THE SOUTH, REPUBLICANS, AND OTHER SIGNS THIS COUNTRY IS TOO STUPID TO CONTINUE

If we are not getting dumber as a people, the people we keep putting into office certainly do not qualify as industry standard then. Even worse, the people who keep voting these losers seem even dumber. The problem here is a failing school system that is dumping our youth onto the streets with ZERO skills to get ahead. Hell, most can barely read and write according to some studies. And this is not a left/right issue as both sides seem to suck really hard at coming up with the common sense solutions to any issue.


Let's take this week snowstorm which paralyzed the south again after a couple inches fell. You know what we call that here in the Northeast? Tuesday. But that is somewhat unfair as we have a zillion plows and they have two plows from the 1960's, a wheelbarrow with a hole in it and a "legal" immigrant named Raul with a shovel. What is not in question are two factors that led to the debacle in Atlanta specifically.

The first was government planning, spanning a democratic mayor and a republican governor. No matter how they want to spin this, they are ultimately to blame for all of it. My favorite was listening to the governor, Nathan Deal, actually blame the weathermen for "inaccurate" forecasting. Now while that could be a legitimate argument, dumbass forgot to check beforehand to see of it was right, as the whole world will check, and no it turns out the National Weather Service's forecast was dead on, as  warnings were given as early as 2:30 am. Idiot. So instead of realizing that several inches of snow might cripple the city as they do not have the ability to keep the roads open, the mayor and governor failed to close all government offices, schools and whatnot for the day and ask people to stay home. They should have closed the highways once the snow started falling and arrested anyone out there trying to go somewhere without an excellent reason. Had they done that, like we do here when we have major blizzards that make travel impossible, everything would have been back to normal by now. Instead, they will be clearing stalled cars for weeks.


The other morons in this scenario are all the people who decided to go to work, send the kids to school, knowing full well a major storm was on the way and chances were pretty good the roads would become impassable. I know it was a long time ago, but citizens of Atlanta have to go back all the way to the distant memory that is 2011 to remember that this happened last time. WTF? So three years ago, snow and ice fell, people got trapped in their cars and the entire city ground to a halt for four days. And what did Idiot America do this time? The exact same thing. They all went about their business like nothing was going happen and when disaster struck, no one was ready. Awesome. This is why America is too stupid to exist as critical reasoning seems all but dead. How do you not remember burning your hand on the stove and five minutes later do the exact same thing?

Recent polls do not foster hope for any resolutions to happen anytime soon. Apparently, Sarah Palin sits atop potential 2016 presidential runners with a whopping 70% approval rating. Are you kidding me? One of the dumbest women in America has GOPers frothing at the mouth for a run at the top office, a person so unqualified, I can unequivocally say, my dead cat would be a better candidate. If this is what the Republicans think as a great person to beat Hillary, good luck with that. I hope she does run. She will lose worse than any other presidential candidate in American history. Bet on it. Oddly enough, Mitt Romney is surging back up, according to some polls, probably buoyed by the recent Netflix documentary "Mitt." But chances for him running are slim to none as once you've lost, especially by the huge numbers Romney did, the establishment is unlikely to pick you a second time.


Rounding out the field are Mike Huckabee, Paul Ryan, Paul Rand, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Chris Christie. None of the these are likely to win come 2016 no matter what spin they try. Huckabee is too religious, Paul Ryan and Rand Paul are too close to the Tea Party to make the grade, Jeb Bush has to deal with his last name, now synonymous with failure, Ted Cruz is insane and Chris Christie is fat and corrupt. If Sarah Palin is the best they have, god help the future of the GOP.

Unless Republicans start making better decisions they are going to wind up with corruption from people like Christie, gridlock courtesy of Mitch McConnell, insanity from anyone in the Tea Party and now, bullying on camera, from idiots like Mike Grimm (R-NY). Seems dumbass this week though it would be so smart to threaten a reporter with bodily harm on camera for daring to ask about the FBI investigation into Grimm's alleged campaign finance crimes. These are the people you are voting for. These are the same asses who want to eviscerate food stamps, social security, Medicare and every other program that does nothing for them and everything for the rest of us. Stop voting yourself into an early grave. The democrats may suck but not all of them. Once we get rid of the Republican losers, we can get rid of all the democratic ones next. The truth of the matter is, we really do have the power to make changes in this country but they will not come easy. The best way is to vote and get rid if anyone from either party too cozy with corporate America and start getting people in who are looking out for our best interests, not just the one percent. The Tea Party is fascist. Deal with it. Show up in 2014 and let's give the democrats enough rope to hang themselves with. If they have complete control of everything and still mess it up, it's game over, but at least we will know and not be caught in this never ending gridlock called Congress.

THE STATE OF THE UNION, JUNK SCIENCE AND HOW ALL OF THIS NONSENSE IS SLOWLY KILLING THIS COUNTRY

Anyone listening to the President last night might have thought he had just taken office and hadn't actually been here for the past five years. Let's take a closer look at some of what he said and really dig into how truthful it is.



OBAMA: "Because of this [health care] law, no American can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting condition like asthma, back pain or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more just because she's a woman. And we did all this while adding years to Medicare's finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors."

While it is true that people like myself cannot be dropped due to pre-existing conditions and women can't be charged more, even though they should as they live longer than men, Medicare has increased $5 a month and, with more and more being added to their ranks, its solvency may become a question down the road.

OBAMA: "Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled."

Here is where junk science rears its ugly head. A new study done by the Council On Economic Research stated that upward mobility hasn't changed at all since the 1970's, which is kind of like saying the sky isn't blue, gasoline will chase away the thirsties and Justin Bieber makes great music. This is the same group that stated that the recession ended in 2009, when we all know it really didn't. Every other study shows that upward mobility is falling further and further with only Italy and England beneath us now in the Western World. If you are poor in this country, chances are good you will stay that way.


OBAMA: "We'll need Congress to protect more than 3 million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this summer.  But I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible."

The main reason for this issue is lack on funding from Congress determined to run Obama into the ground rather than actually do their freaking jobs. Obama has said he wants to raise taxes on corporations which to the average Republican comes across as, "I want to stab your mother in the eye." So good luck Obama on getting Congress to back you on anything at this point because they have proven they won't, even if the country burns to the ground in the process.

