nerditry

Very good reporting by Erika Hobbs of the Orlando Sentinel whose investigative desk has been combing through the vast amount of Central Florida muck this year.

Her article looks into why the State Attorney’s office has decided not to look further into allegations of public corruption by a former official from Orange County Public Schools. As a basketball fan, I was taken to a less than happy place by School District Attorney Frank Kruppenbacher’s statement which eerily mirrors that of NBA Capo di Tutti Capi and Don of All Dons, Commissioner David Stern.

School District Attorney Frank Kruppenbacher said he thinks the allegations against Gaston are “an isolated incident,” but he wants to ensure there were not systemic problems with the school district’s contract and bidding process.

“We did a massive look when this first came out,” he said. “We combed a ton of documents and records and could find no evidence that this was anything other than rogue conduct by one individual.”

Let’s compare that to:

David Stern blamed a “rogue, isolated criminal” Tuesday for a betting scandal that has devastated the league and threatened the credibility of every referee.

A subdued Stern said he felt betrayed by former referee Tim Donaghy, the target of an FBI investigation for allegedly betting on games, including some he officiated, over the last two seasons.

Stern said he believed no other officials or players would be implicated in the betting scandal.

Fun, eh?

I can’t imagine it’s an isolated incident that every one of our public/private groups has problems with people that just can’t seem to separate themselves from the PUBLIC monies they’re asked to manage. As if management of that money entitles them to personal access.

It’s the sense of entitlement regarding money that “comes from nowhere,” so no one will miss it and it doesn’t really “belong” to anyone. There seems to be a great deal of resentment amongst Orlando’s public officials who are reticent to admit that we are a one-horse town and that they have no real control over Disney. No one truly cares about the tech corridor in Lake Mary, or the defense research by UCF because none of those would be there, had the mouse not established our town.

And let’s be frank, Disney is NOT IN ORLANDO. Disney has so much swag, pull, clout, stroke that they operate a tiny, but immensely powerful government known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Good for them because I wouldn’t let anyone in our local government help them decide the ply of EPCOT’s toilet paper.

It’s a two-bit town that is mismanaged from the top, and takes its cues from My Two Dads. Yes, the seminal 80s sitcom with Greg Evigan and Paul Reiser. The one where they both banged some slut of a woman who didn’t know which was the father of the girl the two “roommates” eventually adopted.

The City of Orlando has a mayor, and his name is BUDDY! Orange County has a mayor, and his name is RICH CROTTY! Rich manages to spend a lot of his time on poorly run commissions and authorities, figuring out how he can elevate himself to higher and even more disappointing election to a higher office. Buddy likes to make stupid bets with LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that make our town look even dumber.

These two manage to get less than nothing done in the best interests of Orlando. People that promise us lots of financial benefits from their involvement like Rich DeVos, Cameron Kuhn and Lou Perlman got insanely rich, or even more insanely rich (dead broke as far as Kuhn and Perlman ended up) have their best interests taken care of.

To quote Owen Hart…”Enough is enough, AND IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE!”

He was also a wrestler that died after falling from the rafters into the ring.

Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, to God the things that are God’s, and to Evan sane drivers and a clear left lane…” (Mark 12:13-17)

Rarely do I ever feel like I’m better than another person because we all have deep flaws and a tendency to forget them in light of others’. On the highway, this enlightenment has not reached so far into my brain. Each day I commute with my co-worker J the twenty-five odd miles each way to The Office, alternating weeks and paying $2.50 a day in tolls. It’s a time for small talk or kvelling on the batshit driving scenarios we encounter daily.

Though I’ve done the dirty dance with a guard rail last May 07 (no parties harmed and my car was returned in under 2 weeks), I consider myself an adept driver who is genuinely distressed about the driving habits of others. Riding in the passenger seat half the time allows me to observe and maybe understand the reasons that people lose their minds on the road (Orlando is annually a Top 10 Worst Traffic Champion).

Our country is currently in a thick malaise, emulsified by dirty politics, a lack of direction, no firm goals and bad enough credit that everyone’s lights get shut off. Giving someone the finger in response to dissatisfaction in their driving habits should be put tossed in the garbage at the next gas station. International variations, I admonish you to sleeve the “V” in the UK and pocket the chin-hand-flippy deal in Italy.

One pissed off man’s “V” is the same as a protester’s Peace sign here in the states. Lord knows every Asian person on vacation poses with a Peace sign for the camera.

I present to you, The Thumbs Down. A symbol that leaves no room for interpretation, none for appeal and ripe with knowledge that the presenter condemns your most recent action. An emotional gallows for your lack of turn signal during an exciting session of Driving Whiled Crackberried.

I’ve field tested this and have seen dramatic results. Recipients are immediately surprised as nothing like this has ever been sent their way, as they’ve been in the right, and only assholes give people the finger. But this?





This is a regal judgment. Someone has taken the time to consider your action and has rendered a verdict. This has been a rational process, tenths of a second long and you now bear the mark of being thrown back into the lion’s den as an ancient goyim would.

Friends and readers, drivers, subway riders, bus takers, boarders, take this with you. Employ it. Spread amongst the masses. Take the offense out of telling your fellow travelers that they indeed have fucked up and need to watch that ass in the future, lest I be given reign at the DOT. Peace be with you.

i doubt the lot of you can fathom the strength of snow’s lyrics. canadian? yes. caucasian? obliviously. the greatest reggae act of the 90s next to big mountain? unquestionably.

engage:

Police them come an’ now they blow down me door,
One him come crawl through, through my window,
So then they put me in the back the car at the station,
From that point on me reach my destination,
When the destination reached, it was the east detention, where them
Whipped down me pants, looked up me bottom,

the orlando sentinel & walter pacheco love a submerged car, so much that they’ve run separate front page stories!!! – water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink (orlandosentinel.com)

it’s funny that the happiest place on earf is actually about 15 miles due west of orlando. it’s true, right next to “the magic kingdom” is this fantastic fucking waffle house on lake buena vista drive. for a text version of the important local goings ons, check out this week’s Happytown (orlandoweekly.com)
*read about how orlando hates homeless people!

LOOOOOOOOOST
*straight up and down the chick playing juliette has some killer implants, and she is a bad bitch. when she gave kate the old james bond judo treatment, we all new something else was up for a fertility doc.
*a huge event in finding out about juliette’s role on the island and the implication of claire. this brings up a massive question that monkey wrenches the story for now….

how did Rousseau give birth to Alex on the island? if every pregnant mother’s body starts to crash on her, how did she survive and deliver and does this have anything to do with the sickness that killed her team?

*looks like a hell of a season series to finish. it’ll take a lot for Heroes to come back in two weeks and see the same success.

thanks for everyone that’s reading so far. it means more than you could know that anyone is taking the time to read what i write.

food not bombs: orlando chapter

starting my daily news intake, i visited our local beacon of truth the orlando sentinel. as if the broadcast news didn’t tease with crap nightly, here is a top of the page story from their homepage:

*Man drives into murky pond, dies(orlando sentinel) – i can’t even say that this is a story, as much a statement of fact considering everything necessary was summarized in 6 words.

*george bush does not care about floridians(florida today) – GAO estimates that national guard resources for hurricane response in florida are nearly half of what it could use. hurricane season? about 3 months away.

*florida state legislature honors jeb bush as golden calf (think progress) – our rethuglican state congress pulls and end around so sweet you would have thought they were slippin a new ambassador to belgium past us.