Atoning

Let me say that I am truly sorry for having offended any Jews regarding yesterday's Rosh Hashanah post. This is a High Holiday; I erred in judgment in seeking a cheap laugh.

Fiddling While Rome Burns

Yes, that is a Black Hole; it is sucking a nearby star system into its ravenous maw. It also illustrates the perilous nature of our economy and our modern lifestyle when confronted with an unyielding economic certainty (black hole) and the lack of direction and propulsion to evade it (Washington's leaders and their not-fully-cognizant constituents who insist on no "bailout").

Yesterday, in my own stumbling fashion, I tried to sketch out the reasons a government intervention is necessary. I'm no economist, but it seems clear to me. Today, the Post includes a couple of business writers who capture the essence of the moment far better than I can:

Underlying the panic is a seizing-up of the credit markets that provide companies with financing for expenses such as payroll and inventory. Analysts said banks are lending less as they try to conserve cash for their own balance sheets, while nervous investors are forcing companies to pay higher interest rates to borrow in the debt markets.

"The credit markets are kind of like the oil for an engine that allows companies to buy something and finance it. And if they don't have the ability to finance that at a reasonable cost, then all of the sudden their profit margins are going to get squeezed and they're perhaps not going to be able to hold as much inventory, and this is happening around the globe," said Jim Hannan, managing director for fixed-income strategy at MTB Investment Advisors in Baltimore.

And here is the best short piece I've yet read on the crisis and its ramifications. It's by Steve Pearlstein, who has been warning about this debacle for a very long time now:

Steven Pearlstein - They Just Don't Get It - washingtonpost.com

Republicans (and all Americans) had better hope some sort of package gets passed pronto. If not, the subsequent global economic meltdown and consumer-driven lifestyle diminishment will be "owned" by their party for the next generation. Hello FDR!

Waterloo Sunset

The Kinks have always been the most underrated band in rock-dom. Certainly, Ray Davies belongs in the pantheon of greatest songwriters with Lennon/McCartney, Dylan and just a few others. Here is a nifty clip featuring Ray along with Blur/Gorillaz guy Damon Alborn, singing a coupla songs, including "Waterloo Sunset", perhaps the greatest song written in the 20th Century.

YouTube - Damon Albarn and Ray Davies perform Waterloo Sunset

For those interested, here are the lyrics:

Lyrics for "Waterloo Sunset"

Getting Ready To Atone

Tonight's the big night, when Jews around the world get out their noise-makers and funny hats and bang on pots and pans as they welcome in the New Year. After the excitement fades, it's down to serious business. A full week of somber reflection on the past year is required. It's time to consider the not-so-nice actions and thoughts that one has committed. Or even thought of committing. Or even knew how to think that way. Bad bad bad.

This Judaic tradition of shame and guilt has spilled over to the spectacle of our presidential campaign. Just watch:

YouTube - Phone Atone

What are you guilty of and aren't you ashamed of yourself?

Were there dinosaurs in 3761 b.c.?

Sifting through the melee that was this weekend, I happened across this wonderful quote from a L.A. Times article:

"Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Earth created 6,000 years ago -- about 65 million years after scientists say most dinosaurs became extinct -- the teacher said."

Palin treads carefully between fundamentalist beliefs and public policy - Los Angeles Times

If I were Joe Biden, this might be my lead-off question.

Happy New Year on Blue Monday

L'Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year! Happy 5769! May it bring sweetness to your lives!!

And what a night to begin Rosh Hashanah. Oy vey. I guess this is what happens when ideologues get in the way of progress. It's a game of chicken. Without the matzo ball soup.

So if the world economy suddenly seizes up because the flow of credit has been frozen because banks won't lend to anybody and company payrolls are put "on hold" and credit card users see "denied" on the gas station swipe boxes because their card companies are stuck and bank AMTs stop issuing cash... who is going to get the blame after the playhouse burns down? It's a BIG If.. but it could happen far more easily than anyone thought possible even a few weeks ago.

The Moose (not political)

In the early to mid 1960's there was probably no one funnier on Earth than Woody Allen. After having spent years toiling as a comedy writer for such TV shows as Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, The Tonight Show, Ed Sullivan, and others, he finally stepped out into the spotlight. Here is one of his best:

YouTube - Woody Allen - The Moose

A Mingus Moment

Charles Mingus was a large, angry musician who was honored awhile back with his own postal stamp. He would have been amused to think of all the white people licking his backside. Here is a snippet of an old Mingus documentary:

YouTube - Mingus,Mingus,Mingus - 1

Just Biden His Time

Trying to be a post-partisan sort, I feel compelled to strike a few lashes against the other main party vice-presidential candidate, Senator (Fightin') Joe Biden.

