Deep Thought

Joe the Plummer is a kooky guy. That man should have his own personal laugh track.

C'mon, seriously, is this the new face of the Republican Party? Seriously?

They Just Lie About Everything

Y'know, I'm wise enough to understand that an honest politician is a rarity, but I'm always swept with awe at the Republican Party's willingness to lie about literally everything. This truly is the party of C. Montgomery Burns, and their world of public policy is nothing more than the lastest scam to fool the suckers.

Remember Bobby Jindal's, ahem, speech after Obama's State of the Union? Yeah, that whole I-was-there-with-the-sherrif-when-Katrina-hit story...oops. Never really happened.

And, remember, kids, that was basically the meat and potatoes of the GOP response to Obama's economic policy. Why can't they just be honest for once and put some snarling Mr. Burns archetype in front of the cameras. Heck, at this point, they'd probably score a couple points for honesty.

Marcee's Word or Catchphrase of the Day

"te amo."

The Killing

I know Atrios always refers to the stock market as "the dog track," but given the crime and the bloodletting, I'm reminded a lot more of Stanley Kubrick's movie "The Killing."

That's exactly what we're seeing here, folks. Damn.

Oh, and over the weekend? George Soros said the global financial system pretty much died. And Paul Volker, the former Fed chaiman, pretty much agreed. Nice. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined seeing the death of capitalism.

I'll be counting the days until I get that one-way ticket to Bogota, heh heh.

Our Media Discourse is Sooooo Stupid

Seriously, how many times did US News & World Report pass the bong around before they came up with this one?

The New GOP Slogan

"Fuck You, America!"

Fucking Dumbass

Republican Sen. Richard Shelby. Couldn't the people of Alabama find someone smarter? One of the cows, maybe? A loyal labrador retreiver? A potted plant?

I can't wait until the wingnuts try to tie Obama into Roswell or JFK. These conspiracies have to start cross-breeding sooner or later.

Hitting Rock Bottom

I've had the opinion for a long time now that the real problem at the heart of the financial crisis is the banking sector's refusal to accept the seriousness of their situation. They gambled and made obscene amounts of money on junk mortgages, and as things go at the casino, they finally lost their shirts. The key word is "insolvency." The financial sector is insolvent. But denial remained strong, and likely will for a little while longer.

Simply dumping this massive garbage pile onto the taxpayers won't work. And simply hoping that the magic pony appears to buy up all the toxic assets won't work either. The banks created a phony housing bubble. They gambled. They lost their shirts. Now they are insolvent and will have to require some sort of government intervention. A short-term nationalization plan, ala Scandanavia in the 1990's, is the consensus opinion from economics.

Roubini and Richardson make their case for bank nationalization in the Journal today. Pay attention. They know what they're talking about.

The Stupidity Never Stops

Hoo boy, this is just classic comedy. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Red State were revealed to be an elaborate joke site. It's just the sort of thing Andy Kaufman or Bill Hicks would have done. Ha ha ha ha....

I could see that the "War on Christmas" was finally wearing itself out this year, when I was visiting the wingnut relatives for Thanksgiving (and I say that with kindness). The fear machine had moved on to the next holiday. Now there was a "War on Thanksgiving." Ha ha ha ha ha. True story, and I'm sure the blogosphere picked up that as well.

Fortunately, "War on Thanksgiving" didn't stick, becuase even wingnuts realize the point to Thanksgiving is to share very large dinners with family members we normally don't get along with. Let's see you get stuck cleaning the pots and pans, and then see how fiercely you'll defend this holiday from the invisible spectres in the clouds.

So, clearly, we'll see "War on..." for every major American holiday, and given how the Republican base has lost all touch with reality, many of them will play along. Where will it end? War on President's Day! The Terr'sts Hate George Washington!

I hereby declare that anyone who is sober on March 17 officially hates St. Patrick. What do you have against the Irish, you commie?!

President of Cool

Whatever you think of the chances of the economic rescue package to dampen the blows of the recession, or prevent the onset of another depression, it's pretty clear that President Obama emerges as the winner. Even his early efforts at bipartisanship worked to his advantage. The Republicans have rebuffed him and pushed back at every step, and now they are more hated than ever.

Through everything, Obama remains the President of Cool. That's just the thing we need in these perilous times. For that reason alone, I have hope for the future.

