Well…it was a long day yesterday and the glimmers of feeling better have vanished this morning as I fall back into the no energy state that I’ve been in for the past week…..it didn’t help that there was no sleep last night but I’m sure that’s not all of it….I do have some things to do today and I’m not sure how that is going to go…lunch with T and then out to Cascade for a few minutes an then out with C for a couple…I’m already looking forward to having all of it done and getting back here this evening…more later…
All posts by James DeVol
I told you so….about Europe….
Well..in an eye opening set of events that have happened over the past quarter have proven Keynes and me right on the failure of the austerity programs in Europe to lead to economic growth. I do want to say “I told you so” just because Keynes predicted that cutting spending during a recession would lead to lower growth, but also because the repubs here in the US are advocating exactly the same policies here…which will lead to exactly the same results that we now see in Europe…that the economies like Spain and England, who have made some of the largest cuts, are falling back into the first double dip recession in 40 years. New predictions that I read somewhere today (it may have been in the Guardian or the Post) put the predictions of European growth with the austerity programs in place at -.3% to flat or no growth in comparison to the US’s predicted growth of 1.8 to 2.9%. This just shows the the general Keynesian rule of running deficits while in a recession or a slow growth period is absolutely necessary to jump start the economy and these can be paid for when the economy gets to sustainable growth. I just wish the repubs would open their econ 101 textbooks and read a little…if they can read, that is…geez….
More Republican nonsense here in Michigan…
Well….I’ve started to feel a little better so I thought I’d get at one that I have been thinking about for a few days…since the takeover of our government by the repubs here, the preponderance of laws that have been enacted by the legislature have been for immediate effect, which takes a 2/3 majority in the House…but, the repubs that are running things aren’t even taking the votes, they are just assuming that they have the votes for immediate effect but they don’t…the counts done by many news organizations along with the dem minority show that, in over 90% of the cases, they didn’t have the votes but put the laws in effect anyway. Now, lawsuits filed by the dems are being considered by the appeals courts here and the repubs are howling that it is activist judges that are usurping their authority. Authority for what, to break the law? The Michigan Constitution is clear on this point and the repubs are violating the constitution….but, what do you expect? These guys wrap themselves in the constitution until it becomes inconvenient and puts a brake on their radical, right-wing agenda…what happened to true conservatives that put tradition and the rule of law ahead of party and personal gain? This is what we have to look forward to if the repubs take the White House….geez….
April 26th
Well…this is starting to get annoying…still feel crappy today and there is no reason for it other than I must have a bug of some sort…I’m already exhausted and all I’ve done is get up….so, today is going to be another lay low day and all I’m going to do is get groceries and then take it easy…it was a spider alert night last night and it was kind of creepy to have one of them land on my face when I was sleeping…which woke me up and then I had a heck of a time getting back to sleep…so, there were no dreams to speak of…I do have a sore throat this morning so I am really hoping that this is a bug…and not something serious that will mean a trip to the doctor…can’t afford that…oh, well…I’m about done for now but will be back later for more…
Walmat’s brand of capitalism…
Well…just a short one to talk about the recent revelations that Walmart and it’s managers in Mexico spent 24 million dollars in bribes to allow them to build more stores there…in direct violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices act that prohibits payments of any sort to foreign governments or their agents to gain an economic advantage. But, that’s not even the worst part….while this was going on, Walmart was part of a lobbying group that was working on diluting the law so they wouldn’t be liable for their actions in Mexico. Do you need any other reason to stop shopping at Walmart? Other than the predatory practices that kill local businesses wherever they locate their stores and the fact that they regularly abuse their employees by making them work off clock and not paying overtime pay…and have been found to have insidious policies that discriminate against women and minorities? I have been really trying to work up outrage about this stuff today but I think I’m moving into overload since this kind of crap seems to be what capitalism here in the US has degenerated into…a winner take all battle where there is no sharing of the pie anymore…and that is going to ruin this country…geez…