Before the advent of the modern vice-presidency this office was reserved for someone good at attending state funerals and fundraisers. A favorite line about the position was from a former tenant, John Nance Gardner, who described the Office of the VP as "not worth a bucket of warm piss." Another comes from President Lyndon Johnson, who once asked VP Hubert Humphrey why he always wanted to know how he was feeling each day.

Today is different, of course, because of the work in office performed by Al Gore and, mostly, Dick Cheney. As the scope of the VP's responsibilities has widened so significantly, the interest given to the VP candidates also has deepened.

Governor WhatsherName has been in the news a lot recently. Interestingly, Jo Jo Biden has too, though with a lower profile. Because no one knows much about WhatsherName, anything that issues forth from her is seized upon with zeal by The Fourth Estate. Because everyone in the Beltway knows Biden as the Human Gaffe Machine, there is little outcry when he lets loose with some whoppers. Everything he says will simply pale in comparison. (Sorry)

Is this fair? Not at all. Is this reasonable? Well, maybe. Check out the following fun and interesting take:

Why Joe Biden's gaffes don't hurt him much. - By Christopher Beam - Slate Magazine

So if someone is perceived to be a long-time straight-shooter, like Biden (and McCain), an occasional goof is forgivable, and even understandable. Ultimately, though, a Human Gaffe Machine will generate enough confusion, furrowed brows, and fodder for opposition political operatives that even a mountain of good will won't be enough. The Gaffer will go down. The question becomes when does a gaffe become elevated to a Gotcha.

Here is another fun link to more Biden hijinks, from that "liberal rag", Newsweek:

Stumper : Biden Fires Up the Gaffe-o-Matic

Again, there are different sorts of gaffes. And Joe Biden is familiar with them all. Here are a few more for your reading pleasure:

Top 5 Joe Biden Gaffes

Gaffes have their place in a campaign. In a way, they measure the humanity of a candidate, if not their good sense. When someone lets loose with something ill-informed, ill-considered, or just plain stupid, often there is a sense, after the laughter subsides, that this could have been said by anyone, given the circumstances. Now, about that Biden statement on taking away his shotguns...

In other news, here is a terrific story from Down Under about a hunger driven Giant Pig:

Huge pig sent to stud after holding woman hostage Oddly Enough Reuters

That should be made into a Lifetime movie.

All About Sarah, some more

Hey There -

I'm unsure of how Alaskans greet one another. Perhaps they issue forth moose calls or grizzly bear grunts. Maybe a "bonjour" or "hola" or "salmon" or such. Brandish a hunting knife?

One thing is known: we Lower-48-ers are learning more than we ever thought we would about Seward's Folly. Yesterday I began what I hoped would be a dispassionate look at how Sarah Palin stands on Issues. But I just can't do it; after reviewing some of the statements she has made over the last couple of days, I hereby throw away objectivity. Hear it now: Governor Sarah Palin would lose in a Loudoun County school board election.

First some objective facts for those interested in things like that. Here is a link to a nice non-partisan website that specializes in gathering positions and supporting quotes of various candidates and parties. It's a good resource and really comprehensive:

OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues

We all know that Sarah Palin has been shielded from the press by her handlers. I now understand why. Today she was touring the Ground Zero site in New York City. She was allowed to answer a couple of questions from reporters there. Here is what was said:

"CNN: On the topic of never letting this happen again, do you agree with the way the Bush administration has handled the war on terrorism, is there anything you would do differently?
A: I agree with the Bush administration that we take the fight to them. We never again let them come onto our soil and try to destroy not only our democracy, but communities like the community of New York. Never again. So yes, I do agree with taking the fight to the terrorists and stopping them over there."

And then she said this:

POLITICO: "Do you think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and our continued presence there is inflaming Islamic extremists?
A: I think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to further security of our nation, again, because the mission is to take the fight over there. Do not let them come over here and attempt again what they accomplished here, and that was some destruction. terrible destruction on that day. But since September 11, Americans uniting and rebuilding and committing to never letting that happen again."

