Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, Retroactive Retirement and Taxes

Laugh it off, Mitt! Image from source.

On Friday, I started noticing some chop-licking going on in left-wing world. "This could be big," was the general consensus, though everyone seemed to be holding back a bit. Nobody wants to do a big schadenfreude dance, and then have the rug pulled out from under them. I mean, we saw what happened when FOX "News" mistakenly said that "Obamacare" had been declared un-Constitutional, and right-wing world had egg on its face after celebrating too quickly. Yeah, that shit's embarrassing.

But the rub is, Mitt Romney has been saying forever that he quit Bain Capital--the outsourcing, evil, money-grubbing Death Star of capitalism--in 1999. He even told the SEC that. But it came to light he was President, CEO and 100% owner of the place! All the way to what, 2002? That would be just possibly Mitt having a senior moment (repeatedly). But what about the stuff Bain did after '99 that Mitt was trying to dodge? All that shipping jobs overseas business. The making money off of abortion business. Yeah. It doesn't look good. I'm not ready for my schadenfreude dance just yet. But it was entertaining watching the righties spin on the Sunday shows yesterday. And I'm thinking of popping some corn. . .

[Excerpt]


Romney’s Tax Man Cometh

Poor, poor Mitt. He and his dancing horse have been having a tough go of it lately. Turns out he may (or may not!) have lied to the SEC about the good times he had at Bain capital between 1999 and 2002, presiding over the disposal of dead fetuses unborn babies before retroactively retiring. Then a bunch of conservatives went on the teevee and demanded that he release more than two years’ of tax returns. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Come On Baby, Mitt's a Liar (Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

Sometimes, a song parody can be contrived; the lyrics a tight fit. Not this one! Using Light My Fire as a template, Rocky Mountain Mike (of The Stephanie Miller Show) has crafted a perfect little ditty.

Sarah Silverman's Proposal to Sheldon Adelson (NSFW)

Image from Jewcy

As a Las Vegas resident for almost 18 years, I'm of course familiar with Sheldon Adelson, the rich dude who owns the Venetian. His name is big in town, as you'd expect. I knew that he was a conservative, and a bit eccentric. But I think for a while I had him confused with John Cleese's portrayal in Rat Race. Which means, I thought he was a harmless billionaire.

And then there was Newt. Adelson pretty much single-handedly kept Newt Gingrich in the Republican Primaries long past his expiration date. That's one guy (two if you count his wife) keeping a candidate in the race, through largesse. It's just odd. And now that Newton has bounced, Adelson is pumping money into supporting Mitt Romney. In this case, it isn't single-handed, but it could be. And it's all so puzzling. Before Obama was president, Adelson's holdings were hemorrhaging cash. In the last 3+ years, he's rebounded. Why does Obama scare him so? And should one guy have this much power?

Sarah Silverman has a proposition for Mr. Adelson. And being Sarah Silverman, she's not exactly ladylike about it. Or maybe she is, it depends upon your definition. But I will tell you that this us not safe for work. So, don't complain to me that it's dirty and tasteless. I just told you that.

MSNBC.com Becomes NBCNews.com

The big switch. Whoopee! Image from AdWeek.

Isn't that headline just the most thrilling thing ever? Yeah, I know. I can't figure the fuss out either. So, Microsoft has ended its business deal with NBC. They haven't been part of the cable station for years. Still, some conservatives are having schadenfreudegasms over the news. Let them have their fun. MSNBC.com was different from the channel, and it looks like the renamed site will continue to be. Party on, dudes. Whatever.

[Excerpt]


NBC, Comcast draw a line between MSNBC website, TV channel

NBC News and Comcast Corp. moved on Monday to fix brand confusion between the MSNBC 24-hour cable news show, whose ratings have surged with liberal commentators Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz, and the straight-news MSNBC.com news website. . .

