ACRONYMS and Abbreviations
* IWD ~ OMG – March 8th marked the 98th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Sue Katz, at her blog Consenting Adult, offers insight and history of this annual event celebrating women’s independence economically, politically and socially. The Vatican, OTOH (On the Other Hand), offered a SNL (Saturday Night Live) viewpoint of a woman’s place. “The Vatican had a novel message for the women of the world: give thanks for the washing machine. This humble domestic appliance had done more for the women’s liberation movement than the contraceptive pill or working outside the home, said the official Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano.” One reaction to such reactionary hyperbole is Oh My God! I was equally disappointed in the short-sightedness of the Vatican’s remarks. The contributions of the clothes dryer and laundry detergent with optical brighteners were totally ignored. Perhaps this faux pas will be rectified when the individual who invented the CWD (combination washer-dryer) is nominated for sainthood.
* ONUG ~ One Nation under God – I thought of this patriotic-spiritual slogan while reading a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Apparently not all Americans have read the press release about the US of A being spiritually unified. The SPLC has identified 926 active hate groups in our nation, a 50% increase since 2000. California “leads” the nation with 86, followed by Texas with 66 and Florida with 56 hate groups. Interestingly, the linked map shows that Hawaii and Alaska have zero, which leads one to several conclusions: The two most recent states have not been members of the confederation long enough to develop really good hate; extensive surfing and sledding channels positive energy; these states are too hot or too cold for hate groups to hold their outdoor cross burnings to really get the group vitriolic thing going; or, the groups in the nascent states are more stealth than their continental execrators.
* TIM - When is a tax cut for 98% of American tax payers called a tax increase? It is when the spokespeople for the other 2% generate a disproportionate amount of the rhetoric. The TIM (Tax Increase Myth) is spun by some congressmen, some ideologues on the right, organizations that serve the interests of the wealthy and some media. The TIM was created by the amalgamation of interests we can identify with the acronym GUITPOM (Got Us into This Pile of Manure).
* HUOA – This is not a US Marine shout out. It is descriptive of American foreign policy in recent years where large numbers of troops and U.S. treasure were committed to an effort before reason and strategy were promulgated. This Head Up One’s Ass approach has caused unnecessary American loss of lives, loss of treasure and loss of international credibility and stature. It is important that President Obama keep such folly in mind as he deals with the situation in Afghanistan. The caution flag has been raised since he has committed 17,000 more troops (for a total of 35,000) to this incredibly troubled region BEFORE any statement of objective, goal or strategy. This is reminiscent of the BA (Bushed Approach).
In an October 2008 article in the Christian Science Monitor, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says, “We need to ask: After seven years of war, will more troops help us achieve our strategic goals in Afghanistan? How many troops would be needed and for how long? Is there a danger that a heavier military footprint will further alienate the population, and, if so, what are the alternatives? And – with the lessons of Iraq in mind – will this approach advance our top national security priority, namely defeating Al Qaeda?” A read of this article offers a better understanding of the dynamics of one of the significant challenges of our times. LBWL (Looking before We Leap) will help prevent FOOA (Falling on Our Ass).
* PMS – The concept of “win” in context with Iraq was achieved within the first week of the Iraq invasion. Since then HOBSH (Hanging on By the Short Hairs) is the operative phrase. It is due to Patriotic Message Syndrome (PMS) that certain interests continue to misleadingly discuss “winning” the war in Iraq where, as in Afghanistan, there is no military solution. This is not to say that there is no role for the military in protecting American lives and interests. It means that like feminine PMS, national PMS can cloud judicious decision making.
* LOL – In email and text messaging shorthand LOL means Lots of Love. In political parlance, rather than a warm emotional connotation, LOL (Look Out for Liberals) embodies fear, hatred and dread. What are those Commie bastards trying to do to our country? Repair bridges, roads and ports that enable commerce and the working population access to jobs. Fix a healthcare system that excludes almost 20% of the citizens (48 million uninsured) and where increasingly high costs dramatically reduce adequate care for many millions more whose insurance is inadequate. Improve education as a means for young people to achieve a meaningful life and contribute to society. The fact that previous efforts have underachieved is not reason to legislatively play hooky. And with great audacity the CMSL (Commie Meets the Socialist Libralator) want The Haves (TH) to pay a fairer share of the cost for these and other programs. Incomes for the average citizen have been flat or declining for three decades while the wealth has continued to grow and concentrate in the wallets of a few. This trend occurred because TH not only controlled the economics but also the politics. The average American has become SOL.
