DeweyDevil's Blog

Over the weekend it was announced the JP Morgan/Chase is purchasing brokerage house Bear Stearns for $2 a share. Keep in mind just last week Bears was trading at $87 a share.  In addition to buying Bear JP Morgan also gets a $30 billion guarentee from the government to cover losses from soured mortgages.

I think this reveals the creative accounting these brokerage houses are now using to make themselves look pretty when in reality they are pretty ugly from a financial standpoint.

Next up will probably be  Lehman Brothers. How big of a loss will investors take and how much will the fed have to shell out to cover potential losses here?

Also where are these billion dollar guarentees coming from?

Who is going to pay?

We will see our rebate checks next quarter and if the government has its way you will spend it all.  Boost the economy for a quarter. Put a band aid on a gunshot wound.

All will be fine. Really.

:::::  Wonders how hard it is to get canadian citizenship :::::

 I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

     How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

     Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

     I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

     Pass it on.

     Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

     I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your comp any. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.


     This is their answer to my e-mail:

     Dear Customer:

     Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.

     Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

     Bill Thorn
     Sears Customer Care
     webcenter@sears.com
     1-80 0-349-4358

     Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

     It's Verified ! By Snopes.com at:
     http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp
(shows the entire article)

I never have really followed horse racing. Growing up my neighbors owned a horse for harness racing and all i knew about it was on friday nights the parents would goto the track and I'd hang out with my friend and watch movies and eat junk food.

But the breeders cup race this weekend and the disturbing news kinda touched me in a strange way. George Washington was a beautiful horse who broke his leg during the race.  The had to kill the horse to put the horse out of his misery. But who put the horse into this misery? We did. Why? For money.  It just makes me wonder betting on animals in a race or a fight like roosters fighting or dogs.... is it any  different really?

We take these animals out of their element and train them to do a "sport" for our own pleasure and financial gain. Then they sometimes get hurt in these events and are killed.They are our own fodder. In some ways we play god with these animals.

Now I know dog figting and rooster fights are considered more barbaric because its fighting. But is that not just like boxing but with animals?

We talk about  how we destroy our enviornment alot in the news and with friends. Maybe it starts with the fact that our morals are all messed up because we view ourselves at the top of the food chain and as top dog we call the shots. What we dont realize is planet earth as a whole calls the final shots.

CBS is launching a bold new series called kid nation tonight.

However if you look at this link:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/082
3071kidnation1.html

 

The following snippet is quite disturbing:

Parents of minors starring in "Kid Nation," the controversial new CBS reality show, signed away their rights to sue the network and the show's producers if their child died, was severely injured, or contracted a sexually transmitted disease during the program's taping. The blanket liability waivers are contained in a detailed "participant agreement" prepared by the show's producers and signed by parents. That document, a copy of which you'll find below, also gave consent to CBS and its production partners to make medical treatment decisions on the minor's behalf (including surgery), though the network made no promises about the "qualifications or credentials" of medical professionals that might treat the stars of "Kid Nation," which was originally titled "The Manhattan Project." The show, which debuts next month, features 40 children (ages 8-15) living in a New Mexico "ghost town" for 40 days without adult supervision. Concerns about possible violations of child labor laws have prompted state officials to investigate the TV production. A copy of the participant agreement was provided to TSG by the New Mexico attorney general's office in response to an open records request. By signing the agreement, a parent gave CBS the right to "search the Minor's person and the Minor's belongings (including, without limitation, by x-ray or similar device)." Additionally, the agreement notes, "Kid Nation" participants "will have no privacy," except when they are in the bathroom. Provided, of course, that the child is actually "in the process of showering, bathing, urinating, or defecating." Parents are also asked to attest that their offspring has never been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, and has never had a restraining order entered against them. The agreement also includes a strict confidentiality clause covering media contacts and the disclosure of anything learned during the show's production. If a parent or minor violates these confidentiality provisions, they will be liable to CBS for a $5 million penalty, according to the agreement. "Kid Nation" participants were paid $5000, though some earned $20,000 bonuses pegged to their performance in the program's individual 13 episodes.

