Whenever you need comic relief from your day to day drudgery and the drabness of life, simply turn to your local newspaper and there, hidden within the headlines will be laughable, comical news stories from our fearless elected officials and their appointed emissaries. By far, the beauty of the week appeared yesterday in an MSNBC.com story dated 4-28-11.
Talk about the attitude of "it must be true, a politician said it and it was printed by a news agency" ever applied, it is under the headline of (US SAYS GADHAFI TROOPS ISSUED VIAGRA, RAPING VICTIMS.) Could this be called "casting dispersions" on one of our enemies, I think.....yes. It follows that a dictator that is bombing his citizens, using torture to keep them under control, might add sex as a tool of torture.
Keeping a handy 4 pack of the little blue enhancing pills, to certain areas of a man's anatomy, makes perfect sense to me, but then, my wife calls me a sex fiend. Forget about the cost, some $20 a pop, pardon the pun, just think of how the distribution of the pill would raise the spirits of the rag tag Gadhafi soldiers. I can just hear the officers handing out the pills, "take these men and then go Burqa hunting," Not only is the pill a recruitment booster and a torture tool, the spirit of the soldiers would raise by a factor of 10.
The U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Ambassador Susan Rice, Thursday, reported the issue of sexual rape as a torture tactic by Gadhafi loyalists and some troops had been issued the impotency drug Viagra in the increasingly sexual tactic on village and country women of all ages. If true, that Gadhafi was issuing Viagra to his troops to engage in rape, it would constitute a war crime.
However several diplomats said that Susan Rice provided no evidence for the Viagra allegations, which they said might be an attempt to persuade doubters the conflict with Libya was not just standard civil war but a much nastier fight, where Gadhafi is not afraid to use his troops to commit heinous acts. If the troops are targeting children, as Rice contends, it would open up a whole new slant on the war.
According to other diplomats, Rice's allegations, which by the way are unsubstantiated by anyone else, were aimed at Russia, India and China, countries who have grown increasingly skeptical of the effectiveness of the NATO led air strikes, which they fear have turned the conflict into a protracted civil war that will cause much civilian deaths.
As with most wars, NATO council members and diplomats expected Gadhafi's government and troops to collapse quickly. That however has not been the case, as with most wars, the push-back from the Gadhafi controlled troops has been stiff, part of the reason being the ineptness of the rebel fighters. Frustration is being felt by Russia, India and China and continues to grow as the length of the conflict continues.
I personally felt that the United States should have never become involved in the conflict in the first place. Whether for humanitarian reasons, or to keep the peace in the Middle-East, neither reason is good enough for the United States to go to war on another front, we can't afford it.
The international court is investigating whether Gadhafi's government has committed war crimes and it's violent crackdown against demonstrators who demanded greater freedom. The rebellion has turned into a civil war, seeming to ebb and flow across sections of the country.
Rice's accusations of Gadhafi soldiers armed with sildenafil (Viagra) to either enhance the ability of the troops to rape women and children, or dogs and cats, to me, is the best joke to come out of the increasing conflict in Libya. The drug does not enhance a desire, it allows a particular part of the body to fill with blood and if physically aroused will stand at attention. The same warnings here in America, do apply in Libya, "if you get an erection lasting more then four hours, stop whatever your doing and call a doctor, right.
Dosages for the diamond shaped blue pills, which the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer manufactures, are 25. 50, or 100 milligrams. The "shaft" enhancing drug, as some like to call it, should be taken between 30 minutes and 4 hours prior to either sexual intercourse, or allegedly raping a Libyan median. I am wondering if Susan Rice is any relation to Condi Rice?
Salt Peter, which undoubtedly few have heard of, was a drug that worked in the complete opposite of what Viagra does for men. It was rumored as a powder that was added to food so that soldiers serving Uncle Sam during the second world war would not be able to function sexually. According to legend, there was still some left after the war and instead of wasting the powdery concoction, it was used in mess-hall chow until it was completely used up.
It lasted well into the 1960's, when I was taking basic training, I know that we were fed C and K rations during the middle 1960's, so I guess it's possible. Hell, over the years I've come to expect almost anything from the government, even Salt Peter.
I however doubt Gadhafi is supplying his troops with the diamond shaped pill, unless the telltale pill dose engraved on one side and the word Pfizer on the other side would be omitted. I'm relatively sure that Pfizer would shay away from connecting their name to any such activity that Ambassador Rice is suggesting.
U.S. SUPREME COURT TO CORPORATIONS, "HAVE IT YOUR WAY" (Huffington Post)
Again a banner week for major corporations and the industrial giants that do business in the United States, thanks to a gift wrapped decision rendered by the United States Supreme Court. The decision regarding AT&T Mobility V. Concepcion, a decision that will have devastating consequences for consumer protection and civil rights. AT&T asked the land's highest court to allow it to use the "fine print" in contracts to eliminate class actions, a practice that flouts the law in 20 states. In the 5-4 decision, the court granted AT&T it's request.
