Imagine you haven't been paid for a month, despite working in a chaotic, hectic, almost demeaning situation. Part of the scenario is that the "primary company" sold another part--at a loss--and part of the transaction entailed having ALL 300+ employees fired by the new owners. Many of the now-fired employees were owed back-pay dating back several months.
Now you're in the "primary company"--which is under investigation--and you're getting very familiar signals. Your pay? No, it isn't happening. Instead of a check, you get a memo. And the latest one says...well, Let's be more specific, shall We?
Yocasta Brugal is the demonstrably-incompetent and proven liar """leading""" the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSOM). Here's a rundown of topics The Jenius has highlighted that place Brugal MenDacious and her lying liars squarely in the category of "Serial Useless Bullshitters":
--This Is My Business Now...wherein the whole Brugal MenDacious and lying liar horde are thrust into The Jenius's sights, where they never should have been in the first place.
--Yocasta Brugal: SJBullshitter?...wherein I suggest--clearly--that Brugal is an MD as in MenDacious.
--Yocasta Brugal: Incompetence Recognized...wherein the MenDacious Moocher is defined as a useless lackwit and her "hidden" flaws are becoming apparent to The Jenius.
--If True, Then Kick Yocasta Brugal & The Board Out NOW...wherein the cracks in Brugal's leprous leadership leatherface are defined--correctly--as oozing the pus of corruption.
--Yocasta Brugal Should be Fired...wherein Bullshitter Brugal is revealed to be running (into the ground) the SJBSOM with a revenue that is 17.5 times less capable than the average private medical school.
--22,848,733 Reasons To Fire Yocasta Brugal & The SJBullshitters...wherein the SJBSOM's very suspicious lack of federal research funds and very suspicious profits are revealed as more aspects of the absolute incompetence and bullshitting that have become the hallmark of Brugal MenDacious and her lying liars.
--Bitch-Slapping Yocasta Brugal, The SJBullshitters And The LCME...wherein The Jenius pinpoints--no, nails--the horrendous performance of Brugal MenDacious and her whole hyena horde to the wall and accurately spreads some of the blame to the Liaison Commission on Medical Education (LCME), who were hypocritical at best in striking down the SJBSOM's accreditation.
--Memo to Yocasta Brugal: I Was Right...wherein I rub, smack, stomp, scrape and crush Brugal and the SJBullshitters with the fact that I was RIGHT about them, their shady actions and negligence.
--Yocasta Brugal: Fire Her Now...wherein even after the LCME was forced to reverse its decision and re-instate the SJBSOM's accreditation, I point out--with 100% accuracy--that nothing would improve until Brugal MenDacious and her lying liars were fired with prejudice...and by "fired" I didn't rule out actual flames.
--Stiff Yocasta Brugal & Her Lying Liars...wherein I suggest the students avoid registering because the Hospital sale seemed...odd. Quite odd.
--Yocasta Brugal Has Screwed 570 People...And Counting...wherein the Brugal Bullshit Bus of Thieves sells the Hospital the SJBSOM needs to provide what few clinical resources they have, not only screwing the 300 Hospital employees (fired), proving Me right again, but also the 270 students, many who lost interviews and positions in residence programs.
Now back to the latest memo that "pretends"--in an openly dishonest and lying way--to "explain" why the employees of the SJBSOM are not getting paid. Again.
According to a comment left in the Comments section of Yocasta Brugal Should be Fired, the reason employees didn't get paid this time was...the global economic situation.
NOT Brugal's undoubted and irrefutable incompetence, NOT the useless passivity and irrefutable cowardice of the SJBSOM Board of Directors (Long may they hang from the highest yardarm!), NOT the total and irrefutable negligence of the SJBullshitters, NO, none of that: it's the world's fault SJBSOM employees have to go home-again--unpaid.
When the evidence is added up, it is beyond any shadow of a doubt--any whatsoever--that Yocasta Brugal in her role as SJBSOM """leader"" is incompetent, negligent and a liar.
Period.
The phrase is well-worn by now, but it is unbelievably more relevant now than it was in October 2011: Fire Yocasta Brugal MenDacious. Fire her.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
19 April 2012
Money Matters: Idea 001
I've read several ideas about changing society's relationship with money, from giving people lump sums (from gift to zero-interest loan, $10,000 to $10 million) to canceling debts (student loans, mortgages) to invading a big country with enormous resources (that one was aimed at you, Canada.)
But Let's take the basic concept of fundamentally raising a society's economic average with barely one stroke and apply it to My Island. To frame the possible solution, We have to take into account that by global standards, My Brethren live in relative wealth, but by "Our standards," We are the poorest bananas in the bunch.
The reason I write "Our standards" is that We seldom compare Ourselves to Ourselves (how much progress We make or don't make versus Our past performance); We compare Ourselves to the 50 States of the richest, most powerful nation in history (even if it is in decline, it was all that.) So "Our standards" are skewed from "Our Island" to "Their Global-Motor Economy," a comparison akin to saying "Our electric fan versus that hurricane."
The fact is, We are not the U.S. of part of A., they treat Us like property, pillage profits from Us at a rate that would absolutely warm a pimp's heart and We are so wrapped up in Our desperate need to be taken care of that We fail to understand and thus act in Our own best interests.
But I digress. What's My plan to insert money into Our economy and make that "one wave of the magic wand" change?
Every adult in Puerto Rico is to receive $50,000 a year, non-taxable, for 10 years.
Before the why, here's the how:
At age 18, a person leaves fingerprints, retinal scans and a DNA sample and can begin receiving $50,000 a year at that time or any other time they choose. Shades of Big Brother, but it cuts down on fraud when you have that much ID evidence.
The money is given in one annual sum, the month of your birthday. Once you start receiving it, you have to continue receiving it, for any stoppage (death or request) ends the sequence. You are free to use the money in any way you choose.