Do these responses seem vaguely reminiscent of this:

YouTube - Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers a question

And then there is the interview with the rough 'n' tumble Katie Couric. It becomes quickly and painfully clear that for any followup questions, Palin is ready to pounce with a repeat of her first response. It's all fairly awful, but the real howler, the shrieker supreme, is when Palin tries to portray McCain as an enemy of regulation (a deathbed convert?):

YouTube - Sarah Palin Interview with CBS News' Katie Couric- Day 1

Get this woman a teleprompter!! Seriously: I fear for our country if this person becomes Vice President.

Truly, what could John McCain have been thinking? If this is his "soul mate and partner" to move America forward, then we all need to look more closely at him!! Yes, he didn't know her, but someone in his campaign did. Did they really think she would be a rock-solid back-up? The man has had melanoma twice; when it returns, and it does, it comes back far worse than before.

Ugh. Let's get away from all that. Here is a very poignant clip featuring Peter Gabriel singing "Mercy Street" accompanied by actual images and spoken words of the late, great poet, Anne Sexton. This is top-shelf rock poetry melded with prize-winning confessional-movement poetry. It gets me every time. Interestingly, Sylvia Plath's poem, "Daddy" seems to share its place in the proceedings:

YouTube - Peter Gabriel & Anne Sexton: Mercy Street - All my Pretty...

And the Quote of the Day:

"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town." -- George Carlin

The Fun Side of the Moon

The Who are a band that barely survived themselves. Their first casualty was the heart of the band, Keith Moon. Check this out:

YouTube - The Who on Keith Moon

It reminds me of the New Yorker cartoon which featured a fire alarm sign in a hotel hallway stating, "In Case Of Keith Moon, Break Glass."

Still Wednesday, Still Sarah

Okay, I'm still trying to master certain computer editing skills. I had meant to include these other items to the end of the post below. One is that Senator John McCain has referred to Governor Palin as his "partner and soul mate". While this may surprise Cindy McCain, it does provide a glimpse into how McCain truly thinks and feels. And it serves to emphasize everything that Palin has said and done.

All About Sarah

Welcome!
I don't want to bore or take up too much space and time. But I have promised to address the vice-presidential candidacy of Governor Sarah Palin, so here's what I'm doing: for the next few days, I will present her position on The Issues. Each day will focus on two or three topics. Some will be kinda skimpy, because, well, there's not much to report. Today's subjects will be Abortion and related issues; and Civil Rights. That should get things going.

Sarah sez:
-- She is “pro-contraception, pro-woman, pro-life”
-- She supported “abstinence-until-marriage” public school sex education programs.
-- If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, she would “let the people decide what’s next”…
-- No to any abortion, even for rape and incest. Except if a mother’s life is in jeopardy.
-- No to embryonic stem cell research

-- She likes the Americans with Disabilities Act.
-- She doesn’t know if people choose to be gay.
-- She supported the Alaska constitutional ban on same sex marriage.
-- No to spousal benefits for state employees in same-sex couple relationships.
-- It would be OK to deny state benefits to same-sex couples.
-- Despite her disagreement, she announced the state govt. would comply with the state supreme court, which ordered state benefits to same sex partners.
-- Recognized Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
-- Recognized “Juneteenth” as official celebration of Slavery’s end.
-- Proclaimed “Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”
Join us, won’t you, for tomorrow’s installment of All About Sarah… at a computer near you!

What Revolves Around Us?

Hey There - My eyes aren't yet clear enough to penetrate the whirling dust storm that is Governor Sarah Palin. So tomorrow will have to be the day we engage our attention on her.

One thing we know for sure: she's no George Bush. Mrs. Palin can fill any sized hall her handlers care to direct her towards (as long as the press can't ask her questions). On the other hand, our president can't seem to buy a friend - though his Treasury secretary seems to be trying.

It's interesting: a poll released today indicated that our president gets a 19% approval rating.
American Research Group
That's under 20%. Of Americans. Approve of W. There can be no small coincidence that 1 in 5 Americans believe that the sun revolves around the earth.
Americans Flunk Science Basics
Truly, we have found the hard core base of Bush supporters.

Now that we have clarified that mystery, let's move on to figure out what's happening to the president's paid best friend, Hank Paulsen. He's been very busy lately, walking up and down Capitol Hill, trying to gather approval for his TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) bailout plan. Wherever the poor guy goes, he's been getting the fish-eye and the stiff-arm. It's like no one trusts him or his boss.

What is really amazing, though, is that he's Nigerian! I know this because I just received an email from him that is very much like other emails I have received from Nigerians in distress. Here it is:

Angry Bear: Your Urgent Help Needed

Oh, ho ho. You gotta laugh, or you'd cry.

