Monday, November 8, 2010

More Fun At Yahoo's Expense

This lovely chunk of journalistic bowel movement is featured on my Yahoo page today.

PARAMUS, N.J. – The Goodwill store in this middle-class New York suburb is buzzing on a recent weekend afternoon. A steady flow of shoppers comb through racks filled with second-hand clothes, shoes, blankets and dishes.

A few years ago, opening a Goodwill store here wouldn't have made sense. Paramus is one of the biggest ZIP codes in the country for retail sales. Shoppers have their pick of hundreds of respected names like Macy's and Lord &Taylor along this busy highway strip.

But in the wake of the Great Recession, the stigma attached to certain consumer behavior has fallen away. What some people once thought of as lowbrow, they now accept - even consider a frugal badge of honor.


Now, I won't even get into how Americans have become little more than logo branded cattle, whose self image & self esteem is intimately tied into the products they buy.
Nor will I get into how they've allowed themselves to be misled into believing the "freedom" they send their kids to murder & die for amounts to little more than choices between brand names.
I also will avoid pointing out that the "name brand" clothing they covet is made in the same sweatshops as the "lowbrow" clothing they shun.

What caught my eye was this little editor's note that stood out like a big zit on a teenager's forehead.

EDITOR'S NOTE - The Great Recession has been over for nearly a year and a half, and the economy is slowly growing again. But many of the drastic changes that Americans made in how they spend money have endured - and may be here to stay, some economists think.



Now, if I read this right, the illustrious editors at Associated Press are trying to say that the shock waves caused by the looting of the American piggy bank and the massive job hemorrhage that accompanied it was over by March of 2009.

Hmmm...that's almost funny. Except it isn't.

If anyone still clings to the illusion that the news media is in business to inform us, this bit of editorial myth making should put a bullet in the head of that zombified illusion.

It's quite apparent that our news media has only one function, and that function is cheerleading for a system that is as much of a walking dead man as its cheerleaders.

It appears that the editors at AP are insinuating that this new found American frugality is completely unnecessary & irrational. In other words, our truth disseminating current event wonks seem to be telling America that a more rational course to follow would be a return to spree spending & brand name worship because there really isn't anything to worry about.

I'm sure this lump of stinky poo masquerading as information is exactly what our greed infected corporate masters would love to see happen. It would give them a chance to squeeze the last tiny drops of blood from our already bled out stone.

It wouldn't have been any more blatant if they would have put this in the article instead:

EDITOR'S NOTE - Go back to sleep America. There's no cause for alarm. There's nothing to see here. Don't worry about a thing. Then, after a nice comfy nap, arouse yourself just enough to toddle off to the mall & go shopping. While your at it, make sure you spend way beyond your means because that's the American Dream, owning shit you can't afford. It's our lifestyle & our birthright god damn it.


You'll have to excuse me now, I feel a bout of extreme nausea coming on.

That public men publish falsehoods
Is nothing new. That America must accept
Like the historical republics corruption and empire
Has been known for years.

Be angry at the sun for setting
If these things anger you. Watch the wheel slope and turn,
They are all bound on the wheel, these people, those warriors.
This republic, Europe, Asia.

Observe them gesticulating,
Observe them going down. The gang serves lies, the passionate
Man plays his part; the cold passion for truth
Hunts in no pack.

You are not Catullus, you know,
To lampoon these crude sketches of Caesar. You are far
From Dante's feet, but even farther from his dirty
Political hatreds.

Let boys want pleasure, and men
Struggle for power, and women perhaps for fame,
And the servile to serve a Leader and the dupes to be duped.
Yours is not theirs.

29 comments:

just_another_dick said...

Eric, do you think the Veritas folk realize that they're dancing to a tune sung by Republicans?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/huckabee-defends-the-costs-of-obamas-trip-to-india

Not that it really matters one eensy weensy little bit.

These days picking either side is like sitting at a table in Crapplebees and choosing between the SOUTHWEST JALAPENO TURDBURGER &
the OUTHOUSE BURGER W/ #2 HERSHEY SQUIRT SAUCE.

Like the saying goes SHIT HAPPENS, and, these days, shit happens to be all that's on the menu.

ericswan said...

Richard..I don't do politics, money or religion. The fact that the dollar is collapsing and marauding gangs of the walking dead will soon be murdering, plundering, pillaging and raping their way in my general direction is of little consequence. I am a prepper but believe me when I say that my compost piles, seed collection and network of neighbours will be intact, will stay intact long after the last school bell rings in tyranny.

just_another_dick said...

I've never doubted you Eric.
It's the folk down here who have completely and utterly disappointed me on a fairly consistent basis.

I never used to argue politics or religion either. I was perfectly content to let those dogs sleep.

