So,
Here's something that I've been wondering for a while. If the spin and the political tactics become so obvious that every corporate media article, talking head, and blogger is mentioning it, what's the point?
For example, The Great and Powerful Oz would love Mubarak to stay in power but that's just not going to happen so he can't openly endorse support for the dictator and has to speak in a way that supposedly doesn't offend the next Egyptian government. Everyone knows this. Everyone. The US government has long had a standing policy of putting oppressive dictators in place to control regions of interest and giving them billions of dollars in weaponry, support, and bribes. This is just common knowledge and Obama's waffling in Egypt is an obvious result when the supported dictator falls.
And while we're on the subject, does this common knowledge make statements like this one, from Steve Clemons, look stoopid or more like completely inept and unbelievable spin?
"Given that we are seeing a pattern of protest in many vulnerable nations throughout the Arab world, the Obama administration will be expected to roll out a new strategy of engagement that protects America's interests — particularly its energy sector interests — while at the same time standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to assemble and call for political reform."
Dude! Obama kills someone every single day! What we need here Steve, are baby steps. Let's wait until Obama has mastered the skill of standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to breath before we go merrily skipping ahead to freedom of speech, shall we? It's really hard to speak freely about what kind of government you would like when you're not breathing. Steve acknowledges that Obama is using the military to help oil companies pull off something that they couldn't afford to do nor would it be accepted by anyone else in the world and then goes on to give the bullshit line about respecting human rights. Really Steve?
If Obama didn't have his military completely tapped out destroying two other countries under false pretenses, he'd probably have them in Egypt helping Mubarak put down the uprising with extreme prejudice. The rumor is that the "Mubarak supporters" that are fighting against the protesters are actually paid soldiers in plain clothes and that the money comes from the US government. I have no idea if that's true but it's very easy to see the possibility that it's true.
Maybe Steve gets his Internets service from Canada and didn't pay the overage to get the whole story.
Oh no you don't!
What?
Finish the thought on spin before you go merrily skipping ahead to Canadian Internets service.
Fine. <pout>
Okay, so let's get this out of the way quickly so we can move on. Do you think that the people that are going to be in charge of the next Egyptian government are, in any way, fooled when Obama and Clinton try to straddle the fence? I don't understand all the pretend coyishness. If it's transparent to everyone with an Internets connection, doesn't that include Egyptians (you know, when Mubarak hasn't shut down the Internets)?
Happy?
Yes. Thank you. Move on.
Nothing to see here.
You know? I say that I don't do commercials but that's not entirely true. I don't watch them on TV (love DVR) and I don't listen to them on the radio (love-love-love Pandora) but every once in a while, I'll check them out on YouTube. Right now, E*Trade's are my favorites:
Turns out my parents are dabbling in wrestling.
Hello? Canada?
Jeezus! What are you? The ADHD police?
Canadian Internets users are in the midst of a scare. Bell is charging them through the nose, using a cell phone type of plan where people would get a certain amount of minutes (in this case data) and then they would have a super-extra amount in overage fees for any Internets use over the cap. With people streaming TV shows and movies from places like Hulu and Netflix, companies are looking for ways to increase revenue from providing Internets service. Bell, who provides something like ALL the Internets to Canada (okay, I'm exaggerating, it's only 80-90%) is also going to charge wholesale companies so that customers can't sneak around the bill by getting unlimited data packages from smaller Internets providers (who are getting their service through Bell).
Supposedly, the Canadian government is going to tell Bell that they can't do this. If they don't, a Netflix movie will cost something like $8 to watch if you've gone over your limit for the month. Then there's the popcorn and soda pop.
What?
Isn't that what everyone always says about movie prices?
Yes, yes it is - AT A MOVIE THEATER!
What? You don't eat popcorn at home?
Speaking of taking out a second mortgage to take the fam to the movies, Congress is going to raise the debt ceiling again. Okay, I've covered this before but I read a better perspective about this stoopidity last week, a better way of putting it into words. I'm taking my own creative license with the idea, which is completely summed up in the first two sentences of the next paragraph.
Congress should raise the debt ceiling and they should do it right. They should raise it to $100 trillion. There is no such thing as a debt ceiling anyway for Congress. When they get to the current imaginary ceiling, they just raise it again. This happens every 6 - 12 months and they are wasting valuable time debating the amount when that time could be better spent killing people infringing on the rights of their subjects supporting Mubarak but pretending not to having sex with underage hookers taking an extended vacation (after all, the government that governs least is the one that governs best). Just raise it to the point where you don't have to worry about it for a few years. It doesn't exist anyway so they might as well vote to not even have a debt ceiling.
I vote that we quit pretending like there is any amount of money we won't spend. Is anyone opposed?
Nay!
The lone vote from the gentleman from Texas is noted. Motion carries. Let's go shopping!
Gotta luv OPM!
Doncha?
Last, but by far the best part of today's post, is an email that I received from C.R. in response to the fact that I have to buy new pants that are a size smaller. She sent this:
"If you think you've got it bad . . . I'm buying clothes again for the third time. I bought some new things for my birthday back at the beginning of December because everything I owned was falling off. By Christmas, things were baggy again so I shopped the after-Christmas sales, and I'll be darned if it's not happening again. I'm about 7 pounds away from my goal. Actually I reached my first goal and decided I could do better. I haven't been this small in 26 years. I don't want to see my high school weight, I was too thin back then, but 10 pounds above that is where I'm headed and I never dreamed I would ever come close to that again.
I have been stuck where I am for the past couple of weeks as far as the scale, but you're right. If you keep "pushing play" the results happen. Although the scale hasn't moved recently, the measurements keep getting a little smaller each week. This is awesome!!! You've got to love Beachbody!"
How cool is that!?!
Right? That deserves a "You, the Super Hero" mention.
Right you are, Ken.
She doesn't mention it here but, for those of you that are interested, she is currently doing TurboFire. She mentions Beachbody as a whole in her email because she also has P90X and TurboJam and uses some of the supplements like P90X Recovery drink and Whey Protein (I've mentioned the benefits of whey protein many times and will likely mention it again).
Email like that make it so rewarding being a Beachbody coach.
***
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