At the same time this $50,000-a-year program begins, welfare--all welfare--is phased out over a 3-year period. No PAN, WIC, federal subsidies or any other social support, except unemployment, which is reduced every year by 10% until it is 40% of what it is now and then rises according to cost-of-living and capped at a maximum of 24 weeks. Health reform programs would continue and be expanded.
No one--no one--is allowed to receive more than 10 years, nor is it allowed to change the length of the 10-year sequence nor the amount of money given yearly. This is a de facto $500,000-over-10-years and it will not change until the first decade is complete. Then the amount given increases by the lesser of 10% or the inflation rate as evidenced by "Cost of basic goods" prices (food, gasoline, clothing, basic health care, rent, etc.)
If a person runs for elected office at any level, s/he cannot receive the $50,000 and renounces receiving it if still within their 10-year period. If still receiving the $50,000, any government employee, appointee or contractual hiring has his/her salary/fee capped at $50,000.
Prisoners cannot apply for their money while they are in prison. Once out, they can receive their money, but if they return to prison, they lose their future monies. And only residents of Puerto Rico with at least 5 years of proven residence are eligible, or can become eligible, to receive the money.
Now the whys:
1) Why $50,000? Because according to federal studies, a family of 3--notice the number--needs at least $44,700 to begin "climbing the economic ladder," rising from "lower class" to middle and upper. With $50,000, a local family could make that ascent, given that Our cost of basic goods is about 11% higher than Stateside.
2) Why 10 years? Because it focuses the person on doing something now with the money, or establishing it as a savings account to improve their future. Risk-takers could take their chances and the less risky can play it safe, but the money would be an incentive either way. If you want to start a business, great: you have a basic cashbox. Want to invest in mutual funds and use compound interest to become a millionaire? Great. Want to take your money and travel the world? Fine. Want to blow it all on drugs, gambling and drinking? Perfect. Hopefully you'll die before the decade is up.
3) Why non-taxable? Because it frees up use of the money for active investment or savings and forces the government to come up with ways to enhance the use of money in order to tax the increased revenue. Governments need taxes to function, but the incentive now is "tax whatever and spend whatever." With so much untaxable money, the incentive becomes "How to attract and support growth" rather than "How can We slice this pie to death?"
4) Why 5 years of residence prior to getting the money? Do you, Brethren, want to see an influx of millions of people just coming here to cash in on Our cash investment? Thought not. If you don't spend 5 years here, you can't say you have enough experience or concern for this Island to accept Our money and be trusted to use it wisely. Not that there;s any way to ensure it's used wisely, but why give it to Juanitos-come-lately who'll take it someplace else?
5) Why "No more if you say 'Stop'? The purpose of this money is to transform the economy now, not serve as some stop-gap measure when you get in trouble. That's called welfare and it doesn't work as a long-term economic solution. For another, becoming successful enough to not need the money becomes a badge of honor and a major pre-requisite for elected office, so We cut down on the "do-nothings" that use politics to line their pockets. And lastly, even a benefit should not be unilaterally imposed on anyone.
Where is the money coming from?
To give every adult in Puerto Rico $50,000 a year amounts to roughly over $116 billion a year. Round it up to $120 billion what with all the support systems. Heck, crank it up to $135 billion to cover future expenses. Who has that kind of money?
Banks. With an interest rate of 2%, banks would be receiving $22-28 billion a year, and the principal can be repaid from...wait for it...taxes and fees collected in Puerto Rico.
Not new taxes, but some new fees. The tax base stays the same (not very likely, but play along), but the revenue rises as there is more money spent, invested and created in and through the Island. And what new fees would We add? Let's add by subtraction, eliminating current incentives, which give away practically-free power and water to major companies. When the business world hears that a major--and I mean, MAJOR--consumerist society like Us is getting $50,000 per adult to spend as s/he wants, Our doors will be battered by frantic knocking.
Will We generate enough tax revenue to cover roughly $130 billion a year? Why not? Think of what will happen with an injection of roughly $115 billion into Our economy in one year. That alone roughly triples Our Gross National Product (GNP), which means a major change in the Island's socioeconomic profile. Can you imagine the buying spree unleashed as most of Us turn this money into empty wish fulfillment? I daresay every major retailer in Puerto Rico would quickly adopt a 24-hour schedule and roughly double its employment base. Not to mention Disney World would see profits rise 20-25%.
Note I mentioned a buying spree. Corporations here are woefully under-taxed now and get free rides on other expenses to boot, so under the new system, with a greater number of purchases, more tax money would come into government coffers. Not to mention that personal income, even without counting the $50,000, would rise as the average income increases from the lack of welfare "stay-at-home" incentives and business expansion. And the current federal transfers could be eliminated in exchange for a more liberal trade policy, allowing Puerto Rico a better chance to expand its market reach and economic potential, instead of crawling along its belly as it does now.
WiIl this plan work? Why not? And if you disagree, what's yours?
The Jenius Has Spoken.
[Update: 26 April 2012: Happy Birthday, Zoila! From the good people at LearnVest comes this little tidbit: the new "price" of happiness is a $50,000 salary. I claim no psychic powers.]
But Let's take the basic concept of fundamentally raising a society's economic average with barely one stroke and apply it to My Island. To frame the possible solution, We have to take into account that by global standards, My Brethren live in relative wealth, but by "Our standards," We are the poorest bananas in the bunch.
The reason I write "Our standards" is that We seldom compare Ourselves to Ourselves (how much progress We make or don't make versus Our past performance); We compare Ourselves to the 50 States of the richest, most powerful nation in history (even if it is in decline, it was all that.) So "Our standards" are skewed from "Our Island" to "Their Global-Motor Economy," a comparison akin to saying "Our electric fan versus that hurricane."
The fact is, We are not the U.S. of part of A., they treat Us like property, pillage profits from Us at a rate that would absolutely warm a pimp's heart and We are so wrapped up in Our desperate need to be taken care of that We fail to understand and thus act in Our own best interests.
But I digress. What's My plan to insert money into Our economy and make that "one wave of the magic wand" change?
Every adult in Puerto Rico is to receive $50,000 a year, non-taxable, for 10 years.
