Y'all are gonna have to wait until TRMS diary gets posted to get a status update on that particular diary's future. Do I know how to build the suspense or what?! :D
It's time for "this day in history." On this date in 1881, Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and "Doc" Holliday confronted Ike Clanton's gang in a gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, "Show Me Your Papers" state. Three members of Clanton's gang were killed; Earp's brothers were wounded. An episode of the original Star Trek even covered this event!
Seth MacFarlane is 38 today! I lurve lurve LURVE the Family Guy! American Dad & The Cleveland Show? Not so much...sorry!
Let's Countdown...
#5 "Breaking News" AKA "Occupy Day 40" - Oakland, CA police last night fractured the skull of an Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen; he's in the hospital tonight in critical condition.
When other protestors tried to go to his aid, the police fired tear gas into them. Wow. I hope the NYPD doesn't learn THAT particular lesson & just stick with the macing; of course, I'm being facetious. There were 18 other law enforcement communities involved last night, too? $hit! I wonder what crimes were committed in their towns while they were in Oakland? Occupy efforts in Atlanta & NM are getting bad, too, as far as being driven out. According to a CBS poll, 43% of respondents have a favorable view of Occupy efforts. Keith Shannon is Scott Olsen's roommate & an Iraq veteran also. The injury may not be life - threatening, but there could be permanent brain damage. Mr. Olsen walked into the hospital last night under his own power but was sedated soon after. The kinds of flash grenades used last night could be felt a couple miles away. Cullen Nawalkowsky is 1 of the Occupy Baltimore organizers; their efforts are at risk, too. He thinks/hopes events in Baltimore tonight won't devolve into what happened in Oakland. The park where Occupy Baltimore is based is smack - dab in the middle of big $$$ & big development in that city.
What did I used to call these "mini special comments"? Oh well...it doesn't matter. Oakland's mayor has done a lot for that town even before she was mayor. I remember her participation in the protests of the Oscar Grant trial; that's the gentleman Keith spoke of who was shot by transit authorities on New Year's Eve a few years ago. Why she's done & has allowed over the past couple of nights is a damn sad mystery. I don't know if it's some sort of Stockholm Syndrome thing, or if she's getting pressure from interest groups, or what. But, Keith's correct; there is no excuse; there is no reason. And, if she's lucky, only civil suits will be heading her way & towards Oakland's way, and that town really doesn't need much more of that. She called the resolution "generally peaceful"? $hit! What's her idea of not peaceful?!
#4 "Separate and Unequal" AKA "Growing Gap" - President Obama today was in CO to talk student debt relief. The funding of state colleges & universities in CO has fallen drastically over the recent years, and it's their students who are feeling the sting of thousands of dollars of debt when they're done with school. I heard on NPR today that student debt in this country is now larger than credit card debt, and THAT fact literally made me double - take while I was driving home from work. The CBO today confirmed that the rich are indeed getting richer - 3 times richer. Bank of America's CEO is feeling picked on. When he's gotta make a decision between buying medicine or food, then he can talk picked on. I've had to make that decision in my life. Another "popular" decision was groceries or the electric bill.
Student loan debt will - hopefully - be capped at 10% of their discretionary income. If the amount of debt hasn't been paid after a certain number of years (NPR said 20, I think), the remaining amount owed is forgiven. HOWEVER, that program is for government loans only; if you've got private loans in your debt docket, this program won't help much. It took the Obamas 10 years to pay their college loans. Robert Reich gets student loan debt duty. Student loans can be consolidated at a lower rate. Secretary Reich would like for Glass - Steagal to be brought back; don't hold your breath on that, dear. He also wants the big banks broken up, too; again, don't hold your breath - especially with Tim Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury! Secretary Reich claims that dialogue in DC is actually involving the presence of big money in politics & disillusionment with the political system - hell! :D
"Breaking News Part Deux" - The NYPD inspector who trapped & maced those 4 women back in September is being transferred to Staten Island! Keith claimed that how NYPD get fired without actually being fired? Inspector Baloney told some website that if he had that day to do all over again, he'd do the same thing. Ya' know, you'd think some NYPD union rep or SOMEONE would be telling the inspector to maybe NOT DO INTERVIEWS!
#3 "They Care About Health Care" - Some Occupy efforts in NYC were all about HCR & quite the racket it's become in the insurance industry. Dr. Steven Auerbach's in studio to talk Occupy HCR. ;) This fragmented system of health care feeds nicely into the profit - driven nature of health care today. If a hospital or other facility isn't making enough money, said hospital or facility can just be shut down - no matter who's going to be hurt or die in the process. Dr. Auerbach would like to see single - payer. With apologies for repeating myself, don't hold your breath on that, honey!
Inequality kills; poverty kills.
WPITW - "Herb" Cain's getting to be quite the presence here! ;D The Governor of Fitzwalkerstan is looking forward to a little mini - Citizens United in his fair state. BillO is defending his FAUX New fellow employees against those meanie Occupy peeps.
#1 "Grasping at ACORNs" - FAUX News is bringing back ACORN? How quaint! Are their ratings that bad?!
Sam Seder gets ACORN duty in studio. Let's hope he keeps his nuts warm! :D