Kris Kringle Fights the Power

(check out mrs. claus showing her iced out medallions)

Spank the Bankers!

More about credit unions here.

The Carter Documentary

If you think houston hip hop makes you feel out of touch, imagine two hours of watching Weezy talk. Yikes. Actually, movie critics at the Sundance film festival will be forced to do just that... Thats right, the official "Carter Documentary" will be featured at Sundance in January. In the film, Lil Wayne admits that he's been rapping about the same stuff (fucking, smoking, and guns) since he was 8. I don't know whether to be impressed with his precocious lyricism or be horrified at the undeniable proof that hip hop's vocabulary has been stunted around second grade.

Check out official Sundance page here

Do Da Stanky Leg

I get into my rental car in San Antonio and the first thing I do, naturally, is scan the radio for the local rap station. I find it, wincing at the same Neyo song that's been playing non-stop in NY since 2003. I launch into a familiar rant about media consolidation, the commercialization of music, blah blah. But then, THIS song comes on. And I can say with confidence that regional hip-hop is actually alive and quite well in Texas. For better or for worse.

Why Won't They Give Detroit Money?

Because these are factory workers not office workers, and people who don't sit at desks don't belong in the middle class.

The House will vote tonight on whether to pass an auto industry bailout plan. Everyone is complaining about how the CEOs of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are begging for taxpayer money as a result of bad business decisions. I agree that they shouldn't be riding around in corporate jets (the hybrid car road trip was a nice gesture), but I think the outrage is based on some fuzzy math and even worse memory.

The biggest three auto companies want = $14 billion
Bear Stearns merger with JP Morgan chase = $29 billion
American Insurance Group (AIG) = $150 billion
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac = $200 billion
Citigroup = $300 billion
Troubled Asset Relief Plan = $350 billion!

You're right, the government must draw the line somewhere. Companies can't just go around begging for money because they made bad choices. And it's clear the line is drawn somewhere between financial services and manufacturing. So if your company invented exotic financial instruments that have never existed before, so complex and convoluted that their failure has dragged an entire world economy down into the gutter, rest easy. You surely aren't at fault. We'll just humiliate the manufacturers. People who never went to college shouldn't be allowed to own their homes and send their kids to college anyway. Bailout solved.

200 workers are occupying a Chicago factory after bosses closed doors, giving just three days notice. Apparently, Bank of America won't let the company pay the workers promised severance and vacation pay.

"We're just shocked that Bank of America, after receiving $25 billion in bailout money, not only do they refuse to extend credit to companies but, to add insult to injury, they don't allow these companies to fulfill their legal obligations to their workers," union spokeswoman Leah Fried said.

Read the article here

Send a message to Bank of America execs and laid-off workers

Baddest Bitches Bureau: Beyonce

Whatever, I don't care what you think. She's a living legend. Just fast forward this video to 0:51 seconds and I dare you to suggest otherwise.

Hail King Chavberg

The Contenders
Mike is a billionaire and Hugo is a socialist. Mike whet his teeth at Harvard Business School and later Wall Street, while Hugo was crushing insurgents as a decorated military commander. Mike is the President of New York City and Hugo is President of a country which would otherwise escape the attention of the US State Department were it not for its oil reserves. Bloomy is a respected political figure but Chavy's considered a dictator.

The Matchup
Although worlds apart, both Mike and Hugo were democratically elected. And both believe they should continue to be leaders of their respective fiefdoms longer than legislation allows.

Mike says, "We need continuity of leadership in these difficult financial times!

Hugo says, "We need continuity of leadership in these difficult social realities!"

Heavyweight Champ of the World
Ok, it's true we are talking about extending a mayor's term limits to 12 years and a president's (possibly) indefinitely. But Hugo has plans to bring the referendum up for another public vote. Mike strong-armed the city council into passing the new law without the public's voice.

This is sticky territory as far as democracy goes (those pesky Federalist papers!). But based on history, isn't a really rich white guy far more likely to become a monarch and stay there than a latino socialist from an oil-rich southern country? In the ring, there is no doubt that Hugo would punish Gotham's chief executive. But in terms of political might and staying power, I'm not so sure...

You thought D.O.D. stood for "dod"

Apparently Barack hasn't read this blog. If he had, I'm certain the American public would be hearing about some very different incoming cabinet secretaries.

I can see now that maybe Suge Knight is just too abrasive for the Department of Defense job. But why not M.O.P., Barry? Maybe you find these young men too rowdy and too cavalier to be pillars of diplomacy? Perhaps you fear they would revert too easily to the use of force as a tool for spreading democracy?

Well, maybe you haven't read Robert Gates' resume recently. Bobby was "very involved" in the Iran-Contra Affair in the 80's. Some of you kids may have heard of it? This tiny blip in US history occurred when our government overthrew the government of Nicaragua (killing many people in the process) and financed it all by selling guns to Iran, via Israel, in exchange for Hezbollah hostages. Frankly, I prefer the traditional timberland boot and baseball bat beatdown. No secret Pentagon meetings or backdoor deals with frenemies in the Middle East, just good old fashion whoop ass when and where you need it.