May 11, 2008
Another book about OJ “The Juice” Simpson is set to be released this week. According to an article by AP special correspondent, Linda Deutsch, another telltale book about Simpson by a former memorabilia dealer that previously worked with OJ selling collectibles, Mike Gilbert, is ready to reveal to the world in his book that they can purchase for $27.95, that Simpson during a drug and booze induced incident a few weeks after the trial, admitted to Gilbert that he killed his wife Nicole Brown Simpson. In the article Gilbert spins a story about how OJ’s close friends, Gilbert included, were caught up in Simpson’s world of overindulgent lifestyle and tended to ignore OJ’s previous domestic violence problems. According to Gilbert, the “Juice” also claimed that if his wife had not come to the door with a knife in her hand to greet him the night of the murder, she would still be alive today. Maybe, maybe not, when dealing with Darth Juice, his dark-side clouds the past, present, and future thus making any event impossible to see. Poor-Poor-Poor OJ, 
always the victim never the antagonist!!! Gilbert also manages to take claim for the bloody glove test-fit failure during Simpson’s trial. He claims during the trial he explained to Darth Juice that if he would stop taking his arthritis medicine his hands would swell and the gloves would be hard to get on. Yikes! Who can forget Johnny Cochran’s “If it (the gloves) does not fit, you must acquit” mantra from the OJ trial! Team OJ has shot back claiming Gilbert is a broke, drug-addicted big time liar out to make another buck off his ex-friend and business partner. Probably true, but that does not make the book false or true. According to Gilbert the reason he is releasing this information now is to clear his guilty conscience. Right - and I bet the considerable cash Gilbert will make from the book deal might also have more than a little to do with his deciding to clear his conscience this many years after the set of events.
Hear is the rub, the book may or may not be all true, partially true or one big fat lie! The Darth Juice confession topic actually sounds plausible. It comes across as a conceivable part of a violent series of events, fueled by OJ’s macho-guy ego and temper. Much of the subjects covered in the AP article sound probable. However Gilbert’s glove component of his story sounds contrived and implausible, especially since all the lawyers I listened to that were following the trial were surprised that the prosecution had Simpson try on the gloves. It was not an expected trial event. When announced many law experts were predicting the idea would be a failure since the leather gloves had been soaked in blood, and it turned out to be a huge failure. Wet gloves considerably shrink when they dry! His glove scenario sounds like overkill by someone looking to add credence to a story. I will pass on the purchase of the book. It does not sound like he has anything to say that will affect my evaluation of the previous events surrounding the murder and/or trial. The book sounds like another seedy greedy individual trying to continue to capitalize from his association with what is probably an even sleazier OJ.
More on Poor-Poor-Poor Misunderstood OJ the Victim!!
May 9, 2008
Star Wars, the Sci-Fi Movie Series that just keeps ringing up $$$chi-ching$$$ at the box office is all set to fatten the cash cow some more this summer. In what is a precursor to a Cartoon Network animated series, this August will see the theatrical release of a digitally animated version of the Star Wars Saga–> The Clone Wars, highlighting the Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi characters. The Clone Wars Movie timeline is set to pick up just after Episode 2, Attack of the Clones where Anakin is still the Jedi knight Stud and before Episode 3, where Anakin turns to the dark side, Revenge of the Sith. I have to admit that I am not one to run to the theater and shell $9 plus for a cartoon, but I do plan on watching this cartoon on the big screen. Considering the great digital effects added to the movies I am ultra curious as to how well the cartoon version turns out. I am also curious in how the cartoon will effect the already established timelines of the overall Star Wars Saga. In the meantime I will cross my fingers that it turns out to be a classic addition to the series and not just a stinky ewoking of the series legend.
