2015-01-29

CRTC Ruling: About %#^%% Time

Aside from the fact I'm not much of a fan of the CRTC, finally a ruling I like:

"Canadians tired of being denied American Super Bowl ads will get to see what all the fuss is about — just not yet.

Starting in 2017, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will no longer allow broadcasters to request simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl.

The announcement was made during a speech on the future of television at the London Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning by CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais. "

Unfortunately, we have to wait still some more. 

It's only been 35 years I've been waiting. All those commercials...lost!

All because of a stupid, stupid, stupid practice.

"Broadcasters love this, because it keeps ad revenues in-house. Blais said simultaneous substitution is worth $250 million annually across the industry.

But Canadians hate it.

Slip-ups in signalling times can cause fans to miss the big play or overtime goal.
And what kind of democracy would deny its citizens the joys of “Wassup,” the Geico gecko or Ali 
Landry eating Doritos?

Blais said that while Canadians loathe it, the financial cost of ending simultaneous substitution is too great. Instead, new regulations will hope to end some of its biggest annoyances."

Absofuckinglutely. That broadcasters had such a long run at it annoys me to no end. I can't tell you how many times the signal was lost - as in cut into a program scheduled for that time - at important moments in a game. DRIVES ME NUTS.

 


 

T.C.'s Adjusted Best Soccer Clubs

For what it's worth here's FIFA's list of the top clubs of the 20th Century:

Pos.    Club    Country    %
1    Real Madrid     Spain    42.35 %
2    Manchester United     England    9.69 %
3    Bayern Munich     Germany    8.18%
4    Barcelona     Spain    5.61%
5    Santos     Brazil    5.10 %
5    Ajax     Netherlands    5.10 %
7    Juventus     Italy    2.55 %
8    Peñarol     Uruguay    2.04 %
9    River Plate     Argentina    1.53 %
9    Flamengo     Brazil    1.53 %
9    Milan     Italy    1.53 %
12    Liverpool     England    1.02 %
12    Botafogo     Brazil    1.02 %
12    Benfica     Portugal    1.02 %
12    Independiente     Argentina    1.02 %
12    Sport Club Corinthians Paulista     Brazil    1.02 %
12    Boca Juniors     Argentina    1.02 %
12    Internazionale     Italy    1.02 %
12    Arsenal     England    1.02 %
Other        6.63

Now here's mine for just the European clubs:

1) Real Madrid
2) AC Milan (I mean really, 9th? They only have the most trophies in the world. 1.55% is an insult)
3) Bayern Munich (tight race with Barcelona but they do have 5 CL's)
4) Barcelona (if someone argues they belong second I won't think they're crazy)
5) Ajax (also in a tight race this time with Juventus)
6) Juventus (have had actual period of global dominance. If they had done a tad better in CL I'd have them up in top 3)
7) Liverpool (have had more success than Man Utd)
8) Manchester United (no way are the 2nd best club in Europe in the 20th century)
9) Internazionale Milano (same number of CL's titles and one more appearance in finals than Man U)
10) Benfica

I don't consider Arsenal a top side in the 20th century.  I'd put FC Porto and perhaps even Anderlecht over them. Arsenal is roughly on par with Fiorentina, Roma, Parma, Athletico Madrid, Valencia, Borrusia Dortmund - that group.

As for the South American clubs not sure why Santos towers over all others - other than having won the most titles in Brazil. And even then, it hasn't necessarily been in dominating fashion. Penarol, Independiente, Boca Juniors all have had far more success in terms of trophies and titles. Botafogo is especially perplexing given its modest amount of succes. How it ranks above Boca is beyond me to comprehend and only points to FIFA's weird way of compiling things.

My list is more reflective of how things went down.

2015-01-28

Just Who Owns 'Big Oil' Anyway?

This will come as a surprise to, well, you know who (hint, they swing left).

INVESTORS. That is, people like you and me who have pensions, stocks and mutual funds that's who.

The chart is for the USA but I'm pretty sure it's the same here in Canada - especially given we're a resource-rich economy. 

Think about this before going off on a Koch-Harper, anti-oil and gas rant.

You may just be hurting your RRSP or IRA.






Daily Round Up: Still Too Lazy To Create Titles

"In their statement of defence, lawyers for the Harper government argued that it is unfair to hold it accountable for decisions made by lawmakers a cenutry ago, and that Ottawa has no special obligation to wounded veterans."

Not gonna comment on the case itself since I don't know much about it but I will say a thing on the government's statement.

Funny. They can send soldiers to go fight for whatever reasons they say to get killed, injured or maimed in the name of the flag, but they won't take care of them on the back end?

What kind of appalling logic is this? Forget politically. Politics is awash with scum. I'm talking philosophically and morally.

Reminds me when NYPD was under public duress said they were not under any obligation to 'serve and protect'.

Yet, they expect the public to lick their balls in worship.

***

Quebec, Quebec, Quebec. What am I gonna do with you, you naughty, naughty parochial entity?
 
"Anglophone rights lawyer Brent Tyler lost his court challenge of Bill 101 Wednesday morning. He was trying to defend several business owners who had signs or websites where French was not predominant enough.

The 24 small businesses were prosecuted between 1998 and 2001 for breaking language laws because their signs or websites were not predominantly French. The defendants were trying to prove that French is not endangered in Quebec."

I'm still waiting for someone to present to me where this sort of thing happens anywhere in North America (or the West) where, despite linguistic cleavages, there's a democratic, pluralist society with free speech.

Cricket, cricket. Not even Spain goes this far.

Imagine if, for fun's sake, the province of Alberta fined a bunch of French-Canadians operating a business in Calgary for having a word or two in French?

Oh me, oh my would the twits in the nationalist camp go crazy!
 
Something about to onto others as they would onto you?
 
So. Because French-Canadians have a low birth - as the judge noted - along with a perpetual 'fragile state of being' others are made to pay through punitive measures?
 
This on the heels when a Valentin restaurant worker is considering filing a lawsuit with the Human Rights  commission for being chastised for speaking English.

