Essential's Word

Bat Shit Law of the Day: Republicans & Abortion Again

2011-03-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

Once again Republicans prove they are the party of Projection & Hypocriscy. For decades Republicans have been trying to convince the American people that it is the Democrats who want to get into people's personal lives. They say "Democrats want to control your life", the Democrats "want to control what you can & can't do, and run your lives for you."

And for the 100millionth time it is the Republicans trying to pass bills that invade an individuals personal life, and privacy.
Mother Jones reports that in a new bill brought to the House floor by the Republicans would force the IRS to ask people if they had an abortion. The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" would require the IRS to play the cops, and try to determine if someone has received federal funds for an abortion.

Thomas Barthold of the nonpartisan Joint Tax Commission, stated that your tax form would ask "If you had an abortion?" "Was it rape?" "Was it incest?" "Do you have a recipt for the abortion?"
If a woman is being audited, and has had an abortion in the last year, she not only has to describe the nature of her abortion, but has to provide info that she obtained an abortion in a way that doesn't make Republicans cry.

This has gotten ridiculous. You don't have to like abortions, and there is a legitimate debate to be had on the morality of abortions, but IT IS LEGAL. It has been fully legal since 1973 with the decision of Roe vs. Wade.

Republicans want to talk about how Democrats want to play big brother, get into your personal life, and tell you how to live, but what in the hell is this? The Republicans are actually entering people's personal lives.

I also thought Republicans were the party of jobs. What the hell does this have to do with jobs? My suggestion for Republicans is suck it up, and deal with the fact that abortions are LEGAL. Stop trying to invade a woman's personal life.

Bat Shit Law of the Day: Miscarriages = Prenatal Murder?

2011-03-09T23:29:00.003-05:00

A Georgia lawmaker decided to take his Anti-Abortion stance a bit further. He recently purposed to classify Miscarriages as "Prenatal Murder".

State Representative Bobby Franklin (pictured above), has introduced a bill that would make miscarriages a criminal offense. And as stated in the literature of the bill, an offense potentially punishable by death.

I'm going to go out on a limb based off looks that this guy has never gotten laid, nor seen a vagina in person.. There is no way a grown man could not know that a miscarriage is not the same thing as an abortion.

According to Mother Jones writer Jen Phillips, " women who miscarry could become felons if they cannot prove that there was "no human involvement whatsoever in the causation" of their miscarriage. There is no clarification of what "human involvement" means, and this is hugely problematic as medical doctors do not know exactly what causes miscarriages. Miscarriages are estimated to terminate up to a quarter of all pregnancies and the Mayo Clinic says that "the actual number is probably much higher because many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman doesn't even know she's pregnant. Most miscarriages occur because the fetus isn't developing normally.""

This is ridiculous. First off abortions are legal.. Republicans get over it... Second, do republicans know any women at all? It is a miscarriage, not sticking a coat hanger up your vagina. A woman could slip and fall on the ice outside and have a miscarriage.

A miscarriage is an awful thing, and to make it worse this guy wants to make you prove that it wasn't on purpose.. And if you can't prove it you get life in jail, or are executed.. He is treating women who have miscarriages like they are criminals.

But it is not a surprise, Bobby Franklin also proposed a bill in 2010 that would require those who are victims of rape to be classified as "accusers of rape". No longer victims, ACCUSERS.

And this is offered by the same party that on the National Level, tried to cut funding for Federal Subsidized Abortions for victims of Incest or Rape.

These people are just inhumane, and not looking out for anyone.. And now just like Hispanic people, black people, Muslims, Gay People, Middle Class, and the poor.. Women would be mental to vote republican.

You Can't Be This Stupid

2011-03-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

So when debating about the TSA possibly swabbing your mouth with a Q-tip when you fly.. Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends found a way to get around it: “all you gotta do is put someone else’s DNA in your mouth.”. This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. He must not have even passed 2nd Grade Science Class. Whoever his teacher was for High School Biology should be fired for not failing him.

And what kind of DNA is he talking about.. Does he mean the DNA from saliva, or the DNA from someone's semen..

And now not only is what Steve Doocy said dumb, but disgusting.

What's Really Going On in Wisconsin

2011-02-27T15:50:00.001-05:00

For the past few weeks the lead story occurring in the United States, are the protests in Wisconsin. To "cut back on the budget", Gov. Scott Walker has been pushing the bill that would require Public Union Workers (teachers, cops, fireman) to pay more into their benefits (the less egregious of the two ideas of the bill), and relinquish their Collective Bargaining Agreements (which is outrageous). What that means is that the government is basically allowed to do what it wants to Union Workers. Since the Union Workers wouldn't have the right to negotiate they have no say. This would allow the Government to come in and cut pay to whatever they want, cut benefits without warning, and fire without prior notification. The reason teachers, cops, and firefighters unionized because every time there was a need for "budget cutbacks" some of the most important jobs in the country would be the first to feel the brunt of the "cut back"

But the reason this came about is not because states need to save money, because the average Union Worker makes $47,000 in this country (that's not what's breaking our budgets in each state). It can be summed up by 1 video on Fox News. Although I gave them crap in my post Fox News Gets Owned On Fox News, this time Fox News got it absolutely right. Granted it was Shep Smith, and he is the only reasonable guy on the channel, I have to give credit where credit is due.

This has nothing to do with Unions, and protecting the Middle Class. Teachers, Cops, Firefighters are the middle class. All this has to do is a political bickering of Republicans hating Unions only because they do not donate to them like they do to Democrats. For example look at Corporations they donate far more to Republicans and in return the Republicans protect them like it was their first born.

In business they say investing in a politician is the most financially sound investment you could ever make. For $1 million he/she will produce a profit of ten fold the initial investment.

This gets to the heart of the Republican politician. Put the lives of people in the balance to make your stupid political point. Like Shep said "Get rid of the Unions, Game Over"

Bat Shit Law of the Day: Ban Karma

2011-02-24T23:50:00.001-05:00

So Arizona has decided to take action because apparently Secret Terrorist Muslims are taking over the United States, and they are the only ones who notice. Like Arizona, Tennessee has moved forward to ban Shariah Law. Following the Conservative Ideology that all things created/looks like something from the Middle East they will ban it; Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska have all put forth legislation to ban Shariah Law. To be honest I haven't seen Shariah Law in the U.S. But I also think Ronald Reagan was a fuck up as a President. Just obvious things I've noticed that Conservatives haven't.

I digress, Arizona is taking this a step further. Not only will they ban Shariah Law but they will ban the concept of Karma. Really? Karma? Karma isn't even a religion. what bad has come from Karma? It is the idea that the act of Good Deeds lead to Good Results, and Bad Deeds leads to Bad Results. How can you not believe in something like that? Isn't that the whole predication of Christianity (if you are good you go to heaven, if you are bad you go to hell)? Does that mean killing someone now no longer leads to the victims death because Karma has been abolished?

Arizona has to be the most ass backwards state. And the fact that I can seriously say it is worse than South Carolina, or Alabama is sad. At least in Alabama or South Carolina we expect ass backwardsness. But this takes the cake.

Once again Conservatives can't have their ideology without making you fear someone.

If we are banning things we are scared of I have a few bills I would like to bring to the floor.

1. The V.I.K.I. Law

The purpose of the V.I.K.I. law is to ban all Personal Servant Robots. Reason is, is that the robots are becoming too strong, and one day they will rebel. And unless you were half bionic like Will Smith, we cannot defeat them. Therefore I don't want to risk being taken over by Robot Servants.

2. Ban of the Hitler Stache

With "His Airness" rocking the Hitler last year, I fear that the Hitler will come back in style, and someone will take it too far, and try to run for President under the Nazi Party. So from this day forth Hitler Stache = Banned.
You know you were a pretty screwed up guy when you have a unique mustache, and you were so awful that the mustache you had is not acceptable in public. If only John Stockton was Hitler then we could ban the short shorts instead.

3. Ban Killer Tomatoes

Saw this movie. Frightened me to death. Now my tomatoes only come in Ketchup form. Therefore if I had a Killer Tomato, it has already been defeated. So no more killer tomatoes.

4. Banishment of Eddie Murphy

We shall ban Eddie Murphy from America, or at least Brooklyn. I suspect he may be a Vampire. Do you want to take that risk? And Kadeem Hardison that goes for you too.

5. Mutant Turtles

Imagine what the terrorists could do with Radiation, Turtles, and a New York City Rat. If they get a hold of this combo we could be fighting Stoned Mutated Martial Arts Fighting Turtles. We have a great army but I think mutated turtles have us beat.

The Capitalist Problem

2011-02-24T18:03:00.001-05:00

There is one main problem with Capitalism. That is it has no moral code. This moral code is something that every individual has. While we all have lapses in that code, most of us understand what is right, and what is wrong.We also have a common understanding of how to treat each other.

Capitalism's main objective is money/profits and money has no moral code. It is in fact amoral. This is what leads to the largest problem, an actual Darwinian struggle, that is not even supposed to be Darwinian. Survival of the Fittest for something none of us have control over is downright inhumane.

This is not to say that Capitalism is awful. I'm not saying that because I do believe that capitalism does in general keep our prices down, and allows us more choices of products. But Capitalism does not guarantee or protect the general well-being of citizens. And that is where government comes in. Free Market Capitalism has NEVER worked. What should be discussed is all a matter of debate, how much government is necessary?

If anyone tells you that there should be no government in any part of the economy they've either 1. Never actually thought about it, 2. Have no idea what they are talking about.

