MLKvBeck828: When we left Twitter (yes, yes, we did! - we deactivated our account which makes it even more difficult to rejoin!), the one "trending topic" that we contributed to might have been the DC Rally planned by Glenn Beck (and his one follower?) for August 28, 2010 (Which is a Saturday, by the way...). The hashtag for the topic/event became the now-infamous #MLKvBeck828 topic.
It was unfortunate that this date was chosen by Mr. Beck and his one lone supporter (?) for the date of his rally as it coincides with the date of the late, great Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. (Yes, even though this is a link to the Wikipedia page we urge you to visit it for its great External Links to the YouTube National Archives records of the march itself.) Many tweeters - including ourselves, who view Mr. King as a prophet - saw this coincidence as an affront to the great man himself (Mr. King ~ not Mr. Beck) - perhaps even a racist affront.
Apropos to the times, we tweeted some suggestions for preparing for The Rally, as well as making preparations for the G20 Protests which were happening in Toronto at the time. Because some of our tweeps (Twitter friends) might still be planning to protest or counter-protest the 8/28 "event", we think some of the same preparations and precautions may be in order. We will present some of those below. Why? Well, for one thing, the event does coincide with the day of the March on Washington of '63 - we expect many Americans to be insulted and will show up to express their outrage perhaps.
You may need some of the following items if you are a protestor or counter-protestor:
1) Handcuff Key Please note: We do not approve, authorize nor endorse the use of these devices if you are under formal arrest by the police. Once arrested YOU ARE OUT OF THE GAME. However, the possession of the key does not imply resistance of arrest. You should make it clear that it is for your own personal protection. USE THE KEY ONLY IF YOU OR OTHERS ARE IN CLEAR OR IMMINENT PHYSICAL DANGER. Fair use of the key is constituted if you are taken against your will by unauthorized persons or personnel.
2) Nylon Tie Cutter Once again Please note: We do not approve, authorize nor endorse the use of these devices if you are under formal arrest by the police. Once arrested YOU ARE OUT OF THE GAME. However, the possession of the cutter does not imply resistance of arrest. You should make it clear that it is for your own personal protection. USE THE CUTTER ONLY IF YOU OR OTHERS ARE IN CLEAR OR IMMINENT PHYSICAL DANGER. Fair use of the cutter is constituted if you are taken against your will by unauthorized persons or personnel.
Remember: Resisting arrest is a crime.
3) Spyderco Knife Once again Please note: We do not approve, authorize nor endorse the use of these devices if you are under formal arrest by the police. Once arrested YOU ARE OUT OF THE GAME. However, the possession of the knife does not imply resistance of arrest. You should make it clear that it is for your own personal protection. USE THE KNIFE ONLY IF YOU OR OTHERS ARE IN CLEAR OR IMMINENT PHYSICAL DANGER. Fair use of the KNIFE is constituted if you are taken against your will by unauthorized persons or personnel.
IF ARRESTED YOU MUST BE FAIR TO THE POLICE AND AUTHORITIES BY ALERTING THEM TO THE PRESENCE OF A KNIFE OR OTHER POTENTIAL/ WEAPONS ON YOUR PERSON. IT IS YOUR DUTY TO DO SO. If you do not commit to this clause, you may be sanctioned by your internet community.
One other potential use for the Spyderco knife is that they have been reported for the use of cutting through seat belts. This tool is also a potential life saver for persons trapped in a vehicle in a dangerous and life threatening situation.
4) Copy of the United States Constitution. Oh, we don't know, we just think it might be handy to have ~ or provide you with something to read if you should be in jail...
5) Gas Mask This should be obvious. You will need it if the authorities decide they need to toss those canisters! It will be worth having one just to see Mssrs. Beck and Palin having to don theirs - if they have one....It should be comical if Sarah and Glenn have to fight over who gets to wear the gas mask! That should really give Becky something to cry about! Also, an old remedy for tear gas is to urinate (we know, gross) on a handkerchief or other piece of cloth or linen. This should then be placed against the mouth and nasal openings to prevent the effects of the tear gas.
Speaking of which, the Sarah Palin DIY mask might make a great fashion statement at the Rally! Go team!
6) The Family Jewels You should consider having a cup just in case something should strike you in the groin - by accident or not. You too ladies!
7) Body Armor Might come in really handy should things get really ugly...Serio, babe.
8) Head and Facial Protection If you decide to wear a Redskins helmet, just tell everybody without one that you're a really big fan! But, seriously, you shold consider wearing a helmet.
9) Tear Gas or Mace: Might be illegal to have this on your person. Not Recommended! But, if you are in a jam, and without police protection, these could be lifesavers!
11) Baton For police personnel only, but like (9), might come in handy in a pinch... NOT TO BE USED AS AN OFFENSIVE WEAPON. INFORM THE POLICE IF YOU HAVE ONE ON YOUR PERSON AND YOU ARE ARRESTED!
12) Portable Police Radio Might come in handy if you have to alert them to a dangerous situation! Might also come in handy if you need to stay in contact with your group! Of course, you should not forget your cell phone this day!