 

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CBS addresses 'Kid Nation' controversies

By Maria Elena Fernandez
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 22, 2007

On Tuesday, the brewing controversy over CBS' "Kid Nation," the forthcoming reality television series that placed 40 children, ages 8 to 15, in the New Mexico desert to build a society without contact with their parents for 40 days, became even more complicated.

There are two central issues: whether CBS went around child labor laws and whether the children's safety was at risk during the taping of the show.

Janis Miles, the mother of a 12-year-old girl who was burned in the face while cooking, filed a complaint in June in Georgia, where she lives. She has asked for an investigation into "abusive acts to minors and possible violations of child labor laws." Her complaint was forwarded to Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, who on July 20 posted an item on his department blog revealing Miles' claims and stating he had found no criminal wrongdoing related to the production.

CBS issued a statement to The Times on Tuesday, in part to dispute the "course of action being taken by one parent in distorting the true picture of the 'Kid Nation' experience." The creator of the show, Tom Forman, and a CBS lawyer also defended the production.

"These kids were in good hands and under good care with procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country," the CBS statement read.

The network denied The Times' request to interview Miles. When reached by telephone, Miles said she could not speak without the consent of CBS. Miles has not filed a lawsuit against CBS or Forman's production company, Good Time TV. In an interview, Forman said he is unaware of any other disgruntled parents.

But CBS and the producers are also contending with the public statements of New Mexico state officials, who claim the producers and the network sidestepped child-welfare and labor laws.

At issue is whether Good Time TV Inc. was required to apply for work permits for the children or special waivers that exempted them. State officials say they were required to, but CBS and Forman contend that they did not have to because the children were not employees.

"The cameras are following people through an experience but those people are not working in the same way that one normally thinks of working a job," said Jonathan Anschell, executive vice president and general counsel for CBS Corp.

The children did receive $5,000 stipends, and they competed for $20,000 gold stars in each episode.

Anschell, however, said the stipend and rewards are not considered wages for work because, "It's a stipend for participating in the show. It's not tied to specific output or tasks."

Inspectors from the Department of Workforce Solutions say producers did not follow standard procedures when they denied them access to the set three times to investigate the permit issue. According to spokesman Carlos Castaneda, the production began April 1 and the inspector first appeared on the ranch April 13. The inspector was allowed into an area where producers work, but was not allowed to observe filming. The next day he was not allowed access because it was a "closed set." When the inspector returned Monday, the CBS lawyers had contacted county officials and the attorney general's office, so the inspector left.

Anschell disputed this version of the events, saying that the inspector was allowed on set April 13, took photographs of the children running through a challenge with the crew, and left because Forman was unavailable. Anschell said the inspector did not show up on set again until Monday. By then, local lawyers working for CBS had filed letters with the attorney general's office and other state departments outlining why they believed no work permits were necessary.

Castaneda said none of his inspectors ever took photographs and he wondered why CBS chose to go over his department to the attorney general's office without meeting with his inspectors first.

Anschell said CBS lawyers in New Mexico turned to the attorney general because that office has jurisdiction over the entire state, and added that in that correspondence "there was no indication that we were in violation of labor laws."

But in May 1 correspondence obtained Tuesday by The Times, an assistant attorney general had raised skepticism over the CBS lawyers' interpretation of the laws. In a follow-up letter May 24, after production was over, the assistant attorney general wrote that the point was now moot but asked the lawyers to "involve us in the sorting out, in advance, any possible difficulties" in the future.

When the filming of "Kid Nation" ended and the parents picked up their children, producers met with them to discuss what had transpired over the 40 days and what they could expect would happen next. During that meeting, Miles expressed her concerns over the burns and other marks on her child's body.

Although Miles' complaint lists other children's injuries, including fractured bones, none of the children broke any bones, according to Forman, CBS and several of the participants and their parents. One girl sprained her arm, and she and another child were taken to a local emergency room at different times to have X-rays. No other children visited hospitals during the 40 days, he said, not even the four children who accidentally drank bleach from an unmarked bottle.

