Whoopin' it up at Fixer's house! Bon Voyage, Mr. and Mrs. F!

The Fixers are leaving for London tomorrow and we hope they have a great time. Easy, how could they not?

This has become my personal "Fare thee well in thy worldly travels!" tradition. Enjoy!

Note to the gals in the video: We got a place to party! Call me...

Jimmy Buffet ~ Gypsies in the Palace

Thanks to Kinja98, Netherlands Antilles.

Update:

Looks like the locals are gettin' ready to greet the Fixers!

Thanks to nocommenttv.

And you wonder ...

Why the economy's so fucked? Check out how the Republicans do "fund-raising":

... Add it all up, and Denham’s special committee spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars to net a grand total of $650 in outside contributions ...

Yeah, good fiscal responsibility there, twats.

Big fucking Weiner!

I like the sound of "President Weiner":

"I was watching [the President's] speech, and I was the opposite. I was thinking “Boy the president's being so gentle and modest.” I mean, you know what I would have said. I would have said the Republican plan stinks and I will chew my right arm off before I sign any part of it."

"If you don't want to have your program criticized by the President of the United States I say two things. One, don't make dumb proposals. And two, maybe you should think a little bit about the tone in this town when they've been eviscerating the president for everything from being a Socialist, a Communist and not even being born in this country. I thought the president's tone was remarkably measured considering the attacks that he's on every day. I mean President Weiner certainly wouldn't have been that measured."

As far as leadership goes, Tony's hung like a horse. Keep using that thing like a club, bro! This is what we could use in the White House; a man who stands up for progressive principles without bringing the "Kucinich Crazy". And, as Mrs. F says, "he's such a lovely Jewish boy; his mother must be kvelling".

New AKUS CD

Here's a tune from Alison Krauss and Union Station's new album "Paper Airplane" ($9.99 at the Big A if ya order enough other stuff for free shipping like I did) which came out last Tuesday and I got in the mail yesterday. Country don't get much "easier listenin'" than this! There are several off this CD to listen to at golradir2 (Netherlands).

Alison Krauss & Union Station - My Opening Farewell

A coupla songs from Out West

I would like to thank 1000Magicians, whose name is Laurie and who resides in the UK, for her fine uploads to YouTube. I use a lot of them because they're simply the best. The lady has exquisite musical taste, which means she likes the same artists and music I do. She also has access to a lot of European performances which we wouldn't get to see otherwise. She's very active and puts up new stuff all the time. She makes this very easy. Here are two of my favorite songs by some of my favorite artists that she uploaded just this week.

Both of these songs are set in God's Country, which runs from about where I'm sitting in the Sierra Nevada east until it plunges down the Rockies to its final reward in ever-expanding Jesusland.

"Nightriders Lament" is a song about choices - doing what you want instead of what others think you should do. Trust me, 'cuz I did it, if you follow your heart instead of your head, you'll be happy in life and you'll never make much money so you have to use your head even more to get by. Funny how that works...

This is by Texas singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith who brings in professional help on the yodelling, Don Edwards.



"Darcy Farrow" was written by Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell (reference deep in here) many years ago. If you've never heard of them you should go read. This version is by Canuckistanian folk/country superstars Ian and Sylvia Tyson with an able assist by the OG* of country rock and La Belleza de Tucson, Linda Ronstadt.

*Original Goddess

This song is set in my neck of the woods. The place names mentioned are all familiar to me.

The West Fork of the Walker River is one of the most scenic rivers in the Eastern Sierra, particularly through the canyon from about the Sonora Pass turnoff on US 395 to the wide spot in the road of Walker which has a joint that serves the best Chile Cheeseburger in the world!.

Yerington is a nice town if you like Superfund sites. The town is very proud to have been mentioned in a song and there may be a reference to it on their city limits signs. Heh.

The Truckee 'runs through' less than half a mile from where I sit and our town's motto is "Flush twice, it's a long way to Reno". Actually, our world-class wastewater treatment plant puts very clean water into the river.

Virginia City is a 2000-foot vertical drop waiting to happen. Most famous for Hoss Cartwright's mad sexual escapades with Julia C. Bulette. No video. Drat. Rumor had it that these thunderous performances were also used to test the integrity of the Deidesheimer Squaresets used to shore up places like this. The Squaresets are still there, peacefully rotting away. Since most of 'em are right under the main street VC better be glad Hoss and Julia ain't.

Now that I've bored you silly, please enjoy this sad and lovely song.

Royalty ...

A quick one as I'm trying to find clothes I haven't seen in 6 months.