Speaking of laughing, here is a clip featuring the immortal Louis Prima. It's typical Prima. He and his band start slow and sweet, almost sleepily. By the end, he is leaping about, scatting wildly and the band is swinging hard. There is enough energy here to fuel an Iggy Pop performance.

YouTube - Louis Prima - Lazy River

Hope you enjoyed it.

And now our Quote of the Day:

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." -- H. L. Mencken

Thoughts Before The Flood

"Beware of living in the most interesting of times," say the Chinese. We certainly are in the midst of them now. For the last couple of weeks it seems like our country has begun circling the drain.

The worst part of it is that we're still at the Top, but the rest of the world is laughing at us, waiting for The Big Fall. Well, enough of that. I stand with Randy Newman:

YouTube - Randy Newman - A Few Words in Defense of Our Country

Oh, the irony.

And how ironic is it that for solutions to our great big economic mess we turn now to crazy Uncle Newt, yes, the politician everyone loves to hate. He's a nutty ol' Newt, but he asks some good questions about "the bailout" and even supplies some answers worth contemplating. Read it and weep:

The Corner on National Review Online

I'm unsure where he wrote this. Has he been released from the Halfway House for the Politically Insane?

For our final piece, we journey to the world of high tech and modern weaponry. Much has been made of the "success of the Surge" and this is an aspect which is cloaked in mystery, as related by journalist Bob Woodward. It's up to you to determine - treasonous revelation or misinformation propaganda? Consider the following:

What Is Woodward's 'Secret Weapon' in Iraq? Danger Room from Wired.com

It's an interesting read. The best part, for me, is wading through the vitriolic 'comments' section. There are some really priceless ones awaiting the diligent reader. For my now worthless money, I say the poster named Desmond nails it over and over...

That's it for today. Tomorrow, by special request, will feature a clear-eyed look at the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin.

Quote of the Day: "Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." --Martin Luther

For Your Weekend Viewing Pleasure...

Howdy. I am not much of a fan of Bill Maher. He does take himself too seriously, and too often he just isn't funny - tough business for a comedian. But sometimes he strikes some sparks which create some fire.

I happened to catch this clip of a recent show of his. It wasn't particularly friendly towards the Palin-McCain administration. Fair and balanced it was not. His guests included Will I. Am, the Obamaton hip-hopper from the Black-Eyed Peas; Naomi Klein, the firebrand journalist whose The Shock Doctrine made some waves this last year (it's her take on state-sponsored methods of destruction as a means of promoting capitalist growth); and Andrew Sullivan.

Andrew Sullivan is an intriguing fellow. He is an iconoclastic figure of the libertarian conservative camp. He is a gay Catholic Brit writer and editor who has lived in America for some time, commenting on our ways. He prides himself on being a true conservative in a conservative political culture which, he would say, has lost its directions and meaning. Here is his Wiki page:

Andrew Sullivan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anyway, the clip from the show runs along the expected theme of the election campaign, Sarah Palin and her credentials/policy positions/and such, and then takes, for me, a welcome turn to the world of American Religion and the public's fascination with Guardian Angels (no, not the street vigilantes). I think the theme of the thread rests with Palin's Pentecostal Church's "magical thinking" and Americans' belief system (angels as a symbol) which impact the rational discourse of issues that shape our Reality.
It's pretty good:

YouTube - Palin is Bush in DRAG! Naomi klein

Quote of the Day:
"When I reflect upon the number of disagreeable people who I know have gone to a better world, I am moved to lead a different life."- Mark Twain

It's Still Friday...

Oh, what a difference a day makes! The dark clouds lift, the birds sweetly sing, small children laugh, and the aroma of freshly-baked apple pie fills the room.

But before we get too comfortable, let's remember there is still a big ol' world out there. As the rock poet of the apocalypse, Tonio K, put in in 1980:

"‘Cause it's dog eat dog and it's cat and mouse
It's watch your step and cross yourself
And get back in the house
And it's do or die
It's push and shove
Because everybody's hungry
And there isn't quite enough
That's right we're talking about the good life
In the food chain
Love among the ruins
I guess that you've finally got to accept
That there's nothing you can do about it
It's kind'a like carving a turkey
Kind of like mowing the lawn
Everything gets to this certain dimension
Winds up on a customers plate and then gone"

Let's hope that our wise men in DC and NYC can cobble together a wastebasket akin to the mid-80's RTC, which handled the awful Savings & Loan crisis to good effect (remember the Keating 5; remember John McCain? He doesn't want to remember it, either, though to be fair he was just trying to get along). If so, we can catch a break in the action.