The parents of a 14-year-old boy, DK of Chicago, said Tuesday that their son was not seriously hurt and did not want to return home when he got sick from drinking bleach. DK was mixing drinks and picked up the wrong bottle, which was unmarked. Three other children sipped the liquid to try to determine what was making him sick, but they spit it out immediately. (CBS did not release participants' last names, nor those of their parents, to protect the children.)

Although the children were not allowed to call home, a producer called parents every three days to offer updates on the children, and a producer called DK's parents immediately after he swallowed the bleach, his parents said.

Children were allowed to leave at any time and, in fact, "a few" did. CBS has declined to specify how many and has denied requests for any of those children to be interviewed.

From the beginning, Forman knew the "provocative" nature of his show, which is scheduled to premiere Sept. 19, would spark controversy.But he said he was "horrified" at the abuse allegations. "Child abuse is a horrendous thing and it disgusts me that people would take that phrase and throw it around so casually."

 

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These kids will be filmed 24/7?  Child labor laws anyone?

Also I cant believe the parents would willingly exploit their own children this way.

 

Were they conned with the promise of "this will be just like summer camp that they actually get paid for "?

 

Will I watch it? Of course.

But I'll also watch the results of the State Attorney General Investigation.

 

Recently some folks got into an uproar over something their "norton" picked up off of a website. I thought about it and I since I got no warning while visiting this website was I  infected? The answer is no. I am not infected nor did  I get a warning because I do not use norton or any "suite" of products to be my one stop shop for firewall,spyware and anti-virus.

I am not a hacker, but I do know most so called  "hackers" you hear about today are either script kiddies that are just teenagers trying out exe files they found on warez websites or botnet attacks which are dangerous and usually affiliated with organized crime.

So with that said. Do you have a suite of net protection all from the same company like norton offers and I believe mcafee does as  well? If you do and you also invest in the stock market, do you invest all your money in 1 stock or do you diversify? I would assume you have a 401k that diversifies your investment to get you the most reward while minimizing risk?

Well here is something to think about. Microsoft is the target of choice for hackers because its the most popular operating system. Hackers also love these suite or one stop shops of firewall,spyware and anti-virus. Why? Because they only need to really crack one program like your firewall to gain access to the other programs associated with norton  or mcafee or whatever your suite is. Its a domino effect. You also will get alot of false positive readings from these one stop suite packages. Like many did last night while visiting a particular website.

Something to also think about, these suites are resource hogs on your system slowing them down to a crawl at times while they update or scan.

Whats the solution? Have a seperate anti-virus, firewall and spywarekiller program all from different companies and different programmers. So you are thinking man thats gonna cost alot. Well my friends I am about to list programs that are free.

Thats right free!

Keep in mind I have used free firewall, anti-virus and spywarekillers for 6 plus years and have never had an infection on any of my systems and I goto some crazy sites.

So lets start with your firewall.

Microsoft xp and vista offer very minimal protection in their offerings. Think of that firewall as just a toll taker on a bridge. Not really much enforcement there and not much protection.

If  you are a comcast subscriber just goto your comcast.net homepage and sign in and download the mcafee firewall for free. It is a sound program that does a nice job.

If you are not a comcast subscriber try out comodo's free firewall located here.

http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.htmla>

Now for anti virus- if you are a comcast subscriber and are using the mcafee offering for your firewall dont use the same company's anti-virus. You fall into the lack of diversity trap mentioned earlier.

I highly recommend  http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html 

It is not a resource hog and updates its virus definitions regularly and constantly scans your system and e-mail.

Another excellent free offering is http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-virus/u
s/frt/0

Now grisoft-avg is more technical than other offerings and it can be a bit of a resource hog at times but it does an excellent job as well.

Finally- spyware/adware/malware.

Adaware and spybot search and destroy are very popular but in some ways too popular and the free versions sometimes dont update that often.

I will make only one recommendation here.

http://www.spywareterminator.com/

The above spyware scanner works in real time blocking anything it deems naughty.