Before the why, here's the how:
At age 18, a person leaves fingerprints, retinal scans and a DNA sample and can begin receiving $50,000 a year at that time or any other time they choose. Shades of Big Brother, but it cuts down on fraud when you have that much ID evidence.
The money is given in one annual sum, the month of your birthday. Once you start receiving it, you have to continue receiving it, for any stoppage (death or request) ends the sequence. You are free to use the money in any way you choose.
At the same time this $50,000-a-year program begins, welfare--all welfare--is phased out over a 3-year period. No PAN, WIC, federal subsidies or any other social support, except unemployment, which is reduced every year by 10% until it is 40% of what it is now and then rises according to cost-of-living and capped at a maximum of 24 weeks. Health reform programs would continue and be expanded.
No one--no one--is allowed to receive more than 10 years, nor is it allowed to change the length of the 10-year sequence nor the amount of money given yearly. This is a de facto $500,000-over-10-years and it will not change until the first decade is complete. Then the amount given increases by the lesser of 10% or the inflation rate as evidenced by "Cost of basic goods" prices (food, gasoline, clothing, basic health care, rent, etc.)
If a person runs for elected office at any level, s/he cannot receive the $50,000 and renounces receiving it if still within their 10-year period. If still receiving the $50,000, any government employee, appointee or contractual hiring has his/her salary/fee capped at $50,000.
Prisoners cannot apply for their money while they are in prison. Once out, they can receive their money, but if they return to prison, they lose their future monies. And only residents of Puerto Rico with at least 5 years of proven residence are eligible, or can become eligible, to receive the money.
Now the whys:
1) Why $50,000? Because according to federal studies, a family of 3--notice the number--needs at least $44,700 to begin "climbing the economic ladder," rising from "lower class" to middle and upper. With $50,000, a local family could make that ascent, given that Our cost of basic goods is about 11% higher than Stateside.
2) Why 10 years? Because it focuses the person on doing something now with the money, or establishing it as a savings account to improve their future. Risk-takers could take their chances and the less risky can play it safe, but the money would be an incentive either way. If you want to start a business, great: you have a basic cashbox. Want to invest in mutual funds and use compound interest to become a millionaire? Great. Want to take your money and travel the world? Fine. Want to blow it all on drugs, gambling and drinking? Perfect. Hopefully you'll die before the decade is up.
3) Why non-taxable? Because it frees up use of the money for active investment or savings and forces the government to come up with ways to enhance the use of money in order to tax the increased revenue. Governments need taxes to function, but the incentive now is "tax whatever and spend whatever." With so much untaxable money, the incentive becomes "How to attract and support growth" rather than "How can We slice this pie to death?"
4) Why 5 years of residence prior to getting the money? Do you, Brethren, want to see an influx of millions of people just coming here to cash in on Our cash investment? Thought not. If you don't spend 5 years here, you can't say you have enough experience or concern for this Island to accept Our money and be trusted to use it wisely. Not that there;s any way to ensure it's used wisely, but why give it to Juanitos-come-lately who'll take it someplace else?
5) Why "No more if you say 'Stop'? The purpose of this money is to transform the economy now, not serve as some stop-gap measure when you get in trouble. That's called welfare and it doesn't work as a long-term economic solution. For another, becoming successful enough to not need the money becomes a badge of honor and a major pre-requisite for elected office, so We cut down on the "do-nothings" that use politics to line their pockets. And lastly, even a benefit should not be unilaterally imposed on anyone.
Where is the money coming from?
To give every adult in Puerto Rico $50,000 a year amounts to roughly over $116 billion a year. Round it up to $120 billion what with all the support systems. Heck, crank it up to $135 billion to cover future expenses. Who has that kind of money?
Banks. With an interest rate of 2%, banks would be receiving $22-28 billion a year, and the principal can be repaid from...wait for it...taxes and fees collected in Puerto Rico.
Not new taxes, but some new fees. The tax base stays the same (not very likely, but play along), but the revenue rises as there is more money spent, invested and created in and through the Island. And what new fees would We add? Let's add by subtraction, eliminating current incentives, which give away practically-free power and water to major companies. When the business world hears that a major--and I mean, MAJOR--consumerist society like Us is getting $50,000 per adult to spend as s/he wants, Our doors will be battered by frantic knocking.
Will We generate enough tax revenue to cover roughly $130 billion a year? Why not? Think of what will happen with an injection of roughly $115 billion into Our economy in one year. That alone roughly triples Our Gross National Product (GNP), which means a major change in the Island's socioeconomic profile. Can you imagine the buying spree unleashed as most of Us turn this money into empty wish fulfillment? I daresay every major retailer in Puerto Rico would quickly adopt a 24-hour schedule and roughly double its employment base. Not to mention Disney World would see profits rise 20-25%.
Note I mentioned a buying spree. Corporations here are woefully under-taxed now and get free rides on other expenses to boot, so under the new system, with a greater number of purchases, more tax money would come into government coffers. Not to mention that personal income, even without counting the $50,000, would rise as the average income increases from the lack of welfare "stay-at-home" incentives and business expansion. And the current federal transfers could be eliminated in exchange for a more liberal trade policy, allowing Puerto Rico a better chance to expand its market reach and economic potential, instead of crawling along its belly as it does now.
WiIl this plan work? Why not? And if you disagree, what's yours?
The Jenius Has Spoken.
[Update: 26 April 2012: Happy Birthday, Zoila! From the good people at LearnVest comes this little tidbit: the new "price" of happiness is a $50,000 salary. I claim no psychic powers.]
17 April 2012
Power Lies
Take a look at this graphic:
It supposedly shows that although the average cost of a barrel of oil has dropped substantially, the average cost We pay per kilowatt-hour of electricity has gone up--substantially--and that Our average electric bill has gone up because "We are paying for The Larva's (corrupt) friends." That last is based on several prominent statehood party (the Legion of Fools) members that have been caught stealing electricity.
