Random News Stories

[Junkenstein]

http://consumerist.com/2013/04/08/worst-company-in-america-final-death-match-bank-of-america-vs-ea-part-ii/

NEW YEAR, SAME OLD PROBLEMS
It's been almost five years since Bank of America acquired Countrywide and Merrill Lynch, and all the toxic mortgages and mortgage-backed securities that came with those deals. And every year since, BofA has been criticized by consumers, advocates, lawmakers, regulators, and everyone's Uncle Eddie for failing to clean up that financial porta-potty.
Last year, BofA was doing a bad job of responding to consumer complaints. That didn't change in the interim, with the bank coming in last on the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, or its back-of-the-pack ranking for replying to consumers who registered complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Meanwhile, BofA showed its dedication to customers by cutting its ATM network by around 10%. So you can thank the bank every time you pay a fee because the BofA ATM that used to be there is no longer available.
For years, we've been writing about BofA foreclosing on the wrong house or having private property improperly seized. Did that stop? Apparently not, as agents for the bank did things like vanish with homeowners' classic muscle cars.
Let's not forget some old fave BofA moves, like screwing up a homeowner's loan adjustment so that she somehow ends up owing $14,500 more when it's over, or refusing to acknowledge that your mom has passed away.
And it's not just consumers that had problems with BofA. In addition to being responsible for the largest chunk of the $25 billion nationwide robosigning settlement, BofA has been sued by investors, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, and the U.S. government — though of course, not a single criminal indictment has been brought against a BofA exec (or any Wall Street biggie) for its part in the mortgage meltdown.
Meanwhile, BofA was caught interfering with the foreclosure review process (before the government just handed the process over to the banks anyway).
Hell, even CEO Brian Moynihan seems to openly regret his predecessor's decision to acquire the failing institutions that have since resulted in more than $40 billion settlements and legal costs.

[Junkenstein]

http://dawn.com/2013/04/10/pakistan-successfully-test-fires-hatf-iv-ballistic-missile-2/

Pakistan showing North Korea how to sabre-rattle.

[Junkenstein]

http://www.examiner.com/article/breastaurant-trademark-texas-restaurant-trademarks-racy-name

Doug Guller, CEO of ATX Brands LLC, owns Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill, and he announced on Tuesday that he has trademarked the term "breastaurant." It is trademarked throughout the United States Patent and Trademarks Office. That means his company is the only one that can describe itself using that word.

"We're really excited about receiving this federal trademark," Guller said in a statement. "Our team has worked hard over the last seven years to offer a unique experience to our fans. It just further solidifies that Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill is America's ONLY breastaurant."

The "breastaurant" trademark will go with Guller's chain that has locations throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. It isn't the first time he has been in the news like this though.

Back in July 2012, Guller purchased an abandoned town known as Bankersmith, Texas in Kendall County. It is about two hours distance from Austin, and he bought it off of Craigslist and planned to turn it into a seasonal tourist destination.

Once everything was finalized, Guller renamed the town "Bikinis" in honor of his restaurant.

So, this is a thing. Well I say this, of course institutionalised sexism is a thing. This just seems a little more overt and asking for a lawsuit. Not sure from who first but I'm fairly sure it's coming.

[Junkenstein]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo took "step one" Tuesday in responding to the arrests of two state lawmakers, opting to stiffen penalties and create new criminal charges that would help district attorneys prosecute public corruption.
Flanked by his counsel and several downstate prosecutors, the governor announced proposals to make it easier to prove government bribery charges; prevent anyone convicted of a new class of public corruption offenses from ever holding office, lobbying or taking an interest in a company that lobbies or does business with the state; and create a "duty" for public officials to report corruption if they see it.
"I want to strike while the iron is hot. A crisis is a terrible thing to waste," Cuomo, a Democrat, said. "Today we start at the beginning, and we start with stricter and more effective criminal deterrence."

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Cuomo-offers-anti-corruption-act-4421148.php

I can't wait to see all the exciting changes this will fail to bring. I'm pretty sure most of that shit is actually already illegal. I'm fairly confident that if this passes not a single soul will be charged with it. Between plea-bargains and the standard of lawyer anyone caught in this level of corruption is likely to be able to retain, this strikes me as a colossal fucking waste of time.

In fact, I suspect it may just fuck over lower level officials for negligence to report (Spot and whistleblow on) corruption. Which again, I'm pretty sure is a crime.

[Junkenstein]

Lengthy, but amusing:
http://moneymorning.com/2013/04/09/could-gold-and-silver-coins-become-legal-tender-in-your-state/

Confidence in the U.S. dollar is so low that 13 states are poised to recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender.

Arizona is the latest state set to make the move.

