Paul Krugman
Joe Nocera
Leslie Bennetts
Well, the world didn't end over the weekend, the earth kept on spinning along... Instead of the Rapture, we got the Rupture - of Harold Camping's church. The tragedy comes from the people who truly believed in Harold Camping's prophecy, and gave up their jobs, sold their houses, to buy billboards and buy ads to spread the word. They gathered up their kids and drove around the country, spreading the apocalyptic gospel. Now they must face their chagrin and humiliation, and re-examine what led them down this awful path. As for Mr Camping, who has amassed over $72 million in donations and won't be refunding them any time soon, well, he just can't understand it. Maybe it will actually happen in October, his Plan B...
Instead, I watched tornados over the weekend. I grew up in earthquake country, and I'm used to tremors happening under my feet, no big deal. But tornados scare me, with how much energy is created, and how much devastation they can cause. So far, their have been over 200 tornados this season, which is not over. They have been setting down near cities and towns, destroying places like Joplin, MO in a matter of minutes, everything flattened and left twisted and splintered on the ground. We even had a smaller one set down where I live, and I thought that living so close to the Rocky Mountains would somehow deflect the winds that create tornados, but I am very mistaken.
It hasn't been a good past year, weatherwise. We've had record monsoons causing record flooding from Pakistan to China, an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and cause a meltdown in three nuclear reactors, and we've had these tornados in the US. Record heatwaves have caused severe drought from Russia on down to Northern Africa, while a huge snowfall will impact the Rocky Mountain region once the snows begin to melt... And it won't stop, the next few years will be just as erratic, with potentially even stronger storms, earthquakes, and tornados in our future.
I wrote several times how our world-wide net of humanitarian aid is stretched thin, and after the devastation in Haiti, we don't have the resources to meet the needs after such crisis. Haiti has received only 30% of the amount of money that was pledged, and it will be lucky if it receives anything more beyond excuses. Instead of military generals deciding where to employ and endanger citizens, now the administers of charities get to make decisions of who is going to get aid and live, and who will die...
It's too bad that FEMA doesn't have more clout, or even someone with vision. The Supreme Court has told the State of California it must reduce its prison population by at least 30,000 inmates. Why not send them to Alabama and Missouri and have them work as laborers cleaning up the debris after the tornados, and help to rebuild? For many, it would be a life-changing experience, and its a lot more constructive than picking up gum wrappers off the side of the road... Yes, I know there's a Cool Hand Luke reference in there, somewhere, I'm just too lazy today to bring it out...
I think what we are seeing globally, is the twilight of the dictators. And what is defeating them are their own people, who have gotten tired of their intimidating tactics and silly personal lives. Of course, the problems aren't just with these so-called royal families, the real danger is from their sycophants who have
used their proximity to the ruling families to amass great personal fortunes, and certainly don't want to see the golden calf taken away... But, history has a stronger calling, and if we are to progress as nations on this planet, we need to learn how to negotiate with one another as democratic peers. And when leaders stop shooting and killing their own citizens gathered in protest... In the Middle East, it really is a domino effect, and once a Qaddafi or Assad goes, so does the rest of the region, including Iran. That will leave Israel alone in the region, as the one country left who is being autocratic and not giving rights to a group living within its borders...
This trend is unfortunate for people like Newt Gingrich, who spent between $250 - 500,000 at Tiffany's on bling. What he actually did was buy his wife a tiara, so she could wear it when he put her on that pedestal at the end of the bed on nights when they were going to get frisky... Or else he could wear it and be King Newt For A Day...
Don't get me wrong, I love it that Newt is still in the race for the Republican nomination. Not a day goes by without him putting his foot in his mouth, proving all along what I have been saying about him, that he really is quite a stupid man. If Newt and Paul Ryan are all that passes for wise Republicans these days, then woe to the future of the GOP... Actually, it demonstrates how the right wing philosophy is such a fantasy, and separate from the real world. We make fun of them, but they really need medical help and therapy instead of being elected to Congress.
