A plea to the business world

Please, for the love of all things everywhere, please, please, please stop creating ads involving the words "stimulus" or "bailout." They're not clever, they're not funny, and all it will do is make people stop buying your crap. STOP IT!

The prez and health care

Administration sources are indicating that the president is next ready to push for health care "reform." His " reform" plan calls for somehow "strengthening," through tax advantages, etc., employer-sponsored health care and expanding Medicaid.

NO NO NO NO.

Incentivizing health care as an employee benefit does NOTHING to eliminate the fundamental problem, which is the PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY. This only empowers and perpetuates the source of the problem. And also, Medicaid (as compared to Medicare, which is federal) relies in part on the states and is just a nightmare.

DON'T SETTLE, Mr. President. Single-payor health care works across the globe. Take your mandate out for a spin and do this.

The future is already set

So in the last couple of weeks, two more states have legalized gay marriage, one through the judiciary (Iowa) and one through legislation (Vermont). The polling shows that the opposition to gay marriage is clearly generational. Young people are overwhelmingly comfortable with the idea, and the older people who are fighting to keep bigotry encoded in the law are, frankly, going to die off. A wonderful story, courtesy of the Iowa Senate Majority Leader:

One of my daughters was in the workplace one day, and her particular workplace at that moment in time, there were a whole bunch of conservative, older men. And those guys were talking about gay marriage. They were talking about discussions going on across the country.

And my daughter Kate, after listening for about 20 minutes, said to them: You guys don't understand. You've already lost. My generation doesn't care.

What did Kate's dad do after hearing this? Did he go on a rant against the abomination of homosexuality?

Is that so wrong? I don't think that's so wrong. As a matter of fact, last Friday night, I hugged my wife. You know I've been married for 37 years. I hugged my wife. I felt like our love was just a little more meaningful last Friday night because thousands of other Iowa citizens could hug each other and have the state recognize their love for each other.

Somewhere, a wingnut is weeping into a pair of Glenn Beck's panties and dreaming of a world in which Mike Huckabee is President. Bwahahahaha.

Sarah Palin must be dying a thousand deaths...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

One more clue for Lula

There's one in the comments below but here's another pic:

Geo-Quiz

I usually give you a photo quiz of the wife's wanderings, but this time we cashed in some miles and all of us are going on a SHORT getaway trip in early summer. Where?

Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame

That isn't something you generally hear from me, but...

In the eyes of the archbishop of Chicago, it was an "embarrassment" for the University of Notre Dame to invite THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to speak. Because he supports scientific research and wants government out of reproductive decision-making? What's next?

So, Cardinal George, it would only be proper for a Catholic university to entertain speakers who are not only communicants with Rome but adherents to church orthodoxy? That doesn't sound particularly collegial, does it Rev. George? Shouldn't a university community be exposed to the widest spectrum of ideas, PARTICULARLY those you disagree with? I thought universities existed to expand intellectual horizons rather than to reinforce dogma. Are you so insecure in YOUR faith, Cardinal, that you cannot hear of differing views?

And by the way, when it comes to things that are embarrassing, when looking at your little bailiwick over the last few years...people who live in these....?

Bretton Woods, Somewhere Between Peyton Place and Dallas

President Obama gave a masterful performance at the G20 Summit. Many participants characterized it as the most important world economic parley since 1944, when the postwar financial system was remade even as WW II raged on. That summit meeting, hosting all the allied powers, was held at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, in the sleepy Preston Hollow enclave of Dallas, Texas, where the booze flowed freely since the arrival of faux President and Mrs. Laura “Pickles” Bush, No. 43 watched for any missteps by No. 44. He was also taking bets on how soon before his old buddy Berlusconi made a move on that babe, Cristina Kirchner, president of Argentina.



The President was speaking to the press:



PRESIDENT OBAMA: "There's been a lot of comparison here about Bretton Woods... you know, last time you... saw the entire international architecture being remade,'' he said. "Well, if, if it's just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy, you know, that's an easier negotiation.”


