News of the Weird / Pro Edition (October 12, 2010)
News of the Weird/Pro Edition (II)
You're Still Not Cynical Enough
Prime Cuts of Underreported News from Last Week, Hand-Picked and Lightly Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
October 12, 2010
(datelines October 2-October 9) (links correct as of October 11)
Weird 2.0
"To see what is in front of one's nose requires a constant struggle"—George Orwell
"That's close enough for government work"—unknown
"Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns"—Rome Daily Inquirer, 7-18-64A.D.
OK, this has gone far enough. It's one thing that the Pentagon ignores the problem of U.S. and Afghan contractors' hiring Taliban insurgents to "protect" NATO supply lines. It's quite another that "security" at NATO bases is being provided by Taliban insurgents. WTF? ABC News /// Geopolitical Monitor [insurgents "protect" supply lines]
The District of Calamity: The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics released its new online voting system for a week's trial run, inviting hackers to take their best shots. The Board surrendered quickly. Hackers, by a clean knockout. Washington Post
An NPR report suggests that Iraqi soldiers might not be ready for prime time. U.S. air power hit a grove in Diyala province, but it was up to Iraqis to clean up. For some reason, they marched in, single file, led by commanders, who were quickly picked off by snipers. "[A]s soon as the officers went down, the [Iraqi soldiers] went to ground. They didn't know what to do next." [ed.: It recalls the British redcoats, fighting in formation, that made it so easy for the American revolutionaries.] NPR
The Social Security Administration's inspector general failed to sugar-coat revelations about the 2009 stimulus program that sent $250 checks to everyone to speed up spending. It turns out that 72,000 checks did not achieve maximum punch, as they went to dead people. Associated Press via Washington Post
Chutzpah! Mexico's health ministry, in a study co-sponsored with the University of California, is complaining about the poor quality of U.S. health care for illegal immigrants. AHN News
A House Judiciary subcommittee has reached the conclusion that Congress promiscuously criminalizes behaviors they don't like and sometimes goes much too far. For instance, Abner Schoenwetter is just out of the slammer after six years because they got him on violating lobster-harvesting rules . . from harvesting in Honduras . . which is covered by U.S. criminal law. McClatchy Newspapers via Miami Herald
You're Still Not Cynical Enough
Prime Cuts of Underreported News from Last Week, Hand-Picked and Lightly Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
October 12, 2010
(datelines October 2-October 9) (links correct as of October 11)
Weird 2.0
"To see what is in front of one's nose requires a constant struggle"—George Orwell
"That's close enough for government work"—unknown
"Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns"—Rome Daily Inquirer, 7-18-64A.D.
OK, this has gone far enough. It's one thing that the Pentagon ignores the problem of U.S. and Afghan contractors' hiring Taliban insurgents to "protect" NATO supply lines. It's quite another that "security" at NATO bases is being provided by Taliban insurgents. WTF? ABC News /// Geopolitical Monitor [insurgents "protect" supply lines]
The District of Calamity: The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics released its new online voting system for a week's trial run, inviting hackers to take their best shots. The Board surrendered quickly. Hackers, by a clean knockout. Washington Post
An NPR report suggests that Iraqi soldiers might not be ready for prime time. U.S. air power hit a grove in Diyala province, but it was up to Iraqis to clean up. For some reason, they marched in, single file, led by commanders, who were quickly picked off by snipers. "[A]s soon as the officers went down, the [Iraqi soldiers] went to ground. They didn't know what to do next." [ed.: It recalls the British redcoats, fighting in formation, that made it so easy for the American revolutionaries.] NPR
The Social Security Administration's inspector general failed to sugar-coat revelations about the 2009 stimulus program that sent $250 checks to everyone to speed up spending. It turns out that 72,000 checks did not achieve maximum punch, as they went to dead people. Associated Press via Washington Post
Chutzpah! Mexico's health ministry, in a study co-sponsored with the University of California, is complaining about the poor quality of U.S. health care for illegal immigrants. AHN News
A House Judiciary subcommittee has reached the conclusion that Congress promiscuously criminalizes behaviors they don't like and sometimes goes much too far. For instance, Abner Schoenwetter is just out of the slammer after six years because they got him on violating lobster-harvesting rules . . from harvesting in Honduras . . which is covered by U.S. criminal law. McClatchy Newspapers via Miami Herald
Comments
Stimulus Checks: A grave error indeed, and it's a crying shame that the IRS isn't still under the control of it's previous commissioner, Linda Stiff.