OBAMA: "In the coming weeks, I will issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour, because if you cook our troops' meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn't have to live in poverty."

This is great if you are a government contractor, but the rest of us will get nothing and like it because the GOP is treating the poor as a disposable commodity and not as actual people, an idea that will eventually bite them in the ass something fierce, possibly in 2014. Income inequality may resonate better than Obamacare in the next election, something the democrats are banking on.


OBAMA: "Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their parents' plans. More than 9 million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage."

The actual number is closer to 2 million who have signed up for the program. The nine he quotes include those that have signed up for Medicaid and have been able to stay on their parents plan, as they are under 26. Not a great start to a poorly rolled out system that had no business being this terrible.

OBAMA "Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency – because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods."

This is from USA today about the above statement:
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. emitted 5,490.63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011. That's 362.4 million metric tons fewer than what was emitted in the U.S. in 2003. And Obama is correct that no other country saw such a large carbon pollution reduction, by metric tons, over the last eight years.

But some perspective is in order. The carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. in 2011 were second only to China, which emitted 8,715.31 million metric tons.

Few other countries even come close to emitting the amount of carbon dioxide that the U.S. does. The U.S. improvement results are different when the reduction amount is measured by the percentage change.



By that measure, dozens of countries fared better than the U.S., which reduced its emissions by 6.2%, including France (8.3% reduction), Germany (14.2%), Italy (15.1%), Spain (8%) and the United Kingdom (13.2%) — all of which committed to reducing emissions under the Kyoto Protocol that took effect in 2005 and has since been extended through 2020. The United States did not ratify the treaty.

Also noteworthy, the EIA credited most of the U.S. reduction in carbon pollution to slower economic growth, weather, higher gasoline prices and an increasing shift from coal to natural gas — not necessarily the government's energy policy, as claimed by Obama.

All in all, it was typical of every other State of the Union address given over the last few decades: short on solutions, long on generalities and offering no real hope for any of the problems we face down the road. Awesome.

CHINA, THE REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE PLAN AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NEVER GOING TO WORK

An article I read today nailed how bad things are in this country. In it, he accurately described how nothing has been fixed in the US since 2008, how Iceland is doing just fine by getting rid of everything and everyone that screwed them over in the first place (banks and corrupt politicians), and the fact that we aren't acting like the Ukrainian protestors shows how spineless we have become.



The news does no bode well for Obama as a recent Washington Post/ABC poll said 63% of the public no longer trust the President. Considering he has been lying through his teeth for some time now, it is slightly refreshing to see such a high number, even if it is skewed by people who hate the President because of his party or race rather than because he is a shmuck who has helped drive this country further into the ground.

The fact the Dow rose today also proves that blatant stock manipulation is still around as there is no rational explanation why anyone would buy stock today unless you are mentally challenged in some way. Foreign markets are collapsing and the contagion is spreading. HSBC tried limiting bank withdrawals before being forced to back down by angry customers, leading to rumors that if China goes under, so does HSBC.



And we all should be really worried as China's largest bank just announced a three day bank holiday right before their New Year celebrations this Friday, which would be like our banks closing before Christmas. There will also be a nine day holiday on all foreign investments, which is spooking the markets everywhere but here, which only dropped a measly 8 points and not the 800 it should have today. This week will not get better, especially after the FED meets this week to discus further tapering of QE Infinity. If they tighten the spigot, world markets may crash. If they raise it, hyperinflation becomes a real possibility down the road. Either way, we are screwed and many are saying look out below as a huge economic disaster seems to be headed our way with no way of stopping it. Fun.

China is further making problems by sending in warships now into contested Japanese waters, which has pissed them off even further. The wrong miscalculation right now and WW3 starts. Between this and the markets about to sail off the Earth, we are facing huge 1914-like problems all over again. This is what happens when you don't learn from history, and as we all know, the Republicans are great at that.


The GOP announced their plan for a new health care option which is no better, and in some ways worse, than Obamacare. In it they plan to use tax credits and removing state barriers to bring down health care costs, neither of which will work as the fundamental problem with our health care system isn't the consumer part but the supply part which has NO price controls and, as a result, we are being gorged to death. Until someone stops the blood flow from that, NO plan will work, least of all the GOP's one which has a few ideas of merit, but is too timid and weak to be effective at all. Just like Obamacare. We have ceased to be the country of bold ideas and instead just do as we are told and follow lemming like to the sea. If people do not start standing up for the rights, we are not going to have any left.

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: CHINA

Holy crap this next week is going to be interesting. Due to China's massive debt bubble about to burst, the entire world economy may be headed for Depression Era stats. A lot of economists are in full panic mode and the stock market certainly looked spooked the last two days of trading. Monday could be another dark day depending on economic futures. Let's see those runner ups.



1)CNN- I never understand how people who are terrible at their jobs keep getting new ones while the best and brightest seem to be left to the sidelines. CNN was floundering when, in a spectacularly bad decision, decided to hire Jeff Zucker, who had most recently run NBC into the ground. Needless to say, so far Zucker has replicated his previous tenure as CNN ratings have plummeted since taking over. His decision to have less news and more infotainment demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge on where he is currently working and viewers have left in droves because of it. A poll was taking right before CNN changed their format and a vast majority of people wanted the channel to REPORT THE NEWS WITHOUT SPIN. How hard is that? Zucker's history shows a meteoric rise to NBC chief that suggests he didn't get their on merit alone because, so far, he's terrible at his job. Fire this loser and report the news again. Please.

2)Justin Bieber- The spawn of Satan strikes again as he has now replaced Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Byrnes as the star to watch how far they can fall. His latest film tanked, his tours are getting less and less attendance (probably due to the fact that he appears bored and drugged during his latest string of shows) and he's getting arrested on an almost daily basis. This week, he was arrested for DUI, illegal street racing and an expired license. At this rate, he'll be dead by twenty. The music world will not miss him.



3)Rob Ford- Yes, everyone's favorite crack smoking mayor is back after a new video surfaced this week showing him at a fast food joint, totally messed up, and speaking in what can only be described as a Jamaican accent. Funny, I swore he said he would never drink again or do drugs. Oh that's right, he's a politician. Everything he says is a lie. Just like America.

