Tuesday - September 30, 2008

It all started with Jimmah Cartah

And it was a decent, compassionate idea. Because it was small. But then PC took over. And so did Slick Willy.

And under Clinton it went straight into hell. And today brokerages and banks are dropping like flies. Which is why it HAS to be Bush’s fault.

Here is a 12 minute video that explains the roots of this financial mess. And puts the blame squarely where it belongs. Watch it, link it, get it out there everywhere.

Replay video | Share video | Watch more videos

I found it over at C&S, but I hope it’s viral everywhere by now.

Since I’m really got my cheese in the grater over this ENTIRE mess, I’ll throw in a couple bits that lean the other way:

Bush has been president for the last 8 years. He had a Republican congress for 6 of those years. Bush and McCain both tried to get some regulation going on. Nothing happened. WTF? It could not have been stopped. The Republicans wimped out. Perhaps because they feared being called racists. For the 7 trillionth time. But there it is. They had the power, some of their people saw the problem coming, and they did not push a fix through when they could not have been stopped.

The packaging of these securities was done deliberately to hide the risk. The manipulation of ratings of mortgage-backed securities could not have been accidental. The failure of the rating houses like S&P and Moody’s to demand risk level transparency for each mortgage backed security before rating them is what truly resulted in the crash. Nope. They just helped pad them up and pass them on. Hey, they’re government backed mortgages, so they must be just dandy.  (not totally sure this point is really all that good. But they went along with the scam when they could have dropped the dime)

Also lost in the background noise: the whole speculation market. If it wasn’t running utterly rampant, do you think there would be several popular television shows running on various channels, all telling you how to “Flip That House”? Anybody who could scrap toghether $50 was buying a dump house for a song, slapping on a coat of paint and a new kitchen counter, and trying to sell it for a huge profit. And for several years they were making money. Is this a factor, or just a symptom?  Just how big a slice of the pie was this? When the meltdown first hit, they were the first to foreclose, thus the foreclosure rates in some rather trendy areas went through the roof, before it blew up in the poorer areas. Enough to get the ball rolling, or perhaps rolling a bit faster?

In the same way, the home builders haven’t made a normal house in ages. Every new dwelling built over the last decade was a “McMansion”. Another symptom, or another bit of inertia keeping the old ball rolling?

Personally, I think there is plenty of blame to go around. And now I’m beginning to think that the failure of the bailout bill may not be such a bad thing. I’m really not sure that it’s a good idea.

   Tuesday - September 23, 2008

Pelosi the Socialist Speaks Out

The Party Is Over

That’s right. It’s over. San Fran Nan was in her faded glory today, laying down the new rules for all the comrades in the finance industry. Socialism has arrived with a heavy hand, and Nancy P was there to rub salt into the wounds as hard as she could while doing her end zone victory dance. The woman is a red. There can be no doubt about it at all.

“The party is over. The party is over for this compensation for CEOs who their golden parachute as they drive their companies into the ground. The party is over for the disparity in our country between the CEOs making almost immoral salaries and not being interested in lifting other people up. The party is over for financial institutions taking risks but at the same time privatizing any gains they may have while they nationalize the risks asking the taxpayers to pick up the tab. So we can’t even consider any legislation that the Republicans send us unless it ends, addresses, and reforms compensation for chief executives, officers; unless it has protection for the taxpayers, that’s our responsibility. Certainly we want to stabilize the market, but we want to do so at the same time as we protect the taxpayers. We want to insulate everyday Americans from the crisis on Wall Street. In order to do that we must have independent oversight. The party is over for this no regulation, no supervision, anything goes, so called free market which has taken us to this place. Clearly the Bush economic policies have failed. Do we need any further evidence?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but isn’t “no regulation, no supervision, anything goes” the basic definition of a “so-called” free market? So part of the Pelosi Fix will include a Ben ‘n Jerry’s salary cap for all the Big Bosses. And lots of Big Brother oversight and rules and regulations. Financial institutions take risks. That’s what they are there for. It’s called investing. And, please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this bailout the government’s idea? Or did the big houses come to Uncle Sugar, hat in hand on bended knee?

Yes, I think these guys are paid way too much. By about 4 extra zeros on their paychecks. And I think the guys who trash a company and then bail with millions ought to be shot. And I think these incentive payments to executives is way out of proportion. But that’s what goes on in private business. It isn’t any of the governments business. So, while I might ordinarily agree with Ms. Pelosi on these items, I’m going to call her out and label her the nearest thing there is next to a communist. Because she WON’T stop playing the blame game on this. Lizzen up beyotch: you are ALL to blame. You. Reid. Bush. Wall Street. Washington. Fix the mess. Fix it now. Don’t add a single bacon slice worth of pork to the package. Not a dollar. And then resign in disgrace. Seppuku comes to mind, but I’m not sure you had any honor to lose in the first place, so that’s too easy an out for all of you. You ALL let this happen, made it happen, watched it happen ... and played partisan politics and blocked a myriad of bills for YEARS that would have stopped or at least mitigated this disaster. So sod off. You’re Fired^tm. Now go away. Leave now, and never come back!

   Saturday - September 20, 2008

The phrase Old Masters is sexist, authors and students are told.  (Here We Go Again)

About a month or so ago I posted something similar and asked, what next? How far is this gonna go?

Well, my answer appeared in today’s paper. These folks really need to find a job that involves an 8 hour day at the minimum.

I had originally intended to highlight just some lines to stand out, but this is so overly stupid and so overly bizarre, I’ve made bold the entire article.

My Moonbat Award for the week past ...  And it really is NOT funny.