Now, has the average price per oil barrel dropped? Well, that's not what the graphic states. It says that the price of a barrel of oil was $147.00 in June 2008, not an average, but a single data point. The graphic states that oil has averaged $80.58 in 2012, but what's the data source? CNN Money has oil averaging over $102.00 a barrel in 2012, while Index Mundi has it averaging $112.50 a barrel (Jan-Mar 2012). Now Index Mundi does factor in oil futures, but even so, how is this data compatible with "$80.58" as an average oil barrel price in 2012?
It isn't. Always remember: Lies, damn lies and statistics. If you factor in the oil plunge in 2009, when oil was trading at between $35.00 and $82.00 a barrel, then--and only then--could anyone say that oil was "averaging" $80.58, but never in 2012. The fact is that oil is trading, which means being bought and sold, at well over $100 a barrel, so far in 2012.
Now, despite the falsity, does this mean We are paying "the most expensive electricity in the world"?
Here are the average residential rates across the 50 States in 2009-2010, according to ElectricChoice.com:
Why did I pick 2009-2010? So you can compare it to the 2008 rate quoted in the graphic. Note how Puerto Rico was paying 18.26¢ while Hawaii was paying...24.13¢.
Oops. We weren't even the most expensive electricity in the U.S. of part of A., so forget "in the world."
What about 2012? From the U.S. Energy Information Administration, click and scroll down to "Pacific NonContiguous," which means Alaska and Hawaii and you'll see that in January 2012, Hawaiians were paying...gasp!...33.10¢ per kilowatt-hour.
And folks, 33.10¢ is more than 28.58¢, isn't it? (Let Me anticipate the commonwealthers' puke: oil went up in price between January and February 2012 so it's very doubtful that the Hawaiian rate went down in February, okay? Okay.)
So, two claims down the toilet for being ridiculous falsifications. The third states that the average electric bill rose from $156.00 in 2008 to $215.00 in 2012. Now first of all, round numbers in this context are suspicious. Second, the graphic claims that the average family uses 800 kWh in both years. But given the increased rate, wouldn't the average family use less electricity? Maybe not, but the graphic doesn't give a damn about that, obviously.
Third, the average electric bill can be easily calculated, using the data the graphic itself provides:
2008: 800 kWh X 18.26¢ per kWh = $146.08
2012: 800 kWh X 28.58¢ per kWh = $228.64
Uh, watt? I mean, what? Yes, I'm aware that there are other fees and charges in My electric, but so are the people who put this crappy graphic together. If they aren't, then what the hell are they doing putting it together in the first place?
Well obviously, they are trying to unleash a political hatchet job against The Larva. And given that the average voter has the IQ of a washing machine, they might succeed. Stupid is as stupid does.
But here's what pisses Me off: This offensively-stupid OfensivaPopular asswipe sheet takes a potentially-legitimate attack against the ineffectiveness and outright corruption of Our (non)governor's crappy term and dulls it to the point of abject uselessness...for anyone who thinks.
This is what the retarded hacks at (In)OfensivaPopular threw away:
1) The outright manipulation of the electric rate by this (non)administration, desperately trying to cover debts, theft and incompetence.
2) The serial thievery by high-ranking Cabinet members and statehood party officials, with one of the thieves being a high-ranking Electric Power Authority executive director.
3) The outright lies by The Larva in "doing something about the cost of electricity," the very fucking point of this stupid graphic.
You got it: what I'm saying is that I want My campaign ads and diatribes to be fact-based, reasoned and at the very least, goddammit, internally consistent. Is that too much to ask? Powerful discussions rather than power lies?
Of course it is. Stupidity rules when it comes to politics and political campaigns, as exhibited above.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Now, has the average price per oil barrel dropped? Well, that's not what the graphic states. It says that the price of a barrel of oil was $147.00 in June 2008, not an average, but a single data point. The graphic states that oil has averaged $80.58 in 2012, but what's the data source? CNN Money has oil averaging over $102.00 a barrel in 2012, while Index Mundi has it averaging $112.50 a barrel (Jan-Mar 2012). Now Index Mundi does factor in oil futures, but even so, how is this data compatible with "$80.58" as an average oil barrel price in 2012?
It isn't. Always remember: Lies, damn lies and statistics. If you factor in the oil plunge in 2009, when oil was trading at between $35.00 and $82.00 a barrel, then--and only then--could anyone say that oil was "averaging" $80.58, but never in 2012. The fact is that oil is trading, which means being bought and sold, at well over $100 a barrel, so far in 2012.
Now, despite the falsity, does this mean We are paying "the most expensive electricity in the world"?
Here are the average residential rates across the 50 States in 2009-2010, according to ElectricChoice.com:
Why did I pick 2009-2010? So you can compare it to the 2008 rate quoted in the graphic. Note how Puerto Rico was paying 18.26¢ while Hawaii was paying...24.13¢.
Oops. We weren't even the most expensive electricity in the U.S. of part of A., so forget "in the world."
What about 2012? From the U.S. Energy Information Administration, click and scroll down to "Pacific NonContiguous," which means Alaska and Hawaii and you'll see that in January 2012, Hawaiians were paying...gasp!...33.10¢ per kilowatt-hour.
And folks, 33.10¢ is more than 28.58¢, isn't it? (Let Me anticipate the commonwealthers' puke: oil went up in price between January and February 2012 so it's very doubtful that the Hawaiian rate went down in February, okay? Okay.)
So, two claims down the toilet for being ridiculous falsifications. The third states that the average electric bill rose from $156.00 in 2008 to $215.00 in 2012. Now first of all, round numbers in this context are suspicious. Second, the graphic claims that the average family uses 800 kWh in both years. But given the increased rate, wouldn't the average family use less electricity? Maybe not, but the graphic doesn't give a damn about that, obviously.
Third, the average electric bill can be easily calculated, using the data the graphic itself provides:
2008: 800 kWh X 18.26¢ per kWh = $146.08
2012: 800 kWh X 28.58¢ per kWh = $228.64
Uh, watt? I mean, what? Yes, I'm aware that there are other fees and charges in My electric, but so are the people who put this crappy graphic together. If they aren't, then what the hell are they doing putting it together in the first place?