There is no incentive for a corporation to act morally. Capitalism does promote competition. But the goal of each competitor is to obtain 100% of the market. Often an unrealistic, and impossible outcome, each company is trying to get as close to 100% of the share as possible. That is why there was a "Bust The Trust" Movement and Anti-Monopoly legislation in the early 1900's because in many industries the market was dominated by only a few powerful companies.

Do you think that corporations (for example oil companies) would not harm the environment on a constant basis if not for the Environmental Protection Agency? Hell they even harm the environment when the EPA puts regulations on the amount of harm they can commit.

Before we had labor laws during the industrial revolution, a factory could make you work 14 hour days, 7 days a week. They also could employ children, and would often have the children climb into a jammed machines to fix it. FYI, many times when the machine was unjammed the child was killed. Thanks to the federal government, and the formation of OSHA (Operational Safety and Health Administration), and other Bureaus policies like these are now illegal.

The FDA makes sure that our food does not kill us if we eat it. Although when I had the Double Down I felt like I had a heart attack. The FDA also ensures us that our over the counter drugs are generally safe, and not mislabeled.
Did you also know without the government there would be no patent laws? Without these no company could be innovative without a competitor copying them immediately. So don't say the government never helped capitalism with regulations.

Yes there are times when these government organizations fail, but if you think where we would be without them, it offers us a pretty shitty life, where corporations control out every move.

This all comes to a head listening to Fox News, and Conservatives talk about the Wisconsin situation. They have all these billionaires, and fairy-tale tellers saying that what we need is less taxes, less government regulation, and workers to work for less. They say it is wrong for Corporations to take jobs overseas, and ask for cut taxes. It doesn't matter. The reason they left the U.S. and put the factory in China, India, etc. is because they were driven by Capitalism 101: Maximize Profit.

The average income is in the $30,000 range. The average CEO is getting paid 400 times more than the employees. (If you didn't major in math that's $12,000,000 for the CEO). So you tell me what is a bigger burden to a corporation; 400 employees making $30,000 (which equals $12million), or 1 insignificant douche making $12million. Who is more productive for that corporation? The 400 workers who actually produce whatever the company does, or the 1 guy who pulls the strings.

Let's go with Conservative logic (Ironic words put together) for a minute, and say everyone takes a pay cut. If 400 workers took a 33% pay decrease to $20,000 that's $8million combined for the 400 workers. 400 workers make $4 million less and 1 person now makes more than them combined. That is how CEO pay has doubled, and workers pay has stayed stagnant over the past 10 years.

You could make the CEO take a 50% pay cut, making $6 million dollars a year. And he still makes 200 times more than the average worker.

The problem is not the workers. The problem is the CEO's. I didn't even mention the millions CEO's get in pensions, and other benefits on top of their annual salary.

All the complaints about workers need to expect less if they don't want their job taken overseas. That's ok. But what these imbeciles don't recognize is that no matter how little you pay American workers, there will always be someone working for less somewhere else. Let's say you cut a factory workers pay all the way down to $10,000 a year (which is barely good enough for a college student living at home). If there is somewhere you can pay a worker $2,000 a year, the Corporation will take that job elsewhere.

On Fox News they were talking about the teachers in Wisconsin, and said "show the average income". It was $51,000 and some change. They then talked about it as if teachers are making $10,000,000 a year. $51,000 is decent pay, but if a teacher lost his/her job, their life would be in major turmoil. Ask a CEO who just got canned how difficult his life is.

Why are we even trying to say a teacher doesn't deserve $51,000 a year? Teachers are in a short list of the most important people in our society. It is impossible to even put a price on what they do. I'm not saying they should get $200,000 a year on average or even $100,000, but what they do, and how much they get paid does fall short.

These free market capitalists don't get it, and are often times arguing against themselves. Capitalism may be fine. The capitalist tries to drive down the average worker's wages. So they can produce for cheaper. Without Government Regulation nothing can stop a corporation paying us in Circus Peanuts.

By itself Capitalism DOES NOT WORK. We end up with less money, and taken advantage of. In order for Capitalism to work to take a phrase from The Young Turks/MSNBC Host Cenk Uygur, "the government must play the referee."

Billionaire Complains About His Taxes

2011-02-23T11:06:00.001-05:00

Recently (today). Businessman/Billionaire/Former Owner of The Buffalo Sabers Tom Golisano went on Fox & Friends to complain that his taxes were too high.

To watch the video and read how absurd what this guy is actually saying, click the jump.

I decided to check the man's net worth. In 2006 he was the 204th richest American according to Forbes . And was still worth $1.2Billion in September 2011. This guy is complaining about taxes. I can understand someone making $250K. With a net worth of $1.2Billion I can sit around the house all day naked, playing PS3, Listening to the HandGunzHigh Mixtape on repeat, and putting diamonds in my food.

This guy complains about fair. Because the top 1% pay over 40% of the taxes. What he doesn't tell you

from USC.edu by G. William Domhoff

Look at the disparity of pay. Since 1990 the average CEO pay has increased 298.2% double what the S&P 500 has increased. Corporate Profits have more than doubled. But regular worker's pay has only increased 4.3% in that same span of time.

For example if a CEO was getting paid $2million in 1990, He was making $5,964,00 in 2005. By the way the CEO pay numbers have increased to over 400% from 2005-2010. Which would be $8,000,000 a year for the same job that was making $2,000,000 in 1990. This is not including cash incentives like stocks, pensions, private jets, golden parachutes (money for when you get fired or quite, normally in the millions of dollars).

Now let's look at worker's pay. If you made $20,000 in 1990. Don't look now in 2005 your income may have reached $25,000 (that's if his income rose 25% instead of the 4.6% average).

So Corporations are making double from 1990-2005. CEO's are getting triple their original salary. And a worker may get a measly $5,000 more, and that's if they are prospering..

Once again he complains about the top 1% paying over 40% of the taxes. In 2007 before the economic crash, the top 1% owned 33.8% of the income. Which means that the top 1% in 2007 earned more than the bottom 50% combined. So 3 million or so people made more than 150 million people. So spare me with the bullshit that your taxes are too high when you are making millions a year. Most families will be lucky if they see $2 million combined in a lifetime.

Furthermore he talks about moving from New York to Florida because of taxes. It is true there is no income tax in Florida, and their Corporate tax is even more comically low. Florida Governor Rick Scott recently said he will take the 5.5% corporate tax, cut it to 3.5%, and in the next decade hope to cut it to 0%. Ignoring the fact that Florida is in bad economic standing. A $100million dollar a year company currently pays $5.5million in Corporate tax. That is now $3.5million a year with the original cut. Governor Scott is proposing that they pay $0 in corporate tax in the next decade. In a 10 year span of 0% tax rate is $55.5million in lost revenue for the government, and that is just 1 corporation. Guess who is paying for that... You guess it poor people who will have things like medicare cut to the bone. So while poor people are getting sick and dying, Corporations can worry about 0% tax. Scott also suggested over $3 billion dollar cut in Medicaid. I wonder what that is going to help pay for. Middle Class will also suffer. To help for all his ridiculous tax breaks for corporations, 1 of the 100's of cuts is a 10% cut for students. So while parents struggle to put their kids through school, a corporation can have money to pay it's CEO 4x times more of what he would have made in 1990.

This leads to the point in the first video of Golisano talking about moving to Florida. According to Institution on Taxation & Economic Policy study in November 2008, the top 1% pay 2.8% state and local tax (i.e. $28,000 on $1million dollars). Where as, a single mother with kids, maybe working 2 jobs is getting taxed at 13.5% (i.e. $3,375 on $25,000). How is that at all fair Mr. Golisano, who is worth 120,000% more than $1,000,000?

More video of the Florida Governor's budget to punish the poor and help the rich.

Fox News Gets Owned on Fox News

2011-02-23T02:39:00.001-05:00

Give this first video a minute or two to load

Operation Make Wisconsin a Fully Democratic State is almost complete.

In case you cannot hear it the protesters are saying "Tell The Truth" as Fox News is trying to do an on-scene report. I love the fact that they are telling Fox News to tell the truth though. Those 2 words are enemies. It's kind of like mixing the words "Good" & "Herpes". You could if you wanted to, but they just don't fit together.

Another video where the crowd chants "Fox Lies" while the guy is trying to report

I like how the guy tries to rationalize it by saying this is Fox Business. Basically acknowledging Fox News lies.

The Party of Future Irrelevancy Strikes Again

2011-02-01T16:02:00.001-05:00

Today is another day where I can have clarity.. No matter how bad Democrats are, they will always be better than the Republicans.

Today the House Republicans are officially pushing H.R. 3 aka "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act". Since Jesus told them that abortion is a sin Republicans with the help of a few slimy Democrats have come up with a bill to restrict funding to abortion as much as possible.

According to examiner:
H.R. 3 deals with a current law commonly called the "Hyde Amendment" which prohibits taxpayer funds being used for abortions. Under Hyde amendment, government funds distributed through programs like Medicaid cannot go to abortion procedures. In addition, any tax-exempt health insurance plan (which is most plans) must not cover abortions. Over the years the Hyde Amendment has provided exceptions for all cases of rape, whether by force or other means. H.R. 3 would do away with this exception for all cases of rape, and instead restrict the definition of rape to only cases of "forcible" rape.

The effects on some victims could be dramatic. As Mother Jones points out, a 13 year-old victim of incest would no longer be covered by Medicaid in order to get an abortion. A female victim of the "date rape drug" would not be covered by her insurance policy if she wanted to get an abortion from a resulting pregnancy. Any victim would presumabl have to prove to their insurance company that they were not only a victim of rape, but a victim of forcible rape.

