Local NEPA news: "Kids for Cash" Judge Ciavarella has all cases he presided over juveniles from 2003 to 2008 thrown out!
In a sweeping order issued Thursday, the state Supreme Court overturned every juvenile court sentence handed down by accused kids-for-cash judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. between 2003 and 2008, clearing the records of thousands of former defendants.
Yes, OUR "Kids for Cash" judges are highlighted in Michael Moore's new movie "Capitalism: A Love Story". BTW, why hasn't this "juvenile wilderness camp" been investigated yet, this "Camp Adams"? Who owns it?
The NEPA "Kids for Cash" judges turned a whiter shade of pale when they got wind of this ruling: Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale (the haunting melody - then 1967, & now).
The Health Care Mash/Night of the Living Republicans
Both parties, the Democrats and Republicans, are like the World Wresting Federation, putting on a show for you and they're friends having drinks together and eating lobster together behind the scenes, splitting up all the taxpayer money like two mobster families and getting excellent health care on the taxpayers dime. The Democrats shoot real health care reform down and act like the Republicans are somehow stopping it, even though the Democrats control everything in government. Don't expect real health care reform from the Democrats, in fact they're trying to stop it. Try and vote out either party on the proven-insecure electronic voting machines NEITHER party wants to get rid of:
Don't worry, BOTH parties will collude to stop real health care reform on behalf of their health care industry donors and against us, despite the polls saying the American people want it. Take a look at this:
"House Democratic leaders quietly stripped a single-payer provision from the House version of the healthcare overhaul Thursday. The measure would have allowed states to set up their own state-run healthcare systems, where local governments would have become de facto health insurers for residents."
Here's what happens when a 3rd party (in Pennsylvania in this example) tries to represent us:
Carl Romanelli, a divorced father of two grown sons from Wilkes-Barre, knew that as the Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2006, he'd have a hard time beating the big boys in the race: Republican incumbent Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey. But he hoped to focus on his issues: an end to the Iraq war, health insurance, the rights of women and gays.
He did not foresee that, first, he'd get knocked off the ballot and, three years later, both he and his lawyer would be facing a $80,407 bill for the expenses incurred by foes who challenged Romanelli's nominating petition.
An election expert says this is only the second time in U.S. history that a candidate has been assessed the cost of efforts to remove him from a ballot.
The Military Industrial Congressional Complex...Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff for Colin Powell: the wars will stop in a dramatic, stunning, crashing way...they can't be sustained. From US debt to the geopolitics of oil, the US empire will come to an end. We're paying for the wars with debt to other countries and by printing money...not producing anything, just consuming, outsourcing our jobs to other countries. We won't have the ability to do anything overseas.
Special commentary by Big Dan: "Republicans aren't conservative and Democrats aren't liberal. Real conservatives and real liberals are against the bailouts, against the wars, and against the FED. Republicans and Democrats are for the bailouts, for the wars, and for the FED. Therefore: Republicans aren't conservative, and Democrats aren't liberal. Republicans and Democrats don't want us to know this. Ron Paul is a real conservative, and Alan Grayson is a real liberal. They agree on every major issue except health care. And they both disagree with almost everything Republicans and Democrats are doing. Dennis Kucinich is a real liberal. During the presidential debates, the Republican Party and TV iced Ron Paul out of the Republican presidential debates, and the Democrats and TV iced Dennis Kucinich out of the Democratic presidential debates. Our government is being run by criminals who call themselves conservatives and liberals and the TV pushes this fallacy, but they're Republicans and Democrats, they're not conservatives and liberals...think about it...we need a 3rd and 4th and 5th party and we need to change the Republicans and Democrats to start doing what we want!!! They're doing what THEY want and enriching themselves in the process!!! The Republicans marginalize the real conservatives and the Democrats marginalize the real liberals."
BD: As far as I'm concerned, "tort reform" that Republicans push to (supposedly) lower health care costs is exactly another thing they claim to be against: BIG GOVERNMENT! Tort reform would be one branch of the "big government" putting a cap on suing doctors and hospitals for malpractice, which would be "big government" suppressing a jury of your peers hearing your case and deciding the damages. Don't you love the way Republicans are for BIG GOVERNMENT when it suits their needs and they want an artifical CAP on the "FREE MARKET" of a jury or your peers deciding something? Apparently, "Let the market decide" doesn't mean the same to Republicans as "Let a jury of your peers decide" when it comes to malpractice suits. And you won't see Republicans proposing a tort reform-like CAP on outrageous premium prices of health insurance companies anytime soon, because Republicans consistently come down on the side of the health insurance companies and against YOU! Keep in mind they're also screaming about the government CAPPING CEO's pay. How about this deal: we'll take "tort reform" caps on medical lawsuits, if you ALSO put a cap on health insurance premiums. I propose no family pay more than $250/month for excellent health insurance. Would you go for that, Republicans? I thought so! You're only in favor of CAPS on the little people, not the big health care industry. Republicans must also be for the minimum wage, a CAP on how low you can get paid. WHOOPS! They're against that CAP! They're only for CAPS that hurt the little guy! Next time a Republican tells you they're for "tort reform" CAPS (they don't like to use the word "CAP" in this case, even though it is), say: "Oh! You must also be for the minimum wage cap and for putting forth legislation capping health insurance premiums, too, right??? And you're FOR capping CEO's pay, right? Or are you only for CAPS that help corporations?"
