Thursday, May 28, 2009

Oklahoma

It all began with an ambulance taking a woman to a hospital...

Here's the statement from one of the EMTs

"After we had arrived at Prague hospital, officer 606 told my partner, Paul Franks, that he had determined in his mind to escalate to pulling his service revolver and using deadly force."
Oh - there's video...

Rules to live by:
1) Highway Patrollmen are assholes - scum of the earth - but you should always do whatever they say because they will shoot you.
2) Dont be black in Oklahoma.
3) Dont even think about raising kids in this fucked up country.

Barca

This one is crap.

Losing Fletcher was worse than Barca losing Abidal? Get real. Fletcher was replaced by Giggs - PFA player of the year... Abidal was out for tripping Anelka with his psychic powers - and he was the rock on the back line for a defense that's always been a little suspect. Dont blame people off the pitch for this one... In fact - that leads to complaining about the lineup. If they'd started Berbatov in lieu of Park and lost you'd be hearing the same complaints - so shut the hell up.

Overconfidence? Really? ManU thought they could just walk in there and win? So sure of themselves they made a call to Betfred and wagered the midlands? Did you watch the same Chelsea matches I did - both were dominated by spectacular ball control and a Chelsea squad that played boring but terribly effective and frustrating defensive football. Did you not see what Barca did to poor Bayern at Camp Nou? Or is Bayern just a bunch of fat old chumps who shouldn't be on the pitch...

Wait - the History card? You lost because there's some mythological Fate working to balance the scales against you? Yeah.. pray harder...

How about this. Barca was the better team. They thoroughly outplayed Manchester - and managed a clean sheet with their 'terrible defense'. They played what would in hockey be called a center trap after the first 10 minutes - and that seemed to befuddle and frustrate roo and ron - who often found themselves with the ball but no passing lanes and closing defenders from 3 directions... it was a good plan, well executed by some of the best midfielders in the game. Maybe, just maybe, Barca is just the better team - and it isn't about finding excuses for what ManU did wrong. I saw 2 very good football teams on the pitch play a game free from controversial calls or absurd player behavior. Why not complain that ManU didnt win because Ronaldo didn't dive enough or that the Ref didnt issue enough redcards to Barca for their flagrant telekinetic fouls - that certainly had more impact on the outcome than 'history'. How about you stop scapegoating long enough to congratulate the winners.

If you really wanted to look to why Barca does so well - perhaps you'll have to consider Spanish youth leagues and the massive government funding for spanish football - all making sure young talent gets funded. Go ahead - do that in engerland (probably out of the premiership's pocket) - but of course that would really upset the football powerhouses so dont look for that anytime soon.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

So I watched a video

of a former mayor/councilman in Ireland tearing into those responsible for the truth commission re what sounds like a systemic batch of pedophiles running their church... and then I read the story of a number of celebratory Rangers fans roving through Ulster looking for Catholics to beat to death - once again proving why the state has an obligation to get involved in sport and find some way to interfere where sectarianism goes to breed... and finally a story excerpted from the memoirs of French President Chirac explaining why we really went to war in Iraq - not because Saddam outlasted his pappy, but because Bush believed Gog and Magog were at work bringing about the end of days...

It's time for someone to gently explain to people that all their 'faith' is really screwing the planet up - and if they cant make it a positive then they need to put it away - in the same place as the tooth fairy and the cubs winning the pennant. I'm not the sort that goes out there telling people what they shouldn't believe - i dont care for that sort of aggressive 'believe what I believe' crap - but there's a point where the nutcases and their 'me waterboarding people is all part of god's plan' garbage needs an intervention.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Another Holiday

We have a lot of these... Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day... they're all there to remind us to remember those who fell died for something bigger than themselves, an idea of freedom and human rights that we shouldnt take lightly. So when chickenhawks talk up cowardly and decidedly un-american ideas like pre-crime uncharged indefinite detention and how great enhanced interrogation techniques are - I remind you that neither of those are anywhere near that 'beacon of light' vision thing. Instead - it's a good example of how reactionary we can become when stressed - and remind us that we should be on our guard lest one day we decide that these should become part of our collective national orchestra.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Global Warming

After reading this one maybe, possibly, all those morons who insist it's a myth will shut the hell up. Then again - they mostly think zombie jesus actually (not metaphorically) died for their sins - so rationale thought left that building a long time ago...

