Selfish and stupid

I know I'm a hardass when it comes to drinking and driving. If you want to drink yourself into the ground, by all means, go for it. But if you get behind the wheel of a car and are in an accident, then your ass belongs in jail. Sorry, but driving after you've been drinking is a choice and NOBODY gets excused.

The woman who died in a head-on crash into an sport-utility vehicle while driving a minivan the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County last week — killing her daughter, three nieces and three men in the S.U.V. — was drunk and had marijuana in her system, officials said Tuesday.

The woman, Diane Schuler, 36, of West Babylon, N.Y., had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent, Maj. William T. Carey, a troop commander with the New York State Police, said at an afternoon news conference. In addition, a 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut vodka was found in the minivan, he said...

I can hear the interviews with friends and family members now, about how kind and generous and loving this selfish bitch was.

I'm not interested in anyone's whiny excuses, like "I'm a good drunk driver" or "I wasn't that drunk" or "I only had one drink" or "I didn't know what I was doing" or especially "Someone should have stopped me". You can go ahead and fuck yourself up if you want to &mdash and when you do, shut up whining about it, you made your choice. In fact, take yourself out of the gene pool and get it over with. But under no circumstances do you have the right to screw up or kill anyone else because you made a selfish and thoughtless decision. Either find a friend who is willing to stay sober and be responsible for your selfish ignorant ass, or take a cab/a bus/public transportation/walk, or stay home.

You can't help but be heartbroken for the three men in the SUV who this cow* hit head-on, or the young children who hopefully died quickly and didn't know what happened. Imagine how her poor son is going to feel once he's old enough to know what happened. As for Ms. Schuler, the only good that comes out of a tragedy like this is that she is dead and won't be killing or maiming anyone else, or ruining another family's lives.

*My sincere apologies to all bovines.

Pranknet bully hides behind his mommy

This is too funny. This cowardly asswipe and his bully cronies have been making phone calls to people in motels or employees at fast food joints and scaring the bejeezus out of them, getting them to do all kinds of things thinking they were in imminent danger. But leave it to The Smoking Gun to out these idiots.

...Coalescing in an online chat room, members of the group, known as Pranknet, use the telephone to carry out cruel and outrageous hoaxes, which they broadcast live around-the-clock on the Internet. Masquerading as hotel employees, emergency service workers, and representatives of fire alarm companies, "Dex" and his cohorts have successfully prodded unwitting victims to destroy hotel rooms and lobbies, set off sprinkler systems, activate fire alarms, and damage assorted fast food restaurants.

But while Pranknet's hoaxes have caused millions of dollars in damages, it is the group's efforts to degrade and frighten targets that makes it even more odious. For example, a bizarre July 20 prank ended with a hotel worker actually sipping from a urine sample provided by a guest at a Homewood Suites in Kentucky. Additionally, at least twice this year, fast food workers--fearing that they would suffer burns after being doused by chemicals from a fire suppression system--stripped off their clothes on the sidewalk outside their respective restaurants...

Oh my, aren't these people clever and funny. NOT.

So what happens when TSG shows up at "Dex's" house? He hides in his bedroom with his mommy.

On July 21, a pair of TSG reporters approached "Dex"'s building at 1637 Assumption Street in Windsor, where he lives in the ground-floor 'B' apartment. Calling to his mother, who was standing near an open living room window, a reporter asked her to summon her son. The woman disappeared into "Dex"'s adjoining bedroom, where the pair could be heard whispering. Despite repeated requests to come out and speak with TSG, "Dex" hid with his mother in his bedroom, the windows of which were covered with plastic shopping bags, a towel, and one black trash bag.

As the sun set and his room darkened, "Dex" did not reach to turn on a light. The notorious Internet Tough Guy, who has gleefully used the telephone to cause all kinds of havoc, was now himself panicking. He had been found. And, as a result, was barricaded in Pranknet World Headquarters with his mom, while two reporters loitered outside his window and curious neighbors wondered what was up.

That's when the online outlaw came up with a plan...

Cowering in his room with his mother, Malik called 911 to report "suspicious persons" outside his home (it is unclear whether he used Skype to beckon cops). According to Windsor Police Service records, Malik asked not to be contacted by officers when they arrived at the Assumption Street address. Despite that request, Fouzia Malik, 51, eventually allowed a pair of Windsor patrolmen to enter the family's $600-a-month apartment. The officers spent about 30 minutes conferring with Tariq before emerging to report that he did not wish to speak with reporters...

Throw this jackass in a dank dark cell and lose the key. Same for his pals. Don't let them talk to each other or even contact each other. And no internet access for any of them until the end of time.

Healthcare for Congress

"For the average worker, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan would probably look quite attractive," said Pete Sepp, a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, a pinch-penny advocacy group.

