night all

Thanks for a great day everyone, see you tomorrow 😉

And tomorrow …. the third anniversary:

interesting….

Gavin Polone: One of the many things that bug me about the industry in which I work is the large population of phonies who claim to be liberal, caring, green and unaffected by their wealth and fame but in reality are just as self-centered and addicted to their huge, over-air-conditioned living spaces and private planes as those at whom they point their fingers. And none is more phony and finger-pointing than Michael Moore.

Moore seems to be everywhere of late, talking about the “occupy” movement and fashioning himself its spokesmodel …. this protest would be better served if those speaking on its behalf were of cleaner hands and less hypocritical than Moore, who has suckled mightily at the teat of “those who do well.”

In 2005, the Weinstein Co. set up financing of about $500 million to fund production and distribution. The investment vehicle was created and syndicated by a little firm called Goldman Sachs. One of the films that was produced by TWC using funds from that investment was Moore’s documentary Sicko….

By 2010, TWC had burned through the capital raised in the Goldman Sachs deal. Investors were forced to restructure their arrangement, meaning some suffered a devaluation of their investment … One of those who did quite well using the TWC funds was Moore.

…. If Moore really wants to be seen as someone outside the circle of those he is protesting, it would be great if he would disclose how much he has made off his TWC-backed movies and why he was willing to associate himself with financing set up by Goldman Sachs. Further, journalists should start showing more backbone in testing the veracity of statements made by those who use the media to disseminate a holier-than-though message…..

Full article here

Thank you Dorothy

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ABC (2009): Michael Moore used some non-union crewmembers when union workers were available in the production of his latest film “Capitalism: A Love Story,” a documentary that argues the capitalist system allows for greedy corporations to exploit working-class people.

…. In a statement issued to ABCNews.com, Moore’s agent Ari Emanuel 😯 said the filmmaker wished the union included more documentary crew people – but he did not deny that IATSE members were snubbed in favor of non-union employees.

…. As a result of Moore’s decision not to use IATSE workers, at least one other national union, the American Federation of Teachers has refused free tickets offered to them from Moore.

…. An internal AFT memo, obtained by ABCNews.com, added that the non-union workers hired for the film did not receive health insurance.

Full article here

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Grover Norquist’s best buddy Jane Hamsher is asking people to donate money to buy winter gear for the OWS protestors –

She’s promising that 100% of the money will go to the protestors.

That’s excellent.

But she’s using the very same OWS donation appeal to look for funds for herself:

Oh boy.

Thanks Linda.

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Oh, let’s not forget OWS’s other self-appointed spokesman – you know, the guy who’s associated with Charles Koch’s Cato Institute:

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The OWS movement is magnificent, it just can’t allow itself be hijacked by these self-promoting frauds.

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Statement from the President on Senate Republicans Blocking the Infrastructure Bill:

For the third time in recent weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a jobs bill that independent economists said would boost our economy and put Americans back to work. At a time when more than a million construction workers are looking for a job, they voted “no” to putting them back to work doing the work America needs done – rebuilding our roads, bridges, airports and transit systems. That makes no sense.

It makes no sense when you consider that this bill was made up of the same kinds of common-sense proposals that many of these Senators have fought for in the past. It was fully paid for. And even though it was supported by more than 70 percent of the American people – Republicans, Democrats, and independents – 100 percent of Senate Republicans said no. It’s more clear than ever that Republicans in Washington are out of touch with Americans from all ends of the political spectrum.

The American people deserve to know why their Republican representatives in Washington refuse to put some of the workers hit hardest by the economic downturn back on the job rebuilding America. They deserve an explanation as to why Republicans refuse to step up to the plate and do what’s necessary to create jobs and grow the economy right now. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to put country ahead of party and listen to the people they were elected to serve. It’s time for them to do their job and focus on Americans’ jobs. And until they do, I will continue to do everything in my power to move this country forward.