On what planet does Quebec live to actually think their discriminatory behavior is somehow acceptable? I'm pretty sure the average Quebec doesn't know about the antics of the OLF in their name. I know because my French friends think we're nuts for bringing it up. When we show them the facts - including personal experiences - they react in shock and disappointment. They know it's wrong. 

As the UN noted on the sign law specifically:

"In 1993, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that Quebec's sign laws broke an international covenant on civil and political rights.[16] "A State may choose one or more official languages," the committee wrote, "but it may not exclude, outside the spheres of public life, the freedom to express oneself in a language of one's choice. The Committee accordingly concludes that there has been a violation of article 19, paragraph 2."

If this was any other place it would not be accepted on any level.

Pitiful, pitiful Quebec. I sometimes cry for you and other times laugh at you.

***


***

Deficit neutral. Or was it revenue neutral? I forget. Doesn't matter.
 
The number comes from figures buried in a 15-page section of the nonpartisan organization's new ten-year budget outlook. 

The best-case scenario described by the CBO would result in 'between 24 million and 27 million' fewer Americans being uninsured in 2025, compared to the year before the Affordable Care Act took effect."

Success! Courtesy of the Democrats all on their own!

$50 000 is the price you pay for civilization, m'kay?

Hey, this free-shit thing is easy! Let's make community college free too!

I'm pretty sure the U.S. could have accomplished this at a 1/10th of the cost. But that would mean keeping the incompetent boobs in the government out of it.

***

Remember the time when we were under the board walk...?

King Abdullah wasn't so romantic.

According to MSNBC's Richard Engel the King (and I use the term loosely) 'could not stand' Obama despite the President speaking of a 'special bond' they had.

So.

Is he racist?

***


/sarc.

A recent survey by the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics finds that over 80 percent of Americans support “mandatory labels on foods containing DNA,” about the same number as support mandatory labeling of GMO foods “produced with genetic engineering.” Oklahoma State economist Jayson Lusk has some additional details on the survey. If the government does impose mandatory labeling on foods containing DNA, perhaps the label might look something like this:
WARNING: This product contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The Surgeon General has determined that DNA is linked to a variety of diseases in both animals and humans. In some configurations, it is a risk factor for cancer and heart disease. Pregnant women are at very high risk of passing on DNA to their children.

WARNING: PEOPLE HAVE BECOME SUFFICIENTLY RETARDED.

I WANT WARNINGS AND TRIGGER WARNINGS ON EVERYMATHING!

***


"Wikipedia’s arbitration committee, the highest user-run body on the site, has voted to ban editors from making corrections to articles about feminism, in an attempt to stop a long-running edit war over the entry on the “Gamergate controversy”.

The editors, who were all actively attempting to prevent the article from being rewritten with a pro-Gamergate slant, were sanctioned by “arbcom” in its preliminary decision. While that may change as it is finalised, the body, known as Wikipedia’s supreme court, rarely reverses its decisions."

Yeah, their shtick is wearing thin.

***

Shitty jobs for shitty people with shitty ideas...

I PREDICTED it would come to this. The government fining people for throwing food out in the garbage. Won't be long before towns in Quebec start acting stupidly as well. It's in our DNA to Green-derp.

Government is force because for your own damn good - and the children...and the environment.

Of course, this sort of aggressive action is okay with the NPR commenters. 

Taking private virtue and twisting into public good by force is, well, evil.


"In Seattle, wasting food will now earn you a scarlet letter — well, a scarlet tag, to be more accurate.
The bright red tag, posted on a garbage bin, tells everyone who sees it that you've violated a new city law that makes it illegal to put food into trash cans.

"I'm sure neighbors are going to see these on their other neighbors' cans," says Rodney Watkins, a lead driver for Recology CleanScapes, a waste contractor for the city. He's on the front lines of enforcing these rules..."

Like I said.

Shitty.

2015-01-27

Historica Stories

Neat story on a Gallipoli mapmaker.

"A treasure-trove of original World War I documents handwritten by a soldier who served in Gallipoli has been found, stolen, and then returned, in an eventful few months in the central Queensland town of Emerald.

The documents belonged to licensed surveyor Private James Nicholas Murray, who produced what were thought to be the most detailed maps to date of Russell's Top, a lesser-known but strategically critical line of defence in the eight-month long battle.

Using only a compass and piece of string, the then 30-year-old sketched the trenches and tunnels in the steep slopes above Anzac Cove while under fire, recording his thoughts in a pocket-sized diary, all of which remain intact to this day.

"It's an untold story and I think it's a story the whole nation will embrace," researcher Margaret Rawsthorne from the Emerald RSL told 7.30."

***

Archeologists explore the 'Titanic' of the Ancient world:

Small teaser:
 
"...Overall, the ship yielded one of the most impressive collections of treasures ever recovered from antiquity. Hundreds of ancient cargo ships have been excavated since, but only a handful of luxury items rival those from Antikythera: a load of marble columns and sculptures from a wreck near Mahdia, Tunisia; a bronze statue of Zeus in the act of throwing a thunderbolt, found off Greece’s Cape Artemision; ebony, ivory and ostrich eggs from a late Bronze Age ship that sank off Turkey’s Cape Gelidonya...."

Measles Outbreak Causing Strain

"The outbreak has renewed debate over the so-calledanti-vaccination movement in which fears about potential sideeffects of vaccines, fueled by now-debunked theories suggestinga link to autism, have led a small minority of parents to refuseto allow their children to be inoculated.

The Los Angeles Times blasted the anti-vaccination movement in an editorial last week for what it called an "ignorant and self-absorbed rejection of science."

Asked if the anti-vaccination movement contributed to the latest outbreak in California, a spokesman for the state health department Carlos Villatoro, said in an email: "We think that unvaccinated individuals have been the principal factor."



Daily Roundup: Too Tired To Come Up With Individually Wrapped Titles

I stumbled on this new format for the time being. I'm culling too many articles at the moment so I figure to just lump them into one gigantic blotch of mush.

You like yeah?

Let's start with Sweden. Poor old, weird, Sweden.

Even snow removal is divided along gender considerations.

Right now, the race to the political correctness bottom is a tight one between Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the UK.

***

Neil de Grasse Tyson.