Indeed, a question often surfaces: Why can't everyone enjoy the same benefits as members of Congress? The answer: The country probably couldn't afford it -- not without reforms to bring costs way, way down.

Given their choices, lawmakers can tailor coverage in a way most Americans cannot. If a child has asthma, for instance, a federal employee might opt for coverage that costs a little more but has a bigger doctor network and lower office-visit fees.

The plan most favored by federal workers is Blue Cross Blue Shield, which covers a family for about $1,030 a month. Taxpayers kick in $700, and employees pay the rest. Seeing a doctor costs $20. Generic prescriptions cost $10. Immunizations are free. There is no coverage limit.

Federal employees also enjoy a significant benefit denied the average American: There is no such thing as a preexisting condition, which keeps many sick people from obtaining insurance. Once hired, federal workers are eligible for coverage no matter their health, with no waiting period.

Voters sense a disconnect...

I'll say we sense a disconnect. I've been saying it forever — term limits and no lifetime benefits for Congresscritters. Once you are out of office, you can sign up for COBRA (hahahaha) just like everyone else, then go get a job and see what kind of healthcare is available. Oh, btw, that job cannot be in any way a lobbying job. All elected officials should have to sign a lifetime binding contract to that effect.

Representative Steve Kagen, a Democrat from Wisconsin, is the only Congressperson who has refused to accept federal healthcare benefits. He is the lone member who actually understands what the issue is about, or at least what it should be about. From the same LA Times article:

Kagen recently had knee surgery, writing checks for more than $4,500 after bargaining for a reduced-rate MRI and a 50% discount on the operation. (He is still dickering over the hospital bill.)

"If every member of Congress put their heads on their pillow every night like I do ... knowing this could be the night I lose my house, we'd fix healthcare in a week," said Kagen, who spent decades as a doctor in the Green Bay area before winning office in 2006.

Kagen said his wife and three of his four children have health coverage. But not his oldest daughter, 28, who can't afford insurance.

She's a nurse in Miami.

The only people who should have lifetime taxpayer-financed healthcare are those armed forces personnel who have served 20 years or seen combat (including National Guard members). All others, welcome to my world.

Blow a kiss, no diploma for you

Is it me, or is that a school superintendent who needs her ass fired? Justin Denney blows a kiss, bows and points to his family and for that she refuses to give him his diploma? Honey, if that's what you consider misbehaving, then not only should you never hold a job in any capacity at any school, but any school district that supports you should just cancel graduation ceremonies altogether and mail the damn diplomas.

And what's the lesson students will learn? If you want to blow a kiss, or bow, or acknowledge your family in any way, wait until you have the diploma in your hand, then do whatever the hell you want.

Stupid woman.

OMG, we're all going to die!!

NOT.

The drama queens are already freaking out over "swine" flu. I don't understand why people are so anxious to draw attention to themselves at any cost. And the blame game is up and running, along with the I told you so game.

Go ahead and take your kids out of school, stay home, go nowhere, have your groceries delivered, avoid your friends… sheesh. Stop tweeting every five minutes.

This too shall pass, probably in about two years. Sorry about that, dq's. I hope you're in it for the long haul.

Breeders

Where is the unlimited supply of diapers, formula and baby wipes? The free van? The brand-new house?

Women who give birth to six, seven or eight babies are often showered with dazzling gifts from big corporations, local businesses and strangers. But that is not happening with the Southern California mother who delivered octuplets last week.

The news that she is a single mother with six other children — and that all 14 were conceived by having embryos implanted — seems to have turned off many people, and companies are not exactly rushing to get publicity by piling on the freebies.

Nadya Suleman, 33, has been lambasted by talk-show hosts, fertility experts, even her own mother, who has her hands full taking care of Suleman’s other children, ages 2 to 7…

Nobody is even kidding about the new house. More than one mega-birth family has received sponsorship, and I'd be surprised if Ms. Suleman isn't anticipating the same. Some company will step up to the plate with the line, "We can't take it out on the children." True enough, but perhaps someone should have thought about that several months ago.

Who thought about the risk to the fetuses? In multiple births, there are frequently health problems for the surviving children. Who finances the hospital bills, estimated to be roughly $160,000 per child (assuming no complications)? Where is the money for raising these children? Beyond the financial aspect, she has 14 children under the age of eight, so by the time the older kids are old enough to help out with the youngest, the youngest won't need their help with anything except homework.

What happened to the guidelines that are in place for situations like this? Maybe someone has seen Pirates of the Caribbean too many times. What was the implantation doctor thinking, other than how much publicity he would get? Why wasn't Ms. Suleman subject to the same scrutiny that a prospective adoptive parent would have been?

2008 Summary

Thanks Anhaga! This is a pretty good summary of 2008!

Holiday break

This is a busy season and while I have a few tv commercials in my thoughts, I’m just not in the mood to write it all up. I will sometime.

