Your tax dollars at work.

Tribal elders in a remote part of northeastern Afghanistan claimed Sunday that NATO forces killed 64 civilians in air and ground strikes over the past four days.

Tribal elders told the provincial governor that air strikes hit a village in the area and that “women and children had been killed inside their houses,” said Nawrdin Safi, a member of the Kunar provincial council.

The international coalition denied the claim.

The women and children were thinking bad thoughts, and so therefore they were terrorists and legitimate targets.

Paul’s right on target again this morning. Of course, my poli sci friends will say that as an economist,he’s not qualified to discuss politics in public.

Time/CNN = Pinkerton Press.

Morning all, to another interesting week,

My reply to Krugman’s piece;

You said “the political power of big money ,”which is no more apparent then the use of Diebold secret voting systems that produce selected candidates who just happen to support the oligarch 1% that confiscates the first 25% of the national income as tribute.

Funny how that works out , time to start thinking like an Egyptian.

All you need to know about the real reason behind Hosni Walker’s power-grab is that hew is refusing to even entertain the notion of compromise offered by Democrats and labor interests. they have repeatedly told him and his Republithug allies that they will concede every point save for collective bargaining. Silence from the dictator…
http://www.sunstateactivist.org

Good morning, all. A very scary article on Wisconsin in my FB news this morning. Read down to the end to find that buried in Walker’s bill is a little hidden bomb:

What has been widely ignored about Walker’s bill (in part because of the speed with which he’s fisting it down Wisconsin’s gullet) is a sneaky provision that paves the way for him to cut, or eliminate, Medicaid and BadgerCare healthcare benefits for low-income people.

The Hidden Bill Item Even Worse Than Union Busting

The plan the House passed Friday axes $61 billion and calls for massive cuts to education funding for New York

It wasn’t enough that the Republican President leveled three tall buildings in downtown Manhattan. Now Republicans want to make the survivors illiterate.

Because they are in bed with the Diebold spawn ES&S and have carte blanche with rigging elections, there is nothing to stop them from doing it.

And that didn’t make them love us? Just weep. Who are we?

Good Morning, Molly
Well, not sooooo good. And, he won’t even communicate with the Dems who fled to Illinois. The peoples are not going to like that when they find out. Or, am I wrong?

also includes tuition increases starting at 26% and provisions to sell off energy infrastructure assets with no bids

Mornin’ All

From Joke Line’s masterpiece:

school managers should be able to select their workforce just as magazine editors do, according to ability

Self-awareness is not JK’s strong suit. But then, nothing is.

Hey, you. Some mornings I feel like I woke up to an alternate universe. The news is so discouraging. And, scary.

How are kids supposed to afford going to school? What a mess. Might as well apply for a job cleaning elephant poo. Oh, that’s right. Nevermind.

Why does somebody actually pay Joe Klein?

Mornin’ Ms Demi! Gloomy here in NW Indiana. Going to work at your new job today? You’re such a good soul.

was happy to read of your new volunteer gig :D

A lot of us have wondered about that for years!

Hey, Now what are you doing up so early? Is this a work day?

I miss SouthernDragon. :(

Y’know, compared to Walker, Mitch Daniels sounds almost sane.

I suspect he will check in from work, at least briefly. Caturday wasn’t the same without him!

Solidarity Rallies in various cities today and tomorrow check for your city/state here

It’s closed on Mondays. :( Today I’m going to pack up the books I’ve read in the past few months so I can take them in tomorrow. Also, will do some closet cleaning for same.
*
It’s still o’dark thirty here, but the forecast is for partly cloudy. And, guess what? I woke up to snow on the hills above our house. It was beautiful, but didn’t last very long.

Yikes!

TRIPOLI — A central government building in the Libyan capital Tripoli was on fire Monday, a Reuters reporter said, in the latest sign that the revolt against Moammar Gadhafi is gathering strength.

Let’s do some extrapolation here. I know that conditions for the people in this country haven’t deteriorated to the extent they have in the middle east but isn’t all of this a push back by the people at a global oligarchy?

So true….miss him. Namaste (is that it?;)

It’s very cool. And, the people I work with are super fine folks, of course.

Yup, that’s it! Means, roughly, “I bow to you.”