* EIT – Enhanced Interrogation Techniques is one of the most creative marketing terms devised by the Bush administration and this is considerable praise given that they tossed the BS better than all previous presidencies. This sophisticated nomenclature was used to mask the illegal and immoral use of TORTURE. I have noted in a previous blog that I would not be surprised if a world court addresses such inhumane and treaty-breaking acts, even if our own country proves not to have the courage to investigate this appalling period in our history. By “own country” I refer to President Obama, Congress and the Department of Justice. One of the ways that the CIA attempted to get off the hook for its role in torturing was to destroy 92 tapes, many depicting EIT. SE (Situational Ethics) is a societal malady that has afflicted politics, business, government and a broad swath of individuals. TAQ (There Are Consequences). Some we are experiencing and some yet to be encountered.
* OK ~ OMG – In the state of Oklahoma the corn may grow as high as an elephant’s eye but objective truth is experiencing a severe drought. State representative Todd Thomsen has introduced legislation that would deny the “teaching of the theory of evolution at the department of Zoology at the University of Oklahoma.” Rumor has it that the next step is to move the Department of Obstetrics from the med school to Zoology in order to study the role of the stork in delivering babies. Research will also include pre-natal cabbage patches. One wonders if the nickname “Sooner” means AH (Asshole) in Cherokee.
* ??? ~ OMG – I have been critical of the religious right for some of the stands they have taken on gay rights, women’s rights and their penchant to tell others how to live their lives. I cannot wait to see how they will deal with this one. Female Iron Chef Cat Cora is pregnant and her female wife Jennifer is also pregnant. Both women utilized the same sperm donor, NPA (Now Pay Attention), the same donor for the first two children that the ladies have. NPCA (Now Pay Closer Attention). For the first two children Cat carried Jennifer’s embryo and Jennifer carried Cat’s embryo. Phew. I could certainly use an IVF (In vitro Fertilization) flow chart. Regardless of how it occurred I wish the women and their offspring well. To members of the 700 Club I suggest Xanax, a proven treatment for panic disorder
* WIVO – One of the reasons Why I Voted for Obama concerned his predecessor’s politicization of science and objective fact and an unsound policy that negatively impacted the wellbeing of citizens. Obama campaigned to reverse such foolishness. This week Obama announced a dramatic change in the federal government’s support of stem cell research and he went even further by reaffirming the importance and integrity of science. An excerpt from his speech at the announcement: “It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology." The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) provides an A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science. The link for the full text of Obama’s Memorandum: Scientific Integrity
* BTDT – The bigger they are the harder they fall. Competition results in better performance. Absolute power leads to abuse of power absolutely. All of these well-used expressions came to mind as I read about the merger deal between mega pharmaceutical companies Merck and Schering-Plough. Been There Done That (BTDT) describes America’s historical experience with industry consolidation that leads to monopoly or oligopoly within an industry. It rarely serves the common good. This was realized almost 100 years ago when a more intelligent/alert Congress enacted laws to prevent such consolidation. In recent decades such wisdom has been lost on the conventional wisdom as dominating companies have emerged in energy, drugs, agriculture and finance while our legislators experienced ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). We are all going to need regular doses of ASA (aspirin).
* TAFNF – That’s All for Now Folks
* “I'll be scared later. Right now I'm too mad.”
