Net Neutrality

The FCC's new ‘Net Neutrality’ rules have created a lot of noise  recently. Admittedly, the concept has been so fuzzed up it is hard to understand. Who can forget the memorable talk about net neutrality by former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (now deceased) in the Senate?

(WARNING! DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW IF YOU PREFER NOT TO LAUGH):

Senator Ted Stevens talking about the internet

Republican Mitch McConnell has strongly criticized the new rules along with Rush Limbaugh, buffoon though he may be. Don't kid yourself - Limbaugh has plenty of influence with many people who don’t think for themselves and eagerly buy into his nonsense. Many other so-called ‘conservatives’ are also exercised about the new net neutrality rules. Why?

Short answer: They, along with some ‘conservative’ Democrats are all in the pockets of the telecom companies who stand to make billions by up-charging for increased bandwidth and speed. That is already being done by one telecom company (Comcast).

Here’s a hypothetical conversation between a Progressive and a Conservative which tries to make it more understandable (thanks to an anonymous poster on DailyKos):

Progressive: "Comcast is one of the largest internet providers in the country. In many parts of the country, including where I live, it is the only option for broadband service. NBC was just sold to Comcast. As such, Comcast has a very real and demonstrable need to promote NBC and MSNBC over competitors. You're saying it should be legal for Comcast to limit access to Fox News videos and FoxNews.com, and increase bandwidth for MSNBC videos and MSNBC.com?"


Conservative: "But they wouldn't actually do that. It'd be a PR nightmare if they just blocked access to Fox."


Progressive:  "Ah, but that's not how'd they do it. They'd do what they already do, what cell phone companies have done for years: they'd exempt NBC/MSNBC from your bandwidth allotment. Just like AT&T subscribers can call other AT&T subscribers for free, unlimited, but you're charged by the minute when you talk to people on other networks."


Conservative: "What's wrong with that? It's probably cheaper for carrier customers to talk within the same carrier."


Progressive: "Perhaps, but the same would go for MSNBC shows. Comcast would be getting 100% of that ad revenue to stream MSNBC shows and display MSNBC content. They would be getting 0% of the ad revenue for Fox News and FoxNews.com. Bandwidth to Fox websites costs them money, and bandwidth to MSNBC websites makes them money."


Conservative: "So you think they'd purposely speed up MSNBC and slow down Fox?"


Progressive: "Without Net Neutrality, there's no reason they couldn't do that, which is reason enough to support it. But what Comcast is proposing is that they'll charge by bandwidth, say, 20GBs transfer per month, but exempt NBC.com, MSNBC.com, and other web traffic that they own. Like Verizon does with vCast now. They'll say 'oh, we're not blocking access to Fox -- we're just giving you unlimited free use to MSNBC instead as part of your package.' So naturally, people will be much more likely to get their news and opinion from MSNBC, which is free, as opposed to Fox, which counts against their bandwidth credit."


Conservative:  "Well obviously they'd have to make that illegal."


Progressive: "THAT'S. WHAT. NET. NEUTRALITY. IS!!!"

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness"

Political Verse Nonsense

POLITICS

Republicans just blather and blather.

While Democrats just get in a lather,

Though the rest of us,

We never much fuss,

Still hoping common sense they could gather

John Boehner is certainly not crazy,

Even if you think his man tan may be.

Nonetheless his crying,

Is quite stupefying,

And, puts to shame all other cry babies.

Limbaugh says Health Care is just fine as is,

And needs no new laws, taxes or patches,

“What’s a few million uninsured?”

“Hell, they can be faith cured,”

“And save money by dying in batches!”

Conservative, WASP, evangelical or Anglican

Republicans can be so downright unAmerican,

“To Hell with all the rest,

Let’s feather our own nest!”

Could be the the epithet of the last Republican.

Republicans say their tent is big and inclusive,

Declaring they wish not to be reclusive,

Yet tolerate no homos nor lesbians,

No Atheists, Progressives nor Haitians,

All those and Republicans are mutually exclusive!

