Pineywoods Opinings

2012-02-12T11:54:00.000-06:00

2012-01-28T05:12:00.001-06:00

Paper Mache - Dionne Warwick (1970)

2011-12-28T06:58:00.003-06:00

2011-12-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

2011-12-02T14:15:00.001-06:00

2011-11-26T10:51:00.001-06:00

2011-11-19T00:46:00.001-06:00

CPAC - a violent christian mob, still under construction

2010-02-21T08:19:00.003-06:00

I found the following essay on the Democratic Underground forum:

Here's today's slice of life . . . . and it ain't pretty.

The FFR has been buying billboard time, and using the opportunity to state the obvious: Not believing in a make believe god is OK. Really. It is. Another DUer mentioned this earlier today:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7761561
Take a look at that post. It should scare you. Who exactly hates us for our freedoms?

Those fun and cute atheist billboards are being attacked in the press, even disfigured and tagged by christian thugs. All that proves is that despite being in the majority in this country, christians are so scared of the truth getting out that they must attack anyone who questions their faith or their faith's integrity. The real problem for them is not that Pi does not equal 3, nor that whales really are not large fish, nor even that some biblical mythical character failed to make the sun stand still. The real problem is this (and they are painfully aware of it). If they fail to brainwash their spawn early and often, their children risk being afflicted with rational thinking. Once that happens, christianity is dead.

Then again, perhaps not. Take CPAC.
Please.

Bob Barr, a former candidate for president (2008), used to be a Republican. Say what you like about him, unlike many others on the right, Barr's word was good, and while he always stood by his convictions, he also had the reputation of being open to honest discussions, ideas and compromise. Barr was never the opportunist, but rather, he committed the unforgivable sin (for the GOP) of being a thinker. A current congressman from Illinois once told me that of all of today's GOPers, Barr was unique, in that his word was good, his heart was human, and his integrity was without question (even if his policies were wrong).

Barr sat before CPAC and committed yet another sin. He called for the rule of law, and worst of all, he stated what is so obvious to anyone (at least those who do not put their bible ahead of our constitution). According to Barr (and most legal and military scholars) waterboarding is torture.

For making this keen statement of fact, Barr was booed by CPAC participants. http://rawstory.com/2010/02/bob-barr-shouted-down-cpac/

I confess to having watched CSpin's coverage of CPAC as often as I could stand it. That translated to about 23 minutes in every 24 hour cycle, with the largest time block being about 4 straight minutes. Even that small amount of dipping a mental toe into those dangerous and dark waters got my blood close to the boiling point. My brief observations, together with news stories from Wall Street Urinal, NYT, and some liberal blogs brave enough to send potential POWs to the conference have led me to the following conclusion:

For the most part, the GOP is brain dead. The only segment of the party which has even a glimmer of energy or the slightest spark of activism is that segment we know as CPAC - the ultraconservatives, the christian, anti-tax, pro-war, pro-torture faction that seems to control the entire party.

If you are not a peculiar brand of christian, if you are not pro war, if you think that waterboarding is torture, then you are not welcome in the new and Improved CPAC, and as a result, you are probably not welcome in the GOP.

One time while traveling through Europe, I observed an angry group of people become a wild, out of control, violent mob. It is a scary thing, something you really want to avoid. I detected signs of similar behavior several times on this side of the Atlantic pond, first, during Sarah Palin rallies, when white racists came close to demanding the lynching of then Candidate Obama. If anything, her fans have become even more energized and convinced that we progressives are traitors and that Obama is America's enemy. I next noticed this lack of restraint last August, when members of the Congress were verbally attacked, sometimes by paid political activists sent by Big Insurance, but just as often, by some very angry, very misguided people whose knowledge base comes solely from conservative talk radio. More recently, this potential for violence exhibited itself in that pathetic Tea Bagger conference, a gathering of 600 misinformed, angry, and misguided angry christians. The last few days of CPAC confirmed that this conservative, christian collection of morans not only condones ever more energetic protests, but would not mind if these protests would take that final step, and turn into mob violence.

In that respect, I find it easy to lump these three groups together, at least on certain issues. CPAC, Tea Baggers, and Palin's most energetic supporters. They hate blacks. They hate liberals. They hate Obama. If you do not believe in their perverse view of christianity, you are anti-american. They have certain loves, too. They love tax cuts. War. Torture. Teaching the bible in publick sckules. Because ever since our nations four fathers were christian, it is their duty to force their religious rules on the rest of us, like it or not. They also seem to be attracted by power, violence, and control over others' lives.

Today's CPAC seems to control the GOP's current direction. It also seems that the Tea Baggers have a symbiotic relationship with CPAC.

In sheer numbers, both CPAC and the Tea Bagger movement add up to a very small, demented, but very energetic segment of America. While their numbers are small, their voices are extremely loud. For reasons I won't get into here, today's MSM does its best to promote both CPAC and the Tea Baggers. (on the other hand, Netroot conventions, with many more attendees, are studiously ignored, or mentioned with scorn and disdain)

One burning question that comes up. WHY? Why are CPAC and Tea Baggers so well funded? Why is the MSM fixated on covering them so politely and without criticism? Why is their message not being attacked by rational people? Why are these groups moving us ever closer to mob rule, violence and the potential destruction of society? As usual, the best way to find an answer is to follow the money.

OK. Let's follow the money trail. Dick Armey's billionaires and corporate sponsors invested millions to create and push forward the Tea Bagger concept. CPAC's biggest supporters tend to come from the same motley crew of conservative christians. Again, WHY? It should be obvious to everyone that the only logical result of CPAC conferences and Tea Baggers' meetings will eventually be a riot. One riot can easily lead to many across the country, as people fed up with the status quo grab a bat, a broom or even a gun and take to the streets. If you think a small private plane hitting an IRS office is bad, you haven't seen anything yet.

Throughout history, whenever a society is threatened with mobs, riots or internal violence, the most frequent response is martial law. Except, these days, our national guard and our military reserves are too busy acting as targets for unhappy Iraqis and Afghans, whose nations we still occupy. Who can they call on to enforce martial law, to stop riots, and to control unruly crowds?

I won't answer that directly. Instead, chew on this fact. According to the Wall Street Urinal, the fastest growing domestic businesses, those companies which are hiring people at an ever increasing rate are the same companies that provide civilian security in both Afghanistan and Iraq. We used to call one of those companies Blackwater. Heavily armed, with tanks, armor, helicopters, and the most powerful guns made, these private armies are now large enough to occupy a small country by themselves.

