SoCalDem
SoCalDem's Journal""...You f---ing Americans. Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world..."
So sayeth Standard Chartered Bank
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/06/us-standardchartered-iran-idUSBRE8750VM20120806?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=71
Standard Chartered left U.S. vulnerable to terrorists
REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Mon Aug 6, 2012 1:46pm EDT
(Please be advised that paragraph 4 contains reference to language that some readers may find offensive)
By Jonathan Stempel and Carrick Mollenkamp
(Reuters) - A rogue Standard Chartered Plc banking unit violated U.S. anti-money laundering laws by scheming with Iran to hide more than $250 billion of transactions, and may lose its license to operate in New York State, a state banking regulator said on Monday. Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the state's department of financial services, said Standard Chartered Bank reaped hundreds of millions of dollars of fees by scheming with Iran's government despite U.S. economic sanctions to hide roughly 60,000 transactions from 2001 to 2010. Lawsky's order quotes a senior Standard Chartered official in London who, upon being advised by a North American colleague that its Iran dealings could cause "catastrophic reputational damage," reportedly replied:
"You f---ing Americans. Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world, that we're not going to deal with Iranians."
Lawsky said the unit of the London-based bank was "apparently aided" by its consultant Deloitte & Touche LLP, which hid details from regulators, and despite being under supervision by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other regulators for other compliance failures. The bank's actions "left the U.S. financial system vulnerable to terrorists, weapons dealers, drug kingpins and corrupt regimes, and deprived law enforcement investigators of crucial information used to track all manner of criminal activity," Lawsky said in an order made public on Monday.
"In short, Standard Chartered Bank operated as a rogue institution," Lawsky added.
snip
Dear Mr. Romney,
I understand that you are a tenacious tax-fighter (at least for your own family). Maybe you could do me a favor.
As you can see from the information below, the tax evaluation for OUR California house is in some need of "adjusting" like you have been able to do on YOUR California property.
I realize that we are not beachfront in LaJolla, but since this is our MAIN investment, it's as valuable (to US), or maybe even MORE valuable than just "one-of-many" houses like YOU have.
Could it be that people like you who "adjust" their taxes downward, might just be a reason why California is struggling so much in this time of massive foreclosures? (Foreclosed houses do not contribute to the tax base).
Maybe your beach-house's adjusted-downward tax rate is affecting MY bottom line..
C'mon Mitt, pay your fair share..
................................................................
Duers.., you can see how YOUR taxes have fared by using Zillow for your address and then clicking "details"... Has YOUR evaluation gone down as your property devalued?
Putin calls for leniency in Pussy Riot trial ( REAL headline)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/World/Putin-calls-for-leniency-in-Pussy-Riot-trial/Article1-907896.aspxPutin calls for leniency in Pussy Riot trial
Guardin News Service
Moscow, August 04, 2012
First Published: 01:37 IST(4/8/2012)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked a Russian court to be lenient toward feminist punk band Pussy Riot, calling into question Russia's notoriously politicised court system.
Putin criticised the band's appearance in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February, where it performed an anti-Putin "punk prayer" to highlight the Orthodox Church's support for the president.
"If the girls were in Israel and insulted something in Israel, it wouldn't be so easy for them to leave," Putin said. If they "desecrated some Muslim holy site, we wouldn't even have had time to detain them", he added.
snip
Chick-fil-a parodies, for your viewing pleasure
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-wilstein/the-7-funniest-chickfila-_b_1731508.htmland if you want another laugh click this one
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/15/7-unintentionally-sexual-optical-illusions_n_1674433.html?utm_hp_ref=funny-pictures#slide=1226434
Here's an interesting year-by-year statistical comparison
at the bottom, just keep clicking "next year"..
the link goes to 1980..but you can use any year as a starter..
note the Dow... and the "debt"
http://www.1980sflashback.com/1980/Economy.asp
ABC news.. Romney Puts Horse-Sized Distance Between Himself and Dressage
Some of the comments are HILARIOUS 
link to article after the comments
Posted by: di | July 26, 2012, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
As a resident of Massachusetts, I’ve seen Romney’s lack of principles up close and personal. He looks nice and acts sincere, but he’s neither. I’m sure he didn’t think twice before he threw his wife and her horse under the proverbial bus, denying even having an interest in her success. If he thought it would get him elected, I have no doubt he’d turn the horse over to be rendered as glue, and probably his wife, too!
Posted by: DavidE | July 26, 2012, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
When did Mrs. Romeny’s therapy horse become a world class sport horse? How many times a year does she receive a”theraputic” riding from this horse who is professional trained, riden and shown for the Romney’s? Oh yes is this considered a tax deductible medical expense? Theraputic riding horse plus care and training? Wonder if BCBS covers this?
Posted by: JD | July 26, 2012, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
Romney is so weird. He doesn’t know when the dressage event takes place, but he knows he won’t be watching it. Why in God’s name not? I bet he’d be there if weren’t running for president. He’s just saying, “I don’t care to share this moment with my wife because some voter somewhere might think it’s effete.” He’s a pathological panderer.
...........................................
