On Our Backs

Ronald Wilson Obama, ladies and gentlemen, with a dash of pussified Carter.

Citing deficit, Obama to freeze federal worker pay

The dumbest move politically AND economically. That's a hard feat to accomplish.

Horrible for the middle class and horrible for our overall economic clusterfuck.

Say it with me "To make money, one has to SPEND money".

The Page by Mark Halperin | Trumka Torches Bam for Fed Freeze:

"Today’s announcement of a two-year pay freeze for federal workers is bad for the middle class, bad for the economy and bad for business. No one is served by our government participating in a “race to the bottom” in wages. We need to invest in creating jobs, not undermining the ones we have. The President talked about the need for shared sacrifice, but there’s nothing shared about Wall Street and CEOs making record profits and bonuses while working people bear the brunt. It is time to get our nation back on track, but we should not do so by placing an even greater burden on the middle class."

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Daily Kos: Austerity is the New Hoovernomics, a Grover Norquist wet dream come to life

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Maybe the v-chip will get revived! Oh, boy! School uniforms become the top issue while the rest of us fucking starve.

President Gimmick:

"And with that symbolic gesture we witness President Obama's unfortunate alter-ego, President Gimmick. President Gimmick isn't serious about solving any of our problems, he's only serious about demonstrating his desire to solve our problems.

President Gimmick doesn't offer up plans designed to do anything, he only offers up plans designed to give him zingers for his 2012 debates.

If President Gimmick actually cared about governance, we'd have a comprehensive fiscal plan. Instead, we're getting cheap applauses lines. You think announcing a federal pay freeze represents toughness? Ha!

Confronted with the choice between making the tough decision to defend federal spending during a recession or to develop a plan to actually slash spending, President Gimmick takes a third way: pretending to do something. In the process, he concedes that he believes his critics are right on the merits, but far from signaling strength, he signals that he's too weak to do anything serious about it.

The worst thing about President Gimmick isn't that he plays politics, though. The worst thing about President Gimmick is that he's not very good at it.

Let's hope it doesn't take President Obama long to realize that President Gimmick isn't going to do him or the nation any good. And then he -- and we -- can put President Gimmick back in the closet, where he belongs."

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Excellent choice:

Daniel Day-Lewis Will Be Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln - MOVIE TALK on Yahoo! Movies:

"For what seems like forever, director Steven Spielberg has talked about wanting to do a biopic on Abraham Lincoln from a script by 'Angels in America' playwright Tony Kushner. But for the past decade, Spielberg has instead focused on other projects while Liam Neeson remained committed to playing our 16th president. When Neeson announced this summer that he was finally leaving the project, that seemed to be the end of it ever happening, but now the film is very much back on track: Daniel Day-Lewis is going to play Lincoln."

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Everyday is Cyber-Monday

So much awesome in this video. The suspense is well rewarded.

Cat-Crow-Cat-Crow fight

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Add one more to this list. Cat fight. And not the cool kind that happens in bars with hair pulling and bra-snapping.

6 Deadly Injuries You Think You'd Survive (Thanks to Movies) | Cracked.com

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Because this is how we roll.

N. Calif. cities bring pot growing into the light | San Francisco Examiner:

"Farther north, the Sonoma County wine country town of Sebastopol passed an ordinance Tuesday allowing for the creation of two large gardens for medical marijuana dispensaries, and two more 'collective' gardens where patients could grow their own."

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This and Cowboy vs. Aliens. Two must sees.

Coen Bros. Rule.

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Filtered

Enjoy yo-selves. See ya'll Monday.

The Thanksgiving Filter - Acoustic - Go-Go Boots - Drive-By Truckers from Drive-By Truckers on Vimeo.

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Coyote Blue

None of this security raping is keeping anyone a single iota safer.

Not. One. Person. Safer.

Freeeeedooooom! Pfft.

Passenger Chooses Strip-Down Over Pat-Down | NBC San Diego:

"Wolanyk was arrested for refusing to complete the security process. A woman, identified by Harbor police as Danielle Kelli Hayman,39, of San Diego was detained for recording the incident on a phone."

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Speaking of Pffft.

Obama Seeks Approach to Counter Anti-Business Image - BusinessWeek

Because Obama has been so mean to Business at the expense of the poor and middle class.

Every policy OA has implemented has served Big Business at the expense of the poor and middle class. Straight up Republican. Don't kid yourself otherwise.

"Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama is preparing new overtures to business that may start with a walk into the headquarters of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a retreat with corporate chief executive officers, according to people familiar with his plans.

The Obama administration has been at odds with the Chamber, which fought Obama’s health-care and financial regulatory overhauls and committed $75 million to political ads in the midterm congressional elections, mainly directed against Democrats. The CEO summit would be a way to address complaints from some executives that the Democratic administration is anti- business."

