incipit vita nova

Michael Moore: Most Irritating Kid in School

I've been thinking about a comment I read regarding Michael Moore from Victor Davis Hanson for a few weeks now.

Dr. Hanson was speaking to an interviewer about general US political matters when he was asked about Michael Moore. I'll paraphrase what he said, as the gist of it is what I've been turning over in my mind. Have you ever wondered why you seldom see Michael Moore in a candid interview, he asked. The interviewer noted that this was true - Michael Moore is seldom seen in a candid interview.

"He's completely uneducated," Dr. Hanson said. Then he gave a few phrases of typical Michael Moore-isms, like, you know, man, ya gotta stick it to the man, man. Dr. Hanson correctly pointed up that Michael Moore can't complete a sentence.

So, I started to think about what it means to "be educated." I not only relate to Victor Davis Hanson because of his family background on a Northern California farm, I relate to his approach and worldview, although I'm not a classicist by a long shot. I am not nearly as well-educated as Dr. Hanson, but . . . I can complete a sentence. I teach critical thinking so I do have some rudimentary grasp of the discipline. 

Calling someone uneducated is far different from calling someone "stupid." Michael Moore is far from stupid. He's made himself a multimillionaire from being Michael Moore. He obviously eats well.

To quote one of my favorite Brit expatriates, Christopher "Still Alive" Hitchens, "Europeans think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American, someone (Michael Moore) who actually embodies all of those qualities."

That's an international ad hominem analogy if I've ever heard one - first-rate, as one might expect from Hitchens. The best I can come up with is stating that Michael Moore is a super-sized hypocrite. 

There's a whole blog that deals with Michael Moore-isms. Mr. Moore reportedly sent these bloggers a check to cover their health insurance, reaping tremendous publicity for his film Sicko. Michael Moore is clever and canny . . . but he's still uneducated.

I don't think Michael Moore's problem can be remedied by education, and it's just as well, even for him, that he dropped out of the University of Michigan-Flint, after his freshman year. Nothing he has done requires any type of formal education. 

After several weeks of thinking about what Victor Davis Hanson said, I have come to think that education prepares us for useful work and gives us the tools to make better decisions. If a person spends his entire life as the most irritating, knowitall kid in school, then it's possible, although highly unlikely, he'll end up rich like Michael Moore. More likely someone will beat him up, shoot him dead, or end up unemployed in a trailer park. 

GE Brings Good Things to Life: For Them!

Recent news that GE's 2010 electronic tax filing would have been 57,000 pages long if printed makes the concept of a flat corporate tax rate with no deductions sound like a great idea. Earlier this year, the New York Times, Forbes, CNN Money and others reported that for tax year 2010, GE paid zero corporate tax on $5.1 billion in US profits. Now, the sheer size of GE's tax filing, which has more than doubled since 2006, calls corporate tax loopholes and filing procedures into question.

GE's tax situation should give concern to individuals on both the right and the left of the political spectrum. GE's overall 2010 profits were $14 billion, with the bulk of the funds held in offshore bank accounts, completely non-taxable. On the $5.1 billion held here in the U.S., GE used a combination of tax credits and benefits from a variety of Federal programs to defray its tax liability. If taxed at the 35 percent Federal corporate income tax amount for businesses with more than $335,000 income a year, GE's $5.1 US profits would yield $1.78 billion in tax revenue. CNN Money reported in April that the company had accrued $3.5 billion in "tax credits" – money to be applied to future tax liabilities.

A review of the OMB historical Federal budget income sources shows that there have been periods of U.S. history when corporate income tax receipts have been close to equaling individual income tax receipts, and there is broad variance in the ratio between the two, anywhere from 1:2 to 1:8 (the current ratio). The $138 billion in corporate income tax received in the 2009 tax year was less than half the amount received the prior "economic collapse"/TARP bailout year of 2008. The 2010 and 2011 estimates for corporate tax receipts are equally anemic. Only 6.6 percent of the Federal government's 2009 tax revenue was from corporate income tax, the lowest percentage in the OMB's historical charts, and in 2010, the 8.9 percent figure is also among one of the lowest percentages on record.

It's time to orient tax policy discussions toward receipts, not rates. A flat 25 percent tax rate on corporate income in 2009 would have produced $226 billion in income, not $138 billion.

Current policies and regulations enable companies like GE to pay no tax and receive seemingly unlimited "credits" – a situation that should end, producing a rare point of agreement among conservatives and liberals alike.

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This is nothing new for GE - they've been doing this for years. And, despite having had numerous court judgments against them for defrauding the government, GE still tops defense contractor lists. Clever!

American Censorship Day

Today is a day to write Congress or call and urge them to stop the bills in Congress allowing government control of websites.

Eerie Ray Frank Gricar and Sandusky Connection

Was shocked this a.m. to see that missing person Ray Frank Gricar was the DA who investigated early complaints against disgraced Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky. Mr. Gricar was declared dead officially early this year. His car and laptop were located after his 2005 disappearance, but no trace of his body or evidence of what happened, whether he was killed or committed suicide (his family does not believe this) has been found.