Some analysts believe the bill will easily pass through the House. The Republicans dominate that chamber, and no GOP representative wants a vote against the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" on his record. The media is just now beginning to ask Republicans about the new, restrictive definition of rape. Thus far even the bill's strongest advocates have been unwilling to answer questions about the new standard they seek to adopt

For your enjoyment this is all the people who support it. (Yellow highlighted men who voted for it). And as asinine as it sounds women support this too.

The Republicans are now Anti-Woman, Anti-Youth, Anti-Black, Anti-Hispanic, Anti-Muslim....These guys are crafting a nice island to govern from...

Dumbass of the Day Award

2011-01-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

And the winner is....................Fox & Friends Host Steve Doocey
The amount of SMH & Facepalms required to accurately express my feelings toward this tweet are unlimited..

Global Warming doesn't mean that all snow ceases to happen... I feel like these jackasses who deny Global Warming will say no matter what "Hey it's cold, how about that global warming." Even during droughts it does rain. And just because a tree fell and nobody heard it, it still makes a sound.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/science/earth/11climate.html

From the New York Times Article: "Climate scientists say that no individual episode of severe weather can be attributed to global climate trends, though there is evidence that such events will probably become more frequent as global temperatures rise. Jeff Masters, a meteorologist who writes on the Weather Underground blog, said that the recent snows do not, by themselves, demonstrate anything about the long-term trajectory of the planet. Climate is, by definition, a measure of decades and centuries, not months or years."

Political Irony of the Day: Tea Baggers Don't Understand History

2011-01-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

This sign makes me want to make a dumb tea party sign post..

We all know the Tea Party as our favorite Gun-Toting Conservative friends who have no grasp on history, or well anything for that matter... Except for shotguns, misspelling of simple words, Ted Nugent, and Mullets..

Could it be that the whole resurgence of the tea party is based on not understanding the history of the country they love so much? You would be absolutely right.

First the Tea Party claims that they want our politicians to follow the framework our "Founding Fathers" set...

What they do not know is why the Constitutional Convention that lead to the creation of our Constitution and the framework for the United States came about.

The Constitutional Convention came about in response to Shay's Rebellion (where Daniel Shays a Revolutionary War Hero lead an uprising against the Massachusetts State Government.when the Governor vetoed a law that would ease loan repayments on farmers). The Founders saw this and realized that they needed a Strong Executive (Executive = President), and Federal Government that could unite all the states (who were becoming very separate after the Revolutionary War), and squash civilian uprisings like Shay's Rebellion. So when the Tea Party says that the founders wanted a weak federal government, they are ignoring history. The entire purpose of the Constitution was to create a strong Executive. To accompany this new Executive, was a strong Legislative Branch to check and balance the Executive.

Another principle of the Tea Party is based on Historical Figues. One is Patrick Henry (the "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" guy). About the Constitution Patrick Henry said "This Constitution is said to have beautiful features; but when I come to examine these features, sir, they appear to me horribly frightful. Among other deformities, it has an awful squinting; it squints toward monarchy; and does not this raise indignation in the breast of every true American?"

So when these Tea Baggers talk about following the Constitution, know that one of their PRINCIPLE INFLUENCES basically said that the Constitution was a piece of crap that took away people's freedoms.

Really Glenn Beck? You are Like MLK?

2011-01-17T19:16:00.001-05:00

When we are all trying to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr. and the greatness of his life. His accomplishments for not just black people but for all people. Glenn Beck somehow makes it about him.

First of all Jared Loughner was not a liberal. He may have not been a conservative either. He was straight up crazy end of story. But let's say he was a liberal, how many Liberals do you know who are viciously anti-government, tell people to invest in gold, warn of the looming "One World Currency", anti-abortion, believes the government is trying to control us through proper grammar, and thinks his local college is performing the equivalent of "genocide"? My bet is less than 0.

But the offensiveness of Glenn Beck comparing himself to Martin Luther King Jr. is shameful. It would be like comparing George Mureson to Michael Jordan.. Or George W. Bush to Abraham Licoln..

The Liberals like John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson were the one's that FOUGHT FOR MARTIN.. And the assholes Conservatives and Libertarians like Barry Goldwater FOUGHT AGAINST MARTIN..

Everything Glenn Beck stands for is everything Martin stood against.

The same man who in the same video stated that "Malcolm X and the Black Panthers were the reason for the violence". His ignorance of history is a problem, and makes his comparison of himself to MLK even more disgusting.

The same guy who stated that the Three-Fifths Compromise helped to end slavery a few weeks ago. (as I detailed in this blog post)

The same guy who called Barack Obama (a guy who is half-white) Racist against white people

Asserted that there was no Slavery in 1790. And white's wanted integrated churches

They got the facts absolutely wrong.. First, the churches that were integrated (very few were), the black people in the church couldn't sit with white people. They sat in the balconies away from white people. Richard Allen created his own "All Black Denomination" because he was not allowed to practice with white people. These Black Churches also would educated their members, and have the equivalent of today's after school programs because the were not allowed to have these from the white denomination churches, or society itself. How he went from integrated churches to a Civil Rights Leader being the one who was racist is astonishing. Only a lunatic could see history and construct it into that fuck fest of ignorance.

Keith Olbermann demolishing Beck for supporting the slave trade

And the final Glenn Beck is a racist/knows nothing about history

Glenn Beck: Slavery "started with seemingly innocent ideas" and then "the government began to regulate things"

(2:16-3:40)

If Martin Luther King Jr. was still alive he would have hated this guy. Glenn Beck is the same type of person who tried to STOP MLK from getting racial equaility. He also was the same type of person who tried to prevent slavery from being ended.

Glenn Beck show some respect to Martin Luther King because you are nothing like him, and you never will be.

In Respect for Martin Luther The King Jr.

A Politician Who Really Fights for the People

2011-01-15T21:11:00.000-05:00

Every time I talk to any one about politics, I get the same types of responses; "They are all corrupt" "They are all bought by corporations" "They don't care about us" "I hate politics because I know they don't work for us"

As an avid follower of politics, while I know most are bought off, not all of them are.

So to my friends who I've talked to about politics, and those who I haven't, who are skeptical of politicians, I will give you one example of a politicians who fights for the people... Representative Anthony Weiner.

Anthony Weiner is a Democratic Representative of New York's 9th Congressional District in the House. His district encompasses parts of Southern Brooklyn and parts of Southern & Central Queens. He has been in Congress since 1999.

I know you still don't believe me, so I will give you video footage after the jump.

Video #1: This was in July 2010 during the debate on the 9/11 First Responders bill. The back story is Democrats did a "Suspension Bill" meaning that it gets voted on as is. No amendments are allowed. This is to ensure that Representatives do not load up the bill with things that have nothing to do with the original purpose of the bill. But in order to do this instead of needing 51% of the vote to pass, you need two-thirds of the vote (meaning Republicans would need to vote for it also, and since they've been running on 9/11 for a decade everyone assumed they would vote yes).

Video #2: This video is from September 2009, during the middle stages of the health care debate. Anthony Weiner is explaining what America needs for health care. One of the few guys with the courage to argue what he truly believes in, Single Payer Health Care.

Video #3: This video is from February 2010, toward the end of the health care debate. He is interrupted several times and told to sit down because House Rules state that there are certain things you cannot say about the opposing party to keep a "civil debate".. But the best part is he keeps upping the ante every time he has to start over.. There is a lot of downtime in the video but keep watching the whole thing. Calls out Republicans for what they really are. To answer his question posed in the video: No I haven't met one.

Video #4: A Republican tries to use a fake document for arguing against the Health Care bill. BIG MISTAKE.

Video #5: This was a couple weeks ago. He tried to challenge 2 Republican Representatives who voted on a bill when they were not sworn in as Representatives yet (which is illegal). He points out the Republicans for saying they would "follow the constitution" and "be transparent" yet broke their own promises and didn't follow the constitution on their FIRST DAY of being the majority party in the House of Representatives.

Video #6: Representative Weiner was one of the few democratic politicians who fought against Obama's tax cut deal and actually stood for his word, and voted against it. Here he is on Fox News trying to debate the Estate Tax (which I wrote about in my "Why Obama's Tax Cut Deal Suck" post). Megan Kelly really just doesn't get what he is saying. And it offers a hilarious reaction when he gets pissed.

Time after time, Anthony Weiner comes out and fights for the people. He does so with passion, and honesty. In today's Congress that is a rarity.

Also a random trivia fact, during college Anthony Weiner was the roommate of Daily Show host Jon Stewart.

Many have stated that in 2013 Anthony Weiner may run for New York City Mayor (as he did in 2005)..
I'd much rather have him run for President in 2016. I think he would have a great chance of winning..

Some People Just Don't Get It

2011-01-12T14:29:00.000-05:00

In the Aftermath of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Arizona. The media has begun to realize that what is said in the political climate has real consequence.

All except one person: Sarah Palin.

Besides a post on the day of the shooting offering condolences and prayer for all the families affected, she has been resoundingly silent.

Until today. She has released an 8-minute video via Facebook. (I will save you the torture of watching it because I already have).

One of the worst quotes in the insanely insincere video is; "Within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn," she wrote. "That is reprehensible."

Let's first ignore the fact that she has no clue what "Blood Libel" means. Because it is often used as a propaganda term mainly against the Jewish Religion that they sacrifice their children.

But really inciting hatred and violence is reprehensible? What is it that you do again?

