Looks like an all expense paid trip to the Jerry Springer Show awaits...
NIWOT, Colo. -- A Niwot woman accused of stabbing her fiancé and his friend in the back early Tuesday was engaged in a sexual threesome and drug use with the two men before they all started fighting, authorities said Wednesday. Wonder what the fight was about? Seconds, thirds, fifths?
According to Boulder County sheriff's officials, Ruffin Griffin and Clint Cadigan, both 28, left a Niwot bar together at about 11:30 p.m. and went to the house where Griffin lives with Serena M. Brooks, 30, and their 6-month-old son. Hunny, ah'm home! N' I brout Clint wif me!
A sheriff's report made public Wednesday indicates that all three of the adults started using methamphetamine and then engaged in three-way sex. During the encounter, the men began to argue and "fell to the floor" during a physical fight. Ah ain't inta that, Clint!
While they were tumbling, Brooks grabbed a nearby steak knife which, according to the report, "they had been using to scrape the methamphetamine as they smoked it." When the men wouldn't stop fighting, Brooks stabbed them both in the back "in an attempt to break up the fight." Stop it! Stop it!
Ouch ouch ouch!
The couple -- Brooks and Griffin -- began yelling at each other, and Griffin allegedly hit the woman in the face before leaving with his friend. The men drove together to Boulder Community Hospital, where they were treated for serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. She jus don't unnerstan me, Clint!
Brooks was treated later for injuries to her face. A hospital spokeswoman said Cadigan remained in intensive care Wednesday in fair condition, while hospital operators said Griffin was discharged Wednesday afternoon. Ah'll visit ya , Clint!
When reached Wednesday afternoon, Griffin said he was feeling better and would likely heal in about three weeks. He declined to discuss specifics of what happened during the altercation but did say, "I want to apologize to the citizens of Boulder and Niwot for my irresponsible actions over the weekend." Thanks, Ruffin. I'm sure the citizens of both towns appreciate the sentiments.
Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough said deputies recovered drug paraphernalia from the home. Investigators believe that in addition to the suspected methamphetamine, the trio possibly was using marijuana and alcohol."Unfortunately, what we see is when you get alcohol, drugs and weapons involved ... someone gets hurt," Brough said. Thanks, commander. I'll write that down so I don't forget it.
He said the child was asleep during the fight and wasn't hurt, but the adults were in no condition to properly supervise him, and the drug paraphernalia created a hazard. According to the sheriff's report, the door to the bedroom was left open during the drug use, fighting and stabbing so that Brooks could hear if the child cried. Oh...well. Who wants to nominate her for Mother of the Year?
Brooks faces possible charges of first-degree assault and child abuse. She is being held at the Boulder County Jail on $50,000 bond. I'll wait fer ya, Serena!
Reached Wednesday morning, one of Cadigan's family members declined to comment. Ummmmmmm...whadda ya want us to say?
A phone listing for Griffin was no longer in service. The comments at the link are priceless.
#1
A Niwotnitwit woman accused of stabbing her fiancé and his friend in the back early Tuesday was engaged in a sexual threesome and drug use with the two men before they all started fighting, authorities said Wednesday.
There, fixed it for ya.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/02/2009 15:11 Comments ||
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#2
tu3031, old buddy, you scare me the way you find these stories ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/02/2009 15:21 Comments ||
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#3
My favorite comment at the link (but I'm only to #2 so far):
She is sexier than a new set of snow tires!
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/02/2009 15:27 Comments ||
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#4
More comments at the link:
at 10:02 am
Sounds like these guys may have accidentally "crossed swords" and it resulted in a fist fight. Rather than throwing some cold water on the two, Serena went with the next best thing - a sharp knife to the back. Man, my weekends are pretty dull in comparison.
at 10:18 am
Dear Penthouse Forum,
I never thought this would happen to me...
at 10:21 am
I like how the guys made up and drove to the hospital together.
at 10:56 am
"Then he shouted, 'Hey! You were supposed to wait in the car!' And that's when the argument started."
at 12:44 pm
A double stabbing after a double stabbing? Quite the little redundant encounter.
at 3:15 pm
So, one of the guys is her fiancée, would the other be the "best man"?? One can only imagine how THAT wedding night will go! Probably also wanna keep the knife away from her when it's time to cut the cake.
at 3:50 pm
"nothing helps two dudes bond more than driving to the hospital together with crazy b*tch stab wounds."
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/02/2009 15:39 Comments ||
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#5
Nah, Redneck Math is 1+1=anywhere up to 15 kids.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 16:03 Comments ||
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#6
Odd thing: two guys fight during a threeway the chick grabs a knife. 2 girls do that, the guy will be running for his camera.
Smalltown meth heads - started with marijuana & booze.
Read the arrest report.
Everything was apparently OK with the female supplying all the action to either or both, but when she started tooting the visitor's horn and her boyfriend decided to help her, that's when the fight broke out.
Seems the girl and her boy both like guys, and the guest got a bit of unexpected unwanted action.
I would've loved to been a fly on the wall for this...
CHICAGO (AP) — There was no tear gas anywhere, and some of those who showed up for a reunion of Chicago Police officers who worked during the 1968 Democratic National Convention hung up their badges — and their billy clubs — a long time ago. But if this looked like just a gathering of retirees who came to knock back a few drinks and swap stories Friday night — "I was just looking to see who's still alive," joked retired patrolman Jeff Norris — it was much more than that.
Between men who almost spit out words like "scum" to describe demonstrators who descended on the city 41 years ago to the small crowd of protesters across the street, it was clear the days when the streets became a battlefield remain one of the most divisive chapters in Chicago history.
From the former cops came recollections, one after another, about what the cameras didn't capture, what the world didn't see on television along with the images of police wading into crowds of protesters, knocking them down and bloodying them with flailing billy clubs. They told of bags of urine and feces, and bricks that were thrown at them, the heavy glass ashtrays dropped on them from hotel windows high above, the nail-spiked rubber balls laced behind their car tires and sometimes thrown at them.
And they dismissed any talk of a "police riot," as a commission famously called the scene, speaking with pride about how they conducted themselves. "We were doing what we were supposed to do," said John Murray, a 62-year-old retired detective. "No regrets."
It was absolute chaos, they said, but they did not lose control even when faced with situations they never thought they'd ever see.
Like the woman disguised as a nun who punched Joe Mescall when the young patrolman wouldn't let her into the Conrad Hilton Hotel where he was stationed. Mescall laughed when he told of responding with a punch that was hard enough that she "landed on her keister right on Michigan Avenue," but he turned serious when he said that neither he nor any of his fellow "coppers" pulled their guns. "Not one shot was fired," he said, a sentiment echoed several times.
On the other side of the street, protesters say all this talk about doing their job and putting the blame for the rioting on the demonstrators amounts to a whitewash of history. That is obvious, they say, by the reunion organizers who did not just promote the gathering on a Web site called Chicagoriotcops.com, but promoted it as a way to honor those who protected the city from "Marxist street thugs."
"The language makes it very clear that this is a celebration of violence, of brutality and an attempt to rewrite history," said Jose Martin, a member of Chicago Copwatch, which organized a march that ended with a rally across the street from the Fraternal Order of Police lodge where the reunion was held. Wonder if thay want a rematch?
Martin said he wasn't sure if there would still be a march had the reunion been simply advertised as a reunion, but he said that kind of language sealed the deal."It was too golden," he said.
