Where’s the Outrage?

If you have pot and you want to make civil unrest what do you put into your pot? Start with a country that has a long history of ethnic tensions and add a dictatorial general, Pervez Musharraf then you need to add some spices - Benazir Bhutto plus Muslim extremists. Oh, and then for your special ingredient add a dash of Nawar Sharif.

BTW, what is the Bush administration doing to keep a lid on this pressure cooker?

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From MSNBC:

Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home to a hero’s welcome Sunday and called on President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule before elections, a fresh challenge to the U.S.-backed leader.

“These (emergency) conditions are not conducive to free and fair elections,” Sharif told reporters at the airport after arriving from Saudi Arabia. “I think the constitution of Pakistan should be restored, and there should be rule of law.”

Sharif, the head of one of the country’s main opposition parties, said he had not negotiated his return with Musharraf, who overthrew him in a 1999 coup, and expelled him when he first tried come back to Pakistan this year. (more…)

 

 Sharif returns [1:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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I’m going to tell you 2 recent tales that happened in my life which underscores the problems in corporate America.  For extra emphasis, I’m adding a recent segment of the Bill Moyers Journal.  If you haven’t seen the Bill Moyers Journal you are missing some of the best reporting and journalism anywhere.  Bill Moyers speaks with John Bogle.  Mr. Bogle isn’t some commie pinko who wants everyone to live in communes.  Instead, he is the creator and chairman of the highly successful Vanguard Group investment company.

When I was growing up Sears was the place to get appliances and tools.  They sold their products at a good price and they gave great service.  Every town had a Sears of some sort.  Smaller towns would have catalog stores.  Anyway, something happened to Sears over the last 30 - 40 years.  They lost their way.  They had a big push into the the clothing market with beautiful fashion models designing clothes for them but in the long run that really didn’t work out.  Sears has lost a lot of their appliance market to stores like Best Buy and Lowe’s.  Anyway, we bought a refrigerator last Saturday the 17th.  We wanted the refrigerator as soon as possible.  One week.  One week deliver?  That’s crazy.  I can order something from E-Bay or Amazon and get it the next day but I can’t get a refrigerator for a week?

Next, these corporate morons give you a 4 hour window for deliver.  So, since most families have 2 people working, someone has to take off for 4 hours and wait.  It is a waste of our time and money.  So, the refrigerator arrives on Saturday.   There is much rejoicing until a huge dent is found on the top right corner.  Although the refrig was packaged in thin Styrofoam it wasn’t protected.  We sent the refrigerator back.  We called Sears.  We wanted delivery later on that day of a dent-free refrigerator.  Not.  After an hour on the phone with multiple transfers and hang ups, we are told that someone would call us today, Sunday.  The bottom-line is that we haven’t gotten our refrigerator.  Sears has our money and we have nothing but a promise of a dent-free refrigerator this coming Wednesday.  We saw a better deal on the exact same refrigerator at Best Buy with next day delivery in the paper today.  We are tempted to go buy that one but getting our money back would be a bear.

Another corporation that proves we need more oversight is an assisted living place in North Dallas.  One of my best friends had his father there.  The place was a wonderful facility 10 years ago.  Great atmosphere.  Attentive staff the works.  It was expensive but worth it.  Well, over the last year or two, the only thing that is the same is the exterior.  Who knows who bought it?  The bottom-line is that good personnel have left.  The trash have stayed.  Residents are now getting mediocre care.  This weekend my friend moved his father to another facility 5 - 10 miles north of the old one.  Hopefully, this will be better.  If there are any citizens who deserve our best (besides our veterans) it is our elderly.   They have been productive members of society.  Their only crime has been that they have out lived their failing bodies.

 

 Bill Moyers Journal - John Bogle [23:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Corporate Wrongs by ecthompson
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This is something that happens with greater frequency than most Americans realize. Driving while Black. In Dallas, during the late 70’s and early 80’s I was pulled over many times. I was usually pulled over because I was driving a nice car, in a nice neighborhood. I was young at the time. I had a routine. I turned the interior lights on so that everyone who wanted to see into the car could see everything. I would have my driver’s license and insurance card ready for the police officer. I was polite. Yes, Sir. No, Sir. I answered all of his questions quickly and concisely. I had no intention of going to jail and no intention of being an “accident”.

Now, to be honest. I did drive fast in those days and I did get tickets for speeding from time to time. But what I’m talking about is the weaving charge. It is a subjective reason to check out someone. If this kind of thing happened only once or twice, then it would be no big deal. It happens all of the time. I bet I got pulled over 3 to 4 times per year. I was never pulled over when I had one of my white friends in the car. It was almost always when I was by myself and driving in a very nice neighborhood. Finally, I must say that I haven’t been pulled over for DWB in years.

This interview with Representative Danny Davis is stupid. The questions are mind-numbingly simple.

 

 Rep Davis gets pulled over for DWB [5:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Race by ecthompson
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There are times that I really don’t like this format. It seems petty or tit for tat. The president gives his weekly radio address and there is a democratic response.

This week General Richardo Sanchez who has recently been outspoken about his opposition to the war. I have a problem with those who were on the inside who helped carry out Bush’s policies who now decide that everything isn’t as rosy as they pictured it several months before. I know of no independent source that states that General Sanchez tried to stand up to the Donald Rumsfeld or any of the others in the pentagon. As a matter of fact, Thomas Rick’s book, Fiasco paints Sanchez as a yes man which is why Rumsfeld choose him.

General Sanchez really just reinforces what we already know about Iraq. Our troops are performing well. They are doing everything that we ask and more. There is no political solution in sight. Without a political solution we are wasting time and money and valuable men/women. Yes, there is less violence in Iraq. This is a great thing but without a oil revenue sharing deal our soldiers are just out there in the breeze. Sanchez says that it is time for our troops to come home.

We need to start the orderly redeployment of our troops. Tens of thousands need to go to Afghanistan. We need to quell the violence and crush the remnants of the Taliban. Our military needs to be refit. We need new equipment. We have tons of needs including getting out of Iraq.

 

 Democractic Repsonse [3:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq by ecthompson
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The group Levert was head by Gerald Levert. He had a soulful voice. His voice filled a song. Levert had several minor hits then Gerald went out on his own. As far as I know he was never able to reproduce the chemistry and success of Casanova. Gerald died one year ago this month at the age of 40 (heart attack). Gerald came from a soulful family. His brothers made up Levert and his father was Eddie Levert of the O’Jays.

more music videos here.

 

 Levert - Casanova [4:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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Garth Brooks was on a roll like no other country western singer. He had crossed over into pop. He is making money by the truckload. He had very catchy tunes which could appeal to almost everyone but the most heavy of metalheads. Then something happened. He got weird. He changed his name. He was in an affair. A country western singer, with a spit and polish image, in an affair? That’s the kiss of death.

more music videos here.

 

 Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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Just when I think that my life is bad and getting worse I can look around and see that I have nothing to complain about.  Some local flavor - here and here.

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From MSNBC:

A fast-moving wildfire pushed by Santa Ana winds raced through the canyons and over the mountains of this wealthy enclave for the second time in little more than a month Saturday, destroying dozens of homes and forcing as many as 14,000 residents to flee.

The fire erupted in the wee hours after the long-predicted Santa Anas finally returned, and it quickly grew before the winds died down. Forty-nine homes were destroyed and another 27 damaged, said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman.  (more…)

 

 Malibu fire [4:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: California Wildfires by ecthompson
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