4)Anti-drug groups- After Obama came out this week with the most reasonable approach toward pot that ANY president has ever shown, anti-drug groups came out the woodwork to condemn the man for daring to speak the truth. The current drug czar, the head of the DEA and others slammed the president, calling marijuana a scourge on mankind and offered up huge helpings of bullshit that have been thoroughly discredited by actual research and not junk science that has overtaken our society. Current research on all science says that as much as 90% of what we see as science today is based on nonsense. There is SO much disinformation that real problems such as climate change and fracking have been totally obscured by mountains of false data which detractors use as "proof" for their idiotic ideas. Let's get one thing straight about weed: it is not harmful. No one in the history of time has ever died from smoking weed. How many can say that about anything else, including aspirin, alcohol or cigarettes, not to mention the millions killed from prescription drugs? Stop hating on weed as that ship has sailed. It will be legal in every state by the end of the decade. Bet on it.


5)Jamie Dimon- Will some please explain to me how someone who helped crash the economy can get a 74% raise and now make $20 million a year? Well that's just what happened with JP Morgan/Chase CEO Jamie Dimon whose salary rose a huge amount for saving the company from paying out even more in settlements with the US Government, showing how much we actually got taken for. This is fascism alive and well. We are subsidizing losses by the rich and taking it form the poor to pay for it and the Tea Party wants this. I hate this country as no one seems to be mad about this. In the Ukraine, people have barricaded themselves in local parks and are demanding the resignation of the government. When we tried that, the neo-hippies of OWS decided smoking pot and playing in a drum circle while giving NO demands at all was better. Even worse, when the police came to get rid of them, they didn't fight back at all. They left and never came back. Way to stand up for your principles losers. As a result we got no change at all we could believe in. The older crowd joined the Tea Party while the younger crowd just gave up. Awesome. Meanwhile, Dimon is laughing at all of you, thrilled he got away with another year of bilking the US public. Due to current economic realities which I will go into greater detail later, it may be too late now to fix the massive debt bubble about to burst. When it does, you are all going to wish you had done more.

6)Duck Dynasty- Proving my point that the new Silent Majority are now liberals rather than the opposite like they used to be, the ratings for this show have fallen off the map. What was once the 2nd highest rated show on TV, has dropped by half by the first episode and another 20% the week after. Ouch. Here's the sad fact for all conservatives out there: you may be louder than us, but there are more or us than there are of you. This has been demonstrated time and time again when out of touch Republicans try anti-abortion laws or other women oriented draconian laws that seems to send them packing on a regular basis. A&E showed incredible stupidity here by agreeing with a bigot and people have responded, not by screaming at the top of their lungs, but merely by turning the channel. This does not bode well for A&E's other shows which may also show a slide of people like myself who boycott the channel completely. I am tired of religious right-wingers crying about tolerance while they piss all over my ideas. Until A&E cancels this show, I will not be watching ANYTHING on your network. I hope many others join me in this. By the way, here's a picture of what these douchebags looked like BEFORE the show.


They are yuppie scum bags laughing all the way to the bank and you rubes are buying it up as them being "authentic." Stop buying into media distortions and stop watching drek like this.

7)NSA- A government panel this week reviewed all the NSA data and concluded the entire practice was completely illegal and had no real ability to stop anything. Wait, what? Yes that's right, an independent panel said that all the crap we've heard from Mike Rogers and Diane Feinstein about how the NSA has stopped at least 12 separate attacks were a big bunch of lies. Shocker. They found no conclusive evidence that the massive data mining done by the NSA had any real value other than for nefarious purposes. Can we please stop spying on everyone already now?



8)Republicans- The GOP had another stellar week, with multiple faux pas by several prominent Republicans, making their drive to control the Senate looking less and less likely by the day. Chris Christie was in the news every day with some new revelation about his corruption, including several mayors accusing him of graft and a new tie to the head of private prison corporation that calls into question some of the governor decisions on the prisons of his state. Meanwhile, former Virginia governor and presidential hopeful for 2016, Bob McDonald and his wife, were indicted for corruption charges as he took money from private donors to support his lavish lifestyle. The funny part about all of this were interviews of him talking about how America needs to live within a budget like his family does. That is irony and hypocrisy to the max. Then there is Joshua Black, who is running in the Florida race for the State House, unwisely said Obama "should be hanged for treason." Guess who got a visit from secret service? He still plans to run. Good luck with that. Dinesh D'Souza, who made the laughably bad anti-Obama film "2016" was arrested this week for campaign fraud by giving more than $20,000 to a single candidate, which, for now, is illegal. Come this spring that may change. But the winner for this week of GOP retards is Mike Hukabee for his idiotic comments about birth control and how women who cannot control their libido are not his responsibility. I find this odd as I know Viagra is covered by insurance which would say much the same about men, doesn't it? Funny how that never comes up. The democrats may be bad but at least they are not actively promoting fascism.



9)China- There is a good possibility that the world economy is going to self destruct this week. Depending on what China does to stop their economy from a full on implosion, world markets are going to be rocked as Friday approaches. China's third largest bank may go belly up by Friday causing a Lehman Brother's moment, only far, far worse. The currencies of Turkey, Russia, Argentina and South Africa got hammered this week as the tapering off of QE Infinity has caused a steep drop in foreign currency as cheap money is tightening, also leading to the current crisis in China. As money is harder to come by, some, especially in China, are using loan shark types, or "shadow banks" to keep their economy going, which is only a stop gap until the bottom falls out. HSBC is limiting withdrawals from their bank this week, as a majority of their capital is tied up in Chinese manufacturing which dropped off the map, and the main reason for the 500 point sell off on the Dow. There will be another meeting soon in which further tapering of the QE will be debated. If they decide to lower it, world currencies will begin to fail. If they raise it, hyperinflation becomes more likely. Thus the reason, I see us as so screwed. We have failed to fix anything from 2008, the public has demanded nothing and we have gotten the world we deserve. On top of all that, China has threatened to start shooting planes down in their new contested airspace. They are doing this over international waters and contains islands Japan claims as their own. This is the kind of thing that could lead to a much bigger war and if the economy starts to tail spin this week, bet on a major war breaking out soon after. It's 1914 all over again and the world appears ready for war, probably the last one if they go as bad as they might. So enjoy what time you have because things may be real bleak by Friday. Congratulations China you are indeed douchebag of the week.