G. Flint Taylor, a prominent civil rights attorney whose clients include former death row inmates who have sued alleging police torture, saw his participation as his duty. "We have to constantly set the record straight, set the historical record straight," he said. "This new generation, half don't know what happened," he said, surrounded by a few dozen protesters, many of whom were not yet born when the 1968 convention occurred. And why miss a chance to break in a new crop of useful idiots...
That was one thing that even the former cops could agree to. "I don't think the young kids could tell you who was even running for office (in 1968)," said retired detective, Tom Flanagan, 67.
The other thing everyone agreed on is that the now-gray or balding men who were on duty during the 1968 convention remain a source of fascination for those who lived through it or studied it.
"Did you beat up anybody famous?" a young woman who rode up to the officers on her bicycle asked Murray.
Break out the flamethrowers, men!
A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered. And we never even knew!
Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another. The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination. Must be Zionist ants...
What's more, people are unwittingly helping the mega-colony stick together. Stoopid humans! Bow down before us!
Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) were once native to South America. But people have unintentionally introduced the ants to all continents except Antarctica. Get your antenna off me, you damn dirty ant!
These introduced Argentine ants are renowned for forming large colonies, and for becoming a significant pest, attacking native animals and crops. Barry will negotiate with them with no preconditions. Probably make an apologetic speech at one of their hills.
In Europe, one vast colony of Argentine ants is thought to stretch for 6,000km (3,700 miles) along the Mediterranean coast, while another in the US, known as the "Californian large", extends over 900km (560 miles) along the coast of California. A third huge colony exists on the west coast of Japan. They're everywhere, general! Everywhere!!
While ants are usually highly territorial, those living within each super-colony are tolerant of one another, even if they live tens or hundreds of kilometres apart. Each super-colony, however, was thought to be quite distinct. But it now appears that billions of Argentine ants around the world all actually belong to one single global mega-colony.
Researchers in Japan and Spain led by Eiriki Sunamura of the University of Tokyo found that Argentine ants living in Europe, Japan and California shared a strikingly similar chemical profile of hydrocarbons on their cuticles. I wonder who'll play him in the movie?
But further experiments revealed the true extent of the insects' global ambition.
The team selected wild ants from the main European super-colony, from another smaller one called the Catalonian super-colony which lives on the Iberian coast, the Californian super-colony and from the super-colony in west Japan, as well as another in Kobe, Japan.
They then matched up the ants in a series of one-on-one tests to see how aggressive individuals from different colonies would be to one another. Ants from the smaller super-colonies were always aggressive to one another. So ants from the west coast of Japan fought their rivals from Kobe, while ants from the European super-colony didn't get on with those from the Iberian colony. Okay, let's watch em fight!
But whenever ants from the main European and Californian super-colonies and those from the largest colony in Japan came into contact, they acted as if they were old friends. These ants rubbed antennae with one another and never became aggressive or tried to avoid one another. In short, they acted as if they all belonged to the same colony, despite living on different continents separated by vast oceans.
The most plausible explanation is that ants from these three super-colonies are indeed family, and are all genetically related, say the researchers. When they come into contact, they recognise each other by the chemical composition of their cuticles. "The enormous extent of this population is paralleled only by human society," the researchers write in the journal Insect Sociaux, in which they report their findings.
However, the irony is that it is us who likely created the ant mega-colony by initially transporting the insects around the world, and by continually introducing ants from the three continents to each other, ensuring the mega-colony continues to mingle. "Humans created this great non-aggressive ant population," the researchers write. What have we done! WHAT HAVE WE DONE!!!
#3
Well, I'm not surrendering to 'em. I'll get me a can of Raid and make them ants cry "Uncle!"
Posted by: Mike ||
07/02/2009 15:09 Comments ||
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#4
1/2 cup of gasoline works every time, just pour in one place at the center of the hill, the fumes sink through the hill and kill everything, including the queen, ants just freeze where they stand.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 16:23 Comments ||
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Don't want to sound too much like an advertisement but we found terro works pretty well. My own theory is they really like the kind of suburbs they find in California because we water our lawns and shrubbery. They cultivate other pests like mealy bugs and aphids on the shrubbery. They dig in under driveways, sidewalks and concrete slab foundations. I'm not sure they could hack the natural habitat here because it's too dry and the native vegetation is too resistant.
Spraying them with Raid is very gratifying though. That way you get to watch them die. I like to spray one hole and then wait and watch. Almost always they'll come streaming out of a back door carrying their little eggs. That's when the queens come out too. Then I spray again. Die you little mofos!!!
#6
Researchers in Japan and Spain led by Eiriki Sunamura of the University of Tokyo found that Argentine ants living in Europe, Japan and California shared a strikingly similar chemical profile of hydrocarbons on their cuticles. Don't tell Al, they'll get blamed for Golbal Climate Change/Warming
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 1:18 Comments ||
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#3
What kind of uber-rich nutcase can't get a phony doctor's note? Jeez he got a doctor to prescribe him every kind of mind-numbing opiate in existence.
#4
The guy was sick. He was sick for a long time. How much was physical and how much was mental we will never know and it doesn't matter. He's dead, Jim.
[Al Arabiya Latest] A split tongue and a lazy eye may sound like some sort of ailment but for sorcerers in Morocco such attributes are a sign someone possesses supernatural skills that allow them to contact the spirit world and find buried treasures.
So strong is their belief in the signs of possession, that sorcerers have resorted to kidnapping children with features such as a cross on their right hand, tongues split in the middle or a lazy right eye.
According to Moroccan human rights activists gangs of sorcerers are targeting children with the specific features because they believe such children are "zohri," or born as jinn, but were replaced with human beings upon their birth.
The tradition says that such children have supernatural perception and can see things that are not visible to humans and with such "powers" they are able to find treasure believed to be buried in mountainous areas in Marrakech, Khénifra and other southern regions like Souss-Massa-Draâ. So...how come they can't see these guys coming to get them?
The children are believed to be able to see and consequently touch the treasure, unlike humans, which sorcerers fear will anger the jinns and result in severe punishment, such as being banished to the underworld.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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[Mail and Globe] Zimbabwe's former finance minister Simba Makoni on Wednesday launched a new opposition party that promises to "clean up" the country's political landscape. I'm not sure that, as Zim's former finance minister, I'd try running on a record of "proven accomplishment." Stick with "change." ...and "hope"
Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD), meaning "The Beginning of a New Dawn" in the Shona language, was launched at a low-key event in Mbare township, southwest of Harare.
"We are launching this party on a mission to clean up the politics of Zimbabwe," Makoni, who is the party's interim leader, told a group of supporters.
"We offer ourselves to support and assist the inclusive government, we have resources at our disposal so that Zimbabwe can get working again," said Makoni.
In 2001 Makoni publicly admitted that Zimbabwe's economy was in a state of crisis as poverty was spreading at an alarming rate.
"I would have to be foolish to deny what is evident to everybody in broad daylight, even in the darkness of night," he said at the time.
The following year he quit his position as finance minister, citing policy differences with President Robert Mugabe.
The 59-year-old Makoni has been denounced by Mugabe as a "prostitute" of the West and a "bloated frog" following his resignation from the Zanu-PF in 2008.
He then wanted to contest the controversial March 2008 presidential election as an independent candidate.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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An RAF Tornado has crashed in Argyll, police have confirmed. The plane is understood to have come down on a hillside near the Rest and Be Thankful beauty spot near Arrochar - two miles to the west of Loch Lomond.
