Study hard children…..you really, really need to be better than…..

….This:

Still wrestling with Vista Ultimate 64 bit…and if you don’t know what that means….

…count yourself lucky.

We are all lucky folks like Heidi Li exist and more are speaking out about the current politics being practiced by all those ‘running for President’.

Here’s the lede in para which is a Thurgood Marshall quote. Black dude ya know….

Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent.”
–attributed to Thurgood Marshall

Clik on thru to read the rest. She pretty much catches what I find so wrong and dishonest about ‘The Precious’. Sadly, it becomes more evident every day how lacking in real leadership our nation is. I suppose it’s a good thing Obama is so lacking in that skillset.

Otherwise we’d really be in trouble.

Pathetic…

…that’s what the big dukeout between ‘Bankruptcy Bill’ Biden and ‘I can see Russia’ Palin. The both lied their well tailored asses off. Neither addressed and issues in anything even close to a substantive way.

I do give Palin the ‘win’ as she made Joe look like what he is. Past it and bored.

Will be watching the polls this week. Obama seems to be pulling ahead but…..

It ain’t over yet.

And no I have no confidence that Obamba will be bringing the troops home from Iraq anytime soon.

That ain’t gonna happen.

Progressives in Congress show the right way to ‘right the market’.

Dear Democratic Colleague:

The House of Representatives rejected the $700 bailout yesterday. Distinguished economists across the world have stated it would not have solved the problem at hand. However, we can potentially solve this liquidity problem at little cost to the taxpayer. I am proposing that Congress drop the Paulson Plan, and instead pass the No BAILOUTS Act. The No BAILOUTS Act provides an alternative to the Paulson Proposal to address the current credit crunch. Once Congress addresses the liquidity shortfalls in our financial markets, a Democratic Congress can turn to Democratic solutions to address the broader economic crises we face today. Specifically, Congress can work to resolve the housing crisis across the country and pass effective job stimulus, which is the response Main Street America expects and deserves.

While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on the underlying solutions to solve the economic crises we face, the No BAILOUTS Act – a regulatory based proposal – has the potential for significant bipartisan support.

The Paulson Premise Flawed

Simon Johnson, a former chief economist as the International Monetary Fund, stated today in the New York Times of Paulson’s plan, “It’s our view that this package, in a fundamental sense, will not solve the problem.” Other economic analysts noted yesterday that the credit markets around the world were almost entirely dysfunctional even when political leaders and investors assumed that Congress had reached a deal and would easily approve the bailout. There is no reason to believe Paulson’s plan will work.

Alternatives

We have credible alternatives to the Paulson/Bush $700 billion gamble. William Isaac, the chairman of the FDIC during the previous worst financial crisis in the United States during the 1980s, believes Congress can address the current crisis with simple changes to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules. Mr. Isaac points out that while we face serious financial challenges today, many banks are still in good shape. This allows Congress to take swift, uncomplicated steps to ensure the financial markets return to working order. After that, we can work to resolve the housing crisis and pass effective job stimulus.

Today I am offering an alternative to the Wall Street bailout that will correct the capital shortfalls experienced by many financial institutions and help protect the integrity and quality of the securities market. My plan could be implemented promptly meeting the demands of the Bush Administration to act immediately without putting the American taxpayer on the hook for billions of dollars.

No BAILOUTS Act

Bringing Accounting, Increased Liquidity, Oversight and Upholding Taxpayer Security

1) Require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require an economic value standard to measure the capital of financial institutions.

This bill will require SEC to implement a rule to suspend the application of fair value accounting standards to financial institutions, which marks assets to the market value, no matter the conditions of the market. When no meaningful market exists, as is the current market for mortgage backed securities, this standard requires institutions to value assets at fire-sale prices. This creates a capital shortfall on paper. Using the economic value standard as bank examines have traditionally done will immediately correct the capital shortfalls experienced by many institutions.

2) Require the Securities and Exchange Commission to restricting naked short sells permanently

This bill will require SEC to implement a rule that blocks naked selling, selling a stock short without first borrowing the shares or ensuring the shares can be borrowed. Such practices many times harm the companies represented in the sales and hurt their efforts to raise capital. There is no economic value produced by naked short sales, but significant negative effects.

3) Require the Securities and Exchange Commission to restore the up-tick rule permanently.

This bill will require SEC to implement a rule that blocks short sales without an up-tick in the market. On September 19, 2008, the SEC approved a temporary pause of short selling in financial companies “to protect the integrity and quality of the securities market and strengthen investor confidence.” This rule prevents market crashes brought on by irrational short term market behavior.

