Month: October 2010

Hookers and Coke and Magical Thinking

by digby

Krugman features this excellent comment from a reader who obviously knows whereof he speaks:

The markets want money for cocaine and prostitutes. I am deadly serious.

Most people don’t realize that “the markets” are in reality 22-27 year old business school graduates, furiously concocting chaotic trading strategies on excel sheets and reporting to bosses perhaps 5 years senior to them. In addition, they generally possess the mentality and probably intelligence of junior cycle secondary school students. Without knowledge of these basic facts, nothing about the markets makes any sense—and with knowledge, everything does.

What the markets, bond and speculators, etc, want right now is for Ireland to give them a feel good feeling, nothing more. A single sharp, sweeping budget would do that; a four year budget plan will not. Remember that most of these guys won’t actually still be trading in four years. They’ll either have retired or will have been promoted to a position where they don’t care about Ireland anymore. Anyone that does will be a major speculator looking to short the country for massive profit.

In lieu of a proper budget, what the country can do—and what will work—is bribe senior ratings agencies owners and officials to give the country a better rating. Even a few millions spent on bumping up Ireland’s rating would save millions and possibly save the country.

Bread and circuses for the masses; cocaine and prostitutes for the markets. This can be looked on a unethical obviously, but since the entire system is unethical, unprincipled and chaotic anyway, why not just exploit that fact to do some good for the nation instead of bankrupting it in an effort to buy new BMWs for unmarried 25 year olds.

Unfortunately, their bosses aren’t just content with being multi-millionaires, that much is obvious. They demand to be worshiped like Gods so that should be factored into this. Parades perhaps? Religious services? (I don’t think they’re going to be content with being feted like racles and ohigh priests of all on Fareed Zakaria’s CNN show.)

What this comment points out is that “markets” are actually “humans.” And they are very specific humans with very specific incentives. It would be helpful if we started to recognize that and acted accordingly.

Which brings us to today’s hideous piece of Village wisdom from David Broder:

Can Obama harness the forces that might spur new growth? This is the key question for the next two years.

What are those forces? Essentially, there are two. One is the power of the business cycle, the tidal force that throughout history has dictated when the economy expands and when it contracts.

Economists struggle to analyze this, but they almost inevitably conclude that it cannot be rushed and almost resists political command. As the saying goes, the market will go where it is going to go.

In this regard, Obama has no advantage over any other pol. Even in analyzing the tidal force correctly, he cannot control it.

What else might affect the economy? The answer is obvious, but its implications are frightening. War and peace influence the economy.

Look back at FDR and the Great Depression. What finally resolved that economic crisis? World War II.

Here is where Obama is likely to prevail. With strong Republican support in Congress for challenging Iran’s ambition to become a nuclear power, he can spend much of 2011 and 2012 orchestrating a showdown with the mullahs. This will help him politically because the opposition party will be urging him on. And as tensions rise and we accelerate preparations for war, the economy will improve.

Aside from Broder’s shocking and repulsive sangfroid about yet another middle east war (which is probably a fairly accurate assessment of Village thinking) he’s perfectly captured the Republican logic which says that as long as the government is spending money on building things that blow people up, it will stimulate the economy but if it spends on things that don’t blow people up it’s a waste because the “market will go where it’s going to go.” They think war is controllable by man. Everything else is controlled by an invisible hand that helps wealthy people keep their money.

Markets, like corporations, are just organizing concepts for human activity. Putting any faith in their “wisdom” is nothing more than primitive magical thinking.

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“Well, I’ve been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones”

by digby

I wrote about the latest inspirational video from Jerry Boykin the other day but Dave Neiwert took it to the next level

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Who Could Have Predicted Part XXXIV

by digby

TPM reports:

Appearing with his Republican counterpart this morning on ABC’s this week, DSCC chairman Robert Menendez floated the idea of temporarily extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. “I certainly believe that there may be some opportunity for a temporary approval of some of these cuts, Menendez said. “We well not support…a permanent extension, four trillion dollars.”

Yeah. Some of us saw that one coming a mile away. But as I wrote in that post, if they are laboring under the illusion that the Big Money Boyz are going to be appeased by extending those tax cuts, they are in for a huge surprise. It’s not about money anymore.