"All those whiners!" declared Phil Gramm,

"We've got ours so we don't give a damn.

John 'n me and most of our friends,

Got more money than we can spend.

Let the poor eat cake and marmalade jam."

Too much education is a bad thing,”

Said Karl Rove of the Right Wing.

“It’s really quite pathetic,

Letting people vote Democratic,

Could well cut short a Republican swing.”

The Roadblock and Train Wreck party held a meeting,

“There’s absolutely no doubt we’re in for a beating.”

Said national Chairman Michael Steele,

“And, I must make a last ditch appeal,”

“To return to our core values of lying and cheating.”

An old Republican queer named Mitch,

Swore to run health care straight in the ditch,

Wearing a shirt of bright pink,

He minced as he winked,

“Screw health care, I’m still a stone bitch!”

A Democrat out driving a Toyota,

Ran over a Republican Voter.

‘Thank goodness!’ he cried,

“He was on the wrong side,”

“And I don’t blame myself one iota!”

Of the US Congress, who can say?

Why they plot, sellout, stall and delay?

All we absolutely know for sure,

Their results resemble horse manure,

With the public always the ones who pay.

ALASKANS

MILLEROSCOPY

Joe Miller ran for public office.

Alaska voters held a caucus.

Decided he was a nut case,

Wearing a thug’s beard on his face,

Who made everyone too nauseous.

Joe Miller went all wacky and nervous,

The election became a huge circus,

And, when the recount at last came in,

Poor ol’ Joe took it smack on the chin;

For, voters learned Joe Miller was worthless!

PALINOLOGY

Due to her total refudiation,  

Of all the entire Obama nation,

Sarah Palin drew a bead,

Never mind the need,

On all health care laws and legislation.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH SARAH PALIN?

Whatever could be the matter with Sarah Palin?

Disturbing all with her sad weeping and wailing.

Insisting the media spawned her political derailing,

Whining by Facebook, Twittering, and secret emailing,

Insinuating so much with insufficient detailing,

Blaming all but herself for her career's curtailing,

Hopefully now her political coffin has its last nail in.

THE DANCER

There once was a dancer named Bristol;

Who was ever so ignorantly blissful.

Like her mom, a mental midget,

She extended her middle digit,

And used her finger as her pistol.

"THE DIM-WITTED TWEETER" 

There was once a dim witted twit who twittered,

Who quitted her governor's job with all its glitter.

And, promised to never, ever leave Twitter.

But soon did so with nary a back-look nor titter.

Then, later behold! About-faced and unquitted Twitter!

Yes, this dim-witted twit recanted and re-twittered,

She twittered about this and that and the other,

Death panels, Russia and Obama's mother.

Hoping everyone forgot the job so blithely quittered.

On, she twittered, and twittered and twittered,

On subjects she hardly knew quit from quinolla,

She expounded on Levi, McCain, Trig and Angola.

On Sesame, governments, church and pipefitters.

She shamefully twittered and twittered and twittered,

While the country grew quite weary and so jittered,

All tired of her nonsense and now sadly embittered,

While the sheen on her star dimmed and quite flittered.

Nonetheless, she persistently, mindlessly twittered,

Ignoring all pleas, imprecations and screams,

Plugging always her twisted, evangelical dreams,

Even husband Todd too, wanted to jump up and hit her.

May we never see again all those perfidious twitters,

Playing so to fears, paranoia, religion and bitters,

Plainly,  insanely, chasing her own lost fame and glitters,

Yes, next time give us at least a rational bullshitter!

THE QUITTER

Sarah Palin thinks everyone's out to get her,

Which makes her mad and so awfully bitter,

She's resorting to politically incorrect twitters.

The public is greatly amazed, and all in a titter,

Her constituents never agreed to permit her,

To abandon her state nor to submit her,

To ridicule, amazement and rude side-splitters,

Being a lipsticked mom from a pit bull's litter,

Didn't qualify Sarah nor make her one bit fitter,

To govern a state nor be a political outwitter.