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Yes, Obama SO needs to patch things up with Business. Such a cruel communist he's been.

Meanwhile, back in reality: 9.5% counted unemployment with an actual rate more like 20%, while Corps haul in cash and don't hire nary a soul.

We need a Progressive Labor Party.

Business Upset That Under Obama They Have Achieved Only the Highest Profits Ever -- Daily Intel

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Heckavuanother job, OA.

Oil Spill Found On Shrimp Seafood In Newly Opened Gulf Waters (VIDEO):

"Tar Balls. Not quite as appetizing a shrimp side dish as cocktail sauce. But according to FOX 10 News, that's just what the shrimp boat Our Mother caught in its net this past week - enough tar balls to ruin thousands of dollars worth of shrimp.

The boat was trawling in newly re-opened waters north of the Deepwater Horizon well site when it hauled tar balls in with its shrimp."

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The most sensible thing I've read all week. We have wild Coyotes in SF, too.

Let Loose the Coyotes? Chicago Embraces Rat-Hunting Predators | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

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Net Neutrality

And nobody gives a damn....

Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality: Scientific American:

"Why should you care? Because the Web is yours. It is a public resource on which you, your business, your community and your government depend. The Web is also vital to democracy, a communications channel that makes possible a continuous worldwide conversation. The Web is now more critical to free speech than any other medium. It brings principles established in the U.S. Constitution, the British Magna Carta and other important documents into the network age: freedom from being snooped on, filtered, censored and disconnected."

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Thanks, Dems. We need a Progressive Labor Party in this country.

FCC may forgo ‘Net Neutrality’ for wireless networks | Raw Story:

"'They want a tiered Internet. 'Managed services' is what they call this. 'Gated communities for the Affluent' is what I call them.'"

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Leave Spiderman Alone!

Judge Orders Cops to Stop Harassing Superheroes | Threat Level | Wired.com

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At least someone in this situation had some good sense.

Car thief yells at mom for leaving toddler unattended : The Mommy Files

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The potential for awesome is exponential.

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Garden of Eden

In news of 'no-fucking-shit':

Warren Buffett: I 'Should Be Paying A Lot More In Taxes'

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It is quite shocking how often he repeats right-wing lies.

FDR, Reagan, and Obama - NYTimes.com:

"But Obama buys the right-wing smear.

More and more, it’s becoming clear that progressives who had their hearts set on Obama were engaged in a huge act of self-delusion. Once you got past the soaring rhetoric you noticed, if you actually paid attention to what he said, that he largely accepted the conservative storyline, a view of the world, including a mythological history, that bears little resemblance to the facts.

And confronted with a situation utterly at odds with that storyline … he stayed with the myth."

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When Dems do good. Not sure how to react since 'Dems Doing Good' and 'Tigers in the Wild' are similar in their rarity.

Oregon Senator Wyden effectively kills Internet censorship bill | Raw Story:

"It's too early to say for sure, but Oregon Senator Ron Wyden could very well go down in the history books as the man who saved the Internet."

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Hemingway's book Garden of Eden is one of the top five most influential books of my life. Yes, this opens up a can of psychological worms, but the fact remains. This book is a huge one for me. I've read it a gazillion times.

Wine wrapped in newspaper....

I had no idea it was being turned into a film. Not sure how I feel about that, but it looks promising if they didn't gin up the story too much.

And Caterina Murino... good lord.

Hemingway's Garden of Eden - Movie Trailers - iTunes

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DBT Week in Review - 11/19/10

DBT!

Secret's new website. Several screenings are recently been announced with more to come:

The Secret to a Happy Ending

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Drive-By Truckers | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Drive-By Truckers on RadioVA, Complete Audio � RadioVA

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The Greatest Song of 2011... and 2010. I freakin' love this version and the upcoming studio version.

The Thanksgiving Filter - Acoustic - Go-Go Boots - Drive-By Truckers from Drive-By Truckers on Vimeo.

Drive-By Truckers – The Thanksgiving Filter � RadioVA

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Go-Go Boots preview!

Go-Go Boots Preview Episode - Drive-By Truckers from Drive-By Truckers on Vimeo.

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First fan cover of I Used To Be A Cop and the album isn't even out yet.

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Very cool animation for Two Daughters:

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Jason Isbell

C&L's Late Night Music Club With Jason Isbell | Late Nite Music Club

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Bob Masse

Bob Masse's Rock Posters Home Page

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Billy Reid

Breaking News: Billy Reid Wins 2010 CFDA/Vogue Award - Vogue Daily - Vogue

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Bettye LaVette

The vernacular black singer Bettye LaVette : The New Yorker

News Desk: Dept. of Amplification: “Who the Hell Is Bettye LaVette?” : The New Yorker

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Music

Eleven Scientists Who Survived the School of Rock–One Year Later | The Intersection | Discover Magazine

Keith Richards Attacks Journalist During Interview | PopEater.com

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Beard Eater

The only thing being terrorized is the wallet.... and our junk.

