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For the past few years, antibiotic-resistant staph cases have been on the rise, especially in hospitals and nursing homes but also in sports such as wrestling and football, and conservatives haven't made a fuss. But let staph infections rise in the gay community, and suddenly the wingnuts care about staph so much they want to stamp out all gay activities (and/or people) so it doesn't spread. (Memo to anti-gay activists: Misuse of antibiotics caused this problem, not gays. Sorry!)
Charles Pierce writes. You read. In a just world, this man would have Billy Kristol's job at the NYT and Kristol would be selling insurance in one of those bucolic right-wing hotbeds that he normally avoids in favor of towns like New York City. (h/t Dakine01)
Again, h/t Dakine01: See, raising taxes on hyper-rich individuals and corporations is bad because it limits their ability to hand out record levels of bonuses to each other even though three of these firms had their worst quarterly losses ever. Got it?
Wall Street's five biggest firms are paying a record $39 billion in bonuses for 2007, a year when three of them suffered the worst quarterly losses in their history and shareholders lost more than $80 billion.
Bonuses for 2007 will exceed the $36 billion distributed in 2006, when the industry reported record high profits.
In another sign of how George W. Bush's Iraq is shaking off the chains of Saddam's neo-Stalinist form of Islamofascism, capitalists everywhere in the land are forsaking food crops for the higher profits to be found growing opium. The Invisible Hand at work!
And just because, here's a photo of Alan Rickman that he sent to me. Mwrowr.
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Late polls show a Huckasurge in South Carolina.
The GOP meltdown looks like it may continue apace.
This may be Hollywood Fred’s Waterloo also.
-G
THE INEQUITIES ARE DISTURBING
Alan Rickman. Oh. my. dog.
It’s been love since Die Hard.
I was wondering where you were going with the Rickman picture.
No one will win a nomination today—but some may lose it. Several dems have dropped out already- and Edwards is probably going to join em soon.
In the gooper party, though- it’s the night of the living dead—they won’t DIE–no matter how many times they get the crap kicked out of em! Freddie? Rudy, Paul? They should be back home sippin martinis- but instead they keep trudging along–strange.
Yeah, I totally have a thing for Alan Rickman.
That man’s voice … ah ….
News:EPU’d
Hillary Clinton has listed BOTH Reagan and Bush Sr. among her favorite presidents on her official website. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/.....w/?id=4674
This goes to the heart of why I disdain her. This makes her Obama attack on this matter ludicrous. (Bill Clinton is also on her “favorite presidents list).
lol, yeah the “Mwrowr” said it all!
Hi, PW! He certainly does look “rugged”.
PW - the Wall Street disparities are disgusting, and coincide with the whole Bush economic program. Will we hold the Wall Street honchos accountable? No, they got big bonuses for f’ing the country.
Gone fishin’.
L and okk.
How dare you insult Dinkweed Hunter by exclusion!
-G
http://lh5.google.com/caulfiel.....Slide4.jpg
executive pay
“Today, we’re completely out of line with other advanced countries. The share of income received by the top 0.1 percent of Americans is twice the share received by the corresponding group in Britain, and three times the share in France. These days, to find societies as unequal as the United States you have to look beyond the advanced world, to Latin America. And if that comparison doesn’t frighten you, it should.”
Paul Krugman, writing in Rolling Stone, about a million years ago. Long piece, worth re-reading.
speakin’ of insurance, there’s this. Far too complicated for my kitchen table-level economic understanding, but I think a key is that municipal bonds are no longer considered insured in some quarters.
Scary.
They came for the working class and most MSM said nothing…
They came for the middle class and most MSM said nothing…
They’re comin’ for the cities now…and this is a lot more potentially lethal than Katrina or 9/11…
Unfortunately it’s too hard for Grandpa Charlie and Company to understand, much less report on. So bring on the bread and circuses….
