Monday, September 30, 2013

Insane

I think our nation has gone totally insane.  The right wing sells us an anti-Obama, anti-healthcare, anti-abortion, anti-gay lies while the left sells anti-gun lies.

To the right N.Y., California, and the Northeast are dirty words, while to the left Texas and most of the South and Mid-West are equally dirty words.

Even though an awful lot of far right and far left folks actually seem to agree on the problems, they disagree on the source of same.  Perhaps both left and right are correct about the source since we have become a government run for and by the corporations.

Shut down the government?  Bring on a significant economic slump?  Might actually wake some folks up.  Might destroy some of the ideological underpinnings of both left and right  --  or it might be another shot fired in the attempt to foster a very UN-civil war.

I'm just amazed that the rich don't understand where their wealth comes from   ---   or, have they totally given up on the USA?

Insane.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Politicians hardly ever mention America’s poor

This from "The Japan Times" - they know more about poverty in the USA than we do. 

Follow link to original

"For example, the U.S. ranks second-highest among all measured countries with 23.1 percent of children living in poverty, slightly better than Romania, with 25.6 percent."

Interesting, don't you think?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/09/22/commentary/politicians-hardly-ever-mention-americas-poor/#.UkJh2hCynA4

U.S. Republican and Democratic politicians have one thing in common: They hardly mention the poor. For all practical purposes, they are a neglected minority.
President Barack Obama speaks about his push to secure “a better bargain for the middle class,” and House Speaker John Boehner states, “We cannot grow the middle class and foster job creation by growing government and raising taxes.” The poor have become a “dirty word” in American politics.
Poverty in America shows no preference for race — anybody can be affected. Although racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to live in poverty, race disparities among the poor have narrowed significantly since the 1970s. Still, by race, nonwhites have a higher risk, estimated at 90 percent, of being economically insecure.
Although the gap between the rich and the poor narrowed after World War II, as public policies helped the poor and the middle class, that gap between the richest 1 percent and the rest of the country is now the widest since the Roaring 1920s. In 2012, the top 10 percent captured 48.2 percent of total earnings.
In 2009, 47 million Americans depended on food banks, an increase of 30 percent above 2007 levels. Children living in households headed by single mothers are most likely to be affected.
The District of Columbia, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida were the worst affected, while the least affected were North Dakota, New Hampshire, Virginia, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
A 2012 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed alarming child poverty rates in the U.S., particularly when compared to other nations. For example, the U.S. ranks second-highest among all measured countries with 23.1 percent of children living in poverty, slightly better than Romania, with 25.6 percent.
Despite their high numbers they are sometimes called “the invisible poor” since they tend to live in small rural towns in America’s heartland, far away from politicians and government officials to see, or “feel their pain.”
Today, four out of five adults in the U.S. struggle to find jobs, are near poverty or rely on welfare for at least part of their lives, and the situation is likely to get worse, at least for those in the lower echelons of the economic scale.
America’s poor remains at a record number of 46.2 million, or approximately 15 percent of the population, due in part to still high unemployment levels.
According to the Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) “food security” refers to the availability of food and a person’s access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation.
Based on this criterion, 50.1 million Americans lived in food-insecure households (33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children.) In 2011, 4.8 million seniors (over age 60) were food insecure.
“Economic insecurity” has been defined as a year or more of periodic lack of jobs, reliance on government assistance such as food stamps, or income below 150 percent below the poverty line.
If current trends continue, by 2030 close to 85 percent of all working-class adults in the U.S. will experience bouts of economic insecurity, according to Mark Rank, a Professor of Social Welfare at Washington University in St. Louis.
Poverty affects individuals’ access to quality education and quality health care. Low income communities cannot afford the same quality of education as high income communities. Females in poverty are more likely to become pregnant at younger ages, and have fewer resources to care for their children. Many among them end up dropping out of school.
The significant proportion of children living in poor and food insecure households makes them more prone to nutritional and other health problems.
Poor children have higher infant mortality rates, more frequent and severe chronic diseases such as respiratory infections, less access to quality health care, lower immunization rates and increased obesity and its complications. Is this the panorama we expect from the richest country in the world?
Perhaps now is the time for our politicians to incorporate the word “poor” into their vocabulary.

Friday, September 20, 2013

VSP's

In the world of today cruelty simply for the sake of cruelty = being a VSP (Very Serious Person).

Doesn't matter how you dress it up, that's all it is.

These folks have no shame.

We read 1984 as a dystopian novel, they thought it was a training manual.

Congresswoman Speier Pleads to Save Food Stamps


Colorado’s House Republicans ask for flood relief after voting against Sandy aid

This from "Raw Story" - no comment from me necessary.