The phrase Old Masters is sexist, authors and students are told
Students and academics are being banned from using the term “Old Masters” and “seminal” because of claims they are sexist.

By Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:40AM BST 20 Sep 20

Publishers and universities are outlawing dozens of seemingly innocuous words in case they cause offence.

Banned phrases on the list, which was originally drawn up by sociologists, include Old Masters, which has been used for centuries to refer to great painters - almost all of whom were in fact male.

It is claimed that the term discriminates against women and should be replaced by “classic artists”.

The list of banned words was written by the British Sociological Association, whose members include dozens of professors, lecturers and researchers.

The list of allegedly racist words includes immigrants, developing nations and black, while so-called “disablist” terms include patient, the elderly and special needs.

It comes after one council outlawed the allegedly sexist phrase “man on the street”, and another banned staff from saying “brainstorm” in case it offended people with epilepsy.

However the list of “sensitive” language is said by critics to amount to unwarranted censorship and wrongly assume that people are offended by words that have been in use for years.

Prof Frank Furedi, a sociologist at the University of Kent, said he was shocked when he saw the extent of the list and how readily academics had accepted it.

“I was genuinely taken aback when I discovered that the term ‘Chinese Whisper’ was offensive because of its apparently racist connotations. I was moved to despair when I found out that one of my favourite words, ‘civilised’, ought not be used by a culturally sensitive author because of its alleged racist implications.”

Prof Furedi said that censorship is about the “policing of moral behaviour” by an army of campaign groups, teachers and media organisations who are on a “crusade” to ban certain words and promote their own politically correct alternatives.

He said people should see the efforts to ban certain words as the “coercive regulation” of everyday language and the “closing down of discussions” rather than positive attempts to protect vulnerable groups from offence.

The list of banned words is now sent out to prospective authors by Policy Press, a publisher of social science books and journals based at the University of Bristol, but is also used in many academic institutions.

The University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies recommends the guidelines to help students “challenge heterosexist assumptions”, and they are included in a “toolkit” to combat institutional racism included on the University of Leeds’ website.

King’s College London says they “may provide a good starting point” and Liverpool John Moores University provides a link to them in its students’ guide. The Open University said they are an “appropriate source of reference and advice” for students.

Napier University in Edinburgh says the list is “well worth looking at” while the University of East London advises its students they should “attempt to incorporate” it.

Even a secondary school in Norwich includes a link to the list on its website, with the statement: “Students may care to consider how far we inadvertently reproduce inaccurate sexist assumptions in the language we use, both written and spoken.”

The list of racist terms features black, which “can be used in a racist sense” and should be changed to “black peoples” or “black communities”.

Immigrants is said to have “racist overtones” because of its association with “immigration legislation”, while developing nations - intended as a more sensitive replacement for Third World - is “prejudical” because it implies a comparison with developed countries.

Although not included on the Policy Press list, the BSA warns authors against using civilisation because of its “racist overtones that derive from a colonialist perception of the world”.

Among the “sexist” terms to be avoided are “seminal” and “disseminate” because they are derived from the word semen and supposedly imply a male-dominated view of the world.

Authors are also told to “avoid using medical labels” when writing about disabled people as this “may promote a view of them as patients”.

In addition, the list says “special needs” should be changed to “additional needs”, “patient” to “person” and “the elderly” to “older people”.

“Able-bodied person” should be replaced with “non-disabled person”, it is claimed.

http://tinyurl.com/4xymh5

   Tuesday - September 16, 2008

College bans ‘Christmas’ and ‘Easter’ from calendar for fear of offending ethnic students.

More lunacy from the pc crowd that today control England.  I’m not gonna add anything to this.  Isn’t that I wouldn’t like to. I would.
I just can not find the words.

College bans ‘Christmas’ and ‘Easter’ from calendar for fear of offending ethnic students

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:26 PM on 16th September 2008

Yorkshire Coast College has re-branded Christmas and Easter as ‘end of term breaks’

A college has renamed the traditional Christmas and Easter breaks in a bid to avoid offending students from other religions.

The college’s new calendar shows that both of the traditional holiday periods have now been re-branded as ‘end of term breaks’.

Critics have complained that the decision by Yorkshire Coast College is nothing more than ‘political correctness’.

Tory MP Robert Goodwill said: ‘I have heard that some people refer to the Christmas period as the Winterval, which is worse. This is absolutely barmy.

‘We are a Christian country and, to be honest, religious tolerance in this country is about respecting other people’s religious beliefs.’

‘We live in a country where there is a mutual respect for religious beliefs.

‘School terms are traditionally separated by Christmas and Easter and they should be referred to as such.

‘They are petrified that they offend the minority but what they are doing is offending the majority.

‘It’s political correctness gone mad and I am disappointed that it’s from an edict from Ofsted.’

The college, based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire offers a range of courses concentrating on training for ‘life skills’ such as Engineering, Motor Vehicle Training and IT.

The college insists that the decision is in line with Ofsted guidelines and has been made to ‘increase inclusion and diversity’.

It circulates the internal year planner annually to 150 teaching staff and up to 50 other workers to inform them of important dates such as term times and training days.

A spokeswoman for the college said: ‘Every school and college, wherever located, is responsible for educating its learners who will live and work in a country which is diverse in terms of cultures, religions or beliefs, ethnicities and social backgrounds.

‘All employees at Yorkshire Coast College are encouraged to closely follow guidelines set out by Ofsted for the promotion of equality and diversity.

‘We constantly review the ways in which we communicate, to ensure that we do not discriminate, and part of those reviews means that we have stopped referring to the Christmas Break and Easter Break and we now have End of Term Break.’