Investigate the TSA, Not Tyner | FDL Action:

"This goes to show just how how constant threats of “terror” are used to create new markets for products nobody needs. The public is then intimidated into compliance in the name of “national security,” when in reality they’re sacrificing their dignity, their civil liberties and their tax dollars for the sake of enormous profits:

* 2005: Michael Chertoff, as head of Homeland Security, orders the first batch of porno scanners from a company called Rapiscan Systems. After his departure, Chertoff gave dozens of interviews using his government credentials to promote the device. What he didn’t tell people was that Rapiscan was one of the clients of his consulting company, The Chertoff group"

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Great idea.

TSA Opt-Out Day, Now with a Superfantastic New Twist! - Jeffrey Goldberg - National - The Atlantic

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Dear Reid and Obama: Results matter, not half-assed effort after the fact.

With White House Pressing, Reid Vows DADT Repeal Will Reach Senate Floor

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The over under that make it to trial AND conviction? I'm betting zero.

Fool me eight times....

FDIC launches 50 criminal investigations into bankers

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I'm so confident in my previous prediction that I'll eat my.... wait.

Ky. men sentenced in bizarre beard-eating case | Raw Story:

"Harvey Westmoreland of Lawrenceburg had said Holt cut off his beard and forced him to eat it while Hill allegedly held a sickle blade to Westmoreland and his brother during the May incident.

Holt could not say why he made Westmoreland eat his beard other than that things 'got out of control' after some heavy drinking.

He added, 'I ain't got no excuses about what I done.'"

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One Way Bang

Come on, science! Banking on you to get us off this dirtball.

Proof of extra dimensions possible next year: CERN | Raw Story:

"Scientists at the CERN research center say their 'Big Bang' project is going beyond all expectations and the first proof of the existence of dimensions beyond the known four could emerge next year."

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Not sure why there's resistance to this, and yes, the private sector could roll wit it.

Scientists propose one-way trips to Mars - Yahoo! News

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Hard out there for a baby anaconda.

Anaconda Babies Live Birth: Can They Survive Piranha And An Ocelot? (VIDEO)

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I hate you, Ryan Reynolds.

GQ's 2010 Babe of the Year: Scarlett Johansson: Photos: GQ

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Soul Cookin'

Something about not being able to find its ass comes to mind....

Daily Kos: White House searches for its soul:

"I'd like to save you folks in the White House a whole bunch of trouble. When you all look for your souls, you had better find something that looks like JOBS. That is your soul. Your soul is JOBS.

Your soul is not a smooth, orderly process. Your soul is not bipartisan compromise with Republicans. The GOP could care less about 'changing the ways of Washington.' What independents care about right now is results. Results = jobs. Plain and simple."

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But, but, but....

Marty Kaplan: Is it Audacity Time Yet?:

"Mr. President, when Mitch McConnell and John Boehner keep saying that they're not going to compromise on their principles, the amen corner on cable hails them as heroes. But if you say you're not going to compromise, they'll call you a tool of the left. Don't let it spook you. When you walk into that meeting with the Republican leadership, you've got to be seen as the best dealmaker in Washington, the kind LBJ was, the kind of mofo that Rahm Emmanuel was supposed to be until the course of the health care bill on the Hill revealed that he was something of a pussy.

Don't negotiate with yourself ahead of time. Trash talk the opposition. Play mind games with them -- freak them out with your confidence. Don't fall for their 'mandate' crap -- it's a con game. There's no evidence for it. Your tail is between your legs only if you say it is. You've got plenty of power, and it includes the power to define what victory is."

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Yes, look to California.

Jamie Court: How Can Progressives Win Again? Look To California:

"Progressive populism won in California and it can gain more power across America if progressives get back to the basics of populist power we practice here: 1. Expose 2. Confront 3. Force Your Opponents To Make Mistakes 4. Make the Mistakes the Issue 5. Don't Let Go.
.....

Progressives need to raise more hell and worry less about raising money."

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Brought to you by a Democrat. Super.

Will Internet censorship bill be pushed through lame-duck Congress?:

"A bill giving the government the power to shut down Web sites that host materials that infringe copyright is making its way quietly through the lame-duck session of Congress, raising the ire of free-speech groups and prompting a group of academics to lobby against the effort."

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Agree with the awesome and also to the horrible.

Why working at home is both awesome and horrible - The Oatmeal

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Porpoises

Indeed. Why?

Eugene Robinson - Where's the Democrats' fighting spirit?:

"'Why don't they fight back?'

