Do It For Peace

Check out this link, it's for the global orgasm project. The idea is that enough positive feelings at once can help make the world a better place. It sounds sort of like junk science, but who's going to say no to sex?

Anyway, the date is December 22, 2oo6; mark your calendars.

For more information, go here.

Thoughts that float by...

30 Days does for television what Ghandi did for peace.

The prison industrial complex is probably the closest thing I've seen to pure evil.

Corpratization: The uncontrolled parasites that leech off the people, and eventually their government.

"Mother nature needs a facelift."

Industrial food, corporate universities, privatized prisons; we have departed from nature and common sense.

Jail isn't about rehabilitation any more. We are denying people due process, putting them in the worst place on Earth, and being told to forget about them.

About 90% of crack arrests are of African-Americans, while 75% of powder cocaine arrests are of whites. Under federal law, it takes only five grams of crack cocaine to trigger a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. But it takes 500 grams of powder cocaine (100 times as much) to trigger this same sentence. This flagrant injustice was highlighted by a 1996 nationwide federal prison rebellion when Congress refused to enact changes in sentencing laws that would equalize penalties.

Illicit drug trade is a 50 billion dollar industry, a corporation in and of itself. They just don't have lobbyists.

Prisoners are a corporation's favorite work force.

Why were we so afraid of communism?

Motto of a successful business: The world is a single market; natural resources are to be exploited; people are consumers; anything which hinders profit is to be routed out and destroyed.

I am going to blog so fucking hard!

Curious about tax brackets, I discovered that taxes in the United States can be relatively simple and unfair.

Taxes for corporations in 2006:

Taxable income over     Not over      Tax rate

$         0        $    50,000        15%
     50,000             75,000        25%
     75,000            100,000        34%
    100,000            335,000        39%
    335,000         10,000,000        34%
 10,000,000         15,000,000        35%
 15,000,000         18,333,333        38%
 18,333,333         ..........        35%

Individuals pay:

      Taxable income:                   Tax:
 Over     But not over         Tax       +%   On amount over            

$     0     $  7,550        $    0.00   10       $      0
  7,550       30,650           755.00   15          7,550
 30,650       74,200         4,220.00   25         30,650
 74,200      154,800        15,107.50   28         74,200
154,800      336,550        37,675.50   33        154,800
336,550      .......        97,653.00   35        336,550

Corporations are paying the lowest taxes since the end of WWII yet their profits are the largest share of national wealth in history. American wages and unemployment have been stagnant since the early 90's. Large corporations should be responsible for the vast majority of government income.

Corporations are not people.
Yet they are increasingly given powers and privledge traditionally reserved for citizens. Today corporations have virtually limitless power to fund political campaigns and otherwise influence our government. If politicians are indebted to corporations in return for donations; what does that mean for those without such well-funded government access?

If corporations were people,
you wouldn't want to be their friend. The purpose of any business is to give it's customers what they want. However, in a free market, businesses compete for the largest possible profit. Unlike people, corporations have no conscience or good-will. Sometimes, higher profits mean compromising ethics, safety, legality, and responsibility.

Americans believe in values like respect for the worker, environmental responsibility, ethical leadership, and open oversight.

Wal-Mart. DuPont. Hewlett-Packard. Halliburton.
Many of the most successful corporations of recent time are accused of letting their greed overshadow better judgment.

Taxation and vigilant regulation of corporations is the only way to keep them honest. Corporations should be taxed substantially. The wealthiest corporations should bear the overwhelming majority of financial responsibility for our government. Companies must be held accountable for their actions; laws controlling companies must be constantly enhanced and expanded to adapt to changing industries.

Republicans want to lower taxes for all.
Sometimes to extremes. We were once the wealthiest nation in the world. How can we expect to have a wealthy nation if we starve our government, forcing it to eliminate programs beneficial to its people?

With lower taxes squeezing their budgets, local politicians are being forced to outsource essential programs like education, healthcare, utilities, and even prisons to these uncaring, money-hungry corporations.

Few in our government are willing to say no to corporate influence. Fewer citizens are even paying attention. Will you?

Return?

I'd apologize for the lapse in my writings, but I haven't the time. So much has changed in 10 months and I may touch on that in the future. But if you're reading this, you probably already know most of it.

On with the show...


