Not Too Shabby. More like Alley Cats.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=323640097

All in all I can't really be too disappointed.  I thought the Cats dealt with old time Pitino ball quite well and made some things quite difficult for the Cards.  It was a fast paced game and lots of missed calls but I can't say anything was unfair.  I am really pleased to see this team begin to play with some intensity, especially Cauley-Stein.  Wiltjer needs to learn to be something besides a three point shooting statue.  I watched people run by him all day.  That white boy needs schooled.  Goodwin was a bit more under control and Harrow, who I just can't quite trust yet, did pretty good.  Noel is very close but is getting no help.

Louisville is a team that will be there when the championship is decided.  Dieng came back today and UK still was respectable.  No complaints here.  Got to see Pitino ball again and UK dealt with it better than I expected.  Time to get real and play some good ball in the conference.

More evidence of the real problem

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2012/12/capital-wins-labor-loses-but-a.html

Texas Man Takes Last Stand Against Keystone XL Pipeline : NPR

Texas Man Takes Last Stand Against Keystone XL Pipeline : NPR



The objections to this pipeline are many.  Here is one who does not want his property taken and destroyed.

4 firefighters shot, 2 killed at Webster, N.Y., fire

4 firefighters shot, 2 killed at Webster, N.Y., fire

So, according to NRA logic we should arm firefighters, teachers, preachers and maybe pack a small weapon in our kid's backpacks.

Down the Tubes

The story behind Mitt Romney’s loss in the presidential campaign to President Obama - Nation - The Boston Globe


For watchers of the political process like myself this is fascinating.  With only a couple of exceptions the Obama team performed flawlessly throughout the campaign.  The were successful at defining Romney early on and forced him to defend his qualities throughout the primaries.  Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are to be greatly thanked and also their billionaire supporters who kept them alive.  After the first debate was the only time that Obama seemed vulnerable and it took about three weeks to recover from that but the Obama team kept on track and finished with a strong push.  This article reveals the value of community organizing in an astonishing rebuke to those who made light of the President's community organizing experience.

If you are a political watcher this is an article to pique your interest.

More Guns!!

Only 'A Good Guy With A Gun' Can Stop School Shootings, NRA Says : The Two-Way : NPR

Good God!!  Save us from ourselves.  Are we just determined to create a police state?  There is another way.

McConnell highly unpopular - Public Policy Polling

McConnell highly unpopular - Public Policy Polling

Alert!! Agreement in D.C.

Conservatives blast Boehner's Plan B - Ginger Gibson - POLITICO.com

In a rare example of bi-partisanship the Tea Party conservatives agree with President Obama that the GOP's Plan B is dead on arrival.

Guns and People

I don't know what the allure is of guns. I know that I am subject to it and own two that are very rarely fired other than my .22 for shooting at varmints. I hardly ever hit them. Maybe it is something about the power, I just don't know yet. I can understand sportsmen who enjoy hunting and I can even understand collectors but I have a difficult time understanding why anyone would actually need an assault type weapon. Why does any law abiding sportsman need a 30 round magazine. First, if you can't hit your target in 5 or 6 shots you need some practice. Secondly, if you empty the magazine you have endangered everything and everyone in your vicinity. By the same token, why would anyone ever require more than an 8 or 9 shot magazine in a handgun. If you haven't protected yourself by the time that clip is expended you are more than likely dead. Sure, arguments can be made in favor of those large clips but not very good ones. The question is whether or not we are willing to give up a little to mitigate the chances of such a massacre as the one in Connecticut. Notice I did not say “stop” because smaller magazines do not insure a cessation of multiple deaths. It only lessens the chance that 26 will be killed. Just like the shooting when Gabby Giffords was shot and that little girl was killed. Someone would have gotten shot anyway but someone might have not been shot. The large clips are just not necessary.

I know that as Americans we are not going to give up personal ownership of firearms. We are just not made that way. I know that it is the shooter who does the act and not the gun. But it only makes sense that we can do some things that can help. In almost all of the mass murders we can think of there are two commonalities, large clips and irrational or mentally disturbed people. In a free society it will be hard to eliminate acts of mentally disturbed people but we can eliminate large clips. Will it stop the shootings? Probably not. Will it decrease the numbers of casualties. Probably so. We will not know until we try. I read recently that Japan had only two gun deaths last year. We had 177,154. Now, you tell me what the difference is. Can we cut that in half?

The other thing is we have no idea where the guns are going. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that large corporations understand their markets if they are successful. When was the last time you heard of a gun manufacturer going out of business? They know that immense numbers of these weapons are being diverted to illegal uses but they still do nothing to control that and we do nothing to legislate that control. We would have to be idiots to think that all those guns are being stashed for family protection and hunting. But, just as the drug companies are in the business of making money so are the gun manufacturers in the business of making money. I don't know if one of the answers is a more efficient accounting of weapons or if gun registration would work but I do know that it would help. Look, it goes against my grain to have to register firearms but it just could be that we will have to make that a part of the defense of our public. If you are still harboring any hopes that you could use your Bushmaster to defend yourself against an intrusive government you need to wake up. That is just not going to work any more. It is too late for that. You might be able to take a few pot shots at a drone before it dropped a hellfire missile in your pocket but you will still be dead.

Fact is, we are going to have to do something and it is not going to be just one thing. There is no magic bullet that will turn us into a nation of rational, non-murderous beings. We are just going to have to try some things to see if they work. If they do then great. If not, then we will have to do something else but what we can't do is accept the carnage that is going on at this time. The greater harm is that we will expect a more intrusive police presence and will gradually allow our freedoms to be eroded. Already we have cameras on the streets, eyes in the sky, monitoring of e-mail and social networking sites all done in the name of assuaging our fears.

