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Friday Frittata
Author: BobR    Date: 04/20/2012 12:22:26

It's a good day when there is a confluence of stories that dovetail together, or when there's one story that inspires me to do research and find the details that aren't being commonly discussed. Every once in a while, though, a blog day comes along and I am not inspired to rise to my usual level of erudition. Today is one of those days.

So - in the "1,2,3 and out" mode, here are 3 interesting stories that are completely unrelated...

First: Down in the Gulf, things aren't as hunky-dory as we are led to believe. The BP sponsored ads with happy families cavorting in the warm clear surf belie a more disturbing truth: there is ongoing damage to the ecosystem, punctuated by fish no one wants to eat:
When fishermen returned to the deep reefs of the Gulf of Mexico weeks after BP's gushing oil well was capped, they started catching grouper and red snapper with large open sores and strange black streaks, lesions they said they'd never seen and promptly blamed on the spill.

Now, two years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank, killing 11 men and touching off the worst offshore spill in U.S. history, the latest research into its effects is starting to back up those early reports from the docks: The ailing fish bear hallmarks of diseases tied to petroleum and other pollutants.
[...]
A recent batch of test results revealed the presence of oil in the bile extracted from fish caught in August 2011, a year after BP's broken well was capped and nearly 15 months after it first blew out on April 20, 2010.

"Bile tells you what a fish's last meal was," said Steve Murawski, a marine biologist with the University of South Florida ...

(LOTS more at the link...)

Moving north, we find a different kind of vacation destination, one that will also not inspire smiles and happiness, but for different reasons - Michigan has a new museum dedicated to racist artifacts:
The objects displayed in Michigan's newest museum range from the ordinary, such as simple ashtrays and fishing lures, to the grotesque — a full-size replica of a lynching tree. But all are united by a common theme: They are steeped in racism so intense that it makes visitors cringe.

That's the idea behind the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, which says it has amassed the nation's largest public collection of artifacts spanning the segregation era, from Reconstruction until the civil rights movement, and beyond.
[...]
The shocking images exact an emotional cost.

"There's parts in that room — the main room — where it's quite gut-wrenching," said Nancy Mettlach, a student conduct specialist at Ferris. "And the thought that was going through my mind was: 'How can one human being do this to another human being?'"

If you'd like to visit, the museum is located in the "Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education" at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Finally, today being 4/20, the pot references will be unavoidable all day. As most people have come to the conclusion that decriminalizing pot is a good idea, the War On Drugs nonsense is becoming extremely unpopular. It's a waste of money and lives. Like gay marriage, President Obama has been slow to come around to the idea of making it more of a social issue than a criminal issue:
“The chorus of voices calling for a real debate on ending prohibition is growing louder all the time,” Neill Franklin, a former Boston police officer and the executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), said in an advisory. “The time for real change is now, but at the Summit of the Americas President Obama announced more than $130 million in aid to fund the continued effort to arrest drug traffickers in Latin America. This prohibition strategy hasn’t worked in the past and it cannot work in the future. Latin American leaders know it, and President Obama must know it.”

“This strategy is nearly identical to previous national drug strategies,” Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the DPA, said in a media advisory. “While the rhetoric is new – reflecting the fact that three-quarters of Americans consider the drug war a failure – the substance of the actual policies is the same. In reality, the administration is prioritizing low-level drug arrests, trampling on state medical marijuana laws, and expanding supply-side interdiction approaches – while not doing enough to actually reduce the harms of drug addiction and misuse, such as the escalating overdose epidemic.”

“The president sure does talk a good game about treating drugs as a health issue but so far it’s just that: talk,” Franklin concluded. “Instead of continuing to fund the same old ‘drug war’ approaches that are proven not to work, the president needs to put his money where his mouth is.”

It's Friday, ya bastahds. Do what makes you happy...
 

47 comments (Latest Comment: 04/20/2012 22:58:32 by Raine)
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Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 12:47:34
Morning

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 12:52:27
Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 13:08:33
Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 13:14:42
you know what the whole cookie scandal-dujour thing shows me - how ungracious Romney is.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 13:15:50
Good Morning!

It's nice to see the Jim Crow Museum finally come to fruition. I have been using their website as a source of information for a few years.

It's painful but important for people to know.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 13:16:35
customer:

Me:

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 13:18:48
that is a good one...


Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 13:45:42
I need to know what article they are reading from.

Dressage? a Horse chiropractor and a horse masseuse? And Romney has the utter gall to bitch about Obama playing golf?????

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 13:47:02
Quote by Raine:
that is a good one...



Love is a wonderful and very cool thing that takes on many forms. I loved her reaction when he came out to her. 'You're gay? Is that all?" I wish more people were like that. Hell I wish everyone was like that.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 13:47:46
Quote by Raine:
I need to know what article they are reading from.

Dressage? a Horse chiropractor and a horse masseuse? And Romney has the utter gall to bitch about Obama playing golf?????



A horse chiropractor? WTF?