But not to forget the World of Diminishing Resources. Until our Government can pull together a real Manhattan Project to create an inexpensive, sustainable, renewable form(s) of energy that can be transmitted through a national grid/infrastructure of Marshall Plan proportions, to power homes, cars and businesses, we will continue to be increasingly stressed.

Again, from Tonio K's time, here's the Opening Scene from one of my favorite movies ever: The Road Warrior. Watch it and try not to think of the parallels we've seen through the last few years...

YouTube - mad max 2 opening scene

What a great movie. Greatest stunts ever. Greatest and longest chase scene ever. Mel Gibson's breakout performance. "The juice.... the juice." The Lord Humongous - The Ayatollah of Rock n Rollah!!

And now for some real fun. Again, from the Tonio K/Road Warrior era, when the shock wave of oil shortages had sent an early but very clear warning sign for any who were observent. This was an event I attended, but left before getting arrested. For a couple of hours, it really felt like the world was collapsing. (It did for the White Sox.) It was even wilder than what you see here on the clip:

YouTube - 1979 Disco Demolition Night, Local News Coverage

Closing thought: Thanks for reading! I hope this blog becomes a regular visit for you. Feel free to comment, and to conduct discussions within the comments section. And spread this around if you see fit...

Quote of the Day:

I don't believe in the after life, although I am bringing a change of underwear. -- Woody Allen

Thank God It's Friday

As an anxious America awaits for Congress and the U.S. Treasury to construct an RTC-style holding entity for stinko financial products, Democratic leaders moved to put forth some time-sensitive legislation: Congress Lowers Drinking Age To 17 Just For Jenny's Party The Onion - America's Finest News Source

The Quiet One

Maybe I missed it. I've been a little busy over the last few days. But have we seen any sort of genuine attempt at leadership from our presumptive leaders through this last week or so?

Our president declared to a private audience in July that our financial crisis arose because (in terms he clearly understood) "Wall Street got drunk and now it's got a hangover. Now it's gotta sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments..." If Wall Street has been drunk, who was responsible for letting them booze it up and drive the country off the cliff?

In the meantime, public pronouncements from the White House have been quieter than sign language. Aside from a brief off-the-cuff remark about the possible positive effects of "adjustments" the president has been mum. Yesterday his spokesperson revealed that Bush wouldn't speak about the situation, because he didn't want to get involved -- in the election!! No press conference since July. Where, oh where, is Leadership?

Given how tongue-twisted he's been in the past, it's little wonder that our president is so silent. He's had a tough 7 and 1/2 years. His faith-based administration has had hard-hearted reality intrude time after time; this tends to temper one's opinions. I suppose he's looking ahead to January and praying to the god who told him to run for president that the whole ship doesn't go under before then. (Harry Truman? No. Herbert Hoover? No. George W. Bush? Yes, Absolutely.)

So... this leaves us looking for Leadership, where? Obama, for his part, has been consistent with his economic messages. His two-minute ad features him talking to the viewer about his proposals in a manner that would make a constitutional law professor proud.

New Obama 2-minute ad about the economy

At least it's something constructive. And it fits with what he's been saying. There are other aspects to his campaign that are unworthy of post-partisanship (holding McCain to the 100-years-in-Iraq statement, tying McCain to the Limbaugh anti-immigrationists, and suggesting JM can't figure out how to use a computer or email). I'd like to hear more of the problem-understanding-and-solving Obama, the can-do guy, and hear it louder. But I also understand he cannot be perceived as anything like an Angry Black Guy to a voter base that is 74% white. So his leadership style is almost necessarily understated.

As for his opponent, it is different. John McCain doesn't share Bush's Faith-Based Reality. But his reality is definitely squiggly; it's an Amoeba-Based Reality. He confuses Shiites with Sunnis, over and over (at least he knows there are two; Bush didn't know Islam had more than one sect). He said Iraq borders Afghanistan. He says our economy is strong and fundamentally sound on Monday, then on Tuesday says we are in a financial crisis. He was against Treasury intervention with AIG on Tuesday, and for it on Wednesday. Today he is for tougher federal regulations after being adamantly against it (I guess he was against it before he was for it). Today, he didn't know who the prime minister of Spain was, even though he was being interviewed by a Spanish magazine. The journalist tried to give him an out three times; each time McCain fell back on a Talking Point that had more to do with Latin America and Chavez than our European ally. It's all so confusing.

