Category: Wanker

Lamest Man in Massachusetts New Hampshire

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Scott Brown, of course, who, after losing to Elizabeth Warren, went to work for a law and lobbying firm, got his tits in a bundle with Lawrence Lessig who put out a flyer that criticized Brown as a lobbyist.

The Scott Brown campaign sent a cease and desist letter to Lessig’s campaign finance reform PAC:

Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown has attempted to revive his political career by running for Senate in New Hampshire. But in the final days before his September 9 primary, he’s squaring off against another opponent — Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, who advocates against money in politics. Lessig’s Mayday PAC endorsed Brown’s GOP primary challenger Jim Rubens, and is now sending out a mailer calling Brown a “Washington lobbyist.”

The mailer led to an angry response from the Brown campaign. “This is a flat-out lie. Scott Brown is not nor has he ever been a lobbyist. Ever,” campaign manager Colin Reed wrote, calling on Lessig to “immediately cease and desist with the mailer in question.”

In response, Lessig posted the letter on his blog, and linked to an article from The Hill about Brown joining the Boston office of “Nixon Peabody, a law and lobby firm.” The firm itself said Brown would work on “business and governmental affairs,” including those related to “the financial services industry.” Lessig writes:

Yes, according to the Senate, Scott Brown isn’t a “lobbyist.” But I submit to anyone else in the world, a former Senator joining a “law and lobbying firm” to help with Wall St’s “business and governmental affairs” is to make him a lobbyist. Because to anyone else in the world, when you sell your influence to affect “business and governmental affairs,” you are a lobbyist.

You would think that a man who is a lawyer who has spent much of his life as a public figure would understand just what it means to be a public figure after New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which required actual malice or a reckless disregard for the truth for libel and defamation suits.

Of course, in the process of making this demand, the hapless former Cosmo centerfold has served to generate publicity for the flyer.

See, “Streisand Effect, The”.  (Heh)

Victoria Nuland’s Husband Calls for More War

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Robert Kagan’s latest screed is reactionary, shows no learning curve, and treats brown people as objects, so it was published on the Wall Street Journal editorial page.

Short version is, “Yadda Yadda, Munich, Nazis, appeasement, Neville Chamberlain.”

Normally, I would say, who cares what he thinks, but his wife, Victoria “F%$# the EU” Nuland, is the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, so one might surmise that he has more influence over our foreign policy than your average Wall Street Journal nutjob.

Time for Another Blogger Ethics Panel

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Noted intelligence reporter Ken Dilanian, who has written on intelligence issues for both the LA Times and Associated Press, has been revealed to have pre cleared his stories with the CIA:

A prominent national security reporter for the Los Angeles Times routinely submitted drafts and detailed summaries of his stories to CIA press handlers prior to publication, according to documents obtained by The Intercept.

Email exchanges between CIA public affairs officers and Ken Dilanian, now an Associated Press intelligence reporter who previously covered the CIA for the Times, show that Dilanian enjoyed a closely collaborative relationship with the agency, explicitly promising positive news coverage and sometimes sending the press office entire story drafts for review prior to publication. In at least one instance, the CIA’s reaction appears to have led to significant changes in the story that was eventually published in the Times.

“I’m working on a story about congressional oversight of drone strikes that can present a good opportunity for you guys,” Dilanian wrote in one email to a CIA press officer, explaining that what he intended to report would be “reassuring to the public” about CIA drone strikes. In another, after a series of back-and-forth emails about a pending story on CIA operations in Yemen, he sent a full draft of an unpublished report along with the subject line, “does this look better?” In another, he directly asks the flack: “You wouldn’t put out disinformation on this, would you?”

Dilanian’s emails were included in hundreds of pages of documents that the CIA turned over in response to two FOIA requests seeking records on the agency’s interactions with reporters. They include email exchanges with reporters for the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. In addition to Dilanian’s deferential relationship with the CIA’s press handlers, the documents show that the agency regularly invites journalists to its McLean, Va., headquarters for briefings and other events. Reporters who have addressed the CIA include the Washington Post‘s David Ignatius, the former ombudsmen for the New York Times, NPR, and Washington Post, and Fox News’ Brett Baier, Juan Williams, and Catherine Herridge.