Well obviously, they are trying to unleash a political hatchet job against The Larva. And given that the average voter has the IQ of a washing machine, they might succeed. Stupid is as stupid does.
But here's what pisses Me off: This offensively-stupid OfensivaPopular asswipe sheet takes a potentially-legitimate attack against the ineffectiveness and outright corruption of Our (non)governor's crappy term and dulls it to the point of abject uselessness...for anyone who thinks.
This is what the retarded hacks at (In)OfensivaPopular threw away:
1) The outright manipulation of the electric rate by this (non)administration, desperately trying to cover debts, theft and incompetence.
2) The serial thievery by high-ranking Cabinet members and statehood party officials, with one of the thieves being a high-ranking Electric Power Authority executive director.
3) The outright lies by The Larva in "doing something about the cost of electricity," the very fucking point of this stupid graphic.
You got it: what I'm saying is that I want My campaign ads and diatribes to be fact-based, reasoned and at the very least, goddammit, internally consistent. Is that too much to ask? Powerful discussions rather than power lies?
Of course it is. Stupidity rules when it comes to politics and political campaigns, as exhibited above.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
12 April 2012
Violence = Cancer
Over 1,000 murders last year, the highest number in Our history.
Of these, some 27 women were killed by spouses, ex-spouses or "partners" in 2011, an average of one every 12 days. Despite efforts, the toll so far this year stands at 8.
We are killing each other in record numbers. Whether for control of drug distribution and profits, misguided sense of honor, jealousy, rage, envy, "trial by fire" or hatred, We are killing each other in record numbers.
Like parts of a body attacking other parts of its self, We are killing each other. What's killing Us isn't an invasion from an outside source, an infection of noxious entitiesthat don't belong here. No. What's killing Us is Us, Our own self attacking itself.
When a body does that in an uncontrolled way, with masses of high-damaging clusters and the occasional "spreads" in the system, it's called cancer.
Left untreated, cancer kills. We know that. We keep track of the killing, like some neutral monitor pinging in the background as the patient slips away.
Cancer and violence have a huge range of causes, making both difficult to treat. In some cases, radical excision might work. In others, treatments that amount to carpet-bombing are attempted, but they only amount to killing the patient slightly slower than the disease. For reference to violence, see "the drug war."
The more We study cancer, and violence, the more We realize that a holistic approach--based on prevention--is better than any "cure." So look around you, Brethren, and ask yourselves: Are We approaching Our cancerous violence in a holistic, preventive fashion? Or are We throwing "non-magic bubbles-instead-of-bullets" at the whole mess?
You know the answer. So you know We're dying. Literally.
The numbers don't lie.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Of these, some 27 women were killed by spouses, ex-spouses or "partners" in 2011, an average of one every 12 days. Despite efforts, the toll so far this year stands at 8.
We are killing each other in record numbers. Whether for control of drug distribution and profits, misguided sense of honor, jealousy, rage, envy, "trial by fire" or hatred, We are killing each other in record numbers.
When a body does that in an uncontrolled way, with masses of high-damaging clusters and the occasional "spreads" in the system, it's called cancer.
Left untreated, cancer kills. We know that. We keep track of the killing, like some neutral monitor pinging in the background as the patient slips away.
Cancer and violence have a huge range of causes, making both difficult to treat. In some cases, radical excision might work. In others, treatments that amount to carpet-bombing are attempted, but they only amount to killing the patient slightly slower than the disease. For reference to violence, see "the drug war."
The more We study cancer, and violence, the more We realize that a holistic approach--based on prevention--is better than any "cure." So look around you, Brethren, and ask yourselves: Are We approaching Our cancerous violence in a holistic, preventive fashion? Or are We throwing "non-magic bubbles-instead-of-bullets" at the whole mess?
You know the answer. So you know We're dying. Literally.
The numbers don't lie.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
04 April 2012
We're Number 43! Or Something!
The International Finance Corporation, a division of The World Bank, issued its 2012 Report on Doing Business: Measuring Business Regulations. It ranks all its researched nations and sub-nations (their term, not Mine) from 1 to 183 in several categories related to the how easy or difficult it is to set up and operate a business operation. If you want to know how they came to their conclusions, you can read the IFC's methodology here.
[A non-casual aside: Local economists whoring for political parties and the folks who perpetrate the "Internet Study" in Puerto Rico would be well-advised to do the same: show your work. Although I fully understand that there isn't much methodology to "Pulling numbers from one's ass."]
As you already know, Puerto Rico finished in the overall 43rd place on the list, behind those economic powerhouses the Republic of Georgia (the one without Atlanta), Macedonia, Mauritius, Estonia, Cyprus and Colombia. (Yes, Colombia.) Who were the Top 5? Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the U.S. of part of A. and Denmark.
The highlight:
We ranked 12th in "Starting a Business," whereas the U.S. of part of A. ranked 13th (tied with Ireland.) Woo. And hoo.
The midlights:
We ranked 17th in "Protecting Investors," tied with Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Japan, Macedonia, Belgium and Peru in what must be the "B-" division. Let's now crow as ranking higher than Us are Kazakhstan, Albania and the Kyrgyz Republic, which you just found out exists. And you almost certainly don't know where Kazakhstan and Albania are, either.
In "Getting Credit" We ranked 24th (meaning We're heading into debt like a crazed hyena plunges into a dead elephant's bowels), 27th in "Resolving Insolvency," good to know since We're headed for bankruptcy and 35th in "Getting Electricity"...unless you want to steal it and are a government official, in which case We rank in the Top 1.
The lowlights:
A miserable 97th place in "Enforcing Contracts," possibly due to (a) corruption, (b) a near-useless legal system, (c) an over-abundance of laws, rules and regulations or (d) all of the freaking above with hemorrhoids.
As for "Paying Taxes," We rank 113th. Our taxes and tax system are definitely not helping Us compete on the global market, but then again, We knew that. We didn't need the IFC and the World Bank to remind Us of this simple, devastating fact. And by "We" I mean "folks not in government."
