Just a Thought: A Stagnant Truth.

How far does loyalty and American Patriotism take you when a young, supposedly heterosexual soldier is ordered to rape (FUCK) anally abuse teenage boys?  Forget whether the acts were performed in front of family members, or not. It’s the very act that matters.

Just following orders! (?) Foul, evil, conniving, self-righteous.  Humans enjoy nothing more than the act of harming other humans

Does it take this sick behavior to finally stop you in your tracks to say, “this, my entire way of life, has been a vast red-white-blue lie.”?  Does it?  Even a little bit? No wonder more and more of our soldiers and hurting. There are secrets to keep, they bought into the lie, too.

Yes, by all means, let’s offer a free ride and safe passage to George Bush and Dick Cheney, but do everything possible to draw-and-quarter the likes of Edward Snowden for drawing attention to their crimes, and others.

All humans are truly pathetic, dangerous creatures. We’d rather harm others who suffered as we have, than to banish that suffering and those who ordered it in the first place.

I am sick.

*

Just a Thought: Revenge

More later.
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'Internet Slowdown' is Coming

This goes down tomorrow. You are hereby warned.

Top websites partaking in September 10 day of action in support of net neutrality. From Common Dreams:

Calling attention to the widespread disruption that will occur if Internet 'fast lanes' become the norm for wealthy websites, grassroots groups have organized a widespread Internet Slowdown Day on Wednesday to voice their support for net neutrality. 

A number of the Internet's largest companies including Etsy, Kickstarter, Mozilla, reddit, Foursquare, Vimeo, and Wordpress have announced that they will also join in the September 10th action by displaying an alert with a symbolic "spinning wheel of death" loading symbol and pushing individuals to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress and the White House.
"As that wheel spins, the rules about how the Internet works are being redrawn," Amy Goodman wrote this week.
As Goodman explains, large Internet service providers, or ISPs— such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T and Verizon— are "trying to change the rules that govern your online life," by creating a two-tiered Internet where certain content providers will pay to get preferred access on an Internet "fast lane."
Current FCC chairman Tom Wheeler is currently weighing a new classification for the Internet that could be a "huge boon" for big cable companies, according to protest organizers Fight for the Future. Those participating are calling on Wheeler and the federal government to protect Internet democracy and reclassify the web as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, which will mandate that ISPs deliver all content at equal speeds.
The FCC is expected to issue a final rule as soon as the end of the year.

Feel free to pass this on, or at least the above link to the original story at Common Dreams.

And so it goes.
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BP May Be Fined Up to $18 Billion for Spill in Gulf

Hot on the heels of the announced Halliburton settlement comes this, making me think that there is still more covered up.  From the New York Times:

NEW ORLEANS — In the four years since the blowout on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has spent more than $28 billion on damage claims and cleanup costs, pleaded guilty to criminal charges and emerged a shrunken giant.
But through it all, the company has maintained that it was not chiefly responsible for the accident, and that its contractors in the operation, Halliburton and Transocean, should shoulder as much, if not more, of the blame.
On Thursday, a federal judge here for the first time bluntly rejected those arguments, finding that BP was indeed the primary culprit and that only it had acted with “conscious disregard of known risks.” He added that BP’s “conduct was reckless.”
By finding that BP was, in legal parlance, grossly negligent in the disaster, and not merely negligent, United States District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier opened the possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for BP, nearly quadruple the maximum Clean Water Act penalty for simple negligence and far more than the $3.5 billion the company has set aside.

The rest of the piece is HERE.

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Training

You're never too young to learn to live

in a Police State.