That's the question I've been hearing from the Democratic Party's stunned and dispirited base. For the past month, I've been on a book tour that has taken me to Asheville, N.C., Terre Haute, Ind., Austin and elsewhere. Everywhere I go, supporters of President Obama and his agenda ask me why so many Democrats in Washington don't stand up for what they say they believe."

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I doubt they could negotiate themselves out of a wet paper bag.

Paul Abrams: The White House Needs to Take "Negotiation 101":

"What makes the White House believe that, having achieved a bloodless victory, Republicans will settle for less than 100% of what they want when they actually have the majority?

Baffling."

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Toughen up, bitches. No, I mean it. Sick of pussy Dems (I'm looking at you, voting Dems).

Obama Without Tears | The Nation:

"People who still have great hope for Obama can help revive his presidency, but only if they toughen up themselves. Stop holding his hand (he's an adult) and start building a people's agenda that compels the president to change his. Obama won't like this at first—his own supporters talking back—but he can learn to draw strength from their courage. If people fail to step up with their own message, the president will likely fail with his."

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Shocking. See Negotiations 101.

No change: Wall Street finds loophole in financial reform

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I hope this scumbag finally gets what's coming to him.

Arizona Sheriff used hidden database to misspend up to $80 million, officials claim

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And then there's this....

Porpoises rescue Dick Van Dyke | Film | guardian.co.uk

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DBT Week in Review - 11/12/10

DBT!

DBT WNRN session streaming at 11 am today!

WNRN | Virginia Radio

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Best Rock Albums of 2010 - Top Rock Albums of 2010 - Greatest Rock Albums of 2010: "2.

Smart, tough, touching and raw, Drive-By Truckers’ The Big To-Do� is the perfect album for our Great Recession times. This Georgia sextet merge arena-rock, alt-country, and indie-rock into a heady brew for songs about strip-club encounters, bad jobs, murder and the casual heartbreaks that make up too much of everyday life."

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New 'Secret' Fan page on Facebook:

Facebook | The Secret to a Happy Ending

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I suggest Google translate:

Drive-By Truckers : interview op KindaMuzik

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DBT Tribute Band!

RECORDING: The Dirty South: A Tribute to Drive By-Truckers - October 28, 2010 @ Rhythm & Brews | Chattanooga Live Music

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Wes Freed

Facebook | Art Defining Music - Estel Gallery:

"Musicians rely upon artists to represent them visually from album covers to concert posters. Estel Gallery is pleased to feature current artwork by seven artists whose work has defined musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Buddy & Julie Miller, the Drive-By Truckers, Willie Nelson, Pavement, the Dave Matthews Band, the Waco Brothers, and Hillbilly Casino."

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Doc Daily and Magnolia Devil

Amen to this review.

This Is American Music - Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil - The Country Matters of Doc Dailey and Magnolia�Devil

In some ways, watching the CMA’s made me extremely optimistic about the future of country music, that future just wasn’t happening on TV. No, the CMAs provided a great reminder that while “country’s biggest night” was turning into a 60-car pileup in Nashville, there was real country music being made just a few hours to the south in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. “Thank God for Doc Dailey,” I told my wife as we turned away from the televised chaos and made our way to bed. I went to sleep knowing full well that on my morning commute seven hours later, I’d be blasting Victims, Enemies, and Old Friends, relishing in country music the way it was meant to be. If ever there was a time and a need for Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil, it is now.

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Centro-Matic

Centro-matic: Miguel, el quiosquero on Vimeo

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DexaBainsFires

This Is American Music - Home - Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires�

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Speaking of which. Damn you, Cam Newton!

Friends of the Program - The 100 Offenses of Cam Newton:

Cam Newton invented Axe Body Spray.

Cam Newton thinks Steve Zahn was underused on Treme.

Cam Newton once forgot to check in on 4 square at the Auburn Moe’s.

Cam Newton caused The Dexateens to break up.

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Music

Warner Music Dives Into Its Archives - NYTimes.com

Warehouse with Neil Young items damaged in fire

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Finger Wag

I'm pretty sure a finger wag isn't going to do the trick.

Only, if only, a law would have been passed to prevent such egregious greed. Oh, yeah.... right.

This is the point where I'm suppose to clap louder.

Health Insurance Profits Soar, Dem Calls For Rebates:

"WASHINGTON -- Health insurance profits are skyrocketing in 2010 compared to last year's returns and the outgoing chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees the companies is calling on them to return the profits to consumers in the form of premium reductions."

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No one could have predicted....

Exclusive: Multiple independent lab tests confirm oil in Gulf shrimp | Raw Story

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Damn cool.

The Abandoned City Hall Subway Stop Now Open To Tourists (PHOTOS)

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You think the coming war over water is going to be bad.