The money quote on this is, “Of course, journalists routinely curry favor with government sources (and others) by falsely suggesting that they intend to amplify the official point of view. But the emails show that Dilanian really meant it.”

Read the rest, but basically, not only did act as a CIA stooge, he uncritically regurgitated CIA lies about things like civilian drone strike casualties.

H/t Gawker.

Least Surprising News of the Day

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Eric Cantor gets is back loaded bribe, because, after fighting financial reform tooth and nail, he will now make millions of dollars at a Wall Street firm:

Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who resigned last month after losing renomination to an underfunded college professor, spent much of his 13-plus years in the U.S. Congress advancing the agenda of Wall Street investment firms. This week, he announced that he will be joining a Wall Street investment bank as its new vice chairman.

Cantor will be joining Moelis & Co., the investment bank said, to “provide strategic counsel to the Firm’s corporate and institutional clients on key issues,” to “play a leading role in client development,” and to “advise clients on strategic matters.” The announcement press release praised Cantor as a “leading voice on the economy and job creation,” who worked in Congress “to lower taxes, eliminate excessive regulation, strengthen small businesses, and encourage entrepreneurship.” The deal reportedly includes a $1.4 million signing bonus and at least a $2 million annual compensation package.

Moelis and Co. will not get a value of $2 million a year from Eric Cantor, but that is not the purpose of their offer to him.

The purpose of their offer to him is to show people who are still in Congress that, if they play nice with the banksters, then when they retire, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, they will be set for life.

It’s the proverbial offer they cannot refuse.

Andrew Cuomo is Terrified Right Now

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First the New York Times declines to endorse the in the Democratic primary (they pretty much said that they would endorse Zephyr Teachout if she had a chance of winning), and then they endorse Teachout’s running mate, Timothy Wu for Lieutenant Government.

This makes things complex:

The conventional wisdom is that Teachout cannot win, but she can pose problems, both for Cuomo’s perception as an all-powerful and invulnerable politician and for the havoc her running mate, Columbia law professor Tim Wu, could cause if he defeats Cuomo’s handpicked running mate, Erie County’s Kathy Hochul.

 A Wu victory resulting in a Cuomo-Wu ticket in November would block Cuomo from counting votes won in the general election on several other ballot lines where the incumbent and Hochul already are on the line, such as the Working Families Party.

It’s still about as likely that Andrew Cuomo would lose the general as it is that he would lose the primary, which is to say about as likely as the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell.

There is actually a report that Cuomo may dump his running mate, Kathy Hochul. (Warning it is a New York Post link.)

BTW, if there is anyone who deserves to lose the next primary in New York State than Andrew Cuomo, it is Kathy Hochul:

There is a race for lieutenant-governor in which Tim Wu, the champion of net neutrality, is running against Cuomo’s handpicked candidate, a true Blue Dog horror named Kathy Hochul, a former congresscritter whose last days in Washington were highlighted by her staying around the Capitol to vote in favor of a move by the lunatic Darrell Issa to cite Eric Holder for contempt in the Fast And Furious mini-non-scandal.

And from the Times endorsement:

……… boasted repeatedly that she had voted many times against “Obamacare.”(H)er willingness to shift politically does not suggest she would offer any kind of independent judgment. Nor does her record give any real clue about what would happen if she took over as governor.”

She also had a 100% rating from the NRA while she was in Congress.

Andrew Cuomo chose her for one reason: as a gigantic f%$# you to the states liberals.

The state’s liberals should return the gesture.

The Stupid, It Burns Us!!!!!

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Rather unsurprising, the source of the stupid is the ultimate neocon legacy hire, William Kristol:

Bill Kristol wants to bomb first and figure it out later. News at ten.

During a Monday interview with Laura Ingraham on the ongoing situation in Iraq, the Weekly Standard founder discussed his desire to forgo national debates and simply bomb ISIS forces immediately.

………

After mimicking his fellow talking heads who suggest that perhaps it’s best to have a national debate before using military force, Kristol then said: “What’s the harm of bombing [ISIS] at least for a few weeks and seeing what happens? I don’t think there’s much in the way of unanticipated side effects that could be bad there. We could kill a lot of very bad guys.”