How does the number "126" grab you? That's where Puerto Rico ranks in "Registering Property," the kind of slap-with-a-wet-fish wake-up call most civilized and legally-organized countries would resent...only We have a double-faceful of damp sushi when We notice Our ranking of 152nd in "Dealing with Construction Permits."
Unless, of course, you are a government official, in which case, "Permits shmermits, suckers."
I did ignore the 101st place ranking for "Trading Across Borders" because that's not Our fault, entirely. Sure, We can use the Internet to sell anything anywhere, but Our colonial status allows Us to sell to anyone so long as that anyone is the U.S of part of A. or whoever the U.S. of part of A. allows Us to. (Had to double-up on the verb to make sure commonwealthers get the hint.)
Will We see progress in the 2013 Report? I'll say it depends a lot on who wins the November elections: the candidates....or the voters.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
[A non-casual aside: Local economists whoring for political parties and the folks who perpetrate the "Internet Study" in Puerto Rico would be well-advised to do the same: show your work. Although I fully understand that there isn't much methodology to "Pulling numbers from one's ass."]
As you already know, Puerto Rico finished in the overall 43rd place on the list, behind those economic powerhouses the Republic of Georgia (the one without Atlanta), Macedonia, Mauritius, Estonia, Cyprus and Colombia. (Yes, Colombia.) Who were the Top 5? Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the U.S. of part of A. and Denmark.
The highlight:
We ranked 12th in "Starting a Business," whereas the U.S. of part of A. ranked 13th (tied with Ireland.) Woo. And hoo.
The midlights:
We ranked 17th in "Protecting Investors," tied with Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Japan, Macedonia, Belgium and Peru in what must be the "B-" division. Let's now crow as ranking higher than Us are Kazakhstan, Albania and the Kyrgyz Republic, which you just found out exists. And you almost certainly don't know where Kazakhstan and Albania are, either.
In "Getting Credit" We ranked 24th (meaning We're heading into debt like a crazed hyena plunges into a dead elephant's bowels), 27th in "Resolving Insolvency," good to know since We're headed for bankruptcy and 35th in "Getting Electricity"...unless you want to steal it and are a government official, in which case We rank in the Top 1.
The lowlights:
A miserable 97th place in "Enforcing Contracts," possibly due to (a) corruption, (b) a near-useless legal system, (c) an over-abundance of laws, rules and regulations or (d) all of the freaking above with hemorrhoids.
As for "Paying Taxes," We rank 113th. Our taxes and tax system are definitely not helping Us compete on the global market, but then again, We knew that. We didn't need the IFC and the World Bank to remind Us of this simple, devastating fact. And by "We" I mean "folks not in government."
How does the number "126" grab you? That's where Puerto Rico ranks in "Registering Property," the kind of slap-with-a-wet-fish wake-up call most civilized and legally-organized countries would resent...only We have a double-faceful of damp sushi when We notice Our ranking of 152nd in "Dealing with Construction Permits."
Unless, of course, you are a government official, in which case, "Permits shmermits, suckers."
I did ignore the 101st place ranking for "Trading Across Borders" because that's not Our fault, entirely. Sure, We can use the Internet to sell anything anywhere, but Our colonial status allows Us to sell to anyone so long as that anyone is the U.S of part of A. or whoever the U.S. of part of A. allows Us to. (Had to double-up on the verb to make sure commonwealthers get the hint.)
Will We see progress in the 2013 Report? I'll say it depends a lot on who wins the November elections: the candidates....or the voters.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
03 April 2012
Police Lies, Stupid Remarks, We All Lose
A 29-year old woman is found unconscious off a trail on the tiny island of Vieques, a vacation hotspot municipality of Puerto Rico. The woman, visiting Vieques as a tourist, was semi-nude and may have been raped.
The blow to the left side of her head was so powerful that it caused injury to the right side, not from a fall, but from the contusion itself, requiring emergency surgery. That is horrible enough. Worse is the possibility that she was raped, for no crime short of murder is more heinous. But beyond that lies another horror: the woman may have been the third victim of a serial rapist, whose two prior attacks were hushed up.
Let Me give you some context here: Vieques proper is about the size of some suburban tracts in the U.S. of part of A., for although 21 miles long and 5 miles wide, two closed areas on the western tip and eastern half of the island are closed off, halving the island's civilian zone. Just look at the map and you'll see that the civilian area--the township itself--is quite tiny. Population: about 9,600, give or take a few hundred visiting for Spring Break or Holy Week or some other pagan ritual.
There's two ways off the little island: boat (ferry or private vessel) or plane (local air transport or private plane). Although checking and vetting private boats and planes is not easy, it is routinely done as part of the massive(ly ridiculous) "drug war." Even with the ineffective and lackadaisical monkey squads We call police, trying to hunt a rapist on Vieques is far from impossible; in fact, the only place easier in Puerto Rico would be the tinier island-municipality of Culebra, northeast of Vieques.
So why hide the fact that two other women were attacked, one raped?
Politics. With maybe a soupçon of equally disgusting and hypocritical economics thrown in.
Rape is a violent crime that thrives when covered up. Sadly, disgustingly, Our """society""" often blames the victim rather than the perpetrator, a nauseating reversal that says too much much about Us and all of it bad.
For those of you who don't get it (mostly men who are morally and intellectually retarded, but also some stupid women), imagine someone comes up and beats the living shit out of you. Pounds you like beating a mule. (Simile intended and the shoe fits, so shut up.) Barely leaves you alive. Now imagine that YOU--YOU--get blamed for the beating because you were in the wrong place or were wearing the wrong clothes or simply because whoever beat the shit out of you gets treated with more respect than you and your broken bleeding body.
Still think it's fair? If you do, then I hope My example becomes your reality in the next 5 weeks.
