Diplomacy is a game of chess in which the [people]* are checkmated.
Karl Kraus (1874 - 1936), writer
This just stopped me dead in my reading tracks. I was reading the Los Angeles Times this morning about President Bush’s plans to refresh his bond with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush told a Slovak journalist that "...I want to him to be able to have a chance to say he’s a done it for this reason…so I can explain to him as best I can, in a friendly way, of course, that Western values are … based upon transparency and rule of law, the right for the people to express themselves, checks and balances in government.”
What! Transparency. Hmmm. I wonder who did Vice President Dick Cheney meet with regarding his energy commission?
Say What! The right for the people to express themselves. How many were arrested at Bush rallies for simply wearing a t-shirt that the Bush people did not like? What happened to that mother who spoke out against the war after her son died at Laura Bush’s speech?
Come Again! Checks and balances in government. The Republican Senate is preparing to use the nuclear option to stop the Democrats from using the filibuster to stop religious, right-wing judges from being appointed.
I only hope Putin reminds him of these items. Additionally, I have no doubt the invasion of Iraq will come up, how we went in for one reason and then came up with five other excuses when the intelligence proved wrong.
*the original quote said nations instead of people
Saturday, February 19, 2005
McSweeney's Is My New Best Friend
Why do I love McSweeney's? Why have I moved it to the "must-read" section of our links, promoted from its spot on our BlogRoll? Here are five reasons:
1. Rejected York Peppermint Pattie Commerical BlurbsTake a look, won't you? McSweeney's rocks!
"When I bite into a York Peppermint Pattie, I feel the sensation of the Lord's righteous anger as He reveals His plan to use me as His holy instrument of judgment! It's all right there between the lines of the ingredients list!"
2. Ways in Which She Could Have Blinded Me With Science
"She removed all traces of vitamin A from my diet."
3. Reading-Too-Much-Into-Things ComprehensionParagraph A: Her leg brushed up against yours.4. Four Ways in Which My Life is Like Pac-Man's
1. Did she do that on purpose?a) Yes.
b) No.
c) Maybe.
d) Don't know.
I won't spoil it for you; hit the link and laugh out loud.
5. Names of Cheeses Inspired By Star Wars Characters
Boba Feta
Friday, February 18, 2005
On The Mark -- Hypocrisy Decade -- Extraordinary Rendition
A few days ago I wrote about how this decade will come to be known as the Hypocrisy Decade. From time to time, I will cite various new examples that support this prediction.
Extraordinary Rendition. There's a nice legal term for you. Legal in that it allows our government to do illegal things. Like send a terrorism suspect to Syria to be tortured properly -- you know, toe nails pulled, electric shocks to the groin. Not this Abu Ghraib kind of stuff.
Isn't a bit hypocritical for our government to chastise the Syrian government and call it a state sponsor of terrorism, yet at the same time, ship off terrorism suspects to that country so they can use torture techniques that are illegal here?
Yeah, let's rid the world of regimes that sponsor state terrorism. But let's not let them do our dirty work while they're still around.
Extraordinary Rendition. There's a nice legal term for you. Legal in that it allows our government to do illegal things. Like send a terrorism suspect to Syria to be tortured properly -- you know, toe nails pulled, electric shocks to the groin. Not this Abu Ghraib kind of stuff.
Isn't a bit hypocritical for our government to chastise the Syrian government and call it a state sponsor of terrorism, yet at the same time, ship off terrorism suspects to that country so they can use torture techniques that are illegal here?
Yeah, let's rid the world of regimes that sponsor state terrorism. But let's not let them do our dirty work while they're still around.
It's not dead; it's pining for Mt. Hermon.
An indignant Israeli is suing a pet shop that he says sold him a dying parrot, reports the Ma'ariv newspaper.
Itzik Simowitz of Be'ersheva contends the shop cheated him because the cockatoo not only failed to utter a word when he got it home, but was also extremely ill. Simowitz adds that the shop owner assured him the parrot was not ill but merely needed time to adjust to its new environment.
[Thanks again, BoingBoing!]
Itzik Simowitz of Be'ersheva contends the shop cheated him because the cockatoo not only failed to utter a word when he got it home, but was also extremely ill. Simowitz adds that the shop owner assured him the parrot was not ill but merely needed time to adjust to its new environment.
