cut the flesh before you get to the bone

It is not likely that the Federal deficit was caused by all that frivolous spending on Planned Parenthood, or education, or health costs.  The deficit was caused by poor management, plain and simple.  The health of our nation depends upon healthy fiscal roots and simply put: we got root rot. 

It is the definition of hubris to cut 60 billion dollars in funds to the most needy while maintaining the same salaries for our representatives.  I'm calling for a ten percent cut in all salaries to elected officials across the nation.  They can do what they want to their appointed fellows.  What are they going to do?  Get elected somewhere else where they have higher pay?

Have we learned nothing from Cairo?  Are we not paying attention to what is happening in Bahrain and most especially what our fellow working-class citizens are doing in Madison, WI.  The Governor of Wisconsin remains "unfazed" by the protests.  Of course he is unfazed--he doesn't give a flying bee about the working class.

I will say this again, and probably again, management needs a functioning proletariat.

There will be more on this.

UNhappy Anniversary

One year ago today the Edward's Supreme Court decided a fateful ruling in Citizens United which eliminated all restrictions on corporate spending in elections.  Basically, the frightfully right-wing court sold out the soul of our democracy:  fair elections. 

Here's a question for the court:  if the constitution guarantees one vote per citizen-- how do shareholders of multiple corporations have their best interests represented multiple times by their corporate interests?  Not only is it not fair, it is not a way to operate a democracy.

We need to stop this.  New information just reached the surface that Justices Scalia and Thomas had, at the time of the ruling and still to this day, conflicts of interest that should have demanded they recuse themselves from ruling.  Scalia and Thomas! They each took oaths to uphold the constitution--not sell it out to the highest bidders of their choosing.

Scalia and Thomas have been featured guests at secretive political strategy sessions sponsored by Koch Industries, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate that has invested millions of dollars in political campaigns and causes. Koch Industries was a major beneficiary of the Citizens United decision, which overturned long-established law to permit corporations to spend unlimited amounts on political advocacy.

Please take action.  Here is a petition, a request, to the Justice Department to do a full investigation of this maleficence of justice.

Enjoy your day.  Don't celebrate this occasion.  Celebrate yourself for taking action to restore sanity to the highest court in our land.

Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us

This time of year is designed to be stressful and hence at least a tad disappointing.  In addition to all the year-end bookkeeping duties that anyone who pays taxes is too familiar with, we have overburdened ourselves with a competitive, consumerist mindset that could make the Pharaohs blush.  It's nonsense.  It doesn't really matter.  I have discovered that most people of substance prefer time spent creating happy memories.

Time, that is the commodity.  Happy memories are the rewards.

A writer for the famed 90s TV Show, "Seinfeld," Dan O'Keefe adapted a script for the half-hour sitcom from a tradition started by his father Daniel O'Keefe.  The father O'Keefe discovered the Festivus holiday in a 1966 book about obscure holidays.  Now, I don't promote the "airing of grievances" as a holiday tradition nor would I partake in the after dinner "feats of strength," as practiced in the fictional Costanza household.  I do however encourage finding your own way to celebrate.  Celebrate what you feel in your heart (and sometimes the work is in finding a feeling in your heart) with who you enjoy.

I applaud O'Keefe's idea to step outside the box and to unleash the chains of traditions.  Reexamine your habits and values and adjust what simply doesn't work.  If you can do nothing else, be brave with your own life.

Don't cave to societal pressures to spend what you can not afford or do what you resent or even to be anyplace where your heart is not safe and open.  I know this from experience.  It is a lovely thing to be free.  It is a fine day to be where I want to be and where I am wanted; and to appreciate the experiences that taught me the value in that.  I know the painful differences.

Continued blessings to us all.

PS - I just came across this lovely piece from The Christian Science Monitor (by way of Yahoo News)  with some simple, common sense down-home advise on staying sane and emotionally healthy all year round:

"Psychologists have found that happiness is positively linked to social connections that are substantial, not superficial. At a time when resources are scarce, we need to tap into a resource we already have in abundance: ourselves."