Saying how one would lead the nation through a bad economy is one way to measure one's leadership style. Another metric is the tone of one's campaign. Both candidates are running on strong personal narratives. Both are compelling. One is running on issues. The other is running away from them. "This election is not about issues," said McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

That is why there is so much distraction on garbage like lipstick and pigs. Running on their records and issues, Republicans are going to lose, big. 80% of the country feel the country is on the wrong track. Most say really, really on the wrong track. If you can't run on the issues, then distract, confuse, misinform, lie and repeat. All campaigns do this to degrees. But the McCain campaign has excelled at it to the point where the master, Karl Rove, says they've gone too far. Hillary tried it, too; try to pull your opponent into the mud. It's the great equalizer.

So we have a Quiet One in office. We have an Orator and a Warrior in the wings. At this point, either candidate will be a relief, but the Orator has my vote. He's consistent. He's a thinker. And he can articulate solutions.

Okay, enough of that stuff. Here's a fun music clip of Thelonious Monk. He gets particularly carried away around 3 minutes in and abandons the piano, performing a sort of dance:

YouTube - Thelonious Monk - Evidence - Japan, 1963

The man was a genius. Of music. And comedy.

And here is The Quote of the Day:

"All great truths begin as blasphemies." -- George Bernard Shaw

That's it for now. Please feel free to comment and comment on the commentators. And spread this blog around to your friends, if you like it.

Burning The Playhouse Down

Okay. Second time out. For now, I'll bore you with some opinions worthy of the bloviating blogosphere. Then I'll try to dazzle you with some fun stuff.


The Big Change continues to swell before us. We are experiencing the first rush of it, but the main body, the real sea-change, is still to come.

I don't mean political change alone, although that is surely part of it. And it is so interesting that both candidates are now running as Change agents.

Rather, I expect a coming fundamental break with our modern lifestyle. The Economy. The Environment. Energy Resources. Transportation. Consumerism. Technology and Consciousness. How we live; how we think. These and other issues are interwoven strands of this Big Change, and are subjects I'd like to address in the coming days.

For now, let's briefly touch upon our suffering economy. Some twenty years ago, an economist named Pete Petersen suggested that if America over-reached itself by extending an empire-like influence around the world, it would suffer predictable consequences. Without a manufacturing base of "real goods" to export, our economy would become sapped by emerging economies around the world. Additionally, if our economy tilted too far towards generating wealth through financial services, it would suffer the fates of every other "empire" that did the same: a diminished ability to maintain domestic infrastructures, unsustainable costs of military obligations and a deep and lengthy contraction of international influence. What a Cassandra!

Today, the Wall Street house of cards has been re-shuffled, minus a few cards. This wobbly structure that holds the retirement plans for millions is but a breath away from complete collapse.

Are you happy that Social Security was not privatized by the Republicans and the Bush Administration? Are you happy that your portfolio statement is going to reflect a 20% dip next time you see it?

Democrats are not faultless here; the 1999 repeal of the Depression-era Glass-Steagel Act was bi-partisan. It opened the gates for the deregulation of the financial service sector, which simply accelerated during the Bush years as the brakes were officially taken off of the SEC to let the market do its thing. The Market. Let the Market solve its own inequities...

So now what do we have? The wonderful, glistening, gilded Playhouse, which was created by our financial titans and their political mouthpieces, is on fire. It's out of control. The Fed fire department is on the scene, but the hoses are too short and the water pressure is too low. So let's hope the wind blows the flames out, and doesn't spread them any further...


Ooof. What a downer. Let's liven things up a little bit. Check out the following:

YouTube - Bo Diddley - Hey, Bo Diddley and Bo Diddley

Thanks for the clip, Chris. This is so great: grainy black and white video from a very different age. Screaming white girls in the audience. Sultry black girls on stage (The Diddlyettes). And a moaning, leering, rock n roll radical - Bo Diddley.

Finally, the quote of the day:
"There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception."
-- James Thurber

First Time Out

Just kicking the tires and looking things over. Taking a peek under the hood. I want to be sure that floor mats are included with this. For now, I'll include a fun blast from the past:

YouTube - The Kinks - Days - '69

I'll save the topical stuff for tomorrow. I am happy to get this thing up and running. (This Blog is brought to you by Cialis)