Here's another idiot article by Jim Cramer. Finally someone has brought attention to the fraud that is Jim Cramer. Kudos to Jon Stewart.
posted by Happy at 10:45 PM

 

Jim Cramer is a liar.  A BOLD face liar.  I have been a long time subscriber of his at Realmoney.com and he's finally lost it.  He has ZERO credibility.  He's a shill and a terrible stock picker and stock market forecaster.  I'm continually amazed that his schtick has bought him so much credibility, during the worst time of his professional career.  
posted by Happy at 9:51 PM

 
On Sunday, December 11, 2005 the Times had front page Sports stories on USC’s Reggie Bush’s Heisman and UCLA’s Justin Medlock’s DUI arrest. On December 15, 2005 the Times had a front page story on the tragic deaths of former USC players Darrell Russell and Mike Bastianelli due to reckless driving. On Saturday December 17, 2005 the Times published a letter from Mark Larson, a member of the "Board of Trustees" for the USC Athletic Department.

posted by Happy at 5:17 PM

 
Peter Drucker died today at the age of 95. I was fortunate enough to have been taught by Peter Drucker. He was an amazing man. RIP Peter.

A message from the President of CGU

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Peter Drucker, internationally renowned author and consultant, “the father of modern management,” the Marie Rankin Clarke Professor of Social Science and Management, husband, father, grandfather, dear friend, and cherished colleague.

Peter passed away on November 11, 2005; he was 95 years old. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife of 68 years, Doris, and their four children and six grandchildren, and all of those who were close to this extraordinary man.

Peter’s career as a writer, consultant, and teacher spanned an incredible 75 years. His groundbreaking work turned modern management theory into a serious discipline.
As Dean Kees de Kluyver of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management observes, “What distinguishes Peter Drucker from many other thought leaders in my mind is that he cared not just about how business manages its resources, but also how public and private organizations operate morally and ethically within society. He respected the values of education, personal responsibility, and business’ accountability to society. His true legacy is his insistence on this value system, and its effect on business, society, and individual lives.”
Peter received numerous awards and citations throughout his career. In 2002 he received our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Peter Drucker arrived in Claremont in 1971, and our school of management has borne his name since 1987. His presence and dedication to its mission has brought prestige, honor, and resources to both the School and the University. The School adheres to Peter’s philosophy that management is a liberal art—one that takes into account not only economics, but also history, social theory, law, and the sciences. His integrating vision inspires the entire university in our commitment to transdisciplinary study.

Over the coming days, there will be numerous tributes to Peter and his amazing contributions. CGU will come together – in accordance with the family’s wishes – to celebrate Peter’s life in the near future. In the meantime, I invite each of you to reflect on what Peter’s legacy means to you and how working together we can carry it forward, in our work and in the way we live. CGU, through the School that bears his name and the Drucker Institute, is committed to carrying Peter’s legacy forward and we invite executives, scholars, writers, and representatives from all sectors to join us in this important task.

(You can visit this link on the CGU website to remember this internationally recognized man and our friend, Peter F. Drucker. .)
posted by Happy at 8:50 PM

 
Hollywood Irony...

"It emerged yesterday that one of the 57 victims [of the Jordan terrorist bombing] was Mustapha Akkad, the producer of the Halloween horror films, and one of few Arabs to have succeeded in Hollywood.

Mr Akkad, 68, emigrated to America at the age of 19 but remained an Arab at heart and was often critical of the way Muslims are depicted in American movies. “In Hollywood, Muslims are only terrorists,” he said in a New York Times interview in 1998."

Sad. maybe if more people of Arab extraction would deal with their own who are terrrorists rather than criticizing those who depict and demonize terrorists Mr. Akkad would be alive today and not had to die such a gruesome death.
posted by Happy at 8:50 PM

 
Will the Paris riots turn out to be nothing? Or is it a clash of civilizations akin to the World Trade Center bombings, the London bombings, Madrid, Bali, Jordan, et al? Are Muslims able to coexist with Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics, and followers of other religions? My ignorant belief is that Muslims cannot. They have been indoctrinated to believe that because of their beliefs that they are superior and cannot except their role in the world, especially if they have immigrated to a Western society and they see themselves as unsuccessful. Where some immigrants lash out against their host countries in many ways, the violence that seems to be prevalent in Muslims upset with their lot in life is something to be fearful of. Now, how do we act against this fear? Fight back, appease, or wait for things to die down. The future does not look bright.
posted by Happy at 9:48 AM

 
A Response to A Day in the Life of Joe Middle Class Republican.

You've seen the Joe Middle Class Republican post here...


Larry the liberal gets up at 12:00 noon to prepare his morning coffee. It’s Friday and he’s decided to take another sick day from his union teaching job. Life’s tough and Larry needs a break now and then, plus Larry’s tenured. Larry puts his hair in a pony tail and fills his coffee pot full of good, clean, and safe Dasani bottled water. Larry buys Dasani because it tastes better and is safer than the unreliable tap water in his community. He takes his daily medication for his “stress relief” with his first swallow of coffee. Since Larry’s medical costs are subsidized he’s immune to the costs of his frequent visits to the doctor and drug prescriptions. While Larry feels that everyone should have the same free medical care he does, Larry is blind to the needless costs his abuse of the system adds to others’ medical care—pricing some out of the market. Regardless, Larry is lucky other workers haven’t taken so many sick days and have worked hard to ensure that his medications are safe and top of the line. Luckily, publicly owned medical and drug companies have shareholders that demand high standards.


Larry’s happy because all but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Larry gets it too. Larry is unaware that those same unions are no longer in existence. These unions forced companies to raise their prices without improving the quality of their products resulting in less product sold. Thinking the gravy train would last forever, unions continued to ask for more, while countries like Japan were able to produce higher quality products at cheaper prices. Unfortunately, the unions were unable to deliver higher quality workers along with their higher compensation demands. Ultimately, they priced their union members out of the market and made too many unreasonable demands. Their unreasonableness ultimately forced companies to go bankrupt or look elsewhere for cheaper labor. As a result, many Americans were out of jobs.


Since Larry doesn’t have to pay for his health care or insurance premium, he has no reason to alter his diet to lose weight and lower his insurance premium or lower his cholesterol and lower his medical bill. Instead, Larry relies on his subsidized medications to keep his cholesterol down. With his cholesterol in “check”, Larry prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. A proud liberal, Larry thinks his food is safe because of liberals like him. But because of competition in the food industry, which ensures that reputable companies keep their food safe, his bacon tastes good and is fresh. Before relying on competition to keep food safe, Larry is unaware it was Republicans like President Teddy Roosevelt who was responsible for the Pure Foods and Drugs Act and the Meat Inspection Act, which prevented the manufacture of harmful foods and requiring inspection of meat facilities.


