Said “monekey” is a prankster who routinely broadcasts stuff like the “Iranian threats” in that region of the world.
The US Navy, and the Bush administration, got Punk’d.
Then again, they are desperate to find a reason to go to war with Iran.
Author: Matthew G. Saroff
The $736 Million 1000 Man Stove on the Euphrates
Yes, after 736 million dollars, the State Department’s Baghdad Embassy is a fire hazard.
In addition, the power plant and electrical has not been tested at all.
No surprise. A ¾ Billion contract handed out to a, “Contractor had never built an embassy and did not realize that under State Department rules it needed approval for substituting certain materials.”
But I’m sure that they have a long history of contributing to the Republican party.
Blackwater Destroys Physical Evidencem
Here’s a surprise, after flipping out and indiscriminately spraying civilians with bullets, the Blackwater mercenaries security contractorspatched and repainted their trucks almost immediately.
The repairs essentially destroyed evidence that Justice Department investigators hoped to examine in a criminal case that has drawn worldwide attention. The Sept. 16 shooting has strained U.S. relations with the Iraqi government, which wants Blackwater expelled from the country. It also has become a flash point in the debate over whether contractors are immune from legal consequences for their actions in a war zone.
They knew that there was going to be an investigation, and they knew that the physical evidence was important, and they still destroyed it.
This is a slam dunk for obstruction of justice.
Regardless of your position on mercenaries private security contractors, it’s clear that Blackwater conducts their business in such a way that they should be shut down.
Of course, unlike the scariest bitch you’d ever want to meet, Martha Stewart, the management of the firm is Republican, so there will probably be no legal repurcussions.
Best Advertisement for a Self-Cleaning Toilet Ever
CPAP Update
My first night at home with the CPAP went fairly well.
This is the 3rd time that I’ve tried this, the first two times were at sleep centers.
The first time was a disaster, with me feeling like I was choking as I drifted off to sleep, and the second time, I think that I had a less ham-handed tech running things, so it went fairly well.
The CPAP did wake me up a couple of times, but I think that it’s just a matter of getting used to it, though I am grateful that this model has a ramp up mode, so when trying to go to sleep, it starts slow, and builds up pressure, in my case 7cm water gauge, which helps me drift off.
My wife didn’t notice any slower, and I was not feeling significantly more refreshed when I woke up than I normally do, but I’m told that this takes time.
I Had His Liver With Some Fava Beans and a Glass of Chianti
Ok, I’m not Hannibal Lechter, though, I just have a snoring and apnea problem, so I’ve got myself a CPAP kit, with mask.
Hell Freezes Over
No global warming, my ass.
Wanker of the Day: Lawrence O’Donnell
If you have a strong stomache, read his his entry in the Huffington Post.
I understand the calls of various people for Edwards to drop out so as to benefit a particular candidate. That’s politics, but the reasons he gives are stupid, and insulting to Barack Obama, John Edwards, and the whole south.
If John Edwards stays in the race, he might, in the end, become nothing other than the Southern white man who stood in the way of the black man. And for that, he would deserve a lifetime of liberal condemnation.
Jane Smiley replied on HuffPo. It’s titled, Shut Up, Larry. Word up, Jane.
Pirate Bay.org Being Hauled into Court Again
Swedish law is fairly lax, and my guess is that they proprietors of the site will win.
They are are being charged with conspiracy to breach copyrights.
Considering the fact that , “seven parliamentarians from the ruling conservative party called in a newspaper opinion article last month for the decriminalization of file sharing.”, and the fact that the Pirate party has more members than the Greens, I’m not surprised that they are relying on public defenders.
This is being driven by the US, and everyone knows it.
Well, That Was Quick
Just this morning, I suggested that Bank of America’s purchase of Countrywide was throwing good money after bad.
It appears that Moody’s Investors Service things the same way, they are considering downgrading B of A.
Barry Ritholtz makes the same point, using Dennis Gartman’s #1 rule of trading:
1. Never, Ever, Ever, Under Any Circumstance, Add to a Losing Position… not ever, not never! Adding to losing positions is trading’s carcinogen; it is trading’s driving while intoxicated. It will lead to ruin
After that initial disastrous buy in at $18-20, BoA is doubling up — at $6 . . .
Maybe I need to change banks.