The plane is believed to be from RAF Leuchars, in Fife. No civilians are thought to have been hurt. There are no details on the condition of the pilot and navigator. Strathclyde Police were alerted to the incident at about 1145 BST on Thursday.
An ambulance spokeswoman said two crews were at the scene. A specialist operations team was also on its way.
A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that police were called at 11.45am to a report of a plane crash near the Rest and Be Thankful, Arrochar. Police are arriving at the scene."
The Rest and Be Thankful is a tourist spot on the A83 Arrochar to Inveraray Road, north west of Loch Lomond.
I know these birds aren't new, and I'm not sure how maintenance on them is, but I remember seeing one on static display at an airshow about 8 years ago - it had multiple 5 gallon buckets underneath to catch leaking fuel.
#3
xbalanke, the SR-51 used to leak fuel like a sieve on the ground. Sealed up at the flight temps. I know the Tornado's a totally diff animal, but perhaps it wasn't all "f*ck-it" maintenance and design
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/02/2009 18:47 Comments ||
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Crazed Islamic cleric Anjem Choudary yesterday hit back at French President Nicolas Sarkozy, 54, for trying to ban the burka by branding his wife a prostitute. He said former model Carla Bruni, 41, represents the face of a depraved Western society where women are treated like sex objects.
Choudary, 42, wrote on the Islam4UK website: Sarkozy may be content with being wed to a prostitute who flaunts her body to the world believing it to be righteous conduct, but he is reminded that a Muslim is not this shallow and depraved.
#6
Reminds me of the old joke....define "slut".....answer: a woman who you have reason to believe would have sex with every other man on the planet, except for you.
#11
When was the last time any national leader had a wife this hot? And, at least by European standards, he's even a conservative. We had our chance with Fred Thompson - oh, well.
[Iran Press TV Latest] Pentagon officials claim the US has postponed all military cooperation with Honduras which has been hosting American troops for more than two decades. On Wednesday, Defense Department Spokesman Bryan Whitman said, "We've postponed any activities in Honduras right now while we are assessing the situation," AFP reported.
Currently about 600 US forces operate rotationally in the Soto Cano air base some 80 kilometers from the capital, Tegucigalpa. The base has been housing the Americans since the 1980s.
Two days before, The Miami Herald had quoted the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), which overseas the country's Central and South American operations, as saying that no changes had been imposed on the duty descriptions of the troops.
Earlier in the day, the Latin American membership of the Organization of American States (OAS) claimed it was mandated to return the rule of people to the turmoil-hit Central American nation. The Washington-based grouping ordered its Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza to "undertake, together with representatives of various countries, diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring democracy and the rule of law." The regional players gave the interim Honduran Leader Roberto Micheletti, whom they accuse of seizing power by force from the President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, a 72-hour deadline to restore the exiled leader. The Washington-based body said Tegucigalpa would face suspension from the body unless it respected the ultimatum.
The Obama administration said Wednesday it has suspended joint military operations with Honduras to protest a coup that forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile. Officials said the administration is still reviewing the possibility of cutting off U.S. aid.
At the State Department, spokesman Ian C. Kelly said the department's top diplomat for the Americas, Thomas Shannon, met with Zelaya at OAS headquarters on Tuesday evening. Kelly would not reveal details, except to say Zelaya thanked the administration for supporting his unconditional return to power.
Kelly said he was not aware of any plan to recall the U.S. ambassador from the Honduran capital. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration believes it stands a better chance of achieving a peaceful outcome if it keeps a diplomat in Tegucigalpa.
The official also said the U.S. was not advocating that the matter be taken up by the U.N. Security Council.
The General Assembly is a talk shop. It only matters if the Security Council chooses to act.
Kelly said the administration was still studying whether the forced removal of Zelaya was a military coup in a legal sense that would trigger a cutoff or suspension of American financial assistance.
This may be the beginning of walking back President Obama's original position.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not be specific, but the suspension could have broad implications because the United States runs a large Central American security and counternarcotics operation from a jointly run air base in Honduras. Whitman said only operations affecting Honduras itself are on hold.
Counternarcotics work should be significantly reduced now that former President Zelaya has left the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Obama could still order our troops to work in conjunction with Venezuela and Nicaragua to enforce the mandates of the OSA and UN. I'm begining to believe our President is not well informed about who our friends are.
#2
BS. You back Honduras now or my backing for this government ceases. Back Israel as well. I do not play games with ignorance or bad policy that refutes law. Iran I put up with, this I shall not.
#4
Uphold and defend the constitution is all the Honduran Military did there - the Honrudan Supreme Court gave the Honduran Army the order to oust the lawbreaker ZeLiar for violating the Honduran constitution in contravention to Honduran Congress and the Honduran Supremes.
When will the dominant media tell the truth about this?
My guess is never since it show Obama to either be a complicit fool who is stooging for Chavez, or a fucking stupid moron who acted but didn't know the law.
#6
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not be specific, but the suspension could have broad implications because the United States runs a large Central American security and counternarcotics operation from a jointly run air base in Honduras. Whitman said only operations affecting Honduras itself are on hold.
No one should be questioning Barry's motives on this one. I fail to see General Jim Jones footprint on any of this. In fact, I've not seen much of him lately.
Got that part right anyway. or well educated either,
*Yes I know he supposedly graduated from Hahvahd, it shows either he bought his diploma, or used influence, he sure as hell did not absorb the knowledge offered.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 16:39 Comments ||
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The interim Honduran president has rejected an ultimatum from American governments to reinstate ousted leader Manuel Zelaya to the presidency. The ongoing political crisis has sparked new protests. Interim President Roberto Micheletti is facing new foreign pressure to allow the return of President Manuel Zelaya, who was forced to leave the country on Sunday.
The United States, United Nations and many Latin American nations have refused to acknowledge the government that took control from Mr. Zelaya, who has been accused of criminal charges. The Organization of American States (O.A.S.) went a step further Wednesday and said Honduras has 72 hours to reinstate Mr. Zelaya or the regional group may suspend the nation's membership.
In Tegucigalpa, Mr. Micheletti said his government will not bow to outside pressure, and that he is not fazed by the overwhelming negative reaction from foreign governments. The interim leader said he is confident that Honduras will not be isolated for long, and that other countries will begin to understand how the new government has saved the country. He added that God is with the new government to help it resolve the crisis.
He said officials from the new government were beginning to reach out to Washington and other foreign partners to offer details on why Mr. Zelaya was removed from power. Officials have announced a criminal investigation into the ousted leader, who is accused of 18 offenses including treason and abuse of power.
Still, pressure is mounting on the interim government, as Spain and France recalled their ambassadors to Honduras. In Washington, the Pentagon said it was suspending military activities while officials reassess the situation. U.S. military forces operate a security and counter-drug operation from the Soto Cano airbase outside the Honduran capital.
Meantime, the president of the Honduran Commission for Human Rights offered a proposal aimed at easing the political crisis between the interim government and foreign allies. Ramon Custodio said election officials should consider holding a referendum on whether to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to power or not. Custodio said the vote would offer a response to the international community, and show that only the Honduran people can decide the country's future.
The announcement marked a shift from the human rights chief, who has said officials acted properly in removing Mr. Zelaya and that the interim government has full authority. Custodio says he has received scores of threats for his actions, but says he will not be intimidated.