Larry takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo. Unfortunately, Larry has paid a bit more for his shampoo because companies must properly label every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some power hungry liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Even though Larry and most other people have no need for this information, Larry and others still must pay for the increase in regulations and this liberal “victory.” The liberal legislator argued that the greedy shampoo companies could afford the costs, unaware that this cost would be passed on to consumers. So eager to put it to the greedy companies who failed to support his political campaign the legislator failed to understand that rather than increasing the price for all shampoo he could have lessened the costs by requiring companies to provide this information to consumers upon request.
Larry dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. Larry coughs, a result of his chronic marijuana use he picked up in college. Larry was part of the legalize marijuana and drugs movements. He didn’t understand why people were so concerned with “victimless” crimes. While in college, Larry realized that smoking pot, drinking, and doing drugs was more fun than hard work. A smart and talented guy in high school and college who won many prestigious engineering awards, Larry felt putting in the extra work to become an engineer wasn’t worth his time or effort. The costs and burdens didn’t match the benefits he could receive as a schoolteacher. Larry realized a good union teaching job with good pay, great benefits, and tenure was the thing for him. Larry felt that he could continue to smoke pot regularly, change to an easier major, graduate, not worry about his grades and then go to a "degree mill" school for his master’s degree. Because it was a union job where everyone’s degree is equal, Larry realized he would get paid the same as a teacher who went to a more prestigious graduate school for their master’s. Despite Larry’s cough, the air he breathes is clean because people demanded cleaner air. Innovative automobile companies with properly motivated engineers developed new technologies to reduce pollutants in the air.


Larry lives in Los Angeles and has decided to leave his Saturn automobile at home and go to Vegas with his terminally ill girlfriend, Burgundy, for the weekend. Larry is able to afford the airfare because the government deregulated the airlines in the 1970s. Now, Larry can travel safely and cheaply via Southwest Airlines. Larry walks to a subway station for his government-subsidized trip to the airport. Even though it will take more time since local government bureaucracy prevented LA’s mass transit system from establishing a direct rail line to the airport, Larry knows that Southwest has numerous flights to Vegas and he also know that he can call in sick again on Monday if need be. Despite the increase in time, it does save Larry considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal argued that “affordable” public transportation was necessary no matter what the costs to taxpayers.
Larry’s ill girlfriend, Burgundy, despite being unemployed and ill is able to go to Vegas with Larry. You see, Larry’s union job also pays for Burgundy’s medical bills because private businesses in the need to retain and attract top employees gave their "dometic partners" this benefit. Larry’s union used this “me too” argument to get the same benefits for its employees, even though there was no evidence of teachers leaving if they didn’t get this benefit.
Larry and Burgundy have lived together for over 5 years. Larry didn’t feel there was a need to get married. He had grown disenfranchised with the church because it didn’t fit his “lifestyle.” He’s now beginning to pray again for Burgundy’s health. Burgundy has a rare bone disease that requires bone marrow from a identical twin or possibly a sibling. Unfortunately, Burgundy is an only child. Her mother had Burgundy at 35 and did not want the burden of three children and having to go shopping "only at Costco and buying big jars of mayonnaise" so she decided to abort Burgundy’s identical twin and triplet brother —and Burgundy’s chance at a long life. Burgundy’s mom is too old to have any more children and unless there’s a miracle, Burgundy won’t have the same opportunity or “choice” of enjoying life as her mother.


After arriving at the airport Larry is able to get the money he needs from his bank’s ATM at the airport. Due to innovation, Larry is able to save some of the time lost on the trip to the airport by getting money at the airport.
Larry has gambling money because his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loans. All made possible because some stupid liberal decided that Larry and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time. You see as a liberal, Larry believes that government is always good at finding ways to make efficient use of people's tax money and resources.


While in Vegas Larry sees his friend Moe. Moe has some extra time and money due to his on the job “accident.” Moe hasn’t worked in over two years and is receiving worker’s compensation for his back pain. Luckily for Moe he was hurt on the job and is able to take advantage of his employer’s negligence of employing Moe. In addition to his injury, Moe’s also dealing with other problems. Moe’s niece was tragically murdered by a two time convicted sex offender. Despite the dedicated work of the prosecution, the sex offender had a wealthy family and a good liberal attorney. Despite evidence showing a lack of remorse, the defendant’s liberal attorney was able to convince the liberal judge to give his client a light sentence because he had a difficult childhood. In appealing Moe’s workers compensation claim his company had video surveillance showing Moe living an active life after his “accident." Despite this evidence, Moe’s liberal attorney was able to appeal to the liberal judge that Moe’s company is greedy and uncompassionate to Moe’s back pain, and loss of his niece. Companies’ threats to move out of state due to high workers compensation costs are nothing but threats to liberals.


A few months later Burgundy tragically dies. Larry blames God for his misfortune and for taking someone so young and beautiful. At the funeral Larry is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension from his bankrupted company because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Larry wouldn't have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show, the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Larry can’t believe it. Republicans and their Christian “God” have taken away the love of his life, voted against everyone from getting medical insurance, and allowed executives of greedy companies like Southwest Airlines, Merck, Pfizer, Coca-Cola, Mandalay Bay, Bank of America, and Chevrolet to get rich while Larry must get extra tutoring jobs during his next summer vacation to pay for Burgundy’s funeral because Republican legislators voted to not allow people like Larry from inheriting Burgundy’s estate because they weren’t married.

posted by Happy at 10:07 PM

 




posted by Happy at 5:54 PM

 
Karl Dorrell is No Jackie Robinson

Forgive me Saturday was a tough usc/UCLA game... I, as a UCLA fan was serenaded out of the stadium, humiliated. The 'sc fans wondered if UCLA was a Jr. All American team... there was no rebuttal...

Well... Back to history...
If rumor and stories about Karl Dorrell are true, Karl used UCLA legends like Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, and their pioneering stories to justify his hiring. If this is true we need to evaluate more closely whether Dorrell deserves more than 1 year to prove himself…


Branch Rickey was a great man for making history, but not because he was a big risk taker...Rickey did not go out on a limb for Jackie Robinson... Rickey was as much interested in making his own mark as he was in seeing Jackie become a success.
Of course Jackie and Rickey's success were ultimately tied together. Rickey knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jackie had the physical tools to be a great baseball player, but more importantly, Rickey also knew that Jackie had the tools and intelligence to handle the press and taunts that would come with being the 1st African American baseball player in the 20th century. The issue for Rickey wasn't whether Jackie could play baseball effectively, but whether he had the temperament to handle the additional pressures associated with being the 1st black baseball player in the 20th century... Branch Rickey chose Jackie Robinson not only because he was 100% positive that he could perform on the field, but he was also confident that Jackie was by far the most qualified African American at the time to handle the pressure and the taunts he would receive.