Note - 20 degrees at the poles is pretty much an end of days scenario - and that's the median prediction.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

She's BACK

When did this happen

When did these sorts of actions become acceptable for western democracies...

"He warned me not to get on the flight. He said 'Whatever happens to you outside the UK is not our responsibility'. I was absolutely shocked." The agent handed Mr Hashi a piece of paper with his name and telephone contact details and asked him to call him.

"The whole time he tried to make it seem like he was looking after me. And just before I left them at my boarding gate I remember 'Richard' telling me 'It's your choice, mate, to get on that flight but I advise you not to,' and then he winked at me."

When Mr Hashi arrived at Djibouti airport he was stopped at passport control. He was then held in a room for 16 hours before being deported back to the UK. He claims the Somali security officers told him that their orders came from London. More than 24 hours after he first left the UK he arrived back at Heathrow and was detained again.

"I was taken to pick up my luggage and then into a very discreet room. 'Richard' walked in with a Costa bag with food which he said was for me, my breakfast. He said it was them who sent me back because I was a terror suspect." Mr Hashi, a volunteer youth leader at Kentish Town Community Organisation in north London, alleges that the officer made it clear that his "suspect" status and travel restrictions would only be lifted if he agreed to co-operate with MI5. "I told him 'This is blatant blackmail'; he said 'No, it's just proving your innocence. By co-operating with us we know you're not guilty.'
Somehow we've empowered a legion of clowns.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Government in Action

So they cut the funding out of closing gitmo - so i guess the whole 'we dont torture' comes with the small print of 'unless it would cost us money to stop'... i suppose they could loan the money to the banks at 0% and then borrow back - maybe at an introductory 6.99% interest rate that the banks, in one of those classic 'make a huge stink that this is so awful for banks because that way people will be mollified and leave us alone' maneuvers will, as per new law passed by the senate today, have to give 45 days notice before they change to 30%. Big freakin deal. In the mean time my bank is still sending me 'cash these 3% APR checks for as much as you want' (with tiny print on the back saying they'll charge me a 4% fee for the entire amount the second I cash one). Honestly - the only provision in the banking bill that will have any impact at all is the amendment that allows you to carry concealed weapons into national parks.

I swear... it's like Elisabeth Hasselbeck is running the country.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

I smell a TV series

So I'm reading this story about how criminal forensic science is a laughable joke only compounded by the idiot prosecuting attorneys... i think this is the home run quote in the story: "Though DNA evidence had shown back in 2003 that Brewer didn’t commit the rape, Allgood argued that because West matched bite marks he claimed to have found on the victim to Brewer’s teeth, Brewer must have bitten the victim while someone else raped her."

I swear... some days I wonder what goes on between some people's ears...

But then I'm thinking 'what a great premise for a TV show... it could be about a willfully negligent and corrupt forensics department - and every week they could convict innocent people of crimes they didnt commit. They should do a last scene like Boston Legal every week, the lead criminal pathologist and the DA could sit in folding lawnchairs in a backyard with a grill cooking steaks to the side drinking Coors while they lament how ineffective government has become. I'm calling my cousin...

Friday, May 08, 2009

A Lack of Faith

Obviously they were unworthy... afterall if you're right with god i'm sure you'll see her. Then again, if you're not into religious observances, perhaps you'll donate to Arlen Specter's version of 'The Human Fund'. Money for People indeed...

Thursday, May 07, 2009

LOL

After yesterday's leaked numbers you'd think someone might run from BofA stock...

no.. it was up 8%

For a rationale...

In rejecting “nationalization” (regulatory takeover and conservatorship), the government has not ensured a private, properly functioning banking system. Instead, it has muddled into a broken-down, undercapitalized system that is nominally in private hands, but is able to tap the state for apparently limitless support. And to date, that support has flowed on one-sided terms, with the taxpayer accepting downside risk but limited upside potential. No wonder bank shareholders are comfortable with this outcome.

