What Do These Famous People Have in Common?
Elie Weisel, Kevin Bacon, Steven Spielberg, Sandy Koufax, Larry King, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Elliot Spitzer and John Malkovich.
(The answer will be in the next posting.)
Jack Lippman
Hssssssssspendingisssssssbad! Sssssssoaretaxesssssssssss!
An Asp like this bit Cleopatra and today, its venom has infected the G.O.P
And that is why the very, very, very wealthy contribute enormous amounts of money to the Republican Party and organizations devoted to furthering its ASP agenda.
Florida's own Koch Brothers are an example of this, and with that in mind, I include a recent column by Stephen Goldstein from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. It is indeed an eye-opener.
Wha'd'ya Listen To?
Mostly taken from Wikipedia, and primarily based on Arbitron statistics, these are the ten most listened to radio programs in the United States today. While I am not surprised by the presence of conservative talk radio shows on the list, I am glad to see that a goodly number of people are listening to National Public Radio programming as well.
Rush Limbaugh
Elie Weisel, Kevin Bacon, Steven Spielberg, Sandy Koufax, Larry King, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Elliot Spitzer and John Malkovich.
(The answer will be in the next posting.)
Jack Lippman
"Offsets," the Koch Brothers and the "ASP" Party !
A
few postings back, I nicknamed the G.O.P. the “ASP” Party, that acronym
standing for “Anti-Spending Party” and I went on to explain that this
opposition to spending was based on an aversion to any new taxes. Such new taxes would strike at many of those who
support the Party primarily because they consider it to be a better guardian of
their wealth than the Democrats.
So
when something so deserving of passage as the extension of unemployment
benefits comes on to the floor of Congress, something that was left out of the
budget compromise achieved late in 2013, the G.O.P has to find a way of
supporting it, but without any additional spending. Even Republicans cannot ignore the suffering
among the unemployed the cessation of benefits causes. Their support, however,
comes with a demand for cuts elsewhere to “offset” the spending and any
potential new taxes which might be needed to fund an extension of unemployment
benefits.
They
do not consider that the cuts necessary to find these “offsets” might actually create
additional unemployment and bring about new problems in the area from which
they came. They just want to avoid any
new taxes. That’s the bottom line for
the ASP Party. It always is.
Hssssssssspendingisssssssbad! Sssssssoaretaxesssssssssss!An Asp like this bit Cleopatra and today, its venom has infected the G.O.P
And that is why the very, very, very wealthy contribute enormous amounts of money to the Republican Party and organizations devoted to furthering its ASP agenda.
Florida's own Koch Brothers are an example of this, and with that in mind, I include a recent column by Stephen Goldstein from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. It is indeed an eye-opener.
2014 – A
Pivotal Year For the Kochs, a pivotal
r for
By Stephen L. Goldstein
January 5, 2014
What do toilet
paper and Florida have in common? The billionaire Koch Brothers. In addition to
hardcore businesses like chemicals and oil, Koch Industries peddles a wide
variety of consumer products like Angel Soft. In addition to any number of
states around the country, the brothers "own" the Sunshine State.
Funding shills from the shadows, they push an aggressive, corporate legislative
agenda. For them, elections are buying opportunities, the chance to rebrand the
nation in their single-ply image. The Florida Legislature
is riddled with elected officials eager to do the bidding of ALEC — and the
Kochs behind it.
In 2010, the
Kochs gave $100,000 to Protect Your Vote, a Florida group, to fight
Constitutional Amendments 5 and 6 that aimed to stop the gerrymandering of districts.
In spite of their bucks, the amendments passed. But they're also behind Voter
ID bills authored by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to keep
people from voting.
Americans for Prosperity,
a Koch-backed "grassroots," tea-party group has been behind
eliminating Florida's already-low corporate tax. Yet, in 2011, not even 2
percent of Florida businesses paid any income tax. And, in one of the most
egregious attacks on representative government and the independence of judges,
in 2012, Americans for Prosperity tried to unseat three members of the Florida
Supreme Court, so Gov. Scott could replace them with radical conservatives.
They failed. But with four potential vacancies on the court for the next
governor to fill, expect the Kochs to pour millions into Florida to engineer
Scott's re-election so they can seed the court with corporate lackeys.
But that's just
the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In a chilling, new report, "Lawmaking
under the Influence of Very Special Interests," Progress Florida and the
Center for Media and Democracy identify the James Madison Institute (JMI) and
the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) in Florida as "cogs in
the State Policy Network, a Koch-funded, ALEC-allied network of groups that
push a cookie-cutter agenda in statehouses across the country." Here are
some of its key findings:
JMI "has
received more than $1 million from Koch-funded organizations, and has
consistently advocated for policies that protect the Kochs' bottom line rather
than the best interests of Floridians." JMI, FGA and ALEC have been behind
attacks on health care expansion, despite Florida's having the nation's
second-highest percentage of uninsured residents. They are also behind
"numerous other attacks on workers and the middle class, including efforts
to block minimum wage increases and deny critical employment benefits such as
earned sick time."