More later.
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Lawsuit Against Bush Administration Moves Forward

Wow!  Just, WOW! I’ve heard rumors about this story for a while, but this is

the first I’ve seen it in print and that it appears to be of substance.  I can only say - “IF ONLY” this were to come to pass, at least some vindication for others around the globe who’ve been discussing these events and dates for years. The story:

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice, who is defending the six Bush Administration officials, responded to the lawsuit by requesting that the case be dismissed. The Bush tribe is claiming that the planning of the war occurred within the scope of their employment and therefore they have immunity.
Rather than dismissing the case, the Judge asked for additional information. So Mr. Comar filed a 2nd amended complaint back in June. The amended complaint provides more details about the planning of the Iraq war and when it started.
Comar essentially made two points to the court.
The first argument he made was something called judicial estoppel. It prevents a party from taking a position in a case which is contrary to a position they have taken in earlier legal proceedings. In this case, Comar used the Nuremburg Trials as an example.
The Nuremburg Trials, which the United States views as legitimate, held Nazi leaders accountable for their acts of aggression. Comar held that judicial estoppel dictates the Bush Administration and DOJ can’t argue that leaders aren’t accountable for acts of aggression because it runs contrary to the US’s position at Nuremburg.
The second point that was made referred to the Augusto Pinochet trial. In 1999, British Lawyers determined that Pinochet did not have immunity for certain acts he committed while in office such as torture and other violations of international law. These Brits held that Pinochet was not immune because Chile had signed the convention against torture.
Comar’s evidence, shows the Bush/Cheney team started planning the invasion of Iraq as far back as 1997. The amended complaint also explains that the war was motivated by personal enrichment and the war was a “crime of aggression.” and - In light of the treaties and charters that the United States has signed, Comar stated that the defence can’t now claim that acts of aggression are above a leader’s authority. In this case, the Bush Administration.

Read the rest HERE.

Could there finally be justice done in this case? Or, will whoever is president when the case is decided pardon the lot of them.

So far, this story has been successfully swept under the collective media’s rug. Let’s see what happens from here.

No pictures of the vermin until they're in Orange Jumpsuits, sitting in the dock at the Hague.

And so it goes.

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Exxon - Mobil Will Comply

No hissy fits, so far.  Hey! it’s big money, you know.

Please note: I’m old.  I remember these things. 

Before the Merger with Exxon, Mobil Oil already had a non-discrimination policy and offered benefits to Lesbian & gay couples/families.  All that disappeared after the merger and seems to have been forgotten. I haven’t purchased their products since well before the merger, and still won’t.

So, this is good news on so many levels, especially after 15 long years of rejection by the shareholders and corporate heads. 

From the AP:
IRVING, Texas — Exxon Mobil Corp. has said it will comply with the new protections for gay and transgender employees required of federal contractors, while still sidestepping the question of whether it will formalize that by changing the language of its corporate policy.
Following President Barack Obama's signing of an executive order Monday expanding protections for federal workers and contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the Labor Department has 90 days to issue regulations for how employers must comply.
Exxon, which according to government records won more than $480 million in federal contracts in 2013 and more than $8 billion since 2006, has long resisted pressure from civil rights groups and shareholders to enumerate such protections in its formal policy.
The world's biggest oil and gas company by market value will continue to "abide by the law," spokesman Alan Jeffers said Tuesday.
He wouldn't say if that meant changing the language in the company's formal equal employment opportunity policy, but stressed that Exxon prohibits "discrimination on any basis."

The rest is HERE.

I'm not sure if the originally covered Mobil employees were grandfathered in to the new company and were allowed to keep their benefits, or if they became instant second class citizens. Haven’t been able to track that one down, yet.

Yes, corporations are people.  Keep saying that over and over.

And so it goes.

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Bye Archie. Ya Done Good.

It is very strange - a world without Archie - but the way he's going out is totally in character.  With dignity, courage, and class.

And so it goes.
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Here's to Indiana and Utah!

As if this wasn't enough.  This smack-down just in...

History is being made almost daily.  They’re coming at us fast and furious.  No pun intended. Two in one day.  Truly a “twofer” as it were.

Congratulations to all.

More later.