Bugs Bunny
Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Friday, September 14, 2007
9/15/07
*The Patraeus Report ~ Theater of the Absurd - General David Patraeus reported on the merits of a tactic, the surge, that proceeds under the assumption that there is a military solution to the civil war in Iraq. The claim that the Iraqi government is being given time to reconcile differences and work out a plan to share oil revenues is disingenuous. During the surge the Iraqi government has become even more dysfunctional and anticipated oil revenue sharing agreements have fallen apart. The General and the President would also like us to believe that we are fighting terrorism in Iraq but al Qaeda is a very small presence there. The vast majority of the violence is between and within Iraqi factions with American forces ensnared in the middle. The current political and military approach to Iraq offers no viable resolution. In order to protect his imagined legacy Bush’s only alternative is stay his course until this dangerous and chaotic impasse can be foisted on the next president. And that is the true report.
*Out to lunch – General Patraeus’ “independent” report to congress reminded me of the General’s “independent” report in 2004, just prior to the election that gave Bush a second term. At that time he said “there was tangible progress in Iraq and Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.” It is 3 long years later and General Patraeus continues to carry Bush’s lunch. The bread is stale and the baloney is rancid.
* Readers who would like a detailed and documented account of what is misleading to incorrect in the General’s testimony of conditions in Iraq can find it at this link: MoveOn.org
*Technological breakthrough - One of the long-standing deceptions of the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is the White House claim that they fully briefed Congress prior to conducting these activities. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL), when he claimed that the WH did not inform him of spying on Americans in his briefings, was told that he “misremembered”. The WH then provided him with dates on which he was briefed. Graham checked his records and found that on most of the dates there were no meetings and on some of the dates he was not even in Washington. Since secrecy is a trademark of this administration few people know that they now communicate via mental mail. Meetings are no longer necessary. I wonder if a headache will slow downloads? Will CAT scans replace virus scans? Will mind readers now be called hackers? Will “misremembered” become a word?
*Possible good news for the environment – The auto industry, with support from the EPA, has tried to block 13 other states from adopting California’s rules that intend to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles and light trucks. Ruling in a lawsuit against Vermont’s standards on those heat-trapping gases Judge William K. Sessions III rejected a variety of challenges from auto manufacturers, including their contention that the states were usurping federal authority. Under the federal Clean Air act the EPA must still grant waivers to the states before such rules can take effect in place of federal rules. It does seem somewhat convoluted that to protect the air we breathe states have to overcome not only industry’s myopic self-interest but also the federal agency responsible for our environment. Until there is a new administration we can only hope for the best.
*The invisible injury - Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer, has a story about thousands of U.S. troops suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). These blast-caused head injuries are different from head injuries doctors normally treat that are caused by falls and car accidents. It is called “invisible” because it rarely shows up on CAT scans and other tests. People with this form of TBI have frequent headaches, dizziness, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. They may be depressed, irritable and confused, and easily provoked or distracted. Speech or vision also can be impaired. Treatment is further complicated because it can overlap with post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and mental injuries incurred by many of our military men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will require our nation’s care through most of the 21st Century. The planning and budgeting of this care must begin now.
*On Wednesday the Huffington Post, Slate Magazine and Yahoo did an online interview with the Democratic presidential candidates. Interesting and provocative questions were posed by Charlie Rose, Bill Maher and average citizens. It is worth a look. Click on this link: Huffington Post Mashup
*Let’s remember - Until two weeks ago President Bush put his hands over his ears whenever anyone mentioned the Iraq war and Viet Nam in the same sentence. Apparently an advisor to the president came up with the sound bite that we cannot leave Iraq like we left Viet Nam. What resulted was that Bush’s acolytes joined him on TV and wrote articles parroting the warning. Eugene Robinson writing in the Washington Post had a keen response. “George W. Bush wants us to remember Vietnam? Fine, then let's remember those iconic images -- the Viet Cong prisoner being executed in cold blood with a pistol shot to the temple, the little girl running naked and screaming from a napalm attack. Let's remember how little we really understood about Vietnamese society. Let's remember how wrong the domino theory proved to be. Let's remember how much damage prolonging an unpopular war did to our armed forces and our nation, and how long it took us to recover.” History will remember Iraq in this context. History will not put its hands over its eyes.
