Jack, Bogbloggers, curious seekers of understanding: Lend he your ears.

'He' being David Cay Johnston, 7:pm tonight, Friday, 3/21, speaking at Unitarian Church, 12th & Salmon PDX. He's 'book-signing' for his latest expose, Free Lunch. He's an NYTimes reporter.

His subject matter tonight, and in his book, is our taxes (fed/st/loc) lawfully diverted into accounts and the wealth of 'the uber-rich.'

Especially, Jack, I hope you might hear Johnston. As I expect you can 'keep up with' his quickly drawn lines connecting the dots of Forms and Schedules. Kudos to community radio KBOO.fm (also, 90.7 broadcasting in PDX), interviewing Johnston on-air this morning, 10:am, and perhaps available on-line podcast, now and later.

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An excellently written, detailed, comprehensive, exposition of today's economic straits, mortgage banking embezzelments, the price of gas in Salem, and 'all the fall' of Humpty Dumpty's egg on our foolish faces (for boosting the Bushtoon on top of the wall in the first place), is recommended reading, here: Speculative Onslaught. Crisis of the World Financial System: The Financial Predators had a Ball - Financial Tsunami, Part V, by F. William Engdahl, Global Research, February 23, 2008.

The article is so chock-full of sterling facts and points, that I can't choose one to excerpt in tone. Instead, from reading it, I now think I understand the economic collapse as much as, or more than Mister Tee has parlayed here, and in that sense I say, citing the article's veracity, in contradiction: Mr.T is wrong that the dollar's condition is secure, or safely solvent, and this'll all blow over and be back to bizness as usual ... someday. Start buying that canned tuna, Jack.

Ummm...one question:

Will Lars Larson be there?

I hate that Lars guy.

Liberals should be glad about high gasoline prices as it will spur us to change over to more efficient, fuel conserving vehicles. Then too, natural gas prices are on the rise because the sun is going into a quiet period, cooling the globe, raising fuel demands. But don't dispair. Another 1000 percent rise in the price of natural gas will make rooftop solar an economical investment even excluding the large existing public subsidies for solar. Don't worry, be happy.

Liberals should be glad about high gasoline prices....

Liberals would only be happy about high gas prices if they were caused by higher gas taxes. That other stuff is just for show.

Ohio Attorney General might show Oregon's the way to go, in cases of indicting and prosecuting broadcast LIARS. Who, incidentally, already has admitted guilt and taken the Oregon AG's offered negotiated settlement before, making LIARS any second occurrence two strikes and LIARS status as a repeat offender, in exactly these same charges: Public or broadcast incitement to felony behavior.

Will Rush Limbaugh Be Indicted for Voter Fraud?, By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet, March 21, 2008.

As Ohio election officials investigate illegal crossover voting in the 2008 primary, questions arise on Limbaugh's role.
...
While this all makes for great talk radio and sounds like fun, there is one catch: What Limbaugh encouraged Republican voters to do in Ohio was a fifth-degree felony in that state, punishable with a $2,500 fine and six to 12 months in jail. That is because in order to change party affiliation in Ohio, voters have to fill out a form swearing allegiance to that party's principles "under penalty of election falsification."

On Thursday, March 20, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the "Cuyahoga County Board of Election has launched an investigation that could lead to criminal charges against voters ...

... in collusion, and/or corrupt practices racketeering, in league with the likes of racist hatetalk broadcasters LIARS, Lamebrain; or owner racist Paul Allen.

They're not in FCC got-their-back-land anymore, Toto.

I just *KNEW* there was a Lars angle in there somewhere. Thanks for educating me.

Now if I could just find the Bush/Rove/Cheney angle, my education will be complete.

Damn Lars, I always follow his lead.

In the same breath, we now have "Damn Sam and Damn Lars".

A felony for falsely "swearing allegiance to that party's principles." Now, really.

There's a crime that I'd like to see a prosecutor defend on constitutional principles.

I can see it now -

Hamilton Burger: "Mr. Smith, when you switched parties, did you support the party's position on sustainability?"

Mr. Smith: "Well, I believe that we have seen a mild increase in temperatures in the last century caused by our excessive gluttony and overreliance on the internal combustion engine, but I need my car to go to work and I like my house in the country, so I don't support moving to a condo in the Pearl and riding the tram. Oh, and I don't like riding bikes or drinking Oregon wine. And I really can't afford to pay anymore taxes for Sam's latest super-duper plan."

Perry Mason (muttering to Paul): "I knew I shouldn't have let him testify. Even I can't save him."

Hamilton Burger: "I rest my case."

Lars is actually a Russian secret agent who is gaining credibility in the neocon world until he shares the podium with a slew of Repugnicans and then BANG!

...he'll push his belly button and the c-4 liver implant will go off like cigar night at a Lewisnksy-Clinton reunion.

Mmmmmm mmm mmm MMMMMmmmm. MMM mm mmmmm m m mm mmmmm mmmmmm (hail to the chief, hummed with a mouthful of presidential pepperoni)....

Now I'm off to the store to buy more tin-foil.