Monthly Archives: March 2009
Open Post: The Spoon
A lesson on how consultants can make a difference in an organization:
Last week, we took some friends to a restaurant, ‘Steve’s Place,’ and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket.
It seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I observed that he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket.
Then I looked around and saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets. When the waiter came back to serve our soup I inquired, ‘Why the spoon?’
‘Well, ‘he explained, ‘the restaurant’s owner hired Andersen Consulting to revamp all of our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour.
If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift.’
As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he replaced it with his spare. ‘I’ll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now.’ I was impressed.
I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter’s fly.
Looking around, I saw that all of the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So, before he walked off, I asked the waiter, ‘Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?’
To see why, read on, but feel free to add your own comments to this post or any others.
Continue reading
Okie Dokie….
I only have 28. Any ideas on what I might do with 28 artichokes?
A little John Mellencamp..
“Little Pink Houses”
“The Authority Song”
Friday night tunes
Lenny Kravitz, Fly Away
Talking Heads, This Must Be the Place
Radiohead, No Surprises
Queen Latifah (feat. Al Green), Simply Beautiful
Linda Ronstadt, Blue Bayou
It’s officially Spring!
Although, it still doesn’t feel like it here..
Oh well… Relax and enjoy!
RedState Does it Again
I realize that conservatives are anything but compassionate, but this says it all. From a front-page post from the not-so-fine folks at RedState, in talking about a conservative Democrat, Scott Murphy, who is running against Kirsten Gillibrand in New York’s 20th Congressional district:
Murphy opposes the death penalty for terrorists because it’s too expensive to execute them. He apparently also wants to make sure that when people like the 9-11 hijackers are captured, they get a fair trial where we are certain of their guilt before we lock them away.
These are not the views of a conservative Democrat, or of a Democrat who has learned the lessons of 9-11. Murphy’s views sound more like an old-line liberal in the mold of Mario Cuomo: legalistic and out-of-touch with reality. (Emphasis added)
Wow. Just wow.
Why on earth would someone want to make sure that a person convicted is actually guilty of something in the United States of America? I mean, really. Accuse them, jail them and then electrocute them. Guilty or not. It doesn’t matter. Why even bother having trials at all? In their world-view, we just need to kill them. Period.
This is the thinking of the right-wing in this country. Watch out for these people, because they are the one’s trying to make history repeat itself. It it going to take a concerted effort on the parts of all Americans to ensure that this is not allowed to happen.
History IS Repeating Itself
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h/t: Mike’s Blog Roundup at Crooks and Liars.
Some choice snippets from an article by Robert Freeman over at AlterNet. Do read the whole thing. It’s mind boggling.
In early 1919, Germany put in place a new government to begin rebuilding the country after its crushing defeat in World War I. But the right-wing forces that had led the country into the War and lost the War conspired even before it was over to destroy the new government, the “Weimar Republic.” They succeeded.
World War I left Germany utterly devastated.
The economy was destroyed.
As a result of the failure of the right, the German people elected a moderately leftist government to lead the nation’s rebuilding. It was named the Weimar Republic for the city in which the new post-imperial constitution was written.
It was at this time that the right wing made its crucial decision. Despite its shocking, naked failure over the prior decade, despite the horrific devastation it had wrought on the German people, despite the discrediting of everything they had purported to stand for, they would fight Ebert, his new government, and its plans for recovery. They would do everything they could to make sure that the new government failed.
Robert Scheer of TruthDig on Democracy Now!
Veteran Journalist Robert Scheer, of TruthDig, is a guest on Democracy Now! and discusses the AIG Bonuses, the “Backdoor Bailout” and Why Obama Should Fire Geithner, Summers. This interview, seriously, is a must see.
“Perp Walks Instead of Bonuses“:
There must be a criminal investigation of the AIG debacle, and it looks as if New York’s top lawman is on the case. The collusion to save this toxic company in order to salvage the rogue financiers who conspired to enrich themselves by impoverishing millions is being revealed as the greatest financial scandal in U.S. history. Instead of taking bonuses, the culprits should be taking perp walks… Read this excellent piece.
