Weirdest Dream lately :
I dreamed I was on the "other side" when my Dad was passing. I spoke to him and made sure he was okay. Then I woke, and knew he was gone. 30 minutes later, we got the call from the hospital saying that his blood pressure had crashed in the last 30 minutes.
Currently working on :
A BTVS related story called "Long Goodbye" which deals with a member of the Watchers Council being vamped as part of an experiment.
Also completing my nanowrimo effort.
A blog for that outspoken and aggressive member of the Buffy Bulletin Board.
Friday, October 10, 2003
Sad, but True.
We've seen it before, where members of the public prove more courageous in standing up to political bullshit (famously with Margaret Thatcher on live TV after the Falklands War and the sinking of the Belgrano) but this sort of thing always makes me smile. There's still some hope for us while people are still willing to speak out.
Friday Oct. 3rd, at Von's supermarket in Bakersfield, one lady in the crowd who had become aware of Ahnold's back-door shenanigans with Ken Lay and co. confronted the governator, when not a single member of the limpwristed American media had the cojones to do so.
It's reported that she shouted, "He's in bed with Kenny Lay, you idiots! It's your money!" There was dead silence for a beat, then came the voice through the loudspeakers, "I suhtunly wasn't in bet wit YOU!" Apparently she responded with something like "But I'm still being fucked by you!" or words to that effect.
Or Stupid White Men, Volume 2
The book goes on sale today, and I'm off to pick up a copy in a few minutes. Much as I do like Mike's work, and have enjoyed his other books and movies, I do wonder that he does such a half-arsed job at times. Is it because he's genuinely unaware of the full story behind his "reports" or is he deliberately holding back because he knows the general public just wouldn't accept the unvarnished truth in some cases?
Whatever the reason, I'll be posting some thoughts on his book later today, or tomorrow.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, (granted not much of one) and congratulate Ahnuld on being elected the new Governor of California.
Ahnuld had often expressed a desire to enter politics, which was lampooned in movies such as "Demolition Man". But his path to the governership really only began in earnest back in May of 2001.
It was at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles. There, Ahnold met with two people to talk about the only thing worth talking about: Money. They were Ken, and Mike. That's Enron evil-dude Ken Lay and convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.
They had a problem, which can be summed up in two words : "Davis. Bustamente."
As almost anyone who has access to real investigative journalism knows, Enron and the power company pirates bled approximately 9 billion dollars out of California through rolling blackouts, price hiking, deregulated profit gouging, and so on.
All good and well for the major share holders in Enron and co., but there was a problem. California's unique Civil Code provision 17200. Called the "Unfair Business Practices Act." By bringing the power companies to court under this act, they would potentially have to pay back the 9 billion dollars.
Heavens forfend! What a concept! Thieves having to give money BACK??? Where would it end?!
A private lawsuit was filed last year under California's "Unfair Business Practices Act." And can anyone name the plaintiff who is taking on the bad guys? It's Cruz Bustamante, the Lieutenant Governor and reluctant opponent against Ahnuld.
While this was in court, the Davis Administration simultaneously demanded that George Bush's energy regulators order the 9 billion dollar refund. Of course, we know that will never happen. Bush's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is headed by a guy proposed by Ken Lay.
Instead, the FERC comes up with an ingenious ploy. They charge the companies with conspiracy but offer to cut them a deal where they have to pay only two cents on each dollar they stole.
That's 2 per cent.
2 single per cent.
Now, I'm not sure about you, but I reckon if I had a share of 9 billion for two years, I could probably earn more than 2 percent, even in THIS economy. So this "pay back" amounts to little more than a one-time-only share in the interest payment.
All in all, sounds like a great plan, and the companies love it. But Governor Davis won't play along with the idea for some reason. So the Governor has to be replaced with someone who WILL play ball.
We can get rid of Davis. We can smear Cruz. But how can you get someone elected who will play ball with this ridiculous settlement?
Hence the meeting between Ahnuld and Lay and the rest. Once he is Governor, he agrees to the settlements with the power companies. When that happens, Bustamante's court cases are finished. No judge will let a case go to trial to protect a state if that state's governor has already allowed the matter to be "settled" by a regulatory agency.
Ahnuld wasn't sure about running initially, but he got the nod by the Kingmakers at the Bohemian Grove earlier this year. Word came down from on-high for other Republican candidates like McClintock to back down, rather than split the rightwing vote for Ahnuld.
California is in debt by $8 billion for the coming year. This deficit is the reason the right wing can destroy Davis. Yet only Davis and Bustamante are taking direct action against the power companies to get back the $9 billion from Enron, Reliant, Dynegy, Williams Company and the other power pirates.
That's why I say, with 9 billion at stake, there's no way Ahnuld will fail to be elected. It's done. It's dusted. See you at the party, victor.
Well my training is still ongoing, and I'm in better shape than I have been for quite some time. My joints are still in danger of giving out on me though, so I'm taking it easy on my knees. It has also caused a problem with an ingrown toe-nail. I guess these sorts of things are common enough for runners. I'll get a doctor to look at it next week, and I may be off my feet for a day or two.
Apparently, I won't find out about my entry to the marathon until the first week in December. If my ballot entry is turned down, then I'll be trying to enter through "Cancer Research UK", as they hold a number of places for charity runners. However, these places can only go for people who are able to raise 2000 pounds sterling in sponsership.
So I'm going to be hitting up people for sponsership money between now and April next year. I figure between work, friends and family, I can get a tenner a head. That'll take me to about 1000. The rest I'll be looking for via blind donation through the net, and making up the shortfall myself.
How do you get what you want, without being a complete bastard
About a week ago, my brother flew in from Amsterdam to surprise my sister on her birthday. It was a great surprise, especially since that weekend, he was coordinating moving into a new apartment in London. His life is really on the up and up right now, and it's only natural I suppose that I'd make comparisons between his and mine. It's also completely natural that he'd come out on top, and I'm slightly envious of the sucess he's making for himself.
One of the things I think that helps him is a certain ruthlessness in dealing with people. For all of my brusqueness in the written word, I tend to be an easy going guy for the most part. And in business dealings, I have always been proud of the fact that the vast majority of people I've worked for and with, have enjoyed the experience. This is important, when you're dealing with a career (like mine) which saw me move frequently from company to company and country to country and back again. You can't burn bridges with someone when you might be back working with them again in six months.
My brother on the other hand, has a way of not just burning bridges when he needs to, but making it look like it's the other guys fault. A useful skill but not one I feel like trying to acquire.
Friday, October 10, 2003
