Just a Thought: Tan

Truth is just truth. Sad to say.
And so it goes.
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Exxon - Mobil Will Comply

No hissy fits, so far.  Hey! it’s big money, you know.

Please note: I’m old.  I remember these things. 

Before the Merger with Exxon, Mobil Oil already had a non-discrimination policy and offered benefits to Lesbian & gay couples/families.  All that disappeared after the merger and seems to have been forgotten. I haven’t purchased their products since well before the merger, and still won’t.

So, this is good news on so many levels, especially after 15 long years of rejection by the shareholders and corporate heads. 

From the AP:
IRVING, Texas — Exxon Mobil Corp. has said it will comply with the new protections for gay and transgender employees required of federal contractors, while still sidestepping the question of whether it will formalize that by changing the language of its corporate policy.
Following President Barack Obama's signing of an executive order Monday expanding protections for federal workers and contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Labor Department has 90 days to issue regulations for how employers must comply.
Exxon, which according to government records won more than $480 million in federal contracts in 2013 and more than $8 billion since 2006, has long resisted pressure from civil rights groups and shareholders to enumerate such protections in its formal policy.
The world's biggest oil and gas company by market value will continue to "abide by the law," spokesman Alan Jeffers said Tuesday.
He wouldn't say if that meant changing the language in the company's formal equal employment opportunity policy, but stressed that Exxon prohibits "discrimination on any basis."

The rest is HERE.

I'm not sure if the originally covered Mobil employees were grandfathered in to the new company and were allowed to keep their benefits, or if they became instant second class citizens. Haven’t been able to track that one down, yet.

Yes, corporations are people.  Keep saying that over and over.

And so it goes.

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Civics Lessons, Anyone?

I'd hope that this has been PhotoShopped, but it seems pretty close to the reality of the thinking of the Crazies in this country.

More later.
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Please, Tell Me Again About the NEW South.

When I first heard about this story I must admit I threw up a little in my mouth. It brought back many ugly memories of growing up in the deep south.  On the recent New Orleans trip I came face-to-face with some of those memories, which I plan to share in the near future.  Anyway...

But having learned that the humanoid wannabe behind the comment/slur was none other than that tin-foil hat wearing Texas Senator, Pete - "Privatize Social Security" - Sessions, I can't say it came as a surprise. I mean, it could have come from any number of knuckle-dragging mouth-breathing Sons of the Sunny South, but Short Bus Sessions continues to live up to his well deserved reputation.  At least he's consistent.

REID TOLD CAUCUS PETE SESSIONS WAS BEHIND OBAMA INSULT.WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told his Democratic caucus last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican said to President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," according to two Democratic senators who were present.
The account was confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from other senators.
A White House official said Thursday that the administration did relay such a message to Reid, but that it was the result of a miscommunication.
“While the quote attributed to a Republican lawmaker in the House GOP meeting with the President is not accurate, there was a miscommunication when the White House read out that meeting to Senate Democrats, and we regret the misunderstanding," the official said in a statement.
Asked to clarify, then, what the White House meant to tell Senate Democratic leaders about Obama's meeting with House Republicans, the official said only, "Not going to read out the details of private meetings with the President, or private meetings between WH and Dem leaders."
The two senators who spoke to HuffPost did not hear the Republican make the remark, but said a top White House aide who was present during Obama's meeting with Republicans later told Senate Democratic leaders that the lawmaker who made the remark was Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Rules Committee.
Reid relayed the story to the entire Democratic caucus on Tuesday, Oct. 15, and named Sessions, according to one of the two Democratic senators who spoke to HuffPost. Reid also told the caucus that he was “sorry” to have to tell them about it, per this senator, but gave Obama credit for his “dignified” response to Sessions. Reid reportedly told the caucus that Obama responded to Sessions by saying he understood that they disagreed on many issues and he respected their differences.

Even if there is a quick cover-up and denial this incident ever happened,  many of us know down deep inside that, Yes, it could - and probably did.