Joe Nocera
Leslie Bennetts
"A gay activist dumped glitter all over Newt Gingrich. He wants Newt to stop being against gay marriage. But Newt believes marriage is a sacred bond between a man and his wife and his mistress and the other woman he's seeing on the side." – Jay Leno
"President Obama suggested that Israel should go back to the pre-1967 borders. Native Americans said, "Why stop there? Let's go back to the pre-1492 borders."" – Jay Leno
"President Obama said Hillary Clinton is approaching one million frequent flier miles in her job as Secretary of State. Though even that can't get her upgraded to the seat she really wants." – Jimmy Fallon
"President Obama offered $1 billion to Egypt to boost the creation of new jobs. And if that works, they're going to try it here." – Jimmy Fallon
Well, the world didn't end over the weekend, the earth kept on spinning along... Instead of the Rapture, we got the Rupture - of Harold Camping's church. The tragedy comes from the people who truly believed in Harold Camping's prophecy, and gave up their jobs, sold their houses, to buy billboards and buy ads to spread the word. They gathered up their kids and drove around the country, spreading the apocalyptic gospel. Now they must face their chagrin and humiliation, and re-examine what led them down this awful path. As for Mr Camping, who has amassed over $72 million in donations and won't be refunding them any time soon, well, he just can't understand it. Maybe it will actually happen in October, his Plan B...
Instead, I watched tornados over the weekend. I grew up in earthquake country, and I'm used to tremors happening under my feet, no big deal. But tornados scare me, with how much energy is created, and how much devastation they can cause. So far, their have been over 200 tornados this season, which is not over. They have been setting down near cities and towns, destroying places like Joplin, MO in a matter of minutes, everything flattened and left twisted and splintered on the ground. We even had a smaller one set down where I live, and I thought that living so close to the Rocky Mountains would somehow deflect the winds that create tornados, but I am very mistaken.
It hasn't been a good past year, weatherwise. We've had record monsoons causing record flooding from Pakistan to China, an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and cause a meltdown in three nuclear reactors, and we've had these tornados in the US. Record heatwaves have caused severe drought from Russia on down to Northern Africa, while a huge snowfall will impact the Rocky Mountain region once the snows begin to melt... And it won't stop, the next few years will be just as erratic, with potentially even stronger storms, earthquakes, and tornados in our future.
I wrote several times how our world-wide net of humanitarian aid is stretched thin, and after the devastation in Haiti, we don't have the resources to meet the needs after such crisis. Haiti has received only 30% of the amount of money that was pledged, and it will be lucky if it receives anything more beyond excuses. Instead of military generals deciding where to employ and endanger citizens, now the administers of charities get to make decisions of who is going to get aid and live, and who will die...
It's too bad that FEMA doesn't have more clout, or even someone with vision. The Supreme Court has told the State of California it must reduce its prison population by at least 30,000 inmates. Why not send them to Alabama and Missouri and have them work as laborers cleaning up the debris after the tornados, and help to rebuild? For many, it would be a life-changing experience, and its a lot more constructive than picking up gum wrappers off the side of the road... Yes, I know there's a Cool Hand Luke reference in there, somewhere, I'm just too lazy today to bring it out...
used their proximity to the ruling families to amass great personal fortunes, and certainly don't want to see the golden calf taken away... But, history has a stronger calling, and if we are to progress as nations on this planet, we need to learn how to negotiate with one another as democratic peers. And when leaders stop shooting and killing their own citizens gathered in protest... In the Middle East, it really is a domino effect, and once a Qaddafi or Assad goes, so does the rest of the region, including Iran. That will leave Israel alone in the region, as the one country left who is being autocratic and not giving rights to a group living within its borders...
Don't get me wrong, I love it that Newt is still in the race for the Republican nomination. Not a day goes by without him putting his foot in his mouth, proving all along what I have been saying about him, that he really is quite a stupid man. If Newt and Paul Ryan are all that passes for wise Republicans these days, then woe to the future of the GOP... Actually, it demonstrates how the right wing philosophy is such a fantasy, and separate from the real world. We make fun of them, but they really need medical help and therapy instead of being elected to Congress.
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