The end of chocolate? : The Thin Green Line:

"Cocoa can only be grown close to the equator, mostly in West Africa, and farmers there lack incentives to replant the trees as they die. Cocoa trees take three years to mature. Small-scale producers of the delicious stuff earn just 80 cents a day selling to the mega-corporations that control the market."

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Orange Tossing

Amen.

Grayson: Democratic ‘appeasement’ cost us the election | Raw Story:

"'Our strategy for two years has been appeasement, and look where it got us,' Grayson told MSNBC. 'I think Democrats want to see a fighting leadership, they want to see a fighting president — somebody who actually accomplishes good things for constituents.'"

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Double Amen with a Weeellll.

Peace Sucks a Hairy Asshole - First Draft:

"Here's the problem, you gutless fucks. You had majorities. And I KNOW, okay, but all America sees is that you had majorities and you wasted them. Because that's what the GOP told them, and you said, 'buh buh buh' and couldn't point to anything you did right, not even with the unwashed hippies holding your arm up for you. You had majorities, and you had Harry Reid, refusing to be mean to Republicans by shoving stuff through. You had majorities, and you had Barack Obama acting like he was already an ex-president and could be gracious and social with these pricks. You had majorities, used them to do some stuff, and then sat back and acted like we should be grateful when we can fucking count.

We can fucking count, out here. We know what 51 means. We know what 257 means. We're not morons. And all the procedural whatsit you argue today, about ConservaDems and Blue Dogs, doesn't mean shit. You had it, and we worked hard to give it to you, and we see you calling things impossible which are just very hard, and we get fucking annoyed, because we don't get to get away with that shit. Not at our jobs and not in our lives."

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And yet, I'm not allowed to drive with a six-pack in belly. Does. Not. Compute.

As boomers age, 1 in 5 drivers will be oldsters - Yahoo! News

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Yeah, what's the big deal?

Man arrested for throwing oranges at planes:

"Police say Henio admitted to sniffing spray paint. He also admitted to throwing oranges at the planes, and said he didn't know why it was a big deal."

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All Apologies

Apology accepted, but there are still too many like you gumming up the works. Follow or get out of the way.

Daily Kos: I owe you an apology...

It was then that I realized that my desire for "compromise" and subsequent mocking of those I labeled "purity elements" was not only cruel and undue, but incredibly short-sighted and inaccurate.

I am a flawed person, like many who walk the Earth. However, I refuse to be a flawed person who does not admit fault and recognize the truth...and the truth is, Democrats who work to hold our party leaders to the principles and ideals that make us great should be celebrated, not mocked. These people genuinely care about improving the lives of others via equitable policies that seek to turn back the oppression that has choked the quality of life out of the working class for countless decades.

To my moderate friends at Daily Kos, I still love you. We need you as part of this party, even if we disagree from time to time. But please understand, I can no longer sit by and cheer when I see things transpire via the Democratic Party that serve to hurt the country and its people.

To my friends a little more to the left, please accept my apology for failing to seek to understand your motives better. When we as a party said we wanted change, you weren't kidding. YOU were serious...and now you seek to hold our Democratic Party leaders to that same standard. You have made me realize that it is better to struggle with angels than eat at the side of the devil.

There was a time when I didn't realize this. I will NEVER make that same mistake again.

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Wherein Maher rightfully schools Jon Stewart's false equivalency.

AMERICAblog News: Bill Maher: The right and the left aren't equally crazy

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Speaking of getting schooled, this cat does in the comments section. Oh boy does he get schooled in the comments.

Scientific support for creationism strong | The Crimson White

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Really?

How to Identify Sarcasm (Flowchart)

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Bear vs. Bison

Oh Noes Globe!

Snowglobe forces evacuation at Bradley Airport - Courant.com

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A government dictating the proper thing for a corporation to do against the corporation's will. Wow. What a novel concept.

McDonald’s furious after San Francisco bans Happy Meals

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Big Box retailers: Killing communities since... their beginning.

What It's Like to Work in Walmart Hell | | AlterNet:

"There's nothing -- not a goddamn thing -- about big-box retailers that makes the world better."

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Great pictures.

Bear vs. Bison: Alex Wypyszinski Snaps Photos Of Rare Hunt On Yellowstone National Park Road (VIDEO)

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DBT Week in Review - 11/5/10

DBT!

Drive-by Truckers’ New Video, Free Download And ‘Go-Go Boots’ Release Date � Street Date

Drive-By Truckers, Bobby Bare Jr. put on an energetic show | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Austin Film Festival, day eight: The Secret To A Happy Ending is, in fact, an ending� | Film | The A.V. Club Austin

Drive-By Truckers | Pollstar - The Concert Hotwire

YouTube - David Lowery Interviews Patterson Hood, Part 1

YouTube - David Lowery Interviews Patterson Hood, Part 2

YouTube - PATTERSON HOOD DEEP GROOVE RECORDS 10 30 2010

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Wes Freed

A Ghostly Wine Fit For Halloween | My Fabulous World In Wine

Facebook | Wes Freed's Photos - For Sale:

"We're awful proud of this Big To-Do book here at the Shop. It's got illustrations for every song from the B T-D , along with poster art , lyrics , excellent band photos by Danny Clinch , Pattersons insightful liner notes , and forewords by Ray McKinnon & No Depression editor Grant Alden. It is available now , signed (by me) , for $15 , including shipping (US).
Git ye some!