A couple of days ago I listened to a one-hour interview with former Bush speech writer David “Axis-of-Evil” Frum. He was hawking a new book on how the Republican phoenix can rise from the ashes. Listening to the guy gave me more understanding of Paris in the Terror. I can’t quote him exactly, but one statement was very close to this:
“…there are more distinct divisions between classes in our society, now that success receives greater rewards and failure brings on greater punishment.”
He said it with a mater- of- fact coldness ( in essence that it is the correct way of things that failure to achieve success warrants punishment and the lower classes are receiving their necessary punishment) that it reminded me of Heinrich Himler. I felt like, “Okay, that did it. Break out the guillotines.”
He was great in “Dogma.”
Oh my, yes, extra Rickman. One of my favorite movies is Truly, Madly, Deeply. Great stuff.
Two requests:
Does anyone know of an active Nevada blog
Does anyone want to post at Kos the Clinton website I list above at 8 (there is a 24 hour wait for new subscribers). Thanks in advance for both!
Frum is despicable. Vile. Just like so many of the far right flaccid fascists.
-G
Saw Alan Rickman in London during the 80’s (when I could still afford to travel). He played Valmont in Dangerous Liasons. OMG is all I can say.
Hello, everyone! How are we this chilly morning? I’m late because I had to go to the post office before it closed. Brrrrr!
Yeah. Gotta love this shit. Heads of Citi & Merrill Lynch etc drive their companies into the toilet and always walk away with eight figure parting gifts.
Back in November my wife, who was Director of Quality for the Environmental Division of The Shaw Group and had been with the company for 23 years (through 3 successive corporate owners) and had a uniformly off-the-scale excellent personnel file, got kicked to the curb in a re-org (the new COO didn’t like the idea of a Skirt working out of Vegas as Head of QA). Two weeks notice, four weeks’ severance, and the cancellation of our health coverage on the last day of her notice. I was getting a root canal and crown at the time, and they denied payment. Cost me $1,14 out of pocket.
Whatever.
I may be shuffling some stuff around in my 401k this weekend.
I just got one of my statement. Lost money in the 2nd half of 2007. I will be doing likewise.
The gates on their exclusive communities won’t save them when the security guard leaves them open. And this in a country that is armed to the teeth.
OK, duh, jeez…2 posts, 2 typos. Get coffee.
Much of the gooper rhetoric comes from business thinking gone bad.
It’s a maxim of corporate life that successful firms reward high achievers and punish (fire) low achievers- so they take that bit of wisdom and transfer it to society in general- thinking that it makes sense to set up a society where success is rewarded and failure punished- so it’s RIGHT to have a society where those who bring the least to the table get the crap kicked out of em rather than a helping hand. It’s mindless sloganeering.
Yes, yes and yes.
I first found out about him from Die Hard. My then-BF took me to see the film because he liked Bruce Willis in the Moonlighting TV series; I’m not normally an action-film fan or a Bruce Willis fan, but I went anyway.
Rickman not only steals the damned film out from under Willis, he also has more chemistry with the female co-star Bonnie Bedelia than Bruce Willis does — and Bedelia’s supposed to be Willis’ estranged wife!
This needs to get out all over the place - in big, bold print!!
Goopers commit the fallacy of composition regularly- assumimg that what’s true for a part is also true of the whole.
kinda looks like the dKosers are over that pie fight.
“I was getting a root canal and crown at the time, and they denied payment.”
F*cking. Unreal.
Sue the bastards, BobbyG. I suggest calling up John Edwards.
HRC constantly trips my BS meter. I would have liked to like her, but I don’t believe her.
Hezbollah’s Nasrallah appears in public in Lebanon to launch ghoulish taunts at Israel.
“He said Hezbollah had the “heads of your [Israel’s] soldiers, we have hands, we have legs”.”
Speaking of despicable.
-G
Uh. Greaaaat.
It never seems to occur to them that, at some point, the large number of “failures” start trying to think a game they can win at.
I’ll get right on it;
“Her list of favorite presidents - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, both Roosevelts, Truman, George H.W. Bush and Reagan - demonstrates how she thinks.”