Although they want you to install their webcrawler toolbar which you dont need if you use the google toolbar.

So in closing feel free to continue using the suite of protection you currently use if you think its best for you.

But there are options out there that have many advantages over a one stop shop.

I want to meet the hacker who can break through 3 different companies programs vs the hacker that can cut through just one companies programming department.

 

The hacker who can cut through three different independent programming departments almost deserves access to my system. lol

 

Blah the blog is acting up....  read everything and the links will take ya somewhere safe I just cant guarentee if they take you to the exact program but they are all good. lol

 

 

 

This weeks business week reviewed a new book out....

Its called " The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. No this is not so much a tree hugger save the planet type book. Its actually a what if doomsday book.

The premise is what if all humans disappeared off the planet tomorrow. What would be our legacy?

How would our "civilization" break down? What would be left?

He took one of our most symbolic "landmarks" manhattan as an example.

If we disappeared tomorrow, within a week the subway system would be flooded because we have people constantly fixing the pump systems down there.... Within a month a river would be flowing down broadway. Within a year buildings would start collapsing in new york city due to the flooding and rust.

The same would hold true in most major cities. Smaller more isolated towns would last a few years maybe a decade or two....

Within 50-100 years most buildings would be reduced to rubble. Nature would once again claim what always was its rightful claim.

Dams would stop functioning, flooding of plains would occur.

Wildlife would creep back or more likely flood back into once densly populated areas using the rubble as nesting or den material...

 

It is very provactive in its premise and  makes you realize...

With all our advancements and wonderous things we do.... Our legacy? The only thing that will survive?

Plastic. It does not break down.

In a million years if aliens were to come and start digging into the ground.... What will they think of the barbie doll and its creators?

 

The book can be found here

http://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Us-Alan-Weisman
/dp/0312347294

 

 

 

Sprint ditches customers who complain too much

 

Sprint Nextel Corp, which recently launched an advertising campaign to attract new customers, is disconnecting more than 1,000 subscribers for calling its customer service lines too often and making what the company called unreasonable requests.

The No. 3 U.S. wireless provider with 53 million customers said on Monday it started sending service termination letters on June 25. Sprint said the cancellations involved 1,000 to 1,200 customers who had called the company about 40,000 times a month in total.

"These customers were calling to a degree that we felt was excessive," said Sprint spokeswoman Roni Singleton, adding the company needed to cull its customer base to improve services.

"In some cases they were calling customer care hundreds of times a month for a period of six to 12 months on the same issues even after we felt those issues had been resolved," she said.

Singleton, noting that mass cancellation letters were not routine, said this call volume was 40 to 50 times more than average customer monthly calls. She would not say how often customers can call before being deemed too demanding.

The company also declined to say what percentage of monthly service calls the 40,000 figure represented.

Singleton said some of the cancellations involved customers who repeatedly asked for information about other people's accounts.

Sprint waived final balances on canceled accounts and gave customers 30 days to transfer their phone numbers to other wireless providers, she said.

"We're working very hard to improve customer service. That's our number one priority," Singleton said.

The termination letters started going out days before Sprint kicked off a nationwide "Sprint Ahead" ad campaign on July 1. Sprint's customer growth has disappointed investors for several quarters after its marketing message was criticized as being confusing and it had network problems after its 2005 purchase of Nextel.

Providers AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc, were quick to point out differences between their policies and Sprint's, saying they very rarely cancel services.

AT&T, the U.S. wireless service with the greatest number of subscribers, sometimes cancels or restricts services for customers for "excessive data or voice roaming on other carriers' networks," according to spokesman Mark Siegel, who said competitors had similar policies.

Tom Pica, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless which is second to AT&T by number of customers, said his company sometimes cancels services for callers who are "extremely abusive" to its customer service representatives. But, he said, this would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Sprint shares were down 32 cents at $21.55 on the New York Stock Exchange early Monday afternoon.

