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SDPD Intelligence Hires ex-CIA Agent, Targets Somali Community
The same tools and techniques, battlefield HUMINT, can be used against groups other than Islamic gangbangers... ...in fact, I bet it already IS being used against others. And probably not only who you'd guess. Wanna bet, with Bonnie Dumanis running for mayor, and a former SDPD Chief as current mayor, these techniques aren't mis-used for political purposes? Let's just say, for example, the mayor was curious about those people battling Irwin Jacobs Balboa Park Bypass Bridge. Seems to be that he now has some well trained and experienced intelligence agents working for him who can be sent to infiltrate. Oh sure, that's paranoid. Jerry and Bonnie would never do that! Or would they? Time will tell...— August 3, 2011 9:39 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
Don, Twister, All: http://www.theonion.com/articles/drunken-ben-bern… Finally, the truth is told...by America's Finest Source for News, The Onion. Most vivid scene: "He stumbled up to the urinal and started mumbling on about the depressed housing sector or something," said Kampman, who claimed Bernanke had to use both hands on the wall to steady himself. "Then after a while he just sort of stopped and I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying."— August 3, 2011 9:25 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
Thank you, Twister, again, for the kind words. When you describe the indiference of the so-called leadership class, I'm reminded of the tale of the scorpion and the frog. We shouldn't be surprised that scorpions act like scorpions. I'm currently reading Harry Markopolos'"No One Would Listen". Harry, you may recall, warned the SEC 5 times in detail about the Madoff Ponzi scheme and was ignored. We're in a similar situation in San Diego. The truth is obvious, the insiders know the game is riggeed, but no one in a position of real power is willing to be the first to call. So the stakes just keep getting higher and higher. Eloquent writing and speaking, I think, are over rated. This isn't a Little Rascals short where we can put on a play to raise money for camp. I actually believe attention has been paid to many of these issues, and still there is no action. Matt Taibbi, Radley Balko, Don Bauder...among others not so well known, ARE writing the articles and getting them published. What I think prevents action is the fact that most of us realize it's probably too late...Pandora's box is open, the evil spirits are loosed, and only hope remains (and perhaps the cruelest spirit of all is hope). Twister, if you would like to reprint or reuse my comments, you have my permission. I'm gratified. I'll keep writing them. I'm not interested, however, in the work of getting editors and other gatekeepers to publish me more widely. If you're willing to take that on, you've got a deal! Best, Fred— July 27, 2011 9:39 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
That's what yo mamma said... :-)— July 26, 2011 9:32 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
Digging ditches in the San Bernardino summer, no shade, dull shovel and pick, rock and clay dirt...and that jerk never did pay me! :-) -- or -- Burn bags. In the Navy, classified documents must be incinerated. On the Kitty Hawk and Carl Vinson, because I was the most junior guy in the squadron with a secret clearance, the job fell to me. Raking flaming paper back and forth so it's all gone, deep in the bowels of the ship, 90% humidity...and some idiot put map books into the burn bag. Any idea how difficult it is to burn bound books? Well, this is fun, Twister, comparing our awful work histories. But truly, it's only important because it gives me perspective on how good things are for me today. (Sadly, the rest of the world seems to have deteriorated considerably during the same time.) fred— July 26, 2011 9:30 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
At least you had a chicken shed... :-) Seriously, my senior year of high school I slept for awhile under the oleander near the fences of the campus. A chicken shed would have been warmer, but oleander smells nicer. fred— July 26, 2011 9:22 p.m.
