What is wrong with television "news" programming today?

Well, the first paragraph of this editorial sums a lot of it up.  And whenever the writer is using a Hunter S. Thompson quote to describe his views of the current state of television journalism, you know you are dealing with someone who's pretty bitter ("a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free …”).

It is nice to hear that there is a show out there that someone actually feels is worth watching.  (Sorry, Fareed.  Not sure if it is you or me, but I quit watching awhile ago...)

TV that deserves the name "journalism" - MSNBC - Salon.com: 

Waking up at 4 a.m. is rarely enjoyable, and arising at that unspeakable hour to appear on a cable news show is particularly painful. In such situations, you feel as if you’re dragging yourself out of bed only to be treated like a canine in a dogfight, with the typical show pitting you in a contrived death match against another guest who is your equally angry, equally mangy opposite. That, or you’re simply asked to play the yes-man — the Ed McMahon to the host’s Johnny Carson.

Needless to say, I’m not a fan of most cable news because I find this format mind-numbing, uninformative and tedious (and cable news’ declining ratings over the last year prove I’m not alone)....

“Up With Chris Hayes,” which broadcasts Saturday and Sunday mornings, purposely rejects the manufactured red-versus-blue mallet that bludgeons every issue into partisan terms. Instead, the program’s host is creating a space for more expansive discussions with voices typically deemed too unconventional, provocative or dangerous to be allowed anywhere near a television set.

'via Blog this'

Ronald Reagan and Obama both said the same thing about taxes for the wealthy

Yes. Then again, Reagan would be way too liberal for the Republican Party these days. And Nixon would be burned at the stake as a liberal, transgendered, freak of nature, hippie, pagan, dirt eater... Eisenhower? We can't even go there. This is a family show. Sometimes.

Thanks to Aleshia on Facebook for spotting this clip.

This is not our grandparents' Republican Party...

Occupy Together: Stewart on Oakland

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Republicans 2012: A little Huntsman for the morning coffee

Well, my "morning" coffee, at least.  Up late working on behind the scenes web infrastructure.

A couple links and clips devoted to my project to publish every thing I notice and have time to publish on Huntsman...  Great appearance by Hunstman on Colbert earlier this week... Here's hoping he gets his bump.

The Colbert Report
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The Colbert Report
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Jon Huntsman on the tea party, the polls, and his hair: the Yahoo News interview | The Ticket - Yahoo! News:
He spoke of compromise and working with Democrats in order to "get things done."
"I hate the divide in this country because being divided as Americans is not natural. It's un-American," Huntsman said. "It's not consistent with who we are as blue-sky optimists. We're problem-solving people." 

This has been Huntsman's pitch all along: He's the guy who can "do things," even if it means working with, (or, in his case as Obama's ambassador to China, for) liberals.
But the pitch isn't selling.

It's not for a lack of conservative ideas. Huntsman's loophole-slashing tax reform plan, which would create three income tax brackets of 8 percent, 14 percent and 23 percent, received glowing reviews from the Wall Street Journal editorial board and FreedomWorks, a Washington, D.C.-based tea party group.

But his tax plan hasn't been enough to get Huntsman out of the basement tier of long-shot 2012 candidates, and Huntsman knows it.

...

"Inevitably, people will insist that the work of the country gets done," Huntsman said in his interview with Yahoo News. "You've got to have candidates who will run and say, I'm going to get the work of the country done, I'm not going to sell out for right or left."
"People are going to say, Hallelujah! We've been waiting for this moment to finally get people in there who can deal with debt, with tax reform, energy independence, our wars abroad," he said. "We can only go on like this for long." 

He pointed to the summer debate over the debt ceiling, a process that eventually culminated in an 11th hour deal, but only after months of negotiations, threats of default and countless Capitol Hill media stunts. A few days later, Standard & Poor's downgraded the nation's credit rating anyway.