"The Village"

There is a reason why Washington DC is referred to satirically as "The Village." Much like the Shamalayan movie of the same name, it's a very closed-off and isolated little place, a very cliquish culture where they operate by their own etiquette and their own rules. They live in their own reality, the national media, the cocktail circuit, the pundits, and to a great extent, the politicians as well.

But it's not reality. And those of us living in the Real World are completely different. And you see this in the polling.

Seriously, the best thing I ever did as an American citizen was to stop getting my news from television. Especially the damned cable networks. I read everything. I read the papers. I read the websites. I read the blogs. Do that and you will be far better informed, and far better able to make up your own damn minds. Don't let the High Skool Kool Kids dictate their little reality to you.

Hurry Up and Lose Already

Looks like the MN Senate race is finally winding down. The MN election court handed down a hard ruling against Norm Coleman, which means his chances for scrounging up more votes, and thus more opportunities for his brand of electoral Calvinball, is drying up.

I'm cynical enough to believe Coleman will appeal his inevitable loss in the courts, but I'm also hoping that won't happen. At some point, he has to realize the votes aren't there. We had our election. It was close. Coleman lost. Just end this stupid farce already.

Once again, kids, Republican obstructionism at its finest.

When You Got Nothin', You Got Nothin' to Lose

Daily Kos is showing their latest poll numbers on the political parties, and it ain't pretty for the Republicans.

You know, for some reason, obstructing an economic rescue package in the face of a deepening recession doesn't make you popular with the voters. Huh. "I hope the economy tanks - vote for me" doesn't seem to be catching on with the kids. Imagine that.

Is it just me, or is this the exact same strategy Bush had for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit? Seems to me that wasn't too successful for the Republicans, either.

This, really, is a testament to the intelligence of the American people. No, really. Americans are often satirized as clueless fools, ala Simpson's or Family Guy, but the truth is that most folks will do the right thing once they have the facts in front of them. And this worsening economy is in plain sight for all to see. I think Americans have finally figured this out.

For the Republicans, this strategy of obstruction leaves them with few choices. After two losing election cycles, their base has essentially crumbled down to small pockets in the deep south. They're basically a regional party now, and that base is the hardcore zombie dumbfucks who get their daily marching orders from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, etc etc etc. Obstructing President Obama every step of the way is a good way to sell to these fools, whip up the fear and loathing, and stay energized.

But for the rest of America, this strategy appears cold-hearted, cruel, and ugly. It's amazing to me to see the GOP's approval ratings continue to fall since Bush left office. I was pretty convinced they had reached the floor. But Republicans find ways to make themselves even more hated.

Yes, it's clear that Republicans want our economy to crumble until the 2010 elections, but I'm not seeing how this would benefit them. So far, they are being seen as the villains in this drama. Barack Obama, the President of Cool, remains immensely popular and is widely regarded as the one person in Washington to get us out of this mess. It will be far, far easier for Obama to appeal to the voters in 2010, than the Republicans. Heck, all the Dems need is a few more votes in the Senate, and the Republicans are essentially powerless.

I say good riddance to bad rubbish. You're invisible now, ya ain't go no secrets...to conceal!

Conservative Rule in a Nutshell

Pay very close attention, kids. This is exactly how the Conservative scam works:

Reporting from Sacramento -- The average Californian's taxes would shoot up five different ways in the state budget blueprint that lawmakers hope to vote on this weekend. But the bipartisan plan for wiping out the state's giant deficit isn't so bad for large corporations, many of which would receive a permanent windfall.

About $1 billion in corporate tax breaks -- directed mostly at multi-state and multinational companies -- is tucked into the proposal. Opponents say the breaks will do nothing to create jobs, and the Legislature has rejected such moves repeatedly in the past. But now, to secure enough Republican votes to pass a budget that would raise taxes on everyone else, the Legislature is poised to write them into law with no public hearings at a time when the state treasury is almost out of cash.

The tax cut mania from the GOP right, which has been their bread and butter ever since Reagan, has never been anything more than a colossal pyramid scheme. They never intended to cut your taxes, stupid. Only for the ruling class. You poor suckers get stuck with the bill. And you also are burdened with a bankrupt government which cannot function. Which means less regulation or no regulation at all.

You've seen the results of this policy. A bankrupt nation. A financial sector completely wiped out. Banks gambled into insolvency. Poisoned food. Poisoned water. Poisoned toys. Pollution in the air, land, and sea. Melting polar ice caps and melting glaciers. Just you wait until the drinking water runs out.