Supporters of the interim government held a large rally in the southern city of Choluteca on Wednesday, and smaller rallies took place in the capital. Also, some medical workers and school employees walked off their jobs after labor unions called for a strike until Mr. Zelaya is returned to power. Many schools have been closed since the coup, but businesses in the capital continue to operate
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Good for them, Uphold the rule of law, defy Dictators and wannabe Dictators like Obama.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 1:24 Comments ||
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"...Ramon Custodio said election officials should consider holding a referendum on whether to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to power or not. Custodio said the vote would offer a response to the international community, and show that only the Honduran people can decide the country's future."
Obama (and Castro and Chavez and Ortega) would likely reject the vote before its even held.
Posted by: Lord garth ||
07/02/2009 7:15 Comments ||
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#4
A government with a spine. Keep it up Honduras. If your old president broke the law, you have nothing to be ashamed of.
#5
Sen. Feinstein said Sunday that she thought it was crucial for the United States not to be perceived as interfering with Iran's internal politics.
US President Barack Obama's Spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that the president discussed universal principles such as the right to peacefully demonstrate and stressed that they should be observed in Iran.
"The President will continue to express those concerns and ensure that we are not meddling," he [Gibbs] said.
"It is not productive, given the history of US and Iranian relations to be seen as meddling in Iranian elections," [Obama] said.
#8
What about not "meddling" in Honduras?
Posted by: Willy 2009-07-02 10:32
Well said Willy. However, as has been said here and elsewhere in the past, Bambi could use this flouting of the Honduran constitution as a precedent for his own future actions.
The U.S. doesn't see any indication North Korea is poised to test-launch a long-range ballistic missile capable of landing near the Hawaiian Islands, according to four government officials. The officials don't rule out the firing of short- and medium-range missiles capable of reaching Japanese waters.
More details about why the officials think this at the link... but it is Bloomburg, not Special Forces News (if there is such a thing).
#2
I think a wise move would be to intercept at sea, any ships timed to enter american harbors from NORK, around, or slightly before any missile launch, seems to me a good idea to launch (Hey LOOK OVER HERE, AN OBVIOUS DISTRACTION) and ship in a nuke laden vessel at the sme time, then when the missile's launched wait a short while and BOOM.
Looks like the missile got through.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 1:36 Comments ||
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#3
Ummm, elsewhere in todays Burg it was announced NORK's today launched 2 anti-ship missiles?
What? They don't count?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 16:19 Comments ||
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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Koreans who recently arrived in the South live in a world of contradictions where their upbringing instills them with reverence for Kim Jong-il but their daily struggle leads them to believe he is a brutal despot.
By all accounts, they say North Korea is gradually spiralling out of control, its economy dysfunctional while people are suspicious of one another because of a network of informants.
They also speak of a sense of normalcy in the North. Most left for the chance of a better life in the South but they are uncertain if they can find their way in the competitive capitalist state.
Continued on Page 49
Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in June (-467,000), and the unemployment rate was little changed at 9.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction. this puts a damper on the Obama 'creating or savings jobs' meme but there's always next month
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/02/2009 11:33 ||
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#1
There must be an enormous number of persons dropping from "unemployed" to uncounted "discouraged worker" status, otherwise an 0.1% rise in the unemployment rate on 467,000 new unemployed makes little sense following a month in which we lost just over 500,000 jobs and saw the unemployment rate spike by 0.5%.
#3
The White House is encouraged by the reports from the CBO that unemployment statistics for Americans born before 1909 continue to remain stable.
Posted by: Robert Gibbs ||
07/02/2009 17:26 Comments ||
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#4
We got to the 40 hour standard work week in order to reduce unemployment by spreading the jobs out over more workers. Are we heading for a 35 hour work week? It's actually not the worst idea in the world. An alternative is more government-mandated positions - required featherbedding, if you will. I think I prefer the former.
#5
Unfortunately the spread the work around idea doesn't work as Europe shows. Where unemployment has jumped to a 10 year high.
Nor will we see increased government employment as governments everywhere will have to reduce payrolls because of reduced revenues (or spark hyperinflation).
#6
my gubbamint employer's imposed a 52 hour unpaid furlough and I know CA state employees are taking a third unpaid furlough day/month off.
I have no problem with that except that the same amount (actually more with hiring freezes) of work has to get done. I know several good engineers who've been laid off this month in the private field. I'm happy to have a job right now
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/02/2009 19:35 Comments ||
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#7
as Europe shows. Where unemployment has jumped to a 10 year high.
hil_b
phil_b.
U unemployment is at a 27 year high?
I'm happy to have a job right now
Me too. Nephew in serious jeopardy as second-to-last hired engineer, and the last guy just got laid off.
Concept is same amount of work has to get done, but with fewer hours per worker and more workers. Biggest problem is that it is non-linear: the top workers are more productive per hour and the bottom workers (the ones re-hired) are less, so on an hour-production basis the weighted average productivity goes down or the cost goes up.
#8
My 10th anniversary party was today at work (2 of us share the hiring month and shared the party). Nice cake, cheese & crackers, veggies & dip, sodas, and a nice plaque presented by each of our bosses with a "we're glad you're here" speech. (I'm pretty sure the bosses paid for everything out of their own pockets except for the plaque and the anniversary gee-gaw to be chosen by me later.) I honestly told them I'm grateful for the job, and even more grateful it's one I love.
No raises for anyone this year. Thanks, that's fine, I'm glad for the job. Fewer hours of work this year than last - again, thanks, that's fine - have to cut back on things, but at least I've got a job.
I'd be grateful for any job I had, but I'm particularly grateful for having one I love. I tell them so on a regular basis (and did even before the economy went in the dumper).
My motto is "I'm here to work" and I tell people so whenever I can. Fingers crossed....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/02/2009 22:43 Comments ||
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#9
Congratulations, Barbara dear. I have no doubt your employer is getting their money's worth, and then some.
Orders to U.S. factories jumped in May by the largest amount in nearly a year, another sign that the nosedive in manufacturing is nearing an end.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that total orders rose 1.2 percent in May, better than the 0.8 percent increase that economists had expected. The April performance was revised slightly lower to a gain of 0.5 percent, from 0.7 percent.
The May increase was the best showing since a 2.1 percent rise last June. The back-to-back increases in April and May were the first consecutive gains in nearly a year.
Analysts saw the back-to-back gains in orders as further evidence that a dismal stretch for manufacturers may be ending. Orders had fallen every month from August through January. Even with the recent increases, orders so far this year are running 23.3 percent below the year-ago level.
Posted by: ed ||
07/02/2009 10:52 ||
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Even with the recent increases, orders so far this year are running 23.3 percent below the year-ago level.
On June 25, the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate stabilization act, which would institute a cap-and-trade system to restrict Americans carbon emissions. While proponents of the bill have sought to argue that the costs of such a system would be negligible, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the bill proposes a massive and highly regressive tax on the U.S. economy, and could potentially cause not only extensive business failures, unemployment and privation within our borders, but starvation among poorer populations elsewhere.