Let's go backwards shall we:

In the Spring of 2010 on Sarah Palin's political action committee SarahPAC's website. A map was posted. This map was 20 districts that the Republicans won in 2008 Presidential Election, that had a democratic Congressperson who voted for Obama's health care bill
If you look closely at the names accompanied on this list, Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8) was shot in the head on Saturday. Now I know Sarah Palin was not insinuating to go out and attempt to take her life, nor do I think she is the sole blame, but I just don't think she gets it. Those look tremendously similar to cross hairs, and there really is nothing wrong with it so far, but add the tweet that told you to go to facebook where it had the map

I know she wasn't inciting violence. BUT it is IRRESPONSIBLE to put cross-hairs on a map which she called "surveyors" and have a tweet about "Don't Retreat, Instead- RELOAD!" That gives an imagery of violence that is so disturbing especially when said about a politician considering our long standing history of political assassinations.

There is more.. Add this to what Giffords opponent in 2010 said:

"Get on Target for Victory in November Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly"

Come on this is just ridiculous now. As the Pima County Arizona Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said on Saturday "It may be free speech but it does not come without consequences."

If you are still not convinced let's go further back in time.

From October 4th, 2008

And again on October 6th, 2008

The Aftermath: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/sarah-palin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama

All quoted from the Telegraph:
"The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?""

Maybe Palin got the hint?

From Fox News Sunday: Feb. 7th,2010

WALLACE: Let's talk about national security. During the campaign, you said this about Mr. Obama:
PALIN [video clip]: Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
WALLACE: The president has escalated the war in Afghanistan, he has launched more drone attacks in his first year than George W. Bush did in eight years. Given what he has done as president, do you take back "palling around with terrorists"?
PALIN: No, I don't, because his associations with Bill Ayers and with others, he never really has, I think, adequately addressed why in the world he would have a relationship with a type of person like that, who had such disdain for America that he would want to bomb, harm, hurt, kill, Americans.

Sarah Palin's book "Going Rouge" in 2009:

Page 306-307: In relation to the breaking news about the friendship between the unrepentant domestic terrorist [Ayers] and the Democrat candidate for president of the United States, headquarters issued an approved sound bite about Obama "palling around with terrorists," and I was happy to be the one to deliver it. As more information was made public concerning Obama's associations and the fact that he had kicked off his political career in Ayers's living room, the sound bite was written into a rally speech. The left went nuts, accusing me of lowdown rhetoric unworthy of presidential politics. And although it was headquarters that had issued the sound bite, the folks there did little more than duck.

An Interview with Sean Hannity on November 18th, 2009

It all leads to the central premise that she just doesn't get it. Keith Olbermann, politicians on the left, and the right have since denounced the use of inflammatory rhetoric. She doesn't apologize. She doesn't say "she used bad judgement." She just lets it go. Not even 1 mention of how potentially damaging her rhetoric could have been. It was all the media's fault, and not hers.

Once again her irresponsibility shows why she will never hold a major National political office, because her disconnect with common sense, morality, and humbleness, and human decency just don't exist.

If someone were to use the same rhetoric against her, she would tell them that they are despicable for putting her life in danger. But since she did it, it is ok.

As a politician she should realize just how wrong it is to invoke any imagery, no matter how unintended or innocent that could potentially deal with assassination.

And if she didn't feel she was wrong. Why was the map, and the tweet deleted shortly after the Massacre?

No one is saying she is 100% the blame. No one is saying she is 1% to blame. But owning up to your misjudgment even if the consequences are yours to bear or not is the human thing to do. All it takes like many have in the past few day is a simple "I am so sorry, I used ridiculously poor judgment in my choice of words in the past. I realize how idiotic it was of me to even allude to violence against a politician. I apologize to every family who lost a loved one, I apologize to those who had to see this horrific event first hand. And I apologize to the American people. While I never meant for someone to commit an act of violence against a politician, some have mistaken those words as that. I again will say that I made a bad judgment, and in the future I will be very careful of the words I choose, in order to have a civilized discourse, and functioning Democratic Debate.

But she won't. She is missing that realization that the world being a bigger place than just yourself.

She just doesn't get why she is wrong, and that terrible judgment is exactly why she has a ridiculous unfavorable rating.

Why Obama's Tax Cut Deal Sucked

2011-01-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

Close to a month has passed since Obama signed the new tax code into law. And close to a month later, it still sucks.

I will break down individually why it blows like Kat Stacks at an Album Release party.

What Republicans Got From the Deal
1) Cutting Taxes For Income Above $250K
During Obama's entire 2008 Presidential campaign he told us that cutting taxes for the rich was stupid. According to him, it was also fiscally irresponsible. So what did he do? He cut taxes for the rich. The Republicans who are so ready to cut the deficit, have no problem increasing the deficit with tax cuts (Tax Cuts do not pay for themselves). Extending the tax cuts just for this top bracket for 2 years costs $81.5 billion. All of that revenue that we lost is generated from a 4% tax increase on those making over $250K a year, who have a disproportionate amount of wealth in this country. In 2007 the top 5% made 62% of the wealth, and estimates are that since 2007 it has increased to about 75-80% of all wealth in the United States is owned by the top 5% or around 15.3 million people.

Why it is even worse: January 2012 those tax cuts expire. And Obama said he is "ready for that fight on tax cuts" NO HE IS NOT.. He just had the fight. He gave up. He will cave in 2011-2012. When the Presidential Race for 2012 starts, Republicans will scream that Obama wants to raise taxes.. They will say it so much it will be politically damaging to his reelection bid (since most people don't know the intricacies of politics) and he will have to permanently extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Which is another $700 billion dollars to the deficit (which could pay for the entire Stimulus Bill, or the entire Health Care Bill).

I think the most telling thing of the whole deal was that Obama said "The Republicans were holding the American people hostage". Has he ever heard that you don't negotiate with hostage takers? Now he has set the precedent that all the Republicans have to do is threaten to hold up a bill that will help Americans, and he will give them what ever they want. This type of cowardice, and weakness has become synonymous with the Democrats. Considering they are the party that is only partial owned by big business, WE ARE SCREWED. When someone takes "hostages", you tell them what you are going to do. Not what you will do for them to "release the hostages". It is political weakness that is just amazing.

Why he could have won: Over 60% of Americans polled stated that they favor extending tax cuts for those making under $250K a year only (60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll, also backed up by a CBS poll, and a Gallup Poll). And when stated that if you use the tax hike on the top tax bracket to pay off the deficit/debt the number shot up to 75%. Also, there is no way the republicans would have allowed for taxes to raise on the middle class, to give taxes for the rich. If Obama waited it out, he would have won. And if Republicans did allow taxes to go up on the middle class to help the rich, they would have gotten wiped off the map in 2012. Politics 101 "when stuck between a rock and a hard place, give up before you get crushed." Even a semi-inept politician knew they had the Republicans in a tough spot.

2) Cut of the Estate Tax

The Estate Tax is a tax on money given to someone when a person dies. For example when the Hiltons pass their money will be given to Paris Hilton, and there would be a tax on that money. In 2010 Congress completely set that tax to zero. In 2011 it was set to go back to its normal rate of 55% with a tax exemption on the first $3.5 million (which would be over 90% of people exempted). Obama and the Republicans cut this tax to 35%, and exempted the first $5 million (which only less than 2% of all estates are worth more than $5 million).

Why It Is Even Worse: This accounts for $68.3 billion in lost government revenue, adding to the government deficit. All in the name of making sure Paris Hilton can keep more of the money she worked for (laugh along with me). I understand the process of leaving your money to your kids, so they do not have to work, BUT you should not be entitled to all that money because you did nothing to earn it. You got it by birth. That is not an accomplishment. Also the Republicans were not even using this as a negotiation tool. They were going to let it expire and go to 55%, and not worry about it. Obama gave this to them, without provocation.

Why He Could Have Won: Politics is all about framing. No one likes kids born with silver spoons in their mouth. Effectively explaining what this tax is, and state the Republicans want to help Paris Hilton get millions of extra dollars for doing nothing but being born would give great perspective to this. People will support the position to raise the estate tax overwhelmingly with better understanding of the issue.

3) The Payroll Tax Holiday

The Payroll tax is the 6.2% that is taken out of everyone's paycheck who makes less than $108,000 a year. This 6.2% goes toward Social Security Benefits for you when you retire. You will receive this money back in payments when you are at retirement age. In the deal for 1 year it decreases the tax from 6.2% to 4.2%. To most of us that is 2% more of our paycheck that we can keep this year. But it is potentially life changing for all of us.

Why is it even worse: In the 2011 year, this 2% decrease in tax will divert $111 billion dollars from Social Security. Republicans always complain about how Social Security is bankrupt, an entitlement for people looking for government handouts, and have worked tirelessly to end Social Security since FDR enacted it in the 1930's. When this tax holiday comes to an end next year, it will be hard for the payroll tax to go back to 6.2% without Republicans saying he is taxing the American people during this recession. Obama played right into the Republicans hand by creating the first nail in the Social Security Coffin.

Why He Could Have Won: It was a needless give in to the Republicans. No one asked for it. He gave it to them as a treat for "bipartisanship". Citizens love Social Security because it works. The Republicans hate it because it is helping out citizens. Without Social Security millions of Elderly Americans, who did not have a retirement plan established through their employer would be living on the streets. Also those who had retirement plans that became insolvent by the time they wanted to retire, have to rely on Social Security, and they would be living on the streets if they did not have it. Social Security was enacted by FDR as part of the New Deal in 1935. From 1935 through 2009 Social Security has ran a $2.5 trillion surplus (meaning it has taken in $2.5 trillion dollars more than it has paid out, which is presumably reserved for us taxpayers who have yet to hit our 60's). The Republicans complain about there not being any money left in Social Security, that would be because we used the Surplus to spend it on 2 Wars, and Tax Cuts. Also according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Social Security will be able to pay all benefits up until 2037. Making Social Security the most successful government program ever created. The CBO also notes that between 2037-2081, it is projected to pay out at least 75% of the benefits to all people on Social Security. This $111 billion taken out of Social Security doesn't help the argument that Social Security is good, it also doesn't help Social Security staying solvent if the Tax Holiday becomes permanent. Also this measure will hardly save jobs. In the short term it may save some, but it will be nowhere near enough to stimulate the economy.