"If that wasn't an embarrassment, I don't know what is," Huntsman said. "You had a whole class of my party saying, basically, Go ahead and default. Default?! ...We should have had the 'doer class' who stood up at that point and be willing to say, No, we're not going to let nonsense stand in the way of getting to work.'"
That's the role Huntsman wants to play, but at this point, Republican voters aren't trying to cast that part. In New Hampshire, where Huntsman moved his campaign headquarters a few weeks ago and where he spends most of his time, he's polling at less than 5 percent. 

New Hampshire residents aren't even donating to his campaign. In the last quarter, Huntsman's campaign reported just two donors in the entire state who gave a combined $1,000. 

'via Blog this'

Climate change, media coverage, and The Daily Show

I am trying to use Daily Show clips pretty sparsely on this site.  It would be too easy just to post everything they do and call it good.  I like and agree with most of what they say, but I also want to provide additional sources for myself and others...  We can't get all of our news and analysis from a fake news show!

Today, however, I suspect that I will largely be letting Stewart and company handle the heavy lifting for me.  I am getting caught up with the show and I don't have a lot of time.  It is nice and I actually get to get out of the apartment and have some free time for myself today.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Video of War Veteran Wounded By Police At Occupy Oakland, Stun Grenade Thrown At Folks Helping Him

As I said in an earlier post, the videos do not match up with the official statements about the events...

War Veteran Wounded By Police At Occupy Oakland, Stun Grenade Thrown At Folks Helping Him | MoveOn.Org:
Scott Olsen, a protester who’s done two tours of duty in Iraq and is now involved in Veterans For Peace, was critically wounded during an Oakland police raid by police projectiles. When people tried to help him, an officer lobbed a flash bang grenade right into their group. Olsen is currently hospitalized with serious injuries and is reported to be in critical condition. 

'via Blog this'

Who funds the U.S. government: Comparison Chart - Total Reported Income Vs. Total Income Taxes Paid (2007)

Yes, this is a chart we do not see much of at the Occupy protests.

But who can afford to fund the government?  The fact of the matter is that, while the top 25% earners in the country pay 86.6% of the taxes, a percentage that drives conservative wild, just asking the bottom 75% to "pay their fair share" is not a workable solution.

While it sounds good on paper, at the end of the day, the bottom 75% can't afford it.  Small percentage changes in the tax rate for most Americans have a dramatic effect on their day to day lives, much more so than it does for the wealthiest members of society.

And at a certain point, taxes become uncollectable.  Are we really going to ask someone to choose between paying their tax bill and putting food on the table for their children?  Those are taxes that won't get paid and then we'll be sending good money after bad trying to collect and prosecute those damn, poor and lazy tax evaders that are not pulling their weight in society.

And if we are asking the average American to give more of their money to the government instead of spending their money in the free market, how are the top 25% going to keep earning their money?  Raising prices to compensate for smaller sales?  Double tapping the purchasing power of the average American and driving the economy even further into the darkness?

Blah...  Too burned out for a thoughtful, well written argument on this topic today, but I did want to look into the facts and to offer a couple splintered fragments of my humble opinion..

"Counter-recruiting" in high schools. These people piss me off.

These people piss me off.  Listen for yourself...  I like the comment left on the site...

like uh, you know....if you want someone to represent critical opposing views to the military please evaluate them for articulation and debating skills. this is just difficult to listen to.

I support recruiting in high schools.  When I thought the "counter-recruiting" was about discussing other options, even things like Americorps, etc, it sounded fine.

No.  It is about talking kids out of joining the military.  Grrr.

Counter-Recruiters

AIR DATE: Wednesday, October 26th 2011

POSTED BY: DAVE BLANCHARD

 

Counter-Recruiters · Think Out Loud: 
This week, the Portland Public School Board voted to allow "counter-recruiters" at Portland's public high schools. Counter-recruiters represent organizations like American Friends Service Committee and the Military & Draft Counseling Project that provide information about military service and recruitment that is meant to dissuade students from joining the military.
'via Blog this'

Republicans 2012: You know you are in trouble when...