I repeat: substantial, not superficial.  We find what we seek.  We seek what we are.  We are our relationships.

Traveling to New Orleans?

When I think of New Orleans, I think music, food, fun, and some of the greats of American literature.  Check out Louis' literary pub crawl (it's a tour of sorts).  And please let us know what you think.

thanks for the love.  Stay safe out there in the holidaze madness.

What Morris Kight thought it might be like in 2010

In a 1976 radio interview with Jonathan N. Katz (this Jonathan Katz NOT that Jonathan Katz), Morris Kight said: 

"By the year 2010 the population will have doubled. If you believe that we're doing a lousy job now think what it'll be like with the decline of fossil fuel, deterioration of air and water, world wide wars. A lot of troubles are coming. Society can be conned into believing a lot of lies. Gays as sick or sinful is a lie. There are a lot of other lies."

As much as Kight loved being right, I can't imagine he'd be too happy about being this right.

Congratulations to all who voted

Another election season over.  California did right by the blues and rest of the country was given back to the reds.  If all is fair in love and war, than it's even more fair in an elected government.  We need to sit tight and let the people do their jobs.

Representatives from the tea party have been in office for less than 48 hours and they aren't complaining about Obama--yet.

Prop 19, though it didn't pass it proved that there are at least 47% of voters in favor of legalizing personal use of cannabis.  This has propelled the conversation forward in a huge way.  Recently, while going through some newspapers from 1970, I found a number of editorials calling for the death penalty for pot use.  So, this may not be the prize we hoped for--but it is huge progress.  Don't discount that and know that the initiative will be back on the ballot.

Interesting note about Prop 19, it didn't win Humboldt County.  Humboldt is the growing capital of the world for cannabis.  It is big business and family business in those parts and those folk scrutinized this bill.  Tells me, they didn't like the taxing aspect and that it was, in fact, a poorly written initiative.

Meg-a-bucks Whittman was told by the California voters what she can do with her almost 150 million dollars.  These were obscene amounts of money spent on this election, but Meg outdid all.  It's obscene because of the number of folk standing in food lines and sleeping on the streets.  She couldn't fix the world with her money anymore that she'd fix California with her "business expertise."

Glad to see Carly go away.

And oh so glad that California told those two Texas gazillionares what they can do with their oil.  There was a loud shout of "No on 23" heard throughout the state.

Game on.

Vote!

November 2 - get prepared, review your sample ballot, know the issues and understand your position.  It's your civic duty.  This is the only "homework" we really get in life--to effectively participate in our government.

I voted today.  I always vote early and vote by mail.  I enjoy the process.  I spent a little time online this afternoon researching the judicial appointments.  Most of these are "yes" or "no" votes (should they be elected to the office).  It can be a little complicated.  If you live in California, I found a cool website that helps you to "choose your judges," the three Supreme Court Justice choices.  It is a system, based upon your personal answers to a short survey, how you would likely vote based upon your values and preferences.

The rest of the judges, you're on your own.

If you're looking for some opposing views on the judges, this site is much more right-leaning than myself, but it's a good comparison and I use this as a "Reality Check," meaning that if this guy is for something then I'm generally not.

For the State Measures, there are some excellent resources with organizations recommendations.  My recommendation is for your to check out a few of these, compare them, and then check your own conscience and vote the way you truly want to see the world operate. 


League of Women Voters go over the Measure quite thoroughly, you can get a lay-man's understanding of the issues and the impacts.

Go beyond your comfort level a little this time.  I am a big proponent of dismantling the two-party system and we'll do that not by creating a three-party system.  We'll dismantle the two-party system by not supporting the parties.  Support the candidate, the idea, the value system, support the hair cut if you must.  But be willing to see beyond your party lines. 

The most important thing is- Vote.