Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Riffing On The Times 2/16/10

TOP STORIES

Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban’s Top Commander
Commander admits embarrassment to smoking American weed instead of ever-abundant, CIA protected, home-grown heroin

Tea Party Movement Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right
Movement left in paper bag on porch of ACLU - highbrow humor for Tea-Baggers
It’s Not Political, but More Canadians Are Lefties
South-paw canucks save right hand for giving U.S. tourists the finger
QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"That is how we see it. We see that the government in Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the Parliament is being supplanted and that Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship."
SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, to a confused crowd of preschoolers in Nebraska.

WORLD

Half of Town’s Taliban Flee or Are Killed, Allies Say
Remaining half don Burkas and provide incognito comfort for allied troops

Clashes Intensify as Soldiers Push to Hold Key Areas
Turns out desert Khaki is less flattering in suburban Afghan neighborhoods

Afghan Suicide Bombings Less Effective as a Tactic
Minimum damage reported to rocks, sand and the occasional goat

U.S.

In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance
Insurers defend massive rate hikes with, "The banks did it first! I don't hear you going on about the banks! This is sooo unfair! I hate you!"

Excise Tax Loses Support Amid White House Push
Congressmen worried tax on corruption will unfairly target congressmen

Staggered by a Shooting, a Small Biology Department Tries to Regain Its Footing
New double-blind tenure review will be phoned-in from a bunker in Colorado

BUSINESS

India Worries as China Builds Ports in South Asia
Country implements plan to protect border with wall of malodorous curry

Drug Firms Apply Brand to Generics
Aspirin will now be marketed as "The Anti-Cock-Blocker"

Microsoft Starts Over in Phone Software
Marketed as "Window Pane", new phone targets former drug users with flashback-inducing apps.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Riffing On The Times, January 10th, 2010


TOP STORIES


Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail
Cover-up defended as closely following official "CYA" protocol

A Fox Chief at the Pinnacle of Media and Politics
Roger Ailes dons headdress, war-paint, runs in circles making odd noises; wing-nuts do same without question

Ballot Issues Attest to Anger in California
Legalizing marijuana hoped to chill anger, rescue budget

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"Regardless of whether you like what he is doing, Roger Ailes is one of the most creative talents of his generation. He has built a media empire that is capable of driving the conversation, and, at times, the political process."
DAVID GERGEN, a political analyst on CNN, after receiving a healthy offer from Fox.


WORLD

Video Links Taliban in Pakistan to Attack on C.I.A.
Now in heavy rotation on Yo!AlJazeera Raps

Neighbors Challenge Energy Aims in Bolivia
Bordering countries concerned with cocaine-fueled aircraft

Government Is in Peril as Scandal Rocks Ulster
Power-sharing collapses under proposal to ban alcohol from hurling tourney

U.S.

Detroit Entrepreneurs Opt to Look Up
View from bottom of economic ladder leaves no alternative

Recession Spurs Interest in Graduate, Law Schools
Students plan to sue their way out of unemployment, destitution

Reid Apologizes for Remarks on Obama’s Color and ‘Dialect’
Dons black-face and tap-dances on watermelon to show he's truly sympathetic

BUSINESS

Banks Prepare for Bigger Bonuses, and Public’s Wrath
Wall St. gamblers betting you still won't do shit about it

Ford’s Bet: It’s a Small World After All
U.S. auto maker taps Disney song to combat criticism of using cheap, exported labor to bolster domestic profits

Multicultural Critical Theory. At B-School?
Business schools realize creativity essential to separating world's people from their money

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Riffing On The Times, January 9th, 2010

TOP STORIES

U.S. Job Losses in December Dim Hopes for Quick Upswing
Though party still going strong on Wall St.

Courts Whittle Spending Limits in Election Law
Supreme Court paves way, again, for corporate free-for-all

From Battlefield to Ivy League, on the G.I. Bill
Veterans find violence of rugby preferable to serving in the middle east

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"I wasn’t in the classroom anymore. I wasn’t transported all the way back to Baghdad, but I could feel just the rush of emotions that accompanies something like that — the immediate adrenaline rush, the anxiety that comes with it, the hyper-vigilance, when I start trying to become very aware of my surroundings, to ensure that nothing is going to go off behind me."
CAMERON BAKER, an veteran of the Iraq war who is studying at Columbia University, on his reaction to someone accidentally dropping a textbook in the hallway.