As a result, the banks have largely preserved their existing management teams and bonus plans: on Wall Street, first-quarter accruals for bonuses returned to the levels of the glory years of 2006 and 2007. Creditors and counterparties have been kept whole, most notably through the AIG bailout. And shareholders have seen their share prices supported by the promise of sustained government support. The incentives we have ended up with are more similar to those of a nationalized system than those of a free market. Instead of state-owned coal mines run for the benefit of miners (the U.K. in the 1970s) or state-owned oil and gas companies run for the benefit of bureaucrats (the Soviet Union in the 1980s), we have state-backed banks in the U.S. run for the benefit of bankers and their creditors.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Insolvent

Bank of America owes the US Government 45 Billion Dollars.
It has a market cap of $69 Billion.
The feds say it needs another $34b in new capital.

Can we just admit that this company has FAILED yet?

GM plans to issue so much new stock that it will virtually wipe out all existing shareholders... and the only one left with any real ownership will be the government (not because they WANT to own this company, but when the banks are all full of idiots and crooks they really dont have the financial resources to cover the idiocies of other companies)

Yeah - this is all going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

When the government ends up owning all of this stuff they'd best just fire all these people and start over... maybe hire some Indian IT department people to run these companies since THEY CANT REALLY DO ANY WORSE.

In the mean time - if you get those 'this is your second notice' robocalls here's the number for talking to them (though they might be a little upset since they're currently being barraged by people asking them if they'd like a warranty on their car).

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Speaking of Hatespeach

I applaud the British for telling the purveyors of hate to sod off...
I wish we did the same - but no - we give them TV shows

Monday, May 04, 2009

Happy Monday

Justice?
of course not... it's monday.

"The jurors here [are] sending the message that you can brutally beat a person, without regard to their life, and get away with it, continue with your life uninterrupted," she said. "In this case, the message is that a person who may not be popular in society based on their national origin or certain characteristic has less value in our society," she said.

The extent of Ramirez's injuries, which had left his brain oozing from his skull, according to medical testimony, should have sufficed for a conviction other than simple assault, Limon said.
Ahh, but they're white football players... they must be good kids, right?

Imagine if it were 4 black men beating up a white mother?

Or, to Sharon's last post, imagine it were 4 mexican-american men beating up a white football player. My god - Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs would test the FCC standards over who could have the biggest on-screen orgasm.

This is what federal hatecrime legislation is for...

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Time Warner Can Blow Me

This isnt a new story but it's one that I'm still upset over. So a rural community in NC talked to the local infrastructure providers and said 'hey, we need better broadband - you should provide it' - and they said no.

So the city went and built it's own.

Now Time Warner has the gall to say it 'CANT POSSIBLY COMPETE' with what the city has done. The reality is that a utility - like the sewer - is something that really is in the best interest of everyone if that infrastructure is laid once - and THEN competition is allowed. This is how they do broadband in France and it's both cheaper and 4x faster than what we have in the US.

Time Warner PEERS their network with all the other big players - so they dont even PAY for it - they just charge you and me a fee for something they get for free (and get billions of dollars in tax breaks to upgrade and maintain). Screw them.

Friday, May 01, 2009

I'm sure...

it comes as no surprise to anyone, but the financial crisis gets worse by the day. Today's episode in Government Fail comes from the 'business as usual' department. You see, banks have a problem - they have these big outstanding debts they've ladled into the consumer trough and want paid at 1:1. Since the value of said debts was propped up by the race to create more crap they could bundle off as securities, some of the pricing is, shall we say, skewed. But when it came time to suggest to the banks that perhaps they should renegotiate the terms on some of these loans (that in some cases will go from subprime to 8%... all at a time when these same banks can borrow money to cover said loans at 1/4 point (.0025) interest - this is one of those 'screw you, we're going to make money on this disaster' situations). Well the crisis is really ugly for the homeowner - and with the economy taking an historic nosedive it behooves everyone to try to play as nice as possible so as not to exacerbate an already bad situation. Except for the banks of course. The banks dont like the idea of being pushed into renegotiating these loans. They dont like it at all. In fact - they dont like it so much that they went and dropped a shitpile of OUR bailout money into political action committees to make sure certain senators would kill a bill they'd already spent gobs of money to water down to the point of being absurd.

These guys are still operating in the odd belief that what's going on in this little playing field is not impacted by realities overseas - and the longer we continue to pretend that large wealth producing overseas entities arent going to take advantage of our refusal to reform this system the worse the end result is going to be for our unfettered capitalist masters. They dont see it coming... just as they didnt see the bubble burst coming - but this time it's going to suck a lot worse for the rest of us.