I’m always an early birdie. I rarely sleep in, if ever. I dunno. Just how I’m wired I guess.

Demi, please say again where you’re working. I didn’t follow the link at the time, and now it’s lost in severay-day-old threads.

Me 2. Was wondering where the hell he be, but then saw about the ‘puter on Caterday. Has he said if he’s getting a new one?

wash your mouth (keyboard?) out

“But Mr. Walker isn’t interested in making a deal. Partly that’s because he doesn’t want to share the sacrifice”…Krugman

Sorry, have to disagree yet again with Krugman. Walker is alot of things, but he has cut his own wages. Sure the guy is all hands on deck union busting, but it’s dishonest and Foxnews-like to say he doesn’t want to share the sacrifice. It’s wrong when the rightwing media lies and just as wrong when supposed progressives do. All this type of reporting does, is lose supporters.

MEND (meet each need with dignity)
Video link.

Actually, he’s done some decent things here — and some not so much, of course. But he’s not a teabagger, and as Goopers go, he’s pretty middle-of-the-road.

I forgot to say “yesterday”.

?? Why??

No, I don’t know if he’s getting his fixed or he has to get a new one or whether he needs to wait for a payday or a couple of paydays…

Because he’s my friend.

Did his cuts impact larger groups? Was his own enough to be more than symbolic? Just curious.

computer issues :D

Where is he?
Has something happened to him, I haven’t been around much lately?

Right…and he’s a community builder and loves cats…..I miss him, too. I most always appreciate his POV.

Oh Ok, ya’ll gave me a scare there.

No, his computer is on the fritz. Not sure if it’s fixable or whether he has to get a new one. IIRC he just said it’s “down.”

How is a rich guy taking lower pay the same as a fucking 45K a year teacher taking a wage haircut?

I wonder if anyone at the lake has an extra one they’re not using.

Oh. His computer crapped out on him.

(singing) Oh, what a friend we have in Dragon….

I’ll bet his ears are burning. I suspect he’ll check in from work. We can sing to him, then.

Hey, no one has said Happy Presidents Day. Maybe we’re just not in the mood, huh?

Do you think he has a reasonably good idea of how much his fan club adores him?

Did you even read the piece? This isn’t about “pay” and it never was. This is about stripping unions of the power of collective bargaining. This is about divide and conquer. The unions have already made pay concessions and are willing to make more.

Hmmm, he wouldn’t want my old one unless he’s in need of a boat anchor.

The Rude One has some things to say to the Guv, including (but not limited to)

Those collective bargaining rights you want to just toss aside? Yeah, about those. People fucking died to get those and other workers’ rights. That’s the history of this country.

fyi – anyone still entertaining notion Congr Prog Caucus would proceed any differently under leadership change – uh, not so much:

Ds passed sweeping Wall Street Reform, then election came. Cynical progressives checked out, independents believed hype

it’s not like any of us were expecting Wellston, but standard insulting DNC pap from Congressman Ellison is incredibly disappointing

link

I read the piece Margaret. And as I said, Krugman is right about the union busting and taxcuts. But he does so by lying. I find myself not really taking Krugman seriously anymore, because most of what he spouts is BS. He is such a Dem shill, I’m surprised he doesn’t have his own reality news tv show.

And, that might cost a pretty penny to ship.

I have my own issues with a laptop display that won’t stay lit.
I can get on line though I may not be able to see where I am.

Really? So him cutting taxes for the wealthy and then using it as a pretext for busting unions is “wanting to share the sacrifice”? Okay. Obviously you have an axe to grind with Krugman. Calling him a liar is a complete distortion of what he said. Maybe you should pay more attention to Canadian politics because what goes on here seems to be a bit beyond your ken.

WOW! It’s my son’s birthday today, too, and I almost forgot! Sent gifts and card earlier, but a phone call is coming up.

Depending on the laptop, it might be the inverter, or a pinched or loose cable from the video card. Possibly an easy fix (if it’s the inverter, not so much).

And the teachers’ union has already announced (before this blew up), merit pay and ways to address sub-standard teachers.

Just curious.
Are there any labor protests in your areas?
There are two in Mass, one in Boston and one in Springfield .
Wish I could show my support, but I gotta work.