From AV Club:

"...Tyson’s error is to confuse gauge pressure with absolute pressure. The PSI figures at the heart of this mess are measurements of gauge pressure, meaning that they were read from a gauge that indicates pressure relative to the surrounding atmospheric pressure—much the same way that the Celsius scale indicates temperature relative to the freezing point of water. To do his math, Tyson appears to have divided the reported 2-PSI drop by about 13 PSI (the midrange of the NFL’s 12.5- to 13.5-PSI specification) and concluded that there was a 15 percent drop in pressure. This is like comparing a 20° C afternoon to a 0° C afternoon and concluding that 100 percent of the heat was lost in between. Just as you must first convert temperatures to an absolute scale like Kelvin before you can make that sort of percentage-based comparison, you must likewise convert gauge pressure to absolute pressure."

So this is the new face of pop science? Why is this guy popular?

Good scientists or mathematicians don't make these kinds of errors.

***

Speaking of insufferable twits, Bill Nye wants to introduce an idea:

“I just want to introduce the idea that this storm is connected to climate change,” he said. “I want to introduce that idea. I know there’ll be certain viewers who will become unglued, they’re throwing things at their television sets, and show on. But the economic effect of storms like this is huge!”

Cool story, bra.

***

You mean Hamas are not good folk?

"Of course it is in the nature of Hamas to believe itself to be non-extremist, and of course it is in its nature to threaten violence if it doesn't get paid. (To understand Hamas and its extremist views, read its charter, and to survey a catalogue of its violence against civilians over the years, simply Google "Hamas bus bombings.")"

I beg to differ. I think they know full well they're who we think they are. Freeeeedom Fighters...Extremists. Terrorists. Whatever.

"It bears repeating: When Israel withdrew its settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, per a longstanding Palestinian demand, Gazans had the opportunity—an imperfect opportunity, but there are no perfect opportunities—to build their territory into the nucleus of a functioning, vibrant Palestinian state, with plenty of donated funds and international goodwill. But Gaza went in another direction."

Keep repeating ad infinitum...

***

One man's investment is another man's spending...

Seems to me it'll go something like this. Government makes education 'cheaper' ergo diluting the product with increased action. The supply of students will outstrip the demand needed on the job market. The student studying Social-Comparative-Derp studies (since we can't all be doctors and engineers, scientists, and financiers and so on) will find they're not worth much on the market and will be insulted that employers won't see their brilliance thus precipitating them to lash out at...capitalism.

It's a vicious circle. Or something.

***

Ever notice how deplorably racist and irritatingly smug progressives can be?

Just read this nutty defense of political correctness at Gawker by Alex Pareene.

"He accurately notes that when conservatives bemoan "political correctness" they are generally upset that they have been asked to be respectful of people of different backgrounds."

Lord me.What a hipster-doofus douche.

There's too much of this nonsense in the article to bother with.

And Ta-Nahisi 'where's my reparations' Coates is considered a heavyweight in the liberal ranks?

No wonder libertarianism is on the rise. Liberals are making it so easy.

I'm sorry. Was that racist?

From the comments:

"I suppose there's an argument that "Political Correctness" has been terrible for the talentless corporate sludge of white maleness, given their previous elevated slots in society are now being given to far more talented non-white and non-male candidates that previously where shut out of the roles their ability warranted."

Replace 'white' with 'Jews' you asshole. See how your comment looks.

Other than that, they itch to put people in camps.

Other than that, that, I promise to keep the linking to sites like Gawker at a minimal. It's just that...they walk among us...

***

According to its commercial, Canada posts delivers more mail than any other company.

Am, am I the only one to note, no fucken kidding? It's a MONOPOLY.

I don't know how the delivery industry works but it's not like UPS and FedEx are allowed to deliver regular mail which is what CP pretty much does.







2015-01-26

Cranston Dies; Not A Snub Afterall; American Sniper Breaking Records - Progressives Wonder How Dumb Americans Are; Brazilian Scientists Make Coffee Discovery; Who Kicks In And Takes In The EU; Losing Minds Over Deflated Footballs; EU Not On Good Path; Progressivism Under Duress; Apache Helicopter Mows Down Terrorists; Canadian 'Bubble Boy' Seeks Medical Treatment In U.S.

Legendary and magical innovative figure skater Toller Cranston passes on.

***

How dare they snub a movie about MLK! Even it the movie was bad! Bunch of racists!

LA Times:

"In fact, DuVernay didn't lock up the picture in time for distributor Paramount Pictures to send screeners of the Christmas release to SAG members. Translation? The movie may not have been seen by enough members to secure coveted noms..."

Oh "Oh," replied Edith Bunker.

So it's the producers fault. Nice.

Feel stupid now?

You should.

Other than that, it's amazing how people react to a lousy award ceremony known to be somewhat specious in its selection process. Actually, people put waaayyyy too much emphasis on awards period as if the winner is the be all, end all of all things.

In other words - deep breath - who fucking cares?

You don't need a damn award ceremony to validate your work or art.

***

'American Sniper' smashing all records and will probably become the most successful military movie of all-time. I'm gonna guess Middle-America (the Heartland) and the South are the demographics driving this. We all know Northeastern and Pacific Americans are too smart to go see the film.

***

Brazilian scientists discover a protein similar to morphine in coffee beans.

That explains...a lot.

And academics produce specious study about needing to ban coffee in 3...2...

***

Graph shows which EU give the most. Hint: Germany, Britain, France and Italy. And takes the most. Hint: Poland, Greece, Hungary, Spain.

Yes, Italy is totally like Greece and Spain.

***

Throw the Patriots out of the Super Bowl! Argggghhh!! Grrrr!!

Roxanne Jones is just being racist.

And hyperbolic.

***

Congressman has a message for NFL.

We're officially in retarded territory.

I would think the Republican from Nevada Dean Heller has more important work to do?

Lord, I hope he does.

Harry Reid is, who also decided to chime in, the last man who should talk. I'm sure his closet is filled with skeletons large enough to have created a skeleton diaspora.

Behemoths of integrity they all are.

***

The European Union will not survive on its current trajectory. 

And people are beginning to lose confidence in the super supra-national Leviathan structure.