If you're a 66-year-old Republican and you want to fuck strippers in a cemetery on Viagara, fine! That's your business! But don't say you're the "Family Values Party" or the "Party of God" and bullshit like that! I consider myself more on the liberal leaning side, and I wouldn't do that! Well, the Viagara part I wouldn't do because I don't have health care coverage. Now that I think about it, I bet his government health care plan paid for the Viagara! GODDAMMIT!!!!!!! (video 2 - Hannity's Freudian slip about health care)
The height of arrogance by health insurance companies: Blue Cross of North Carolina sends letters to their customers urging them to oppose health care reform...AND THEN JACKS THEIR RATES UP BY 11% !!!!!!!!! They should've just sent them a letter saying: "Please protest for us to let us keep SCREWING you!!!"
When the Tea Partiers are actually interviewed and not just "shown" on TV, they DON'T know what they're talking about and they DON'T have their facts straight and they're being made fools of by corporate astroturf groups and rightwing media like FOX "news" and Rush Limbaugh who have them protesting against THEIR OWN INTERESTS. They need to turn their energies on these people and focus in the right direction:
FOX "news" and the GOP's witch hunt against ACORN:
FOX News is on a witch hunt, aimed at destroying the Obama administration and the progressive movement. Theyve already succeeded in pushing Van Jones out of the White House and badgered Congress into passing an unconstitutional bill to defund ACORN. Glenn Beck actually keeps an enemies list on a blackboard that's a regular part of his show. ACORN is just the beginning. FOX has an enemies list, and they're going to keep destroying progressive champions until we stop them. Tell your Congressperson: If you vote to extend the Defund ACORN Act, you're just assisting FOX in their anti-American witch hunt.
This is why our troops are getting killed over in Afghanistan? To run drugs for the Bush family? In case you haven't noticed, our military clearly has orders to "lay off" the massive Afghanistan opium trade! And poppy Bush was the head of the CIA way back when...
Iran, and the proven LIES of pro-Israeli CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, & FOX, and the U.S. government (both parties):
Cliff Lee completely baffles the Yankees in Game-1 of the World Series, pitching a masterpiece for the ages and doing what no other pitcher has done in the new Yankee stadium: pitch a complete game/no earned runs against the Yankees.
Now, if you had to guess what party and where a congressman is from, who introduces a bill to PRIVATIZE MEDICARE in the midst of this health care debate, you'd GUESS he was a REPUBLICAN from either: South Carolina, Mississippi, or Georgia...right? How come you'd be 100% correct with that guess? Can someone PLEASE see if Broun got kickbacks from the health care industry for this, or how much campaign contributions he got from the health care industry?
Georgia Republican congressman Paul Broun...needs electronic voting machines to get in office. I guess Joe "YOU LIE" Wilson from South Carolina has passed the "dumbass southern congressman" baton to Broun. Broun got it from South Carolina governor Mark "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" Sanford. Too bad the South didn't win the Civil War, and we were two separate countries.
Ironically, this video making the rounds last week was Democrat Alan Grayson grilling Know-Nothing Broun on that "piece of paper" called the Constitution, which Broun seems to Know Nothing about:
GRITtv: The F Word: Activist Victory on Public Option - the fight's not over, but for now, go ahead and pat yourself on the back.
Jon Stewart - John McCain's bill to STOP Net Neutrality: kind of like inventing a new car pool lane on the internet, but instead of high occupancy vehicles, only rich assholes can drive on it! John McCain introduces a bill to give control of the internet to his telecom and cable campaign financers and STOP Net Neutrality (Net Neutrality means everyones' speed is equal on the internet...hmmm...who would be against that?)...and calls it the "Internet Freedom Act"! The FREEDOM for McCain's telecom and cable donors to control the internet! THEN...the Republicans go on a TV Tour saying the opposite: McCain's bill will STOP GOVERNMENT FROM CONTROLLING THE INTERNET! Which is the exact opposite! The government will REGULATE the internet and make sure EVERYONE GOES AT THE SAME SPEED, regardless whether you're Google or Big Dan's Big Blog! Or YOUR blog! John McCain is a corrupt LIAR!