So don't be fooled, any reference to the new South is wishful thinking laced with propaganda.  Just scratch the surface and out pops a Southern Gentleman still living the Plantation mentality.  The old South is alive and kickin'. And that's the way they like it.

Just my 2-cents, plain.

And so it goes.
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Funny Thing About The ACA (Obamacare) Website Glitches...

Yep, John pretty much nailed this one. Tee-heh...

More later.
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It's Over! Lessons Learned?

I don't think so.

The delusional are still in denial, but the bullying has been smacked down. The whole world has been watching, shaking its head and saying WTF?  Thank you Mr. President for not caving in.

Now that the National (International?) embarrassment is coming to an end, lets make some tea, move on, and remember the bullies at election time, shall we.

More later
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Short Conversation on the Inauguration

One of the big screens at the restaurant was tuned to coverage of Obama Part 2, while the others carried, well, sports mostly - pundits handicapping the Super Bowl...I know, who cares, right? The sound on all screens was mute, in any case.

In strolls a diminutive woman with her grown son and she wanted a specific hi-top table in the bar area so she could order from the happy hour menu.  To her disgust, the nearest TV was the one tuned into the inauguration.  She made a face and demanded the channel be changed.  Unfortunately for her, the couple sitting next to her 'special table' was happily watching the proceedings and, in so many words, told her to fuck off. Another table in the room was offered, but she adamantly refused.

In a last ditch effort to garner support, she turned to me with big, wide eyes said, "look, I am a Republican and I cannot watch this trash."  TRASH!?!

Jaws dropped all around as diners stared at this woman. I stepped up to the table and as I set down the menus said, "I thought perhaps, on this one day, we might all be Americans and enjoy the moment." I felt like saying more, but the neighboring couple piped up and said, "we're Republicans, too, but we lost fair-n-square and we need to get behind the president to get the country back on track."  Old fashioned, rational Republicans, no doubt.

As the bitch, er' woman (nose wrinkled as at a bad smell) was taking her seat, her son (who was embarrassed by the whole scene) said, "just shut up Mom, it's not about you."  He ordered a margarita, she ordered coffee.  I made sure to comp their drinks and wouldn't you know, as she was leaving had the nerve to say, "if I had known you were buying, I would have had a margarita, too."  Charming.   Spoken like a true right-wing asshat.  Talk about welfare queens!  I just smiled - at her son. He gave me a knowing look that said, yeah, I know, but she's my mother.

Note:  The difference in price between a coffee and a margarita is $3.

We all have our cross to bear.

And so it goes.
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Dr. King's Birthday & Obama Part 2

This town is hoppin' and the joint is jumpin'!  You know that old saying about not seeing the forest for the trees?  Well, let's just say I've seen a whole mess of trees and didn't get the connection.

Sure, we all knew that the MLK holiday weekend was a big 3-day whoop-di-do here, but the crowds began swelling on Thursday afternoon with bumper-to-bumper traffic all over the area.  Since the weather turned  "gorgeous"  on Friday, we naively thought that was the reason.

Then, as we had a 30 minute waitlist for a lunch table and an hour wait for dinner, it dawned on us exactly what was happening. And it was a bitch-slap of the best kind.

Rehoboth Beach is known as "The Nation's Summer Capital" and as hundreds of thousands from everywhere began descending on DC for the inauguration the residents were seeking refuge from the huddled masses invading the city.  Many DC residents have summer places here and decided to take the weekend off and get out of Dodge, especially since the weather here has turned warm and sunny.

Caught off guard, with servers and kitchen staff on holiday, we did what we could and did it damned well. 246 lunch diners were served yesterday, and 535 were served at dinner last evening. I walked home sore and limping - the day took a toll on my back and hands.

Today began as an exact duplicate.  At 11:30 am, as the doors opened 16 diners streamed into the place.  The lunch crowd was steady, though not overwhelming and everyone was in a jovial mood.  Good weather, food, and margaritas will do that to people. 

