- Hey everybody, major news flash: the IRS is inept and ineffective, can you believe it!?!?! This may come as a shock to you, but in addition to its slowness, insensitivity, lack of responsiveness and general disdain for taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service also does a poor job identifying tax-exempt groups that may have ties to terrorist groups, according to a report by the office of the Treasury Inspector General. I am shocked and appalled to learn that a fine, upstanding and efficient organization such as the IRS does a poor job of anything. Other than losing my tax return this year and taking four months and running to get me a refund that I am due, all the while feeding me a dozen different excuses and showing all the enthusiasm for getting me my refund that Rosie O’Donnell shows at a salad bar, I can't think of a single reason to doubt the competency of the Internal Revenue Service. Just because their heads are shoved so far up their collective arse doesn’t mean that they screw things up, except for the fact that they continually f’up everything in sight. The true stunner will be if and when the IRS does something correctly and on time……….
- When our justice system is on its game, it takes a bite out of the real criminals among us, those who are a threat to society and need to pay for their misdeeds. For example, when you have a nearly century-old former mobster living in a retirement haven in south Florida filling his days with bingo, shuffleboard and the early bird special at Bob’s Big Boy, you need to bring the smack down on his hardened criminal arse big time. Albert Facchiano, a 97-year-old convicted mobster, has been sentenced to six months’ house arrest after pleading guilty to federal racketeering conspiracy and witness tampering charges. I’m not sure exactly how a 97-year-old dude intimidates potential witness, other than threatening to beat them with his cane and choking them with the chain on his eyeglasses, but so be it. No word on whether Albert will be allowed out of his house for the condo shuffleboard tournament or the early bird special at the Sizzler, but something tells me that in sentencing him to house arrest, the court is hoping he’ll kick the bucket before the end of his sentence and they won't have to waste money and jail space incarcerating him. Still, kudos to this guy for still being gangsta enough to have the federal government coming after him on major criminal charges when he’s nearly at the century mark of his life.
- College basketball coaches are hard driving and dogmatic by nature. They have to go hard after potential recruits and fight like heck against the other schools trying to recruit prized players, but there comes a time when that dogmatism and relentless pursuit need to be switched off, which is a lesson Florida A&M coach Mike Gillespie Sr. doesn’t seem to know. Police in Tallahassee, Fla. arrested Gillespie on a misdemeanor stalking charge Friday, although he was later released on a $1,000 bond. The arrest came after a woman phoned police to tell them she was being stalked Thursday night and Friday morning. Gillespie was nabbed during the day Friday, and apparently this isn't his first foray into the realm of being a creepy, weirdo stalker. A police report states that Gillespie has been investigated several times for stalking since March 2005 and had received numerous warnings from law enforcement to change his behavior. Then, once he was arrested, he twice refused to tell police his side of the story, which certainly doesn’t do anything to disperse the dark clouds of suspicion hanging over his head. This stalking tendency should do wonders for recruiting at A&M, because what parent wouldn’t want their son going to play basketball for some creepy 56-year-old dude who has a habit of stalking people and then lying about it? Stop following random women around, Coach, and learn that if they don’t want anything to do with you, you need to respect that and leave them alone.
- Not sure what to make of the return of ABC’s new series, Traveler, this Wednesday, May 30. I watched the pilot a few weeks ago and it was interesting enough to watch again, but my optimism is balanced by the knowledge that the show doesn’t have any sort of time slot of scheduled night for the upcoming season on ABC. In fact, one piece I read said the series won’t be a part of ABC’s 2007-08 lineup, but I have to believe that’s faulty information, otherwise why bother bringing it back for eight weeks this summer. At this point, the show has to have at least some life in it and a shot to be included in the network’s lineup at some point, be it as an in-season replacement or otherwise. Here’s hoping enough other viewers tune in so that the suits at ABC are encouraged by the ratings and give this promising series a real shot. Tune in Wednesday night at I believe 10 p.m. and see what should be good viewing…….
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