The Daily Hurricane

It's been a long time. I want to introduce myself. My name is Scott Barzilla and I am unemployed. Back in November, things were picking up. I had what seemed like a firm offer from an insurance company and I got a holiday job at Barnes and Noble. That job went away when the holidays ended and the insurance company is still doing background checks. Meanwhile, I've shelled out nearing 500 dollars getting certified. It's...

This is about 17 minutes long.  It is a lecture by Richard Wilkinson regarding income inequality and how it effects overall quality of life.  You'll be smarter for having watched it.I encourage you to watch and discuss....

Kate Shepherd reports on emails released under FOIA that confirms what we feared during the BP Macondo well blowout:  in an effort to get the blowout off the television, the government downplayed the environmental damage.  in her report in Mother Jones yesterday, Kate reports on the emails.Report: White House Pressured Scientists to Underestimate BP Spill Size | Mother Jones....

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy...

Shared without comment:Except to burst out laughing....

You're all familiar with the libertarian leanings of Republican candidate, Ron Paul.  Lately, his followers have taken to claims that the media isn't treating him fairly.  Poor Mr. Paul, he can't even get asked a question about abortion at a debate, and he was an OB for years!I have this to say to Paul followers:The media doesn't have to play fair.  The media is made up of (mostly) for-profit corporations.  They are not out to...

This could also be subtitled "The Wandering Eye of Newt"I know I personally suffer from Adult-Onset Attention Deficit (AOAD), but has the Tea Party buried their heads in their rectums these days? I know it was soooooo last century when the Newtster was House Speaker, but seriously, this man got a standing O last night for calling out the moderator for daring to question his despicable, hypocritical adulterous practices.   The reason I bring up...

I enjoyed the heck out of this snipped of the President singing Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." Enjoy....

This may very well prove that there is a God and he is merciful: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/19/breaking-perry-to-drop-out-thursday/?hpt=hp_t1&hpt=hp_c1 http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10189602-perry-to-drop-out-of-gop-presidential-race-endorse-gingrich This has certainly not come a moment too soon. Now the main problem will be getting him the hell out of the Governor's mansion ... oh wait, he hasn't been there for a couple of years either. How about we just cut off his freaking allowance(s), duct tape his mouth, and make him go live in a Tibetan monastery...

Video taken in Russia of a crow roof-top snow tubing:...

Senate Republicans are really pissed at President Obama for making recess appointments when the Senate wasn't in recess. And just as soon as they get back from their...uh, recess... they're going to do something about it: "Top Senate Republicans are weighing whether to file a lawsuit to challenge President Barack Obama's controversial use of recess appointments, but such a suit looks legally shaky and could ultimately backfire with voters. Senators will likely make a decision...

A legal opinion:"What's the point of these phony "pro forma sessions"? They serve but one purpose: to prevent the president from exercising his constitutional authority to make recess appointments. [...]In addition to the power to make appointments with the advice and consent of the Senate, the president has an auxiliary power under the Constitution "to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at...

Hallelujah! At long last, some backbone. Following his recess appointment of Richard Cordray as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday, President Obama announced 3 appointments to the National Labor Relations Board: "The move, which is arguably as important as the Cordray appointment, will ratchet up opposition from Republicans and make this an even bigger fight, since they have been attacking the NLRB regularly for its moves to streamline union elections and inform...

Perhaps you've heard. Our CongressNerds are doing the "gavel in/gavel out" thing and holding pro forma sessions trying to prevent the POTUS from making recess appointments for positions which have been vacant for months.From Wiki: "The term pro forma is a term applied to practices or documents that are done as a pure formality, perfunctory, or seek to satisfy the minimum requirements or to conform to a convention or doctrine."The use of the pro forma...

Buddy Roemer, former Louisiana governor and invisible Republican presidential candidate, was also on the ballot in Iowa.  Roemer, who refuses corporate and PAC money and who also limits individual contributions to $100 per person, has been unsuccessful getting noticed by the media and voters. He was very frustrated during the debates, being denied even an opportunity to share the stage with the better known candidates.  Last night, he went on a Twitter binge that was...

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/us-net-investment-income/...