Possibly our schools will become more fortified. It is a shame because schools have long been considered community property and have served as the focus of community activities. We are more disturbed when our children are threatened. They hold the keys to our futures and our aspirations but the schools are not the only venues for acts of violence. Movie theaters, shopping malls and any other place where people gather to make an easy target serve the crazed gunman quite well. In our cities the streets of depressed neighborhoods make a fertile ground for gang related shootings. There will not be one solution to this twenty first century bane. Better control of weapons, better access to mental health counseling, school security and improved economic opportunity can all be parts of a plan to reduce violence. Unfortunately, we crave simple solutions but such solutions are rarely successful or even available.

In the case of the murders in Connecticut the weapons used were appropriately bought and registered. The handlers of those weapons were well instructed in the safe and appropriate use of those weapons and those weapons were used for the purpose for which they were constructed. Acts of killing. We can argue about weapons being used appropriately for protection, hunting and other recreation but it remains that their purpose is destructive. Adam Lanza had been instructed by his mother in the proper use of firearms but it remains that without access to those weapons the deaths would not have occurred.

It is not possible for us to discern the proclivities of every troubled mind and a free society has to accept some risk. It is possible for us to take the many steps we can in order to create a more peaceful society. Our society accepts violence as a remedy and even glorifies it if it suits us. Many things in our society inure us to the use of violence. I won't try to enumerate them here but we must look inside ourselves to find what violence we can root out. Whatever we do, it still will not be enough to protect us from ourselves.

What Can We Do?

Getting a handle on our 'culture of violence' - chicagotribune.com

I am often reluctant to jump in on these issues that carry so much emotional baggage.  I am subject to the same anger and hurt as anyone else but that just can't be the way we respond.  We have to be smarter than that.  So, I will have something to say but not just now.  I join all of you in our grief.

Creating Rural Medical Workers | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural

Creating Rural Medical Workers | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural

McCain’s ugly campaign against Susan Rice pays off | Jay Bookman

McCain’s ugly campaign against Susan Rice pays off | Jay Bookman

A lucky day for Susan Rice - CNN.com

A lucky day for Susan Rice - CNN.com

Reprisals on the Way

Rice out ... Kerry in?





the withdrawal of Susan Rice for nomination to Secretary of State is a sad story in our history.  The GOP has blocked several of President Obama's nominations by the threat of the filibuster.  This is outrageous.  Until recently it was conceded that the President should be able to build his team around himself and that his nominations to cabinet positions should be confirmed absent any very prominent concerns.  She adequately explained the situation over the statements about Benghazi and was backed up by other administration officials.  In opposition, John McCain has given up statemanship and moved directly to angry old man.  This can only result in reprisals to GOP nominations when and if they ever regain the Presidency.

Solar Panels for Every Home - NYTimes.com

Solar Panels for Every Home - NYTimes.com

Dan Froomkin: How the Mainstream Press Bungled the Single Biggest Story of the 2012 Campaign

Dan Froomkin: How the Mainstream Press Bungled the Single Biggest Story of the 2012 Campaign

SMACK ALERT!!

Ann Coulter Attacks Latinos In Column, As Conservatives Seek To Reach Out To Hispanic Voters


 I may start an award for the person of the week most deserving of a quick smack.  Just to say, "HEY, get a grip."  Coulter has taken a dive off the deep end here into unvarnished bigotry.  Why on earth does Fox keep her around.  She should be thrown out with the rest of the trash.

Sad Day in MIchigan

Michigan’s governor sides with right to work - Washington Times

It is a sad time indeed when the Governor of Michigan, the home of auto manufacturing, supports anti-union legislation.  The auto industry, perhaps more than any other, has been successful in bringing prosperity to middle class workers and now the unions are being chipped away at.  Sad.

We Need a New Model.

Planetary Endgame | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

Martial Law?

Morsi Extends Compromise to Egyptian Opposition - NYTimes.com

But will this prompt even further demonstrations and will the military do it?

Another Chance

Egypt crisis: Morsi's concession fails to quell anger - Sunday 9 November 2012 | World news | guardian.co.uk

There is perhaps a realization here that another chance has come to allow the people of Egypt to speak.  The more liberal elements of Egyptian society need to come together to present a unified front to the Muslim Brotherhood.  There won't be too many more chances after the Brotherhood consolidates power.

The Real Revolution

As Egypt’s Crisis Deepens, Morsi Turns to Muslim Brotherhood - NYTimes.com

This is the true revolution.  One that will decide whether or not a Muslim country can throw off the yoke of theocracy and achieve true democracy.  As it did during the previous uprising, the outcome will depend on whether or not the people in the streets can muster enough cohesion to alter the vote.  Unity will be paramount.

Morsi is showing his autocratic tendencies by turning to his base of support, the Muslim Brotherhood, rather than openly accepting the participation of the multitudes.

Gay Marriage--In Their Court

Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage - NYTimes.com

This is an informative article on the upcoming case concerning same sex marriage that will be decided by the Supreme Court.  This is a carefully chosen case to attempt to establish once and for all a federal right to same sex marriage.  The lead attorneys in this case are somewhat startling since they are Theodore Olson and David Boies, the two competing attorneys for Bush v. Gore in the 2000 election.

The Vultures at Prey

Preventing Syrian Chemical Weapons Threat From Becoming Deadly Reality | PBS NewsHour | Dec. 5, 2012 | PBS

The great fear is these deadly weapons falling into the hands of radicals willing to use them.

Watch Preventing Syrian Chemical Threat From Becoming Reality on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

The Future is Now

Battleground Dispatches: Norfolk Readies for Future Storms, Sea Level Rise | PBS NewsHour | Dec. 6, 2012 | PBS


More in the vein of climate change and its IMMEDIATE effects on our lives.