If riots break out, how long will it be until Xe and other mercenaries are hired to take control of our streets?

Gilmer ISD map

2009-12-21T10:14:00.001-06:00

Buckeyes in bloom

2009-12-04T08:41:00.002-06:00

American Labor Camps?

2009-07-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

by Al Martin

American Labor Camps? Thank You, General Primakov!

(7-13-09) In this economic environment, work camps in America may ultimately be “necessary.” What’s the one area where the Obama Regime has not fulfilled its campaign promises? Reversing US PATRIOT Act powers and dismantling the CILF (Civilian Inmate Labor Facility) program. Indeed they’re spending more money on CILFs because they understand the need for it, and they understand the need for the President to have PATRIOT Act powers in an economic environment wherein civil unrest is growing and will be growing even more...

Meanwhile there has been a change in the Obama Regime’s public stance, in that they have been warning in a more forthright fashion that a second dip in the economy is coming. They’re doing it in a backhanded way, but you can tell that the regime is concerned. Otherwise why would they have floated the idea of a Second Fiscal Stimulus program as a trial balloon to see how the markets would react? This roiled the Dollars and the Bond market as well as the equities.

What does the market want? It wants the Obama Regime to actually utilize its First Stimulus program. Of the $1.7 Trillion appropriated, only 15% of the money has actually been spent. This is the same old problem with government fiscal stimulus programs. It takes governments so long to get the money into the system. The hang-up is the same. Governments are laden with a cumbersome and inefficient bureaucracy, in which you have, let’s say, 13 departments doing the job of one department. Consequently a program which is supposed to be funded never gets funded because it takes government so long to develop a mechanism to administer and monitor that program and distribute the money.

What’s the alternative? Handing out bags of cash worked in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can see Helicopter Ben Bernanke flying over and dropping more bags of Bennies (Benjamin Franklins that is). If it’s good enough for Iraq it should be good enough for America. In America, however, we insist on crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. When governments try to do that, invariably it will take them years to develop new programs and new agencies.

The Double Dip means nothing good for the US population – unless you’re short equities. It entails nothing good unless you know how to make your money “make money.”

Obama himself was warning that the unemployment rate is going up into the double digits and that we are a long way from the bottom in residential foreclosures. We also see Secretary of Debt Geithner warning of the coming debacle in industrial and commercial property yet to come. Fed Chairman Bernanke mentioned that this concept of so-called “green shoots” fostered by Bullish Shills in financial media is nonsense and the only thing we have is brown weeds. In a backhanded way, they’re trying to warn the public that a double dip is on the horizon and there’s nothing that government can do about it.

So who are the weakest citizens in the United States, who are now part of the problem instead of the solution? It’s the US citizen who makes $68,000 a year, is married, has 2 minor-age children as well as a home mortgage, a car loan and credit card debt.

As readers well know I have ranted for years against what I have called the Cookie Cutter Society, and what the consequences of this ultimately are. This is the folly of debt-financed consumption, in order to maintain a particular kind of lifestyle, i.e. marriage, having rugrats, having homes and cars, etc.

In the immediate post WWII environment, as we have said before, the construction of a Cookie Cutter Society was necessary in order to pick up the planet’s economies, which had been devastated through a back-to-back process of a 10-year depression followed by a world war. By 1946, economies were effectively on the ropes. Then it was necessary ot create a Cookie Cutter Society, but at some point, since the concept was false, it cannot be maintained over the long term. Why? Because you consume too many resources which can not be renewed. The production of semi-renewable resources is also limited.

The Second Fiscal Stimulus Program, which was floated last week, was first promoted and then pulled back by Secretary of Debt Geithner and Obama himself. This Obama Regime is different from the Bush Cheney Regime by its level of candor. From a political perspective, it is a good thing because they have admitted that they inherited an enormous mess, which will take decades to fix, and they don’t really have a clue how to fix it since such a situation has never existed before. They are distancing themselves from the political impact of a further economic decline.

At the same time the Obama Regime is promoting this so-called health care reform, which is compounding the budget deficit and therein lies evidence of the inexperience of the current regime. This is a regime full of left-wing children, i.e. grandchildren of Great Society visionaries. They want to put on the back of this fiscal stimulus program, as it were, a lot of Great Society programs form the Lyndon Johnson era. However this is the wrong time to do it. They know that if they don’t get these initiatives like universal health care done now, the chances of doing it sometime in the future are something between zero and none – as the fiscal situation of the United States continues to deteriorate.

If you’re a left-winger this makes sense, because now is the time to issue the debt and raise the taxes to do what’s necessary to finance a universal health care program. Now you can expand the amount of debt without inflation. That’s the one thing the Democrats have on their side. However it’s really unfortunate for the economy. Deflation becomes a problem for the economy under Democratic regimes because Democrats will invariably use deflation to dramatically expand debt in order to finance Great Society programs, knowing that they can do so without inflationary implications.

And how is the Obama Regime dealing with the states going bankrupt one by one? They’re not -- and that’s the problem. They are continuing the problem that the Bush-Cheney Regime had in ignoring the fiscal deterioration of the nation’s states, counties and municipal governments.

The Obama Regime said they will not bail out California because they don’t want to provide any more debt guarantees. That may be the right thing to do because California, Illinois and New York are all involved in a political logjam on budgetary issues, and it’s not an economic logjam. The Obama Regime believes that if it withholds a federal bailout, it will force the Democrats who are the obstructionists, particularly in state governments, to cave in. This is really a fight between federal Democrats battling state Democrats. The Democrats are largely the problem in the state governments and also the county and municipal governments. They will not approve the budgets necessary to begin to tackle the problems because they too like the federal government want to tack on a lot of social spending and relief programs. The federal government can do that, but the state governments can’t because they don’t have the ability to issue the debt willy-nilly to finance it.

Why? Because the market for municipal securities has been hurt and it was never as deep and liquid as it was for federal Treasury securities. The market for municipal securities during the last 12 months has been greatly diminished, They simply can’t float the debt to finance increased social spending.