Two women were attacked in Vieques prior to this third attack. Even without charges, the attacks themselves would have to be publicized to alert other women and the community that some deranged animal is on the loose. Covering up this information was not done to protect the community: it was done to protect the image of Vieques. Specifically, the political image related to tourism.
If you think the economic image to tourism is the salient factor, rather than the political, think about this: other attacks against tourists in Puerto Rico--rare, but they do happen here, just like the do around the world--are mentioned quickly and openly. The Vieques' attacks were not. So what happened in these attacks?
July 15, 2011: A man described as "thin, with dark skin," leaps out from behind a rock and strikes a young (about 27) woman several times in the head. Despite the blows, the woman fights back, screams and gets the attention of her two girlfriends who were walking further ahead. The woman was hurt, but chose to leave Vieques immediately.
December 27, 2011: A 15-year old girl goes back to the hotel to get a snorkel. Her return takes so long that her parents search for her, but don't find her. She eventually appears, "beaten, delirious and bleeding". The family leaves Vieques and days later the girl indicates she was raped.
In neither case were charges filed by the persons involved, directly or indirectly. That happens all-too-often in a society that treats rape victims like criminals; no, worse, because the """legal system""" eviscerates the victim to coddle the criminal. But the police knew about each case. They had the injury reports and testimonies. The Vieques police knew that two women were attacked, one was raped, and yet the Regional Commander, Antonio López, said "he didn't know" about the two previous attacks and "defended" the police's inaction by stating that "(T)here have been no reported rapes in Vieques since 2003."
Now here's the objective take: (1) It is entirely possible that the Regional Commander didn't know about two specific cases of essentially assault and battery in one small township of his area, even though that township is a high-profile hotspot for tourism and drug intervention; and, (2) It is entirely possible that there have been no reported rapes in Vieques since 2003.
But here's My non-objective take, aimed straight at Tony "Lip Service" López: There are times when the facts are on your side and there are times when sticking to the facts makes you an asshole. And in this case, "Lips On Ass" López, you are being an asshole.
Your job--cough-chuckle-retch--is "To Serve and Protect." Under your command, three women, one of them a minor, were attacked and beaten, almost certainly raped in two cases, and your response is basically a politically-farted, shit-for-brains version of "I don't know and I don't care."
Over three years ago, a pregnant woman was abducted and brutally murdered while vacationing here--in Ceiba, part of your command area, "Loose Lips" López. Just before her murder, terrified and anguished in the trunk of a car, the woman called her fiancé. What that must have been like for both of them staggers reason. The crime received a great deal of press and a Tourism Company executive--a woman, no less--had the unmitigated gall to say that the crime was a tragedy because it stained the tourism reputation of the Island.
Yes, crimes do stain a country's reputation, particularly for tourism. Just ask Mexico. But stupidity, product of a smelly, self-serving blend of ignorance and arrogance in the form of puke-inducing statements, does just as much damage.
Partially-lost in this mess is that local officials moved quickly to help the most-recent victim's mother arrive here within hours and have provided accommodations for them both and the victim's friends, also here on vacation. It's truly the least that could be done.
But Let's get some things straight, right now:
---Crime happens. Sometimes to tourists. But regardless of who gets hurt--tourist or resident--stop covering up the crimes for political """gain"""". To the Vieques police and anyone involved in hushing up the noted attacks and any other danger the community should be alerted to: Fuck you.
---I read comments, some from women, that these attacks and rapes happened because the victim's were "walking where they shouldn't be walking" or bullshit to that effect. In other words, they are saying that by "going there," they "invited" the crimes perpetrated against them. These women were on a tiny island where security could be enforced with relative ease. But that's beside the point. Glance up to My example again. The crime is committed because the perpetrator chooses to commit it, not because the victim """""chooses""""" it. If you can't understand that, you should be sterilized.
At a time when Our government's statistics on crime are complete, total and pestiferous hogwash, slamming cases into courts to "up" numbers and hiding crimes to "down" others, it seems obvious to anyone with a higher IQ than a turd that the energy involved in hiding the facts can be put to better use. Not that it will be, simply that it can be.
Because when it comes to facts and fibs, facts are the only ones that help Us all, while fibs only serve the fucking liars.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
The blow to the left side of her head was so powerful that it caused injury to the right side, not from a fall, but from the contusion itself, requiring emergency surgery. That is horrible enough. Worse is the possibility that she was raped, for no crime short of murder is more heinous. But beyond that lies another horror: the woman may have been the third victim of a serial rapist, whose two prior attacks were hushed up.
Let Me give you some context here: Vieques proper is about the size of some suburban tracts in the U.S. of part of A., for although 21 miles long and 5 miles wide, two closed areas on the western tip and eastern half of the island are closed off, halving the island's civilian zone. Just look at the map and you'll see that the civilian area--the township itself--is quite tiny. Population: about 9,600, give or take a few hundred visiting for Spring Break or Holy Week or some other pagan ritual.
So why hide the fact that two other women were attacked, one raped?
Politics. With maybe a soupçon of equally disgusting and hypocritical economics thrown in.
Rape is a violent crime that thrives when covered up. Sadly, disgustingly, Our """society""" often blames the victim rather than the perpetrator, a nauseating reversal that says too much much about Us and all of it bad.
For those of you who don't get it (mostly men who are morally and intellectually retarded, but also some stupid women), imagine someone comes up and beats the living shit out of you. Pounds you like beating a mule. (Simile intended and the shoe fits, so shut up.) Barely leaves you alive. Now imagine that YOU--YOU--get blamed for the beating because you were in the wrong place or were wearing the wrong clothes or simply because whoever beat the shit out of you gets treated with more respect than you and your broken bleeding body.
Still think it's fair? If you do, then I hope My example becomes your reality in the next 5 weeks.
Two women were attacked in Vieques prior to this third attack. Even without charges, the attacks themselves would have to be publicized to alert other women and the community that some deranged animal is on the loose. Covering up this information was not done to protect the community: it was done to protect the image of Vieques. Specifically, the political image related to tourism.