Yikes. That would be a bad thing to forget. My middle child, the runaway bunny, started back at the community college a few weeks ago. He found a friend to move in with and his dad paid for school and books and bought him a lap top. He better stick with it this time or I’m afraid his dad will give up on him.
He’s supposed to come over today and get the stuff he’s storing here. I bought him a few items, like a pillow and bath towel, new socks, some kitchen items. Doesn’t compare with what his dad has done for him, but, hey, I do what I can.

Yes and as the step down hard on the necks of Americans they will go too far and get some push back and it will be interesting to see how the national security state enforcers in American deals with their neighbors.

Will they bring in elite mercenaries to do it?

Good luck…Can you tell yet how things seem to be going?

I think labor, the left, the truth movement, the anti war movement should hold constant demonstrations at capitols around the country… Show some contempt for the oligarchs.

Call their bluff.

The display was replaced by Apple at one time, so I’m guessing a pinched cable.
I looked up the repair online,it’s far too complex for me to attempt.
I can rebuild a small block Chevrolet or fix just about anything on a car, but one look at the inside of this computer was enough to convince me to have it done professionally

Nope. I haven’t talked to him since he started school. I got the info by calling his dad. It’s pretty much out of my hands. :(

I didn’t really forget, except hadn’t thought about it since I got up. I do hope he makes it this time, and that your ex doesn’t give up. Sometimes they just gotta grow up some.

Some? Ha! It’s so hard not to wonder what I did wrong.

I’ve added memory and replaced key caps, but nothing much more complex. I’ve been a Mac “bigot” forever, and did tech support years ago.

I had one older laptop with a bad inverter and I finally gave up on it. A pinched cable is pretty easy but you’re right to let an expert diagnose and repair.

Naked capitalism had a link to a great article this morning: What if the Egyptian protesters were Democrats? Sample:

If the Egyptian protesters were Democrats, they would have accepted Mubarak’s proposed reforms—not because those reforms were good, but because Democrats are accustomed to settling for empty rhetoric. They would have accepted Mubarak’s handpicked successor, the infamous torturer Omar Suleiman—not because they like him, but because he would presumably be less evil than his predecessor. They would have accepted the inevitability of defeat—not because they wanted to lose, but because losing would be both pragmatic and realistic. The actual Egyptian protesters, however, would only accept freedom.

And they would have called it “victory”.

Nice chatting with you all.
I’ve got to get out there and earn my keep,or the lord of the manor will evict my sorry ass.lol

Have great day everyone !

Off to the gym (nice free perk for retirees)! BBL.

And they would have called it “victory”.

And they would expect gratitude!

And corresponding donations and votes.

Good Girl.

Walker is on tv now. He will not negotiate the union busting parts of the bill anymore than the cost part. He is really a hard ass on this thing. And Chuck Todd is outclassed, it appears.

It does seem the union got out in front of themselves here and now can’t get back. We’ll see how this ends but it doesn’t look good.

Politics of despair once again alive and well. While everyone is paying attention to this union busting, does anybody notice what other politicians are doing? It’s right to be angry at Walker, but you don’t hear much anger at other Dem politicians like this one:

Berrios Puts 2 Family Members On Payroll
http://article.wn.com/view/2011/02/18/Joe_Berrios_Nepotism_Continues_Lays_Off_53_Workers_Keeps_Fam/

Lays off workers, but hires family and friends. Didn’t even make a national headline.

It would have been 80% of what they wanted.

I wasn’t going to log in and comment until I mastered that link thingy that peterr helped with, but your comment needs a reply.
The local papers are reporting in the last few days that Walker wants to break up the very fine UW university system and create his own UW-Madison away from UW Platteville, Whitewater, Stevens Point, Green Bay etc., so he can name his own board to run the flagship UW Madison. Also, in SW Wisconsin, a wind farm has been approved but now he is interfering with that too by trying to kill it on the issue of surrounding land owners rights. msmolly’s comments about trying to kill Badgercare do not surprise me at all.
I live in Ill. close to the Wis. line, so we get a lot of Wisconsin news from Rockford, Ill., Freeport, Ill., and Dubuque, Iowa newpapers.