Meanwhile Bill Gross and PIMCO, the world’s largest bond manager, has opted out of the management of the so-called toxic securities in the PPIC (Public Private Investment Corporation). They’re going to let BlackRock and a few others handle it. They didn’t like the restrictions that were placed on the program. It should be remembered that PIMCO bought a lot of distressed securities with the intent of selling them back to the Treasury for a profit. This would be done is a program that it was going to manage. This would have stunk politically.

For PIMCO, a conservative well-run bond firm with a stellar rate of return, six months ago, started to recommend the purchase of junk securities (the very fact of a PIMCO recommendation increased their price) in order to justify a market level, so that they could then resell them to the Treasury. Why? Because they saw an easy dollar to be made. Although they have had stellar returns in the past, the returns on their bond funds were not particularly stellar in more recent times. They saw a quick buck, not only for their firm, but for those who are invested in junk securities as well. This would have increased their overall performance and recover some of their past prestige.

PIMCO went out and bought a lot of junk at 10 cents on the dollar. Then they made a general recommendation which then lifted prices of junk from 10 cents to 20 cents on the dollar. This then has lifted the performance of the funds that they managed that are invested in the very same junk paper. And besides you had a ready buyer at the end of this process – the Treasury.

So what else can be done about the economy? The only thing the regime can do is to try to accelerate its efforts to get money into the system which has already been appropriated under the first economic stimulus program. There’s only so much you can do, if you don’t have the mechanisms in place to get the money to the market. If you say to your agency minions, to speed up the process, they won’t – because they don’t have the ability ot do so. There is very little that the regime can do.

The best thing the Obama Regime can do is to do what it’s doing, and that is, warn the Unwashed. The regime’s constituency, after all, are the Unwashed, so therefore the regime sends put a warning that a second dip is coming. That capital preservation is king and that it’s time to contract debt, not expand it. That it’s not time to buy a house yet. These are the signals that the regime is sending and indeed the so-called “hunkering down” signals are the right message to send. So when can the Unwashed do at this point? They have to stop thinking that they can live as well as they did before.

And what is the biggest threat? The ultimate problem has been the creation, under Republican Regimes, of an economic system, wherein the bottom 50% of the population has become economically unproductive. As the economy continues to unravel, the drag of that bottom 50% of the population becomes more telling because they consume increasingly more economic resources than that which they are contributing to. Ultimately this problem has to be faced because the United States even tough it is a diminished position, it is still king of the hill of the planet. Why? Because everyone else has been diminished even more than we are.

You could say that the biggest threat to the planet’s economy is the bottom 50% of the American population because of the threat they represent to the US economy and by extension the threat that this would represent to the economy of the planet.

So is the logical extension of this the concept of work camps? Of course. There have been circumstances like this before. Media pundits laugh about this -- how can 50% of the population incarcerate the other 50% in labor camps? Yes, they can – and there have been many historical precedents.

The bottom half of the economic population will never come back to their previous levels, since there is no mechanism available that will bring them back to the top half. So therefore they have to be eliminated somehow – either outright eliminated, or they have to be placed in work camps, or some environment where the economic drag they constitute can be limited.

It becomes fundamentally unfair what the bottom 50% or the Unwashed are doing. That’s where 94% of the foreclosures are occurring. That’s where 97% of the credit defaults occur. The stress that they represent to the nation’s economy has to be effectively financed by the top 50%. Perhaps it may be fair to just rid the nation of them. And in a way the government is already doing that.

Despite Obama’s Great Society ambitions, government sponsored relief programs are diminishing. The amount of money available is decreasing. The 50 million uninsured are mostly in bottom 50% of the population. Therefore you can see, as Kaiser Foundation points out, that the life expectancy of the bottom 50% of the population is declining at an increasing rate. The life expectancy is declining due to a huge increase in people not having health insurance which severely limits their access to health care.

Also economic stress has led to a dramatic increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption, as well as the consumption of grease- and fat-laden foods. That increase in consumption is also concentrated in the bottom 50% of the population.

What the government needs to do is to coordinate these economic factors in such a way as to increase the rate of decline of the median life span of the bottom 50% of the population. At the same time the government has to reduce the drain they cause to the public purse. What needs to be done is to organize the economically unproductive into labor camps.

Obama should actually be thanking the Bush Regime for the billions they spent seruptitiously and unlawfully on the American Gulag. It should be noted that US Homeland Security advisor and former KGB General Yevgeni Primakov, about 5 years ago, said on BBC Radio that the foundation of the American Gulag has been prepared. He was the one who came up with the blueprint for the construction and management of the American Gulags.

Even though they created the problem, the Bush Cheney Regime also began to work on the solution.

As the older Unwashed are now vying for Walmart Greeter positions, the next generation will be vying to be the Kappos of tomorrow’s American Gulags.

Remember -- American Labor Camps are Joe Six Pack’s future…

* AL MARTIN is an independent economic-political analyst with 25 years of experience as a trader on NYMEX, CME, CBOT and CFTC. As a former contributor to the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors, Al Martin is considered to be a source of independent analysis for financially sophisticated and market savvy investors.

Text of General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt's speech to the Economic Club of Detroit

2009-06-27T09:35:00.001-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124603518881261729.html

Full text of Immelt's speech Friday in Detroit, where he said General Electric's new center will create 1,100 jobs in Detroit.

Thank you all very much. I come to the Economic Club because of your kind invitation and come to Michigan because of its proud heritage and its promising future.

I believe that Michigan can partner with GE to create the next wave of economic progress. That's why earlier today, I stood with your governor and US Senators to announce a major new investment in your state.

General Electric's Manufacturing Technology and Software Center will be built right here and bring over 1,100 new jobs to Michigan. The engineers in our Van Buren Township facility will be developing technologies that can change peoples lives – clean energy, better transportation, affordable healthcare. Workers who might have made cars in the past will be bringing GE technology to life rebuilding our economy.

The people of this great state have been told that the decline of their manufacturing base was inevitable. I reject that pessimistic view. I believe that good jobs can again return to Michigan and in manufacturing centers across America.

Change can come, but it requires a new way of thinking. It requires a clear and determined plan of action. It requires a stiff dose of candor about the troubles we face, many of which we brought on ourselves. It requires leaders throughout the economy to take command of events.

The world has been reset. Now we must lead an aggressive American renewal to win in the future.

I am proud to work at GE, a great American company since the 1800s. Since I joined the company in 1982, GE has earned $230 billion – more than any enterprise in the world. We have paid $130 billion in dividends to our investors – again, more than any company in any country. Today, we have over 300,000 global employees with about half here in the United States.