U-T, N.C. Times Report Circulation Figures Under New System
Don, I wrote this comment at the UT's site where they made the announcement of the new "Community Editorial Board". http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/24/vo… They promptly deleted it. I've posted it there again, but to make sure it does not disappear for ever I'll share it here too. Paper Cuts Costs and Cuts Editorial Board by Fred Williams In a ground breaking move, the Union Tribune newspaper in San Diego, CA., replaced its paid editorial writers with a group of volunteers. Jeff Light announced the shakeup as part of general cost cutting measures. "Since our editorial board was so lame anyway, we thought we'd put them out of their misery. Then I was clicking around on my Facebook account, and noticed that I've got some friends who would probably write for free." Media analysts applaud the move, which is expected to raise the sale price of the UT. At the moment, the buildings owned by the UT are considered more valuable than the newspaper. "Frankly, chimpanzees writing editorials would be fine with me," said Light. "So long as it fills up that white space between the advertising, I'm good." While detractors claim this new board is far from representative of San Diego, Light was frank with the critics. "Look, dude. No one cares. Who reads this anyway? We're out of here in a year, tops. This is just window dressing to make it still look like a paper so we can unload it on some sucker. You want quality journalism and opinion...check out the Reader, VOSD, or City Beat. The UT is dead...and you can quote me on that."— July 25, 2011 9:23 a.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
So-called, "trailer trash" is the only demographic left which can be openly ridiculed today. Unfortunately, it's also the demographic in which I was born and raised. I had to work like a dog to get out of the trailer park trap, join the military, get an education, build a professional career. Curiously, though there are far more poor whites in America, there are propotionately fewer scholarships and other opportunities for them to escape poverty than other groups who are also protected by hate speech laws from public ridicule. So I got that wonderful combination of social contempt and no hand out growing up. It made me what I am today, which is self-reliant and rather wary of official propaganda. Perhaps it also led to me having a sense of humor and thick skin. Having been kicked by the best of them in real life, hostile online commenters are little more but paper tigers waiting for my match to burn them up. So when I employ the hick accent, (surprisingly difficult to do in writing), I mean no disrespect to the hard working people who live in manufactured housing...they're lives are already pretty tough, and mostly invisible to the decision makers of the world. 'nuff said. fred— July 24, 2011 10:47 p.m.
You Don’t Have All the Answers, Mr. Manager
Hi Michael, I've read your articles over the decades and appreciate your work. This one jangles my nerves a bit. Here's why: Your beginning is fine...the standard report of managers not being trusted by employees because they are aloof, don't solicit ideas, and seem disingenuous or erratic. So far so good. We've all experienced this. You go on to recommend some improvements. Trust. Openness. Listening to employee ideas. Fine. But then you added this: "Get the employees involved in the problem-solving process. Few will have constructive thoughts, yet you never know who may come up with something small that makes a difference. The only way to do that is to meet regularly with workers and have informal chats in the hallways. " What's that? Again? "Few will have constructive thoughts..." Michael, you poisoned the well. This negates the rest of the article. Everywhere else you tell the manager to listen and respect, even trust employees. But with this little wink, you assure them that it's still just a charade. "Papa manager knows best, but pretending to listen to the little dummies will make them happier and more productive, bless their naive hearts." You do say that the employees might come up with something small. How generous of you. The inept managers who employees don't trust probably agree with you. I don't. Surely you recall the manager from the movie Office Space, who does what you recommend. He initiates those informal water cooler conversations, but everyone knows he's only doing it to slide in his infamous, "Yeah, that's great. Hey, ah, you know I'm gonna have to go ahead and ask you to come in this Saturday again. Okay? Great, see you here at nine. Oh, and you can wear casual. Great." That's why employees don't trust such managers. It's too obvious that they go through the motions, pretending to be the things you recommend, while simultaneously agreeing with you that it's only for show and the employees aren't likely to have any good ideas to contribute...listening makes them feel better, but changes nothing in reality. I hope you understand my point and don't take offense. If that one line hadn't been there, I'd never have written a comment. Best, Fred— July 23, 2011 9:52 p.m.
Wall Street Thrives on Main Street Pain
Twister, I shall respond with the nadir of negations... I don't see anything you've written to or about me that is offensive. I've gone back and tried my best to take umbrage, but failed. So you have to try harder! Don't you know how commenting and forums work, especially for the anonymous? I recommend the following: 1. Ad hominem. Sure it's Latin, but just cause you're too stupid to understand it doesn't mean the rest of us don't know what it's for. Dummy. 2. Straw man. You say the world is in a bad way. But when I looked out the window this morning the sun was rising and birds singing. Your argument is therefore baseless. 3. Repetition. You're a poop. You're a poop. You're a poop. Please, Twister, do yourself a favor and in the future limit yourself to these three methods of proper argumentation. Your conduct so far on these boards has been abominable, neglecting to demean others, refusing to write rubbish, steadfastly resisting strawmen...time to shape up, son. Now get out there and write some appropriate comments for our day and age! Enough with your literate, intelligent, thoughtful approach to the issues. I expect less, much less, from you in the future. Regards, Fred Williams (an obvious pseudonym) :-)— July 23, 2011 9:27 p.m.