Rickey chose Jackie to be the 1st 20th century African American baseball player, and made sure neither of them would be embarrassed by the decision. Unlike Rickey, UCLA AD Dan Guerrero was very uncertain about Karl Dorrell’s abilities. Because of the potential great story, Guerrero, fell for Dorrell’s pitch that it would be great for UCLA to go out on a limb and hire an unproven black coach. How many non African Americans with Dorrell’s credentials would be hired at a high profile job like UCLA? For this Guerrero deserves blame for Dorrell's failure, just as he would take credit for his success. Is it fair to be so critical in Dorrell’s 1st year? Unlike Jackie Robinson, Dorrell was not a proven commodity in his field. Dorrell hasn’t proven that he is the most qualified football coach deserving of a Division I job. Jackie proved that he was the most qualified 2nd baseman that deserved a major league opportunity. Dorrell has only shown that he is black, a UCLA alumnus, and a football coach. In this day and age at UCLA it isn’t difficult to be a black football coach, a coach doesn’t need to prove that he can handle racist taunts, because there won’t be any. Instead of showing that he was black and a football coach, Dorrell needed to prove that he is the MOST qualified football coach that is the most deserving to succeed and coach better than Bob Toledo at UCLA. Dorrell's last job was WR coach for the Denver Broncos. There's nothing to indicate that Dorrell had a high probability to succeed as a Division I football coach. Heck, Nick Alliotti was the St. Louis Rams' LB coach, prior to coaching at UCLA and he couldn't even succeed as UCLA's defensive coordinator.

This Saturday's game as well as the last few weeks, have shown that Dorrell is in WAY above his head. This is the worst UCLA team I've seen recent memory... There has been no improvement in player development or performance based on last season or through this season. Dorrell wanted the opportunity to show that he was capable of coaching UCLA effectively. He has failed, and shown no indication that he can improve. He’s even shown that he is obstinate by saying that he will stick with an unsuccessful offensive scheme.. Giving Dorrell another year will only pad Dorrell's bank account and result in increasing the gap between UCLA's program and USC's. It's a sad day that UCLA's football coach has proven to be a fraud and relied on the history of a great Bruin, Jackie Robinson, to get a job that he is not qualified for. We, that support the program with donations and attendance will have to bear the brunt of the embarrassment of Guerrero's poor decision. Too bad Dorrell overestimated his abilities and chose to interview at UCLA and was able to con Guerrero into giving him a job he was not qualified for. Unfortunately, we fans will have to live with the usc bandwagonners and the taunts for a few more years.

posted by Happy at 10:05 AM

 
Chermerinsky an idiot or courageous?

In defending the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ baldly partisan decision (An Act of Courage, September 16, 2003) to delay the California recall election, victorious plaintiff and professor, Erwin Chemerinsky, obsequiously lauds the court’s courage for ruling in his favor. It is often said that there is a thin line between courage and stupidity and the court’s decision to thwart democracy by canceling an entire election based on hypothetical scenarios and the judges’ political beliefs cannot be defined as “courageous.” However, Chemernisky is a clever fellow. By citing the disenfranchisement of “minority” voters in winning his case, he surely knows how to pander to his audience both before and after he gets his way.
posted by Happy at 5:34 PM

 
Why I'm voting for Arnold Schwarzenegger:


Yes, Arnold declined to participate in the first "debate" among the top candidates. I say, who cares?

I think in an ideal world I and other Californians would never vote for Arnold for Governor. Is it a joke much like Jesse Ventura in Minnesota? Of course to some extent,but this joke is better than the status quo. Arnold has much more to lose in terms of money and reputation than Ventura and thus a bigger incentive to do the right thing.

With Schwarzenegger the important thing here is to shake up the establishment. How else could a limp fish with no charisma or decisiveness get elected (Twice!) to the largest state in the union unless the system was broken? Business as usual is hurting... political paybacks, backscratching, special interests... How else do you stop this unless you expose it and turn it upside down by electing a non-career politician? Only Peter Ueberroth and Arnold fit this bill and Arnold has the only chance to get elected.

In addition putting aside the MECHA issue with Bustamante, didn't he just graduate from Fresno St. in 1999 and with correspondence courses? Yeah, he "earned" his degree all right. How can it be possible that a potential governor of this state would barely attain a bachelor's degree? Talk about low standards... Status quo politics in addition to little credentials... This is a bigger joke.

I'm a realist and I don't think McClintock or Ueberroth can be elected. McClintock is too Republican and is hurt by the "Right Wing" grab of Davis' job accusations. Ueberroth is too bland and unknown to too many people. He doesn't have the time or the money to get his message out.

The only alternative is to vote Arnold. He's going to do whatever it takes not to embarrass himself. He will get the right advisors, including Warren Buffet, Pete Wilson et al, and certainly his Kennedy connections don't hurt, and will at least think his decisions through without having to pay back special interest groups like gambling interests or prison guard unions.

And I won't even waste my breath on the Green candidate or Huffington. Both are jokes, trying to get a little face time in this "Governor Circus."

posted by Happy at 3:01 PM

 
Neuheisel a Goner?

University of Washington officials met Thursday to discuss the future of football coach Rick Neuheisel, a day after he acknowledged breaking NCAA rules by betting on men's basketball tournaments the past two years.

The NCAA is investigating his participation in the high-stakes gambling pool, and his career may be in jeopardy, the The Seattle Times reported today.

Neuheisel, 42, admitted he took part in the NCAA Tournament pool the past two years and met with investigators from the NCAA and Pac-10 Wednesday in Seattle.

The investigators had been tipped off that Neuheisel put up $5,000 and won $20,000 after picking Maryland in an auction-format pool on the 2002 men's basketball tournament, according to the Times



My Take on Rick Neuheisel....

My Bro-in-law is an associate AD at San Diego State University. (Yes, the one that just fired its AD for mismanagment and abuse of the equipment office). He has retained his job because he plays by and knows the rules. He won't even touch any of my $5 pools for the NCAA tournament let alone any other friendly wagers.

He knows the risks are too great for a few measly dollars. Plus, he knows that if he were to engage in such behavior and someone wanted to get rid of him for a technicality they would have ammunition to do so.

The fact that Rick bet $5,000 in this pool goes beyond trying to stay squeaky clean and avoid someone getting even with you on a "technicality." Rick should and definitely does know that this type of gambling is against NCAA rules, not to mention he should know that betting $5,000 is against the law. Did he claim the winnings on his taxes?