Read more at: Boston Herald

New Obama Ad: Mitt Romney Sings America

You will not see every pro-Obama ad on this blog. But you will see the good ones, and this is a good one. I'm impressed. Skewering Romney's stiffness and awkwardness without saying a word (via the singing), and leveling charge after charge against him for his business practices and apparent lies on the subject. Brilliant.

Blast from the Past: 30 Years Ago--The Music of 1982

Last week, for Blast from the Past, I chose the music of 25 years ago to illustrate the freakiness of time's passage. Some songs of 1987 of course are so dated, it isn't hard to believe they're that old. And then you get to one of the classics, and you're like, no way.

I chose 1982 this week, but I found something unusual. I decided to isolate my choices to the Billboard top 10 for that year, and found it to be an odd list. 1982 was the year after the debut of MTV. Disco was officially dead, and new wave was rolling in. You'd think that 1982's top songs would be a day-glo, leg-warmered selection of the cheesiest 80s tunes ever. Turns out, not so much.



1. Physical » Olivia Newton-John - This song was everywhere at the time. And though the video is a neon and headband 80s extravaganza, the song itself isn't really new wave or typically 80s. It really amounts to a novelty song, smack-dab in the middle of ONJ's genre-defying catalogue.
2. Eye Of The Tiger » Survivor - This one is just what you'd expect, an 80s tragedy, video and audio both. Possibly saved by being from one of the Rocky movies, otherwise disposable.



3. I Love Rock N' Roll » Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Again, this isn't really an 80s sound at all. It would fit with any other rock and roll number, particularly those by Jett.
4. Ebony And Ivory » Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - Stevie Wonder's career spans several decades. And you could plug this one in ten years before or after, and it wouldn't sound out of place.



5. Centerfold » J. Geils Band - This one was a huge video hit, painting it forever an 80s tune. But--yet again--this is way more J. Geils than it is 80s, in sound.
6. Don't You Want Me » Human League - 80s all the way, but this time in a good way.



7. Jack And Diane » John Cougar - John Mellencamp hadn't dropped the Cougar yet, but both hits by him in the top 10 could fit anywhere in his career.
8. Hurts So Good » John Cougar - Ditto.



9. Abracadabra » Steve Miller Band - It's not 80s, it's classic rock! Seriously, Steve Miller has his own sound, and it wasn't your usual 80s fare.
10. Hard To Say I'm Sorry » Chicago - See what I mean? Chicago is it's own thing. . .it doesn't really have an era.

All of these songs were hits in my sophomore and junior years in high school. I was finally shedding my awkward phase, and growing into a (slightly) more confident person. These songs--while not being particularly good at describing their era--all resonate to me as a time of joy and discovery. But discovering that they're 30 years old? That's a little deflating!

Happy Monday. If you can even face the day. . .   ;)

Meanwhile, on Facebook. . . Romney Birthers?

House Spends $50 Million in Futile Attempt to Kill "Obamacare"

"I'll dr. . .I'll drink to. . .[hic!] that!" Image from
DownWithTyranny.

Here, America, is your party of fiscal responsibility. They've passed legislation to "kill Obamacare" thirty-three times. "Kill" is in quotes because they knew it wouldn't pass the Senate, and surely wouldn't pass a presidential veto. "Obamacare" is in quotes because it's called The Affordable Care Act, but you knew that.  But they're all in to end it, whatever you call it. And the funny thing is, as people discover the details of the ACA, the more they like it. By the time John Boner Boehner gets to the 35th or 38th try or so, public approval of the act will likely crest the 50% mark. After that, it's going to get dicier for the GOP.

But beyond that, they've spent fifty million dollars in this futile quest! And they knew it would fail! That's a lot of money on a political calculation that your message of "fiscal responsibility" won't be cancelled out by. . .you know. . .fiscal irresponsibility.


[Excerpt]

$50 million spent by GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare

They're fiscally conservative, you know. They know that they won't win a vote yet they've tried 33 times for show while sending the bill to the US taxpayer. Nice to see they're so serious about government spending, isn't it? . . 

