New Developments III

[Mister Tee]

Since it happened during the Board's downtime, the Airplane Panic Over Lower Manhattan went uncommented on here, so let me just throw in a quick take from one who sort-of experienced it:

I got off the PATH at Jersey City just after 10, apparently moments after the plane had flown off. It was clear something was amiss, as all kinds of people were milling around, looking at the sky. The woman I asked to fill me in said the plane was "so close I could read the number on it...and I'm half-blind". (When I heard later reports it was Air Force One, I thought she must have been lying on this, but I guess there are several potential AF1's, with standard airplane numbers on them, and the only thing that makes them the genuine Air Foce One is the president being on-board)

Anyway, people were streaming out of buildings. I caught up with someone from my office, who said there was some murmur it was safe to stay in the building, but the (rightful) response from everyone was, That's what they told people in the Twin Towers. It was about 11 before everyone really became convinced it was no big deal; even then, some decided the day had bad karma on it and the best move was to go home.

I just can't believe anyone would have failed to realize that 1) two fighter jets escorting a large plane would look like two fighter jets PURSUING a large plane and 2) this would unquestionably touch off the primal fear of anyone who was in Manhattan that fateful day.

[OscarGuy]

From CNN:

Transgender murder trial: Hate crime charge may be a first
Posted: 09:14 AM ET

GREELEY, Colorado–The murder trial of Allen Andrade, underway in Greeley, Colorado, is being watched closely across the country. Andrade is accused of bludgeoning to death Angie Zapata, a transgender female, last July.

Justin “Angie” Zapata was killed by a man she met over the Internet during the summer of 2008.

Since the defense concedes Andrade is the killer, the question at trial is what level of homicide it is: first-degree murder or some lesser degree. The defense says Andrade killed Zapata in rage after learning that the woman he was with was biologically male. The prosecution says Andrade knew for at least 36 hours before the murder that Zapata was born a male, which supports their theory of a premeditated murder—not an uncontrollable rage.

Andrade is charged not only with murder, but with a bias-motivated crime. Though bias-motivated crime is a lower felony than murder, the charge is significant for this is believed to be one of the first cases to charge a hate crime where the victim is a transgender person.

Angie Zapata, born Justin, started living as a female about three years before she died. She and Andrade met on a social networking website and, after some days of online communications, they decided to meet in person. On July 14, 2008, Zapata drove more than 50 miles to pick up Andrade and bring him to her Greeley, CO apartment. They spent the next few days together.

In opening statements Thursday, the jury of 10 men and four women learned from prosecutor Brandi Nieto that Andrade accompanied Zapata to Greeley municipal court on July 15 to answer a traffic ticket. The ticket was issued in the name of Justin Zapata. That, according to the State, is when Andrade knew, if he didn’t know it earlier, that Zapata was biologically a male. Although the jury has yet to hear the coroner’s estimate of time of death, it appears that Zapata was killed in the early hours of July 17—long after the court appearance.

In his opening statements, defense attorney Bradley Martin emphasized that this is not a case about lifestyle and right or wrong; that it’s a case about Zapata’s deceit. The hate crimes statute protects transgender people. Yet, it appears the defense wants to use that protected class status to justify a conviction of something less than first-degree murder.

Nine witnesses have testified so far, including the first officers and paramedic on the scene, neighbors who saw Zapata the night before her murder, and the officers who arrested Andrade two weeks later. The trial is expected to last through next week.

Stay tuned to In Session as I bring you all the latest details from inside the courtroom.

[OscarGuy]

This was in our local paper's opinions section...some people are just stupid...

If the members of Congress think that it will be easy street for them with this type of government that is being pursued, they have only to look at history of nations that have given up their democracy.
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In the last election we voted for change, but not a demolition of our republic and for what it stands. So let's get back to the Constitution as a guideline, and stop rewarding people who seem to not realize they owe taxes just like other citizens. If paying personal income tax is too painful there is the "Fair Tax" which would make everyone equal - if they buy, they pay tax. No chance to forget to pay.

The TV has been alive with the speeches our president has been making while over seas in the G20 meeting. It is beyond the ability of my brain to have a president of ours to lie about our country, and to apologize for things we were supposed to have done, like being their enemy in the past, when in fact we have given millions of dollars to help free the starving populations, when in fact the rulers of these starving people were in fact intercepting the food and selling it to the few who could afford the price.

It would be nice to see our elected officials in Washington to be "Americans" instead of Democrats and Republicans. It is time for the people elected to Washington to respond to the wishes of the people back home. There is a scary movement being formed now being called, "The Tea Party." T his seems to have a widespread following throughout the entire country.

We do need to get the message to our president that all these lies he is telling about the USA have got to stop.

There will be another election in 2010 and if things don't straighten up it seems very likely that a lot of new faces will be in D.C.