[Thanks again, BoingBoing!]
I Believe, I Believe!
There is no arguing with the pretenders to a divine knowledge and to a divine mission. They are possessed with the sin of pride, they have yielded to the perennial temptation.
Walter Lippmann (1889–1974), journalist
I believe it is time for religious leaders who are involved in politics to pay taxes just as any non-religious person is suppose to do. In order to receive their tax deduction, they cannot advocate a political position from the pulpit.
Evangelist Pat Robertson continues to vent politically without paying his share of taxes. The other day he basically threatened Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to get Bush’s judges confirmed or the religious-right support would not be there.
According to the report, Robertson said to the evangelicals, the number one consideration is unelected judges who are largely responsible for laws on abortion, gay marriage and Internet pornography.
Of course Robertson let his threats fly while at the National Press Club, but let’s face facts, this man of God appears to be a charlatan. He is entitled to his free speech, but I believe he has crossed the line from non-profit to profitable speech.
Walter Lippmann (1889–1974), journalist
I believe it is time for religious leaders who are involved in politics to pay taxes just as any non-religious person is suppose to do. In order to receive their tax deduction, they cannot advocate a political position from the pulpit.
Evangelist Pat Robertson continues to vent politically without paying his share of taxes. The other day he basically threatened Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to get Bush’s judges confirmed or the religious-right support would not be there.
According to the report, Robertson said to the evangelicals, the number one consideration is unelected judges who are largely responsible for laws on abortion, gay marriage and Internet pornography.
Of course Robertson let his threats fly while at the National Press Club, but let’s face facts, this man of God appears to be a charlatan. He is entitled to his free speech, but I believe he has crossed the line from non-profit to profitable speech.
My wife bought eleven bottles of seltzer this week.
My wife is not, I should say, a carbonation junkie on a bender. Nor is she a freak about coupons, buying only what is on sale and thereby creating a maelstrom of random food purchases that result in weeks on end where the only meal is beef jerky and Spaghetti-Os served on commemorative dog breed china. She doesn't own stock in the seltzer-producing company, and neither does she need the bottles for an arts-and-crafts project with the kids.
She doesn't even drink seltzer.
My wife knows, however, that I like seltzer. She knows that I add it to any and all juices (and she knows about my pathological fear of orange juice). She knows that sometimes I get a late-night craving for an egg cream. And she knows that our local grocery store often runs out of seltzer, and that I am therefore often forced to subsist on non-spritzy beverages for weeks at a time.
So her special trip to the further-away grocery store to purchase eleven bottles of seltzer was, I believe, and act of pure love.
I hope she knows how much I appreciate such efforts on her part to make me happy -- and this is really the least of such efforts. And I hope she knows I try to do the same for her.
And I hope she understands that I have only just now thought to thank her properly and tell her I love her. And I hope she doesn't hold it against me that I am doing so on my blog.
She doesn't even drink seltzer.
My wife knows, however, that I like seltzer. She knows that I add it to any and all juices (and she knows about my pathological fear of orange juice). She knows that sometimes I get a late-night craving for an egg cream. And she knows that our local grocery store often runs out of seltzer, and that I am therefore often forced to subsist on non-spritzy beverages for weeks at a time.
So her special trip to the further-away grocery store to purchase eleven bottles of seltzer was, I believe, and act of pure love.
I hope she knows how much I appreciate such efforts on her part to make me happy -- and this is really the least of such efforts. And I hope she knows I try to do the same for her.
And I hope she understands that I have only just now thought to thank her properly and tell her I love her. And I hope she doesn't hold it against me that I am doing so on my blog.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
On The Mark -- Bush Administration's PR Rope a Dope Strategy
As much as I want to do otherwise, it's so difficult to believe anything that comes out of the White House today. The latest fiasco in a long line of falsehoods and propaganda is the pseudo-reporter the White House planted during its briefings. This "reporter's" sole job was to ask softball questions during press conferences and plant stories that can now be seen as nothing other than propaganda. Combine that with Karl Rove's genius in strategic communications, and it's a scary situation.
So, on the face of it, when one sees this headline in a newspaper, "5 Units of Military Reserve Miss Recruiting Goals," accompanied by a photo of the military's top officer and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one would probably think, "that makes sense," and flip the page without another thought.
