Op-Ed Columnist – What Obama Stands For – NYTimes.com

David Brooks is never going to be anything but a Republican apologist. But at least he dwells in the realm of reality as he tries to explain Barack Obama to any Republican who is still capable of thinking past Tea Bagger talking points.

I think he’s pretty close to the mark, at least as far as a Republican can get. Not saying I’m on his bandwagon, but the GOP is going to need a LOT more people like Brooks if you are gonna get folks like me to believe that any of their arguments come from a place of sanity. As for now, there’s no reasoning with that party on anything.

Wal-Mart ‘Appalled’ by Racial Announcement (Yeah, sure they are)

“Attention, Wal-Mart customers. All blacks need to leave the store.”

Wal-Mart is supposedly shocked by hiring racists to harass their black customers.

When my dad got a night job at a Wal-Mart in Illinois, he introduced me to some of the racist propaganda masquerading as training videos. Granted, the message of one tape was for white stockboys not to call elderly black men as “boy” but it was more of a wink, wink, nod, nod “don’t do that in public” thing. I don’t have a copy of the tape but I’m sure it’s out on the Net somewhere.

Besides, Wal-Mart knows how to butter it’s bread. Cater to the racist NECKCAR fans and then buy out any competition in minority-majority areas to where folks HAVE to put up with their racist shit.

I Am Angry

I like this:

Sometimes a little righteous indignation goes a long way.


You are facing a bully. Deal with it!

Republicans want the country backwards. They champion superstition over science because it entrenches ignorance and bigotry and captures the easily frightened.

Republicans treat the Constitution the way they treat the Bible, with selective interpretation and selective application to others while exempting themselves from judgment and accountability.

Republicans preach the gospel of fear because fear is darkness and darkness covers their theft of civil liberties and Constitutional principles.

For thirty years the Republican Party has claimed the mantle of law and order but now quake in dread of the American judicial system when putting terrorists on trial. How criminal is that?

Torture is illegal. Period. John Wayne and Jack Bauer were not our Founding Fathers – only in the make-believe world of Republican drugstore-patriots.

DADT needs to be repealed. Now. It is unconscionable, immoral, and disgusting.

Empathy, compassion and equality are not pejoratives. They are American values proven again and again throughout our history.

Republicans believe that bake-sales and cookies for chemotherapy best determine the value of life and healthcare because life is a pre-existing condition and the “free market” should not have to take on such a high risk – after all, no one gets out alive, so why should the corporation be left holding the bag? Unless of course the price is right.

Republicans believe that government should keep its hands off healthcare but should put its hands inside a woman’s body.

Republicans believe in small government – small enough to hold the “right” people and small enough to be owned and operated by the “right” people. And who are the “right” people? Them. Not you.

2012: The Year The World Will Not End – 13.7: Cosmos And Culture Blog : NPR

If you know some conspiracy theorist nutjobs – and, hey, don’t we all? – one of their big hangups is that the world is going to end in a couple years.

I believe this could happen myself. At least as long we keep letting these folks think their ideas have any merits. That way, the crazy multiplies until it and not any comet, aliens, sunburst or whatnot actually kills creation.

I also believe that the longer we keep letting Tea Baggers think they have a valid point of view, the closer this country comes to being a violent theocracy that re-institutes slavery but just for the “non-Christians”. That might be a conspiracy theory too but if you listen to those freaks, I think I’m not that far off.

Anyway, for the 2012 nuts, here’s some actual science and logic to counter their crazy. Odds are, though, that’s it’s too late for reasoning.

We need to rethink our tipping habits | Marketplace From American Public Media

Two thoughts on this article about tipping.

One, we should be paying people a proper wage instead of demanding patrons to cover the difference. That said, I don’t really mind paying for good service. Feeling like I’m forced to pay up is really annoying though.

Two, not everyone deserves a tip jar. I mean, you just put some ice cream in a cone. Come on. And I’m sure the rest of you have all kinds of examples of people who don’t need any damn tips.