I Tivo'd ABC's broadcast of Path to 9/11; partly because of my obsession with several widely believed falsehoods regarding the condition of our intelligence before that day. The show is miserably partisan at absolutely every opportunity. The creators, in an attempt to boost Republican votes in the mid-terms; have done what most conservatives do these days. They went overboard.

I must say, the weak of mind should never view this trash. If you feel solid enough in your beliefs, you might dare watch it to see what I mean. Don't forget to think critically.

No matter what you believe about 9/11, this film is wronger. You can probably watch it on abc.com, if you care. If you do, be sure to leave comments about how you feel. Below is my entry.

I am watching your film as we speak (Tivo) and I am appalled at how, only halfway though, it resembles in no way the history of 9/11.

I hope the Republican National committee paid you well for your 5 hour campaign commercial. Since you have more than enough money from that, you won't mind if your $30.8 Million conglomorate (Disney) never makes another dime from me.

I hope every member of the production and promotion staff of this fabrication reads these comments. When you do, think about what shameful deception means.

Reader Tip: If you get confused, just replace the words you don't understand with patriotic ones.

Memior Project Discovered

I discovered these typewritten manuscripts in my files. They are almost exactly a year old. This was a shortlived project in which I regularly wrote short articles on my typewriter. I have converted them all to electronic form. They range in subject, but are all fascinating reads. Please read them. They have been postdated to avoid overrunning the blog. Links below.

Memior Project - Jeff Friedlander

1: First Impression
2: Introduction
3: Commercial
4: Politics

I hope you enjoy them.

Editor's Note: The article below was written just a few hours ago so you probably haven't seen it yet, please read it too.

Trouble in the Heartland

Republicans in Congress are happier than pigs in shit; they are truly on the brink of:

· bankrupting our once-wealthy nation with irresponsible tax cuts

· wasting lives and money on an evil and illegitimate war

· eliminating all government support for the poor, tired, hungry, disabled

· destroying the once-tangible and carefully designed barrier between church and state

· annihilating the natural beauty and purity of the only planet we can live on

· rewriting the bill of rights

· castrating the popular election system in favor of corporate donations

· global nuclear apocalypse with NO survivors!

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse in Washington, there was hope. Several big-shot Republicans are under investigation for numerous crimes and it should come as no surprise. Though all of the above actions are perfectly legal in today’s government, the Republicans couldn’t resist crossing the line. Blinded by money and power, these assholes broke laws of all kinds and now the tables are turning.

The Republicans in congress are beginning to see their comeuppance, and it ain’t pretty. Republicans have been breaking the law since long before Nixon’s time, and historically, few seem to take notice. Now the real corruption and greed behind the Republican party is starting to show through the rhetoric and spin. It all started with Tom DeLay.

Hammer Time

Tom “The Hammer” DeLay is one of many among staunch conservative assholes with some sort of tool up his ass. After being kicked out of Baylor’s pre-med program for substance abuse, he found a job as an exterminator, making rat-poison. It was there that he inhaled a few too many of the fumes and developed his hatred for the US Environmental Protection Agency. He has since been quoted calling the EPA “the Gestapo of the American government.” Environmental deregulation has been among his top priorities in congress.

He used to be a crazy drunk partier until 1984 when he was elected to congress and miraculously “found Jesus.” Hallelujah! Being a righteous and spiritual man now, he cut his drinking back from 12 martinis a night down to 4. His ethical behavior has not even begun to blossom.

He is known on Capitol Hill as the “meanest man in Congress.” A name given to the guy nobody seems to like. Yet he was elected to the most powerful position in the Legislature.

For the last 10 years Republicans in Congress have crusaded against “unnecessary” spending and what they call bloated government. DeLay, leading the party in its efforts is now under investigation for breaking the law. Since DeLays rise to power he has constructed a vast fund-raising network. He is accused of collecting corporate donations through a political action committee called Texans for a Republican majority or TRMPAC (Trimspa?) Then he funneled this money to select Republican representatives to help them win seats in Congress. This is illegal. He is accused of money laundering and conspiracy to do so. However just this week, conservative Texas judge Pat “Priest” Priest dismissed charges on election-fraud conspiracy in a related matter.

He has been forced to step down from his seat as House Majority Leader, and because of his ongoing indictments, will be replaced in January. Many of his Republican counterparts have stated that they are happy to see him go, that his close relationships with lobbyists, especially corporate ones, was a crime waiting to happen.