...Pat Robertson tells you to bring it down a notch.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Fox News personally attacking a Occupy Wall Street protester...

Class. Just pure class. Go Fox!

Updated - Occupy Oakland: Class warfare in America & widespread support for OWS

10:20 AM - New videos coming through...



Oakland Mayor Takes Heat on Facebook After Police Fire Tear Gas at OWS Protesters:

Oakland’s Police Department said in a statement that it used tear gas in defense after protesters threw objects at officers and, contrary to some reports, did not use rubber bullets or flash-bag grenades.

  'via Blog this'

Excuse me? That is not what is shown in the videos. Someone has some explaining to do.

Moveon.org asks if this is what democracy looks like.  Honestly, sometimes this is exactly what democracy looks like.

A better question: Is this what class warfare in modern America looks like?

Anonymous • OCCUPY OAKLAND: URGENT CALL FOR ASSISTANCE.: 

Last night we faced an absolutely brutal assault by an army of the Oakland Police (with the help of cops from all over Northern California). Tear gas and flash bangs were fired into the camp where children were sleeping, people were beaten and shot with rubber bullets. The assault was also levied against our property in the camp, and the cops tried their best to completely destroy everything we had there. Almost every tent has been destroyed, many slashed with boxcutters, structures smashed, basically this was not an eviction, they came in to destroy everything we had. After they flattened our main camp, they also went to our small camp in Snow Park and repeated the process there.

Though we may be bloodied, we are even more determined to keep going. As we agreed upon in General Assembly, on the evening following any police assault on our camp, we will reconvening at the Oakland Public Library, on the steps. We will discuss our options and pick one, and then take action as a community to respond / rebuild our occupation. This is a big deal, we need everyone and their mother to come out, to help us reestablish and recommit to the occupation. They will not stop us. We will overcome this attack and emerge even stronger.

'via Blog this'

In other news...

Daily Kos: Occupy Wall Street already has at least as much support as tea party:
Four polls confirm that Occupy Wall Street has at least equaled, and likely surpassed, the tea party in terms of total number of supporters. No matter how polling firms phrase their questions, the tea party never comes out on top.
'via Blog this'

Economy Has Patients Asking Docs for Freebies - Yahoo! News

From 2011-10-06 Occupy Portland

Economy Has Patients Asking Docs for Freebies - Yahoo! News:

The economy is forcing some patients with pricey prescriptions to skip doses, cut pills in half or even stop taking potentially life-saving medications.
'via Blog this'

Been there, done that...  Not with chemo, at least.

Perry says it was a ‘mistake’ for him to participate in 2012 debates | The Ticket - Yahoo! News

No real news here...

Perry says it was a ‘mistake’ for him to participate in 2012 debates | The Ticket - Yahoo! News:

Many political observers agree that Rick Perry's dismal debate performances have helped spark his dramatic collapse in recent polls. Now, not surprisingly, the Republican presidential hopeful insists his biggest mistake in the campaign so far was agreeing to participate in the forums at all. 

"These debates are set up for nothing more than to tear down the candidates. It's pretty hard to be able to sit and lay out your ideas and your concepts with a one-minute response," the Texas governor told Fox News's Bill O'Reilly. "So, you know, if there was a mistake made, it was probably ever doing one of the [debates], when all they're interested in is stirring up between the candidates instead of really talking about the issues that are important to the American people." 

'via Blog this'

Occupy Oakland: Class warfare in America & widespread support for OWS

Moveon.org asks if this is what democracy looks like.  Honestly, sometimes this is exactly what democracy looks like.

A better question: Is this what class warfare in modern America looks like?