However, Ofsted today denied this. A spokesperson said: ‘Ofsted inspection guidance for colleges makes no reference whatsoever to the observance of religious festivals; there is no ‘edict’ from Ofsted.’

http://tinyurl.com/5oazny

THIS IS SO TOTALLY STUPID ONLY FOUR LETTER WORDS SHOULD APPLY. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS. NEITHER WILL U

HOW DO THINGS GET THIS SCREWED UP?  HOW ABOUT A FLAG THAT REPRESENTS YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL CLUB? IS THAT ADVERTISING?
THIS IS PLAIN NUTS! THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE GIVING THIS GUY A HARD TIME REALLY NEED TO BE SERIOUSLY STRUNG UP AND THEIR BODIES LEFT TO ROT AS A WARNING TO OTHER WOULD BE JERKS.

AH ... I HAVE PROVED TO MYSELF THAT EVEN WHEN REALLY UPSET, EXCEPT RE. MY COMPUTER, I CAN WRITE AND VENT AND NOT USE FOUR LETTER WORDS.
I JUST THINK EM.

NOT MY COUNTRY, NOT MY ARMY FLAG.  BUT I’M PO’d. ??  I GUESS I’VE READ TOO MUCH HISTORY OF THIS PLACE AND DON’T SEE ANY ARMY OR NAVY OR MARINE FLAG AS ADVERTISING.  I SEE EM AS PROUD SYMBOLS OF THIS NATIONS HISTORY.

MY WIFE HAS NO COMMENT THAT I CAN PRINT HERE. SHE’S A BRIT.  RIGHT NOW, AN ANGRY ONE.

Council orders man to take down Army flag flying outside his house… because it’s ‘advertising’

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:21 PM on 16th September 2008

A patriot flying the British Army flag outside his house was told by council killjoys to take it down - because they considered it advertising.

Dave Dingvean today branded the order to remove the military colours as ‘treacherous’.

Mr Dingvean, 46, a volunteer for the British Army Association who raises money for the charity, was told any national flag was acceptable - but not those of our nation’s armed forces.

Furious: Dave Dingvean branded the council’s order to take down the Army flag as ‘treacherous’

And if the demolition contractor failed to comply, council bosses said he would face enforcement action which could end up in court.

Outraged Mr Dingvean, from Tolleshunt Major near Maldon, Essex, said: ‘A friend gave it to me and I decided to fly it to support our troops.

‘Someone must have seen it and reported me because within two days I had a letter from the council telling me to take it down.

‘They said only a certain type of flag is permitted to be flown - any national or state flag is allowed.

‘So I can fly the flag of Iraq, Baghdad or Afghanistan but not the Army flag. It’s ridiculous - it’s a show of support.

‘It’s a cause I feel strongly about.’

In protest, Mr Dingvean is now flying the national standard of Saudi Arabia on a flagpole outside his semi-detached bungalow, as he is flabbergasted this is allowed under the rules.

He added: ‘This is treacherous. It is petty minded - they are not thinking about the troops. No one in the village has complained to me.’

A council spokesman spokesman confirmed that under the Town and Country Planning Regulations 2007, only a certain type of flag as stated by the Department for Communities and Local Government is permitted to be flown.

He added: ‘Unfortunately, this flag is not one of them and the council have advised the resident that this is the case.

‘The council would be more than willing to advise residents on such issues in the future.’

http://tinyurl.com/5r36og

   Tuesday - August 12, 2008

BEYOND MOONBAT … way beyond ….  THIS GUY IS NUTS and DANGEROUS..

Man what has gotten into folks these days. OUCH!  Musta hurt. 
Can’t even imagine what it must have been like for the other guy arrested for crimes he didn’t commit.

Man who stabbed himself to frame his neighbour is told to move house or go to jail
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:01 PM on 12th August 2008

A ‘neighbour from hell’ who stabbed himself to frame a husband has been given six months to move house - or face going to prison.

David Constantine’s lies nearly led to newlywed Stefan Ward being charged with attempted murder after he was found with a knife sticking out of his chest.

Constantine was arrested after discharging himself from hospital.

He was originally charged with perverting the course of justice, which he denied - and causing the injuries to himself.

Today he admitted the charge of putting a person in fear of violence by a course of conduct between March 2006 and January this year.

Judge Peter Bowers deferred sentence for six months to allow Constantine time to sell his home in Lanchester, Co Durham.

In the meantime, he must live at a bail hostel.

He will only be allowed to visit the house to carry out work to make it saleable and must be accompanied by a solicitor, a probation worker, a police officer or a workman.

A restraining order was imposed to stop him communicating with the Wards or making complaints about them.

Christopher Knox, prosecuting, said the police search of Constantine’s home also revealed hostility towards Derwentside District Council officials.

He was said to have been angry that his complaints - even though they were clearly made up - were not being taken seriously.

Mr Knox told the court: ‘It was as a result of this accumulation of evidence that the Crown took the view he was not the victim, but the aggressor.’

Constantine’s barrister, Tony Davies said his client still denied causing the injuries to himself on New Year’s Eve and the previous December.

He said the log of complaints were ‘random ramblings’ and added: ‘He never intended to carry out any of the private things he had written about the Wards.’

Constantine disputed the elements contained in the admitted charge that on two separate occasions he made false allegations of assault against Mr Ward.

Officers also spoke to previous occupants of the Wards’ home and they revealed how they were forced to leave by Constantine’s aggressive behaviour.

The trouble for the Wards started soon after they moved into the semi-detached house in March 2006 and were unable to help Constantine with a problem.

Several weeks later the couple received the first of what became a flurry of letters from council officials.

