America: How A Bad Credit Rating Hurts Us All

From Denny: With no debt ceiling deal in sight, Congress still squabbling and the American public fuming, we are left with contemplating just how damaging it will be to our daily lives if America defaults.

For an economic powerhouse like our country to be downgraded from its AAA rating is humiliating considering our status in the world. How can a country that gives away billions of dollars in foreign aid, finances an endless march of third world governments, no longer be able to pay its bills?

Heated Politics and Summer Heatwave Kill The Vulnerable



Photo by saturnism @ flickr

From Denny: Congress and President Obama have so slashed the federal budget on the backs of the low-income and retired Americans that many are dying in this heatwave. What has happened? 

Federal weather assistance fund broke

About $5 billion from a federal fund is spread around the states every year to help subsidize those households in need of covering their heating and cooling bills. The usual gamesmanship in Washington is now wrecking havoc on the most personal level.

Our federal government generally reserves several hundred million dollars to distribute during weather emergencies. We have certainly seen our fair share of weather emergencies for several years now.

America has the most violent and extreme weather of any nation on the planet. Just this one year we have experienced monster hurricanes, tornados wiping out whole towns, raging floods from the Spring snow melt, fires from drought-striken areas of the country, extreme cold in the winter and now extreme heat this summer.

That emergency weather fund used to be $590 million but recently Congress slashed it by almost two-thirds to only $200 million. Why is that significant? Before the heatwave began the fund went dry, completely empty of assistance monies.


From Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association: “The administration has no tools to use,” The NEADA represents the state administrators of the federally funded energy-assistance program.  "There’s no reason for anyone to become sick or die because of bills."

How can you handle the heat without an air conditioner or assistance?

It's actually cooler here in my state of Louisiana - notorious for its excessive heat and humidity - during this incredible summer heatwave - by about 10 to 15 degrees - than in the majority of the country. Here we are prepared for the heat where almost every home and every car has an air conditioner. We install fans in almost every room to help cut the humidity - which is what makes it so difficult to breathe well or your body to tolerate the heat.

But what can a person do when they don't have an air conditioner? The federal government is supposed to supply air conditioners via specially funded programs. Well, the reality is that the demand far outstrips the supply as twice as many people are applying for what is available.

Then the next step in the travail of the low-income: affording the energy bills of running those air conditioners and large fans if they are lucky enough to own one. Just this week an elderly couple was walking in the 90 degree heat in Ohio to go apply for assistance. They collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital.  They went looking for the one-time payment of assistance of a mere $175.  Do you really think they could afford a $700 ride in an ambulance and hospital stay or emergency room costs too?

According to Randy Wexler, a physician and professor at the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio:   "Older and elderly Americans are more likely to take medications that limit their ability to adjust to heat and to live on fixed incomes, which discourages some from keeping cool."

There is just no way to brave the heat if your body is not already adjusted to this kind of weather. 

Don't you think that if Congress can find the money to send Pakistan $40 billion dollars and squander billions of stolen dollars in Afghanistan, they could find enough money for fellow Americans to weather this summer heat?  We have already spent more than $1 trillion on these terrorism wars yet we don't have money for the middle class that is in dire need.

The federal government emergency weather fund is bone dry like the Texas landscape.  Homeowners only qualify for a lottery, and a fund of a mere $1 billion, to help with underemployment or unemployment in paying back mortgage payments.  There are as many as 20 million homes foreclosed upon and mounting.

Why do we have billions of dollars to throw at corrupt third-world countries but no money for our own citizens who have paid into the government with their hard-earned tax dollars?  Something is very wrong with this big picture.



Photo by thrp @ flickr

Those of us who know the heat and humidity understand some basic precautions:

* Don't work outside in the sun and heat of the day. Do your work at night or prioritize it: Is it really that important or can it wait a few weeks until the heat abates to get done?

* Drink water every hour when the temperature gets above 85 degrees and 75 percent humidity.

* Don't wait until you feel thirsty in the heat as it may be too late and you are already suffering heat stroke.

* Drink liquids with vinegar or sour fruits like grapefruit, lemons or blackberries.  These foods all help cool the liver, which, in turn, cools the body.  Eat cucumber which is also cooling.

