THE TWISTED AND PARANOID LOGIC OF THE NRA

- Mark

A PEAK INTO AMERICA'S FUTURE IF THE GOP GAINS COMPLETE CONTROL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME

The picture below offers a peak into America's future if our xenophobic, do nothing, anti-science, race-baiting, hate-filled, Bible-thumping, ammosexual, Republicans come to power ...

- Mark

HEALTHCARE ... THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE U.S. (for the moment)

Interesting. Because more people have access to health care, and with the oil sector slowing down, it turns out that spending on health care is the leading source of personal consumption in the country. It's not even close.

This graph from Zero Hedge helps explain what's driving the economy ...

- Mark 

COMMENTS ON THE GOP's LAST DEBATE BEFORE IOWA

Another KGET moment ... Cathy Abernathy and I discuss the last GOP debate before the 2016 Iowa Caucus. Here are the links to the issues I discuss:

Robert Gates: Republicans' grasp of national security is at a child's level" (The Guardian). 

Israel's top general: Obama took care of most severe threat facing us, Iran's nukes (Foreign Policy).

I let it happen, but Kudos to Cathy for getting the last word.

- Mark 

TRUMP vs. TRUMP, THE MASTER DEBATE(RS)

Via Salon ... Since Donald Trump is too good to be seen with the GOP riffraff on Fox News, Steve Colbert moderates the All-Trump Debate ...

- Mark 

THE FLINT WATER CRISIS

The Flint Water Crisis in easy to understand terms, according to Seth Meyers on Watch More Late Night ...

- Mark 

ANOTHER U.S. COMPANY LEAVES COUNTRY TO AVOID PAYING TAXES ... U.S. TAXPAYERS WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP $150 MILLION ANNUAL LOSS

Another U.S. corporation has left the United States to avoid paying its fair share of taxes. This time it's Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls. And it's a real slap in the face to the American taxpayer too. Here's how the NY Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin explains it.

In the fall of 2008, with General Motors and Chrysler on the precipice of bankruptcy, executives at the car parts supplier Johnson Controls flew to Washington. The company’s president testified before a Senate panel and implored lawmakers to bail out the auto industry.

“Speaking for our company, and, I am sure for all auto parts suppliers, we respectfully urge the members of this committee, and the Congress as a whole, to provide the financial support the automakers need at this critical time,” Keith Wandell, then the president of Johnson Controls, said, warning that the failure of even one automobile company would “implode” the supply chain and lead to broad job losses.

Congress approved a bailout plan worth almost $80 billion for General Motors and Chrysler, saving the automakers and, indirectly, suppliers like Johnson Controls. By 2010, with its business back on track, Johnson Controls doubled the pay of Stephen Roell, then its chief executive, to more than $15 million.

Despite the federal government’s rescue — and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks over the last several decades from states like Michigan and Wisconsin — Johnson Controls said on Monday it was renouncing its United States corporate citizenship by selling itself to Tyco International, based in Ireland, a deal struck in large part to reduce its tax bill, which it said should drop by about $150 million annually.

So, yeah, just another day in paradise if you're an ungrateful tax dodging corporate parasite.

If you're interested, at least 10% of S&P companies have already "left America" for tax purposes, which this Bloomberg article helps to explain.

- Mark

MID-WEEK READING (Jan. 27, 2016)

What happened to Jane Mayer when she wrote about the Koch brothers (NY Times).

This governor wants to bring back the guillotine. Seriously (U.S. Uncut).

The colors you see can determine your dominant emotion (Play Buzz).

Three charts to Email your right-wing brother-in-law (Our Future).


CORPORATE SHENANIGANS (again)
High-skilled visa applicants hit record high (CNN Money).

A tidal wave of corporate migrants seeking (tax) shelter (NY Times / Andrew Ross Sorkin).

J.P. Morgan adds $2.6 billion to its $25 billion plus tally of recent settlements (WSJ).


FOREIGN POLICY
Robert Gates: "Republican foreign policy would embarrass a middle schooler" (Occupy Democrats).

Israels' top general: Obama took care of most severe threat facing us, Iran's nukes (Foreign Policy).

China's new grand strategy for the Middle East (Foreign Policy).

Veteran thanks Bernie Sanders for voting against war in viral open letter (U.S. Uncut).


JUST INTERESTING / THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Cartoons show 'thank you' can be an empowering substitute for 'sorry' (Mogul).

White supremacy + Me (Ozy / Eugene Robinson).

How pornography saved civilization (Ozy).

Scientists in Belgium find a surprising reason why Greenland's glacier is melting so fast (Upworthy).


CALIFORNIA STUFF
The California ranch that takes Jerry Brown off the grid (NY Times).

California: Governor's Budget Summary, 2016-2017 (California Governor's Office).

California's ballot initiatives, 2016 (Ballotpedia).


SPORTS CORNER
College sports exploits unpaid black athletes. But they could force a change (Washington Post).

Colleges with the most active NFL players (Point After).

The 9 best NFL players currently not in the Hall of Fame (Sports Break).


OBAMACARE A HUGE SUCCESS
American Medical Association: Obamacare is a HUGE success, GOP is wrong (Occupy Democrats).

A checkup for Obamacare reveals a positive prognosis (Washington Post).

MISCELLANEOUS

Texas grand jury indicts 2 people behind undercover Planned Parenthood videos (NPR).

Why big blizzards in winter don't disprove global warming (Think Progress).

Just weird ... Top Trump official defends call for 'pure breed' president: Obama is a 'half-breed' and so am I (Raw Story).

Revealed: Environmental officials warned Snyder administration not to use water that poisoned Flint (Raw Story).

- Mark

CULT OF IGNORANCE IN AMERICA

- Mark

WELCOME TO THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH

Sea(s) of plastic waste.

Since the end of WWII humans have become a major geological force, altering our world in ways we never imagined. Consider the following:

* More than half of all the concrete ever created has been used in the past 20 years.

* We are now finding the presence of isotopes from nuclear testing from the 1950s and 1960s.

* We have put so much plastic in our waterways and oceans (about 300 metric tons per year now) that microplastic particles will be found in future fossil records. 

* Just 25% of ice-free land is considered wild, compared to 50% three centuries ago. As a result, rates of extinction of species are far above long-term averages.

The Concrete Jungle spreads across Asia.

These Youtube clips help to explain what's been happening:

For more on the issue you can check out the following:

BBC: 'Case is made' for Anthropocene epoch.

The Guardian: Human impact has pushed earth into the Anthropocene, scientists say.

IFLS: Scientists believe we have entered a new geological epoch.

Science: The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene.

- Mark