4) “Net Worth Certificate Program”

This bill will require FDIC to implement a net worth certificate program. The FDIC would determine banks with short-term capital needs and the ability to financially recover in the foreseeable future. For those entities that qualify, the FDIC should purchase net worth certificates in these institutions. In exchange, these institutions issue promissory notes to repay the FDIC, counting the amount “borrowed” as capital on their balance sheets. This exchange provides short term capital, with not cash outlay. Interest rates on the certificates and the FDIC notes should be identical so no subsidy is necessary.

Participating banks must be subject to strict oversight by the FDIC including oversight of top executive compensation and if necessary the removal of poor management. Financial records and business plans should be subject to scrutiny while participating in the program.

In 1982, Congress approved a program, known as the Net Worth Certificate Program, that allowed banks and thrifts to apply for immediate capital assistance. From 1982 to 1993, banks with total assets of $40 billion participated in the program. The majority of these banks, 75%, required no further assistance beyond the certificate program.

5) Increase the FDIC Insurance limit from $100,000 to $250,000.

The bill will require the FDIC raise its limit to provide depositors confidence that their money is safe and help eliminate runs on banks which are destabilizing to the industry.

Sincerely

Peter DeFazio

Member of Congress

Call your congress person and demand they support this instead of George The Robber and Nancy the Fluffer’s giveaway to the rich. It’s your’s and your grandchildren’s money they want.

Tell them NO!

Once Again Barbara Lee shows the way….She say, ‘No…’

to the ‘bailout’ proposed by the corrupt, rotten ‘leader$hip’ of the now twice damned Pelosi and ‘Sellout’ Reid as they, along with ‘The Magic Man’ stoop to do Leader Bush’s bidding.

Here is what she said today on the floor of what we now laughingly call, ‘The People’s House’.

Washington D.C.- Today (Sept. 29, 2008) Congresswoman Barbara Lee delivered the following statement on the House floor in opposition to the financial bailout bill considered today. The Congresswoman voted against the bill, which failed by a vote of 205-228.

“Thank you Madame Speaker and thank you Mr. Frank, the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, for his efforts to improve the administration’s $700 billion blank check proposal.

“As a former member of the House Financial Services Committee for eight years, I can tell you that the situation we find ourselves in is the direct result of the deregulation happy, turn a blind- eye approach of this administration and its allies in Congress.

“Now we see the horrific price of these reckless deregulation policies.  More than 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs since January.  People need jobs to obtain credit and to pay their rent.   They need jobs to pay their mortgages or to put money in their 401k or retirement account.  Millions of people are living paycheck to paycheck, if they have a paycheck.

“Home foreclosures are skyrocketing, and home values are plunging, banks are failing and we are still spending more than $10 billion every month on a war in Iraq that should never have been waged.

“So there is no question that we are confronting an economic and financial crisis.

“But I’m convinced that this bailout plan is not the solution to this mess.

“First, it does little to address the underlying problem – the foreclosure crisis. We need a moratorium on foreclosures and bankruptcy reform to help people stay in their homes.

“Second, this bill should be paid for by the high-flying industry that created this problem.   $700 billion should not be given to Wall Street and the Bush Administration unless those who cause this mess pay for it. We should also prohibit the tax deductibility -and my bill the Income Equity Act  (HR 3876) would do this across the board -  of executive compensation in any company where the highest paid corporate officer is paid more than 25 the times the pay of a bailed-out company’s lowest-paid worker.

“And third, we need an economic stimulus package to deal with the crushing reality of the recession that is hitting people hard and growing every day.

“I cannot vote to reward those predatory and subprime lenders who are creating such havoc in the lives of millions of Americans.

“There is a better way.”

Yep and that way requires hard work, years of it which probably puts it beyond the reach of the Libertarian punks who think we have friends in the ‘Democrat’ Party. Who think Obama is about ‘change’.

We do have some friends in the party but Pelosi…multimillionaire Pelosi ain’t one of them.

Hmmmmmmmmm…….

I was at the RNC in New York in 2004 and do your know the NYC police, at the behest of the Secret Service and the laughably titled Dept. of Homeland Security, had the exact same set up down on the docks. Chain link w/barbed wire. Yet one more thing the Obamanation has  copied from their patrons the Republican Party.

I may need more popcorn.

Quote of the Week….

Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’
Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’
Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’
But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?

And there comes a point when one must take a position that is
neither safe,
nor polite,
nor popular,
but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that
it is right. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

A sentiment I share with that great American. It’s one all Americans would do well to live by.

A Brief Word…..

…..yeah, the revolution will not be televised. Indeed, there looks to be no revolution. With Barky calling for a non-vote Democratic Convention, he won’t get that predicts I, and McSame being…well, more of the same I suppose you could vote for Nader or Barr but neither are viable let’s face it. Sister Beezlebub still has a shot moreso every time Barky sticks his foot in his mouth and hops around going Uh…Uh…Muh! Currently the Bark-O-Meter has him at 1.5 hops per week. But enough of the cheap shots.