What Should Have Been Done: Obama should have left the payroll tax alone, and when we were out of the recession tweak how Social Security is funded. Currently those making over $108K are exempt from the payroll tax. There should be a payroll tax on EVERYONE as long as you are not an employer (since the payroll tax already does affect Employers). With a payroll tax of maybe 2% on all income over $108K, Social Security could have been funded, and paid out 100% of benefits well into the 22nd Century.

What Obama got in the Tax Cut Deal

1) Tax Cuts for income under $250K.

This accounts for $463 billion of the tax cut deal. This is largely beneficial, BUT he didn't need to give away so much to get it passed. If this was the only content of the tax cuts, the Republicans would have voted for it no matter what. The Republicans knew it would have been so damaging to let taxes raise that they would have had to sign it.Representative John Boehner (R-OH) said that if tax cuts for income under $250K was his only option, he and other Republicans would have voted yes.

2) Unemployment Extension

This measure costs $56.5 billion, and allows for a 13 month extension for the 99ers (people who are receiving unemployment, and exceed the current 99 week unemployment benefit). The country is losing jobs, people are massively underemployed, while that number is slowly going down, this was unnecessary to do in return of all Obama gave to Republicans. Unemployment Extension has gone through Congress 5 times since the Recession started without once needing tax cuts for the rich. Obama hinted that the only way to get these extensions is give the Republicans tax cuts for the rich. THAT IS A LIE.. If he brought the extensions to a vote, they would pass because Republicans cannot be seen as anti-Unemployed. In time of a Recession that is a political guarantee that Unemployment gets extended, no matter how much people will hate it.

3) Assorted Tax Cuts/ Credits

Makes up $77.3 billion of the deal. There is a tax credit for families with college students. But also includes about $11 billion worth of energy subsidies and a temporary option for businesses to write off 100% of their expenses in 2011. These are all good things, and something that is an actual use of compromise. But could have been much larger, inclusive, and thought out. Also people who are often opposed to Obama say he received a great deal for the sole reason that there is Alternative Energy help. That's bullshit. The only way to successfully move forward on Alternative Energy is not a few billion dollars in a tax cut deal. Moving forward on Alternative Energy require comprehensive legislation.

After all of this, the "Lame Duck" 111th Congress Repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell (allowing soldiers to be openly gay in the army), ratified the START Treaty (reduces and modernizes Russia's nuclear weapons arsenal), passed the 9/11 First Responders Bill (gives health care to those who assisted in the rescue clean up at Ground Zero), and the Food Safety Modernization Act. Everyone credits Obama's cave in on tax cuts as the reason why all of this passed, but that is nonsense.

If Obama brought just tax cuts for those making under $250K and that is the only option, it would have passed.

The 9/11 First Responders Bill would have passed because Republicans could not have let themselves become the party against Firefighters, Police Officers, and other Heroes.If they did become that, the Democrats could have ran on that for 2 years for their political gain.

The START Treaty would have passed because Republicans were facing Extreme Pressure from many well established Republican Defense/Military Experts. This could have potentially given Democrats the "strong on Defense" moniker in 2012.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, may or may not have been repealed. It is tough to tell whether it would have without the tax cut deal. This Repeal had widespread support from the entire country. Americans know it is wrong to allow a person to fight, and potentially die for this country, and at the same time tell them that we don't want them to be who they are. Since the creation of DADT 13,000 people have been discharged from the military for being gay (a weird proportion of those 13,000 have been Arabic translators, which seems like it would be necessary to have as we fight wars against Arabic speaking countries).

I commend Obama for getting all of this passed. BUT I believe he would have gotten it all passed if he had balls, and pushed them through the Congress. He didn't need to give 1 of the biggest cornerstones of Liberal politics away, and potentially destabilize Social Security for it.

He is a smart guy. But Politically his advisers missed many opportunities to get most of what he wanted (and what the American people wanted).

His compromised sucked, and he shows his political weakness in this deal when Republicans got most of what they wanted, plus surprises they never would have gotten in a normal political climate. All the while Obama being President, A Democratic House, and Democratic Senate.

What I would have done: I would have given a tax cut for income under $500K as a compromise to the Republicans. Also a tax cut for any small business owner making over $500K. In return I would have asked for Unemployment Extension, Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal, Ratification of the START Treaty, Passage of The Dream Act (grants children brought into the United States illegally by their parents, a 5-10 year path to citizenship, if they attend college or fight in the U.S. military), Pass the Food Safety Modernization Act, Tax Credits to College Students, and negotiations to review the Cost of Higher Education and what could be done to reform that.

How I would have gotten it done: I would have met with the entire Democratic Representation in Congress, and told them to all vote my way. If not come next election I would support a primary opponent, and would not give them any support in the General Election. I would have told them to get out there every chance they can on TV, Radio, etc. to talk about this, and say that the Republicans are blocking all of these things that help the American people. I would then meet with the Republican Leadership, and I would tell them "This is my proposal on a compromise. The entire Democratic Party is unified on this compromise. If you do not agree to this Compromise, I will use the Presidential Bully Pulpit, and will call you out every chance I get. I will hold press conference day after day, telling the American people that you are holding their tax cuts hostage during a recession. Day In, and Day Out I will go out to the media and tell them why you are wrong, and I will explain everything I want to get done." The Political Pressure from this will cause the Republicans to cave in.

At the end of the day, Politics is a Strong Man/Woman Game. It is not for the weak willed.

That is why Obama's Tax Cut Deal Sucked.

Idiots Who Do Not Know What They Are Talking About: Please STFU

2011-01-11T02:39:00.005-05:00

So I was recently surfing the Internet, and came across a Glenn Beck clip. This has forced me to re-up this blog. In no way do I condone any of his hate speech, but to provide context to the article, I will post the video.

It is regarding the Three-Fifths Compromise.

This reverts back to the central topic of the post.. "IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP"

Let's tackle the Three-Fifths compromise enacted in 1787.

Glenn Beck starts his insane diatribe with complaints about how could the Republicans leave out the Three-Fifths Compromise during their gestural and nonsensical reading of the Constitution last week.

No where in history, except for the revisionist history of White Supremacists in Denial has the Three-Fifths compromise ever been regarded as a true shinning moment in United States history. No Civil Rights scholar, nor leader, nor abolitionist at the time marks this as a turning point in rights for black people. It is largely remembered as one of the worst atrocities the American government has perpetrated onto black folks.

The compromise was between Northern States and Southern States during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. For the most part the Northern States wanted slaves to be considered only for the purpose of taxation, but not counted for representation in the government. The Southern States wanted slaves to be counted as representation (all while granting them no representation) and have slaves not counted toward the taxed population.

If slaves were considered as part of the citizen population in the South they would have given the Southern States far more political leverage. This political leverage would have been used to vote for slave friendly politicians. Considering that in 1787, slaves did not have the right to vote. The more slaves the South had, the more seats in Congress the South had. The more seats in Congress, the more Pro-Slavery Knuckle-Draggers they could vote in.

The North is not clean in this matter either. Their viewpoint was to count slaves as objects for taxation only. This would then limit the amount of slaves, because the more slaves you had, the more taxes you would pay. If you allowed them to be counted as represented citizens as well, you would have to give the South more seats.

It was all a Political Chess Match, with the usual pawn; Black People.

There was a big dilemma, if the South did not get what they wanted, they would not join the Union. So to please the South, the North made the Three-Fifths Compromise.

This stated that a slave would be counted as 3/5th of a person for representation, and when Congress enacts a per capita tax they would be counted as 3/5th of a person as well.

This gave the South enormous political power, and the reason slavery stuck around for an extra 75 years. In the 1800 Presidential Election John Adams lost his reelection bid to the pro-slavery candidate Thomas Jefferson. This loss for Adams was directly due to the extra representation the South had. As history already tells us the slave holding Thomas Jefferson continued Slavery.

Did black people get rights due to the Three-Fifths Compromise? No. Were they allowed to vote now that they were taxed "citizens"? No.

The South wanted Slaves to be counted as a person only to further the slavery agenda. But when it came to rights for black people, the South wanted them to be considered property. The North on the other hand wanted Slaves to be considered taxable to cripple the South, but not represented so they could keep power.

Remind me again; How this ended slavery?

If this was truly a turn for the better for civil rights in this country the Three-Fifths Compromise would have been the 13th Amendment, 14th & 15th Amendment written and ratified into the U.S. Constitution in 1787 instead of 1865 (13th: abolished slavery), 1867 (14th: due process/equal protection), 1870 (15th: right to vote). There would also have never been the Reconstruction South where returning Confederate Soldiers came back from war to find black people with new freedom. Which they then spent 100 years trying to take away through Jim Crow Segregation, and anarchy. Also if the Three Fifths Compromise was so great for Civil Rights. Why the hell did it take 177 years to create the Civil Rights act of 1964, with the cold blooded murder of hundreds of thousands of black people?

Furthermore, if this huge fuck fest of "Bipartisanship" called the Three-Fifths Compromise helped to end slavery, why did the South have to leave the Union, and fight the United States Government to keep slavery?