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President Barack Obama participates in the G20 Family Photo, White House Photo, Pete Souza, 11/3/11

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Beyond funny – from ChristiMtl:

Quick note here

I want to thank you guys for the lovely birthday wishes for my mom….she loved it!

I was on the phone with her and she read each ones. I translated for her the words she didn’t understand but for the most part, she could read it herself, her english is even better than I thought.

She LOVED the picture of President Obama with the birthday cake….

It was funny because in between the birthday wishes, there was a conversation with Tally, Chips and a few other TOD’ers.

So my mom said…”Oh I see a picture of a soccer player without his shirt on”

”And now it’s a picture of a shower, what does it mean?”

I could read sentences like ”My DNA wants to breed with Gerry Butler”

lol I didn’t know how to tell her that some TOD’ers needed a cold shower this morning.

I was cracking up.

So it was fun and lovely……

You guys are the best.

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Thanks Riblets 😉

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Emilia (Osborneink): Chris Matthews has written a book. So has Michael Moore. So have Bill Maher, Glenn Greenwald, Katrina vanden Heuvel and Joan Walsh.

Yes, folks, the pimping season has arrived, just in time for the Christmas sales.

This is why you see Michael Moore appropriating Occupy Wall Street, even though pimping his latest Forrest Ga-hu-hu-hump fantasy is pure capitalism. That’s why Joan Walsh appears twice daily on MSNBC opinion programs for no fee at all and out of the goodness of her heart. This is why Greenwald is here, there and everywhere, unfortunately. Maher plugs his book weekly on his show. Self-publicizing is too much for vanden Heuvel’s impeccable Fifth Avenue breeding. She sticks to Twitter.

Full post here

Thanks Hopefruit

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a very good afternoon

President Obama leaves after a meeting at the G20 summit in Cannes, Nov 3

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Aw, Jon doesn’t ♥ Mitt:

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Have to disappear for a bit, will catch up soon – chat away 😉

chat away

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AP: Some of the money from President Barack Obama’s health care law is flowing to places you might not expect.

Two Texas public employee programs are among the top 25 beneficiaries of a $5-billion fund to shore up employer coverage for early retirees, despite Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s vow to repeal what Republicans derisively call “Obamacare.”

And records show the Huntsman family business, where GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman was once a top executive, received about $1 million.

Some see a gap between dire Republican rhetoric about the health care overhaul and the pragmatic impulse to cash in on a new government benefit.

“Lots of Texans are already benefiting from health care reform,” said Anne Dunkelberg, a health care expert at the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. “Other than for political theater, there would not be the kind of opposition there is.” The nonpartisan center advocates for the poor.

Full article here

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The Week

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Uggh, he’s at it again:

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

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…. with Spain’s PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

… with Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff

…. with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

… with International Labor Organization Director-General Juan Somavia

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CNN: President Barack Obama leads all of his potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2012 matchups among Pennsylvania adults, according to a new poll.

The Franklin and Marshall College poll released Thursday in the battleground state, shows Obama ahead of potential rivals Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum, but the results are closest when the president is paired with Romney.

Obama leads the former Massachusetts governor 35% to 26% and Cain, the former pizza executive, 38% to 24%. He enjoys a 20% lead over Texas Gov. Perry, 40% to 20% and a 13% advantage over former two-term Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum, 38% to 25%.

Full post here

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McClatchy

Thanks amk

bonjour – rise and shine

…. with French President Nicolas Sarkozy

…… with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 Summit in Cannes, France

….with Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard

….. greeting Canada PM Stephen Harper as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono looks on

…. with British PM David Cameron

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If, like me, you’re struggling to understand exactly what’s going with Greece, Kevin Drum has a brilliant post about it all at Mother Jones (here) – as recommended by Steve Benen

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Gallup

Thanks Desertflower

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AP: Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a hopeful sign that the job market might be picking up.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 397,000, the lowest level in five weeks. It’s only the third time since April that applications have fallen below 400,000.

Economists were encouraged by the drop, though they cautioned that the trend would have to persist to signal real improvement.

More here