*My thoughts on George W. Bush’s 8th Major speech on Iraq –
*The good book or the bad book? - An interesting development has been taking place in federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons has directed chaplains to clear the shelves of any books, tapes, CDs and videos that are not on a list of approved resources. A DOJ Inspector General report recommended steps that prisons should take, in light of the Sept. 11 attacks, to avoid becoming recruiting grounds for militant Islamic and other religious groups. A Christian and an Orthodox Jew in a NY prison have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the action violates their free exercise of religion. As noted in the NY Times article, “…an administration that put stock in religion-based approaches to social problems has effectively blocked prisoners’ access to religious and spiritual materials — all in the name of preventing terrorism.”
*The vaporization of Darth Vader– President Bush’s nominee for General Counsel to the CIA, John Rizzo, is not acceptable to the Senate Intelligence Committee as they have requested that his name be withdrawn. Mr. Rizzo’s 2002 memo defined torture as pain "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of body function, or even death." Anything less is okay. It makes one “proud” to be an American.
*Investment tip of the week; buy pork - A Business Week analysis of earmark and lobbying data demonstrated how lucrative hiring a lobbyist can be for a company looking for federal money: “On average, companies generated roughly $28 in earmark revenue for every dollar they spent lobbying. And those at the very top did far better than the average: More than 20 companies pulled in $100 or more for every dollar spent.” The influence of large corporations on our federal government and elected representatives far outdistances the interests and influence of American citizens. This situation highlights the serious need for public financing of elections so that politicians are not so needy of private-interest money to fund their campaigns.
*Risky investment of the week - Hillary Clinton has decided that instead of returning $27,000 to Norman Hsu (his direct contributions), she will return the $850,000 he raised on her behalf. Hsu has been a fugitive from fraud charges in California since the 1990’s. Mr. Hsu must be a long-range planner. He helps Senator Clinton get elected president and hopes that 8 years later she pardons him.
*Risky investment of the year ~ Greed trumps due diligence – Source Funding Investors is a fund with about 100 investors. Earlier this year the fund invested $40 million in a company that was pooling money to make short-term loans to private-label fashion designers in the U.S. to buy garments made in China with the prospect that returns to investors would exceed 40%. Investors were informed this week that their investment is in jeopardy since checks received from the company invested in were bouncing for insufficient funds. Did I mention that the company with insufficient funds is run by Norman Hsu? Here is a fugitive from the law for fraud promising a 40% return on investment and a group hands him $40 million bucks. I wonder if the fund manager’s name is Gomer Pyle?
*Lightening round:
-Leader of country resigns due to scandal, incompetence and gaffes. No, you wishful thinkers, it is Shinzo Abe of Japan.
-In the Philippines resignation was not an option for ex-president Joseph Estrada. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for illegally acquiring wealth while in office. If this trend of prosecutions continues the United Nations will be wiped out.
-Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed his prime minister and cabinet this week. The American political system makes this option very difficult to implement.
-Potential nominees being floated by Bush to replace Gonzales at the Justice Dept. are likely to sink. They are at least as partisan as the resigning Attorney General and not what America and the Justice Dept. need to restore some semblance of confidence and credibility in the administration of our justice system. The question now is whether the Senate Democrats exert their will to ensure that Bush nominates an independent, less political candidate for Attorney General.
-When Gen. Patraeus was asked if the efforts in Iraq will make America safer he looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights before admitting that he was not sure. The response left Americans hesitant.
-Imagine 4 million Americans being displaced. That number would come close to removing the population of New York or Chicago or Philadelphia. The Iraq war has displaced 4.2 million Iraqi citizens or 13 % of the Iraqi population. Thirteen percent of the U.S. population would equal 42 million individuals. It is very difficult to imagine.
-Presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are now doing criminal background checks on all donors. It will be interesting to see if other Republican and Democratic candidates follow this policy. The lure of money is intoxicating.
-House GOP Leader John Boehner tells CNN that America’s loss of life in Iraq is a small price to pay if we defeat al Qaeda there. Nothing is expensive when someone else pays for it.
*A healthy bit of health news:
-Burger King will offer a healthier alternative for children under 12 – broiled chicken tenders and apples cut to look like French fries. For people over 12 BK will offer a triple burger covered in double cheese and quadruple bacon served on a sticky bun. The manufacturer of Lipitor breathes a sigh of relief.