* Stay out of the sun and get into the shade. You would be surprised how many people avoid the obvious.  Ten minutes in the hot sun can be enough to put you in the hospital.

* If you don't have access to an air conditioner - or can afford to run one - do this: spend as much time in the water as you can, wear loose clothing.

* Sit in a bath tub of water or keep your feet in a pan of water to stay cool for as many hours as you are able.

* If you are outside - or in a hot house - keep a wet towel filled with ice cubes on the back of your neck to keep your brain cool.

* Wear loose clothing in a hot house or hot situation. Don't wear layers - no matter how stylish - as it traps core body heat, creating a dangerous condition.

* To keep your energy bills down, close all curtains and shades during the day to keep the sun from heating up the house.

* Run the air conditioner early in the morning to cool the house, then briefly in 5 to 10 minutes intervals during the afternoon - preferably not more than twice in an hour.

* Run the air conditioner for about 20 minutes to completely cool the house before you go to bed.

* Keep your air conditioner set at about 82 to 85 degrees. When it comes on it generally will click off within 10 minutes, not costing as much.

* Remember, if you run the air conditioner too low it can freeze up or collapse under the demand. A good rule to observe is that an air conditioner generally cannot cool more than a 20 - 25 degree difference inside. Try to maintain about a 10 - 15 degree difference so as to not stress the air conditioner. No matter how good the system is it can fail if you don't keep its limits in mind.

Early this morning when I walked out to greet the early sunrise and drink my first cup of welcome coffee, I could see the crescent moon on its back high up in the dark blue sky.  That heralds cooler weather is coming.  OK, who is ready for the fall weather?  I see everyone has their hands waving in the air out there in virtual land.  Yeah, me too. :)

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort!  You rock!

 Subscribe in a reader to A Truth Journal

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Funny Late Nite Jokes About Rupert Murdoch, Debt Ceiling, Politics

Rupert Murdoch, Image by DonkeyHotey via FlickrFrom Denny:  You can't say this summer's hot weather didn't bring with it some seriously bizarre political entertainment.  Never a dull moment the past week.  Rupert Murdoch became the news instead of creating the fictitious news and selling it as if it were the truth, the usual business of a tabloid "news" organization.

Rupert Murdoch and the News Corp Scandal

Murdoch was busy employing media consultants to come up with a strategy of how to distract Parliament while it was going badly for him when he was testifying.  No one in Britain - or the rest of the world - wanted to hear him and his son, James, whine about how they were not aware of all the wrong doing going on in their tabloid news rooms.

Obama: New Book Examines If Barack Is Like His Father

the two Baracks, Image via WikipediaFrom Denny:  Author Sally Jacobs shares details from her new book which focuses upon the life of President Obama's enigmatic father. Barack Obama, Sr. was profiled as bold and reckless. The book is called "The Other Barack."

Barack, Sr. lived large, drank heavily and had multiple wives because he had come from a polygamous background. To him it was socially normal.

President Obama is rooted, extremely cautious, responsible, monogamous and an attentive father.  He's the typical profile of the child of a raging alcoholic.

You see a lot of this reaction from the next generation in politics, the military and the intelligence community.  Even President Bush 41 reacted in a similar fashion to his father, Senator Bush, who was an alcoholic.


Barack, Sr. left his son when he was an infant. The only real time they spent together was one month in 1971 when young Barack was nine years old.

What do they have in common? Healthy intelligence, an interest in politics and a desire to cast themselves as mediators, conciliators and as someone capable of compromise. Barack, Sr. was passionately interested in the politics of his new country.

The President Barack decided to become an attentive and quality time father in direct contrast to his father. As President, is he now capable of giving that same attention and devotion to the well being of the American people?

In order for the collective American family to rise above this economic chaos it's time to unravel all the NAFTA trade deals that have American workers at such a terrible and devastating disadvantage. Until we create jobs by the millions - instead of sending them overseas by the millions each year - will we finally pull ourselves out of this mess.

Giving multinational companies the rights - to avoid being answerable to our American courts - and to abolish our individual American rights is inexcusable. Congress and this President have enabled this travesty through the trade deals and allowing corporations to rule our federal government with an iron fist.