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Pet Shop Boys Call For Mass Pardons

Pet Shop Boys To Call For Pardons For Thousands Of Men Convicted Of

Homosexual Acts

From the Independent:
BRITAIN: Pet Shop Boys are to use a new orchestral work about the computer pioneer Alan Turing to call for the “tens of thousands of men” imprisoned or fined for committing homosexual acts to be pardoned.
A Man From the Future, created by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, will premiere at the Proms on July 23 .
The Pardon, the last song, references the posthumous pardon granted to Turing, who was prosecuted for gross indecency and chemically castrated in 1952. Tennant and Lowe will urge the government to pardon others convicted before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967.
“So very many lives were ruined over such a long period,” said Tennant. “Frankly it rather disappoints me that Stonewall [the gay rights group] has not done more. So we’re making the statement ourselves.”

The rest is behind a pay wall.

(Alan Turing, code-breaker and father of the computer, was finally pardoned posthumously last December, 2013.)

And so it goes.

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Historic Presidential Proclamation

Since June is officially Pride Month, I’ve saved this for today. 

Never thought this could be a reality in my lifetime. I thought marriage equality was surprise enough, but this?  I’m happy that I’ve lived to see it happen.

30 May, 2014

"As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

"Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

"My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT

rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

"Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending

the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

"This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too. 

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people. 

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth." - Barack Obama.

Proud of the years I spent with the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. They had no money and little support from closeted well-to-do gays. We were angry, scared, pissed, had guts, and more than a few dreams. The image below is that of my friend Craig Rodwell, standing outside of his book store, The Oscar Wilde Booke Shop on Christopher Street, 1969.

And so it goes.

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Another BP Deepwater Appeal Rejected.

That’s it,  Appeal, stall, and appeal. Blather, wince and repeat. Do anything and everything except what you're obligated to do, and promised to do. For the past FOUR YEARS! 

From the BBC:

Oil giant BP has suffered a setback in its attempt to limit payouts over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill.
A US court has refused to reconsider its decision that firms do not have to prove they were directly harmed by the oil spill to get settlement payouts.
It means the compensation claims process, which has been suspended since a separate court ruling in December, should now be able to resume.
BP said it was "disappointed" by the decision and mulling its legal options.
It had argued at an earlier court hearing that some firms had filed fictitious spill claims.
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans voted 8-5 against BP.
Legal battleThe court hearing was the latest in a long series held to determine who BP owes money to following the largest oil spill in US history.
The oil giant will now have to decide whether to progress to the next legal stage, and take its case to the US Supreme Court.
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig four years ago killed 11 workers, and pumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
In the latest ruling, Judge Leslie Southwick stated that a 2012 policy statement, issued by the court-appointed claims administrator and developed with "input and assent from BP," clearly spelled out the criteria for business compensation claims.
Mr Southwick said all parties agreed to the relevant criteria, before court approval of that 2012 settlement deal.

Foot-dragging and appeals hoping it will all go away. Just do the right thing and move on, will ya! Jeez.

And so it goes.

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Congratulations, Oregon!

"Oregon recognizes a marriage of love with the same equal eye that it recognizes a marriage of convenience. It affords the same set of rights and privileges to Tristan and Isolde that it affords to a Hollywood celebrity waking up in Las Vegas with a blurry memory and a ringed finger. It does not, however, afford these very same rights to gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry within the confines of our geographic borders." - US District CourtJudge Michael McShane, in just one of many memorable lines in today's ruling that overturned Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage.

Here's to another round of exploding wing-nut heads. May there be many more to come.

h/t: JMG

More later.
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Michael & Vito

Since this photo - and related video was released the so-called media hounds have been apoplectic in their attempts to identify the smaller white guy wrapped in Michael’s arms sucking face.

Well, his name is Vito Cammisano, who was on the swim team - and OUT athlete - at the same university as Michael.  I think they make a handsome couple.  I don’t care what the homophobic sports jocks think.

