Reverse Robin Hood

Sen. Bob Corker has been driving all over Tennessee giving a PowerPoint presentation about America's debt problem and his ideas to fix it.

In his snake oil plan, Corker says, everything is on the table and "we all must make sacrifices."**

**Except The Rich, like Corker.

Senator Bob favors extending the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent.

How does he plan to offset those tax breaks and balance the budget? By taking from Medicare and Social Security.

Take from the poor and give to the rich.

From News Channel 9 (http://m.newschannel9.com/news/senator-996155-bob-corker.html):

"Senator Corker said he believes the country has to act within three years or face catastrophic economic consequences. He said that means cutting federal spending from defense to social security and medicare.

"I don't think there's anything in our budgets that should be off the table," Senator Corker said.

But a number of people at Friday's town hall meeting said the middle class and elderly are being told to make the sacrifices while the wealthiest people get tax breaks.

"I think a lot of this will hit the middle class and elderly and my concern is the Republican Party has gone against the idea of taxing the wealthy," Roger Meyer said.

When talk about cutting so-called "entitlements" began some people walked out of the meeting while others applauded Frank Pate's comments.

"I'm 66 years old, worked all my life and I resent with great fervor the fact that I'm considered being a burden on the country in the name of entitlements," Pate said.

There was also opposition to extending tax cuts for the rich, which Senator Corker said he supports, even from people in the top 2% income bracket.

Lesbians Elicit Reactionary Response

A school district in Northern Mississippi has decided to call off prom.

Why? Because a lesbian wanted to bring a date to the senior dance.

In this instance it would have been appropriate to ask, "Am I comfortable with this intelligent, young woman going on The View and blasting the sorry state of tolerance and acceptance in Northern Mississippi?"

Joy Behar's eyes light up! Elizabeth Hasselbeck tries to figure out what's going on. And Whoopi grows eyebrows!

This is exactly the story line equation that gets the morning shows and radio pundits all fired up. The controversy is built in! And to top it off the school wrecks prom for EVERYONE!

As my friends in Germany would say: Über bingo!

And now they've made the national news. Countdown to The View appearance in 3, 2, 1...

Change IS Coming to the GOP

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="289" caption="Sen. Graham, quietly trying to save the GOP"][/caption]

It's not the kind of change the GOP grand poobahs had hoped for, but it's definitely change.

That is to say, young conservatives are not falling in line with party talking points, specifically on global warming, says Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina in an interview with Paul Krugman at the Gray Lady:

“I have been to enough college campuses to know if you are 30 or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It’s a value. These young people grew up with recycling and a sensitivity to the environment — and the world will be better off for it. They are not brainwashed. ... From a Republican point of view, we should buy into it and embrace it and not belittle them. You can have a genuine debate about the science of climate change, but when you say that those who believe it are buying a hoax and are wacky people you are putting at risk your party’s future with younger people.”

I've seen this coming for a while. Republicans sticking to their tired neocon talking points are driving away intelligent people — and worst of all true conservatives.

Global warming is just one example, but you could easily lump in here: health care reform, same-sex marriage and, probably, abortion. These are all losing issues for GOP candidates as time marches on and they stay firmly put in the past.

Luxembourg-Sized Ice Block Breaks Away From Antarctica

Because these unbelievable ice fractures are happening more and more regularly, the news of theses fissures is getting low-priority placement.

Even when it's nothing shy of incredible to think a chunk of ice the size of a European country is now floating in the oceans, it will probably take a Texas-sized hunk of snow to grab headlines nowadays.

That said, I'm pointing out this article for two reasons:

This particular block of frozen water, scientists suggest, might change the circulation patterns in oceans, which could ultimately really screw with weather. That's flipping crazy.

The other piece I took from this article was the chutzpah of the AFP. Read this sentence:

Both natural cycles and manmade climate change contribute to the collapse ice shelves and glaciers.

Kudos to the AFP for the word choice. Among researchers and scientists studying glaciers, there is no debate about manmade climate change. So that's how you write it.

The rest of the media needs to grow a pair and stop kowtowing to the politics of it all.

It's nice to see the AFP writing in a way that doesn't allow climate change to get hijacked by Swift Vote-style aspersions and pumped-up rhetoric.

Think Progress Highlights Tennessee GOPocrisy

George Flinn, a Republican running to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. John Tanner, has taken a liking to his national party's passion for hypocrisy.

Think Progress reports that Flinn attacks the Recovery Act, better known as the stimulus, on his campaign Web site.

Funny considering Flinn, who also does business consulting at YourAmericanDream.com, suggests entrepreneurs should get busy applying for — you guessed it — stimulus money!

Think Progress also points to the fact that Flinn, in his capacity as a Shelby County Commissioner, voted to accept $1.6 million in federal dollars tied directly to the stimulus.

Cell Phone & Popcorn. Yikes.

This is definitely not a video posted by AT&T or Verizon.


Cell Phones Pop Corn

A long while back when I was in high school and saw the impending cell phone invasion, I resisted.

I had several reasons: the seemingly most outlandish being my fear of contracting a brain tumor from cell phone radiation.

Cell phone industry players have come out hard suggesting this is a myth, and honestly, I don't know where the science stands on this.

But I watch this video and I worry. Not for the corn which will burst into light, white fluffiness, but for my already fluffy brain. I would really prefer it didn't burst.

And from a business perspective, this is not the kind of video you want to see "go viral" if you sit in a corner office in a building that says SPRINT across the side.

If this video continues to spread, I wonder if we'll see a response. May I suggest a collaboration between T-Mobil and Orville Redenbacher? Sounds like it has the pop to be the next big viral video.

Car Shopping

I'm car shopping today. And I came across an exceptional vehicle. $159,000...wait for it...Kia Sedona!

Seems like a good deal to me so long as the seats are lined with baby seal fur and the dials are pure gold with diamond encrusted flourishes.

[caption id="attachment_147" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Mona Lisa of Kias?"][/caption]