From the onset, Italians were the biggest supporters of the EU of any country along with Germany.

Their confidence is eroding and I see this as a sign.

***

Here's my theory of what's going on out there. Progressive ideals manifested through various government programs are currently on the defensive. So much so their only response is to deem critics to be 'extremists'. Problem is, the public - to the extent we can know and understand it - aren't interested in the political side of the argument. All they see are the results. And the results have been getting worse with time.

The public - ie the people - are more informed than they've ever been and they know they are plenty of interesting ideas and options outside the 'universal' and 'public' realm. They simply - rightfully -want to explore it.

The entrenched interests (particularly unions) are pushing back but they're not doing so by engaging in the hall of ideas. They're doing so by striking and taking 'the fight' to the streets demanding for all sorts of things that ultimately are paid for by taxpayers while claiming it's for the 'greater good' and 'the children'.

The statutes of limitation on that shtick has run its course.

Looks like to me anyway.

Hence, we're all right-wing, extreme, tea-bagging, Harper-Koch neo-cons on the Exxon pay roll.

***



Call me macabre but that was cathartic. Awesome.

***

Good luck to Etienne Blais.

As is usually the case, the Canadians find themselves seeking medical care for serious ailments down in the big, bad USA where an uncaring medical system awaits them.

We have the better system.

Apparently.


2015-01-25

You're Either With Freedom Or You're Not

It's very simple.

What's it gonna be, pal?

Mark Steyn will you help you along:




2015-01-24

Legend Banks Dies; Democrat Silver Spooned; North Korea Success Food Files; Another Day, Another Academic Hates Free Speech; Still More Anti Free-Speech Nonsense; Heroric Left-Wing German Quotes; Jews Vulnerable In Europe; Canada's Financial System Study; Lowest SOTUA Viewers In 15 Years; Commie's Drinking Blood In Cambodia; Obama's Superficiality Takes Yet Another Embarrassing Turn; Baldwin's Not Ha-Ha Funny Credentials Demands; All In Moderation Saudi Style; Cancer Care In Canada Could Be Better; Even Prince's Are Horny For Sex Slaves; Riding On Obamacare Smashing Success CGI Bags IRS; Democrat A Little Too Skillful At Lack Of Awareness

Legendary Mr. Cub Ernie Banks dies.

***

Powerful New York politician Sheldon Silver taken down by friends.

More on Silver, a Democrat, here.

***
Oldie but goodie here. Just a reminder why free markets are superior to anything any left-winger pushes.
Hope it had Scott's.

Nine years later not a whole lot better.


***

DeWayne Wickham is the latest academic to weigh in on his thoughts about free speech.

"DeWayne Wickham, dean and distinguished professor of journalism at Morgan State University, published an editorial this week in USA Today that essentially argues free speech rights should not and do not give people the right to make fun of Mohammad.
He argues that Charlie Hebdo, in its latest cartoon image of Mohammed, has “gone too far.”  The “offensive depiction of Mohammed” should not constitute free speech, the journalism professor suggested.
 
The College Fix reached out to Wickham via email to confirm whether he was suggesting that the First Amendment does not protect insulting Mohammad. He replied that interpretation was incorrect but did not elaborate, nor respond to follow-up emails. "

So what's wrong with this? He is a 'distinguished' free speech attorney.

I would consider this a cause for concern.

Wonder how he feels whenever Jews and Christians are attacked.

Other than that, he hasn't said he's been misquoted...yet.

Yay!

***

Oh, and they'll argue to the death why their position - foolish as it is - why is the 'sensible' one. They'll pull out every tired, hyperbolic and misguided analogy they can find. They'll drag you around until suddenly you're sucked into a spinning carousel of sophistry.

Consider this I pulled out at Raw Story:

"DriveBy lardheppus • 4 hours ago
I understand where you're coming from, but I don't like the idea of unrestricted freedom of anything including the freedom of speech. We're all driving on this road so let's set some rules before we all crash into each other and kill us all.

 

I feel we have to draw the line at hate speech.... speech of the kind that got Dr. Tiller killed and the Gabby Giffords gathering shot up.
 
Only regulated freedom in moderation is true freedom. Freedoms without moderation can lead to hate speech that takes the freedoms of others, mainly minorities, away so it becomes counterproductive. Let's not forget that Christianity is a fascist concept and fascism should never be allowed to run amok a civilized society."

Quick reminders because I don't want to give people like this too much of a platform to spew their nonsense:

-Giffords was killed by a deranged schizophrenic for no reason at all. It had nothing whatsoever to do with hate speech. And the Dr. Tiller example is cherry-picking on his part. Strike One.

-Christianity precedes Fascism by centuries. I have no idea how he saw it intellectually fit to claim it's a 'fascist concept'. This is an all too typical and superficial position taken by progressives when it comes to Christianity. They remember all the 'bad' stuff but absolutely neglect to understand its positive influences. Besides, Mussolini - like the good socialist he was - loathed the Church. Strike two.

Another popular poor analogy they use is 'corporations engage in slavery' completely neglecting the simply historical fact slavery dates back 5000 years and is a creation of the state.


-Yes, those hate-speech laws in Europe really have helped Jews, eh? Strike three.

The truth is hate-speech laws are useless and amount to one simple thing: Censorship. And loss of freedom. Not more you fucking idiot.

There's no such thing as balanced speech. There's only free speech.

***

Quotes:


"Auschwitz meant that six million Jews were killed, and thrown on the waste-heap of Europe, for what they were: money Jews. Finance capital and the banks, the hard core of the system of imperialism and capitalism, had turned the hatred of men against money and exploitation, and against the Jews … Anti-Semitism is really a hatred of capitalism.”

Ulrike Meinhof, left-wing German terrorist of the Red Army Faction in the 1970s.

Which only reinforces that Nazism, Fascism (Mussolini was a socialist), Socialism and Marxism come from the same friggin' cloth.

“Money has made slaves of us.”...“Money is the curse of mankind. It smothers the seed of everything great and good. Every penny is sticky with sweat and blood.”
 Shorter Goebbels: Jeeeewwwwwwssssss!

*** 

Jonah Goldberg provides a nice article on the frailty of the Jewish existence in Europe.