By 2 PM, there were 30 reservations for dinner, so the place will be jumpin' again tonight.  I am glad to be out of it,  been held over until 5:30 to help with the overflow. I am not complaining.  This kind of business - in January - is a gift from the Gods.  We'll take it!

I am so happy to be home, out of the work drag and into a dry martini, I cannot begin to tell you.  Mine head is schpinning!!!

Dr. King's birthday is celebrated tomorrow and from the look of things, it's promising to be another busy day.  At least for the lunch crowd who will dine before the long journey back to the Beltway. 

What a ride.

And so it goes.
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I Want to Have a Coffee With Paul Shawcross!!!

***Spew Alert!***
No, seriously.  This is an amazing/funny/serious response to a White House Petition:

Official White House Response to Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016.

This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For

By Paul Shawcross
The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

• The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
• The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
• Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?

However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.

Go read the entire document HERE, especially if you are a fan of the original Star Wars films.

More later.
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Captured Moment: Obama Learned of Sandy Hook Shootings

The President reacts as John Brennan briefs him on the details of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The President later said during a TV interview that this was the worst day of his Presidency.  He looks as if he's been punched in the stomach and more is to come.

Compare his body language to that of G. W. Bush as he was briefed about the unfolding events of 9/11. The deer-in-the-headlights expression speaks volumes about his character, or lack thereof.

 

And so it goes.

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Post-Election Caturday

 

If the shoe fits, wear it.

And so it goes.
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Some World Reaction to the Re-election

This is from the AP via HuffPo:

President Barack Obama's re-election in the United States elicited strong feelings — from optimism to skepticism — around the world. A sampling of global reaction:
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"One of the first things I want to talk to Barack about is how we must do more to try and solve this crisis (in Syria). Above all, congratulations to Barack. I've enjoyed working with him, I think he's a very successful U.S. president and I look forward to working with him in the future."— British Prime Minister David Cameron, on a visit to Syrian refugees on the Jordanian border.
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"Your re-election is a clear choice in favor of an America that is open, unified, completely engaged in the international scene and conscious of the challenges facing our planet: peace, the economy and the environment." — French President Francois Hollande.
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Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to Obama expressing hope that "ideals of liberty and justice, which guided the founders of the U.S.A., may continue to shine on the road ahead for the nation." — Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi.

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"When you were elected in 2008, you inspired the world with a call to take responsibility for the problems we face as global citizens. Since then, you have made earnest efforts to live up to that great hope and trust placed in you by the American public. I believe you have been re-elected now in recognition of that effort." — the Dalai Lama.
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"The bond between Europe and North America, based upon the shared values on which our alliance was founded over 60 years ago, remains as strong, and as important to the preservation of Euro-Atlantic peace and security, as ever. President Obama has demonstrated outstanding leadership in maintaining this vital bond." — NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
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"I will continue to work with President Obama to preserve the strategic interests of Israel's citizens." — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had a strained relationship with the American president over Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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"During the last four years when Obama was U.S. president, no breakthrough happened in relations between Iran and the US. At the beginning of his first term the situation was a bit better, but as he went on the relations got much worse, with the sanctions being imposed. So I think the outcome of the elections that was just held will not make any difference for Iran." — Amir Karimi, a resident of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
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"As a mother and as a grandmother who raises boy children, I think that the symbolism of having a black man occupy the highest office is something that can make my children very aspirational to know that this is possible, you know, in their lifetime" — Zindzi Mandela, daughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela.
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"If both parties try to overcome the accumulated distrust and turn over a new leaf, if America comes to realize that it needs to work with Vladimir Putin instead of thinking that it doesn't like the Russia that we live in, then we could achieve results." — Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Russian Duma's foreign affairs committee, calling for a new start to U.S.-Russia relations.
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"Sandy was a climate change warning. Obama must now take the stage and fulfill the promise of hope the world needs." — Kumi Naidoo, international executive director of Greenpeace.
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The trust that the American people wanted to renew in you will allow the international community, Europe and Italy to benefit from your leadership without interruptions. ... With your confirmation at the White House, Italy knows it can count on a strong and united America." — Italian Premier Mario Monti.
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"I think Obama is a man eminently capable of building bridges between the Democrats and Republicans. And if you look at the challenges ahead for America — bringing down unemployment, getting the economy going again, strengthening the political and trade relationships with Europe and Asia — there are plenty of reasons to do so." — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

 Interesting and mostly positive comments; a far cry from what was forecast in 2004 when Dubya went back to the White House.