We are the oldest remaining company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This is not because we are a perfect company; it is because we adapt. Through the years, we have remained productive and competitive. We have globalized the company, while investing massive amounts in technology, products and services. We know we must change again.

When the current economic unraveling began, many hoped it was merely a harsher version of past cycles. But now it's clear that a serious and difficult transformation is at hand, not just another turning of the wheel.

Think about it: For the first time since 1940, the economic output of all nations combined will actually shrink. Many scholars are at work on an extended analysis of the financial crisis. Yet it's not too soon to draw some conclusions about what went wrong, and what leaders can do to set things right.

Throughout my career, America has seen so much economic growth that it was easy to take it as a given. We prospered from the productivity of the information age. But, we started to forget the fundamentals and lost sight of the core competencies of a successful modern economy. Many bought into the idea that America could go from a technology-based, export-oriented powerhouse to a services-led, consumption-based economy – and somehow still expect to prosper.

That idea was flat wrong. And what did we get in the bargain? We've seen a great vanishing of wealth. Our competitive edge has slipped away, and this has hit the middle class hard.

As a nation, we've been consuming more than we earn, saved too little and taken on far too much debt. Growth in research and development has slowed. Our country has made too little progress on some of the defining challenges of our time – like clean energy and affordable health care. Our budget and trade deficits have reached levels that are clearly not sustainable.

While some of America's competitors were throttling up on manufacturing and R&D, we deemphasized technology. Our economy tilted instead toward the quicker profits of financial services. While our financial services business has performed well, I can't tell you that we were entirely free of these errors. We weren't.

What has been the impact? Unemployment is at the highest point in 26 years. And, as a percentage of S&P 500 earnings, financial services expanded from 10 to 45 percent over a quarter-century.

Compensation systems have fallen out of balance. You know something is wrong when a mortgage broker is pulling down $5 million a year while a Ph.D. chemist is earning $100,000. Average real weekly wages have declined since 1980, meaning that we have been unable to provide a rising standard of living for the majority.

Leaders missed many opportunities to add to the capabilities of America. In 2000, the U.S. had a positive trade balance of high-tech products. By 2007, our trade deficit of the same products reached $50 billion. We have already lost our leadership in many growth industries, and other new opportunities are at risk. Trust in business is badly shaken, and it is going to take awhile to get it back.

This is unacceptable. Our country was built on great undertakings that brought out the best in government and business alike. But that kind of vision, that kind of focus on essential national goals, has been missing.

So let's work on a new strategy for this economy. We should clear away any arrogance, false assumptions, or a sense that things will be "ok" just because we are America. Rather, we should dedicate ourselves to be the most competitive country in the world.

GE believes in the benefits of free markets. Some of our greatest prospects are found in places like China and Brazil. More than half of our revenue is outside the U.S. But despite our global aspirations, GE shares a vital responsibility for the long-term competitiveness of this country.

Recently my colleague Peter Loescher, the CEO of Siemens, extolled the importance of Germany as an exporting country. In my career, I have never heard an American CEO say that the United States should be leading in exports. Well, I am saying it today: This country ought to be, and we can be, not just the world's leading market but a leading exporter as well.

GE plans to lead this effort. We have restructured during the downturn, adjusting to the market realities. At the same time, we are increasing our investments. We plan to launch more new products during this downturn than at any time in our history. We will sell these products in every corner of the world. We are creating a better company coming out of this reset.

Similarly, America needs a dramatic industrial renewal. We have to move forward on five fronts.

First: We need to significantly increase investment in research and development from an all-time low of 2 percent of the GDP. The only way to sustain a real competitive advantage is to invest in the needs of tomorrow.

GE has never forgotten the importance of R&D. Each year, we put six percent of our industrial revenue back into technology – so much that more than half of the products we sell today didn't even exist a decade ago. As a consequence, we are a huge exporter.

The federal government has always been an important contributor to innovation. But federally supported R&D, as a percentage of GDP, has been declining since 1985. In the stimulus bill, we have increased basic research funding for the first time in recent memory. This trend should continue. But we need other improvements as well.

Engineering has been underemphasized in this country for a generation. Our high schools fall far short of the mark in science and math. This helps explain why only four percent of American college students have chosen engineering as a profession. If we're going to be serious about innovation in this country, then we've got to do a much better job training the next generation of innovators. At GE, we've dedicated 40 percent of our philanthropic giving – about $150 million over the past five years – to improving math and science capabilities in targeted city schools.

At the same time, American companies must reinvigorate their technical efforts. GE is a big funder of basic and applied research. We have filed more than 20,000 patents this decade. In addition, we have partnered with dozens of start-ups, adding to our technical capability.

Technology is what makes people and countries feel wealthy.

Technology is also the source of competitive advantage. In the past 25 years, GE has invested $20 billion in building better aircraft engines. We have created high-paying jobs and are a major exporter. Just last week, we received the largest order in our history from Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. The world demands this technology, and we're filling the need.

An American renewal will be built on technology. GE's R&D budget has not been cut. And that's a course of action I'd recommend to every company that wants to get through the economic crisis even stronger than before.

Second: America should get busy addressing the two biggest global challenges – clean energy and affordable health care. In the future, we can have far greater energy diversity and security, while reducing global warming. In the future, we can also reduce health care inflation. All of this is within our reach.

For decades now, the most vital of commodities has been largely left to the control of others. The price for these commodities will rise due to increased consumption in emerging markets. We're in for terrible risks if we follow this path of increased dependency. At the same time, the science of climate change has become more certain. It's essential that we create a position of affordable, clean and secure energy for America.

In 2005, we launched an initiative we call Ecomagination. We've made a business decision to focus all the innovative powers of GE to solving the problems of energy use and environmental stewardship.

We've brought to market 75 new products to help our customers benefit from renewable technology through serious reductions in the cost and use of energy. We've dramatically reduced our own carbon footprint. In only four years' time, our revenues from environmentally friendly technology have nearly quadrupled to $17 billion.

We have focused our engineers on innovation in renewable energy, biofuels and battery technology. We are a leader in Smart Grid technology, which will empower consumers to save on their energy bills.