Environmental health workers installed noise monitoring equipment, which proved the dog rarely barked, and it became clear Constantine’s complaints were unjustified.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the former Hell’s Angel waged a vendetta against his next door neighbours, Mr Ward and his wife, Lucy.

Police called to Constantine’s house found him in a chair with a knife sticking out of his chest.

The 60-year-old claimed his neighbour had assaulted him and police arrested Mr Ward on suspicion of attempted murder.

But the truth began to emerge when police searching Constantine’s home in Manor Grange, Lanchester, found his diary.

The court heard how Constantine fell out with his neighbours after they were unable to give him a lift to Newcastle to collect a bike.

Christopher Knox, prosecuting, told the court how:

Constantine complained to the council about the couple’s dog barking. Bur recording equipment proved the pet rarely made a sound;
Kept a log of incidents that did not take place;
Threatened to kill his neighbours, made vulgar gestures and used his fingers to imitate a gun;
Accused Mrs Ward of throwing a brick through a window. Although police proved that was impossible.
Mr Ward was twice arrested for crimes he did not commit.
In December 2006, Constantine claimed Mr Ward attacked him with a frying pan.

His neighbour was arrested but later released without charge.

Constantine, who needed six stitches, received £1,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

His former girlfriend later told police that Constantine had admitted he had not been assaulted by Mr Ward.

Worse was to come, when police were called to the house on New Year’s Eve and found Constantine with a knife embedded in his chest.

Mr Ward was arrested and questioned about the stabbing, but freed when police found ‘a mass of disturbing material’ at Constantine’s home.

The search team uncovered knives, axes and airguns. A log containing fabricated complaints showed Constantine’s ‘extremely hostile’ behaviour.

http://tinyurl.com/6e98wy

photo at link ^

   Tuesday - July 29, 2008

Barack Obama, a man mainlining Preparation ‘H’

For my American friends who may not know. Dave Cameron is the leader of the opposition (conservative) party. The Tories.  Now as LyndonB would tell ya were he here, the Cons ain’t exactly what most of us at BMEWS think of when we use the term.  In fact, more then a few Brits themselves are wondering just what a con is anymore.

Anyway, this made up interview is funny.  The articulate and well mannered Obama, and the rap talking white guy, Dave Cameron. The only thing I don’t get exactly is the term, BAZ.  ?  I haven’t seen that term before today.

When Call Me Dave met Call Me BazLast updated at 9:55 PM on 28th July 2008

by Littlejohn in The Daily Mail

Gordon Brown looked about as uncomfortable as a man mainlining Preparation H during his meeting with Barack Obama. But when the Messiah met Call Me Dave it was a marriage made in heaven.

Both the young pretenders are consummate actors. Obama was on a mission to prove to Europeans that he’s One Of Them. CMD seemed desperate to prove he could get down with the folks in the hood.

Sympathising over Barack’s busy schedule (or should that be ‘sked-yule’?), Dave appeared to switch effortlessly into American. A stray microphone picked him up saying: ‘These guys just chalk your diary up.’

Doesn’t sound very Old Etonian to me. Both men were obviously anxious to ingratiate themselves.

Dave was hoping some of the Messiah’s hip stardust would rub off on him, while Obama was striving to graft a little old school European sophistication on to his street smarts - as this full transcript of the conversation shows.

The first voice is Dave’s…

Yo, Barack, my man. How’s it hanging? Gimme five.

Enchanted to meet you, Mr Cameron.

Not so formal, bro. Call me Dave.

That’s awfully kind.

Where’s you bin at, Bazza?

I’ve just been visiting with President Sarkozy, in France.

What’s you wanna be rapping with that cheese-eating surrender monkey for?

I’m hoping to build bridges with Europe.

Stick wiz CMD, Baz. I’ll take you to the bridge. You can’t trust the French.

President Sarkozy does have some interesting ideas. And a most attractive wife.

Carla Bruni, man, damn she’s one hot piece-a ass, you know what I’m sayin’?

Indeed I do, er, Dave.

Dy-no-mite, dude. Not like that Hillary Clinton. Man, you whooped her booty good.

I found Mrs Clinton a formidable opponent, I must admit.

Yo bitch Michelle is one sweet slice o’cherry pie, too, you don’t mind me saying.

Not at all. I am very fortunate to have such a clever and good-looking wife. She is a tremendous asset.

Cool with that, Baz. And my ho Sam ain’t too shabby, you dig? Maybe you and Michelle wanna come hang at my crib sometime - West-side.

That would be most agreeable. I hear you have a windmill on your roof.

Damn right, I do, bro. We all gotta do our bit for the en-vi-ro-ment, save all them polar bears, cut our dependence on Ay-rab oil.

I was told you take a great interest in climate change and green matters.

Even got me a picture with a husky. And my ride’s green, too.

Have you got a Toyota Pious?

Better than that, bro. I got me a bysickle, which I rides to work every day. At least, I did until it was stolen outside Tesco.

I’m sorry to hear that.

It’s cool, Baz. My homies put out the word on the street and the skank who stole it gave it back up. Teach him to mess with the Notting Hill Massive.

Aren’t you going to introduce me to your associates, Dave?

Sure thing, dude. Meet my posse. This here’s my main man Georgie- O and the skell in the baseball cap is Willie H. Show some respect to the senator, guys.

I’m delighted to make your acquaintance. I wonder if we could talk about your policies.

Policies, Baz? Who needs policies when you’re up against a loser like Gordon Brown? You’ve met the dude, he’s dead meat.

He did seem a little buttoned-up. Has he always bitten his fingernails?

Bitten, man? We’re talking five course, all-you-can-eat buffet here.

He obviously has some serious psychological issues. How did he ever win an election?