I probably have a bit of a different view on this court action with regards to the dissenting justices. I'm thinking that if the wording in a contract between a company and it's customer, which specifically addresses this issue, no matter the size of the print, it's the customer's responsibility to READ the contract, (all of the contract) before they sign it. I know it's a novel idea and even though I have very seldom read a contract, and I'm smart, taking the extra 20 minutes would be a good idea.
The David Arkush article that I read, which appears in the Hoffpost makes some excellent and well taken points. Like Arkush, I detest big corporations and industry that takes advantage of a situation and those people involved. What the company and the sales-person takes advantage of is, the customers anticipated use of whatever article they are buying. The younger the buyer is, the higher the anticipation and the more excitement is involved, reading a contract is far down on his list of priorities.
If small business owners are drawn into the same type of contract that the average Joe of the street signs, the little business guy is either destined to remain small, or fail. Any business person, with that little moxy and business sense deserves what he gets. Those states that do not abide by the wording in a legal document were completely in the wrong and the Supreme Court fixed the practice.
The loss of class action power by wood-be litigants will not shock the markets, nor the legal system. Initially it might increase market power of corporations over those ordinary Americans and small business people that do not read contracts. However in short order, new laws will be enacted that will counter-act what the justices decisions will do.
Hopefully what the decision will do will be to wake people the hell up and when a President picks either a liberal or a conservative to a lifetime position of such magnitude and importance, we will check into his background, (on our own) and weigh in with an educated opinion to our elected officials in Washington.
This decision is a wake up call to the citizenry of America, corporations and giant industry are not in business to safeguard a potential customer, or to treat that customer in an honest and respectful way. Business throughout the entire world is in business for one reason, to make the sale, no matter the atmosphere that they make the sale in.
Almost without exception, corporate heads care little about the method used for the sale and care less about the welfare of the customer, they are busy padding their own bank account with performances bonuses and stock options. Forget about stockholders, their only interest is the bottom line mentality that permeates the corporate world that is America.
Today in the corporate world, as in the past, companies strive to make their contracts as one sided, (in their favor) as they can. And conservative say "we don't need governmental controls." Ha, ha. It may seem as if the court rubber-stamped an AT&T scheme, but it only seemed that way, the small print dictated the result and the U.S. Congress and administrative agencies need to be called out and to address the issue, and sadly, protect us, from us.
"SLEEPY'S AT IT AGAIN," (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Well here we go again, Governor Scott "Sleepy" Walker has found another issue that will probably get national attention. This time he "Walker" wants to privatize the Food-Share eligibility portion of the the program. The move could violate federal law and could cost the state of Wisconsin $20 million dollars and more.
In April a letter to state health officials from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service warned that the work of interviewing prospective applicants and deciding who would be eligible for the Food-Share program needs to be done by public workers who are essentially civil servants. Failure to adhere to the federal law could cost Wisconsin some of the funds that currently serve more then 800,000 Wisconsinites to the tune of more then $1 billion in federal funding to help low income people buy food. The Food-Share program is the successor in Wisconsin to the Food Stamp program.
The Walker administration says that by privatizing the service and centralizing it with the state, would save $48 million a year and eliminate 270 positions. Not only does the public works people, at the present time, screen potential Food-Share recipients, they also qualify those people eligible for the Badger Care Plus medical program, again for lower income folks.
What Walker and his administration is supposed to do, first and foremost is lower state spending and balance the budget in the process, it's what Walker ran his campaign on. However when you continually look to get to a balanced budget, using education and almost attack every entitlement program in the state, and to not raise taxes, at least on a few people, I start to wonder what is going on, the same as some economists around the state.
If a private company is hired to administer both the Food-Share and Badger Care Plus, I'm wondering exactly where the personal touch is going to be. With a private company, where the bottom line is profit, like big corporations, exactly what are we getting for our tax dollar?
The track record for the privatising of these kinds of services in several other states has met with less then sterling success. Both Texas and Indiana have had problems with the companies that they have hired, in fact Indiana is in the midst of legal battles with their company.
The big losers in both instances has been the members that have used these programs for food and health care. Isn't it about time for "Sleepy" to re-think some of his re-tooling and fix-up programs to balance Wisconsin. Whatever political adventures the governor might like to take in his future, lets not take them on the backs of the people that need a "HAND-UP" the most. Change for change alone is very seldom a good change.
Dosages for the diamond shaped blue pills, which the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer manufactures, are 25. 50, or 100 milligrams. The "shaft" enhancing drug, as some like to call it, should be taken between 30 minutes and 4 hours prior to either sexual intercourse, or allegedly raping a Libyan median. I am wondering if Susan Rice is any relation to Condi Rice?
Salt Peter, which undoubtedly few have heard of, was a drug that worked in the complete opposite of what Viagra does for men. It was rumored as a powder that was added to food so that soldiers serving Uncle Sam during the second world war would not be able to function sexually. According to legend, there was still some left after the war and instead of wasting the powdery concoction, it was used in mess-hall chow until it was completely used up.
It lasted well into the 1960's, when I was taking basic training, I know that we were fed C and K rations during the middle 1960's, so I guess it's possible. Hell, over the years I've come to expect almost anything from the government, even Salt Peter.