GOLD RESERVES, OBAMACARE AND OTHER SIGNS OF IMPENDING DOOM

Before anyone out there crucifies me for bad mouthing Obamacare, understand that while a step in the right direction, it is still an unholy mess. The main sticking point for me is the crappy web site which, much like Chris Christie's attempts at plausible deniability, makes Obama look much worse in the long run. Why he wasn't keeping tabs on a regular basis on CGI Federal is beyond me. And why give a contract like this to a company with a history of poorly designed health care websites? Obama may not be as bas as George Bush was, but he is sure competing in some of the same events.


The central problem with Obamacare, and Romney care from which it is based, is the fact that neither do anything to cut out of control health care costs. Contrary to what we were told, rates continues to skyrocket here in MA, where my plan is currently being cancelled for unknown reasons, forcing me to either pay more for less or less for a lot less. Awesome. As my rates recently went up $50 a month, an outrageous sum flying in the face of "low" inflation, this means everyone's rates are going to go up as well. How is that saving us anything at this point?

Health care is NOT a supply and demand commodity. You are forced to buy whatever your doctor prescribes because most of us do not know any better. And if that pill costs thousands per month, you'll find some sort of way to pay for it, especially if your life is at stake. Thus we still have record breaking bankruptcies happening each month as unpayable bills stack up for those who actually have insurance. All we've done is subsidize huge rates on the back of the taxpayer who now have to cover insurance rates that are going up at an astronomical pace. Our health care system needs to be taken out of private hands and nationalized immediately. No more Big Pharma. No more private health insurance as a primary source. We need to start looking at how countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Japan run their health care systems which are cheaper, and far superior to ours. If we don't and keep telling ourselves that government can't do anything, trust me, private companies are even worse. How well did a private company, Federal CGI, do with all of this? Not well.


And because of the utter failure of Obamacare at this point, caused almost entirely by the President and his staff with a huge assist from the GOP, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said that as the young and/or healthy uninsured have not signed up for the program, the company may be forced out of the health exchange program. This is telling as if this happens, expect a domino effect in which many, if not all, of the companies follow suit. And then rates will rise beyond what anyone can afford. What then government? As Congress can't agree on what color the sky is, bold moves desperately needed to fix decades of Republican nonsense and corporate malfeasance are not coming any time soon. What may be coming soon is a total collapse.

Recently I wrote about how the Chinese may be ready to crumble as one of their largest banks appears to be headed for insolvency. This may be one of the reasons Germany wants its gold stocks held in the US back. So far, the US has refused. Of the 1500 tons we have, we gave them five tons back. Many are speculating that the reason for this is that we spent all of it. What also is happening, as some one who writes about the gold market for a living knows, Asia is buying up gold like it's, well, gold.  Here's Dr. Paul Craig Roberts take on this whole thing:

"The reason is: the ability to supply large amounts of gold to the bullion dealers to sell has diminished with the supply of gold and silver.  What the Fed did was turn to massive ‘naked shorts’ of gold futures contracts.  They don’t have the real gold  . . . so they come in and dump contracts, say in a period of 6 minutes, that are three times the amount of gold COMEX has to make delivery. . . . So, it drives down the price of gold.  That’s how they got the price down from $1,900 to $1,250.”

"The point is the ability to continue selling these ‘naked shorts’ is now disappearing because there is no gold left to back them up… None of these EFT’s has the gold to back the shares.  The ability to continue looting them in order to make good on gold deliveries is running out.  So, this will prevent the Fed from selling ‘naked shorts’ to protect the dollar from its policy of quantitative easing.  That’s what’s it’s all about.  You can’t print $1,000 billion new dollars every year without causing other holders of dollars to wonder about the value of the money and to seek a way of getting out of it.  China has been doing that by going into gold.”

"I think, this year, you are going to see a further downturn in the economy.  The signs are not only that we do not have a recovery, but it’s going to get worse… Christmas sales were very negative.  There’s no growth in people’s income and no jobs.  So, if the economy goes down further, what does that mean?  It means the deficit widens.  It means they have a greater debt ceiling lift.  They have to have a bigger debt ceiling increase, and all of this will alarm the world.  They’ll say, good heavens, they already had a trillion dollar deficit.  Now it’s gone up, and the Fed can’t stop the quantitative easing without the stock and bond market collapsing.  The banks’ solvency will become an issue.  So, the world is watching a bigger deficit, more printing of money, and they are likely to start dumping dollars.  When they do that, they’ll say ‘gold, I want gold.’  There’s not much supply to meet demand, and the price has to escalate.  So, I wouldn’t be surprised if that shows up this year.”



While this is going on, huge bets on the derivative market keep appearing as well, meaning as they know the price is going to go down, they can bet huge and win knowing the outcome is assured. It is also why the derivative market has a $800 trillion to $1.2 quadrillion loss ratio. If I know the roulette wheel is always going to stop on a number I already know, I can break the bank on a regular basis. It is the exact same thing going on now and sooner or later, the casino is going to go bust and take us all down with it. Anyone with physical gold,  not worthless paper stocks, could make a killing in future months once this scam gets outed and gold rises exponentially. Buy gold now, trust me, it's a good investment, particularly gold coins which can add extra value.

Without a stronger middle class which would require a near doubling of the average salary at this point, the economy cannot continue. Even worse, recent studies say as many as 70% of all jobs will be obsolete over the next twenty years. As populations will continue to grow, this means a total collapse of our economy, and the world's, as capitalism will fail under this brave new world. Someone had better come up with a new economic theory soon because these old, outdated models are failing and soon there will not be enough jobs for anyone.

DIANE FEINSTEIN, MIKE ROGERS, OBAMA, THE 1% AND OTHER DOUCHEBAGS RUINING OUR LIVES

This country is being radically transformed into a fascist state and some of you out there are actually demanding it, ie the Tea Party. Our police are becoming more and more militarized. Our government is firmly in the back pocket of Big Business and minus a few heroes in Congress, like Bernie Saunders or Liz Warren, the rest are totally corrupt. And on top of all that comes new data that shows how poor 99.9% of the world is compared to our super rich overlords.