Plus, Rick seems to have progressed up the gambling disease tree. He can't just bet $5 he needs to bet $5,000 in order to get excited by the gambling aspect. No matter how much you're worth $5,000 is a lot of money to gamble for any neophyte. He's definitely no neophyte gambler, and if he's betting $5,000 in a NCAA basketball pool, what else is he betting on?


Gambling as a football coach is more than unethical and a sin, it threatens the entire game and should not be treated lightly.

I'm a gambler and have seen people with tons of $$$ get themselves in a world of hurt financially. Rick is in a position where if he were to get into a "world of hurt" he could make all of his problems go away with just one game.

Rick makes a top salary for a reason. One of those is the restrictions your job as a public figure places on your personal life. If Rick wants to gamble in his personal life he needs to find a new profession.

posted by Happy at 4:55 PM

 
There is some sense of rationality in the Arab world.

"I don't like the idea of having the Americans here, but we asked for it," he said. "Why don't we see the Americans going to Finland, for example? They come here because our area is filled with dictatorships like Saddam's."

Link...
posted by Happy at 3:35 PM

 
Here's a great video showing anti-war protesters in New York City. It gives a good indication of what we are dealing with. I'm sure the producer/narrator came in with a bias, but somehow I don't think he did too much editing to get his viewpoint (based on the interviewee's comments) across. Anti-War Video
posted by Happy at 2:54 PM

 
Satan Lives? Crud! No Saddam!???

Saddam survived attack on building say British intelligence sources

A cat has nine lives and Saddam has how many?

posted by Happy at 5:54 PM

 
Boom!

Did they get him? It sure looks and sounds like it.

April 8 — A U.S. Air Force warplane dropped four enormous bombs on a residential complex where “extremely reliable” intelligence indicated that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and one or both of his two sons were attending a meeting, senior administration officials told NBC News late Monday. The sources would not rule out the possibility that Saddam could have moved before the bomber struck, but they said it was likely that he and his sons were dead.
posted by Happy at 7:45 PM

 
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf , unintentional comedic star.

In an apparent show of defiance, Iraq's Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf stood in the streets of Baghdad Monday morning amid a U.S. raid on the capital, issuing denials of coalition advances.

Now Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

"Al-Sahaf says 'The Americans, they always depend on a method what I call ... stupid, silly. All I ask is check yourself.'"

Too bad a few, brave men have to die in this war due to guys with room temperature IQs taking over Iraq. But, I'd say the unintentional comedic material is first rate.
posted by Happy at 11:07 AM

 
His momma Named Him Clay, I'm Gonna Call him Clay.

"Chemical Ali" Dead.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, one of the most brutal members of President Saddam Hussein's inner circle, was apparently killed by an airstrike on his house in Basra, British officials said Monday. He had been dubbed "Chemical Ali" by opponents for ordering a 1988 poison gas attack that killed thousands of Kurds
Chemical Ali found dead in Basra.

Float like a butterfly sting like a bee, dead as a doornail, that the way
it be.

posted by Happy at 10:56 AM

 
Is this great news?!

"Rumsfeld suggested that Saddam may no longer be in control in Baghdad.

'Where are Iraq's leaders?' he asked. 'The night before the ground war began, coalition forces launched a strike on a meeting of Iraq's senior command and control, and they have not been heard from since.'"

Where are they? Who's running the show?
posted by Happy at 3:03 PM

 
Howland a Bruin? Looks like a done deal. Nice to see a Gaucho get a chance to coach the Bruins.
posted by Happy at 3:08 PM

 
My wish to flush Saddam out has begun. "Pentagon Keeps Asking, 'Where's Saddam?'"
posted by Happy at 3:04 PM

 
Robert Scheer, what a loathesome human being. Why do we/I waste my time. Well, he's in my newspaper, which has some very good qualities, but how can they explain Robert Scheer?

In his article in today's LA Times, he states, "The 'terrorist' is generally considered such because he is indifferent to the fate of civilians."

Uh, no Robert a terrorist intentionally targets innocent civilians. If a terrorist truely was indifferent, a suicide (homicide, murderous) bomber would only intend to blow himself up and accidently take some civilians with him/her. It is the suicide bomber's intention to kill and terrorize civilians by blowing them up in coffee houses, pizza parlors, and any other normal everyday place. The World Trade Center wasn't targeted at 11 at night when there would be few people in the building. It was targeted by the terrorists early in the morning in order to maximize casualties. When is the Times going to take some responsbility for Scheer's comments like NBC did with Peter Arnett?
posted by Happy at 11:45 AM

 
"Saddam is dead!" Let's all say it together. Flush him out. It should be the top news story everywhere. Why can't we see the Iraqi leader in a war they are "winning?" The Americans should tell the Iraqi people to stop fighting for a dead man. Force their hand. If he's alive he must show himself. Doesn't it seem like the simple thing to do?
posted by Happy at 11:21 AM

 
Did the "first casualty of war" in Iraq have plans to be a suicide bomber? Did his death save American lives? Too bad the suicide bomber who killed four American soldiers didn't meet the same fate before he could conduct his unscrupulous act.
posted by Happy at 4:48 PM

 
I must take personal pride in today's Best of the Web. Which without my contribution may not have been Best of... (of course).
posted by Happy at 1:17 PM

 
Suspended for his politics or his stupidity? You be the judge. But remember, "Stupidity is not a crime, but it seldom goes unpunished.

SF Chron's Norr suspended after participating in war protest

Romenesko Letters

San Francisco Chronicle technology columnist Henry Norr (left) says he was suspended without pay after getting arrested in "a peaceful civil disobedience" against the war. "The offense the Chronicle is charging me with is falsifying my timecard, but this is a bogus, after-the-fact cover for an act of political retaliation and an attempt to intimidate other employees," Norr writes in an e-mail. "For Thursday, the day I spent in jail, I took a sick day. I did so because I was sick -- heartsick over the beginning of the war, nauseated by the lies and the arrogance and the stupidity that led to it, and deeply depressed by the death and destruction it would bring."
posted by Happy at 3:32 PM

 
Laura Collins, hero. She doesn't measure up to our brave troops, but she's a hero nonetheless.

From today's LA Times.

"Now that war has started, we have to think of what will happen after. Killing Saddam will not solve the problem," said Hatoon Ajwad al Fassi, a professor of ancient history at a Riyadh university. "You will not have a peaceful land yielding to you and taking you in their arms. There will be lots of revenges, lots of instability."

At this point, Laura Collins, an American who is rearing her children in Saudi Arabia and helping Saudi women start businesses through the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, spoke up.

