weblog

Sorry we can't find your car

Bronx, NY man arrested for "stealing" his own truck: After reading this story I'm speechless. The NYPD brass is truly going to have to scratch hard to explain this one. Sheesh. (Daily News)

The perils of empire: "In the decades since John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, foreign-policy experts have become Washington’s leading con men. Even though Wiz Kids and Dream Teams have dragged America into one bloodbath and debacle after another, politicians and the media still kowtow to the 'Best and Brightest.' ".  My feelings exactly. James Brovard  reviews Derek Leebaert’s Magic and Mayhem a book about the errors, omissions, hubris and magical thinking that are endemic amongst  American foreign policy establishment. (The American Conservative)

"The Art Of Halo Is Like A Postcard From The End Of The Universe": Actually no, it's more like pics from Iraq or Afghanistan only with more modern weaponry and tech. War porn for adolescents and immature adults. (Kotaku.com/)

weblog

Unions push Virg Bernero campaign for Michigan governor - Detroit Free Press
No surprise there. That bought n' paid for tool of the public employee union will give them any fuckin' thing they want no matter what it costs. Sheesh.

Gluttony is replacing sex as the new "forbidden" in American culture - Daily Beast

The Carl's Jr. restaurant chain is adding a foot-long deluxe cheeseburger to their menu.

Does democracy always ends in bankruptcy? - Toronto Globe & Mail (Neil Reynolds)

No, sometimes it ends in fascism as well.

A reality TV show that's actually real - The Deadliest Catch - Big Hollywood

"The stars of the show smoke, drink, scream and swear. They have tattoos. They talk about women in politically incorrect ways. They dangerously light fireworks off the Time Bandit. They harass 'greenhorns.' Surviving on those boats is something men would like to do if they were able, but they know they can’t (the NFL has the same appeal). This is a reality show that is actually real."

Blue collar work looks pretty fun and exiting from your living room couch but ah...it is kinda tough too. At least the writer admits that he couldn't do that stuff.

Libertarian blogger shows some small concern for the victims of rapacious debt collectors - Megan McArdle

Sleaseball law firms sue people for debt without knowing whether it is actually owed or not.

Sign of the times

There was a joke going around soon after the release of the famous Rodney King beating video that the cop unions next big political push was to impose a background check and a 15-day waiting period on the purchasers of all video recording devices. (Heh! Although sadly, that actually is starting to happen, albeit in a slow boiling-frog sort of way.) And now, to keep current, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has instituted a ban on news crew cameramen accompanying police on raids. Given that an A&E channel film crew for the TV show The Next 48 (a cop based reality show) was alongside police when one of the DPD's raiders accidentally blew the head off of a seven year girl and the video from that raid is being used in a lawsuit against the city, the mayor now wants to be sure that this kind of thing never happens again. And so it won't; the next time DPD accidentally kills someone there won't be any video of it. That's what passes for progress in Detroit in these times.