The economy sucks, as most of us have known for a couple years, but finally the Bushies are using the R word — yes, we are officially in a recession, as of LAST DECEMBER. No shit. Over half a million jobs were lost in November 2008 alone, and the statistics aren’t even telling the whole story.

The big three auto companies are crying for help, as their CEO’s fly to DC in their separate private jets with tin cups outstretched. I say let ’em fail or merge. Chrysler paid back their big loan last time, but none of the big companies in the US have a Lee Iacocca at the helm now. They aren’t even asking for loans, they want bailouts with no strings attached. Chrysler isn’t even a publicly owned company anymore, why should the taxpayers give them one red cent? The top of the food chain is populated by selfish wastrels who don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves.

Now we wait to see how it is all Bill Clinton’s fault.

Carving the turkeys

The long knives are out. Hard to believe that Sarah Palin didn't understand that South Africa is a country on the continent of Africa, not a district in the country of Africa. She isn't so much younger than me that basic geography should have escaped her education. She couldn't name the countries in NAFTA, or those in North America?? WTF??



It's sad to see Bill O'Reilly almost tripping over himself to come to Palin's defense &mdash do you suppose he'd be as generous if a Democrat didn't know these things, would he say they could be “tutored” and brought up to speed on something they should have learned by the time they were in junior high? Reid Buckley has already paved that road.

Newsweek has been embedding reporters in campaigns for several election cycles now, with the promise that none of the revelations would be published until after the election. I'm thinking maybe that shouldn't happen when they have clear evidence that the person who will be second in charge of this country can't name the other two countries that share our continent. The GOP should be embarrassed and ashamed. They won't be; they'll blame the “liberal media” that has protected Shrub for eight years, or they'll somehow blame Clinton, but they won't accept responsibility for nominating a nincompoop to the second highest public office in the country.

Folks whose only news source is Fox will be stunned to see these reports, but they'll find a way to discount every one. Folks whose only news source is Rush Limbaugh won't have a thing to worry about, because they'll never hear about these reports, except in Limbaugh's twisted retelling. Too bad.

I have the audiobook of The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder by Vincent Bugliosi (of Helter Skelter fame). He makes a convincing case. The citizens of this country were lied to after 9/11, and swallowed the lies whole, in no small part because the press failed to do its job. At the time, the news was filtered to such an extent that very few people really knew what was going on. He goes a long way in exposing the media coverup for what it was and still is, along with the major players.

Whether you like John Kerry or not, and I'm not a fan, you have to be a complete GOP stooge to claim he flip-flopped on his Iraq war vote. He, like most others in Congress, chose to trust what turned out to be an untrustworthy administration. When he found out he had been lied to, he said had he known the truth, his vote would have been different. How that is a flip-flop instead of an indictment of the administration is something I never understood. I'm sure a Limburger could explain it to me. Or maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it, maybe it takes a special kind of intelligence, like Palin's, to understand why conservatives are always right. Personally, I think they should pull their collective heads out of Karl Rove's ass — I wonder if Palin knows who that is.

As the conservative turns

Colin Powell's endorsement is one thing, but when Ken Adelman says he's voting for Obama, you have to think McCain has screwed the pooch.

Why so, since my views align a lot more with McCain’s than with Obama’s? And since I truly dread the notion of a Democratic president, Democratic House, and hugely Democratic Senate?

Primarily for two reasons, those of temperament and of judgment…

Even James Joyner, a conservative blogger, thinks Adelman's endorsement matters:

While Colin Powell, Lincoln Chaffee, Susan Eisenhower, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Jim Leach, Richard Riordan, Bill Ruckelshaus, and others can be dismissed as outside the conservative movement, Adelman can not…

At least McCain has the uber-conservative Christians in lockstep.

I don't get it

MIAMI -- Police have arrested an 18-year-old man accused of stealing at least three county buses and driving them on their routes.

James L. Harris is charged with three counts each of third-degree grand theft and burglary of an occupied conveyance, WPLG-TV reported.

The most recent theft occurred Tuesday, when he was arrested and charged.

According to Miami-Dade police, Harris would take the buses from several Miami-Dade Transit bus depots in the county and drive the buses on their routes, picking up and dropping off passengers along the way. He would then return the buses at the end of the day...

Is it me? I understand that he shouldn't be driving the bus route unless he is an employee, but really, what exactly is it that he stole?? Can't he be charged with, oh, I don't know, criminal mischief? And where did he get the keys?

Here's an idea...if the buses he stole ran on time, I say give the kid a job.

It's contagious, too. Across the pond, little old ladies cannot photograph empty wading pools for fear that they might be pedophiles. How many little old ladies have to be arrested before someone comes to their senses?

An amateur photographer was told she could not take snaps of an empty paddling pool because she might be a paedophile.

Betty Robinson was ordered to put away her camera by a council worker when she began snapping the outdoor pool...