LWC's Other Ramblings

think-progress: Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn on spending:Iraq...

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:22:29 -0400

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn on spending:

Iraq war
v.
Bank bailout
v.
Oklahoma tornado relief

"The real scandal is that: The IRS has interpreted our tax laws to allow big corporations and wealthy..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:49:11 -0400

“The real scandal is that: The IRS has interpreted our tax laws to allow big corporations and wealthy individuals to make unlimited secret campaign donations through sham political fronts called “social welfare organizations,” like Karl Rove’s “Crossroads,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and “Priorites USA.” This campaign money has been used to bribe Congress to keep in place tax loopholes like the “carried interest” rule that allows the managers of hedge funds and private equity funds to treat their income as capital gains, subject only to low capital gains taxes rather than ordinary income taxes, and other loopholes that allow CEOs to get special tax treatment on giant compensation packages that now average $10 million a year.”

- Robert Reich (via azspot)

Photo

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:48:35 -0400

"…already Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says he will insist that any federal disaster aid be paid for..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:47:03 -0400

“…already Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says he will insist that any federal disaster aid be paid for with cuts elsewhere.”

- Roll Call (via brooklynmutt)

Not the time.

(via shortformblog)

ilovecharts: Things Yahoo! Has Made Better Indeed.

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:12:27 -0400

ilovecharts:

Things Yahoo! Has Made Better

Indeed.

Hawks Circling: Clocking Out

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:23 -0400

Hawks Circling: Clocking Out:

workingamerica:

“Deficit hawks” are getting what they say they want, but they’re unmoved by the facts.

The rapidly-falling deficit really isn’t anything to brag about.

Fight for 15: the people who are driving the new wave of fast food activism.

In Milwaukee, African American workers have a special connection to the fast food strikes.

Walmart refuses to sign on to other retailers’ Bangladesh supplier safety plans.

Sad but unsurprising: a diagnosis of cancer greatly increases your odds of bankruptcy.

Good news: Washington state officials “pleasantly surprised” by potential lower rates under Affordable Care Act.

Don’t believe the spin: Potential Obama housing nominee Watt pushed for policies that could have prevented the housing crisis.

The failure of the NLRB to function is a real concern for workers.

Labor Secretary nominee Perez deserves a vote, says Sen. Reid.

LA Times: Let’s get past the filibuster, because it’s time for a vote on labor nominees.

fuckyeahfeminists: Costco CEO Craig Jelinek supports raising...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:37:53 -0400

fuckyeahfeminists:

Costco CEO Craig Jelinek supports raising the minimum wage.

Costco announced record profits today, averaging $10,000 in profit per employee compared to $7,400 at Walmart.
The secret to Costco’s success is paying employees well, providing benefits, and giving them an opportunity to unionize.

So large corporations’ excuses that treating & paying workers well would damage profits are all a crock of shit.

sissypunks: I’ve been waiting for this my whole life

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:09:26 -0400

sissypunks:

I’ve been waiting for this my whole life

rosalarian: Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, in case you...

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:19 -0400

rosalarian:

Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, in case you hadn’t heard. How dare she remove those ticking time bombs from her chest, amiright? Like, hasn’t she learned by now that her body is public domain and we all get to vote on what she does with it? Sheesh, how selfish can ya get.

Obamacare Is Already Forcing Private Insurers To Lower Their Premiums

Sat, 11 May 2013 13:21:47 -0400

Obamacare Is Already Forcing Private Insurers To Lower Their Premiums:

think-progress:

Look at that. Facts!

Think Progress: The Heritage Foundation's No Good, Very Bad Week

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:21:31 -0400

Think Progress: The Heritage Foundation's No Good, Very Bad Week:

think-progress:

MONDAY: The think tank releases an anti-immigration study that everyone on the right instantly trashes.

TUESDAY: One co-author admits he didn’t read the whole immigration bill. Plus now they’ve annoyed Marco Rubio.

WEDNESDAY: The other co-author, Jason Richwine happens to have…

motherjones: foulmouthedliberty: poptech: And the highest...