We believe that technology will help us make better use of old energy sources. In Indiana, GE and Duke Energy are building the largest-scale coal gasification plant in the world. We are also making a substantial investment in nuclear power. To provide clean, low-cost energy in a growing economy, I believe that nuclear and coal power will be absolutely essential.

Solving the clean energy challenge will create broad economic opportunity in this country. Our Ecomagination initiative has created tens of thousands of jobs at GE and in our supply chain. If the U.S. would drive a renewable energy standard of 12 percent by 2012… up from 5 percent today… we would create 250,000 green jobs in the economy.

In health care, we're looking at an industry challenged by rising costs, poor access, and persistent quality issues. If we're not ready for the immense challenges coming our way on health care, the economic consequences would be devastating.

In large part it's a challenge of cost, and one sure way to attack that problem is with steady, focused investment to bring forth innovation. This year, my company launched an initiative called Healthymagination. We've committed to investing $6 billion in health care advances that will lower our customers' costs, broaden access to care, and increase the quality of outcomes.

We will launch 100 products at lower price points, such as a handheld ultrasound which will someday replace the stethoscope. And we are moving our capability into the underserved population in areas like infant care and mammography.

Aligning the American renewal with the challenges of energy and health care will keep our country on the leading edge. There is no question whether there will be breakthroughs in these areas – just by who and when. The leader in these fields will dominate the global economy in the decades that come.

Third: We must make a serious commitment to manufacturing and exports. This is a national imperative. We all know that the American consumer cannot lead our recovery. This economy must be driven by business investment and exports.

We should set a national goal to create high value added jobs and have manufacturing jobs be no less than 20 percent of total employment, about twice what it is today. And we should commit ourselves to compete and win with American exports.

I've had people explain to me the Darwinian nature of markets. They tell me that America has seen a natural evolution from farming to manufacturing to services. After all, they say, this has happened in other mature economies. But there is nothing predestined or inevitable about the industrial decline of the U.S., if we as a people are prepared to reverse it.

We would do much better to observe the example of China. They've been growing fast because they invest in technology and they make things. They have no intention of letting up in manufacturing in order to evolve into a service economy. They know where the money is and they aim to get there first.

America has to get back in that game. As I said earlier, it starts with a strong core of innovation. But we also need a financial system that is built around helping industrial companies to succeed. GE is an important part of this financial services approach. We plan to focus GE Capital on financing small- and medium-sized customers in industries that we know the best.

America is in great need of an updated manufacturing infrastructure. This means better roads and airports; pervasive broad-band capability; and a bigger and smarter electricity grid. Old factories can become more productive with upgraded infrastructure.

The other secret to manufacturing competitiveness is a well-trained team. Annually, we invest $1 billion in training. All of our training has some impact on the factory floor. It used to take us 100 days to make a locomotive; now we can do it in 20. Through the use of lean manufacturing techniques, our 100-year-old Erie factory can export to Mexico and Brazil. Operational capability is a core part of GE's strategy.

In some areas, we have outsourced too much. We plan to "insource" capabilities like aviation component manufacturing and software development. These are the things we will be working on in Michigan. This will make us faster and more competitive over the long term.

We recently made the decision to build new capability in our appliances plant in Louisville, adding 420 new jobs. These workers will build an innovative, hybrid water heater that uses 50 percent less energy. We could have made this product in China. But our Louisville team has committed to quality and productivity standards that make them competitive. We can serve our customers with speed and quality. We can make the same profit by manufacturing in the U.S., and our team deserves their chance to compete.

It is time, as well, for a new era of labor-management relations. The last generation has been tougher on workers. They have been poorly served by union leadership and management alike, and this must change.

We've been avoiding some hard truths. We pretend that high-cost systems work in a global economy; they don't. We believe that American consumers care where things are made; they don't. We believe that managers can move work wherever we want without consequence; that is foolish. In the fight between unions and management, the worker has suffered.

One of GE's most productive manufacturing plants is in South Carolina, where we make gas and wind turbines. We are one of the State's biggest employers. We have invested billions in long-term product leadership. Engineers and production workers are on the same team. A production worker earns a great salary because they are winning around the world. Their biggest customer is Saudi Electric Corporation.

In any industry, workers and management share a fundamental interest in the success of the enterprise. And to advance that common interest, we have to be more honest and flexible about what it takes to compete.

The renewal of American industry will require us to be globally competitive exporter. Business should reinvest in new American jobs which will create leadership in the future. That is why we are here today.

Fourth: We should welcome the government as a catalyst for leadership and change.

I'm a free-market guy – I believe in the endless possibilities of individual choice and private initiative. But this isn't the first time that business and government have had to work together for national ends. We should work together again today, setting goals for productivity, job creation and exports.

There's a long history in this country of government spending that prepares the way for new industries that thrive for generations. Think of the NIH or NASA, and all the new innovations that came out of these programs – from computing to communications to healthcare.

America has that kind of chance with unprecedented levels of new government investment. Congress and the Administration have decided to invest in job creation, and the amounts of money involved can make a big difference – not just by putting people to work, but also by aligning with basic national purpose.

The key is making sure those hundreds of billions of dollars fall on the fertile ground of innovation, and not bureaucracy. We need to see this new spending for what it is: an opportunity to turn financial adversity into national advantage – to launch innovations of lasting value to our country.

It has always been a certainty that information technology could improve quality and lower cost in health care. To date, the applications have been poorly implemented, and the hospitals that need investment the most have been unable to afford newer systems.

The stimulus has set aside $20 billion for new health care systems. This reinvestment, along with the quality standards that accompany it, will transform health care.

The stimulus is a real opportunity to accelerate investment during the downturn to create long-term growth. This is all upside.

At the same time, we are going to get more regulation. And this could be dangerous. The administration has proposed financial regulation, tax reform and health care reform. Quite honestly, some of the policies I have seen concern me about the long-term impact on economic growth.

But business must engage, because status quo is not an option. The country has massive problems and social unrest. Fighting to protect the past is just wrong.

I recently joined President Obama's economic recovery advisory board. He can count on my openness and honesty. More importantly, he can count on GE's support to drive competitiveness and innovation that will improve the economy.

The challenges we face won't be solved by the free market alone. But through a real public-private partnership, we can dramatically improve America's competitiveness. Today, people in this country want to see business and government work together.

An American renewal will be shaped by the public and private sectors, and – more than ever – by a willingness to act boldly for the good of the country.