Net Neutrality - Free and open internet FOR ALL - John McCain, his telecom and cable donors, and the Republicans are trying to stop it:
Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, is accusing Israel of deliberately denying Palestinians fair access to water. But the Israeli government has called Amnesty's report "preposterous," and says Palestinians have failed to develop their own water infrastructure. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports on how Israeli rules make life difficult for Palestinians.
The absence of a civilized healthcare system in the United States, almost alone among wealthy nations, results in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths every year. But if something is to be done soon to save lives it is not going to be done in Washington, D.C. It is going to be done in Sacramento, Harrisburg, Columbus, Springfield, Augusta, Denver...
Washington Post editors accidentally/arrogantly reveal what they (the elites' corporate-owned media) and the beltway elite politicians believe: dropping bombs on, controlling and occupying Afghanistan -- all while simultaneously ensuring "effective governance, economic development, education, the elimination of corruption, the protection of women's rights" to Afghan citizens in Afghanistan -- is an absolutely vital necessity that must be done no matter the cost. But providing basic services (such as health care) to American citizens, in the U.S., is a secondary priority at best, something totally unnecessary that should wait for a few years or a couple decades until we can afford it and until our various wars are finished, if that ever happens.
We're giving $1.5 BILLION to Pakistan, but we can't "find" the money for health care for Americans...who is our government serving? Is it OK with YOU, that we're giving $1.5 BILLION to Pakistan, and billions to Israel and Israel has national health care???
BD: Why aren't anti-abortionists on the streets protesting FOR health care for all? Young American couples nowadays are not having children because it's too expensive! There would be less abortions if everyone had health care! Factor in the cost of child care with both parents working, too. In this day and age in America, no young couple in their right minds would have a baby! I don't blame them! Is anyone talking about or addressing this issue? Do you have a million dollars to have a baby and then send it to college someday? Absolutely NOT! The way America is set up now, it's causing young couples to think of a baby in terms of DEBT! I have two kids in their early 20's, and they're up to their eyeballs in medical and college debt and have no intention whatsoever of having children someday. Mission Accomplished - is everyone happy about this? Congratulations, America!!!
Anti-abortionists having auction to raise money for those who murder abortion doctors:
The shocking transfer of public wealth to Wall Street's pockets is illustrated vividly in Mark Ames' article below, which covers some very disturbing recent events in Alabama, where billionaires and banks are squeezing the locals so hard that they're literally going bankrupt just for flushing their toilets, where violence and the threat of violence are reaching a boiling point and where even the Posse Comitatus Act is under threat. "We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity and opportunity for all," said one Goldman Sachs vice-chairman recently. Well, here's a tale of the kind of inequality the finance industry expects citizens to tolerate.
Anti-War demonstration in England led by British soldier; Brings London to a standstill
For once an anti-war war demonstration got widespread coverage across the mainstream media. Stop the War's Bring the Troops Home demonstration on Saturday 24 October 2009 was led by Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, the first serving soldier in the British army to join an anti-war march.
Claiming "I have had this happen to me," Limbaugh says he doesn't care if thesis quotes are fake, "I know Obama thinks it"
The American Idiot
NEPA
BDBB Funny Flashback December 2007 - local NEPA news: Backup Grump indicted on sex charges (actually, THIS story is TRUE...the next story about the police lineup, I made up...). What made me laugh about the original true story, was the seriousness of the papers saying things like "the defunct Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Baron's backup Grump mascot faces sex charges"...etc... I began to imagine things like: "Starting Grump has press release stating he's not the sexual deviant, it's the BACKUP GRUMP!!!", and then the 3rd-string backup Grump saying it's not him, etc...and then a lineup with famous mascots and a priest in it. And does anyone see the humor in a picture of the Grump in the papers on sex charges? And having a picture of the Grump instead of the actual guy under the costume, as if the Grump actually exists? Instead of a picture of the Grump in the papers with a headline: "Backup Grump charged with sex crimes"...shouldn't they have had a picture of the real guy with his name and it's irrelevant that he's the "backup Grump"...or at least it's secondary to the story. The picture in the paper could be anyone in that Grump costume, in fact it could be empty! Was the Grump in his costume when he performed the sex acts? If he was, that opens up a whole new array of questions, like how did he do that? Was he handcuffed "in costume"? How did he fit in the police car and where did they get handcuffs that big? I mean, these are important questions that weren't addressed by the media! Although the backup Grump sex scandal doesn't approach the level of the ongoing federal probe into Luzerne County corruption, it remains to this day a dark period for NEPA sports mascots and priests that they are still trying to dig out of...
