Where Is The Truth?

You realize the efficacy of our media in times like these…

It is in times like these that I really miss Al Mascitti…  when you want comfort, truth, and real news, there is no where else to turn to… now, since he is gone.

We should be talking about how we need to bridge things and build together.  Al was good for that… Although known for bashing people who corruptly took advantage of little people, he was very even handed and would also bash those who tried to take the little people defense too far…

He was an eye on truth.  If you wanted to find out details gleaned from the breadth of the Internet which you didn’t have time to peruse, he was the only trusted source you could turn to…

With Al, a story had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with truth…  Where some on media are more concerned about spinning lies to create a certain “message”, Al was concerned with finding the “message” immersed in a sea of lies….

Today on WDEL, we hear no empathy about “Black Lives Matter”.  The answer why is obvious; to the financial management there…. black lives simply don’t. (Actions speak louder than words)

Instead you hear about the need for more police liberties…Callers insisting they should be able to randomly come into your home and arrest you if they think you are up to no good; without the need of any collaborating proof….

Obviously they are just fishing for bites now.. Completely oblivious that was why we became a nation back in 1776; because that was what the British were doing and we objected to it strenuously enough to suffer a new nation. Now, instead of restricting gun purchases, they recommend constricting everyone’s freedom formerly protected by the US Constitution…

And… no one calls in to object?  No one says anything contrary?  Making the subliminal message coming across the air being that this is what our country should be doing?…

But that is the opposite of what America is saying on social media. That is the opposite of what George W Bush and President Obama both said at the Dallas memorial for the fallen officers.  That is the exact opposite of what bosses all across this nation calling all their workers together, are saying to their staffs.. That is exactly opposite of what parents are telling their children….

Which is, that blacks, Hispanics, and whites are all the same… They start as kids, grow up, and eventually die.  They love, hate, feel the same honor and pride, no matter the color of their skin.

But if you look for that anywhere in corporately owned media… you can’t find it.. It is flat out not there…  Instead they fall back on tired old phrases.  Instead they retreat into the same 10 step plans.  Instead they resort to find one single difference and harp on that like it is the only thing that matters in the entire universe…..

Well, none of those things matter.  and WDEL, if that is your take on life, it follows that you no longer matter.For we have grown bigger as a nation.  We have grown better as a nation, and if we can’t find positives on our airwaves, only divisiveness and hate, we are picking up our shoes and moving elsewhere….

You once led the broadcasting field and dropped Rush Limbaugh substituting it local programming.  That is when I started listening…

You once had a great balance between Al and Rick… Sometimes they even agreed but often they differed; we still knew them both as great guys…

Now, you dropped investigating truth…. for another…. Oprah…..  Where there is no truth, there are no listeners.

Hint: there is a REASON Oprah is no longer on daytime TV….

 

House Republicans Eliminate (new) National Parks

The money quote.:  “We need that land for mining,  lumber, drilling and fracking.  Those resources belong to people like the Koch Brothers.  The America Public has never done anything for us... said Republican House Member”. 3/26/14

“There’s money under those there parks” said another. “We shouldn’t be wasting that money just so future kids can see some purty scenery”

NRA Seeks To Line It’s Pockets With Your Money When Simply Banning Guns Is Free!

I just spent some time reading through the NRA’s list on how to make schools safer…..

Obviously a lot of time and effort went into this project to deflect the real cause away from guns. I appreciate their effort.  In 2010, there were 132,656 public schools.

Here are the costs per school as portrayed by the NRA.

Consulting assessment per school  $10,000

Camera systems per school   $50,000

Making outer doors secure per school   $10,000

Making Classroom doors secure per school  $50,000

Hiring 2 armed guards at $20/hour per school  $40,000

Training those 2 guards at NRA run camps  $40,000

That was for starters.  Let us go with just those basics….  The NRA says as a society we need to spend $200,000 per school to keep our kids safe.  The cost for Christina District would be $5,000,000. The cost for Red Clay District would be $6,400,000.  Brandywine would cost $3,000,000.

