Archive for March, 2012

SCOTUS on TV: “They Might Not Be Such Bastards” (March 26, 2012)

Posted in Constitution, Courts, Health Care, Journalism, Judges, Judicial Arrogance, Newspapers, O'Bama, Supreme Court on March 26, 2012 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C1          “The Supremes are hearing oral argument on ‘Romney – O’Bama Care’ this week.  The Supremes get free health care for life and get to decide whether ordinary Americans get health care.  They don’t get it.”

C2          “Are they listening or just sitting there allowing the barristers to babble.  Thomas is asleep.”

C1          “Or are they just blow harding to hear themselves blow hard.   ‘Romney – O’Bama Care’ is about personal responsibility and now the blow hards are contending that it impinges on personal freedom.  Cameras in the court room would provide some insight.”

C2          “Everyone might play for the camera.”

C1          “The lawyers and the Justices.  They can be so churlish and childish.”

C2          “Or arrogant bastards.  I was in the lawyer’s line last December minding my own business and listening to the other conversations.  She observed that the cameras likely would change everyone’s behavior.  And she matter-of-factly observed that the cameras might make the Justices behave more civilly.  ‘They might not be such bastards,’ she opined politely.”

. . .

[See the “e-ssay” titled “Breaking News: Supreme Court Elects To Decide 2012 Presidential Election (January 16, 2012)”]

Bumper stickers of the week:

SCOTUS – The ultimate Reality Television?

Who owns the courts?

If you’re not an intellectual, at least be intellectually honest.

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Brave 1984 Farm: The Best Of All Possible Worlds (March 19, 2012)

Posted in Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Consumerism, Facebook, Google, Internet, Military Commissions Act, Move To Amend, National Defense Authorization Act / FY 2012, Occupy Movement, Pogo Plight, Privacy, Society, Solstice, USA PATRIOT Act on March 19, 2012 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C1          “All I really needed to know I learned in junior high school.  Three junior high school standbys provide the road maps delineating our current collision course.  Brave New World chronicles a craven world sated and sotted with diversions and divertissements.”

C2          “Some say the phrase ‘bread and circuses’ captures the contemporary zeitgeist.  But bread will soon cost a lot more bread.  And a day at the circus may cost a month’s wages at the job lost by the breadwinner last May.”

C1          “And 1984 is the ‘how to’ manual for the emerging police state in America.  The USA PATRIOT ACT and the NDAA of 2012 provide the ‘legal’ cover.”

C2          “Some are concerned.  For over a century, the thinking set has struggled with the emerging notion of privacy.  An academic treatment in 1890, a judicial pronouncement in 1965 and a trenchant comment or two today raise real and troubling concerns.  However, without a real debate, discussion, plebiscite or referendum, we surrendered our privacy a few years ago.  It appears to be over.”

C1          “So now we good citizens can watch our favorite gladiators invade another town and vanquish fellow citizens on plasma tv while the government videos us on closed circuit video tv and Google and Facebook monitor us on our home monitors.  We should heed the warning in Animal Farm and the advice in the Old Farmer’s Almanac and make the sojourn back to the farm and the garden.”

C2          “The Occupy Movement and Move To Amend are the Black Swan taking slow flight and moving us off the couch and into the streets.  Six months ago, a few kids looked around and concluded that something is wrong and something must be done.”

. . .

[See the Fresh Air radio program on drones and the threats to privacy at http://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148293470/drones-over-america-what-can-they-see]

[See the “e-ssay” titled “USA PATRIOT ACT (April 4, 2005)”]

Bumper stickers of the week:

T For Truth; J For Justice

Panem et Circenses

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.  We must cultivate our garden.  Candide, Voltaire

Do something different on the Equinox

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Fukushima Daiichied (March 12, 2012)

Posted in Economics, Energy, Environment, Food, Gas/Fossil Fuel, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Japan, Peak Oil, Perjury, Perjury/Dishonesty on March 12, 2012 by e-commentary.org

. . .

Cs          “They aren’t telling us anything.”

Sr          “They aren’t tellin’ us nothin’.”

Cs          “The great flotilla of death is floating east to the West Coast from the Far East.  The Pacific is now a polluted pond.”

Sr          “It’s in the air.  An air raid.  That’s the overriding problem.  Death from above.”

Cs          “The only thing the authorities can do is the only thing the authorities do.”

Sr          “Lie.  The official language of government and industry.  The problem is so overwhelming that there may be nothin’ that can be done.”

Cs          “What do you tell a populace that is already angry, broken, confused, desperate, enervated, and frustrated.”

Sr          “And bitter, cynical and distrustful.”

Cs          “The energy source designed to transition us from fossil fuels to renewable energy blew up on us in a day.”

Sr          “We are so Fukushima Daiichied.”

. . .

[http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/nuclear/2012/Fukushima/Lessons-from-Fukushima.pdf]

Bumper stickers of the week:

3/11

Fukushima Daiichied Again

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Boycott (Advertisers On) AM (Anger Mongering) Radio (March 5, 2011)

Posted in Boycott Series, First Amendment, Government Regulation, Less Government Regulation Series, Market Solutions on March 5, 2012 by e-commentary.org

. . .

C1          “Rather than getting the government into the business of regulating evil, vile and loathsome speech, let the citizens decide.”

C2          “I plan to design an easily remembered website providing an updated list of the names of the advertisers on AM (Anger Mongering) radio and television programs.”

C1          “Don’t buy the products or services.  e-mail your friends and neighbors with reminders not to buy the products or services.  Create something creative to spread the word on the net and design it to go viral.  If it does not go viral, try again.  Viral is virile.  Create a contest for the cleverest post.”

C2          “And tell the companies why you are not buying their stuff by writing a short e-mail note to the “Contact Us” address at the company website.  Make it a regular part of your daily routine.  Make a difference.  Make the airwaves safe for reasoned debate.”

. . .

[See http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/03/05/147954477/limbaugh-loses-seventh-advertiser-over-comments-about-law-student for an example.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Boycott (Advertisers On) Hate Radio

Vote with your dollars

Lapel sticker of the week:

I boycotted _______ .  Ask me why.  [Fill in the product]

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