At Least Someone's Making Money

Wait, you say the Federal Reserve made money off of the bailouts, buying mortgage-backed securities, and the other clearance items they facilitated the sale of over the past two years, do you Financial Times via Reuters? File that in the obvious folder and move on. Why else would they have let Lehman Brothers fail or forced the sale of Bear Stearns except that it was in the bank's own self-interest. The Federal Reserve is a private bank. There is nothing federal about it except they print our money and the president appoints the chairman to their term. The Fed doesn't necessarily have any government accountability. People such as Ron Paul are trying their best to change that fact, but as of now the Fed is its own entity operating to make themselves a lot of money. They are doing a damn good job of it too. The headline in the story says $14 billion, but in the story it says they also made another $19 billion in interest on all of the loans to different companies over that two-year period. That sounds like a bank to me.

The Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Day

I don't guess you're racist unless you get caught. Well, let's just ask Microsoft. [From the blog Today @ PC World]

One of my top 2 favorite authors kitsch'ed into modern day motivational posters. It's not totally horrible, just a bit cheapening. They are still worth checking out. [The Art of Manliness]

Web comic. Short, funny, in other words the setup equals the payoff. A great comic taught me that back in... ramble... ramble... [Bots Can't See Captchas]

A different perspective on two short points in the new health care bill. I tend to agree with this guy that doctors and nurses should be forced to kill babies against their will. [BaumansBlog]

This website is great. [This Is Photobomb]

Work of 'Journalism' States 2/3 of Americans Will Get Swine Flu Vaccination

YEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I have held the contention for many years that polls conducted by the media or any group that chooses a micro percentage of a population and from those results extrapolates a macro projection are not scientific. My theory holds for political polls as well as any other such as this one being conducted attempting to learn how many Americans will get a vaccination for swine flu if/when it becomes available. 60% is a high number in my opinion. Every year I hear about how the regular flu vaccine that gets circulated ends up being the wrong strain. What freaking good does that do? I had my first and last flu shot when I was in high school. After the shot made my arm sore for a month during basketball season, and after I still got sick anyway I realized how pointless it was. I also don't put it past the government to be involved in some how influencing or suggesting what they would like the results to be so that people will see a large number of other Americans are getting the vaccine so they might as well also. Influencing mob mentality is an art and a science, yet it seems so easy to execute on the American people. Excuse me for having tin foil on my head, but you all can have your damn flu shots. I'll get ready in other ways for a pandemic- buying more ammo and trying to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Glenn Beck Is a Tool

Glenn Beck calling Obama a racist in a recent television appearance has led to a parade of sponsors dropping their endorsement of his Fox News Channel program. I've tried to watch his show a few times at the behest of friends and have been completely unimpressed. The guy's a tool. I don't care about his politics because of how much of a smug bastard he is. He is like Rachel Maddow, but male. They are both close to unbearable in their deliveries and personas. In this article from the Associated Press, the author details how a political activist group has contacted the various companies who have had their ads run during the Glenn Beck program either by choice or by chance and have gotten many sponsors to contact Fox News to get their ads off of Beck's program. Translation: Let's all go through the motions until he apologizes. Don't get it twisted. Glenn Beck opened his mouth and stupid came out, but the "fallout" is what is funny to me. These people still don't realize we don't watch commercials anymore. DVR is the most important invention since the internet, and if I had a problem with something someone said on TV (keeping in mind that I am unoffendable because I don't feel weak emotions such as offense) I wouldn't watch the commercials and boycott everyone who advertises on the program. What if they are places I like? I'm not choosing personal beliefs over Buffalo Wild Wings or Walmart. Get real. Calling anyone a racist is just opening a can of worms that doesn't help anyone. I don't mind someone being inflammatory, but I prefer if it has a base in reality that can be proven empirically.

Speak on It

Check out the guy in this video.

You have to watch the whole video. I know it's long.

Now reaction: So many emotions. That is Pastor James David Manning, PHD of ATLAH Worldwide Ministries.

Yeh, I'm white. BFD. I think that I speak for all of the mad white people he is referring to when I say you are welcome with open arms, my brother. The situation this man is so passionate about is not a white or black thing, though. His diatribe proves it. Black, white, hispanic, asian, all Americans are tired of how this country's leaders are being poor stewards of what we have entrusted to them by electing them. We all do need to rise up and take this country back (whatever that means.) With that said, he uses some terms in the video which I don't really feel I have a place in repeating, but are funny as crap. He also asserts that Obama is not a citizen and the high-level people in Washington all know it. I can't make that claim because I don't have any proof, but he sure does assert it and emphatically. Wow, I'm watching the video as I am typing this and he is now saying Obama had a gay love affair. Wow, this guy has got balls. His church is in New York. **Note to self: Places to visit if I ever go to New York.**

Ain't no riot like a white person riot because a white person riot don't quit. I borrowed that from a song.

