Just saw the weirdest commercial

- couldn't tell if it's a car (Jeep) ad or for a new video game. How surreal!

I've mentioned this before

financial troubles are a comin . . . Greece, Italy, the Euro, derivatives. Any bets? Look for BIG problems come summer 2012. It will re-elect Obama because none of the clowns have any clue about the world financial issues. Particularly the Mitt & the Newt, and the powers that be know this.  Consider there are between $250T & $707T in derivatives (greater than the GDP of the entire world) for which there is no market. If they 'marked-to-market' rather than 'mark-to-myth' the world's banking system would be gone.

The Federal deficiit issue is political,

not economic. No matter how it is framed the rich do not want to pay more taxes.

18.6 million empty homes,

3.5 million homeless.

I remember the Golden State,

California has it was "Before Reagan, and Prop 13, a talented Californian kid could go from kindergarten through PhD virtually free. And in exchange, California had one of the brightest and most innovative populations in the country. Sadly, all this has changed. 30 years of Republican antitax zealotry have gutted the system." - a blogger.

OCCUPY

Proposed Occupy movement's "vision statement".

We Envision: [1] a truly free, democratic, and just society; [2] where we, the people, come together and solve our problems by consensus; [3] where people are encouraged to take personal and collective responsibility and participate in decision making; [4] where we learn to live in harmony and embrace principles of toleration and respect for diversity and the differing views of others; [5] where we secure the civil and human rights of all from violation by tyrannical forces and unjust governments; [6] where political and economic institutions work to benefit all, not just the privileged few; [7] where we provide full and free education to everyone, not merely to get jobs but to grow and flourish as human beings; [8] where we value human needs over monetary gain, to ensure decent standards of living without which effective democracy is impossible; [9] where we work together to protect the global environment to ensure that future generations will have safe and clean air, water and food supplies, and will be able to enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature that past generations have enjoyed.

Also check out Michael Moore's 10 points. Any you don't like? Any you would like to add?

The Occupy movement hasn't gone away

& will not go away. Its morphing in many interesting ways. If Zuccotti Park was Lexington then we now have american revolutionaries deploying everywhere the crown appears.

Is Huntsman positioning himself for

Secretary of State - in either a Republican or Democratic Administration?

Avoiding reality -

during the Vietnam War the most popular comedy on TV was MASH . A PBS series in early TV made me realize where all the clue words for the current times come from. The current times mindset was formed in the late 40's & 50's. It's a imagine of a reality that wasn't real then.

'Occupy ______' is beginning to follow a

path similar to the American Revolution. Just my take - will elaborate later.

George Washington's success in the American

Revolution was primarily from just 'keeping an army in being". Sometimes just surviving is success.

1964 Free Speech Movement -

Berkeley, California. Did it all begin as free speech.

In 60 days -

the occupy movment has formed committees in 100's of locations. With the crack-down it will enter a new phase. What it will be is anyone's guess - or if one understands history - a convention. But that already happened virtually. So . . . 1/10 of 1% of the population has changed the entire idalogue.

From Greg Sargent, Wash Post

While I don't consider any Republican candidate to be electable, this view of Newt & OvenMitt are right on. From Greg Sargent -

"It’s one thing to have a nominee who might betray conservatives for his own electoral self-interest, as with Mitt Romney; it’s another, and far worse, to have someone who might sell out conservatives because he suddenly wakes up one morning and decides all on his own to go off in some other direction. That’s the danger of Newt as nominee or president."

PS. The Occupy movement is only getting started, its mearly completing its intial iteration. Stage two up next. It's not going away. The public wants action on economic fairness and jobs.

Fundamental Transformational change

Did 9/11 change anything?
The post-war world is coming to an end. (post-1945) and so is the reagan era 1980-2012.
Are we seeing the sun set on America's long nightmare - the unprovoked war with Iraq and the second era of offensive warfare.

The Big Change -
First, the Collapse of the Freedom Agenda: In the wake of 9/11, the administration of George W. Bush set out to remake the Greater Middle East. This was the ultimate strategic objective of Bush’s “global war on terror.”
Second, the Great Recession  2008-   the recognization of extreme income inequality
Third, the Arab Spring:
Fourth, Beleaguered Europe’s Quest for a Lifeline:

These four points from an article -
Big Change Whether We Like It or NotOnly Washington Is Clueless
By Andrew Bacevich

I would add several other vectors that I see:
- energy (end of the age of fossil (indirect-sun-light) energy).
- population + resources
- the complete globalization
- changing global climate
- the complete financialization of the US economy and the transformation to a capitalist/socialist model.