And politically it’s just … well:

The upshot is that all the Bush tax cuts are probably going to be extended. They’ll “compromise” by sunsetting it until just before the presidential election — when they can run the same game again.

If they don’t allow the Bush billionaire tax cuts to expire on schedule it’s over. I cannot imagine them summoning the political will for another 25 years to raise taxes. Welcome to the new American Austerity religion — regular human sacrifices on the alter of vast wealth in the hopes the God of rand will be benevolent. And when they aren’t, it will be widely assumed it was because the government failed and so we need another round of tax cutting and human sacrifice.

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Grow Up

by digby

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Phillies fans calling San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum gay and it sparked quite a debate in the comment section. Mostly people chalked it up to Phillies fans being particularly hardcore.

Well, it isn’t just Phillies fans. Here’s a little note from a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle:

The Giants must quickly adjust to this new planet they find themselves on. It can be confusing. Take Giants’ boss Bill Neukom, who showed up at Friday’s workout wearing cowboy boots so new they didn’t bend when he walked. Isn’t that wrong, paying homage to the enemy’s culture when invading its lair? When Rangers President Nolan Ryan went to San Francisco for the first two games, he didn’t put on a dress and high heels.

So do San Francisco fans think this stuff is funny too? I’m sure they parry it well, just as Lincecum did when he replied that those Phillies fans must like his butt, but come on — this isn’t cool and certainly San Francisco columnists shouldn’t be trafficking in archaic gay stereotypes.

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More For Thee But Not For Me

by digby

Former Congressional candidate and Daniel Webster supporter Bruce O’Donoghue in the black glasses:

Be sure to pay special attention to the audio of the speech Webster’s giving.On Bill Maher this week, the right wing guests were insistent that there were just as many incidents of violence coming from the left as the right, it’s just that we haven’t been noticing it.And the really good news is that the Democratic Villagers are being very fair on the bobblehead shows this morning and blaming the left for being just as extreme as the right. They also insist that great silent majority of Americans just want everyone to get along and so liberals need to stop seeing the word compromise as meaning capitulation. The Republicans don’t seem to agree. They think the public wants them to enact their agenda and stop the other side from enacting theirs. I’m fairly sure they see the economic hardship of the American people as being necessary to achieve that end.
So I think we can see the way this is going. Look at that Youtube again. It’s a metaphor. If you’ve got some time, help Grayson call out the vote today. He is their top target. No matter how many seats they win on Tuesday, if he wins, they’ll feel like they lost.
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Saturday Night At The Movies

Let’s see what’s on the slab: Top 10 midnight movies

By Dennis Hartley

OK…so let’s take a deep breath, and enjoy a little distraction from the real-life horror of the upcoming midterms with some All Hallows Eve fun. Tonight, I thought I’d paw through the “midnight movie” section of my library and assemble my Top 10 picks for your holiday “cheer”. As I have around 150 titles in this genre, it wasn’t easy narrowing it down; since my tastes tend to run toward the offbeat in general, this was akin to asking someone to choose their favorite child (the hell I go through for you people). Keep in mind-when it comes to picking favorite “cult” films, the axiom “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure” comes into play. As per usual, presented in alphabetical order:

Eating Raoul– The late great Paul Bartel (Death Race 2000, Lust in the Dust, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills) directed and co-wrote this twisted and hilarious social satire. Bartel and his frequent screen partner Mary Waronov play Paul and Mary Bland, a prudish, buttoned-down couple who are horrified to discover that their apartment complex is home to an enclave of “swingers”. Paul is even more shocked when he comes home from his wine store job one day and discovers Mary struggling to escape the clutches of a swinger’s party guest who has mistakenly strayed into the Bland’s apartment. Paul beans him with a frying pan, inadvertently killing Mary’s overeager groper. When the couple discovers a sizable wad of money on the body, a light bulb goes off-and the Blands come up with a unique plan for financing the restaurant that they have always dreamed of opening (and helping rid the world of those icky swingers!). Things get complicated, however when a burglar (Robert Beltran) ingratiates himself into their scheme. Yes, it’s sick…but in a good way. Wait ‘til you meet Doris the Dominatrix!