Why is this guy not flipping burgers for a living?

France’s Hollande Doubles Down on Austerity in Futile Attempt to Boost his Prospects

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Francois Holland’s Economy Minister calls out the German austerity fetish, and in response, he reshuffles his cabinet to give him the boot:

French president François Hollande took the biggest gamble of his two-year-old presidency on Monday by ordering his reformist prime minister to form a new government which will exclude Socialist dissidents demanding an end to economic austerity policies dictated by Germany.

 Casting off his characteristic indecision, Hollande agreed to prime minister Manuel Valls’s offer to dissolve the cabinet amid a political crisis triggered by the country’s outspoken economy minister.

 The dissolution of the cabinet allows Hollande to form a new government without dissenting voices.

 In a defiant farewell speech at the economy ministry, Arnaud Montebourg, said the austerity drive in France and Europe was a “financial absurdity,” and accused Hollande and Valls of ignoring his pleas for a “moderate and balanced” alternative.

 Less than an hour after he was called into Valls’s office for a 15-minute meeting, Montebourg said austerity-inspired tax increases had undermined purchasing power and has led to the rise of extremist parties.

 Montebourg said the “incorrect” austerity policies followed by the European Central Bank and EU member states had “continued to mire the eurozone in recession and soon, deflation”. Education minister Benoît Hamon and culture minister Aurélie Filippetti also said that they would not take part in the new government.

Holland has decided that he has to throw in with Angela Merkel’s twisted morality play in the desperate hope for his own political survival, his popularity is currently at a Cheneyesque 17% (!) approval rating.

It’s not gonna work, austerity will continue to depress economies and stoke the political right.

So the next president of France is either going to be a Gaullist, or Marine Le Pen.*

*I think that I just threw up in my mouth.

Dumbass of the Day

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Michael Lind.

It’s a completely incoherent analysis of the Rick Perry indictment.

Well, Mr. Lind in particular, and the self described “Radical Centrist” New America Foundation in general.

BTW, as a interesting note, the papers in Texas, from the the Dallas Morning News the flagship newspaper of the journalistic cancer that is A,H, Belo Corporation, to the relatively liberal Austin American-Statesman, have thought that the indictment was justified, and they are the ones who have been following this sh%$.

When Fox News’ Ruben Bolling is Tired of Your Right Wing Agitprop, You Have Jumped the Shark

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That’s one big shark


This is Not Star Trek. 
 In Startrek, the Evil Spock has a goatee. In our world the evil James O’Keefe is clean shaven, and the good one, who is also chief cat-herder for the Massachusetts Pirate Party, has a goatee.

In this case, it’s James O’Keefe (the evil one), and Reuben Bolling of Fox News is tired of his sh%$:

Controversial filmmaker James O’Keefe, known for deceptively editing videos in order to push his canard of “political disinformation,” released a video of himself dressed up as Osama Bin Laden to purportedly show how a terrorist could easily get into the U.S. from the Mexican border. Gawker immediately debunked the O’Keefe video, explaining that the area O’Keefe claims to have crossed in includes a “well-patrolled road that runs parallel to the river” and other obstacles that did not appear in his video.

 And even Fox News dismissed O Keefe’s latest stunt.

 During the August 8 edition of The Five, Bolling explained that talking about real border issues is helpful, but “what’s not helpful [is] … filmmaker James O’Keefe donning an Osama Bin Laden mask and crossing the Rio Grande.” Bolling added that O’Keefe should “give it a rest.”

Dude, your 15 minutes of fame are over.

Get a real job, and stop living in your parents’ basement.

This is F%$#ed Up and SH%$

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Private equity companies are worried about regulations on insane levels of leverage, so they are lobbying organizations that don’t even regulate them:

The private equity industry’s lobbying group met officials from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve last week to address concerns over a crackdown on junk-rated loans, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

 The private meeting – the first between the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (PEGCC) and the U.S. regulators over the issue – underscores many buyout firms’ reliance on leveraged loans for outsized returns in their debt-fueled acquisitions of companies.

 It also highlights the willingness of the OCC and the Fed to engage with parties they do not regulate. Private equity firms are typically regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Seriously. What has got them worried? Has the SEC, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, been too hard on them?

