$10 million dollar Bat Mitzvahs for your daughter via the U.S. Government

Maybe it's just me, but I love the headline. I just don't like the outcome. According to Selim Alfar and Andy Geller of the NYPost,

The former CEO of the leading supplier of body armor to U.S. soldiers in Iraq was charged yesterday with looting the company to bankroll a lavish lifestyle that included a $10 million bat mitzvah for his daughter.

In addition to the bat mitzvah - which included performances by Aerosmith, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Kenny G and the Eagles - prosecutors said David Brooks got the firm, DHB Industries, to pay for other goodies.

Among them were a face lift for his ex-wife; vitamins for his stable of 100 horses; pricey vacations; fancy jewels; an armored car; a $194,000 Bentley; and a $100,000 diamond-studded belt buckle.

The elaborate scheme exploded yesterday when federal prosecutors unsealed a 21-count indictment accusing Brooks, 53, of securities fraud, insider trading, tax evasion and obstruction of justice. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Sandra Hatfield, 54, the company's former chief operating officer, was hit with similar charges.

Brooks founded DHB, which moved from Westbury, L.I., to Pompano Beach, Fla., last year, and served as its chairman and chief executive officer. He resigned last year as the scandal erupted.

According to the indictment, Brooks lined his pockets by having DHB underwrite his lifestyle and by artificially inflating the value of company stock.

He allegedly reaped $185 million by selling DHB stock when he learned that 6,000 bullet-proof vests the company made were about to be recalled for being faulty and not able to block bullets.

Hatfield, who left the firm in 2005, allegedly made $5 million in the scheme.

Brooks also was accused of evading taxes by giving money to charities he ran.

Brooks made headlines in November 2005, when he rented two floors of the Rainbow Room for the bat mitzvah of his daughter, Elizabeth.

He reportedly sent the company jet to fly Aerosmith in from Pittsburgh, paying them a cool $1 million. In return, they let his nephew play drums.

In honor of the band's appearance, Brooks changed from a black leather suit into a magenta suede biker outfit covered with chains.

The indictment said the body-armor tycoon spent $122,000 of company cash on iPods and digital cameras for his guests. It also revealed he shelled out $20,000 for leather-bound invitations to his son's bar mitzvah in 2000.

Brooks pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court in Central Islip, L.I., and was held without bail pending a hearing Monday.

His lawyer, Paul Shechtman, said Brooks "grew up in Brooklyn and that means he doesn't run away from a fight. (I hope he rots in jail)

Shechtman asked for bail of a mere $50 million. Prosecutor John Martin asked that no bail be granted, calling Brooks a serious flight risk. NYPost

It must be nice. Having all your "bills" plus an extravaganza for your daughter & son, via the U.S. government. You can have it, too. All you have to do is be a corrupt businessman with great connections to the U.S. government. Houses, cars, jewels, horses, bat & bar mitzvahs..all expenses paid. Cheap, conservatives *&^#$)&s are only cheap when it comes to US.

Same Players. Different Scandal.

FEMA makes $hit up...again. Fake News from FEMA. Yup. Cali only Singed ...No big deal

"All the news that's fit to print...and some that's not...from FEMA"

If nobody wants to air your "positive" news, start airing it yourself. At least that's what FEMA has decided to do. Who are these people? Hiding the truth from the American public and feeding them "crap"...feeding them some B$ conjured up in the "shadowy" backrooms of FEMA. Absolutely ridiculous. Only in Russia, Myanmar, China..and now the United States. Fox News has franchised and FEMA has bought in.

What the hell is going on? Our GOVERNMENT agencies are televising their own Saturday Night Live skits and trying to pass them off as NEWS.

From Reuters,

The U.S. government's main disaster-response agency apologized on Friday for having its employees pose as reporters in a hastily called news conference on California's wildfires that no news organizations attended.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, still struggling to restore its image after the bungled handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, issued the apology after The Washington Post published details of the Tuesday briefing.