"I'm not a warmonger. I certainly don't like war — nobody likes war. But I agree with the United States' intentions," she said. "I think they've got their heart in the right place. Since Sept. 11, if something poses a threat, the U.S. really needs to go after it and deal with the threat."

In mentioning Sept. 11, Collins unearthed a sore point in the complex relations between the two nations, whose decades-long alliance has been tested in part by the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi natives, as is Osama bin Laden.

The temperature across the tea table instantly fell about 15 degrees.

"Saddam Hussein is a bad man," Collins said. "He's killed lots and lots of Muslims, he was the only Muslim attacking Kuwait and Iran, he threw bombs at Saudi Arabia and Qatar, he used chemical weapons on his own people.

"Really, how many people need to die before you say this has got to stop?"

Collins, who regularly socializes and does business with these women, said later that "halfway through my little talk, I had an out-of-body experience."
posted by Happy at 2:11 PM

 
More Moore from today's LA Times,

He starts off
A word of advice to future Oscar winners: Don't begin Oscar day by going to church.

Then the scum continues

The pope even came right out and said it: This war in Iraq is not a just war and, thus, it is a sin.

Do we get it? Michael Moore was only doing the pope's bidding. What a scumbag and liar. I hope to get a chance to fully dissect his piece of garbage. I'd say he's still no Robert Scheer.
posted by Happy at 8:58 AM

 
Here's an open response to TJ Jourian at Michigan State University.

My dear TJ, this is an open letter response to your rants and Robert Fisk-like commentary.

>>>This is an open letter to all you pro-war and anti-protester imbeciles out there.
You wanted your war, and now you have it.>>>

I consider myself pro-war AND more importantly ANTI-protestor, but certainly not an imbecile. Does this still mean this open letter is for me and others like me? To be clear, I’m also pro-American, pro-freedom of choice, and pro liberation for Iraq. I wonder how many Iraqis are able to say what they believe without having Saddam kill and torture them?

And, for the record, as much of an expert that you may be through you own personal experience in understanding a true imbecile, these special credentials of yours do not qualify you to call others imbeciles.

>>> I hope you're happy because there are millions across the globe who aren't. In fact, they're downright pissed off and disappointed, and they're not afraid to show it.
>>>

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, you can please some of the people some of the time and all the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. Considering there are a few billion people on this earth, I’m not sure your numbers generate any credibility. I could probably find a few million in favor of pedophilia and certainly many more millions in favor of the Jewish Holocaust. Judging from what I’ve seen of your few million they’re all probably included in your number.

Plus, I’m not sure too many people are happy with war. Unfortunately, war is a necessary evil when one side becomes so self-righteous they no longer can listen to reason (sound familiar?). Slavery, fascism, communism, and Nazism were all ended by war—not protests or sanctions (Cuba). Armed conflicts in which people were freed from tyranny and despair was the answer. Unfortunately, many of my ancestor's lives were ended at a young age by war. But fortunately their sacrifices have allowed me to live in this great nation, free today. Let’s hear it for my brave and heroic forefathers who believed in the United States and what it stands for.

>>>I'm talking about the hundreds in East Lansing and Lansing who have been marching and protesting; the thousands in San Francisco and Chicago who refuse to roll over and play dead; the hundreds of thousands in Athens, Greece, who will not remain quiet; and countless others in all corners of the world who will not stop showing their resolve against this fascist war. How can the rest of you ignore such numbers? How can you not see what kind of damage this war has already done and will continue doing for years and decades to come?>>>

Aren’t there millions of people who live in San Francisco, Chicago, and Athens (!)? I’m not sure you’re aware of what a majority or even a plurality is. Not that this would be useful to your “argument” either, but certainly a major problem nonetheless.

And, I must take issue with your claim of “fascist war.” A bit of hyperbole, wouldn’t you say? By using this term you spit in the face of all those millions who died and suffered under true fascist regimes and didn’t have the “right” to live in freedom like we do. Too bad for these millions, war didn’t start sooner to save their lives.

>>>On March 12, a week before the declaration of war, several members of various anti-war groups blocked the entrances to the Frandor Shell station on East Saginaw Street. The protesters were desperately trying to get the powers that be to pay attention to them, and once again they were ignored.>>>

Ever see “Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas? “You will not be ignored?” I’m starting to get a bit scared.

>>>You didn't like this one bit. In fact you tried running over them a few times, shouted obscenities and told them to go home.>>>

Sounds like a “peaceful” protest to me.

>>>Someone yelled, "This is the U.S. We have the right to get gas." You definitely do, and that's exactly why all those troops are in Iraq: to get gas.>>>

I’m sure there’s a Taco Bell joke here somewhere. But I guess you aren’t aware of September 11, 2001 and how this so drastically changed our treatment of rogue regimes with weapons of mass destruction who have openly tried to assassinate our former president and have not lived up to agreements ending a previous war.

>>>You think you were inconvenienced?

I wonder how much this war has inconvenienced the family and friends of the Jordanian taxi driver, the first casualty of war, according to The Associated Press.>>>

As Stalin would say, “the death of one person was a tragedy, the death of a million a statistic.” I’m sure you and he would have a lot in common. Too bad the many thousands (millions?) killed by Saddam’s regime don’t seem to even be a concern to you.

>>>On Thursday, a few hours after the attacks began, close to 100 of us took to the streets in East Lansing, marching from the Marriott at University Place on M.A.C. Avenue through campus all the way to the Capitol. >>>

“Close to 100?” I’m not aware of the high standards to get into a public university like Michigan State, but can you at least tell us what this means? I don’t know much about Michigan State, but it’s no Michigan University, am I correct? Did you count this yourself, round, estimate, throw a dart on a dartboard? We need to know.

>>>We made a pit stop at Demonstration Hall where ROTC cadets are trained to demonstrate our support for the troops. Some protesters, including an army veteran, stepped up to voice their condemnation of a system that forces college students to resort to joining the army just so they can pay their tuition, while these same programs are increasing in middle schools and high schools nationally.

They called for higher education to be fiscally accessible for everyone who wants it and is willing to learn.>>>

How do you force a volunteer? And what do you mean by veteran?

>>>So when you condemn protesters for not supporting those who are fighting this bloody war by showing us pictures of your family members and friends, I tell you to listen closer to our message. We do support the troops. We want them all to return home, unharmed and safe, which will not happen for some.>>>

I guess you didn’t have pictures of the Taxi driver then? And are you sure you want them ALL to return home? Don’t you want just a few of them to die so you can lump them alongside your beloved Taxi driver and make your anti-war argument a bit spicier? I truly regret imagining the smile on your face when you fist saw our dead soldiers paraded on TV.