I get it. You are pillaging barbarians, and your weapon is other people’s money.

You need insane levels of leverage so that you can make your money by shutting down factories, moving production overseas, charging excessive fees to “manage” your acquisitions, etc.

Clearly, you need assurances that no one will ever prevent you from doing this, because anything that might get in the way of your f%$#ing the rest of us would be an affront to  the gods of the market.

Not enough bullets.

Why I Don’t Give to NPR on Pledge Week, Part Infinity

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The first reason is their Jihad against community owned low power radio stations, and now they quote a consulting firm that is bought and paid for by the CIA to condemn Snowden’s NSA Leaks:

On August 1, NPR’s Morning Edition broadcast a story by NPR national security reporter Dina Temple-Raston touting explosive claims from what she called “a tech firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.” That firm, Recorded Future, worked together with “a cyber expert, Mario Vuksan, the CEO of ReversingLabs,” to produce a new report that purported to vindicate the repeated accusation from U.S. officials that “revelations from former NSA contract worker Edward Snowden harmed national security and allowed terrorists to develop their own countermeasures.”

The “big data firm,” reported NPR, says that it now “has tangible evidence” proving the government’s accusations. Temple-Raston’s four-minute, 12-second story devoted the first 3 minutes and 20 seconds to uncritically repeating the report’s key conclusion that ”just months after the Snowden documents were released, al-Qaeda dramatically changed the way its operatives interacted online” and, post-Snowden, “al-Qaeda didn’t just tinker at the edges of its seven-year-old encryption software; it overhauled it.” The only skepticism in the NPR report was relegated to 44 seconds at the end when she quoted security expert Bruce Schneier, who questioned the causal relationship between the Snowden disclosures and the new terrorist encryption programs, as well as the efficacy of the new encryption.

With this report, Temple-Raston seriously misled NPR’s millions of listeners. To begin with, Recorded Future, the outfit that produced the government-affirming report, is anything but independent. To the contrary, it is funded by the CIA and U.S. intelligence community with millions of dollars. Back in 2010, it also filed forms to become a vendor for the NSA. (In response to questions from The Intercept, the company’s vice president Jason Hines refused to say whether it works for the NSA, telling us that we should go FOIA that information if we want to know. But according to public reports, Recorded Future “earns most of its revenue from selling to Wall Street quants and intelligence agencies.”)

The connection between Recorded Future and the U.S. intelligence community is long known. Back in July, 2010, Wired‘s Noah Shachtman revealed that the company is backed by both “the investment arms of the CIA and Google.”

Indeed, In-Q-Tel—the deep-pocket investment arm of both the CIA and other intelligence agencies (including the NSA)—has seats on Recorded Future’s board of directors and, on its website, lists Recorded Future as one of the companies in its “portfolio.” In stark contrast to NPR, The New York Times noted these connections when reporting on the firm in 2011: “Recorded Future is financed with $8 million from the likes of Google’s venture arm and In-Q-Tel, which makes investments to benefit the United States intelligence community, and its clients have included government agencies and banks.”

Worse, Temple-Raston knows all of this. Back in 2012, NPR’s Morning Edition broadcast her profile of Recorded Future and its claimed ability to predict the future by gathering internet data. At the end of her report, she noted that the firm has “at least two very important financial backers: the CIA’s investment arm, called In-Q-Tel, and Google Ventures. They have reportedly poured millions into the company.”

Also, she ignores the fact that the changes to encryption, as reported by the New York Times, have been an ongoing process for at least 7 years, predating the Snowden whistle-blowing.

Why would I want to pledge money for the care and feeding mindless hack journalists acting as stenographers for the American state security apparatus?

Hillary Lets Her Inner Neocon Show

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Hillary Clinton was interviewed by noted “liberal hawk”, Iraq war booster, and blithering idiot, Jeffrey Goldberg, and she went full Dick Cheney:

President Obama has long ridiculed the idea that the U.S., early in the Syrian civil war, could have shaped the forces fighting the Assad regime, thereby stopping al Qaeda-inspired groups—like the one rampaging across Syria and Iraq today—from seizing control of the rebellion. In an interview in February, the president told me that “when you have a professional army … fighting against a farmer, a carpenter, an engineer who started out as protesters and suddenly now see themselves in the midst of a civil conflict—the notion that we could have, in a clean way that didn’t commit U.S. military forces, changed the equation on the ground there was never true.”

