Count Your Blessings

Don't Feel Down in the Dumps-ter


By Rex Frankel, 1/19/2017

Don't just react to orange ass atrocities.

Donate to progressive groups which sue the feds. Refuse to buy from businesses that support Trump and his angry ilk. Dump your pay TV so your money doesn't go to TV networks that gave billions in free coverage to Trump. Use an antenna if you must. Dump your daily newspaper if it is in the dumpster for the Trumpster: especially those owned by Digital First Media, which are the Daily News, Daily Breeze, and Pasadena Star News.

Deprive the feds of your tax dollars temporarily or permanently by pouring your income into 401k's or tax exempt bonds.

Don't buy anything you see advertised on Fuckbook or Twitter as they bring us fake news and the Daily Trump spew with no fact checking or ethics. Trade with your friends, buy used unless you really need new stuff.

And above all, remember that California has the right to privacy written into our Constitution, so abortion cannot be made illegal by the feds. Californians can enact our own version of Obamacare just as Massachusetts did years ago, or better yet, a state run health insurance system. Oh, yeah, and if red states want to wreck their schools and environment, we will not here. Just as we can't force residents of other countries to vote smarter, don't feel so bad for residents of red states when Trump screws them. We can only control what goes on in our own backyard, so if the neighbors are dumb, unless it affects us, let's let them learn from their Trump-steaks, er mistakes.

Republicans start sounding like "socialists"?

Romney "like(s) being able to fire people."

Other GOP contenders have a problem with that (not firing people, just telling the public that's what they want to do)

"Can't we get back to bashing Obama's pro-middle class policies?"

Full story: http://www.denverpost.com/littwin/ci_19707306
By Mike Littwin


The last thing anyone could have expected from the Republican presidential field here was a late-breaking shift to the left...

...Here's Gingrich, who has called Romney a looter, explaining to the press how a historian/not lobbyist sees the issue:
"Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of other people and walk off with the money? Or is that, in fact ... a flawed system? So I do draw a distinction between looting a company, leaving behind broken families and broken neighborhoods and leaving behind a factory that should be there."

Rick Perry — who is polling at 1 percent in New Hampshire — is in South Carolina, where he's focusing on a company that he says was "looted" by Bain and adds that "getting rich off failure and sticking it to someone else is ... indefensible."

"If you're a victim of Bain Capital's downsizing," said Perry, who routinely calls Barack Obama a socialist, "it's the ultimate insult for Mitt Romney to come to South Carolina and tell you he feels your pain, because he caused it."

I know. You think the outrage may be forced — and a little late in the game. Everyone figured Romney's problem in the primaries would be Romneycare. But it turns out to be Bain Scare...

John Boehner says: "Job creators are on strike"

Don't Retreat....Reload?

One of Bush's wars is over....

Gimme that old time religion!

Can I buy a Canadian?

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.

The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura.
Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination . End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual unseemliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia

(It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian)

Truly important news department...

The New Scourge of the internet: People With Nothing Better to do but criticize the spelling in other people's "tweets"

excerpted from:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/fashion/29twitter.html

...A small but vocal subculture has emerged on Twitter of grammar and taste vigilantes who spend their time policing other people’s tweets — celebrities and nobodies alike. These are people who build their own algorithms to sniff out Twitter messages that are distasteful to them — tweets with typos or flawed grammar, or written in ALLCAPS — and then send scolding notes to the offenders. They see themselves as the guardians of an emerging behavior code: Twetiquette....

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As George Carlin told it:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246641/quotes

What else is troubling me? Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that... why: I don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! ... no wonder no one takes our country seriously, we waste valuable news time informing our citizens of the age of an imaginary rodent!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAZE FROM THE KITTIES WHO USED TO SLEEP ON MY HEAD!

"It costs less!"--and does nothing...

Less Great! Tastes Filling!
...Hold on, let's try this again...

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-fi-lazarus8-2009nov08,0,5790321.column

"Perhaps the sole merit to the Republican reform plan is its price
tag -- $61 billion over 10 years. But considering that it does virtually
nothing to address current problems, and in some ways only makes those
problems worse, taxpayers might wonder what exactly they're paying
for."