Read more at: AmericaBlog

Frivolity Break: The Dark Knight Meets 60s Robin!

This may go on a trifle too long, but it's well done, funny and Robin is well cast.

What Happens in Vegas: Chimps on the Loose Have Unhappy Ending

Awww. My step-dad used to raise exotic animals, though usually reptiles. We never had a primate (other than my brother). But I don't think owning unusual animals is all that weird. But I do know that animals like to escape. And that chimps are very, very smart. It's just too bad the owner couldn't get them back inside in time. Sad.

[Excerpt]


Chimp Saga Ends in Northwest Las Vegas Neighborhood


8 News NOW


Metro Police shot one chimpanzee and tranquilized another after the pair escaped from a northwest Las Vegas home causing some tense moments in the neighborhood. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

National Organization for Marriage Recruits Kirk Cameran as Spokesman

Still cute. But sooo dumb! Image from Salon.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a typically badly-named arch conservative group that more accurately is against marriage equality.  They could even more accurately be described as anti-gay period, more than just anti-gay marriage, if their NOMBlog.com posts and commentary are to be believed. And, they are a hate group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

They've been behind several successful state ballot issues to ban same-sex marriage. The people behind NOM are a little more difficult to figure out, and they continue to flout election laws about that, but that's not the point of this post. They are also quite ham-handed as an organization, electoral victories or not. For instance, a while back they got busted for hatching a plan to exploit and foster a rift between the LGBT and the black communities.  And after they got busted, they followed through with the plan undeterred, regularly posting divisive, race vs. sexuality articles. They also now feature people of color in their various stock photos pictures of happy NOM members.

They also were discovered to be seeking a spokesperson (or spokespeople) for NOM, to combat all of the high-profile celebrities who are on board for gay marriage. But remember when I said ham-handed? Here was their description of what they wanted:

"Hollywood with its cultural biases is far bigger than we can hope to be. We recognize this. But we also recognize the opportunity - the disproportionate potential impact of proactively seeking to gather and connect a community of artists, athletes, writers, beauty queens and other glamorous non-cognitive elites across national boundaries. (This is applying the Witherspoon and IAV model to non-intellectual elites.)"

(emphasis added)              [Source: GLAAD]

Non-cognitive! Which I can only interpret as "non-thinking," "unintelligent," "gullible" or "stupid." And the really, really funny part? They got somebody! And I'll grant them, Kirk Cameron--onetime teen heartthrob and costar of Growing Pains--fits the description. I don't know about "glamorous" or "elite" but he's still cute. And he's starred in all of those hilarious terrible Left Behind movies!

I'm guessing the gay stuff all somehow
links back to this picture. Image from
StayOnFountain.

Ever since Growing Pains, Cameron has been something of a church fart. He got involved in the dogma-heavy, thinking-light kind of Christianity that actually believes in the Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins Armageddon nonsense. He thinks bananas are obviously divinely designed, because they fit in your hand and mouth so perfectly. Ahem. And he doesn't like gay people very much.

Which is perfect for NOM, because though they like to claim that they have nothing against "the gay," per se, they very clearly do. I can only hope that Kirk Cameron is one day discovered grabbing a banana in Griffith Park. . .while he's still employed by NOM!


[Excerpt]


Hey, Kirk Cameron, learn your Bible

Today in things you hadn’t heard about for a few months, we bring you a double-header: Kirk Cameron and the National Organization for Marriage. .  .


Read more at (with video!): Salon

Picture of the Day: Sarah Palin, Fictional

Source: Kenneth in the (212)

Greenlee Gazette's Guide to Friday the 13th

It's Friday the 13th, y'all! You know the drill!