"We can and must do better, and apologize for this error in judgment," FEMA deputy administrator Harvey Johnson, who conducted the briefing, said in a statement. "Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received."

No actual reporter attended the news conference in person, agency spokesman Aaron Walker said.

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has authority over FEMA, called the incident "inexcusable and offensive to the secretary."

"We have made it clear that stunts such as this will not be tolerated or repeated," spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. She said the department was looking at the possibility of reprimanding those responsible.

I'm done. I can't read anymore of this obvious attempt to "rig" the news. Geez 'w', hasn't subverting multiple elections,entering 2 wars, a 3rd over arching war, countless bouts of claiming executive privilege, illegal wiretapping, extraordinary renditions, and the water boarding kept you happy? and now..you're having your government departments feeding US "fake news"...again.

Image gone. FEMA is a farce. Funny bastards, what an ingenious way of "improving America's confidence" in their corrupt organization. Welcome to the "culture of fear" and our 6 year old "homeland".

Let's Remember Former FEMA chief Michael Brown speak of the "torture of Hurricane Katrina" and FEMA's "fix". oops..it's not my problem, NOW


Same Players. Different Scandal.

VIDEO: Say it isn't so. Gravel campaign offers 25K for "best Gravel" YouTube Video

I don't know what to say about this. Gravel is great, but doesn't have the slightest chance. Perhaps my headline should read, "Grandpa goes Wild: Gives away 25K for friends". Just watch the video.

$25,000 Gravel Campaign Giveaway


a couple words of wisdom to the 35percenters....make a video, capitalize on the 25k, then use it for Dennis. The money should go to nobody else besides an ANTI WAR candidate. You guys do great work. Might as well get paid by Gravel. Besides...he's lonely and wants to purchase friends. Be his friend..get that 25K. As Gravel states, "Go Blue".

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Don't throw bombs in New York....2 IED's thrown at Mexican Consulate

Who throws "explosive devices" at buildings?

From the BBC,

Fragments of one of the devices were found in front of the building in midtown Manhattan at 0925 (1325 GMT), according to local WABC-TV News.

No injuries have been reported and the consulate would only confirm to the BBC that there had not been an explosion.

The New York Police Department said there was an ongoing investigation.

Law enforcement officials said the devices appeared to be similar to those thrown at the UK consulate in Manhattan in May 2005, WABC said.

The 2005 blasts, which happened in the early morning, shattered windows but did not cause any injuries. BBC

Here is the WABC article. or view the wretched newscast,

Residents reported hearing an explosion at around 3:50 a.m. this morning in front of the building at 27 East 39th Street. When consulate workers arrived at around 9:25 a.m., they reportedly discovered broken glass and fragments from one of the devices. Eyewitness News is told police responded and immediately began scouring outside the building for evidence. Neither of the devices actually got into the consulate.
.....
The NYPD Bomb Squad is on the scene investigating. None of the residents called police when they heard the overnight explosion. WABC

Shut up! "explosive devices"???...that didn't explode, but minutes later "law enforcement officials" claim they are similar to the "bombs" used during the UK consulate "attack" in Manhattan in 2005.

From the 2005 incident,

The two devices, described by police as novelty hand-grenades packed with gunpowder, were put in a concrete flower tub in front of the building.
....
Police studying the remains of the grenades say there is no evidence of a timing device and that they were probably detonated by hand.

Mr Bloomberg told reporters that although the British consulate was housed in the building on Third Avenue, it would be wrong to assume that this was the target of the attack.
.....
"What exactly was targeted is still under investigation. We have no idea who did this or what the motive was, but eventually we will find out and apprehend them," Mr Bloomberg said BBC

I guess they didn't "apprehend" them. Another day, another scandal. I'm so, so scared. Come on. Who believes this crap? Staging Fear...they think we are as stupid as they are.

Same Players. Different Scandal.