WORLD

Across Divide in Iraq, Sunni Courts Shiites
Govt. plans fresh production of West Side Story to soften religious rivalry; music by D.J. Cool Mohammed

U.S. Has Few Resources to Face Threats in Yemen
Govt. to employ Facebook gossip to aid in war on terror

Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan
Airport scanners added to list of health fears Americans obsess over


U.S.

A Newly Frugal Generation Revives Discount Dining
"It's amazing what these restaurants throw away," says unemployed, former student.

Winter Breaks Budgets and Rules the Road
Local governments claim "low-salt diet" increase road longevity, though admittedly not drivers'

By Landing Fleet, Small Port Sets Off a Storm of Envy
Oregon hamlet promises "kadjillion-dollar" tax abatement in race to bottom with other coastal states; sailors promised legalized same-sex marriage & show-tunes streaming at dock

BUSINESS

Obama Tries to Turn Focus to Jobs, if Other Events Allow
Public preoccupation with his nose-hair proves distracting

Unions Rally to Oppose a Proposed Tax on Health Insurance
Say tax on congressional hypocrisy and corruption would more than breach the gap

A Sri Lankan Underdog Battles Global Tea Giants
Proposes actual tea party in Boston harbor; locals confused.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Riffing On The Timew, January 4th 2010

Top Stories

Threats Led to Embassy Closings in Yemen, Officials Say
U.S. leaving only giant target poster on roof behind

Lax Oversight Caused Crisis, Bernanke Says
"Duh, yuh think?" say American people

Next Up on Cable TV, Higher Bill for Consumers
Next up for Cable providers, renewed interest in reading books


QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"Stronger regulation and supervision aimed at problems with underwriting practices and lenders’ risk management would have been a more effective and surgical approach to constraining the housing bubble than a general increase in interest rates."
BEN S. BERNANKE doing his best impression of Alan Greenspan to an audience who's long-since lost faith, trust and interest in the performance.


WORLD

Threats Led to Embassy Closings in Yemen, Officials Say
Investigators think bomb-threat suspicious, considering exam week on Koran

U.S. Intensifies Screening for Travelers From 14 Nations
13 nations ending in 'stan' add Yemen to their roll

4 Afghan War Veterans Look Back, and Ahead
3 reminisce about their service, one is just totally paranoid now

U.S.


Legislators Work to Improve Laws on Runaways
Bill to provide additional funding to banks sure to help, Reps. say

Alabama Democrat Casts His Lot With G.O.P.
Representative Bobby "Good 'Ole Boy" Bright is a Blue Dog with right-wing aspirations

Gauging the Dedication of Teacher Corps Grads
A study found those who fulfilled their two-year Teach for America commitment showed lower rates of civic involvement afterward than those who declined to join or dropped out. (I left this one alone - it's funny enough!)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Riffing On The Times, January 3, 2010

TOP STORIES

U.S. Sees an Opportunity to Press Iran on Nuclear Fuel
Scientists discover alternative energy source in sweat of angry mobs

Yemen’s Chaos Aids the Evolution of a Qaeda Cell
Economic desperation still the best recruiting tool of would-be terrorists


THE SAFETY NET


Living on Nothing but Food Stamps
And you can bet they ain't bankers

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"I went from making $180,000 to relying on food stamps. Without that government program, I wouldn’t be able to feed my children."
ISABEL BERMUDEZ, who then proceed to get into her white Escalade with gold rims and drive to her lakeside condo

WORLD

For Shanghai Fair, a Famous Fund-Raiser Delivers
Huang Di, The American-Eating Dragon, always a crowd-pleaser

Many Karzai Afghan Cabinet Choices Are Rejected
Primary objection is that their name does not end with "Karzai"

Afghans Answering the Call to Fight
Nine f****ing years later

U.S.