A Chance to destroy the

Republican Party - 2012. One must vote for that reason alone!

I'll tell you how to beat someone,

keep them off-guard at all times.

Could we be so lucky -

NEWT !

Great Quote -

What good is a man who won't take a stand? What good is a cynic with no better plan? - Ben Harper

Who do the Republicans WANT to run ?

Now, Newt is considered a contender ! The secret Republican party apparatus does not want Romney in the worst way, but who do they want? Every possible has major flaws and smart money doesn't want it this year. Any contenders? Any contenders? Anyone, contenders please?

MY ADVISE TO ANYONE

Basically, I would impart these 5 points:
1. Re-invent yourself every 10 years.

2. Be prepared to retire @ 50-55 without the government's help (accumulate and develop the resources one needs to survive and prosper).

3. Ask yourself this question regarding someone else's leadership or direction - 'Would I follow this person into combat. Take their direction under extreme, questionable conditions.'

4. What's the end game?

5. We'll see.

(about the last two, if you have to ask what do I mean, you have a lot to learn.)

And a sixth one - learn to eat and drink well.

Milquetoast Romney

doesn't it sound good ! Between him and Cain - well, what a choice.

Student loans should be priced at

the fed funds rate! Currently 0%-0.25%.

Internet cliche

going on the attack by hiding behind your anonymity. How often do you see this?

Why is nothing being done

Under Bush 43, spending increased 241% ($11.6 trillion), while revenue decreased 442%, due primarily to cuts in income and capital gains tax for the wealthy (under Reagan, the capital gains tax was 28%, under Bush it was 14%, accounting for billions in loss revenue), which led to massive teacher lay-offs and a 93% loss of total wealth for middleclas­s Americans.  

Under Obama, Americans have seen less corporate regulation­, 20 consecutiv­e months of private sector job growth, consistent GDP growth, increased stock market valuation, and the highest ratio of profit to worker wages in 60 years, yet Republican­s continue to sabotage, obstruct and chip away at the middleclas­s. Republican­s want to keep unemployme­nt high because history has shown that incumbent presidents don’t get reelected when unemployme­nt is high, which is why Republican­s are sabotaging and obstructin­g every job creation bill introduced by Obama, while opting instead to pass 244 bills that rename government buildings, federal parks and post offices after fellow Republican­s. In their latest piece of obstructio­nism, Republican­s voted against levying a paltry .7% tax increase on 300,000 millionair­es, a move that would have created 400,000 sorely need constructi­on/infrast­ructure repair jobs. Since 2009, Republican­s have blocked 491 bills specifical­ly designed to increase revenue and create jobs. During the decade Republican­s controlled congress, tax revenue decreased by 58%, unemployme­nt soared to 8.6% and 46 million Americans were thrown into poverty, while government spending topped out at $11.4 trillion.  

In 2010, 22 Fortune 100 corporatio­ns paid no federal or state income tax, while the remaining 78 paid a paltry and derisory 4% on combined profits topping $1 trillion. Even more shocking, last year the top 25 American CEOs took home more in salary and bonuses than their corporatio­ns paid in federal and state taxes, and the top 50 corporatio­ns paid more to lobbyist than they did in federal and state taxes, yet republican­s continue to embrace and spread the outlandish lie that American corporatio­ns are over taxed, and that corporate taxes are killing jobs, which is also a lie.

Is move your money

a vote of no-confidence? The last several months are just the first roll-call. Keep calling for a vote every month. The dollar numbers may appear small but the effect is enormous.  Checking, Savings, credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, mortgages. It all adds up.

If a Republican is elected President

the economy will completely collapse. No government spending, already little consumer demand, a horrible housing situation, more tax cuts for the wealthy, and continued defense and security spending will send the federal deficit through the roof. Add in cuts to Social Security and health programs - a recipe for disaster.

9-9-9 Plan

So it basically taxes consumption. Let's see 80% of the US economy depends on consumer demand (ie., consumption). Well there goes the demand.

The Herb Cain phenonemon

is all about getting the media to think this is a serious effort. The ultimate goal is to degrade the electoral process. Its working!

Each of us must decide

with whom do we stand. The 1% or the 99%. The confrontation is coming and we can not ignore it.