Eraserhead -If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my fifty-odd years on the planet, it’s that when it comes to the films of David Lynch, there is no middle ground. You either love ‘em, or you hate ‘em. You buy a ticket to a Lynch film, my friend, you’d best be willing to take the ride-and he will take you for a ride. And do you want to know the really weird thing about his films? They get funnier with each viewing. Yeah, I said “funny”, as in “ha-ha” funny. I think the “secret” to his impenetrably enigmatic approach to telling a story is that Lynch is having the time of his life being impenetrably enigmatic-he’s sitting back and chuckling at all the futile attempts to dissect and make “sense” of his narratives. For example, have you noticed how I’ve managed to dodge and weave and avoid giving you the plot summary? I suspect that David Lynch would find that fucking hysterical.

Forbidden Zone– Picture if you will: an artistic marriage between John Waters, Guy Maddin, Busby Berkeley and the Quay Brothers. Now, imagine the wedding night (I’ll give you a sec). As for the “plot”, well, it’s about this indescribably twisted family who discovers a portal to a sort of pan-dimensional…aw, fuck it. Suffice it to say, any film that has Herve Villchaize as the King of the Sixth Dimension, Susan Tyrell as his Queen and a scene featuring Danny Elfman channeling Cab Calloway in a devil costume is a dream for film geeks; and a nightmare for others. Directed by Danny’s brother, Richard.

Harold and Maude-Harold loves Maude. And Maude loves Harold. It’s a match made in heaven-if only “society” would agree. Because, you see, Harold (Bud Cort) is a teenager, and Maude (Ruth Gordon) is about to blow out 80 candles. Falling in love with a woman old enough to be his great-grandmother is the least of Harold’s quirks. He’s a chronically depressed trustafarian slacker who amuses himself by staging fake “suicides” for the express purpose of freaking out his snobbishly patrician mother (the wonderful Vivian Pickles). He also “enjoys” attending funerals-which is where he and Maude “meet cute”. The effervescent Maude is Harold’s diametric opposite; while he wallows in morbid speculation that any given day could be his last, she purposefully embraces each day to the fullest as if it actually were her last. Obviously, she has something to teach Harold. Despite dark undertones, this is one “midnight movie” that somehow manages to be life-affirming (!). The late great Hal Ashby directed, and Colin Higgins wrote the screenplay. The memorable score (one of the best movie soundtracks of all time) is by Cat Stevens.

Liquid Sky– Downtown 81 meets Invasion of the Body Snatchersin this one-of-a-kind sci fi offering. A diminutive, parasitic alien (who seems to have a particular delectation for NYC club kids, models and performance artists) lands on an East Village rooftop and starts mainlining off the limbic systems of junkies and sex addicts…right at the moment that they, erm, you know, reach the maximum peak of pleasure center stimulation (which I suppose makes the alien a dopamine junkie?). At any rate, don’t think about the science too hard. The main attraction here is the fascinatingly bizarre performance (or you could say, non-performance) by (co-screen writer) Anne Carlisle, who plays two roles-a female fashion model who becomes the alien’s primary host, and a gay male model. Director Slava Zsukerman also helped compose the oddly compelling electronic music score.

The Loved One-When it was originally released back in 1965, this film had a pretty unusual tag line for the era: “The motion picture with something to offend everyone.” Even by today’s standards, this one is pretty unusual. The perennially gap-toothed Robert Morse (who can be currently seen on AMC’s hit series Mad Men, playing senior partner Bertram Cooper) plays a befuddled Englishman, making a valiant effort to fully process the cultural madness of southern California, where he has come for an extended visit at the invitation of his uncle (Sir John Gielgud) who works for a Hollywood movie studio. Along the way, he falls in love with a beautiful but mentally unstable cosmetician (Anjanette Comer) who prepares “loved ones” for open casket funerals, gets a job at a pet cemetery, and basically just reacts to the bevy of wacked-out characters he encounters. In fact, he’s the only character in the film does not seem completely out of his goddamn mind. The unbelievable cast includes Jonathan Winters (playing several roles with his usual aplomb), Robert Morley, Roddy McDowell, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Paul Williams, Liberace…and nothing (I mean nothing) could ever prepare the uninitiated for Rod Steiger as Mr. Joyboy, an embalmer who has a very interesting relationship with his mother (who may have been the model for Edith Massey’s baby crib-bound grotesquerie in Pink Flamingos). Tony Richardson directed, and the screenplay was adapted by Terry Southern (Dr. Strangelove) and Christopher Isherwood from Evelyn Waugh’s novel.