 Well, his former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, isn’t buying it. In an interview with me earlier this week, she used her sharpest language yet to describe the “failure” that resulted from the decision to keep the U.S. on the sidelines during the first phase of the Syrian uprising.

 “The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad—there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle—the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Clinton said.

Let’s be clear. Before Syria turned into a full up civil war, largely at the instigation of the House of Saud, the behavior of the Assad regime was awful, but better than that of Bahrain, whose atrocious behavior was in large part instigated by the House of Saud.

If the Gulf states, particularly the Saudis, had not aggressively shipped weapons and Jihadis to Syria, Syria would pretty much look like Bahrain, a brutal ruthless dictatorship, except that it would not be religiously based.

She continues:

During a discussion about the dangers of jihadism (a topic that has her “hepped-up,” she told me moments after she greeted me at her office in New York) and of the sort of resurgent nationalism seen in Russia today, I noted that Americans are quite wary right now of international commitment-making. She responded by arguing that there is a happy medium between bellicose posturing (of the sort she associated with the George W. Bush administration) and its opposite, a focus on withdrawal.

Because doubling down on a failed strategy, is such a good idea.

Then she doubles down on the whole Clash of Civilizations crap:

“One of the reasons why I worry about what’s happening in the Middle East right now is because of the breakout capacity of jihadist groups that can affect Europe, can affect the United States,” she said. “Jihadist groups are governing territory. They will never stay there, though. They are driven to expand. Their raison d’etre is to be against the West, against the Crusaders, against the fill-in-the-blank—and we all fit into one of these categories. How do we try to contain that? I’m thinking a lot about containment, deterrence, and defeat.”

Of course, Osama bin Laden’s justifications for his actions largely was that we were making war on Arabs and Islam: (H/t Naked Capitalism for the Link)

As for the first question: Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple:

 (1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us.

And Hillary’s solution is to bomb more Muslims and more Arabs.

It should also be noted that she was a big supporter of another Saudi supported bit of failed adventurism, the cluster F%$# that was the nation state of Libya.

Over at Salon, Joan Walsh wonders if the faction of the Democratic party that doesn’t need settle their manhood issues with bombs might be an impediment to her coronation as the Democratic Nominee in 2016.  (She actually hopes that it won’t, because ……… I dunno. She makes no coherent case at all for voting Hillary.)

As an aside, I am so glad that I live in Maryland. My vote for president does not matter, so I feel no compulsion to cast a vote for the Democratic nominee, no matter how retrograde.

Why Documentation Sucks

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The essay, at Ask Slashdot speaks specifically to documentation for open source software, but I would argue that it could be applied almost anywhere:

Back when Sourceforge wasn’t a sh%$-heap of garbage in every possible way I did a lot of documentation for various programs. I’m not a programmer at all, but I can use the damn things and tell others how to do so as well. The biggest problems I had were ALWAYS at the hands of the developer. They’d have these posts desperately looking for documentation writers then treat us like total f%$#ing garbage when we had to ask questions. I can’t f%$#ing tell you how many times I was told to read the f%$#ing source, despite me being very up-front about my lack of coding ability. “If you can’t figure out how to use the program then how can you write documentation?”

MOTHERf%$#ER, IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT. F%$# you in your goddamn asshole you f%$#ing arrogant f%$#ing pricks.

I stopped bothering when I stopped using Linux, which is a story in itself. The fact of the matter is the majority of programmers are assholes that have no business operating in normal society. Lock them in the f%$#ing closet and let them read the f%$#ing source until they jizz all over their crusty beards while fantasizing about Stallman’s brown pucker. Maybe THEN the people that make documentation will give enough of a sh%$ to try to do so again.

BTW, that is a comment, not the main post, but I think that he “gets” it.

When the programming community, whether open or closed source, holds documentation writers in abject contempt, the loser is the user.

H/T E-Cop at the Stellar Parthenon BBS.