I am pleased with the election results from around the country and maybe I'll share some thoughts on other races that surprised and made me even happier.  History was made again last night.

And so it goes.
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It's Over. Now, Back to Work!

This appeared in my inbox yesterday morning and I was praying that I would be able to display it today. Yes!  We can.

Congratulations, Mr. President.

More later, after coffee and breakfast.  I have to catch up on the other races and I am off today.  Thanks to the Nor'easter coming at us, I will be indoors much of the day.

And so it goes.

Obama Criticized for Quick Response to Sandy by Michael Brown?

Remember Michael Brown?  How about "Heck of a job Brownie"? He's the douche nozzle who headed FEMA's non-response to Katrina. While New Orleans drowned, Brownie was in Baton Rouge trying on new suits that made him look official, or something. The sub-header to this story published today reads:  

Irony is dead, cremated, stuck in a capsule and shot into outer space.
Amen.

Former FEMA Director Michael Brown offered criticism of President Obama’s early responses to Hurricane Sandy yesterday, including a dig at the administration’s response to last month’s attack in Libya.
Yesterday, ahead of the storm’s pummeling of the eastern seaboard, Brown gave  an interview  to the local alternative paper, the Denver Westword, on how he believed the Obama administration was responding to Sandy too quickly and that Obama had spoken to the press about Sandy’s potential effect too early.
Brown turned then to a reliable right-wing attack on the President’s response to the attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi that killed four Americans:

“One thing he’s gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?” Brown says. “Why was this so quick?… At some point, somebody’s going to ask that question…. This is like the inverse of Benghazi.”

Conservatives have been hitting Obama  for weeks  on his attendance at a fundraiser in Nevada following the assault in Benghazi, claiming at alternate times that the President either  cared more about politics  than lives lost or that he was trying to downplay the attack’s significance. Now the critique has mutated into a belief that Obama is currently “playing President” to score points during disaster relief in the run-up to the election, in contrast to his actions in September.
Brown is  not the only one  making the insinuation that Obama and his administration are responding too quickly to Sandy only for political reasons. He’s joined in his accusations by such prominent right-wing commentators as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich  and columnist  Charles Krauthammer .
However, Brown’s comments carry a special irony due to the role he played during the Hurricane Katrina debacle in 2005. As director of FEMA during the legendarily botched response, Brown,  famously dubbed “Brownie”  by President Bush, was in the center of criticism from both sides of the aisle that the Bush administration was too slow to respond. An  internal review  by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector-General following the disaster concluded, “Much of the criticism is warranted.” Brown resigned from his position as director less than two weeks after Katrina hit.

The bastard should have been thrown in jail for incompetence, if not brought to trial for the deaths of almost 2,000 innocent men, women, and children.

"One Term More" - Broadway Calls the GOP BS

This is magnificent and not connected to any campaign or party. If you know Les Miz you'll recognize the music.  The important thing here is the lyrics.  They are creative, insightful, and mostly on the money.  The vocal talent is, well, Broadway quality.  Enjoy.

And so it goes.
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Social Security, Weather, & Angels

Aside from the most recent missive from the SSA, essentially telling me that I am a good-for-nothing rich bastard and therefore will not receive Social Security benefits any time soon - and, blah blah blah, there is little to write about. But, there is this. It took me 4 days to work up the energy to open the envelope.

The weather has been miserable throughout the mid-Atlantic states with a mixture of fog, mist, and rain for over a week. I am grateful that is hasn't been cold with snow, or ice, but still...

