First, a killer line:

...this characterization of Franken is the notion of the Senate as a decorous gentlemen’s club. I doubt that club ever existed in reality; but in any case, these days the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body is, not to put too fine a point on it, chock full o’ nuts. James Inhofe: I rest my case.

If that doesn't get a standing ovation, here's more reality:

...Al Franken’s dirty secret is that … he’s a big policy wonk.

I used to go on Franken’s radio show, all ready to be jocular — and what he wanted to talk about was the arithmetic of Social Security, or the structure of Medicare Part D.

This would seem to be an endorsement of Al, overall, but Paul asks one final question:

So what will Franken do to the level of Senate discourse? He’ll raise it.

Enough said.

Posted by Earl at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frank Rich regrets that obvious fact and devotes today's column to the explanation:

“Dillinger did not rob poor people,” wrote one correspondent to The Indianapolis Star. “He robbed those who became rich by robbing the poor.”

Gorn writes that the current economic crisis helped him understand better why Americans could root for a homicidal bank robber: “As our own day’s story of stupid policies and lax regulations, of greedy moneymen, free-market hucksters, white-collar thieves, and self-serving politicians unfolds, and as banks foreclose on millions of families’ homes, workers lose their jobs, and life savings disappear, it becomes clear why Dillinger’s wild ride so fascinated America during the 1930s.” An outlaw could channel a people’s “sense of rage at the system that had failed them.”

As Gorn reminds us, Americans who felt betrayed didn’t just take to cheering Dillinger; some turned to the populism of Huey Long, or to right-wing and anti-Semitic demagogues like Father Coughlin, or to the Communist Party. The passions unleashed by economic inequities are explosive because those inequities violate the fundamental capitalist faith. It’s the bedrock American dream that virtues like hard work and playing by the rules are rewarded with prosperity.

In 2009, too many who worked hard and played by the rules are still suffering, while too many who bent or broke the rules with little or no accountability are back reaping a disproportionate share of what scant prosperity there is.

I think that understates a sense of anger we have toward our "greedy moneymen, free-market hucksters, white-collar thieves, and self-serving politicians" in our age.

It would happen in any age.

Posted by Earl at 02:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There isn't much else to be said at this time.

I hope the same could be said for your day, of course.

My personal sleep situation is flipped over for the third time in as many days.

I'm not even sure when to sleep right now, actually.

These things happen.

Posted by Earl at 02:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To commemorate the fateful day 233 years ago that 56 of our forefathers got together in order to put their signature on a suicide pact that we now call The Declaration of Independence.

As Benjamin Franklin said at the signing:

We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.

If you were never sure of the risk those men took, you should be now.

Have a safe and proud day!

Earl

Posted by Earl at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why read Balloon Juice?

Because they even manage to find the wingnuttery I try to ignore:

It’s time to face the awful truth: the right-wing blogosphere’s reaction to Sarah Palin’s resignation has been disappointingly sane. There are two notable exceptions, however. First, we have Atlas Shrugs:

*

4:30 pm: My take? If Palin is anything like I think she is (know she is), Obama’s treasonous presidency is responsible for this. She, like all patriotic Americans, is shocked by what is happening. Obama is destroying this country. She knows it. We all know it. We need a leader. She is answering our call.

It's getting to the point that I laugh as any event is twisted around and becomes Obama's fault - especially when a tantrum is being thrown as it was today.

When it's said and done about today, however, I can only say that it was a good day if only because she's going to be out of office soon.

Posted by Earl at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not even too surprising that she's doing this:

In a stunning announcement, Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday morning she will resign her office in a few weeks.

Speculation has swirled for weeks, perhaps months that Palin would not seek re-election in 2010 as she pursues a political career on the national stage. The former vice presidential candidate has long been rumored to be considering a run at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

Palin did not address those rumors at the press conference at her Wasilla home, during which she did not take questions from reporters.

It's too late, of course, since the damage has been done and she thinks she stands a chance.

I would hope that the national media would lose the reverence for her soon.

Posted by Earl at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm confused, frankly, by how many people have looked in during my time of strife with the site.  Confused, but appreciative.

As you can see, I've made some slight progress before I head to sleep today.

I'm not sure how much will get done over the holiday weekend, but I will be back periodically.

For now I have to sleep.

Posted by Earl at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some are not comfortable with thoughts of doom and death.  Morford isn't one of them:

Ha. Turns out even our most potent wonderdrug is proving less and less effective at blocking and preventing influenza's clever variants, as nature proves, once again, increasingly effective at defying every pathetic attempt to keep her darker tendencies in check. Go figure.

No matter. It will soon all become moot anyway. When the supervolcano erupts.

Did you hear? It's quite possible. Right there, under Mount St. Helens up in Washington state, scientists think they can see a true, epic monster of an eruption brewing, one far more intense than the classic 1980 model, a perfect storm of gasses and pressure and molten magma, all of it the size of, well, a mountain. Times ten.

There's little I can say at this point but Have a Nice Day!

Posted by Earl at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can barely think of a better title:

Rush Limbaugh is still a big fat idiot

But you knew that, of course.  If you have read Al's books, you would know that he's the one that's thinking rationally about the problems this nation is facing.  If he tries to get a laugh in the meantime, I would have to thank him for that.  I've never been good at reading dry material.

The real reason the rightwingnut factory is going insane?

In fact, Franken is considerably brighter and far more stable than his enemies, a group whose public behavior and personal conduct are replete with embarrassment, not to mention disgrace. Unlike many of them, he has a solid marriage and raised two outstanding children who adore him -- a personal accomplishment that belies the ugly nonsense about his "anger" and "bitterness." It is the Fox loudmouths who are bitter, no doubt remembering the day their company's stupid lawsuit against Franken was laughed out of court (and made a lot of money for him).

While all the wacky attacks emanate from discredited sources, there are responsible and decent conservatives in America, as Franken would be the first to say. He has made plenty of right-wing friends over the years -- including some of the other entertainers with whom he traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan on USO tours while his blowhard critics were sitting on their butts at home.

Emphasis is mine, thank you, because it shows the real reason the blowhard fanatics are acting like they're afraid.

They should be afraid.

Posted by Earl at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If I were technically literate, I suppose this wouldn't be happening but it is.

This will be the third incarnation of GnostiNews after I made up the name in 2004.

Before that I had a subdomain in my sister's excellent site, HikeMore.

Before that I would actually type, print, copy, fold and mail about a hundred bloglike letters when the spirit struck me.

It all started with me as a National/International Affairs columnist in the school paper in the late '80s.

The trip we're on is a long one, hopefully, and getting weirder by the day.

(Also, I do apologize to anyone that has to take any action whatsoever to continue perusing this page, but it really wasn't my choice.  I will attempt to be more careful in the future, but know that you have my gratitude...I will be continuing to attempt to rebuild my site back into what I want my site to be and trust that all four of you readers will be patient with me.)

Posted by Earl at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Earl at 05:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)