Let's start with Diane Feinstein and Mike Rogers, or Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as they should be better known, and their insane, completely unprovable notion that Ed Snowen was working for the Russians. Are you kidding me? They offered no evidence of any of this and is directly contradicted by everything we have seen so far, including the statements by every intelligence and Senate committees that have stated unequivocally that Snowden acted alone. This is some true Big Brother crap where Newspeak is becoming all too real. Let's play their game right back at them. I have it on good authority that Diane Feinstein is a child molester. I don't actually have any proof, but I am saying she could be. Just saying. And Mike Rogers wears women's underwear. Again I have no proof, but I also have no proof he doesn't so let that sink in.


When they were interviewed by David Gregory, God forbid he asks a good follow-up question, like "Shouldn't the NSA have picked up on the whole Russia connection considering you are listening to everyone?" But Gregory is a terrible journalist and may be the reason Meet The Press is dying. George Stephanopoulos fared no better, but he sunk himself during a Presidential debate where he asked zero good questions, so that is no surprise that he couldn't ask Michael McCaul (R-TX), who made the same spurious arguments against Snowden during The Week, any follow ups to this outlandish, false statements. I am sick of politicians using their power to spread false rumors about nonsense that the stupid out there parrot with sickening regularity. These three deserve to be run out on a rail already. Any one voting for any of these schmucks deserves what they get.

And then we have our President who speaks out of both sides of his mouth. According to a recent interview in the New Yorker, Obama says pot isn't that bad and, while he doesn't want his daughters smoking it, he thinks the states have a right to legalize it if they wish. Then why pray tell have you done nothing to fix the Federal government versus states laws that are keeping legal pot a cash only business and making it very unsafe for the owners? Why are you not using pardons to get rid of all the non violent drug users, especially pot users, from prison which you can do WITHOUT congressional approval? Why is your drug czar spouting nonsense from the film Reefer Madness about the effects of weed which, contrary to this idiot, have been well documented and researched and practically harmless, mind you almost always outside of the US? On top of that, he is still trying to get the TPP passed, even though every single House democrat has said they will vote against it as well as some Senate democrats. He doesn't even have a majority of the Republicans backing him on this, meaning this proposal is dead in the water and rightfully so. This is the kind of crap I would expect from the GOP not a so called democrat, which Obama is definitely not. I am getting madder and madder at this loser with every passing day. Can we please elect someone who's first priority isn't to make rich people richer? We can no longer afford any more corporatists from either side, lest this country become really fascist.


Meanwhile, recent data shows how much the rich have. 85 people have as much wealth as half of the planet now. In other words, 85 people have at least $1.7 trillion among just them and that amount is most likely much, much higher than that. That is the official number of wealth gathered according to Forbes Magazine, but as previous columns have shown, I have good evidence that that number is most likely much higher, anywhere from $30 to $300 trillion higher. That is what we have been voting for, especially within the GOP. They want to give even more money to rich people because all of it isn't enough. The worst part about this is that all of this is being hidden in off shore accounts and is not being taxed or regulated at all. And because of that, we are beginning to see cracks that may take down the world economy.


There is a distinct possibility of that happening soon as China may experience a Lehman Brother like collapse on the 31st of this month, which will send the world economy into a tailspin, just like ours did in 2008. Chinese Media reported that China Credit Trust Co may not be able to pay off investors after the end of the month and recent data suggests they may be broke. A default could lead to a stampede away from Chinese banks and crash their system, leading to a ripple effect as their system is not set up in a way for checks and balances that may tip their economy right off the edge, and the rest of us with it.

The end result may be a fascist state, as our economy sinks again and rioting takes place when money becomes scarce. When the cards all come tumbling down, we will either have anarchy or a police state and both kind of suck for different reasons. We have to be more aware and better informed which is near impossible in today's disinformation world of propaganda. But at least here, you will get the truth, even if it is what you don't want to hear.

TOP FIFTEEN MOVIES OF 2013

It was a great year for movies which is why I had to go from a top ten to a top fifteen and I haven't seen all the movies on many critics best of list. So you won't see Captain Phillips, 12 Years a Slave, Her, or Dallas Buyer's Club on here which had I seen then, they might have made this a top twenty list instead.

15)The Bay- Contrary to what some think, this is not a documentary about Michael Bay, but one of the few found footage films that doesn't suck out loud. Directed brilliantly by ace director Barry Levinson, the footage is pieced together from various sources after an ecological disaster that decimated a small town and covered up by the government. Part horror movie, part wake up call to stop pollution, this movie was well shot and very scary. A must see for horror fans.

14)White House Down- Of all the over the top action movies this year, this one was the best. Channing Tatum stars as a secret service wannabe who ends up having to save the President, well played by Jamie Foxx, from a terrorist group who has taken over the White House. The script is loud and brash and very funny at times. It got slaughtered in the box office as the very similar themed flick, Olympus Has Fallen, came out months before and was essentially the same movie. This one was better and did not have Gerald Butler who I still don't know why he is a star. If you like your action fast and funny, give this one a shot.

13)Machete Kills- This movie is really stupid, way over the top to the point of ridiculousness and is borderline insane. I also enjoyed it more than just about every other film I say this year. It was really funny, and by that I mean if you find someone's intestines being ripped out and thrown into a helicopter rotor funny, then this is the movie for you. Danny Trejo continues to fascinate me and Mel Gibson, yes that one, is awesome in this movie, playing his first bad guy and relishing the part. The movie promises a sequel of Machete in Space, looking like a bad Moonraker clone, but considering how poorly this one did, I have little hope of ever seeing it which is too bad because I would be there opening weekend.

12)The Hobbit 2- I really liked the first Hobbit no matter what anyone says. I did not find it as meandering as some did and enjoyed the new 48 fps rate that looked awesome on the big screen but had some blurring issues and rain looked really, really fake, as if the cast was being sprayed with a garden house. This time, Peter Jackson fixed all of that and created a lean, mean story which had lots of character development, introduction to new and familiar faces, like Orlando Bloom's Legolas, and lots and lots of Smaug. Martin Freeman continues to grow as Bilbo and watching him face off against the voice of Sherlock Holmes is fun on so many levels. I cannot wait for the last in this trilogy.