>>>The march continued on Michigan Avenue where we took over three lanes of traffic all the way to the Capitol. If it took you a little longer to get to your destination, either because you had to find an alternate route or trail behind us, then I have no sympathy for your so-called pain. What about those in Iraq who can't get to their destinations because those destinations don't exist anymore? Do you have any sympathy for them?>>>

Sympathy? Are you speaking of Uday and Saddam? No, no sympathy here. And remember your motto, “fiscally accessible for everyone?” Why don’t you find a “willingness to learn” and figure out how state schools can be paid for when people are unable to get to work because a few self-righteous, protesters are preventing them from earning excess profits to fund schools.

>>>Then the next day, realizing that our voices continued to not be heard, we took our actions a step further. At 7:45 a.m. a group of protesters assembled ready to take over a small part of Grand River Avenue. >>>

Still being ignored? I feel for the Michigan State area rabbits.

>>>Traffic was blocked from 9-11 a.m. [9-11? Coincidence?] using a car that had anti-war slogans spray-painted and people chained in and around it. Others linked arms surrounding it while the rest of us carried signs, chanted and marched across the crosswalks.>>>

Maybe if you had something intelligent to say people would notice without having to assault the public. You see, sometimes your argument isn’t valid and it’s time to shut up and move along. Only the disturbed and deranged continue on for a fight in which they have no legitimacy.

>>>Watching the news that evening, I heard your complaints. Some of you didn't like being woken up at 8:30 a.m.

Boo hoo!

What about those who were woken up at 5:30 a.m. when the first air raid sirens went off this past Thursday? What about those who have no homes to sleep in, who can't sleep anymore or who will never wake up again?

Yet again, you complained of being inconvenienced. >>>

Remember, many of these "inconvenienced" people subsidize your college education. I pray that it is Saddam that will never wake up again. Do you?

>>>I wonder how much more inconvenienced you would be if instead of a group of 100 peaceful protesters, you were faced with a bomb that was dropped in the middle of the street.>>>

Did we agree on the 100 number? I wasn’t aware that you supported your position to use this number. Anyway, I guess I’m a bit more worried that in your zeal that you will “not be ignored” you are now bringing up the use of bombs to have your message heard.

>>>You informed us that the war had already begun. Gee, good thing you drove by, otherwise we would have never known. We were too busy being an inconvenience to realize that.>>>

Obviously.

>>>You talked about inappropriate actions. Oh, so exercising our First Amendment rights is inappropriate? But I thought that was the whole premise of this war: freeing the Iraqis so they have the so-called freedoms that Americans take for granted every day.>>>

I’ve read the First Amendment of our great American Constitution and did not read anything in it about the right to harass, prevent people from getting to work or play, tie-up highways, and keep the police occupied and preventing them from solving other crimes.

>>>Fourteen people were arrested for exercising those freedoms. One of those arrests involved a female protester who was standing on the sidewalk. She was thrown to the ground, cuffed and then yelled at to get up even though she had a broken foot. >>>

Before we assume your credibility (in addition to the 100 verification) can we get the woman’s name and a doctor’s note?

>>> Serve and protect the people?
More like serve and protect the White House.

For those of you too busy flipping us off and yelling obscenities to listen to our messages, here they are, for your reading pleasure:

"Drop Bush, not bombs!"

"Stop the war, feed the hungry."

"Bush, you liar! Your cowboy ass is fired!"

"Whose streets? Our streets!"

"What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!"

"Hell no, we won't go. We won't die for Texaco."

"2, 4, 6, 8. Stop the violence; stop the hate.">>>

Now, what’s a bad argument without the use of bad clichés? Bravo, I’m beginning to understand the typical Michigan State University student. Thank you.

posted by Happy at 5:44 PM

 
Sometimes the best thoughts can be found in the comments section from Little Green Footballs.

FICTITIOUS
We live in a world of fictitious documentaries
We live in a world where a stupid white man writes
About stupid white men with no sense of irony

We live in a fictitious world where the rich pretend to be poor
By donning a baseball cap and shunning showers
By sporting three-day growths and eschewing workouts and haircuts

We live in a world where people claim fictitious things about America
While they claim with a straight face that they love America

We live in a world where the fictitious BBC and CBC report on a rant
While they somehow omit mention of the ensuing booing

We live in a fictitious world where Bush is evil and Gore won the election
We live in a world where words have meaning, especially ‘fictition’

But I live in a world where even Hollywood leftists have the sense to boo the fictitious Michael Boore.

posted by Happy at 3:49 PM

 
Michael Moore, idiot of the century. The academy got what it deserved. He didn't win on his merits, it was his politics. Now he's emarrassed Hollywood and it hopefully will hurt them in the pocketbook. It's obvious why he's against the legitimate use of force. He was picked on as a kid and lashes out at the successful. As it is elegantly put here, "You're sort of the ugly, left wing, poor man's version of Rush. In case you miss my meaning, you're a sort of the Bizarro world's Limbaugh."

I wonder how Moore and the other peaceniks would feel (and no doubt say) if devout Christians used the Oscar stage to state their beliefs and state all non-believers are going to hell? It's no wonder Moore didn't graduate from college, the coward probably quit before he flunked out.

Plus, from what I've read Moore never should have been nominated for Best Documentary. Information on that can be found here.
posted by Happy at 7:43 PM

 
APB, Saddam Hussein where are you? Has anyone seen him? Was the tape of his speech really him on live tv? Do "great" leaders such as Saddam suddenly go missing during war? No propaganda speeches? Doesn't seem to be Saddam's same MO from Desert Storm. It would seem that Saddam would at least show his face like Tariq Aziz did when rumors were floating that he was dead or had defected. I have to say that Saddam being dead is a bit too optimistic at this point. Can war really be this easy? For the troops' sake as well as the Iraqi people, I sure hope so.
posted by Happy at 1:52 PM

 
My favorite new saying, "Stupidity is not a crime, but it rarely goes unpunished."
posted by Happy at 3:09 PM

 
New musings from Dennis Miller. I have to admit that I've been a bit biased against Dennis Miller. In the past he seemed a bit too arrogant and a bit too scripted in his repartee. However, my conversion to a Dennis Millerist has been swift (I perhaps should have converted earlier since I remember hearing Cory Feldman on Howard Stern's radio show blast Miller. Talk about idiots! That's Cory, "I don't eat meat for moral reasons but my leather shoes are ok because they were given as a gift.")

