Kudos to Al Franken

I am biased against Al Franken, but I totally support his amendment to stop U.S. contractors from hiring contractors that make their employees agree in advance not to sue if they're raped by co-workers. Jon Stewart tells it best.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rape-Nuts
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Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

The Huffington Post explains it reasonably well also.

The Annoying Smart Guy

Frankly,

I haven't had much brilliant to say lately. So I've posted a few things that other people have said, things that made me smile and nod. One of these guys is named Jay Smooth, a founder of New York's longest running hip hop radio show. You can find his site here at ill doctrine. This guy, Jay Smooth, is brilliant.

Anyway, this latest video I'm posting is a year old, so it's old news and it's about an economic crisis that peaked a while back. I just liked his common sense take on it,

Glen Beck Interviews Pen Jillette

TurboTax (Intuit) Gets ReadyReturn on its Investment in the California GOP

The idea of the California State Franchise Tax Board helping tax payers in on at least one level laughable. But its come up with a popular program that's surprisingly efficient, helps tax payers, and increases tax compliance. On its face, this program known as ReadyReturn, is a win-win for everyone.

Under this program, the California State Franchise Tax Board prepares your California tax return for you based on information it has from previous filings. It's not for everyone, but it does work for many. You check out this prepared return, if it looks right, sign in and either pay or collect. You're done.

In short, ReadyReturn doesn't raise taxes. It merely simplifies the tax return process. So why is the California GOP so vigorously protesting this program? It turns out that has a vested interest in the tax preparation process remaining complicated.

As Tony Strickland so righteously said in support of his and the Republican party's push to dismantle the ReadyReturn program, "I've always thought it was wrong to use taxpayer dollars to compete with private enterprise." I imagine, it's especially wrong when the program in question (which has simplified the filing of tax returns and resulted in increased tax compliance, an important consideration for California at this time in its economic history) means people are less dependent on purchasing TurboTax's tax preparation program.

Oh and if you're curious as to why the fact that this program impacts on TurboTax makes it especially relevant to Tony Strickland, then you might want to play a quick game of connect the dots. It seems that in 2006, TurboTax spent $1 million trying to elect Tony Strickland as state controller. He lost that race but is now a California Republican Senator. In all, TurboTax has judiciously spent hundreds of thousands on California races and lobbying in Sacramento.

Got to love the Grand Old Party, standing up for your right to endure complicated tax returns; the Republican Party, always fighting for the little guy. Alternatively, a Los Angeles Times editorial called it a GOP shill game.

For another and better written take on this issue, consider reading TurboTax Tries to Kill California's ReadyReturn or Intuit Aims to Kill Californians.

SNL Obama Skit

Roman Polanski

I'm one hundred percent on board with bringing Roman Polanski to justice. Some decent material has been written on this case and a lot of utter garbage. One of the more factual pieces came from an experienced prosecutor and familiar face, Marcia Clark.

She explains why the idea that Roman Polanski was done in by an unscrupulous judge is a myth. It's a helpful piece, not merely because it's well-written, but because it's factually specific and cites the actual transcripts where appropriate. If you have any doubt that Roman Polanski knew the young woman he raped was thirteen, the court transcripts of his plea agreement should put those to rest. You have to give Kudos to the smoking gun for providing us material like this.

According to news articles published a the time, the terrible railroading he faced was serving another 48 days in Chino for a total of 90 days and then being deported, e.g., the Spokane Daily Chronicle, February 10, 1978. Interestingly, despite all of Polanski's claims about how this judge had it in for him, we know that the judge agreed to be recused from the case and allow another judge (jointly chosen by the parties to handle the actual sentencing. See Eugene Register-Guard, February 22, 1978. In other words, if he felt that Judge Rittendband was biased, he had the opportunity to have a different judge sentence him.

He will likely spend more time jailed in Switzerland for the extradition process than he would ever have served as a result of his plea bargain agreement, which stemmed from his drugging and raping a thirteen year old. Personally, as long as he is sitting in a swiss jail, I hope he can delay extradition for years before returning to the United States.

And I hope California imposes an appropriate sentence on him when he finally appears before for his long delayed day in court.

On a closing note, I thought this You Tube video said it all so much better than I could,

Health Care

Bill Maher writes,

You can't complain about health care reform if you're not willing to reform your own health. Unlike most liberals, I'm glad all those teabaggers marched on Washington last week. Because judging from the photos, it's the first exercise they've gotten in years.

In that same Huffington Post piece, he adds,

And since Americans can only be prodded into doing something with money, we need to tax crappy foods that make us sick like we do with cigarettes, and alcohol....

In short, health care reform isn't just about providing insurance to every man, woman, and child in America, it's about reforming the way Americans live. If you don't live a certain way, if you don't make your health a priority, then you should lose the right to complain or vote on the issue. If you're fat and overweight, government should have the right to step in and fix you.


Its akin to the arguments we heard when government mandated helmet wearing when riding a motorcycle. Now let's be honest, you're pretty stupid if you get on a motorcycle and fly down the road at 70 miles an hour without a helmet. But it does raise the question of when does personal responsibility end and the government's right to dictate how we live our lives begin.

As the government said then,

Unhelmeted motorcycle riders are more likely to be uninsured riders and the cost of inpatient care for brain injuries sustained by motorcyclists is more than twice the cost of receiving inpatient care for other motorcycle-related injuries.

In short, if government insures you, it has a right to dictate how you conduct yourself when engaging in an activity that might impact its liability for your actions. So though Bill Maher is a comedian, he points to a real fact of life.

If government pays, then they get to dictate how we behave. If you drink too much beer, if you swallow two liters of soda a day, if you smoke, if you don't walk, if you don't hit the gym several times a week, then you're literally sticking it to the government and your fellow taxpayers. Thus, our government will need to reform us through legislation and social pressures.

Am I wrong?