To understand this, it is only necessary to look at the numbers. According to a report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in April, by 2015 the price of carbon emission indulgences required by the bill for industries to operate could be expected to run between $13 and $17 per ton of CO2 emitted. It may be noted that this estimate was made by an Obama administration agency highly favorable to the bill and that it did not take into account the very real possibility that speculators might act aggressively to buy up all the available indulgences and then, acting like ticket scalpers, force industrial users to purchase them at greatly inflated prices. So these EPA figures for carbon emission costs should be viewed as minimal. That said, lets stipulate the $15/ton midrange of the EPA estimate, and see what it implies.
The United States emits about 9 billion tons of CO2 per year. Therefore, at a rate of $15/ton fee for emission indulgences, the bill would impose a tax of $135 billion per year on the nation. Divided by the U.S. population of 300 million, that works out to a cost of $450 per year levied on every American man, woman or child, or $1,800 for a family of four. While for wealthy individuals like Al Gore such an impost might represent a mere pittance, for working families struggling hard to make ends meet it would be a very significant burden.
But that is not even the worst part of it. As a result of the markup of carbon costs, a lot of those working families will be out of work and unable to pay their existing bills, let alone new ones. Consider: Burning one ton of coal produces about three tons of CO2. So a tax of $15 per ton of CO2 emitted is equivalent to a tax of $45/ton on coal. The price of Eastern anthracite coal runs in the neighborhood of $45/ton, so under the proposed system, such coal would be taxed at a rate of about 100 percent. The price of Western bituminous coal is currently about $12/ton. This coal would therefore be taxed at a rate of almost 400 percent. Coal provides half of Americas electricity, so such extraordinary imposts could easily double the electric bills paid by consumers and businesses across half the nation. In addition, many businesses, such as the metals and chemical industries, use a great deal of coal directly. By doubling or potentially even quadrupling the cost of their most basic feedstock, the cap-and-trade systems indulgence fees could make many such businesses uncompetitive and ultimately throw millions of working men and women onto the unemployment line
#2
It's not only direct CO2 taxes consumers will pay, but increases in all the competing technologies. For instance coal and nuclear electricity directly compete. For example, double the price of coal gen electricity and the price of nuclear power will also double. Billions/year in windfall for the nuke industry, higher costs for consumers courtesy of the our leaders in Washington DC. Repeat throughout the entire economy.
BTW, when did the proposed CO2 tax go to $15/ton? The politicians have have clambering for $30/ton forever. Strategy to get half the cake now, the rest later?
Posted by: ed ||
07/02/2009 9:26 Comments ||
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#3
Double the electric bill of everyone, while the economy is inflating, Yeah that'll work.
Liberals in Congress and Obama are pushing us ever closer to pitchforks, tar and feathers.
#4
Dolly Parton was interviewed locally a few months back and asked if she would consider running for office and going to Washington? She said: "No, there are enough boobs in Washington already."
When was the last time our government did the work of the people?
#5
There is also a provision in the Bill that would require every building in the US have an "Energy Efficient Inspection". This includes homes. Homeowners would be required to let Federal Inspectors into their homes to do the evaluations and then mandate bringing those homes up to Federal Standards at the homeowners' expense. Privacy will no longer be possible.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/02/2009 10:57 Comments ||
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#6
every building in the US have an "Energy Efficient Inspection". This includes homes.
Very progressive indeed! The Federal Revenuers could check on private ownership of newly outlawed "gas guzzlers" and conduct firearms inventories and confiscations at the same time. Home Schooling text books could also be inspected along with "surrender gardens," excess tillage and watering, proper crop rotation, grass clippings, proper septic tank and soil sperk, etc. Toilet pipe ventage and wax ring replacement. The list is virtually endless.
Simply state that you dont debate religion, and if youre to be expected to treat it like science, your green friend has to do so first. They can accomplish this by answering three simple questions:
1) Given the age of the planet and how widely the temperature has fluctuated over time, what is the ideal temperature that the Earth must be, and how will we maintain it over time?
2) One of the foundations of scientific theory is that it stands up to defeating theories that prove it wrong. Weve heard how shrinking glaciers prove global warming, growing glaciers prove global warming, more storms prove global warming, and fewer storms prove global warming. What events prove their theories false?
3) Every few years a new threat comes along that threatens our very existence unless drastic action is taken yesterday. Of course, the media provides sensational screaming headlines backed up by irrefutable scientific evidence to promote these scares. Off of the top of my head here are a few from the last 40 years:
* Population would outgrow food supply causing mass starvation
* Oil reserves would be depleted by 1980
* Global Cooling
* Dioxin threatened us all (until it was discovered a pint of Ben & Jerrys contains 3,000 times the safe level)
* Oil reserves would be depleted by 2000
* The hole in the ozone layer would continue to grow at an exponential rate
Since all of these crises turned out to be wrong, why is it that this time is different?
Metro area unemployment rate hits 14.9% in May, even before General Motors' bankruptcy is taken into account. If they'd vote in some good Democrats I'm sure they'd take care of the city's problems in no time. 14.9%? I'm surprised it's that low.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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It probably only counts the ones looking for work, and it's hard to see even bothering to look in Detroit.
Please take the following short quiz, answering each question with a simple yes or no:
Is your household income about the same as or greater than it has averaged over the past few years?
Is your job reasonably secure?
Are your financial obligations mortgage payments, car payments, school tuition and other family expenses about what they were last year?
Are you saving about 10% of your gross income for all of your future needs combined emergencies, retirement, the kids' college, a major purchase?
If you answered yes to those four questions, you are among the fortunate folks who are faring pretty well despite this severe economic downturn. And kudos to you for managing your career and your finances wisely. (If not, see these nine steps.)
Because you are both fortunate and wise, Uncle Sam wants you to play a key role in America's economic recovery. How? By maintaining your normal levels of consumer spending and charitable giving and, if possible, even increasing them a bit. Spend...Consume...OBEY!
Acting as you normally would will help offset belt-tightening by those in genuine distress, who have no choice but to cut back, and by those who aren't in trouble but are cutting back anyway.
Why are some people slashing spending even though their incomes are secure? One reason is a drop in their net worths, due to eroding home prices and financial assets.
It's the reverse of the so-called wealth effect, which caused people to spend and borrow more freely in boom times, confident that their net worths would keep rising unabated. Now, with their wealth declining, people are acting more cautiously even if their incomes haven't been cut. That's a reasonable response. Unfortunately, overdoing it will aggravate the economic slump.
Another psychological factor is at play here: a desire on the part of well-off Americans to show empathy for their less fortunate brethren by spending less. It seems that voluntary frugality is now as chic as high living was during the credit bubble in the middle of this decade. Nowadays, people who are still reasonably affluent are boasting about pinching pennies, eating at home, canceling trips and hanging on to the old car.
But I have news for them: If they really want to help individuals who are less fortunate, they should be doing precisely the opposite. Boosting their spending and their giving will help businesses forestall some layoffs and eventually put people who have lost their jobs back to work. read the whole thing at the link -I thought it was deeply warped satire at first. Read the comments of the posters too - they're funny and on target.
#3
It's hard to spend more money when you've lost your job or had your hours cut. Weinerheads.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/02/2009 7:26 Comments ||
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#4
My wife lost her job in January (pretty much mutual agreement) and at tax time wanted to put 'Economic Stimulator' for her profession on the 1040 form.
#5
Nowadays, people who are still reasonably affluent are boasting about pinching pennies, eating at home, canceling trips and hanging on to the old car.
I suspect this may be the "Conservative Resurgence" that Mark Lavin recently mentioned.
