Over---------> There Now

I have relocated to Wordpress, as that software has better collaborative features and functionality. We tried Blogger collaboratively, but it was frustrating, and I gots to keep the peeples happy.

Also, we've got a couple of friends: Fuck You Asshole, Dailyjoke.

I know, it's just so much more cyber pollution, but it's my pollution.

They're Rich! I tell you, rich!

The personal wealth of elected and non-elected, Senate, Congressional, and Executive government officials is on display. 

There is no way to know how exact it is. A few (Cheney) probably have favors they can call up when they exit public life. Nothing like getting rewarded shares or options for a job well done.

I had no idea Jane Harman was the wealthiest person in Congress. How did that happen? I don't mean to imply her wealth is illicitly gained. Just ignorant of the source of it.



***UPDATE*** Her husband is the founder of Harman Kardon. Ah.

***UPDATE*** From 1996
14. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif)

"* $15 million Wife of Sidney Harman, founder of Fortune 500
electronics company, Harman International Industries, which
manufactures high-end stereo equipment; her common stock in
the company worth well over $1 million; has other holdings
in various stocks, Treasury bills, real estate partnerships,
and four separate trusts; disclosure form shows net worth of
at least $7 million."

Wow, you've come a long way bay-bay!

*** MORE***
"Like Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Harman (born 1945) gained her wealth by marriage (husband Sidney, born 1918). While at the Carter White House, she met the deputy secretary of commerce, Sidney Harman.The two [met during the Carter White House years, and] married in 1980."

Fucktard in Chief

Lacking in ideas, and any real support from the people, and keeping a retinue of wankers as cohorts who are only interested in getting what they can for themselves (and raping the wealth of Americans in the process), the Fucktard in Chief holds a press conference and critiques the fashions of reporters assembled in a news conference.

It appears that smug fuck hannity doesn't carry much weight

Since this brave man won the Nobel Peace Prize, the 'nominees' that often appear on the Fux network apparently got shut out.

They was robbed!

LOL.

I Do Loves a Mystery

On skid row in downtown LA, bums have been coming up to people and offering old coins for a just few dollars of currency.

They include silver dollars dated 1796 and 1799, as well as others dated from the Civil War era and early 20th century.

For $20 each, the men were offering 24 silver dollars from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries — some bearing dates that would make them nearly as old as Los Angeles itself.

Where could they be from? Since some coins were still in protective sleeves, they are most probably from a robbery where the loot was either dropped by the perps, or a bum/wino came across the stash.

The big question: Are they real?

Other experts said they have seen counterfeit versions of the rarest silver dollar — the one produced in 1794. An authentic dollar coin from that year can go for $100,000 or more, so experts say it would be remarkable if a genuine coin made its way to skid row.

Apparently.

This Could Have Been Prevented

I find this story sad in so many ways.

I bring the full force of my rage down on the heads of our elected officials, who seem to think locking non-violent criminals up, while with the other hand waving violent predators with records back out on the street, is what we want. But then since they always seem to keep their jobs, they probably take that to mean we voters like the job they are doing.

Nuts.

The perp, who had a at least one previous incident, of pointing a loaded semi-auto hand gun at an officer of the law, was out on parole for that crime. WTF!?! Anyone who uses a gun in a threatening way is just as dangerous as one who pulls the trigger; it's just a matter of time before he does.

The Wonders of Blog

For long time readers of LA Times and other LA papers, some of the names mentioned in this joyful romp of repudiation ("ENRAGED MISANTHROPIA") of someone else's recent column about blogging warms the cockles of my heart. Or maybe the sub-cockles.

Wondering... Ruminating

Just some things that have been on my mind recently.

Where does the money collected from class action lawsuits go? o the consumers? To the government (on there- heh- behalf)? To the lawyers (on top of their 33% fee)?


If there is truly a separation of church and state, why are we funding churches with public money?

And if there should be no separation of church and state, then should not all churches also pay taxes?

Absolutely. Many churches are run just like businesses these days, for profit and benefit of the leaders. Employees do not get benefit of legal protection they do in the public sector.

This should change.

OK, where do we start?

I don't care for U2

So I find this joke is particularly funny.

Bono is at a U2 concert in Glasgow when he asks the audience for some quiet. Then in the silence, he starts to slowly clap his hands.
He says into the microphone... "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies."