Anonymous • OCCUPY OAKLAND: URGENT CALL FOR ASSISTANCE.: 

Last night we faced an absolutely brutal assault by an army of the Oakland Police (with the help of cops from all over Northern California). Tear gas and flash bangs were fired into the camp where children were sleeping, people were beaten and shot with rubber bullets. The assault was also levied against our property in the camp, and the cops tried their best to completely destroy everything we had there. Almost every tent has been destroyed, many slashed with boxcutters, structures smashed, basically this was not an eviction, they came in to destroy everything we had. After they flattened our main camp, they also went to our small camp in Snow Park and repeated the process there.

Though we may be bloodied, we are even more determined to keep going. As we agreed upon in General Assembly, on the evening following any police assault on our camp, we will reconvening at the Oakland Public Library, on the steps. We will discuss our options and pick one, and then take action as a community to respond / rebuild our occupation. This is a big deal, we need everyone and their mother to come out, to help us reestablish and recommit to the occupation. They will not stop us. We will overcome this attack and emerge even stronger.

'via Blog this'

In other news...

Daily Kos: Occupy Wall Street already has at least as much support as tea party:
Four polls confirm that Occupy Wall Street has at least equaled, and likely surpassed, the tea party in terms of total number of supporters. No matter how polling firms phrase their questions, the tea party never comes out on top.
'via Blog this'

(Humor) The "Man" Fights Back: 'Occupy Main Street': Rich People Protest The 99% (VIDEO)

Occupy Main Street - watch more funny videos      

Obama-mail: Grabbing the executive action reigns

From 2011-10-06 Occupy Portland

Just re-posting from my inbox...



Friend --

Now that each and every Senate Republican has vowed to block measures that would create jobs, President Obama is not going to wait for them to rebuild the economy and bring financial security back to the middle class.

Today, he announced new rules on federal mortgages to prevent more families from losing their homes to foreclosure. And that's just the beginning -- the President said he would continue to make the changes he can by executive action, while continuing to urge Congress to act on legislation to strengthen the economy and create jobs.

If Congress doesn't act, he will -- because millions of Americans can't just wait for Congress to do their jobs. That's why thousands of you have been calling and tweeting your representatives over the past month, joining the President in sending a message to lawmakers in Washington that they need to act now.

We're not just going to continue to wait -- and we'll be keeping up the pressure by making sure they're hearing from folks across the country every day about why they need to act.

Will you share your story -- and join President Obama in telling Congress that we can't and won't wait?

Republicans in Congress have repeatedly filibustered the President's ideas to create jobs now -- ideas that until recently were supported by Republicans.

The President's action today also stands in stark contrast to the positions of the Republicans running for president. Mitt Romney even told a newspaper last week that we actually shouldn't act; we should let the housing crisis "run its course" and "hit the bottom" so that "investors" can come in and buy up these homes at cheap prices. He's saying to homeowners that they are on their own, forcing thousands of families to explain to their kids why they have to give up their homes.

Doing nothing while families struggle: that's the opposite of what this president and this campaign stand for. President Obama isn't going to let Congress' inaction stop him from doing what he can right now.

So here's what the President's announcement means:

    -- More families whose homes are under water will get help and save money on their monthly mortgage payment through the Home Affordable Refinance Programs.

    -- If the value of your mortgage is $100,000 and your house is valued at $75,000, you previously weren't able to refinance to save your home -- forcing many families to pay higher interest rates. As a result of today's announcement, many more responsible homeowners will be able to lower their rates and pay their debts.

    -- And this is just one of the incremental changes to come. Next, the President will announce new steps to help young people manage their federal student loan debt while they look for a job and get on their feet. He'll also take action to help small businesses and entrepreneurs, spur the engines of job growth, create new jobs, and assist veterans in finding them.

These measures alone are not a comprehensive solution to the economic challenges we face. That needs to come out of Congress -- and if they're going to finally put party aside, they're going to need to keep hearing from us. President Obama is stepping up the pressure, and he's counting on us to keep going, too.