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 13:48:41
Quote by Raine:
I need to know what article they are reading from.

Dressage? a Horse chiropractor and a horse masseuse? And Romney has the utter gall to bitch about Obama playing golf?????



I am speachless

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 13:48:57
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
I need to know what article they are reading from.

Dressage? a Horse chiropractor and a horse masseuse? And Romney has the utter gall to bitch about Obama playing golf?????



A horse chiropractor? WTF?
Yes.




Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 13:54:41
Well...
"The World Cup finals for the elite sport of dancing horses, known as dressage, opened today in the Netherlands without the presence of two of its most prominent wealthy devotees, Mitt and Ann Romney. The Romneys' horse, Rafalca, will compete, however, performing to music personally selected by the Republican presidential candidate."

The article goes on to explain that the Romneys are the owner and financial sponsor of a horse-and-rider team from California. It also notes that through the years the Romneys have owned or co-owned as many as eight dressage horses.


Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 13:55:22
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
I need to know what article they are reading from.

Dressage? a Horse chiropractor and a horse masseuse? And Romney has the utter gall to bitch about Obama playing golf?????



I am speachless



that doesn't NOT look comfortable for the horse! Those are some tight reins and the poor horse looks like he wants to just lift his neck and stretch. that poor baby

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 14:00:30
Quote by Raine:
Well...
"The World Cup finals for the elite sport of dancing horses, known as dressage, opened today in the Netherlands without the presence of two of its most prominent wealthy devotees, Mitt and Ann Romney. The Romneys' horse, Rafalca, will compete, however, performing to music personally selected by the Republican presidential candidate."

The article goes on to explain that the Romneys are the owner and financial sponsor of a horse-and-rider team from California. It also notes that through the years the Romneys have owned or co-owned as many as eight dressage horses.


Wait, they are just the owners? Not a single Romey rides the damn horse? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:01:45
Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 14:04:17
That is some seriously elitist horseshite. They own the horses, but they pay somebody else to compete. Wow. Most of the horse folk I know actually you, know ride the critters themselves.

Comment by BobR on 04/20/2012 14:30:00
I seem to recall hearing Mitt say that Ann rode horses because it helped with her MS.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:30:51
Quote by Mondobubba:
That is some seriously elitist horseshite. They own the horses, but they pay somebody else to compete. Wow. Most of the horse folk I know actually you, know ride the critters themselves.



In and of itself is fine -- but Mitt Romeny is running for POTUS. IF I recall correctly, Senator Kerry got torn to shreds for *windsurfing*



Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 14:35:13
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
That is some seriously elitist horseshite. They own the horses, but they pay somebody else to compete. Wow. Most of the horse folk I know actually you, know ride the critters themselves.



In and of itself is fine -- but Mitt Romeny is running for POTUS. IF I recall correctly, Senator Kerry got torn to shreds for *windsurfing*



Yeah I know. That is the unspoken sub-text.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 14:35:37
Quote by BobR:
I seem to recall hearing Mitt say that Ann rode horses because it helped with her MS.



If is does, more power to her. MS is a bitch.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:37:17
Quote by BobR:
I seem to recall hearing Mitt say that Ann rode horses because it helped with her MS.
He did indeed call it Therapy. I'm not sure if dressage is equine therapy.

that said:
Mrs. Romney is dedicated to improving the welfare of children, locally and internationally. She's involved with Right To Play, formerly Olympic Aid, an international nonprofit organization that uses sport and play as a developmental tool for children in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. She lends her time and leadership to equine therapy programs for physically challenged children, literacy programs for children including the annual Scholastic Reading event, as well as organizations such as Partners for Youth with Disabilities, the American Red Cross, and the Perkins School for the Blind. As First Lady, she also served as a board member of the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund. In recognition for her efforts, Mrs. Romney was the recipient of the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Operation Kids.

........

She is a sports enthusiast and an avid equestrian, having received competitive recognition in dressage events nationwide, including winning the 2006 Gold Medal and 2005 Silver Medal at the Grand Prix level from the United States Dressage Federation.




Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:41:45
HEre is an article about Dressage seems to have helped Romney cope with MS

I don;t begrudge that -- what I find amazing is that the Romney's have never had a concern for accessing the very best health care option available to them. I have an Uncle in a wheelchair in california -- He doesn't have anywhere near the same opportunities that Ms. Romney does.

And Mitt wants to repeal Obamacare.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 14:47:21
So, who watched Frontline this week?

Oh and who watched "Nova" I won't be taking a cruise any time soon thanks to it.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:49:14


It's friday!

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 14:50:19
Quote by Mondobubba:
So, who watched Frontline this week?

Oh and who watched "Nova" I won't be taking a cruise any time soon thanks to it.
I'll have to check that out.




Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 15:03:47
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
So, who watched Frontline this week?

Oh and who watched "Nova" I won't be taking a cruise any time soon thanks to it.
I'll have to check that out.