13) Identification: You might not want to forget it this day! Think about Arizona...
14) NO FIREARMS! None at all! Do not carry at the Rally! Forbidden!
15) Safety Glasses or goggles Might come in handy, too.
That all said, we hope you found the links informative or at least entertaining.
While we are still on the subject of Glenn Beck, you should catch the BookTV program about Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance by Alexander Zaitchik. We found Mr. Zaitchik to be humorously petulant - even prickly - while discussing his book. But, who can blame him? He said that he had spent about a year wallowing in the "works" of Mr. Beck. We got the sense from him that he considers Mr. Beck to be a truly alarming and dangerous individual. Which causes us to warn you even further to carry some protective gear (mentioned above) should you be daring enough (or foolhardy enough?) to visit the Rally on 8/28/2010. The Q&A session with Mr. Zaitchik was very good - those are usually a crashing bore if you catch the wrong BookTV program - if you know what we mean... If we recall correctly, one of Mr. Zaitchik's main arguments is that Mr. Beck does not need Fox News for the increase and spread of his empire. Despite all the vaunted advertising losses and evacuations from his program, he still has a $30 Million or so empire. Apparently, Mr. Zaitchik does not see this stopping anytime soon. You can find out more about Mr. Zaitchik at his website. You might be able to find more at AlterNet.org. (You might also want to see Mr. Zaitchik's commentary against Twitter). Despite Mr. Zaitchik's attitude about Twitter and his apparent discomfort on BookTV, we think he is an important and rational voice and you might do well to heed him and his thoughts.
Oh! And there's more Beck news, see the Mother Jones Front Cover story in the July+August 2010 issue "The Golden Fleece - They Trusted Glenn Beck to Protect Their Nest Eggs. He's Laughing All The Way To The Bank" (page 24).
Please note: This posting appears almost simultaneously in our sister publication The Anti-Zen Dictionary.
Updated Again Wednesday, September 1, 2010: *** Updated Friday, July 30, 2010: With the economic report just received from the BBC today **, this blog posting seems worthy of a second review and a follow-up. Check this site later for more updates if possible.
We have been gone for a little while and we hadn't posted anything! ~ Sorry if you have missed us, but we haven't heard much from you either. Apart from having one of our 'tweets' read on the MSNBC CountdownTwitter Report of Friday, May 14, 2010 - we just haven't accomplished much. We're not even certain if they still do the Twitter Report - anyway we have deleted our twitter account - it was @georgek1029. Apologies if you were one of the 1500 or so that were following us.
Anyway! Our Senior Editor had a bit of a vision the other night - he usually does when we conspire to hit him over the head with a blunt instrument. It was like he could see this big fresh new book coming out. He could even see the title and the cover; "A Plan for the Global Economic Recovery". He could even see some very odd diagrams outlining steps and phases (not phrases) meant to outline just that.
The sad thing, we suppose, is that there appears to be no book nor plan with that title. Sure, a lot of excellent books* have been recently written and published about the Global Economic Crisis of 2007 - 2010. But nothing about a plan or a coordinated series of steps towards the Recovery. (What's also "refreshing" to hear is that the Wikipedia has laid the blame on the US Financial Markets for the liquidity crisis which created the global collapse of the markets - scandalous but guilty!).
Notably, the Obama-Dodd Finanical Reform Act 2010 should/will address some of those shortcomings. But, will it guide the overall economy back to the boisterous health that some many of us need and want? Yes, we're talking about you too, dedanna1029. We know, we know, there are some problems with the bill ~ isn't that right Lawrence?
Thankfully, the 111th Congress of the US has finally agreed to extend long-term UE benefits - again. Which seemed to be their bugbear - at least for most of the GOP - with whom some of us still have problems! Sorry to say! It's been said before, you don't turn off the fire hydrant when the house is burning down! Of course, you may as well turn off the hydrant when the house has burnt down...sorry to say...
But that's not enough ~ we need real prosperity and soon. It's probably one of the real true solutions to the current problems of unemployment. Yes, plural, problems. UE is not a problem in and of itself. We need to become educated as to how it is a problem, how it got to be that way and to get us poor and medium-income folks back to making money again! Forget rich! People are too busy just scraping by to survive. People don't want to be rich, they just need enough funds to pay the rent, utilities, finance the car, get medical treatment, pay their union dues, give gifts, buy postage...oh, and don't forget the grocery bill.
That is a BIG problem. We haven't seen food riots here in the USA. But, we have seen food security issues. Our senior editor's sick elderly father recently experienced a food security issue - this is not a nice issue for our sick and elderly to have to deal with. Even worse is the thought of having to go to their local market - and encountering a food riot in the process. Shades of Glenn Beck - we must be starting to sound like that mad *******. (Our google account provisions forbid us from expressing certain opinions here - and they are correct about that! We must agree!). By the way, you have got to see the latest "joke" Glenn Beck account on twitter at http://twitter.com/Glenn_Beck.
