As labor goes, so goes the middle class

Want to understand why the corporate right demonizes the labor movement and does everything it can to destroy unions?  Read this article and you will see.  It’s a very succinct summary, with solid statistics and facts underpinning it.

Cool Miles

I can never pass up a great picture of Miles.

And here’s a great picture of another cool guy: Viggo!

A lesson from Wisconsin

Like all good liberals I am pretty bummed about the results of the Walker recall in Wisconsin.  Based on everything I was seeing and hearing in the media, I really thought that this might be the beginning of a movement where righteous enthusiasm and “boots on the ground” could defeat the crushing force of right wing money. 

It reminds me of when I was playing on an “over 30” soccer team.  Our team was pretty much the worst in the league but we had a lot raw talent and fire.  Every once in a while we would get up a goal or maybe even two, but every time that happened the inexorable force of the other teams’ talent would overcome us in the end and we would lose.  But that is not the worse part.  Once that happens to you a few times as a team, a feeling of defeatism sets in and you lose that enthusiasm and fire, no matter how much you try not to;  you lose your confidence.  That is what I am afraid may be happening to the progressive/liberal movement.  How many of those fired up people we saw in the months leading up to election day will get it up again to put that much effort into the coming fall elections?  Are they now thinking, “why bother when the other side can outspend us by tens of millions of dollars and we’ve now learned that our boots on the ground will achieve nothing.”

Man, I need some cheering up.

Barack & Bob

Tell me this isn’t just about the coolest thing you’ve ever seen.

* Dylan receives Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian award.

Krugman wisdom

This latest from Paul Krugman is so right on!  … as usual.   I’m  often tempted to say that he is a “voice in the wilderness,” but then I remember that he is writing for the New York Times and not some local left wing rag.  So, I guess I’ll amend my thought to a “voice from the wrong side of the tracks.”  It’s almost comical to observe how the right wing noise machine (headed of course by Fox “News?”) demonizes Krugman, making sure that the low information voter indeed does view him as someone from the wrong side of the tracks.  Me? I’m right there with him, sporting a ducktail hairdo and wearing my leather jacket with the collar turned up.

A Wall of Music

Well now, this thing is a whole lot of fun.  Hint:  after playing a track, or to abort a track, don’t use your browser’s backspace function.  Instead, just click on the “X” at the bottom right of the track’s window, which will take you right back to the wall.  Dig it.  Play a little “Where’s Waldo” and find Nat Cole and then let the first track play:  Nature Boy (with a great guitarist backing Nat up).   Sweet!

Donna Summer on Fresh Air

Of course I have been reading tributes and blog posts concerning the passing of Donna Summer.  These tributes and posts were all in accord in noting what a great talent she was, and how, at her zenith, she influenced pop music and culture .  A lot of the personal posts went further, noting that as one put it, “She was the soundtrack of a good part of the '70s for me, and a lot of people.”
I felt the same way upon first hearing of her death.  But it wasn’t until today when I listened to the Fresh Air podcast tribute that it really came home to me.  The podcast re-airs Terry Gross interviewing Donna in the early 2000’s, and it is a killer.  I just fell in love with Donna, listening to her talk and digging her grace, charm, and humor.  That made me all the more sad each time Terry would play an excerpt from one of Donna’s hits –dam, she’s gone forever.  If you were a fan even in the slightest you really should hear this interview.  Check it out here.
~ Tom