- Indonesians just aren’t as tough as they used to be. If
they were, then these softies would not be meekly fleeing their homes and
villages just because a minor series of eruptions was spewing rocks and red-hot ash
around. But flee they are as the aforementioned rocks and hot ash fly from
Mount Sinabung, a volcano in northern Sumatra. Three days of this mayhem was
enough to send people a-scattering as the 8,530-foot volcano erupted day after
day after day. Sunday’s eruption was the first after the volcano was dormant
for three years and sent clouds of thick ash flying into the sky while bringing
small rocks cascading down on nearby villages. Just a few small rocks falling
from the sky and threatening to cave in their skulls and potentially destroy
the structurally unsound places of residence was enough to scare the villagers
into abandoning their homes and running for their lives, which may or may not
have actually been on the line. Local authorities seemed perfectly content to
fuel the chaos by preparing temporary shelters for evacuees as additional
eruptions took place throughout the first few days of the new week. Thankfully,
there were at least a few people who weren't going to run scared or stop living
their normal lives just because a volcano chose to wake up and start chucking
rocks and ash into the air. Who were these people? They would be the teachers
and students at a nearby elementary school, where classes continued with pupils
wearing masks to protect them from the ash. Now, if only the rest of the locals
would take a clue from these bold, tiny people and gather some courage to
ignore the falling rocks of doom and keep right on living their lives…….
- Who does embattled boxing judge C.J. Ross think
she’s fooling? After inexplicably scoring Saturday night's Floyd Mayweather
Jr.-Saul "Canelo" Alvarez junior middleweight championship fight a
114-114 draw when everyone with a pulse and more than four IQ points knew
instantly that Mayweather had won the fight by a wide margin, Ross has been the
target of well-deserved scorn, derision and mockery this week. Maybe that’s why
Ross sent Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer an
email saying that she would step away from the sport she has judged for more
than 20 years. Either that or she realizes no one is ever going to allow her to
judge anything more than a street fight between two homeless people for the
rest of her life, but one or the other. "I will be taking some time off
from boxing but will keep in touch," Ross wrote in her email. In truth,
there is no need for her to “keep in touch” because no one wants to her from
her crazy, inept ass. The two other judges scored the fight for Mayweather
117-111 and 116-112 and the fact that Ross blew the judging so badly suggests
she was either a) drunk, b) high or c) the victim of an unannounced lobotomy
prior to the bout. Even Alvarez and his team did not dispute Mayweather's
victory after the fight and Ross was the only one who felt differently. Kizer
was nicer than he needed to be when asked about Ross’ decision, saying,
"We respect her decision, and appreciate her love of the sport she has
served for over 20 years.” Wrong, Keith. No one respects Ross for anything at
this point, not after this fight and especially because it came just 15 months
after Ross ass-hattedly awarded Timothy Bradley Jr. a
split-decision victory and a welterweight world title, against Manny Pacquiao,
drawing worldwide condemnation because many believed Pacquiao had won in a
rout. It seems safe to say that Ross will not be missed……
- The Federal Trade Commission wants you to know it is doing
its part in the broad crackdown on unwanted and deceptive text messages to
consumers with allegedly bogus gift card offers that claimed to be from major
retailers. Several such waves of this phenomenon have hit the United States of
late and the FTC is swinging the heavy hammer in going after those responsible.
In the latest case, the FTC reached a settlement that will require Florida
marketing concern Rentbro Inc. and its two principals, Daniel Pessin and Jacob
Engel, to turn over all their remaining assets. The settlement also imposes a
partly suspended judgment of $377,321, the total received in connection with
the activity in question. Pessin and Engel, both of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were
predictably in hiding and unavailable for comment after the decision. It’s
precisely the way two grown men should react after they (allegedly) sent out
more than 42.5 million unwanted and deceptive text messages to consumers,
saying they were chosen to receive $1,000 gift cards from major retailers
including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target. Unsuspecting consumers were asked for
personal information and instructed to sign up for a number of risky trial
offers, none of which were free, in order to receive the gift card they were
promised. If they were naïve morons, they obliged. Following the campaign of
lies, consumers in March filed eight separate complaints with charges against
29 defendants on accusations that they collectively sent more than 180 million
bogus text messages to consumers. The resulting FTC complaints targeted
defendants who sent the unwanted text messages, as well as those who operated
the allegedly deceptive websites. However, the real culprit here is the
sheer stupidity of the average person who truly should know better by this
point in time……..
- Finding new ways to stretch the dwelling place dollar is
the constant challenge of New York City. Taking a place with extremely limited
real estate and continually finding new ways to jam more people onto an
over-populated island that already holds 6 million people is getting mildly
impossible, but money being pretty freaking valuable these days, landlords are
still trying their damndest. That includes the owners of one building in Harlem
who seem to have taken their inspiration for one of their properties from an
unusual place. That place is an apartment building at 14 Convent Avenue and the
inspiration seems to be any one of the many (overcrowded) correctional
facilities around the great state of New York. This “apartment” building offers
so-called apartments that are very literally smaller than jail cells. These
roomy living spaces are just 100 square feet and barely eight feet wide.
However, listings for open units note that they offer “large
east-facing windows allowing for robust sunlight throughout the day.” Of course,
in an apartment that small, one ray of sunshine for five seconds is enough to
fill the space for a week, so factor that in when deciding whether these
apartments are worth their asking price of $1,275 a month. They are precisely
the type of apartment Mayor Michael Bloomberg has encouraged in recent months due
to the high demand for housing in Manhattan………
- Hell freaking yeah. It is about effing time someone
stepped up and told the NFL and its entertainment arm what they need to hear,
not what they want to hear. For too long, the league has royally screwed up its
halftime entertainment choices at its season kickoff concerts, Thanksgiving Day
halftime shows, Pro Bowl halftime shows and yes, Super Bowl halftime shows. Picking
disposable pop hacks who don’t even have enough material to fill a 12-minute
halftime show has become an NFL specialty and has led to the league running a
steady cycle of garbage acts such as Madonna, Prince and the Hack Eyed Peas
onto the stage at its signature event. The latest choice for a Super Bowl
performer falls right in line with that trend, as popster/faux R&B-er Bruno
Mars was selected to perform at Super Bowl XLVIV in New Jersey. Mars, who is
best known for “Locked Out of Heaven” – a.k.a. “The Song That Sounds Like
Nothing Else on My Album And Is Basically A Shameless Ploy To Rope People Into
Listening To Me Because They Think I’m Something I’m Not” – tweeted "We're Going to the the Super
Bowl!!!!!!! #PepsiSBHalftime” after the decision was announced. Many applauded
the choice because they are mindless sheep and insipid morons, but one group
out there isn't taking the decision lying down. Those people have launched a
petition to have American metal veterans Gwar play at the Super Bowl in 2015
because they believe this year’s Super Bowl halftime show will be “boring.” So
far, 18,000 people have so far pledged support to the campaign and Gwar is
riding high on a wave of positive energy after releasing their 13th studio
album, “Battle Maximus,” this week. "We don’t want another year of sitting
around talking through a muted, boring NFL Super Bowl halftime show,"
campaign founder Jeff Cantrell explained. "We want something different. We
want a real spectacle that only Gwar can provide. Doesn't the NFL want more
viewers? Don’t advertisers want more people paying attention? This way everyone
wins." Everyone does win when a band known for its elaborate
science fiction and horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic
stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and
morally taboo themes gets to spread its message to the masses……..
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