Meet the Feebles-Long before he was concerning himself with bringing CGI-enhanced orcs and hobbits to life, director Peter Jackson was working with considerably lower production budgets (as in: next to nothing), and letting has overactive imagination make up the difference in off-beat indie projects like this one from 1990. It’s a sordid backstage tale about a neurotic diva who heads the cast of a popular TV variety show. So what makes it a midnight movie? Well, there’s lots of graphic sex, gory violence, and drug use. OK (you may rebut) but that’s the kind of thing one can see on premium cable any day of the week. Yes-but how often do you see puppets engaging in those activities? Adorable, fuzzy-wuzzy anthropomorphic animal puppets, committing all 7 deadly sins (and a few extra ones you may have never thought of before). You really have to see it, to believe it.

Pink Flamingos-“Oh Babs! I’m starving to death. Hasn’t that egg man come yet?” If Baltimore filmmaker/true crime buff/self-styled czar of bad taste John Waters had completely ceased making films after this jaw-dropping 1972 entry, his place in the cult movie pantheon would still be assured. Waters’ favorite leading lady (and sometimes leading man), Divine, was born to play Babs Johnson, who fights to retain her title of The Filthiest Person Alive against arch-nemesis Connie Marble (Mink Stole) and her skuzzy hubby. It’s a white trash smack down of the lowest order; shocking, sleazy, utterly depraved-and funny as hell. Animal lovers be warned-a chicken was definitely harmed during the making of the film (Waters insists that it was completely unintended, if that’s any consolation). If you are only familiar with Waters’ more recent work, and want to explore his “roots” I’d recommend watching this one first. If you can make it all the way through without losing your lunch, consider yourself prepped for the rest of the oeuvre.

Repo Man -This oddball, punk-rock/sci-fi black comedy version of Rebel Without a Causeactually represents one of the more coherent efforts from mercurial U.K. filmmaker Alex Cox (Sid & Nancy, Straight to Hell,Death And The Compass). Emilio Estevez is suitably sullen as a disenfranchised L.A. punk named Otto, who stumbles into a gig as a “repo man” after losing his job, getting dumped by his girlfriend and deciding to disown his parents. As he is indoctrinated into the samurai-like “code” of the repo man by a sage veteran named Bud (Harry Dean Stanton, in a masterfully deadpan comic performance) Otto begins to realize that he may have found his true calling. A subplot involving a mentally fried government scientist on the run, driving around in a vintage Chevy with a mysterious, glowing “whatsit” in the trunk is an obvious homage to Robert Aldrich’s 1955 noir, Kiss Me Deadly. Cox also tosses a UFO conspiracy into the mix, just for shits and giggles. Great use of L.A. locations (and nice work by DP Robby Muller). The soundtrack includes songs from Iggy Pop, Black Flag, and The Circle Jerks.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show-Arguably the ultimate midnight movie. 35 years have not diminished the cult status of Jim Sharman’s film adaptation of Richard O’Brien’s original stage musical about a hapless young couple (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) who have the misfortune of stumbling into the lair of one Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) one dark and stormy night. O’Brien co-stars as the mad doctor’s hunchbacked assistant, Riff-Raff. Much singing, dancing, cross-dressing, axe-murdering, cannibalism and hot sex ensues-with broad theatrical nods to everything from The Complete Metropolis, King Kong and Frankensteinto cheesy 1950s sci-fi, Bob Fosse musicals, 70s glam-rock and everything in between. Runs out of steam a bit in the third act, but a killer lineup of knockout musical numbers in the first hour or so makes it worth repeated viewings. And at the risk of losing my “street cred” with some readers, I will now publicly admit that I have never attended one of the “audience participation” midnight showings. I now fully anticipate being zapped with squirt guns and pelted with handfuls of uncooked rice (ow!).