U.S. Military renames Persian Gulf to "Arabian Gulf"....it's all in the name

Let's call it "Gulf of Central Command", or simply the "Gulf of America". Let's recognize the reality of the complete occupation of this invaded body of water by the 100-plus warships and missile-armed nuclear submarines, the bases and the Air Warfare School. K Darbandi, Iranian-American scientist and former member of the Islamic Republic opposition.

Ahh the beauty of semantics. The United States military has urged her troops to refer to the "gulf" as the "Arabian Gulf", not the "Persian Gulf". Hmm, what brought about the change of name? Apparently it has been deemed illegal, wrong, and blatantly historically inaccurate to refer to the "gulf" as Persian. Sure..whatever. Let the "re naming game" commence.

According to the Asia Times Online,

Iranian officials and Iranians in general are very sensitive about the term "Persian Gulf" as the official and recognized name for the waterway separating Iran and the Arabian peninsula. They are upset when Arab states or journals do not cite it as such - particularly when the term "Arab Gulf" is used. And yet a far smaller number of Iranians appear concerned that human activities could turn that object of national pride and diplomatic contention into a filthy pool of toxins.

The U.S. is in bed with the U.A.E. and if they want the "gulf" referred to as "Arabian", so be it...the U.S. will oblige her,

Various branches of the United States armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area. This is claimed to be due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, but also to follow local laws that ban the use of "Persian Gulf". In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which consists of seven emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain, public use of the name "Persian Gulf" is illegal.

The nationalistic sensibilities of the UAE's ruling families do not go much beyond waging this nominal jihad. The name of the body of water is most important to Arab nationalism, but what is actually in the water apparently is not a matter of national concern: the UAE ports host more US Navy ships than any other port outside the US [1].
.....
Since the Gulf War of 1991, Jebel Ali port in Dubai has become crucial to US naval operations in the Gulf; it is the safest liberty port in the region and the only harbor in the Gulf deep enough to berth an aircraft carrier. [5] And the showcase UAE army, originated by the British-educated top brass, is a major financial lubricator of the military industry in the United States. [6]

US policy towards this super-wealthy stain of inequality and inhumanity is clear from the manner in which US institutions, from its military to its universities, play the naming game.

in reference to 19th century German dialectician-philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel....

The prevalent utterances on both sides of the Gulf naming game, to some racist, to others nationalistic, are manifestations of this common, demagogic, abstract thinking: to distract people of the region from thinking in real and concrete terms. So let's raise the question again: Is this an "Arabian" or a "Persian" Gulf? To get real, let's ask: What is the real character of this Gulf? Let's turn the naming game from abstraction to concreteness, flip it on its head and then play.

Why don't we call it the "Hindu Gulf", or the "Gulf of The Unknown Worker"?

Let's call it "Gulf of Central Command", or simply the "Gulf of America". Let's recognize the reality of the complete occupation of this invaded body of water by the 100-plus warships and missile-armed nuclear submarines, the bases and the Air Warfare School. But then, the old British name for the UAE was Pirate Coast, so how about "Gulf of Captain Hook"? In this way, American children's culture is memorialized as well.

Playing the inverted naming game, thinking of the Filipino domestic workers raped by Arab desert princes, and evoking an Iranian suggestion, "Islamic Gulf", and using a Koranic term, let's call it: "Gulf of a Thousand and One Kaniz [10]"! It is exotic, real and Islamic.
...
let's call it "Gulf of Little-Big Sheikhs"!

I like the last...the "Gulf of Little-Big Sheikhs" with America's arsenal of war in tow. Do you see the rhetoric increasing? The war of words is in full swing. America is headed towards war with Iran. Hell, this week Bill Kristol even showed up on Fox News spewing his war monger crap out every chance he could. Where was he for the last month? I assume devising his "echo chamber" neo con WWIII or IV press strategy. Yesterday, it was the Qods Force..today the entire "gulf". What will the next "shock and awe" be named? Stop the insanity. Don't let the neo conservatives "sell" US another "lemon".

George W. Bush has invaded 'Absurdistan'

Same Player. Different Scandal.