Sunday Curmudgeon

Headline of the week – from Esquire Mag:  “Blow jobs have fallen on hard times.”

On the way home, was behind a car at a stoplight with two decals on the back.  One, a very traditional, ornamented cross.   The other, a drawing of two pandas getting busy with each other.

Controversy in Britain this week.  The government has proposed adding a 20% VAT tax to take-away food such as the popular “pasty” that is well liked by the blue-collar crowd.  This, while also proposing to cut taxes on the wealthy produced a negative reaction from those not yet convinced that we exist to serve our betters.  To show their populist credentials, PM Cameron professed his love of the simple pleasures of getting a pasty from his favorite shop – but it turned out the shop had been closed for five years. (Reports the Financial Times)

Also from the Financial Times, one for you who savor definitional arguments.  “Marks and Spencer once fought a decade-long battle over whether teacakes were cakes or biscuits (different rates [of tax] applied).”

And this one might require a little background in Greek politics, except that the sentiment is universal.  Just know that the Vaso referred to here was one of the leading political figures (and one of the most prominent women) in Greece until recently.  From “Press Watch” of the Athens News: “a Vaso Papandreou quote informs us that “criminal mistakes were made by the George Papandreou regime”. I always find it really amusing, how politicians find their truth stick and start using it to hit any available protruding heads, when there is no risk involved for them. So well done Vaso, you true hero of the people you. Maybe try and name those crimes when you’re in the thick of them next time.”

The Republican candidates as Pizza delivery guys

Every four years I look at who is running for president and I go “300 million Americans, and this is the best we can come up with?”  Looking at the Republican candidates this year I found myself complaining that I wouldn’t hire any of them to deliver pizza.  And then, I thought about that again … what if …

Rick Perry got into a road rage fight with someone who ‘dissed his cowboy hat.   

Michelle Bachman claimed she couldn’t deliver the pizza because aliens had changed the roads so that she always kept turning to the right and a person she met along the way told her this was true.

Ron Paul came back two hours late because he’d gotten into a conversation with the customer about how pizza contains little sensors put there by the government to spy on us.

Mitt Romney showed up to work in a white shirt and narrow black tie with his 20 year old car immaculately clean.  He explained that within a year he was would build a pizza delivery empire.

Newt Gingrich was fired for giving rides to women he picked up off the street.

Rick Santorum was caught doing an immoral act with a pizza.

Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson – no one can remember if they worked here or not.

Sara Palin kept saying she would come for an interview but never did.

God on Texas

That drought in Texas?  It is God's judgement on the state - for failing to believe in science.

Sinking

So they cheered (a few did) at the Republican debate at the thought that those without health care might die.  Just as at a previous debate they cheered (more of them) when it was mentioned how many people Rick Perry had approved the execution for.  But Dems won't protest.

The Republicans look to the National Socialists as their model of how to conduct political action; the Democrats look to the Weimar Republic.  I'm looking for the next train out of Berlin.

Suicide watch

So, we're going to do it.  Commit suicide as a nation.  Send ourselves deeper into a recession by laying off people at a time of 10% unemployment.  Increase our debt by raising interest rates at a time of large deficits.  All in the name of extremism and resentment over poor people having a social safety-net.That and a total failure to understand the things taught in Econ 101 at every University in the nation.

Has there been a more useless president?  Spineless or craven, or maybe he really is a conservative after all.

How can we explain such a self-inflicted wound?  The media being centralized in the hands of the wealthy is certainly a major factor.  But I do not understand Obama at all.  I never thought he was a progressive, or a visionary.  But I did expect him to fight.

Jailed five days for cashing a valid check

Jailed for cashing Chase check at Chase bank

Amazing.  What evidence did the bank have?  And why did the police not check either? 

Corporate grip

An article in the Guardian Weekly on Nov. 26th of last year (but not available online for some reason) by Seumas Milne details a number of the ways the "Corporate grip chokes Britain."  He describes how companies have been asked by government ministers to "draw up public health policy", how they've vetoed any taxing of foods based on health implications, the drive to privatize all of education and efforts to increase corporate involvement in the delivery of health care at the expense of the NHS.