Happy Friday the 13th everybody! If you've read this blog even a little bit, you know that I'm a cheesy horror movie fan. And there is no cheesier series of horror films than the Friday the 13th series. From the beginning, it was a rip-off (but the first one!) of Halloween. But you could safely say that Halloween as a franchise was born due to the success of Friday the 13th. The following blog post was written for my annual Halloween scary movie retrospectives. But every time there is a Friday the 13th on the calendar, these movies come back into vogue. Better get it in now, this is the last one of the year!

Original post from October 2011.

Photo from Wikipedia.org

Unlike the original Halloween, I'm not sure anyone would put Friday the 13th in the "classic" category. At least not good classics. The series is loved with a heavy dose of nostalgia, and not a lot else.

Sure, it's iconic, was amazingly influential, and made a whole lot of money for both Paramount and New Line studios. But the Friday the 13th string of movies was easily the hollowest, least plotted, acted and impactful storywise of the horror movie franchises (Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Hellraiser). Each Friday film pretty much follows a mindless killer, stalking stupid people.

There were variations along the way. And if you try to assign a real-world continuity to the films, you'll give yourself a headache that feels like a machete in your skull. Here are some short recaps (star ratings do not relate to the real movie world, only within the horror movie genre!):

Friday the 13th - The first film is by far the best. Jason does not appear (outside of a possible hallucination), but his storyline is set up. Notable for Betsy Palmer's iconic performance as Jason's mother. Sets the tone and atmosphere for the first four to seven movies. Genuinely scary for the uninitiated. Plus, Kevin Bacon. ***

Friday the 13th, Part 2 -Almost as good as the first, though very short (especially considering the recap at the beginning). Notable for Amy Steel's strong performance, the VW bug scene, and the guy in the wheelchair. Struggles to find a reason why Jason didn't drown, and why he was motivated to start his killing spree. Though the explanation is weak, it is used as the basis for the rest of the series. **

Friday the 13th, Part 3 - This (originally) 3D installment is one of the weakest, with very little story, and shots that were intended for the 3D audience. Most notable for hand-walking guy's death, and Jason's acquisition of his iconic hockey mask.  I initially thought this installment was terrible, but it's better in retrospect. *

Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter - Yeah, right! It's the best of sequels, and could have served as the finale, but there was more money to be made. Jason ventures out of Camp Crystal Lake, and seems to meet his end. Considering that this was 1984, I'm sure you know that it wasn't to be. Plus, Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover? ***

Friday the 13th (Part V): A New Beginning - Close to as good as part 4, reviled by fans for its plot twist, but very much in line with the tone of the first four movies. And Corey Feldman only wishes he grew up to look like John Shepherd!  Woof. **

Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives - Yeah, I guess he lives. Often considered one of the best sequels, it left me cold. It felt like a different studio picked up the reigns. This edition has a vastly different tone from the first five films, and the gory kills just aren't there.  But I guess the MPAA is to blame for that. *

Friday the 13th, Part VII: The New Blood - They throw a psychic girl into the mix, and tack on a ridiculous ending, which puts Jason into the same scenario as the end of the last movie--making this one irrelevant. On the plus side the tone of the first five movies is back. And for you gay fans out there, this one is known as FriGAY the 13th for the high number of gay actors in the movie. *

Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan - The tone is still there, as Jason stows away on a cruise ship bound for New York. Most of the action is on the boat, and there are some great scenes. But it feels like the series is running on fumes. And that ending. What the hell? *1/2

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday - Speaking of Hell, New Line Cinema took over the franchise from Paramount here, and it is very, very obvious this was made by others. Some of the feel is still there, and the film is undeniably fun. Adds a bunch of new story elements that wreck any (already strained) continuity from the first 8 films. Also ignores the end of Part VIII. Fun anyway. And it sets up the movie after the next one.**1/2

Jason X - Tenth installment puts Jason in space, with no context to the rest of the storyline. Continuity-wise has no home, and is akin to a comic book "elseworlds" or "imaginary story." Has its fun parts, but utterly skippable. But the cryogenic scene? Priceless. *1/2