To fortify every school across  the entire country would cost  $25.6 Billion…

Bluntly put.  it would cost $25.6 billion to fortify each school, when we could simply make not only school kids, but every citizen safer for a zero added cost.  Yes, just pass the Delaware state laws which will keep fewer guns out of the hands of criminals while not curtailing the rights of legal gun owners, and we can have the safety in our schools we all grew up under, with zero cost…..

$26,500,000,000, or zero…….

Call your legislators today and tell them, especially the Republicans, they are going to be out of a job if they don’t pass the Governor’s rational regulations on weapons of school kids destruction…..

Oh, and did anyone else catch that the NRA’s plan nets themselves $5.3 billion from training all those guards?

For Those Who Follow DelawarePolitics.Net

I’m trying to put all your ideas together into one package. So, let me get this right… All you are asking is for, is a country where:

1) There is no universal healthcare.
2) Few entitlement programs.
3) Low Flat Tax System.
4) Faith based Government.
5) A deep reverence for God.
6) Extremely strict rules against abortion.
7) Marriage has already been strictly defined as between man and woman.
8) Homosexuality is a sin, and illegal.
9) Dress Codes are strictly enforced.
10) Tattoos, piercings, baggy pants, are banned.
11) Has the Death Penalty which they aren’t shy about using.
12) Strong private school system with religious focus.
13) Widespread dependency on oil and natural gas drilling.
14) Growing nuclear program
15) Nonexistent environmental nuisances
16) Culture that promotes family and stereotyped roles for men and women.

I’ve endeavored to put all your values on one page. I share your frustration because today, ever since 2008, it seems like America is moving further and further away from these values.

But you don’t have to be frustrated anymore. I have looked far and wide and have discovered a place already in existence that has those values in place, and more. If you sorely long for those values above, it is sincerely a place where you and your family would be very happy.

It is Iran.

You don’t have to pay me. I don’t need any commission. Just glad to help a fellow Delawarean out…. No problem.

The Cain Mutiny….. Nah…..

Lifted from Der Speigal:

And so the farce continues. The more mind-boggling its incarnations, the happier the US media are to cheer first one clown and then the next, elevating and then eliminating “frontrunners” in reliable news cycles of about 45 days.

Take Herman Cain, “businessman.” He sat out the first wave of sexual harassment claims against him by offering a peculiar argument: Most ladies he had encountered in his life, he said, had not complained.

In the most recent twist, a woman accused Cain of having carried on a 13-year affair with her. That, too, he tried to casually wave off, but now, under pressure, he says he wants to “reassess” his campaign.

If Cain indeed drops out, the campaign would lose its biggest caricature: He has been the most factually challenged of all these jesters.

As CEO of the “Godfather’s” pizza chain, Cain killed jobs — but now poses as the job-creator-in-chief. Meanwhile, he seems to lack basic economic know-how, let alone a rudimentary grasp of politics or geography. Libya confounds him. He does not believe that China is a nuclear power. And all other, slightly more complicated questions get a stock answer: “Nine-nine-nine!” Remember? That’s Cain’s tax reduction plan that would actually raise taxes for 84 percent of Americans.

Has any of that disrupted Cain’s popularity in the media or with his fan base? Far from it. Since Oct. 1, he has collected more than $9 million in campaign donations. Enough to plow through another onslaught of denouements.

Spelling It Out Clearly

There are two choices before us:

One, we tax the top 1% and live the quality of life we deserve…..

Two, we continue the tax cuts, allowing the top 1% to not pay their fair share in taxes, and continue the quality of life we’ve suffered since 2001..

Simple microcosmic view: find a pothole in today’s state road system… You can’t, it’s covered up with stimulus funded new pavement… Nice, crisp, sharply painted blacktop, as far as the eye can see….

Compare that to the Bush Era… Potholes galore and getting them fixed was like pulling teeth…

Now pull back and look at your entire lifestyle with all it’s moving parts…. first see one where everything outside your control is operating smoothly like clockwork ( a Visa commercial comes to mind), and the other where it is all cacophonous and catastrophic…..

So, in which type of lifestyle do you prefer to live?

Decide and vote.

Can Someone Please Tell Me How This Bill Will Create More Jobs?

You heard it from the Republicans from both sides of the rotunda. THIS BILL WILL CREATE JOBS.