May 8, 2008
When I first graduated from high school I worked with a guy that was fairly eccentric and always making statements that I considered bizarre. One time the conversation managed to swing towards the idea of funerals and burial vs. cremation! A rather morbid and odd conversation for an eighteen year old and a twenty-nine year old, no doubt. He went on one of his unconventional rants about how he did not want to be buried and that he had made it clear to his wife that if he died, she was to just cremate him and scatter the ashes. He said she replied with, “scatter hell - I am just going to flush them down the toilet”. It was an amusing ending to what had been an otherwise unusual conversation for a couple of healthy young skirt-chasers. And though it was amusing at the time the future is now and the technology has created a potential similarity. In an an AP article by Norma Love, the author talks of a process used by two medical centers to dispose of cadavers that is gaining interest in the funeral industry to replace crematories. The process has been used for some years to dispose of animal bodies. The machine takes up less space than the standard crematory and uses heat combined with a lye solution in what acts like a pressure cooker to dissolve the body. When the process is over the leftovers are a powder similar to what is leftover after standard cremation and a sterile oily like substance that supposedly can be flushed down the drain and into the city sewage water treatment system. The process is called alkaline hydrolysis. A couple of states have legalized the process for funeral homes to use though the article stated none have opted to do so to this date, even though there is a growing interest. The problem for it is the process does have a stigma attached to it and one state bill to push it through legislature even earned the bill the nickname of “Hannibal Lecter’s Bill”.
I am not sure what to think about the technology and processes involved. I have to admit the process does sound kind of gruesome. But I have heard tales from someone formerly in the industry and a lot of the procedures that happen in a funeral home and crematory come out sounding gruesome. They are not for the squeamish. I am also not real keen on the idea of part of granny ending up in my city water. Still it is not uncommon for blood and other fluids to wind up in the city water system. Yet after reading the article and thinking about the possible evolutions from the technology, I have this urge to run down the street screaming in my best Charlton Heston voice –>Soylent Green is People!!!
May 8, 2008
Evidently it must be bust your local drug dealer week! The Quad Cities Police must have decided to not let San Diego University have all the drug busting fun this week. According to QCOnline two Davenport men were arrested in Silvis early Wednesday morning, after a tip from a Chicago drug unit, for delivery of about nine pounds of cocaine that was worth about $500,000! According to the article a search of the arrested individuals home turned up more product. (Oops, bad choice of word there (product), I am starting to sound like an Amway salesman.) I suppose the Chicago and the local QC coke-heads can expect tight supplies, and inflated prices over the next few weeks. Think maybe there will be a run on corn starch at the grocery stores this week?
May 7, 2008
The Tuesday San Diego State University drug has tentacles reaching out into several of the Universities fraternities. In all, including the group that was raided, there were students from six different fraternities involved in the raid. The school has suspended all of the students that were arrested, including their ability to attend class and take exams (that’s a no-brainer, I would hope), as well as the rights of the six fraternities they were involved with until the investigation is over. AP also reported that all those arrested have been evicted from University owned property. The six fraternities suspended were - Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Theta, Theta Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sigma Alpha Mu. Ouch! Just because you turn a blind eye away from criminal activity does not mean it will not come up and bite you in your posterior. Those knowing about the events yet ignoring the problem - deserve any hassles they get. But that had to hurt a lot of innocent as well as the guilty! Sometimes life kicks you where it hurts when you are not expecting it, much less deserve it. Some of these kids were looking to start a new life with a good future in the next few weeks and a few bad apples has caused the whole barrel to be put on hold as the bad are sorted out and tossed to the side.
May 6, 2008
Oops! It sounds like several San Diego State University students can soon say, “I went to college and all I got was this lousy orange jump suit, and I don’t even get to keep it!” The San Diego states attorney just announced that they have arrested 96 individuals, many from a fraternity, for buying and selling drugs. The arrest was the result of a five-month under-cover investigation. They reported seizing cash, guns and drugs in the raid. I guess a few frat boys will be passing on graduation services this year! Can the police seize a diploma and sell it as illegally obtained property from a drug sales?
Update
Ouch at least one student was just a short time from receiving his BA in criminal justice. The bust included two different SDSU fraternities. The last report I read stated that considerable amounts of drugs found which included four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 hydroponic marijuana plants, 350 ecstasy pills, psilocybin (mushrooms), 30 vials of hash oil, methamphetamine, various illicit prescription drugs, one shotgun, three semi-automatic pistols, three brass knuckles and $60,000 in cash were seized. Hmm all that seems missing is a partridge in a pear tree. I guess that is one way to put yourself through college. Though I am not sure a higher education will be much use in the prison systems.
photos link
2nd Update
AP is now reporting that 75 of the 96 arrested individuals were students. Lord you give them brains and we pay for them to get a good education and then they not only have the bad sense to supplement their pocket money by selling narcotics but someone is also brainless enough to send a mass text-message that they are selling cocaine! Proof positive that a college education does not guaranty intelligence or wisdom. Also a second of the students busted was all set to enter law enforcement. That student was ready to receive a masters in homeland security. Wow, I guess Homeland Security status would be a great job for someone moolighting in the drug selling business. One of the students had the audacity to ask if the arrest would effect his entering law enforcement. YIKES!!! 