As you may know, I am not a fan of American (grunt) Football.  I prefer soccer, for obvious reasons. That's another story. But, I do have one major concern, however. And that is accidents (or otherwise major injuries) to Michael on the playing field.  Call me paranoid, but I don’t trust the locker room mentality of these guys, most of whom cannot write an intelligent sentence or speak in words of more than 2 syllables. If you get my drift.

Still, I think they make a great couple and wish them both well.

More later.

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Black Veil & a Feather Boa

My Kindle Fire died Saturday evening for no apparent reason.  Maybe just old age, or perhaps planned obsolescence.  No matter, it's toast. I had recently downloaded a few books to hold me over when I receive  transfusions. And now?  "Poof"  All gone.  Bother!

I am in mourning. It was a gift less then 2 years old, and included a 2-year extended replacement warrantee, which means I can get a new one.  Which means I also have to wait…maybe.

So, I collected the necessary papers yesterday and took my sweet self the Staples technical desk to find out what to do next. They couldn't have been nicer. Claims aren't processed locally, nor do they provide a new product, but give a URL address to their  "square deal" site.  Couldn't have been easier.  Hopped on the site, input requested data, then spoke to a REAL, LIFE, BREATHING human being.

Tony!  He asked the usual inane questions: did you try another electrical outlet?, a different charger?, was the item dropped or have any visual damage? When I explained that the Kindle and the charger got very hot during that final attempt to charge the thing, he quickly said that it was likely a problem with the innards of the Kindle itself, and no fault of my own. Well, thanks for that vote of confidence! 

Tony gave me a "return authorization" number then sent an email with instructions for returning the item.  Smooth. Took everything to the UPS store this morning, packed up the Kindle with copies of all the paperwork, JIC, and sent it on to never-land, somewhere in eastern Texas… oh my!

Meanwhile, I am lost without reading material to help pass the time while resting in bed during the day or spending a day at the Center receiving blood. 

Isn't it funny how quickly we become addicted to certain technology.  Withdrawal, as you probably already know, is a bitch! In the old days, I would have just grabbed a real book and been done.  That ship has sailed.

It's very sad, really. They do not repair these things anymore.   I do hope they recycle the innards and don't just chuck it all in landfills. 

Had to run a quick errand in town before coming home. I noticed there were open parking spots near Dos Locos, so decided to show my smiling face and welcome the locosguys home - they just returned from their 3 weeks in Mexico. It was great fun. The restaurant was busy, but (thankfully) no kids. I got to remove the mask, relax, and enjoy the company of friends. 

Two staffers are real geeks (who usually agree on nothing), after hearing my Kindle tale of woe, suggested I had just hit the mother lode. No more Kindles, they said.  Get a REAL Android Tablet, they said. Improved technology has lowered prices and I can purchase something thrice as fast and reliable for the same price as 2 years ago.  But I need something small and light - nothing big and flashy, if you get my drift.  The arthritis and cramping in the hands make manipulating anything large (or too small) out of the question. 

They agreed on either the Samsung Tab - 3, or the Google Nexus 7. Both come close in price to the presumed refund and both are only 7" tall. I have homework to do before I buy either one. 

If any of you geeks reading this want to weigh in on the new tablet, please leave a comment.  I'd appreciate any and all information you're willing to offer.

Limited: Tony told me that the certificate would be valid only if used at the store, not online.  So that puts many limits on my choices. If up to it,  I'll drop by the store again tomorrow to see what I can discover - maybe there's even a sales associate who knows what they're talking about willing to answer my questions.

Just as an aside, here:  Watched part of Palin's speech at CPAC yesterday and it suddenly occurred to me that the only beings able to follow along and make any sense her word-salad rhetoric are the paste-eating mouth-breathers with the IQ just a tick above a Rubber plant. What a festering bile-wagon that crazy woman is from head to toe.

Never mind…where was I?  

And so it goes.

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She Did the Right Thing - For Once!

The Harpy milked this controversy for all it was worth, for as long as possible. Finally did the right thing.

Heads exploding everywhere.  Snoopy Happy Dance here.