Contact Wes to place an order:

freed@mindspring.com

Also , to order a BT-D book , just send a check or MO , $15 (US) payable to Jyl Freed , to : the Freeds 1902 S. Battery Dr. Richmond , Va 23222, & I'll get one right out to you! Thanks,-Wes"

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Slobberbone/Lucero/Maddow

The Maddow Blog - Rachel's song today: Lucero's 'The War':

"As an advanced means of procrastinating over the segment I got assigned, I asked Rachel to name a song she loved. She wrote back, 'Placemat Blues.' The first person to find a video of that Slobberbone song wins some sort of imaginary prize not yet dreamed up.

Rachel, being game, sent some more -- including this one, which I'm posting, from Lucero."

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Music

Meh.

HEAR IT: Amy Winehouse Returns with New Cover! | SPIN.com

Bet not meh.

Lost Ray Charles & Johnny Cash duet found in storage : SFGate: Daily Dish

Oh, Alcohol. Is there anything you can't do?

Study: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine - Yahoo! Canada News

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Failure of Leadership

Yesterday's post was cathartic. More of my thoughts and some action items on Monday.

I received a lot of support both publicly and privately for yesterday's post and I appreciate those who haven't pulled the shades over their eyes and are tuned into to the failure of leadership we are tragically experiencing.

The election map was in our favor on Tuesday. What happened absolutely did not have to happen. The election map in 2012 is in the Republicans favor. You do the math.

We've got to find a way to bring on board our Progressives brothers and sisters who are simply predisposed to avoid any kind of conflict and are too scared to consider that 'their guy' is turning into a very big problem. We need an unapologetic, advocate leader, not a philosopher king.

First article: Look up 'Marshall Ganz' and see the position this person held in Obama's campaign in '08. Then read their op-ed several times. This is an insider who nails part of the problem.

Obama suffering from failure of leadership - latimes.com:

By Marshall Ganz

"The nation was ready for transformation, but the president gave us transaction. And, as is the case with leadership failures, much of the public's anger, disappointment and frustration has been turned on a leader who failed to lead.

Obama and his team made three crucial choices that undermined the president's transformational mission. First, he abandoned the bully pulpit of moral argument and public education. Next, he chose to lead with a politics of compromise rather than advocacy. And finally, he chose to demobilize the movement that elected him president. By shifting focus from a public ready to drive change — as in 'yes we can' — he shifted the focus to himself and attempted to negotiate change from the inside, as in 'yes I can.'"

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Ask yourself, which strategy prevailed on Tuesday? Which strategy failed? Why are we going to continue to pursue a failed strategy? The very definition of insanity.

Daily Kos: How'd That Bipartisanship Thing Work Out For You?:

"Could the effort at bipartisanship over the last two years have been a bigger disaster? The Democrats allowed the Republicans to make their case for two straight years while Democrats laid down their arms. And it turns out the voters didn't know why they should vote for the Democrats. Surprise, surprise.

The Republicans on the other hand went with complete and utter partisanship -- and it worked! If the Obama White House trusts one more idiot in Washington who says they should try reaching consensus with the Republicans, then they deserve the ass kicking they'll get next time around, too."

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Obama's Fed dropped a nice little bundle of cash on Corp America the day after the election, b/c they knew it wouldn't get any press.

This is unbelievable.

Federal Reserve Rains Money On Corporate America -- But Main Street Left High And Dry:

"When it comes to helping Wall Street and corporate America, the Federal Reserve spares no expense."

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Thank jeebus for Markos.

Daily Kos: The battle for 2012 starts NOW:

"First thing's first -- stop bashing the base, or the professional left, or whatever liberal boogeymen pisses them off. Fact is, people who fall in those disaffected categories -- the young, blacks, Latinos -- don't read blogs, or watch Keith Olbermann, or read Firedoglake. But they are losing their jobs and their homes, and they see Wall Street get all manners of bailouts without any of it trickling down to them. That has killed us. Make their lives better, or (since nothing will happen with Boehner in the House) at least fight to make their lives better."

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This is what happens:

Turnout among young voters: 20 percent | Raw Story:

"Only about one in five people under the age of 30 voted in the mid-term elections Tuesday, says a study based on exit polls.