[OscarGuy]

Here's an interesting article discussing the Columbine shooting and the misconceptions and myths surrounding it.

http://www.usatoday.com/news....oorefer

The one thing I'm beginning to think, at least from this article is that Klebold may have gone along with Harris' plan because he was infatuated with him emotionally. Purely conjecture on my part, though.

[Greg]

Here's an hysterical clip from Rachel Maddow about the newest big thing for conservative Republicans, teabagging:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mSKdvE0o5Q

[OscarGuy]

As a bit of an aside, in addition to my other duties at my place of employment, they started me working on doing mail in the afternoons. Not that I really want to do it, but there you go.

So, today was the first day I had to process something I was morally opposed to. Included were four "empty" envelopes to President Obama. They were sent to represent the lives of the thousands of aborted fetuses that are aborted every however many months/weeks/days/whatever. It took all in me not to toss them all in the trash. But, I decided it wasn't any of my business despite being an entirely inappropriate thing to be sent out from a professional business even if sent by an individual and not a company. I hope I did the right thing. I'm sure the administration will probably toss them all anyway, but damned if I'm not very angry about having to contribute even if I didn't actually put the envelopes together, stamp them or do anything more than put them in the bucket to go out...

[Greg]

An amusing song about the current financial implosion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOYAuk809fY

[Sonic Youth]

Memo to AIG employees: For your safety, do not wear any AIG apparel.

Remember the term we used to describe what got us in this trouble in the first place? It was called Irrational Exuberance.

It looks like we've swung headlong into the other end of the spectrum.

[OscarGuy]

He finally does something for gay rights...

Sources: US to sign UN gay rights declaration

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 43 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.

The move was made after an interagency review of the Bush administration's position on the nonbinding document, which was signed by all 27 European Union members as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was still being notified of the decision. They said the administration had decided to sign the declaration to demonstrate that the United States supports human rights for all.

"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," said one official.

"As such, we join with the other supporters of this statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora," the official said.

The official added that the United States was concerned about "violence and human rights abuses against gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual individuals" and was also "troubled by the criminalization of sexual orientation in many countries."

"In the words of the United States Supreme Court, the right to be free from criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation 'has been accepted as an integral part of human freedom'," the official said.

Gay rights and other groups had criticized the Bush administration when it refused to sign the declaration when it was presented at the United Nations on Dec. 19. U.S. officials said then that the U.S. opposed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation but that parts of the declaration raised legal questions that needed further review.

According to negotiators, the Bush team had concerns that those parts could commit the federal government on matters that fall under state jurisdiction. In some states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military.

It was not immediately clear on Tuesday how the Obama administration had come to a different conclusion.

When it was voted on in December, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with anti-gay discrimination.

But 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality — and in several, homosexual acts can be punished by execution. More than 50 nations, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, opposed the declaration.

Some Islamic countries said at the time that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest. The declaration was also opposed by the Vatican.

[Sonic Youth]

LOL! Good idea.

Grassley says he didn't mean it.

[Big Magilla]

I have a better idea. Grassley and his fellow Republicans in Congress commit mass hari-kari, or if they prefer, hara-kiri.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1237316791

[Sonic Youth]

How's this for a solution, Greg?

Senetor Grassley suggests AIG executives commit suicide

[Greg]

Conservative talk-show host and former Republican Florida U.S. Representative Joe Scarborough has called for nationalizing AIG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_qvwIBjnBo

[anonymous1980]

An amusing Republican party cartoon.

[Heksagon]

A.F.L.-C.I.O. to Support Nationalizing Banks

I'm not sure what this fuss about bank nationalization is about; it looks a lot like the Democratic party is just trying to pass the buck to the banks. The blunt fact is that those banks like Citigroup which would be bankrupt without goverment money, are de facto under govermental control, regardless of whether they are formally nationalized or not.

So far the only definite policy that the Democratic party have given the banks is TARP (see Magilla's post), which speaks volumes of the shallowness of their economic policy. Democrats are pretty good at throwing money around, but beyond that there isn't much content in their policy (And by saying that, I am not implying that the Republican party's policy is any better, on the contrary, Republicans are even worse). It is true that the banks have been passive in restructuring, but the reason to that is that their de facto owner, the goverment of the United States, has not given them the leadership which they have been expecting; just look at the (very disappointed) market reaction when the Geithner Plan was announced. A lot of money, not much content.

It would be short-sighted of the Democratic party to formally nationalize the banks. The situation with the banks is not going to get any better any time soon, and the Democratic party does not have the means to change that. It is therefore not wise to take full political responsibility for the banks; it is better to have the private bank managers around to take the blame when the economic situation does not suddenly improve. Furthermore, if the Democrats feel that they need the short-term popularity boost that they would get from formally nationalizing the banks, it's better to save that until election year.