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STAND UP FOR THE REAL HEALTH CARE VICTIMS!http://pol.moveon.org/insurance_execs/?id=17285-2061494-vQX8qwx&t=1&reloaded=1

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GIVE US THE PLAN THAT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE GIVES THEIR EMPLOYEES? IT COVERS ABORTIONS!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/29456

...According to several Cigna employees, the insurer offers its customers the opportunity to opt out of abortion coverage – and the RNC did not choose to opt out.
But rank and file Republicans said Thursday that the policy should – and would – be changed.
“We were not aware of this, obviously, and this will, of course, be fixed,” said James Bopp Jr., a Republican National Committeeman from Indiana. “I think Chairman Steele will see to it that that’s the case.”
Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia conservative, said “they need to drop that clause” from the policy or find a new one....

More...Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist

Victimized Venice Developer Lobbyist Sues State for not forcing the public to park in his boss's lots

http://argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/08/13/news_-_features/top_stories/2v.txt

--------------------------------

Here's a response I wrote back in 1997:

Let Them Eat Bricks

By Rex Frankel

Hello, and welcome to another edition of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist". I'm Robbing Leech, your guide.

Today we visit the famous Conformity Beach, in Veniceland, California. Road crews are out today on the beach, replacing loose designer bricks on the Platinum Pathway, formerly Ocean Front Walk. We're talking to self-appointed Venice spokesman Larson E. Whipsnade.

"Sure, cleaning up the beach has had its cost. It's no longer Free Venice, since we privatised the beach," Larson says, "But it's much trendier."

Whipsnade points at one of his muscle-bound private police. "Look at the cloth!" he gloats, pointing to his cops' new designer-uniforms. "And we use non-polluting paddywagons to haul off anyone without a beach-permit to our civil rights deprivation facility, like the poor and unknown artists and anyone else not paying rent to me. Also our police use non-lead bullets and their billy-clubs contain no tropical hardwoods. We're concerned about the environment!"

And to pay for this Whipsnade shows me his Beach-o-Meter cash collection system. Every performing artist's space on the ocean front has what is actually a parking meter needing coins every 15 minutes. Also all benches on the walk have meters, with rules enforced by the muscle-bound patrol. But Veniceland policy is "regulate people, not property", and so business is just booming at Whipsnade's strip of newly built ocean-front shopping malls.

"Yes, we are a business-friendly town," he says, "and without low-paying mall jobs, how can people pay rent?" Whipsnade then takes our camera to a meeting of the Veniceland Vacuum Committee, a group of yuppies who have dedicated themselves to a whiter, brighter and much richer Veniceland. Their leaders, who sell real estate for a living, can be seen each morning disinfecting sidewalks in poorer parts of town. Such spirit they have!

"The poor need a clean place to land after being evicted," says Dina Reagan, head vacuumer. "It's the least we can do. They're not canal ducks. They have some rights."

Well, there you have it in beautiful, diverse VeniceLand: businesspeople caring for the less fortunate. This is Robbing Leech saying goodbye until next week's show. We're off to Brentwood to show nice-guy Mayor Dick Riordan giving his money away to poorer politicians. What a caring guy.

We're off to the Lifestyles Video Van...Hey! Where's the van? It was parked right here on the street!

"Oh, sorry," says Whipsnade, "no permit, no parking! You should've taken the beach shuttle--only 10 bucks!"

Oh, well! This has been Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist. Bye-bye!

Something more to worry about...

Sick, but funny...From the Onion

and here's another
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_are_reality_shows

Two Cute Kitties

aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'

1/17/2001

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784

Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist

Ahhh...the Good Old Days...

Another Episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist

Starring George Bush as Der Fuhrer

This week's episode: "The Repackaging of the President"

By Rex Frankel
(Originally published in the Free Venice Beachhead, January 1992)

We return to the Kennebunkport Kountry Klub for another exclusive insider's eye on our nation's leaders at their favorite sport. This week's discussion: an election-year return to Kinder, Gentler Fascism.

Tonite's guest star is David Dupe, who manages to show up for golf at the same time as Der Fuhrer. Dupe is so right wing that Herr Bush's first sound bite of the day is "He gives Nazi's a bad name."

"It's OK to be intolerant of minorities," Bush confides later on the green, "just don't pose for any pictures while wearing your hood. Besides," he chuckles, "the three-piece suit has been the dress of real Nazi's for years!"