WHO is bankrolling LizDick Cheney's "Keep America Safe" grassroots (wink wink) astroturf group? When you're the Torturer's Daughter, I guess you have a privileged "inside" on being on TV all the time (nepotism). Relax! All in the family LizDick Cheney is "Keeping America Safe"..........just like Dick Cheney kept us safe on 9/11...
Finance: Dylan Ratigan - politicians & banksters stole all our money; Max Keiser with guest former Reagan administration official Dr. Paul Craig Roberts:
Someone please check out McCain's campaign contributors and see who's benefitting from his "Internet Freedom Act", it's obvious he doesn't like neutrality and if it's not neutral, it will benefit his campaign contributors...not us! The man has no shame, and check out how he voted on rape below and won't comment on his vote when asked...put this "maverick" out to pasture, please! He does NOT have your interest and he's an embarrassment! The internet is fine just the way it is, anyone who's proposing something is trying to destroy it!
Once again, McCain/Republicans want to give it to EVERYONE up the the ass!!! And that means YOU, too, rightwingers/conservatives/Tea Baggers!!! McCain must be dying or something, he's totally off-the-charts, on a corporate blowjob rampage and standing firmly against the American people. Politicians like McCain so ARROGANT and OPEN about screwing ALL AMERICANS on behalf of corporations, I can't even believe it!!! Republicans are going to paint net neutrality as Marxism, government control, etc...ANYTHING THEY CAN! They're not telling you the part where Net Neutrality has gone through several administrations and is bi-partisan FOR ALL AMERICANS! McCain, of course, puts the word "FREEDOM" in it: the "Internet Freedom Act". See: The Patriot Act, The Clean Skies Act, etc...etc...etc...Snake Oil Salesmen! Spray some perfume on the SHIT and sell it to us. What's McCain's kickback on this one? John McKickback. McCain forgot ONE thing: to say "The Terrorists and Ahmadinejad want Net Neutrality, so you're FOR the terrorists if you're for net neutrality"! To put it another way: McCain and the Republicans want corporations to control the internet as they see fit. We know how that will turn out - see "the financial crisis" and where de-regulation and letting corporations roam free got us! There's a difference between government REGULATING something and CONTROLLING something. McCain wants you to think the government is CONTROLLING the internet with Net Neutrality, not REGULATING it so corporations don't destroy what we now have...and love! McCain will be taking a dirt nap by the time his bill devastates the rest of us. Am I stretching by predicting: FOX "news" will start a bunch of anti-Net Neutrality stories???
Net Neutrality
We need to keep the Internet free, open and neutral. Network Neutrality is vital to ensuring that everyone can connect and share content freely, that we can access the information, visit the Web sites and say what we want online, free from discrimination or interference.
The big phone and cable companies that control access to the Internet for most Americans want to get rid of Net Neutrality, the rule that prevents them from discriminating against online content. They want to become the Internet's gatekeepers, deciding which sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all — based on who pays them the most.
We can't allow the information superhighway to become the phone and cable companies' private toll road. If they get their way, the Internet as we know it — as a democratic platform for free speech and innovation — will disappear.
...and then read THIS, and realize what McCain is doing. The Republican Party stands firmly against the American people, and the Democrats are well on their way to joining them.
Google is one of the strongest proponents of net neutrality, and there's no way in hell that company would support a policy that placed content regulations on their business. But who is actually censoring our communications networks? Verizon, for one, which refused to allow a text message from NARAL to be sent to their members, citing its 'unsavory' and controversial nature. AT&T, for another, which censored a web-casted Pearl Jam concert when the lead singer shouted out anti-Bush statements. And Comcast, which not only was caught illegally blocking file sharing by its customers, but has a history of blocking political ads on its cable service that criticize politicians company executives have given money to.
And lo and behold, these are the same companies that are seeking a McCain Presidency, as Amanda Terkel notes in her piece on McCain's tech policy.
The current campaign cycle is also shaping up to be lucrative. U.S. Telecom Association president and CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr., Sprint CEO Daniel R. Hesse, and Verizon chairman and CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg have each raised between $50,000 and $100,000 for McCain's campaign. AT&T executive vice president for federal relations Timothy McKone has raised at least $500,000.
Ed Schultz (MSNBC): Right now, the public option for health care is to join the military. Ed tells the story of a 39 year old husband who joined the military solely to get health care coverage for his wife's chemotherapy (cancer):