I however doubt Gadhafi is supplying his troops with the diamond shaped pill, unless the telltale pill dose engraved on one side and the word Pfizer on the other side would be omitted. I'm relatively sure that Pfizer would shay away from connecting their name to any such activity that Ambassador Rice is suggesting.
U.S. SUPREME COURT TO CORPORATIONS, "HAVE IT YOUR WAY" (Huffington Post)
Again a banner week for major corporations and the industrial giants that do business in the United States, thanks to a gift wrapped decision rendered by the United States Supreme Court. The decision regarding AT&T Mobility V. Concepcion, a decision that will have devastating consequences for consumer protection and civil rights. AT&T asked the land's highest court to allow it to use the "fine print" in contracts to eliminate class actions, a practice that flouts the law in 20 states. In the 5-4 decision, the court granted AT&T it's request.
I probably have a bit of a different view on this court action with regards to the dissenting justices. I'm thinking that if the wording in a contract between a company and it's customer, which specifically addresses this issue, no matter the size of the print, it's the customer's responsibility to READ the contract, (all of the contract) before they sign it. I know it's a novel idea and even though I have very seldom read a contract, and I'm smart, taking the extra 20 minutes would be a good idea.
The David Arkush article that I read, which appears in the Hoffpost makes some excellent and well taken points. Like Arkush, I detest big corporations and industry that takes advantage of a situation and those people involved. What the company and the sales-person takes advantage of is, the customers anticipated use of whatever article they are buying. The younger the buyer is, the higher the anticipation and the more excitement is involved, reading a contract is far down on his list of priorities.
If small business owners are drawn into the same type of contract that the average Joe of the street signs, the little business guy is either destined to remain small, or fail. Any business person, with that little moxy and business sense deserves what he gets. Those states that do not abide by the wording in a legal document were completely in the wrong and the Supreme Court fixed the practice.
The loss of class action power by wood-be litigants will not shock the markets, nor the legal system. Initially it might increase market power of corporations over those ordinary Americans and small business people that do not read contracts. However in short order, new laws will be enacted that will counter-act what the justices decisions will do.
Hopefully what the decision will do will be to wake people the hell up and when a President picks either a liberal or a conservative to a lifetime position of such magnitude and importance, we will check into his background, (on our own) and weigh in with an educated opinion to our elected officials in Washington.
This decision is a wake up call to the citizenry of America, corporations and giant industry are not in business to safeguard a potential customer, or to treat that customer in an honest and respectful way. Business throughout the entire world is in business for one reason, to make the sale, no matter the atmosphere that they make the sale in.
Almost without exception, corporate heads care little about the method used for the sale and care less about the welfare of the customer, they are busy padding their own bank account with performances bonuses and stock options. Forget about stockholders, their only interest is the bottom line mentality that permeates the corporate world that is America.
Today in the corporate world, as in the past, companies strive to make their contracts as one sided, (in their favor) as they can. And conservative say "we don't need governmental controls." Ha, ha. It may seem as if the court rubber-stamped an AT&T scheme, but it only seemed that way, the small print dictated the result and the U.S. Congress and administrative agencies need to be called out and to address the issue, and sadly, protect us, from us.
"SLEEPY'S AT IT AGAIN," (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Well here we go again, Governor Scott "Sleepy" Walker has found another issue that will probably get national attention. This time he "Walker" wants to privatize the Food-Share eligibility portion of the the program. The move could violate federal law and could cost the state of Wisconsin $20 million dollars and more.
In April a letter to state health officials from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service warned that the work of interviewing prospective applicants and deciding who would be eligible for the Food-Share program needs to be done by public workers who are essentially civil servants. Failure to adhere to the federal law could cost Wisconsin some of the funds that currently serve more then 800,000 Wisconsinites to the tune of more then $1 billion in federal funding to help low income people buy food. The Food-Share program is the successor in Wisconsin to the Food Stamp program.
The Walker administration says that by privatizing the service and centralizing it with the state, would save $48 million a year and eliminate 270 positions. Not only does the public works people, at the present time, screen potential Food-Share recipients, they also qualify those people eligible for the Badger Care Plus medical program, again for lower income folks.
What Walker and his administration is supposed to do, first and foremost is lower state spending and balance the budget in the process, it's what Walker ran his campaign on. However when you continually look to get to a balanced budget, using education and almost attack every entitlement program in the state, and to not raise taxes, at least on a few people, I start to wonder what is going on, the same as some economists around the state.
If a private company is hired to administer both the Food-Share and Badger Care Plus, I'm wondering exactly where the personal touch is going to be. With a private company, where the bottom line is profit, like big corporations, exactly what are we getting for our tax dollar?
The track record for the privatising of these kinds of services in several other states has met with less then sterling success. Both Texas and Indiana have had problems with the companies that they have hired, in fact Indiana is in the midst of legal battles with their company.
The big losers in both instances has been the members that have used these programs for food and health care. Isn't it about time for "Sleepy" to re-think some of his re-tooling and fix-up programs to balance Wisconsin. Whatever political adventures the governor might like to take in his future, lets not take them on the backs of the people that need a "HAND-UP" the most. Change for change alone is very seldom a good change.
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