I can't believe it's not a democracy!

France joins the small but growing list of enlightened nations:

France's Hollande signs gay marriage law. History books will record that this was the only good and decent thing achieved during Hollande's tenure.

Not surprised:

Associated Press says U.S. government seized journalists' phone records. Of course this happened. Probably trying to find out who all WH leakers are so they can start prosecuting them and have a whole ward of Bradley Mannings. I am so so glad I did not vote for Obama for president. Holder was his pick for Attorney General. Period. I only hope that some journalists finally understand what this government is willing to do to keep all leaks from happening and start reporting the shit out of what is going on. With a handful of exceptions, DC is a fucking cesspit that needs a Herculean cleaning.

Since he's too old to go to prison, shouldn't he die soon?

Berlusconi charged with bribing senator -- Prosecutors file corruption charges against former Italian PM for allegedly bribing a senator to join his party.. Click the link to see Berlusconi's "Death in Venice" look. Revolting.

Wow, you know you must be an evil rank piece of shit, when

an organization that manages assets for Catholic institutions worldwide thinks that you incapable of proper corporate governance: Rupert Murdoch must step down as News Corporation chair – shareholders.

Sorry for the light posting.

I am selfishly focusing on things happening in the meat world.  You know, job/career, where I want to live, things I want to do, etc.  And fucking global climate change is fucking with me.  Allergies.  I never had a problem until my 40s, really.  Now, I wake up with red eyes, I feel congested, my ear canals feel swollen/numb/painful...all at the same time.  So I made an appointment with an allergist, but I can't seen him until May 10th--and I made the appointment almost two weeks ago.  It's a really big problem here in New York City, and it's only going to get worse.  All because a relatively small handful of greedy fucking families need more billions to make them feel special.  The blowback...I hope that when it happens, that it is focused like a laser beam on they who deserve it. 

 

Yet another problem--and a serious one at that--caused by poorly made Chinese goods:

Ghana seizes 1m faulty condoms imported from China. Ghana facing 'major public health issue' after condoms supplied to health service found to contain holes and burst easily. Let's see, tainted baby formula, deadly pet food, kid's toys painted with lead paint, dead pigs, ducks, etc., etc. So of course Chinese-made condoms have holes and burst. Have to give them a nod for consistency.

And a rant: I cannot avoid items made in China when I purchase a computer or cell phone (which is infrequently)--all the electronics corporations have outsourced most manufacture to China, or, occassionally, its neighbors, like Thailand. But for everything else, for those products where alternatives are available? I would not buy a thing made in China, particularly anything that is meant to be worn or eaten. How many stories must someone read before they finally understand that the Chinese government does not care about regulatimg its industry? Putting a bullet in some factory foreman's head after something horrible happens does not solve the problem of dangerous goods. But we can help stop this by simply refusing to buy anything made there when alternatives exist. And if you look you will find that for most items--electronics aside--alternatives do, in fact, exist. Not sure? E-mail me your request, and I'll find you an alternative.

Oh christ, they're breeding:

Jenna Bush Hager pushes out a kitten, gives it surprisingly traditional name. Sounds like the baby got her grandmothers' names as her name. I was hoping for a Beyonce Bush, but I sensed I would not get my wish. That said, maybe this one can hook up with whatever Chelsea Clinton eventually squeezes out and they can marry and run for president together! And then the world ends. Enough.

Even the Chinese won't buy some Chinese made products:

China’s baby formula fears spark global restrictions. When Chinese parents are willing to spend big bucks to import foreign made baby formula, we should pay attention.

The most appropriate Thatcher obit I've read so far:

Thatcher’s legacy. It begins: Margaret Thatcher, the friend of Chile’s fascist dictator General Augusto Pinochet and supporter of the apartheid system of racial discrimination in South Africa, has died of a stroke at the age of 87.

Then a few paragraphs later, it adds: Margaret Hilda Roberts embodied everything that is narrow-minded and philistine in the English middle class. She was preoccupied solely with self-advancement and enrichment, owing much of her success to having secured a rich husband. Her political talents, such as they were, consisted of the nasty cunning and ruthlessness of the social climber.

And now her waltz with Reagan makes perfect sense--they really were the perfect partners. I wish I believed in hell, because eternity is forever.

Thanks to JDM for the link.

So I am thinking about getting a smart phone.

Don't know what I will get, but I know what service provider I WON'T be using: SPRINT.  I have Sprint with an "older plan," which apparently ended but no one told me.  I almost never use the phone, but I had to last month because of a family emergency (my nephew broke his leg in three places and had to have surgery). The one time I really needed it, after being a subscriber for 14 years, and for reasons no one can explain, I was charged international roaming charges, and a 27 minute call from Brooklyn to New Jersey cost $99.  And the reps keep acting like it's my fault because of the towers in my neighborhood and because I am on an older, discontinued plan.  No one told me that my old plan doesn't exist any more of whatever.  Not even this past weekend, when I went to the Sprint store to see about upgrading to a smart phone and the clerk asked for my cell phone number to check out my plan.  No, not even then. 

Ok, Sprint is out, which means Virgin and Credo too.  Great.  So what's left that isn't the sociopathic assholes at AT&T (they allowed the government to put equipment in a "special room" to datamine all our communication) or the assholes at Verizon?