Balloonman's Comments (154)

“As sure as GWBUSH drug prescription plan was a boondoggle for the insurance industry, no negotiatilng for lower prices, no cross border legal excursion to buy cheaper, and moreover with the donut hole amount limit reached, then you are on your own. A gap during which INSURANCE is off the hook thereby saving INSURANCE lots and lots of money. Until another amount alloted after the gap kicks in, perhaps before a citizen goes bankrupt. This stinks the same way, likely much worse. Forced, mandated coverage. Fees, penalties (punishment) to most who opt out. Demographic, the obvious statistic, healthy young folks. Government HEALTH CARE REFORM, who started this long awaited wonderful advantage for us? INSURANCE? Couldn't do it better. Reform long in the hopper coming due forced INSURANCE manipulating OZ from behind the curtain. No subsidy for women's rights, abortions. Oh, but they can buy it on their own, yay. Gracious! We retain that freedom to pay out of our own pocket. To whom? INSURANCE. Double jeopardy? Now wait a minute. We get, alloted, grace us INSURANCE exchange pools for folks with few alternatives, little money. Trapped between a rock and a hard place. Shop! Shop around folks for a 'deal'. Like reduced rate on no competition telecommunications, cable hookup. Good luck suckers. Never give us an even break.”

“OBAMA telling it like it is! Precisely what I want to hear. Those bankers are bad bad people, finance houses brought us to our knees. We taxpayers bailing the whole greed corrupted System out! Oh, my. I think dear Mister President, then how come Wall Street and its shadow Robert Rubin and Geithner, Summers, Goldman and Merri . . . and on and on with all your councellors, advisors, cabinet trustees, are just that: Your trusted advisors? To the regular folks harm. Last to consider. Break our backs one way or the other making it opossible for MONEY made off money and regular folk's sweat to exist.. I think, dear Mister President, who I backed pretty decisevely after Kucinich, I think, where in the world are you coming from? What are we OBAMA believers to believe. Considering your disappointing behaviour? Your disappointing orders, to any ordinary progressive, anyway. Not standing tall next to promises. Your washed out in compromises, if not simply priority issues abandoned altogether. Mister President always talk a fine talk. Much what I'd say if I had the wits. But I got to say, I really feel betrayed.”

“Seriously now. Debate who? Al Pacino, no script, and who knows where he's been, accepting another special actor award might even give her a run for her money.”

“GOLDMAN SACHS revolving door (urging it's executives to serve in Government) has how many of it's ex top folks advising President OBAMA nite and day? This very moment likely whispering wonderous counsel how to ameliorate calamity that ruined ordinary folks. Buy up mortgages and foreclose all by themselves. These veteran expert insiders, scholars OBAMA administration might say, who know the STREET game absolutely. Superior to bust out Lehman Brothers for sure. Lehman could have been them if it wasn't for Goldman superior firepower. Inside power housing CONGRESS and ADMINISTRATION workings. Strings all the way up, likely to some extent, puppeting OBAMA. His best and brightest? Goldman in addition to its WALL STREET network associates, running our RECOVERY? GOLDMAN SACHS is in a way the Government isn't it? Far as setting rules how to reset FINANCE to 'normalcy'? Back to an 'adjusted' status quo. Old methods cosmeticized generating new inventions. New packaged securities paper instruments nobody really knows if there is any substance left, what they mean or are? Experienced Wall Street geniuses. Honourable men. Surrounding President Obama. Prime movers in place to resolve our GREAT RECESSION. GOLDMAN. Fox from the fox house. They sure made sure they got theirs didn't they? Most of it off our taxpayer backs. Nasty. A sort of suffocating enterprize you think about the grappling people gasping to survive.”