Watch Norfolk Readies for Future Storms, Sea Level Rise on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Farther Down the Rabbit Hole

No Warrant, No Problem: How The Government Can Still Get Your Digital Data - ProPublica

here are further revelations of government eavesdropping.

They're Watching

'Everyone in US under virtual surveillance' - NSA whistleblower — RT

Didn't we already suspect this was going on?  At least to some extent.

NBC news this evening featured a story on a patent being issued for a device that would watch us as we watch TV.  It would record facial expressions, cuddles, etc. to determine how to target advertising to the viewer.  Is that creepy or what?  What is really creepy is that the technology exists to do it.  Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

The television show "Person of Interest" explores this possibility.

Higher Education....and I mean higher.

Resort Living Comes to Campus - WSJ.com

more indications that higher education is being priced out of reach for the average Joe or Joan.

Morsi addresses Egypt amid ongoing unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Morsi addresses Egypt amid ongoing unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

The repression evidenced by President Morsi is likely to exceed the level of repression that Mubarak showed when his regime was overthrown.  The Muslim Brotherhood wants an Islamic state and that excludes many of the other groups in the rebellion such as Christians and women.  The authoritarian excesses of this regime show little of the promise of democracy that the revolution of last year held forth.  Pressure must be kept on to force the rule of law and equality for all.

Janie's got a gun.

U.S.-Approved Weapons Transfer Ended Up With Libyan Jihadis - NYTimes.com

A certain militaristic element in our society has howled for the United States to directly supply armaments to the Syrian rebels but the administration has wisely been reluctant to do so.  The reason for this is clearly shown in this article in which it is revealed that arms provided to the Libyans for their overthrow of Qadaffi have found their way into Islamist hands.  The potential for this is even greater in Syria where much of the fighting force for the rebels is aligned with Al Qaeda.  This also poses a critical problem for the United States when it comes to who will gain control of the chemical and biological stockpiles belonging to the Assad government.

Even as we speak the Qataris are supplying the Jihadists with weapons in Syria.  They did so in Libya and are an arms supplier to Hamas.  Oh yes, they are considered an ally of the United States.

The Serious Side of Deficit Reduction

The Perilous Politics Of The Health Insurance Tax Break : Shots - Health News : NPR

When it comes to dealing with tax expenditures the two gorillas in the room are the home interest deduction and the exclusion of taxation on health care benefits.  These two have enough money in them to knock a huge hole in the budget deficit.  Rather than put the burden on the poor perhaps we should look at these two things that allow income to go untaxed.

Hope or Pipe Dream

For the poor, 'recovery' is a mirage

This is a lengthy column but, like the article says, the issue of poverty does not lend itself to quick fixes and 30 second commercials.  Problems like these will require programs that work together rather than isolated from one another.  For instance, we should be able to allow people to work and still have access to medical and economic assistance until they become self supporting.  We should abandon the principles that encourage people to forgo work rather than lose benefits and I don't mean by taking away the benefits of people who want to work.

This is in Ohio.  The state that had the most influence on the last election and where economic desperation is rampant and the voters still vote against self interest due to cultural issues.  We simply must get past the ideological barriers that prevent us from renewing our people.

Take the time, read the article and let it sink in.

Extinction Event

Voyager discovers ‘magnetic highway’ at edge of solar system | Inquirer News


The added value of these Voyager spacecraft has been exponential.  Their original mission long since accomplished they continue to send back information about the nature of space.  Which brings to mind another premise.

The existence of humans here on Earth has been but a blip in the history of our planet.  Various cataclysms have occurred that wiped out almost all species many times in the past and there is no logical reason to assume that it won't happen again.  As long as we are prisoners on this planet we will be forever held in hostage to the capriciousness of nature.  Mankind can never fully evolve until we are free from the threat of easy extinction.

In light of that premise, should we not be doing much more to achieve the capability to move off this orb rather than being absorbed in petty squabbles over its wealth?  I am certainly not the first to point this out.  This has been voice many times before but we are always willing to neglect the survival of the human race in favor of exigent crises.  What will it take?  Or are we doomed to meet our demise in the same manner the previous occupants of the planet did?

Act of War

AFP: Rich nations alone can't halt global warming: report

How long will it be before some nation decides that another nations pollution is an act of war?  If there is no other recourse then what else remains?  One can't expect a nation to go quietly into that dark night.

The Life of Riley

Facing the fiscal cliff: American taxpayers have had it easy for decades - Economy Watch on NBCNews.com

 

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

Finally!!  In simple terms the truth.  For the past 30 years we have not been keeping up with our committments.  Now, one can argue that we just spend too much and are to profligate but we have spent according to what he American people have asked for.  The truth has been denied the public by dangling the ghost of increased growth before them.  Of course, we can cut spending but we are going to have to attack the defense budget.  We are going to have to rein in medical costs.  But we really should ask ourselves just how much is the public really ready to give up in social services.  I think it is much less than the budget cutters say.

Well, why not?

Study on rising sea levels likely confirms existence of global warming | Science Recorder


This is the deal as I see it.  Global Warming is real, it is happening.  The only argument is whether or not it is influenced by human behavior or is the result of natural, cyclic forces.  It seems to me that this is an argument without merit.  I can accept from the stastical trends comparing atmospheric carbon dioxide to temperature rise that it is influenced by human behavior but even if it is not what should our response be?

We know that we dump massive amounts of pollutants, including carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and that rising carbon dioxide levels correspond to rising global temperatures.  Even if we accept that cyclic factors can be a part of the problem why does that mean that we should do nothing about our own contribution.  Reducing emissions is something that we can do and, if we are correct, then we have a leg up on the game.  If we are wrong then we have hurt nothing.