"I always keep my hood in the closet", Bush reminisces, "sometimes I take it out and hold it close, then wrap it in my yellow ribbon and put it away for another day of people and their problems I don't understand."

Der Fuhrer swings, cleaving the little white ball past two secret service agents on the first green.

"Oh, how I long for the good old days," he continues "when I said 'War', America jumped. I was on TV for more hours every day than Alex Trebek or even Geraldo!" He droned off as he putted to the first hole, an uphill roll that would have to hook to the left to go in. "Another Politically Correct shot" Bush mused, making his second sound bite of the day. Bush's handlers cheered, knowing the hungry news reporters and the stable of GOP editorial columnists would gobble that PC comment and write several days worth of vacuous articles on the subject, ignoring again domestic issues which are soo boring.

The vice president was off playing golf with Wingy-D of the rap group "Republicans With an Attitude". Dan really got off on their latest hit "Rich and so Angry I could Explode". Humming the tune, he said to Wingy "I'd tap my toes if they weren't in these heavy jackboots." Wingy-D seemed impressed.

Quayle made a slow putt, which was dumb since he was at the starting tee. He turned to Milo Finblatz, his press aide/translator, and whispered "I keep forgetting--am I supposed to get a high score or a low score?"

Milo whispered back out of microphone range "Space invaders High, Golf Low."

Gerald Ford swung in his usual wild but conservative way, lobbing the little white ball onto the luncheon salad bar, not injuring anyone but scaring the crap out of Barbara Bush, who began clucking "The sky is falling, the sky is FALLING!" Thinking better of this, she realized she'd been tripping on the President's antihistamine tablets. The bottle did warn "Do not handle heavy machinery or affairs of State while using this drug". She remembered how George forgot the warning one night and sold missiles to his old friend Saddam Hussein. But these things happen.

John Wilkes Bilgewater is the president's top propagandist. Before joining the White House staff, he wrote ads for Reprehensible Life, one of the nations top sharks, er insurance companies. "Look George, if you're gonna take people's civil rights away" Bilgewater blusters, "they're not gonna vote for you. It's this damn democracy. I don't like it either." Bilgewater's proven election-strategy unfolded: "But, if Dupe and that other loudmouth, Loose-Cannon runs, you can say they hate civil rights even more than you do, and you can blame the Democrats in congress for all the welfare criminals that caused us to take away the civil rights in the first place. We can't lose, George. Just drop the "Stormtroopers of the World" slogan for a kinder, gentler "Nazi's that Care". I swear, it'll sell!"

"But I like `Stormtroopers'!" Der Fuhrer protested.

Bilgewater pulled out a pocket computer and proclaimed "Our polling says Stormtroopers has a negative image, what with all those dead Kurds in Iraq. But kids today don't remember Nazi's and the only Nazi's on TV are harmless boobs like on Hogan's Heroes. And c'mon! You're a sensitive president. You cried while you sent our boys off to Iraq. You appeal not just to the run-of-the-mill fascist, but also the friendly neighborhood highrise builder, the average out-of work bomb designer, the laid off arms merchant. You're not just a Nazi, George, you're a "Nazi that Cares".

"And after the election you can conveniently forget any promises you accidentally make, and get back to business as usual."

Der Fuhrer scratched his butt and said, "John, you've got something there!"

Bush shouted to the Vice President, "Dan c'mere, I wanna know what you think of this."

"It's not my job to think," Quayle replied, "but I'll give it a try."

"Look Dan, Bilgewater's got something here. Put away your jackboots and armbands for a while, hide the hood in the cellar, and get out your bible. We're goin' on the campaign trail."

"Sieg Heil!" cheered Quayle, stepping out of character. "I mean, duh---yippee!"

"Good boy, Dan," said der Fuhrer.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascist

Khristmas at Kennebunkport
(Originally published in the Free Venice Beachhead, August 1991)

By Rex Frankel

"We're not just Nazi's--We're Nazi's that care!" went the victory cry at President Bush's 1992 Khristmas victory "bash". Operation Campaign Storm had been a huge success, even more so after Saddam Hussein endorsed the Democrat's candidate, Seymour Gribnitz. The other Democratic contenders all pulled out in the primaries, after the generally apolitical Gribnitz was endorsed by all 4 television networks. Many people called him a Stealth Democrat because his views were such a mystery before and during the campaign. His campaign slogan, "Vote for Me--I'll Figure Things Out" was nevertheless disquieting to veteran Demo's and elating to Republican power brokers, who rolled over Gribnitz with attacks on his ownership of a Japanese car, an unpaid parking ticket and overdue library books.