If you think the economic image to tourism is the salient factor, rather than the political, think about this: other attacks against tourists in Puerto Rico--rare, but they do happen here, just like the do around the world--are mentioned quickly and openly. The Vieques' attacks were not. So what happened in these attacks?
July 15, 2011: A man described as "thin, with dark skin," leaps out from behind a rock and strikes a young (about 27) woman several times in the head. Despite the blows, the woman fights back, screams and gets the attention of her two girlfriends who were walking further ahead. The woman was hurt, but chose to leave Vieques immediately.
December 27, 2011: A 15-year old girl goes back to the hotel to get a snorkel. Her return takes so long that her parents search for her, but don't find her. She eventually appears, "beaten, delirious and bleeding". The family leaves Vieques and days later the girl indicates she was raped.
In neither case were charges filed by the persons involved, directly or indirectly. That happens all-too-often in a society that treats rape victims like criminals; no, worse, because the """legal system""" eviscerates the victim to coddle the criminal. But the police knew about each case. They had the injury reports and testimonies. The Vieques police knew that two women were attacked, one was raped, and yet the Regional Commander, Antonio López, said "he didn't know" about the two previous attacks and "defended" the police's inaction by stating that "(T)here have been no reported rapes in Vieques since 2003."
Now here's the objective take: (1) It is entirely possible that the Regional Commander didn't know about two specific cases of essentially assault and battery in one small township of his area, even though that township is a high-profile hotspot for tourism and drug intervention; and, (2) It is entirely possible that there have been no reported rapes in Vieques since 2003.
But here's My non-objective take, aimed straight at Tony "Lip Service" López: There are times when the facts are on your side and there are times when sticking to the facts makes you an asshole. And in this case, "Lips On Ass" López, you are being an asshole.
Your job--cough-chuckle-retch--is "To Serve and Protect." Under your command, three women, one of them a minor, were attacked and beaten, almost certainly raped in two cases, and your response is basically a politically-farted, shit-for-brains version of "I don't know and I don't care."
Over three years ago, a pregnant woman was abducted and brutally murdered while vacationing here--in Ceiba, part of your command area, "Loose Lips" López. Just before her murder, terrified and anguished in the trunk of a car, the woman called her fiancé. What that must have been like for both of them staggers reason. The crime received a great deal of press and a Tourism Company executive--a woman, no less--had the unmitigated gall to say that the crime was a tragedy because it stained the tourism reputation of the Island.
Yes, crimes do stain a country's reputation, particularly for tourism. Just ask Mexico. But stupidity, product of a smelly, self-serving blend of ignorance and arrogance in the form of puke-inducing statements, does just as much damage.
Partially-lost in this mess is that local officials moved quickly to help the most-recent victim's mother arrive here within hours and have provided accommodations for them both and the victim's friends, also here on vacation. It's truly the least that could be done.
But Let's get some things straight, right now:
---Crime happens. Sometimes to tourists. But regardless of who gets hurt--tourist or resident--stop covering up the crimes for political """gain"""". To the Vieques police and anyone involved in hushing up the noted attacks and any other danger the community should be alerted to: Fuck you.
---I read comments, some from women, that these attacks and rapes happened because the victim's were "walking where they shouldn't be walking" or bullshit to that effect. In other words, they are saying that by "going there," they "invited" the crimes perpetrated against them. These women were on a tiny island where security could be enforced with relative ease. But that's beside the point. Glance up to My example again. The crime is committed because the perpetrator chooses to commit it, not because the victim """""chooses""""" it. If you can't understand that, you should be sterilized.
At a time when Our government's statistics on crime are complete, total and pestiferous hogwash, slamming cases into courts to "up" numbers and hiding crimes to "down" others, it seems obvious to anyone with a higher IQ than a turd that the energy involved in hiding the facts can be put to better use. Not that it will be, simply that it can be.
Because when it comes to facts and fibs, facts are the only ones that help Us all, while fibs only serve the fucking liars.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
02 April 2012
Cheating Votes, Now And In November
This won't take long...
Both major parties are contesting the State Electoral Commission's (SEC) results of the two recent primaries. Despite the fact that all registered parties have members on the SEC Boards, that at least one member of each party must be present at all voting centers, as well as at all tabulation sessions, and that each party has additional members in the SEC to assist/review recounts, the statehood party ("Idiots in Denial") and the commonwealth party ("Morons of Conformity") are saying that many of the primaries' results are wrong.
Now economist Leo Gómez--of local Twitter fame as @leojacket--showed that over 80% of the voting station results he checked (about 90-95% of them all) were "off", in some cases, registering hundreds of votes more than possible. The bigger "offs" were largely in the statehood party ("Republican" in name only), but given their track record and need to stay in power, that is not surprising. That the commonwealth party also got in on the cheating is just politics as usual in this Island of Enchantment.
What does this mean?
Simple: like some Jenius said a while back, major voter fraud in November is a-comin'. Like a runaway freight train loaded with 50 tons of lead down a ski-jump ramp angle with a tailwind in the 70s.
In other words: bet on it.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Both major parties are contesting the State Electoral Commission's (SEC) results of the two recent primaries. Despite the fact that all registered parties have members on the SEC Boards, that at least one member of each party must be present at all voting centers, as well as at all tabulation sessions, and that each party has additional members in the SEC to assist/review recounts, the statehood party ("Idiots in Denial") and the commonwealth party ("Morons of Conformity") are saying that many of the primaries' results are wrong.
Now economist Leo Gómez--of local Twitter fame as @leojacket--showed that over 80% of the voting station results he checked (about 90-95% of them all) were "off", in some cases, registering hundreds of votes more than possible. The bigger "offs" were largely in the statehood party ("Republican" in name only), but given their track record and need to stay in power, that is not surprising. That the commonwealth party also got in on the cheating is just politics as usual in this Island of Enchantment.
What does this mean?
Simple: like some Jenius said a while back, major voter fraud in November is a-comin'. Like a runaway freight train loaded with 50 tons of lead down a ski-jump ramp angle with a tailwind in the 70s.
In other words: bet on it.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
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