Of Pirates and Spinners

Captain 'Roid is really pissed off. When last seen, the intrepid Captain was begging her mother to make a new flag for the CPS Nargle proclaiming the "End of the United Nations." According to a report on tonight's BBC America newscast, the UN has signed some declaration allowing countries to pursue the pirates onto Somalian land. Now admittedly, Somalia is a failed state and its sovereignty is open to debate. But to allow other countries, including Iran, China, Great Britain, and the US (talk about politics and pirates making strange bedfellows!!!!) to invade in pursuit of the pirates?? Hopefully all those military men will review Blackhawk Down before doing the same foolish thing.....And why does the US, beacon of religious freedom and defender of the right to democratic processes, so fear an Islamic government in Somalia?? Isn't Islam one of the "Great Religions" alongside Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc?? Or is all this "Islamic terrorists are radical extremists" just a smoke screen and the US is really at war with Muslims-----shades of Richard the Lion-Heart and the Crusades...........

Do you remember The Spinners from the '70's and that massively "great" song "Rubber Band Man"?? Actually, I detest that song but all the "oldies" stations seem fixated on it.

But those aren't "the spinners" I'm writing about. I'm thinking about the auto-bailout/union busters and whether the Kennedys are more deserving of power as a dynasty than the Clintons, if MSNBC be believed.

GM and Chrysler are doing worse than Packard did in the 1950's. They hemorrhage cash, blowing through billions a month. Their management has been about as in tune to the needs of the average buyer and the concerns about the deleterious effects of automotive emissions on the decaying of the Earth's atmosphere as Bush and Cheney have been to telling the truth about Al-Qaeda in Iraq, let alone the total misinterpretation of the WMD intelligence.
Now, depending whom one reads, we are either headed for, or are already in, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The government has bailed out the financial fat-cats but balks at doing the same for the auto-making fat-cats. The problem is that there are a lot of not-so-fat-cats that would be a lot more hurt by the death of the Big 3. About 1 in 10 American jobs is tied to the auto industry---from parts providers to transportation firms to the workers at the car plants themselves. If we want to see Great Depression type unemployment numbers (like around 25%), then let's allow the Big 3 shut down and add that 10% who lose their jobs to the present 11% without jobs. (I realize the current "official" unemployment rate is about 6% but that does NOT include part-time employees who'd like full-time jobs or those who have stopped trying to find work. That number is over 11%.) That's 21% unemployment. Wouldn't take many, if any, more Citibank job cuts to put us well over that 25% threshold.

But some Senators blame all the failings of the auto industry on the wage disparity between the union workers up north and the non-union laborers in the foreign plants south of the Mason-Dixon line. Taking a real crisis and scapegoating people who will lose their livelihoods to avoid taking action while changing the focus of the argument to something totally non-related is major SPIN!! Even if a UAW member makes $71.00 an hour, that's only $150,000/year!!! And that's nowhere near what an executive at either an auto maker or a financial firm makes!!!! As a matter of fact, it's 1.5% of the 10-million dollar paychecks and bonuses common in executive suites or a Major League Baseball locker room. So let's not blame the union. Deny the bail-out if you don't think management can turn around these companies but let's stop the b.s.

So Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg threw her hat into the ring for the US Senate seat formerly warmed by former first-lady Hilary Clinton (all this assumes she gets confirmed for Secretary of State and resigns). Caroline has a lot going for her. First, her maiden name is Kennedy. She's the only surviving child of JFK and Jackie. She's a major upgrade in looks from Mrs. Clinton and I think she's also better looking than Sarah McPalin (remember her??). So give her the job already. But first we need to watch interminable hours of every Clintonista with an axe to grind and all the MSNBC "analysts" and commentators who need to justify their salaries since the election is over stir up controversy. Who cares if Andrew Cuomo is divorced from one of Caroline's cousins?? What possible effect does it have on her qualifications for the Senate, which are about the same as Hilary's when she was first elected----a member of a family that was in the White House as well as being a lawyer. And Caroline even had a pony at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!!!!
So enjoy "Rubber Band Man" when you hear it and wish we only had to deal with the musical Spinners instead of the bozo spinners masquerading as learned gentlemen. Hang on to your money and hope January 20 comes faster. But keep your shoes handy just in case...........

Labor Day Weekend

So the traditional end of summer has come. Here in Eastern NM it's pretty rainy, cloudy, and humid. More than we usually get, much less than Down East.


I watched the DNC last week and will hit the high spots such as they may be of the RNC this week if Hurricane Gustav doesn't force its postponement. Instead of Sarah Palin (who???????) all the talking heads, or I prefer Frank Rich's term "bloviators", are tracking the storm. It looks like the Big Easy is gonna get clobbered again. Hopefully the present administration is performing as well as they are talking about their preparedness. Pray for the Gulf Coast.


Speaking of prayer, "[T]hey believed in America as they believed in God-they could not really ever expect that America might collapse and God yet survive, no, they had even gone so far as to think that America was the savior of the world, food and medicine by one hand, sword in the other, highest of high faith in a nation which would bow the knee before no problem since God's own strength was in the die." Describes the current royalty under Dubya, doesn't it? But this passage is about the Republicans from Miami and the Siege of Chicago by Norman Mailer written in 1968. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.



Ever note the similarity between Antonin Scalia and Julius Hoffman??? Both think it's ok for defendants to be shackled and gagged in the presence of the jury. Fair trial??? About as fair as a good dunking chair in Salem MA.



I see Rush Limbaugh's pleas for a repeat of Chicago in Denver didn't happen. A few protesters, a couple yahoos with guns investigated for a possible assassination plot. I don't think I understand why there won't be massive protests in St Paul. It's McCain who's come out for the draft. Of course, we don't need a draft. Dubya and "Dead Eye Dick" both learnt the lessons from their Vietnam draft evasion--the National Guard!!! So they send the Guard to do multiple tours in the Middle East. What the hell, they'd just dodge a draft, this way they have to serve!!! Get with the program, McCain. By the way, does John McCain really think so little of women that he believes he will pick up their votes by having a female running mate?? I am certainly no fan of Hillary but her speech Tuesday last was very good, especially when she asked her supporters if it was her or what she stood for that was important. Maybe the Rovians running the McCain "campaign" should have listened in.........

Super Tuesday Primary aftermath

Some thoughts on the aftermath of the Super Tuesday primary---My brother is a "main-stream" Democrat, read Hillary supporter. We had an email exchange and I thought it appropriate to post some of my comments here. I have been and remain a Bill Richardson fan but since he has quit, I did not want my vote to help Not-so-Hilarious Clinton in any way so I supported Obama in my state's Democratic caucus. Here's why:
28 years of Bush-Clinton does not sound at all good. Neither has excelled at anything but divisiveness, partisanship, and a severe lack of vision for the country and its people. W's record speaks for itself. His father was out of touch. Bubba Clinton was a bubba---where's the latest Monica?? Are we proud of his administration---Somalia, a couple of genocides, failed Hillaricare, the failure to see the threat of Al-Qaeda and Islamic extremism??? Could Obama do worse????? Look at the group around Hilarious---same as the ones who screwed up with her husband. Time for a change----if we elect her we might as well amend the constitution to allow for dynasties and the divine right of kings. It's been 40 years since 1968---Chicago, Vietnam, loss of personal liberty. What's changed in Washington???? NOTHING. This is the opportunity for a radical change; otherwise we'll suffer another 40 years of regression as the world's leader. We are getting hammered and continuing on the same path is ludicrous. In terms of Clintonistas---been there, done that, didn't work then, why do it again??
Obama MAY screw up like Carter but I'm sure Hilarious would.