Third paragraph from the end.
LOL, yeah, I’d had the root canal done, but they put the permanent crown in one day after her notice ended, so UUHC denied the $1,014 claim.
A-yep. Even if they take out the first dozen or so, there will be more.
The Cons’ problem is that they forgot to leave the last little crumb of hope. When people have no hope, they say “fuck it, we’re dead anyway” and attack.
YES! Can you post it over at Kos? I am not a subscriber
huh? link?
I agree that Obama never said that he endorsed Reagan and HRC apparently does,if this list is valid. I don’t understand how she could. But, while I saw John Edwards on Obama’s case about the reference to Reagan, I didn’t see where HRC criticised him for that. If she did, it really was dumb.
Well, we just saw one of the Wall Streeters kill his wife and take a plunge off a bridge.
Sounds like the terror is coming home to roost.
-G
Me either :(
just general demeanor of comments in threads. Looks like they’ve been at it on this topic.
I really fell in love with Rickman in Dogma, and he’s such a good actor that it took a while before I realized he was the same person I’d seen years before in Die Hard. Particularly striking since Willis plays pretty much the same character in everything.
My first reaction on landing at the post is, “Who is this hunky looking guy?” Mwrowr indeed!
I saw Alan Rickman at a shoe store in London several years ago.
Today or previously? Has it made it as a diary? Is Kos an HRC supporter…I don’t remember?
OK, Lincoln and TR I can understand. Even Ike, should she have chosen him.
But RONALD EFFING REAGAN?!
Mister Destroy-PATCO-Just-Because-I-Can?
Mister Kick-Off-My-Campaign-In-Philadelphia-MISSISSIPPI?!
Mister Rape-All-Social-Programs-While-Helping-Out-My-War-Profiteer-Buddies?
Good effing GOD, woman!
To this day, the residents of DC refuse — REFUSE — to call National Airport by the name the GOP Congress forced on it. It took months for DC to put out new signage for the place with the vile “R” word on it, and that only after the Republicans threatened to pull all city funding if they didn’t.
What?
Honestly, that is really sad. I say this having lost a relative to a similar suicide in the great depression.
Don’t forget to give Phoenix Woman some Digg love on this. Spread the word!
There are a few straggling diaries. I don’t read dKos much any more and really have no idea who kos likes.
In the UK he’s known as ‘the thinking woman’s crumpet’, as his intelligence and decency shines on his face.
I can’t find it now, but I recall seeing that the source of that “favorite presidents” quote was an interview HRC did with someone who asked “Which presidential portraits would you like to have hung in your White House?”
That’s a very different question than “Which presidents would you model your adminstration after?”
You can criticize her for a lot of things, but her choice of portraits to hang in the White House, should she win, is probably way, way down on the list.
Oh my goodness. Link?
Mortgage company executive plunges to his death in NJ.
-G
Sad, two kids. As this fiasco unravels the reality hits home.
GregB January 19th, 2008 at 8:55 am
38
Hezbollah’s Nasrallah appears in public in Lebanon to launch ghoulish taunts at Israel.
“He said Hezbollah had the “heads of your [Israel’s] soldiers, we have hands, we have legs”.”
Speaking of despicable.
_______
have a link?
Peterr: Thanks for that. I hope you’re right.
Thing is, it would make no sense for her to fawn over Reagan, since he’s far less popular with the average American than he is with the Beltway pundits who profited from their hagiography of him.
The story about the growth of Iraqi narco-terrorism with al qaeda is worrisome. I still believe that when the US military leaves that Iraqis will take down AQ on their own, but this kind of deepening entrenchment with a local source of funding in the form of poppy cultivation is kind of a shock.
Here’s a link to the financial officer suicide/murder link:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/ne.....5268.story
Good point, but notice, she did not say Jimmy Carter, or any number of other presidents. THis seems to have been calculated for popular consumption. And why George Bush senior? What in heaven sakes did he do?
Gotta love this shit. Heads of Citi & Merrill Lynch etc drive their companies into the toilet and always walk away with eight figure parting gifts.