“Speaking of ENRON. As forerunner of monster corporations committing accounting fraud, claiming profits from profits only as good as the paper they were bogus bogus on, it seems there is a parallel here to banking houses exotic derivatives--barely if at all understood by their inventors--together with the packaging of toxic mortgages into securities bundles sold to another round after round of investors and guaranteed a win-win to the issuers. Backed by government/taxpayer bailout. All that high tech new 'derivatives' math figuring/accounting how to create enormous profit from assets that don't, in the altogether, exist. A 'thing' source on a wobbly bottom and vanishing daily in the seething bubble ready to burst. Really mostly just paper. A sort of on margin on margin (buying risk with dubious assets and mysterious value) platform on unfounded trust generated off exotic instrument gambles invented on the run. Trade which seemed okay enuf to sophisticated WALL STREET, SEC, Federal Reserve, ratings agencies, regulators behind regulations, and otherwise investors, who apparently saw no relationship to phony paper and, some wild imaginations might suggest, legal sort of ponzi schemes. Recalling to mind crooks, far out sure, but ENRON comes back to mind, and even Madoff. And now comes along a couple of deregulation Democrats apparently see stings as necessary to doing business.”

“. . . think about it.”

“Something is screwy here. Recent PEW poll and the ongoing STANFORD poll. From 80 percent not that long ago to 57 percent now? Folks who formerly believed it was getting hotter not so sure now. People less concerned climate change is happening. Or of the cause. Not sure we are the culprits. Politics the reason? Lobby for titanic polluters working in a fever 24/7. MONEY delaying action is MONEY made. Economic nightmares. Pocket books hit hard. Health Care, who gets what, if that. What gets me is this: Wouldn't you think that regardless any hype to change minds say for personal business gain, to convince us profits will go down thus more people laid off, if polluter restriction, regulation, is enacted, put in force, that people would NOT still remember the reasons why they first believed the CLIMATE was definitely getting hotter? 80 percent not that long ago. Now 57 percent. Hm. Curious development. Are we so fickle? Abandon facts? Bought? Because of . . . politics? Hype? Hard times? Just witness rising water levels. How about the POLAR CAPS? Losing ice or not? Melting! Ships moving to and fro Atlantic/Pacific on top of the world? I could understand folks changing their mind concluding most of the climate change is the geologic cycle, axis shift maybe, going into one of its JURASSIC temperature change ages, whatever, but propagandized to change their mind due to power of hype plus hard times setting new priorities, seems . . . quite feasible I”

“ELIZABETH WARREN. What a woman!”

“To finish: The BALLOON BOY, who I felt at first even sort of kin with, on second thought, although apparently not a real Balloon Person (BP) should be given a break for being misrepresented as a Balloon Boy by the media. You can't force anyone to become a Balloon Person. A boy to become a balloon boy. It's a natural thing. You either are or you aren't. I am just lucky myself. But maybe I am wrong. Looking at the RICHARD and MAYUMI HEENE family again, they all look like potential Balloon People to me. I got an eye for that sort of thing. And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Broken Dream Release!”

“They all ought to go to jail. The whole family. No excuse for this kind of thing. This expensive hoax replacing a week's worth of real news. Put them away for awhile, for disturbing the sanity of our desperate lives. For casting a bad light on UFO trackers at least. And particularly Balloon People. (BPs) Making us look real bad blown up by association. Taking up all of our valuable TV time. Shouldn't the National Guard be off fighting a war? The sheriff setting up another speed trap? And after doing hard time, duct taping 10,000 doors and windows for incoming alien's gas, each one of them gets a job and start paying off a huge fine, if only for taking CNN away from Breaking News. if they have beg for a reality TV show or fold origami balloon ships and sell in the streets. The BALLOON BOY, who I felt at first even sort of kin with,”

“Mable Randon. Why in the world did that community fund set up for people like her turn her down? How is that possible? What's the story here? The real skinny. The Texas ENERGY company we can understand no heart. But a last resort fund, survival, like need an oxygen tank to breathe? We're there. A cancer victim moreover, believe that? Is there conspiracy for her to die? Of course not. But wouldn't the result be, for all lack of charity, but for this Texas Amegy Bank--a bank no less--creating a charity fund for her, not a loan just donations apparently (is that possible?) But if nobody helped at all, wouldn't she likely die? Much sooner than need be for sure. Don't people in her condition die without enuf of their own natural breathing apparatus working? Thus have to have extra oxygen? For her creditors refusal to work it out so she can breathe, it's virtually a death sentence. Isn't it? Seems to me. What excuse for that? Money saved? Is it that her creditors know for sure somebody will take care of her continuing to get oxygen? So considering that attitude, "oh, she won't die, somebody (else) will take care of her" lets them off the hook? I don't think so. In any event, and it doesn't look like fun, how is it that a network in business and so closely relative to health care be so cold hearted cruel? I got it. Not my problem, Pal.”

