February 13, 2010 archive

Open Thread

Recently we have seen quite a bit of controversy about the filibuster.  Most folks do not even know what that term means, and with good reason.  The rules for it changed, as I recall, in 1975, after damned old Nixon got booted, and, in my opinion, for ill.

However, the politicians, the pundits, and the public do not understand (or, if they do, are misleading folks) about its nature.  The Republicans mostly say that it was the will of the Framers, and that is just not only incorrect, but a lie.  In fairness, the Democrats said the same thing when they were in the minority.  Most of the pundits have it wrong as well.  Please follow and I shall explain what it was, and now is.

At today’s White House press conference, Robert Gibbs told reporters that, “In addition to renewing the two national states of emergency executed by President Bush nearly a decade ago with respect to the 9/11 attacks and the war on terrorism, as well as the national state of emergency that has been in place since, oh, the early 50’s, or so, with respect to the existential threat posed by Iran to the United States…”  Gibbs paused, looking around the room of raised eyebrows, asking, “You knew that, right?” as everyone in the room, excepting the correspondents, gave grave sideward glances to each other.  

Gibbs continued, “Oh, and the national emergency due to swine flu, and uh…” Gibbs paused again to look at the laundry list of national states of emergency already in effect or being planned that were listed on the palm of his hand, before continuing, “Look, we’re up to our asses in alligators already, and things only look to get worse: Wall Street bankers gone wild, the mortgage crises, unemployment-fer chris’ sakes, have you seen U6?  Not “our” U6 but the real U6?– a federal deficit ballooning out of control, our inability to pass health care or even fill important cabinet positions, a dead-locked Senate majority, looming state, pension, and personal bankruptcies…the list of crises goes on, and they are multiplying like rabbits O.D.’d on Viagra!  

Enuhweh, rather than declaring national states of emergency individually for each and every crisis that unexpectedly erupts from the last, the President declared an all-subsuming national state of emergency due to the waning of hope and slim likelihood of desirable change amidst these established, persistent, and mounting national emergencies.  The President believes reducing the plethora of insoluble emergencies into a single state of emergency will raise consumer confidence sufficiently to pull us out of our spiraling nosedive into hopelessness and oblivion prior to November.”

Republican Minority Leader John Boehner accused the President of luring voters into a trap of false optimism.  “If Americans want to know the real truth, we Republicans will be glad to take them outside and show them things that will make them cry.”

LIGHTS OUT

In recognition of the fact that employees “feel uncomfortable about leaving the office when their colleagues are still working,” officials at Shiseido’s Ginza HQ have started turning off lights in their building at 10pm. Anyone still toiling away at that hour “must submit a written apology to their superiors, explaining the reason why they had to stay at the office until late.”

The ticket reservation website of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro was shut down by the so-called Gumblar computer virus.

Toyama is set to become the first city in Japan to use an electric-powered bus on a regular route. The vehicle, manufactured by Hino Motors and operated by the Hokuriku Electric Power Co, produces just one-third of the CO2 of a standard diesel bus.

Waseda University was forced to cough up ¥90 million because wind turbines it helped install at 19 elementary and junior high schools in Ibaraki failed to generate the promised amount of electricity.

7-Eleven unveiled a store in Kyoto that has solar panels and a charger for electric vehicles.

Prime Minister Hatoyama withdrew his support of a proposed bill to videotape police interrogations, saying it “could be deemed as criticism of public prosecutors.”

The Agency for Cultural Affairs said it is interested in relaxing media rules pertaining to the principle of “fair use.” The move has been met with opposition by publishing industry groups, though Reg Dunlap gives it a big thumbs-up.

Crossposted at Daily Kos

    Yes, revolution, but as the title states, it’s not what you may think. In this case, I say Revolution as in drastic change, and when I say change I mean the kind of change you can believe in.

    On to the show. So you say you want a Revolution? How about a solar energy revolution?

     Thomas Edison, one of history’s greatest inventors said; “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” He was right then, in 1931, and he remains right today. The American people agree. Today, 92 percent of all Americans want our country to develop solar energy resources, and 77 percent believe the federal government should make solar power development a national priority.

– snip

     It also would mean the creation of over a million new jobs.

Sen Bernie Sanders: It’s time for a solar revolution

Bold text added by the diarist

Much more below the fold

Crossposted at Daily Kos

If you’ve ever seen the movie The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, based on John le Carré’s famous spy thriller novel, you’ll remember the movie’s central character.  Played by Richard Burton, Alec Leamas is a British spy coaxed out of retirement.

If so, you’ll remember this unforgettable quote by Leamas

What the hell do you think spies are?  Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx?  They’re not! They’re just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: drunkards, queers, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives.  Do you think they sit like monks in a cell, balancing right against wrong?

Even as his cynicism and self-loathing comes through quite clearly, notice the explicit references to political ideology by Leamas – something so evident in movies and literature during the several decades of the East-West Cold War.  

At this very moment, the awesome military power of the United States is focused on the miserable little town of Marjah in Afghanistan.

Marjah! It doesn’t even look like any kind of town at maximum magnification on Google Maps, as you can see in this bizarre video.

Where the fuck is Marjah? There’s no “there” there!

And now…

Marjah is getting plastered by NATO and the ISAF and the US Marines…

For the fifth fucking time since our goddamned occupation of Afghanistan began…

Nine fucking years ago!

Meanwhile, back in the chicken-heartland of America…

Red state “honchos” can’t stop pissing their pants for fear that prisoners from Guantanamo might be relocated at a super-maximum security prison in their backyard!

Omigod what if a terrorist escaped?  

Abdul on the loose in Alabama!

Chicken-Heartland of America!

The good news is that blue states are just as brave!

New York can’t put KSM on trial without shutting down the city! Tanks in the streets! Black helicopters!

Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear! Fear!

And in the Oval Office, our fearless leader, Barack Obama…

Harharharhar!!!

Our fearless leader, Barack Obama…

Harharharhar!!!

Barack Obama is throwing his own Attorney-General under the bus in a piss-pants scramble to move KSM out of Manhattan and maybe out of the federal courts anywhere.

Retreat before the power of right-wing morons!

Beware of Abdul on the loose in Alabama!

Bomb a God-forsaken little town in Afghanistan for the fifth fucking time, in nine fucking years!

And that’s the news tonight, February 12, 2010, from Marjah in Helmand, in faraway Afghanistan, and from New York and Washington and Mobile and Petaluma and everywhere in between, in the chicken-heartland of America.