Of course, the naysayers say that we can't affford the economic impact right now but if not now then when?  Until we become smarter and develop preemptive strategies for living this could be the best we can do.  A lot of research says that the move to greener energy sources and carbon dioxide reductions could result in more jobs and innovation.  So, why not go for it?

Other than the obvious political reasons I just don't see any other argument holding water.

Rick Majerus: A Real Pleasure.

Majerus’ Hoops Impact, Friendships Transcended NBA, NCAA Lines � NBA.com | Hang Time Blog


Just thinking about Rick Majerus brings goose bumps.  Anyone who can recall his epic games against Kentucky can be enthralled at how he managed to bring a championship team out of Utah to meet the legendary Wildcats.  It is only through the coaching genius of Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith that Majerus was doomed to failure.  The game I remember most was in 1998 in the run to the championship for Tubby's Wildcats, the next season and Tubby's first at Kentucky.  Tubby was masterful at running players in and out until he found the combination that would work against Utah.  Tubby had done the same thing against Duke earlier in the tourney.  This was, in my opinion, the pinnacle of Tubby Smith's career.  Never the ardent recruiter, Smith would never put together a team the way Rick Pitino could.  Majerus worked with much less and was no less a coach.  He exacted the best from his players and always brought good game.

R.I.P.  Rick Majerus.  It is a pleasure to have known you.

Opportunity or Entrenchment. Choices.

Explaining Israel’s Reaction to the U.N.’s pro-Palestinian Vote - Newsweek and The Daily Beast


After the vote to improve the status of the Palestinian nation the future should be clearer for the Israeli government.  The decision to not topple Fatah as the ruling party in the West Bank is a hopeful sign since there will not likely be a more moderate and receptive alternative.  However, the decision to engage in furhter settlements on the West Bank in Palestinian territory can do nothing but cause furor among the Palestinians.

Israel could however use the threat of settlements as a bargaining chip in seeking a genuine peaceful resolution of the decades old conflict that would ultimately lead to recognition of the Palestinian state and the right of Israel to exist.  This has been a dream of many for a long time.

Recognition of the Palestinian nation by Israel with Fatah as its lawful government would pressure Hamas on the West Bank and make peaceful settlement a much more attractive to the people who largely only want to be able to get on with life.

For the United States it would mean a tremendous lessening of tensions between the US and the Arab nations and would result in enormous savings in both military and domestic spending.  In addition, it would allow the United States to complete the pivot toward the Asian theater which promises to be the area of future conflict and profit.

Israel v Palestine--Our Biggest Security Issue

Israel Plans To Expand Settlements In East Jerusalem, West Bank : The Two-Way : NPR

There is no issue in the world today as critical to the security of the United States as the ongoing coflict between Israel and the Palestinian desire for statehood.  This article shows how this recent insertion of development into Palestinian territory prevents Palestine from developing contiguous settlements.  Of course, this makes it more difficult to establish a cohesive nation and that may be the goal of Israeli policy

There is no other place in the world that the United States would suffer this to happen without exerting all manner of pressure to bring it to a close.  If we, the United States, ever hope for peace with the Middle Eastern nations then this issue must be brought to an equitable and sane resolution.  We cannot continue the policy of allowing Israel to dictate our foreign policy in the Middle East.

Settlement in Palestine
For those interested this is a link to a PDF that shows the development of settlements in Palestinian controlled areas since the formation of the Israeli nation.


Acknowledging the political pressures in such an action we, nevertheless, must begin to bring more pressure on the Israeli government to recognize the Palestinian state on the West Bank.  We may continue to have problems with Hamas in Gaza but a prosperous and secure state on the West Bank would do more than any other thing to foster a government in Gaza that would reject terrorism and constant battle as a political solution.

We have a large population in our country that sees unwavering, unquestioning support of Israel as an unchanging part of our commitment to Israel and the world but the people could be better educated on the benefits of peace in the Middle East.

Finally, there are religious issues embedded in this relationship but they should not have a bearing on our desire for evenhanded treatment of all parties in the Middle Eastern relationship.

Quit Picking on Susan Rice

GOP Senators More Troubled About Benghazi After Talking With Amb. Rice : The Two-Way : NPR

The only way this works is if you don't believe the President, CIA director, FBI, Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and a myriad of other sources.  It is a transparent attempt to find some crack that can be pried open to create embarrassment for the President.

John McCain has morphed into a cranky old man when he used to be a statesman.  I am surprised that Lindsay Graham has followed suit.  It has long been accepted as the prerogative of the President to build his cabinet the way he sees fit barring any factors that meet a very high standard of disqualification.

The Republicans are engaging in a transparent attempt to force the President to nominate John Kerry who is imminently qualified but whose nomination would open up a Senate seat in Massachusetts.

The Great Conundrum

Savir's Corner: Gaza and the West... JPost - Opinion - Columnists

 The seemingly endless struggle between the Israelis and the Palestinians is the flash point for most of the discord in the world as of this date.

 This is a very thoughtful and insightful look into the mechanics of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.  Without calling out one side or the other it is diagnosis of the disease and shows avenues for healing.

I urge everyone who cares about this struggle to read this article for greater understanding.

Ranting and Raving

Archconservatives: anger, denial but no acceptance of Obama's victory - CNN.com


What, exactly, is an archconservative?  Will someone give me a synonym so that I can get a grip on just what that is?

Seems that their myopia is incurable.  Still ranting and raving at their loss they blame Romney for not being conservative enough.  That is pure idiocy.  Every archconservative that was interested voted and they still lost.  Even after scooping up some moderates.  Surely the majority of white males do not fall into the camp of the archconservatives.

If they want to run a Barry Goldwater clone again then they should have at it.  He will not be elected but every failed election pushes the Tea Partiers farther into the closet and moves the party to the middle.