-High blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease has been added to high cholesterol and an adult form of diabetes being diagnosed in young Americans. The childhood obesity epidemic taking place in our country will make severe demands on our healthcare system for the next several decades
-Rep. Tim Murphy (D-PA) is sponsoring the "Healthy Hospitals Act of 2007". The bill will make patients safer during hospital stays by requiring public disclosure of hospital-acquired infection rates. You can send a letter to your representative asking that they co-sponsor this bill by clicking on this link.
-Healthy San Francisco is the first effort by a locality to guarantee care to all of its uninsured, and it represents the latest attempt by state and local governments to patch an inadequate federal system. This effort is worth following. It is financed mostly by the city, which is gambling that it can provide universal and sensibly managed care to the uninsured for about the amount being spent on their treatment now, often in emergency rooms.
*Less is more or more is less, more or less - In his speech this week President Bush said that there were 36 countries in the Iraq coalition of multi-national forces (even though the Pentagon claims 25 countries with a military presence). As of this writing only 34 countries could be identified by researchers for having at least one person in Iraq. As of next month the number will be 33 as Iceland will pull its entire contingency out of Iraq– all one person. Some other countries with larger contingencies include: Hungary 16, Italy 8, Netherlands 10, Portugal 10, Slovakia 2, Turkey 2, Canada 2, Japan 2. For the record, total coalition forces apart from the U.S. total 11,685 or 7%.
*Yes, we got no bananas - The Justice Dept. has announced it will not prosecute executives of Chiquita Banana for paying bribes of $1.7 million to Columbian paramilitaries that are designated as terrorists by the U.S. government and responsible for thousands of deaths. I guess you have to be an al Qaeda guy to really be a terrorist. Chiquita did pay a $25 million fine and promised to adopt a large-scale integrity program. I did not know that integrity had scales. I have to stop thinking in absolutes.
*Faith in the faith-based administration - Last week the Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, testifying under oath at a Senate hearing, claimed the new expansive FISA legislation passed by Congress in August (Protect America Act) had helped to thwart an alleged terror plot in Germany. A government official later told the NY Times that McConnell was wrong, and that the intelligence had been collected under the old FISA law which required warrants. McConnell then issued a statement saying, “…information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act.”
*Thou Shall Not Lie. Excerpt from the Ten Commandments
*Out to lunch – General Patraeus’ “independent” report to congress reminded me of the General’s “independent” report in 2004, just prior to the election that gave Bush a second term. At that time he said “there was tangible progress in Iraq and Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.” It is 3 long years later and General Patraeus continues to carry Bush’s lunch. The bread is stale and the baloney is rancid.
* Readers who would like a detailed and documented account of what is misleading to incorrect in the General’s testimony of conditions in Iraq can find it at this link: MoveOn.org
*Technological breakthrough - One of the long-standing deceptions of the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is the White House claim that they fully briefed Congress prior to conducting these activities. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL), when he claimed that the WH did not inform him of spying on Americans in his briefings, was told that he “misremembered”. The WH then provided him with dates on which he was briefed. Graham checked his records and found that on most of the dates there were no meetings and on some of the dates he was not even in Washington. Since secrecy is a trademark of this administration few people know that they now communicate via mental mail. Meetings are no longer necessary. I wonder if a headache will slow downloads? Will CAT scans replace virus scans? Will mind readers now be called hackers? Will “misremembered” become a word?
*Possible good news for the environment – The auto industry, with support from the EPA, has tried to block 13 other states from adopting California’s rules that intend to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles and light trucks. Ruling in a lawsuit against Vermont’s standards on those heat-trapping gases Judge William K. Sessions III rejected a variety of challenges from auto manufacturers, including their contention that the states were usurping federal authority. Under the federal Clean Air act the EPA must still grant waivers to the states before such rules can take effect in place of federal rules. It does seem somewhat convoluted that to protect the air we breathe states have to overcome not only industry’s myopic self-interest but also the federal agency responsible for our environment. Until there is a new administration we can only hope for the best.