W.: “Hey Pickles! Ain’t Bretton Woods that gated community just down the road from this here Preston Hollow??? Ah didn’t know Roosevelt and Premier Churchill met for drinks over there?!”

LAURA “PICKLES”: “Ah’m not sure George, honey …”

W.: “Hell, woman, check the INTERNETS, do the GOOGLE. If OHBAHMA – he KNOWS things -- says our Dallas, Texas neighborhood’s hosted a presidential summit, we oughta have those folks over for a barbecue …"

Blago Indicted

So Illinois' hairiest ex-governor likes to wear jogging suits:

How about trying this one on for size?

The Executive Mansion in Springfield:

wasn't good enough for him. How about here?

Bye Rod...

NEWSFLASH (April 1, 2012) - NORM COLEMAN CONCEDES!

The longest running Senate race in HISTORY has finally come to an end as Sen. NORM COLEMAN, Republican incumbent from Minnesota, reluctantly conceded defeat to comedian and author AL FRANKEN, after the Republican Party's legal options finally ran out. Republican National Clowns Chairman Michael Steele was inconsolable: "I am prepared to lead a march on Washington to prevent this Stuart Smalley character (author: I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations With Stuart Smalley), this, this Rush Limbaugh denier (author: Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot) from being seated!"

Michael Steele: "I'll stand on the steps of the Capitol ...

Turning apopleptic, the RNC Chairman disclosed his STRATEGERY: "If necessary, I'll stand on the steps of the Capitol to prevent that COMEDIAN from walking through the door, just like my hero of old, Chris, I mean, George Wallace."

Read more about it here.

Welcome Back, Doc

We missed you, hope you're back to game speed. Unfortunately, though, while you were gone...

It's April 1.....

Minnesota, do you know where your senator is????

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar:

U.S. Senator Al Franken:

Harry Reid, grow a pair?? SEAT THE JUNIOR SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA!!!

Extra, Extra, Don't Read All About It!!!

Newspapers are dying. We see it all around us. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer no longer prints its paper, the 150-year old Rocky Mountain News is no more, both major Chicago dailies are in some form of bankruptcy and the list goes on. In the Internet world, newspaper publishers have not found a workable business model, and the future does not look promising.

I LOVE newspapers. I am a print guy. I do not read newspapers as a primary source of information. Given the nature of the beast, the "news" carried in the papers no longer fits that description. I read newspapers because it is what I do. I love the feel and smell of newsprint. I am surrounded by a sea of books at home, and I can access the information I need for the day instantaneously online, but my day gets off to a VERY bad start if I don't have my paper. Computer screens mean work to me, the printed page says life. I also enjoy the conversational interaction prompted by the paper, the "did you see this" exchanges with my wife [Editor's Note: That annoys the hell out of her, but that is a different story for a different time]. When I travel, I WANT to read the local paper. You learn about a place and its people through THEIR paper, not some homogenized piece of nothingness left outside your hotel door.

Newspapers have often responded to their new world by cutting corners. The paper itself becomes smaller, they rely more on canned stories, fluff pieces and bland wire service generalities. I cannot think of a better example of penny-wise and pound foolish. By reducing or eliminating the things I buy the paper for, I am inclined to continue buying your paper why?

I do not have a solution. If I did, I would be earning far more than I am currently. However, I was intrigued by a recent piece of legislation, S. 673, introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland. Like most bills introduced, it will probably die a slow death by committee, but his idea is fascinating. He calls for newspaper companies to be allowed to treat themselves as tax-exempt non-profit organizations, which could allow for subscription charges and advertising expenses to be deductible. Newspapers would be run by people who love newspapers rather than corporate conglomerates with an eye toward the bottom line.

The ultimate question, though, is even if we embrace what is probably a pipe dream of the honorable gentleman from Maryland, does a viable market remain (or can one be resurrected) for HIGH-QUALITY and LOCAL newspapers? I for one certainly hope so, because I would truly miss my very dear old friend.

A peek into the modern wingnut mind

I'm not dead, I swears.