A voice from near the front pierces the silence... "Well, stop fucking clapping then."

The globe at night

Click on the image below to get a large version of a photograph taken of this planet in the dark.

This is pretty cool. The image burned into my memory, as I'm sure your too, is of the blue planet. But then most scientists are day people, night after dark carousers.

I suppose some intergalactic space hot rodder might crash into us if he came from a direction that didn't light us up by the sun.

Something to hope for then.

Mark your calendars too

The fall Brewery Art Walk (downtown LA) may have recently become a bit of a flea market for people hawking cheap jewelry and food, but chances are there wil be some of the more interesting lofts open for inspection.

Some great work spaces and it's fun to explore some very interesting uses of really old industrial buildings.

11AM-6PM October 7 and 8.

Mark your calendars

The Best of France and Italy is on people.

I've owned a Citroen DS21, and still ride a Vespa.
I really love seeing the old Italian bikes: Guzzi, Ducati Moto Morini (never officially imported here) even a Munch Mamoet once, and cars like Alfa Giulias, Talbot, Panhard, as well as the usual xpensive exotica. But give me a 2CV anytime!

Attended a few times over the last couple of years, and there is always a good turn out. Fun to gawk @ the amazing condition some of these cars are kept in.

Sunday, November 5, 2006 - 9am to 4pm

Heh

if you want to transmit video from yer ipod to yer teevee, instead of buying Apples pricey cable, buy a $3 one from Radio shack (or your camcorder cable if it's the right type).

All Apple did was switch the colors around. !

Heh.

Asshole worthy?

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/mac/2005/11/18/video-ipod.html

WTF is it?

In Russia the corpse of some strange animal- believed not to be an alligator, tho the resemblance is trong- has turned up. This site has the pics, and an email address in case you know what it is, you can tell them.

And the Biggest Pussy o' the Week Award Goes to...

Troy Lee Gentry

When it comes to music my taste is pretty broad (i.e. EBC). So obviously I've never heard of this asshole. But since there are assholes like him in the justice system he'll likely get off the hook with no more than a fine. If he wants to so desperately prove his manhood, why not go and fight in Iraq?

I thought not.

And what of these jackasses that provide this 'service' for assholes like Gentry? This Abu Ghraib for animals is such a sick pathetic episode of Assholes in America that they deserve a statuette too.

Let's hope there is justce for them all some day (I'll take the zen path before my blood pressure pops the thermometer). ALF, r u lissening?

They call me Mr. Intensity

I sit behind three plexiglass panels that make up this three sided cube (minus the top and bottom). I sit here and compose email, browse other blogs, and wait for some task to come my way and keep me busy. Getting paid for this isn't something I will complain about. Not here. It's better on the whole than driving a truck, though that made me feel more useful.

But I'm not all about being used anymore (by the system). The clocks ticking- I just passed seven squared on the timeline and the more time to meself the better. I'll do something wrthwhile someday, I hope

But my furrowed brow and seeming look of intense interest on my face lead my coworkers to believe I'm hard at work. Even though the blokes I am teamed with know better (they're browsing eBay and the like).

This is what America feels like to me.

America is all about looking good and acting bad. Or is it good looking and bad acting? I'm so confused.

Post Anonymously

Now with this blog you can post anonymously. Yeah! No longer need to open an account. As you can tell from the vast silence out there in comment land, this is an attempt to solicit your input (hehe).

Okay, carry on!

Answers, I want answers

My PC is a Sony RC110G. Media Center XP. When I burn discs- admittedly the cheapest- I have a failure ratio of 4:1 (good:bad)

 

I've disabled all of the wonky DRM Scheisse (I knew this when I bought a Sony). But such a high number of bad dvd? And CD too, come toio think of it (again these would be Fry's Famous GQ crap I know but they work most of the time).

 

So I bought a pack of 50 Sony discs (each of + & -) (half price at BestBuy) and wouldn't you know it: first one is DOA. The second was okay tho. But I'm looking at a stack of ~25 that I've got assembled in front of me of rejects stacked under my 19" lcd. WTF?

 

A quik google on groups can't find much about this. Have I got a faulty writer? But it's not that old, and most of the time I get a successful burn. I'm thinking of putting my 4X TDK in here just to say FU to the Sony.

 

What say you?