14%
MBIA, one of the largest bond insurers in the nation, is floating a debt sale. The problem is that no one is buying, so it looks like they will have to pay 14% on the money that they borrow.
This is an AAA rated company, and they need 14%. That’s (low) credit card rates.
Any claims as to the end of the credit crunch are premature.
Giuliani Staffers Go Without Pay
Put a fork in him. He is done.
What the Press Did in New Hampshire
Joe Conason has a good if to my mind too gentle on what happened with the press in New Hampshire:
The angry Clinton haters in the press corps suffer from the same flat learning curve as Wile E. Coyote. They don’t understand why their Acme arsenal never quite does the job, and instead often leaves them with grimy faces and aching heads.
The problem is that these guys behave as if they are a high school clique, and the journalistic community has very little concern about accuracy.
Illegal Aliens Kill Unionization Drive
I found this little tidbit in a story about cutbacks and layoffs in the newspaper industry:
A few years ago, he said, some drivers talked about organizing, but the idea went nowhere. The problem, he went on, is that on the north side, 80 to 90 percent of the drivers are in the United States illegally. I have no idea if that number’s accurate, but I believed him when he said he’s one of them. “When you are illegal in this country you have to be patient,” the English-speaking driver explained. “So I think that is one of the reasons—they need the money, they have no papers to work, that’s why they keep quiet. They know if they complain they will get fired. We think the main Tribune, they don’t know nothing about this.”
Apparently they don’t. Tribune spokesman Michael Dizon e-mailed me that “it is against Chicago Tribune policy to publicly discuss how fees for delivery services are negotiated.” But he added, “Our company does not hire undocumented workers to deliver our newspapers. Tribune Company contracts with independent businesses to deliver products. In turn each independent contractor enters into his or her own contracts with sub-contractors to perform delivery results.”
This is why the US is so schizophrenic on illegal aliens. The powers that be use them to drive down wages and prevent union activities, which they like (and any guest worker program has the same effect), but the average American understands that it’s against the law.
That’s why, when I made some proposals about deterring illegal immigration, they focused on the demand from employers.
TSA Detains 5 Year Old
Good for them. How do you know that this kid wasn’t a a Jihadist with a glandular condition?
Seriously though, this does no one any good:
When his mother went to pick him up and hug him and comfort him during the proceedings, she was told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They also had to frisk her again to make sure the little Dillinger hadn’t passed anything dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him.
Lennar Sellls 11,000 Properties at 40¢ on the Dollar
Tell me that Bloomberg.com: the bubble is bottoming out.
Morgan Stanley real estate bought a stake in 11,000 properties at a 60% discount.
What Markos Says
Kos has a good history of Republican shenanigans in Michigan’s open primary, and suggests that Dems vote for Romney this time around, since the two Dem Choices are Hillary, and no choice.
Under Michigan’s system, you can vote a Republican primary choice for president, and vote Democratic down ticket, where you care about the alternatives on the ballot.
Thailand to Buy Gripen
The Thai cabinet has approved the purchase of 6 of the aircraft.
In the long run, I see the Gripen as being an export success, because it’s the smallest, lightest, and cheapest aircraft of its generation.
Bank of America to Buy Countrywide
Their press release is here.
Bank of America Corporation today announced a definitive agreement to purchase Countrywide Financial Corp. in an all-stock transaction worth approximately $4 billion.
Basically, BoA just bought Countrywide for some magic beans. It’s all funny money, unless, of course, if you are a shareholder, in which case, your stake in BoA is diminished.
Still a losing proposition, I think, particularly since the insolvent Countrywide will place downward pressure on the BoA stock price.
Australia Looking at Procuring Russian Fighters
I think that this is more gamesmanship than anything else. The Australian militaryreally want the F-22, but it has not been cleared for export, so so they claiming that they are evaluating the MiG-29 and the Su-35.
The Australians are not happy about having the buy the F-35 JSF, because it lacks the agility that they want, and because there are serious scheduling and budget issues.
The new defence minister has meanwhile warned that Canberra will not tolerate further delays or an increase in the cost of the F-35.
Additionally, Australia is making noises about canceling its $5.8 billion purchase of 24 F/A-18 E/F “Superhornets” as a part or reevaluating their defense needs.
My assessment is that they are playing chicken in an attempt to get the US Congress to change the law that prevents F-22 exports, though even with that hurdle taken care of, the development costs of an export version looks to be around $1 billion.