But, if you're really paying attention, one can't do that anymore. Are they really missing their targets? Or is the administration setting the stage for a future request? Will we see these same two gentlemen in a year's time stating that we need a draft because recruitment is failing?
You see, Rove looks at the big picture, and he's the master of PR Rope a Dope. Take some punches now in order to fool your opponent and then come out swinging while your opponent quickly slides into a daze. It's better to get a thought in everyone's head now so they don't have to waste valuable time convincing everyone when they want to quickly reinstate the draft.
I know this probably sounds like leftwing conspiracy theories. But it's not. I'm in the middle. Throughout all elections I've voted for the person I thought was right for the job -- Blue, Red or Green. I've read Irving Kristol and others as much as I've read liberal authors.
But I know how PR campaigns work. I've been there when hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to establish a medical need or awareness in the months leading up to the introduction of a new drug. It's no different than what the Bush Administration does day in and day out.
And like the pharmaceutical industry, the Bush Administration remedies have side effects.
So, on the face of it, when one sees this headline in a newspaper, "5 Units of Military Reserve Miss Recruiting Goals," accompanied by a photo of the military's top officer and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one would probably think, "that makes sense," and flip the page without another thought.
But, if you're really paying attention, one can't do that anymore. Are they really missing their targets? Or is the administration setting the stage for a future request? Will we see these same two gentlemen in a year's time stating that we need a draft because recruitment is failing?
You see, Rove looks at the big picture, and he's the master of PR Rope a Dope. Take some punches now in order to fool your opponent and then come out swinging while your opponent quickly slides into a daze. It's better to get a thought in everyone's head now so they don't have to waste valuable time convincing everyone when they want to quickly reinstate the draft.
I know this probably sounds like leftwing conspiracy theories. But it's not. I'm in the middle. Throughout all elections I've voted for the person I thought was right for the job -- Blue, Red or Green. I've read Irving Kristol and others as much as I've read liberal authors.
But I know how PR campaigns work. I've been there when hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to establish a medical need or awareness in the months leading up to the introduction of a new drug. It's no different than what the Bush Administration does day in and day out.
And like the pharmaceutical industry, the Bush Administration remedies have side effects.
Bugs Bunny, R.I.P.
And so I bid a fond farewell to my favorite Warner Brothers cartoon characters, as they are "reimagined" for a new WB show. For if the new Bugs (now named "Buzz," and shown above next to his downsized precursor) is any indicator, I will not be amused nor entertained.
The new show, "Loonatics," is set 700 years in the future. Bugs, Daffy, et al are given superpowers and tight-fitting, slenderizing space gear. The New York Post was clearly as upset as I: "Apparently, falling anvils and exploding cigars are no longer enough to keep kids 6 to 11 years old entertained."
We are glad Chuck Jones is not alive to see this.
[Link]
Batman Gets Pissed Off
National Lampoon (yes, it still exists; yes, it's still mostly not funny) has a few gems this week, including "Superman is a dick." But just as good is an excerpt from an unpublished Batman story, which I will excerpt further here. The Batman has just heard from Commissioner Gordon that the Joker has escaped again:
BATMAN: [lighting up a cigarette] "How did it happen this time? Fake moustache? Did he tell you he had to step out for smokes or something?"Check it out here.
GORDON: "Actually, he disguised himself in janitor’s clothes... and...um... well, just walked out the front door, to be honest."
BATMAN: [taking long haul on cigarette] "Here’s an idea. No, I’ve got an idea, for real here, listen up. How about you don’t let any janitorial staff leave the building..." [he pauses to see if he still has the Commissioner’s full attention] "...who have BRIGHT GREEN FUCKING HAIR AND CHALK WHITE SKIN!"
How History Will Remember President Bush
A country losing touch with its own history is like an old man losing his glasses, a distressing sight, at once vulnerable, unsure, and easily disoriented.
George Walden, British Conservative politician
If you want to know history will treat Bush, I suspect all we have to do is read this passage from the book "Grant and Twain" by Mark Perry. Thanks to B2 who pointed this out to me.
I have no doubt when or if Colin Powell or Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez and the myriad other generals publish their notes they too will admit to the lies and shames perpetrated to get us into Iraq. Unless, of course, you are Marine Corps Lt Gen James Mattis, who said, “Actually, it's quite a lot of fun to fight; you know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling; it's fun to shoot some people."
