July 8, 2013

CNN is increasingly embarassing re: the Crash

They have first-class individuals as guests being interiewed by this amateurish Don Lemon. He clearly studied at the Wolf Blitzer School of Lame Broadcasting, with his uhhhs, his mmm-hmmms, his hesitations, his mispronounciations, and his outright wrongness of speech - it is NOT the National Transportation AND Safety Board.
The guests are, however, great. This Lemon is just that: a lemon.

July 7, 2013

If you have never watched "Lost", this won't make much sense, but as life imitates art..

here goes anyhow:

So I'm sitting in my family room yesterday afternoon after spending way too much time in the sun outdoors, and the news comes over the Teevee that an airplane has crashed at San Francisco International Airport. An Asiana Airlines (AJIRA AIRLINES - the second plane) plane flying over the Pacific (almost) inexplicably collides with a seawall and LOSES ITS TAIL SECTION. Many of the passengers make it out alive unhurt, but there are at least two deaths and some in critical condition. SIXTY PASSENGERS ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR, say the officials and the media attempts to figure out exactly what that means. The plane's flight origin is SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (home of JIN and SUN) and had an otherwise uneventful flight until the ANOMALY at the water's edge.

Yes, I know. But the mind wanders...

July 6, 2013

Unsurprisingly, CNN is completely screwing up its coverage of the crash...

In addition to a bevy of stupid comments and questions, a gentleman just gave excellent eyewitness testimony as he had watched panes coming in, a really emotional man, and Lemon immediately followed him by saying that he was a passenger on the aircraft (as Mitt would call it).

the point is, there is no WAY that this man's rendition of what he had seen could have been discerned from within the plane. Jesus, can't these people do anything right?

Fortunately, they have stopped using the words 'miracle' and 'miraculous' since it appears that there have been fatailities, according to FOX's coverage. This was going to become a religious experience...but it isn't now.

They should call Zimmerman in jail and find out if he thinks that this is also God's will.

July 6, 2013

OK, this CNN Saturday morning "show" is hands-down

the worst TeeVee program I have ever seen. Bar none.

I have never been so repulsed by two hosts simultaneously. To wit:

The male anchor is undoubltedly the most insipid person I have ever had the distinction of hearing in my lifetime. How bad is he? In their intro to their piece damning The Lone Ranger film for bad opening weekend, he said, and I'm only slightly paraphrasing, that if someone had given HIM ten million dollars, that that would be a good weekend for him. Of course, the story, as it were. went on to say that the film had cost Disney 225 million to make. I would suppose that if he had spent 225 million it would have been a BAD weekend. And he does all of this with the smile upon his face which even a used-car salesman would not dream of utilizing.

The female anchor asks one of her insipid questions of a guest and immediately begins to talk over the poor schmuck who is attempting to answer. Even Tweety doesn't do it that way, he merely re-re-rephrases his own question. On top of everything else, her answer to her own question is ill-informed and trite-meaningless

In summary, Chicken Noodle News has sunk to a new low. It will be interesting to see if they can diminish themselves even more in the future. It is entirely possible.

June 23, 2013

I find it continuously 'amusing' that US Media, e.g. CNN

often act surprised when Putin performs an act which is, in their opinion, contrary to American Governmental interests. You'd think that he were Father Flanagan, Thomas Jefferson, and J. Edgar Hoover all rolled into one who has 'inexplicably' undermined us. Having nothing to do with this case in particular, I am reminded of someone's insane out-of-her mind ex-girlfriend who wrote "Betrayer" on his car in dog feces after he stopped calling her, the 'wild sex' notwithstanding. (For you younger DUers, and some older ones as well, you should never ever 'put your dick in crazy' - you will live to regret it. The same holds true for you ladies...but you KNEW that a priori.)

What do they expect? Just because Fearless Leader Bush Jr. looked deeply into his eyes - those stone-cold eyes - and said that he understood him, well, this does not, and did not, mean that he was a real ally of the U.S. of A., despite the sayings of our former pResident.

Of course, I am not stating anything in regard to this particular incident, just the Media in general...

June 12, 2013

Word has it that Snowden picked his feet in Poughkeepsie....

just sayin'....

June 9, 2013

I will tell you what I've been told for many years:

I am professionally acquainted with a gentleman who used to work in National Security, followed by a stint in the Philadelphia Police Department at a very very high level, followed by a return to an unnamed Federal Service.

He told me, without any bluster or hesitation, that if an individual uses certain words in a telephone conversation or email, that it will automatically trigger a red flag and that flag will be investigated. Whether law enforcement decides to pay you a visit or not depends upon other issues which he would not go into. He did state that this has been ongoing since well before 9/11/2001.