If people were apathetically content to waste their precious lifetime acting like oversize toddlers, that was their problem not mine.

I've always been strong enough to shrug off the herd & do and believe exactly what I wanted. If the herd objected, I was always perfectly content to tell them to fuck off.

But then I had kids and the world suddenly became a very scary place.
They are my weakness.
While I've never had trouble navigating my way around my own pain, the thought of their pain leaves me weak at the knees.

For example, we just had a scare with my 9 year old daughter. She's been having recurring bladder infections and her last blood test showed an elevated white blood count amongst other anomalies. The doctor emphasized how odd it was for someone her age to have these problems.
After my mom last year, I couldn't help dwelling on the word "cancer."
Needless to say, there were many sleepless nights as I contemplated the worst.
Luckily, all they found was bladder reflux, where her urine sometimes backs up into her kidneys. It is surgically correctable but her doctor feels she'll outgrow it, so, for now, we're just going to watch her.
Maybe, when she's 14 or so, and the problem hasn't corrected itself, we might have to talk surgery, but the doctor appears confident it will be unnecessary.

I wish I were 10 years younger.
As it stands now, their fate lies with an old man who is probably not as strong as he needs to be.
I'd apologize to them but I doubt they would understand.
They still look at me like I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Too bad it isn't true.

ericswan said...

This is so not what we thought it was going to be. Your kids are your rock. That's the stuff of life you have there and don't let it get you upsidedown just because you can see what others do not.

silver on Clif's schedule for this Sunday at 28.452 and gold at 1418.80.
My take on Clif's prognostications is any 24 hour period where silver climbs by 5 bucks is the end of the dollar.

I'm not suggesting that you invest in gold or silver. I'm simply pointing out the agenda.

just_another_dick said...

ric, I don't have anything to invest anyway.

The silver thing is kind of funny though. Didn't that old bastard J.P. Morgan, back around the turn of the last century, manipulate the US into abandoning debt payment with silver, a metal the US had copius amounts of, instead pushing the US to adopt a gold standard which favored London banks & their North American minions?

Back to the Clif High stuff, did you happen to see this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJB2Woe5zeQ

Morocco Bama said...

Wow, the Milky Way is a "she" and it entered her body. I bet it did....and I'm sure the big tits didn't have anything to do with it.

This chick needs a padded cell. People like this are procreating. That's the most unnerving thing to me.

just_another_dick said...

I've never heard it called "The Milky Way" before.

The insertion must have been quite a memorable sight, don't you think Shrub?

Maybe it was similar to the Chinese 19 year old who turned up drunk at a local hospital ward complaining of a pain in his backside.
While he was being examined, he turned over and inadvertently changed the channel on the ward's TV set.
X-rays revealed that the guy had a remote control shoved up his ass.
This was the end result(sorry) of a prank played by the guy's roommates after he passed out in a drunken stupor.

Granted, the Milky Way is quite a bit larger, but one should never doubt the industrious creativity of pranksters.

Bigfoot said...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVA-qjv5V4U

Morocco Bama said...

People really love to be Fan Boys, don't they? Normally I don't have a problem with this poster at RI, but being a cheerleader for George Washington's blog is rather juvenile, especially when you consider what we know about that blog.

It's frustrating when you're trying to spread stuff around, especially his stuff, because he's SO DAMN GOOD everybody should be reading it.

I can think of more important things to be frustrated about than trying to make "cuter" links on Facebook hoping the vacuous crowd there will be enticed to look.

just_another_dick said...

It's probably some variation of the "I need a Messiah" delusion.

I wonder what the poster thinks would magically happen if everybody did start reading his blog.

Would we collectively see the errors in our economic Disneyland and immediately start building bright shiny new tomorrows?

Personally, I'm too much of a misanthrope to swallow that hunk of chum, but what do I know?


BF, that was funky assed & cool. Thanks. Always nice to see youngsters playing something other than a turntable.

just_another_dick said...

One more question, Eric. Did Canada ever solve this puzzle:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/01/26/nl-ufo-012610.html

just_another_dick said...

Shrub, I found The Sheltering Sky streaming on Netflix. I'll watch it tonight after the kiddies toddle off to dreamland. Thanks.

Morocco Bama said...

We viewed it on Netflix Streaming, as well, Richard. Don't forget to immerse yourself in some tall, strong fescue just prior to.....it makes all the difference in the world. Also, if you can get the wife to watch it with you, I think she would enjoy it, as well. The wife and I discussed and processed it for several days after viewing it. It really took us away....but the fescue's an important part of it.

Morocco Bama said...

It's Wednesday's Million Dollar Question Time.

Are you ready? Get your pens and papers ready and put on your thinking caps. Here it is.