2014 is a
make-it-or-break-it year for the Kochs, JMI, FGA, ALEC and whatever new,
cozy-sounding names and acronyms they concoct to hide the fact that they're out
to take over the country. Somewhere, some Koch-financed group is plotting — and
laughing at how easy it is to get most Americans to vote against their own
self-interest. With tragic consequences, some people who've made a few bucks
regurgitate the garbage of the mega-rich, fantasizing they are one of them and
that they're accepted members of the club.
Well, it's up
to each and every one of us to show them that this isn't a one-ply or two-ply
country; it is non-compliant. "We the People" are better than toilet
paper, especially if it's Angel Soft. Florida is, too. The Kochs are not. It's
time to flush them down the drain, or roll over for them and lament the reason
why. I can't imagine anyone thinks we have a choice.
* * * * *
David and Charles Koch, whose last name is pronounced like the drink, COKE, and not like the last name of a former New York City mayor.
* * * * *
David and Charles Koch, whose last name is pronounced like the drink, COKE, and not like the last name of a former New York City mayor.
Well, he certainly said a mouthful. Do you disagree? If so, submit your thoughts to this blog. They
will be included. (By the way, I just can't wait for someone to
explain to me how ending unemployment benefits is the best way to
motivate an unemployed person to get a job, as if they weren't trying to
do exactly that all along, or how an increase in the wealth of the Koch
brothers will provide more money to "trickle down" to everyone else.)
And finally, for those of you who aren't aware of them, ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council, the infamous group which prepares and packages cookie-cutter tea party type laws (tighter voting hours, curtailed abortion rights laws, anti-gun control laws, laws weakening public schools, corporate tax reductions, etc.) and provides them with a red, white and blue ribbon to G.O.P legislators in State Houses throughout the nation. I rank them with Al Qaeada and the NRA as among the great dangers to America democracy today! And of course, the Koch brothers have been funding ALEC with millions of dollars over the past few decades. The Sun-Sentinel columnist got it right. Amen!
And finally, for those of you who aren't aware of them, ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council, the infamous group which prepares and packages cookie-cutter tea party type laws (tighter voting hours, curtailed abortion rights laws, anti-gun control laws, laws weakening public schools, corporate tax reductions, etc.) and provides them with a red, white and blue ribbon to G.O.P legislators in State Houses throughout the nation. I rank them with Al Qaeada and the NRA as among the great dangers to America democracy today! And of course, the Koch brothers have been funding ALEC with millions of dollars over the past few decades. The Sun-Sentinel columnist got it right. Amen!
JL (highlighting added by me)
Out on a Limb with
a Super Bowl Prediction
Who
will win the Super Bowl? With eight
teams in the playoffs at this time (Denver, San Diego, New England and
Indianapolis in the AFC and Seattle, San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans in
the NFC), I will go out on a limb and pick the AFC Denver Broncos to win in the
final game, defeating whatever team wins in the NFC. I base this prediction on one factor only,
the season-long success of their offensive line in giving their quarterback plenty
of time and creating openings for their running backs as well. All eight teams have potentially explosive
passers, receivers and running backs and solid defenses as well, but a dominant
offensive line, which Denver has, trumps these factors.
Peyton Manning, Bronco Quarterback
JL
THE HEARING
A short story by Harvey Sage
The tubes snaked around
her like spaghetti, pulsating to the rhythm of the life support machines. Anna
Jonsen lay there, oblivious to the five people who encircled the hospital bed.
Dr. Dole spoke in a sad voice. “It breaks my heart to say this Mrs. Jonsen, but
the monitors don’t lie. Just look at the green lines. No movement. No life.
Your daughter Anna is brain dead.” The Jonsens held each other, their tears
sprouting as a soft mist. The evidence weighed heavily against their hopes.
They still had faith, faith that stood against scientific evidence. That faith
had brought them to this hearing. But still….
“But doctor , how
can this be? Anna came here last week for a simple procedure. They told us it
would be a routine, non-invasive operation. She should be home now, up and
about, fully recuperated.” Mrs. Jonsen spoke with a broken voice filled with
grief and disbelief. “How can this be?” she repeated herself, sounding like an
echo in a large cave.
Hobart Smith, the lawyer
for The Children’s Hospital, interjected a sour note. “I think it’s obvious
that we’re wasting time here. We must face reality. Unfortunately Anna has met
with a tragic situation. We met here to ascertain whether or not there is hope.