Fifth: It is possible for a global business leader to also be a good citizen.

The primary job of business leaders is to build competitive companies that win over the long term in every corner of the world. To do that, business must shake off the short-term mindset that brought on so many problems. We can't blame Wall Street. We must have the courage to invest and we must do it now.

We must set compensation policies that reward long-term growth in earnings and cash generation. More important, compensation should reflect company success. At GE, the company always comes first. I want GE people to "keep score" based on creating value through our innovation. Our success is institutional and transcends individual gain.

We must partner in our communities. Big business should work with smaller companies in our supply chain to help them compete globally. And we should partner with local governments to fix our education system.

In the end, business leaders are accountable for the competitiveness of their own country. We must say so publicly. This will not hurt our ability to globalize. Rather, I think it will make other countries admire our business leaders more. We must end the impression that American CEOs are short-term speculators.

Protectionist sentiment is growing in the U.S. But protectionism is not the answer. If other countries follow this trend – and many have started to react, including China – opportunities will vanish. Business leaders can help the country be competitive again. And out of this competitiveness will come a more self confident society.

I want GE to be a great company. A great company keeps its eye on problems that need solving. A great company builds alignment from factory floor to the boardroom. A great company recognizes that an American strategy is part of a global strategy. A great company invests in the future. Great companies must be a part of the American renewal. There's room for any enterprise that aligns itself with needs that are basic, and needs that are vast. This is our vision for GE.

On a personal note, I would hate to think that the lasting impression of American business is the one that exists today. We can do better. We have made our companies globally competitive; now we must do the same for our country. We can help to solve some of these difficult problems and create an optimistic future.

I am excited about our future together. I embrace the promise of this investment in Michigan. I am also energized by the challenges that face GE. Not because the economy is good, but because the challenges we face will inspire the type of new thinking that is required in the future.

Over the last generation, Americas "service strategy" was too weak and our goals were too low. This approach must be abandoned. In its place, we should create an American Industrial Renewal by moving on five fronts: invest in new technology; win where it counts in clean energy and affordable health care; become a country that is good at manufacturing and exports; embrace public-private partnerships; and promote leaders who are also good citizens.

From economic chaos we will create new opportunities for the people of this city and this country. We will once again be prosperous, but more importantly, we will be proud.

It is time to think big again. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard and we must renew America's economy to embrace the same kind of dream that transformed this city and this world not so long ago.

Let's commit ourselves to begin that work today. Thank you.

Stevie Wonder - You are the sunshine of my life

2009-06-06T08:01:00.000-05:00

The True Reason Pot is Illegal

2009-02-22T13:58:00.000-06:00

Shuttin' Detroit Down-by John Rich

2009-02-15T08:32:00.002-06:00

Country music sucks, but every now and then I have to bow to the culture. Interestingly, this guy also played at McCain rallies. Yeah, if only we had elected McCain, everything would be fine. < /sarcasm>

Dancing ass (Танцующая попа)

2009-01-29T06:01:00.000-06:00

The Tokens-She Lets Her Hair Down

2009-01-25T11:05:00.002-06:00

Dan Ariely: Tendencies of Irrational Behavior

2009-01-25T08:12:00.000-06:00

Kermit sings "Damn it feels good to be a gangsta"

2009-01-16T06:57:00.001-06:00

I actually like this better than "It's Not Easy Bein' Green."

Keep on Dancing - Gary's Gang

2009-01-10T05:59:00.004-06:00

gary's gang - keep on dancin' (discotech remix)

The Cult "She Sells Sanctuary"

2009-01-04T11:48:00.001-06:00

Roger Hodgson - Have a Dream (Sleeping with the enemy)

2008-12-17T18:16:00.000-06:00

The Christmas Song ~ Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

2008-12-16T17:05:00.002-06:00

El Puma - Baila mi rumba

2008-12-11T14:55:00.001-06:00

Imagine - John Lennon

2008-12-08T13:09:00.001-06:00

Beatiful Day

2008-11-29T13:09:00.000-06:00

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

2008-11-29T11:14:00.001-06:00

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Freddiesville

2008-11-25T06:45:00.002-06:00

Your Weekly Address from the President-elect

2008-11-22T09:07:00.003-06:00

GObama. We're all in this together, even those who voted against him. We can either try to get out of this debacle in unison or degenerate into a new, even deadlier 21st century version of the Civil War.

Joe (Bageant) discusses the election and poor whites

2008-11-06T06:20:00.002-06:00

"Poor White Land" is the only region where the GOP is growing.

Keith "98.6" Live 2008

2008-11-03T14:27:00.001-06:00

Wow. Keith is still around. Go Keith!

Dionne Warwick Paper Mache 1970 Chart Hit

2008-11-03T12:52:00.002-06:00

One of my favorites by this artist.

Burt Bacharach and Hal David — one of the songwriting teams for the ages.

Michelle Shocked - Memories of East Texas - Live, circa 1985

2008-10-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

$45 Trillion Wealth Wipe Out

2008-10-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

Plan for Change

2008-10-15T08:20:00.001-05:00

It's Too Late (To Turn Back Now)

2008-10-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

I Masturbated To Sarah Palin (John McCain Ad)

2008-10-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

PREPPING SARAH PALIN: God, Guns and Gams

2008-10-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

Broker turned monk offers home truths on crisis

2008-10-01T09:44:00.001-05:00

Jack Cafferty Tells Us How He Really Feels About Sarah Palin

2008-09-27T07:16:00.000-05:00

Check out my pics

2008-09-25T14:56:00.001-05:00

check out my pics from last night lol

http://i0006.photobucket.com/albums/album_02832/

George Bush: we want everybody in America to own their own home. That's what we want.

2008-09-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

McCain: "Enter Sandman" His Dream, Our Nightmare

2008-09-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

Tropical Storm Ike

2008-09-14T09:48:00.000-05:00

SNL - 9/13/08 - Palin and Clinton

2008-09-14T07:46:00.001-05:00

Perverse US Dollar Rally Prelude to Financial System Collapse

2008-09-14T06:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article6226.html

Matt Damon Rips Sarah Palin

2008-09-12T13:03:00.000-05:00

Palin Casually Speaks of War with a Nuclear Armed Russia

2008-09-12T07:24:00.002-05:00

Did John McCain choose a running mate that takes the lives of all human beings on this planet lightly? Perhaps so. Is Sarah Palin a far right wing religious nutjob? Perhaps so. Did John McCain fail to spend the necessary time and effort vetting his choice for Vice President? Perhaps so.