#6
Nowadays, people who are still reasonably affluent are boasting about pinching pennies, eating at home, canceling trips and hanging on to the old car.
Well, it's interesting to suddenly find you've been 'fashionable' for most of your life. Welcome to the ant colony Mr and Ms Grasshopper.
#7
Yeah, last night after toiling away at the part-time phone-bank job at the place that I affectionately refer to as "The Hellhole" I went out and willfully and frivolously spent some of my money on some (wait for it!) new clothes!
I had to have something nice to wear at the San Antonio Tea Party's 4th of July bash, you know.
It was a whole $18.85 at the thrift store, for a pair of jeans, two tops and a very nice Pendleton woolen blazer that was an absolute steal at $2.99, possibly because it was out of season. (All four of these garments appear to be brand new, BTW)
So, does the economy feel stimulated enough yet? I did my bit ... probably overspent, since I didn't actually need the blazer and the second top. I'll spend some more when I sell more books...
#10
Incoming calls, B - only incoming.
I do wish we could get fewer of the drunken, and incoherent ones on Saturday nights, though. The ones with bad cellphone reception, also.
#11
Did anyone read the article? The article says IF you have a secure job and IF you are saving (of course I'd prefer people to save more than 10%) and IF you still have money left over THEN to spend. If you claim to be a capitalist and can't understand this basic truth, you are a hypocrite. Capitalism only works through consumerism. It's pretty freaking simple really. So all of you whining about your part time job or not working at all, obviously failed reading comprehension. But if people, who are more fortunate, don't consume, then those of you who are less fortunate will be stuck that way. Unless you think the government is going to pull us out of this economic quagmire? I'm confused. By the way, net worth != income. So even if your house lost value, as long as it is worth more than your mortgage(s) then you are in decent shape and should be spending (as well as paying down debts starting with the highest marginal interest rate).
#12
I stimulated the economy to the tune of a bit over 600 bucks last month because I had to buy a lot more gas than usual, rent storage space at 2 places, and move my horses because I am noe homeless. Good enough?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/02/2009 11:01 Comments ||
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Sgt. Mom, I sympathize.
I've worked in call centers and it's possibly the worst job that you can have while sitting at a desk/cubicle.
#15
AP news:Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate climbed to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent. Workers also saw weekly wages fall The obvious solution is to send more government money (one way or the other) to Goldman Sachs.
#16
Sounds like it's become unpatriotic to leave within your means.
AllahHateMe: Capitalism only works through consumerism - No. Capitalism only means that people are free to own and operate businesses, own and trade assets (including homes), and generally make their own economic decisions. Capitalism in the U.S. did just fine before the latest bout of rampant cheap-debt driven buying, and continues to work well in parts of the world with better balance between savings and spending.
net worth != income Uh, no it doesn't.
The U.S., both the government and citizens, needs to live within their means. Economic forces are making that happen, and the current flood of government cash makes the short term look better, but will be no better at bringing prosperity than the overt socialist policies of Russia's communists, China's Maoists, Cuba's Castro or Venezuela's Chavez.
#17
AllahHateMe, I refuse to believe that capitalism needs Christmas to survive. If it does I think I'd rather be a commie. If capitalists want to survive they need to produce something that I really want or need bad enough to part with my hard earned dough. I will not trot my ass down to WalMart for a load of plastic crap from China just to be charitable.
When I was in high school, a Pendleton was about the coolest article of clothing a guy could have. Back in those days they were made in Pendleton, Oregon. The one I have now was made in Mexico but I think they still produce the wool in Oregon. Congratulations on the purchase, Sgt. Mom. You'll be glad you had the foresight to buy it next winter.
"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery." - Wilkins Micawber, from David Copperfield [the book by Charles Dickens].
#21
DoDo, I never said anything about rampant, stupid consumerism. Our economy is very simple, you buy item x from person a so that person a has money to buy item y from person b, ad infinitum. Items are interchangeable for services and person with busines. When people are too afraid to spend money, like they are now to one extent or another, the economy contracts. Even if you assume that everyone only wants to maintain there lifestyle (an idealistic assumption) then the economy must, by need, constantly grow because the population continues to grow. If people are sitting on their money, the economy can't grow. BTW, can no one on this site read? I, and this article, both explicitly mention savings, with me, personally thinking greater than 10%. The whole point of my post is that no one on tihs site appears to have any capability at reading comprehension anymore. Thanks for proving my point. As it were, I save nearly 20%, have a low mortgage rate on a house that is nearly paid off, own land so that I can build another house and have both of my children's college funds fully funded. I thank God every day for my blessings. Now I am going to go spend some money at Home Depot, to do my little part in making sure the local store doesn't go out of business. Maybe some of ya'll would do better in the business world if you learned how to comprehend the meaning of the words you are reading.
#23
Economies grow through the creation of wealth, not the mere exchange of it AHM. While it's nice that you have grasped the shallow view of Zero's economic plan, how about doing some real economic growth by creating industries and businesses that combine raw materials, innovative new concepts, and MAKE something, creating net new wealth that then gets passed around though salaries, materials procurement, taxes, etc. Since the USA hardly makes anything anymore, we are reduced to trading money back and forth, and sending much of it overseas, so the system isn't even self-contained. It bleeds out real wealth to foreigners. Since we are the only twits that still think the nice dream of free trade works, and the rest of the WTO read China) just cheats, their lower labor costs trumpt transportation costs and we have exported our real wealth production capacity to them.
#24
Another psychological factor is at play here: a desire on the part of well-off Americans to show empathy for their less fortunate brethren avoid being targeted by certain groups by spending less.
#25
Ummm Deacon, I have ten acres in Millbrook you can put your horses on if you wish, WARNING there's no fence (If you wish I'll chip in a bit of cash and labor to build one, it's something I need, Call it rent if you wish) If you don't need a fence come ahead.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/02/2009 16:55 Comments ||
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#26
Apparently I haven't, 3dc. I haven't had a lot of time the past month for Rantburg (or anything else fun).
I'm still in the dark following your explanation. :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/02/2009 17:23 Comments ||
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#27
The habitues of the O Club were treated to the details, Barbara. 3dc shouldn't have said that. Deacon Blue's former landlord converted to Islam, quit paying the mortgage without telling his wife, then the bank foreclosed. The new buyer wanted to move in immediately, so Deacon Blues had to find a new home for horses, pigs, geese, and various house animals. He has found a temporary haven, and has settled all the critters while he looks for a permanent home.
[Beirut Daily Star: Region] A senior military officer suspected of drafting an alleged plan to undermine Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was arrested late Tuesday on suspicion of links to a separate plot to topple the government, state-run Anatolia said. Anatolia said Cicek was arrested for his suspected links to a shadowy, right-wing organization known as "Ergenekon," which prosecutors say planned a campaign of assassinations and bombings to provoke a military coup. Several retired and serving officers have been arrested in the "Ergenekon" case.
Taraf newspaper, which reported last month an alleged military plot to undermine the AKP by manipulating the media and whipping up nationalist angst, said Cicek drafted the document. The military has disowned the plan and said it would not prosecute Cicek as it was unclear if the document was fake.
Earlier in the day, civilian leaders and top generals met amid tensions over the alleged army plots and moves in parliament to curb the army's powers.