This is the legacy of the modern conservative movement. It's been stretching back to Nixon, and came into full force with Reagan. And now, at long last, you are seeing the end results of these policies. And the Republican Party has demonstrated that this legacy will be fiercely defended. They will oppose President Obama's efforts to salvage our economy at all costs.

This is Conservative Rule in a Nutshell, kids. What part of this don't you understand?

Deep Thought

Why do the Republicans think destroying the economy will win them votes in the next election? If I say I want a fire truck, that doesn't mean I want my house to burn down.

I've Got a Question

Why is "turning America into Western Europe" such a bad thing? I mean, really, what's so terrible about Europe? I don't think anyone will be forced to wear silly French berets and striped shirts and listen to accordians. They've got higher standards of living in just about every category than we do. What's the freakin' problem?

Much of the Republican Party propaganda involves suckering stupid people in trailer parks that they are somehow wealthy and the envy of the world. It's such a rediculously stupid scam, and yet the trailer park crowd falls for it every time. See: Joe the Plummer.

Dr. Doom Versus Teh Kool Kids

This video has generated some buzz among the political blogs, and I think it's very, very instructive on the role of our national media during this financial crisis. If you're perceptive, you can learn quite a lot.

Once again, the idea of the national news media as a high school clique of insecure, superficial popular kids rears its head. There's no question, really, who is the teacher in this conversation, and who are the students. But why is this? And why do cable networks like CNBC spin events the way they do? I'll leave that for you to discern. But, if nothing else, you should know better than to take these Villagers' advice for anything. If you have, you may have already lost your shirt at the dog track.

Pick stocks! Pick stocks! Doom! Gloom! Our discourse is run by the stupids.

"The End of Our Economic and Political System as We Know It"

Just watch the video. Then pass it along. This is the nature of our economic crisis.

And Republicans want to stand by and do nothing? In the hopes of winning the next election?

We are all royally screwed.

The Villagers Are Stupid

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. It's like we're being ruled by 12-year-olds.

Obama vs The Village

The Villagers are part of the problem, not the solution, and it's great to see Obama's people recognize and act upon that. There's something deeply dysfunctional about the Washington elite culture, almost akin to the popular clique at high school. Only, unlike high school, this has serious consequences for the real world.

Hey, look! It's another car chase! Shark attack! Missing white woman! Another panel of Republicans will explain how it's all the fault of Obama and gay people. First, these messages....

Seriously, if the DC Village didn't exist, Frank Zappa and Devo would have to invent them.

Deep Thought

If Michael Phelps was seen at a frat party drinking shots of vodka and whiskey, would he still be on the Wheeties box?

Epic Fail

Damn straight. This needs to be said and said again:

Conservatism - the real kind, the kind we've endured at least since Nixon - isn't an intellectual movement in need of reform. It is extreme right thuggery epitomized by the bloated face of a fat, cigar-chomping, drug addict who makes fun of Parkinson victims and proudly boasts that he wants the president of the United States to fail.

I"m sick and tired of these sober, ever so thoughtful, discussions of the direction of modern conservatism. There is only one direction I care to discuss for such an utterly dildo pseudo-philosophy: its journey to defeat. Conservatism in the 21st Century has no intellectual history worthy of discussion - Edmund Burke, my ass. Today's conservatives, like the incredibly influential religious nuts called The Family, are so unbelievably mush-brained they approvingly lump Hitler in with Jesus. Real conservatism is a haven for bigotry, stupidity, ignorance, bad ideas, and an unlimited obsession with violence that is symptomatic of profound deviance. It rots this country's economic, scientific, artistic, and moral health. As the 2000 election, and now Norm Coleman show, It is deeply inimical to democracy.

Terence McKenna - Open Doors

Here is the first part of Terence McKenna - Open Doors. You can view the rest at YouTube. Enjoy!

We've Been Sold Out

"Bi-party-san-ship" wins again. And you freakin' lose. This sorry game is rigged.

Return of the Son of Freak Out TIme

One last trip with Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, this time a tv appearance in 1967. Could you imagine seeing this on television today? Hah! The culture is too buttoned down, the kids too hashly repressed. Better stick with your Auto-Tuned, Pro-Tools, lip-synched Ken and Barbie dolls. You should listen to them. They really good-looking and they sell you lots of things in commercials. Paula Abdul approves. Simon Cowell steals more money from hopeful suckers.