Glenn Beck and these revisionist assholes who say they are carrying the torch of Civil Rights in the 21st Century for people like Martin Luther King Jr. (no mention of Malcolm by the way from them ever) know absolutely nothing about the Civil Rights Movement. These guys are no better than the douche bags who fly a Confederate Flag and claim it means Southern Pride. NO YOU INBRED BIGOT. IT MEANS YOU SUPPORT THE ENSLAVEMENT OF BLACK PEOPLE, AND IT MEANS YOU WANT TO SECEDE FROM THE UNITED STATES. Yet you claim to be a patriot.

This goes back to the Central Point. If You Don't Know What You Are Talking About PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!

Passing Blame

2010-07-02T08:29:00.003-04:00

I wonder if Fox News or Republicans understand the purpose of video cameras. Apparently not because they will blame Liberals/Democrats for everything no matter how crazy or how much of a reach. Then it turns out they were the ones who actually do what they blame us for. Then act so smug because not only is it on tape, when it is brought to their attention they act like it still doesn't exist. For example Media Matters is an organization who basically just watches the news and reports what people say, just posting their quotes and what they mean. Bill O'Reilly (who is the most sane/smartest affiliate of the GOP) calls them "Liberal Smear Merchants". That is why people like Obama can never win, because he tries to get agreement when agreement doesn't exist. Time to man up, grow some testicles, and get to work.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Blame

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Tim Wise Speech on The Pathology of White Privilege

2010-07-01T18:40:00.008-04:00

I've read a couple of Tim Wise's works. He makes many good points, and raises many concerns that go often ignored in normal political debate/everyday life.

All 6 parts are in the blog post

Jon Stewart Goes After Obama's Broken Promises

2010-07-01T09:41:00.003-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Respect My Authoritah

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

For too long we have let Obama off with a pass. Treating him like he was our Uncle and not what he is.. A POLITICIAN.. He made promises, it is our job to hold him accountable when he outright lies or breaks a promise.

I don't want us to break out of the looney bin and get our pitchforks out like the Tea Baggers. I don't want to call him names or call him things he is not. I don't want propaganda. I want to be honest. I really respect and admire the guy but that doesn't blind me to the fact that we elected him on a set of basic ideas and promises, and if those promises are compromised, then we must fight back. No one is D.C. is going to always do the right thing, it is our job to pressure them (write letters, call their office, go to rallies, talk to congressmen, etc.)

Don't get me wrong I think his presidency has been average. It certainly is not awful. I don't regret my vote. And I certainly don't think McCain would have been better. In fact I think a McCain presidency would have been a train wreck.

All that being said if you voted for Obama for the promises he made on the campaign, you would not be happy with his job, and you certainly wouldn't agree with him more than half the time currently. If you voted for the promises and agree with his positions now you are blinded by the man, and no matter what he does you will support it..

Not only does that make you intellectually dishonest. It makes you a sucker..

You would be no better than the Bush voters in 2000 who voted for him because "he is a guy you want to have a beer with."

At the end of the day he is a politician, and if you won't hold him accountable. Please consider not voting again..

The Decade That Was: Hip Hop In Review

2009-12-28T03:54:00.021-05:00

I'm a little late on this post. I thought I'd have it up a couple of days ago, but it is hard to make this kind of list.

It was an up and down decade for hip hop. It started up and stayed there for a few years and then the downloading age hit and threw hip hop into a downward spiral of irrelevance and bullshit in the middle of the decade(05-08). As of today it is getting back to where it was. In retrospect we never really realize how damn long a decade is. I mean 10 years ago we were worried about the Y2K crash and Puff, J.Lo & Shyne shot up the club. But since a decade is so long I am going to go year by year and give my opinion on the best 2-4 albums that year.

2000
1. The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem showed he was a main staple in hip hop and not just some quick fad. He managed to make such a dark album that gives you humor, insight and understanding of him as a man and artist. You can’t deny tracks like “Stan” "Marshall Mathers" "Who Knew" "Remember Me?" "The Way I Am” are hip hop classics. Talks about everything from murder to feeling alone to the absurdity of blaming Columbine on music to nonsense to his disdain toward pop music. To see a classic on record look no further than at the first verse of “The Way I Am”, the rhyme pattern is just ridiculous.

2. Country Grammar

This is what started it off. Without this album the South would have never had a shot. I know what you are thinking Scarface, No Limit, and Cash Money were around before him. BUT this was the first Midwest/Southern major album push release on a MAJOR RECORD LABEL. If this was not a success we would not have had Ludacris, T.I., Lil Wayne being able to become big, because major labels would not have taken the chance on another Southern Artist. And major radio stations in the Northeast and West would not bother to play another Southern Hip Hop artist.. "St. Louie" "Country Grammar" "Greed, Hate, Envy""Batter Up" "Ride Wit Me" "E.I.". Don't matter where you from, people were bumping this. If they didn't they missed out on a great album.

2001
1. The Blueprint

Arguably Jay-Z's best album. All 15 track, (there is 3 on the last one) from start to finish are great. I can never seem to just play one song, I have to play the whole album through. His use of soulful beats and vulnerable subject matter, are what makes this album so great. It changed the approach, the beat selection and flow of rappers throughout the decade. My personal favorite songs are "Takeover" "Izzo" "Song Cry" "Renegade" "Heart of the City" "Lyrical Exercise"

2. Stillmatic

Nas was coming off an awful effort with his last album "Nastradamus" and had been on a couple year hiatus with his mother in ailing health. Many around the hip hop circle we're doubting if Nas still had anything left. As did Jay-Z, when he took a shot at Nas to claim Sole Chair of King of NY. What this did was woke a sleeping giant and Nas came out with his best album since It Was Written. "Ether", "Got Yourself A Gun" and "One Mic" proved Nas was not going to let anyone take full control of the throne, and let the naysayers see he didn't go anywhere.

2002

1) The Eminem Show

This is my favorite Eminem album. I feel it gives you the most variety of his albums. "Sing for the Moment" "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" "Cleaning Out My Closet" are one of the most personal collections of hip hop songs together on an album. The best track "Til I Collapse" is so ridiculous. Songs like "Drips" & "Superman" are funny songs but avoid being corny. "Say What You Say'' "Business" are classic Em/Dre collabos. There isn't really much to dislike about this album.

2) God's Son

2002 was one of Nas' best years. He was still capitalizing on the buzz of Stillmatic and was able to drop two great albums God's Son & The Lost Tapes. I personally believe that God's Son was the better of the 2. "Heaven" is a personal favorite to me. Songs like "Made You Look" "Last Real N___ Alive" were bangers. "Hey Nas" was a real laid back track. "Get Down" was an excellent first track. This is an often overlooked Nas album.

If it were up to me though. God's Plan, 50 Cent Is The Future & No Mercy, No Fear deserve to be #1 on this list. But since they are mixtapes I'm not going to put them there. But for all those who love Wayne mixtapes, these 3 mixtapes are the genesis of a mixtape. They revolutionized the game and how rappers market themselves. Not to mention that front to back every song is good.

2003
1) Tie between Jay-Z Black Album & 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'

This would have been a perfect way for Jay-Z to end his career. "Dirt off Your Shoulders" the beat and lyrics are vicious. "P.S.A." is one of Jay's best songs.. "Moment of Clarity" brings a deeper Jay that you don't often get to hear. "99 Problems" is a great fusion of Jay's gritty hip hop lines with Rick Rubin's rock beat. "Allure" is such a chill vibe song. "My 1st Song" is a great way to encompass what could have been Jay's last song.

One of the most anticipated debut albums in history. And 50 delivered a classic. From the intro where you hear the half dollar coin hitting the table you knew you were in for something crazy."What Up Gangsta" "Many Men" "Backdown" "U Not Like Me" all show 50's gritty New York gangster lyrics. "If I Can't" "P.I.M.P" show off his braggadocio and style. "Don't Push Me" "Patiently Waiting" are all hungry tracks. "21 Questions" is a perfect love song but it isn't corny, is catchy and makes you laugh. "Wanksta" shows Fif's ability to make a single but not compromise on it's content. And how can we forget "In Da Club" easily the hottest single released all decade. You couldn't go anywhere for months without hearing it, and it never got old. 50's career has been trouble with trying to duplicate this album and it would be damn near impossible no matter how hard any rapper tried.

2) Beg For Mercy

One of the best crew albums of the decade and probably since Wu-Tang was in their prime years. 50, Banks and Buck bring it on every single track on this album. My personal favorites are "Stunt 101" "G'd Up" "Wanna Get To Know You" and "Poppin' Them Thangs"
2004
1) College Dropout

Kanye brought a perfectly produced album and mixed it with talent, and clever rhymes. Everything in this album flows perfectly. "Through The Wire'' is a classic song. "We Don't Care" is a great playful song. "All Falls Down" is a great introspective song about our consumer culture. "Spaceship" is the anthem for almost anyone working retail. "Jesus Walks" is one of the best singles with non single content. "Last Call" is one of the most inspirational record made. Ye's best album.

2)The Hunger For More

Lloyd Banks continued G-Unit's rule on the middle of the decade with a great debut album. The beats were top notch, Banks flow was on point and delivered some of the craziest punch lines ever written. "Warrior Part 1 & 2" "I Get High" "I'm So Fly" and "Die One Day" are my favorite tracks.
2005
1.Late Registration

Kanye followed up his first album with another great album. There are some really subpar tracks. But both Diamonds Are Forever songs showed how much better of an emcee Kanye became. I also prefer his production on his first album but you can't deny the genius production Ye did. "Touch The Sky" was a great track and introduced to a great artist Lupe Fiasco. "Gold Digger" was a great single.
2. The Documentary-The Game/Be-Common

This album single handedly brought the West Coast back. But to be honest without 50's influenece in "Hate it or Love it" "This Is How We Do" "Church For Thugs" "Westside Story" and other tracks this album would only be a decent album. 50 gave him a basis on how to write songs and gave him some of his best verses on the album.