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/romney-puts-horse-sized-distance-between-himself-and-dressage/
Much is made during the Olympics of the robust support systems needed to send an Olympian into competition. The parents, families and employers who rally around their athlete to get them to the games. The village it takes to make Olympic dreams come true.
snip
In an interview with NBC News Wednesday night, Romney spoke of the experience of being in the Olympics with the disengaged tone and shrug of a husband who doesn’t quite get his wife’s hobby. “It’s a big, exciting experience for my wife. I have to tell you, this is Ann’s sport,” he said. “I’m not even sure which day the sport goes on. She will get the chance to see it, I will not be watching the event. I hope her horse does well. But just the honor of being here and representing our country and seeing the other Olympians is … something which I’m sure the people that are associated with this are looking forward to.”
But it was just recently that Mitt Romney was one of “the people that are associated” with team Rafalca. During the Dressage World Cup in April, Rafalca performed to music personally chosen by the Republican presidential candidate.
snip
Tastes like freedom.......Cinnabon comes to Libya
Posted By Allison Good Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - 12:13 PM
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/08/01/cinnabon_comes_to_libya
On July 2, Cinnabon made history, becoming the first American franchise to open a location in Libya. The 7,500 square-foot bakery-cafe in downtown Tripoli also sells Carvel ice cream and is the first of at least 10 locations franchisees Arief and Ahmed Swaidek plan to open in Libya in the next four years. Cinnabon, which already has locations in major Middle East markets, also wants to expand into Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Libyan Cinnabons are slated to "feature classic menu items as well as 'locally created' sandwiches, salads and baked goods," along with cakes and pies imported from Italy. Focus Brands International, Cinnabon's overseas expansion partner, also works with other fast-food chains like Moe's Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky's, and Auntie Anne's pretzels. No word yet on whether Libyans will get to experience the wonders of giant pretzels or Tex-Mex in the near future.
Mittens is T.S.T.B.P.
Too stupid to be president.
I don't mean inherently stupid, but stupid from the standpoint that he's been running for president actively since he challenged Kennedy for the senate seat in 1994.
He did not have a fire in his belly to be a Massachusetts senator. He was looking for a way to weasel his way into government in the most expedient way possible, so that he could then leapfrog his way to the White House.
What 1994 would have taught most intelligent people was that they would HAVE to "clean up" their financial dealings, so they would be presentable/acceptable to the masses.
This could have been done pretty easily by immediately changing the way he sheltered his wealth , and by doing up some REAL charitable works...charity that did not go entirely to the Mormon church, and then straight off the taxes. (right pocket-left pocket giving is not all that).
In 1999, when he "saved" the Olympics he forgot that MOST people are only ever involved in the Olympics through their TVs and most will never travel to or be able to afford tickets to ever GO to one. And. he "saved" the Olympics with GOVERNMENT MONEY...money we all paid to the government via out taxes.
The whole Olympic-thing was just a diversion for him...a way to go back to his "real" home-state and curry favor with the Mormons there who would be on the receiving end of all the permanent goodies left behind after the Olympics cleared out.
The Utah goodie-basket benefited many businesses & communities, at the expense of the US government .
His public persona was elevated enough then to parlay the adventure into the governorship of MA.
Most of the articles I have read about his tenure as governor, lead me to believe that he was not all that thrilled to even BE governor.. It was another stepping-stone on the pathway to the White House. Apparently he spent most of the last part of his term prepping for the '08 election.
The '08 election should have been the real eye-opener for him, since he dropped out rather than "waste" his own money. Had he been willing to pour his own money into it he might have outlasted Huckleberry & Walnuts, but always the pragmatist, he bailed out.
Every one of these adventures would have taught lessons to a "normal" person, but then Mittens is not a "Normal" person. He does not learn. He just does the same thing over and over, and seems oblivious to the fact that he is an unlikable, boorish anachronism.
His tactics work perfectly in a world where he is the CEO/CFO/single stockholder/Boss-man/El Jefe. In a world where consensus, persuasion and empathy are required, he is a total loser.
He cannot learn what he cares nothing about. His money cannot buy empathy, compassion or connection.
His money can buy car elevators, businesses to pick the bones from & then trash.
His money can buy fancy houses & $100 million dollar trust funds for his slacker-sons.
His money can buy Republican primaries
His money cannot take away the stupid...
RIP Tony Martin (wow he lived to age 98)
http://www.news.com.au/news/butterscotch-baritone-dead-at-98/story-fnejlvvj-1226439035652
'Butterscotch baritone' dead at 98
AP
July 31, 2012 4:08AM
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/news/butterscotch-baritone-dead-at-98/story-fnejlvvj-1226439035652#ixzz2297sY14L
TONY Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s, has died, aged 98.
Martin also sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century.
He died of natural causes on Friday evening at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said yesterday.
A peer of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Martin sang full voice in a warm baritone that carried special appeal for his female audience. Among his hit recordings were "I Get Ideas," ''To Each His Own," ''Begin the Beguine" and "There's No Tomorrow
snip
Another NFL suicide.. (Titans player)
A guy named Murdock.. he was only 25
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/07/30/oj-murdock-dead-suicide.ap/index.html
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