Indeed.  Now I can plan a visit to Dr. Spo, Someone, and Harper (not Harpy, that's Brewer) in Phoenix.  Not that one was in the stars, mind you, but it's grand to have the option once more.

Found these two quotes online this morning @ JMG and thought I'd post them too.  One of these papers is owned by Rupert Murdoch...can you guess which one?

It's all in how you look at it, isn't it.

h/t JMG

More later.

* 

Reading, Reviews, and the Ridiculous.

I'm sure I mentioned a fascinating book I read last month: "Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin; Madness, Vengeance, and the Campaign of 1912 - by Gerard Helferich.  I read the Kindle edition.  This is not a review of the book, itself.

Reading it took longer than expected, what with all the medical mishugas, drugs, transfusions dogging my everyday activities, but I finally finished it.  It was great, but I felt that I had missed (or forgotten over time) some of the historical data, and subtle nuances of the story taken from the historic documents.

So, I read it again.  I always get more out of a second reading, anyway, but this one proved amazingly well researched and written. This reading went faster. Fortunately, I bought this book, so it's safe in the 'cloud' whenever I want to revisit it. I love saving books this way. Though I only save a few faves that I know I'll want to check in on from time to time.

I've since downloaded and tried reading a few other books, modern sci-fi mostly, but I've deleted them after a few chapters. Bad writing, awful plots, silly language, dull characters, rehashed story-lines from previous writers, you name it they had it.  Is this what it's like when you get old and have read all the good stuff?

Anyway, as I was hunting for new reading material I decided to check out a few reviews of the Roosevelt book. Most agreed with my assessment, even offering more reasons why I should read it once again. Then, I came upon a wonderful little review comparing the book cover and a poster of a so-called celebrity and I was blown away.  

I laughed so hard there were tears in my eyes. Someone actually made the comparison between Roosevelt's situation in 1912, his response, and commitment, to this whiny-ass hip-hop dude in 2013.  It reminded me of the comment I read by Kanye West that he "is tougher than any soldier." More than anything, he believes his own lyrics, but most of all, his own hype. 

Here are the images, side-by-side.  Priceless.

If you are only slightly interested in American History and America's Politics you will enjoy this book.

And so it goes.
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Palin, Christie-the-Hutt vs. Real News

These fabulous pics of Sarah Palin's new pumps clearly show that at least someone is supporting hot-damn-stripper.com. Does my heart good.  Flag desecration, anyone?

Christie-the-Hutt (no pics) needs a leitmotif and, in typical Jersey fashion, a pair of cement shoes. The bizarre scandal is everywhere - all the time.  Like The Blob! Even the political cartoons runneth over with the hungry hippo's antics, or supposed antics. The Corpus Christie BS never ends. So happy I don't have TV service at this time.  

Now the brouhaha is all about DirecTV dumping the Weather Channel in some kind of contract dispute.  Well I say, bye-bye Jim Cantore and his macho self bravely stupidly standing up to gale-force winds of hurricanes and the like. Sometimes I wish he would just blow away.  Now that's a tape I would purchase!!

At least I can find real news at the BBC and the Guardian about, you know, what's really happening in the world. Nigeria, Sudan, West Virginia, and like that. (Did you hear what happened in West Virginia?  Apparently not many folks did.)  The coverage includes well produced video with intelligent reporting - things in short supply here in the US media.

In local news, yet another letter received this day from the SSA totally debunking the information in the letter posted earlier from the DE Health and Social Services office.  I knew it would, eventually. The SSA remains true to form in contradicting their own statements, as well as discrepancies in their intelligence.  (And I use that term very loosely.) It has been so since I first signed up in June, 2011. 

I'm not going to fret and am too tired to fight with these entities. Takes more energy out of me than I can spare. If only I could return to work - even a few days a week - it would appear a better future all round.  But, it is what it is.

