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Oceanside Pier, thirty seconds

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Midweek Amalgam


J called yesterday. He was uncomfortable with the Feeding Time cartoon that I posted by the Los Angeles Times'  brilliant opinion writer and political cartoonist, David Horsey. The cartoon depicts the gop suckling the teat of big business.

J wondered about the lack of balance I was showing. Where was the cartoon illustrating the pernicious influence of the unions on the democratic party and society in general?

When I posted the thing I just thought that it was really well done. I don't think that I need to take the middle line with every thing I post on this blog. And yes, I do think that on the heels of a wretched Citizens United ruling, the threat of big business interests now masquerading as "persons" is a greater threat to our country than evil teacher, fire and police unions, as bad as they maybe are.

J can't stand the president, it seems he is in good company with about half the electorate. He is an ex small businessman who is now an investor and he sees the president through that perspective. Everything is about business.

The problem is that the GOP ran a stealth campaign that was supposedly "it's about the economy" last time and it turned out to be bullshit. When they got the power we got anti gay and personhood  amendments and a full broadside in the culture war. Forgive me for thinking that the same thing will happen once again. You can't just look at only the future of business considering the radical social agenda of the right.

I don't care for Barack Obama. I think he lied if not misled us on a multitude of issues, endless war, medical marijuana, civil liberties, etc. Unfortunately it is now all about the Supreme Court. One more member of the evil axis of Scalitothomasrobertskennedy will further sink the Federalist Society dagger now poised above our nation's heart. Mitt, given the opportunity, will finish the job.  Bye Bye Roe. Hello, massive effort to turn us back into a religious society with no respect for any border between church and state and also a place where the poor take their permanent place as feudal serfs existing at the whim of the lucky one percent.

I worry about my good friends that can't look at the other issues besetting our country besides the economy. As important as it is, it just can't be the only thing. We agree to disagree. I know what the unions did in Vallejo and San Diego. And even Fallbrook, to some degree. But that is why they call it collective bargaining. Bargain.

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I won my battle with the ebay guy this morning. Called ebay and pled my case. The investigator agrees with me. He gets nothing. Unfortunately, she told me that he will now sully my perfect feedback record. In ebayland only buyers can leave feedback these days. I told her that I would wear my ignominious mark proudly, for taking a principled stand against a jerk who was trying to get something for nothing.

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Interesting article on Mitt and family re: Gay Marriage. Apparently Mitt, once extremely gay rights, found himself crossways with his wife Ann as well as his son and daughter in law, all who signed a 2002 Massachusetts petition that recommended denying gays domestic partner benefits. That's one of the things I hate about a large sector of the right, their mean spirited interference in other people's personal business. Like forcing the government to watch a poor woman's pap smear.

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We had a great anniversary yesterday. Fantastic dinner at Sake House in Leucadia and then Cirque de Soleil's Totem performance in Del Mar. It was really incredible. A juggler weaving seven balls in a cone. A pair of plains hoop dancers. Great aerials. The touring shows like totem rely less on gadgets on more on individual artistry. Two girls each pididdling four whirling scarves.  Great chinese unicycle team stacking cups. The show is playing for another week and you can get half price right before the performance. We were second row. An amazing time.

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Two paraplegics move robot arm with mind.

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Wells Fargo mistakenly forecloses, man commits suicide.

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The hawks were temporarily aloft, according to a neighbor who called me. The young hawks were walking on the road yesterday. Walk a little, fly a little...

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Ever get the urge to walk around the world in Roman times? Now you can with Orbis. The  Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World.

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Researchers discover a new atomic structure in metallic glasses.

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I dug the Avengers movie but a couple questions. Where in the hell was Ant-man, Hank Pym? Vision, The Black Panther, Scarlet Witch and Pietro? They sure take a lot of liberties.

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Don Bauder has written great economic columns for years. He nails it here on the stadium financing issue.
Did you know that stadiums have an economic life of about ten years? Leaving communities on the hook for decades, while the rich owners capitalize on sucker fan's atavistic team/clan bond to extract lucre from their wallets.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your article sounds as if Walter Winchell had a hand in it.