Asking for a friend

How are laws against impersonating a police officer affected by Halloween?

Man Bites Dog

 A homeless guy came into Pitfire Pizza at L.A.'s Main & Second about 10 p.m. tonight looking for water. It's probably sufficiently noteworthy to be worth reporting that he was treated by the staff with the respect.

Regressive Tax

I am in downtown L.A. On the block I'm visiting, there are several restaurants and at least four clubs with live performances. The parking meters went off duty at 8 p.m. and, yet, there appears to be no parking shortage, as compared to downtown Santa Monica where nothing much happens and the punitive parking tax devices are not deactivated until 2 a.m.

2Gary Gordon and Paul Lyons

It's turned out to be a dark and stormy night.

How about that?

Ted Cruz staffer:

'Before Obamacare, there had never been a confirmed case of Ebola in U.S.'

These people can say anything that pops into their heads, however idiotic.

It must be really easy to get a GOP staff job, though.

I could listen to Fats Waller all day.

Oh, wait. That's what I'm doing.

quote unquote James Baldwin

“Americans are the youngest country, the largest country, and the strongest country, we like to say, and yet the very notion of change, real change, throws Americans into a panic.” -- James Baldwin (November 1963)

Give 'em hell, Harry!

The Republicans … will try to make people believe that everything the Government has done for the country is socialism. They will go to the people and say: "Did you see that social security check

you received the other day—you thought that was good for you, didn't you? That's just too bad! That's nothing in the world but socialism. Did you see that new flood control dam the Government is building over there for the protection of your property? Sorry—that's awful socialism! That new hospital that they are building is socialism. Price supports, more socialism for the farmers! Minimum wage laws? Socialism for labor! Socialism is bad for you, my friend. Everybody knows that." And here you are, with your new car, and your home, and better opportunities for the kids, and a television set -- you are just surrounded by socialism! Now the Republicans say, "That's a terrible thing, my friend, and the only way out of this sinkhole of socialism is to vote for the Republican ticket." -- Harry S Truman, 1948

Universitäten wollen frei sein

At the same time that the U.S. government is raking in huge profits from usurious loans to America's young people, all German universities are now free to Americans and all other international students.

The last German state to charge tuition at its universities struck down the fees this week. In explaining why Germany made this move, Dorothee Stapelfeldt, a Hamburg senator, called tuition fees "unjust," adding that "they discourage young people who do not have a traditional academic family background from taking up study. It is a core task of politics to ensure that young women and men can study with a high quality standard free of charge in Germany."

You Can Now Go to College in Germany for Free, No Matter Where You’re From By Rebecca Schuman (Slate)
How US students get a university degree for free in Germany by Franz Strasser (BBC)

Those Randy conservatives

Conservatives employ Ayn Rand the way they do Jesus. You take any damn-fool position you want and then say, "because, you know, Ayn Rand." Nobody over 15 actually reads her stuff.

Where is Big Bill Haywood when you need him?

The Wobblies were right.

Workers of the world, and nearly everyone else, must unite against the predator class that will otherwise enslave and finally destroy the planet.