Well, Waddya Know? Facebook has a Redeeming Social Function

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It turns out that it’s a giving an opportunity for ignorant bigots to out themselves:

There are plenty of reasons to loathe Facebook. There’s the new messenger app that they’re making users install if they want to chat on their mobile devices. There’s the way they screwed around with users’ feeds, just as a little experiment. There’s the overall way it makes people unhappy. If you see it as a community, it’s pretty terrible. But if you instead choose to view it as the world’s most effective bozo-disclosing app, it’s rather brilliant.

Your mouth to God’s ear, Mary Elizabeth Williams.

On Wednesday alone, two outspoken Facebook users found themselves facing abrupt ends to their jobs after realizing too late that other people can actually see what you post in public. First, Virginia state Republican Party treasurer Bob FitzSimmonds resigned after controversy erupted when he declared on Facebook that Barack Obama’s recent comments on the achievements of Muslim Americans were “pure nonsense,” and asked, “Exactly what part of our nation’s fabric was woven by Muslims? What about Sikhs, Animists, and Jainists? Should we be thanking them too?” FitzSimmonds also drew ire earlier this year when he referred to Fairfax County Delegate Barbara Comstock as a “twat.” And in 2012, he raised eyebrows for speculating about when Obama “dies and goes to hell.” In a resignation letter he submitted to the State Central Committee this week, he said, “After discussion with several party leaders it seems clear that I will either need to stop posting on social media or step down from my party office.” While another, brighter individual might have chosen the former – to simply ease off on saying idiotic and offensive things in public — fortunately for FitzSimmonds’ colleagues, he chose the latter.

Also on Wednesday, a Texas police detective was fired after posting a Facebook tirade about the local “useless lazy turdbags” with “thousands of dollars of ink have adorning their unclean bodies” on government assistance. In his recent post, Detective Rob Douglas vowed, “I promise, if I ever snap and go on a killing spree, it will be in a supermarket on the first.” When announcing the decision to terminate Douglas, Marlin Police Chief Darrell Allen called the comments “inappropriate and troubling.” And yet, they did help take an resentful, angry cop off the streets, so they’ve got to be at least a little good for something.

In its relatively short lifespan, Facebook has proven itself the downfall of countless racists, sexists, homophobes and straight-up dopes. Turns out there’s always somebody willing to log on and do something regrettable. Earlier this summer, an Illinois woman was arrested for shoplifting – after posting selfies of her new merchandise on her page. And last month, after bragging on Facebook that “Y’all will never catch me,” Baltimore police did just that to Roger Ray Ireland after he violated his probation. And on Aug. 5, a Swedish politician abruptly ended his campaign shortly after referring on Facebook to “the Jewish pigs.” Reminder: This is all just in the past few weeks.

These days, Facebook is the “Maccaca Moment” Generator of choice.

There is No Light at the End of the Tunnel. We are Just Digging a Deeper Hole.

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The usual suspects are arguing that killing of General Green in Afghanistan means that we should double down on the forever war going on there:

An insider attack against international and Afghan forces in Kabul that killed a U.S. general has renewed questions about the Obama administration’s exit strategy from Afghanistan and the country’s security.

 ………

 Republican lawmakers critical of Obama’s withdrawal plan pointed to the insider attack as a reason to change course. In May, Obama announced plans to reduce U.S. troop strength to 9,800 by the end of this year and to half that number in late 2015. Only a small security assistance force at the U.S. embassy would remain by the end of 2016, as Obama prepares to leave office.

I’m beginning to think that we need a constitutional amendment requiring that all children of Congressmen between the ages of 18 and 40 be required to serve as active duty service members.

I expect to hear from John McCain arguing for moar woar on the Sunday shows in 4 days.

This is the Typical Result of Libertarian Bullsh%$ Like Bitcoin

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You remember the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange?

People nearly ½ a billion dollars in Bitcoin, and now we discover that the head of the exchange was convicted of fraud in France, and had been sentenced to jail:

While Mt. Gox owner Mark Karpeles was growing what would become the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, he should have been serving time in his home country of France. He was sentenced to a year in custody in 2010 on fraud accusations.

A newly obtained French court document shows that Karpeles has a civil and non-civil judgment pending where, in addition to custody, he also owes €45,000 ($60,000). The document is being published jointly for the first time by Ars Technica and the French publication Le Monde. (Read the French original here and an English translation here.)

