What are two White Supremacists doing at a screening of The Help and at the first day of The Debt?
Well, I thought I'd finally see the blockbuster and so did this couple in the row in front of me: he, a baseball-cap-wearing kind of dude, with an American flag waving in the wind of his cellphone screen;she, a submissive quiet-toned dudette with a boyish-short hair cut. So anyway, in a scene when the discussion is about the means to build a for-coloreds-only outhouse for a couple of White Supremacists who can afford a domestic worker at Segregationist prices but not house additions, I groan, and then see the short haircut turn to profile, searching for whoever emitted the sound. I felt, hey, my feelings are being squelched for no good reasons,I'm not loud,she must have radar, but said nothing. At another particularly grueling scene, I groan again. A "Shh!"comes out. At another, the profile pops again, I ask what is it, she answers something as to me having to be quiet, I say shut up and that's a wrap. After that the entire theater started groaning (loudly), making indignant noises (loudly), laughing(loudly), sniffling(not too loudly), one laugh precipitating another, and another, all reactions over the sound. No one said anything when a character was asked what she thought of whites, the answer a silent not much. All, except the social engineering haircut profile who looked at me again, to see if what she thought I might not know might kill me.
As for The Debt, only the main outside theatre sign listed it. At the box office, there were no signs, no showing hours, this on opening day, and the ticket seller gave me a ticket for the wrong time. When I went into the unmarked projection room, there was a faint smell of insecticide, which two women in the crowd commented about. Old habits die hard.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Liberal Democracy and Multiculturalism
How are the two mutually exclusive? If one begins from the premise that we are all equal, how does multiculturalism mean the upholding of bigoted and racist beliefs of one culture above all others? How is multiculturalism not the work of constructing the possibility for multiple strata of cultures to work together on an equal standing of inclusiveness? Isn't a qualitative evaluation favoring one culture over another oppressive, and, regardless of intentions, isn't disregarding the fluidity of different strata of cultural identity typical of immigration, even generational, an inaccuracy?
How are the two mutually exclusive? If one begins from the premise that we are all equal, how does multiculturalism mean the upholding of bigoted and racist beliefs of one culture above all others? How is multiculturalism not the work of constructing the possibility for multiple strata of cultures to work together on an equal standing of inclusiveness? Isn't a qualitative evaluation favoring one culture over another oppressive, and, regardless of intentions, isn't disregarding the fluidity of different strata of cultural identity typical of immigration, even generational, an inaccuracy?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Virginia Thomas and Health Care
Virginia Thomas, Supreme Court Clarence Thomases' wife, also a lawyer, is busy fighting Obama's health care bill by declaring all health care anti-constitutional.
If economic disparity doesn't allow equal coverage to guarantee one's well being, or life, how is universal health coverage not constitutional?
But then again, her husband offers pornography and tales of coke and sex to his women aides, believes that equal opportunity is a ploy by an elite, thinks that proceedings against him for the Anita Hill case (Biden led the Commission and refused to hear additional witnesses) took place because people consider him an "uppity black man", lies sprawled in his chair when hearing a case, has been silent for years, not participating by asking questions, is confused enough to have pictures of Lincoln, Reagan and Thatcher in his chambers and not only, thinks that the disparity between individuals and corporations is constitutional and believes that Ye Old Towne Williamsburg Virginia is not a theme park, but the true expression of the Constitution of the United States.
What this really means: He really wanted to forget to declare his wife's income for tax purposes, because he's allergic to Woodrow Wilson (the inspirator of the constitutional amendment promulgating income taxes , and also a President who gave legitimacy to a people's right to have a country, and not be dominated by an empire: what's next for this Tea Partier who officiated one of Rush Limbaugh's weddings and is good friends with the rabid racist?)
All this and other goodies in the August 29, 2011 New Yorker, or Annals of Law, Partners: Will Clarence and Virginia Thomas succeed in killing Obama's health-care plan? , by Jeffrey Toobin.
Virginia Thomas, Supreme Court Clarence Thomases' wife, also a lawyer, is busy fighting Obama's health care bill by declaring all health care anti-constitutional.
If economic disparity doesn't allow equal coverage to guarantee one's well being, or life, how is universal health coverage not constitutional?
But then again, her husband offers pornography and tales of coke and sex to his women aides, believes that equal opportunity is a ploy by an elite, thinks that proceedings against him for the Anita Hill case (Biden led the Commission and refused to hear additional witnesses) took place because people consider him an "uppity black man", lies sprawled in his chair when hearing a case, has been silent for years, not participating by asking questions, is confused enough to have pictures of Lincoln, Reagan and Thatcher in his chambers and not only, thinks that the disparity between individuals and corporations is constitutional and believes that Ye Old Towne Williamsburg Virginia is not a theme park, but the true expression of the Constitution of the United States.