Freddy Vs. Jason - I loved it. They took the monster from the best horror franchise (though it had run out of steam) and the worst (but still loved), and pitted them against each other. Truly, one of the best outings for this type of movie in a long, long time. That said, not the least bit scary. Plays like gory comedy. ***

Friday the 13th (Remake) - I was right that they couldn't really mess up the remake. It's a hoot. The twist--apparently--is that most of the characters you kinda want to see dead. And Jason is given a much heftier back-story. Unfortunately, they still don't explain what happened that made Mrs. Voorhees think he died when he didn't. Still, I'd put this in the top three with the first two installments. I don't know if there will be a part 2 (actually XIII), but I'm game. ***

Quote of the Day: The Rude Pundit on Romney at Bain

"So, by extension, Romney is saying that he could be President but not be responsible for what happens to the nation."

--The Rude Pundit

[In response to Mitt Romney's claim that though he was President, CEO, Chairman of the Board and 100% owner, he was not in charge.]

Puttin' on the Mitt!

Another great song parody from Kenny Pick, one of the super-talented musicians often heard on The Stephanie Miller Show (Rocky Mountain Mike is the other). This one--obviously--is to the tune of Puttin' on the Ritz. The only thing missing is Peter Boyle screaming "Oooper Doooooper!"

 

Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites Christian Boycott of Google

Boycott THIS! I dare you! (Click to embiggen)

This is just entertaining as hell. The AFA (American Family Ass.) is a group of busybodies who wants all of America to follow their strict idea of religion. Their many spinoffs, compatriots and copycat groups almost uniformly--and curiously single-mindedly--exist to make life hard for gay people. Sure, some of them are obsessed with abortion too, but it's mostly the gays. . .they just hate the gays!

Anyway, the AFA and the Million Moms (who apparently can't count) and others have pledged to boycott any company that supports The Gay and/or The Gay Marriage. Unfortunately for them--if they wish to remain consistent at least--they're going to have to travel with detailed binders, because lots of corporations support gay rights. Kraft and General Mills make half the items in the grocery store, and both support The Gay. They can't use an iPhone or an iPod or a MacBook to keep track of what not to buy, because Apple is so gay their logo used to be rainbow-colored. No Microsoft computers, phones or tablets, Bill Gates is too gay friendly. They can't use an Android phone or tablet because Google is very gay friendly too. So, get out them binders!

It's Google that caught the eye of the host of The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, who levels a devastating "Rewrite" segment at the AFA and their like-minded friends. It has to do with the Christian right's ironic obsession with porn. Enjoy!
 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bible Museum Planned for Washington, DC

This is what happens when you combine "religion"
with "museum." Image from Skeptical Raptor's Blog.

As an atheist, it's difficult to express exasperation without resorting to phrases like, "Oh, God!" or even the substitute phrases, like "Gee whiz!" It's so ingrained in our language, it just comes out. So, when I told The Other Half that they were building a Bible Museum in Washington, DC, I wasn't surprised to hear him exclaim, "Jesus Christ! Well won't that be exciting!"

I'm already very offended by the level of religiosity in our government, in our laws. I manage to shrug my shoulders at "In God We Trust" on the money--even though it is obviously un-Constitutional. I wasn't happy, even as a kid, when I had to say "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. I cringe when I hear a president (any president) go overboard on religion, though I roll with the "God bless the United States of America." 

So, in our nation's capital, a city that is itself practically a museum, with its many monuments and historic buildings, the Capitol, the White House. . .The Smithsonian, for God's goodness crying out loud! . . .do we really need a Bible Museum? How does that work anyway? The entire book is unprovable and unproven. There are no exhibits of actual biblical events, because there are no genuine biblical artifacts! I just hate a collection of religious superstitious folklore being put in the same category with actual museums.


[Excerpt]


Bible museum planned for Washington, D.C.

A large-scale Bible museum will open in Washington, D.C., within four years, say planners who have been touring the world with portions of their collection. . .