Anyway, on the way home from work listening to local station KLSX, Conway and Steckler aired Dennis Miller's performance on Donahue. I was amazed, surprised, whatever the right word is, at his outstanding performance. The fact that I agreed with him was a HUGE plus, but he seemed to be so anti-Hollywood cliche' while talking with Phil Donahue that I was converted quickly. He clanged the death knell for Donahue's demise at MSNBC (he was cancelled soon after). I think it was fitting that Rosie O'Donnell was Donahue's last guest. You can read about the Dennis Miller show here.

TRYING TO HELP

BY DENNIS MILLER

ALL THE RHETORIC ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD GO TO WAR AGAINST IRAQ, HAS GOT MY INSANE LITTLE BRAIN SPINNING LIKE A ROULETTE WHEEL. I ENJOY READING OPINIONS FROM BOTH SIDES BUT I HAVE DETECTED A HINT OF CONFUSION FROM SOME OF YOU.

AS I WAS READING THE PAPER RECENTLY, I WAS REMINDED OF THE BEST ADVICE SOMEONE EVER GAVE ME. HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE KISS METHOD ("KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID!") SO, WITH THIS AS A THEME, I'D LIKE TO APPLY THIS THEORY FOR THOSE WHO DON'T QUITE GET IT.

MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN SIMPLIFY THINGS A BIT AND RECOGNIZE A FEW IMPORTANT FACTS.

HERE ARE 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN VOICING AN OPINION ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE:

1) OUT OF PRESIDENT BUSH AND SADDAM HUSSEIN ... HUSSEIN IS THE BAD GUY.

2) IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN THE UNITED NATIONS TO DO THE RIGHT THING - KEEP THIS IN MIND, THEY HAVE LIBYA HEADING THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND IRAQ HEADING THE GLOBAL DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE. DO YOUR OWN MATH HERE.

3) IF YOU USE GOOGLE SEARCH AND TYPE IN "FRENCH MILITARY VICTORIES,"

YOUR REPLY WILL BE "DID YOU MEAN FRENCH MILITARY DEFEATS?"

4) IF YOUR ONLY ANTI-WAR SLOGAN IS "NO WAR FOR OIL,"

SUE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ALLOWING YOU TO SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS AND ROBBING YOU OF THE EDUCATION YOU DESERVE.

5) SADDAM AND BIN LADEN WILL NOT SEEK UNITED NATIONS APPROVAL BEFORE THEY TRY TO KILL US.

6) DESPITE COMMON BELIEF, MARTIN SHEEN IS NOT THE PRESIDENT. HE PLAYS ONE ON T.V.

7) EVEN IF YOU ARE ANTI-WAR, YOU ARE STILL AN "INFIDEL!" AND BIN LADEN WANTS YOU DEAD, TOO

8) IF YOU BELIEVE IN A "VAST RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY"

BUT NOT IN THE DANGER THAT HUSSEIN POSES, QUIT HANGING OUT WITH THE DELL COMPUTER DUDE.

9) WE ARE NOT TRYING TO LIBERATE THEM.

10) WHETHER YOU ARE FOR MILITARY ACTION OR AGAINST IT, OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OVERSEAS ARE FIGHTING FOR US TO DEFEND OUR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT THEM WITHOUT RESERVATION.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

posted by Happy at 2:59 PM

 



Free counters provided by Andale.



posted by Happy at 2:15 PM

 
A great site Hollywood Halfwits debunking probably an ungly halfwit from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Laura Billings. Here's her editorial.
posted by Happy at 1:53 PM

 
More from Robert Fisk in the Independent, November 8, 2002

Now, I have a question. If you or I was that girl's husband or lover or brother or father, would we not be prepared to take hostages in a Moscow theatre? Even if this meant – as it did – that, asphyxiated by Russian gas, we would be executed with a bullet in the head, as the Chechen women hostage-takers were? But no matter. The "war on terror" means that Kolya and the boys will be back in action soon, courtesy of Messrs Putin, Bush and Blair
posted by Happy at 11:44 AM

 
Kevin Ryan, U.S. attorney for Northern California asks, "Was the energy crisis spurred in part by criminal activity? The answer is a resounding yes." San Diego Untion-Tribune, Wednesday October 23, 2002. Do we need any more evidence that entertainment talk show hosts should not be relied on for FACTS? (errr, like the not credible Mr. KABC. Is it any wonder he uses a psuedonym?)

PG&E is in bankruptcy and Southern California Edison (SCE) is still fighting for financial solvency, all because of crooks and criminals in suits. It will be an injustice if these two utilities go down in a ball of flames due to the Enrons and Consumer Activists jumping on anything to push the California utilities over the edge. How is it these Consumer Activists (who put money in their own pockets first) can claim any moral authority when they take advantage of what these crooks started? Win at all costs is the motto of those without ethics not to mention ratings at any cost.
posted by Happy at 10:00 AM

 
ESPN.com First the 58-game winning streak ended, and now, the United States will not even medal despite its legion of NBA players at the World Championships in Indianapolis. That's because Yugoslavia overcame a 10-point deficit to beat Team USA 81-78 on Thursday night. The U.S. now must qualify for the Olympics.

What does this say about these guys' million dollar salaries? Is the NBA paying millions for guys that clearly are not the best? Another example of money negatively affecting performance.
posted by Happy at 10:53 PM

 
From Barry Farber

My new Islamic friend then asked to what religion [Barry Farber] belonged.

"I'm Jewish," [Barry] said.

He leaned in and said, "Your ancient rabbis deleted the prophecy about the coming of Mohammed from the Torah."

"Beg pardon?" I said.

"It's well known, " he said. "Your Torah clearly told of the arrival of 'Achmed.' Achmed is the same name as Mohammed."

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"Why, it's all there. It's all there," he replied, implying it was all fully documented in places where only the most venal religious villain could deny it. Yet he never quite specified where those corrobatory documents resided.

What about 9-11?

He answered with an annoyed confidence that suggested one of the crescents he was fated to bear was putting up with illiterate infidels who still don't know who staged 9-11.

"It was all arranged by the United States government," he said. "Your government needed 9-11 as an excuse to take Afghanistan," he said.

"How do you know?"

"It's all there. It's all there, my friend. All you have to do is read." Again he failed to say what it was that had to be read.

"Are you saying we Americans ourselves staged that attack?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied. "Cheney and Enron had tried to negotiate deals with the Taliban prior to 9-11. This administration decided it needed a pretext to take over Afghanistan when the Taliban refused to roll over to your demands. 9-11 had to precede an American conquest of Afghanistan."

He took advantage of my bewildered silence to "corroborate" his claim. "It's all there," he said. "You just have to read it. It's all there."