What this really means: He really wanted to forget to declare his wife's income for tax purposes, because he's allergic to Woodrow Wilson (the inspirator of the constitutional amendment promulgating income taxes , and also a President who gave legitimacy to a people's right to have a country, and not be dominated by an empire: what's next for this Tea Partier who officiated one of Rush Limbaugh's weddings and is good friends with the rabid racist?)
All this and other goodies in the August 29, 2011 New Yorker, or Annals of Law, Partners: Will Clarence and Virginia Thomas succeed in killing Obama's health-care plan? , by Jeffrey Toobin.
Bush's 9/11 Interview
The President had given orders to shoot any commercial airplane that did not land when ordered to. Imagine if the occasion would have risen. The people on the flight that fell in Pennsylvania fought for their life, and lost. About last year, in Italy an Alitalia stewardess was held hostage in flight by a man with a knife. The passengers were luckier, they managed to disarm the hijacker.
The President had given orders to shoot any commercial airplane that did not land when ordered to. Imagine if the occasion would have risen. The people on the flight that fell in Pennsylvania fought for their life, and lost. About last year, in Italy an Alitalia stewardess was held hostage in flight by a man with a knife. The passengers were luckier, they managed to disarm the hijacker.
Lockerbie bomber will not be deported by Libyan rebel government.
" We will not hand over any Libyan citizen. It was Ghadafy who handed over Libyan citizens" is what the rebel's Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi said when asked if he would allow the Lockerbie bomber to be deported to the United States. The Libyan terrorist, supported also by Ghadafy, had already been tried in Scotland and was found guilty. He was then released on claims he had cancer and was to die within months.
What it really means: That's what you get for not playing in oil puddles.
" We will not hand over any Libyan citizen. It was Ghadafy who handed over Libyan citizens" is what the rebel's Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi said when asked if he would allow the Lockerbie bomber to be deported to the United States. The Libyan terrorist, supported also by Ghadafy, had already been tried in Scotland and was found guilty. He was then released on claims he had cancer and was to die within months.
What it really means: That's what you get for not playing in oil puddles.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Union News, or Don't Waste Time Mourning, Organize.
After the Common Retirement Fund, currently worth 146.5 billion, dipped to 110 billion in March 2009 and no deposits were made for years because the returns from stock market investments were sooo good, there's been an increase in employer's contribution to New York's pension fund. Now local governments will pay 18.9% of employee salary to the Retirement Fund for 2012-2013, an increase from 16.3%. They'll pay 25.8% of Police and Firefighter's salaries. Before it was 21.6%.
New York's Atlantic Beach lifeguards are fighting to have their lunch hour paid, also since they rarely take it off and eat their lunch on the stands. Mayor Stephen Mahler said the issue is not debatable due to its closeness to the end of the season, and the lack of numbers in beach goers, but next year there'll be talk of salary increases based on seniority and merit.
Labor groups will no longer contribute to the Democratic Party as a whole. They will endorse individual candidates.
New York City plans on firing about 800 nonteaching public school employees. Worse penalized are the non middle class neighborhoods Of Harlem, Washington Heights, Brooklyn's Brownville, East Flatbush and East New York.
Local 54 of Unite Here, or, 14,000 casino workers are planning on going on strike because employers want them to contribute more to their pension and health care funds.
A new biography on Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) organizer Joe Hill ( Joel Hagglund), written by William M. Adler has new evidence that Hill did not murder a grocer he was framed and sentenced to death for. From the New York Times article in today's paper, Examining a Labor Hero's Death, false witnesses were coached to claim Hill was on the site of the murder, and the grandson of the murdered grocer said:
"Joe Hill was the one who murdered our grandfather and destroyed the economy of our family."
About the Industrial Workers of the World, as an organization it was:
"Detested by business leaders because it pushed miners, lumberjacks and railway workers to use strikes, slowdowns and sabotage to pressure employers to improve pay and conditions."
After the Common Retirement Fund, currently worth 146.5 billion, dipped to 110 billion in March 2009 and no deposits were made for years because the returns from stock market investments were sooo good, there's been an increase in employer's contribution to New York's pension fund. Now local governments will pay 18.9% of employee salary to the Retirement Fund for 2012-2013, an increase from 16.3%. They'll pay 25.8% of Police and Firefighter's salaries. Before it was 21.6%.
New York's Atlantic Beach lifeguards are fighting to have their lunch hour paid, also since they rarely take it off and eat their lunch on the stands. Mayor Stephen Mahler said the issue is not debatable due to its closeness to the end of the season, and the lack of numbers in beach goers, but next year there'll be talk of salary increases based on seniority and merit.