Never did, bro. Just parked his ass in the chair when Tony Blair left. Brown had the chance to hold an election, but bottled it.

Bottled?

Sorry, Baz. He decided not to because he thought he might lose.

He can do that?

You’re damn right he can, bro.

But his party must have voted for him?

Nope.

You mean he didn’t have to face a primary, or a general election before becoming Prime Minister?

That’s right.

Sounds like Communism to me. We’d never put up with it in America. I mean, I haven’t got any policies, either, but I’ve still got to stand for election in November. And I’ve just been through a gruelling year of primaries. What the hell’s gone wrong with democracy in this crazy country?

Labour’s been trying to abolish it, dude. Our real government’s in Europe these days. Brown handed over the last of Britain’s sovereignty to Brussels without bothering to hold a referendum.

Hang on, let me get this right. England’s all run from Europe now, so it doesn’t really matter who becomes Prime Minister, because he won’t have any real power?

I guess when you put it like that, dude . . .

So why the hell am I wasting my time talking to you, Mr Cameron?

I told you, Baz, call me Dave.

No thanks, Mr Cameron. And enough of the ‘Baz’ already. You can call me ‘Mister President’.

Any colour you like, as long as it’s not black

Absurd: Detective Inspector Chris Pretty has been accused of racism
The first person I heard describe a BMW as ‘Black Man’s Wheels’ was a black man.
It’s an expression which has been in common parlance on the street for donkey’s years.

Now a senior policeman has been reprimanded for using it and had his pay cut as a result.
Superintendent Chris Pretty has been demoted one rank to chief inspector. Two officers complained that when he opened a leaving present containing a toy BMW at a party to mark his last day as head of training, he quipped: ‘Oh, Black Man’s Wheels.’

It was a harmless joke. But instead of telling the complainants to grow up, West Midlands Police took it seriously.

Bini Brown, from the African Caribbean Self Help Organisation in Birmingham, said: ‘These particular comments made by a high-ranking police officer merely add fuel to the myth that BMWs are driven only by black criminals.’

No, they don’t. It’s simply a humorous acknowledgment of the enthusiasm some young black men have for blinged-up Beamers.

Mr Pretty is no racist. He’s done much for the region’s black community as a former head of the ‘black-on-black’ crime taskforce and solved several murders.

A police spokesman said: ‘He has been dealt with in an appropriate manner.’

Actually, he’s been dealt with in an absurd, heavy-handed, vindictive, utterly inappropriate manner.

No wonder so many dedicated police officers are walking away from the job. Mind how you go.

Resident of Club Gitmo

Some news sources still mistakenly describe the last ‘British’ inmate at Guantanamo Bay as a ‘British citizen’. He’s nothing of the sort.

Binyam Mohammed came here from Ethiopia as an asylum seeker in 1994 but was never granted citizenship.

He worked for a while as a janitor and then went to Pakistan ‘to resolve some personal issues’. (At least he didn’t claim to be on a computer course.)

That’s where he was picked up on terrorism charges and transferred to Club Gitmo.

His lawyer is applying to the High Court to force the Foreign Office to secure his release. Technically, he’s not even a British ‘resident’.

He’s an Ethiopian citizen who happened to live here once and was resident in Pakistan when he was arrested. Now he’s resident at Guantanamo Bay.

He’s not our problem and we don’t want him back.

http://tinyurl.com/6lme6l

   Tuesday - July 22, 2008

Don’t set dogs on criminals with allergies, police told.  latest example of “namby pamby” policing

Yeah, there’s a lot I can say but I’ll leave that up to the rest of ya.. Besides which, I have a tendency to curse a lot over stupid stuff like this.
Not as bad as what I say to my computer but that’s something else.

Police dog handlers will have to consider whether criminals have allergies or a fear of dogs before conducting searches in what has been described as the latest example of “namby pamby” policing.

By Gordon Rayner
Last Updated: 11:15PM BST 21 Jul 2008

Guidelines being drawn up by senior officers will tell dog handlers they should “avoid offending” people with phobias of animals when dogs are used in drug raids and other investigations.

The rules have been produced amid fears that suspects with medical conditions triggered by the presence of dogs, such as asthma, may file costly compensation claims against the police if they suffer an allergy or panic attack during a police raid.

Dog handlers have also been told to take “cultural sensitivities” into account, though reports that dogs would be required to wear specially-designed boots on their paws during searches of mosques and Muslim homes have been flatly denied.

The plans have been ridiculed in the respected force magazine Police Review, with one columnist citing it as the latest diktat from “the polite police”.

The anonymous sergeant writes: “The traditional shout of ‘stand still or I’ll set the dog on you’ will presumably have to become ‘excuse me, my police dog is quite hairy and might cause alarm as he sinks his fangs into his right thigh. Is that all right with you?’

“The whole point of police dogs is to frighten people rigid, at least those who have just committed a crime and would otherwise make a clean getaway. They should have considered the mental trauma and possible allergic reaction caused by 60lbs of foaming Alsatian clamping its teeth to their extremities before embarking on their criminal escapade.”

A serving dog handler, who asked not to be named, said: “I have never heard anything so ridiculous. What’s next? Sparing people custody because they have a fear of enclosed spaces?

“This is just another example of namby pamby policing laid down by people who haven’t been on the beat in years.”

PC Mike Dermody, a former dog handler with Greater Manchester Police, was among those dismissing the need for guidelines, saying: “I have never encountered an incident where we have offended someone. If there is a person with an allergy, we will put them in one room while we search the rest of the house.”

And PC David Heaps, a dog handling trainer at Derbyshire Constabulary, said dog handlers were already “mindful not to cause offence”.