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:21:09 -0400

motherjones:

foulmouthedliberty:

poptech:

And the highest paid public employee in your state is…

Just be you, Vermont.

"Slavery was once a right. Now-outdated notions of privacy and property allowed marital rape as a..."

Fri, 10 May 2013 23:53:05 -0400

“Slavery was once a right. Now-outdated notions of privacy and property allowed marital rape as a right. But the costs of those rights were the violation of others rights, and we reached a point as a society (through much debate, struggle, blood, sweat, tears, and more) where we decided that protecting rights like slavery and marital rape was no longer worth the damage they inflicted. Alcohol was a right, then it wasn’t, and then it was again because prohibiting drinking caused more trouble than we were able to tolerate. However, when the right returned it did not go unchecked. This is how we negotiate rights in a democracy.”

- Guns Are a Right, Yes—But Do They Have To Be? (via smdxn)

"In the original Trek, Khan, with his brown skin, was an Übermensch, intellectually and physically..."

Fri, 10 May 2013 23:51:54 -0400

“In the original Trek, Khan, with his brown skin, was an Übermensch, intellectually and physically perfect, possessed of such charisma and drive that despite his efforts to gain control of the Enterprise, Captain Kirk (and many of the other officers) felt admiration for him.

And that’s why the role has been taken away from actors of colour and given to a white man. Racebending.com has always pointed out that villains are generally played by people with darker skin, and that’s true … unless the villain is one with intelligence, depth, complexity. One who garners sympathy from the audience, or if not sympathy, then — as from Kirk — grudging admiration. What this new Trek movie tells us, what JJ Abrams is telling us, is that no brown-skinned man can accomplish all that. That only by having Khan played by a white actor can the audience engage with and feel for him, believe that he’s smart and capable and a match for our Enterprise crew.”

- Marissa Sammy on Star Trek: Into Whiteness.

perfect commentary which parallels what Rawles was saying earlier about the possibility of Moriarty being a person of color:

“…The actual issue is that black people aren’t often allowed to play full and complete characters, and an antagonist who isn’t unintelligent, thuggish cannon fodder is just as much of a rarity for black men as the stubbly hero who saves the world or wtfever. “

“…The stereotype in no way intersects with brilliant geniuses who choose to step outside of the boundaries of society in order to exercise their intellect while having no concern for lesser beings.

Or to break it down further: the problematic stereotype regarding black people is that of being, in essence, subhuman. Characters of the Moriarty (and Holmes) archetype are rooted in being superhuman.”

You see? It’s more complicated than “people of color get typecast as villains.”

Black people get typecast as an extremely specific type of villain - they’re thugs, brutish and animalistic. South Asian actors are similarly typecast as scary oppressive (usually coded Muslim) terrorists.

But when your villain is of the superhuman archetype? When they’re brooding antiheroes, when they’re nuanced, when they’re multi-faceted?

They’re white.

(And check out this post on the glorification of white criminality in shows like Dexter, Breaking Bad, Weeds, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, etc.)

"Jobs, jobs, jobs! They’re everywhere. The problem with all this job-creation is the new jobs are all..."

Fri, 10 May 2013 21:57:46 -0400

“Jobs, jobs, jobs! They’re everywhere. The problem with all this job-creation is the new jobs are all worse than our previous jobs, which, to be honest weren’t all that rad in the first place. Some jobs, they don’t even pay money, which is still a thing you need some of to live. My mother spent the recession in multiple jobs, the most recent of which paid federal minimum wage. $7.25, baby! This is the reason why, when I hear well-paid pundits say that no one except high school kids work for minimum wage, I want to fly to their home, poop on their doorstep, and set it on fire.”

- Matt Bors (via azspot)

North Carolina House representatives, vote No on HB 693

Fri, 10 May 2013 21:11:26 -0400

North Carolina House representatives, vote No on HB 693:

stfuconservatives:

On Tuesday, the NC General Assembly approved a bill that would require teenagers to provide notarized parental approval in order to access STD testing, STD treatment, mental health counseling, pregnancy care or substance abuse treatment. This bill, House Bill 693, will take away crucial human rights of any number of at-risk children. If this bill passes, who will children of neglectful parents turn to? What about teenagers in situations of incest or abuse?

