Cranky Blog

1. First of all, where are all the Muslim brothers rushing to the aid of the people in the flood? Why, I’m pretty sure (no evidence mind you) that they’ve outspent themselves on terrorism by at least, lets be fair, 1000:0.01? The Muslims are looking to the Christian world to save their soggy asses? There are 1.5 billion Muslims so at a rate of $1 a week per Muslim, the flooded brothers would be fed, dried out and rebuilt in no time.  And now they wonder why the aid ain’t coming from the West, excuse me but (duh)? But I can certainly understand why they would not want it coming from the “infidels”, why I am sure it would be an honor to die a martyr’s starvation or cholera death than to take a Red Cross Package from Christians right? Wait, no, really?  REALLY? You mean that the Muslims are willing to accept aid from the unclean West?  I am pretty freakin’ confused, someone clear this up for me please.  It’s OK to kill us AND to take our assistance in time of need?

2. Seriously folks (Christians), this is an opportunity to show what Christians are made of to about 6 million muslims in terrible crisis (that’s about 4% of the Muslims in the world, not a bad audience!) So let’s step up to the plate huh? Let’s all chip in what we chipped in for Haiti or more. Now is the time to live the Word, to do what Jesus would have encouraged us to do, turn the other cheek and demonstrate that we are willing to be more charitable to our enemies than they would ever expect (or even want perhaps).


3. I know, some diplomats would say that Pakistan isn’t our enemy, but they’re just being diplomatic political appointees and are lying to us. I know that many people think Pakistan is sheltering Bin Laden, or his corpse. Where is the sheik of bullshit anyway, now that his “peeps” need him so much? Where is the Cave-Productions video tape Binny Baby telling your people to thrown down American aid and starve like good Muslims? Where is your plea to the Muslim world to spare your brothers (’cause you certainly don’t care how many sisters go down for the third time).

4. Remember Chistians, there are young hearts and young minds who will see every packaged stamped “USA”. They will remember who came to their aid, and it won’t be a bloody crescent or a C2-wrapped teenager looking for glory and an eternity with virgins now will it? At least not so far, it seems that paying for bombs has tapped the terrorists out.  It seems that their God isn’t as concerned with mercy as Jesus was, so let’s step up and do the right thing Christians! Let’s make a difference without expecting anything in return, that’ll show ‘em what we’re really made of (seriously, it will).  Give here to the Red Cross!

Too many times we think something or believe something and never take action. We might sit back and complain about it, argue about it, even read up on it . But actually getting out of the chair to move into action alone or with others is something not enough people get around to doing.

So when I hear about the Tea Partiers I have to give them a nod for action, even if I am dismayed at the anger of their political views. Perhaps my pragmatic view of politics (or perhaps more correctly, my cynical view of it) means that I will never take it as seriously as those who spend time listening to the right radio and become caught up by the anger of it.

I would have to ascribe a lot more sincerity to politicians from either party to take all that seriously, and I don’t give either side that much credit. I believe they are all puppets to one rich master or another, and for me to get too riled up by the radio or television about left or right would mean that I believe there is a discernible difference between the way the two govern. I simply don’t believe that to be true.

I’ve lived long enough to watch various presidents (D & R) to believe that there isn’t any discernible difference in the parties because the rule of governing in this country is to give deference to whoever brought you to the party. One party’s date is only slightly different than the other party’s date.

Another thing I am sure of is that one party isn’t going to be in power long enough to slant the country in the direction of their masters, the public soon tires of the obvious bias and votes them out thinking – foolishly – that the other party will get it right this time, or simply that the other party must be the lesser of two evils. Both are imperfect, and in our two party system, the goal is that the system works, not that either party becomes predominant in the long term.

I do tire of the anger of the right, it’s all so manufactured, it’s fed but the steady drip of entertainment media poison. But both sides are to blame for the right’s media blitz because there are so few media outlets that focus on the debate instead of the show.

I wish either side would invite honest debate on the issues in a forum that the average public person could observe and understand, and perhaps even participate without being shouted down and castigated for offering opposing points of view. But that would involve either side risking exposure of who they are really serving I suppose so maybe it’s a naive request.