The real problem sits on ‘The HIll’ like a horrific knot of toads in human form. 535 elected representatives of the people.

Or not.

Yep, in situation, after issue, compounded by crisis we see that the legislative branch of our government is stuffed to the gills with folks who are one of three things:

Corrupt…the biggest faction. Politicians are trained early that it’s all about the Benjamins as our ‘system’ rewards those who get elected and under the current system you need lots of B’s to get elected…

Stupid…plenty of those after all if you’re buying a Congressperson you don’t need one that’s smart. Just one that loves to follow orders.

Nuts….Yeah, barking mad. These are the ones found in a hotel room with hookers and coke or an underage boy. Significant fraction….

So what to do. First up is very simple.

Get real.

Understand that the level of corruption is now at unprecedented levels. Levels no mere change in ‘party’ will fix. The job is a wholescale clean up similar to Hercules and the Augean Stables. Ever read that one? You should it’s not really about what it seems. Yeah, get real. No one candidate is going to ‘save’ us folks. Most adults realize reality don’t work that way but….

People want to believe.

Well…

Believe this.

If you and I don’t get off our asses and take back our government the future will be very bleak. The tipping point on many problems affecting our very survival as a society is near. I assert that the tools to fix those problems which threaten us most are also hand. Requiring only affordable amounts of money and some intelligent leadership. But with a government composed of the corrupt, the stupid and the barking mad we are not going to be able to use those tools.

What to do?

Look around join up with like minded folks. Stop talking and start doing. You will be noticing some changes around here as I ‘renovate’ my new primary residence. And no I don’t care what the Congressional mortgage lending ‘bail out’ bill says, it’s amazingly stupid go look it up, about how to treat ‘primary’ vs. ‘secondary’ residences.

One signpost to a new way is the widget in the upper right sidebar called: ‘Accountability Money Bomb’.

This takes you to a spot where you can contribute to a fascinating group headed by Jane Hamscher and a bunch of right wing folks. Yep, wingers and progressives…together. Seems there is common cause to be made by all Americans in the face of the Congress’s gutting the 4th Amendment. Here is the link to the statement of purpose from StrangeBedFellows the ad hoc group just beginning to get some traction. I will be blogging about this more as the idea of ‘Accountability for the Asylum (Congress)’ resonates with me.

Hope you will hang around as I am planning some extensive remodeling here and I hope you will find it interesting.

Muh Daddy usta git pretty mad at me at times….

…I was a smart allecked little sucka and would not hesitate to tell him when I thought he was wrong. Which he was upon occasion. One was the Vietnam War and event you younger whippersnappers will prolly never really understand. It’s like they say, ‘Ya had to be there!’ Not to say that you cannot sit down with some books ‘stead of yer Ipod and read about it. Learn about it. But, what the fuck nobody really gives a damn they are only concerned with today. Today’s gas prices. Today’s baseball scores. Today’s chances of getting laid. Yadda and yadda…. This attitude served our chimpy ancestors, yes pal you are related to Bonzo, very well indead. It mattered not what yer cousin’s complaints about the head chimp were as long as that dude kept the troop alive. Basically, stay away from leopards and close to bananas would work pretty good as policy.

Now my dad and I actually came to blows over ‘Nam. Briefly, no knockdowns no winners and after a while he was forced to admit that, ‘Yes, you were right son. ‘Nam is a fuckin’ disaster.’ except he never swore. Which brings me to today’s post. Some have said that I need to STFU! about certain issues. Obama’s candidacy being one of them. The theory here being, as best I can follow it as it really makes no sense, it’s wrong to criticize The One as he is the ‘Democrat’ Party nominee and that anything brought up about him only helps the vile, heinous Senator John McCain. And further, Obama would be a much, much better President than McCain. I got myself in big trouble, and expect to continue to do so, when I pointed out that: First, Obama has not been nominated you can look that up; Second, It’s not clear that Obama would be a better President see Douglas Kmiec…FISA flip-flop…drill for oil in flip flop….Presidential Seal stupidity jsut for starters; Third, and this is the one where the shit hits the fan, where folks want to start swinging, I contend that Senator Obama is a horrible campaigner and a truly third rate politician. Whoa, folks really get pissed when I assert this.

Well, all you Obamacans out there what is the reality today pals? This is the reality:

John McCain is now trusted more than Barack Obama on nine out of 14 electoral issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports. The latest national telephone surveys find that McCain has the biggest advantage on the war in Iraq, by a 51% to 39% margin.