Work has been a delight as regulars came in for good food and drink, looking for some 'cheering-up' - yes, I know how to help that along. It's been a great time though this afternoon I was feeling spent until the sister (dining with a regular customer) touched my arm as she was leaving to tell me that her sister made a list of what and who to see this weekend, and that I was the one person on that list.It was difficult to hold back tears.

I've never heard anything like that before.

When the customer approached us, she said, "You know, you are the reason we came in for lunch; to enjoy a margarita, and so my sister could meet you. I wanted her to meet you in person. I've talked about you for years, and she decided she had to meet you herself." As she gave me a hug she whispered that she was sorry she didn't get to see me often in the summer because she and family spend their days on the beach and come in to dine in the evenings. I could find no words. I was overwhelmed.

Please don't think that I write this to boast or toot some horn. It is a shock and I still don't know how to respond to, or process experiences like this. Do we ever know how we touch other people's lives?

There are human angels everywhere and I am happy to know a few. I'll leave it there.


And so it goes.
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Don't Re-Nig: It's Gone Viral. Nice.

Words fail.

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If Only Bin Laden Had Been Killed 13 Years Ago

The following made sense to me and so I will share it with you.  This is the last I will post on this subject.  The maniac deserves no more bandwidth or ink. 

The killing of bin Laden at the hands of U.S. forces is likely to be a cathartic moment for the world -- almost as if a war has come to an end -- but his termination comes much too late.
And the war is not truly over until the real mastermind of the al Qaeda operation -- Ayman al-Zawahiri -- is brought to justice.
Bin Laden -- a figurehead of the ugly face of extremism and an example of how any faith can be perverted to serve political (not religious) goals -- should have been taken out when the CIA became aware of his role in the August 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
He should have been taken out after the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen's coast.
He should have been taken out on September 12, or 13, or 14, 2001.
Instead, bin Laden evaded capture and lived on as a leader of a terrorist organization and embodiment of what the "War on Terror" was all about.
Bin Laden and his murderous hive of followers became the bogeymen that justified the invasion of Afghanistan. The Taliban was tossed out of Kabul and U.S. forces chased al Qaeda throughout the world, but bin Laden lived on and became the haunting example of what could happen unless the U.S. adopted the strategy of preemptive war.
Regrettably, U.S. foreign policy came to be branded by bin Laden.

Finish reading it HERE.

And so it goes.
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A Year After BP Disaster, Congress Sits on Hands

Remember the BP Oil Disaster?  From Boycott BP via NOLA.com:

WASHINGTON -- A year after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, Congress has done virtually nothing to address the issues raised by the oil spill -- from industry liability limits, to regulatory reform, to coastal restoration, to broader issues of energy policy.
The reasons are legion.
There are the usual suspects of partisan gridlock and political gamesmanship in what was, in 2010, a congressional election year, culminating in a Republican takeover of the House, which completely flipped the script on the lessons of the Macondo blowout.
Hearings that in the previous Congress were stacked --as many as five-a-day deep -- against the oil industry, are now, in the new Congress, as surely stacked in its favor.
Alarm about an oil spill that spewed day after day, month after month, in an emotionally draining public drama, has given way to the more mundane but politically potent public panic about rising gas prices that once again puts a premium on boosting domestic production.
Indeed, a sudden nuclear disaster in Japan, scarier in its way than an oil spill, placed the human and environmental cost of energy in frightening perspective.
And an Obama administration that had, against fierce opposition from the industry and its Gulf state advocates in Congress, stopped deepwater drilling for nearly a year after the spill as it implemented a new regulatory regime, has now slowly, methodically -- and under enormous pressure -- returned to permitting, satisfied that it has done what needed to be done to make deepwater drilling fall within the acceptable boundaries of risk.

"Within the acceptable boundaries of risk."  Really?

If anyone cares anymore, read the rest HERE.

More later.
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Palin = Oprah? Seriously?

I spewed good gin out of my nose when I saw this.  Breitbart isn't an ultra-conservative, he's just ultra-crazy.

And so it goes.
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