If you caught Larry last night, you heard his "Rewrite" segment about the interest we give to England's Royal Family, especially the upcoming wedding of Wills and Kate. Now, I'm not one for royalty but, being of British descent (dad), being a big fan of the great charitable organizations (over 3000) the royals have lent their names to (namely Diana but Chuck and the Queen as well), I do sorta keep tabs on the boys, watching them grow into the young men they are now. As the son of a British subject, I'm proud of them.

Now, Larry's correct, in the intellectual sense, about the wedding and how much time we spend gawking at them after giving them the finger a couple hunnert years ago but, as R.K. Barry says over at Michael's place:

... Unless, of course, many are not thinking about this in a critical way but simply want to enjoy a good party ...

We'll be aboard Queen Eizabeth* for the wedding**. Why do you think I care? Heh ...

*If I can find my fucking clothes.

**You know the Mrs. and my buddy Terry's Mrs., saps that they are, are gonna cry through the whole thing (especially if they have a couple drinks in 'em beforehand). Pics will be posted as soon as I pull 'em out the camera. Heh ...

Crazy weekend ...

Leaving for London on Monday afternoon so this weekend will be nuts. I got a dentist appointment this morning, still have to unpack the summer things (it's 85 in the Canaries) and get them washed (thank god I got the dry cleaning done last week), and get dad-in-law's stuff squared away so we can leave for a couple weeks without catastrophe. See you when I see you.

Crosby, Stills, & Nash - Southern Cross

Budget 101 ...

Since I'm on an economic thing this week, I just wanted to make these budget hostage situations negotiations a little simpler for people with a little less economic education than Mr. Krugman (like me).

The Republicans are always kvetching about how the government should be run like you run your household finances and I agree with them. After that, our paths diverge, drastically. Here's why.

We'll use the "household finance" example.

You = America (or, more accurately, the US government). Your house and the land around it is America.

Your job = Running the country. You are responsible to provide for your family's (the American people) well being. Keeping the house fixed, the lawn mowed, the lights on, the water running, the cars gassed and maintained, etc.

Tax revenue = Your salary. What your boss pays you to give him a certain amount of work for a certain amount of time every week.

Okay, got that? Let's move on.

Now, you find you've over-extended yourself somehow. Maybe spent too much on Christmas presents for the rugrats, or had a medical emergency your insurance barely covered, or had a fucked up mortgage that adjusted on you and doubled, or tripled, your payments. Whatever, but you're in the hole.

According to the Republicans, you should go to your boss and say "boss, I'm really in debt and I need every dime I can, so I'm gonna ask you to cut my hours" and, in turn, you'll make less.

That's what the Republicans want you to do by calling for more tax cuts for the rich and corporations. They're telling you to voluntarily cut your salary at a time when you need the money more than you ever did.

Then, with less money, you find you have a leaky roof, termites, the car's acting up (infrastructure), your kids are coming up on college age and they ain't Einstein or Hawking, and your mother or mother-in-law can't live on her own anymore and has no means to get into a decent home or home care so you have to care for her yourself (social programs).

The Republicans won't let you to spend anything on those things (because you got yourself in debt, you loser, and you got your boss to cut your hours). Their big plan, instead of you or your spouse going out and getting a second job to make a little more money (raise taxes) to fix and take care of the necessities, is for you to ask your boss for another cut in hours and pay (more tax cuts for the rich).

Thing is, you live in a neighborhood that isn't inherently dangerous, but there have been a few robberies and domestic violence (localized disruptions in other countries), maybe you've been robbed once (9/11). The local news tells you, day after day, that your neighbors are all planning to kill you and take your stuff so you go and invest in security (national defense), big time, because you want to keep your family and stuff safe. You couldn't really afford it to begin with, but it's all you got and you want to protect it. Now, since you got your boss to cut your hours, you really can't afford the armed guards patrolling, the searchlights, infrared night vision cameras, and perimeter fence with guard towers but your security company is running around with its hair on fire telling you the crap your paying for is now obsolete and you have to upgrade, for a fee. Also, disagreements with your neighbors due to your over-the-top security have got you sued a couple times and a decent part of what's left of your salary is garnished (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya).

Also, during this time, the price of gas has gone up 50% and you have to drive 35 miles to get to your job (where now you're making about half of what you did before) and that expense is added on to everything else. You also find out the bank you deal with has been badly managed and run into the ground, so all your savings have been taken to keep them afloat (big bank bailouts).