Please follow link to original
----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/19/colorados-house-republicans-ask-for-flood-relief-after-voting-against-sandy-aid/

Four Colorado Republicans who voted against a $50 billion federal relief bill to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy have asked the president for emergency aid to help clean up their state after devastating floods.
President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration Sunday to help Colorado recover from the floods that continue to ravage many parts of the state.
Republican Reps. Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton joined the rest of their state’s delegation in asking Obama to send emergency funds to Colorado, reported Think Progress.
Those same four Republicans voted against the Sandy relief package in January, and Lamborn voted against a smaller billion relief package less than two weeks later.
All three of Colorado’s Democratic representatives voted for each of the Sandy relief packages.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Food Wars

Right now, some "militant vegetarians" are complaining that some Chipolte commercial that says you can get a good vegetarian meal at said restaurant does not go "far enough" in condemning  meat eating.

On the other hand, I saw a (fat) guy this last weekend wearing a tee shirt that said, "my food poops on your food".

As far as I'm concermed  --  A POX ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES!!

I eat just about everything.  Meat, fish, veggies, etc.  I do not eat bugs, nor do I have much taste fr artichokes, alligator, snakes, etc.  Does not mean I do not, or have not, eaten same in the past.

As I've aged my taste for beef has diminished  --  then again, after eating some really good beef recently, perhaps the taste of beef has diminished.

Back to the topic:  This "fight" between meat eaters and vegetarians is just another way of ignoring the real issues facing everyone today.  It's another way for self styled "real men" to hate on those they see as "effete liberals".  The veggie folks sneer at those "neanderthal meat eaters"  --  the "wanton killers", etc., etc.

In my opinion they are all full of shit.  We are omnivores.  We need the protein meat supplies.  We need the bulk and vitamins veggies supply.  We need the oils fish supply.  We need a "balanced diet" (whatever that means).

Back in the "old days" when bacon was just bacon (and tasted a lot better than it does today) we had a tendency to eat much better than we do today.  People were thinner.  Usually more fit.  Not the "hard bodies" we see today but fit.  As I recall men did not need Viagra, Cialis, or any of the other "boner meds".  Often the closeness to a willing female (or male) was enough.

We are beset by run amuck marketing, "historians" who peddle bold faced lies, "political leaders" who will do ANYTHING to gain re-election, and people who will do ANYTHING to de-humanize fellow citizens.

We are losing whatever Democracy we had, the NSA is "monitoring" EVERYTHING, and folks worry about what FOOD YOU EAT.

GET A GRIP!!



     

Friday, September 13, 2013

22

PlainsCapital Bank, Dallas, Texas, Assumes All of the Deposits of First National Bank, Edinburg, Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2013
Media Contact:
LaJuan Williams-Young
Office: 202-898-3876
Cell: 571-215-6027
Email: lwilliams-young@fdic.gov

En EspaƱol
First National Bank, Edinburg, Texas, was closed today by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with PlainsCapital Bank, Dallas, Texas, to assume all of the deposits of First National Bank.
The 51 former branches of First National Bank will reopen as branches of PlainsCapital Bank during their normal business hours, including the two branches in El Paso doing business as The National Bank of El Paso. Depositors of First National Bank will automatically become depositors of PlainsCapital Bank. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage up to applicable limits. Customers of First National Bank should continue to use their current branch until they receive notice from PlainsCapital Bank that systems conversions have been completed to allow full-service banking at all branches of PlainsCapital Bank.
Depositors of First National Bank can continue to access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.
As of June 30, 2013, First National Bank had approximately $3.1 billion in total assets and $2.3 billion in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of First National Bank, PlainsCapital Bank agreed to purchase approximately $2.7 billion of First National Bank's assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.
The FDIC and PlainsCapital Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on $1.8 billion of First National Bank's assets. PlainsCapital Bank will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement. The loss-share transaction is projected to maximize returns on the assets covered by keeping them in the private sector. The transaction also is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers. For more information on loss share, please visit: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/lossshare/index.html.
Customers with questions about today's transaction should call the FDIC toll-free at the following numbers: from U.S., 1-800-405-7869; from Chile, 1-800-891-4004; from Guatemala, 1-800-507-9581; and from Mexico, 1-800-891-3995. The phone numbers will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m; Central Daylight Time (CDT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., CDT; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., CDT; on Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., CDT; and thereafter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CDT. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/firstnatl-tx.html or http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/firstnatl-tx_spanish.html.
The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $637.5 million. Compared to other alternatives, PlainsCapital Bank's acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC's DIF. First National Bank is the 22nd FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the first in Texas. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was First International Bank, Plano, on September 30, 2011.