The following is from the book "Grant and Twain":
He [Grant] wrote bluntly and plainly about the fighting his role in the fighting, and his own political misgivings on America’s policy toward Mexico. He called the conflict a political war carried out by a particular political party for its own profit. He stated, again plainly and bluntly, that the United States sent its troops to the border of Mexico to provoke a fight, and while he made it clear that he opposed the war, it was also clear why he would never have made this opposition public.
"Experience provides that the man who obstructs a war in which his nation is engaged, no matter whether right or wrong occupies no enviable place in life or history. Better for him, individually, to advocate war, pestilence, and famine, than to act as obstructionist to a war already begun.” Grant’s writing is emotional but reasoned, and he relies on principle and common sense. But there is no doubt, and Grant left no doubt, of where he stood.
In private, his views on the war with Mexico were more outspoken and more controversial. As he once told a friend: “I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico. I thought so at the time, when I was a youngster, only I had not moral courage enough to resign: I had taken an oath to serve eight years, unless sooner discharged, and I considered my supreme duty was to my flag. I had a horror of the Mexican War, and I always believed it was on our part most unjust.
Every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
Anonymous
George Walden, British Conservative politician
If you want to know history will treat Bush, I suspect all we have to do is read this passage from the book "Grant and Twain" by Mark Perry. Thanks to B2 who pointed this out to me.
I have no doubt when or if Colin Powell or Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez and the myriad other generals publish their notes they too will admit to the lies and shames perpetrated to get us into Iraq. Unless, of course, you are Marine Corps Lt Gen James Mattis, who said, “Actually, it's quite a lot of fun to fight; you know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling; it's fun to shoot some people."
The following is from the book "Grant and Twain":
He [Grant] wrote bluntly and plainly about the fighting his role in the fighting, and his own political misgivings on America’s policy toward Mexico. He called the conflict a political war carried out by a particular political party for its own profit. He stated, again plainly and bluntly, that the United States sent its troops to the border of Mexico to provoke a fight, and while he made it clear that he opposed the war, it was also clear why he would never have made this opposition public.
"Experience provides that the man who obstructs a war in which his nation is engaged, no matter whether right or wrong occupies no enviable place in life or history. Better for him, individually, to advocate war, pestilence, and famine, than to act as obstructionist to a war already begun.” Grant’s writing is emotional but reasoned, and he relies on principle and common sense. But there is no doubt, and Grant left no doubt, of where he stood.
In private, his views on the war with Mexico were more outspoken and more controversial. As he once told a friend: “I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico. I thought so at the time, when I was a youngster, only I had not moral courage enough to resign: I had taken an oath to serve eight years, unless sooner discharged, and I considered my supreme duty was to my flag. I had a horror of the Mexican War, and I always believed it was on our part most unjust.
Every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
Anonymous
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Axis of Evil
I don't want to jump on the war bandwagon -- not yet, anyway -- but Yahoo is reporting that Syria and Iran have announced intentions to "build a common front." And though I lean left (as you all know), I have always acknowledged that these two countries are bad news. This was important enough to me that I am leaching time away from my lunch hour to post this.
[Source]
[Source]
On The Mark -- Lesser of Two Evils
If you've been following the international press for the past year or so, you probably noticed that the Neo-Nazi movement is getting stronger every month in many places in the world. We mostly see its ugly head as a response to immigration issues. There have been constant reports of skinhead beatings and killings of "dark-skinned immigrants" (mostly Muslim) from Russia to Holland. We all know about the terrorist acts of the Al Qaeda-type, from the killing of filmmaker Van Gogh in The Netherlands to the forced closure of a play in Birmingham, England.
In Belgium's Dutch-speaking region of Flanders we're seeing a microcosm of what is happening in the world. The Muslim and Neo-Nazi factions are becoming bigger, more vocal and violent. Caught in the middle is the Jewish community in this region. I don't have to tell you where they stand in the eyes of the Muslims and Neo-Nazis. During recent elections where Neo-Nazis and Muslims dominated the ballot, the Jews were forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. For the most part they chose the Neo-Nazis.