It will make you rethink your ideas about "expert witnesses" in criminal trials.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 15:06:12
******warning*******








So, Ann is not the only Romney who drew some attention on Worth Avenue this past weekend. Turns out that the good-looking guy in bike shorts and a bike helmet who was knocking on Fiandaca’s door drew a few stares, too.

It was the candidate himself, who, he told Somebody Who Was There, interrupted his bicycle ride to visit his wife during her shopathon at the store.

“We thought it was just a handsome Day School dad on a Saturday bike ride until somebody answered the door and he said ‘I’m here to see my wife,’ and then we realized who it was. It was hard to tell with the bike helmet.”

It’s a good thing he wasn’t photographed. We all know what happens to helmeted presidential hopefuls from Massachusetts.

Apparently, the nominee-
presumptive cut quite a figure in the Spandex, our Somebody said. “One look at what he did for those bike shorts and every woman in town would be voting for him.”

Well, no wonder he’s opposed to gun control. He’s packing some heat!


Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 15:14:34
Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 15:20:40
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 15:31:17
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 15:45:50
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Exactly.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/20/2012 15:55:44
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Exactly.


so that;s what 15k - his daddy will bail him out no time. I don't think he'll skip, they are in for a pound to prove that he was the victim at this point.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 16:00:47
They took away his passport and gave him a GPS bracelet -- evidently he is going to be relocated to another state for his safety.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 16:03:08
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Exactly.


so that;s what 15k - his daddy will bail him out no time. I don't think he'll skip, they are in for a pound to prove that he was the victim at this point.



No, his bond was 1.5 mil the 10% is the 150K

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 16:05:58
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Exactly.


so that;s what 15k - his daddy will bail him out no time. I don't think he'll skip, they are in for a pound to prove that he was the victim at this point.



No, his bond was 1.5 mil the 10% is the 150K

Mondo -- his bond was set at $150,000.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 16:15:43
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Zimmerman out on 150 thousand? THAT is it????????


they only have to come up with 10%, right?

Exactly.


so that;s what 15k - his daddy will bail him out no time. I don't think he'll skip, they are in for a pound to prove that he was the victim at this point.



No, his bond was 1.5 mil the 10% is the 150K

Mondo -- his bond was set at $150,000.



Bond is different than bail. The bond is the surety amount you have to put up to get out of jail with. His bail amount would be 1.5 mill.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 16:32:56
From der Wikipedia:

3.Surety Bond - by a surety bond, a third party agrees to be responsible for the debt or obligation of the defendant. In many jurisdictions this service is provided commercially by a bail bondsman, where the agent will receive 10% of the bail amount up front and will keep that amount regardless of whether the defendant appears in court. The court in many jurisdictions, especially jurisdictions that prohibit bail bondsmen, may demand a certain amount of the total bail (typically 10%) be given to the court, which, unlike with bail bondsmen, is returned if the defendant does not violate the conditions of bail. This is also known as surety on the bond. The bail agent guarantees to the court that they will pay the forfeited bond if a defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearances, so the third party must have adequate assets to satisfy the face value of the bond. In turn, the Bond Agency charges a premium for this service and usually requires collateral from a guarantor. The bail agent then posts a bond for the amount of the bail, to guarantee the arrestee's return to court.[16]


Comment by livingonli on 04/20/2012 16:36:49
Good day folks. I think if I had my way, I would sleep for a week.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 17:22:18
I have checked with America's Newspaper of Record, The New York Times. I stand corrected, George Zimmerman's bail was sent at $150,000. That means his bond amout was 15 grand. The LA Times was wrong when it said his bond was set at $150,000. Mondo apologizes for his error.

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 19:10:34
I am awesome! My apology killed the blog!

Comment by BobR on 04/20/2012 19:36:29
Quote by Mondobubba:
I am awesome! My apology killed the blog!

we were all like

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 20:37:31
Doing yard things...

I still think the amount of money for his release is ridiculously low.

Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 21:13:55
So I missed the beginning of Randi -- but I learned that her AC guy came to her hose and called Trayvona N*gger?

WTF?!?!?

Comment by Mondobubba on 04/20/2012 21:25:26
Quote by Raine:
Doing yard things...

I still think the amount of money for his release is ridiculously low.



Ya think?

:Putting on my dispassionate legal geek hat: Part of the bail review hearing is determing how much of a danger he is to the community at large, is he a flight risk, priors ( I would think), what the bail guidelines for a given charge are etc. Is his bail in line with all that stuff? Yeah probably. When I was doing my wee bit o' bail and bond research, there are things that prevent bail being set excessively high because of due process issues.

Comment by TriSec on 04/20/2012 22:21:51
Afternoon, comrades. There were Mustangs over Fenway today, and I was 40 miles away.

Grumble, grunt, rant, rave.



Comment by Raine on 04/20/2012 22:58:32
Quote by TriSec:
Afternoon, comrades. There were Mustangs over Fenway today, and I was 40 miles away.

Grumble, grunt, rant, rave.

happy 100th anniversary to Fenway!


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