Dr. Wyndham’s Reply to NIST About Their WTC 7 Final Report

2008-09-11T19:37:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin: Pentecostal

2008-09-08T13:44:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Sunday - Daniel Boone

2008-09-07T11:24:00.001-05:00

West still asking: Who is Mr. Putin?

2008-09-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

CNN Interviews Putin

2008-09-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20677.htm

THE MAFIA, C.I.A. AND GEORGE BUSH Sr.

2008-09-02T09:50:00.000-05:00

The other AA

2008-09-01T14:59:00.001-05:00

Rage Against The Machine - Testify Music Video

2008-08-31T12:33:00.001-05:00

Chris Matthews gets interrupted by Alex Jones protesters @DNC 1/2

2008-08-31T10:07:00.001-05:00

Chris Matthews, a la an old Soviet apparatchik, declares those who seek the truth to be "crazy."

Of Moose and Pit Bulls — Understanding America's Military

2008-08-30T14:11:00.001-05:00

I wonder whether the United States hadn’t ought to re-ponder the place of the military in society and in the world. There is not the slightest chance that this will happen, but wondering has not yet been forbidden. It appears to me that bureaucratic clotting set in years back, and is now having its effect in spheres martial. A robust economy can afford frivolities that one in derobustion cannot. And that is where America is.

The US military is the military of World War II, but with better technology. The Navy still consists of carriers surrounded by ships intended to protect the carriers. The heart of the army is still armored and infantry divisions with artillery and close-air support. The Air Force too. All are designed to fight enemies like themselves. However, there are no enemies like themselves, and WWII forces do not well fight the enemies they do have, such as ragtag dispersed guerrillas, because they are not intended to fight them.

Why a World War II military? Because of institutional inertia, because men delight in fast, powerful things that make loud and stirring noises, because the ships and tanks and submarines are magnificent. Relinquishing them is too painful to contemplate. Instead of changing its forces to suit present needs, the Pentagon keeps them as they are and tries to use them where they do not work well.

WWII militaries are intended to destroy expensive point targets and to conquer crucial territory. For example, they try to destroy the enemy’s aircraft and conquer his cities. This America does very well indeed. The difficulty is that dispersed guerrillas do not have any expensive point targets, crucial territory, or cities. The Pentagon is using baseball bats to fight mosquitoes. The absurdity of using a B1 intercontinental bomber for close air support is manifest. But you’ve got the plane, the pilots don’t want to miss the war, and so you find something for them to bomb.

A current American weakness is that it has a small army. Controlling large countries full of dispersed enemies requires large armies. America’s is a small army because it is an All Volunteer army. Not many young men want to be soldiers. The Pentagon likes the All-Vol for two reasons. First, volunteer soldiers are much better than unwilling short-term conscriptees. Second, the public doesn’t care if volunteers get killed. After all, they volunteered. They come from blue-collar families. These regard the death of a son as a noble sacrifice rather than a human sacrifice for large commercial firms. And they have little political influence anyway.

This matters. The Pentagon has learned that it cannot sustain a war in the face of united public opposition. If students in college were drafted, hell would follow. The key is not to disturb the public, which the military recognizes as more of a danger than the enemy actually being fought.

The true enemy, always, is the press. Should reporters turn against a war, they would rouse that great sleeping Public Monster, and then the military would face a war on two fronts. Fortunately the press consists of a few large corporations and holding companies owned by people of the same social class, who are not opposed to the current wars.

Since World War II, political power has become increasingly concentrated in the presidency, the concentration having become very rapid in recent years. Most crucially, the Congress has relinquished its power to decide whether the country goes to war. Thus wars are no longer determined by the national interest but by presidential whim. These whims can be directed by the desires of the president’s friends, by powerful groups with agendas, by writers at intellectual magazines. Quite often these know nothing of war. And the military by enshrining obedience avoids responsibility.

The US is phenomenally if discreetly militarized. The country is neither a democracy, nor a government of laws, nor of men, but an oligarchy of lobbies that press for whatever is of benefit to themselves, though not necessarily to the country. The underlying principle is that honey attracts flies. The federal government collects vast sums in taxes and the lobbies come to get it.

In the military racket, the money is in big-ticket weaponry. The carriers, Aegis boats, subs, fighters, tanks, B1s, B2s, and satellites sell for billions. These sums attract a vast aerospace industry that would collapse without sales to the military. The Pentagon is a captive market, and often a haven for firms that couldn’t compete in the commercial marketplace.

Much of this money goes for pricey gear that is both unknown to the public and of little use for the wars the country fights (but probably shouldn’t). To hide a program from the public, you don’t have to make it secret, which would only draw attention. Just don’t talk about it. The press, which is owned by big business and manned by reporters of preternatural technical puzzlement, will say little. For examples, search on JSF, F22, V22, ABL, and ABM.

As always, the key is to avoid waking the public. Thus the military avoids attention. But add up overt and hidden military expenditure: the “defense” budget, appropriations for the wars, the black programs, the Veterans Administration, the national laboratories, TSA, and so on. The sum is backbreaking for a nation in decline, but the public knows neither that it is backbreaking nor that the country is in decline.

To countries competing with the US, as for example Japan, the American military budget is a godsend, the equivalent of a golf handicap on a rival, because it represents money the US cannot spend to become more competitive. Fortunately for Asia, American military expenditure cannot readily be cut back. Too many jobs, military towns, and corporate profits depend on it. Consequently China builds infrastructure while the US builds fighter planes. The only plausible brake will be conflict with Social Security and Medicare, cuts in which will wake the Public Monster.

The illusion of omnipotence dies hard. The American military has been dominant for so long that neither it nor Americans can grasp that there are limits to its power. America now tries militarily to encircle Russia, Iran, and China, which increasingly looks like an aging pit bull trying to encircle a herd of moose. The Pentagon is planning for a war with China and talks of “Full Spectrum Dominance.” The current government in Washington wants to attack Iran and Pakistan, threatens Syria and Venezuela, and seems bent on igniting another Cold War with Russia (if one ignites cold wars). The Army is to be expanded.

Meanwhile China builds infrastructure.

