Up The Wrong Tree Again

The conflict in Northern Mali rages on. Islamist extremists linked to Al Qaeda have taken over the north of the country and threaten to take over the rest. This would turn Mali into a new terrorist hot spot. This only occurred because of the collapse in Libya last year, which provided an opportunity for Al Qaeda to expand. This should be the last we shoulc hear of any good coming out of the "Arab spring." From now on it can only get worse.

Shut the $#* Up Already!

The newest stupidity from the Neo-Conservatives, the same people who brought us the disaster in Iraq and all it's consequences, including the economic mess we're in. It's funny how the Neo-cons for all their intellectual pretensions,never seem to get the point. Their recent campaign against the nomination of ex-Senator Chuck Hagel is a case in point. The Neo-Cons accuse Hagel of being an "Anti-Semite" because he had made statements supposedly "insensitive" toward Israel. Yeah right.

On the one hand, this just might be partisan spite, like the shooting down of Susan Rice. On the other, the Neo-Cons can't let go of their obsession with Iran. If they can't push the Obama administration into a war with Iran, they can create a climate in which the next Repub president can find an excuse to go with Iran. Attacking Iran, will do nothing to stabilize the Middle East. It will only make matters worse, bogging us down in another quagmire. Neo-cons are a good example of idiots who have convinced themselves of their cleverness.

On and On It Goes

The recent kerfuffle over the "fiscal cliff" was avoided but not solved. Too odd things have happened. The Congress forgot to include aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Which caused Repub pols like Chris Christie and Peter King to lash out at their own party. Like most Repubs Christie and King are against government spending when it's being spent "other people." Now another battle is brewing over the Federal Spending Limit.

The news out of Washington is starting to soulnd like that boring and pretentious show "Downton Abbey." The difference of course is that you can't tune out the follies in Washington.

Mass Murder: An American Tradition?

I have to mention something in reference to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. The incident, horrible as it was, wasn't the worst massacre at an American school. That would be the massacre at Bath Township, Michigan, which took place on May 18, 1927. The Bath Consolidated school was partly blown up killing 38 children and 6 adults and injured 58 people. The perpretrator was Andrew Kehoe, the disgruntled Treasurer of the School Board. Kehoe had previously killed his wife and blown up several buildings on his farm. After blowing up the school, Kehoe then blew up his own truck killing himself in the process.

I can't help think how many of these mass killers are apparently "normal" people who just "snap." Is there something wrong with america that we are producing so many people like that?

Christmas Sucks

It's the most annoying time of the year. Not only is the weather lousy in most of the country but the so called holidays make things worse. Everyone knows, and has known for a long time, that Christmas is just a commercial racket. The traffic, the crowds, and the store clerks are more obnoxious than ever.

Maybe Christmas should be like the Olympics, it should only come once every four years. In fact, it should only take place in one city. Then the rest of the world could have some peace and quiet.

Should We Invade Bermuda?

It turns out that Google has been avoiding paying some 2 billion dollars in taxes by moving money through Bermuda. Apple is another corporation that has been dodoging taxes. Even the right-wing government in the UK has accused Google, Amazon, and Starbucks of dodging taxes.

The thing I wonder about though. If money no longer consists of gold, silver or anything even tangible, if in fact it's all just electronic digits, then what is it all about? If money is now only electronic digits, then who decides what anybody gets or how rich or poor anybody is? Curioser and curioser.

Gun Goons Show What They're Made Of

Just to keep the facts straight, on Dec. 1 2012 Jovan Belcher, linebacker fot the Kansas City Chiefs, shot and killed his girlfriend Kassandra Perkins. He then committed suicide. During Sunday Night's NFL game Bob Costas of NBC uttered a very simple truth: "Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it." This might be the best moment of Costas career as a broadcaster but the right wing media and the gun lobby have subjected him to a barrage of abuse.

The Gun Goons claim they need weapons to defend themselves from criminals and UN troops in black helicopters. In reality, the Gun Goons themselves are most likely to around killing their wives or girlfriends or co-workers when they finally go nuts. Anybody who is obssessed with guns is probably psychotic anyway.