11)VHS 2- Another found footage film that was really well done and just as good as the underappreciated original. While the nudity has been toned way done from the first one, the stories are better crafted mainly because serious directors signed up for this one including the directors of films like The Raid and The Blair Witch Project, both of which have some of the stronger stories in this anthology. The best is a documentary being filmed about some sort of weird Asian cult that gets weirder and weirder as it goes. It's unnerving. Watch at night by your self at your own peril.

10)Spring Breakers- Of all the movies I saw this year, this was the biggest surprise. If you told me a film with Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens would be this fantastic I would have asked if you just returned from Colorado and how the pot smoking tour went. This was one of the best shot movies from ANYONE this year and the fact that it was a movie about four teens becoming bank robbers under the tutelage of a corn rowed James Franco, spells out how rare that had to be. This movie should have been nominated for best cinematography, as the night scenes are stunningly shot and even the scenes of nothing more than a bus driving down a bridge are done in a superior way. I cannot emphasize how much I liked this film and will be keeping an eye out for more by director Harmony Korine, who shockingly is male despite the name and is best known for writing Larry Clark's masterpiece, Kids. For a first film, this guy is someone to watch out for.

9)Inequality For All- The only documentary on this list this year, this one by Robert Reich was brilliant and fascinating. Part biography, part life lesson about the growing inequality gap in this country, this film is a wake up call for any who cannot see the writing on the wall. Reich goes into great detail why the minimum wage needs to be raised, why the middle class creates jobs, not rich douchebags, and how Republicans are destroying the planet (and some Democrats). He calls out Obama for being a corporatists, as is most of Congress, leading to the proto-fascist state we live in now. This is a must see for every American and schools should be showing nationwide. They won't because Tea Party morons would complain to the high heavens about government force feeding their kids commie beliefs or some equally ridiculous notion. This country is doomed and this film explains exactly why.

8)Antiviral- Another first time director, David Cronenberg's son Brandon, proves to be a chip off the block with this sickening look at celebrity worship. As I write this, some people out there are getting massive amounts of plastic surgery to look like their favorite star. In the end, they usually look more freakish than star. This film goes a step further and asks the question would people want to get the same diseases as their worship fantasies go? Want a cold that Brad Pitt has? Step right up. When a guy working the black market angle infects himself with something beyond deadly, he races against time to find out how to save himself in really icky, Cronenberg, kind of ways. This is not for the faint of heart, but if you make it to the end, you will be thinking about it for weeks afterward.

7)Star Trek- The sequel got a lot of flack for not revealing that SPOILER ALERT, Benedict Cumberbatch was really Khan, but ignored the fact that this was a thrilling movie even if it was kind of a rip off of Wrath of Khan. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto continue to do great work as Kirk and Spock and Karl Urban as McCoy steals every scene he is in. Some in the cast like Anton Yelchin's Chekov get short changed for screen time but every one else is in fine form in this action Sci-fi adventure. Those that missed it on the big screen lost out big time.

6)John Dies At The End- Don Coscarelli is one of my favorite directors and we once tried to get his film Phantasm 2000 made, which for unknown reason could never get the five million needed to make it, which is too bad because the script was awesome and would have had Reggie Banister and Bruce Campbell together which is horror nerd heaven. His latest from a allegedly unfilmable book is a masterpiece which describes what happens when a drug known as "soy sauce' alters not only consciousness but reality as well. It's messed up and barely coherent but at the same time awesome and funny. If you like cult movies, try this.

5)This Is The End-One of the funniest movie this year has Seth Rogan, Jay Barachel, James Franco and his friends playing fictionalized versions of themselves when the apocalypse hits LA. This film is hilarious from start to finish with each playing to the hilt themselves times ten, with Jonah Hill's over nice routine masking an evil center a fantastic role. Even Michael Cera who has a small role as a coked up douchebag version of himself, makes every second count as he is funny every moment he is on screen. This film is a laugh riot. Don't miss it.

4)American Hustle- Loosely based on the true story of the Abscam con run by the FBI, this film crackles with energy and will be getting a few Oscars from the cast and/or director. Of all the films I saw this year, this one had the best cast overall and one of the best directed for sure. Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence have solid shots at winning as well as for best director and best picture. Watch the awful wigs everyone is wearing, the low cut dresses that Adams practically does not wear and think Oscar.

3)Gravity- This was hands down the best directed movie I saw all year. Considering only two actors are in the movie, that's saying something. The story of Sandra Bullock trying to survive adrift in space is frightening and thrilling and the way it is shot, you will feel as if you are right next to her. Alphonzo Curon should win for best directing because no other film was even close.

2)Anchorman 2- Not only was the film hysterical but was a biting satire at the news today. Will Farrell continues to amaze me with his range, but playing this lovable buffoon is one of my favorites. According to this movie, Ron Burgandy is why news sucks so bad these days and that is really funny to a news junkie like me who sees how bad it is every day. This was the funniest movie of the year.

1)The Wolf Of Wall Street- Martin Scorsese is one the greatest directors ever. His latest is Goodfellas on Wall Street and it works. Leo DiCaprio is awesome in the lead and Jonah Hill gives one of his finest performances to date. Following the life of failed stock broker, Jordan Belfort, it's a rags to riches to still pretty rich tale of greed, hookers, coke and Quaaludes. Many complain about the excess shown but that's the point of the film. It shines a mirror on us all and shows us that many of us would have done the exact same thing Belfort did. Who would pass up the opportunity to make hundreds of millions of dollars a year, even if the work was slightly shady? Few of us. But some do turn down that role and one of the reason Belfort fell was due to their efforts which included God because some of the stuff that happens to Belfort can only be described as true acts of nature. I won't spoil it here but when you see the incredible amount of bad luck Belfort suffers from through random chance, you have to wonder if God didn't look down and say ENOUGH! This was the best movie of the year and one everyone should see.

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: US CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS

In what can only be described as one of the worst decisions in the history of the United States, the US Circuit Court of Appeals decided the Internet is only for rich people and the rest of us can go sulk. WTF? Are you kidding me? And some of you out there, mainly Libertarian and Tea Party retards, are actually championing it. Never forget Hitler didn't come to power without mucho support from the public. Winston Churchill once said, "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." This week proves that. Let's see those runner ups.


1)Babies- That's right, freaking babies. For anyone ever trapped on a plane next to one with colic, whooping couch and a set of lungs a free diver would be envious of, this piece goes out to you. Japanese researchers discovered that true to evolutionary norms, babies learn to fake cry for attention really early in development. This does not surprise me, as humans learn quickly and even infants pick up on things you wouldn't expect. It does supposedly help with the bonding of the child, but I still see it as a manipulation meaning that even as babies, we like screwing with each other. Aren't humans awesome? Sigh.

2)Cats- That right again, cats. I like cats mind you, but let's face facts, they usually seem like they could take it or leave us half the time. Dogs are much more all about you. New studies show that cats look at humans as just another lazy cat, albeit much larger and capable of tossing them across large expanses should one wish. Unlike dogs, cats were never bred for companionship purposes and still retain a lot of the wild, "don't mess with me attitude," that they whole heartedly possesses. I still want another after my last one died after 19 years (which is longer than any female relationship I have ever had which usually peter out after seven) and the entire time, I was staff at best to her. But I loved her still and so will all other cats lovers with their holy demons but this article does make a lot of sense.


3)Justin Bieber- Speaking of pussies, Justin Bieber is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Seems douchebag thought it would be funny to egg his neighbor's house, only he somehow did $20,000 worth of damage. The only way I could think that possible is if he broke some very expensive windows, which is possible as a small bay window can cost upward of eight grand but I am wondering if this might not be more than slightly exaggerated. Either way, twelve, that's right twelve cop cars showed up, a police helicopter and a grumpy drug dog named Gus. In true American form, the cops demonstrated superior force when none was needed, searched the home of a white guy because of a rich neighbor bitching and walked away with a black suspect, Lil Za for allegedly having drugs in plain view, instead. That is satire in the real world.

4)Southwest Airlines- In what can only be described as insane, a Southwest flight to Branson, MO landed at the wrong airport, which was much, much smaller. The pilot must have realized his mistake when he saw the cliff approaching and, according to passengers, laid rubber to the pavement like no one in history. The pilot then came on as everyone retched on the overpowering smell of a NASCAR race to tell everyone sheepishly that they landed at the wrong place. Oops. As people disembarked they realized how close to death they came as the end of the runway was feet from where the plane stopped. Even worse, this is the second time this has happened in the US in the last three months. Are pilots getting worse due to the crappy pay they subject them to lately? Probably.


5)Chris Christie- This man is not having a good week. His ratings have plummeted, the newspapers and late night talk shows are making mince meat of him, the Feds are investigating him for misuse of funds, and even his closest allies are distancing them from him. His presidential chances look very slim for 2016 at this point. Good.

6)Reince Priebus- One of the few defending Christie is RNC leader RP, who true to form decried everything about Christie as "left wing conspiracy theories" to going back to the pseudo scandals of Benghazi and the IRS. First off, there is no conspiracy theory with Bridgegate but conspiracy fact. Several people within the administration made sure of the lane closings for political retribution, the very definition of a conspiracy. This dick has got to go if the RNC has any hope of attracting people with an above average IQ.


7)Banks and pot- It came to light this week that banks in Colorado and Washington are refusing to do business with and of the new pot businesses because of, and this without a doubt the most hysterical, bullshit response in the history of mankind, UNETHICAL. Yes that's right, the same people that crashed the economy while laughing about it think legal pot is going too far. As a result, owners are making huge cash deposits, making them a target for crime that wouldn't be there is the banks would do their fucking job! I hate the banks and so should you.

8)Glenn Grothman (R-WA)- This is the same butt I wrote about a few days ago who wants to eliminate weekends because who doesn't want to work seven days a week? Not this moron who only works 100 days a year but thinks you working 24/7 is great for everyone, especially Big Business which will use this to exploit workers even more. Is anyone ever going to get mad about anything important or are we still trying to rid the world of meat, words like retard and midget, and other equally unimportant bullshit.


9)Chad Oulson and Curtis Reeves- A man was shot in a theater in Florida this week for texting. The funny thing about this story is that it is not as cut and dried as it first appeared. The victim, Reeves,43, was texting during a showing of Sole Survivor and was asked multiple times by Oulson, 71 and a retired police officer, to stop. When he refused, Oulson left to complain to management. Returning a few minutes later, Reeves got agitated that he got ratted out and threw a tub of popcorn at him for which he was immediately shot. Now while I hate people who use their phone in theaters and have thought about shooting some myself, this does seem like overkill. On the flip side, someone asks you several times to stop doing something annoying and your response is to get even more so, probably deserved to get shot and killed. Stand your Ground will get used here for sure but I think this guy's is probably screwed and rightfully so. Still the life lesson here is don't be a dick because anyone could kill you for the smallest of reasons.

10)Santa Anna Cops- If you live in this town be aware that a jury just ruled that regardless of a video showing police killing a man for no apparent reason, the police can no legally kill you with no repercussions. Somehow, some way a jury acquitted two police officers of murder after they killed a struggling man, who was also mentally ill. Now I am not saying that the guy was a saint or was complying, but I know how to subdue people having taken martial arts for many years, and these cops had ZERO training in any of that. I have never seen a more disorganized way for multiple police to take down a suspect than this video. There was no reason to kill him and they did and a jury said that's fine. Another reason I think jury by peers is outdated and could replaced by professional, non biased jurors in which EVERYTHING is televised. You want to keep things honest, live broadcast every proceeding every day. You've been told the reason why they don't allow cameras is because of privacy concerns or lawyers playing to the camera. The real reason is the powers that be don't want you to see what a sham our legal system really is.


