Bahrain: tightening up after 10 years of sorta, kinda loosening up…
As usual, it takes a government official to explain just what’s going on:
“The reform project leaves no excuse or justification, whatsoever, to illegally express opinions that harm the nation,” Deputy Prime Minister Ali bin Khalifa al-Khalifa said.
Gorilla says: “An oily fate when stuck with the fifth rate!”
The CIA certainly is, so long as you’re an Afghan government official who knows something!
What’s profoundly stupid in all this is that no one in CIA human resources seems to realize that they’re getting nothing for the money: no functioning government, no defeat of the Taliban, no real control over most of the country, and no end in sight to another pointless war.
Gorilla asks: “When we will get qualified employers?”
Jay Brinkman, chief economist, Mortgage Bankers Association: “It takes a paycheck to make a mortgage payment”.
Gorilla translates: “Except in Washington, where you can be unemployed, foreclosed, and out of benefits, and nobody will do a damn thing for you”.
Russia’s not happy about US attempts to extradite the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The suspicion on the US side is that the Russian government is protecting Bout, while the Russians may be worried that Bout will spill the beans in a US court.
It’s hard to assess which side is being more breathtakingly hypocritical.
Russia and America are among the world’s largest arms dealers, and they, like Bout, have certainly provided weaponry to some very dubious regimes.
Gorilla says: “The reset button is reading tilt again!”
Amazing!
Is the solution to do something about poverty or about depression in poor women?
Of course not, that would be rewarding failure, something the greatest country on earth simply cannot abide.
Gorilla says: “Wake me when a study concludes that reality demands answers!”
How the pointless war in Afghanistan continues:
A top level official being investigated for corruption is, wait for it!, also on the CIA payroll!!!
And another priceless quote from the usual anonymous American official:
“If you want intelligence in a war zone, you’re not going to get it from Mother Teresa or Mary Poppins.”
Gorilla says: “And you’re not going to get it from the Afghan or US governments either!”
A new skyscraper is approved, to bring on the firestorm of architectural critics…
Sure, King Kong was all shot on a studio back lot, with remarkably forward looking yet unconvincing stop motion animation, and there was less titty displayed than at the strip club near “Ground Zero”!
But the City Council decided it was worth the risk, and thankfully no Muslims had to be villified, defended, or marginalized, they probably hate Penn Station as much as every New Yorker…
Gorilla descends into pastiche: “The times they aren’t a changin’!”
As Atrios always says: “Nobody could have predicted…”
Durable goods: up 0.3% (consensus forecast: up 3.0%)
Those not transporting us to nowhere: down 3.8% (consensus forecast: up 0.5%)
New home sales to come, the consensus is up 334,000, the guess here is 250,000!
Gorilla says: “Acapulco, here we come!!!”
Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda: “I am watching currencies with great interest”.
Gorilla translates: “I beg you, please, less interest in my currency”.
Florida: A menage of dickheads.
Arizona: Who cares?
Alaska: Who cares?
Gorilla’s Blog