September 22, 2010 archive

In Ohio, Green Party candidates are organizing to hold politicians in the Democrat and Republican Parties accountable for decades of right-wing misrule.  For the office of governor, Dennis Spisak is running on a platform to increase revenue, pushing for single-payer health care, creating jobs through green energy policies, and boosting education.

http://www.votespisak.org/gove…

Spisak for Governor

548 Poland Ave.

Struthers,Ohio 44471

Donate the full amount and receive the full tax credit. Remember to file this donation with your 2010 Ohio Income Tax to receive the 2010 credit. Act now. Don’t let these funds go unused!

Ohio law mandates that your check must have your full name and address on it – PO boxes are not allowed. Contributions over $100 must include your employer’s name.

On a more local level, Green Party candidate David Ellison is running for the county executive position that was ostensibly created in response to the huge corruption scandal now plaguing Democrat Party leaders.

http://www.electdavidellison.com

The above link is to the main campaign web site.  To volunteer or donate, see below.

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

Make checks payable to:

The Committee to Elect David Ellison

6403 Detroit Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44102

If you want a look at Ellison’s plans for Cuyahoga, here is the link to read them.

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

Also, Green Party candidate Alan Crossman is running for a seat on the county council in Cuyahogs.

http://alancrossman.us

For statewide office, in addition to the governor’s race, Dennis Lambert is running for the position of State Representative, District 89.

http://www.newmenu.org/dennisl…

Others have dishonestly claimed that the non-Democrat left is not organized.  But the fact of these and other candidacies from left-wing activists shows that, yes, we are indeed organized.  One can make legitimate criticisms as to the level and quality of that organization, but it does exist.  

Although pointy-headed liberals, progressives, and actual leftists constantly complain about our supposedly cold-hearted corporate masters, one of Apple Computer’s benevolent suppliers has set a new standard for worker safety by installing suicide nets around its factories, and even around the apartment blocks where many of its workers dwell, after a wave of worker-suicides last year.

So far in the last four and a half months seven workers from the plant have committed suicide, and at least 9 have attempted suicide.  According to reporter Liu Zhi Yi who infiltrated the plant, the likely reason why was that they felt taking their own life was the only option to escape the hellish working conditions of the plant.

According to Liu, the plant makes employees work around the clock, only pausing briefly to eat or sleep.  Most of the time the employees are standing, seldom able to sit down and rest their weary legs.  This is perfectly legal, as employees are required to sign a special overtime document that override Chinese workplace laws and essentially allows the employer to demand whatever hours they want from you, without additional compensation.

Foxconn pays the workers far too little for them to hope to buy one of the Apple products they assemble.  It pays them only 900 Chinese Yuan a month -about $130 USD.

But in spite of Foxconn’s anti-suicide apparatus, a few workers still manage to escape into oblivion.

A 22-year old female worker at Foxconn’s Kunshan factory committed suicide early yesterday morning. She only joined Foxconn at the end of March, where she worked packaging plastics.

Miss Liu was apparently saved by the safety nets rigged up several months ago in reaction to the spate of suicide-jumpers at Foxconn’s other factory in Shenzhen, however she later died from her injuries.

Welcome to your future! And don’t try to die on the job!

You can help California legalize pot (Proposition 19 on the November ballot) and get a groovy T-shirt or other cool stuff in the process.  I told you this was blatant.

California’s “Just Say Now” campaign:

We just launched the new Just Say Now online store – and Facebook already banned it.

One of the best ways to show your support for legalizing marijuana is with our Just Say Now gear. All proceeds from our store go to support our efforts to pass marijuana initiatives in 2010.

You’ll spread the word about our campaign, and support our organizing at the same time. It’s a win-win for legalizing marijuana – even if Facebook won’t let us show you our store.

Pick up your gear now at the Just Say Now store – and stick it to Facebook’s censorship.

…snip…

[To see] what we have in our brand new store, go to firedoglake.

Hey!  This is cool!

Update 9/23/10: Latest poll results on Cal Prop 19 to legalize marijuana:

California is ready to control and tax cannabis rather than prohibit it.

Public Policy Polling (PPP) has Prop 19 up 9 points, 47-38. Survey USA has us up 5 points, 47-42.

Of particular note, voters under the age of 45 are expected to turn out in higher numbers in California than other states. This is likely because of the excitement throughout the state over Prop 19. According to PPP, among these younger voters, we’re up 20 points, 54-34.

Way Cool!

Wednesday, Sept 22, 2010  Headlines, we have headlines….

1. Rahm Emanuel Could Leave White House In October.

I’ve always wanted to type this, and now I can:

Anonymous White House Aide says Anonymous White House Aide might be leaving the White House.