The poor turnout among youth likely had some effect on the outcome of most races, but nowhere was this more dramatically highlighted than in the California ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. Political observers on Wednesday said the poor youth turnout in California accounted for the defeat of Proposition 19.

'Pot legalization defeated thanks to the elderly,' reads the headline of a Justin Elliott article at Salon.com. Elliott points to a report that while six in 10 youth voters supported the measure, it was opposed by seven in 10 senior citizens."

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He simply doesn't get it and he's a stubborn as Bush. He's not going to change. We are looking at a complete Republican takeover in 2012. He'll get annihilated by whichever clown the Republicans nominated. Obama will run on 'I'm not as a bad as the other guy' again, and it'll look like we got off easy in 2010.

Obama challenges Cabinet, sets bipartisan talks - Yahoo! News

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Interesting Times: The Era of the Disappearing Era : The New Yorker:

"Yesterday, I ran into Senator Mark Warner, of Virginia, who was campaigning with Perriello in Martinsville and Danville. When I interviewed him over the summer for my piece on the Senate, he had said that he expected the election of some moderate Republicans, like Mark Kirk of Illinois and Mike Castle of Delaware, who might be able to create more middle ground for bipartisanship. When I reminded him of this yesterday, Warner wouldn’t abandon the hope. How is it faring tonight? Not well—Castle lost to Christine O’Donnell in the primary, Kirk is losing, and Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, and perhaps other Tea Party senators, are headed to Washington. I predict that there will not even be a gesture toward centrism and bipartisanship on the part of Republican leadership. They’re too scared, and too eager. Pace David Brooks, the level of extremism and partisanship I described will go up—way up. This midterm is the party’s first salvo in its first order of business, to end Obama’s Presidency. There will be little mercy and a great deal of rancor. Tomorrow we’ll find out how Obama sees the next two years. I see one of the ugliest political periods in my lifetime, which has seen a few."

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The only highlight from last Tuesday.

Blue Dog Coalition Crushed By GOP Wave Election

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This is a pissing into the wind article to post, b/c Obama is not going to deviate from the iceburg he's got us pointing towards, but it is a good read. And it makes you hope that we can, at some point, elect an actual Progressive Leader with some giant balls.

Opinion: Obama can learn from 'Godfather' - Roger Alan Stone - POLITICO.com:

"Remember that the don has done you this favor.

As a powerful man, the don does many people many favors. But they know that something will be expected of them in return. When that moment comes, they had better be willing to return the favor. This favor bank is a great source of the don’s power.

Obama has been all quid, with no pro quo. With Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) down on his luck — no job in the McCain administration and the Democratic Caucus skeptical of his liberal credentials — Obama intervened. Because of that, Lieberman got the committee chairmanship he so desperately wanted. But, somehow, attached to that favor were no strings — for example, no condition that he could vote as he wanted on bills but would support the caucus on breaking filibusters."

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One Day It's Gonna Be....

(The views expressed here are mine (JPW) and mine alone.)

You're not going to like the way this sounds, but.... today is the day We Told You So.

Heckuva job, Obama and Democrats. Heckuva job. This is ALL. ON. YOU.

This is what happens when you take a historic opportunity and flip it on its head.

This is what happens when you don't have a back-bone and you are willing to compromise your beliefs before negotiations even begin.

This is what happens when you have no convictions to be courageous about.

This is what happens when you piss on your base and bend over backwards to accommodate TeaBagging Lucy, yet she still pulls the ball away every fucking time.

This is what happens when you're blindly loyal to your guy (Obama) regardless of his actions because he's your guy. And, oh, how scary it would be for President Palin. We must keep not-as-bad-as-Palin or the vapors will kill us all!

This is what happens when you base your case on being a little less worse than the other guy.

This is what happens when you are too polite to challenge your teabagging neighbor because talking about politics isn't polite. And an argument might happen. And somebodies fweewings might get hurt.

This is what happens, Democratic voters, when you are too scared to punch your politicians and your Republicans neighbors square in the fucking nose every chance you can.

This is what happens when you bail-out Wall Street (Banks are doing super these days) and screw over main street again and again at the expense of Big Business (almost 10% unemployement still and this doesn't reflect the real unemployment figure which is closer to 20%). People need to realize that nobody, and I mean NOBODY is looking out for the American people in Washington.

This is what happens when you ask for half of the stimulus you need then give away 35% of that half to Republicans as worthless tax cuts.

This is what happens when you bail out health insurance companies instead of providing a TRUE means for affordable health-care for ALL.

This is what happens with you put a Blue Dog and Republicans in charge of health care.

This is what happens when you fill your cabinet with Blue Dogs and Republicans instead of Progressives and Liberals.

This is what happens when you employ the people who created the economic mess to fix the economic mess.

This is what happens when you defend, in court, a bigoted, unconstitutional law (DADT) all the while stating that you are a 'fierce advocate' for gays/lesbians (and I don't give a damn that the OA has more gay staffers than any in history. See next This is What...)