It all went to hell when wimmen got the right to vote. Seriously.

STILL NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME

The much anticipated House Republican “alternative budget” was rolled out today. It had a nice blue cover and an official looking logo, which House minority leader John Boehner kept waving around like, well, Neville Chamberlain. All 19 pages of it. AND NO NUMBERS.

Things got dodgy when Boehner was asked, to paraphrase an oldie but goodie: “Where’s the BEEF?” After much harrumph-ing Boehner and his cohorts had to concede that “details are forthcoming.”

Even the Obama Administration’s Mr. Nice Guy himself, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs got in on the fun:

"I think the party of 'NO' has become the party of 'NO NEW IDEAS.' The rhetoric inside the budget seems to be a road map for the failed policies that got us into this mess ... The administration's glad that the Republicans heard the president's call to submit an alternative. We just hope that next time it will contain actual numbers so somebody can evaluate what it means."

And then he said, with a sly grin: "There's one more picture of a windmill than there are charts of numbers. And there's exactly one picture of a windmill."



OUCH! When good guy Robert Gibbs rips you a new one without even breaking a sweat, House Repugs, you’ve reached a NEW LEVEL OF LOW. As Jonathan Alter said, “the first rule of holes is to STOP DIGGING.” Keep digging, Boehner, Cantor, Pence, Gingrich, Steele, Cheney, Palin, Jindhal, Ashcroft ...

STIMULUS, REPUBLICAN-STYLE: THE PARTY OF "NO" IS ALSO THE SHOVEL-READY PARTY!

Bernice Arndt, Village Idiot

Chicago has experienced a rash of teen shootings this year, in most cases the intended and unintended carnage of gang conflicts. One reader of the Chicago Tribune came up with a BRILLIANT solution. Bernice Arndt of Elmhurst, Illinois, gave us this gem:

There are far too many high school students being killed. Let the 10 Commandments be placed in every classroom. These are the words of God and a good reminder to all.

What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that! And as a side benefit, it would also remind the kids to stop carving and worshipping idols and having other gods before Yahweh. Sounds like a win-win to me. Bernice, enjoy the convention.

MEMO TO SENATE CONSERVADEMS

Evan Bayh (pictured below), self-appointed leader of a breakaway caucus of cowardly, traitorous, jelly-spined DINOS (Democrats in name only) ...

AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S PRESS CONFERENCE, YOUR CRAVEN AND DESPICABLE DESIGNS TO OBSTRUCT HIS BUDGET ARE:

As per Lula's comment below...

The movie rights have already been optioned!

My Apologies

Thanks to Carlos for keeping things rolling. I am BURIED in a book deadline (and as Carlos could tell you, it will be a real page turner!) and have been nonstop workthink for the last couple weeks. I promise to return to my juvenile annoying self soon.

Musical Plea to President Obama: Why not the BEST?

Dear Mr. President:

Why haven't you enlisted the PEOPLE'S ECONOMIST, Paul Krugman, to take a prominent position in your team of minor economic luminaries?

-- Is it that Lawrence Summers and "Slim" Tim Geithner are such insiders -- Geithner under Summers with Clinton, who signed the Republican banking deregulation that got us into this mess in the first place -- that only those so contaminated by the crisis know how to get us out of it? Does anyone get this perverse logic? Perhaps you'll explain it to us tomorrow night, Mr. President, that is, if those sheep in the WH Press corps will ask the question.

-- Is it a Harvard-Princeton thing? Stupid Ivy League turf jealousies (Summers was a Harvard president) like the jerks who feel entitled to office by virtue of membership in the sexist, fascist, juvenile Yale Skull and Bones fraternity where GWB learned the virtues of alcoholism and prankish irresponsible behavior of the type that got us into the Iraq war? What happened to all that scripture stuff about "childish things" being over?

-- Or is Paul Krugman overqualified by dint of his Nobel Prize in economics?

Or maybe it's plain spiteful pettiness because Professor Krugman continues to RIP Geithner's economic schemes. Any administration with Rham Emanuel in a position of prominence could get a lot of that.