Because it was said legitimately I took it hook, line, and sinker, and said… “good, we need more jobs….”

Four hours later, it came back up. Wait, a minute, how does trimming $100 billion a year out of our economy, create more jobs?

If the Fed cuts jobs, that’s fewer jobs. Who’s going to hire them? And if you create MORE jobs with this bill, you have to hire not only all the people you’ve cut, but many more besides…. Who’s hiring?

The same people who haven’t hired anyone back since 2008? After all, what incentive does corporate America have to hire people? They’re doing fine just as they are.. In a quarter where strong second-quarter earnings from companies like McDonald’s, General Electric and Caterpillar were just the latest proof that booming profits have allowed Corporate America to leave the Great Recession far behind, UNEMPLOYMENT WENT UP!

When the US Corporations banked $1.7 trillion in profits… UNEMPLOYMENT WENT UP!!!

Not to mention, when unemployment increases as the Fed itself begins to layoff workers, there will be less spending-money in those communities that experience layoffs.

Who hires when the revenue stream is predicted to collapse?

More than likely, those making a living off these same Federal employees, will be out of work too…..

Now we got, even more unemployment….

So how can Republicans stand in front of a microphone, and say this bill is a “job creator”… “It will grow more jobs”?

Someone explain it….. please!

Why I Read The Foreign Press Instead of The Crap Found In American Ones

I’m printing this article in full: tell me, where in America can you find journalism this “fair and balanced”?

Another crisis in the horizon?

A | A | A |
Winarno Zain, Jakarta | Tue, 07/19/2011 7:00 AM A | A | A |

It seems the world economy has faced endless threats preventing it from sailing smoothly into a strong recovery this year.

First there was the Greek debt crisis that jolted several major banks, and then a political uprising in the Middle East that pushed up oil prices, and then a tsunami in Japan that disrupted manufacturing activities in many countries.

The world economy has not fully dusted off the adverse impacts of these three events. Yet another headwind is looming large on the horizon. This time it is the possible default of the US government of its debt on Aug. 2, if the US Congress fails to approve an increase to its debt ceiling as requested by President Barack Obama. By that date, the US government debt would have reached its maximum allocated limit of US$14.3 trillion.

The current negotiation between representatives of Democratic and Republican parties on the US budget deficit has run into a deadlock, and so the possibility is real that there won’t be any substantial agreements reached, since the dateline is nearing. Major rating agencies such as Standard and Poor, and Moody’s have warned they are ready to downgrade the US government debt rating from top grade AAA.

This would be the first time in 90 years that the US government debt has been downgraded.

It is not hard to imagine what will happen if by Aug. 2 the US government has exhausted its credit ceiling and can not get additional debt to pay for its spending needs.

The US government would have to curb its spending, and because some of these relate to payments to government employees, pensioners and other social benefits, this would strike a severe blow to the consumer spending that is so essential to the US economic recovery.

With debt default and credit rating downgrades, it would be difficult for the US government to get loans. Faced with increasing risk, investors would ask for higher returns for US government bonds. This would push interest rate higher, further depressing the economic recovery.

The US dollar would plunge, triggering a surge in commodity prices and another round of inflation around the world. A deadly combination of inflation and economic stagnation could spin the world economy into a tailspin as happened in the early 1970’s.

How would this worst case scenario affect the Indonesian economy? As capital flows out of the US, investors have tended to seek safe havens elsewhere. Commodities, especially gold and oil, would be their first targets. Emerging markets could be the next destination of this capital flight, depending on the assessment of investors on the strength of its economy and their vulnerability and exposure to the US economic fallout.

But financial crises always result in a loss of confidence and produce negative sentiments in the financial markets. They put financial markets into disarray, and as investors panic, capital starts flowing out of emerging economies.

During the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, capital moved out from emerging economies back to the advanced economies. At that time, the US government bonds and commodities like gold were considered safe havens.

If the US government defaults on its debt payment this time, the question is will the situation change? Will the US government bonds still be considered a safe haven for investors? If not, then where else will they put their money? Or maybe they would prefer to keep their money in the same place and not move it anywhere. If so, the Indonesian economy could get some benefit and may not have to face another shock.

