SAR #14079

"They tell us that we are violating the norms of international law. First of all, it's good that they at least remember that international law exists."  Vladimir Putin

While You Were Not Watching: Crimea! Crimea! Chimera! But not a peep about ethnic cleansing on a "massive scale" in the Central African Republic. Because oil...

Captive Camera: Citizens in Florida are suing the cops for arresting them for photographing and arrest on a public street. Cops in New Jersey got caught photographing people who weren't properly deferential at a Christie town hall meeting. Anonymously filed bill in the Kansas House would let police arrest people who file complaints against them and would prevent appeals to higher authorities. The anonymously filed bill would also outlaw anonymous complaints.

Quoted: “We already have museums for women — they are called malls” Rush Limbaugh.

Mulligans: Toyota has been hit with a $1.2 billion criminal fine and required to “fully admit wrongdoing” in connection with the 2009 – 2010 stuck accelerator recall, after investigation showed the company knew about the problems and did not fix them. The business decision behind this – that paying for a few deaths was cheaper than fixing the problem – is not unique to Toyota – remember the Pinto? And then there's GM and the ignition switch. Ain't capitalism grand?

Just So: “Families Of Missing Flight Passengers Hoping Media Gets Closure It Needs”

I Can't Get It For You Wholesale: New Jersey now prohibits Tesla from selling their vehicles in the state because auto dealers are afraid of the competition. The auto dealers warn that direct auto sales would threaten their livelihood. Another fine aspect of true capitalism, which prefers captive customers to actual free markets. "Our economy is based on the belief that companies should provide the highest quality product at the lowest possible price... " they say, while inserting an unnecessary profit taker between the manufacturer and the customer. What do auto dealerships do? They maximize the amount we pay for cars.

The Takers: Since 2000, Fortune 100 companies have raked in $1.2 trillion in welfare payments from the government. And that does not include any of the bailout money. At least they don't take food stamps... but they could, because corporations are people, right?

Streets Paved With Gold: While the government was busy rescuing JPMorgan, BofA and the other Usual Suspects, it did nothing to prevent the collapse of about 500 small banks around the country. Small banks are key to small businesses, you know, the one's the politicians claim to love so much. But with their disappearance, the economic health of their counties has suffered greatly and continues to do so. Saving the global economy may have been important, but if you live in a small town with a failed bank, the local economy is far more important to you than how Wall Street's doing.

Happy Birthday: Saudi Arabia has had its troops blocking the approaches to tiny Bahrain for three years now, keeping the despised dictator Hamad bin Isa Alkhalifa in power - mainly because of the Saudi aversion to democracy. 
 
Who's Driving This Train? The Pentagon has announced a “multinational training exercise” will take place in Ukraine. Let's hope there are no live-fire exercises.

The Parting Shot:

 Grooved Brain Coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis.