Slouching Towards Oblivion

Thursday, October 18, 2012

New AutoTune



hat tip = Balloon Juice

Doing The Laundry

From Rolling Stone Magazine, by Tim Dickinson:
Are Romney's tax dodges legal? It's impossible to say for sure, given how little he has disclosed. But tax experts note that there are plenty of red flags, including an investigation by New York prosecutors into tax abuses at Bain Capital that began on Romney's watch. "He aggressively exploits every loophole he can find," says Victor Fleischer, a professor of tax law at the University of Colorado. "He's pushing the limits of tax law beyond what many think is reasonable." Indeed, a look at Romney's finances reveals just how skilled he is at hiding his wealth – and paying a fraction of his fair share in taxes.
 The more I learn about this guy, the smaller he looks.

Gettin' It Done - 19

Dunno what to say about this one except that you gotta know where to put your resources.  So maybe I'll just shut up and let the guy work.
19. Began Asia “Pivot”: In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Take Me Down To Your Dance Floor

One from Gram Parsons - covered by Ryan Adams.






Sounds Vaguely Important

What makes the stories in this clip different from stories we used to hear in school about Robber Barons and Company Stores and dead Union Organizers?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


This just keeps sounding shittier and shittier.

On Process

I get into it a lot sometimes - not into the process so much as into the conflict that the process is supposed to help us avoid.  Which I think is kinda the point here.  If more of us were able to pay more attention to what goes on and participate in making the thing work, maybe fewer of us would be gettin' fucked over so often(?)

Anyway, next time somebody starts complaining about how snarky or angry or crazed you sound when trying to talk about what should or shouldn't be happening in the world, point 'em to this little gem from Up With Chris Hayes:

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Gettin' It Done - 20

Jim Webb led the efforts in the Senate, and he credits the White House for smoothing the way; sometimes by not doing much- or seeming not to do much.  'Cuz sometimes just staying outa the way and working the back channels is how you get things done.

This is one of those things that totally sticks in the GOP craw.  A mainstay of Repub-Think  is that Dems hate soldiers and all things military, and it just kills "conservatives" to consider even the remotest possibility that a Dem could do something good for veterans.
20. Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011 budget by 10 percent. Also signed new GI bill offering $78 billion in tuition assistance over a decade, and provided multiple tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans.
So where are we now?  Lemme see.

Handle the Economy = Dems
Domestic Agenda = Dems
Effective Foreign Policy = Dems
Kill Osama bin Laden = Dems
Veterans Affairs = Dems

A coupla more days like yesterday and today, and the question becomes clearer and clearer - what is it we need Repubs for again?

Today's Pic

He's comin' for ya, Willard.
















Too soon?

The Shot Missed 'Round The World

From Democratic Underground:
My favorite question from the audience was a woman who inquired of Romney could he assure her that if elected he would be different from George W. Bush. Romney made some mealy-mouthed response, but Obama landed a punch on Romney's chin.

(Paraphrasing) There are differences between Mr. Romney and George W. Bush. Bush did not want to voucherize Medicare and he was better on immigration.

I consider Obama's response a true verbal assault on Romney, because in my opinion, there is nothing worse than being compared to George W. Bush and pale in that comparison. What a heck of an insult, but executed so beautifully.

I absolutely loved it.

Sam
And from the comments:
I have been here for 10 years, and I came here ranting and raving about George W. Bush. There is no one I despise more. And for Obama to compare Romney to Bush, with Bush coming off better, was simply priceless. I wish I knew where to write that woman to thank her for that question....

Mockability