Month: September 2010

Life is funny

~ susie ~ 113 Comments

I just got off a White House conference call in which I asked David Axelrod if he ever heard of the term “hippie punching”.

Silence.

“Are you there?”

“Yeah, I heard you. Go on.”

Basically, after Axelrod told us how wonderful we were and how much they needed us to close the enthusiasm gap in this election, I called him on it. Like, yo Dave, here we are, liberal activists who give money and GOTV, and the White House needs to punch us in public so no one thinks they take us seriously?

And then he said, like, your feelings don’t really amount to a hill of beans in this crazy mixed-up world when we’re TRYING TO SAVE THE COUNTRY, and then I said excuse ME, we’re not talking about my feelings here, how am I supposed to motivate my readers when you treat them like the town ho?

Or words to that effect. I do it all for you, my beloved readers.

UPDATE: Why do people think this is literally what I said on the call? Did the Casablanca quote not tip you off, or the Jerry Springer “trash talk” dialog?

Go read Greg Sargent if you want an accurate depiction.

Banksters

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

Now they’re even foreclosing on houses without mortgages! The Big Picture:

What unmitigated incompetence. Here is how to make this right:

1. The attorney of record on this case should be suspended from the practice of law for 6 -12 months;

2. Sue the fuckers Bank of America. For your lost time, inconvenience, emotional toll, damage to credit ratings, etc.

The only way you can stop really bad corporate activities is by making it cost them money. Whack them for a few million dollars, and you will see less of this sort of egregious behavior.

3. Freeze the Florida foreclosure mills. IF A COURT CAN FORECLOSE ON A HOUSE WITHOUT A MORTGAGE, THERE IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY FATALLY WRONG WITH THAT COURT SYSTEM. They are administratively incompetent, and until they demonstrate they are not renegade organized criminals (i.e., have some basic competency), they must freeze what they are doing.

4. The US Attorney General’s office should be looking into this disaster.

Testing, 1-2-3

~ susie

A young woman I know teaches math at a local public high school. She told me this is what happened to her at a recent Parent-Teacher’s Night.

A mother came up and introduced herself as so-and-so’s mother. The teacher told her, “Oh, that’s nice, I’ve never actually met your child.”

“What do you mean?” the mother said.

“I mean, I’ve had three classes and your son never actually attended any of them.”

“Maybe you don’t know my son, he looks like…”

“It doesn’t matter what your son looks like, ma’am. I wouldn’t know him, because I’ve never met him. He’s never attended class.”

So finally the light dawns and the mother pulls a Homer Simpson: “Why, that little… I oughta….”

But it’s a week later, and the kid still hasn’t shown up in class. Now clearly, the mom cares. Why else would she attend the parent-teacher night? But just as clearly, she has no control over her child.

And under the new education proposals, this teacher’s salary will depend on how well that kid tests. Fair? Don’t think so.

Someone with a flashlight comes along…

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

I had a dream last night that I was in the deep woods by a stream, and everywhere in the woods were people working at desks, as if they were in an office.

Anyway, the water is starting to rise and I decide to talk a walk — in my bare feet, wearing the same pajamas I’m actually sleeping in. I’m walking along, avoiding the parts of the mudlands where the water is coming in, when it gets very dark and I can’t really see where to walk without stumbling into the water.

I’m standing there wondering what to do when someone with a flashlight comes along. I can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman, but the person shows me the way out. By the intense blue light of the flashlight, I see other people calmly moving through chest-high water. I safely make my way to dry land.