McCain's Brain: The Truth Behind his VP Choice Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

War with Russia is On The Agenda

2008-08-27T12:04:00.003-05:00

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20626.htm

I'm gonna have to sit this one out. Just like I did the one on the Muslims ginned up by the Israeli-sponsored or at least -abetted inside job of 9/11.

How's that one going, by the way? Are all the Muslims dead yet? What a "joy" it is to live in a "Christian" nation. < /sarcasm>

Sexy Girls Get Things For Free

2008-08-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

It doesn't work on everybody, though. That's why not all of us are bankrupt — yet.

Obama/Biden VP Meeting

2008-08-23T11:46:00.000-05:00

The Pipkins - Gimme Dat Ding

2008-08-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

OLIVER - JEAN

2008-08-20T16:48:00.002-05:00

Sad news I'm just now hearing about:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/15/obit.swofford.ap/index.html

Singer of 'Good Morning, Starshine' dead at 54
February 15, 2000
Web posted at: 5:29 PM EST (2229 GMT)

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (AP) -- William Oliver Swofford, a singer who under
the stage name Oliver had late-'60s hits with the songs "Good Morning,
Starshine" and "Jean," has died at 54.

Swofford, who had cancer, died Saturday.

In 1969, his recording of "Starshine," from the Broadway musical "Hair,"
climbed to No. 3 on the pop charts and the ballad "Jean" reached No. 2.

He toured throughout the 1970s, then left the music business in the 1980s
and worked in the home-construction and pharmaceutical industries.

His wife, Becky, said the last time she heard him sing was during a church
fund-raiser in 1998, when he was asked to perform his two hits.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Russia-Georgia ties strained (and eaten)

2008-08-18T11:38:00.001-05:00

Let's chew on this a bit.

Georgia started hostilities in South Ossetia

2008-08-18T07:05:00.000-05:00

Russian Federation is not my enemy. Never will be.

John McCain - Unfit to Lead

2008-08-15T07:45:00.001-05:00

Shattered Union

2008-08-10T18:02:00.001-05:00

American says U.S. and Georgia to answer for violence

2008-08-10T16:19:00.001-05:00

2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony

2008-08-10T12:41:00.002-05:00

2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony - The funniest videos clips are here

Because of YouTube!

2008-08-09T19:34:00.001-05:00

High as ...

2008-08-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Spoiled Rich Chick

2008-08-06T16:48:00.001-05:00

Spoiled Rich Chick - Watch more free videos

Paris Hilton Responds to 'Celebrity' Ad

2008-08-06T09:59:00.001-05:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Zen Sarcasm

2008-08-06T07:30:00.001-05:00

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. In fact, just leave me the hell alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Chic - Le Freak

2008-07-31T18:02:00.001-05:00

Let's Groove - Earth wind and fire

2008-07-31T17:54:00.001-05:00

40-year-old suspect held in gruesome Manitoba bus killing

2008-07-31T17:32:00.004-05:00

Keith - 98.6 / Ain't Gonna Lie

2008-07-31T17:32:00.003-05:00

Wow. I love this '60s music. Keith hit both of these out of the park, particularly the first one.

AMERICA...BRACE YOURSELF

2008-07-29T18:33:00.000-05:00

Pro Libertate: The Big Bailout: America as a Full-Spectrum Kleptocracy

2008-07-29T07:41:00.000-05:00

Pro Libertate: The Big Bailout: America as a Full-Spectrum Kleptocracy

The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

2008-07-24T07:27:00.000-05:00

The Debt Trap

2008-07-20T19:51:00.000-05:00

MASON WILLIAMS CLASSICAL GAS

2008-07-20T14:42:00.002-05:00

I didn't know he was from Abilene.

Happy 70th Birthday next month, Mason Williams. Hope it's another classical gas.

Joy- Apollo 100- 1972

2008-07-20T14:41:00.001-05:00

Confusion at IndyMac fuels customers' anger

2008-07-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

The news anchor at KTLA says midway through this report that the President just told Americans to "take a deep breath."
I then immediately envisioned Al Gore saying "and don't ever exhale" (to cut down on CO2 emissions).
Obviously if we would all do these two things, there'd be no more problems.

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

2008-07-18T14:35:00.000-05:00

"All You Need Is Love" is a song written by John Lennon with contributions from Paul McCartney[1] and credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was first performed by The Beatles on Our World, the first ever live global television link. Broadcast to 26 countries and watched by 350 million people, the programme was broadcast via satellite on June 25, 1967. The BBC had commissioned The Beatles to write a song for the UK's contribution and this was the result. It is among the most famous and significant songs performed by the group.

Elizabeth Warren

2008-07-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

This was a professor of mine at UT Law School.

PickensPlan

2008-07-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

Spiral Staircase - More Today Than Yesterday

2008-07-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Bachelorhood And Its Discontents

2008-07-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/22098/sec_id/22098

9/11 Chronicles Part 1: Truth Rising

2008-07-05T06:56:00.000-05:00

U.S. is in no shape to give advice, Medvedev says

2008-07-04T07:38:00.001-05:00

Quite so.

Debate Over: It's Hyperinflation (and US Economic Collapse)

2008-07-03T15:02:00.001-05:00

Previously I thought "severe recession", and then "depression" to describe what we face, but neither now seems to do the situation justice. An aspect of the trouble now beginning to figure prominently is the failure of American cities to function as laid out in their current form... because of the new factor of people simply not being able to afford to drive their cars (especially from home to work). Kunstler has been writing about this for years. In return he was considered a carnival side show; a sort of amusing angry little man off in his own little world. But now it looks like he was right.

http://ml-implode.com/viewnews/2008-06-30_DebateOverItsHyperinflationandUSEconomicCollapse.html

Energy Crisis, A Discussion with Matt Simmons

2008-07-02T14:12:00.001-05:00

'Black national anthem' stirs controversy for city

2008-07-02T07:56:00.001-05:00

I would have sung "Rocky Mountain High" and EVERYONE there would have understood and applauded.

Then I'd have moved to have Colorado secede from the U.S.

Calm Before the Storm

2008-06-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

George Carlin pt 1. -- It's Bad For YA March 2008

2008-06-27T08:35:00.000-05:00

Last HBO special. May this great comedian R.I.P.

The Market Traders Podcast: James Howard Kunstler

2008-06-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

You. Will. Not. Be. Able. To. Get. Food.

2008-06-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

http://www.culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=1