11)US Court of Appeals- I am still in shock that these groups of legal minds decided that allowing companies like Verizon to control the Internet could have absolutely no serious ramifications whatsoever. How stupid or corrupt are they because that is the only two answers that fit? I don't know who is on this bench, other than David Tatel, but if there was ever a reason for impeachment, this is it. These fuckwad supremes actually said that rich people can have their internet and the rest of us can have ours. Theirs will be a super fast autobahn while ours will be the George Washington Bridge after Chris Christie has another snit with Fort Lee. Sites like this and a zillion others will disappear, news will be corporate controlled only, and true fascism will take hold for certain. Innovation will also end as current companies will just pay to keep their services up and running with the understanding that any competitor gets locked out. Hope you like Facebook because there will NEVER be another social website page. Same goes for Netflix, Hulu and any other established company, unless of course Verizon decides it wants that part of the market and establishes its own brands and kills the competitors with denial of service. Prices will rise as choices are eliminated. This is death to our society. Hell, even Fox News with Sheppard Smith went off on a pundit they described as a "corporate shill." FOX NEWS. You know why? Because they could just as easily be offed in this new scheme which will send corporate control into the stratosphere and usher in a true fascist society. If people don't start standing up and opposing this kind of nonsense, there isn't going to be a country left. And for those of you for this awful, awful ruling, fuck off and die. You guys are killing us and you don't even see it. But history shows what happens when one side overreaches and trust me, you don't want to be anyone near this when it blows up in their faces. So congratulations US Court of Appeals and Judge David Tatel, you are indeed douchebag of the week.

US COURT KILLS INTERNET, REPUBLICANS TRY TO ELIMINATE WEEKENDS AND OTHER SIGNS FACSISM GROWING

Any one who says we are not living in a proto-fascist state isn't paying enough attention. Today in a ruling destined to go to the Supreme Court post haste, the US Court of Appeals in DC struck down the net neutrality rules that have governed the internet since it's inception. What this means is that corporations will soon have total control of the information on the net by slowing down to a crawl any one they don't like for any reason they choose. Sites like this will disappear almost overnight and the only news you'll get then will be that which our fascist leaders decide. The step of establishing a REAL fascist state is to control all information the public receives. This ruling will guarantee just that.


What will eventually happen once the final ruling is put into place will give companies like Verizon total control over the internet with the ability to decide who gets what bandwith with no regulations over which sites gets preference. This is the ultimate free market decision. Are you happy with this because if you are, you are truly stupid, no matter which side of the fence you are on. Tea Party nonsense? Gone. Left wing lunacy? Also gone. While that doesn't sound so bad, the rest of us will also get swept under the rug with them, eliminating free speech and destroying the first amendment in the process. Isn't living in a land free of regulations grand?

Now word is the FCC is going to reclassify broadband as having to abide by the regulation, rather than be exempt, a provision that sounds like it was inserted by some Tea Party retard tired of all the "useless" regulations that are keeping us all alive and healthy. But who needs health and life when you can reap incredible profits? If this ruling stands, we will have entered into a true fascist state where only Big Brother will speak and the rest of us will be silenced. Contact your local senators and representatives to complain BIG TIME about this, regardless of party as EVERYONE will be hurt by this. Everyone!



As if that wasn't bad enough, a Wisconsin lawmaker, state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R), wants to eliminate weekends. That's right, weekends. Seems there is some pesky law that does not allow people to work seven days straight and this ass wants to eliminate that. This is from the Huffington Post:

The Huffington Post obtained an email Grothman sent to other state lawmakers on Friday in which he proposes legislation that “would allow an employee to voluntarily choose to work without one day of rest in seven.” State Rep. Mark Born (R) is sponsoring the legislation in the state Assembly.

Wisconsin is somewhat unique in having the law on its books. “Right now in Wisconsin, you’re not supposed to work seven days in a row, which is a little ridiculous because all sorts of people want to work seven days a week,” Grothman told The Huffington Post. But workers don’t have to get a day off every seven days, as they could work for up to 12 in a row “if the days of rest fall on the first and last days of the 2 week period,” according to the law. Grothman called the law “goofy” and called undoing it a matter of “freedom.”

While he argues that the law would ease workers’ ability to work overtime, it’s possible that employers would force their employees to work the extra time, making it less than voluntary. “It’s a very hard thing to know whether something is truly voluntary or not,” Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute Ross Eisenbrey told the Huffington Post. “If the employer puts pressure on people and lets them know they will be unhappy if workers exercise their right to have a day off, that might be enough so that no worker ever does anything but volunteer to work seven days a week.”



Who here, of any party affiliation, wants to work seven days a week? No one, that's who. Here's more from the same source:

In fact, the power usually lies with employers and instances of them abusing labor laws are already on the rise. In 2009, two-thirds of low-income workers said they had experienced a wage law violation in the previous week alone. Wage theft, where an employer illegally withholds overtime pay or makes its employees work off the clock, robs low-wage workers of more money than is stolen from banks, gas stations and convenience stores combined. Actions filed in federal court alleging wage and hour violations increased by 400 percent between 2000 and 2011.
 
And the law doesn’t always come to workers’ rescue. In California, workers recovered less than half of what was taken from them from 2008 to 2011, and, worse, 83 percent of those who actually proved a case of wage theft still never got what they were owed.

American workers already put in more hours and are guaranteed less time off than most other developed peers. We work more than in any other industrialized countries. Unlike in the United States, it’s illegal in six of the 10 most competitive countries in the world to make workers put in more than 48 hours a week. The United States also lacks laws guaranteeing that workers can take time off if they or their family members are sick, will get vacation or holiday time off, or can take paid time off for the arrival of a new child. Many other developed and competitive countries, on the other hand, do guarantee these things.

Grothman would also go further and take away the national holiday for government workers on Martin Luther King, Jr., day. He was a sponsor of the country’s first preemption bill that blocked cities and local communities from enacting paid sick days legislation in Wisconsin.



This guy is a dick and you WILL see him again tomorrow on my Douchebag of the Week column. This is what the Tea Party wants in both the above scenarios: a country in which workers have no rights and your freedom of speech will be shut down by the same greedy companies exploiting us. Everything unions gave us, like weekends off, a forty hour work week, affordable health care, sick days, vacation days and safe working conditions are all being eliminated. The worst part is that some of you out there are demanding this. Wise up or get ready to worship the new swastika because fascism is on the rise and shows no sign of abating. Be prepared.