Previous posts with related themes:

The Docu-Horror Picture Show
Creepy Lodgers and Seedy Inns
Divine Trash, Hidden Jewels (series)

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Rally Report

by digby

The Rally for Sanity and/or Fear was by all accounts a fun party and it certainly looked like it on the TV. I thought it was well done — ironic and satirical, well calibrated to speak subtly to the audience that was gathered. They did an unfortunately clumsy bit at the end which indicated both sides were equally bad and Jon gave a very uninspiring speech about how both sides need to calm down. (Of course the only ones who will hear it are liberals, but whatever …) All in all it appeared to be a nice gathering of the tribe.

The signs were awesome.

*If you can’t read the small print it says “it was his best, in my opinion.”

(I prefer this message myself, but that’s just me. Full segment here)

This is a little bit odd though:

That picture, of course, is of the Beck rally. But hey, what’s the difference, right?

Here’s the real rally:

As for me, I’m looking forward to the Giants win tonight.

Update: Well …

Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC)
10/30/10 3:21 PM
The fact that Stewart is a progressive makes his comments about left wing rage all the more important. His words carry weight on the left.

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GriftPAC 2010

by digby

I read that PACs are popping up all over the country and if my wingnut email is any sign, they certainly are. Lots and lots of solicitations for money.

Here’s an example:

HOW DOES AMERICA KEEP ACORN, THE BLACK PANTHERS. MUSLIM OIL MONEY AND THE LATINOS FROM STEALING THIS ELECTION?

NOTHING BUT LYING, AGITATING RACISTS!

NAACP going down: Black Conservatives Deserve Better

Posted By: RumorMail
Date: Thursday, 28-Oct-2010 14:37:43

Newsletter:

American Patriot,

As you may know, I am a pastor of a church and a black man. I have spoken at numerous Tea Party national and local events. I’ve been loved and well-received. So you can see that my affiliation with the Tea Party has absolutely nothing to do with color or race. It has to do with God and country, ideals, and ways to change the United states to a great country that it once was. My affiliation with the Tea Party is a stern rebuke to the socialist objectives of the Barak Obama administration—and the defeat of their minions on November 2nd!

My friend, that’s why I am turning to you for your last-minute support to assist several Black conservative campaigns that STAND AMERICA-PAC endorses.

But we only have days, even hours—to help make a difference in our country. It is quite simple. The choice on November 2 is easy—liberal or conservative.

In what could be yet another attempt to play the race card against the Tea Party movement, the NAACP teamed up with little-known Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights on a soon-to-be-released study that alleges Tea Party ties to hate groups. It may be long on claims, but very short on real facts. I have not experienced any racism in Tea Party conventions. I assume there might be; as there is in any party or group. But it is not something that the NAACP needs to be afraid of.

“The NAACP’s feigned concern about hate groups infiltrating the Tea Party movement is a plain, simple and pathetic attempt at gotcha politics,” said Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie, who has spoken at Tea Party events in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. “This study serves only one purpose: to discredit and demonize their opposition and preserve their tenuous grip on power.” Project 21 is a voice of black conservatives since 1992, and is sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research.

E. W. Jackson
Founder of STAND
AMERICA-PAC

It goes on and on with the usual claptrap, but this is my favorite part:

The conservative candidates that we support are truly fiscal conservatives. Unless Congress takes action before December 31st, taxes will skyrocket for Americans in every income bracket, INCLUDING the lowest wage-earners. The marriage penalty and the death tax will be back, the child tax credit will be cut in half and capital gains will increase. The Associated Press reports that a typical family of four with a household income of $50,000 will have to pay $2,900 more in taxes in 2011 unless Congress takes action.

I know it’s excessively condescending for me to point out when these people are allowing themselves to be conned by grifters, but it is more than sad if they think the candidates this fellow is asking them to vote for will be in office on December 31st of this year. They are all challengers..

A Lesson In Contrasts

by digby

Canvassers for Alan Grayson getting ready to go out and speak to their neighbors:

Daniel Webster voters:

If you’d like to wipe the supercilious smiles off the faces of those smug frat boys, you can call out the vote for Alan Grayson here.

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Keeping Fear Alive

by digby

… and restoring sanity

If you’re just tuning in, you can watch the rally livestreamed at TPM.

It’s a very big crowd.

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