Free Speech, Baton Rouge Style

Shockingly, ACORN is in the middle of this as well.

Posted by: eddiebear at 10:41 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Just Because I Want To Fucking Rock And Kick Some Fucking Hippie ACORN Ass

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A new client

Funny how your associates change when you're in the slammer.

Phil Spector used to take calls from Tina Turner and John Lennon, but now the only person who wants to work with him is mass murderer Charles Manson.
...
‘He said he considers Philip the greatest producer who ever lived. It was creepy. Philip didn’t respond.’

That last quote is from Phil Spector's wife. Yeah, someone married that.

Posted by: Alice H at 07:16 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Metallo!

It's been tough as of late—what, with the constant struggles against Obamacare and Cap and Tax—to Rock out with your cock out (take that, NetNanny!) so I thought I'd offer some Metal, courtesy of our friends from Italy. 

Enjoy...

Posted by: Sean M. at 03:59 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Note to Hewlett Packard and Microsoft

I need to have about one more system crash, followed by a 40 minute startup repair about one more fucking time on this nine month old computer before I opt to purchase a large-bore rifle (thinking .45-70) with a few boxes of ammunition and pound this fucking hunk of junk computer to dust.  Then I'll go buy a Mac, so not only will I have a computer that fucking works, I'll have the added bonus of being able to spite urban hipster douches by sullying their precious brand with my epic uncoolness. 

Sincerely,

doubleplusundead

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 02:41 AM | Comments (30) | Add Comment
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Newsweek - The recession is over! The Economist, Foreign Policy and Foreign Affars - Not so fast bucko!

The Great Recession, which rolled over our financial lives like one of P.J. Keating's giant pavers, is most likely over. Home sales, while still far below the levels of a year ago, have risen for three straight months—a first since 2004. The stock market has rallied 44 percent since March, thanks to renewed optimism and improving earnings from big companies like Goldman Sachs and Apple. In June, seven of the 10 indicators in the Conference Board Leading Economic Index pointed upward, including manufacturing hours worked and unemployment claims. Macroeconomic Advisers, the St. Louis–based consulting firm, says the economy is expanding at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the current quarter. Economic activity "will increase slightly over the remainder of 2009," Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress.

source

All that may be true, but we exist in a globalized economy and it appears that the global economy is still verging on collapse - The Economist reports that global shipping is down some horrendous percentage:

Estimates by the World Trade Organization suggest that trade volumes will shrink by around a tenth this year. But recent figures from big economies give reasons to hope that the worst of the slump may now be past. Even in May, the value of trade was nearly a third lower than a year earlier. But the recent awful figures mask the fact that exports and imports have held more or less steady since January.

Foreign Affairs reports that the Asian economies are unlikely to recover soon, driven as they are by exports:

For decades, Asian economies used exports to the West as a means of growth. Now, if they hope to weather the global recession, they will have to enact deep structural changes such as higher wages and increased domestic consumption.

and Foreign Policy magazine predicts a coming bursting of the Chinese economic bubble:

China's fortunes over the past decade are reminiscent of Lucent Technologies in the 1990s. Lucent sold computer equipment to dot-coms. At first, its growth was natural, the result of selling goods to traditional, cash-generating companies. After opportunities with cash-generating customers dried out, it moved to start-ups -- and its growth became slightly artificial. These dot-coms were able to buy Lucent's equipment only by raising money through private equity and equity markets, since their business models didn't factor in the necessity of cash-flow generation.

Funds to buy Lucent's equipment quickly dried up, and its growth should have decelerated or declined. Instead, Lucent offered its own financing to dot-coms by borrowing and lending money on the cheap to finance the purchase of its own equipment. This worked well enough, until it came time to pay back the loans.

The United States, of course, isn't a dot-com. But a great portion of its growth came from borrowing Chinese money to buy Chinese goods, which means that Chinese growth was dependent on that very same borrowing.

Now the United States and the rest of the world is retrenching, corporations are slashing their spending, and consumers are closing their pocket books. This means that the consumption of Chinese goods is on the decline.

...

Much of China's growth over the past decade has come from lending to the United States. The country suffers from real overcapacity. And now growth comes from borrowing -- and hundreds of billion-dollar decisions made on the fly don't inspire a lot of confidence. For example, a nearly completed, 13-story building in Shanghai collapsed in June due to the poor quality of its construction.

This growth will result in a huge pile of bad debt -- as forced lending is bad lending. The list of negative consequences is very long, but the bottom line is simple: There is no miracle in the Chinese miracle growth, and China will pay a price. The only question is when and how much.

So we may have weathered the gust front but the rest of the storm is still to come.