The controversy arose after Peter Vaughan, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ adviser on dogs, said: “The draft guidelines outline a general principle that forces should consider what steps can be taken to avoid offending people during operations.

“This might include different categories of people such as those with a fear of dogs, for example or asthma sufferers who may be sensitive to dog hair.”

Mr Vaughan, deputy chief constable of South Wales Police, insisted, however, that “in all operations effective policing will take primacy”, meaning dog handlers would not have to take possible allergies into account when tackling violent criminals, for example.

http://tinyurl.com/5ek6ys

   Friday - July 18, 2008

Dear World: Get a haircut, and get a real job. Clean your act up, and don’t be a slob.

CONGRESS HAS LOST ITS MIND

New Bill Would Put ENTIRE WORLD On Welfare

Yes, this is the OBAMA BILL, S.2433. Congress has already passed their HR1302 version*
$845 BILLION. Cost of $2800 per year for 13 years for every citizen in the US

fuck this!

* If it’s always the case that Congress and the Senate each pass their own version of a bill, then why do we have both houses? Repeal the 17th, get the Senate back to working on State To State issues as is their sole mandate.

Read the bill and it’s background here.           Read the Conservative viewpoint here. They think it’s 0.7% of our GDP. I think they’re off by an order of magnitude: the US would have to put up $821 Billion PER YEAR.

HR 1302 RFS

H110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1302

←→
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 26, 2007

Received, read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

AN ACT

To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Global Poverty Act of 2007’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) More than one billion people worldwide live on less than $1 per day, and another 1.6 billion people struggle to survive on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.

(2) At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, the United States joined more than 180 other countries in committing to work toward the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to improve life for the world’s poorest people by 2015.

(3) The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include the goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, that live on less than $1 per day, cutting in half the proportion of people suffering from hunger and unable to access safe drinking water and sanitation, reducing child mortality by two-thirds, ensuring basic education for all children, and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria, while sustaining the environment upon which human life depends.

(4) On March 22, 2002, President George W. Bush stated: `We fight against poverty because hope is an answer to terror. We fight against poverty because opportunity is a fundamental right to human dignity. We fight against poverty because faith requires it and conscience demands it. We fight against poverty with a growing conviction that major progress is within our reach.’.

(5) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the United States notes: `[A] world where some live in comfort and plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 per day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the world’s poor in an expanding circle of development and opportunity is a moral imperative and one of the top priorities of United States international policy.’.

(6) The 2006 National Security Strategy of the United States notes: `America’s national interests and moral values drive us in the same direction: to assist the world’s poor citizens and least developed nations and help integrate them into the global economy.’.

(7) The bipartisan Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States recommends: `A comprehensive United States strategy to counter terrorism should include economic policies that encourage development, more open societies, and opportunities for people to improve the lives of their families and enhance prospects for their children.’.

(8) At the summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) nations in July 2005, leaders from all eight countries committed to increase aid to Africa from the current $25 billion annually to $50 billion by 2010, and to cancel 100 percent of the debt obligations owed to the World Bank, African Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund by 18 of the world’s poorest nations.

(9) At the United Nations World Summit in September 2005, the United States joined more than 180 other governments in reiterating their commitment to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

(10) The United States has recognized the need for increased financial and technical assistance to countries burdened by extreme poverty, as well as the need for strengthened economic and trade opportunities for those countries, through significant initiatives in recent years, including the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003, the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and trade preference programs for developing countries, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

(11) In January 2006, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice initiated a restructuring of the United States foreign assistance program, including the creation of a Director of Foreign Assistance, who maintains authority over Department of State and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) foreign assistance funding and programs.

(12) In January 2007, the Department of State’s Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance added poverty reduction as an explicit, central component of the overall goal of United States foreign assistance. The official goal of United States foreign assistance is: `To help build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system.’.
...
Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 2007.

yes, it passed unanimously. On a voice vote. Without hearings! Because most of the bastards didn’t even read it. But it has a catchy name, so it must be good, right?



Don’t forget, this is spending in addition to all the millions and billions we give away to every flea picking nation on earth already, plus the dozens of billions we spend on africa to try and teach them the crazy concepts of monogamy, fidelity, and safe sex, plus oceans worth of drugs for those who won’t listen anyway. Because that’s not enough you see.

Yes Drew, we do. The very first thing to do is to try, really try, to ferret out the truth. CBO (Congressional Budget Office) says this bill would cost less than $1 million per year. VRWC says this bill would cost $845 BILLION. That’s a galactic cost difference: 65,000 times greater cost according to one group. Somebody - maybe more than one somebody - is playing fast and loose with the truth. Who? The why is obvious - politics.

But I can tell you this - the idea is to give $1 a day to every Starvin Marvin on the planet. That’s $3 BILLION a year right there. PER DAY. $1.095 TRILLION PER YEAR. And since it’s a UN plan, that means the USA will pick up at least 75% of the tab. That’s $821 BILLION A YEAR, right there. And that assumes the gollywogs won’t breed. Like hell. Oh, and adopting this will probably make us subservient to the UN; they’ll have the power to tax us to get the cash.

Obama ‘08 - “because 12/23/12 won’t get here soon enough”

   Sunday - July 06, 2008

Police sniffer dogs may wear bootees to avoid offending Muslims

I JUST THIS VERY SECOND MINUTE TRIPPED OVER THIS STORY.  JUST WHEN I THOUGHT LAST WEEKS POST ABOUT DOGS AND MUSLIMS WAS AS DUMB AS IT COULD POSSIBLY GET .............
ALONG COMES THIS!