“As Balloon Man I can appreciate concern for Balloon Boy. There's not that many of us Balloon People as you might think. So it's a relief a young'un just starting out is out of danger, back safe and sound. Keep the balloons blowing. Now Balloon Boy, in tribute, The Seven Balloon Balloonman Launch!”

“Deliberation. Shelved. Wait for problems for solution input at the outset to destroy us going in. Oval Office big business friendly advisors extending tax breaks. End up paying nothing! Off shore tax dodgers. Nab 'em! PO Box CAYMAN ISLANDS, pfft! Fraud. Estimate 100 billion taxpayers, us, lose. What would that 100 billion would buy for us. State bailouts? Maybe nothing. Bailing banks but can we look at their books? Won't even lend to us. Shifting the pea, which shell game is it? OVERDRAFT FEES is monstrous percentage of bank income. Credit cards still practicing usury. Promises are promises aren't they. Gitmo, SHUT IT DOWN! Not later, now! How about HELP direct to the people? Reduce principle, lend buried homeowners some room to live and money to do it. Transparent presidency my foot. Shipping over, no public warning, 12,000 SUPPORT troops. Support the 21,000 already sent. And what, the 68,000 already there? Deliberating on what? 40.000 McChrystal asks for? Tell you what Mac, how about half? Back burners, so many issues. Don't worry folks. We'll get to them. Like DON'T ASK DON'T TELL. Time, give me time. So much on the plate. CONGRESS to deal with. Yeah, well, you asked for this job so lead us to the promised land! Show up corporate welfare at our expense until business before the people is deemed so absurd that nobody but twisted self flagellating Ann Rand zealots would welcome business before pleasure. Come on now!”

“Perhaps pammiethekid. "Blogging is fun, but we shouldn't mistake it for action." Myself, naturally sedentary--check my pulse good before burial--I've always felt a tad guilty not being leading edge, on the barricades. In the streets. Group meets. On the phones. Letters to State congress people, Fed Senate and House representatives. Letters to the editor. On the tracks in front of a nuke train. A candle in my window for each newly dead soldier. On rare occasions I have dipped into these arenas or symbols for outlet for outraged voices. Oppose alien movements, politicians, an election, an argument, proposed or in effect legislation. I must say I did march in practically all anti-war marches in my home town, primarily because of the racket from pots and pans banged passing only a few blocks from my door on Hollywood Boulevard. What I do do is online POST. Post to a blogger, an article. Post to a reply. Maybe I'm wrong, but to me, posting "in my pajamas" is a FORCE of sorts. It adds up. One more voice 'broadcast' into the ethernet of opinion. Accumulates behind other voices a power phalynx of its own that cannot be avoided by media certainly. It is media itself. Twitter is example of stirring up action. The 'word' gets out, exponentializes points of concern. Polls can't help but be impacted. Polls influence. So. As a slug, I feel a little less guilty already.”

“I read the headline this way, OBAMA ENDS DON'T ASK DON'T TELL. Wow! I thought, finally! He's done something! Concrete. It's done! By his order! Finally! Thinking, well now. let's just see now what else, what order, demand, comes next. He's started! To take the reins, finally turn things around. Started to do some big priorities, do his big pledges. Boy oh boy! Because I been hoping I was wrong about him. That he doesn't have it in him. Make me wrong! Yes we can! How about you BARACK OBAMA?! Because I don't want to be right about him, that he doesn't have it in him. Aside maybe already forced beholden in order to get elected, bought up to the gills by MONEY and immutable POWER and a too easy embrace of embedded Empire plans, or that he is too enamored with the machinations and perks of the Presidency to do his job as expected from his position of strength that we gave him. Showing us outright! In our face! Bringing home the bacon, the big issues, done! Give us reasons why we wept in victory and during inauguration. Not more talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. More talk. More patience with him. More promises. In due time folks. Oh. Just give him time. Plenty of time. Meantime people are mistreated, hurting and dying. Oh, understand, that's just the tragedy of incessant, endless political maneuvering. I know. But for a moment there I felt lifted, good again, hope.”