Just some musings on Apple…
Well…there was an interesting and spirited argument that I caught on the Guardian’s site yesterday that I wanted to comment on about the possibility that Apple could or should bring it’s manufacturing back to the US since, even paying American wages, they would still be more profitable than most other US companies. I was a little amazed that most of the people that were commenting basically said “to hell with American workers”; that they brought on their joblessness on themselves and drove manufacturing to Asia because they were so greedy…and that Apple can’t really afford to pay more than the slave wages they pay in China….one of the first things that came to mind reading these comments was “when did American workers, our neighbors and friends, become such a hated group?” Then, the second thing that came to mind was “they can’t afford to pay their workers more but they can give one guy, the ceo, 376 million dollars a year?” Until we can grow some empathy in the 1% and cut back on their entitlement mentality that they “earn” every penny of their compensation, the economy here is going to just drift and the middle class will continue to die….geez…
April 25th
Well…it was a long day yesterday with going out to play pool with Tom in the aft then meeting up with G for a couple in the evening…and then I stayed up late to watch the Chelsea/Barcelona match but got up at the normal time so I am worn out today…and not feeling this right now so I am going to stop here now and go back to the ice water and the couch for a few minutes….back later for more…
Okay….back for a few minutes after taking a little nap to try to recharge some from yesterday and I do feel better…might have to make some coffee for the entire process to complete itself and that would be okay…I think today will be a recovery day since whatever has been taking all my energy is still working somewhat and I just don’t feel normal….so, I guess I’ll work out and get a bike ride in this morning and then just lay low for the rest of the day….I will be back for more since I am really behind and the end of the month is coming up fast…
Here comes the Romney flip, flops, and spins…
Well…not sure if this is going to be short or not since I always do these off the top of my head…and no, it doesn’t hurt…not really….the thing I wanted to talk about his morning is the immediate spin that ole Mitt put on his immigration stands since he became the presumptive nominee for the repubs….during the primary campaign, ole Mitt was adamant that there would be no pathway to citizenship for any illegal immigrants in this country, going so far as to call all of them criminals and proposing they all be rounded up and sent back to Mexico…or wherever they come from….but now, he trots out Marco Rubio and says that he will consider a form of the dream act if he becomes president that would allow illegals to stay here if they meet some requirements for citizenship that he has not defined yet…can’t anyone else see this as just and egregious case of pandering to a group that he needs to get elected? I know…big surprise that a politician is pandering to any group…but, this is just the latest in ole Mitt’s compulsion to say anything to anybody to get votes…what the heck does he really believe? Good luck with this change Mitt…you may gain a little with Hispanics, but your base is going to run for the hills…and you deserve it…geez….
April 24th
Well…it was a non descript day yesterday with not a lot to say about it…stayed in since G had to study for her exams this week and that was not a bad thing…I still feel a little crappy today and I know it’s a bug of some sort…..it may be bad allergies since I am itching like crazy all over like my skin is dry…I may try taking an allergy pill today to see if it will go away….I did get a bike ride in yesterday and that was a good thing but who knows about today…it is supposed to be windy and I really hate that…but I’m going to try…not much to do today…it is a pool day but that is about it…..I am going to go out for the papers again today since it is nice to start the day that way….I will try to come back for another…more later…
More Wisconsin shenanigans…or so I thought…
Well…I was all prepared to work up a bunch of outrage today after reading an article about the recall election in Wisconsin and how the repubs there are running ‘fake” Dems in the primary to try to confuse voters and dilute the vote….and this is something to be outraged about….but the rest of what is going on; the urging of repubs to vote for the weakest candidate in the open primary to give Walker the best chance to retain the governor’s chair is just normal politics that goes on every day…and for me to be outraged about something that I have participated in here in Michigan, would be the height of hypocrisy…something that you know I really hate. So, I’ll save the outrage for things that are egregious and nefarious….don’t you just love that word?