Things to Know - 1 March

1.  There is no end of sleaze with the ethically challenged elected legislators.  Turns out that one of some guy who is VP in a company that sells the device that pokes into the vagina to check things for a woman considering an abortion....well that guy is also a Repugnicant legislator in the state of Alabama:
http://www.nationalmemo.com/article/alabama-pol-pushing-ultrasound-bill-sells-ultrasound-machines-living

2.  This is not a news article, but something you should see.  Legendary British film director Sir Ridley Scott launched a global film making contest for aspiring directors.  It's Titled "Tell It Your Way".  There were over 600 entries.. The film could be no longer than three minutes, contain Only 6 lines of narrative & be a compelling story.  The Winner was "Porcelain Unicorn" from American director Keegan Wilcox.  It's a story of the lifetimes of two people who are totally opposite, yet, very much the same - all told in less than 3 minutes.  You can see why it won.
http://www.porcelainunicorn.com/

3.  Ross Douthat of the NY TImes, who is a bit to the right of center, if it is at all possible to measure that any more these days, thinks that Romney has boxed himself where it is tough for him to run a viable campaign for pres.:
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/what-mitt-lost-while-he-won/?pagemode=print

4.  What we know of the Occupy Movement today is that it is about 6 months old.  Its real origin started about 50 years ago, as detailed in this article.   A Sociologist by the name of C. Wright Mills is credited with much of the ideas that started the critical analysis of the "power elite" (which we now define as the 1%).  The irony is that I just had lunch with my college Sociology professor, on Wednesday afternoon, and this article came to me later in the day.  Hope he likes it.  You should all read it....yes I know it is long, but this puts much of the Occupy Movement into some historical context:
http://www.truth-out.org/print/13018

5.  This op-ed piece from the Washington Post goes rehashes the demise of the GeeOpie Wannabees and speculates that their best chance is to come up with someone totally different at their convention:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-election-ripe-for-an-independent-candidate/2012/02/29/gIQAG6M0hR_print.html

6.  I think we've evolved over a period of time to see that corporate America is not exactly a staunch defender of stability of the middle class.  Occupy has highlighted the problems as, as this column shows.  There has been a very clever manipulation of terms, concepts, and values to stigmatize unions, and it has worked to severely weaken the unions.  Civil Rights should also include the right to organize...period:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/opinion/a-civil-right-to-unionize.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

7.  Giving Peace a Chance is preferable to fear mongering and gearing up and blowing a bunch of money on a war machine.  In addition to being cheaper, it gives our Agribusiness a market to feed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/opinion/talking-to-north-korea-again.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

8.  Here's Gail Collins on the big day that acknowledges the inauguration of President Harrison (yes, there was a president named Harrison).  It appears that his inaugural address was almost longer than his term in office.  So, here's his story and other silly things about Romney:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/opinion/collins-a-big-days-coming.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

--
Juan

"Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over."
       -- Bella Abzug

"Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves."
       -- Abraham Lincoln

"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."
       -- John Kenneth Galbraith

"I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane."
       -- Ray Bradbury

"The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion."
       -- G. K. Chesterton

"Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity."
       -- Unknown