A First Giant Step

 Posted by at 12:10 am  Personal, Plus, Politics
Jan 162012
 

On Thursday I published The Return of a Giant about Bill Moyers’ return to television with a new show, Moyers and Company.  On Saturday, he aired the first installation of that show: Winner Take All Politics.  It’s a long clip, taking almost an hour to watch, but if you missed this on Saturday, it’s well worth the time.

16Bill_Moyers

In its premiere episode, Moyers & Company dives into one of the most important and controversial issues of our time: How Washington and Big Business colluded to make the super-rich richer and turn their backs on the rest of us…

Inserted from <BillMoyers.com>

 

Moyers & Company 101: On Winner Take All Politics from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

One line in the video stood out to me so much that I have every intent of stealing it. 😉

If speech is money, than no money is no speech.
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A Look Back at Politics Plus Cartoons

 Posted by at 12:02 am  Blog News, Personal, Plus
Dec 312011
 

For well over a year, I had posted a Cartoon in the daily Open Thread here.  Darryl Cagle’s MSN site used to allow bloggers to embed cartoons to increase their own traffic, but they discontinued that practice, making it a © violation to use their work.  I switched to another site that allowed embeds, but they merged with another site that does not.  So in mid-June, I started making them myself.  They’re not really cartoons, per se.  They are graphics, but I call them cartoons because they serve that function here.  Except for sick days, I’ve posted one daily ever since, and let me tell you this.  Some days coming up with an idea is a huge challenge.  As 2011 comes to an end, here is a look back at one cartoon from each month from June on.

June

5Cartoon

July

24Cartoon

August

31Cartoon

September

25Cartoon

October

30Cartoon

November

24Cartoon

December

11Cartoon

I hope the daily cartoons have brightened your days, and provoked thought.

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Open Thread–12/28/2011

 Posted by at 12:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Plus, Politics
Dec 282011
 

Yesterday I caught up my email, did some paperwork, and set up  couple improvements here that I shall announce over the weekend.  I’m current with replies.  Today is another catch up day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:20 (average 4:27).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Report:

Here are the results of the playoff semifinals in Lefty Blog Friends.

28LBF

I think Dusty’s score is the highest of the year.  Next week is the finals, and I will be playing for 5th place. 🙁

Short Takes:

From Current: Keith and Chris Harris, a reporter with The Record (Bergen County, N.J.), discuss conservative blogger Nadia Naffe’s civil claim against O’Keefe. She is accusing the controversial journalist of sexual harassment — including intimidating calls and messages — after an incident at his parents’ home in New Jersey when she refused to be involved in an upcoming hidden-camera sting on Occupy Wall Street for his “To Catch a Journalist” series.

 

It’s a shame they could not get this creep on criminal charges.

From The Nation: In short, you don’t even need to think about Paul’s bizarre right-wing economic views to find him unacceptable.

You can watch the John Birch video from 1990 here:

 

That’s right.  The feature performer in this insane Bircher documentary was Ron Paul.

From NY Times: Iran issued a blunt warning on Tuesday that it would block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit point, if Western powers attempt to impose an embargo on Iranian petroleum exports in their campaign to isolate the country over its suspect nuclear energy program.

I would hope this is an empty threat, but if Iran actually moves to block the Strait of Hormuz, I see no alternative to stopping it militarily.

Cartoon:

28Cartoon

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Can You Pass a Citizenship Test?

 Posted by at 12:01 am  Plus
Nov 282011
 

 

28US-Citizenship-Test

Because it’s a slow-news holiday weekend, I can bring you another plus that would normally fall through the cracks, due to more pressing news.  To pass the test to become a US citizen, applicants must answer at least six of ten questions, chosen at random from a base of 96 questions.  I’m, confident that few, if any, of the Republican candidates for President could pass. Here are the 64 questions.  Taking the test will take a while, because it explains the correct answer after each question.  I took it and answered 95 correctly.  Have fun!!

You can take the test at Christian Science Monitor.

On that 96th question, I actually knew the answer, but chose that Canadians, not Africans, were the group enslaved prior to the Civil War.  I couldn’t help myself.  I’ve always wanted to own a Canadian. 😉

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Charlie Brown ala GOP

 Posted by at 12:03 am  Plus, Politics
Nov 262011
 

One of the good things about slow news holiday weekends is that I get an opportunity to share some humor that would normally be crowded out by more important matters, like this clip from Jimmy Kimmel.

26charliebrownGOPdebate-screen

…So finding a clip that simultaneously hits notes of spirited political discourse and Thanksgiving cheer (basted with a healthy dose of pastiche nostalgia) is something of a holiday miracle…

Inserted from <Mediaite>

 

It’s amazing how much like cartoon characters they really are.

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Thanksgiving: A Time to be Humble

 Posted by at 12:23 am  Holiday, Personal, Plus
Nov 242011
 

Thanksgiving2

Thanksgiving may be a uniquely American holiday, but it is not without controversy, because the mythology I learned as a child has little to do with the real history of the day and the genocide of Native American people that followed.  I have several Native American friends and respect both those who celebrate the day and those who do not.   I think at least we should explore the true history with humility and recognition of the contributions of Native American people and the terrible price they paid for their generosity, without which the US may have never existed.

24thanks…The decision to celebrate Thanksgiving divides even Native Americans. Nearly 10 years ago, Jacqueline Keeler wrote a widely circulated editorial about why she, a member of the Dineh Nation and Yankton Dakota Sioux, celebrates the holiday. For one, Keeler views herself as “a very select group of survivors.” The fact that Natives managed to survive mass murder, forced relocation, theft of land and other injustices “with our ability to share and to give intact” gives Keeler hope that healing is possible.

In her essay, Keeler makes it clear that she takes issue with how one-dimensionally Natives are portrayed in commercialized Thanksgiving celebrations. The Thanksgiving she recognizes is a revisionist one. She explains:

“These were not merely ‘friendly Indians.’ They had already experienced European slave traders raiding their villages for a hundred years or so, and they were wary—but it was their way to give freely to those who had nothing. Among many of our peoples, showing that you can give without holding back is the way to earn respect.”

Award-winning author Sherman Alexie, who is Spokane and Coeur d’alene, also celebrates Thanksgiving by recognizing the contributions the Wampanoag people made to the Pilgrims. Asked in a Sadie Magazine interview if he celebrates the holiday, Alexie humorously answered:

“We live up to the spirit of Thanksgiving cuz we invite all of our most desperately lonely white [friends] to come eat with us. We always end up with the recently broken up, the recently divorced, the brokenhearted. From the very beginning, Indians have been taking care of brokenhearted white people. …We just extend that tradition.”

If we’re to follow Keeler and Alexie’s lead, Thanksgiving should be celebrated by highlighting the contributions and sacrifices made by the Wampanoag. All too often Thanksgiving is celebrated from a Eurocentric point of view… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <About.com>

In addition, I think it important that treat Thanksgiving as a day to be humble and to recognize our duty to care for those who cannot care for themselves, as the Wampanoag people did.

My friends, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and give thanks for each of you.

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Veterans Day

 Posted by at 8:02 am  Plus, Politics
Nov 112011
 

VeteransDay2011

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <VA>

Thanks to all who served, and especially to those that serve us still through your participation in the 99% Movement.

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