Hmmm, we seem to have wandered a bit from our original point. Our senior editor has had some further "revelations" about "A Plan for the Global Economic Recovery". These are some of his bullet points;
1) All systems are inequitable.
2) All economies are based on a "bubble market".
3) The inherent inequities of (1) help contribute to that bubble market of (2).
4) The crash of (2) and the time to the next crash is inversely proportional to the inequities of (1).
Well, that's about it for now. Our "mad" senior editor is developing his new economic theories (Re; the book ~ unless somebody else is writing it) at the time being. We will get back to you with further information.
Gidget Goes Rogue: (1) A suggested retitling of Ms. Palin's new book. Will the catchword 'b*tch*n' be replaced by "(You) Betcha'"?Or (2) That cheesey Newsweek magazine cover - is she going on a clambake or a Hobie-Cat? Are those deck shoes? Is that Andrew Zimmern in the background with a clam rake and tongs? In November?
We define it as "Gating" - in honor of Dr. Gates and with some reference to Gated Community. We're not even sure if Dr. Gates lives in a gated community. We hope he is thinking of moving to a location with more friendly neighbors. No, we don't think it a humorous term, not even slightly. We think it was/is a travesty and should be publicly and legally addressed. If anything, we do expect Dr. Gates to sue the Cambridge police department. Not so much for the money, but for justice. Justice for himself, justice for diversity and justice for everybody. Not so much to punish the officers involved, but to curtail the practice of 'racial profiling' and the like. We think it is a case he would - and should - win. If he doesn't want the money, he should consider donating it to his favorite charity, group, fund or otherwise. Perhaps, he doesn't think it is worth the time. We think it is. We would be more than happy to stand in for him in any potential lawsuit such as this one. Not that we could give him any legal representation, understand. Because? Because it is not a funny topic. One of our editors has had encountered similar brushes with the law. And it has cost him dearly. It has cost him his job. It has cost him his livelihood and income. And most all, it has cost him his position in society and his home. Yes, he has become homeless and poverty-stricken because of a similar situation with 'law enforcement'. We expect to see more such cases - and we have, in our locale. Why? In these hard economic times, isn't our community reducing its enforcement staff? Not yet, but we expect soon so. What our community does need is funding. Funding to continue to run a local government that is suspected of becoming corrupt and a worse, a police state. How, you may ask, do your fevered brains connect all of these events - or imaginings - into one theory or cohesive set of principles? As we've said before, it is our purpose to bring together all of these concepts and reports into one single, cohesive unit that can be discussed and, perhaps, be recognized as a new, hidden form of truth that you need to be aware of. You see, we believe a police state will bring stricter law enforcement - even if it is questionable as in the case of Dr. Gates. More law enforcement (not to mention the occasional judge or magistrate more than a little eager to adjudicate a case for more than legal principles) means more fines and more dollars for the community and their little courthouse and their staff - some of it through questionable means, some of it through any means necessary. This is why Dr. Gates and his case are so important - to all of us, not just those of diverse race and backgrounds. If social injustice is allowed to continue for the sake of money - for the sake of dollars for economically-troubled communities and their governments - then there is no 'government'. Only a wolf pack hungry for more funds during times on which to prey on the 'ethnically challenged'. The ethically-challenged is pitted against the ethnically-challenged. This is why we sincerely hope that he and his attorneys file a case. It is important to you and us. And it needs to be addressed out in the open, in public and in court and in congress. We should note that we have contacted our own Senators regarding our editor's similar situation. And they have failed to address us... Which is shocking, for the one has a reputation for always responding. We know, we know, some think our position is raving. Anyway, here are the links.
According to this story from The Consumerist, you could be arrested for rolling your eyes! This law may take action in Elmhurst, Illinois. We know that laws are taken to ridiculous extremes, particularly in places like Illinois! We know we might even run the risk of a law suit from them or Elmhurst for the mere commentary on the subject. Yes, you may roll your eyes while reading this.
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Senator Carl Levin Contacts Us Regarding the Economic Incentive Package
Dear ************,
As you may know, Congress is currently working on a stimulus package to give our economy a much-needed boost. Michigan needs this boost right now, and I am urging Congress and the President to act quickly on a bipartisan basis to pass this legislation. Although specific details of the stimulus package are still being negotiated, it is expected to include some form of tax rebate designed to put money in the hands of consumers who will spend it and fuel growth and jobs. Last week, House leadership and the president came to a tentative agreement on a stimulus package. That proposal is a good starting point; however, I hope the final package does more to help those who are particularly struggling, including seniors and those who have lost their jobs.While I fully support a stimulus package to address our short-term economic concerns, I believe it is even more critical, particularly to Michigan, that Congress take additional action to address our long-term economic challenges. This includes support to bolster American manufacturing by targeting federal spending on infrastructure, advanced technology and redevelopment projects that will create jobs. If you would like to read more about my plan to stimulate Michigan's economy, please click on the following link: [http://www.levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=291251].Sincerely,Carl Levin
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