Author Archives: John Wallenfeldt

In what other profession… – Topeka K-12

So, this teacher is in Kansas and is front and center in the war on education and basic logic. His complaint -and it is valid – is that he faces all kinds of hatred and opposition from those who feel that being an expert in his field actually makes him unable to access how his job should be. And he makes some good analogies.

That said, he forgets one thing. Four years ago, the same people damning him – literally – for having an opinion on how he should be evaluated made a hero out of “Joe the Plumber”.

“Joe” was actually named Samuel. Samuel had no plumber’s license, had a history of domestic disturbance, and began the long line of Republicans disrespecting Barack Obama to his face, namely because the color of said face made it seemingly okay to be rude to.

Samuel the unlicensed plumber was making about $40k a year. His complaint was that if he started his own business Obama’s proposed tax rates would bankrupt his small business. His small fictional business.

The higher taxes would kick in at either $200,000 or $250,000 a year. Even with a shitty accountant, Samuel would have had to make at least $400,000 before his tax rate would fall into that range. Most small businesses, particularly new ones, would have a lot of write-offs, like, say, salaries.

So, the unlicensed plumber would have to a) have a business that made 10 times more than he currently was, b) gain clients even though he didn’t have a license, and b) would have to be completely inept at tax accounting.

But people accepted this concept as reality. They made a hero out of an uncertified wife beater.

THAT is the kind of person who does not trust a licensed, trained educator. That is the kind of person whose opinion really shouldn’t matter, but strangely does all the time.

What biology teaches about the GOP predicament | Jay Bookman

While this article argues the the GOP is a textbook case of adapt or die, it may be missing the point.

Gingrich may be challenging a few of the economic fundamentals or the GOP, but he embraces and exemplifies the hypocrisy, bigotry, and faux patriotism the party has come to be known by many Americans.

Sure, he – for the moment – sees unbridled capitalism as a threat to democracy. Then again, I knew that pretty much by my 12th birthday with no coaching or degrees required. So, really, how smart is he to have just had that occur to him?

No, this is a party increasingly made up of and working for those who have wealth or think if they pray hard enough, they’ll earn it. Or at least be able to keep a better standard of living than the mud people taking over “their” country. Newt is just a splinter off of the twisted branch they are cultivating.

Brad Pitt on “Moneyball,” kids and marriage – CBS News

We just watched “Moneyball” last night. Damn good flick and I recommend it.

So this profile of Brad Pitt fit right into the weekend. You see a lot of these stars and kind of envy the money and fame, but rarely do you genuinely think, “hey, they might be a decent person to hang out with.” And hell, Pitt could probably be putting on another act, but that’s the impression I get with him.

So it is nice to see someone like him succeed given all the obvious rat bastards out there.

The Public Respects Civility, But Rewards Rudeness : NPR

More on Jan Brewja and her rudeness.

In short, conservatives these days are defined by people wrapping themselves in the flag, calling themselves patriots, who then do everything they can to destroy rights, oppress people, disrespect anyone who does not look like them and then call those acts “compassionate” or “American”.

They are neither.

Conservative opinion makers these days write books with Old Glory taking up the cover with titles and subject matter about how America is finished, done, ruined.

Hmm. In my lifetime it has been a mostly Republican administration at the helm (Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush the Elder and Lesser come to mind). Congress is full of GOP “leaders” like Gingrich and Agent Orange. The Supreme Court has been a conservative stronghold, giving elections to people without a worry about those pesky voters and letting corporations have a pulse and a blank check to take over the country.

Drunk with power, lacking respect or shame, these folks apparently *want* America to lose. Hell, they spent time cheering us lot getting an Olympic games. Who does that? And for why? How the hell is that patriotic?

But it is never their fault when bad things happen to our nation.

Bill Maher put it best the other night:

“And this is what I want to say to them, is like stuff like this strikes me, like saying that you’re threatened, Newt Gingrich calling Obama the ‘food stamp President’ because he took office in a recession when people were needing more food stamps. It’s like calling George Bush the ‘planes crashing into buildings President.'”

School Lunch Now Less Sucky

Here’s an idea: let’s quit feeding our kids crappy, unhealthy food. I love the idea of exposing kids to a variety of food that is actually good for them.

And yes, when parents stop thinking McDonald’s is a food group, maybe they’ll learn to eat stuff that actually looks like food and isn’t bland.

The world has a variety of people, cultures, religions, music, arts, languages, and, yes, food. Live a little, learn something, expand your palette and maybe even your life span.

Best Bets?

How it should be. We didn’t spend trillions propping up the horseshoe, canal, and Conestoga wagon industries. We let them die as the technology and market demand moved elsewhere.

Now isn’t that what all those “capitalists” surviving on government tax breaks and bailouts say they are actually for?