Even Newsweek recognizes this, admitting that the recession may be over but the recovery is going to be long and painful:

To a large degree, the U.S. economy must now cope with an era of lower expectations. Road building isn't a recipe for full employment, green technology won't displace fossil fuels in this decade, the benefits of universal broadband may be overblown, and the dysfunctional health-care system won't shift overnight from a headwind to a tailwind. The recession may be over, but there's likely to be plenty of tough slogging ahead.

Does that mean the smart economy is a waste? Absolutely not. Declaring the stimulus a failure five months after its passage is a little like calling the results of a marathon at the second-mile marker. Virtually all these investments are necessary. They will make the economy and specific industries smarter. They are intelligent economic and political strategies. But they're not sufficient. Large as it is, the stimulus can't fill the hole we've created or bring a series of large industries into the 21st century. Each imperative requires investments far in advance of what even the most free-spending liberal could imagine. Transforming the nation's energy--production-and-transmission system "will take an investment of trillions of dollars over decades," says Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. "The private sector has to make this happen."

Historically, the economy has kicked into higher gear when a development comes along that can touch every part of the economy, not just particular sectors: the steam engine, electricity, the computer chip, globalization, the Internet, cheap money. By definition, it's almost impossible to know what the next disruptive, discontinuous great leap forward is going to be. On several occasions, Lawrence Summers has remarked that when he was involved in the big economic summit Bill Clinton held after winning the 1992 election, he didn't recall hearing many mentions of the words "the Internet."

Posted by: chad98036 at 12:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Old And Tired: Cuban Health Care. New And Hawt: Rwandan Health Care?

Seriously, Rwanda has health care?

So says some dingbat who claims we should emulate their model.

SNYDERMAN: One other sort of tough question. Some experts this weekend have said we are looking at class warfare in the United States and you have to say those words if we're going to move forward.  Would you agree with that?

ROBINSON: As somebody who works in this country but as a guest, if you like, I'll leave it others to put it in sharper terms.  What I would like to suggest from a global health perspective is look at what some of the very poorest countries have done. Rwanda, a post-genocide country, has 90% health insurance cover {for all 10 people left?-ed.}.  I was there last September and I was there in March --

SNYDERMAN: You're making me jealous.

ROBINSON: Doesn't it?

Not me.

Seriously, we should look to the Third World for advice on anything except being hellholes? Count me the fuck out.

Posted by: eddiebear at 12:49 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Claire McCaskill And ACORN Once Again Smell The Glove Of FAIL

Yet again, Sen. Claire McCaskill (Doofus-MO) tried to rally her ACORN and Kos Kidz supporters for Obamacare. Yet again, the Tea Partiers made her look like Glass Joe to their Little Mac. Yet again, the Tea Partiers exhausted themselves from all of the ass kicking they did.

McCaskill wanted to control the stage, by having a small crowd of loyalists in a small room. How did that turn out?

They were expecting around 100-150 people... Hundreds showed up.
It was so crowded they were forced to move the meeting down to the cafeteria.

Oops.

And when the crowd assembled in the cafeteria, how did things go? Let's go to the tape.


I think that speaks for itself.

Oh, and Sen. McCaskill and her ACORN allies, I have a little message for you:



more...

Posted by: eddiebear at 12:36 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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It makes sense: Why criticize your model government?

The Obama Administration has turned off a sign in Cuba that send inspirational sayings from American history, etc, to the Cuban people.  "Not effective."

Change!^TM, indeed.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 08:24 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Hmmmmmm...

I wonder how they could have possibly got their grubby little hands on something like that...

Swedish-made anti-tank rocket launchers sold to Venezuela years ago were obtained by Colombia's main rebel group, and Sweden said Monday it was demanding an explanation.

Colombia said its military found the weapons in a captured rebel arms cache and that Sweden had recently confirmed they originally were sold to Venezuela's military.

The confirmation strengthens Colombian allegations that Hugo Chavez's government has aided the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Wait, you mean to imply that Hugo Chavez would get involved with something like that? The hell, you say!

Venezuela's justice minister, Tareck El Aissami, on Monday dismissed the report of the missiles, denying that "our government or institutions have ever collaborated with any type of criminal or terrorist organizations."

Well, that's certainly reassuring.

Related: Colombian Special Forces troops, trained by the Green Berets and highly successful in counter-insurgency operations in their own country, are headed to Afghanistan to fight alongside our guys. WIN!

Posted by: Sean M. at 07:33 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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And speaking of things up asses...

If this guy just read this moronblog, he could have been saved the trouble because he would have known which end to insert.

Posted by: Alice H at 06:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It must be Opposite Day!

White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs on Monday called Vice President Biden an "enormous asset to the administration," insisting that the loose-lipped No. 2 is not a distraction even after the State Department had to walk back his thorny comments on Russia.

Emphasis obviously mine.