Part 1:
Part 2:
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Teach your children well…
All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Is Rep Bill Posey part alligator? You decide…
A Florida lawmaker has been perpetuating the rumor that President Obama is not a natural born citizen of the United States. Rep. Bill Posey introduced a bill to require presidential candidates to produce copies of their birth certificates and other documentation to prove natural-born citizenship. Stephen Colbert is now calling for a DNA test of the Congressmen after perpetuating the rumor that he may be part alligator.
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Olbermann: Enough!
In a Special Comment, Countdown’s Keith Olbermann expresses outrage at Wall Street over their continuing misuse of federal bailout money. Olbermann calls for the firing of bank executives and more stringent bank regulation.
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Happy Birthday, Walt!!
Mmmmmm...
Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday, dear Walt…
Happy birthday to you!!
I wish I could bake you a real cake, my friend. Enjoy your day!
President Obama, Jay Leno and Manufactured Outrage
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Last night, President Obama sat down with Jay Leno for a little chat. He mostly spoke about the economy, but Jay did ask a couple of personal questions. It was quite an interesting interview. Do watch it (click Keep Reading below).
There is much manufactured outrage from the right wing over the POTUS being on a late night television show. How dare the President of the United States of America speak straight to the American people without some talking head interpreting his every word!
Watch the whole interview, below the fold (it will begin playing once you click the Keep Reading link below). And then, let’s have a little fun with all of this manufactured outrage coming from the people who represent the Party of No.
Continue reading
Palin Turns Down Stimulus Money For Special Needs Students!
Governor Sarah Palin is turning down 31% of the stimulus money for the state of Alaska. The $288 million of the $930.7 million that Alaska would receive from the federal stimulus is targeted for education, social services, and schools. This is the portion Palin is refusing. She only wants money for construction projects.
“We are not requesting funds intended to just grow government,” Palin said. “In essence we say no to operating funds for more positions in government.”
Her decision has brought her wrath from school officials that need those funds for eduction.
The biggest single chunk of money that Palin is turning down is about $170 million for education, including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students. Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau said she is “shocked and very disappointed” that Palin would reject the schools money. She said it could be used for job preservation, teacher training, and helping kids who need it.
“After soliciting and accepting more federal dollars per capita than any other governor in the union, Sarah Palin’s decision today to deny the state of Alaska over half a billion dollars in recovery and reinvestment funds – including millions for schools, energy and public safety – appears to be nothing more than political posturing,” communications director Brad Woodhouse said. “At a time when her state is suffering, Alaska’s working families cannot afford a governor that puts her political future ahead of the needs of the state and its families.”
CNN Rick Sanchez: House Votes To Tax AIG Bonuses
The House voted and approves taxing AIG bonuses by 90%. The bill passed by 328 to 93.
Friday Open Thread: Let Me Count the Ways to War
Yesterday gave us the six year anniversary of the debacle that is Iraq. As I was thinking about the whole Iraq situation, I remembered that we were given many, many reasons for going to war. It started with Weapons of Mass Destruction. The whole world, including countries half way around the world, were in grave danger. We must not allow Saddam to develop WMD! WMD! WMD!
So, WMD was the number one reason.
That didn’t work out so well and as everyone knows, there were no WMD.
Then, we had Iraqi Freedom. We needed to get rid of Saddam so that the people of Iraq would be free.
Then there was Bringing Democracy to the Middle East.
Then there was…?
I distinctly remember about 14 different reasons which we were given as justification to create and enforce the Bush Doctrine. Alas, I cannot remember all of them. Can you help me out? What were the reasons you remember we were given to go to war? If you have links, that would be awesome.
As Rachel Maddow’s segment Down The Memory Hole last night proved, the last administration is intent on rewriting history. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.
Oh, and if you’d like a good read by Josh Marshall, one which I might add was quite prescient, read this.
And be sure to read our new posts below.
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Jim Cramer — Just shut up!
Srsly, Cramer needs to zip it. He should take some time off, go on vacation with the family, work on getting that blood pressure down, and hope and pray his career isn’t toast.
Shhhhhh….