Currently, there is privacy rights legislation making its way through Congress that takes away the right of the individual to sue a corporation for violating their privacy.  In other words, Senators McCain and Kerry have decided the average American no longer is allowed to have any rights they are allowed to pursue in the justice system. That's unconstitutional.

Get this, this new so-called privacy rights legislation up for a vote is that instead we are supposed to only allow the FEC to take the violators to court. The only people who can get any monetary compensation for punitive damages are small businesses - not individuals. and that compensation is only capped at a paltry $3 million. This is an outrage.

It's issues like this that Obama should spend his time and efforts. It's time he unwind NAFTA and other bad laws masquerading as reforms - like the tax breaks to the rich. You just can't run a country and several wars on the backs of poor people without any decent paying jobs to contribute into the economy and the national treasury.

Just this week, here's the latest tally of lost jobs:

NASA - 9, 000 jobs evaporated all at once - and Obama fired them
Cisco - 6, 500 jobs
Borders book stores - 11, 000 jobs eliminated

We have finally hit that exponential curve where this economy and this country has spiraled out of control because of greedy corporations and foolish politicians who enable them.  The time of reckoning has arrived, like it or not.

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

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort!  You rock!

 Subscribe in a reader to A Truth Journal

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Obamas NAFTA: Picking The Bones Of American Workers

NAFTA logo, Image via WikipediaFrom Denny: America does not want the NAFTA trade deals sending more of our jobs out of the country. What is Congress doing? They are arguing over whether they should still give money for retraining workers who lose those jobs to bad trade pacts: NAFTA.

Are they crazy? Why is Congress not creating more jobs inside America or choosing to hold onto jobs here? Why the big rush to send them overseas?


There is the official program name for retraining workers: Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that basically amounts to the equivalent of a burial insurance policy for jobs lost to really bad trade policies that screwed over the American worker.

There are three Bush era NAFTA deals at the moment that will adversely affect American workers and affect national security:

South Korea
Columbia
Panama

What is President Obama doing right now? He's signing one of those ugly trade deals with South Korea to create yet more job loss. Didn't we elect this guy to create jobs - not send more millions overseas? This Korean deal will actually increase our trade deficit, create another huge job loss and undermine our national security. Yeah, way to go, Congress and Mr. President, just screw over the entire country while you are at it.

The Columbia trade pact

There goes the leverage America needs to deal with all kinds of human rights abuses like murdered unionists, forced displacements, Afro-Colombians and human rights defenders. Since the deal those problems have been found to be far worse now than when the deal was signed in 2007.

The Panama trade pact

Oh, why is this one not a brain teaser for even the most politically naive? Turns out this trade deal makes it more difficult for the U.S. government to go after tax-dodging multinational corporations.

Why NAFTA on these three deals is a bad idea and damaging to America:

* They limit regulations of financial services
* Offshore accounts are promoted as foreign investor privileges
* They have very weak labor standards (expect people taken advantage of and poor quality products)
* They are designed for limits on imported food safety and inspection
* The most outrageous of all: Multinational corporations actually get the privilege to demand compensation from our government, taking our tax dollars, for when they claim there are violations of the trade deal. 
* It gets worse: Multinational corporations get the privilege to circumvent our American state and federal laws, and, instead go in front of foreign tribunals to get our tax dollars.

Read that as NAFTA has completely taken away the rights of everyday Americans and the courts of the United States from dealing with these multinational corporations who are increasingly raiding our national treasury and throwing American workers out of jobs by the millions.

The meager off-set arrangements to take some of the sting out of the huge profits for the other side are not enough to satisfy the average American:

* supplemental deal on autos for Korea
* labor “Action Plan” for Colombia
* a limited tax information exchange agreement for Panama

Most Democrats oppose these plans and the trade deals yet the Republicans keep pushing them through along with the help of President Obama.  Contact your members of Congress and tell them to stand down on sending American jobs overseas. Tell them to rein in multinational corporations that have become the scourge on the American middle class.

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort!  You rock!

 Subscribe in a reader to A Truth Journal

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Roasted Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch: UK Hearings

Rupert Murdoch, Image via CrunchBaseFrom Denny: As Rupert Murdoch tried to play the frail old man routine he served up his own son as more "in the know" than him about the doings of all his $39 billion net worth companies and the 53,000 people in his employ.