In the longer term, however, the situation may change. No country is immune to the negative ripples of a US economic crisis. As US imports plunge from weakening domestic demand, exports from emerging countries will also suffer. The extent to which these negative impacts affect each country will depend on their trading and banking exposure to the US economy.

What is disturbing about this debt talk is the use of this debate as a political game. This is especially apparent in the Republican stance.

Economist, market analyst and CEOs of financial institutions and even the IMF itself have warned that if Congress fails to raise the ceiling of the US government debt, the world economy would slip into deep recession.

The Republicans did not fully accept Obama’s proposal to raise the debt ceiling. They only agree on a smaller number, but even it was given with some conditions. The Republicans asked Obama not to raise taxes, especially for the wealthy, and Obama should cut social spending, a sacred cow for the Democrats.

By using tit for tat tactics in the negotiation and by seemingly ignoring the impending consequences and dangers, the Republicans were trying to push Obama into an intricate political dilemma.

If the US economy slip into another crisis, economic contraction would be inevitable. Corporate bankruptcies would spread, and jobless rate would surge.

A presidential election is still slightly more than one year away, and Obama’s reelection prospects are solid. But his popularity rating is highly dependent on the unemployment rate. That is why the Republicans think the only way for them to erode Obama’s popularity now is by pushing the US economy into crisis.

As the stakes are high, the two political parties should temporarily set aside their ideologies and adopt a pragmatic stance for the interests of saving the world economy from another catastrophe.

President Obama demonstrated his willingness to compromise his political ideology during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Being a Democrat, Obama’s political inclination is generally anti-big business.

Obama realized that it was reckless lending by some big banks on Wall Street that triggered the financial crisis. But he also realized that saving these banks from bankruptcy was key to saving the world economy from further disaster.

His decision to pour $800 billion of taxpayer’s money to bail out these banks was hard to swallow by his fellow party members, but it worked. Now it is expected that the Republicans will be willing to do likewise.

The writer is an economist.

Money Flees The US

The World Cup for Women is not the only thing escaping the grasp of America… Private investment money is fleeing our nation as if the party is over and the last one left in the room, will be presented with the check. Each time a Republican insists that default on US obligations is a valid price to pay to enforce a “no tax pledge” on the wealthiest one percent, billions more flow out of our country.

Those billions, not millions, are our future jobs, going elsewhere….

It’s happening each time a Republican opens his mouth and insists that taxes on the wealthy, will NOT be part of the deficit reduction act.

In April, $67 billion flowed into our country from overseas. After all, we were recovering from the Bush Depression. Then, as the debt ceiling crises made clear that Republicans were insane in their insistence that only cuts would balance our deficit, the net outflow flipped to 67.5 Billion…

In one month, Republicans caused a $134 billion flip in the amount of money available in the US for future investment.

That investment is now being done overseas. Those people are getting the jobs that should have, would have been here if Republicans had acted responsibly. Ironically that is exactly the same amount $134 billion, that the Congressional Budget Office, estimated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would increase the deficit in 2011.

The stimulus we pumped into the economy for the entire year of 2011, was wiped out in one month, by Republicans whose scare tactics chased that much money out of our country.

Small people all know this. Democrats reward investing in the USA… Republicans reward getting your money out, and keeping your money the hell out of the USA.

It is crystal clear; there is absolutely, unequivocally no other way to see it.

If you had lived back in 1776, and decided to take up your gun, and fight back those anarchistic rabble rousers who wanted to overthrow your king and his stable system of government, you may have thought you were doing the right thing at the time. Maintaining God’s order in the universe. As each one of your musket balls found its home in an American Continental soldier’s body, you may have rejoiced that you were doing your part to bring order and decorum back into society. But…… History proved you wrong. You may have felt you were right; but you weren’t.

You weren’t.

Today, July 2011, Republicans are doing far more damage to our nation’s future, than one or two musket balls could ever cause… the loss of $134 billion in future investment. Can we afford to sit ideally by and let this self inflicted bleeding continue?

Anyone supporting the Republican party, is simply a Royalist traitor transported to today’s world.

That is fact. That is truth. That is reality. That is getting pounded in the face.