Does Colleen Thomas shave her pussy?

You have 50 minutes before I collect your Blue Books. No cheating.

Morocco Bama said...

This headline from Washington's Blog is exactly why that blog is misinformation and misdirection. In fact, the headline is the main theme of that blog. That theme is "don't reject America and the system under which it operates.....and the system in which this world now operates....instead, save it."

How to Save America In One Week

The more pertinent question is "should America and this Global System of strangulating destruction be saved, or discarded for a better system?"

Morocco Bama said...

This blog's a real laugher. I laugh my ass off at its obvious agenda and the comical commentary. Here's a taste of that commentary.

http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.com/

It would be best for America to be trimmed of its population. None of this is a bad thing. If half of the country were to be exterminated, we might be able to prosper again.

All the junkies, criminals, and sluts will be erased. We could get rid of many obese and unlearned people, ages 35 to 60. Perhaps 50% of Generation Y should just be shot in the head so their impulsive, mindless existence could end and spare the world the energy. And finally we'd need to throw away about 80% of the bastard babies those sick dogs brought into the world.

Only then can we talk about a possible recovery. Why you all hate the elites so much is lack of clarity. In life it was the barbarians making up the masses who caused whatever pain you carry around. I know the elites long ago devised the methods to mould people into their desired image (fat, lazy, stupid, and vampiric)... but this means these are the soldiers of the elites. It's like devils making imps out of clay. Any intelligent being who still has life in him will see it everyday how these mentally ill people with child like brains run across streets without looking just so they can try to beat everyone else running in that direction.

Sometimes animals that can no longer help themselves need to be put out of their misery.

just_another_dick said...

Holy shit Shrub, how the fuck to find that guy. Could you link me directly to the rant?

BTW, we made it to the part where John Malkovich got an eyeful of ample breasts before my youngest came downstairs because thought he was going to vomit. Which, of course, he did. We'll give it another try tonight.

Looks interesting though. I'm glad foreign films are available because American films, for the most part, don't really qualify as film anymore.

Morocco Bama said...

Here's the link to the specific comment section where I lifted that comment.

http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.com/2010/11/gold-at-7800oz-or-s-500-at-220-take.html#comments

Morocco Bama said...

I'm glad foreign films are available because American films, for the most part, don't really qualify as film anymore.

I agree. Bertolucci's a renowned director, as well. Some more of his works are Last Tango In Paris and 1900.

Here's a link to a review about 1900, which is next on our list.

http://geraldpeary.com/interviews/abc/bertolucci.html

The juxtaposition between West and East is stark in The Sheltering Sky. Hopefully, you took my advice about the fescue. It truly brings the movie to life and gives it even greater dimension. Fescue doesn't do that for all movies, but this one it surely does.

just_another_dick said...

I've never had to have my arm twisted where that's concerned Shrub.

It looks like an amazing beautiful area. Wish I had the means to be "a traveler."
I'd like to leave & never return.

I've also always found Eastern music incredibly haunting. Since I don't speak the language I imagine them singing about all manner mystical & outre shit. It's probably not true, but I like the illusion.

just_another_dick said...

BTW, I take Bowles is the old guy sitting at the table when Malkovich tells of his dream.

I think I'd like the old guy.

INTERVIEWER: For many people, the mention of your name evokes romantic images of the artist's life in exotic, far-away places. Do you see yourself as a kind of consummate expatriate?

BOWLES: I'm afraid not. I don't see myself as a consummate anything. I don't see myself, really, I have no ego. I didn't find the United States particularly interesting and once I found places that were more interesting I chose to live in them, which I think makes sense.

INTERVIEWER: Was this decision to leave the United States an early one?

BOWLES: I made it at seventeen, so I guess you'd say it was an early decision. Some people absorb things more quickly than others, and I think I had a fairly good idea of what life would be like for me in the States, and I didn't want it.

INTERVIEWER: What would it have been like?

BOWLES: Boring. There was nothing I wanted there, and once I'd moved away I saw that all I needed from the States was money. I went back there for that. I've never yet gone there without the definite guarantee of making money. Just going for the pleasure of it, I've never done.

Morocco Bama said...

I share your sentiments about Eastern Music and that part of the world. As much as I hate to say this, Three G's at RI was onto something with that.....it's just that his third eye kept getting in the way. Yeah, I feel a lot like Bowles...and you....but have no means to do anything about it. I won't spoil the movie for you, but you ain't seen nothing yet. It really picks up tempo and steam, and becomes rather intriguing.

Foreign Films also don't concern themselves with happy or unhappy endings. This movie doesn't have either a happy, or unhappy ending. Intellectually mature audiences don't require either, and that's the target of this movie and the book upon which it's based.

ericswan said...