The meeting of the National Security Council (MGK), which lasted for nearly eight hours, took place amid angry protests by the once-omnipotent Turkish army that it has become the target of a "growing and organized" smear campaign.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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ZAGREB, Croatia -- Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday, saying he has decided to withdraw from politics after 20 years. At a hastily called news conference, Mr. Sanader told reporters: "My job has been done, my political life ends now."
Mr. Sanader has been Croatia's prime minister since 2003 and won a second term in November 2007. He said he would recommend to President Stipe Mesic to appoint the deputy prime minister, Jadranka Kosor, to replace him. If Mr. Mesic accepts that, parliament will have to approve Mr. Kosor within 30 days. If that fails, new elections are called. Mr. Kosor ran unsuccessfully for president in 2005.
Mr. Sanader, 54 years old, has been generally popular since taking over the Croatian Democratic Union in 2000, and his move came as a surprise. He insisted that the growing economic crisis and Croatia's deadlocked membership negotiations with the European Union didn't affect his decision.
"I never ran away from problems and challenges," he said, adding that his successors "will find a solution" for current problems too. "I have done my share; now it's time for others," he said.
He added that he is leaving "satisfied" since the country was admitted to the U.N. Security Council and NATO during his tenure and is "on the threshold" of the EU.
Despite Mr. Sanader's upbeat comments, he leaves with the country in its worst economic state since the devastating 1991 war. Gross domestic product fell 6.7% in the first quarter -- the biggest drop in 10 years, the country's Statistical Office reported earlier this week. Finance Minister Ivan Suker said this week that the budget might be revised for the second time next month. Also, the tourism industry -- the main source of foreign currency is recording losses due to the global financial crisis.
In addition, Croatia's bid to join the EU -- Mr. Sanader's goal for nearly a decade -- has been stopped by neighboring Slovenia, which has blocked negotiations because of a border dispute.
Mr. Sanader acknowledged that the EU snag "played a role" in his decision to resign. He scolded EU leaders for tolerating what he termed Slovenia's "blackmail."
Asked whether he really is leaving politics for good, Mr. Sanader said that he "cannot exclude" making a return. Croatian media have speculated that he plans to run for president in elections early next year.
Mr. Sanader, born to a poor Roman Catholic family in the southern city of Split, spent most of his early years in publishing and theater. He entered politics in 1992 and took over the Croatian Democratic Union in 2000, after the death of the nationalist President Franjo Tudjman. Mr. Sanader transformed the party -- once a bastion of nationalism in the Balkans -- into a Western-style conservative party.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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A politician wh just walks away? No defeat? No scandal? No arrest? He's a disgrace to the profession.
If ya gonna be on the team, ya might as well make some money...
For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and -- at first -- even the papers own reporters and editors.
The astonishing offer was detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he felt it was a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its "health care reporting and editorial staff."
With the newsroom in an uproar after POLITICO reported the solicitation, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said in a staffwide e-mail that the newsroom would not participate in the first of the planned events -- a dinner scheduled July 21 at the home of Publisher and Chief Executive Officer Katharine Weymouth.
The offer -- which essentially turns a news organization into a facilitator for private lobbyist-official encounters -- was a new sign of the lengths to which news organizations will go to find revenue at a time when most newspapers are struggling for survival.
And it's a turn of the times that a lobbyist is scolding The Washington Post for its ethical practices.
"Underwriting Opportunity: An evening with the right people can alter the debate," says the one-page flier. "Underwrite and participate in this intimate and exclusive Washington Post Salon, an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth. ... Bring your organizations CEO or executive director literally to the table. Interact with key Obama administration and congressional leaders."
In response to requests for comment, The Post issued a statement that stopped short of canceling the event.
Kris Coratti, communications director of Washington Post Media, a division of The Washington Post Company, said: "The flier circulated this morning came out of a business division for conferences and events, and the newsroom was unaware of such communication. It went out before it was properly vetted, and this draft does not represent what the companys vision for these dinners are, which is meant to be an independent, policy-oriented event for newsmakers.
"As written, the newsroom could not participate in an event like this. We do believe there is an opportunity to have a conferences and events business, and that The Post should be leading these conversations in Washington, big or small, while maintaining journalistic integrity. The newsroom will participate where appropriate."
Brauchli, the executive editor, was named on the flier as one of the "Hosts and Discussion Leaders."
In an e-mail to the newsroom on Thursday morning labeled "Newsroom Independence," Brauchli wrote: "Colleagues, A flyer was distributed this week offering an 'underwriting opportunity' for a dinner on health-care reform, in which the news department had been asked to participate. The language in the flyer and the description of the event preclude our participation.
"We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable. There is a long tradition of news organizations hosting conferences and events, and we believe The Post, including the newsroom, can do these things in ways that are consistent with our values."
The flier says: "Spirited? Yes. Confrontational? No. The relaxed setting in the home of Katharine Weymouth assures it. What is guaranteed is a collegial evening, with Obama administration officials, Congress members, business leaders, advocacy leaders and other select minds typically on the guest list of 20 or less. ...
"Offered at $25,000 per sponsor, per Salon. Maximum of two sponsors per Salon. Underwriters CEO or Executive Director participates in the discussion. Underwriters appreciatively acknowledged in printed invitations and at the dinner. Annual series sponsorship of 11 Salons offered at $250,000 ... Hosts and Discussion Leaders ... Health-care reporting and editorial staff members of The Washington Post ... An exclusive opportunity to participate in the health-care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done. ... A Washington Post Salon ... July 21, 2009 6:30 p.m. ...
"Washington Post Salons are extensions of The Washington Post brand of journalistic inquiry into the issues, a unique opportunity for stakeholders to hear and be heard," the flier says. "At the core is a critical topic of our day. Dinner and a volley of ideas unfold in an evening of intelligent, news-driven and off-the-record conversation. ... By bringing together those powerful few in business and policy-making who are forwarding, legislating and reporting on the issues, Washington Post Salons give life to the debate. Be at this nexus of business and policy with your underwriting of Washington Post Salons."
The first "Salon" is titled "Health-Care Reform: Better or Worse for Americans? The reform and funding debate."
Posted by: ed ||
07/02/2009 13:58 Comments ||
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#2
As of about 15 minutes ago, the WaPo cancelled the event.
Posted by: Lord garth ||
07/02/2009 14:50 Comments ||
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#3
Washington Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli contacted staff today over POLITICO's report on a flier that offered lobbyists access to Obama administration officials and staffers in exchange for large sums of money $25,000 to $250,000.
Brauchli, in a memo obtained by POLITICO, told staff that the paper "will not participate in events where promises are made ... in exchange for money." He noted that "the language in the flyer and the description of the event preclude our participation."
Colleagues,
A flyer was distributed this week offering an underwriting opportunity for a dinner on health-care reform, in which the news department had been asked to participate.
The language in the flyer and the description of the event preclude our participation.
We will not participate in events where promises are made that in exchange for money The Post will offer access to newsroom personnel or will refrain from confrontational questioning. Our independence from advertisers or sponsors is inviolable.
There is a long tradition of news organizations hosting conferences and events, and we believe The Post, including the newsroom, can do these things in ways that are consistent with our values.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/02/2009 22:04 Comments ||
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#2
alive? tests are pending. The thought is that the high bile and acid content may have kept her in Zombie status
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/02/2009 22:11 Comments ||
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From over at American Digest: Is it my imagination or is Robert Gibbs now so out-front arrogant and condescending that even the whores of the White House Press Corps are beginning to feel insulted every time he opens his mouth?