In this day of blogging and forums and chats and video conferencing, there is simply no excuse for leadership not facilitating an open debate any longer. There’s no reason anyone should have to go to the media of their bias to try to tease out what is really going on and try to divide fact from entertainment.

And yet neither side is brave enough to engage the debate at that level, they would rather stand behind the high walls of their fortified structures and throw electronic darts and protect their advantage or try to regain lost advantage. It’s easier, it’s safer, I’ve done it here, and I’m not very proud of the fact that blaring my opinions – while all well and good – has not led me into action.

But blaring opinions doesn’t get to the core of the issues between people or parties, nor does using the electronic media in that way further the intellectual debate. It leads to ignorant anger because depending on the bias of the media you follow, you’re bound to end up with a very incomplete understanding of what either side is actually proposing, and certainly no historical perspective with which to contextualize it.

So, while many of the Tea Party I’ve witnessed on TV appear to be people with an IV drip of the angry right radio shows, I can say I admire the fact that they’re taking the philosophy of “let’s do something, even if it’s wrong”. I need to get off my couch and do something too, but what can I do that will make any difference? I guess I should simply pick a cause and go volunteer. OK, course of action decided, now it’s time to go back to bed, morning will come soon enough. Let’s all do something.

A short cranky blog about politics.  Saw Meg Whitman on television this evening talking about the fact that she disagrees with Arnold’s decision to reinstate furlough Fridays for some State workers.  Meg said she wouldn’t furlough a bunch of people, she’d trim government and to “selective layoffs”.  I am not sure what kind of layoffs she thinks she’s choosing between, random layoffs?  So it’s better to put people out of work instead of reducing the pay for everyone.  I feel better about her when I don’t hear her talking.

And where in the hell is Jerry Brown?  Does he not believe in campaigning?  At this moment, I see only one candidate although there are rumors that Jerry Brown is running.  No evidence yet from what I can see.

I finally figured out who Carly Fiorina looks like; and as a result, I suspect that Martin Short is playing a big trick on the Republicans and on the people of California (typical Canadian).  Judge for yourself!  Ed Grimley for Senator?

OK, that’s about all I can muster for today.

Oh, one more thing, the CHP announced that they were doing a crack down on people driving with their cell phone glued to their ear…and that the crackdown would end at midnight tonight…okeedokee.

Here we are headed into midterm elections and Obama in 19 months hasn’t managed to sort out the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, circumstances he did not create. A lot of us contributed to that so let’s not point at the hapless George, the cigar-toking William, or George I.
Let’s look at the timeline of the Great Depression, shall we?
So it begins in the 1920’s when banks were failing in huge numbers, the top tax rate was cut to the lowest rate in 80 years, and there was an artificial stock market bubble, and there is a shift in wealth from the lower income to the upper income.
Hmmm…déjà-vu all over again? Maybe, if you stopped there, you might think so…but wait.
By the end of the 20’s production was declining at an annual rate of about 20% and in 2004, since the US peak in production in 1979, production fell by 17.5% (can anyone round up?)
By 1930, the GNP falls by 9.4 percent and employment rises to 8.7 percent and we currently sit at 9.5.
This is where the Great Depression begins o diverge, so are we in a lull before the real storm, or are we at a turning up point? That’s the question, and that’s what nobody seems to know or be able to predict.
By 1932 10,000 banks have failed, 40% of the total number of banks in 1929, unemployment hits almost 24 percent. Currently, 301 banks have failed since 2000 in the current crisis (About 3% of what is left, currently about 8,700 FDIC insured banks in the US), and as mentioned above, the unemployment rate stands at 9.5%.
So maybe we’re living in somewhat of a manufactured crisis. I mean if things are not even a third as bad as they were in the Great Depression, then why should we worry?
Interesting news from the past here – “Alarmed by Roosevelt’s plan to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, a group of millionaire businessmen, led by the Du Pont and J.P. Morgan empires, plans to overthrow Roosevelt with a military coup and install a fascist government modeled after Mussolini’s regime in Italy. The businessmen try to recruit General Smedley Butler, promising him an army of 500,000, unlimited financial backing and generous media spin control. The plot is foiled when Butler reports it to Congress.”
So by 1933 unemployment rises to almost 25% and YET Roosevelt rejects Keynes’ advice to begin heavy deficit spending.
Sweden is the first economy to recover due to a policy of deficit spending, unlike the US which begins a slow recovery in 1934.
By 1936 unemployment is falling and hits just under 17% percent and the top tax rate climbs to 79%.
The climb out of the Depression is finally aided by the boost in manufacturing created by WWII.
So perhaps trying to draw parallels between such different times is interesting but not very meaningful. After all, we won’t know what will work to bring the US out of its economic troubles until we are actually out of them, if we ever are.