He is not a BS artist or a wannabe. This fellow has connections to incidents of which I am aware, having known him for over twenty years, which I would not dare mention here.

I mention this because I am quite frankly amazed at the surprise and outrage by so many that this is actually going on. Of course it's going on and of course the Administration stands by it. It is a fundamental protocol of the country in which we live - how many Intelligence movies do you have to see, or Ludlum-esque books which you have to read, or quite frankly, news reports about conversations gleaned from surveillance until you realize that this is a given, and is not going to be stopped ever. By anyone. The Republicans are using it against "us" and we are in general, so stupid as to allow them to run roughshod over "us" once again, and we will most certainly oblige them and slit our own wrists one more time. Instead, since it is a given that this will continue despite message-board protesting, the better response might be that of Harrison Ford's character as Jack Ryan where instead of avoiding it, says that we embrace it. It completely disarms the other side, and since we are going to live with it in any case, deemphasizes it as a political issue.

Yes yes, I can hear you now...it's an abrogation of our rights. It is. You're right. Go after the Dems on this and every other issue like the triangulating Rethugs want you to do, and you'll be on the Board in four years hyperventillatingly criticizing President Paul and rending your clothes at the prospect of REAL fascism encroaching. If we would even be able to HAVE a board.

June 6, 2013

An insider's opinion of the building collapse in Philly...

as luck would have it, I ran into a long-time acquaintance who is a significant member of the group which performs long-term planning for the city. He told me that for years, they have been attempting to clear out this corridor which would extend all the way to Amtrak's 30th St. Station in order to build high-rise commercial and residential properties. He was appalled, as were many (including yours truly) who watched the demolition over the past few days, at the lack of compensatory engineering which would ensure that the adjacent properties were safe from catastrophe. (I myself had wondered, since I drive past it every day for 35 years, how the fileted a building out from between others without the brick walls collapsing). As was mentioned in another post, these buildings were owned by a porn executive who had operated the Forum Theater (XXX - almost good enough for the Lounge here) and a "Bookstore"/peep show. (There were ALWAYS people walking into each of these establishments, day and night - even when I come into town at 5 AM, there they are.) He felt that it would be doubtful that there would be a REAL investigation into this: that TPTB will pay off the victims quietly and "life goes on" - he was really upset about this. He said a few more incriminating things which I can't post because it would reveal who he is, and you just never know.

I reminded him of the parking garage collapse at the casino in Atlantic City, where the experienced concrete guys refulsed to work in the area where they felt that the structure was inadequately shored up during construction, i.e. no "return" walls, and almost all those hurt or killed were the apprentices and young workers. He had forgotten about that, it had been so many years ago.

It really is horrendous stuff, and RIGHT HERE in the downtown. We have literally thousands of buildings like this, and you just can assume that this will happen again and again. Very sad.

June 5, 2013

We just had a building collapse at 22nd and Market in Philly....

multiple injuries and people apparently still trapped...

this is 6 blocks from me...

6abc.com

June 2, 2013

Love is all around....

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dncrime/Cops-Man-42-arrested-for-shooting-at-pedestrians-police-near-South-Street.html

Cops: Man arrested for shooting at pedestrians, police near South Street
POSTED: Sunday, June 2, 2013, 11:53 AM
A Fern Rock man was arrested early Sunday for allegedly shooting at a group of people on South Street and then firing at police.

The shooting happened around 1:45 a.m. on South Street near 6th. Police said a man approached three people and began flirting with one of the women in the group. After the woman rebuked his advances, an argument ensued, at which point the man grabbed the woman and flashed a gun he had tucked in his waistband and threatened the group, police said.

According to police, the man walked away, crossed South Street, pulled out the gun and fired once at the group, striking a parked car. As the group ran for cover, officers in the area saw the commotion and ran towards the scene. A sergeant and an officer chased after the alleged gunman as he fled towards 7th and Kater streets. During the pursuit, police said, the gunman fired at the officers.

Other officers in the area responded and police apprehended the man without further incident. Police said they recovered a .32 caliber semi-automatic handgun still loaded with one round.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Yep, everybody gets a gun. That way, if some gal says " no thank you" you get to abduct her and shoot at her companions and police. Given our recent propensity here in Philly for the police SHOOTING PEOPLE DEAD, this guy is more than fortunate to be alive.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/Cops-Man-42-arrested-for-shooting-at-pedestrians-police-near-South-Street.html#QdmeqEpeZf8fef8L.99