*The invisible injury - Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer, has a story about thousands of U.S. troops suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). These blast-caused head injuries are different from head injuries doctors normally treat that are caused by falls and car accidents. It is called “invisible” because it rarely shows up on CAT scans and other tests. People with this form of TBI have frequent headaches, dizziness, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. They may be depressed, irritable and confused, and easily provoked or distracted. Speech or vision also can be impaired. Treatment is further complicated because it can overlap with post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and mental injuries incurred by many of our military men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will require our nation’s care through most of the 21st Century. The planning and budgeting of this care must begin now.
*On Wednesday the Huffington Post, Slate Magazine and Yahoo did an online interview with the Democratic presidential candidates. Interesting and provocative questions were posed by Charlie Rose, Bill Maher and average citizens. It is worth a look. Click on this link: Huffington Post Mashup
*Let’s remember - Until two weeks ago President Bush put his hands over his ears whenever anyone mentioned the Iraq war and Viet Nam in the same sentence. Apparently an advisor to the president came up with the sound bite that we cannot leave Iraq like we left Viet Nam. What resulted was that Bush’s acolytes joined him on TV and wrote articles parroting the warning. Eugene Robinson writing in the Washington Post had a keen response. “George W. Bush wants us to remember Vietnam? Fine, then let's remember those iconic images -- the Viet Cong prisoner being executed in cold blood with a pistol shot to the temple, the little girl running naked and screaming from a napalm attack. Let's remember how little we really understood about Vietnamese society. Let's remember how wrong the domino theory proved to be. Let's remember how much damage prolonging an unpopular war did to our armed forces and our nation, and how long it took us to recover.” History will remember Iraq in this context. History will not put its hands over its eyes.
*My thoughts on George W. Bush’s 8th Major speech on Iraq –
*The good book or the bad book? - An interesting development has been taking place in federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons has directed chaplains to clear the shelves of any books, tapes, CDs and videos that are not on a list of approved resources. A DOJ Inspector General report recommended steps that prisons should take, in light of the Sept. 11 attacks, to avoid becoming recruiting grounds for militant Islamic and other religious groups. A Christian and an Orthodox Jew in a NY prison have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the action violates their free exercise of religion. As noted in the NY Times article, “…an administration that put stock in religion-based approaches to social problems has effectively blocked prisoners’ access to religious and spiritual materials — all in the name of preventing terrorism.”
*The vaporization of Darth Vader– President Bush’s nominee for General Counsel to the CIA, John Rizzo, is not acceptable to the Senate Intelligence Committee as they have requested that his name be withdrawn. Mr. Rizzo’s 2002 memo defined torture as pain "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of body function, or even death." Anything less is okay. It makes one “proud” to be an American.
*Investment tip of the week; buy pork - A Business Week analysis of earmark and lobbying data demonstrated how lucrative hiring a lobbyist can be for a company looking for federal money: “On average, companies generated roughly $28 in earmark revenue for every dollar they spent lobbying. And those at the very top did far better than the average: More than 20 companies pulled in $100 or more for every dollar spent.” The influence of large corporations on our federal government and elected representatives far outdistances the interests and influence of American citizens. This situation highlights the serious need for public financing of elections so that politicians are not so needy of private-interest money to fund their campaigns.
*Risky investment of the week - Hillary Clinton has decided that instead of returning $27,000 to Norman Hsu (his direct contributions), she will return the $850,000 he raised on her behalf. Hsu has been a fugitive from fraud charges in California since the 1990’s. Mr. Hsu must be a long-range planner. He helps Senator Clinton get elected president and hopes that 8 years later she pardons him.
*Risky investment of the year ~ Greed trumps due diligence – Source Funding Investors is a fund with about 100 investors. Earlier this year the fund invested $40 million in a company that was pooling money to make short-term loans to private-label fashion designers in the U.S. to buy garments made in China with the prospect that returns to investors would exceed 40%. Investors were informed this week that their investment is in jeopardy since checks received from the company invested in were bouncing for insufficient funds. Did I mention that the company with insufficient funds is run by Norman Hsu? Here is a fugitive from the law for fraud promising a 40% return on investment and a group hands him $40 million bucks. I wonder if the fund manager’s name is Gomer Pyle?