More Freak Out Time

Since I couldn't get enough Zappa, here's another performance by The Mothers of Invention on French tv, 1968. For me, this is Zappa's creative peak, when he was truly firing on all pistons. Don't care much for the potty humor of his later years, but no doubt economic realities were forcing his hand by the early 1970's.

Anyone curious about Frank Zappa should pour their attentions to the original Mothers of Invention years, Freak Out! to Weasels Ripped My Flesh and all points in between. You'll be rewarded with forward-thinking avant-garde music that still seems ahead of its time. Heck, if anything, American popular music has severly regressed in this decade.

Freak Out Time

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, BBC 1968. It's always a kick to see these Mothers in their prime. Lately, I've been throwing on Uncle Meat, side four, which contains the King Kong suites. It's one of the great acid jazz rockers that really puts your turntable and phono cartridge to the test.

If you don't dig this, then something is very seriously wrong with you.

Nosedive

Memorize this graph, kids. This isn't a game. The American economy is in a nosedive, and action needs to be taken, and fast.

Deep Thought

With "moderates" like these, who needs enemies?

And shouldn't an emergency economic stimulus bill include things like money to states? Isn't that, like, the whole point? How is slashing $40 billion in aid to states considered a good thing?

It's sad that we all have to suffer so that the precious egos of a few "moderate" Senators can be fluffed. They'll hold the fort until President Sarah Palin takes over in 2013.

Obama Stands Up and Fights Back

Watch the video here.

President Obama - and, yes, I still get a smile when i hear those words - made the case for the economic rescue bill yesterday. Basically, he does what everyone in the blogosphere has been clamoring for since the beginning - Obama gets out in front, takes charge, lays punches on the Republicans (although carefully avoiding them by name), and makes the case for the stimulus package to the American people. Good job!

This is exactly what needs to be done, and the case must be made again and again. Obama is really the only person in Washington to carry great support with the people. They will trust him. But I think the realization has finally hit home that this issue has been almost entirely directed by the Republicans, who are doing everything they can to scrap this bill and leave us with nothing. Well, I suppose you could add in another insane round of Bush-era tax cuts and far-right fantasies like the flat tax.

But the point everyone has been making is that the GOP has been setting the terms of the debate. They've been the ones on the telescreens. The Dems have been almost completely AWOL. And I certainly hope Obama gets it. He needs to stop playing the nice guy, Waylon Smithers role and take charge. This stimulus bill cannot be allowed to fail. Unless, I suppose, you actually want to sleep under a bridge and sell pencils on street corners.

Terence McKenna - Surfing Finegan's Wake

Terence McKenna is a figure whose name rumbles and grows daily among the cultural underground. Coming from the generation that saw the birth of punk and hip-hop, I'm always thrilled to see these things happen, this emergence of new ways of thinking and new paradigms free from the control of global corporatism. It's good to see that the kids can still figure out that authority is a sham and raise lots of questions.

Anyway, you should know who Terence McKenna is, and have a sizeable amount of his raps and lectures sitting on your iPod. Heck, I've considered getting an iPod just to play McKenna. How's that for a killer ap?

I've been listening to this long lecture today. He begins talking about James Joyce's sprawling and confusing masterpiece Finegan's Wake. Eventually, the rap changes direction and veers into Marshall MacLuhan, his thoughts on Joyce, and then his commentaries on media past, present, and future.

You can listen to McKenna on his "official" website here. Be sure to bookmark this site and spread the word, yadda yadda.

Things That Make Me Happy

"Vanilla Ice is Back!"

Thank Goodness For Our Librul Media

Like I've always said, kids, it's just a sick little game to the ruling class. Videogames of the Damned.

Deep Thought

I don't think this is what Terence McKenna had in mind when he talked about the world ending in the year 2012.

Krugman's Latest

Essential reading, as always:

It’s time for Mr. Obama to go on the offensive. Above all, he must not shy away from pointing out that those who stand in the way of his plan, in the name of a discredited economic philosophy, are putting the nation’s future at risk. The American economy is on the edge of catastrophe, and much of the Republican Party is trying to push it over that edge.