What do the Republicans want to do? They're telling you, once again, not to cut back your security system because it's bleeding money. Not to, maybe now that you're up to your neck, have your spouse go get a job, or you get a second one (raise taxes), but to cut back on feeding your kids and educating them (sorry, kids, no college for you), to cut back on grandma's care (sorry, grandma, but you and the dog can share the same bowl), and ask your boss to cut your hours once more (even more tax cuts for the rich and corporations).

If the Republicans want to run the country like I run my household budget, that's fine. I'd welcome that. But I don't go and abandon everything in order to make my boss "feel certainty" that he can make money in the future. If my boss loses his shirt, that his problem. If he can't run a profitable business unless he cuts my salary, he's either a bad businessman or he's trying to fuck me. If I think, after giving him back so much, he'll come to my aid when I can't afford my basic needs anymore (trickle-down economics), I'm a fool.

The Republicans are playing a good portion of us for fools.

Saturday Emmylou Blogging

Classic Emmylou.

From a Swiss concert

Thanks to 1000Magicians, UK.

The Teabaggers Will Be Among The First To Go

And for once that's not a good thing, albeit a fitting end.

Robert Parry

Just think for a moment about the 55-year-old Tea Party activist who today is caught up in the excitement over Rep. Paul Ryan’s “bold” Republican budget. Picture the activist adjusting his tri-corner hat, waving his yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, and thrilled that finally someone is getting serious about dismantling the socialist tyranny of Medicare.

Ryan’s 2012 proposal doesn’t envision balancing the budget for almost 30 years. So, as the Tea Partier hobbles through his late 60s, suffering through insurance-induced poverty and anticipating an early death, the prospect of the government having its fiscal house in order will still be a hazy future promise, maybe a decade or more still to go.

The Tea Partier, however, will be able to take some solace in knowing that he contributed to the luxury of the moneyed interests and multinational corporations. Freed from government rules and enjoying historically low tax rates, the rich will be the nation’s new royalty, able to hire servants at sub-minimum wage (since, thank goodness, those oppressive wage laws would be repealed, too).

Note to the ignorant 'bagger dupes: Be careful what you want. You might get it.

USA First-Class Forever No More

Boy, does this unintentionally speak volumes:



The Rude Pundit, more links at site.

In case you hadn't heard, that right there is a new stamp* from the United States Post Office. It has a photo of the Statue of Liberty, but there's a mistake there. For it's not the one that greeted immigrants coming to America in New York Harbor. Oh, no. It's the one from New York-New York casino and hotel in Las Vegas. New York-New York is owned by MGM Mirage, which is about 10% owned by Dubai World of the United Arab Emirates.

*Read this.

There you go: a postage stamp honoring reduced Liberty at a place where dreamy middle and working class people merely give their money to a big multinational corporation. It's the American dream. No wonder the word "Forever" has a line through it.

By the way, in the midst of the faux New York City is a 9/11 memorial with real artifacts from the day. You can honor the fallen before you play blackjack and eat at the buffet.

And people wonder why I hate Vegas. As if we didn't have enough shit wrong with this country without their help. Yeesh.

Presidential Penii ...

The always-hilarious Jesus' General looks at Arizona's (The Through-The-Looking Glass State) new birther bill. You know, the one that says a man running for president can prove he's American by being circumcised (really)? Well, the General has received statements of Presidential Penishood from all the Republican frontrunners.

...

It's a great idea if you think about it. American penes are unique in regard to the pressure handling capabilities of their urethra's, the masculine design of their veins, and the shape and taste of their helmets.

Candidates aren't required to present penis identification documents if they have a long-form birth certificate, but many, being men and thus always eager to brag about their little soldiers, have already submitted theirs. I'm including a few excerpts below:

...

Put. Coffee. Down. Before. Clicking. Link.

A dwindling commodity ...

Andy Borowitz:

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – The U.S. policy of exporting democracy abroad has meant that there is very little of it left at home.

That is the grim assessment of a new study commissioned by the University of Minnesota, which predicts that if the U.S. continues to export democracy at its current pace it may completely run out of it at home by the year 2015.

...

The University of Minnesota study contains several proposals, such as outsourcing the U.S. government to the world’s largest democracy, India.

“The work done by Congress could be accomplished much more efficiently by a series of electronic phone prompts,” the study recommends.

But Mr. Boehner warned that eliminating Congress entirely would have disastrous effects: “That would destroy entire sectors of our economy, especially the prostitution industry.” [my em]

...

Heh ...

Thanks to Tina at The Agonist for the link.

I coulda told you that ...

Heh ...