Ranting and Raving?

Israel's Dangerous Game.

Israel is bound by its own logic of escalation | Analysis | World news | The Observer

The real loser in this gambit is the United States. There is hardly any scenario in which the United States emerges from this better off.  Israel's chances of accessing US power are good while our hand is being forced when we are trying to negotiate diplomatic solutions. We are being played.

Ding Dong, It's Dead.

As Labor Talks Collapse, Hostess Turns Out Lights - NYTimes.com

the big question is whether or not the owners of a company have the right to make money from the company by whatever means necessary.  In negotiations with Unions they barter away some of those rights in return for guaranteed labor for a specific price.  It is win/win.  The company has a figure for labor costs and laborers can depend on a set amount for paychecks and benefits.  It this instance the profit motive of a company is skewed by the purchase of that company by private equity which turns the profit motive from one of income over expenses to one of fiscal opportunism.  Fiscal policy is much different from economic policy in that it makes money in the exchange of assets and cash rather than in the sale of product.  This is what has drive this company into the ditch.  It is a variation of the money game that drove our national economy into the ditch.  There is little interest in developing a profitable company and every interest in using the assets to generate fiscal wealth.

Heading off war in the Gaza Strip - The Washington Post

Heading off war in the Gaza Strip - The Washington Post







No one can dispute the right of a nation to defend itself  but in this case there are other options besides full out war.  Conflict risks fracturing the peace agreement with Egypt and setting off a Middle East war which would inevitably draw the United States into the fray.  Indeed, this could very well be the impetus for the hard line stands taken by the various parties.  Israel needs to draw our support closer and make negotiation with the other Arab nations impossible.  Iran needs the rest of the Middle East to rally to their side.  The United States should emphatically advise Israel to be judicious in its use of force.

Israeli air strike kills Hamas military chief ... JPost - Defense

Israeli air strike kills Hamas military chief ... JPost - Defense

Taking a lesson from the successful strategy employed by the United States in killing members of an enemy organization.  One can only expect retaliation to come.  It seems that Israel would rather fight a war than negotiate an equitable settlement.

Keith Richards: 'These Riffs Were Built To Last A Lifetime' : NPR

Keith Richards: 'These Riffs Were Built To Last A Lifetime' : NPR     

Totally awesome.  Keith has survived against all odds and predictions.  Still doing what he does.  Looking back at some of the best rock ever done.  A new movie called "Charlie is my Darling" follows them on an Ireland tour in 1965.  So quaint to see them playing on a crowded stage before perhaps 5000 people.  People rushing the stage and jumping up on it to get a touch or a kiss.  Days long gone.  Only the dinosaurs remember them.  When rock took the first stumbles from the prom stage to the arenas.  This film shows the naivete of the band and not a glimpse that they had any foretelling of the fifty years to come.  Brian Jones and Bill Wyman brought a particular feel to the band that has been long lost but it did not lead to the demise of the band.  The mercurial personalities of Mick and Keith have provided enough fodder to manipulate millions of dollars and a legend from that little old Brit band.  Totally awesome.

Conservative Media Caught in the Blame Game : NPR

Conservative Media Caught in the Blame Game : NPR


Should this be cause for rethinking reliance on Fox News?  Has reporting been fair and balanced, asked the right questions?  The answer would seem to be that Fox News is mainly entertainment and will tailor programming in order to boost ratings.  The recent accusations by David Frum in the attached video seems to bear the hallmarks of truth.  Even Joe Scarborough is stating this line.

 

Wave to the Future, Stuck in the Past

State’s voters are paddling upstream

KENTUCKY, GOP WILL BOTH LOSE IF MINDS DON’T OPEN

BY TOM EBLEN    HERALD-LEADER COLUMNIST

   America zigged and Kentucky zagged. The majority of the nation’s voters rejected right-wing politics in last Tuesday’s election, but Kentuckians outside of Lexington and Louisville embraced them all the more.    Big swings have become the norm in national elections, because neither party has succeeded in solving America’s problems on its own. But deeper forces may have been at work this time.    Much of the post-election analysis has focused on demographic shifts that go against the hard conservative turn the Republican Party has taken in recent years.    Young people, women and minorities voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama’s economic policies over those of challenger Mitt Romney, and they rejected socially conservative candidates for the U.S. Senate.    Republicans’ run to the right has been marked by increasingly rigid ideology on both economic and social issues. But analysts of all stripes warn that without more tolerance of diversity — including intellectual diversity — the GOP could become the incredible shrinking party of old, white men.    Demographics are destiny, and it will be interesting to see how Republicans cope with these demographic trends. As it does, Kentucky will be in the spotlight, because the state’s two high-profile U.S. senators now seem to be caught between Barack and a hard place.    Voters in many states signaled that they have grown tired of Tea Party radicals. Paul won election in Kentucky two years ago as a Tea Party idol and immediately started preening like a future presidential candidate. Are his 15 minutes of fame about up?    By re-electing Obama and giving Democrats more seats in the Senate, voters rejected Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s relentless obstructionism. He went to great lengths over the past four years to oppose the president on just about everything.    While other Republican leaders were making conciliatory statements after the election, McConnell, the anti-Henry Clay, struck his usual pose against compromise. He indicated he will continue to fight against raising historically low income taxes on America’s richest people to lower the nation’s budget deficit, even though opinion polls show overwhelming public support for it.    In an especially cynical comment, McConnell called on Obama to “move to the political center.” McConnell is nowhere near the political center himself, and the Tea Party wing of his party would need a telescope to even see it.    Kentucky and other Southern states have played a big role in supporting the Republican party’s anti-tax, antigovernment ideology. But that is deeply ironic when you look at the statistics, said Ron Crouch, director of research and statistics for Kentucky’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and the guru of Kentucky demographic trends.    Kentucky and other Republican-leaning “red” states tend to receive much more federal assistance than they contribute in taxes, while the reverse is true of Democrat-leaning “blue” states.    In Kentucky, Crouch noted, the largest per-capita federal transfer payments go to poor, rural counties that vote Republican.    Kentucky and other states whose populations are largely white, aging, rural and traditionally male-dominated will increasingly be overshadowed, both politically and economically, unless and until they catch up to these broader demographic trends, Crouch said.    “We need to be more supportive of immigration and open to diversity,” he said of Kentuckians. “When I drive around Kentucky, I see a lot of Confederate flags.”    Immigrants and minorities could play an important role in keeping the state’s small towns and rural areas vibrant as the white population ages and shrinks from declining birth rates.    But Kentucky already is becoming more diverse than many people realize, Crouch said. The majority of Kentucky’s population growth since 2000 — and all of it under the age of 18 — has been among minorities, especially Hispanics.    As immigrant, minority and urban populations grow in Kentucky, voting patterns are likely to become less Republican, unless that party moves more to the political center. The same is true as women gain more economic and political clout in the state.    “Blue-collar men are an endangered species,” Crouch said. “We’re seeing an economy more and more that is favoring female employment.”    Kentucky’s future, both economically and politically, will depend not only on the availability of jobs, but whether those jobs pay enough to support middle-class families, Crouch thinks. And those families are bound to become more diverse, like it or not.    Tom Eblen: (859) 231-1415. Email: teblen@herald-leader.com  . Twitter: @tomeblen. Blog: tomeblen.bloginky.com  

