(and, no, this is not meant to be me)
I appreciate all the great questions commenters have put forth. I’m headed out this morning and I’ll try out a number of them as I go. The results, of course, will be posted.
In the meantime, let’s all hope that vile, dog-murdering scum, Michael Vick gets the 18 month max it appears that his deal will allow.
And, since I’m driving first through the desert before turning north, and since no one in LA’s City Hall, City Council Chambers, or the County Supervisors’ Office has done anything particularly scandal-worthy for at least ten days, we turn for our Weekly Scandal Fix to…… California’s high desert, where it seems the Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency Board of Directors is in UP TO NO GOOD!!!
(This shocking story is courtesy of excellent commenter Pokey)
According to the Hi-Desert Star (“working to serve you better since 1957”), as a result of a year long investigation, the district attorney’s Public Integrity Unit has caught members of the water board doing the following felonious deeds:
1. Persuading a dead man to sign a contract an hour after said man has expired! (Nope. Not joking. Check it out.)
2. Engaging in quite profitable—and quite illegal— conflicts of interest!
3. Attempting to hide all of the above in a pretty darned clumsy fashion!
Whoa-a-aa, baby!
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Will talk to you next from the road.
I would like to point out that the above picture is NOT Ms. Pokey.
There are a number of large hand made signs in people’s yards urging people to recall the water board in a special election coming up on Aug 31.
But now that the DA has starting charging board members with felonies it seems pretty clear which way the recall vote will go.
That swim suit should discourage most men from inappropriate touching.
On Michael Vick, the sports stations in Atlanta received a lot of phone calls, and what surprised me (but shouldn’t) is that some of the black callers thought that the feds went after Vick because he was black and successful.
My roommate before I was married was an active Democrat (talk about the Odd Couple.) He was later appointed to serve on the water board (not the torture type) and later the whole bunch of board members were caught submitting false or exaggerated travel and expense reports. Did I mention that they were Democrats?
BTW, is that swim suit reversable?
BtW
Two women use this picture to advertise their desertland.com business. They are sisters who sell raw land that they buy cheaply at tax auctions etc.
Amazing how many dog lovers (and I’m one) want to throw the book at Vick. Somehow, all that talk of prison reform goes out the window. Hey maybe we could get him together with another notorious incarcerated celeb – Mr Vick meet Reggie!
Even though I agree with prosecuting Michael Vick, because he was breaking the law, dog fighting and cock fighting continues to be a sport in many countries.
Japan:
Dog Fighting: Under modern rules, dogs fight in a fenced ring until one of the dogs barks, yelps, or loses the will to fight. Owners are allowed to throw in the towel, and matches are stopped if a doctor judges it is too dangerous. Draws usually occur when both dogs won’t fight or both dogs fight until the time limit. There are various other rules, including one that specifies that a dog will lose if it attempts to copulate.
South America:
Dog fighting is widely practiced in much of Latin America, especially in Argentina, Colombia and many parts of Brazil.
USA:
Dog fighting was once completely legal and was sanctioned and promoted during the colonial period (1600s through 1776) and continuing through the Victorian era in the late 19th century.
England:
For over six hundred years the pastime flourished.
In Latin America, where they glamorize bullfighting and the bullfighters, it’s not a big leap to jump to dogfighting. Hemingway notwithstanding, any “sport” where an animal is killed to show the “skill” of a trained opponent, human or another animal, is just unbelievably barbaric for this day and age, and should be outlawed. In Mexico a friend dragged me to a bullfight years ago, and after the first bull was killed, I had to go and will never get that awful picture out of my head.
Pokey, haven’t heard about dogfighting in Japan, but I’m not totally surprised, since that ultra-civilized country has a streak of cruelty underneath, too. But sounds like with doctors on hand, the losing dogs aren’t murdered in the gruesome ways that Vicks’ dogs were. That premeditated cruelty makes even most blacks interviewed condemn him.
COMPTON:
Dog fighting has been a continued illegal past time among local gang members and their low income spectators. At past events, upset gamblers will fist fight and shoot each other over lost wages. Nevertheless, you cant beat watching a pit-bull lock jaws on a opponents dogs testicles. Aside from Disneyland and Magic Mountain, this is one of many California attractions worth your money.
Wimington:
Cock Fightering, a weekend past time commonly suppported by your local paisa clubs and Mexican Nationals. No bet is too large or nor too small. The thrill of the night comes at the moment that the losing cock gets its neck slashed to check for BBs bearings or pellets.
What were the sources of those references, Poplock?
The source – ME
Maybe it’s me, but I couldn’t figure out what COMPTON and Wimington were.
Wilmington CA is down by the docks of LA
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Wilmington,+CA,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title
Compton CA is south central LA