There is just one problem with that depiction: Rupert is known for being a hands on kind of guy, especially when it comes to the tabloid newspapers. He regularly calls his editors and inquires about the latest salacious gossip and scandal. He relishes and revels in it. Does that sound like a foggy confused old guy? Of course not.

News Corp Scandal Grows: Death and Resignations

Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

From Denny: As Billionaire Tabloid Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch seeks to fend off the media and investigation sharks, more drama unfolds day by day. Here's the current tally:

* Sir Paul Stephenson, the top police official, resigned once allegations surfaced he employed some pricey folks from News Corp as advisers to the UK's Scotland Yard at the steep price of $1,700 a day. Sign me up on that assignment.

* Next on the resignation chopping block today is John Yates, the London police commissioner. He was in charge of an investigation back in 2006, looking into illegal telephone intercepts by NotW. Obviously, he did a good job of burying that investigation for Murdoch.

News Corp Scandal, Heads Roll, 2 CEOs Resign: Dow Jones, News Corp

Rupert Murdoch Pimps The News, Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr


From Denny: The bigger they are they harder they fall. First, it's the News Of The World tabloid newspaper that abruptly closes down. Then CEO of News Corp International, Rebekah Brooks, resigns today. The pressure was on from the Prime Minister - with the help of two investigations on both sides of the Atlantic.

Now, the latest development is that the CEO of the Dow Jones, Les Hinton, resigned.  Dow Jones is also owned by Rupert Murdoch.  Hinton was Chairman of News International at the time of the alleged phone hacking found out in the UK.  News International is News Corp.'s British newspaper unit.  Hinton was there for 12 years before moving over to head up Dow Jones.

There isn't much that Rupert Murdoch does not own. The list is practically endless. It's no wonder few people or politicians dared to oppose him on anything. But some things, well, not even a guy this influential can control or win.

Rupert Murdoch: Just How Many Companies Does He Own?

Image via WikipediaFrom Denny:   He promotes or destroys politicians with his attention or anger, manipulating entire countries through the bribing of their politicians.  These are just his media holdings. He owns other American stalwarts like Brawny paper towels and Angel Soft toilet paper: not.  His sphere of influence has been so far-reaching it boggles the mind.

Yeah, my bad, Murdoch does not own name brands like Brawny and Angel Soft.  Those products belong to the other annoying billionaires who like to meddle in national politics and order around world leaders: the Koch Brothers.

Of course, those of us who have been crying foul for some time now about journalism ethics not being utilized by his tabloid newspapers and cable channels have been run over by his huge empire.  There are times when I wondered if anyone could hear my lone voice crying in the proverbial wilderness.

Well, at long last now people understand why people like me have been so disturbed over his media corporate culture.  Who in the hell does he think he is to so intimidate world leaders so as to grab yet more power?




Television

Cable Television:

FOX News Channel
FOX Business Network
FOX College Sports
Fox Deportes
Fox Movie Channel
Fox Pan American Sports (33%)
Fox Regional Sports Networks
FOX Soccer Channel
FOX Sports Enterprises
FOX Sports Net
Big Ten Network (49%)
FSN
FUEl TV
FX
Nat Geo Wild (71%)
National Geographic Channel United States (71%)
SPEED
STAR
Stats, Inc. (50%)
Fox Television Stations
WAGA (Atlanta)
KTBC (Austin)
WUTB (Baltimore)
WFXT (Boston)
WFLD (Chicago)
WPWR (Chicago)
KDFW (Dallas)
KDFI (Dallas)
WJBK (Detroit)
KRIV (Houston)
KTXH (Houston)
KTTV (Los Angeles)
KCOP (Los Angeles)
WHBQ (Memphis)
KMSP (Minneapolis)
WFTC (Minneapolis)
WNYW (New York City)
WWOR (New Jersey)
WOGX (Ocala-Gainesville)
WRBW (Orlando)
WOFL (Orlando)
WTXF (Philadelphia)
KUTP (Phoenix)
KSAZ (Phoenix)
WTVT (Tampa Bay)
WTTG (Washington D.C.)
WDCA (Washington D.C.)
Satellite Television
BSkyB (39%)
FOXTEL (25%)
Sky Deutschland
SKY Italia
Sky Network Television Limited (44%)
TATA Sky (20%)