HT: Think Progress
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Indentured servants
All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Six years of war in Iraq
Today is the anniversary of the United States’ attack on Iraq — a country which did not attack us on September 11, 2001, or any other time, and did not possess the means to do so.
Here are a few of the costs of George W. Bush’s deadly folly:
US military deaths: 4259
US military suicides (in Iraq): 177
US military wounded: 31,102
Iraqi deaths: estimated to be 946,000 to 1.12 million
Lies told by the Bush administration to get us into Iraq: 935 (and counting)
Financial cost of Iraq war (US): Approximately $656.1 billion (and counting)
Finally, as if all this is not enough, we have lost basic Constitutional protections — in the name of keeping us “safe.” Keith Olbermann says it well in this Special Comment regarding habeas corpus:
UPDATE: Think Progress has a timeline of the Iraq War here.
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The Catholic Church.. Condoms.. Rape… Excommunication!
The Catholic Church’s decline in parishioners, I feel, is linked to all the bad decisions they have made over the years. There are two more decisions this month that I consider unconscionable. Their evil declarations are shrouded with rituals and cloak the harmful intent, which is to subjugate women. Vanquishing any control a woman may have over her own mind and body.
The extreme position the Catholic Church took earlier this month with a 9 year-old girl in Brazil is a prime example. This poor child was raped by her step-father and became pregnant with twins. In Brazil, abortion is illegal except in the cases of rape or if the mother’s life is in danger by giving birth. The 80 pound girl fell under both of these classifications, since her doctors said she would die before giving birth.
Simply because her uterus at 9 years of age simply could not foster twins, thus, the girl underwent an abortion.
As if that wasn’t enough trauma for this little girl, the Catholic Church, in it’s infinite wisdom, decided to excommunicate the doctors who performed the abortion, as well as mother of the girl. But, they did nothing to the child-raping step-father.
Instead, this is the statement they delivered:
“God’s laws,” said the archbishop, dictate that abortion is a sin and that transgressors are no longer welcome in the Roman Catholic Church. “They took the life of an innocent,” Sobrinho told TIME in a telephone interview. ” Abortion is much more serious than killing an adult. An adult may or may not be an innocent, but an unborn child is most definitely innocent. Taking that life cannot be ignored.”
Stewart to Cheney: ‘Shut the f**k up’
Former vice president Dick Cheney told CNN that President Obama was putting the country at risk. Jon Stewart has some tough words for Cheney: “Have a nice cup of shut the f**k up.”
My apologies to those of you who on the “My Fu*k It List” said they never wanted to hear from or see Dick Cheney again…
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Gringo Guns!
Another great animated cartoon by Mark Fiore!
“Gringo Guns! It’s all supply and demand.. We supply the guns, and we demand—drugs!”
Click on graphic to view at source.
Throwing our money down a rathole…
Or the biggest heist in history well underway… Mission accomplished!
Perp Walks Instead of Bonuses by Robert Scheer
The Real AIG Scandal by Eliot Spitzer
Those Hit Hardest Get No Bailout by Amy Goodman
Wyden: My Bill Could Have Prevented AIG Mess by Sam Stein
All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Pilots and Planes and Guns. Oh My!
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The latest right-wing talking point is that Obama wants to disarm pilots of carrying guns on their flights. This is now making the rounds at all the usual places: Newsmax, The Washington Times, the pro-gun media and is rapidly being picked up by winger blogs.
Interesting, this story is.
After 9/11, a bill was passed to allow pilots to carry guns on board airplanes. Considering the risks of a bullet puncturing the pressurized cabin of an airplane, and the dire ramifications of that plane going down due to that puncture, this is a bill which never made sense to me. (See this GAO report.) Yes, 9/11 happened, but it happened, in part, because for decades, we were told that if we were on a hijacked plane, let the hijacker do their thing and all will be well. In other words, no one fought back. We were trained not to.
The 9/11 hijackers used box cutters – about as low tech a device as there is.
Look at what has happened since: Shoe bomber? Tackled and beaten to a pulp by the people on board the aircraft. No gun needed.
But I am digressing from the story. It was George W. Bush who decided that pilots should not carry guns. But that’s not all. Far from it.
