it's not a run, it's a very brisk walk.

from bloomberg, by way of my buddy nick:

July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Washington Mutual Inc. tumbled more than 20 percent for a second day as Gimme Credit LLC said unsecured creditors were ``pulling funds'' from the biggest U.S. savings and loan.

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``We won't use the phrase `run on the bank,' but we would be remiss if we did not observe that many creditors have quietly been pulling funds,'' wrote [gimme credit analyst kathleen] Shanley, based in Chicago. Their actions are ``presenting an increasing funding challenge,'' she wrote. Gimme Credit is an independent research firm serving corporate bond investors.

yeah, and i bet she's still not calling it a 'recession' either. just sprinkle a little bit of your magic wish dust, close your eyes, and count to 10, kathleen, and all your financial demons will go away.

link.

she said it wasn't a breakup, just a 'break'.

according to a new poll from zogby international and the middlebury institute, an astonishing 22% of americans believe that a state has the right to "peaceably secede from the United States and become an independent republic". 18% would even support a secession movement in their own home state.

even more telling is the fact that "backing was strongest among younger adults, as 40% among those age 18 to 24 and 24% among those age 25 to 34 agreed states and regions have secession rights." i'm at the far end of the 18-24 demographic, and i'm a full supporter of california secession, if necessary.

older folks might be astonished at the idea, or the level of support, but it makes complete sense. i was 16 when the supreme court appointed bush as president. 18-year-olds were 10. for us young voters, most of our formative moments in american politics involved the reign of dubya. my dad got 'ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do from your country', the apollo program, and then nixon and stagflation. we've gotten blowjobs and the decider.

think to yourself: when was the last time the federal government did something good for you?

i doubt that it would come to that, but it's nice to know that states are asserting their states rights. vermont has a burgeoning secession movement. oklahoma recently attempt to assert its sovereignty via the tenth amendment ("The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.").

as for me, my take lately has been the following:
i pay to build alabama's freeways and infrastructure through my federal taxes.
alabama supports republicans and the wars, costing me even more money and reputation abroad.
alabama's full of religious zealots that i do not agree with in the slightest, and i couldn't even argue with properly since their education system is a shitty mess.
how am i benefiting from this relationship?

(for the record, alabama's just a placeholder. replace it with any number of states full of ignorant dipshits. the results are the same.)

it would be a nasty breakup, but i think i'd be willing to pledge allegiance to the california republic.

mccain's ass wiped by mainstream media

this is the genius military strategist that's going to save us in iraq? in one simple side-by-side comparison, this video points out some serious flaws in mccain's knowledge of foreign affairs (yet again). just remember boys and girls, military and foreign experience are his supposed strong point. this is why we're supposed to look the other way when he admits he doesn't know dick about the economy. this is why we're supposed to look the other way when he kisses the asses of right-wing zealots.

this video shows three things that are of note:
A) john mccain will fail in this election because he does not understand the way that information moves in 2008. he doesn't even know how the internet works, admitting that he's just now "becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need – including going to my daughter's blog first." somehow i doubt he's mastered the youtubes enough to realize that if something is recorded, it will be made public. period.
B) the mainstream media, especially television news, is guilty of the serious crime of covering up the ineptitude of our leadership. this is what i can only call a dangerous abuse of the rights guaranteed by the 1st amendment. the press is allowed to say whatever they like, but god dammit, this is offensive and irresponsible, and represents a triumph of capitalism and jingoism over legitimate journalism.
C) the ghost of edward r. murrow is likely working on haunting katie couric until she stops pretending to be a journalist and joins the cast of the view.

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UPDATE: cbs is now trying to defend its bullshit. from politico: "As all news organizations do with extended interviews, last night’s Obama and McCain interviews were edited to fit the available time and to give viewers a fair expression of the candidates' major differences," CBS spokeswoman Jennifer Farley emailed. "The full transcript and video were and still are available at cbsnews.com."
apparently 'major differences' don't include whether or not a candidate has a fucking clue about the war.

Notes from the Right-Wing: City of Los Angeles Continues Attempt to Suck the Life Out of Citizens, Destroy All Things Enjoyable

I'm Joeverkill, and this is Notes from the Right-Wing.

I live in Los Angeles, and while I still love L.A., I have a lot of gripes about the way this city is run. Smoking bans, oppressive parking laws, an overwhelming plethora of homeless people, gang members, and illegal immigrants... All indicative of a city where the liberals have taken the reigns and are trying their damndest to destroy all things wholesome and American.

Now the municipal mommy state is trying to ban fast food. From the Wall Street Journal:

Despite its health-crazy reputation, parts of Los Angeles are plagued by obesity rates that rival any city in America. Now, the city may join a growing roster of local governments aiming to put their residents on diets by cracking down on the fast-food industry.Jan Perry, a Los Angeles city-council member, is spearheading legislation that would ban new fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and KFC from opening in a 32-square-mile chunk of the city, including her district.

I love how the liberal health Nazis demonize fast food. The same people that claim to be champions of the poor and underpriveleged want to take away the easiest, most readily available, and least expensive means of obtaining food. These fatcat politicians buy their fat sons and daughters happy meals after their soccer games and say to themselves, "Hey why is little Billy or Jenny so tubby? I bet it's the darned fast food." And then they try to impose their values on everyone else, and it makes me sick.

I can eat a full, filling meal at Burger King for about three dollars and fifty cents (two Whopper Juniors and small, refillable drink). For $4.99 at Taco Bell I can get a bean and cheese burrito, a crunchy taco, a queso crunchwrap, a bag of cinnamon twists, and a 32-ounce soft drink of my choice. In this day of the falling dollar, I call that simply amazing.

What no one seems to recognize about fast food is that it is the most cost-effective, time-effective, and efficient way to feed hundreds of millions of people. No, it's not the most nutritious food, but no one is telling you to eat it every day.

Jan Perry states concern that obesity rates in the area in which she plans to ban new fast food restaurants from opening are higher than expected:

The targeted area is already home to some 400 fast-food restaurants, she says, possibly contributing to high obesity rates there -- 30% of adults, compared with about 21% in the rest of the city. Nationally, 25.6% of adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Councilperson Perry is also ignoring the fact that obesity rates are higher among the poor, and the fact that they are much higher than the national average in blacks and latinos.
If you account for these issues, the difference between the national average and the area in question drops to almost zero.

Watch for a Right-Wing Rant on smoking bans in the near future. They piss me off too.

I'm Joeverkill, and this has been Notes from the Right-Wing.