May 5, 2008
Barack Obama continues crying “its not my fault” his pastor is a bigot. According to one article I read his wife claims that Obama is so infuriated with the Wright controversy that he is close to losing his ability to reason. That sounds strangely weak for a man wanting to sit in the office of the President of the United States of America, where he will be expected to handle much tougher controversies than this one. His problem is that he is looking at the controversy from the wrong angle. The controversy is how he uses relationships with questionable characters, such as Tony Rezko etc., to further his political career and about his continued inability to assess how to handle tough decisions. And as the original press love-fest wears off, there seems to be even more information about his past associations that persist to come out and that also casts doubt about Obama’s credibility. There are even new-old questions surfacing from a past Obama associate, named Larry Sinclair, about previous drug involvement by Obama while he was a sitting Illinois State Senator in 1999. Ouch! How are you gonna be a tough-on-drugs President if you are still using? With the suspicious parts of his political world now being exposed it seems that Obama reverts to the very same old school politics of denial he claims he is above.
But Reverend Wright is currently the hugest problem to Obama’s credibility claiming to be above the dirt of politics, as the Wright situation creates questions that cast doubts about Obama’s ability to handle tough decisions. When the Wright Controversy started Obama went in to the spin mode of denial of knowledge. Then he tried to excuse the reverends bigotry. Now he is just trying to distance himself by saying it his not his fault that the reverend is a bigot. That is Obama changing the subject. I have been in organizations where people got up on the pulpit and preached bigotry. You have two real choices - try and change their mind or leave to search enlightenment elsewhere. Obama instead chose to stay immersed in the church and bigoted sermons and even went so far as to continue to expose his kids to Wrights bigotry. Sorry Barack Obama that was a choice you made, that makes it your fault for staying wrapped up in the atmosphere of hatred. An agent of change can either work to change hatred or leave to start anew. Barack Obama chose to do neither by instead sitting and listening to the same hatred over and over again for twenty years. That is the fault of Barack Obama. These were tough decisions needing to be made and addressed; yet Barack Obama ignored them! The question is why? That is an easy one, political expedience. Barack Obama needed the church membership, the church connections and the wealth of that very affluent church to catapult his political career in the city of Chicago, later the State of Illinois and now towards the Presidency. He needed to USE THE CHURCH infrastructure to be successful for his power grabs! So because Barack Obama decided to use them it is Barack Obama’s fault if it has backfired on him! Is it his fault his pastor is a bigot, no. Is it Obamas fault that he made a series of lies and bad decisions concerning his relationship with Wright, yes! If he can’t make the right decisions on the simple challenges then how is Barack Obama going to make the tough decisions once he reaches the White House? The reality is Barack Obama can’t. And if you factor in all the other questionable political associates that have been shackling his campaign run, they all mirror his handling of the Wright controversy. First Obama denies, then he lies, then he distance himself from the individual. Barack Obama still lacks the ability to discern the good guys from the bad guys and Barack Obama still can’t handle the tough decisions.
May 2, 2008
Tools are an important part in the growth of civilization. But history has shown us not all people mix and match well with certain tools. Take me for instance. I have loved to play with wood working tools since shop class in high school. However I can guarantee you that if anyone that knows me is around when I pick up a power tool they grab the first tool they can find to shelter myself and the world from the consequences. Other than the occasional drill I have spent a lifetime with people intervening between me and power tools. When I manage to use one it usually has to be a situation where I have managed to secure complete isolation from the rest of the World, like home-alone in my basement. theScoundrel and power tools are often not a safe marriage. Think “Tim the Toolman Taylor”! If not for friendly intervention, theScoundrel would probably have a “preferred customer” hospital portfolio to match the mythical Toolmans! Which brings me to today’s rant.