As reported in the New York Times:
Fear of Islam's transforming presence is so strong that even many members of Antwerp's sizable Jewish community now support Mr. Dewinter's party, even though its founders included men who sympathized and collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. Many of those supporters are Jews who feel threatened by a new wave of anti-Semitism emanating from Europe's growing Muslim communities. The friction is acutely felt in central Antwerp, where the Jewish quarter abuts the newer Muslim neighborhood of Borgerhout.
In Belgium's Dutch-speaking region of Flanders we're seeing a microcosm of what is happening in the world. The Muslim and Neo-Nazi factions are becoming bigger, more vocal and violent. Caught in the middle is the Jewish community in this region. I don't have to tell you where they stand in the eyes of the Muslims and Neo-Nazis. During recent elections where Neo-Nazis and Muslims dominated the ballot, the Jews were forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. For the most part they chose the Neo-Nazis.
As reported in the New York Times:
Fear of Islam's transforming presence is so strong that even many members of Antwerp's sizable Jewish community now support Mr. Dewinter's party, even though its founders included men who sympathized and collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. Many of those supporters are Jews who feel threatened by a new wave of anti-Semitism emanating from Europe's growing Muslim communities. The friction is acutely felt in central Antwerp, where the Jewish quarter abuts the newer Muslim neighborhood of Borgerhout.
Why My In-laws Should Not Have a Toilet
This photo is real and undoctored, taken in my in-laws' house. And my in-laws are two adults, and they live by themselves.
Is this marker-written notice really necessary? Apparently, yes. Because this is how I found the toilet -- seat up and "instructions" exposed for all to see.
There is an explanation (and I know you're all dying to read it). Apparently the in-laws' new puppy has taken to drinking from the toilet in my father-in-law's bathroom (my mother-in-law is very protective of her bathroom, and so my father-in-law walks out of their bedroom, down the hallway, and into his own tiny bathroom instead of using the one in their suite).
At first my mother-in-law was campaigning for my father-in-law to close his bathroom door to prevent such unauthorized drinking -- this was, you'll have to pardon the term, a wash-out. So her new tack is the note you see scrawled across the toilet seat. And, as mentioned above, it's not working. Of course, when you are so far gone as to be unable to handle the technology of a toilet seat without additional written instructions, is it any surprise that those instructions would go unheeded?
What Our President Does for the Poor and to Promote Safety
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
John Kennedy, U.S. President
From Time magazine. It is really worth it to check it out just to see how the Bush administration is trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Here are two examples:
Boldest Clinton Rollback
Community policing was one of the central tenets of Clintonism. Even in the face of heated opposition from local law enforcement, Bush aims to cut $635 million out of the Justice Department program, handing more money to the FBI and Homeland Security to pay for such things as modernized equipment for the Coast Guard and additional intelligence analysts and border patrols.
Sneakiest Tax Hike (we wrote about this a couple of weeks ago)
To make consumers pay for a bigger share of airline security, Bush wants to raise taxes from $2.50 to $5.50 on one-way flights. But in the tortured jargon of budgets, this hike will be labeled a "fee." Whatever you call it, you can be sure that the ailing airline industry will fight hard to keep this from getting off the ground.
John Kennedy, U.S. President
From Time magazine. It is really worth it to check it out just to see how the Bush administration is trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Here are two examples:
Boldest Clinton Rollback
Community policing was one of the central tenets of Clintonism. Even in the face of heated opposition from local law enforcement, Bush aims to cut $635 million out of the Justice Department program, handing more money to the FBI and Homeland Security to pay for such things as modernized equipment for the Coast Guard and additional intelligence analysts and border patrols.
Sneakiest Tax Hike (we wrote about this a couple of weeks ago)
To make consumers pay for a bigger share of airline security, Bush wants to raise taxes from $2.50 to $5.50 on one-way flights. But in the tortured jargon of budgets, this hike will be labeled a "fee." Whatever you call it, you can be sure that the ailing airline industry will fight hard to keep this from getting off the ground.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Superman is a dick.
So say the folks over at National Lampoon; check it out and decide for yourself, with the help of a gallery of covers showing Supes at his worst.
[Thanks, Trusty Sidekicks!]
On The Mark -- Beyond Peace
I don’t have to file a freedom-of-information act to know what Karl Rove’s public relations plan is for 2005.
