The Supreme Court is in session and the judges are out of their minds. Well, some of them are and surprise, surprise they all lean conservative. Although, this really shouldn’t be important as the issue seems totally nonpartisan to me, but anyway…
Their most recent decision undoes a century’s worth of campaign finance limitations on corporations, unions, non-profits and other group entities. In essence, it allows these organizations to have even more influence on who is elected to federal office.
Under the old system Widget Corporation (who makes widgets) could only spend a limited amount of money to run campaign ads in support of Presidential candidate Shamus Futtbucker. This ruling could make it possible for them to spend as much as their little heart desires, saturating all media with ads for Futtbucker.
Knowing this, Widget Corporation approaches Futtbucker with a proposition. They tell him they will bury the United States in ads championing him and trashing his opponents if, once in office, he’ll throw them a few bones i.e. lowering taxes on widgets, doing away with widget safety regulations and providing widget makers with federal funds for widget research.
What’s Futtbucker to do? He does what every other politician who wants to win does, he agrees.
If you don’t think situations like the above happen you’re serious deluded. They happen all the time and it’s extremely undemocratic. It negates all that great “Of the people, by the people and for the people” stuff the country was built on.
The question remains, why did conservative judges vote the way they did? Currently, conservative are screaming populism, the rule of the people and democracy in action as the reason for the upset victory of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts. It’s a slam against Obama they say! The people are not happy!
Will the people be happier if big money interests have more say in politics?
Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Saw the movie, Crazy Heart last night. Jeff Bridges is great and Robert Duval, as always, is awesome! You can check out one of the songs on the movie’s Web site, here:
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/crazyheart/
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Screwed
California is totally screwed. Our economy is in the dumps and the state’s credit rating was cut again. While it seems to me that all eyes should be focused on budget fixes the state’s legislature disagrees and dithers about with issues like the legalization of marijuana.
Here at my state department, we’re still pumping money into the economy with a big Executive staff trip to Sonoma for Strategic Planning and a project to plate the outside of our building with faux granite panels. Meanwhile social programs, state park hours, home care provider support, etcetera, etcetera sit precariously on the chopping block.
Sure, we’re not part of the general fund but in a case like this all state coffers should be pried open like sardine tins and the money placed where it’s needed most.
The state employees’ union hasn’t done the state or its members any favors. The governor has instituted furlough days, slashing state worker pay by 14 percent. Yes, this sucks but the union has been reactive instead of proactive. They currently have state courts tied up with lawsuits trying to stop and block furloughs and pay cuts. All this court time has so far cost the state a half million dollars more of its general fund monies. Thanks SEUI, it’s a little too late and…oh, a half million bucks short.
They should have worked with the governor and the legislature to jointly cut state personnel costs. Lend a hand in coming up with solutions, i.e. releasing all student assistants and retired annuitants, instituting a hiring freeze, beginning individual office audits, rethinking the state worker pension formula, canceling some contracts and looking over others.
Speaking of audits, I can’t forget the California Performance Review that CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had done when he first took office. An investigatory panel stuffed four fat books with suggestions on how to save state money and how to better serve the public. To my knowledge, the State Legislature ignored most and the Governor backed down on many things in the report. This was probably a bad idea because according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office:
“LAO’s Bottom Line. The CPR provides the state with a valuable opportunity to comprehensively examine how it does business. It has made a serious effort at rethinking the current organization of state government and how it delivers services to the people of California . We find that many of its individual recommendations would move California toward a more efficient, effective, and accountable government.
At the same time, the rationale for some of its reorganization proposals is not clear, it does not examine whether the state should continue to perform certain functions, and many of its fiscal savings estimates are overstated.
For these reasons, it will be important for the Legislature to evaluate the merits of the proposals individually, looking at their policy trade-offs, their likely effectiveness, and their fiscal implications.
The Legislature also may wish to consider broadening the scope of reforms offered by CPR to include a more comprehensive examination of the state and local tax system, the role of constitutional officers, the state’s system of funding education, and the relationship between state and local government.”
Sad.