Mr. Gricar was known to be very tough on crime, very ethical and good at his job. The connection between these two well-known cases struck me as eerie and strange. 

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I just read the horrifying Grand Jury report - Pennsylvania really needs to think about what is going on there, with the terrible Philadelphia abortion clinic situation just recently stopped after 30 years of looking the other way, and this horrendous pedophile rape situation also continuing for many years with no abatement. I sit around and think it's bad in California - well, in Pennsylvania, one of the state's most-respected, most-famous coaches presided over a total raping pedophile for years, and this same pedophile was apparently devastated to hear he wouldn't be replacing Coach Paterno when he retired - as if he thought he could set up a charity to gain access to young boys that he didn't just molest, he full-on raped. In the other case, this monster abortion-killer ran a charnel house for 30 years committing countless crimes, and the health department couldn't be bothered to even have a look when people were making written documentation of murdered baby body parts kept in refrigerators with employee lunches. 

Maybe Ray Frank Gricar realized how awful things were and how he couldn't fight it alone, or maybe some worse crime that hasn't come out yet cost him his life because he was investigating it.

Special props to Sandusky's friends and WIFE for facilitating this. Awesome. Way to go. I wonder what his wife did to sign up for that particular hell on earth.

 

But Who is Robespierre?

It's hard not to think "Reign of Terror" when one hears that the President is instituting a 15 cent surtax on live Christmas trees to pay for "government promotion of the Christmas Tree industry," and that at the same time, government offices have been asked to cut back on items like commemorative t-shirts, mugs and plaques . . . 

And a $9 million trip to Hawaii and Australia starts Friday for the President and his entourage.

Spending problems and sinking revenues caused distress for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette just prior to the French Revolution, leading to an unprecedented calling of the Etats-General in 1789, an assembly that led to the monarchy's eventual downfall.

Much as some are gathered in Zuccotti Park in Manhattan today, the third-estate or "Sans-Culottes" gathered in a tennis court and refused to leave until they were granted some voice in government.

It's hard not to think that many of today's media, their friends inside the Beltway, and certainly, the White House itself and all of its staff and all of its pets, are as out of touch as Louis and Marie were when calling the Etats-General. 

But, one wonders, if this is the case, who is Robespierre? Tantalizing, isn't it?

 

Boycott Gloria Allred

OK, today's pathetic performance by Democratic attack dog and mouthpiece Gloria Allred is the last straw. There's only one way to turn her course. Make sure few, if any, reporters attend any future press conferences, and get her off TV interview lists. I'm fairly sure she'd die if this happened.

If you believed the woman who went out today and stated Herman Cain grabbed her genitals and pushed her head toward his crotch, and weren't suspicious she was reading a statement about this in a robotic manner, and then looked up with her eyes darting about, then of course, this project is not for you.

Let's just say - I've been in more than one situation like that, and let's add - I wouldn't need some type of prepared statement to tell what happened!

I can remember these incidents as if they just happened! One doesn't forget - as long as that's not one's paid, professional business, which in my case - it was not.

I officially hate Gloria Allred. I disliked her and thought she was a media-whoring hypocrite before. These words are too good for her now. She knows this blonde woman is lying. She'll say or do anything to get on TV, and for good measure, hurt any Republican - if that Republican is female or a person of color, so much the better. 

Boycott Gloria Allred by a) sending an email to your local publication or news station that covered this and let them know, you'll watch or read MORE if they do not send anyone to any future Gloria Allred press conferences; b) if she comes on TV, immediately change the channel, turn the set off, or fast-forward with your Tivo. Pass this along. #boycottgloriaallred.

Conan O'Brien About to Push The Envelope on Late-Night Television

I fully-anticipate someone coming to my small apartment at some point to shut me up.

In case you watch any network news, all shows are now written by the same person who may be a former Wall Street publicist.

This is funny but frightening at the same time:

 

Courtesy of The Economic Collapse.

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In addition, from news shows in the past 5 days:

"I don't think Herman Cain will be the Republican nominee. He's not a serious candidate."

"Herman Cain won't be the Republican nominee."

. . . . what if? . . . . 

Reese Hopkins Trial: Continued Delay

Reese Hopkins urges individuals familiar with his case to contact the NY DA's office and ask why his trial has not gone forward. One potential issue is that Reese's accuser was arrested for possession of a loaded weapon October 29. Det. Robert Arbuzzo of the NYPD Crimes Against Children unit is the only witness for Reese's defense. Det. Arbuzzo heard and investigated the original complaint in 2008. Due to extreme changes in the allegations, Det. Arbuzzo is now testifying as to what he was told originally vs. the extreme difference in statements now.

 

Most Thankless Acting Roles: Curiosity - Alien Invasion

Casually watching the Discovery Channel show Curiosity as it covers "Alien Invasion."