I saw this clip on Fox News. First impluse was to leap thru the screen and strangle that feckless weasel Gibbs with my bare hands. Unfortunately, you need a higher tier of cable service for that. It was also the first time *ever* I felt any sympathy for Helen, the old crocodile. Suckers!
At least 110 Christian families, almost 700 people, were forced on Tuesday night to flee Bahmniwala, a village in Kasur, after angry mobs attacked and threatened to burn their houses for allegedly committing blasphemy.
The families sought safety in the fields surrounding their village, even as local mosques urged the Muslims to unite and "teach a lesson" to the Christians, residents told Daily Times. However, locals told Daily Times the problem started when a Christian boy, Arif Mashi, was travelling on a tractor and asked a Muslim boy, Muhammad Riaz, to allow him to pass. When Riaz refused, the two quarrelled.
Following this incident, on Tuesday night, a mob attacked houses of the area's Christian community with petrol-bombs, destroying their electricity meters and thrashing any Christians they found. On Wednesday, the Muslim community refused to communicate with the Christian community, boycotting their businesses. The Christians who returned to their homes found they had no electricity or drinking water the entire day. "Despite the presence of police, the mosques continued to urge a complete Christian boycott," Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry, said.
Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister Kamran Michael said he had asked officials of the Revenue Department to compile an estimate of the loss suffered by the Christian community. He said justice would be ensured, adding the government would investigate the people responsible for turning the incident into a religious issue.
A committee comprising Christian and Muslim elders of the area, led by Kasur District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, was formed on Wednesday to look into the matter and negotiate a peace deal between the two groups. The committee has been given four days to settle the matter.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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Iraq failed to award most contracts it offered yesterday in a bidding round aimed at attracting foreign partners and their cash, leaving the country seeking new ways to develop the worlds third-largest oil reserves.
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries producer fell short of its aim to assign development rights for six oil fields and two natural gas fields . A service agreement for the Rumaila oil field won by a BP-led group was the only contract awarded. The Middle Eastern country hoped to increase production more than 60% from the fields on offer, potentially raising 1,7-trillion in profit over 20 years , Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said in a speech televised at the start of the round on Tuesday.
What a fiasco, said Rochdi Younsi, an analyst at Eurasia Group in Washington. It shows the discrepancy between Iraqs expectations and what companies were willing to offer. Companies, including Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, failed to meet Iraqi terms as the government asked bidders to cut their fees during a bidding ceremony, parts of which were shown on state television.
The cabinet met yesterday to be briefed on the licensing round by al-Shahristani, and to decide how to attract investors, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said by telephone from Baghdad on Tuesday.
BP and China National Petroleum won the contract for Rumaila, the largest of the eight fields in Tuesdays round Iraqs first international tender in more than 30 years. Of the 35 companies Iraq prequalified, 22 companies made 15 bids for 16bn for technical service contracts. Iraq invited international oil companies to return after kicking them out in 1972, when the party of late dictator Saddam Hussein nationalised concessions.
Iraq failed to agree with companies for six sites, including the Kirkuk and West Qurna oil fields, and received no bids for the Mansuriya natural gas field, the second it offered. Iraq wanted to squeeze the margins as much as possible for investors, and they squeezed too much, said Samuel Ciszuk, an analyst at IHS Global Insight in London.
Were satisfied with Rumaila, Asim Jihad, a spokesman for the oil ministry, said by telephone after the close of bidding. Its a big field and we gave the contract on our terms. The BP group agreed to boost output at Rumaila, which now produces 956000 barrels per day, to a plateau of 2,85-million barrels of oil a day. BPs initial bid for the remuneration fee was 3,99 a barrel.
Iraq is struggling to raise output and revenue from crude sales after six years of conflict and sanctions had destroyed the economy and infrastructure. The government aims to boost oil output to 4-million barrels a day within five years, from about 2,4- million barrels now.
On Tuesday , groups led by Italys Eni and China National dropped their proposals for Zubair oil field in southern Iraq.
BAGHDAD -- Now that a BP PLC-led consortium has won the rights to rehabilitate one of the world's biggest oil fields in Iraq, the real work for the British giant and its Chinese partner is just beginning. The project will be a test case for how Western oil companies will be received in Iraq.
The BP consortium, which includes China National Petroleum Co. as the minority partner, won a fee-based contract to boost production at Iraq's Rumaila oil field.
Other major oil concerns, such as Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and Italy's Eni SpA, walked away from the bidding round this week, saying the ministry's terms -- in some cases payouts of as little as $2 per barrel of oil pumped -- weren't acceptable. Still, big oil companies, eager for new frontiers, will likely remain interested in Iraq, home to some of the world's largest reserves. India's ONGC; China's CNOOC and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec; Korea Gas Corp., or Kogas; and Russia's OAO Lukoil and OAO Gazprom, all were involved in the failed bids on Tuesday.
Iraq's cabinet officially approved the BP-led offer on Wednesday. It rejected bids submitted for six other fields, saying the bidders' demands for per-barrel payouts were too high. An eighth contract -- Mansuriya gas field -- in the volatile Diyala region drew no bidders.
The oil ministry is considering its next step, including whether to include the remaining fields in a second bidding round later in the year.
The successful BP-CNPC bid has cemented Beijing as a big player in Iraq, following the Chinese company's $3 billion deal late last year to develop a field in southern Iraq. Despite the terms, industry analysts say the consortium can make a profit in the deal, though the returns will be far less than initially expected.
The prize for BP is a rare opening to pump crude in the Middle East, where most of the world's oil is concentrated and which is largely off-limits to major oil concerns. A BP spokesman declined to comment. The project won't have a big impact on the value of BP's global portfolio, with the rates of return marginal and the upfront costs high, said Alex Munton, an Iraq specialist at oil consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
"But this is still a viable project economically," he said. "And where else in the world can you access an opportunity on this scale?"
BP's Rumaila deal faces other big uncertainties and challenges. Some Iraqi lawmakers are saying they have legal authority to vet the contract. The oil ministry maintains BP's contract needs approval only from Iraq's cabinet. Meanwhile, Iraq's parliament hasn't passed a petroleum law laying out the ground rules for foreign investment in the country's petroleum sector. This week's auction round was meant to spearhead development despite that stalled legislation.
Some executives have questioned whether contracts signed by the current government will be honored by the new government, due to take power after elections next year. And it is unclear how BP and CNPC will work with Iraq's state-owned oil companies, which now control almost every facet of production. One of the prospective local partners -- the South Oil Co., based in Basra in southern Iraq -- already has signaled its reluctance to work with the bid winners. "There are a lot of unknowns about how things will run on the ground," said Nadia Salem, Iraq legal team leader for Dubai-based Al Tamimi & Company, which advised some of the companies participating in the bid.
But Iraq -- suffering from a cash crunch due to faltering oil production and lower global crude prices -- has an interest in making BP's entry into Iraq smooth. "We will make every effort for them to succeed," said Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani.
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07/02/2009 00:00 ||
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Iraq failed to award most contracts it offered yesterday in a bidding round aimed at attracting foreign partners and their cash, leaving the country seeking new ways to develop the worlds third-largest oil reserves.
BAGHDAD -- Now that a BP PLC-led consortium has won the rights to rehabilitate one of the world's biggest oil fields in Iraq, the real work for the British giant and its Chinese partner is just beginning. The project will be a test case for how Western oil companies will be received in Iraq.