“Well now Gmlaster, points all well made. Although we are after all talking NOBEL PEACE PRIZE here. Wow! Give me CINDY SHEEHAN anytime. Not talking Commander-in-Chief who is SMARTEST INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL WARRIOR OF THE MONTH. Course that's stupid considering practicality contrived to favor power high profiles. Like KISSINGER say, whoa! The CAMBODIAN BOMBING LUNATIC. I'm sorry but direct from OBAMA our noble President, my choice for whom I abandoned lots of my own veteran cynicism, because ridiculous as it is, I did see an unexpected saviour. In OBAMA. I'm sorry. I fell for it and I am formerly really a KUCINICH man. Now I see little more than BARACK OBAMA'S arguably genuine feeling for we the people within his sort of cool and collected bombast and his rhetoric that part that speaks truly for we the people is bullshit. So that consequent his behaviour so far, one expects comfort but promises already broken.”

“Dr. Dean. Interesting huh? A SINGLE PAYER man, right? Initially he comes from where OBAMA does, initially. SINGLE PAYER if they had their druthers. If it was at all possible to get thru the critical morass called CONGRESS. Now deploying 10,000 monkey wrenches to screw up any real good deal for us. Committee votes beholden to MONEY. Insurance money. Senate Finance Committee politicos get significant election/reelection campaigns from them. Thinking also INSURANCE is business and business is US. Universal health care, what a laugh. Far as THAT ever made law, Isn't it? Other words, SINGLE PAYER. Considering, like, who was it of high credibility said recently, the BANKS own us. Well, so does INSURANCE. And we the people love our INSURANCE, RIGHT? Private insurance. What does CANADA know? Government pays for it altogether, am I wrong? Canadians became the government FUND to pay for their SINGLE PAYER. Budgeted in. They pay for it, own their government insurance company. Non-profit. No middlemen. Taxpayer money pretty much ALL gets back to themselves for health care rendered. Yeah, DEAN, A war horse in political wars, likely is scared, knowing advisarial politics like he does, Thus STATE Public Option with the option to opt out or in, at least gets the public option legislated. Finally more than just on the table. Work and smooth it out, two heads then, State and Fed, smarting it closer to the natural solution, SINGLE PAYER. Someday in the future eh. Sigh.”

“If we all stuck to our "own area of expertise", which for most of us is provincial to our learned skills to get ahead a bit, stay above water, consumed with survival et al, should we not then vote for only candidates and issues advised viable by 'experts' who 'really' know what they are talking about? Best schooled one-way in bottom line truth, say, in the case of Larry Summers, economics? Economic super smart application keeping our nation's FINANCE HOUSE in balance? On the side of Milton Friedman's style of economics. Alan Greenspan. Men dedicated to rigourous proof that what's absolute far as ultimately making the right economic decision for a nation rests in their cum laude acceptance of admitted alternate points of view dogma in their field of expertise? Well alright then naive people! Follow these sophisticate prescient leaders into the voting booth and be advised.

l”

“TEA BAGGERS are perhaps counterparts of folks outraged during GWBUSH and the nation's first democratic 'dictatorship'. Anti wars and corporatism opposers were livid at BUSH administration's daily ruin and incessant big lies. Circumventing our Constitution. Committing fraud on us. Perpetrating glaring impeachable offenses, bordering treason. Like the TEA BAGGERS we were so very angry about the turn of events despoiling our country. Issues of common sense and justice not addressed according to our views of what's right is right and wrong is wrong. Made impotent in the crush of BUSH Wars agendas, borrowing to pay for Wars while emptying our Treasury into the pockets of cronies, Halliburton one example. One-percenters. Munitions mongers. Neocons. Money 'stolen' perhaps could have paid a decade of single payer health care. Settled on Mars. In my town, Los Angeles/Hollywood I walked 'marched' in the streets against the war. Numbers of BUSH/CHENEY, Rumsfeld, Rice signs with Hitler mustaches in Nazi uniforms dripping blood were evident. Angry people but orderly. Many felt our nation had turned fascist. Collusion between Government and Corporate for money and power agendas. Unaccountable to the people. Difference between TEA BAGGERS and us? Disgusted with our Government's administration and leaders, same difference, but why? There's the rub.”