I fear that when push comes to shove, Europe will not defend the Jews - as was the case so often throughout its history.

I found this paragraph interesting:

"And if there were a billion Jews in the Middle East, HarperCollins would never have edited out Israel from its atlas. The publisher was recently embarrassed by the revelation (first reported by the British Catholic magazine The Tablet) that it had been selling an atlas “developed specifically for schools in the Middle East,” promising “in-depth coverage of the region and its issues” that nonetheless left Israel on the cutting room floor. A spokesman for the subsidiary that put out the map told The Tablet that including Israel would be “unacceptable” to their customers in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere. And the customer is always right."

It points straight into the make believe world Arabs live in. It's a society to easily given to conspiracy theories because they deny reality. And we enable that behavior. By...

"Since 2006, the U.N. Human Rights Council has condemned Israel 50 times. It has denounced human-rights violators such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China zero times."

Which is why the UN is fucking immoral and useless.

And filled with supreme shit stained assholes.

***

A research study by Brookings on Canada's financial system.

Question: Does Canada have more or less regulations than the United States banking system?

***

Tuning out: Lowest number of people watch SOTUA in 15 years with 31.7 million soaking in Obama's penchant for stretching the truth and selling his usual progressive agenda. In 2008, 52 million watches his first speech.

20 million people were washing their hair I guess.

Or 20 million people got tired of being made the bad guy in Obama's America.

***

Great moments in communism: Khmer Rouge loved their blood.

Elizabeth Warren, I'm told, doesn't drink blood.

What being a good capitalist and all.

***

Imaged obsessed Obama inexplicably allows popular youtube stars to interview him. 

Embarrassing for real.

Very wtf.

***

Baldwin is hilarious. And not in a funny way. Notice the ridiculous strawman he hurls. Of course, he doesn't ask the credentials of Moore for making his own cowardly statement.

Apparently, you need military credentials to know sniping is a legit part of the military. Why, snipers protect world leaders!

***

On King Abdullah's passing:


“As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullah’s perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship,” President Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. “As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions.”

Remember when the left used to Bush and the House of Saud? Yeah. Why that fat head liar Moore even made a movie about it!

"Still, Abdullah became, in some ways, a force of moderation. He contested Al Qaeda’s militant interpretations of the faith as justifying, even compelling, terrorist acts. He ordered that textbooks be purged of their most extreme language and sent 900 imams to re-education sessions. He had hundreds of militants arrested and some beheaded.

But he was also mindful that his family had, since the 18th century, derived its authority from an alliance with the strict Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam. He accordingly made only modest changes to the kingdom’s conservative clerical establishment. When Islamic State forces conquered vast stretches of Syria and Iraq, imposing a creed linked to Saudi Arabia’s own, the kingdom was slow to respond."

It's all relative. Moderation in a barbaric country that is. I guess.

Saudi Arabia is home of Wahhabism. The virulent strand of Islam at the root of terrorism. 

***

Disparity in cancer care in Canada.

***

Prince Andrew and his sex slave.

Clinton knew the pedophile Epstein and even took money from him involved in this sordid sexual tale.

Scum bags. All of them.

Remove 'Prince' from Andrew and what do you get? An immoral Andrew who is a human being nothing more, nothing less. Royalty my ass.

***

Remember the Canadian company CGI hired to set up Obamacare's exchanges but was a massive flop? The IRS hired them.

Sure. No cronyism here. Sure.

***

About Boehner meeting with Netanyahu. The White House is upset the Republicans didn't pass it by them. Of course, Napoleon over there doesn't like it. Perhaps it was 'declasse' but Congress doesn't have to do so. It's actually a good thing. But that a President pulls a hissy fit over it shows too much power is increasingly concentrated in the executive branch.

In any event, Pelosi voiced her displeasure. I mean, she would never do such a thing right?

Pelosi 'shrugged off Bush's criticism' - as NBC put it - and went to see Assad in defiance of Bush in 2007. Of course, in 2013 Obama wanted to bomb the shit out of Assad.

Nothing screams foreign policy success like this sad episode.

It's not the first time this happens. House Speaker Jim Wright met with the Ortega and the Sandinistas in the 1980s against Reagan's wishes while Jim McDermott went to Baghdad in 2002.

But, you know, they're 'good guys'.

Here's a quote I found but lost the link (sorry):

“There are things you simply don’t do. He spat in our face publicly and that’s no way to behave. Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half left to his presidency, and that there will be a price,” he said.

Or else what? Some youtube star-tart apparatchik will call the former Israeli special forces operative who fought in the Yom Kippur war a 'chickenshit'?

I wonder who is the real 'chickenshit'?

2015-01-23

Old Hollywood

From the 1910s.

Boy have we come a long way from 'remove your hat' to 'turn you cell phone off'.


Sovereign State Of Hutt River

What happens when the government threatens to ruin you?

Why, you secede dumb-dumb!

The Principality of Hutt River is situated 595 km north of Perth, Western Australia and is about 75 square km in area, consisting of some 18,500 acres of land.
 
Hutt River is an Independent Sovereign State having seceded from Australia on the Twenty First Day of April 1970 and is of comparable size to Hong Kong
(not the New Territories).
 
The Principality consists of undulating farmland well covered in places
with a wealth of shrubs and glorious wildflowers.

Learning Bitcoin

2015-01-22

Patriot Deflation

"It spoke volumes about the perception of New England's resident football genius. Shula is a man of character and credibility. His words hold weight, far more than a blustery Ray Lewis embarking on a rant dismissing Tom Brady's career because of the tuck rule. That made no sense and had no merit."

So much wrong in this quote by Jackie MacMullan in a recent article on ESPN about balls being deflated (I gotta watch my phrasing) during the New England-Indianapolis game.

Not to say anything but they could have spotted the Colts two TD's and they still would have lost with or without properly inflated balls. I guess this is why people get so worked up. That is, the fact the Patriots don't need to do such things.

Meh. I've seen a lot of shit during my playing days in soccer. One time, the opposing team made sure the area in front of the keeper had no grass filling the area with dirt and rocks so he'd be reluctant to dive. In hockey, teams would always mess around with equipment notably sticks and goalie pads.

