An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Morning Coffee 09/30/08
Stocks open higher after steep sell-off
Stocks are opening higher but financial markets remained troubled a day after the House voted down a proposed $700 billion rescue plan for the financial sector.
A key rate that banks charge to lend to one another is higher Tuesday. That could make banks less likely to lend.
Y’know what this tells me? Wall St knows the Congress isn’t in session today to interfere. No one trusts Congress, people trust themselves. Right now, the Dow is up 260. Get Congress out of the way, we all do find. Perfect? No, but a whole lot better! I have an idea! If Congress wants to bailout ANYTHING, they can all chip in from their OWN money….not OURS!
Bush Urges Congress to Pass Bailout
President Bush urged lawmakers again on Tuesday to quickly approve an economic bailout plan, a day after the House rejected a $700 billion proposal that the White House had negotiated with Congressional leaders of both parties.
Though financial markets around the world plunged after the rejection, the American markets rebounded Tuesday with both the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index up more than 2.2 percent. The Dow was up 235 points after about 15 minutes of trading.
What? Is Paulson Bush’s Svengali? Criminy! What is wrong with that man? We do NOT need this bill. I don’t trust Bush, I don’t trust Paulson, and I damn sure don’t trust Congress!
Sudan 2nd VP security detail rough up BBC crew in New York
The security team accompanying Sudan 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha in New York scuffled with television crew from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Arabic TV last week, a UN diplomat told Sudan Tribune today.
The incident happened following an interview by BBC presenter Luqman Ahmed with Taha as he was leaving. An aide to Taha got into an argument with the BBC staff raising objections about his conduct during the interview.
Gee, don’t these people know ya aren’t suppose to argue with members of the media? They are the know all, be all, of the world! (insert massive sarcasm) Seriously, I get the impression Sudan security is a bit more overzealous than need be.
Judge sentences John Ford to another 14 years in prison
Barring a successful appeal, former state senator John Ford will be 82 to 85 years old when he is released from prison.
U.S. Dist. Judge Todd J. Campbell sentenced Ford, 66, to an additional 14 years in prison Monday for his July conviction for wire fraud and concealment in connection with his receipt of $854,000 from two major TennCare contractors while serving in the legislature.
Rejecting Ford’s tearful plea for mercy, Campbell ordered the sentence to be served consecutively to the 5 1/2 years he is already serving for a separate bribery conviction in Memphis last year.
I don’t get joy from innocent people sentenced to prison. I do feel extremely thrilled when politicians, who used their elected position for personal gain. Right now, I’m hoping my tax dollars will be used for some serious investigation into a quite few weasels in D.C., Barney Frank just to name one.
Moscow museum celebrates Georgia war
The tattered Georgian flags, the NATO-style uniforms and the U.S. assault rifles clutter a small corner of the Russian Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow. They are trophies from Russia’s recent war with Georgia, gathered haphazardly but displayed with a clear message.
“Now people understand who started this,” said Aleksandr Nikonov, the museum’s director. And, he did not have to add, who finished it.
I suppose they can write history any way they want. Kind of odd they’d put in such a display so soon, when the actual problem isn’t exactly resolved though.
Bush spoke with McCain and Obama on bailout
McCain and Obama called Bush in the morning, a day after a $700 billion financial rescue plan was defeated in the House of Representatives.
“Both calls were very constructive, and the president appreciated hearing from them,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. “The senators offered ideas and reaffirmed what they have said publicly — that this is a critical issue that needs to be addressed.”
How constructive could it have been. None of them have a clue how the economy works, and two of ‘em want to implement socialism into the market place. Yeah….real helpful. Pfft!
Atheist sues California prison officials over drug treatment program
Hazle says he asked to be reassigned to a secular recovery program and finally delivered a written appeal to his parole officer, Mitch Crofoot. But, he says, Crofoot told him “all of the programs in Northern California are 12-step programs.”
Three days after Crofoot received the appeal, Hazle was called out of one of the program classes and arrested for violating parole, the suit alleges. He was sent back to prison for four months.
Boo hoo! I guess the druggies can do their full time if they don’t want to participate, and realize that unless they turn over their problem to said “Higher Power”, they’re always going to have that problem. Fine. Rotting in jail without their drug of choice? Not a problem. Sorry, I have NO sympathy.
Iran: Minister admits to fake Oxford degree
“Over the past eight years, I never doubted the validity of the degree and that’s why I presented it in the course of the confidence vote,” wrote Kordan in a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Kordan also said he pressed charges against the unnamed person who claimed to represent Oxford University in Tehran as soon as he realised his degree was fake, said Iranian media.
The degree had been issued for his “managerial and executive experience” and for allegedly submitting a thesis to the university via a person who had opened an office in Tehran, said Kordan.
Wouldn’t this guy know if he had actually written the thesis? Anyway, an “honorary degree” is just a piece of paper, much like a real one, but without the cost involved. 
Tennessee: Survey shows Frist has high name ID
Tennessee’s 2010 race for governor is crowded with would-be contenders, but a new statewide poll shows former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., enjoys a major built-in advantage after two successful statewide races in 1994 and 2000.
Ninety-three percent of the 625 likely voters surveyed said they recognize the name of Dr. Frist, the former U.S. Senate majority leader, while 58 percent said they still view favorably the physician turned politician, who left office in early 2007.
Just 15 percent of poll respondents saw Dr. Frist in a negative light, while 20 percent were neutral about him.
I don’t dislike Frist. Honestly, I think he’d make a pretty good governor, but I think there are a couple of others who could do a bit better…..Fred Thompson and Marsha Blackburn come to mind. 
More than 1,100 arrested in Cal immigration sweep
Federal immigration authorities say more than 1,150 people have been arrested in a special three-week sweep in California.
The sweep targeted those who ignored deportation orders or returned to the U.S. illegally after being deported.
Perhaps securing the border would prevent some of those from returning after deportation? Just a thought. Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice if the gubmint would actually do it’s job, national security, instead of trying to think up new ways to screw over the American people?
Scaffolder who was attacked with bat is in court for arming self with knife
A SCAFFOLDER who was attacked by strangers with a baseball bat, found himself in court after arming himself with a knife.
Ross Hoy, 38, of Caledonian Crescent, went home after being attacked, picked-up the knife and went back out.
But because of the injuries he had received, he collapsed in the street and when paramedics arrived to take him to hospital, they found the knife.
(…)
After getting the knife from his home, Hoy went back out, but collapsed in the street. “There was no justification for him having a knife” said Ms McLeod.
Are they freakin’ kidding???? I’d say he had a LOT of reasons to have protection. What the hell are they drinking over there???
S.S. D.D.