As I said yesterday, I’m eminently qualified for one of these jobs. I’d prefer to be made the head of a film studio.
I’ve got this great idea for a movie: special effects out the wazoo, high-intensity action, etc. I figure about $1 Billion in costs. Starring Bea Arthur.
Nasrallah speaks in public in Lebaon.
From Yahoo.
-G
There’s also the fact that the editorial was reprinted on her own website.
… donations must be faltering …
How’s it goin’ dood ?
I take her choices to be an attempt to acknowldge that the White House is, in some respects, the People’s House. The list has the most recent several occupants of the WH, plus several all-time greats. Sounds reasonable to me.
Oh, and thanks for the H/T’s PW! I read Pierce whenever I can just because.
And it truly is beyond believable that Wall St is giving out all these mega bonuses as rewards for losing money and driving companies into the ground. I mean I’m sure I can do as they are doing for far less money and do it far more efficiently. Especially if losing money IS the goal that it seems to be these days.
Peterr, also note that this is up on HER website as HER favorite presidents (granted the piece was written by a newspaper in support of her rather than a staff member). But if what was said was known to be wrong, she should correct it if she puts it up on her website. In short, she was proud to have it up there. And so in key ways it speaks for itself.
Phoenix Woman January 19th, 2008 at 8:57 am
43
In response to PeteCO @ 28
A-yep. Even if they take out the first dozen or so, there will be more.
The Cons’ problem is that they forgot to leave the last little crumb of hope. When people have no hope, they say “fuck it, we’re dead anyway” and attack.
_______________
these people have no understanding of history. it’s probably never occurred to them that what happened to France in the 18th century and Russia in the 20th century could happen in the U.S. in the 21st century.
Charles Pierce is always awesome.
… and Alan Rickman … *g*
I will vote for whoever is nominated and have tried not to disparage any of the Democrats. But I really don’t understand why they would put this on their website. Not only does it name RR (who began dismantlement of the New Deal and Great Society programs), but it lists six Federalists or Republicans, compared to four Democratic-Republicans or Democrats. This one is beyond me.
Yup
The Yahoo article did not run the most inflammatory rhetoric of Nasrallah. Al Jazeera did.
-G
Agreed. She could have found a way to highlight the endorsement without reprinting the problematic quote.
Yup!
But of course - what was I thinking? thanks. *g*
The particularly galling thing for us personally (see my #25), is that my wife’s company had record revenue and backlog, and their stock was way up at the time she got canned.
Yes, it was one of those great twisted stories. Unfortunately a lot of those seem to be popping up about HRC from our side, very much like the machine of the right. KOS is not a supporter, BTW. I do not like what is happening in our press (the blogs). Even here I find too much unsubstantiated stuff being spread about her. It is not happening to Edwards or to Obabma. So all I can say is WTF??
Rickman as Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest: Priceless.
The NJ exec:
A couple of random thoughts:
1) Those poor boys!
2) Notice the age difference between Buczynski and his late wife. He married her when he was in his early forties and she was in her very early twenties. Was she really a person to him, or just a mark of his studliness in business and in bed? (Notice that he killed her but not his sons. That’s suggestive to me.)
Petro….whashappening?
-G
… waves to Fahrender …
Forget the last century, most Americans have already forgotten the lessons of the past 2 Presidencies …
O/T but interesting– Tom Ridge:
Not a lot of good guys in power in that region. But then, peace negotiations are rarely necessary between “good guys.”
My take on it is they try to falsely frame or cast themselves as all of America. Anyone against them or their policies is therefore anti-American.
Fox News is America. F
Keith Olbermann attacks Fox News daily. T
DailyKOS is where Keith Olbermann blogs. T
Therefore, Fox says dailyKOS is anti-American. F
Fox News, the Neocons, Swiftboat liars and right-wingers like to wrap the truth (a.k.a. reality) in their false shit sandwich. And since reality has a well-known liberal bias, they are trying to wrap us in their shit sandwich. In 2000, they took out Al Gore. In 2004, they got John Kerry.
