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The Why Behind Your Powder Coated Nostrils

From Salon: Now comes a paper by two European economists arguing that globalization is also responsible for astonishing price drops for hard drugs over the past two decades… At first glance, the laws of supply and demand seem to be seriously out of whack. Since 1990, trends in the worldwide supply and demand for cocaine and heroin have been more or less flat, but prices have dropped 50 to 80 percent. In “Globalization and the Price Decline of Illicit Drugs,” Claudia Costa Storti and Paul de Grauwe explain: The “intermediation margin” — the difference between producer prices and retail prices, has collapsed. The cost of getting the product from Afghanistan or Colombia to New York or London has plunged.

And you can thank the awesome efficiency of global markets for that:

Transport costs have been reduced and the use of the new [information technology] IT has allowed to dramatically improve the efficiency of the distribution of drugs and made it possible to cut on the number of intermediaries. This new IT has also made the communication between demand and supply safer and quicker, leading to better stock management, and has much improved communication among dealers. In addition, the explosion in the size of international trade flows has made it possible to better conceal the transport and the distribution of drugs. Finally, the sophistication of the international financial markets has greatly increased the scope for money laundering to remain undetected. All this has led to a decline in the cost of distributing drugs.

The authors also suggest that the “risk premium” — the danger associated with getting involved in the drug business, and which consequently results in high prices, has declined because of the flood of new participants in the global economy as a result of the opening up of the economies of China, India and Russia.

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Does Lebron James Hate Queers?

Via Pandagon, the oddly grown up version of Lebron-bron, Bishop Harry Jackson, is rallying the forces of darkness (and by darkness, I mean literal armies of black Jesus-slaves) to rise up against the hate crime legislation that includes gay-bashing. Because, in his words, why do gays hate religious freedom:

Gay activists around the country are getting nervous that they are about to experience an embarrassing political setback. Instead of amending the hate crimes legislation that protects churches in a substantive way, they are simply crying out in a louder, more threatening manner. Gay advocates are not looking for fairness; they are looking for an upper hand.

…Both gays and blacks should get justice in America, but we cannot allow either group to receive special privileges at the expense of another group of Americans. If the loopholes in this legislation are not closed, Christians and Bible-teaching churches could become victims of a strange brand of reverse discrimination. These actions are tantamount to the gay community saying, “Freedom for me, but bondage for you.” This attitude is just not consistent with America’s ideals.

Watch out, black community! The overpowering hand of homosexuality is bearing down upon you again! Rise against the oppressor, so numerous Ludacris albums may rain down upon us!

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Laziness is contagious, even for terrorists

After 5 Years In U.S., Terrorist Cell Too Complacent To Carry Out Attack:

Five years after settling in southern California and trying to blend into American society, a six-man terrorist cell connected to the militant Islamist organization Army of Martyrs has reportedly grown too complacent to conduct its suicide mission, an attack on the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

Three of the six terrorists spend an afternoon together watching an America’s Next Top Model marathon.

According to cell leader and boat owner Jameel al-Sharif, the potentially devastating operation, which involves breaching the station’s reactor core and triggering a meltdown that could rival the Chernobyl disaster, “can wait.”

“We remain wholly committed to the destruction of America, the Great Satan,” al-Sharif said. “But now is not a good time for us. The season finale of Lost was such a cliff- hanger that we have to at least catch the first episode of the new season. After that, though, death to the infidels.”

“Probably,” added al-Sharif, who noted that his nearly $6,000 in credit-card debt from recent purchases of a 52-inch HDTV and a backyard gas grill prevents him from buying needed materials for the attack.

Though the members of the cell said that they “live only to spill the blood of crusaders who oppress Muslims,” they cited additional reasons for the delay, including an unexpired free Netflix trial and nagging lower-back pain.

“I think I’m entitled to a little time to fully enjoy the in-dash MP3 adapter and heads-up display that Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has seen fit to provide me with,” munitions expert Mohammed Akram said of the 2006 Mercury Mariner that is intended to be used as a car bomb during the attack. “Also, I have nine months left on the lease. But after that, I am more than willing to load it with explosives and go to my glory in its all-leather interior and heated seats.”

Cell member Sayyid al-Tantawi, a Cairo-born former physics professor who was able to obtain employment at San Onofre as a reactor technician, once routinely worked 18-hour days so he could secretly obtain security codes and detailed schematics of the facility. But since his promotion to senior project manager last November, al-Tantawi has grown accustomed to perks such as higher pay, mandatory vacation time, delegation of responsibilities, and long lunches with other managers.

“Don’t get me wrong, I totally wish swift and painful death to all American pigs, especially that jerk [general manager] Dave [Landis],” al-Tantawi said. “But I’m no longer the new guy—why bust my ass all day long anymore? When I get home after a day at work, I don’t savor staying up all night designing dirty-bomb triggering mechanisms like I did when I first got here. Sometimes I just want to pop in a CD by that soulful infidel Chris Daughtry and relax.”

Al-Tantawi added that due to the sedentary nature of his job, he would have to “lose a few pounds, Allah willing” before being able to fulfill his most challenging task: infiltrating the reactor’s spent fuel storage area and draining its coolant, thereby triggering a fire and releasing radioactive material.

Indeed, general preparedness appears to be the cell’s greatest stumbling block.

“Five a.m. is when the facility is most vulnerable to attack, when the morning shift security personnel replace the overnight crew,” said Adib Dhakwan, the cell’s second-in-command. “Unfortunately, Starbucks doesn’t open until six, and I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have that first cup of coffee, forget it.”

Despite the terrorists’ successful assimilation into American society, the FBI has been monitoring the activities of the “San Clemente Six” since late 2005. According to declassified intelligence documents, the cell’s status was recently downgraded to “low risk,” due in part to a near absence of cell phone chatter to parties other than Moviefone, and last month’s online purchase of a hammock.

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The Political Rat Race

the israeli aipac rat race

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What if Chuck Norris were one of us?

If you haven’t heard the recent news, Chuck Norris loves roundhouse kicks and creationism. And he isn’t afraid to share what he would do as President with the World Net Daily. Check out these juicy bits as you shred your wee-wee while watching reruns of Texas Ranger:

Tattoo an American flag with the words, “In God we trust,” on the forehead of every atheist.

Create new immigration legislation: to deport all liberals (then force them to listen to Bill O’ Reilly every day for five years, at which point they may return).

Increase jobs in America by sending ninja teams to sabotage and steal them back from other countries.

I can’t wait for Chuck Norris to be President!

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