His guilt is certain, but whether he is found guilty has yet to be seen. The culture of corruption only begins here.

What a loser

Jack Abramoff is a powerful, conservative lobbyist on Capitol Hill. He is currently under investigation by three grand juries for three separate crimes!

• By federal grand juries for his involvement in the Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal.
• By a grand jury in Guam for campaign finance fraud.
• He has also been indicted on August 11, 2005, by a third grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for bank fraud arising out of an unrelated business deal.

Abramoff has been a conservative asshole his whole life. After graduating from Brandeis and being a member of College Republicans. He moved to Hollywood to make anti-communist films such as Red Scorpion.

His most notable work is with Indian Casino Boats. After he and his associates conduct a counterfeit wire transfer of over $60 million dollars. They then used this money to buy a Casino Boat, and hired a hitman to kill the man selling the boats, which he did.

Tom DeLay has called Abramoff “one of my dearest and closest friends”. You shall be known by the company you keep. There is a line between legal and illegal political activities. Because of American campaign finance laws, this line is a blurry field. Abramoff and DeLay, along with many other Republicans, would often dance around this line, taking extravagant golf outings to Scotland, and participating in inside business deals.

Crybaby

Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Republican Congressman from California, recently pleaded no-contest to allegations of accepting $2.4 million in bribes for influence. He sold his office to defense contractors and pressed his commitee to grant them no-bid contracts. In addition to the cash, the contractors bought his house and resold it for a $700,000 loss. They bought him a new $3 house, a boat that he and his family lived on during lavish vacations, and paid for his daughter’s graduation party.

Knowing he was beat, he plead guilty and made a teary statement to the press. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Dishonorable Mention

Let us not forget the hand-picked conservative Michael Brown, former director of FEMA who’s inexperience and stupidity caused the suffering of thousands of Louisianans.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Comission for insider trading.

End

This is just the tip of the iceberg of Republican corruption. It is hard for me to understand why these people, in such powerful positions, use their power and influence to break the law, dabble in dirty business, and pursue lucrative “hobbies”. Why is there such a strong tie between our elected officials and the corporations that pay for their luxuries? Why do people in power naturally gravitate to illegal and immoral acts?

The tides of American politics are changing. Republicans are loosing their credibility and integrity and Americans are trusting them less. Though the Democrats are not making up the difference, they are not trusted more as a result, the distrust in politicians in general is setting the stage for a candidate that people can trust. Just as Jimmy Carter capitalized on the corruption of the Nixon administration, a new candidate will stand up for old-fashioned American interests, not the corporations that own us all.

George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People

We all know about the devastation that Hurricane Katrina has caused. We also know of the government's intentional failure to appropriately handle the aftermath. Tens of thousands were stranded in the city. Most of them were poor, black people.
Leave it to George Bush to appoint a fellow moron to an important position in a time of crisis. Michael Brown, (until recently) director of FEMA, had already had a stellar track record of incompetence and immorality.

Back in 2004, after Hurricane Frances, Brownie allocated over $30 million to Miami, Florida. This would have been the right thing to do had Miami been damaged at all by the storm. It didn't come close. The "computer glitch" that caused this error also left tens of thousands of needy people without the help of FEMA.

He certainly was qualified for the job. His previous position was Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association. A lofty title that had nothing to do at all with emergency management.

He would later resign amid criticism of corruption, incompetence and falsification of information on his resume, but not before botching the rescue effort in New Orleans. President Bush, who is by far the most in-tune individual ever, congratulated Brown just days before his resignation, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job!" I suppose by Bush's standards he was. You can read impartial information about Michael D. Brown at the fabulous Wikipedia.

The hurricane has sent millions of Americans on a donating spree. But just as it happeneded with 9/11, only a small fraction of these contributions will make it to New Orleans. I myself donated $50 to Wikipedia, where my money will go the farthest and help the most.

NBC Networks and The Red Cross hosted a live, televised "Concert for Hurricane Relief" telethon. Though I missed it because I refuse to pay for cable, I did catch the only interesting part of it. It speaks for itself but I am sure many of you will not take the time to watch.Kanyeye West, though obviously an idiot, made one solid point on this show before he was cut off. You'll have to watch the entire video to see. It can be found below on someon else's blog.
George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People