Get the President's back and keep the heat on Congress -- tell your story of why we can't wait any longer:

http://my.barackobama.com/We-Cant-Wait

Thanks,

James

James Kvaal
Policy Director
Obama for America

GOP & 2012: A grab bag of headlines from everyone's favorite dysfunctional family

Does Mitt Romney have the GOP presidential nomination wrapped up? - CSMonitor.com: 

Douthat acknowledges what he calls counterexamples: Very conservative Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964 and very liberal Democrat George McGovern in 1972.

“Goldwater and McGovern, for all their weaknesses, were far more credible nominees than a Perry, a Herman Cain, a Michele Bachmann, a Newt Gingrich,” Douthat writes. “They were too extreme to win the general election, but they were not political novices or washed-up self-promoters, and they had a mix of eloquence and experience that’s largely absent from the current Republican field.”

'via Blog this'

Mitt Romney GOP front-runner but wouldn't beat Obama, says poll - CSMonitor.com: 

A strong Republican nominee would be seen as having a reasonable chance of defeating Obama. The AP-GfK poll released Wednesday indicates that half of all Americans now believe Obama does not deserve to be re-elected.

But none of the Republicans vying to challenge him in 2012 has yet been able to outpoll him in a hypothetical head-to-head match up. And the Republican race remains in flux.

'via Blog this'

Rick Santorum tries to watch football while Newt Gingrich talks | The Ticket - Yahoo! News: 

Don't feel too bad for Gingrich. All the candidates seem pretty tired of listening to one another.

'via Blog this'

What Rick Perry told Parade, exactly, about Obama birth certificate - CSMonitor.com:
In general, his remarks are a bit odd.

In the interest of letting readers decide for themselves, we present the entirety of that portion of the interview, which Governor Perry gave to Parade contributing writer Lynn Sherr:

Governor, do you believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States?

I have no reason to think otherwise.

That’s not a definitive, “Yes, I believe he”—
Well, I don’t have a definitive answer, because he’s never seen my birth certificate.

But you’ve seen his.
I don’t know. Have I?

You don’t believe what’s been released?
I don’t know. I had dinner with Donald Trump the other night.

'via Blog this'

Washington Post Social Reader on Facebook: 

The birthers eat their own

The people who brought you the Barack Obama birth-certificate hullabaloo now have a new target: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a man often speculated to be the next Republican vice presidential nominee. While they're at it, they also have Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana and perhaps a future presidential candidate, in their sights.

Each man, the birthers say, is ineligible to be president because he runs afoul of the constitutional requirement that a president must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States. Rubio's parents were Cuban nationals at the time of his birth, and Jindal's parents were citizens of India.

The good news for the birthers is that this suggests they were going after Obama, whose father was a Kenyan national, not because of the president's political party. The bad news is that this supports the suspicion that they were going after Obama because of his race.

'via Blog this'

Really now... How many websites does one fellow need? (Rubblebase)

Originally posted on A. F. Litt:

Really now... How many websites does one fellow need? (Rubblebase):

So, there are two "new" Rubble Sites. Jeez, I mean, come on man? How many websites does one fellow need?

Well, it looks like about six. Let's break it down...

'via Blog this'

Not loving the new header...

There, I said it.  It just looks rough and the image is pixelated.  But since I stole the font on the old header for Retrovirus Lab, I felt like I needed to change it..

Today, working on this header was a toss off project.  I think I will return to this soon and, maybe, come up with something completely new.  The old layout was designed around that font, so it is not surprising that it does not look right to me with the old font gone...

Definitely time to hit the drawing board and to come up with something completely new.  Soon.


UPDATE: February 10, 2012

Just want to clarify...

I liked this header...

I hated this header...

So I replaced it with the current header, which I like a lot...

The Real Big Brother: The 147 Companies That Control Everything - Forbes

Visualizing the "super entity." From: New Scientist

The 147 Companies That Control Everything - Forbes:

When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a “super-entity” of 147 even more tightly knit companies – all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity – that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. “In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network,” says Glattfelder. Most were financial institutions.

'via Blog this'