Objective
Convince the American public that President Bush is smart
Strategy
Periodically reveal the current book on the President’s nightstand. Occasionally have the President provide his insights on his current readings. Start with Tom Wolfe’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons” and Natan Sharansky’s “The Case for Democracy.”
Metric
The following dinner table scenario is the desired end result:
Brother: Bush is a dimwit. He’s not very smart.
Sister: He’s smart. He reads books.
I wonder how close this is to reality. I’m betting it’s not too far off. But the book Bush should really be reading is “Beyond Peace” by Richard Nixon. I’m not a Nixon fan, but I was impressed with his accomplishments in foreign relations so I bought and read this book 11 years ago when it was first published. I browsed through it again this weekend.
I recommend that Bush read a fellow Republican’s writings (besides Wolfe) because they apply today. I cite for example Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. At the time, for the past two decades, we had been indirectly fighting China in Korea and Vietnam. There also was tremendous concern about China’s nuclear ambitions. It would have been easy for Nixon to take a stand-off position similar to the approach the Bush administration is currently taking with North Korea and Iran. But Nixon knew that, if successful, not only could he reduce tensions with China, he also would accomplish a significant, non-military battle in the Cold War with Russia, then a bitter enemy with China, its neighbor. Certainly, the Kremlin could not have been happy to know that two of its biggest enemies were sipping tea together in Beijing.
Since Bush is now a man of words, perhaps he should use some instead of bombs.
Objective
Convince the American public that President Bush is smart
Strategy
Periodically reveal the current book on the President’s nightstand. Occasionally have the President provide his insights on his current readings. Start with Tom Wolfe’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons” and Natan Sharansky’s “The Case for Democracy.”
Metric
The following dinner table scenario is the desired end result:
Brother: Bush is a dimwit. He’s not very smart.
Sister: He’s smart. He reads books.
I wonder how close this is to reality. I’m betting it’s not too far off. But the book Bush should really be reading is “Beyond Peace” by Richard Nixon. I’m not a Nixon fan, but I was impressed with his accomplishments in foreign relations so I bought and read this book 11 years ago when it was first published. I browsed through it again this weekend.
I recommend that Bush read a fellow Republican’s writings (besides Wolfe) because they apply today. I cite for example Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. At the time, for the past two decades, we had been indirectly fighting China in Korea and Vietnam. There also was tremendous concern about China’s nuclear ambitions. It would have been easy for Nixon to take a stand-off position similar to the approach the Bush administration is currently taking with North Korea and Iran. But Nixon knew that, if successful, not only could he reduce tensions with China, he also would accomplish a significant, non-military battle in the Cold War with Russia, then a bitter enemy with China, its neighbor. Certainly, the Kremlin could not have been happy to know that two of its biggest enemies were sipping tea together in Beijing.
Since Bush is now a man of words, perhaps he should use some instead of bombs.
Consumers be Damned – A Misanthropic Rant
I've come to the belief that banks are not in the business of banking. They're in the business of collecting fees.
Patrick C. Kelly, sales executive
From the Washington Post: Republican leaders in Congress began clearing the way yesterday for swift passage of legislation backed by the credit card industry and opposed by consumer groups that would make it harder for consumers to wipe out debt through bankruptcy.
What I despise about this administration and narrow-minded politicians is that they truly don’t give a second thought about their follow human being unless they are bent over in a prone position – meaning that there is someway to pick the consumers’ pockets.
The bankruptcy bill that is before Congress is absolutely bad news for consumers. However, it is good news and more profits for the banks. Credit card companies now have the right to raise their rates to a mafia-style vig if someone is late on their payment, not just to the credit card company, but to even to a utility service. They can raise the rate up to 21 percent or higher without notice. This is after they have done all they can to get you to sign up.
The money-people have found a friend in the White House. Congress has tried repeatedly in recent years to pass similar legislation in what would be the most significant change in bankruptcy law in more than a quarter of a century. Twice in the last seven years, bankruptcy bills have passed both the House and Senate, only to face ultimate defeat. In one case, President Bill Clinton refused to sign the legislation, saying it was unfair to consumers.