International Television Stations:

FOX Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America
FOX CRIME Europe and Asia
FOX LIFE Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America
FOX MOVIES Asia and Middle East
FOX NEXT Europe
FOX RETRO Europe and Africa
FOX SPORTS Europe, Africa, and Latin America
FOX Telecolombia (51%)
AQUAVISION PRODUCTIONS Africa (51%)
Asianet (75%)
BABY TV Europe, Asia and Latin America
CHANNEL [V]
CHANNEL [V] Asia
CULT Europe
ESPN STAR Sports (50%)
FX Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America
Hathway Cable and Datacom (17%)
LAPTV (Movie City Pack, Cinecanal, and The Film Zone) (55%)
National Geographic International Channels (52%)
Nat Geo Adventure Europe and Asia
Nat Geo Music Europe, Africa and Asia
Nat Geo Wild Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America
NHNZ PRODUCTIONS Asia
Phoenix Satellite Television (18%)
Premier Media Group (50%)
Rotana (9%)
SPEED Latin America
STAR Chinese Channel
STAR Chinese Movies
STAR Den (50%)
STAR GOld
STAR Movies
STAR MOVIES Asia
Star News (26%)
STAR ONE
STAR PLUS
STAR UTSAV
STAR World
STAR World Asia
UTILISIMA Latin America
Telecine (13%)
TVN Asia
VIJAY (81%)
VOYAGE Europe
XING KONG

Other Television:

FOX Broadcasting Company
FOX Sports
FOX Sports Australia
FOX Television Stations
MyNetworkTV

Film:

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox Espanol
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox International
20th Century Fox Television
Fox 2000 Pictures
Fox Music
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Studios Australia
Fox Studios LA
Fox Television Studios
Blue Sky Studios
Twentieth Television
20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising
Premium Movie Partnership (Australia and New Zealand - 20%)

Newspapers (U.S.):

New York Post
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
SmartSource (Coupons)

Newspapers (International):

The Advertiser and Sunday Mail (Australia)
The Australian (Australia)
The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph (Australia)
Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia)
Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun (Australia)
mX (Australia)
The Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian (Australia)
News of the World (U.K.)
Northern Territory News and Sunday Territorian (Australia)
Perth Now (Australia)
Post-Courier (Papua New Guinea)
The Sun (U.K.)
Sunday Times (Australia)
The Times and The Sunday Times (U.K.)
Weekly Times (Australia)
Dow Jones
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal Asia
The Wall Street Journal Europe
The Wall Street Journal Radio
The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
The Wall STreet Journal Classroom
Barron's
Dow Jones Local Media Group (Ottaway):
Cape Cod Media Group (MA)
Cape Cod Times
Cape Cod View
Barnstable Patriot
Hudson Valley Media Group (NY)
Times Herald-Record (Middletown)
Orange Magazine (Orange County)
Nantucket Island Media Group (MA)
Times Herald-Record (Nantucket)
Nantucket Today
Pocono Mountains Media Group (PA)
Pocono Record (Stroudsburg)
San Joaquin Media Group (CA)
The Record (Stockton)
Seacoast Media Group (NH)
The Portsmouth Herald
The Exeter News-Letter
The Hampton Union
The York Weekly
York County Coast Star
South Coast Media Group (MA)
The Standard-Times (New Bedford)
The Advocate (Fairhaven)
The Chronicle (Westport and Dartmouth)
Middleboro Gazette
The Spectator (Somerset and Swansea)
The Fall RIver Spirit
New England Business Bulletin
Southern Oregon Media Group (OR)
Medford Mail Tribune
The Nickel (Medford)
Ashland Daily Tidings
AllThingsD.com
BigCharts.com
eFinancialNews
Factiva
Dow Jones Averages
Dow Jones Client Solutions
Dow Jones Companies & Executives
Dow Jones Events
Dow Jones Indexes
Dow Jones Insight
Dow Jones Investment Banker
Dow Jones LP Source
Dow Jones Newswires
Dow Jones Private Markets
Dow Jones Reprint Portal
Dow Jones Watchlist
Dow Jones VentureSource
FINS.com
Marketwatch.com
SmartMoney.com (with Hearst)
Vedomosti (with Pearson and Independent Media)
Virtual Stock Exchange
Magazines
Alpha (Australia)
Big League (Australia)
Inside Out (Australia)
Donna Hay (Australia)

