Ayn Rand or Anti-Christ?

I want to thank The Book of Cletis for allowing me to republish this blog.  I have my own take on the Ayn Rand/ Fundamentalist Christian conundrum - and will put that forth in a follow-up post of my own.  The irony of Fundamentalist Christians fawning over Atlas Shrugged is not lost on me - but it is a topic I have not brought up before on this blog.  Meanwhile, enjoy this post it is very well written and be sure to stop by The Book of Cletis - it is a blog that is on my daily reading list.

H.L. Mencken cautioned us years ago about our fellow citizens when he wrote, "Never underestimate the ignorance of the American people." Old H.L. was a pretty cynical fellow but he nailed that right on the head. Still, I was recently shocked when I learned The People of the Tea have embraced Ayn Rand as their new messiah. How anyone can profess their love for Jesus and at the same time walk around town with a copy of Atlas Shrugged is beyond me. Jesus said love the poor for they are your brothers and sisters and love your neighbor as yourself. Ayn Rand said if the poor get in your way take aboard to their lazy asses. If your neighbor is poor and threatening your property values, burn his fucking house down.

Remembering Our Veterans on Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, I think it is fitting that we take a look at how our Veterans are fairing.  After all, we have been at war for nearly 10 years and many serving our country have been on multiple deployments.  Sunday Candy Crowley of CNN addressed Veterans issues in-depth on her show "The State of the Union".  She had several segments on Veterans affairs - two of which I have embedded in this post.  These interviews revealed some shameful facts:

When the sky is green and the grass is blue…

Recently, I came across a book by  Caitlin Kelly with the simple title "Malled: My Unintentional Career In Retail". (http://malledthebook.com/)  It is a witty, devastatingly sharp critique of our big-box retail sector.  Written by a 50-year-old journalist who after losing her job at the Daily News landed in the alternative universe of a large retail franchise in the Westchester Mall, it is part autobiography and investigative journalism rolled into one book.

Elizabeth Warren’s Cautionary Tale: The trials and tribulations of CFPB

The audacity of advocating for Main Street  America...

Elizabeth Warren - Barack Obama's special adviser to the CFPB (the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)  was on Jon Stewart a couple of weeks ago discussing the trials and tribulations facing the nascent bureau.  It’s not as though other newly formed government agencies don’t have their problems or issues.  But this particular bureau has the nerve to actually want to protect the average American.  God forbid that should ever happen.  Jon Stewart of The Daily Show drove home the point. “It’s a bureau looking to protect consumers from corporate malfeasance. Obviously, there is massive Congressional resistance to it.”