This is what happens when you try to buy off a constituency with access instead of sound policy that would actually serve WE THE GODDAMN PEOPLE.

This is what happens when you govern like Republicans.

This is what happens, when you, the voting Democrat buy into the bullshit Jon Stewart false-equivalency, Rally for Insanity (remember the definition of Insanity) kumbaya 'Why Can't We All Get Along', both sides are being mean horse-bull-fucking-shit.

This is what happens when you are weak and wrong ALWAYS.

The loss of Alan Grayson is what happens.

The loss of Russ Fiengold is what happens.

Who's 'fucking retarded' now, Rahm.

You kinda need the 'Professional Left', don't you Obama.

Whose the fucking whiners now?

If you are a Democrat and are too timid and scared to fight and fight dirty... If you are too frightened to go lower than our enemies (make no mistake, Republicans are our enemies. They hate Democrats with a blind rage. The Will NEVER CHANGE unless when beat them into oblivion) step the fuck aside and keep your fucking mouth shut.

If the Democratic Party has any chance at all the REAL fighters must take over and be absolutely brutal about it.

A figurative gun should be placed to the heads of every conservative Democrat holding office. Get on board or change parties, otherwise, you life will be hell.

I'm looking forward to hearing from those who wagged a weak finger at me for pointing a stern finger at the failures of Obama and Dems over the past two years. You were warned.

At least we'll get to the bottom of that pesky birth certificate issue.

Heckuva job, Obama and Dems. Heckuva job.

Today is the day We Told You So.

P.S. If you think you are being informed by any of the 'news channels' on TV, you might be fucking retarded. Kill your cable. Read your news.

Dean in 2012.

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ThinkProgress � To Pay For Mortgage And Health Care, Woman Forced To Sell Letter From Obama Saying ‘Things Will Get Better’

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Liberal activist blames ‘weak Democratic leaders’ for historic losses – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs:

"'What the average voter saw of Democrats was weak, watered-down change - and weak Democratic leaders who cut deals with the very Wall Street banks and insurance companies they are supposed to be fighting,' Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said in a statement."

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Cenk Uygur: Why Are Democrats Going to Lose When They Are More Popular?:

"No, this is about broader issues. Did you deliver for the average American voter or did you deliver for Wall Street? Come on, look at the numbers. Wall Street is backing to make record profits and bonuses and we're at nearly 10% unemployment. People aren't stupid. They got robbed. The system didn't get fixed. It's still rigged in favor of the rich and powerful.

Some liberals, progressives and Democrats will accuse me of party treason for saying that. They're right, I don't give a damn about the parties."

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Robert Kuttner: What Lessons of Election Day?:

"For starters, liberals are dismayed with Obama not because this or that initiative was insufficiently lefty. They are mad at Obama for blowing what had to be a Roosevelt moment, and thereby ushering in a totally needless period of far-right resurgence, dominated by a lunatic right that makes Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove look like moderates."

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Daily Kos: Don't Fool Yourself, Democrats. KNOW why you lost.:

"You have to learn to fight dirty. I am sick and tired of saying this. Most of us are. You have to fight dirty and win. If you don't, if you feel that your good intentions will win out just simply because they are good, you are the most naive people on the planet.

I have been a democrat my entire life. I am exhausted at this argument. It's the same thing every time. Get a fucking backbone, stand up for something and be willing to fall into the abyss over it. That is the only way you will win respect.

Otherwise, the republicans, who shouldn't hold a job at McDonalds let alone power in Washington, will roughshod over you for decades to come. And it will be your fault - again."

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This exact opposite of this wish will happen. Bank on it.

Twitter / Peter Daou: I don't want to hear anyth ...:

"I don't want to hear anything about Obama being conciliatory tomorrow - how about throwing down the gauntlet and challenging GOP to deliver"

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11/2/10

11/2/10:

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Drunken diaper-wearing man seeking candy arrested

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SOME People are Awesome

Happy November! Eat some turkey:

Making the Case for a $140 Turkey: BA Daily: Blogs : bonappetit.com

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Then make a local FAUX affiliate eat some crow:

Daily Kos: Milwaukee County Dems take on Fox News crew

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Attaboy, Jorge.

Soros gives $1M to Calif. pot legalization measure - Yahoo! News:

"SAN FRANCISCO – Billionaire financier George Soros has thrown his weight behind California's marijuana legalization measure with a $1 million donation a week before the vote. The contribution reported Tuesday by The Sacramento Bee is the single biggest donation from an individual other than Proposition 19's main sponsor, Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee."

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Forward looking NorCal. Thank jeebus. I love the headlands.

Marin Headlands saved when 1960s city plan quashed

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SOME people are Awesome:

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