Health Study: As a liberal I heartily condone this report and insist that these immigrants receive the best possible medical attention for the whole length of their ambulance ride to the border.
Ovecriminalization: I wonder why Congress never votes to make gross stupidity a criminal offense. Oh wait, no I don't.
Health Study: As a liberal I heartily condone this report and insist that these immigrants receive the best possible medical attention for the whole length of their ambulance ride to the border.
Ovecriminalization: I wonder why Congress never votes to make gross stupidity a criminal offense. Oh wait, no I don't.
Posted by Dumbfounded on 10/12/10 at 08:03 AM
Kind'a makes one proud to be an Expat!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/12/10 at 08:38 AM
taliban- seriously fight to win or get the F out. our people should not be there without our full backing and support.
hackers- who doubted this outcome?
iraqi soldiers- the redcoat analogy is spot on chuck.
stimulus- so the government was trying be like the umbrella corporation and stimulate the dead!
mexico- this has swung so far past reason that it is inarguable with simple logic. freakin' make mexico a state then atleast the pay taxes to us to pay for this crap.
federal law- when you get down to the level of individual prosecutors they want a high win record and justice is not ncessarily their biggest concern. laws can't be that ambiguous. interesting too that many sitting members of congress have done far worse things than the 2 men mentioned and are still governing with impunity.
hackers- who doubted this outcome?
iraqi soldiers- the redcoat analogy is spot on chuck.
stimulus- so the government was trying be like the umbrella corporation and stimulate the dead!
mexico- this has swung so far past reason that it is inarguable with simple logic. freakin' make mexico a state then atleast the pay taxes to us to pay for this crap.
federal law- when you get down to the level of individual prosecutors they want a high win record and justice is not ncessarily their biggest concern. laws can't be that ambiguous. interesting too that many sitting members of congress have done far worse things than the 2 men mentioned and are still governing with impunity.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 10/12/10 at 10:59 AM
Well, of *course* the stimulus checks went to dead people - gotta keep the voters happy, after all!
Health care for illegals - gee, California siding with the illegals, whodathunkit? Maybe they should go back to Mexico. Better yet, let's sell California to Mexico. Say, $1. Heck, pay them to take it. Republicans get rid of Barbra, Democrats get rid of the Governator (and Jerry Brown!), and all of us get rid of the state's debts, the San Andreas fault, paparazzi, Britney, Paris, Lindsay - hey this sounds better by the minute! Best of all, we can save the money we'd otherwise have to spend to hunt for and expel all those illegals.
DC voting: given it's the same people who run ethics, where's the surprise? Now, of course, they've done the trial, so it must be OK to use it. Never mind that it didn't pass the trial, fixing it would take too long and cost too much, so they'll go with what they have.
Note to self: when in Honduras, deal in coke, not lobsters - the penalties are less.
Health care for illegals - gee, California siding with the illegals, whodathunkit? Maybe they should go back to Mexico. Better yet, let's sell California to Mexico. Say, $1. Heck, pay them to take it. Republicans get rid of Barbra, Democrats get rid of the Governator (and Jerry Brown!), and all of us get rid of the state's debts, the San Andreas fault, paparazzi, Britney, Paris, Lindsay - hey this sounds better by the minute! Best of all, we can save the money we'd otherwise have to spend to hunt for and expel all those illegals.
DC voting: given it's the same people who run ethics, where's the surprise? Now, of course, they've done the trial, so it must be OK to use it. Never mind that it didn't pass the trial, fixing it would take too long and cost too much, so they'll go with what they have.
Note to self: when in Honduras, deal in coke, not lobsters - the penalties are less.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 10/12/10 at 08:40 PM
Health Care
I'm interested in the fact that they are spending time at a Mexican conference trying to solve U.S. problems instead of solving the problems in Mexico which encourage Mexicans to come to the U.S. where we evidently treat them as second class non-citizens. (Excellent run-on sentence which takes advanced English skills to decipher.) hmmmmmmmmm
I'm interested in the fact that they are spending time at a Mexican conference trying to solve U.S. problems instead of solving the problems in Mexico which encourage Mexicans to come to the U.S. where we evidently treat them as second class non-citizens. (Excellent run-on sentence which takes advanced English skills to decipher.) hmmmmmmmmm
Posted by driven2succeed on 10/16/10 at 09:37 PM
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