SAR #13343

"The only thing worse than crappy wages is not being able to get a job at crappy wages." Eschaton

Perspective: Before we wet our pants celebrating last month's job growth, remember that during the Clinton years the average monthly job growth was 237,000 - over the entire 8 years.

Gag Order: Under a new NYPD policy designed to limit public access to information on local crimes, victims of criminal acts will be prohibited from disclosing anything about the event.

To Russia, Without Love: Hundreds of thousands of pro-EU Ukrainians took to the streets of Kiev and other major cities this weekend to protest President Yanukovych's sucking up to Vladimir Putin. The protesters also demolished a statue of Lenin that had stood - rather insultingly - in Kiev's Independence Square for 60 years.

Circle The Wagons: NSA asserts that its global cellphone tracking is legal because the President said so. Right. Government spying is okay because the government authorized it.

Bad, Ferry Bad: Homeland Security is now conducting 'security checks' on passengers and vehicles using ferries - even if the ferry is not crossing any national border. That's permitted because DHS claims the Constitution is invalid on "the border" and defines the border to be 100 miles deep. Something's deep, but it ain't the border.

Adverse Reaction: Rand Paul (Dentist-KY) says it is okay to pay African-Americans 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, but not a day more, for that will cause them to become permanently unemployed. Extended benefits are, according to him, a disservice to unemployed blacks. His office will issue a clarifying statement soon.

A First Act: "The ACA isn't perfect, but it is at least a good faith effort to make sure that nobody dies or goes bankrupt from lack of insurance We weren't going to get to single-payer in one step."

Oblivious To The Evidence: The ideologues enamored of austerity are claiming victory because Ireland, Portugal, Spain, etc. have not totally collapsed. Yet. Actually they don't like to talk about Portugal. Greece is kept in the attic, an embarrassment. And Italy... well, it's full of Italians.

The Children Of Men: Euro diplomats suggest using armed forces in order to stem the flow of refugees.

Pathos: Democrats may be beginning to get over being embarrassed not to be Republicans. Maybe, just maybe, they'll stop joining the farther right in hacking away at Social Security and Medicare. The groundswell against inequality and in favor of raising the minimum wage is - however distantly - being heard inside their lobbyist-sponsored dinners. "If being a 'centrist' means fact-free denunciations of progressives for not being willing to cut entitlements, who needs these guys?"

Features: The US Air Force is testing a new stealthier, more efficient drone. More efficient?

On The March: Did capitalism cause global warming? Pretty much, yes. Is capitalism preventing the nations of the world from confronting global warming? Certainly. Is there an alternative that would serve us better. There better be, and we'd best find it soon.

Porn O'Graph: And that's the half of it.

The Parting Shot

 Recycling, Alfama, Portugal