I’d REALLY Be MAD!


I’d REALLY Be MAD if I was paying school taxes in Saratoga California:


Suit over socks costs school $95,000

One of many ZERO INTELLIGENCE stories that keep popping up in the news.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071215/ap_on_fe_st/odd_cartoon_socks_lawsuit&printer=1;_ylt=AoK0mic6raQRpm3_4uwhKX0uQE4F

So, are the MORONS who cost the taxpayers $95,000 plus the school district’s OWN legal expenses still employed? Are they reimbursing the district out of their own pockets for this unwarranted waste? I sure hope so! And, I sure hope they don’t try to get jobs in MY district! Or, ANY district, actually… most of them already have more than their share of incompetents.

Hey, Let's Blast Another Country!

Former US officials urge military action against Sudan over Darfur

What's making me MAD today: In the news we've got Anthony Lake, who served as president Bill Clinton's National Security Advisor, former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Susan Rice and current Democratic representative from New Jersey Donald Payne saying the US should take the initiative and go blast Sudan because they refuse to allow UN peacekeepers into the country and are probably going to launch another "ethnic cleansing" operation.

Can someone PLEASE explain to Lake and Rice and Payne that this is the United STATES, not the United NATIONS? Do they have a really serious spelling deficiency or are they just morons? Do they believe the US is responsible for the world? OK, so the UN is slow at getting around to doing anything more than blowing hot air in most situations, but what makes that the US' fault? What makes it our responsibilty to take over where the UN fails to act as quickly as some would like or does something we don't agree with? The answer: IT'S NOT OUR JOB!

So, the UN's lacking -- work within the UN to improve it.

In the meantime, I recommend that the US send a Primary Attack Force of newly commissioned infantrymen: Lake and Rice and Payne. The rest of the troops are right behind you, guys -- WAY behind you. Good luck.

Fuel Mileage FRAUD

Why don’t we real world drivers get the same fuel mileage that the window stickers say our vehicles should achieve?

1. The manufacturers do their own ratings. Well, DUH! The EPA verifies 10-15% of what’s reported to them with their own tests.
2. The vehicles tested are pre-production units, not necessarily the same as what we can buy. HOW different are they? Who knows…
3. Some vehicles are exempt, and they don’t test every combination of options, just a “representative sample” of engine and transmission sets for each model. Different wheels and tires, towing packages with different final drive ratios, accessories etc., not considered.
4. The ratings are done in a laboratory on a stationary machine, no accessories running (A/C), no wind resistance, no groceries or other loads, one person on board, at a comfortable indoor (lab) temperature.
5. They don’t measure how far a vehicle goes on a gallon of gas, but by using a formula that calculates what the mileage is from the amount of carbon an analyzing machine finds in the tailpipe emissions. DO WHAT?
6. They don’t burn gasoline. What the ^%#$@$&!??! Incredibly, they use “indolene clear” whatever the heck THAT is! You ever see THAT at your corner Super-duper Gasserup Mart? Dunno what they do for diesels, but my guess is it’s an equally sleazy trick.

Anyway, you take the above and add it all up, it equals FRAUD. And it’s endorsed by YOUR tax dollars at work in Washington DC.

The only POSSIBLE benefit of the system is that all of the manufacturers can be expected to lie equally to come up with the best possible bogus figures, and they all play the game the same way, under the same rules. In other words, if Brand X says their vehicle gets 10% better mileage than Brand Y’s comparable set of wheels, YOU would probably get 10% better mileage from Brand X if you drove them both under the same conditions. If you believe you’ll get anything like what the sticker says, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you…

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml
http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4023628

WAY TO GO 7-ELEVEN!!

7-Eleven dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo

Finally we see someone with the backbone to act!! Maybe this will be more symbolic than truly damaging to Venezuela and their mouthy leader, but if nothing else, chances are it sends the majority view among Americans. Maybe eventually the Venezuelan people and Chavez’ backers will see the fool for the liability he really is.

Disgusting Ken Lay News

I don’t know about you, but I for one am disgusted at the news that, since he died, the US Federal Court system will likely vacate Ken Lay’s criminal convictions which means it’s as if he were never even charged.

Apparently there is precedent in the legal system for such lunacy, but does that make it RIGHT? NO!

Was he CONVICTED? YES!

So, explain to me why the record wouldn’t SAY he was convicted in such-and-such a court after due process of law on whatever counts the jury found (all of ‘em), and he died before sentencing and pursuit of possible appeals.

Isn’t that what happened? YES!
Isn’t that the truth of the matter? YES!

So, why doesn’t the story stop right there? Just because he didn’t do the time doesn’t mean he didn’t do the crime – it’s been PROVEN he did the crime, right?

Vacating the convictions and erasing his record creates a lie. Is that what the US Federal Court system is charged with doing, spending millions of taxpayers’ money to find out the TRUTH in a criminal proceeding then creating a LIE by erasing it because the perpetrator/defendant dies? NO!

Does his death change the truth? NO!
Does his death change the crimes? NO!
Does his death change the trial(s)? NO!
Does his death change his guilt? NO!

Does it matter? YES! Do we want a legal system that does what is RIGHT, or a sham, one that creates LIES? Do we want a legal system that builds on precedent where the precedent was established to foster LIES, or one that corrects the errors of prior rulings to develop a precedent or RIGHT?

Does it matter? YES! Vacating the convictions removes the ability of the government to continue to pursue seizure of the spoils of Lay’s crimes, at least $43 million that will allow the heirs to his estate to live the life of Riley, while thousands of employees and investors whose livelihoods and retirement funds he ripped off will suffer, some scratching by at poverty levels for the rest of their days. The satisfaction in knowing they are alive and he is not is pretty faint satisfaction, don’t you think?

And don’t EVEN get me going on how the press is waxing eloquent about how “good” a man he was, such a “good Father”, “community leader”, “philanthropist”... I’m going to hurl…

Now that I’ve written all that I’m even MORE disgusted than when I started.

This about sums it up: “Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?”

Fluffgate Battle May Be Over

See prior post on lunacy in the Legislature of Mass.

State Sen. Barrios has backed off in the face of numerous challenges to his IQ (my guess is it's a negative number) after a totally wasted week in their current session:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/us/28fluff.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Key quote from another legislator who one-upped the fool by taking the absurdity to an even higher level: 'Ms. Reinstein said. "I've always said from the beginning that it's insane that we're doing this now." '

Legislative Fluff

If you are OK with your blood pressure or have your meds close at hand, check this out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13445850/

I'm glad that Massachusetts doesn't have any crime or health care or environmental problems or education issues or any REAL business for their Legislature to spend their time on. You think Barrios bothered to check any actual nutritional FACTS before opening his mouth and sticking his foot in it (high protein, low sodium, low cholesterol http://www.mealsforyou.com/cgi-bin/nutritionDetail?id.2194)? Not likely. You think he has any clue that kids' dietary/nutritional requirements are a little different than his? Not likely. You think he has any clue what school lunches are about? Not likely. (See http://www.healthinschools.org/focus/2004/no1.htm to get an overview of the actual issues). Hopefully come election time the voters will remember their "OUTraged" legislators and vote them "OUT".

Morons.

UPDATE: I’m slightly (VERY slightly) encouraged to see that the fool Barrios has at least recognized that he’s a fool, although he’s not gone so far as to back off of his idiotic position.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/06/22/all_the_huff_over_fluff/