Turns out, Sarah's only an inept, low-octane quitter!

Tweet!

Tweet!

Tweet!

Hijacking The Christmas Tree

There has been mini-controversy lately about a ‘Holiday Tree’ installed by the city of Portland, Maine in their Monument Square. The controversy comes because the city does not call the tree a ‘Christmas Tree’. instead they say it is, ‘the tree that signals the holiday season in Portland’. A lot of people around Maine are upset it is not being called a Christmas Tree.

Portland columnist Bill Nimitz suggests tongue in cheek the tree be called ‘Bruce the Spruce’, to disarm things, but that has only further inflamed the issue. For some reason, Christians in particular seem overly concerned about the nomenclature of things like trees, especially when they associate it with their religion.

But, the city of Portland has done exactly right. The tree is in the spirit of the holiday, and not a Christian Christmas. And, of course there are now several flavors to this seasonal holiday, among them ‘Kwansa & Hannukah’. A few years ago in Seattle a city Christmas Tree’ had to be taken down after a rabbi asked that a menorah be placed next to a Christmas display so labeled.

The rabbi had every right to make the request. When public money is spent on and identified with parochial issues - like Christmas - it is in violation of both the letter and intent of the US Constitution, although you will hear few Tea Partiers complain about that. They scream long, loudly and incessantly about the ‘Constitution’ and Constitutional rights - as long as they agree with whatever it is. But, go against their dogma - and the Tea Party is largely peopled by so-called ‘Christians’ - you will hear nary a peep. Not one single one. In fact, I’d lay even money that a lot of the people now screaming about the Holiday Tree in Portland are Tea Partiers. I'd win hands down too.

Ironically, the tree in Christmas celebrations has nothing to do with Christ. It is the result of a medieval priest’s (St. Boniface of Geismar, Germany) overreaction to the ‘Tree of Thor’, celebrating a Norse God. Maybe the tree should really be called the ‘Anti-Thor Tree’ or, the 'Un-Thor Tree'. Evergreen trees are associated with pagan pre-Christian Druid winter solstice celebrations, who also venerated Holly and Mistletoe. It is probably for that reason Puritans banned Christmas trees in early New England.

But, never mind. Christians have latched onto the tree and claimed it as their own. At first, about 150 years ago in the United States the custom was sporadic and took a while to catch on. But now, it is THEIRS by God and they want no one else to have a say in it. It’s a Christmas Tree by God, it’s theirs, it represents Christ’s birthday and by God that’s all there is to it! No matter the reality.

So, the tree has been hijacked, in many ways very like the way conservative movement and Tea Partiers  hijacked the word ‘Patriot’. Patriots are them by God, and only them by God, and no one else need apply by God. Anyone else is a traitor according to their definition. You don’t want to cross those conservative Christian Tea Partiers.

And, another funny thing is, according to old and longstanding tradition, the tree is not put up until Christmas Eve. Now that it appears everywhere just after Thanksgiving is due to the mercenary avariciousness of retailers, and Christmas Tree merchants - probably not a really good reason to celebrate with the tree. 

Ain’t history and reality fascinating?

The Tea Party and Alaska’s Joe Miller

I've gotten a lot of entertainment watching the Senate election campaign by Alaska's Tea Party favorite Joe Miller. His campaign has been a Chinese fire drill of missteps and malapropisms from almost the very beginning. Now, he is widely considered by most Alaskans as a 'Nut Job'. In the primary election, Miller was a kind of a ‘sleeper’ Tea Party supported candidate who captured the Republican senatorial nomination by catching a complacent sitting Senator Lisa Murkowski by surprise. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party threw support and buckets of out-of-state money into both the primary and the general elections.

Finally awakening to what was happening, Murkowski mounted an apparently successful write-in campaign to win the vote in the general election. When and if she is certified she will become only the second senator in history to do so, and the first since 1954 when Strom Thurman won a write-in campaign in South Carolina. The decision is now tied up in several court cases. Joe Miller is pulling out all the stops to block Murkowski from being certified the winner. The Tea Party, and especially Republican Senator Jim Demint of South Carolina are fighting a desperate last ditch battle in the hopes of having Miller put in office over the wishes of the people of the state of Alaska.