SO HERE WE GD GO AGAIN. DAMN IT.  ARE THE AUTHORITIES OUT THERE LOOKING FOR ANY TINY LITTLE THING THAT IS GOING TO OFFEND SOME MINORITY THAT SHOULDN’T BE HERE ANYWAY?  AND CAN I BE ARRESTED FOR SUGGESTING THAT?  JEEEEEZZZZ.  THIS PLACE IS STARK RAVING FREEKIN MAD.  MAD I TELL YA. 

note to Drew.  Can we keep this on top for Monday somehow?  Unless there something even more stupidly bizarre out there. But surely there can’t be. This HAS to be the ultimate. Right?

POLICE SNIFFER DOGS MAY WEAR BOOTEES TO AVOID OFFENDING MUSLIMS
Last Updated: 3:00PM BST 06/07/2008

Police sniffer dogs may be forced to wear bootees when entering mosques and Muslims’ homes to avoid causing offence.

In a bid to respect cultural sensitivities, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is considering the move while drawing up new guidelines on the use of police dogs.

Many Muslims refuse to have direct contact with the animals, which are considered “unclean” in Islamic culture.

An ACPO spokeswoman said current guidelines were being re-drafted, but the suggestion that police dogs wear bootees had not been ruled in or out.

“Where possible the police will take cultural sensitivities into account, providing this does not interfere with effective operational policing,” she said.

The suggestion comes after a police force apologised to Islamic leaders after a police advert featured a puppy sitting in an officer’s hat. 

http://tinyurl.com/63mdyl

   Wednesday - June 18, 2008

FRANCE WANTS TO WHAT ? GOTTA BE A BAD JOKE. BRITS NOT LAFFING.

Somethin’ just a bit different.

France set to hijack our Royal Navy to create a European military force
By Benedict Brogan Last updated at 11:11 AM on 18th June 2008

The Royal Navy could have to hand over one of its aircraft carriers to Brussels under plans for a joint European naval fleet.

French politicians said yesterday that Gordon Brown is negotiating a scheme that would mean an end to the centuries-old independence of Nelson’s ‘Senior Service’.

The revelation is likely to embarrass Mr Brown, who is already under fire for failing to pull the plug on the European constitution.

The French have been pressing for the creation of a joint European military force to match the might of U.S. forces for years.

The defence co-operation project, proposed by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, is expected to be a centre-piece of the French presidency of the EU, which begins in July.

It would see a British aircraft carrier become a permanent part of an EU naval force, along with ships from other countries.

An aide to French defence minister Herve Morin said negotiations with Britain were well advanced on creating a ‘European naval group’.

But the fact it is France leading the push for an EU defence force will be seen by many as a direct threat to Britain’s military independence.

Tory defence spokesman Dr Liam Fox said: ‘The EU’s military ambitions know no bounds. If they think the Royal Navy will sail under the EU flag they had better think again.

‘How is it supposed to work? Are we supposed to say, “Sorry, it’s our turn to use the aircraft carrier”? It’s ridiculous.

‘The whole concept of sharing naval assets with any other country is sheer nonsense. The idea of the Royal Navy flying the EU flag makes a mockery of centuries of British naval tradition.’

Work is also under way to create a fleet of A400M military aircraft which would be available to EU members on a timeshare basis.

The French are also looking to introduce military exchanges that would, for example, allow Polish officers to have some of their training in France, helping to create a more integrated European military culture.

In Berlin, a government spokesman said Germany would give the plans serious consideration.

‘We’ll have to wait and see what sort of proposals the French pres-idency unveils,’ he said.

France and Britain have been looking for ways to increase military cooperation for at least a decade and are working on creating a joint fleet of helicopters for deployment in Afghanistan.

The MoD is pursuing talks with the French in part because it is facing budget pressures that are forcing it to share costs.

The Government is expected to give the go-ahead this week for the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers as part of an Anglo-French project.

The French are happy to cooperate because they are also under pressure to spend less.

Mr Sarkozy said yesterday that he planned to create a smaller French army which is better equipped to respond to modern day threats and announced plans to cut more than 50,000 military posts, reducing it to 225,000 personnel.

http://tinyurl.com/3vqjaj

   Sunday - June 08, 2008

Mass Murder to celebrate anniversary of mass murder

Man on ‘murder mission’ stabs 17 in Tokyo

A man police said was on a murder mission plowed into pedestrians with a truck in a crowded Tokyo neighborhood Sunday and then stabbed 17 people in three minutes, killing at least seven in a grisly attack that shocked Japan.  The lunchtime assault—on the seventh anniversary of a mass stabbing in Japan in 2001—sent thousands of pedestrians into a panic in Tokyo’s crowded Akihabara district, an electronics and video game area wildly popular among the country’s cyber-wise youth. A 25-year-old man, Tomohiro Kato, was arrested with blood on his face. Police said Kato provided no motive for the attack—other than he wanted to murder strangers.

“The suspect told police that he came to Akihabara to kill people,” said Jiro Akaogi, a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. “He said he was tired of life. He said he was sick of everything,” Akaogi said.

The violence began when he crashed a rented, two-ton truck into pedestrians. Kato jumped out and began stabbing the people he’d knocked down with the truck, then turned on horrified onlookers, police said.  Police confirmed seven deaths—six men and one woman—but they could not say whether the victims had died of injuries from the truck or were stabbed to death.

Once rare, stabbing attacks have become more frequent in Japan in recent years as violent crime has increased.  In March, one person was stabbed to death and at least seven others were hurt by a man who went on a slashing spree with two knives outside a shopping mall in eastern Japan.