And we all know about pitchers in baseball.

I think this whole thing has more to do with who is doing it rather than the actual act itself. I'm pretty sure New England is not the first and last and only team to pull a stunt like this. Moreover, these things don't determine an outcome of a game. The NFL can demand a replay and the Pats will likely still hammer the Colts. Belichick outcoached Pagano and Brady is better than Luck. Simple as that.

The hate on New England reminds me of how people went unhinged with Italy in soccer. At one point, you could swear only Italian soccer players pushed the laws of the game. Yet, as any true fan of the game would know, they were no worse than any team including self-righteous nations like England, France and Germany. Some of the worst offenders in the history of the game were South Americans. Specifically the big three powers in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Italy's record next to those countries is saintly. Holland have produced some notable 'cheats' as have Portugal, Spain and the United States. In fact, when you put together the worst soccer offenses in history, Italy's presence is rather thin.

They all dive, cheat and try to gain an edge.

But Italy, like New England, have a style that people don't tend to like.  Add they're high profile teams and you get instant irrational hate.

As for MacMullan's silly character bit. Ray Lewis I agree. This man should not be on television treading the moral tight-rope act.

But I jump off the Shula is a man of 'credibility and character' bit. It never ceases to amaze me how journalists consistently bite on this nonsense not just with athletes but with celebrities and politicians. These people operate in amoral environments for fuck sakes so it's not a stretch most didn't always play to our lofty and irrational expectations of 'doing things right' and 'playing the right way.'

Let's go with character first. Didn't he accept a job with Miami while under contract with the Colts?

Right.

And who know what drives Shula to say such things about another coach but I do know one thing. Belichick's body of work in a salary cap era dwarfs whatever petty things he did to stretch the rules of the game.

And does MacMullan actually think people will forget the Mud Bowl or when Shula did the unsporting thing of running up the score in a 52-0 win over, ironically, the Patriots in 1972?

Kinda insulting no?

As usual, we let the passage of time alleviate past indiscretions to try and pump up a person.

I'm sorry. It don't work this way. It's called 'those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.' It's also called being honestly aware of one's own record and keeping their mouths shut before attacking another person.

How this simple, basic law of human nature escapes the writer is beyond me.








2015-01-21

Dumbass Experts Go After Pizza

Let me get one thing out of the way. Man, these people are fucking plain insane in their diet bullshit.

Now it's pizza.

Outrageous quote:

"Powell and her colleagues stopped short of declaring a war on pizza, but they said its effect on kids’ diet was similar to that of sugary drinks. Pizza “should become a target for counseling for the prevention and treatment of obesity in pediatric practice,” they wrote."

Are they fucking kidding me? Should become a target? PIZZA? Because obesity?

See. This is what happens when you let bureaucrats and academics in your home. No one wanted to listen but this is what you get. From the hyper reaction to sugary drinks and salt; to the outright assault on smoking to anything else they've made a paternalistic case on.

And if you think it'll stop at pizza you're mental. What's to stop them from going after, say, hamburgers? Ribs? Smoked meat/brisket? French fries?

Nothing. It's coming. It's their MO.

Anyway.

Pizza gets a horribly bad rap mostly because North Americans consume it improperly. Pizza can be as healthy as any food out there.

They do realize there's a huuuggggeeeee difference between junk food pizza and real pizza as the Italians have taught us.

They do realize that you can make a perfectly healthy pizza with '00' farina (fine Italian flour), and nothing but excellent and quality ingredients that include fresh cheese (of your choice) and tomatoes, vegetables (hm rapini - broccoli rabe as Americans call it), high quality olive oil, herbs (rosemary and garlic kicks ass) and on and on. It doesn't have to be red and can be white. My personal favorite is caramelized onions, rosemary and garlic.

Remember. It's academics who created the unhealthy atmosphere around 'fat' as a legit part of our diet. Low-fat yogurt my ass. One buffoon, years ago, wanted to ban butter.

We should be ignoring them outright. Them and their BMI bull shit and total misuse of calories.

Idiots.

Just plain fucking morons.

God they get on my nerves.

Obama's Weary Lame Rhetoric; Robot Is What's For Caregiving; Man Goes After State Worker; Democrat Witch Hunters; Hypocritical Clowns Will Save The Planet (Snicker); Ratchet Down Expectations Says Democrat; Oxford Hamas Alliance (Of Sorts); Losing Tax Status...With Dignity?

Not in the bit interested anymore in talking about Obama's vapid left-wing free-shit crap.

So I'll just lazily pass this over to White House dossier.

Interesting. Congress invites Netanyahu without notifying the White House. It's so on.

Zing. Hey, Obama lives and dies by his own sword. It's not like he cares to much for protocol given he's King and all.

****

You say you want minimum wage for living wage, huh? Meet your Robot overlords. Caregivers. Whatever.



Statistics Canada estimates people aged 65 and older will account for almost a quarter of the population by 2051. Prof. Goldie Nejat at the University of Toronto says health-care robots represent the biggest source of funding for her lab from government and industry.


Nejat says robot caregivers can help health-care providers with simple repetitive tasks like meal preparation. But they can also assist the elderly with social and cognitive skills."

***

As far as I can tell - which isn't very far. Not as skillful as Giambatista Vico that's for sure - whenever I see stories like this one it becomes painfully obvious the system doesn't seem to accept or fathom that a civil servant can be deviant. It's almost as if it refuses to accept that with all this power and control civil servants don't go rogue looking to destroy lives.

Which is ridiculous given they are human.

"A Gwinnett County father cleared after spending seven months in jail now wants police to charge the state worker who accused him of attacking her.

John Blue lost his interior design shop, his apartment and most of his belongings as he sat in jail for seven months. It took a jury less than 45 minutes to find Blue not guilty.
Channel 2’s Tony Thomas met Blue at the Duluth police headquarters.

For the past several days, Blue has been living in his van. Police said it is the same van he used to ram a state welfare worker last summer during a Division of Family and Children’s Services investigation at the time.

Blue left with his children, and a Levi’s Call was issued hours later. As police arrested Blue that day, he insisted that the worker assaulted him.