Power tools are not the only important tools that spur civilizations growth. The Federal Reserve is currently looking at another important power tool of growth - the credit card - and the industry’s practices that surround its use. It is probably one of the most modern day tools helping civilization grow. Now I am not an individual who is likely to give the Credit Card Industry a slap on the back. I am like many others there was a time I carried a wallet full of credit cards. Those days have long passed and I now only carry a debit card that also works as a credit card. It is purely personal opinion but I think the industry could use a good scrubbing down with a coarse brush by the Feds. So considering my personal bias I will limit my negative critiques of the industry to that. Instead my rant is that where actual credit cards are concerned, many of us are like power tools and theScoundrel, a very bad marriage often headed for divorce court.
As I said before I used to have a wallet full of credit cards. Though it wasn’t long after our engagement before I realized Credit Card Companies and myself lived in different worlds. I, like most others, receive tons of mail everyday, much of it junk from credit card companies looking for me to marry myself to their product. My habits are I simply do not read my mail on a regular basis. In my world reading mail is a tedious exercise that I do when I have noting better to do or the stacks on my dresser has reached the teetering point. This angers companies credit card companies. Their anger in turn made me angry because I was always way ahead on “their payment plans”. When I pay a bill I generally pay it in a lump or several lump sums. I do not do anything monthly. In fact I tend to go out of my way to not trap myself into reoccurring habits. I go crazy when I fall into doing the same exact thing over and over again. So when I was credit carding instead of sending the monthly scheduled payment of $ 10 or $20, whatever it was, I would send them generally 1/3 to 1/2 of the sum owed and go about my business ignoring mail. Credit Card companies on the other hand prefer to get their payments on a monthly basis they do not care if it is a minimum payment or ½ the total they expect another payment the next month. Sorry but I do not read my mail that often. So we fought! Sometimes I would have not have even looked at how much I owed and simply sent them a couple of hundred dollars unaware I had left some insignificant amount on the total bill. Then when I did not send them the few rest of the dollars the next month they would send me one of their infamous late charges we argues about all the time. Sometimes the total was less than five bucks and they would send me a late charge for more than I owed. Hell sometimes I would overpay. They seemed to really hate that. I realized it was as much my fault as it was their fault because we had both entered into an arrangement that neither of were ever going to be happy with. I was just too angry with them to care. It got to the point I actually started enjoying the arguments. It went on like that until one day I finally decided to cut up all my cards because I wasn’t going to change for them and they were not designed for change. I have lived happier ever after ever since! There are many reasons that people and certain power tools make for bad marriages. And my rant is there is usually fault to be found in both sides of the relationship. Credit Card Companies are no more the bad guy than we are. We have as much responsibility in learning the manual’s suggested operation of the tool as the responsibility they have to play by the Federal Banking rules when they sell you the product. Some of us are just bad fits for the power tool in question.
May 1, 2008
When you pick political cronies that are also close friends, they are more difficult to walk away than a casual political acquaintance with similar ideology, especially when their character comes under question. In Barack Obama’s case, his claim that he has never heard any of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s venomous messages of hate during Obama’s twenty-year close association, with the Reverend, destroys Obama’s credibility as an individual that is honest. It is a tough political lesson for Obama to learn, that sometimes your closest friends can turn out to be your political enemy. In politics being associated with an albatross like Wright not only damages you but it can also damage those that are depending on your leadership and charisma for outreaching support. The Reverends Wrighteous anger has already backlashed against the Obama “Agent of Change” image, proving him to be a phony. The antagonism towards the Wright connection is now spreading much like a virus into other political venues, like is happening in North Carolina, as an entity to weaken those that would benefit from association with Obama’s original “agent of change” image. The Democrat Party would probably fair better if they bought the Vitriolic Reverend some new toys like a second mansion and another Mercedes automobile to keep him engaged. If they do not keep him occupied and out of the news then all they will soon have left are the Daily Kosocialist voters because, everytime Wright opens his mouth, he sends more-and-more mindful and moderate voters running the other direction.
Filed under Current Events, Fleecing the Sheep, News, Politics, Scalawags, Scoundrels, Wheres the Beef!
Tags: 2008 elections, Barack Obama, Culture, Democrat, Jeremiah Wright, media