Labor groups will no longer contribute to the Democratic Party as a whole. They will endorse individual candidates.
New York City plans on firing about 800 nonteaching public school employees. Worse penalized are the non middle class neighborhoods Of Harlem, Washington Heights, Brooklyn's Brownville, East Flatbush and East New York.
Local 54 of Unite Here, or, 14,000 casino workers are planning on going on strike because employers want them to contribute more to their pension and health care funds.
A new biography on Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) organizer Joe Hill ( Joel Hagglund), written by William M. Adler has new evidence that Hill did not murder a grocer he was framed and sentenced to death for. From the New York Times article in today's paper, Examining a Labor Hero's Death, false witnesses were coached to claim Hill was on the site of the murder, and the grandson of the murdered grocer said:
"Joe Hill was the one who murdered our grandfather and destroyed the economy of our family."
About the Industrial Workers of the World, as an organization it was:
"Detested by business leaders because it pushed miners, lumberjacks and railway workers to use strikes, slowdowns and sabotage to pressure employers to improve pay and conditions."
Rick Perry and the Democratic Party.
Rick Perry, who as the Republican Governor of Texas is responsible for 234 executions, even more than George W. Bush, hell, more than anybody, as a Democrat organized Al Gore's run for the Presidency in Texas.
That explains Bush's and Clinton's joint ad to help Haitian victims of the earthquake shown on television lately.
Rick Perry, who as the Republican Governor of Texas is responsible for 234 executions, even more than George W. Bush, hell, more than anybody, as a Democrat organized Al Gore's run for the Presidency in Texas.
That explains Bush's and Clinton's joint ad to help Haitian victims of the earthquake shown on television lately.
Cheney and waterboarding.
In his new autobiography, Dick Cheney, Geoge W. Bush's Vice President, still supports waterboarding, which that administration authorized the CIA to use against insurgents. The torture is no longer in practice. Indifferent to world wide sanctions against it, Cheney is still convinced that torture doesn't lead the tortured to say absolutely anything to get it to stop, but extracts the truth,nothing but the truth, only the truth.
In his new autobiography, Dick Cheney, Geoge W. Bush's Vice President, still supports waterboarding, which that administration authorized the CIA to use against insurgents. The torture is no longer in practice. Indifferent to world wide sanctions against it, Cheney is still convinced that torture doesn't lead the tortured to say absolutely anything to get it to stop, but extracts the truth,nothing but the truth, only the truth.
Government shoots down tax breaks for businesses hiring veterans
Steve Israel, a Democrat from New York Dix Hills proposed a package that offered up to $9,600 in tax breaks for businesses hiring veterans.
Peter King, another New York politician, a Republican from Seaford, proposed a tax cut of $5,000.
Both legislative packages were nixed on specifics.
"Unemployment among post 9/11 veterans is currently 4% above the national rate of 9.1%" New York Newsday.
Steve Israel, a Democrat from New York Dix Hills proposed a package that offered up to $9,600 in tax breaks for businesses hiring veterans.
Peter King, another New York politician, a Republican from Seaford, proposed a tax cut of $5,000.
Both legislative packages were nixed on specifics.
"Unemployment among post 9/11 veterans is currently 4% above the national rate of 9.1%" New York Newsday.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Santorum and Gay Marriage
Well, hell Santorum, if gay marriage equiparates to heterosexual marriage as paper napkins do to paper towels, they're both paper. So that means marriage of anybody to anybody is a celebration of an intimate equal union between people on so many levels. How can it be even vaguely compared to bestiality incest and polygamy where the interaction is not only unequal, but oppressive and harmful?
And, while we're at it, how is marriage only about sexual contact?
Well, hell Santorum, if gay marriage equiparates to heterosexual marriage as paper napkins do to paper towels, they're both paper. So that means marriage of anybody to anybody is a celebration of an intimate equal union between people on so many levels. How can it be even vaguely compared to bestiality incest and polygamy where the interaction is not only unequal, but oppressive and harmful?
And, while we're at it, how is marriage only about sexual contact?
The Obama Admninistration and the Fairness Doctrine.
Long the contention of extreme rightists that air waves should be limited to them by the Fairness Doctrine, which allowed the presentation of other views besides theirs, the Obama administration pulled the plug on the FCC law.
What this really means: The President is in a centrist right states of mind and now, with the Tea Party around,who needs a base anymore?
Long the contention of extreme rightists that air waves should be limited to them by the Fairness Doctrine, which allowed the presentation of other views besides theirs, the Obama administration pulled the plug on the FCC law.
What this really means: The President is in a centrist right states of mind and now, with the Tea Party around,who needs a base anymore?
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