Someone called Miller a ‘descendant’ of the infamous Soapy Smith of Gold Rush days in Skagway, Alaska. He certainly looks the part. Soapy was the iconic con man originally from Georgia, who moved to Skagway in 1897 and gathered a large and intimidating gang to become the de facto ruler of the town. Ol’ Soapy had his fingers in just about every pie around and his gang enforced his rule with force of arms and bullying. He even formed his own ‘militia’, naming himself as captain, which was recognized by the US War Department, and which he used to help him control the town of Skagway.

Soapy Smith was ultimately confronted and shot to death by Frank Reid, who himself was wounded and died twelve days later. Reid was part of a vigilante committee formed to combat Soapy’s nefarious criminal activities

And, indeed the similarities between Joe Miller and Soapy Smith give one pause, especially the striking physical resemblances. Both came from ‘away’. Both lied, distorted and twisted facts. Miller has loudly and incessantly decried all government aid as ‘handouts’ while taking advantage of a great amount himself, or for his family. Soapy Smith’s ‘handouts’ were the ones he grabbed for himself through cons and swindles. I think my favorite Soapy Smith tale is about the fake telegraph office soapy set up for miners. For a charge of $5 he would ‘send’ a telegram back home for them - when telegraph lines did not even exist to Skagway at the time.

But, there does seem to be one big difference; Soapy Smith seems to have been extraordinarily intelligent, while Miller appears to just be one great big, bitter, whiny, deceitful Tea Party Republican dumb ass.

A Political Quiz for Americans in the Year 2020

Concerning US political history:

What political ‘party’ was militantly opposed to immigration of certain kinds of people and wanted to impose strict rules and limits?

What political ‘party’ was disgusted by unresponsive politicians?

What political ‘party’ was an unofficial group with no centralized organization?

What political ‘party’ was made up of mostly middle class Americans?

What political ‘party’ described opponents as “the ally of tyranny, the opponent of material prosperity, the foe of thrift”?

What political ‘party’ coordinated their votes and threw their weight behind candidates sympathetic to their cause?

What political ‘party’ delayed a national project they disliked for political reasons, and what was done under their supervision had to be redone?

What political ‘party’ encouraged violence and intimidation in campaigns?

What political ‘party’ encouraged alien and sedition laws, was forever carping about the foreign-born citizen and trying to abridge his privileges?

What political ‘party’ wanted a wait of 21 years before an immigrant could gain citizenship?

What political ‘party’ wanted to have daily Bible readings in public schools?

What political ‘party’ wanted to restrict the use of languages other than English?

If you answered “Tea Party” you would be right! 

Furthermore, if you answered “Know-Nothing Party” you would also be right!

Now, just two more questions:

What political ‘party’ had roots in another political party which ended up being destroyed in the end.

What political ‘party’ ended up disappearing from the scene?

If you answered “Tea Party” you would be right. 

Furthermore, if you answered “Know-Nothing Party” my fervent hope is that you will also be right in the year 2020!


So help me!

America's Neros: Money Can Surely Buy You Political Love

Remember the story about Nero fiddling while Rome burned? Tragically, we now have our own versions of Nero’s fiddling (or worse) while our world’s climate degrades as a result of mankind’s pollution. Our Neros are political ‘Deniers’ of climate change. They are the ones we've elected, who choose to disregard over 95% of expert scientific opinion to tout the dissenting 5%. And many, if not all of those 5% are under the financial influence of big energy corporations or others who stand to lose if remedial legislation is enacted. There’s little hope of that now with control of the House of Representatives passing to the deniers.

Such is the power of money in politics. Now there are essentially no limits on political campaign money, the people, the man in the street so to speak, have been disenfranchised and are now at the mercy of well-heeled corporations. Under the recent ruling from the right-wing controlled Supreme Court, corporations may now use their virtually unlimited funds to buy any legislator - and legislation - they choose. And, they have done just that.