 

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So if you want out of your cell phone service it seems you just need to call customer service over and over and over and over....  Be sure to use your cellphone while doing it. Free airtime on customer service calls.

 

HAHA!

 

By the way, I have sprint for work and verizon as my personal cellphone.

My  unscientific study of dropped calls missed messages and bad reception concludes:

Sprint is like verizon 10 years ago. Sprint has dropped calls constantly, I get voice mail messages a day later and spotty service all over the place.

Verizon while more expensive never drops calls.

Corzine Addresses Global Warming With Gore In Tow

(AP) TRENTON Al Gore, the Former Vice President turned environmental activist, will be on hand Friday when Gov. Jon S. Corzine signs legislation requiring the Garden State to achieve ambitious reductions in emissions of global-warming gases.

New Jersey will become the second state, behind only California, to pass a comprehensive greenhouse gas-reduction law.

"This is the strictest global warming law in the country for two reasons," said David Pringle, campaign director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation. "Because of the mandatory emissions reductions and because of a provision that says out-of-state power producers can't move power through New Jersey without meeting New Jersey standards."

The signing of New Jersey's "Global Warming Response Act" was to take place at The Meadowlands sports complex Friday afternoon, the day before a series of concerts around the world drawing attention to global warming, including one at The Meadowlands in New Jersey that Gore planned to attend.

The legislation requires the state to reduce global warming gases to 1990 levels by 2020, and to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions do not exceed 80 percent of 2006 levels by 2050.

Emissions from fossil fuels, such as coal and gasoline, is a leading cause of global warming. The burning of heat-trapping gases is causing temperatures around the world to rise, glaciers to melt, and sea levels to rise.

Critics of the New Jersey law argued that it would hurt the state's energy industry and that the act contained no specific proposals to lower emissions. The measure nonetheless enjoyed widespread bipartisan support in the Legislature, passing easily before lawmakers recessed for the summer and advancing to the governor's desk.

The act mirrors an executive order Corzine issued in January.

The Live Earth concerts were inspired and backed by Gore's campaign to force global warming onto the international political agenda by generating a groundswell of public concern.

Since leaving politics after his failed presidential run against President Bush in 2000, Gore has focused his efforts on raising awareness about global warming.

Gore's documentary called "An Inconvenient Truth," which is about global warming, won an Oscar earlier this year.

"Vice President Gore has done more than anyone to promote awareness of global warming, and I thank him for his tremendous leadership and advocacy," Corzine said. "I am proud that he will be in New Jersey to witness the signing of this legislation, which places into state law my Executive Order calling for some of the most sweeping reductions in greenhouse emissions in the nation."

Concerts will be held on all seven continents; in Australia, Japan, China, South America, Brazil, Germany and at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Under New Jersey's new law, the Department of Environmental Protection will conduct an emissions inventory, and based on the results, devise a plan to monitor and reduce harmful emissions.

A study by The Associated Press using 2003 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that in terms of total emissions of carbon dioxide, New Jersey came in 16th in the country with 123.7 million metric tons; per capita, New Jersey was much lower, in 40th position.

 

 

 

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Correct me if I am wrong but when this "green" guy got into his accident earlier this year... what was he riding in?

A SUV I believe and I dont think it was a hybrid.

 

Irony.

 

Dan Gross | Forecast calls for a chance of Bolaris blowing back into town LOCK UP your wives and girlfriends. It looks like former NBC-10 weatherhunk John Bolaris is angling to return to the Philadelphia airwaves in the fall.

Bolaris, who's been with New York's WCBS since 2002, did not re-sign with the station, sources tell us. His contract is up toward the end of the year. The weather anchor was recently moved to weekends with newly hired meteorologist Lonnie Quinn replacing him on weeknights, as FTVLive.com reported.

We're told Bolaris has put out feelers to CBS 3, NBC-10 and Fox 29, and there are casual, and somewhat secret, discussions going on.

Friends of Bolaris, a Long Island native, say he misses Philadelphia and is very much hoping to return. He'll only consider a market close to New York, where his daughter, Reina Sofia, lives with momTiffany McElroy, a former NBC-10 anchor who is now with New York's CW station.