Here’s is more sadness, but at least it’s from the French:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/01/11/star-wars-dance-video/
Here at my state department, we’re still pumping money into the economy with a big Executive staff trip to Sonoma for Strategic Planning and a project to plate the outside of our building with faux granite panels. Meanwhile social programs, state park hours, home care provider support, etcetera, etcetera sit precariously on the chopping block.
Sure, we’re not part of the general fund but in a case like this all state coffers should be pried open like sardine tins and the money placed where it’s needed most.
The state employees’ union hasn’t done the state or its members any favors. The governor has instituted furlough days, slashing state worker pay by 14 percent. Yes, this sucks but the union has been reactive instead of proactive. They currently have state courts tied up with lawsuits trying to stop and block furloughs and pay cuts. All this court time has so far cost the state a half million dollars more of its general fund monies. Thanks SEUI, it’s a little too late and…oh, a half million bucks short.
They should have worked with the governor and the legislature to jointly cut state personnel costs. Lend a hand in coming up with solutions, i.e. releasing all student assistants and retired annuitants, instituting a hiring freeze, beginning individual office audits, rethinking the state worker pension formula, canceling some contracts and looking over others.
Speaking of audits, I can’t forget the California Performance Review that CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had done when he first took office. An investigatory panel stuffed four fat books with suggestions on how to save state money and how to better serve the public. To my knowledge, the State Legislature ignored most and the Governor backed down on many things in the report. This was probably a bad idea because according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office:
“LAO’s Bottom Line. The CPR provides the state with a valuable opportunity to comprehensively examine how it does business. It has made a serious effort at rethinking the current organization of state government and how it delivers services to the people of California . We find that many of its individual recommendations would move California toward a more efficient, effective, and accountable government.
At the same time, the rationale for some of its reorganization proposals is not clear, it does not examine whether the state should continue to perform certain functions, and many of its fiscal savings estimates are overstated.
For these reasons, it will be important for the Legislature to evaluate the merits of the proposals individually, looking at their policy trade-offs, their likely effectiveness, and their fiscal implications.
The Legislature also may wish to consider broadening the scope of reforms offered by CPR to include a more comprehensive examination of the state and local tax system, the role of constitutional officers, the state’s system of funding education, and the relationship between state and local government.”
Sad.
Here’s is more sadness, but at least it’s from the French:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/01/11/star-wars-dance-video/
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Avatar
I saw Avatar twice over the holiday season, once with my Dad and sister and another time with my Mom. Seems the general viewing populace is enjoying it, as it is poised to become the number one grossing movie of all time. I think my Dad fell asleep but he still says he liked what he saw. My Mom went crazy for it and I think it maybe one of her most favorite movies of all time.
Sci-fi and movie geeks are split. While some find it a science fiction masterpiece others are disappointed in the plot’s lack of originality. The haters have a point. While it is visually stunning the plot is a rehash of the stranger-in-a-strange-land-leads-primitive-natives-against-a-technologically-advanced-invader kind of stuff. It’s been done a million times, but I found that Avatar did it really, really well.
Director, writer, producer James Cameron is a master storyteller. He captures the magic, heroism, sadness, humanity and adventure that allows the viewer to place him or herself right in the middle of the movie. He manipulates the audience’s feelings pulling them to highs and dropping them to lows right along with the movie’s characters.
Cheap and gimmicky? Perhaps, but still enjoyable. After all, a movie, book, television show, whatever doesn’t have to alienate someone with its hipness or tangled intelligence to be fun.
Not only did some sci-fi geeks not like it, Conservatives are in a tizzy over it. According to them, it’s anti-military, anti-business, anti-Catholic, anti-American, anti-human, anti….well, you name it. To them it’s just plain evil. It’s a liberal ideology guide put in place by the godless Cameron.
If that is the case, nearly half of all popular media is bound to upset them. Anyway, I give it two-thumbs up.