How can stupidity this flagrant and dangerous go unheeded? Does this country need another reminder that Islam is not a religion of peace much as Communism in not the system for equality? Islam's goal is to brainwash the stupid into believing things that don't exist, then their leaders can oppress women and all others who dare to make them look stupid by questioning their religion. Do these "geniuses" realize that without oil they would be third world countries? Also, without countries that actually create a product that can sustain populations their whole cultures would starve? Amazing...

posted by Happy at 9:57 AM

 
Hopefully, people have learned not to get their facts from opinionated radio hosts. However, demagogues are dangerous if they have the "gift of gab." A radio host who hides behind the moniker Mr. KABC has tried to inform people on the "bogus" California Power Crisis. It's no wonder that the ratings for KABC have fallen and KABC is no longer the leader of talk radio in Los Angeles. Mr. KABC "doesn't get" it and is either incompetent or a liar. On the KABC website Mr. KABC tries to [mis]inform his readers and listeners. The fact that this hasn't been fixed after two months is a disgrace.

By Mr. KABC - June 10, 2002

>>>"Snowpack 24% of normal. Summer generation relies on hydroelectric power from melted snow.">>>

Misinterpreting facts to make his point. How 24% below normal turns into 24% of normal is understandable only if you know that this man has an agenda.

>>> Fundamental problems not fixed. Specifically, the bidding system for power purchases by the Power Exchange which sets the price to be paid to all power sellers at the highest amount bid for that hour, even if some sellers would have sold power at a lower price.>>>

Power Exchange!?? The California Power Exchange went bankrupt shortly after the California Power Crisis erupted. The fact that this document is from 2000 and Mr. KABC is trying to make a point about the summer of 2002 is more evidence of his incompetence.
posted by Happy at 10:49 PM

 
Terrorism works? No doubt... "Going Postal" has led to increased severence packages in many corporations. Don't kid yourself to believe that these corporations are showing compassion for the ex-employees. Riots in major cities serve a purpose and make leaders give in to fringe groups that claim to represent an entire class of people. Now, as Glenn Reynolds points out in Instapundit "...human rights groups and Euro-government types aren't willing to make as much noise about the practices of Arab countries." Why else would people cede to a society that

[1] Puts Restrictions on the free flow of information;

[2] Subjugates women;

[3] Has an inability to accept responsibility for individual or collective failure;

[4] The extended family or clan is the basic unit of social organization;

[5] Is dominated by a restrictive religion;

[6] Has a low valuation of education (other than the education of Jew hating); and

[7] Low prestige assigned to work

Amazing... things will get worse before they get better.
posted by Happy at 9:42 PM

 
They Never Forgot Kile at Chaffey College Olivera said he remembers a startling summer body transformation in Kile. "It was like he became Lou Ferrigno turning into the Incredible Hulk," Olivera said. "He started growing like a weed. He just took off, like 30-to-40 pounds and two or three inches."

Is this evidence of steroids causing the untimely death of Darryl Kile? Hopefully, an autopsy will be able to give us the truth. The stupid fact that major league baseball does not test its athletes because it has no power against the powerful players' union and the union’s executive director Donald Fehr's fear of invading the "privacy" of its players should make us all suspicious and forces us to speculate. Is Darryl Kile's death the price for this privacy? While Kile was 6'5" and 215 lbs., dimensions not normally what one would expect from a steroid "freak." But neither is Chuck Finley who has been accused in court documents by his wife, Tawney, that he used steroids and at 6'6", 226 lbs. he doesn't fit the steroid stereotype either.

Until baseball outlaws the unlawful use of steroids and conducts drug testing for steroids, all players are under suspicion, especially those that die young from a heart problem that is a frequent cause of death for steroid user, as well us those players who leave the game at a relatively young age and suffer numerous little injuries that limit them throuhout their careers. The future generation of players is at risk, for they will only be able to make a major league roster only if they risk their health by taking steroids. Will Darryl Kile save a future generation of players from taking illegal drugs?

posted by Happy at 11:12 AM

 
No taxpayer stadium in LA. I think LA would support an NFL team, but the team needs to put a quality product on the field. The Raiders and Rams failed to do so in their last years and people did not attend the games. Why is this surprising? Why reward failure? Let the losers in St. Louis give millions to Georgia.
posted by Happy at 8:21 PM

 
Add Dennis Kozlowski to the CEO Scumbag list.

Dennis Kozlowski was ousted from the helm of Tyco Monday amid reports that he is under criminal investigation for avoiding New York sales tax. A federal grand jury is exploring whether Kozlowski moved hundreds of millions of dollars into family trusts and used those trusts to buy goods and services without paying state sales taxes, according to The New York Times.

Do these guys have no shame? Don't people know that GREED is one of the Seven Deadly Sins? A little bit of luck and the CEOs are the emperors who wear no clothes. They leave in shame, but with their pockets full of money. Any 2-bit burglar or drug dealer would be happy with their fate.
posted by Happy at 10:38 AM

 
I'd like to hear Hillary Clinton's take on the Lakers and Kings and add this to the conspiracy theories. Let's take a look... in the seven game series the Kings outscored the Lakers 697 to 695. Now didn't Al Gore win the "popular" vote as well? Does it matter to Hillary et al that the Lakers won 4 of the 7 games? Hmmm... maybe it's time for the Cowpokes in Cowtown, Sacramento to all become Democrats and get Hillary on their side.
posted by Happy at 9:54 PM

 
I hope $33 million is enough for Dynegy's CEO's resignation? It's the latest fall for an energy company and its CEO that made tons of money during the California Energy Crisis. Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Chuck Watson... millionaires they own mansions and a yacht and are laughing to the bank. Does everyone have his price? Is $33 million enough for a legacy of running a company into the ground and losing your moral and ethical compass? I hope we soon find these men in jail and their ill-gotten gains being paid back to shareholders. Not holding my breath... Let's also not forget Jill Barrad at Mattell. She got a $50 million severance package for ruining Mattel. When will the insanity stop? We need Susan Powter.


Happy4LA@aol.com
posted by Happy at 9:41 PM

 
Lakers win! Lakers win! What a great series... too much emphasis on the refs. Now for the Middle East analogy... does Sacramento refuse to accept the Laker victory and take to suicide bombing, since they can't win by conventional means?
posted by Happy at 9:20 PM

 
I'd like to hear Hillary Clinton's take on the Lakers and Kings and add this to the conspiracy theories.
Let's take a look... in the seven game series the Kings outscored the Lakers 697 to 695. Now didn't Al Gore win the "popular" vote as well? Does it matter to Hillary et al that the Lakers won 4 of the 7 games? Hmmm... maybe it's time for the Cowpokes in Cowtown, Sacramento to all become Democrats and get Hillary on their side.
posted by Happy at 9:58 PM