Bolaris worked at NBC-10 for 12 years, taking off for New York.

The weatherman declined comment when reached Friday. His agent, Richard Leibner, did not return our calls. A WCBS spokeswoman could not be reached.

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From the daily news....

 

Fox dont do it!  Do you know how much you will have to spend on hair products!!!!

Wrestler Chris Benoit Is Found Dead With Wife, Son (Update1)

By Erik Matuszewski

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- Professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old son were found dead in their Georgia home yesterday, said local law enforcement officials.

The death of the 40-year-old wrestler, a former heavyweight champion once known as the ``Canadian Crippler,'' and his family is being investigated as a murder-suicide, police said. The Associated Press today reported that Benoit strangled his wife, smothered his son and hanged himself, citing a law enforcement official that it didn't identify.

``It's very shocking,'' Fayette County detective Bo Turner said in televised comments to reporters last night. ``Until we get the crime lab reports, it's unclear what happened.''

Lt. Tommy Pope, who is leading the investigation, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

Benoit had performed with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. for the past eight years after starting in the business in 1985. He failed to compete in a pay-per-view title match on June 24, due to what the WWE said during the broadcast was a ``family emergency.''

Share Price

Stamford, Connecticut-based WWE, which stages choreographed matches in which the winner is determined beforehand, has a $1.15 billion market capitalization. Its shares were down 27 cents at $16.11 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 2:58 p.m.

The stock reached a 52-week high of $18.60 on May 3, when the company reported a 60 percent gain in first-quarter profit to $15.1 million from $9.45 million. The company said sales of toys and video games helped drive the increase.

The company said on its Web site that police were asked to check on the wrestler and his family after several friends received ``curious text messages'' from Benoit. When sheriff's department officials arrived at Benoit's house outside Atlanta, they found Benoit's body in a weight room, his wife in an office and his son in an upstairs bedroom, Turner said.

WWE canceled last night's live show in Corpus Christi, Texas, and instead aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit's career on the USA Network, where its matches were the two highest-rated programs on basic cable the week of June 11, according to Nielsen Media Research Inc.

`Crippler Crossface'

Benoit, whose signature move was the ``Crippler Crossface,'' won the WWE's heavyweight championship in 2004 by defeating a wrestler named Triple H.

``Chris was beloved among his fellow superstars, and was a favorite among fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability,'' WWE said in a statement. ``He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and toward his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss.''

Benoit's 43-year-old wife, Nancy, was a manager for several wrestlers, and the two met when they were with now-defunct World Championship Wrestling. In addition to their son, Daniel, who was found dead, Benoit had two children from a previous relationship, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.

 

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One has to wonder what drives a person to commit such horrible acts.

Was it a mental issue?

Could years of possible steroid use be to blame?

 

The purpose of wrestling is to entertain first. We sometimes forget these entertainers are real people with real problems whether they be a face or heel.

 

What is it going to take to reduce the crime in philadelphia?

First we have a record murder rate. Now we have violent sexual assaults on the elderly.

The mayor is blaming the public for not doing enough. His true colors are showing through phildalephia. You not only voted for him but voted for him twice.

So neighborhood watches, whatever happened to them?

Beat cops that walked the same neighborhood everyday what happened to them?

Those two things could help turn the tide.

Some say its a lost cause in west philly.  But will it stay in west philly?  No. It will spread.

Will it take the state to intervene with state troopers?

Let the troopers handle traffic ticket work etc and push the philly cops into the neighborhoods on foot. In uniform walking the beat. Working with homeowners that want to save their neighborhoods.

 

 

 

 

 

If a surprising study out of europe is true there is no need to worry about global warming being the end of the world in 50 years.

According to Albert Einstein we only have 4 years left.

 

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying if the bees disappeared humans would only be able to survive for 4 years.

Bee populations have been devasted for the last few years and no one is sure why. They are trying to point the finger at global warming but that does not add up. Plants initally should thrive with higher CO2 emissions. Bees would have more feeding opportunities and pollenation would help spread even more plants and bees.