“She crashed my car. She rammed my car,” said Blue.
 
In my world, if you knowingly destroy a life, you should fess up and face the consequences. But my world is too 'mean' apparently.

****

Democrats are pro-science.

Right.

8% of Democrats think you can cure a 'hangover' with antibiotics.

1% of Republicans think this.

***

And we're surprised because?

1,700 Private Jets Will Fly to Davos to Discuss Global Warming

***

And we're surprised because part 2?

To wit, here's billionaire Jeff Greene, who ran for the Democratic Senate nomination in Florida in 2010, discoursing on what the little people should be getting ready for:

Billionaire Jeff Greene, who amassed a multibillion dollar fortune betting against subprime mortgage securities, says the U.S. faces a jobs crisis that will cause social unrest and radical politics.
“America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence,” Greene said in an interview today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We need to reinvent our whole system of life.”
How is this not communism again? Geez, just take over the system already you boobs.

But don't expect Greene to be the change he wants you to be:

Greene, who flew his wife, children and two nannies on a private jet plane to Davos for the week, said he’s planning a conference in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Tideline Hotel called “Closing the Gap.” The event, which he said is scheduled for December, will feature speakers such as economist Nouriel Roubini.

DO AS WE SAY NOT AS WE DO! DAMMIT THE GLOBAL-EARTHY THING WILL NOT COOL ITSELF WITHOUT COOL PEOPLE TO SAVE IT!

Yes, master says the unthinking emotional progressive.

What's really sad is their own private guilt projecting onto the rest of the people. 'Sigh, look at all our wealth. We truly are blessed. But it came at a great cost. Family and the environment. I will go into politics to preserve what I have built AND demand people adjust their way of living to save my family and the environment. I mean, as look out my mansion I notice people buying modest homes. Do they really need all that space? I wonder.'

"After all, it has to start somewhere and who else than YOU? Come on. Don't be like that. You do care for the environment right? Attaboy. Now, my private is ready. I'll call you in the morning from Paris. Let's get moving and SAVE globe!"

Greene has two nannies, it should be noted, and has two kids. 

C.S. Lewis saw through bull shit too:

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. "

****

How did a guy like Greene make his money? Someone explained it this way:

"multibillion dollar fortune betting against subprime mortgage securities"

This means he purchased the credit default swaps. The swaps are the "insurance" the owners of the securities bought to protect them against default of the mortgage backed securities. Even worse the brokerages started selling synthetic swaps to turds like Greene who didn't even own the securities as a way to make even more money - after all that insurance was never going to pay off.

I think this is what we call, les mots justes, welfare queens. They made money thanks to a cronyist, corrupt political system (think Greenspan, Bernacke and Yellen) that permitted it. Too big to fail, bail out slush funds to irresponsible businesses...you know? And these people are then considered 'geniuses?' No. They were at the right place and at the right time to milk the system. Nothing more, nothing less. But they will save the planet, see?

Ooh, the hubris, nerve and arrogance on this guy. It's just...

****

Klaus says Crimea never belonged to Ukraine.

****

Oxford...dear me.

"The proposition debated was: “Hamas is a greater obstacle to peace than Israel.”
When first apprised of the topic, I was so certain that an error had been made that I called both my debating partner, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Oxford to confirm it. Outside of the Muslim world and the far left, who would even think to argue that Hamas is not the greater obstacle to peace?
Is the Oxford Union unaware that the Hamas charter calls for, indeed the raison detre of Hamas is, the destruction of Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state?

Yet, the proposition lost by a vote of 190 to 130, give or take a few votes. In other words, a majority of Oxford University students voting at the Oxford Union deem Israel a greater threat than Hamas."

Immoral ill-informed dingbats.

****

Dying with Dignity stripped of their charitable tax  status:

"Canada's registered charities are not permitted to exercise moral pressure or promote "an attitude of mind" that might influence legislation, the federal taxman has ruled in stripping Dying with Dignity Canada of its charitable tax status.

The organization, a registered charity since 1982, was informed this month by the Canada Revenue Agency that it never should have received favourable tax treatment in the first place and that its status was being annulled, effective mid-February."

Quote from CTV news.



 

When Palestinians Do Cartoons

Sick and deranged.

That's all these people are.

Same with the nutcases who run Saudi Arabia.

Barbaric and violent at their core.

Remember when Carter said 'we can trust Hamas' and that Israel should just give in already?

Hamas also condemned Charlie Hebdo. So hypocrisy remains an area of expertise for them.

Right. Imperialism, Jews and white man makes them so. The problem is even when they migrate they carry their problems with them. It's the cult of blame.

Whatevah.

2015-01-20

Captain Capital Gains

In honor of Obama's SOTU address tonight (no I don't plan to watch it. Busy catching up on Archer) which promises to be epic in its derpity.

Obama will definitely tout and milk falling gas prices (which helps people out) and that the economy is on the uptick thus making it a swell time to pull his 'pay your fair share' nonsense by giving more free shit out.

Obama in all his might, lefty, economic brilliance (an oldie but a goodie):

GIBSON: All right. You have, however, said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax. As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton," which was 28 percent. It's now 15 percent. That's almost a doubling, if you went to 28 percent.
But actually, Bill Clinton, in 1997, signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.

OBAMA: Right.

GIBSON: And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent.

OBAMA: Right.

GIBSON: And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased; the government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down.

So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?

OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.
We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year -- $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair.

And what I want is not oppressive taxation. I want businesses to thrive, and I want people to be rewarded for their success. But what I also want to make sure is that our tax system is fair and that we are able to finance health care for Americans who currently don't have it and that we're able to invest in our infrastructure and invest in our schools.

And you can't do that for free."

Wow. That's some incredible, erm, outlook.

So his idea of 'fairness' is to immediately hammer millions of Americans who own investments. Not really surprising how he basically screwed millions out of their health plans. Raising capital gains taxes will hurt people's chances at achieving wealth. The rest of his argument is a nonsensical non-sequitur. It's irrelevant what a fund manager earns and equating it to a middle-class person who owns a mutual fund. 