Common had already been around hip hop for over a decade and had a wide fan base among hip hop heads but Be is the album that give him the most mainstream buzz. With a ton of production from Kanye West it is one of the most soulful hip hop albums made. Personal favorites of mine are "Testify" "The Corner" "Be (Intro)" & "Go"

2006
1)Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco's first album brings us one of the most complicated & intricate rappers. He uses heavily packed simile's and representations to give us a complicated subject matter. The people who dislike Lupe Fiasco is often because of his complexity. I think "American Terrorist" "I Gotcha" "Kick Push" & "Hurt Me Soul" are the best tracks. Lupe is a different kind of artist and is necessary for hip hop to survive and expand.

2) Hell Hath No Fury

Our favorite cocaine selling brothers dropped the 2nd best album in 2006 in my opinion. There is something about Clipse on a Neptune beat that elevates everyone's talents so much. The best thing about this album is that the Clipse didn't have a wide variety of topics and still were able to keep it from being stale and boring for 12 tracks. "Mama I'm Sorry" "Keys Open Doors" & "Mr. Me Too" are the best tracks.
2007
1) American Gangster

Jay-Z said that this album was inspired by the Denzel movie American Gangster and it shows. It plays out like a movie. "Pray" "American Dreamin" is the come up. "Hello Brooklyn" "No Hook" "Roc Boys" is the achievement of recognition. "Sweet" "I Know" "Party Life" is the top of the world. "Ignorant Shit" "Say Hello" "Fallin" is the downfall and destruction. This album is so damn smooth. Puff even shows you why he ruled things in the 90s with some of the best production you will ever hear.

2) Graduation

Jay's little brother Kanye came out the box with his 3rd album. He beat 50 in the war of sales, and gives a very different kind of hip hop.. "Good Life" "Flashing Lights" are not your typical hip hop songs but make the album what it is. He steps up his rhyming ability even more from his second album. And if not for Wayne's awful verse on "Barry Bonds", and the awful "Drunk & Hot Girls it would be a perfect album.
2008
1)Untitled- Nas

Such a deep album for such an important time. Nas' best release of the decade.

2. Recession/Raw Footage/Paper Trail/ 808's & Heartbreak
Jeezy is not known for his lyrical prowess but he spits some of the realest bars over some of the tightest beats. He's non Jay or Nas but he separates himself from a lot of people with this.

I know what you are going to say Cube is old and is like kid friendly now-a-days. This album is farrrrrrrrrrr from kid friendly. "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" disects the ridiculous argument that hip hop is the blame for society's problems. "I Got My Locs On" gives a good South & West feel with Jeezy. "Hood Mentality" "It Takes A Nation" are more of the dissecting of the mainstream. "Jack In The Box" "Thank God" are the Cube we all love. "Why Me" talks about the senselessness of killing each other. Now while I love this album I will be the first to admit Cube has lost a large step and has a few awful verses. But this is a much needed album that could have only been made by him.

All I have to say is complete album..

I will catch a lot of heat for saying this but this album is damn near musical genius. Just put yourself into the shoes while listening to it. I like Kanye's first 3 albums but the genius of this album. The raw emotion of it makes it one of the most realistic and most emotion filled album.
2009
1) Man on the Moon

One of the most depressing albums I have ever heard. And I feel like I should be on suicide watch when I listen to it but great music is great music. "Soundtrack to My Life" feels like a real soundtrack to your own life.."Solo Dolo" is one of the darkest tracks but you can't help but to sing along.. "Day N Night" nothing needs to be said... "Hyyerr" is on of the most relaxing songs, I don't even smoke and it makes me want to. Great album will be looked back as a classic in a few years.. Now all we need to do is convince Cudi to start wearing baggier jeans.. Tighter than a girl's jeans is not cool.

2) Tie Between Blueprint 3 & Before I Self Destruct
Jay& 50 neck and neck all damn decade

Seriously dude is 40 years old. Why is he incapable of falling off like the rest of hip hop at that age? I don't want him to go but this is like an unrealistic feat he is doing. "Thank You" "Empire State of Mind" "A Star Is Born" "Venus vs. Mars" "Young Forever" are my favorite songs. I want to go to that BP3/TM103 concert because "Real As It Can Get" seems like it is an awesome concert song.. Ah well I got to see him in Philly. And see the beginning of the Beans & Jay beef.

After years of complainng that 50 doesn't make good music anymore (not from my viewpoint) 50 dropped his best work since Get Rich............and people complained? Hip hop has fallen far but this album is under-appreciated just like Massacre was so in 3 or 4 years we will be calling it a classic. "Death To My Enemies" "Psycho" give you that ill looking face. "Stretch" and "Hold Me Down" are other favorites of mine. "Do You Think About Me?" & "Could've Been You" are the good personal records.. "Ok, You're Right" is the catchy but non watered down single that 50 is best at.

R&B Album You Must Check NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T

Amerie - Touch

I said it before Amerie is the most under-appreciated artist of the decade in my opinion.
Amerie came back with an r&b fused with the GoGo movement of the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia). It makes for clever and creative music. If you like R&B you will definitely appreciate this album.

Rapper of the Decade
1) 50 Cent

2 solo classic (Get Rich & Massacre). We could say 3 because 90% of us didn't hear Power of the Dollar until 2002-2003. 1 Classic Group Album (Beg For Mercy). 1 Album that will be classic in 5 years (Before I Self Destruct). 1 good group album (T.O.S.) and like a dozen classic mixtapes.

2) Jay-Z

3 classic albums (Blueprint 1, Black Album, American Gangster). 1 Future Possible Classic (Blueprint 3). 3 good album (Dynasty, Best of Both Worlds, Blueprint 3.) 2 disappointing albums (Kingdom Come (still a very good album), Unfinished Business)

3) Kanye West

3 classic albums (College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation). 1 heavily misunderstand album (808's & Heartbreaks). Tons of classic production material.

The top 3 is really close and you could argue the 3 anywhere in the top 3. I picked 50 at #1 because of how much material he has released in the decade that was classic.

Honorable Mention
4 & 5) Nas and Lil' Wayne in either order.

What We Talking About? Government Bureaucrats?

2009-12-28T03:53:00.003-05:00

“If there is one thing I can never understand is a person who will follow someone in the government, telling them how bad the government is, at the same time explaining how good their form of government happens to be.”

As the health care debate has been raging on and on and on, we constantly hear from the right wing about Government Bureaucrats getting in between you and your doctor. Or that they want to take Grandma’s walker, kick her in the shins and put her in front of the guy from Mortal Kombat telling you whether to finish her or not.

These people have lost their god damn minds. They just blatantly lie now, and it’s not even like a well-covered lie, I only need to type two words into google to prove their sheer stupidity. I mean at least be responsible enough to use Wikipedia. Don’t make it so easy.

But the biggest lie of them all is when these people in the government, tell me how bad and inefficient the government is. (The irony is precious). But when they say government programs are inefficient, it is not the program, it is them specifically. When they say how bad it is to have the government involved, they are really talking about themselves.

Without the government in our lives, this “socialism” that is “killing the idea of America”, capitalism wouldn’t exist. And if you listen to Conservatives, Capitalism is the core of America, do we not see this contradiction.

Before we continue if you feel that socialism is so bad and is the ruin of society, then I give you one suggestion you may want to leave this country. Because it never has and never will be a capitalism utopia. Socialism has always been required in accordance of Capitalism because 100% free market capitalism is as damaging as 100% dictatorship. Why do you think we suffer the biggest economic ruins for the common man when capitalism is deregulated at tremendous amounts? See Hoover in the 1920’s, see Reagan in the 1980’s (don’t believe the hype, if you weren’t rich, you weren’t thriving), and old fuck up himself George W. Bush in the 2000’s. The standard of living between the rich and the poor widens, and the tax cuts given to the richest of this population incur a deficit that no health care bill could match. Did you know that food stamps generate more money than tax cuts do? You would think I’m crazy but it is the truth. Food stamps generate $1.33 for every $1 of food stamps given out in our economy. Whereas, for every $1 tax cut it only generates $.66. So when Bush gives the largest tax cut in the history of the U.S. it costs the United States’ economy nearly the same amount of money as the Public Option Health Care Bill would have cost us.

The idea of trickle-down economics (where the more wealth given to the rich means more money for circulation for the poor and middle class) doesn’t even work. If I give a person a $2,000 tax cut (essentially that’s all we are arguing about), it doesn’t go to the poor, he doesn’t hire people with that money, he himself pockets it and spends it on things for his own leisure. Tax cuts for those who have, does not create wealth for those who don’t, it creates a wider gap between those who do and those who don’t.

Between the 1950’s-1970’s “America’s Golden Age”, where we built the massive wealth that made us a super power, created families, jobs, and overall prosperity, what do you think the tax rate was for the richest of the country? Do you think the tax rate was at the current 35%-39%? Lower? Nope, it was anywhere between 70%-90% tax on income. The rich were still rich but the non-rich were able to have a lifestyle that made everyone better off. You stimulate the economy by having everyone pay not an equal share but a fair share. That’s how society thrives you make more you should have to pay more taxes. I think their pocket can handle it, they’ve been stealing for the common man for decades anyways.

