SAR #11070

It's time to plant some seeds.

Cat/Bag: Wisconsin's Senate Majority Leader has acknowledged that the primary motivation for the GOP's union busting legislative drive is to deprive the Democrats of union support and money in 2012. Wonder how that's going to work out.

Controlling Healthcare Costs: As part of its effort to improve US healthcare, the government has given KV Pharmaceutical the exclusive rights to sell a drug that prevents preterm labor. The price of the drug immediately went from $10 for the weekly shot, to $1,500. No research, no real marketing required. Just profits.

Remain Calm: The Saudi government has told its subjects that dialogue, not street protests, is the way to bring about reform. It also said that it would take strong action against activists in the streets and that people should remain calm. That from the guy holding the gun.

Bill Me: PIMCO has completely abandoned US government bonds in favor of cash. About time.

Vocabulary Quiz: Define “legitimate government” so as to include the leadership of Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

Old News: Surveys continue to show that – by huge margins – the American voter opposes cuts to Medicare, education, environmental protection, medical research and community-renewal programs. Another way to put it: Americans massively oppose what the Republicans claim their public wants them to do. The few, the proud, the moneyed.

The General Regrets... NATO has 'mistakenly' killed President Karzai's cousin Yar Muhammad Khan in his home near Kandahar, during a night-time raid. Let's see, one cousin = 9 young boys, right?

Light Bright Colors: A Florida GOP state senator wants to make it a first-degree felony to photograph, video record or even grab a shot with your cell-phone of “a farm or other property where legitimate agriculture operations are being conducted without the written consent of the owner.” Anybody remember Dorthea Lange?

Is There An Echo In Here? The rate at which the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting is "accelerating rapidly" and has become “the dominant contributor to global sea level rise, much sooner than model forecasts have predicted." “Sooner than predicted” - where have we heard that before?

Restating the Problem: The problem is not that we are running out of oil. The problem is we use too much and there are too many of us

Uncle Newt Wants You! Newt Gingrich, who has never married a wife he didn't cheat on, does it because he loves his country too much. That's his explanation for divorcing his first wife while she was in the hospital with cancer and telling number two that her contract was being canceled the same day she was diagnosed with MS. The current Ms. Gingrich – who dresses in flag inspired clothing and goes around saluting – takes exceptionally good care of her health.

Energy Saving Device: As many as 30 million people are held in slavery, and the price of an individual slave has fallen to $90 - a historic low. But even with the current $100 a barrel price, oil is still a cheaper energy source. Marginally.

Been There, Done That: The neocons – better known as the Iraq Cakewalk Crew - are trying to talk us into war – again. This time with Libya, where a no-fly zone over would be the gateway drug that leads to all-out American military invasion and occupation. We shouldn't go to war on the basis that it feels good.

The Gay '90s: While many would like to pretend that the housing decline has bottomed and boom times are just ahead, a glance at history suggests that a further 15 -20% decline is needed before prices return to the long term mean. The same data will show that in the long term houses increase in value at just about the rate of wage inflation. Wages in the US have not increased in real terms in more than 30 years.

The Greatest Generation: One in four children in the US lives in poverty. Tell me about No Child Left Behind again.