Archive for June, 2009

Darwin Award, natural selection, Michael Jackson

Posted: June 30, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
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One could argue the death of Michael Jackson is an example of natural selection in action, that would be a matter of debate, however I think there is no question that the people in this story illustrate Darwin award winners:

Gary Taylor, president and owner of MJJcommunity.com, said he understood the tragedies had mostly taken place outside of the UK but he believed one may have been British.

“I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life,” he said.

If this report is true than it is idiocy to the nth degree. It’s bad form to speak ill of the dead but I have a hard time feeling sorry for people whose lives are so empty that they can’t live without Michael Jackson.

This is one of the least Catholic posts I’ve written, I confess I’ve always had a bit of a prejudice against people who kill themselves I really should be more charitable but COME ON this is Nelson award territory.

Why the NYT et/al is dying

Posted: June 30, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
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The LA times article on “What if TMZ was wrong” is mostly forgettable but there is one line that says a lot about the MSN.

Jeffrey Seglin is quoted saying the following and it is treated as gospel:

“Few people expect TMZ or Drudge or the National Enquirer to get things right or to report on issues of substance.”

I must confess I’m not an expert on TMZ but DRUDGE? DRUDGE? Few people expect DRUDGE to report on issues of substance of get it right?

This stands in stark contrast to a decade of reporting by Drudge. In addition due to the rise of blogs Drudge is not as often the “first source” for many stories that it covers.

It’s almost a Pauline Kael moment but the MSN has a lot of them.

If only he had Marty as his press agent

Posted: June 29, 2009 by datechguy in oddities, opinion/news
Tags:

Bernie Madoff is off to Jail for the rest of my yet to be born grandchildren’s life:

Bernard Lawrence Madoff, who by his own admission sometime 18 years ago concocted a devious plan that would turn into the world’s biggest and most diabolical financial fraud in history, will spend the remainder of his existence in prison.

Inside a U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Monday morning, a judge sentenced the former Wall Street bigwig to 150 years behind bars for his crimes, the maximum possible sentence.

He deserved it big time but I couldn’t help but laugh at this headline from Drudge:

He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from the in between.

It reminded me of the 2000 year old man and his description of Robin Hood

On Robin Hood: “He stole from everybody and kept everything — he just had a good press agent”

The press agent was Murry< Marty.

and part 3 that includes Marty

If Madoff had Martyy working for him he would not be in jail today!

Democracy and defeat

Posted: June 29, 2009 by datechguy in Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

Very busy yesterday so no posting but one thought.

Just finished re-reading Six Days of War that was returned to me after a loan. (My old Amazon review from 2002 is here) At the time the thing that struck me the most was the story of the BIG LIE, namely that the US and England had actively attacked Egypt and Jordan during the 1967 war. I wrote the following at the time:

This more than anything else shows the weakness of dictatorship in general and the arab states in particular. Building a foundation on falsehood; false victories, false reports, false charges is necessary when you have to control your people in order to lead them. Problems can’t be addressed and situations can’t be advanced while this is true, likewise troops can’t be inspired when they can’t believe what their commanders say for can the people be expected to sustain a war when they don’t believe what is being said. For Arabs this cycle is still being repeated today, my favorite example being Imam Muhammad al-Gameia who a few days after attending a service in NY preaching love and unity (in English) went to Egypt and said that the Jews were behind Sept 11 and Arabs were being shot in the streets in NY. (In Arabic)

The rest of my review at the time was edited by Amazon as it was an indictment of current Arab government. Not only has that opinion been vindicated (Remember Baghdad Bob) and the “massacre of Jenin” and of “Haditha” but the tactics were frankly copied by the American left in their description of the war in Iraq and of Gitmo.

I hate to say it but It’s my opinion that there is no real chance for peace in the middle east. Arab leaders don’t dare embrace actual peace and normalcy for fear of their public and power since the Arab street hasn’t embraces reality publicly. The only way democracy is going to be the answer is after a democratic Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt demand fight and lose a war a catastrophic war against Israel.

Until the average Arab feels and acknowledges defeat peace will never happen. Limbaugh is right on this one.

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