The case was brought by a former employer who accused Karpeles of stealing customer user names, customer passwords, and a domain name, among other grievances. Under French law, Karpeles is not considered a criminal but rather “un délinquant,” a delinquent offender. It’s a lesser label than “criminal,” because that word is reserved only for very serious crimes within the country.

The 2010 decision shows that Karpeles lost by default, and he was found liable of “fraudulent access to an automated data processing system” and “fraudulent changes to data contained in an automated data processing system.” The document also states that Karpeles admitted to French authorities that he had “pirated” a server.

At the time, Karpeles was living in Japan. But a year after the judgment, he’d taken over Mt. Gox, well before the exchange and digital currency had become a household name. The French court documents acknowledge that he was never notified of the case and did not defend himself—hence, he lost by default. Karpeles’ own blog states he moved to Japan in 2009, and it appears he hasn’t returned to France since.

“To be honest, I was not even aware of this,” he told Ars in May regarding the sentence. “I’ll investigate and see what has to be done.” Karpeles has not responded to numerous attempts for further comment since then.

Yeah. He, “Wasn’t aware of this.”

He was questioned by police, admitted wrongdoing, got out France when the getting was good, but he “Wasn’t aware of this.”

When you take a supporting role in a libertarian wet dream, you are painting a target on your back.

Something is Wrong on the Internet

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As you are no doubt aware, the film Guardians of the Galaxy opened this weekend.

As the archetypal summer blockbuster, it got a lot of reviews, and one, at the Village Voice, Stephanie Zacharek, was less than charitable, which resulted in a torrent of sexist abuse directed her way:

“She’s just pissed because she lives in the Village full of gay men and no one wants any of her old, dried out pie.”

………

 “We live in a world where 1000s of people are being beheaded and murdered throughout the world each and every day and this harlot has the nerve to knock it because it’s too fun?”

Harlot? Seriously?

“She should stick to reviewing chick flicks only.”

What is wrong with these people?

You can castigate a movie critic, or for that matter any critic for being unfair.

In fact the (sometimes delightfully and sometimes tediously) bitchy Rex Reed has made a career out of being this.

But simply posting misogynist rants sucks wet farts from dead pigeons, or, as Guardians of the Galaxy writer* Brian Michael Bendis observes, ” You love Captain America? Well, you know what Captain America would never do? Go online anonymously and sh$# on a girl for having an opinion.” (%$ mine)

H/t xkcd for the top comic.

*To be clear, Bendis writes for the comic book, he did not do the screenplay.†
†Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Burning Political Question of the Day

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Why can’t we Nickelback Sarah Palin?

Seriously, why do pop bands seem to have a sell-by date, where they go from beloved to loathed (I was unaware of Nickelback until people started hating in them, because I am, well, square), but figures in the political media complex don’t.   (See also, “Blowfish, Hootie and the”)

I burn for the day that I can place the beast from Wasilla  on my list of They Who Must Not Be Named. 

The Republicans Have Completely Screwed the Pooch

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Here’s a Blast from the Past

Because John Boehner could not put an child refugees bill that a single Democrat could vote for, and because cannot count Republican votes, he had to pull the bill from the floor, and delay the Congressional recess:

House Republicans are poised to delay their August recess by one day, as they frantically scramble to pass a border security bill.

After a chaotic afternoon, which saw the GOP leadership suddenly pull their legislation from the House floor because of flagging support, lawmakers planned a Friday morning meeting at 9 a.m. to try to plot a path forward. Plans are in flux, and subject to change at any minute, aides and lawmakers warned.

In a Thursday afternoon meeting, Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) heard from a number of Republicans who did not want to leave Washington until a package passed the House — a sentiment reflected by nearly every lawmaker who emerged after the meeting ended.

Last time a Republican politician shortened a vacation, it was W coming back early from vacation to sign the Terry Sciavo bill, (see Vid) and we all know how the politics on all of that played out.

Needless to say, this clusterf%$# does not bode well for the Republicans.

To paraphrase Napoleon, never stop your enemy when is busy stepping on his own dick.

I am still worried a bit  about the collateral damage to the rest of us though.