From the Rasmussen Report folks and it gets worse for the esteemed Senator:

Perhaps the most interesting finding of these polls is that McCain has expanded his leads on nearly every issue he had previously had the advantage on, while Obama’s leads have diminished over the past two weeks…

In the new survey, McCain has tripled his lead on the topic of immigration. He now has a 45% to 36% advantage over his Democratic opponent…

The Republican also has pulled ahead on the issue of balancing the federal budget. Two weeks ago, the candidates were tied on this issue at 40%. McCain now has a 43% to 40% lead on the issue among voters.

McCain used to be behind on the issue of Social Security but has pulled ahead of Obama for a 44% to 38% lead…

On national security, an issue that McCain consistently performs well on, the Republican leads 52% to 40%.

This mirrors what I have been asserting about Obama for over a year and a half. Assertions which have me banned from OpenLeft, Corrente, TalkLeft and Crooks and Liars. Now it may very well be that Obama will engineer a comeback and beat McCain but, another question no one wants to answer:

‘How the hell can the Democratic Party nominate a candidate for President of the United States in one of the most critical periods of our history who is struggling to compete with, not beat, compete with a Republican nominee who, given his and his predecessor’s track record, should not be able to be elected dog-catcher?

Come on guys! Come on Kos…Bowere….Marshall….Armando…Marsh…..

Explain that one to me pals. Oh great and mighty seers of the Awesome Blogosphere. Bah! None of these AssClowns can find their butts with either hand when it comes to what they are suppose to be so damn good at, political analysis. Sadly, many of the netizens and Democrat rank and file have bought off on this fantasy and worse yet consider anyone such as myself a heinous asshole for pointing out that yes, ‘The Emperor has no Clothes’ and I’m talkin’ about Obama.

The reason Obama is where he is is a topic for another day. Until then remember A.Citizen’s ironclad guarantee to you and every other citizen of this still great nation which is:

‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’

Yeah, I stole it from Voltaire. Or so you think just another example of how things we ‘know’…well, we really don’t. One of my goals is to get folks to understand why that quote is so important. Sadly, the chimp brain is not wired to understand this meme.

That’s why they made Socrates guzzle some hemlock. Not too worry. I ain’t guzzling’ no hemlock. No. Matter. What.

A. Citizen is Here! And He’s not ‘Shutting The Fuck Up’ nor ‘Toning it Down….’ to please a bunch of folks who want to sell Tee Shirts….

Fuck no he’s not.

Okay, enough with the ‘bad language’ but after months of b.s. It’s good to be on my own. I’ve got some good ideas for posts still percolating on energy, sustainablity, economics and if you think the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party is over you didn’t’ talk to……

This ‘…tired, old, racist White Dude.’

nor

this ‘….uppity Asian Bitch.’

and yer missed the video:

And in conclusion read what this young Democrat has to say. If it don’t piss you off, if it don’t wake you the fuck up; you are dead from the neck up.

This nation needs the Democratic Party not a bunch of DNC assclowns playing at being ‘The Opposition’ not a Madame Speaker who has legitimized the crimes of George ‘President Death’ Bush; not a party where Howard Dean hands people’s votes to whomever Donna ‘Queen of Darkness’ Brazile points at. Did yah know that Howie will not take questions from the rank and file democrats he meets on his ‘victory tour’ for the ‘Presumptive Nominee’?

Yep, STFU! the battle cry of the little punks at CheetoLand and their leaders. Now the battle cry of ‘The One’. Whatever happened to ‘Yes, we can!’ Well, shit they did. Using the same techniques he learned in the most corrupt political city in the nation Obama has almost squeeked out the nomination. But many are now raising their voices in protest. Asking why Senator Clinton’s name should not be put up for vote at the Denver Convention. Yep, Obama’s folk say no vote is needed, contrary to convention rules, that he is the winner. This without taking a vote.

WHAT KIND OF FACIST CRAP IS THAT! EVEN REPUBLICANS TAKE A VOTE! THEY DON’T COUNT ‘EM TRUE ENOUGH BUT THEY AT LEAST GO THRU THE CHARADE OF VOTING!

I guess we will see.

Just who shuts the fuck up and who keeps their trap shut for fear of giving offense or being labeled a racist. If you’ve swallowed enough Kool-Aide or are too scared to speak out then go ahead give up your right to be heard. You can still do what you like for a little while longer. You can be one of the silent ones.

But that ain’t gonna be me pals. I am going to shout it from the rooftops. ‘We need Obama for President like the country needs an outbreak of the plague!’

Enough for one day. I’ll be back pointing to sites you can go to to get a different perspective on various issues. And, I promise, I really am not gonna be ranting about Obama…much. The people will choose and that’s good enough for me. You see I practice what I preach. And if it was good enough for Thomas Jefferson….it’s good enough for me.