The same mutual funds they buy with their savings after they've already been taxed at the income level. But this is not enough for the takers. All they see is the uber-super-duper rich and see their money. They forget the poor shlep who has a book value of $5000 but a market value of $7000. The more you tax the difference (ie Capital gains) the less for the middle-class.

Obama's ideas - if you can call them that - will not help Americans. It will damage them.


Fabricated Diversity Sucks; Trials And Tribulations Of The Derp Swamp People; It's Dilution People; American Murder; ISIS Ransoms Japan; Climate Change Cultists In The Media; White Death

Personally, I couldn't care less about forced or fabricated 'diversity' that's corroding the halls of politics and academia, and corporate culture. No, that doesn't make me a 'racist' you remedial hack. It just makes me a practical realist. If all my best applicants are Asians, that's who I'm gonna hire. I'm not gonna fuck over a better qualified Asian to hire an inferior black person.

Did I just write 'inferior black person?' Yes. Yes I did. Not to be racist (you assholes) but to illustrate a point. Look beyond the words a little.

The point is the integrity of your project, business - whatever - is what should matter. Not if you meet some creepy, bull shit quota dreamed up by some dipshit progressive designed to create a world in their superficial and dangerous mold.

Just so no butthurt idiot gets hurt (always wear your helmet clowns) reading what I just wrote, I will reverse it lest their feelings are hurt and feel victimized by a careless, capitalistic world run by patriarchs funded by the Koch brothers. "If all my best applicants are Asians black that's who I'm gonna hire. I'm not gonna fuck over a better qualified Asian  black person to hire an inferior black person Asian.

Has it occurred to these dumbasses that the diversity cult is, well, racist?

That's why Torvald is right.

His objective is technology. Not fulfilling a stupid mandate that could jeopardize his goals. 

Merit must ALWAYS prevail. ALWAYS.

If ignore or neglect this, the results will be self-explanatory.

Which, in part, explains we're in a race to the bottom.

***

Speaking of race to the bottom, this is what happens when you have no standards:

You get people like Priscilla Ward getting a platform to spew inferiour thoughts.

"These non-indictments reiterated what I’m up against every single day: the unintentional ignorance of white people. But I was also aware of my willingness to put away my justified “black rage” in order to ensure that my interactions with white people remain comfortable. And the more I hid it, the more crazed I became."

I know it's not right to poke the mentally disturbed but ZOWEE!

Yes. Because 'unintentional ignorance of black people' doesn't exist. No sir. No way. Na-ah. I hear dumb things about I-talians all the time and sometimes from black people! You don't see me running to my blog - or have the privilege of writing for an obscene rag whose only mandate seems to be BRING ME MORE DERP! - to whine about it.

Sheesh the self-absorbed arrogance passing off as bravery is pathetic.

Hit the DRAMA BUTTON PLEASE!

Witness this exchange (and by all means, check out others in the link. There's more (and far worse) where that came from):

motorcycle 41 minutes ago
the author is young and is hanging around a very limited crowd culturally, intellectually and creatively. she needs to broaden her horizons more.
2LikeReply
bigguns 22 minutes ago

@motorcycle She's doing that. Putting herself out to the Internet is a brave act. Have you ever broadened yourself to this degree and no, posting under a moniker isn't equivalent.

Holy crap. I hope this person has a really good helmet that absorbs shock.

Ms. Ward is brave? I had other adjectives...alas...

Yes. This is what passes as smart when you leave your standards drop to dangerous levels.

****

Section 2706 of Obamacare:

"What types of CAM and integrative health care providers does it cover?

It covers any state licensed or state certified healthcare provider. This generally means the inclusion
of chiropractors, M.D.’s, naturopathic physicians, acupuncturists, massage therapists, osteopaths,
optometrists, nurse practitioners and licensed or direct entry midwives and podiatrists, as long as they are licensed by the state.
"

Apparently, people were saying this was all 'right-wing' lies. Just like 'you can keep your plan if you like it' and 'death panels'.

Anyway.

Reminds me of this joke from xkcd:


I mean, people do realize that's all naturopathic products are, right? Dilution at triple the price. A simple research will reveal this. Or speaking to a pharmacist or chemist.

***

Vandalizing private property to get a message across is not the same as a publication - say, Charlie Hebdo - expressing free speech.

One commits a crime while the other is a manifestation of cherished and established Western values long fought for.

So when some loser, left-wing clown plasters 'Murder' over a movie ad (guess which movie? Okay, for word search purposes to drive traffic, I will say it 'American Sniper') all they're showing is A) they're ignorant hacks B) criminals (truth to power man!) and inviting more people to actually go and see the movie. Which I may have to do even though I had no intentions of watching it. From what I've heard and read, I doubt it's a flick glorifying murder.

Funny. I don't seem to recall people acting like bankrupted and deranged luniles when 'Saving Private Ryan' came out.

People getting worked up in an irrational hissy fit about the film probably don't even know what they are supposed to be angry about (given all of them probably haven't even seen the movie).

This is what sane, sober, rational and right thinking people are appropriately criticizing.

Some people are having fun at the expense of faux self-rigthteous progressives.

They so richly deserve to be mocked and pilloried.

***

The fucking animals in ISIS kidnapped a Japanese journalist and private contractor and looks to extort the Japanese government out of $200 million.

It's what psycho, barbaric, terror-criminals do.

But keep believing it's all about 'Imperialism' as they fight the good fight.

Derp.

More importantly, it's pretty sad Japan doesn't have the military capabilities to mount a rescue operation. Not so sure Canada would be able to either without some American assistance.

***

The Federalist catches liberal media (c'man. At this point it's pretty obvious, no?) in a climate change play on words.

Which isn't very hard to do if you try.

Other than that doesn't this right-wing, anti-science extremist know about the SCIENTISTS OF THE  CONSENSUS TABLE?

***

Speaking of awesome snipers, Simo Hayha (aka White Death to the Red Army) was total bad ass.

 "...was a Finnish marksman. Using a modified Mosin–Nagant in the Winter War, he acquired the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills (505) in any major war."

If American Sniper was called Finnish Sniper it would be accepted in progland.

You know it. I know it. The little squirrel climbing our tree knows it.