They could be nice people; they could believe in what they do; they may mean well; I certainly don’t mean to imply that they ARE bad people… But, whether they are good, bad, or indifferent, the results of their actions are hurtful. For example, I’m sure termites are fascinating creatures, amazing to study, and in their own way, admirable examples of God’s creation. But, …. we don’t allow them to take over our houses….

America: Republican just cost you $134 billion dollars… They’re not saving you money: they are bleeding you dry, dry of every penny you’ve ever earned…

But, whatever…. It’s your country and I’m just one person… You guys vote and support whoever you want; it’s no sweat off my brow. Whatever happens, I’ll survive either way.

But America needs to look at the bigger picture occasionally and realize that the only thing we got going for us is our unique, talented, and gifted people. Those same people who give hope to the world over, that their nations can, one day, be like us.

You burn that up as fuel, and all this nation’s got leftover, is ashes…….

Delaware: The Mouse That Shall Soon Roar

This past week, while most of us were bitching about the heat and humidity, in a poorly air conditioned room, papers were filed that could, take Fox News off the air indefinitely…

Shareholders on Friday amended a prior complaint (PDF) in Delaware Chancery Court against News of the World parent News Corp. to allege “rampant nepotism” and massive failures of corporate governance. Filed by Grant & Eisenhofer and Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, the shareholder derivative and class action suit seeks to block media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch, from taking a seat on the board, as well as to stop the family from allegedly treating the company as a family “candy jar.”

Major investors previously had filed this objection over Murdoch spending money to to buy back his daughter’s company put her on the board, all with a price tag of $615 million.

“Ignoring the distinction between the business of a public corporation and a family business, the Board has repeatedly permitted Murdoch to: (i) intertwine rampant nepotism in the conduct of Company business; (ii) undertake actions designed to maintain his control over News Corp; (iii) use News Corp resources for his own personal and political objectives; and (iv) reward himself handsomely with excessive compensation.”

On July 8, 2011, an additional amendment was added, based on the news emanating from the disclosures that a Murdoch paper had hacked private communications to obtain news….

These new filings provide a very damning character assessment of Murdoch, as well as call into question his financial dealings..

Speaking of character assessment, there are rumblings that these actions in Britain violate the Corrupt Foreign Practices Act over here.

The News of the World was accused of making payoffs to police in exchange for information — a possible violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the act.

By shutting the paper Murdoch may be hoping to prevent any possible U.S. prosecution under the act, and also keep prosecutors from investigating whether the corrupt practices were used at some of Murdoch’s other newspapers.

the scandal could potentially cost News Corp. its broadcasting licenses in the United States, This Week panelists said on the ABC News show.

The Federal Communications Commission has a “character” clause with which broadcasters must comply. One that is so extreme it threatened to derail the Comcast takeover of NBC, because someone said when they had installed cable, Comcast has hurt his building, and didn’t pay him for it… That’s laughable and impacted American business. There is nothing laughable about hacking into a missing 13 year olds phone. That is bad character.

Some of these stations, under the FCC character guidelines, could go off the air…..

WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs pray for judgment as follows:
a. for an order declaring that the Defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company;
b. for an order awarding damages, together with pre- and post-judgment interest to the Company;
c. finding that Individual Defendants will breach their fiduciary duties to the Class by agreeing to expand the News Corp. Board of Directors and appoint Elisabeth Murdoch to the created vacancy;
d. for Plaintiffs’ costs and expenses incurred in this action, including, but not limited to, experts’ and attorneys’ fees; and
e. for such other and further relief as may be just and proper.

And Murdoch may be used to getting his way elsewhere… He hasn’t stepped inside a Delaware Chancery Court before…

12. This Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 10 Del. C. § 341.
13. As directors of a Delaware corporation, the Individual Defendants have consented to the jurisdiction of this Court pursuant to 10 Del. C. § 3114.
14. This Court has jurisdiction over News Corp pursuant to 10 Del. C. § 3111.

Murdoch has to show, because under Delaware Law:

“If such defendant corporation does appear (in court when summoned), the action shall proceed as in other cases, and if it fails to appear (in court when summoned), the plaintiff shall have judgment by default, service of the process being first proved