Read more at: Washington Post

House Votes Against "Obamacare" for the 33rd Time

Nancy Pelosi doesn't look upset. Image from TPM.

Okay, is it necessary for me to say that the big "Red Tide" 2010 election was won by the flood of Republicans on the strength of "Jobs, jobs, jobs!!!"? People remember that, right? It was going to be a laser focus. Of course, if they'd voted for jobs, and people got jobs, that might make the economy better, and that might look good for President Obama.

So, every time you see a commercial from Karl Rove's SuperPACs droning about Obama and his "broken promises," do me a favor and remember the Congress, won't you? The only promises they kept was the secret-ish ones they dog-whistle about abortion. Wow, they were focused like a laser on abortion. I'm not sure how that translates to jobs. Oh, and the Affordable Care act (Obamacare). They've "repealed" that, 33 times. The latest time they did that was on Wednesday. And it has zero effect, except they can brag about wasting time, I guess. I'm guessing it costs a bunch of money to keep the House of Representatives open on any given day. How much money have they wasted on a pointless quest?

[Excerpt]


House GOP Holds 33rd Vote To Stick It To ‘Obamacare’

House Republicans will vote Wednesday to repeal ‘Obamacare’ — again.

Ahead of a Republican-led House vote Wednesday to try to repeal ‘Obamacare’ for the 33rd time, House Democrats expressed a growing sense of optimism that their biggest achievement in a generation is here to stay, invoking the lessons of history. . .

Read more at: TPM

Pennsylvania Latest Voter ID State

This sort of thing used to really bother conservatives.
Image from BartCop.

See, here's the thing I don't get. . . Several years ago, here in Nevada, there was a battle being waged by the American Independent Party to be recognized as a force in the state. Not independents, mind you, this was a party that used the word in their name, probably to confuse voters into think they actually were independents. No, they were extraordinarily fringy right-wingers, and they also seemed to be related to each other. Hanson? Hansen? Something like that. Anyway, the AIP was really irritated about having to have government IDs. No driver licenses for the AIP! It's downright un-American!

So, it's weird that there is a GOP-headed effort to pass voter ID laws all over the country. The funny thing about it is, they have a really good messaging campaign behind this one. It make sense, sounds reasonable (but contains just a hint of that GOP-brand meanness). I mean, who doesn't have ID? Honestly! You need an ID to rent a video (if people still did that). You need an ID to buy Jägermeister. And who wants a bunch of phony voters using dead peoples' names, cartoon character names, voting once, twice, a dozen times? So, it sounds like it makes hella sense, right?

And it does. Except that there aren't throngs of fake voters out there (other than Ann Coulter and perhaps one Willard Mitt Romney, but more on that later). In fact, actual voter fraud is vanishingly rare. So, is this one of those "solutions in search of a problem" laws that conservatives are always accusing liberals of? Yes and no. Actually, this was the solution to a different problem: how do conservatives prevent at least a slice of the Democratic electorate from voting? Because that is the reason for Voter ID laws, no matter how good the justification for them is. And it isn't just guesswork, or some wacky conspiracy theory either. They're actually admitting it.

[Excerpt]

Smile, Pennsylvania, You No Longer Have To Suffer The Agony Of Voting!



Good video, Pennsylvania! Very melting pot and clear-skinned and chipper, we’re sure! There may be a little bit of an omission about how 10 percent of your voting populace won’t get to actually vote under your new voter ID law, but we’re sure if they just show up with the birth certificate and the marriage certificate and the name-change order from when they got their sex change and also four other forms of photo ID all notarized and with the raised seal (AND DON’T FORGET THE LONG-FORM!), they too can get state-approved papers in order to exercise their constitutional right of suffrage. . . 

Read more at: Wonkette

Rocky Mountain Mike: My Rafalca

Rocky Mountain Mike (of The Stephanie Miller Show) rocks out, while taking aim at Mitt and Ann Romney's dressage horse, Rafalca.