Best UFO footage of the 2009! http://www.ufocasebook.com/2010/video2009.html
Sci-fi and movie geeks are split. While some find it a science fiction masterpiece others are disappointed in the plot’s lack of originality. The haters have a point. While it is visually stunning the plot is a rehash of the stranger-in-a-strange-land-leads-primitive-natives-against-a-technologically-advanced-invader kind of stuff. It’s been done a million times, but I found that Avatar did it really, really well.
Director, writer, producer James Cameron is a master storyteller. He captures the magic, heroism, sadness, humanity and adventure that allows the viewer to place him or herself right in the middle of the movie. He manipulates the audience’s feelings pulling them to highs and dropping them to lows right along with the movie’s characters.
Cheap and gimmicky? Perhaps, but still enjoyable. After all, a movie, book, television show, whatever doesn’t have to alienate someone with its hipness or tangled intelligence to be fun.
Not only did some sci-fi geeks not like it, Conservatives are in a tizzy over it. According to them, it’s anti-military, anti-business, anti-Catholic, anti-American, anti-human, anti….well, you name it. To them it’s just plain evil. It’s a liberal ideology guide put in place by the godless Cameron.
If that is the case, nearly half of all popular media is bound to upset them. Anyway, I give it two-thumbs up.
Best UFO footage of the 2009! http://www.ufocasebook.com/2010/video2009.html
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Uncomfortable without exercise
I stopped exercising for awhile. I hurt my wrist in November and couldn’t lift weights, then the holidays kicked into full-swing and the gym was closed off-and-on for renovations; I guess it was a perfect storm that gave me the perfect excuse to skip a few weeks. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t gorged myself on holiday fare and washed it down with massive amounts of alcohol.
The last few weeks of my exercise sabbatical my breathing became labored. It wasn’t to the extreme of an asthma attack but it was a little worrying. Riding my bike home from work, which even at a leisurely pace doesn’t take longer then 20 minutes, left me noticeably more winded than usual.
My heart also felt like it was beating too fast for what I was doing everyday. Walking up some stairs or taking a walk with my Mom left me feeling weird, like I was having a panic attack where my heart would begin to race for no reason. Playing soccer the day before I hit the gym again made me feel like my heart was going to explode.
My sleep patterns became irregular. For the last week or so of not working out I was waking-up around 2:30 A.M. I’d lie in bed feeling like my heart was beating too fast and my breath was short. Eventually, around two hours later I’d fall back asleep but this interruption left me crazy tired the next day.
All in all, it made me very uncomfortable and I didn’t like it one bit. I felt sick when I knew I wasn’t but I started questioning myself anyway. Would I have a heart attack? Did I have asthma?
So I ran and lifted weights the last three days and I feel amazingly better than I did. My heartbeat and my breathing feel much closer to normal and my sleep has been out of this world. As a matter of fact, the Monday night after I exercised for the first time in two months my sleep was freaking fantastic.
Note to self: DON’T STOP EXERCISING FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
The last few weeks of my exercise sabbatical my breathing became labored. It wasn’t to the extreme of an asthma attack but it was a little worrying. Riding my bike home from work, which even at a leisurely pace doesn’t take longer then 20 minutes, left me noticeably more winded than usual.
My heart also felt like it was beating too fast for what I was doing everyday. Walking up some stairs or taking a walk with my Mom left me feeling weird, like I was having a panic attack where my heart would begin to race for no reason. Playing soccer the day before I hit the gym again made me feel like my heart was going to explode.
My sleep patterns became irregular. For the last week or so of not working out I was waking-up around 2:30 A.M. I’d lie in bed feeling like my heart was beating too fast and my breath was short. Eventually, around two hours later I’d fall back asleep but this interruption left me crazy tired the next day.
All in all, it made me very uncomfortable and I didn’t like it one bit. I felt sick when I knew I wasn’t but I started questioning myself anyway. Would I have a heart attack? Did I have asthma?
So I ran and lifted weights the last three days and I feel amazingly better than I did. My heartbeat and my breathing feel much closer to normal and my sleep has been out of this world. As a matter of fact, the Monday night after I exercised for the first time in two months my sleep was freaking fantastic.
Note to self: DON’T STOP EXERCISING FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
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