I think Dr. Dole has answered that for us.” He turned his oily head to Judge
Rothstein, his eyes riveted on him in fixation. “What happened to Anna was an
unfortunate medical accident. My client, The Children’s Hospital, is willing to
admit their culpability and will offer a cash settlement to the Jonsens. What
we need is that Anna be declared legally dead so that we can remove her from
this wasteful and costly life support. Every day she lays here is costing us a
hundred thousand dollars. That is crazy your honor.”
Mr. Jonsen glared at him.
“Money! Is that all you can think of? My daughter should be home recuperating
from routine surgery, not lying here waiting for you to pronounce her dead.”
Holding his wife in a loving squeeze he softly prayed. “Oh my God, You created
the universe by Your word. Certainly You can restore this child back to health
and well being. Help us Lord, please!”
Smith looked at Dr. Dole.
They exchanged glances. Dole understood how the Jonsens were hoping against
reason for a restoration of their daughter’s life. He shook his head. In his
years as a doctor he’d never seen such a recovery. Medically it didn’t make
sense.
The silver haired judge
stood silently, bowed in thought. Judge Rothstein felt as King Solomon must
have when he had to decide which of two women was the rightful mother of a
disputed child. By ordering that the child be split in two so that each women
would get half he forced the rightful mother to scream for the child’s safety,
thus proving that she was the true parent. Oh if only such a decision could
present itself to him now.
The judge felt sympathy
for the Jonsens, but he also had to be practical. Dead is dead, and no matter
how much love and prayer surrounded Anna she was officially brain dead. And he
was the one who had to declare her as such, the man who had to assign her to a
grave. Of course there was always the belief in resurrection. This was a
religious belief that some professed. Not so Judge Rothstein.
He was aware of the faith
of the Jonsens. So when he spoke he tried to be a gentle as possible. “Dear
parents, I am aware of your love for your daughter. Like you I wish she were
alive, that there was a chance, a sliver of evidence to support hope for Anna.
Alas, there is none. Unless you can point to incontrovertible proof of her being
alive I must find for the hospital and declare that she be removed from life
support.”
“Your honor, I feel you
are ignoring something. What about the possibility of a miracle. Science
doesn’t know all the answers.”
“No Mr. Jonsen, science
doesn’t. We still don’t know how the universe was formed or how life came
about. However at this juncture we must adhere to what we can see. The
observable evidence is clear. It breaks my heart but I see no other choice.”
The doctor and the lawyer
started to leave. The Jonsens went to Anna, stroked her cool brow with as much
love as they cold muster. Mrs. Jonsen looked up and asked God for a miracle, a
sign, anything that would save Anna’s life. “Speak the word Lord as you have in
the past. Near death experiences are evidence that gives us cause to hope. Help
us Lord, please. Do so, not only for our sake but for the sake of your Name so
that all will come to realize Your power.” Then, along with her husband and the
judge she started to leave.
As the three approached
the ICU door they felt a blast of cold air which struck them as weird since
there was no window or air conditioning vent to emit it. It stopped them in
their tracts as it continued on causing the bedclothes to twirl. The monitor
near Anna began to emit flashes of green light in a series of tell tale pulses.
Perplexed, the three stood transfixed as the doctor came back into the room
with lawyer Smith. “How can this be?” Dr. Dole asked as the monitor lines,
suddenly energized, moved up and down. “Her brain is supposed to be dead.”
The five of them heard a
moaning from where Anna lay and then heard her voice say “Momma.”
Wha'd'ya Listen To?
Mostly taken from Wikipedia, and primarily based on Arbitron statistics, these are the ten most listened to radio programs in the United States today. While I am not surprised by the presence of conservative talk radio shows on the list, I am glad to see that a goodly number of people are listening to National Public Radio programming as well.
 |
|---|
| Program | Format | Daypart | WeeklyListeners in Millions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rush Limbaugh Show | Conservative talk | Midday | 14+ | ||||||
| The Sean Hannity Show | Conservative talk | East Coast PM Drive | 13.25+ | ||||||
| Morning Edition | Public news | AM Drive | 12.3 | ||||||
| All Things Considered | Public news/talk | PM Drive | 11.8 | ||||||
| Marketplace | Public news | PM Drive | 9+ | ||||||
| Delilah | Adult contemporary | Evenings | 8+ | ||||||
| The Dave Ramsey Show | Financial talk | Midday | 7.75+ | ||||||
| Glenn Beck Program | Conservative talk | West Coast AM Drive | 7.5+ | ||||||
| The Mark Levin Show | Conservative Talk | West Coast PM Drive | 7.5 | ||||||
| Fresh Air | Public news/talk | Midday | 4.5 | ||||||
Back
in 1955, things were quite different though. These are the ten most
listened to radio programs
as reported by the A.C.Neilsen organization in that year. My, my, how
things have changed. How many of them do YOU remember? If you recall
more than half of them, you probably are an AARP member.
 Jack Benny
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|