Modern-Day Nonpopulism at Its Finest

Alex Jones is cut from a different cloth. He is passionate about his opinions, and I like that. Here's a taste:

I have watched several of his documentaries and some of the YouTube videos from his radio program, and at the very least he is a compelling individual. He definitely follows his own ideals, has his own opinions, and is not owned by anyone. He is, in many ways, what a nonpopulist should stand for. Some of his ideas and theories are hard to swallow and need scrutiny, but I end up agreeing with a good portion of what he says. No one is perfect, after all. There is a movie that was done by IFC called "New World Order" that has already aired, apparently (I only recently got IFC) and is coming out on DVD in October 2009. I will pick it up for sure. Here's another video. This man is in his element with a bullhorn and an audience.

Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Day

A few cool links I have found or been sent recently. If you find something cool and would like to share it email nonpopulist@gmail.com.

This guy is so bad he kicks his own ass twice a day, and it's not the hamburger pimp- http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=591_1250131811. Crazy video.

A scary legal precedent has now been set for all bloggers. Skank vs. that guy. (The Times Online)

Cool lightning pictures from Clearwater, FL. I use to live near Clearwater and go to the beach there sometimes. Living about an hour away the sheer volume of lightning (multiple strikes every day) solidifies it as the lightning capital of the world.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/photo/2009/08/kaboom-lightning-over-clearwater-beach.html

Oliver Stone is doing something. I bet it will be liberally slanted with a tip-of-the-hat consideration to the right wing.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/oliver-stone-and-showtime-partner-for-the-secret-h,31872/?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds&utm_source=avclub_rss_daily

Explain to me how good TV still gets on the air. Only through the magic of premium cable. Here's a preview of the third season of Californication. I enjoy this show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfxF6UkoX-g

The top 100 tracks of the 2000's. There's a top 500 list, but who has time? Of this top 100 I like

about 10.

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7691-the-top-500-tracks-of-the-2000s-100-51/1/

Where's the Love for Conan

The word is that Conan O'Brien has been struggling in the ratings ever since his debut week as the new host of the Tonight Show. Television experts say Letterman has been trouncing Conan in the ratings. They even came out retracting the statement they made after his first week saying "Conan is King." Well, I say what did you expect NBC? Conan is offbeat. He has, however, shaped my comedic sensibilities since I have been watching and laughing since I was in high school (around year5 for Conan, I think.) Conan is the only late-night talk show host that has ever made me laugh. Letterman is self-righteous, mean, and not funny. I never got a chance to see Johnny Carson since I was too young so that will include anyone older than him as well. That guy who used to have the close-up on his face all of the time after Letterman was not entertaining enough to be on PBS. The new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is painful to watch. The only time his show has laughs is when funny people come on the show and even then they have to overcome Fallon's unfunniness in order to get to funny homeostasis so they can go on to be funny from there. And Leno. I save Leno for last because never has there been a less entertaining late night show to watch. Leno is like watching paint dry hoping that it will get a laugh. Conan is the voice for a younger generation, and I will watch him and him only. Everyone else can suck a fart out of my ass.

I submit for your consideration...

Damn Right

Fox news just broke this story about the White House backing off from their data collection efforts for erroneous or critical information posted on websites at flag@whitehouse.gov. People let their voices be heard including me, and it worked. Check yourself, big government.

Populist vs. Nonpopulist

I received this email forward and I found it to be a mixed bag so I say it's populist (what I perceive popular opinion to be) vs nonpopulist (the rational, independent opinion of me) time. All of the original text of the conservative email forward will be labeled Populist, and all of my takes will be labeled Nonpopulist. Understand that this will be a sort of debunking, but agreeing with the valid points and being scathing. Yes, has to be scathing. Keep in mind I'm not necessarily supportive of Obama.

Subject: Urgent! Just in the FIRST 4 Months! Unbelievable!

First 4 Months Accomplishments
WE CAN NOT STAND FOR THIS - 4 Years he will destroy the United STATES OF AMERICA!!!
This pretty much wraps it up. Have a stiff drink close at hand before reading this!

Observations on the President's Early Days: (They get progressively worse as you read down the list!)
Populist: Offended the Queen of England.

Populist: Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia.