There’s no doubt of Walker’s intentions, but reading online news of the campaign, and before, it sounds like all involved here are dirty. Dems, Walker, and the unions. Looks like a long nasty fight either way.

I believe you are thinking about the old job Scott had – where he pretended to cut his wages – only forgot to file the lower salary with the pension folks – claimed it was an error – and to this date has not adjusted the numbers – so his pension for those lower salary years will be the pension on the higher salary. He also approved a 24% hike in salary for friends he put on his staff as he demanded a 13% union pay cut/

As for salary on the current job – I have heard nothing about his doing a voluntary cut – may well be true – do you have a link? Without that hard to be critical of Krugman. But you seem to be saying the article does not give enough background.

Perhaps for more honesty in reporting – every Wis. article should start with the fact that the budget was in balance until – per the February 18 New York Times editorial – “he…gave away $117 million in tax breaks, mostly for businesses that expand and for private health savings accounts …had it not been for those decisions and a few others, according to the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the state would have had a surplus.”?

Then we can discuss Scott’s plan to cut state employee wages and benefits so as to fund rolling back 2009 state tax increases on small businesses, capital gains, and income for top earners (we will leave out for now how he opposes abortion in all circumstances, including in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother, and wants sexual abstinence education in the public schools, opposes state supported clinical services that provide birth control to teens under the age of 18 without parental consent, and supports the right of pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for contraceptives on the religious or moral grounds, or how he opposes stem cell research using human embryos, to another time).

Or maybe we should note that Unions in general agree to the financial concessions, but have not agreed to changes in collective bargaining – another fact not in every article – or indeed in any articles these days.

I suspect Krugman didn’t mean Walker personally, but that he didn’t want the elites to share in the sacrifice.

Again – you are sounding like Bob Somerby – a guy I like but who tends to see error in Dems when there is none or at least very little. I do not see the importance of a one person salary cut as gov (yes he took one – maybe not so much as to pension – in prior job) in a discussion of “shared between rich and union” sacrifices.

Do you have a link on the governor’s salary pay cut for himself – is it more than the 13% being asked of the union (8% wage and 5% contributions) – does it even exist – can it legally exist except as a donation to charity? please post it.

Hey, late here but thought all would enjoy that the Founding Fathers did support government healthcare. And mandated at that…

Maybe not enough coffee here so can you point out Krugman’s lie?

He ran to next article. – I’m chasing :-)

Mornin’, BT, pups

Nothing like not having a functioning machine at home. Believe the fan is frozen and machine shuts itself down after about 20 minutes after booting up. I’ve quit using it cuz I don’t want to burn up some other component. Looking for somebody other than Best Buy to replace the fan without charging me an arm and a leg.

msmolly, the meaning I prefer is

“I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One.”

A case fan is easy to change SD. You can get one at a local computer store for a few bucks or you can email me and I’ll send you one in the mail.

Kitteh hair, dander and dust finds its way into all kinds of places! You might do a visual inspection first to see if you have serious lint elephants in there if it’s a tower. Then you can air blast ‘em out. If it’s clean as a whistle, you are handy with a screw driver and have located your nearest geek store, you get the replacement component (you have to match the specs) and change your own fan. You should use a static strap when touching the mother board (handle the edges of the PC board) and avoid touching the components.

dogdamn you people write a lot! ;)
I started out with the morning thread and then jumped over to see what the book salon I missed yesterday was like,,, and when I come back up for air you people have given me another book to read!
;) ya mornin’

Just so you know, I had one of the two fans in my ‘puter go out last year. Took it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy and they put the new one in (you can’t just buy the fan; must buy the assembly) and cleaned up my machine for a little over $100 IIRC. I thought they did a good job at a reasonable price considering that I couldn’t operate without it!

It’s looking more and more like that’s gonna be my only option. I haven’t found a small computer shop that I trust (indy owned shops are few and far between here now). I’m a real klutz when it comes to electronics so fixing it myself is not the best idea. I’m hoping to be up and running by the weekend.

I’ve only had one experience with an indy owned shop that was not recommended by friend, and I no longer trust any indy shop because of that experience unless someone I know and trust attests to the competence of the person or persons in charge. You’re way better off with the Geeks, I think.