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Giving Up on Israel?

American Jews are giving up on Israel - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

Interesting article.  I don't think that American Jews are giving up on Israel, I just think that American Jews are putting America first, Israel second.  This article reveals that support for Israel falls off as a result of Israeli policy concerning relations with the Palestinians.
 

It is a fact that the Palestinian Problem, as it is called, is the driving force behind Islamic radicalism and the source of many of the woes of the United States around the world.  It could be that the American Jewish community is tired of the system of apartheid Israel imposes.

A New Chance

Syria’s new opposition leader stirs hope - The Globe and Mail

perhaps this will clear the way for a unified effort to overturn Assad's government.  After being bitten a bit in Libya and Egypt the United States is understandably cautious about arming an opposition that may become and enemy.  Our lesson in Afghanistan should support that.

Takin' Care of Business

Well, story is that Bowyer has been a bit too aggressive with Gordon on several occasions and Jeff decided to take care of business.  Perhaps a bit radical but effective.

Unintended Consequences

Not long ago I wrote about the upcoming and now in place regulations concerning implementation of the new Drug law passes last session. It will require doctors to submit all prescriptions for certain drugs to KASPAR, the state's prescription monitoring system, before giving them to the patient. At the time I thought that was a reasonable thing to do to combat the rampant epidemic of illegal prescription medicines and methamphetamine. As I said, the devil is in the details because it has now come to light that the doctors will be required to order a urine test for all long term prescriptions defined as one lasting longer than 3 months. What this does is takes the under $10 cost per month for many prescriptions and drives the cost up an additional $70 to $150 per month making the drugs unaffordable to most people. The state is negotiating with Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of the drugs but many insurance companies are kicking on the grounds that the test is not medically necessary which is a difficult argument to refute. Just at a time when we are trying to hold down medical costs comes this burden that will drive the cost of these prescriptions up more than inflation ever could. It is just ridiculous.

While talking with one of our legislators I found out that the Kentucky Medical Association was asked to help with the writing of the law but refused on the grounds that they did not want anything at all and did not think it could pass. A serious error in judgment on the part of KMA and now they are wanting in to offer their help in amending the law.

In my opinion, the requirement for drug testing will do little over and above what just submitting prescription orders through KASPAR will do. What it will do is place excessive burden on those most unable to bear the burden. If the costs of the testing is borne by Medicare and Medicaid it will be a budget buster and, if insurance companies cover it, it will have the effect of driving insurance costs up.

After talking with another person who is a medical professional I discovered another aspect of the law that may be disturbing. She suggested that many people who seek prescriptions for scheduled drugs are already illicitly using some other drug and that the test will reveal them and prevent them from obtaining the prescription from the doctor. I didn't think too much of it until she said, “including marijuana” and that got my attention. I was surprised that they would be testing for a substance other than prescription medicines and it had not occurred to me that something like marijuana could prevent someone from obtaining a prescription for a medically necessary drug.

I have heard all along that the General Assembly will take up amending the drug bill when they next meet and they should. But the idea that people who smoke marijuana could be denied prescriptions could very well be a blow up of major proportions.

What will be done about the miscreants that the drug tests reveal? Will they be turned over to the police? Will they be jailed? Of one thing I am certain. There will be a great hue and cry from a lot of people who smoke marijuana and there are quite a few more of them than one would imagine. It has become such a ubiquitous drug and one that is perceived to be acceptable to use that many people will not even think about it before becoming a victim of the new regulations. But that is not the most that will happen by far.

The underground use of marijuana has become much like alcohol was during prohibition. It may be illegal but it is widely accepted and considered relatively harmless. Just as making alcohol illegal during prohibition was so we can expect the use of marijuana to be. Up until now there has been a sort of unspoken truce between users and law enforcement where if one will be discreet then law enforcement will not see every infraction that occurs. Will this drug testing force the had of law enforcement to arrest and jail pot users? Will doctors be drafted into being part of the law enforcement community? What would we do with our jails, already overcrowded, if we started locking up pot smokers? Already Kentucky leads the nation in percentage of population incarcerated and the United States leads the world in that category also. There has been a low grade persistence to decriminalize the use of marijuana and several states have medical marijuana laws which are often flouted to enable the general use of the drug for recreational purposes. If the underground economy is forced out into the open the pressure may become too much for our legislators to resist.