UPDATE: Do I even need to write this? You know what happens next. It’s part of the script, carved in stone. When asked to comment on this horrific episode of “knife crime” the government’s response implied more Knife Control. Which completely ignores the fact that this killer started his attack by using a truck to run over a bunch of people first, then finished them off with a knife. A “base e ballru” bat would have worked just as well. I guess bat control is next?

Government officials scrambled to respond. The ruling coalition held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to come up with ways to secure crowded public spaces, and the government is considering limiting access to large knives like the one used on Sunday.

“Obviously, the suspect possessed the knife without a legitimate reason,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. “I think we have to seriously consider what we can do to step up the restrictions.”

   Tuesday - June 03, 2008

All your air are belong to us

Remember the Fairness Doctrine? The one that the libtards in and out of Washington want to resurrect? The theory behind the Fairness Doctrine is:

radio stations could be regulated in this way due to the limited spectrum of the public airwaves.

Source: Wikipedia. The airwaves are held, by government, in trust for the public.

It was, in other words, a government-created scarcity that justified government regulation. Much like the government-created gasoline scarcities under Nixon and Carter.

Now a whacko Goremon named Mary Wood is asserting that the air is held in trust by the government.

University of Oregon law professor Mary Wood is tired of waiting for government officials to take action on global warming. So she’s devised a new legal tool to hurry them up.

Drawing on her background in both natural resources and property law, Wood has developed a theory that claims the atmosphere is an asset that belongs to all but is held in trust by the government. The government has a legal obligation to protect that trust from harm, she argues, just as financial managers have a legal obligation to protect the monetary assets in their care.

I’m sure that BMEWS readers have figured where this is going…

“The main problem with climate is that no government is taking responsibility for it and our government is sitting idle while this catastrophe is unfolding,” Wood said.

“There’s no other body of law that requires the government to act. But a trustee has to act to protect the body of the trust.”

Yep. And the laws are already on the books. No need to debate!

From theory to practice

Greg Costello is one of the public interest attorneys evaluating Wood’s proposal as the basis for potential lawsuits. He thinks it could be a successful legal strategy because it’s grounded in a widely accepted principle of common law.

“Public trust doctrine is a doctrine everybody learns in law school. It goes back to Roman times,” said Costello, executive director of the Eugene-based Western Environmental Law Center.

“It’s a theory that seems well-suited and perhaps ideal when you’re talking about who owns the atmosphere.”

Be afraid. Be very afraid. 

HT: Neal’s Nuze

cross-posted at my blog Something’s Rotten

   Sunday - June 01, 2008

POOR BRITS HELPLESS AS EU CONTINUES IT’S RELENTLESS INVASION

This story has got to rank among the top stories of STUPID so far this year.  But then hey, when a country overrun with traitors gives away it’s sovereignty, one must not expect much more.

And while I don’t mean to upset or insult my Brit hosts, treason is the only word that comes to mind.
And oh yeah ....  former Conservative offices have now removed the portrait of Mrs. Thatcher in preparation for the new tenants of the bldg.  The EU complete with their silly looking plaque/flag whatever.  But that’s another story.
Here’s this other bit of total lunacy.

Safety rules turn breaking down into AA relay By Ben Leach
Last Updated: 10:38AM BST 01/06/2008

Drivers face marathon journeys home as recovery services are told to hand them on after 62 miles.

For motorists they offer peace of mind and the prospect of a helping hand when things go wrong.

But now rescue organisations, who normally offer a guarantee of a lift home in the event of a breakdown, are leaving drivers stranded at service stations following the introduction of EU health and safety laws.

The new rules forbid drivers of commercial vehicles, including rescue tow trucks, from travelling more than 62 miles from their bases unless the vehicle is fitted with a tachograph – a device that monitors the number of hours spent on the road.

Both the AA and RAC use hundreds of trucks which are not fitted with the equipment.

( both AA and RAC the same as our Triple AAA etc. )

As a result, they are dropping off “rescued” drivers when only part-way home, and telling them to wait for another truck to take them on the next leg of their trip.

Michael and Olga Leapman fell victim to the new rule last week when they broke down near Chepstow, south Wales.

The couple were picked up by the AA and driven to Leigh Delamere service station, on the M4, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

They were then picked up by a second driver and taken to another service station on the M4, near Reading.

They waited an hour and a half before a third driver arrived to take them home to Stockwell, south London. The whole journey took more than nine hours.

Mr and Mrs Leapman, who are long-standing AA members, were even charged £230 for the rescue because their cover only entitled them to repairs by the roadside or at home.

Mr Leapman, 70, said: “It was rather an ordeal. What should have been a three-hour journey turned into a nine-hour journey.

“We kept being dropped off in different service stations. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“The AA drivers kept apologising, saying they wished they could get us home quicker but they couldn’t because they were bound by these rules.”

The new rules, which follow the introduction of EU legislation last year, apply to lorries and vans weighing more than 3.5 tonnes. The regulations also limit the length of time that drivers can remain behind the wheel.

Breakdown companies had thought they were exempt from the rules but, following a complaint from the GMB trade union, the Department for Transport has ordered them to comply.

Nigel Humphries, of the Association of British Drivers, said: “It is a ridiculous situation and yet another example of health and safety legislation being taken too far. There is no common sense or balance to these laws.”

Daniel Hannan, the Conservative MEP, said: “This is a classic example of a piece of EU legislation being introduced without any thought for the practical consequences.

“Laws like these are being introduced just for the sake of it.”

A spokesman for the AA said: “For those members who require a long distance recovery, the legislation does sometimes affect its duration, as additional changeovers are required.” He added that the company had reimbursed the Leapmans’ £230.

http://tinyurl.com/6c2egz

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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