Nonpopulist: What was he supposed to do? Kick him in the crotch? It's probably just some sort of custom, and I would be embarrassed if was supposed to do that and he didn't. In fact, this same email would be lambasting him if he didn't bow.
Populist: Praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega.
Nonpopulist: I wouldn't say praised as much as I would say he was tolerating.
Populist: Kissed Hugo Chavez on the cheek.
Nonpopulist: What the gay? I missed this one.
Populist: Endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Nonpopulist: ... instead of the other candidates, Anarchist Martinez and Dictator Sanchez. He's a democrat, socialism is the Latin American equivalent of being a democrat.
Populist: Announced we would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions.
Nonpopulist: This is not entirely true, we insisted they bring the potato salad.
Populist: Gave away billions to AIG also without pre-conditions.
Nonpopulist: Yes, but you would have to since it really wasn't his decision to make. He bowed to pressure. It sucks, but Obama alone can't be blamed for that.
Populist: Expanded the bailouts.
Nonpopulist: Yes, again, not solely his decision.
Populist: Insulted everyone who has ever loved a Special Olympian.
Nonpopulist: I use the word retard a lot, so I'm not going to judge.
Populist: Doubled our national debt.
Nonpopulist: Is he the first president in history to spend a lot of money? No.
Populist: Announced a termination of the space defense system the day after the North Koreans launched an ICBM.
Nonpopulist: I don't think we have to have a space satellite to defeat ICBM's. I could be wrong on that, though.
Populist: Despite the urgings of his own CIA director and the prior 4 CIA directors, released information on intelligence gathering.
Nonpopulist: The people have a right to know. Did no one watch last season of 24. Even Jack Bauer wants to come clean and let the people judge for themselves. That show represents the American psyche better than any I can remember.
Populist: Accepted without public comment the fact that five of his cabinet members cheated on their taxes and two others withdrew after they couldn't take the heat.
Nonpopulist: Yeh, that was bad. I thought Geithner should have removed his name from consideration after his tax scandal came to light considering he's the Treasury secretary and his department oversees the IRS.

Populist: Appointed a Homeland Security Chief who quickly identified as "dangers to the nation", groups including veterans of the military,=2 0and opponents to abortion on demand, and who ordered that the word "terrorism" no longer be used but instead referred to such acts as "man made disasters".
Nonpopulist: This was also very bad.
Populist: Circled the globe so he could openly apologize for America's greatness.
Nonpopulist: I wouldn't say it that way. I would say he was being diplomatic. Some people think we need more of that. To phrase it as "apologize for America's greatness" is an exaggeration.
Populist: Told the Mexican President that the violence in their country was because of us.
Nonpopulist: Dumb. But it's part of the pretext for tightening gun laws further.
Populist: Politicized the census by moving it into the White House from its Department of Commerce origins.
Nonpopulist: This does seem bad on paper. I think it reinforces the fear people have about collection gathering and invasion of privacy.
Populist: Appointed as Attorney General the man who orchestrated the forced removal and expulsion from America to Cuba of nine-year old whose mother died trying to bring him to a life of freedom in the United States.
Nonpopulist: His attorney general is also a gun-control hawk which puts me at odds with him since it is blatantly anti-Constitutional.
Populist: Salutes as heroes three Navy SEALS who took down three terrorists who threatened one American life and the next day announces members of the Bush administration will likely stand trial for "torturing" a terrorist who had played a part in killing 3000 Americans by pouring water up their nose..
Nonpopulist: You can't hate on the troops. This is also about playing politics.
Populist: Air Force One over New York City.
Nonpopulist: I don't think President Obama was sitting in his office bored and said, "Hey guys, you know what would be cool? Flying Air Force One over New York City. It would totally freak everyone out." I think some lower level staffer made this decision, er, took the fall for that.
Populist: Sent his National Defense Advisor to Europe to assure Europe that the US will no longer treat Israel in a special manner and they might be on their own with the Muslims.
Nonpopulist: Doubtful this is as strong as it sounds, but Israel can get you in trouble sometimes on the world stage.
Populist: Began the process of nationalizing the Auto Industry and the Insurance industry.
Nonpopulist: Bad.
Populist: Announced that for intents and purposes the Health Insurance Industry will be nationalized.
Nonpopulist: Very bad. Incentivize the health care companies, Mr. President. Don't put your thumb on them like your rhetoric indicates.
Populist: As of=2 07/8/2009, 1293 days Or 3 years, 6 months, 13 days remaining... God help us all!
Nonpopulist: Surprise, surprise. Someone's screwing up in Washington. Unprecedented! I'm aghast!

