SAR #15204

The Great Recession, not natural gas, was the main factor in the drop in CO2 emissions. We didn't get better, we got poorer.

Look! Over There! Bill Cosby's attorney is complaining that one of Cosby's victims is not honoring the terms of her confidentiality agreement. Seems fair, Cosby didn't honor her either.

Ladies And Gentlemen: Do not be misled, the inevitable drowning of Miami and New York and so on will be quite discomforting for millions of inconvenienced people, but it doesn't come close to the horror show that the continued absorption of carbon dioxide into the oceans of the world will produce. Acidification is the term. It leads to decalcification – as in oysters and shrimp and their cousins will not be able to build shells and dying. And corals. And lots of other things, including us.

Comply or Die; The New York police commissioner wants to make it a felony to resist arrest, even if the arrest itself is unwarranted or illegal resisting it makes it legal. And a felony.

Flagged: Belatedly, the Navy has acknowledged that three admirals have been “censured” in a hushed-up bribery... scandal. Certainly it's no crime, for two of the three were allowed to retire as admirals rather than go to jail, while one lost a star and was sent packing. All get to draw pensions, rather than serve time in the brig. Seven others have plead guilty of either offering or accepting bribes - envelopes of cash, high-end electronics, lavish travel and accommodations, and prostitutes – in exchange for Naval contracts. These guys were too dumb to do what Army generals have done for decades – rig contracts and then retire and then go to work for defense contractors they have given deals to while on active duty. 
 
Guest Services: Hackers have demonstrated that they can remotely take control of a vehicle while you are driving it. Today's special: About half a million Chryslers. I'm waiting for the app that lets them drive the car off somewhere and find place to park, then brings it back for a few bucks. Or a few hundred, whatever.

Civics Lesson: The first thing you have to understand about the American justice system is that there is no such thing. And there's damned little of that famed trial-by-jury stuff either. The way it works is that the cops decide you are guilty, arrest you and deliver you to the DA who meets with a public defender you've never heard of and only met once for about 12 seconds. There is none of the mythic “innocent until proven guilty.” You were arrested. They decide what you are guilty of and how much time you will do and then your lawyer tells you to take the deal or the DA will get mad and really slam it to you. Then you are led away, with the theme music playing over the credits. No trial. No defense. Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir. And most assuredly, no one in the whole system is innocent, except possibly you.

An Apple A Day: The rational and free stock market knocked $62 billion off Apple's market value in six minutes, even though it managed to sock more than $202 billion away for a rainy day. Go throw a dart.

Check's In The Mail: A major earthquake centered on San Francisco is overdue, is expected “any day now.” Has been. Will be.