Bill Maher's Pizza Ananolgy

Recently, a friend reminded me of the vast amount of misinformation out there.
The conversation began with a quote I posted on my Facebook page: "If a man has an apartment stacked to the ceiling with newspapers we call him crazy. If a woman has a trailer house full of cats we call her nuts. But when people pathologically hoard so much cash that they impoverish the entire nation, we put them on the cover of Fortune magazine and pretend that they are role models." — B. Lester

Well, this old boy decided he'd had enough of my truth. 'Capt. America' was born on my wall and he was born hard!
The dialogue on the thread soon included cries of "socialism,"  Obama borrowing 14 trillion, forced health care, the stripping of individual rights, job creators, "Obama didn't get Bin Laden" and evil government intervention with regards to the free market. We covered the great American socialist failures: like social security, medicare, fannie and freddie, and my personal favorite, the postal service. Then, in-step with the neoconservative mindset of today, a denial of any affiliation with a political party ensued...Oh jeez... While I seemed to break through with some key points, backed up with references to Warren Buffett's recent article, we got nowhere FAST...


Capt. America: "so I guess according to a socialist... the guy with all the money (who worked for it and earned it through hard work and or investing it properly) should just give it away to people that's have not worked for it...is that correct?"

The thread continues, then I respond,


Me: "Nobody's asking rich people to give money away. We're asking them to pay their dues in the form of equal taxes. Nothing more, nothing less. Today the super rich are paying less than ever before and campaigning for more tax breaks. It's laughable if it wasn't such a crime."

Capt. America: "Capitalism will work just fine when the government just gets out of the way." 

I could bore you with the rest,  but I think you've heard all of this crap before...

The thread goes on with some good commentary from other folks on both sides of the issues. I liked the Freudian Slip when the Capt. said "bushiness" instead of business..
But seriously, where do they come up with this garbage? It's not only from Glenn Beck University, it's from a cunning, corporate, conservative media.


When I think of the media, I think of Bill Maher. I think of his remarks post 911 and what happened to him as a result of those remarks. I wonder how much propaganda exists in the media? How high up does the deception go? Somebody owns the media. Who are they? Since I was already thinking of using Bill Maher's Pizza Analogy as it applies to Capt. America and his shield of lies, here it is...


New Rule: Television Networks Have to Quit Trying to Put a Happy Ending on America’s Wealth Disparity

Maher: America’s rich aren’t giving you money, they’re taking your money.

Between the years 1980 and 2005 80% of all new income generated in this country went to the richest 1%. Let me put that in terms that even you ***** teabaggers can understand.

Say 100 Americans get together and order a 100 slice pizza. The pizza arrives and the first guy takes 80 slices. And if someone suggests, why don’t you just take 79 slices, that’s socialism! I know, I know. I know, I know, it’s just a TV show. But it does reinforce the stupid idea people have that rich people would love us and share with us if only they got to walk a mile in our cheap plastic shoes.

But they’re the reason the shoe factory moved to China. We have this fantasy that our interests and the interests of the super rich are the same. Like somehow the rich will eventually get so full that they’ll explode. And the candy will rain down on the rest of us.

 While I don't begrudge my friend for his opinions,  it does give me pause. I see and hear how mad some of these right-wingers are becoming. And for what? Their not rich. They're waspy, middle class, frat boys just like me. Why should they defend these rich bastards? I know what the tea party is capable of. They're certainly not rich. They're the trailer trash of the nation. Although, they're bankrolled by Koch Money... I think we're in for one hell of a show in 2012. A show where up is down, in is out, and all of us are suckers.

IT'S MINE! ALL MINE!

UPDATE:

Maher and I must be on the same wavelength. The next evening this aired.

Keith Olbermann appeared on Bill Maher's show Friday night, and Maher enlisted his guest for a comedy bit where they yelled at a "typical Republican voter" who was literally encased in a bubble.
The bit emanated from Maher's "New Rules" segment, where he said that it had become impossible to "dialogue" with Republicans because they were disconnected from reality. Maher then said that, to be fair, he should try to talk to a Republican voter. And, what do you know! He had one right there, a "systems analyst from Irvine" named Bob, sitting docilely in a bubble.
"Keith, you should come over here!" Maher said. "I know you have experience talking to typical Republican voters. Surely if we stick to irrefutable facts we can get through to him."
The two then proceeded to shout different things at Bob, such as the fact that taxes are at their lowest level in 50 years, or that Ronald Reagan raised taxes. A peek inside the bubble revealed that Bob was only hearing elevator music, not his two increasingly harried hosts.
Olbermann eventually called Bob an "information-free, bleach-drinking halfwit," before shouting, "wrestling is fake!" to end the show.

Bar-Be-Que

Like most of the good things in life, Meshack's Bar-Be-Que isn't easy to find. Tucked away on an old stretch of road, at the end of a decaying downtown Garland, it stands as one of the top barbecue joints in Texas.
The Full Custom Gospel breaks it down here.

"I can't tell you if the name Meshack's refers to one of the three thrown in the furnace in the Bible's story of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, but I can tell you that this man uses plenty of pecan wood to stoke his 100% wood burning furnace, and has to sweat through the heat in his AC-less shack."

Robert Earl Keen says, "when you're feeling puny and don't know what to do. Treat yourself to some meat, get some barbecue."





I had the wood-smoked ribs and links with some spicy BBQ sauce to pep me up.
Washed it down with a Big Red on the hood of my truck in the parking lot.
Is there any better way to eat it?

Pecan wood is a good thing.

Worth the drive.

Check out this Meat-shack!

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance joins the rest of the country in honoring our first responders as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff discusses how many votes it will take to have a shot at winning citywide office in Houston this year.

Eric "Illegal Signs" Dick gets nailed to a utility pole the wall once more, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs laughs and points.

Bay Area Houston notices that a new flavor of ice cream has been created for the Tea Party: Schweddy Balls.

Don't use 9/11 to promote Bush or Cheney. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is appalled at the thought that anyone would give them credit for good actions.

Neil at Texas Liberal made note of his growing appreciation for Rick Perry. With his lack of second-guessing over all the people who have been executed while he has been governor, at least Mr. Perry embraces our culture of violence and death with open arms. The governor of Texas offers voters a clear choice. We'll see what people want in 2012 and we'll move ahead from that point.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson demonstartes that a picture is worth a thousand words: Perry/Texas GOP budget cuts already proving costly for Texas.

At TexasKaos, lightseeker ponders the relationship between Rick Perry, Wildfires and Cultism. Give it a read.

Did you watch the Republican debate last week? So did McBlogger...