Populist: SENIOR DEATH WARRANTS:
Nonpopulist: Whoa, misconstrue much? Some of the language in HR3200 is rough, though.
Populist: The actress Natasha Richardson died after falling skiing in Canada . It took eight hours to drive her to a hospital. If Canada had our health care she might be alive today. We now have helicopters that would have gotten her to 20 the hospital in 30 minutes. Obama wants to have our healthcare like Canada's and England's.
Nonpopulist: Ok, but Obama didn't will that lady dead.
Populist: In England anyone over 59 cannot receive heart repairs or stents or bypass because it is not covered as being too expensive and not needed.
Nonpopulist: Too anecdotal, I think, to be relevant.
Populist: I got this today and am sending it on. If Obama's plans in other areas don't scare you, this should.
Nonpopulist: You should evaluate everything on a case-by-case basis. I had one professor in college that said, "Chew the meat and spit out the bones."
Populist: Please do not let Obama sign senior death warrants
Nonpopulist: I don't plan to.
Populist: Everybody who is on this mailing list is either a senior citizen, is getting close or knows somebody that is.
Nonpopulist: I wasn't, but ok.
Populist: Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens.. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg with the following statement. Bloomberg: Daschle says "health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them."
Nonpopulist: Not sure what to say about that.
Populist: If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that Senators and Congressmen have their own health care plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes.
Nonpopulist: Yeh, screw the fat cats!
Populist: Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level.... We have an election coming up in one year and nine months. We have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and it allies have begun. Lets do it! And in 2010 you have the voting power to replace the congressmen and senators that are voting for this.

Nonpopulist: ...Internet, powering up... loading... loading...

Michael Vick: A Victim of the Times *UPDATE*

To me, Michael Vick has become a tragic figure. I mean, he never really was a good pocket passer. His teams did, however, win when he was playing quarterback. Now that he has been released from custody everyone is watching intently to see which team will take a chance and bear the brunt of animal lover rage in front of their stadiums and practice facilities. Teams must be asking themselves if signing Vick is worth considering he won't be in football playing shape for some time and weighing it against the grief they will surely endure.
Let me rewind a little. Vick had a heavy sentence for killing dogs and conspiracy and illegal gambling. I'm glad he was punished. America sure as hell loves its dogs, but the discrepancy in levels of justice cannot be denied. There's federal justice and local justice. Vick got federal justice. His case was federal. Two other examples of football players in trouble with the law, Donte Stallworth and Adam Jones got local justice. None of their cases was federal so Stallworth, who killed someone while driving drunk, only got twenty-four days in jail, two years, of house arrest, and eight years of probation. A person's life weighted less than some dogs. That's a discrepancy in justice. Dogs are cool. I like dogs and would never do something like that to a dog, but humans are more important than dogs. Don't ever let a federal case get on you is the moral of this story. And America loves its dogs.

The Eagles have signed Vick to a one-year deal with a team option for a second year. America loves its second chances.

Healthcare Dissent Makes Me Proud

Sometimes the general sentiment of America going down the tubes, our country being lazy and stupid, and disgust at our neo-imperialism can get your psyche-Americana to a low level. We have found some pride, though. This country has found a little common ground, and the result is a beautiful thing.
Town Hall events have taken root all across the country. I'm not being sarcastic at all when I say I see the videos of people in a grassroots movement to tell the government they are screwing up and it warms my heart. It almost brings a tear to my eye. I'm reminded of the Public Enemy line, "One out of one million residents, being dissident, who ain't kissing it." That brings us to another one of the Nonpopulist's Rules for Life- Dissent. Don't take things at face value and believe what you're told all of the time. Hold everything under the magnifying glass. If we were to believe Obama and his advisors we should just let them push HR 3200, the healthcare reform bill, through with no question because it is "what America needs." We need it like I need to sit on a cactus.
Here's a sample of just a few of the things that most Americans would not like in HR 3200.
Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed! 3 (2) ANNUAL LIMITATION.— 4 (A) ANNUAL LIMITATION.—The cost-sharing incurred under the essential benefits package with respect to an individual (or family) for a year does not exceed the applicable level specified in subparagraph (B). 9 (B) APPLICABLE LEVEL.—The applicable level specified in this subparagraph for Y1 is $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. Such levels shall be increased (rounded to the nearest $100) for each subsequent year by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (United States city average) applicable to such year.
Editor's Note: No thanks.
Some more:
Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard. 5 ‘‘(D) enable the real-time (or near real-time) determination of an individual’s financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card;
Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
21 ‘‘(C) enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related health care payment and remittance advice;
Ed. Note: Ha, ha, ha, yeh, right.
Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process) SEC. 123. HEALTH BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) ESTABLISHMENT. (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans. (2) CHAIR.—The Surgeon General shall be a 20 member and the chair of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee.
Ed. Note: Yes, that's exactly what will fix healthcare, a beauracrat deciding things.
Anyway, full text of the bill is right here.