Le Tour

It's summer, thank Ged, and my interests turn to outdoor activities like the beach, motorcycling, and Le Tour.

 

Unfortunately for me, I live in America. Coverage of Le Tour here is poor, non-extant. This is a tradition. Back in da day, when the feats of Greg Lemond were unjustly ignored, and the web didn't even exist, I survived on next day newspaper accounts and, months later, columns in bicycling periodicals, and years later, the books. Not exactly timely. But I am still an avid cyclist, but even more so then (I averaged 100 miles a week one summer of road riding). But I dearly love being on two wheels, and Le Tour epitomizes all that is wonderful about single track.

 

The last six years have been dullsville, daddy-o. We have had the insufferable Lance Armstrong, who accomplished the impossible: made Le Tour boring.

 

Easy wins, the kinds most Americans like, such as the slam dunk in Iraq, make for boring spectacles. I mean, why bother? Whether we're talking about racing cars around a track, or running a marathon, the focus of all merkin sports televisors has been on the leaders. Ignoring the rich tapestry of human drama that occurs back there, (the distaste of being associate with "back markers" perhaps). When the coverage is only focused on the leaders, and the brave competitors in the back- yah, those guys, the also-rans, who can reveal quite a bit about competitive spirit. Each one is going through his/her own private hell climbing, the Alps or the Pyrenees, only to be ignored.

 

'Losers,' is what we call them here. Ah, you gotta love that merkin mentality.

 

(I understand there is a network, OLN, which has been covering Le Tour. Unfortunately, my cable provider- and I'm not going to get started harping on that old chestnut- doesn't even offer it. While we're at it, the Speed channel would be nice too, EXCEPT for those fucking NASCAR pussies. Keep Bubba's klan and his ass crack out of my living room, TYVM.).

 

Now that we have a new field of competitors, some good ones too, the excitement is back. I'm downloading t0rrents from blighty that are a few days later, but thankful I am that I can enjoy it so close to the actual event. Plus, there's no coverage here to spoil the ending for me. I'm happy in my little vacuum, I am.

 

Networkwise, all we get is puny coverage by CBS, with a doofus host searching for good food metaphors to enrapture his audience (apparently the cycling action isn't enough). Giving time away from the track to listen about doping allegations and getting stock replies to stock question from stock journos isn't going to get anyone not already interested interested. Got that?

 

Lance and that cult of celebrity (and that fucking Cheryl Crow) are gone (good riddance to bad rubbish) and now we have racing, ladies and germs. But since there are no Americans doing well, even the network nightly news fails to mention it. Shame, cos it's way more exciting than, for instance, football (all kinds) and that exhibition sport known as baseball.

 

Meanwhile some voice over sports commentator searches for the perfect sandwich metaphor as he tries to win his own private battle (in his own private Idaho presumably).

 

P.U.

I can't help but comment on last Sunday night's episode of HBO's Entourage.

 

The last few episodes were already suspect. Having guests stars for no purpose other than to have them a la Simpson's (James Woods, how embarrassing for you)... no plot... and to just suddenly end because the timecode says so isn't the way to create entertainment, people.

 

It was a fun show to watch evolve. Very entertaining how they presented the side of the biz the rest of us don't get to see in a fresh way. But now that the pivotal character is successful, the struggle is over, there's no where to take it.   Great planning there folks!

 

A show with sixteen producers, you'd think one of them would have spoken up and say "c'mon guys, they're going to notice. his show needs honest tension. "

 

What's uuuup with the increased screen time for Ari's daughter (two expressions: smile and blank stare) and wife (hot JAP with tude, dude, but you gotta reign it in, keep them wanting more). We don't want to see Ari's domestic strife! < spits > I was getting indigestion as the episode turned into a functional version of the Brady Bunch. Or Father Knows Best. Or Bachelor Father.

 

Sheesh. Never have I seen a show crash and burn so fast, so unexpectedly. Not only has it gotten stale, it's got mould.

 

And what the F is with the introduction of the obnoxious jail bird friend into the mix, what the HELL was on their collective minds? A revisit of Oliver, the kid you bring in to save the franchise? HELLO (fer chrissakes ask your interns): that move does not work. 

 

Too bad they're not so cure when they grow up, methinks.

 

Bleeeergh. Look! Down there! Fonzie! Is that a shark!