 

The show includes a segment on how the aliens would develop bioweapons to kill everyone - and the virus supposedly starts out like a cold or mild flu, but gets much worse, leading to an "Ebola-like" process where the disease spreads through the blood and profuse bleeding.

So, not one, but two actors were the unfortunate "closeup" virus victims. One guy was being worked on by EMTs, and his eyeballs exploded. The second gentleman was choking and hacking horrifically, and later appeared on an exam table . . . and his eyes exploded. Realistically, in the first instance, everyone ran off screaming. Being "Exploding Eye Guy" in a Discovery Channel show could be the worst acting job ever.

 

Mr. Cain's Sexual Harassment

Presidential candidate Herman Cain stands accused of sexually harassing two female employees during his tenure as executive of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. 

If one reads the original allegations, Mr. Cain was alleged to have made gestures that were not of a sexual nature, but which made the two women "angry and uncomfortable." Another story states that some board members had heard there was a complaint that Mr. Cain had invited a female staff member of the association "up to his suite" after an association event. That's it.

Mr. Cain is now currently being criticized for not responding "properly" to the Sunday article in Politico which informed an eager public of the allegations.

What some people are aware of is that during this period of the 1990s, indeed, throughout the 90s, the field of "sexual harassment" underwent a growth spurt. Legal precedent established that a company could not terminate an employee who filed any type of harassment claim (also including discrimination of any type) following the complaint, and during the entire investigation and setllement process. Of course, companies could terminate those making such complaints prior to the matters being resolved -- they do, to this day. But they will then guarantee that the complainant will receive some type of financial settlement, no matter whether their allegations are true or false. It will be easy for labor attorneys to show a connection between the complaint and termination . . . either "constructive termination" or retaliatory termination - i.e. firing the person for making the complaint. There are complex rules to follow in these cases. Mr. Cain's situation sounds as though these rules were followed to the letter.

A complaint that has little to no merit generally warrants the type of "5 figure" closure settlements that are referenced in the original article.

Mr. Cain is joined by tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of men, and a much smaller, yet still not insignificant number of supervisors who have been accused of sexual harassment. His situation is not unique, and even if the worst described is to be believed, his behavior (showing a woman how tall his wife was, I believe, and comparing heights with the female, inviting another female to his hotel suite) in no way rises to the legal definition of "sexual harassment."

There are two types of sexual harassment. One is much more difficult to prove than the other. The first type is quid pro quo harassment. If this occurs, it is the most serious type, and the easiest to prove. Quid pro quo means "what for what" in Latin, and it refers in sexual harassment terms to requests for sexual favors in return for a raise, in order to keep one's job, in order to get a promotion, or other direct - sex-for-desired-or-threatened results. Mr. Cain was not accused of quid-pro-quo sexual harassment.

The second type of sexual harassment is the "hostile work environment". In the hostile work environment, a pattern is required to be established that shows that activities, statements, and in some cases, visual images or verbal statements, exist in the workplace which make it impossible for the individual being harassed to continue in their job. In some cases, sexy posters put around the workplace have been found to constitute a "hostile work environment." In other cases, repeated gestures and comments of a sexual nature have been found to be a "hostile work environment." This definition is much more subjective than the obvious quid-pro-quo harassment. It is much more difficult to prove. 

It's fair to say that the harassment claims of any person who has reason to suspect their job may be eliminated, or who is in trouble on the job for other reasons (work performance, receiving legitimate warnings regarding performance or practices and standards) should be considered as suspect. As this case reported on by Politico indicates a certain settlement offer was made to each complainant, and this settlement was facilitated by the Restaurant Association's counsel, and Mr. Cain has mentioned that one complainant had been reported as having on the job deficits or concerns by her supervisor (not Mr. Cain), every blessed person who's ever worked in a mixed-gender work environment in the past 25 years should know what this means.

These are trumped up harassment charges, this is the typical person on the job in trouble making a harassment complaint to get some extra money to help in their new job search.

I suffered through this myself back in the same time period. In my case, a male employee accused his female supervisor falsely of sexual harassment. People are quite unwilling to believe a man's charges of harassment against a female. The charges were ludicrous on the face of them, and the employee had received warnings about problems on the job that were completely appropriate for a supervisor to make. In his case, he was spending hours each day on the phone with his girlfriend instead of working, and was about to be written-up for this. He struck first with his absurd charges. He was tired of working anyway, I am sure, having a poor prior history of work. Three years of Workers Comp benefits for this idiocy later, guess what happened to him? Restitution of every payment and every prescription, and every wasted hour with the "therapist," and a $40,000 fine - lucky to escape jail for telling this type of lie about a lady he grieviously harmed through these total, absolute lies.

This happened to my brother under very similar circumstances, and I know two other guys also falsely accused. In each case, the accuser had reason to believe their job could be in jeopardy, either through layoffs due to finances or to poor job performance. 

And we still have national media spending time on this - terrorizing Herman Cain, because heaven forbid a conservative black man should run for President. Thanks, NOW, you can do you-know-what to my considerably-shrunken rear. You're worthless.