What the Hell?

This guy is definitely not living by anyone else's rules.

Fundamental Assumption Review

Now more snarky blogging and less posting videos because of how drunk/lazy/hungover I have been. It's time for a Nonpopulist Fundamental Assumption Review, where I like to take something most people glance over and shine a light on it momentarily so as to make you think. Pills are a part of the way we live. It's accepted. No one disputes or questions the proliferation of pharmaceuticals in recent history, and the billions of dollars of revenue that biotechnology and pharmaceuticals generate yearly are the wage by which many people put food on their tables and shelter over over their heads. This story from Reuters says that prozac use has more than doubled in the the past decade from 13 million to 27 million.
That number takes a minute to get your mind around. Whenever I hear a number like that I like to remember that there are around 300 million people in the United States to put such large figures in context. I'm not trying to say pills are bad or no one should take pills and just pray or chant until sickness goes away, but I think it's good to ask the questions, "Are that many people clinically depressed? If so, why and how can they be helped besides pills? Or are pills the only way?

Let me rework some words of Jesus to say it another way. (Jesus is probably one of the most Nonpopulist people that ever lived, by the way.) Man does not live by pills alone.

And prozac isn't the only pill being depended on. This story just provoked my thoughts. The way I really feel is that I hope that I never have to lean on any sort of pill for an extended period of time be it for cholesterol, high blood pressure, or pain. I want to live outside of that construct.

Hey White House, Flag This-a-Here!

Hey White House, flag my genital warts-ridden dick by inserting it into your mouth! This story from foxnews.com has got me agitated. Read the damn story and then continue. First off, who is the White House? Is it an adviser, an appointed staff member, or the top man himself that want to know who the dissenters are? I dissent, and you can suckle on my left nut. Public redress of grievances with my cock in your ass, bitch. Once upon a time in America there were Salem witch trials. Another time it was red fever where McCarthy had a miniscule hard-on for Communists hiding in America. You may say to yourself, "Wow, overreact much?" What I say to that is Slow Them at the Roll. Don't let bullshit get started. As if they expect us to just start tattling on anyone that has anything negative to say about the new healthcare bill. At least that's where it starts. After that, who knows?
And as Delonte West has so eloquently put it, "Snitches get stiches."

Ron Paul's Nuts Are This Big

My first introduction to Ron Paul was by some hippies who gave me a bag of tea and had "Legalize Hemp" on t-shirts as I was trying to walk into a football game. I'm not usually on the side of hippies on any matters, so I just took their bag of tea and did not give it a second thought. Later, I found out about Congressman Paul and his views on the Fed, civil liberties, and yes, hemp. Hemp is not weed. America was built on hemp. Look it up somewhere and tell me I'm right. I barely get tired of being right.
Anyway, Ron Paul is an American bad ass and the only current nominee for Nonpopulist of the year because he's a politician who's actually trying to make government transparency happen and be a politician for the people. That is such an anomaly, he should be considered for Time's person of the year. He has sponsored a bill in the House of Representatives for Congress to be able to audit the books of the Fed. The balls on this guy! He has over 200 co-sponsors on the bill now. The only thing keeping it from coming to a vote is House leadership stall tactics (Pelosi and her office get to decide what when things get voted on the floor.) He is no longer a hippie candidate joke. He is attempting to take away some of the secrecy of the power structure that runs the U.S., and the thought of actually knowing what's on the federal reserve's books just hit me scared. Anyway, I got the story from the this website and this video from MSNBC.

Blow Your Mind

This video will blow your mind.



There's a few different variations of this video, with some different facts in each one. This was my favorite.

Nonpopulist Music

Themselves: Dose One foreground, Jel background

A buddy let me know about a new release from a group that is the epitome of Nonpopulism (coined-accept.) Themselves is a group of musical and intellectually ethereal talent that I have been following for several years. Their seminal album, The No Music, is perpetually listenable and was an instant classic as soon as it was released. The new album is called Crownsdown and it comes out on October 20th. Buy this album.

http://pitchfork.com/news/36079-new-release-themselves-icrownsdowni/