I think it was Neitsche who said that one should only receive mail once a week and then take a bath...........

Attention Beneficiary,

This is to officially inform you that a foreign bank from West Africa have
transferred funds worth Millions of United States Dollars with your name as the
beneficiary. This foreign bank knows that they do not have enough facilities to
effect this payment from their location to your account and therefore they used
what is known as Secret Diplomatic Transit Payment (S.T.D.P) to do this transfer
and they are currently awaiting a confirmation from you for final crediting to
your account. Secret diplomatic payments are not made unless the funds are
related to terrorist activities, so if you are not intending to finance
terrorism and your transaction is legitimate, why then did you agree to receive
these funds through this means that was used instead of a direct transfer to
your account?

Our findings shows that this method of transfer was used in the past to finance
terrorist acts, so there is need to correct this problem now to avoid you
getting into trouble when the funds reflects in your account.

We demand your immediate response with full details of the transaction you are
doing that involved this huge sum because the funds are currently being held in
our custody. You must provide us with a Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer
(DIST) within 3 days from the world local bank that authorized the fund transfer
to certify that the funds you are about to receive are clean and free from
terrorist and drug. If you fail to provide the Document to us, we will charge
you with the financial crimes.

Awaiting your response.

Robert S. Mueller, III
(FBI Director)

just_another_dick said...

"Foreign Films also don't concern themselves with happy or unhappy endings."

Exactly. They're films made by adults aimed at adults. American movies, on the other hand, seem to be constructed by a group of accountants who aim there sights on over-sized adolescents & their bulging credit card filled wallets.

Foreign films seem to aim higher than sensory stimulation of the reptile brain. They acknowledge the existence of a cerebral cortex.

I saw bits of Rambo 2 a few weeks back and I was embarrassed for the actors. The dialogue sounded like it was written by someone who can't read, and the acting hovered around laughable. There were a few times where it looked like Richard Crenna was barely hiding his disgust.
I realize the movie is 20 years old, but I think the US film industry has sunk into an even deeper pit of stupid. If that's possible.

There used to be a few theaters in Pittsburgh that featured foreign films, but they've pretty much evaporated.


Eric, are you serious?
What the fuck and watch your ass.
I don't think these dipshits play games.

Morocco Bama said...

Eric, that piece of mail is obviously a scam. Don't respond to it in any way. There are notable mistakes in grammar that sound distinctly African. The FBI would not make such obvious mistakes in their official correspondence.

This piece, for example:

If you fail to provide the Document to us, we will charge
you with the financial crimes.


What the fuck is "the financial crimes?" Pretend it's a Nigerian writing this transparent piece of shit....and suddenly the grammar makes sense.

Also, you mentioned that your online bank account was showing only debt......but isn't all money these days presumably debt, whether you believe it to be an asset, or not?

Morocco Bama said...

Just as I surmised, Eric. Check out the 4th one down from the top. It's what you received...exactly....and it's an old one...from 2008. As I thought, it is the Nigerians.

http://scamoftheday.com/wordpress/category/pretending-to-be-law-enforcement/

Morocco Bama said...

Six pages over whether it was a missile, or not. What the fuck? Even if it was, and it sure as hell appears that it was, so what? Okay, so it was a missile.....what the fuck are we going to do about it? Yes, the Government lied about it, is that a surprise? I'd be surprised if the Government didn't lie about it.....because Government's, by their very nature, lie.

At this point, I think people are so inoculated, there could be a nuclear war and it could be debunked and covered up. I'm not joking. I really think that is possible, and perhaps that's what this shit is all about. Make the truth illusive and keep them guessing to the point they just don't even care to guess anymore. As long as there is football, Survivor, 50 billion pumpkins at Halloween and 50 billion Christmas trees at Christmas, text messaging, twittering and Facebook, do what you must because I'm too busy with distractions to give a damn what's going on outside of my little bubble.

just_another_dick said...

Shrub, I wondered if you had seen the missile/plane/well organized flock of geese/gaseous angel poot. John Stewart jumped on the de-bunking train last night. Fairly pathetic.

It's been interesting watching them emphasize the vapor trail but completely ignoring the bit of the video where you can see the flame coming from one single engine. I don't know of many large planes that have one engine.

I don't think anyone really cares about what pud yanker America thinks. Otherwise they would have produced the plane/imaginary plane that supposedly made the vapor trail. It shouldn't be hard to match the video time to an actual/invented plane leaving an airport.

That is, if they cared.

I think they realize that the majority of Ameri-hoos don't have the critical thinking skills to question much of anything anymore.

just_another_dick said...

But hey, Target will be selling $3 appliances on Black Friday.

I think they should start calling it Brown Friday since all they offer anymore is cheaply made shit.