Other News Properties:

News Digital Media
News International
Publishing
HarperCollins Publishers
Amistad
Avon
Avon A
Avon Inspire
Avon Red
Caedmon
Harper Design
Ecco
Eos
Harper
Harper Business
HarperLuxe
Harper Paperbacks
Harper Perennial
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
HarperAudio
HarperBibles
HarperCollins e-Books
HarperOne
ItBooks
Rayo
William Morrow
HarperCollins Children's Books
Amistad
Balzer + Bray
Collins
Greenwillow Books
HarperCollins Children's Audio
HarperCollins Children's Books
HarperCollins e-books
HarperFestival
HarperTeen
Katherine Tegen Books
Rayo
Walden Pond Press
HarperCollins Australia
HarperCollins Canada
HarperCollins India (40%)
HarperCollins New Zealand
HarperCollins US
HarperCollins UK
Zondervan
Online Properties
AmericanIdol.com
AskMen
BrandAlley UK (49%)
careerone.com.au
CARSguide.com.au
Fox.com
FoxSports.com
FoxSports.com.au
Fox Audience Network
hulu.com (32%)
kSolo
Milkaround
Myspace
News.com.au
News Digital Media
Realestate.com (58%)
Scout
Spring Widgets
truelocal.com.au
WhatIfSports

Other:

Fox Mobile Group
IGN Entertainment
National Rugby League (Australia) (50%)
NDS (49%)
News America Marketing
News Outdoor Group (79%)

Related articles

• The global reach of Murdoch's News Corp - BBC News (news.google.com)
• Karl Grossman: Murdoch Media Empire: A Journalistic Travesty (huffingtonpost.com)
• For Murdoch's empire, a scandal of its own (usatoday.com)

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort!  You rock!

 Subscribe in a reader to A Truth Journal

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Funny Late Nite Jokes: Casey Anthony Trial, News Corp Scandal, Debt Ceiling

Comic Jon Stewart calls Fox News on their many lies

From Denny: This past week comics had plenty to lampoon. William and Kate, the celebrated British royals came for a visit to California while on the continent.  There was an outburst of royal fever while they collected funds for their favorite charities.  Recently married this was their first excursion as a duo and they were warmly received everywhere they visited.

Casey Anthony Trial Verdict

On the darker side: the Casey Anthony trial, where a young single mother was accused of killing her two-year-old daughter. Jurors acquitted her, delivering a surprise verdict. The whole country erupted in indignation because everyone assumed her guilty.

World Debt Issues: We Are All In It Together

From Denny: As President Obama struggles with a contentious GOP over the debt ceiling issue, the rest of the world has its economic woes too.

Obama is trying to convince the Republicans to care about the elderly and the American middle class that have paid into Social Security all their working lives. They call it entitlements because we already paid for it in advance.  To the GOP mind, well, just why would a person want their money back in their old age?

The GOP is wearing thin on everyone trying to convince us to feel sorry for the billionaires. Republicans continually make the case as to why the rich should not pay taxes or should Big Business. After all, why should they contribute something to this country when they have shipped American jobs overseas? Yes, the rhetoric has devolved into The Ridiculous.

First Lady Betty Ford: Remembered Dancing On White House Table

From Denny: Betty Ford. What a lady. She hails from a time when people didn't hate each other in politics; they only disagreed. She was a great lady of humble attitude, practical in how she approached life and graceful in how she danced through life - no matter the obstacles.

Betty Ford was best known for her pioneering candor of bringing cancer out of the creeping shadows and on to the national stage. Back then absolutely no one talked about a cancer diagnosis because so often it was considered a death notice. She spoke about it publicly when it was also a social norm that doing so was in bad form.

