Checkered Lounge Pants

Hi Yall, tomorrow is May Day. Seems apropos with all the economic meltdowns we have endured over the last six months. You see, May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays . In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day , or Labour Day , a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions, anarchists, and socialist groups. May Day is also a traditional holiday in many cultures. Nevertheless, it is still April. The month of spring. That is my favourite time of the year. The time of optimism for the summer days ahead. The time of hope, for the warm nights under the stars and sunny days to spend on the beach. The time of expectations for the joy and happiness that summer brings with flowers and gardens and outdoors (all special interests relative to your age, of course). My spring has been a mixed variety of adventures. I have been fortunate to spend time with my folks as well as with son, Cameron and his significant ...

Will the Real Tea Party Movement Please Stand Up? by Anne Landman (Credits: The CMD report) Have you wondered how the Tea Party, portrayed as a " grassroots " movement, could possibly raise enough money in one year to procure a professionally-painted, luxury motor coach and send it on two highly-publicized national tours? Or how the Tea Party so quickly developed the expertise to plan, organize and execute the tours, and consistently draw major media attention to them? The answer is that the Tea Party Express is not a "grassroots" effort. The Web site Politico.com obtained and posted a proposal (pdf) showing that long-time Republican party operatives are, in fact, directing the "Tea Party Express" portion of the movement. The "group" and its activities are the result of efforts by a Republican -affiliated political consulting and public relations firm, Russo Marsh & Rogers , based in Sacramento, California. PR executive Sal Russo of Russo...

About The Film “The story of The Doors is one of the most compelling in the history of American rock music; three hugely talented musicians and a lead singer whose commitment to artistic freedom was so intense he rocketed them to a success that always hovered on the edge of chaos. As an independent filmmaker this sensibility affected me greatly.”– Tom DiCillo, director and writer, When You’re Strange http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/when-youre-strange-a-film-about-the-doors/about-the-film/1543/

by Atul Gawande (WSJ) April 2, 2010 July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. In public memory, what ensued was the smooth establishment of a popular program, but in fact Medicare faced a year of nearly crippling rearguard attacks. The American Medical Association had waged war to try to stop the program, and doctors weren’t about to abandon the fight against “socialized medicine” simply because it had passed into law. The Ohio Medical Association, with ten thousand physician members, declared that it would boycott Medicare, and a nationwide movement began. Race proved an even more explosive issue. Many hospitals, especially in the South, were segregated, and the law required them to integrate in order to receive Medicare dollars. Alabama’s Governor George Wallace was among those who encouraged resistance; just two months before coverage was to begin, half the hospitals in a dozen Southern states had still refused to meet Medicare certification. Either boycott...

April 1, 2010 CONTACT: Conor Kenny 202-277-6427 or ckenny@conorkenny.net Mary Bottari at 608-345-6806 CMD RELEASES NEW WALL STREET BAILOUT TOTAL$4.6 TRILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS DISBURSED New Tally Focuses on Expansive Role of Federal Reserve Today, the Real Economy Project of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released an assessment of the total cost to taxpayers of the Wall Street bailout. CMD concludes that multiple federal agencies have disbursed $4.6 trillion dollars in supporting the financial sector since the meltdown in 2007-2008. Of that, $2 trillion is still outstanding. CMD's assessment demonstrates that the Federal Reserve has provided by far the bulk of the funding for the bailout in the form of loans amounting to $3.8 trillion. Little information has been disclosed about what collateral taxpayers have received in return for these loans. CMD also concludes that the bailout is far from over as the government has active programs authorized to cost up to $2.9 trillion ...