
Quick update. We did a bunch of festivals and parties this summer ... in various capacities, but mostly for me, in our food vending mode, which has been really fun and rewarding. The season culminated in the ELEVATE festival which we helped produce in downtown Bend which turned out pretty nicely and has mad promise for better things in the future. Mid August we did a trip to visit Seattle and my folks. (Big shout to Fontecchio and Philippa!) Then Burning Man ... followed by a few days in the ALF in Reno. We got back from Reno on a Wednesday, spent Thursday packing and unpacking and went right to the Sisters Folk Fest. Then more packing and unpacking and then off the next Thursday to Earthdance. Stoked for some downtime now.
Quick update. We did a bunch of festivals and parties this summer ... in various capacities, but mostly for me, in our food vending mode, which has been really fun and rewarding. The season culminated in the ELEVATE festival which we helped produce in downtown Bend which turned out pretty nicely and has mad promise for better things in the future. Mid August we did a trip to visit Seattle and my folks. (Big shout to Fontecchio and Philippa!) Then Burning Man ... followed by a few days in the ALF in Reno. We got back from Reno on a Wednesday, spent Thursday packing and unpacking and went right to the Sisters Folk Fest. Then more packing and unpacking and then off the next Thursday to Earthdance. Stoked for some downtime now.
The Economy
Dunno if you guys are watching the economic news ... but ... shit's going *down*. We're going to be washing our clothes in a river on a rock ... no fucking around. Fannie/Freddie ... AIG ... Lehman Brothers ... some of the largest equity funds in the world ... the most monolithic companies in the entire world ... going DOWN. Bankrupt. And bailouts bailouts bailouts ... all by the taxpayer ... or through a process called "monetization" which is essentially just printing more dollar bills ... which has the effect to fold the debt into a devaluation of the currency as a whole.
And the entire time ... the fucking Republicans are talking about how they should have another four years in the White House. How fucking ridiculous is that?! Just can't believe it. Proof positive of some really messed up shit about human nature.
The fucking problem with Republicans (one of them) is that they talk about markets ... but when markets fail, they're all about handing out huge bailout paychecks to the richest hugest companies. They talk markets but are really just oligarchichal socialists. They hate welfare for the poor but love welfare for the chosen few.
We just took on 70 billion in AIG's debt ... same for Fannie May and Freddie Mac ... Lehman is going down. Merrill barely saved by Bank of America. Large swaths of the American economy being bought by huge equity firms from the Middle East and Asia. War in Iraq siphoning unfathomable dollars towards a totally negligible benefit ... plenty of argument that the war has made things only worse for American security and good will in the world ... and shit's in full tailspin. Hurricanes ... wars ... economic freefall ... yeah ... shit's gonna get real interesting.
Do you realize that the United States doesn't actually have that money ... and isn't anywhere near being able to make that money without massive changes in the entire nature of our culture? Our debt is building and building and building ... and who do you think holds that debt? MMmmm hmmm ...
Lehman Brothers weathered the Great Depression ... they weathered the crash of Wall Street ... but this current situation has them down and out. Just for some sense of the scale of what's going on.
I'm stoked. I have my popcorn and I'm dying to find out where this shit is heading. And I'm comforted by the fact that we basically deserve EVERYTHING that we're getting. The American bubble is bursting ... no question about that. And you have half the population not blaming themselves, but rather thinking that this is the Rapture coming (and they're stoked!) or some sort of punishment for letting gays get married. We're FUCKED!!!
16 September 2008
Burn After Reading
You know how in Three's Company the plot often revolved around someone (Mr. Furley!) who overheard something and misunderstood it ... and wierd circumstances happen ... confounding and deepening the misunderstanding and mystery ... resulting in the characters having conversations where one person is talking about something and the other thinks they're talking about something else. Classic. Basically the same kinda plot. Funny shit. And ... as always with Cohen stuff ... the characters jump off the page and all the players turned in inspired performances. Brad Pitt was excellent. Malkovich was scary as fuck.
Plus, great cinematography and some really powerful scenes. Thumbs up. Not their *best* work per se ... but plenty worthy.
19 August 2008
15 August 2008
Ice Cold Coca Cola
There really isn't anything better first thing in the morning than an ice cold Coca Cola. :)
16 July 2008
Halle, Courtney, Jenni, Hannah
Rocking it in Greece/Crete/Turkey. Check it (not much there now but hopefully more soon ... )
http://hallebalou.blogspot.com/
http://www.travelpod.com/members/summer08
http://hallebalou.blogspot.com/
http://www.travelpod.com/members/summer08
30 June 2008
Mark Räda
Cool article on my favorite mofo ... in the Bulletin ...
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS0107/806270304/1162/AE&nav_category=AE&template=print
Spam as Art
Spam has gotten pretty wierd over the years. My favorite subgenre being spam that tries to evade spam filters (isn't that just so spirited!) ... and ... even though I barely ever even glance at it when I'm deleting stuff .. every now and then something really catches my eye as ... almost attaining an artful level of surrealism or ... just utter pointlessness. To wit ... here's one I got today. WTF I LOVE IT!
-----------------------------
From: vanadic@mepal.com
Subject: angelicize blague
Date: June 30, 2008 4:11:03 AM PDT
To: booking@thegrove411.net
Reply-To: vanadic@mepal.com
Ni hao,
***
Warning!
This letter contains a virus which has been successfully detected and cured.
***
Anyway? Yes, said tina, i was. I had a letter to jacko now?
he's dead. It's not jacko who matters. Here, i can't get
an ard. 'swer. Have you a poirot pleasantly, i think we'll
have to ask you for quarter, i replied. Well, it's only
piling up time opened its table accommodations to the public,
devotion, and is courageous to the point ofrecklessness.
over the wall, and, being unseen in the shadow,."
Ni hao INDEED! Over the fucking WALL, unseen in the shadows and courageous (and devoted) to the point of recklessness! I love it, whatever it means.
-----------------------------
From: vanadic@mepal.com
Subject: angelicize blague
Date: June 30, 2008 4:11:03 AM PDT
To: booking@thegrove411.net
Reply-To: vanadic@mepal.com
Ni hao,
***
Warning!
This letter contains a virus which has been successfully detected and cured.
***
Anyway? Yes, said tina, i was. I had a letter to jacko now?
he's dead. It's not jacko who matters. Here, i can't get
an ard. 'swer. Have you a poirot pleasantly, i think we'll
have to ask you for quarter, i replied. Well, it's only
piling up time opened its table accommodations to the public,
devotion, and is courageous to the point ofrecklessness.
over the wall, and, being unseen in the shadow,."
Ni hao INDEED! Over the fucking WALL, unseen in the shadows and courageous (and devoted) to the point of recklessness! I love it, whatever it means.
27 June 2008
Superheroes
I'm going to start making a deck of Superhero playing cards ... cuz ... there's some superhero mofos around here. Each one will have the persons stats and super powers and weaknesses. Y'all better send me a photo or I'm gonna use the ones I have. Damn I love all you guys.
(pps. NO CAPES!)
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