“Kids in my neighborhood in the late 30's, early 40's played only with lead soldiers at arms or pointing their lead guns. Red coats, blue coats. Olive drab. Kids chewed on them. Who got sick, died and who didn't if anybody died off them, never any records of that sort. Fathers, uncles, cousins and brothers died in War II though.”

“Terrific! I'm not so crazy about the shoes though.”

“Kucinich/Dean 2012. I'd vote the ticket in an instant.”

“Socialist? Please. He behaves more Corporatist. But finally, OBAMA makes it pretty clear point by point his HEALTH CARE blueprint, laying out his proposals in a list with explanations how it's going to work. Who isn't going to be hurt, profit or loss, who is (mandatory costs for of-age kids but will special interests be hurt, annoyed much getting 47 million new customers?) Give a little, take a lot. In my view OBAMA'S general leadership behaviour/results weighs in favoring MONEY. Giving in to INSURANCE, PHARMA, HEALTH PROVIDERS. What gets me is the fear and hate SOCIALISM elicits considering we are a Capitalist/Socialist nation. The more in balanced tandem, side by side, Capital/Citizenhoods, work for the people first, MONEY second to say the least, the smoother our Democratic SYSTEM for we the people operates. Not way lopsided favor of MONEY, one-percenters, so to speak, our overlords and decision makers, in the end, so that narrow interests come out way, way ahead of everybody else and off our backs. The two words say so much. Capitalism. Socialism. CAPITAL is MONEY. Assets. Increasing itself for itself. Accumulation of itself. Itself always comes first. SOCIALISM is society focused on people first. People interests. People building for people. The trick it seems for our nation of Capital and can I say it, Labor--that's all of us one earning level or another isn't it--is for the twain to meet and both flourish in each other.”

“How about our noble President simply putting people in place got his ear, counseling and advising, who aren't a part of our problems? Foxes in and from the fox houses. Profiteers in the majority. Seated at his big MONEY and military is our foreign policy--and don't you forget it--conciliatory/compromise round table. All aboard! Include foes to now. So they are against everything we stand for, right? (I think). That's okay. They got a right to input no matter it will monkey wrench us ineffective. President select picks at ready to water down policy that smacks of giving people distinct advantage options, in which government and business works for us directly. Since President OBAMA did not do that from the git-go, install real progressives, visionaries, men and women who come from battles consistently fighting for the rights and benefits balanced for the majority of working citizens. is it surprising after 7 months that increasing numbers of supporters are verrrrrrry suspicious of BARACK OBAMA'S real politic? Who is he? Really? Aside the fact that he is of course obviously an honourable man.”

““Why is it unfair?” he asked. (Dr. Cosgrove heart specialist Cleveland Clinic) “Has anyone ever shown the law of conservation of matter doesn’t apply?” Reasoning, if doctor hard nose of well being had his way, not hiring cigarette smokers, same with OBESE folks, is stretch analogy. 'Proving' with real fact nothing to do with the issue. Politicians love rhetoric proof irrelevance. Cosgrove means what? Insurance LAW on the books, lose weight or TAX you! Insurance, higher, higher! Sorry, many FAT folks are POOR, straighten up! But "conservation of matter" law--sounds almost physics science, or is it an environmental issue--as societal LAW legislated thus subscribed, behave or else FAT folks you pay heavy, no pun intended, is faux reason advocates use who despise folks cost insurance companies, thus taxpayers. Tax 'ignorance' and willful ways out of existence! Like on booze. Oh, the burden on insurance and taxpayer, my oh my. Helmut law 'tax' (fine). Plastic/paper bag tax to carry groceries home in t . hem. Cigarette tax. Seat belt unbuckle tax (fine). Phone tax. Road tax. License Tax. Anon. Name your favorite user/surcharge tax. Rental unit tax. Taxes, necessary, but forced to comply to a way of life, my choice, not hurting nobody but arguably myself, for the sake of debt burden on taxpayer (insurance) is alien to, forgive cliche: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Regardless how stupid we choose to live. Commercial Insurance index justifying laws to people tax, please. Problem not solution.”