If he chooses to go forward with the mayoral race, Emanuel intends to be sensitive to the fact that his dual role could create the appearance of using his government office to his personal advantage, say two people familiar with internal deliberations.

__

The aide says Emanuel will not make a decision about whether or not to run this week, but was otherwise vague about when the decision would be made – or exactly when he might step down.

2.  Larry Summers, Director of National Economic Council, to Leave White House After Election

Again, the 3 anonymous Horsemen of the Impending Electionypse were quoted:

…. according to three people familiar with the matter.

His departure would leave Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the only member of President Barack Obama’s original top-tier economic team. Summers, 55, and the president have discussed his future plans, according to one person.

Administration officials are weighing whether to put a prominent corporate executive in the NEC director’s job to counter criticism that the administration is anti-business, one person familiar with White House discussions said. White House aides are also eager to name a woman to serve in a high-level position, two people said. They also are concerned about finding someone with Summers’ experience and stature, one person said.

Dear White House.  

About that token genderism thing.

We are not fooled by how the present is wrapped if we’re still finding it still doesn’t fit.  

So that’s Peter Orszag, Christina Romer, Larry Summers, and perhaps Rrrrahmbo Anonymous gone.  That leaves Timmy Geithner.  Who now has to look at Elizabeth Warren.  

What books aren’t you reading?  I am not reading several books.  

War in a Time of Peace (Bush, Clinton and the Generals) by David Halberstam

I know this is a decent book, as it is written by Halberstam.  As well, perhaps there is a glimmer of our upcoming wars when this book was written which would be interesting as it is Halberstam’s take.  

I bought this book at my resale shop for one dollar.  For awhile it sat on my nighttable, then moved to the side of the bed with other stellar intentions, then finally to the chair near the bedroom where it occasionally gives me twinges of guilt.

Lenin’s Tomb (The Last Days of the Soviet Empire) by David Remnick

Actually, I read this book sometime ago.  It is a great book. However, either my mind is not as sharp or I have become lazy – I can’t get through it, though there are some passages/chapters I peruse occasionally.

It is now on the side of the bed.

Reader’s Digest Complete Do-it-yourself Manual for Home Repair

This book was a gift from prior male companion some time ago.  Please if I wanted to read it, I wouldn’t have been dating a carpenter who was also a master electrician.  Did he think that now he wouldn’t have to do any work around here.  He didn’t and as I said, “prior.”  It’s in the basement next to the washer and miscellaneous sad tools   in case I ever use them.  The real toolchest is in the garage should one of my friends ever feel the need to tighten a screw or something.  So far, they haven’t.  

The Energy of Money (A Spirituial Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment) by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D.

I gave up on personal fulfillment when I was 10 and didn’t get a dollhouse for Christmas.  (Yeah, I’m shallow.)  This book will prolly go to the resale store.  I can’t bring myself to throw books away.   It’s under the chair.  

TuneSmith (Inside the Art of Songwriting) by Jimmy Webb.  Someone told me this is a great book about music.  Wichita Lineman is supposed to be a marvel of songwriting and I agree.  But for some reason, I can’t get into it.  It is on the nightstand so maybe it has a chance.

The Iliad by Homer (Robert Fagles)

Another book I’ve read partially in the past.  Powerful – everything you need to know about the world and writing about the world.  I’ve studied it in several university courses but never read it completely through in a few sittings that weren’t years apart.  I want to, of course.  But it is harrrrd.  It is on the side of the bed – but I am determined before my dotage.

Friends have mentioned it glorifies war.  No.  It does not.  It gives hard, sharp images of battles, yes. Men die in agony in battle not in glory here.  But why would anyone want to go to war after reading those passages unless they were the Achilles type.  Since high school I’ve been in love with Hector.  And I always will be – even with this passage:

All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman.

But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy

and the Trojan women trailing their long robes

if I would shrink from battle now, a coward.

Yeah, he’s a guy.  Though perhaps he fixed something around the house before he went into battle.

Virginia plans to execute Teresa Lewis on Thursday evening at 9 pm.  There’s no question she was deeply involved in two murders nine years ago, that of her husband and of her son.  But you have to ask why she’s being killed when the two men who actually fired the weapons received life sentences.  And you have to wonder what the point of killing someone with an IQ of 72 might be, even if you’re not ordinarily appalled at the prospect of lethal injection.

The crime in this case is horrendous. There’s no question that it merits at the very least long term imprisonment. The New York Times provides the following about the crime:

has the news got you feeling despondent about politics? people?

HELL!! The Whole World?

well.

i’ve got a solution for you.

annnnnnD.

the more you do it the better you’ll feel…

about yourself & your place in the world.

intrigued?

take the jump…….