But if you hate socialism so much, and don’t know how to express your hatred, I will tell you a few things you should avoid. The cops, they are funded through socialism. So if someone is breaking in your house, don’t call the police. The fire dept., if your house is burning, do you really want socialists to put it out? Don’t think about getting an education, I mean damn socialist liberals are the only ones getting an education. Don’t drive on roads, Don’t stand on sidewalks. As a matter of fact, don’t even do anything because almost every single part of your free life, you owe to the government and their socialism, protecting you from the harm of Manufacturer and not consumer driven capitalism.

But still someone may not believe me, and think the government running things is bad still. Let’s take a second to look shall we.

The government created Unemployment Insurance. Without this, if one were to say lose their job, it would almost be a Mike Tyson uppercut to your life until you could find steady employment again. You would almost definitely lose your house, your car, and end up on the street with no means for survival. Unemployment gives you enough time to try and land on your feet, instead of losing everything.

Without the government bureaucrats, hundreds of thousands would never have gone to college. Government loans and grants have made it possible for anyone who didn’t have parents living in the gated community, the chance at higher education. Trying to ensure the premise that hard work really means something in this country. Not hard work + family dollars = chances

Had it not been for social security, millions of elderly people would not have been able to financially survive when they hit the retirement age. If there was no Medicare, the people who need the most treatment would go untreated.

Had it not been for welfare, food stamps, food surplus lines and government handouts, those of every race who have to work 2-3 jobs would have to pick up 5-6 jobs just to make sure the heat stays on in the winter, and the fridge has some food in it.

Without government bureaucrats there would be no business competition. You would only have one brand to choose from and that’s it. You don’t like it, you don’t buy it at all.

This all brings us back to health care.

Now we are afraid of “government bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor.” But here’s the bad news, if you have private insurance there already is a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. They are called Insurance Companies. They can decide what treatment you get, how much treatment you will receive, if they even want to give you treatment at all. If you get cancer, the insurance company looks through your medical history, and if they find out there is one thing wrong they will take away your health care (in one case they took health care away from a woman dying of cancer because she didn’t tell the insurance company she had asthma as a child). And if you try to go to a different insurance you have a “pre-existing condition” and are left hanging out to dry.

If they don’t want to treat you they can change your policy and put a new cap on how much ($ amount) they want to cover.

There is a reason why according to the World Health Organization our health care costs the most and is ranked 37^th in the world. And the universal health care socialist countries like France, Italy rank 1^st and 2^nd. There is no problems with long lines, paper work and rationing of care. The problem is the United States has a problem allowing private citizens the right to capitalize on the pain, death, and agony of others. For the “best country in the world”, we sure don’t care to see our citizens healthy. Let’s face it private insurance causes lines, it causes tremendous paper work, and they damn sure decide who does and doesn’t get care. So who cares about an industry that doesn’t care what happens to you. They have failed at what they do and don’t even give it at an efficient price. So let’s look at having the government provide everyone health care at a cheaper price, with more coverage.

United States has 30% obesity and still raising. France has 9.4% obesity, Italy is at 8.5% obesity, Canada at 14.3% obesity. Sweden 9.7%. Finland 12.7%. United Kingdom which is the 3^rd worst is still 10% behind the U.S.

Infant Mortality Rate in the United States is 6.3 per every 1,000 live births. France 4.2, Italy 5, Canada 4.8, United Kingdom 4.8, Sweden 3.2 , Finland 3.7.

Life expectancy – United States is 78.2 years old, France 80, Canada 80.7, Italy 80.5, Sweden 80.9, United Kingdom 79.4, and Finland 79.3.

So next time someone tells you how bad Socialized Medicine is tell them that we lag behind all the socialist countries and we have the best technology. Tell them how it costs 10x more to get an MRI in the U.S. than it does in Asia. The same MRI machine mind you.

The problem is not socialism or the government bureaucrats who want to enact policy to help people. It is the private industries and the politicians in bed with them who are warning of bureaucrats that are the problem, and keep the people who want to help from getting anything done.

Before They Were Stars

2009-12-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

"Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey"

So I found a bunch of hip hop/r&b artists pictures before they were big. Some of them are nice, some of them are awful, but everyone had their bad image phase.

1) Beyonce

What makes me particularly angry is the fact that I don't remember a girl looking like this in my high school

2) Diddy

Diddy was in the Math Club?

3) Lil Wayne

What the fuck is up with his hair.. It is like the pre Soul Glo treatment… May I remind you by the time Lil Wayne was whatever age this is, he was with Cash Money so why does dude look like he doesn’t have $2?

4) 50 Cent

CUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSS

5) Missy Elliot

I don't know where to start..

Looks like Queen Latifah and Whoopi Goldberg spawned an offspring.

6) Olivia (of G-Unit fame)

What in the blue hell is wrong with her eyebrows? Looks like she used the "^" character on the keyboard as a stencil.

7) Flavor Flav

How do you go from a normal looking Gary Coleman look-a-like to whatever Flav is today?

8) Fat Joe

Overweight Joseph should have hit the Stairmaster a long time ago. By the way does it look like his jacket is way too small? I mean dude would rip the coat in half if he tried to zip that shit.

9) Big Pun

Come to find out Big Pun wasn't always Big.. Fat Joe must of made him that way.. Besides the fact he has a unibrow, dude looks stylish for the day.

Maybe Al B. Sure! switched bodies with him?

10) Rihanna

One word... adorable.

11) Jay-Z

The first picture looks perfectly normal.. But in the second picture is that aluminum foil in his mouth?

12) Timbaland & T.I.

To be fair to them House Party with Kid 'N' Play just came out

13) Alicia Keys

So wholesome

14) Busta Rhymes

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Got my hair in check.

15) Ashanti & Ciara

[Usher] Ain't nothing like Good Ol' Ghetto [/Usher]

Also to Ashanti a lil' waxing of the eyebrows would be cool.. Somewhere in between your eyebrows and Olivia's would be cool.

16) Chris Brown

The reason he is smiling is because he just beat up the woman photographer

17) Eminem

Barry Manilow called he wants his fan back.

18) Jermaine Dupri

The freaks come out at night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously how did this guy end up with Janet Jackson?

19) Ice Cube

That yearbook page has to be soaked with Jheri Curl juice.

Also, what is with the collar up? What is he the Compton version of Tubbs from Miami Vice?

20) Ryan Leslie

Yooooooooooooo I know he is smart but dude looks over the top nerdy.

21) Lil' Jon

WHATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

I'm Speech-less.. How does the king of crunk go from that to

22) My personal favorite QuestLove from the Roots

This guy must have come from his mother's womb with an afro, a beard and razor bumps.

Can this season become a "Net Profit"?

2009-12-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of every season, each team has a chance to make it to the playoffs, with that being said 20 games in; the Nets are out of the race with a 1-19 record.

In honor of the 8 teams from the Eastern Conference that will go to the playoffs I have come up with 8 ways the Nets could make money and boost fan morale in this otherwise disappointing season.

1) Free Nachos with every win

It’s simple with every win they give the entire crowd in attendance free nachos. Right now they are on pace to give out 4 free nights of nachos. But hopes and dreams may get you far, and nothing says success like quenching 19 nights of the agony of defeat than 1 night of free nachos.

2) Rebuilding Year
I mean face it the Nets have tremendous talent on their team ~~Stephon~~ ~~Marbury~~, ~~Jason~~ ~~K idd~~, ~~Vince~~ ~~Carter~~, ~~Richard~~ ~~Jefferson~~, Devin Harris, umm Rafer Alston, and Eduardo Najera. They should start freeing up cap space to get some real talent like Brian Scalabrine, Coby Karl, Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic

3) Free Jay-Z Concerts at Halftime

He owns 1. 47% of the Nets, I think he can give them some sort of a boost with 1.47% of a performance during halftime.

Not to mention he is the God MC so he may be able to resurrect them from basketball’s cemetery.

“You gotta pardon Jay, for selling out the Garden in a day” He should sell out the Izod center right?

4) Order T-shirts instead of Jerseys

I mean it’s not like they are using their jerseys anyway. Why waste the money on top of the line authentic apparel, when they could get these highly durable one wash and the numbers crack t-shirts? And to be honest nothing says basketball fundamentals than the shirts kids get in local youth leagues.

5) Hire Stephon Marbury as the new Commentator

Nothing says sad, desperate and mediocre entertainment like Marbury. Just watch his UStream Account. While he is at it, he could give the team his classic sneakers. I mean come on Steve & Barry’s produced better sneakers than Nike.

6) Make the team take the bus for road trips

Greyhound has $69 specials to anywhere in the country. So what if they wouldn’t make it to some games on time, it isn’t like they would have won anyways. So why waste the money on the plane.

7) Don’t play in the proposed Barclays Center

I’m not saying do not go to Brooklyn. But why construct a huge arena when it isn’t necessary? Put them in the nearest Brooklyn YMCA. They Nets look like the normal everyday Y patron. You know the guy who doesn’t really know how to play basketball but he is tall so he gets picked every time. Come to find out he couldn’t make a layup or dribble the ball.

And a drumroll please..

The 8th way the Nets can turn this season into a profit

8) Fire Interim Coach Tom Barrise and Hire Master P

Percy knows basketball. And to be honest I can’t think of anything that has been successful in terms of business in the past 5 years more than the New Jersey Nets and No Limit Records. Still not convinced? Look at Percy’s tv network Better Black Television (BBTV) that was created to go against Black Entertainment Television (BET). Never heard of it, Me also.