The testing requirement may serve some minimal purpose but the cost to those least able to bear it is too much. If the state wants to assume the costs of testing then by all means it should proceed. However, in my mind the whole idea comes close to prior restraint. Rather than decriminalize marijuana I predict the General Assemble will rethink the necessity of testing prior to receiving a prescription.

In the Right Direction

Opposition agrees broad steps to unite against Bashar al-Assad | The Australian

If this initiative succeeds it will be a huge victory for Secretary Clinton, President Obama and for the foreign policy goals of the United States.  It was the US that perceived the existing rebel entity negotiating for the anti-Assad groups was not representative of the situation on the ground.  This did not take place during the run up to the Iraqi war and it fomented the years long insurgency against the new government.  Also, this may help to keep heavy weapons out of the hands of the Jihadists.

Oh, My.

Texas A&M pulls stunning upset of No. 1 Alabama: t

The Ragin' Cajun

Carville: GOP routed by reality - CNN.com

GOP Presidents Worst Contributors to Federal Debt - The Washington Note

GOP Presidents Worst Contributors to Federal Debt - The Washington Note

Just Incredible

Rove: Obama won 'by suppressing the vote' - POLITICO.com

Burma?

President surprises with early Burma trip

Perhaps as a building block in an effort to influence China's neighbors and resist China's spreading influence in Asia.

A Home Grown Disaster

For Religious Conservatives, Election Was A 'Disaster' : It's All Politics : NPR

White evangelicals and perhaps evangelicals as a whole are incredibly naive.  Those voters will accept at face value anyone who utters the right words and will gladly overlook flaws that would make them unacceptable to any other political bloc.

This article quotes Al Mohler, an intellectual leader of the SBC and President of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, as saying Ralph Reed poured millions of dollars into the effort to elect Romney.  He ignored the fact that Ralph Reed was shown to be a co-conspirator in the scandal that surrounded Republican lobbyist and fund raiser, Jack Abramoff.  He was shown to have lied to defraud clients to promote the conservative evangelical political agenda and people just don't forget that stuff.

The Religious Right is perceived more and more as being bigoted and racist in their vehement battle against civil rights for gay people.  More and more Americans are deciding that the gay population deserves the same protections the Constitution provides for others.

And, it may be noted that in the past the Southern Baptist Convention in particular has designated the Mormon Church as a cult and a false prophet of Christianity saying that the church was not Christian at all.  Then during this election they spurned a President who professes Christianity in favor of one that a year ago was not even a Christian.  Even if God is not ticked off the American people are at this callous act of hypocrisy.

You cannot lie with wolves in sheep's clothing and claim God's favor.

This, however, is something that those who apply a religious test to our candidates must come to terms with.  First they have to decide what God has to say about all this.

Perhaps it is time to return to our foundation of spurning government ties with our faith.

Bibi's Foot in Mouth disease.

Israel worries about Netanyahu’s pro-Romney stand now that Obama’s won | McClatchy


You can bet your socks that Obama will not allow Bibi's insolence to go unrewarded.  This should give the US some leverage to force Israel to the bargaining table.  Netanyahu has  long friendship with Romney from his days in Chicago.  Bet on the wrong horse,

Rover on the way out.

Rove's War with Fox's Nerds: The Backstory - Politics - The Atlantic Wire

Karl is responsible for dumping 100s of millions of dollars into areas he directed and still got beat there.  His strategy was wrong and he misread the electorate.

The View Through the Windshield

Conservatism is not dead nor should it be. As a political philosophy it has much to recommend it but it seems to have been hijacked by an irrational minority of its adherents. Conservatism is not held only by Republicans but there are also some Democrats who are pretty conservative although not quite so many. In the past Conservatism has been led by many of the New Englanders who held to vestiges of that Puritan Ethic that led them to a progressive social policy and a more conservative fiscal policy. These are qualities not lacking in today's GOP but are currently being drowned out by the din from the extreme elements of the party which has had the effect of forcing candidates running on the Republican ticket to cater to that extreme in order to be nominated. It is a very vocal group. I think, and many others also, that the GOP will have to return to those roots in order to once again become a majority party.

Progressives should not be overconfident at the results of this election. What we can take away is that the red states are very red and that the blue states are very blue. Not too many are in the category where it is possible for the state to fall one direction or the other. As many of the talking heads said, the nation is changing in a demographic sense and the GOP has failed to keep up. That will not last forever nor should it. It may cause a great sense of disquiet that our country is becoming more diverse but this is not the first time. However, it is the first time that the demographics are being changed by people of color and that is a challenge we must move past. This will no longer be a nation ruled by old white guys. Tuesday night revealed the power of women and minorities and it is not just a blip on the screen, it is the wave of the future.

If one peers into the characteristics of the vote it will be revealed that there are pockets of diversity all over the place and they are going to grow. That is the nature of our country and it is from that that our strength blossoms and is shown for the world to see. It is a beacon to the world that there is a place where people can live together without fear and in peace even if we sometimes allow that light to grow dim.

The path for our country has always been in the center. We do not drift too far from it. The Democratic Party is certainly not the party of the old line liberals that came to be after the Depression and World War II. This party has had to make some painful adjustments to that reality and the Republican Party is, for a while, in the wilderness that the Democrats stumbled through during the '70s and '80s. What we can infer from looking at the past half century or so is that the American people are not, as a rule, too crazy. We would rather things go along (as my algebra teacher used to say) just like baby bear's soup.