Monday, the Republican sponsored Arizona measure sailed through the House of Representatives 36-2. The bill moves on for another vote in the Senate, where it got its first nod Feb. 28 in a 17-11 vote.

Should it land on Gov. Jan Brewer's desk, it's good as gold.

Sen. Chester Crandall (R-AZ), the bill's sponsor, says the move "is the logical thing for the state of Arizona to do."

The bill doesn't mean residents will pay for groceries and utilities with the coins. It's more of a backup plan that provides "a lifeboat for Arizona so that we can construct Plan B" when paper currency is no longer widely accepted.

Utah led the way in 2011 when it sanctioned bullion as currency with the Legal Tender Act.

Throughout history, every single instance of money printing and substantial increases in a country's debt has always led to the destruction of paper currency and a depression among the citizens that live through it.

At least, that is what Utah lawmakers found when researching the benefit of gold and silver bullion as legal tender.

Utah's passage was spurred by the U.S. Federal Reserve's money printing, massive debt accumulation, and $220 billion annual interest due on the debt.

Worries of the U.S. dollar losing value, hyperinflation and an economic collapse all supported the move. Lawmakers argued that gold and silver bullion will continue to keep their value because they are sound currencies with no debts attached to them.

Missouri shared that sentiment when it proposed The Sound Money Act in April 2012. Its passage also was motivated by the belief that the U.S. dollar is burdened by heavy debt and losing value as that load grows.

"Today, the citizens of Missouri are one step closer to having the value of their investments, savings and currency protected from inflation and manipulation by the Federal Reserve Board and the federal government," Rick Danker, Economics Director of American Principles in Action said following the bill's approval.

"This is great news for the cause of sound money, not just in Missouri but for other states seeking to use their constitutional authority to make gold and silver coins legal tender," he added.

South Carolina lawmakers took up the discussion in March 2012.

"I'm no financial expert but I am smart enough to know that you can't keep printing money when it has no backing," Republican Rep. Mac Toole told Fox News at the time.

There is something about gold as a currency that seems to turn particular people into some kind of King Midas on crack crossed with an Austin Powers villain.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Confidence in the U.S. dollar is so low that 13 states are poised to recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender.

Arizona is the latest state set to make the move.

That's because we're RETARDED.  The constitution already allow states to do this, so does federal and state law.

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

[Cain]

Yeah, but how else can they show Obama and all those liberals that the Gold Standard is the best thing ever?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Yeah, but how else can they show Obama and all those liberals that the Gold Standard is the best thing ever?

It just bothers me that this many governors have never actually read the constitution.  It doesn't SURPRISE me, it just annoys me.

Or maybe they HAVE, and they know their base HASN'T, and this is just a nice, safe, and totally cynical ploy to show what great states' rights yahoos they are.

[Junkenstein]

Rational actions part 22297171/KH -

Jorif went into the maternity ward at Virginia Hospital Center last week and got into an argument when he was told he couldn't go into a patient's room, police said.
More from NBCWashington.com
Jorif allegedly pulled out the knife from his waistband and used it to bang on a door before tossing it into the patient's room, according to police.
Investigators said he'd gone to the hospital to tell the woman her baby's father couldn't visit because he'd just been arrested.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/10/17683265-police-meat-cleaver-thrown-in-maternity-ward?lite

Nothing says "He can't make it" like a meat cleaver thrown at you.

And Rog, it's the latter. Don't promise things that haven't already been delivered.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

And Rog, it's the latter. Don't promise things that haven't already been delivered.

Possibly.  Jan Brewer was involved, so there's an even chance it's pure derp.

It does make an interesting opening move to getting the Rand-tards back on board, though.

[Cainad (dec.)]

Make a public show of your defiance by doing something that you're actually allowed to do, but framed such that the public assumes you're being rebellious. Then, when you don't get prosecuted for it, it looks like a win for you. Pretty shrewd, if that much thought went into it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Make a public show of your defiance by doing something that you're actually allowed to do, but framed such that the public assumes you're being rebellious. Then, when you don't get prosecuted for it, it looks like a win for you. Pretty shrewd, if that much thought went into it.

Brewer didn't think it up...She loves over-the-top theatrics, but she simply isn't that smart.  Some of her PR wonks are, though.

[LMNO]

Well, as dad said, "always hire people smarter than you."

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Well, as dad said, "always hire people smarter than you."

The perfect employee is 20% smarter than yourself, with insanely low self-esteem and/or no leadership ambition.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Well, as dad said, "always hire people smarter than you."

The perfect employee is 20% smarter than yourself, with insanely low self-esteem and/or no leadership ambition.

This is why I never have a problem finding a decent job.