FDIC Approves the Payout of the Insured Deposits of The Community's Bank, Bridgeport, Connecticut -- #21

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2013
Media Contact:
LaJuan Williams-Young
Office: 202-898-3876
Cell: 571-215-6027
Email: lwilliams-young@fdic.gov

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) approved the payout of the insured deposits of The Community's Bank, Bridgeport, Connecticut. The bank was closed today by the Connecticut Department of Banking, which appointed the FDIC as receiver.
The FDIC was unable to find another financial institution to take over the banking operations of The Community's Bank. The FDIC will mail checks directly to depositors of The Community's Bank for the amount of their insured money. As a convenience to depositors, the FDIC has made arrangements with People's United Bank, Bridgeport, CT, to accept the failed bank's direct deposits from the federal government, such as Social Security and Veterans' payments for 90 days. The two People's United Bank locations designated to service The Community's Bank's customers receiving federal government direct deposit payments are as follows: 4531 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT – located inside the Brookside Stop and Shop Supermarket, and 58 Boston Avenue, Bridgeport, CT.
Customers with questions about today's transaction, including those with accounts in excess of $250,000, should call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-430-6165. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., EDT; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., EDT; on Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., EDT; and thereafter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EDT. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/commbank-ct.html.
Beginning Monday, depositors of The Community's Bank with more than $250,000 at the bank may visit the FDIC's Web page "Is My Account Fully Insured?" at http://www2.fdic.gov/dip/Index.asp to determine their insurance coverage.
As of June 30, 2013, The Community's Bank had approximately $26.3 million in total assets and $25.7 million in total deposits. The amount of uninsured deposits will be determined once the FDIC obtains additional information from those customers.
The FDIC as receiver will retain all the assets from The Community's Bank for later disposition. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.
The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $7.8 million. The Community's Bank is the 21st FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the first in Connecticut. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Connecticut Bank of Commerce, Stamford, on June, 26, 2002.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Ella Fitzgerald: The Lady Is a Tramp (Rodgers / Hart, 1937)


Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got a Crush on You (1950)


Ella Fitzgerald, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"


20

First Fidelity Bank, National Association, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Assumes All of the Deposits of Sunrise Bank of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2013
Media Contact:
Greg Hernandez (202) 898-6984
Cell: (202) 340-4922
Email: ghernandez@fdic.gov


Sunrise Bank of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, was closed today by the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with First Fidelity Bank, National Association, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to assume all of the deposits of Sunrise Bank of Arizona.
The six branches of Sunrise Bank of Arizona will reopen as branches of First Fidelity Bank, National Association during their normal business hours. Depositors of Sunrise Bank of Arizona will automatically become depositors of First Fidelity Bank, National Association. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage up to applicable limits. Customers of Sunrise Bank of Arizona should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from First Fidelity Bank, National Association that it has completed systems changes to allow other First Fidelity Bank, National Association branches to process their accounts as well.
This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Sunrise Bank of Arizona can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.
As of June 30, 2013, Sunrise Bank of Arizona had approximately $202.2 million in total assets and $196.9 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, First Fidelity Bank, National Association agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.
Customers with questions about today's transaction should call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-430-7974. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time (MST); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., MST; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., MST; on Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., MST; and thereafter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., MST. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/sunrisebank-az.html.
The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $17.0 million. Compared to other alternatives, First Fidelity Bank, National Association’s acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC's DIF. Sunrise Bank of Arizona is the 20th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the third in Arizona. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Central Arizona Bank, Scottsdale, on May 14, 2013.

19

CB&S Bank, Inc. Russellville, Alabama, Assumes All of the Deposits of Community South Bank, Parsons, Tennessee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2013
Media Contact:
Greg Hernandez (202) 898-6984
Cell: (202) 340-4922
Email: ghernandez@fdic.gov


Community South Bank, Parsons, Tennessee, was closed today by the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with CB&S Bank, Inc. Russellville, Alabama, to assume all of the deposits of Community South Bank.
The 15 branches of Community South Bank will reopen as branches of CB&S Bank, Inc. during their normal business hours. Depositors of Community South Bank will automatically become depositors of CB&S Bank, Inc. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage up to applicable limits. Customers of Community South Bank should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from CB&S Bank, Inc. that it has completed systems changes to allow other CB&S Bank, Inc. branches to process their accounts as well.
This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Community South Bank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.
As of June 30, 2013, Community South Bank had approximately $386.9 million in total assets and $377.7 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, CB&S Bank, Inc. agreed to purchase approximately $121.7 million of the failed bank’s assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.
Customers with questions about today's transaction should call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-883-4390. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m., Central Daylight Time (CDT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., CDT; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., CDT; on Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., CDT; and thereafter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CDT. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/communitysouth.html.
The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $72.5 million. Compared to other alternatives, CB&S Bank, Inc.’s acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC's DIF. Community South Bank is the 19th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the second in Tennessee. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Mountain National Bank, Sevierville, on June 7, 2013.