That however is not happening. So science was stumped.

Until a recent study found what could be the culprit.

Cellphones.  Yes while one may argue that you should be able to use the cellphone on a plane , german scientists have discovered cellphone signals disable the bees ability to find its hive.  Without enough bees returning to the hive, the hive dies.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/print?id=304492
6

 

So without bees, plants dont get pollenated. The very bottom of the food chain disappears...  The ripple effect moves up the food chain rather quickly. The plant eaters run out of food... then the meat eaters. So whats left?  Sealife? Maybe the dolphins with their smiley faces are smiling for a reason.

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Cell phones possibly causing death of honey bees
April 16, 2007 - Honey bees are dying off, and cell phones may be to blame.

Bees have been disappearing in 24 states, and beekeepers estimate more than a quarter of the country's 2.4 billion colonies have been affected.
Previously, scientists thought dry weather or pesticides may have been the cause, but a new German study shows that radiation from cell phone signals disorients bees.

"When bees are exposed to signals from cell phones, they can't find their way," said Dr. George L. Carlo, chairman of the Safewireless Initiative. "It gets no nutrition and it consequently dies."

Scientists say it's too soon to put the blame on anyone thing.. But, whatever the cause is, it could force a rise in consumer prices on food because honeybees are used to pollinate a third of the nation's agricultural crops.

 

I am normally a big fan of your news department.

However your story that ran today regarding the ex-motel worker being questioned in the killings of 4 women earlier this year I think crossed a line of human decency.

This person has not been charged with anything yet. However you posted his name and a photo of what he looks like.

I am all for reporting the news but this story kinda slides into exploitation to a degree.

If you just wanted to report the police have a new lead and a  person is being questioned but not charged is a former employee of the hotel.... That would suffice until he is actually charged with a crime.

It reminds me of the Atlanta Olympic Bomb fiasco. That guy turned out to be innocent.

Granted this person may be a person of interest etc.... But if it turns out he is innocent then it goes back to that other blog post.. if it bleeds it leads.

This is  a message to Ed Rendell......

Dear Ed,

I am sure it breaks your heart to see what is happening in the streets of philadelphia.

It is obvious the current mayor has lost control of the city. His own district attorney even sees the futility of this mayors final days.

As governor you have the ability to redeploy state police as you see fit.

I strongly urge you to make the call to deploy state troopers in southwest philadelphia's 12th police district to enforce some rule of law.

Let the troopers set up DUI checkpoints in conjunction with philly law enforcement to choke out the ones commiting the atrocities in south west philly. State troopers in patrol cars and philly cops pounding the pavement, block by block each day, every day.

Without the states help philadelphia is on track to be americas deadliest city. That is a title no governor wants in his state.

 

Concerns-

1. Crime- Murder Rate out of control

2. School District- underfunded and not working properly

3. Potential of Mortgage Defaults with the Economy- the recent housing boom many homeowners are going into payment shock with adjustable mortgages resetting and no equity to refinance out of these loans.

 

Solutions-

1. Raise the philadelphia sales tax to 2%. - Put the sales tax on every lunch, dinner and piece of clothing bought. I would exempt automobile and Real Estate from this tax.

If you are paying $1.25 for a soda now would you notice it being 1.27?  No. Also this increases the revenue stream dramatically for the city to fund more police and suppliment educational costs.

2. Issue municipal bonds to cover a special program for home owners that may go into default of their mortgage due to payment shock. Ohio just implemented this program.

The city run program could refinance the homeowner into a fixed 6.75 30 year mortgage.

Why do these two things?  You dont want your homeowners to get foreclosed on. The property tax revenue can be lost rather quickly if the home sits idle for 2 plus years as the foreclosure process drags on. Also home ownership is the most valuable asset in any large city. This is the lifeblood of any city.

The sales tax increase would help create a safer more enjoyable place for people to live and most importantly work.

 

What concerns do you see and what solutions do you suggest?