But growing pains are difficult. We see it in our children and we see in in our societies. Perhaps it is natural and part of our human nature to look in the rear view mirror and long for what we perceive as more peaceful and rational times. Usually close examination will reveal that to be an illusion. It is a truism that growth is preceded by discord. As a species we will not venture into the unknown unless driven. Altruism as a virtue is not an enduring characteristic of our nature.

This election in a sense has rejected the reactionary nature of the GOP. Regardless of how I feel, the GOP should have been able to win this election. A President that has led over such a period of anemic growth and with so little on which to campaign should not have been able to be reelected as a matter of politics and his campaign team recognized that. It has been one of the most amazing efforts by a campaign team I have ever seen and that is a position I have held from the beginning of this campaign. But we shouldn't give too much of the credit to the politics of the moment. The campaign was only able to move the electorate a small amount in some key areas but they knew that and that was their goal. In a greater sense it is the beginning of a rejection of some of the extreme elements of the GOP. It is a foretelling of a growing society that is being forced to deal with the diversity of its people. We can't hold back that diversity and remain the country of the ideals we espouse. If we love our country and what it means to us and the world we must embrace that diversity and allow it to cook in the great melting pot and become that thing that is uniquely American and that the rest of the world looks to with envy.

Left and Right can only be understood as it relates to the current state of society. What many call extreme left is a great deal to the right of what it used to be. Temporarily, the extreme right holds sway over the GOP but it too will return to a more centrist policy or go the way of the Whigs and other political parties of the past. Change is the only constant. The GOP will not return to power by being more conservative just as the Democratic party will not hold power by being more liberal. Those extremes serve to define the balance in the center. It is not an exact or unchanging center but more of a moving target. Back and forth. It is the beauty of this messy exercise in self-rule. Anything to clean it up will only result in less freedom.

Allow argument and controversy but it is imperative that we remove the cancer of money from our system. Whatever means is used to do so may not appeal to all of us but it is a disease that must be excised.

That is my take on the victory of the center and a philosophical view of the future. I would like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Hang On.....Just a Few More Days

I am glad to report that this time next week, barring some disaster, we will have another Presidential election in the bank and we will be able to get on with our normal criticisms and bickering. I don't know if it is just weariness at the constant sniping or if I am just getting old and tired of it. Perhaps both. But, at least, in a weeks time perhaps all of the political ads, negative and otherwise, will be over for another year or two.

We have some serious business to attend to. The euphemistically named “fiscal cliff” will be upon us. Without some kind of budget deal the automatic cuts programmed into a previous debate will kick in removing $500 billion from each of the military budget and social programs over the next decade. It was set up to be so severe so that the budget negotiators would be terrified of it but they were more terrified of having to go tell their constituents they needed to lighten up a little bit. I've said it before but is being elected such a big deal that one would forsake his duty to the nation just to uphold his intransigence? I suppose just having to ask that question answers it.

Everyone knows that we are going to have to have a combination of both spending cuts and new revenues. The numbers just don't work any other way. I don't have that big a problem with cutting our obese defense budget and others feel the same way about our social programs. The other side of the coin though is that cutting that much from only a couple of sources would put hundreds of thousands if not millions of people out of work and would likely drop us into recession again. The federal government and the national deficit are NOT just like your checkbook no matter what you are told by the simpletons on television. Like it or not, all federal spending is stimulating to the economy just by its nature. In terms of economic impact spending on salaries for our military is no different than spending federal dollars on a new bridge. Both employ people using tax receipts. So, if we stop spending we don't just save that money. On the other end we don't generate that money so it is not like your checkbook. If you don't spend money then you save it. If the government doesn't spend it then jobs are not created on the other end.

The Great Recession has caused tax receipts to plummet and that has created much of our budget deficit. We need to employ people to generate more tax receipts and, let's face it, only large corporations, the 1 % and our government have access to that kind of money. In fact, those large corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars they could be using to invest in our country hoping to get a better deal after the election.

Our economy is transitioning from a manufacturing economy to a service economy and we have to have workers ready to step into the jobs in the new economy. These jobs will require more education that previous jobs and skills our workforce does not have. How will we deal with that unless government steps in to help train those people. The alternative is to drop farther into a third world economy then we will be competitive with Mexico and China. Not good for the American consumer.

If we are to export anything then we will have to decide what it is that we can export that the rest of the world can't export just as cheaply. We still have an edge in technology and innovation but we desperately need mathematicians and engineers to work there. Now we are importing those skills from the rest of the world because we have not educated enough to serve the domestic market. In the old economy that would work because our businesses had a captive market. Now with a global economy that is not so. The market is world wide and we have to compete world wide.

There are ways to do that but those ways require some direction from government rather than just allowing demand to create the impetus for change. Germany still has a strong industrial and manufacturing base even though their products are costly. The reason is the world renowned German engineering. Germany uses a system of trade schools and partnerships with business to train workers. This model alone will not work for the United States but it can be part of the plan. Germany has a population of about 81.5 million and the United States has a population of over 350 million. We will have to have multiple plans and there is no single entity that can lead this transformation other than government. To me, this is plain to see. To others loyalty to worn out ideologies carry the day.

It appears that the President will win reelection but not by a large number. The House of Representatives will remain in Republican hands while the Democratic Party will carry the Senate but not with a filibuster proof majority. One of the things that absolutely needs to be done is to rewrite the rules to allow for a majority of votes to pass legislation at some point. It is just insane to require a super-majority of 60 to pass the simplest of acts and it has created paralysis in Congress.

Very few are going to get everything they want. All of us are going to have to give a little to get a little and that is the biggest change of all. Let's try to get behind our elected leaders and let them know we won't necessarily fire them if they compromise but that we will certainly fire them if they won't.