Supporters of the bill claim that this bill may bring a child’s risky behavior to their parents’ attention. But the sad fact is, not all families are ideal, and not all parents have the best interests of their children in mind. Why can’t we trust competent parents to keep an eye on their children on their own, without North Carolina’s help, and allow children of neglectful or abusive parents to advocate for themselves?

Sign & signal boost, folks. You know the drill. (ETA: Link is fixed.)

"More than 600 firefighters, teachers, environmentalists, and church leaders carried signs reading..."

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:40:21 -0400

“More than 600 firefighters, teachers, environmentalists, and church leaders carried signs reading “ALEC is Not OK” and chanting “backroom deals are ALEC’s game/sweetheart deals for corporate gain,” while a giant inflatable pig wearing a banner reading “Hi, my name is ALEC” floated overhead. Two big rigs adorned with Teamsters logos circled the convention center, honking their horns and blowing air brakes. Harold A. Schaitberger, President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, told the crowd that ALEC’s “sole purpose is to develop the most anti-worker, anti-employee, anti-union, anti-middle class, pro-business, pro corporation policies, legislation and agenda possible.””

- ALEC Ignores First Amendment, Assembles a “Most Wanted” List (via tracesharp)

"It was in 2006 when I really starting identifying myself as a Democrat,” he said. “I don’t think..."

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:40:14 -0400

““It was in 2006 when I really starting identifying myself as a Democrat,” he said. “I don’t think having Head Start or welfare is antithetical with what America is about. When I see people trying to gain equal respect, and I see other people trying to stop it, that bothers me.” Poag worked to help President Obama get elected. He also worked last year with the Nancy Fischman campaign. The Democrat lost to incumbent state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, who won a fifth term in the 7th House District. However, she landed a surprising 34.2 percent of the vote.”

- New Washington County Dem chairman encourages dialogue on issues (via tracesharp)

"There’s nobody on the board who is not approved by the Haslam family because [the Haslams] own 59..."

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:40:03 -0400

““There’s nobody on the board who is not approved by the Haslam family because [the Haslams] own 59 percent of the stock,” said George Dent, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University. “For a lot of people, and perhaps myself included, that would mean that [Martin] could not possibly be considered independent.” But forensic account Lewis Baum, whose work for clients includes fraud detection, said Haslam “appears to be trying to be very transparent.” Ties between Martin and the Haslams aren’t necessarily a red flag, said Baum, at SS&G Parkland in Solon. In 1999, when Martin was chief executive of Saks Inc., the company hired Jimmy Haslam’s brother, Bill, to start up online retail operations for Saks in New York. Bill Haslam got into politics two years later, became mayor of Knoxville in 2003 and in 2010 was elected governor of Tennessee. He’s a member of the board of the University of Memphis, which last month appointed Martin as its interim president. Martin, chairman of his private equity firm, RBM Venture Co., could not be reached Friday. Nashville attorney Aubrey Harwell said Martin is simply the liaison between the Weingarten report to come and Pilot’s board. “It makes absolutely no difference whether or not the person receiving the report has or doesn’t have a relationship with the company,” said Harwell, who was hired by Pilot Flying J after the April 15 raid on Pilot headquarters by FBI and IRS agents. “What you see here is typical of best practices in America.””

- Pilot Flying J committee leader who will receive fraud report has ties to Haslam family | cleveland.com (via tracesharp)

It is inbred throughout.

yoisthisracist: anonymous asked: Chickfila tastes so good, but it’s homophobic and probably racist....

Wed, 08 May 2013 23:39:11 -0400

yoisthisracist:

anonymous asked: Chickfila tastes so good, but it’s homophobic and probably racist. What do I do?

You can find another place to get a chicken sandwich.