I am not ranting about this for me. I have an 800 credit score despite some rather steep financial hardships I have overcome. I have sympathy for people who are down on their luck. This economy is not one that provides a lot of confidence in job security. If you do lose your job, don’t expect to make the same wages when another opportunity comes around – it will most likely be less, if you can find a job.
If the Senate allows this bill to pass, they should also start to rein in the credit card companies and the banks to make far more restrictive laws to curb the predatory marketing habits of these financial behemoths. They are getting their proverbial cake and eating it too – suckering people into debt and then making them pay an outlandishly high interest rate that ensures the principal will never be paid off.
Every month I receive a sleeve of blank checks from the credit card company despite my phone calls asking them not to send it. I am afraid someone might steal my mail or that the mail carrier will deliver it to the wrong address, which is how I meet most of my neighbors as we deliver each other’s mail.
Kind and decent, hard-working people may find themselves pulled under by credit card debt. No problem, the bank will give them a home equity line of credit. What happens when they can’t pay this euphemistically named second mortgage? I will tell you, the house will be sold out from under them. But who cares, right? They did it to themselves. Wrong! This should not be a a war of all against all, powered by individual cunning in the pursuit of wealth and power to just live a simple life, but the Republicans who want no government protections will simply let the people lose their homes. It is a shame and a crime.
According the Washington Post, consumer advocates say it would allow some rich debtors to continue to hide wealth through homeownership while bankruptcy relief would be denied to many people with low or moderate incomes who have fallen on hard times because of illness, job loss or divorce. They say credit card companies must share the blame for increased bankruptcies because they aggressively market products and inadequately disclose how interest rates and penalty fees mount up. For example, eliminating a $1,000 credit card balance paid off at a rate of 2 percent a month and carrying an interest rate of 17 percent would take 88 months, or more than seven years.
"Our overall concern is that this isn't a balanced bill," said Travis Plunkett, spokesman for the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit consumer research and advocacy group. "There isn't a single curb on abusive lending practices by credit card companies in these bills."
He said he finds the industry's claim it needs bankruptcy reform puzzling because credit card issuers "continue to offer credit to Americans in record amounts" and have reported, as a group, one of their most profitable years in more than a decade.
I contend that this and other bills that favor corporations pass because people have no sense of history and forget how greedy corporations had to be reined in by government controls (and still need to) in order to protect consumers from monopolistic and predatory practices.
Patrick C. Kelly, sales executive
From the Washington Post: Republican leaders in Congress began clearing the way yesterday for swift passage of legislation backed by the credit card industry and opposed by consumer groups that would make it harder for consumers to wipe out debt through bankruptcy.
What I despise about this administration and narrow-minded politicians is that they truly don’t give a second thought about their follow human being unless they are bent over in a prone position – meaning that there is someway to pick the consumers’ pockets.
The bankruptcy bill that is before Congress is absolutely bad news for consumers. However, it is good news and more profits for the banks. Credit card companies now have the right to raise their rates to a mafia-style vig if someone is late on their payment, not just to the credit card company, but to even to a utility service. They can raise the rate up to 21 percent or higher without notice. This is after they have done all they can to get you to sign up.
The money-people have found a friend in the White House. Congress has tried repeatedly in recent years to pass similar legislation in what would be the most significant change in bankruptcy law in more than a quarter of a century. Twice in the last seven years, bankruptcy bills have passed both the House and Senate, only to face ultimate defeat. In one case, President Bill Clinton refused to sign the legislation, saying it was unfair to consumers.
I am not ranting about this for me. I have an 800 credit score despite some rather steep financial hardships I have overcome. I have sympathy for people who are down on their luck. This economy is not one that provides a lot of confidence in job security. If you do lose your job, don’t expect to make the same wages when another opportunity comes around – it will most likely be less, if you can find a job.
If the Senate allows this bill to pass, they should also start to rein in the credit card companies and the banks to make far more restrictive laws to curb the predatory marketing habits of these financial behemoths. They are getting their proverbial cake and eating it too – suckering people into debt and then making them pay an outlandishly high interest rate that ensures the principal will never be paid off.
Every month I receive a sleeve of blank checks from the credit card company despite my phone calls asking them not to send it. I am afraid someone might steal my mail or that the mail carrier will deliver it to the wrong address, which is how I meet most of my neighbors as we deliver each other’s mail.