Yet, it was her stalwart candidness that won her the support of women on both sides of the political aisle. Women started going in droves to their doctors to get breast cancer check-ups. Women picked up her call to actively address their own health issues rather than waiting to get patted on the head by a patronizing doctor to whom they would obediently acquiesce.

Betty Ford saw to it that the times were definitely changing if she had anything to do with it. My favorite photo of her was this one taken where she expressed to the White House photographer how she always wanted to dance on the table in the White House cabinet room. It's that same table where all the men of the Good Ol' Boys Network elbowed out women in the national leadership.

Keith Olbermann On UK News Corp Dirty Tricks Scandal

Image via Wikipedia

Rupert Murdoch

From Denny: This scandal of tabloid media despicable has so thoroughly disgusted the world that finally the British government is doing something about it. Hacking a dead soldier's email, hacking the phones of murdered teenagers and terrorist victims is heinous. What ever possessed these people to sink so low below the pond scum of humanity?

The reaction in the UK? Let's see, let me count the ways: Advertisers have pulled out, saying they will not return until after the investigations happen. The public is so fed up they have dropped subscriptions all across the country to the once popular newspaper. Politicians are jumping in front of cameras to get their denials on record. The police who also assisted this newspaper by accepting bribes are on the hot seat of investigations. Even the guy who helped propel current PM David Cameron into his national office is on the grill. The list goes on.

It's a three year scandal that just won't go away. In case you didn't know, the paper is owned by Hated-In-America media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of FOX News. Right about now a herd of Democrats are watching and wondering if it will adversely affect FOX News here in America. Could it be this easy? Could we finally be rid of the Liars News?

Currently, the newspaper in the UK, News Of The World, is folding up shop and going out of business. No advertisers, no subscriptions and loads of pending lawsuits have killed that business concern. Do not be surprised to witness the tabloid cockroaches rising again under a new name. There are already rumors of new names being floated around the web.

Check Out Keith Olbermann on Current TV: Gaffe Fests From Santorum and Romney

From Denny: We all heard of former Vice President Al Gore's new Current TV network nabbing former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann to help build the fledgling network's audience.

Olbermann has continued his Countdown show, opining on the zany American politics and politicians in their grab for personal power and financial gain using suspect ways to achieve it.

In this clip he and Mother Jones' Andy Kroll examine the crazy GOP candidates who will literally say anything to get elected.

Keith used to be a sports commentator and a great one at that. If you have never listened to him then you are in for a treat. Much like Jon Stewart he is smart, able to slice and dice the facts accurately and finds himself amused or outraged by it all.

Take a look at this week's offerings. While I am enjoying this new computer it sure was a surprise to discover no speakers came with it. So, while I wait for the mail, let me know how funny are his insights. I sure have missed the guy, wishing my cable tv provider carried his show. If you like him, please call your local cable tv provider and request they carry the new network.  It's also on the website where you can easily make the request your provider.

From Countdown: Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are allergic to facts. How else explain their recent gaffe-fests? Keith dives deeper into the truth -- and the mangling thereof -- with help from Mother Jones' Andy Kroll.

American Flags On The Moon: What Happened To Them Since 1969?

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: How many in America can remember where they were when the astronauts planted the American flag on the moon? You know they made six trips.

Whenever we celebrate our summer holiday on the Fourth of July, often our thoughts turn to remembering various places with which we associate it. Football games, the giant tattered flag waving back at us from Ground Zero on 911, Memorial Day parades and bedecked graves, the White House flag at half mast when a Senator or President dies, a flag draped coffin of a fallen warrior from a foreign war returned home with respect.

The space shuttle program ends this week in hot steamy July. Have you ever wondered what happened to those old flags on the moon after all these decades?

Arrest GOP Rep, Cantor For Manipulating Treasury Bond Market During Debt Talks?

Speaker Boehner, left, Whip Cantor, right, photo by Alex Wong, Getty Images

From Denny: Talk about scummy politics. The Dylan Ratigan Show was reporting this week about how Congressman Eric Cantor, R-VA, is betting against the American, even the world, economy.

Remember when he threw a huge hissy fit and stormed out of the debt ceiling budget talks with top Congressional leaders led by VP Joe Biden? Something about that move was so calculated and sure stuck in my memory. Well, it wasn't long before the Universe intersected me with the Information Explanation.