"The Messenger" by Ray Wylie Hubbard


Ray Wylie Hubbard "Drunken Poet's Dream"


Ray Wylie Hubbard performs - Mother Blues


Ray Wylie Hubbard "Snake Farm"


Ray Wylie Hubbard "Screw You, We're From Texas"


Monday, September 2, 2013

Love for Labor Lost By PAUL KRUGMAN

This from Prof. Krugman - follow link to original
-------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/opinion/krugman-love-for-labor-lost.html?ref=paulkrugman&_r=0

It wasn’t always about the hot dogs. Originally, believe it or not, Labor Day actually had something to do with showing respect for labor.
Here’s how it happened: In 1894 Pullman workers, facing wage cuts in the wake of a financial crisis, went on strike — and Grover Cleveland deployed 12,000 soldiers to break the union. He succeeded, but using armed force to protect the interests of property was so blatant that even the Gilded Age was shocked. So Congress, in a lame attempt at appeasement, unanimously passed legislation symbolically honoring the nation’s workers.
It’s all hard to imagine now. Not the bit about financial crisis and wage cuts — that’s going on all around us. Not the bit about the state serving the interests of the wealthy — look at who got bailed out, and who didn’t, after our latter-day version of the Panic of 1893. No, what’s unimaginable now is that Congress would unanimously offer even an empty gesture of support for workers’ dignity. For the fact is that many of today’s politicians can’t even bring themselves to fake respect for ordinary working Americans.
Consider, for example, how Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, marked Labor Day last year: with a Twitter post declaring “Today, we celebrate those who have taken a risk, worked hard, built a business and earned their own success.” Yep, he saw Labor Day as an occasion to honor business owners.
More broadly, consider the ever-widening definition of those whom conservatives consider parasites. Time was when their ire was directed at bums on welfare. But even at the program’s peak, the number of Americans on “welfare” — Aid to Families With Dependent Children — never exceeded about 5 percent of the population. And that program’s far less generous successor, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, reaches less than 2 percent of Americans.
Yet even as the number of Americans on what we used to consider welfare has declined, the number of citizens the right considers “takers” rather than “makers” — people of whom Mitt Romney complained, “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives” — has exploded, to encompass almost half the population. And the great majority of this newly defined army of moochers consists of working families that don’t pay income taxes but do pay payroll taxes (most of the rest are elderly).
How can someone who works for a living be considered the moral equivalent of a bum on welfare? Well, part of the answer is that many people on the right engage in word games: they talk about how someone doesn’t pay income taxes, and hope that their listeners fail to notice the word “income” and forget about all the other taxes lower-income working Americans pay.
But it is also true that modern America, while it has pretty much eliminated traditional welfare, does have other programs designed to help the less well-off — notably the earned-income tax credit, food stamps and Medicaid. The majority of these programs’ beneficiaries are either children, the elderly or working adults — this is true by definition for the tax credit, which only supplements earned income, and turns out in practice to be true of the other programs. So if you consider someone who works hard trying to make ends meet, but also gets some help from the government, a “taker,” you’re going to have contempt for a very large number of American workers and their families.
Oh, and just wait until Obamacare kicks in, and millions more working Americans start receiving subsidies to help them purchase health insurance.
You might ask why we should provide any aid to working Americans — after all, they aren’t completely destitute. But the fact is that economic inequality has soared over the past few decades, and while a handful of people have stratospheric incomes, a far larger number of Americans find that no matter how hard they work, they can’t afford the basics of a middle-class existence — health insurance in particular, but even putting food on the table can be a problem. Saying that they can use some help shouldn’t make us think any less of them, and it certainly shouldn’t reduce the respect we grant to anyone who works hard and plays by the rules.
But obviously that’s not the way everyone sees it. In particular, there are evidently a lot of wealthy people in America who consider anyone who isn’t wealthy a loser — an attitude that has clearly gotten stronger as the gap between the 1 percent and everyone else has widened. And such people have a lot of friends in Washington.
So, this time around will we be hearing anything from Mr. Cantor and his colleagues suggesting that they actually do respect people who work for a living? Maybe. But the one thing we’ll know for sure is that they don’t mean it.