A large envelope containing details of the "prescription assist plan" (received yesterday) arrived and I find that the primary outlet drugstore is Rite-Aid.  Seems like a fairly good plan, but what do I know? I am not familiar with their stores or policies. I'll check it out tomorrow.  There was also a $20.00 check - reimbursement for the dead smartphone.  That was fast.   I'll try not to spend it in one place, OK?

All kidding aside, the difference between the smartphone and the iPhone is like night and day. Maybe because the LG was dying a slow death, and I didn't notice the gradual decline in the voice signals, but the reception on the iPhone is outstanding, voices clearer, with faster send/receive times.  I may be imagining all this, but it seems true.

All that said, I have a Nikon D-70 Digital SLR like-new, with extra lenses, accessories and camera bag for anyone who wants it.  It's a great camera - one of Nikon's best digitals.  Just let me know, and all is yours. Spread the word. No strings attached.

And so it goes.

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All The Stupid News That Fits.

See what happens when I'm out of circulation, being transfused for 7 hours, and suffering information  withdrawal.

The Australian & New Zealand researchers stranded on a ship locked in Antarctic ice get rescued after 9 day ordeal. (Whew! Imagine getting locked in ice - in Antarctica, of all places.)

Walmart has been selling donkey meat to China until fox meat was discovered in the mix today. (Eeeww! Wait. What? Never mind, I don't want to know how this was determined.)

73% of American households use at least 1 credit card with 39% carrying a balance month to month. The French and Germans spend less than$300.00 annually on credit cards. 81% of South Koreans pay off their balance each month.  (No wonder banks have Americans by the gonads. I must be South Korean.  Who knew?)

God told Pat Robertson that 2014 will be disaster except for Republicans. (God also told old Pat that Romney would be a 2-term President.)

Suddenly, there is a major push to bring back telephone land lines. (Somebody woke up. I've been saying this for years. Not to be confused with the bundled services which more often than not use fiber optics cables which also depend on electricity to function.)

Angela Lansbury is now a Dame of the British Empire. (She's always been a dame to me…Auntie Dame. Oh, sorry. That was too easy. I couldn't help myself.)

Faux News f**ked up their "All-American New Year's Eve" coverage asking a very drunk Floridian about the new year. (Oh, I can say it, "they fucked up." They wanted "All American" and they got it.  Yes, by all means, keep your kiddies away from Cooper and Griffin, but let them stay up to watch some drunk broad say "fuck this shit up" live on the "family" network.  What class.  What nonsense.)

Someone tries to OUT a popular football player.  (Same old, same old. Thing is, the old super athlete homophobia just ain't there no more. Yes, some things do change.)

Evidently there's a huge storm heading this way and no one is prepared. (Grocery shelves are plundered while folks eye the sky and wring their hands. It's January - and it's snow.  So far, we have been lucky here. Snow happens in January  people, get over it.)

One headline screamed, "Americans Have Very Little Faith in Government!" (Why is this a surprise?  The government has had very little faith in Americans for a very long time. See the NSA for details.)

The NSA is being sued by the ACLU to force the government to disclose details of its surveillance programs. (Hahahaha! Good luck with that one.)

Fiat deal takes over all of Chrysler Motors.  (Fiat? Couldn't be worse than Chrysler going belly-up on its own. Now they can go down together. And I still have that bridge to sell.)

Brittany Spears accused of fake singing and fake abs in her new Las Vegas act. {crickets}  (Well, colour me surprised. Who'da thunk it.)

Major credit card companies - worldwide - are raising interest rates.  (BoA and Citibank release the flying monkeys. Well, raise my rent!  Can you believe that? I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you.)

Newspapers calling for clemency for whistleblower, Edward Snowden.  (As if things aren't bad enough for the administration and the NSA already. If clemency were granted, at least it would allow for the illusion of privacy in this country, but fret not, they won't do it.)

Film at elev……oh, forget it!

With tongue planted firmly in cheek: I can't believe I almost missed all this important news. From now on I have to schedule medical procedures around a slow news day.

And so it goes.

*

Nelson Mandela - R. I. P.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

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