Robert Reich - Depression

Well, it's a good thing we let the Republicans control the debate on the economy, right? How's that working? We've been screaming this point for weeks, nay, years. Bill Maher had the perfect slogan on his show a couple years ago, "Republicans want your children to die." It's really that simple, in all its twisted ideological glory.

Reich's latest blog essay helps somewhat to make the case for the economic rescue plan, specifically over the GOP's endless obsession for tax cuts tax cuts tax cuts. It's almost maddening that this case must still be made, after two electoral wipeouts and the threat of economic collapse.

I remember when Roubini was the only pessimist in the room. Now everybody is Dr. Doom.

Krugman Lays the Smack Down

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

Is it just me, or is Paul Krugman developing a rebel punk vibe? He just looks pissed, almost sneering, like Bob Dylan on Highway 61 Revisited. Maybe he should appear on shows in a leather jacket and a Ramones t-shirt. But, hey, when your day involves battling the inanity of the zombie hordes on tv, you'd get an attitude, too.

Great job in fighting back against the Republican onslaught. You can see how they're firing on all cylanders to stop Obama's budget stimulus from being passed. But, as is usually the case these days, we have the facts on our side. It's just a matter of getting in there and fighting it out. And that's something Democratic leaders should be doing every day. Obama has begun to fight back in the last couple days, and God bless him for it. But I honestly can't think of any other prominent names, except for Krugman here.

Pay attention, kids. One side is trying to stave off another Great Depression. The other side is holding a can of gasoline and lighting matches. If you don't want President Sarah Palin shipping your children off to Jesus Camp in the year 2013, you better pay attention and do something.

ABC News Royally Sucks

ABC News is stupid. Pathetic, drooling stupid.

The name of the game here - and this really gets to the heart at DC's pushback against Obama - is "class war." The ruling class has held sway without opposition for a generation, and now that the economic crisis threatens a return to New Deal policies, the wealthy are fighting hard to preserve their turf. Saving capitalism from itself, ultimately, means a redistribution of wealth in this nation, and as every good student of George Orwell knows, wealth means power.

The ideal solution for America's ruling class would be for the dumb peasants - that's you in the bottom 99% - to foot the bill for the bailout, without ever seeing a dime of that money returned in any fashion. So what if your bridges are collapsing and your schools crumbling? It's God's way of punishing you for not having good stock.

Yet More Deep Thoughts

I remember when the party that won the election got to call the shots.

Deeper Thoughts

President Obama needs to give in more to the Republicans. As the losers of the 2008 election, it's their due.

Deep Thought

So how's that "bi-party-san-ship" working with the Republicans? Are they on board for the stimulus bill yet?

Make the Case

It seems puzzling to me that President Obama is not making the case to the American people about the need for the emergency stimulus bill. He remains immensely popular, the Republicans remain immensely unpopular, and everyone you know is convinced our economy is teetering off a cliff. So why just sit back and let the GOP control the terms of the debate?

What is the point here, Smithers? The whole idea of pursuing the magic pony of "bi-partisanship" is to fashion crucial legislation like this. And it's plainly obvious the Republicans want this stimulus bill to fail. So it's time to stop playing games and start making the case to the public. And this needs to happen now.

Cynical Crank

Will somebody please tell the Democrats that they actually won the November elections? I know we're only two weeks into the Obama Presidency, but I really don't have the patience to sit through four long years of this Waylon Smithers appeasement schtick.

Videogames of the Damned

It's just a sick joke to these people. Simple-minded parlor games for the Ruling Class, to amuse themselves during martinis and dinner parties.

Funny how Dick Cheney's Permanent War only now becomes a problem for Obama. But that's part of the game, you see. Whichever course President Obama takes in Afghanistan and Iraq, it will be declared a failure by the villagers and endlessly weilded as weapons.

Funniest Thing I Saw Today in the Newspape

Sarah Palin wrote an op-ed for the Sunday paper. Seriously. Sarah Palin.

And what burning issue of the moment did she, ahem, "write" about? ANWR. It's always the same tricks with these Republicans, isn't it? I wonder what would happen if the emotionally-crippled and child-abused losers who flock to that party would ever figure out this scam? That's really all the GOP is about at this point. It's an organized crime syndicate, with very dangerous totalitarian leanings, running a massive pyramid scheme to sucker the victims of child abuse. Daddy loves you! Daddy hates you! Gimmie all yer money!

Yeah, please make Sarah Palin run for President in 2012. Please.