Americans Doing More, Buying Less, a Poll Finds
Consumers realize "things" don't buy happiness - world economy collapses

Harvard Teaching Hospitals Cap Outside Pay
Inside pay still at record levels - unless you work for campus support services, in which case you're still treated like a peasant

Fight Against Asian Carp Threatens Fragile Great Lakes Unity
Wisconsin accuses Michigan of Ecological Terrorism. Threatens regional war.


BUSINESS

Real Estate in Cape Coral, Fla., Is Far From a Recovery
Retirees complain they may be forced to die in condos before realizing a profit

Citi’s Creator, Alone With His Regrets
Former CEO Sandy Weill nurses rejection on his 500 acre island plantation. Offers homeless victims of his reign "a nice place to work and live"

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Riffing On The Times Saturday, Jan 2nd, 2010

Top Stories

U.S. Loan Effort Is Seen as Adding to Housing Woes
Geitner discovers bribery doesn't prevent theft

Bomb Takes Heavy Toll at Pakistan Sports Event
Spectators required to check bombs at gate

Fragile Calm Holds in Darfur After Years of Mass Killings
Leaders say population must recover before killing can resume

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"People are starting to see it like drunk driving, and that’s the comparison we need to continue to make."

STEVE FARLEY, an Arizona state representative from Tucson who in 2007 first proposed banning extra-marital affairs for sitting politicians.

WORLD

Security Flaws in Nigeria Draw Notice
Would-be immigrants found stowed in airport baggage claim

After Failed Attack, Britain Turns Focus to Yemen
Empire nearing end of alphabetic list of countries to invade. Zaire nervous.

Standoff in Iran Deepens With New Show of Force
Security forces challenge homosexual opposition to nude wrestling match


U.S.


U.S. Reaction to Swine Flu: Apt and Lucky
Officials cite anti-pig campaign, featuring "Lucky" - the post-viral pig, as key component to war on flu

8 Deaths in a Small Town, and Much Unease
Official explanation still "Re-located for economic reasons."

To Overhaul Immigration, Advocates Alter Tactics
Chain of ever-cheaper "dollar stores" leading south of the border proves successful



BUSINESS


Bills to Curb Distracted Driving Gain Momentum
Drivers agree to just f***ing drive - if you pay them

Time Warner and Fox Reach a Cable Deal
Pay-per-view death-match scheduled: Wolf-Blitzer/Jack Cafferty vs Bill O'Reilly/Rush Limbaugh.

For Some in Japan, Home Is a Tiny Plastic Bunk
Former factory workers find shelter and irony in Barbie's Chinese-made Condos

Sunday, July 27, 2008

7.27.08

Top Stories

Shiite Militia in Baghdad Sees Its Power Ebb
Mahdi Army announces bake sale to improve image / revenue

After Iowa Raid, Immigrants Fuel Labor Inquiries
Meatpackers get "uppity" after reading Sinclair's "Jungle"

Cocaine Sustains War Despite Rebel Losses in Colombia
Sleepless rebels ask for re-supply of disco-balls and satin shirts


QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"The armed groups are like malaria, evolving to resist eradication and killing with efficiency." - Paraquad Militia CEO "Legs" Mcneil in a speech to U.S. Military Contractors Symposium describing proposed use of wheelchairs in combat.


WORLD


In Zimbabwe Talks, Who Will Get the Real Power?
Robert Mugabe will kill for your support

At Least 29 Killed in Explosions in Indian City
Officials deny negligent over-use of curry powder and patchouli

China Doubts Bus Blasts Are Linked to Separatists
Officials claim explosions result of low-quality U.S. imports


U.S.


THE FUTURE OF READING
Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?
Teens ask WTF do U think?

BUSINESS

Congress Sends Housing Relief Bill to Bush
Prez gives relief to negligent lenders, remorse to ignorant borrowers

Can Hank Paulson Defuse This Crisis?
Treasury secretary pitches privatization of profit and socialization of risk

F.D.I.C. Takes Over 2 Banks
Chairman Sheila Bair proposes CFO garage sales to make up bad debt