Let's take a look at what Pluggy said that is raising such a brouhaha:

"I think we vastly underestimate the hand that we hold," Biden said during an interview with The Wall Street Journal at the end of his trip to Georgia and Ukraine. "Russia has to make some very difficult, calculated decisions. They have a shrinking population base, they have a withering economy, they have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years, they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."

Is this like the strategy to pick up chicks at a bar by giving them what sounds like a compliment but is really an insult?

Posted by: Alice H at 05:55 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Gasolina

I don't know which is worse, that the kid was stupid enough to do this or that the dad was stupid enough to stand by while the kid did this.  Or maybe that truTV sticks this in the 'Most Daring' category, that might be the worst part.

Posted by: Alice H at 05:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Memorializing the dead and missing

The blog title, Iran Body Count, sounds less sensitive about the contents than it actually is.

I came across Iran Body Count while trying to track down a rumor retweeted by IranRiggedElect that the Iranian government is offering payments to families of victims of Iranian government violence if the families are willing to say the deceased was a member of the Basij and was killed by protesters.

Posted by: Alice H at 02:39 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Ask a Moron: It's a Conspiracy! Edition

Thought I'd give this a go, Jon Henke asks the following on Twitter,

When will Republicans do to the Birthers what William F. Buckley did to the Birchers?

The answer?  Never.  Because you can never do to the modern Birthers what Buckley did to the Birchers.  Sure, you can marginalize them some, but you aren't going to be able to reduce their ability to publicize themselves on a broad scale or engage in attention whoring stunts, it's like trying to grab a fistful of water.  When you only had to shut them out of a few publications, radio stations and TV shows, you could marginalize them pretty handily, as Buckley did.  Modern technology makes that an impossibility. 

Could the left and the Democrats slap down the even more embarrassing Truthers or Code Pinkos in any significant way?  Not that I saw.  The Truther and Code Pinko crews seem to have quieted down after the 2008 elections...odd that.  Unfortunately, it seems to be the case that a certain percentage of society is pretty much is just going to become certifiably insane after the results of any election.  Let's not forget those polls exposing the shocking percentage of liberals who were Truthers.  I fully expect a surprising percentage of GOPers who believe the Birther crap too.

Consider it one of the downsides to opening up broad publication access to the public at large.  I for one consider the fact that I and most of us Morons, Henke and other decent folk can have the ability to publish our thoughts to a (theoretically) broad audience and organize trumps the downside, that insane Truthers, Birthers and other refuse can do the same.

As for politicians smacking down these guys, it'll never happen, that's like sticking your dick in a hornet's nest.  You're better off backing away slowly and calling in a professional to take care of the pests. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 02:23 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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Stupid, Foolish President Ramming Through Legislation, With One Brave Voice Opposing It

Oh, wait. That was then, this is now.

Yeah. I expect MSNBC to be on this like a fat girl on any guy who will have her.

Posted by: eddiebear at 01:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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To report or not to report?

On the one hand, it's hella creepy.  On the other hand, this is better than a registry as far as letting everyone know the driver's hella creepy.

Posted by: Alice H at 01:11 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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Henry Louis Gates: Man Of Racial Harmony And Understanding

Hmmm....

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Mother Gaia, Manbearpig, And Hippies Everywhere Weep. And I Love The Taste Of Their Tears.

This is probably the greatest example of how to fuck with the self righteous cockgobblins who hector us about the cars we drive, and how we need to adopt more "Gaia-Friendly" methods of getting around, especially in those lawnmowers with a roof.

Eco-friendly Smart cars are small enough to be picked up by just a few people and dumped into the Dutch capital's canals, reports De Telegraaf newspaper.

One victim Casper de Jong was woken by police after they found his Smart floating in the waterway outside his apartment.

Mr de Jong said: "Several weeks ago the same thing happened to my companion's Smart. Both cars were a complete write-off."

One Smart sales worker said: "We're not supposed to talk about this because the police don't want the craze to spread but we've had quite a few drowned cars returned to us."

Oh yeah. Just reading this bit of truth to power made me want to go out and punch a hippie, urinate on his hemp blanket to improve the smell, and then throw a car battery into the lake as a celebration. 

Posted by: eddiebear at 10:33 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Shocka! John Conyers Acting Like An Asshole!

But at least he openly and unabashedly admits to his stupidity and douchebaggery.

During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congressman John Conyers  (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?

Umm....isn't that what you, as a fucking elected representative of the fucking people who fucking sent your corrupt, sorry ass to Congress, are supposed to fucking do? Is that too much to fucking ask, you fucking testament to the ills of lifetime, gerrymandered seats?

Here's a thought: maybe if the fucking bill is too complicated, either fucking read the fucking thing first, and take your fucking time to do so, or trim down the dipshittery that makes it difficult to comprehend. Is that too fucking much to fucking ask?

Posted by: eddiebear at 10:24 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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