By Grabthar’s hammer, by the sons of Worvan, you shall be avenged!
- Tom
Hey GregB … just watching with interest, your nomination process, where sizzle sells over substance once again … how’s you and when the heck are you coming to Toronto ?!!
Bravo to Tom Ridge for that.
-G
Sounds like a great set of facts to support a Gender/Age(?) discrimination case.
A-yep. Which means that you won’t see or hear about Ridge’s remarks anywhere where the average American can see or hear about them.
Yes, it’s peculiar how Repugs regain their morals once leaving the Bush administration …
lol Yes!
A state of perpetual war doesn’t breed a lot of poets.
Does Canada allow visits from members of torture states still?
-G
He even made purchasing the Boston Herald respectable when he was writing sports there early in his career.
Maybe. But, Cheryl is just moving on.
I love it: now we gotta pay $7,200 a year for COBRA coverage or go without health insurance.
… only if you’re on a Hockey team … *g*
PW! Looks like Newsweek is calling out most of the rest of the media on the staph strain as well.
CORBA is only a reasonable system to people who’ve never had to use it.
Yeah, it’s better than nothing, but not by much.
As politics in the Democratic party reveals itself in the primaries and caucuses that are taking place, I was wondering if anyone knows of any polls taken to just break down American’s internal political divisions: What percent of the electorate considers themselves conservative Dems; what percent liberal or progressive Dems, what percent moderate Dems; what percent Independents lean left, middle and right; and what percent of Rethugs likewise? Also, definitions that distinguish amongst the various groups?
I ask this because I don’t understand what makes a self-defined conservative a Democrat instead of a Rethug; or why a self-defined liberal or progressive would not be a Dem rather than Rethug. I kinda understand the independents wanting to maintain their independence (or doesn’t want to get the party fundraising calls or whatever) but…
I have a feeling that the self-defined liberals or progressives are a smaller group than they image themselves to be in total. I also think that there is something under the surface of politics these days that is more sinister than most of us want to believe. It’s almost like all the current pols are privy to a secret that us peons are not, and it manifests itself in strange behavior like Nancy Pelosi taking the subject of Impeachment off the table. I’m not sure she’s ever really given a viable rationale for telling the WH they can do anything they want for the rest of their term as well as prior to her coming into the majority with impunity. I think that’s a strange and cowardly act for a Dem and it sets a bad precedent, and it’s not the only example. Whatever is going on, I think it pretty well calls for the removal of almost all incumbents in favor of all new blood (I could never call for getting rid of Teddy or Feingold or Byrd, for that matter.) But I doubt that enough of us feel this way, so I’d like an idea of percentages. I’d like to know just how much of a minority are we.
I just would like to add that, despite having Bush- Lite (Harper) as our Prime Minister, our courts are upholding Human Rights and Freedoms more than ever, so don’t give in to Bushco’s bullying or Pelosi/Reid’s abject surrender … keep fighting the good fight !
PW, you give me da swoon with that picture. Rickman, ahhhhh.
Reagan’s communication skills ?!! *gasp*
I didn’t know he had any, except to deny ever being in charge of of the worse policy decisions. Bush43 came along and took up Ronnie’s gameplan … will HRC do the same ?
Heaven help us if Mary and Helen see Alan’s pic. *g*
understandable. But *just in case* - there’s a very short Statute of Limitation period on those cases - 6 months IIRC. Initial complaint must be filed with EEOC within that time.
just an FYI - and I’ll leave it alone now.
Petrocelli January 19th, 2008 at 9:18 am
89
In response to fahrender @ 75
… waves to Fahrender …
Forget the last century, most Americans have already forgotten the lessons of the past 2 Presidencies …
______________________________
Reply
i think that some of these people are pretty well educated but they are so arrogant and tunnel-visioned, so lacking in empathy for anyone not of their class, that they can’t believe that their behavior could lead to violence against them.