Tuesday, July 14, 2009

They frankly own the place

This should enrage you.

The events preceding Goldman Sachs' new "blowout profits"

ABC News, September 26, 2008: As a group, Goldman Sachs bankers have been the country's top political campaign contributors this year and have given $29.5 million in contributions since 1989, according to the Center.

"They are almost in a class by themselves," said Sheila Krumholz, the executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics
...

USA Today, January 27, 2009: WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner picked a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist as a top aide Tuesday, the same day he announced rules aimed at reducing the role of lobbyists in agency decisions.

Mark Patterson will serve as Geithner's chief of staff at Treasury, which oversees the government's $700 billion financial bailout program.
...

Reuters, March 16, 2009: The approval of Gary Gensler, a former Goldman Sachs executive, clears the way for a Senate vote putting him in charge of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He was approved by a roll-call vote.
...

On and on the corruption and good ole boy network goes. Read the entire article HERE (and linked atop) by Glenn Greenwald. But I'll quote Glenn one last time...

...blurted out in April by the number two Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Dick Durbin:

And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place.

That was nice and blunt. That same week, it was announced that the newly-hired top lobbyist for Goldman Sachs, Michael Paese, was -- immediately prior to his hiring -- the top staffer to Rep. Barney Frank on the House Financial Services Committee chaired by Frank
.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Tehran

"This, in short, could be the largest mass gathering since 15 June, complete with the presence of Rafsanjani, Mousavi, and Khatami. Start counting down the days". July 17th.

Andrew Sullivan:
Reaching a climax in Iran?

WSJ
Inside the Iranian Crackdown

Huffington Post
Religious Divisions in Iran's Leadership -- More than Meets the Eye

Friday, July 3, 2009

I wish I could say I entirely left the circuit...

Watched "Choke" and "Waltz with Bashir" last night.

Powerful movies in their own right. Sex and the search for intimacy and meaning followed by murder and war. The tragedy of love and misunderstanding. But with revisiting the memories within a community, even a flawed one, redemption and healing await in each.

"Choke", which is based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk (author of fight club) introduces us to the tragedy of lonliness and emptiness thru the escapades of a sex addict. Who within minutes of the films opening declares his orgasm as sweet...nothing. Sex has become meaningless and devoid of love. An act to fulfill the bodies now dependance on the endorphins released.

The journey from nothing to something is funny and painful to watch. Especially the main characters scheme to choke on food in restaurants so the good samaritans who rescue him will pay his bills. Watching him find the only true intimacy he can in the hug of strangers is moving.
Underneath the sex scenes and flashbacks lies a powerful story. I found many Christ-like themes exploding into view as the tale is weaved. Rent it.



"Waltz with Bashir" is rather oddly described as an animated documentary. A foreign film with subtitles that explores the horrors of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the early 80's thru a small units perspective. Stunning visually. It doesn't play or look like a documentary at all.

Here to, flashbacks of men haunted by their actions and inaction in that war come to play upon the present. The minds powerful ability to not casually store certain pain in its memory while simultaneously finding ways to have us deal with it. Here as well do friendships, forged in youth and tribulation, provide the needed community of similiar broken people that allow us to deal with, face and lament our crimes.
Click HERE for a trailer.