This is a breakdown by industry of the ratio of contributions during the 2010 election:

Energy companies: 2 to 1 to Republicans over Democrats;

Agriculture Industries: 2 to 1 to Republicans over Democrats;

Health Care Industries: 4 to 3 to Republicans over Democrats

And here are some remarks and details about the incoming people who will be in control of the House of Representatives:

John Boehner, (Ohio), Incoming House Majority leader: Beohner says, ‘The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen, that is harmful to our environment, is almost comical’; Biggest campaign donors are: Drug and cigarette makers, banks, health insurers, oil companies, military contractors. (Boehner once handed out lobbyist checks from cigarette makers to other representatives on the house floor)

Darrel Issa, (California), Incoming Chair of the House Oversight Committee: Issa says he won’t use his new clout to ‘have corporate America live in fear’. Instead, Issa says his first moves will be to investigate the very climate researchers and scientists who are ringing the alarm bell loud and clear.

Issa’s top contributors: Pharmaceuticals/Health Products

John Shimkus, (Illinois), one of four running for chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Shimkus quotes Genesis 8:22 from the Christian bible: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” and says, “I believe in the infallible word of God, and that’s the way it’s going to be for His creation;

Shimkus’ top contributors: Health Professionals, Pharmaceuticals& Drugs; Health products, Electric Utilities, Oil & Gas

Joe Barton, (Texas), is also running for the same chair: Barton says, “When it’s hot, we get shade. When it’s cold, we find a warm place to stay.” Barton is the same guy who demanded Obama apologize to BP for demanding they take more effective action during their gulf oil spill;

Barton’s top contributors: Electric Utilities, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals & Health Products, Health professionals, Mining.

And, even before the recent election congressional Republicans schemed to eliminate the House Select Committee on Energy Independence.

Who says money can’t buy you love? (Or, at least favorable legislation). We should never forget Nero ultimately had his own mother (and step-brother) murdered back then in ancient Rome either.

Sources: Follow The Money

              Open Secrets

Questions for Tea Party People *

A few questions for the Tea Party people who say they are ‘Mad as hell, and won’t take it anymore”:

What the hell is wrong with you?

Why didn’t you get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President who lost the popular vote?

Why didn’t you get mad when Cheney invited Energy company officials to secretly dictate Energy policy?

Why didn’t you get mad when a covert CIA operative was outed by White House staff?

Why didn’t you get mad when the Patriot Act was passed taking away rights and freedoms?

Why didn’t you get mad when we invaded a country posing no threat to us?

Why didn’t you get mad when we spent over 800 billion on that war - and still counting?

Why didn’t you get mad when under Bush, our country borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 Presidents combined?

Why didn’t you get mad when over 10 billion dollars in cash disappeared in Iraq?

Why didn’t you get mad when our government was outed for torturing people?

Why didn’t you get mad when Bush administration policies helped ship over 6 million American jobs overseas?

Why didn’t you get mad when the government illegally wiretapped American citizens?

Why didn’t you get mad when George Bush let Osama Bin Laden get away?

Why didn’t you get mad when Bush ran up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits?

Why didn’t you get mad about the disgusting conditions at Walter Reed army hospital?

Why didn’t you get mad when our government let a major US city, New Orleans, drown?

Why didn’t you get mad when we gave the ultra rich over a trillion dollars in undeserved tax breaks while our deficit was spiraling out of control?

Why didn’t you get mad over worst 8 year record of job creations since the Great Depression?

Why didn’t you get mad when over 200,000 US Citizens lost their lives due to lack of health insurance?

Why didn’t you get mad when lack of oversight caused our Citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values?

But you finally did get mad when a black man was elected president and worked enable everyone to get to see a doctor when needed?

Oh but yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, transferring your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and presiding over the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick . . . Oh, Hell No!!

What the hell is wrong with you anyway?

* With apologies and thanks to an otherwise unknown poster named 'Miles' from which the above has been paraphrased.