*Lightening round:
-Leader of country resigns due to scandal, incompetence and gaffes. No, you wishful thinkers, it is Shinzo Abe of Japan.
-In the Philippines resignation was not an option for ex-president Joseph Estrada. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for illegally acquiring wealth while in office. If this trend of prosecutions continues the United Nations will be wiped out.
-Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed his prime minister and cabinet this week. The American political system makes this option very difficult to implement.
-Potential nominees being floated by Bush to replace Gonzales at the Justice Dept. are likely to sink. They are at least as partisan as the resigning Attorney General and not what America and the Justice Dept. need to restore some semblance of confidence and credibility in the administration of our justice system. The question now is whether the Senate Democrats exert their will to ensure that Bush nominates an independent, less political candidate for Attorney General.
-When Gen. Patraeus was asked if the efforts in Iraq will make America safer he looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights before admitting that he was not sure. The response left Americans hesitant.
-Imagine 4 million Americans being displaced. That number would come close to removing the population of New York or Chicago or Philadelphia. The Iraq war has displaced 4.2 million Iraqi citizens or 13 % of the Iraqi population. Thirteen percent of the U.S. population would equal 42 million individuals. It is very difficult to imagine.
-Presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are now doing criminal background checks on all donors. It will be interesting to see if other Republican and Democratic candidates follow this policy. The lure of money is intoxicating.
-House GOP Leader John Boehner tells CNN that America’s loss of life in Iraq is a small price to pay if we defeat al Qaeda there. Nothing is expensive when someone else pays for it.
*A healthy bit of health news:
-Burger King will offer a healthier alternative for children under 12 – broiled chicken tenders and apples cut to look like French fries. For people over 12 BK will offer a triple burger covered in double cheese and quadruple bacon served on a sticky bun. The manufacturer of Lipitor breathes a sigh of relief.
-High blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease has been added to high cholesterol and an adult form of diabetes being diagnosed in young Americans. The childhood obesity epidemic taking place in our country will make severe demands on our healthcare system for the next several decades
-Rep. Tim Murphy (D-PA) is sponsoring the "Healthy Hospitals Act of 2007". The bill will make patients safer during hospital stays by requiring public disclosure of hospital-acquired infection rates. You can send a letter to your representative asking that they co-sponsor this bill by clicking on this link.
-Healthy San Francisco is the first effort by a locality to guarantee care to all of its uninsured, and it represents the latest attempt by state and local governments to patch an inadequate federal system. This effort is worth following. It is financed mostly by the city, which is gambling that it can provide universal and sensibly managed care to the uninsured for about the amount being spent on their treatment now, often in emergency rooms.
*Less is more or more is less, more or less - In his speech this week President Bush said that there were 36 countries in the Iraq coalition of multi-national forces (even though the Pentagon claims 25 countries with a military presence). As of this writing only 34 countries could be identified by researchers for having at least one person in Iraq. As of next month the number will be 33 as Iceland will pull its entire contingency out of Iraq– all one person. Some other countries with larger contingencies include: Hungary 16, Italy 8, Netherlands 10, Portugal 10, Slovakia 2, Turkey 2, Canada 2, Japan 2. For the record, total coalition forces apart from the U.S. total 11,685 or 7%.
*Yes, we got no bananas - The Justice Dept. has announced it will not prosecute executives of Chiquita Banana for paying bribes of $1.7 million to Columbian paramilitaries that are designated as terrorists by the U.S. government and responsible for thousands of deaths. I guess you have to be an al Qaeda guy to really be a terrorist. Chiquita did pay a $25 million fine and promised to adopt a large-scale integrity program. I did not know that integrity had scales. I have to stop thinking in absolutes.
*Faith in the faith-based administration - Last week the Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, testifying under oath at a Senate hearing, claimed the new expansive FISA legislation passed by Congress in August (Protect America Act) had helped to thwart an alleged terror plot in Germany. A government official later told the NY Times that McConnell was wrong, and that the intelligence had been collected under the old FISA law which required warrants. McConnell then issued a statement saying, “…information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act.”
*Thou Shall Not Lie. Excerpt from the Ten Commandments
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