The Air Force has problems distinguishing men from women and adults from children. Which means pilots sometimes target — and kill — the wrong people. The air service’s solution: a nationwide contest, to help the military pick out kid from grown-up.

...

Yeah, in the Air Force, the adults are the NCO corps. The officers are the children. Though, while I was in, more than once I walked up behind a female officer and said "excuse me, sir."* ;)

*Unintentionally, of course.

Bolivians ...

Are smarter than we are:

Bolivia is set to pass the world's first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans. The Law of Mother Earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, redefines the country's rich mineral deposits as "blessings" and is expected to lead to radical new conservation and social measures to reduce pollution and control industry.

The country, which has been pilloried by the US and Britain in the UN climate talks for demanding steep carbon emission cuts, will establish 11 new rights for nature. They include: the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered.

Controversially, it will also enshrine the right of nature "to not be affected by mega-infrastructure and development projects that affect the balance of ecosystems and the local inhabitant communities".

...

And in the US, we've got Mother Nature tied up and we're ass-raping her for all she's worth. I'm waiting for the day when nations and people who are concerned with the health of this planet start taking measures to contain us from doing any more damage to the environment. We seem to be the only ones in denial about the mess we're making.

Thanks to Cookie Jill for the link.

Update:

To my Ann Landers impersonation yesterday. Remember when I said:

... And don't let personal feelings get involved. Just because, for example, Goldmine Sachs are rotten, scumbag motherfuckers doesn't mean you can't invest in them. In this shitbag system, they always come up smelling like a rose ...

Well, they just might not:

Is this the time, finally, when we see some of these bastards go to jail for crashing the economy to feed their own greed? Finally? I wouldn't hold my breath:

...

It would be nice to see them all perp-walked out of their offices by the feds.

This is a little financial lesson in the making. If indictments come down, I'm unloading as fast as I can. But, as Susie said: "I wouldn't hold my breath" for any indictments materializing. With Levin being a Dem, I'm sure the White House will do their best to nip this in the bud. Wouldn't want Timmy-boy to cry.

Update to the Update:

Comrade Misfit gives good advice too. A buncha people who should neither be believed or taken seriously.

Headline of the Day II

‘World’s first 3D porn film’ opens in Hong Kong

The old jet pilot's creed of "In Thrust We Trust" is about to take on a whole new meaning. Heh.

Tough guy, huh?

Raw Story

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) begged reporters Wednesday to "take the bat" to a 76-year-old lawmaker for collecting a pension and a paycheck.

Yeah, 'take the bat' to a widow who lost all her money to Madoff, you fucking asshole. Typical Repug bully.

Note to Secaucus Fats: I'm here. 'Take the bat' to me and I'll shove it up your roly-poly ass, pine tar, tape, and all. I'm in no danger. You ain't got the balls to take on anybody that ain't an old woman.

Headline of the Day

In case you gals live closer to a Walgreen's than to a legit women's health service provider and are looking for a place to take yer hoo-hah for an oil change, this one's for you.

In Honor of Fox & Friends, Walgreen’s to Sell The Steve Doocy Douche

Think of F** when you see the stirrups! If that don't make ya grow teeth in them things like the Repugs are convinced you already have, nothing will! Ha!

Why is John Boehner consulting Wall Street?

The Week

The House speaker is reportedly contacting top bankers to ask how far he can push the fight over the debt ceiling without roiling the markets.

[...] But Wall Street is telling Boehner that, if the markets believe the debt limit won't be raised, very bad things will happen to the dollar, U.S. borrowing costs, and global finance. Why is Boehner even engaging in these discussions? Here, four theories:

With an explanation of each.

1. Boehner is playing with a weak hand

[...] And the fact that Boehner is asking Wall Street "how much screwing around he can get away with" before raising it — rather than whether raising it is a good idea — means Democrats should be completely unwilling to trade anything for a clean vote. Republican threats are mere bluffs.

"Call the hostage takers' bluff"
...

2. The GOP doesn't want to lose Wall Street's support

Duh...

3. Wall Street knows Boehner's bluffing is harmless
...

4. The Tea Party is setting the terms of this debate

Boehner has already said* that the debt ceiing won't be raised without "something really, really big attached to it".

If the Dems stand firm (pigs are flying?!) they don't have to give him jack shit. He just wants to appease his 'bagger morons and make this look like a victory for them.

Stupid fucking Repug games. Business as usual.

*Great quote on the masthead at this site:

"Every normal must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -- H.L. Mencken

Yep. Shiver me timbers!