All I know is that we have a President now who has the reins and is expected to find the right answers, whether popular or not.

This post is on a great blog I found recently and it deserves a mention for its wonderful crankiness!

Sarcastic Secret: Signal Lights

When I was a kid, everyone had a TV antennae and we had about thirteen channels, and we got all the TV we needed.

Today, the “public airwaves” have been pirated by a bunch of greedy capitalists.  Suddenly, Monday Night Football is on ESPN which is only on paid television access.  I have no idea where the British Open was shown, but it sure as hell wasn’t on basic cable.

Satellite TV, Cable TV dominate at high prices, and there are fewer and fewer publicly broadcast channels, and even many of those show a lot of infomercials these days.

It’s disgusting – and expensive.  I pay about $16 for cable.  I sought this afternoon to upgrade to a bigger package (all I wanted was ESPN for football season) and guess what the upgrade would cost with their special bundle including Internet and local/long distance phone?  The first month would be $280 and each month thereafter for the first year would be $112, then in year two it would go up about $20, and another $20 the year after that. 

I hung up.  I can live without additional TV.  But honestly folks, we suck for allowing the capitalists to take control of our television stations, airwaves, televisions, street wiring, Internet, etc. etc.

There’s no free competition in this area, I can’t call another cable company.  It’s a monopoly, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.  It’s what the Federal Government is supposed to stop with anti-trust laws.

But where are the Democrats, Republicans, and the Tea Party?  Where are all the special interest groups with their protests?  They’re all being held up by the same robber barons, everyone is in the media pocket.

Goodness, have we become so blind in this country we don’t even know when capitalism becomes dictatorial?  Concentration of wealth is creating a permanent “serf” class in America, and it isn’t just happening to one ethnic group and it isn’t limited to media, we’re all at risk in a lot of areas.

You could say Oh, Cranky is just pissed that cable costs more than he wants to pay, and you’re right it is, but that would be too easy.  I’m willing to sit through commercials for free TV.  But the truth is that a hundred million suckers paying $100 a month for cable is a much hgher return than advertisers could bring in.  AND, if they get you to pay for cable AND give you ads, they double dip.  But nobody is complaining, not even Ralph Nader.

So we’re stuck with it, rather, I am stuck without it.  I hope to wean myself off if TV completely.  It is really only reruns and rehash anyway (even the new stuff), whether it’s sports or news or shows.  SO much crap, poor taste and lack of imagination, most of the time, and I have only so many breaths left on this planet anyway.  I have to ask myself, what am I doing with my time anyway?

At the California State Fair this week, a cow was shot and killed. Apparently the pregnant heifer got out of its enclosure and started running loose on the grounds. This was happening before the fair even opened for the day.

So, a UC Davis Vet decided that this was one anti-social cow and gave orders to execute it.

Now I’ve seen cows ridden, roped, wrestled, and BBQ’d and I’ve never seen one that was too happy with people. What I want to know is where was this cow’s owner, where was a cowboy when one was needed, didn’t anyone have a horse and a rope?

John Wayne could have handled the situation. Maybe the Vet was low on beef. Sacramento has been known as a “Cow Town” for a long time, maybe it’s time to find a new insult.