Kind and decent, hard-working people may find themselves pulled under by credit card debt. No problem, the bank will give them a home equity line of credit. What happens when they can’t pay this euphemistically named second mortgage? I will tell you, the house will be sold out from under them. But who cares, right? They did it to themselves. Wrong! This should not be a a war of all against all, powered by individual cunning in the pursuit of wealth and power to just live a simple life, but the Republicans who want no government protections will simply let the people lose their homes. It is a shame and a crime.
According the Washington Post, consumer advocates say it would allow some rich debtors to continue to hide wealth through homeownership while bankruptcy relief would be denied to many people with low or moderate incomes who have fallen on hard times because of illness, job loss or divorce. They say credit card companies must share the blame for increased bankruptcies because they aggressively market products and inadequately disclose how interest rates and penalty fees mount up. For example, eliminating a $1,000 credit card balance paid off at a rate of 2 percent a month and carrying an interest rate of 17 percent would take 88 months, or more than seven years.
"Our overall concern is that this isn't a balanced bill," said Travis Plunkett, spokesman for the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit consumer research and advocacy group. "There isn't a single curb on abusive lending practices by credit card companies in these bills."
He said he finds the industry's claim it needs bankruptcy reform puzzling because credit card issuers "continue to offer credit to Americans in record amounts" and have reported, as a group, one of their most profitable years in more than a decade.
I contend that this and other bills that favor corporations pass because people have no sense of history and forget how greedy corporations had to be reined in by government controls (and still need to) in order to protect consumers from monopolistic and predatory practices.
Why My In-Laws Should Not Have a Computer – Part 1
My wife told me about a conversation she had with her mother the other day; I’m pleased to share it with you, written in the conceit of direct quotes (though, of course, I’m merely paraphrasing what I barely remember).
Mother-in-Law: [Telephoning my wife] Hi, it’s me.
Wife: Hi, Mom. What’s up?
Mother-in-Law: I need your advice. I’m checking my email...
Wife: [Trying not to groan] Uh-huh.
Mother-in-Law: ...and I keep getting all these emails about deals on prescription drugs. Every day, and I get so many!
Wife: Yeah, I know.
Mother-in-Law: So how do I know which one to pick?
Wife: [Incredulously] Um, mom, you know that’s spam, right? Like the emails you get telling you how to get a larger [expletive deleted] and a cheaper mortgage?
Mother-in-Law: [After a pause] I can get a cheaper mortgage?
Monday, February 14, 2005
More Fun with Google
More search strings by virtue of which we at Toner Mishap have attracted additional readers:
Dan Rather mishapAnd, perhaps the longest search string yet used to find us: "boogeyman when you see him count to five pray that you will stay alive." I don't know what to make of that.
Chewbacca mp3
Emanuel Godwin
brian dilkes blog
The Misanthrope
tabasco bikini
roly poly fish head
jibjab second term
neil kleid
tabasco super bowl
songs from Star Wars
paul femforce
hostess twinkies
hammering hank
i am chewbacca
batman origin jay pinkerton
nuclear threat exaggerated
canadian car brill
Zach Braff interview
the hamas representative
On The Mark -- Travel on Valentine's Day
If I can follow in The Misanthrope's footsteps for a day:
I suppose that I could love you
Though my mind tells me no way
It says screw it
You've been through it
It' s not worth the price you pay
(Loudan Wainwright III)
I'm not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again
( U2: "All Because of You [I Am])
After many years of buying roses and jewelry and cards, last year I finally found a good reason for why we should celebrate Valentine's Day -- traveling. I had to travel from a conference in Indianapolis, connecting through Chicago in the evening. The airports were empty. The plane was nearly empty. The traffic back to my home once I arrived was free and easy.
Love was in the air, and it was heaven.
I suppose that I could love you
Though my mind tells me no way
It says screw it
You've been through it
It' s not worth the price you pay
(Loudan Wainwright III)
I'm not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again
( U2: "All Because of You [I Am])
After many years of buying roses and jewelry and cards, last year I finally found a good reason for why we should celebrate Valentine's Day -- traveling. I had to travel from a conference in Indianapolis, connecting through Chicago in the evening. The airports were empty. The plane was nearly empty. The traffic back to my home once I arrived was free and easy.
Love was in the air, and it was heaven.
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