Alas, Dan Quayle was off at a book signing party for his third Nazi how-to guide, "101 Ways to Goosestep", and so he couldn't be at Der Fuhrer's side.

Following re-coronation, Herr Bush decreed as his first act the end of civil rights, saying they cost too much, and the only people who need civil rights are criminals anyways. Barbara Bush spent the winter enjoying her hubby's Christmas present to her: the deforestation of all of Northern California.

Meanwhile, Congress was earning far too much money to care how Bush fleeced the Fatherland during his 1st term, and looked the other way when Bush appointed his son, Neil, to run the FDIC. Neil promised to run the nation's banking system in a "prudent" manner, much the same way Neil had run his previous federally-insured business ventures. This fit Herr Bush's campaign slogan of "keep it in the family" to a T, and Bush went on to appoint nearly every adult member of the Bush family to high federal posts. Herr Bush also sought to keep family ties strong in the nation's poor families by introducing revised jail policies. From now on, the entire family goes to jail when one member commits or is entrapped into a crime.

But back to the party. Entertainment that night was the group with the "hit" video of 1991, Daryl and the Billy Clubs, doing "How to be Arrested". The rap group Republicans With an Attitude came next, rousing the crowd to ritual acts of politically correct violence. Finishing up the evening's fun were Sandra Day & the Extremes.

Following the entertainment, the crowd watched a ritual execution and burning of the Bill of Rights. All were ordered to have a good time, and did.

This is Robbing Leach signing off until next time.

Don't Buy Stuff

https://youtu.be/R3ZJKN_5M44

Republican Hypocricy:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

The truth about John McCain's Acceptance Speech:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184111&title=john-mccains-big-acceptance


Get Phonies McCain and Palin off the Public Trough!!

John McCain and Sarah Palin are huge hypocrites on the issue of our money. When it’s convenient, they attack government spending for roads, hospitals, and parks as “pork” and “earmarks”. Behind the scenes, they have channeled millions in tax dollars into their states. GUESS WHAT! That’s why we pay taxes in the first place!

Would they rather that only private corporations run our roads, our prisons, our health system, our wars? It may be the Republican way. It’s not the American way.

Paying the bills for McCain-Palin’s phony commercials claiming concern for our tax dollars is $84 million in our tax dollars taken in each year on our 1040 forms. Obama, on the other hand, is running his campaign entirely with money raised the old fashioned way, by asking donors for it.
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Wasilla, Alaska Benefited from Nearly $27 Million in Earmarks from 1996 to 2002Pub Date: Sep 02, 2008
http://www.taxpayer.net/resources.php?category=&type=Project&proj_id=1284&action=Headlines%20By%20TCS
As Mayor of Wasilla between 1996-2002, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) helped get nearly $27 million in earmarked federal funding. Under her leadership, the town hired a lobbying firm, Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh (now named Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco P.C.), and worked with Steven Silver, a partner at the firm and former Chief of Staff for powerful appropriator, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). This is when the earmarked funding started flowing.
Here is a list of the earmarks.
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http://www.kansascity.com/445/story/787481.html
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
McCain: The co-author of McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, he plans to run his general campaign with public money and within its spending limits. He has urged Obama to do the same. He applied for federal matching funds for primaries but later turned them down so he could spend more than the limits. Federal Election Commission belatedly approved his decision to bypass the primary funds, but rejected McCain's claim that he needed no such approval. McCain accepts campaign contributions from lobbyists.

Obama: The presidential campaign's fundraising champion has brought in $390 million. He plans to raise private money for his general election, despite his proposal last year to accept public financing and its spending limits if the Republican nominee does, too. Obama refuses to accept money from federal lobbyists and has instructed the Democratic National Committee to do the same for its joint victory fund, an account that would benefit the nominee. Obama does accept money from state lobbyists and from family members of federal lobbyists.

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http://fec.gov/press/press2008/20080908cert.shtml

Federal Election Commission cuts $84 million check to McCain-Palin 2008, Inc. (the name of their campaign committee).

HOW TO STAY YOUNG, By George Carlin

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the shops, even to the next State; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.