BlatherWatch

Bat bites, burning butts, bobcats break-in!!

Maybe it's the cloudy weather. Maybe it's that there is nothing to watch on TV and nothing is happening on talk radio outside of recycled "We said, They said." Maybe it's because we are tired of sitting behind campers the size of buses when caught in rush hour traffic. Whatever the reason, these stories caught our eye today.

Three people in Washington have been treated for exposure to bats with rabies.

"Bats are a reservoir species, so they do carry the rabies virus here in Washington state," explained Nicola Marsden-Haug, epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health.

Bat teeth are so small and sharp, their bites may not even be visible. A sleeping person might not even feel their teeth. (That is comforting to know. Not.)

Because their bites could go unnoticed, health officials want you to take precautions before it's too late. First off, never get close to or touch a bat because chances are if they're hanging out near people, they're sick. If you end up with a bat bite, clean the wound and then get to a doctor. Rabies is fatal, but it can be prevented with a series of shots. Think about this as you sit on your deck in the evening and watch the bats hunt for mosquitos.

Washington State Patrol troopers are cracking down on drivers and their passengers who throw cigarette butts and other burning stuff out of their cars.

Troopers have pulled over almost 1,000 cars for that violation in the last year. It's a big problem, especially during the summer.

"The weather's been good, the medians are drying up and we've already had several median fires this year and the big cause of that is from throwing out lit debris," said trooper Guy Gill.

Troopers are watching for people flicking cigarettes butts out of car windows and it's easy to spot, especially at night.

"You see the little burnt embers dashing across the freeway as someone throws a cigarette out and those are definitely capable of causing a fire in the median," said Gill. The fine for throwing lit debris out of a car is more than $1,000.

We think people who smoke are insane, but what rock does one have to live under not to realize this is fire danger season? We think the fine should be more. Maybe a million dollars. That would get their attention.

Security is tight at the Monroe Corrections Complex to keep 2,400 Washington state prisoners locked up, but it couldn't stop a bobcat from breaking in.

Officers on a perimeter fence check apparently startled the cat about 11:30 p.m. Monday, said Department of Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis.

"And it ran the wrong direction," he said, "through the razor-wire."

The small, agile cat was able to make it through the fence that would trap a person. It suffered a few cuts in the process.

The fact that a bobcat can break in doesn't cause prison officials to worry that an inmate could break out of the state's second-largest prison, with five units ranging in security from minimum to maximum, Lewis said.

"If we had an inmate the same size of a bobcat with the same level of dexterity, then we're concerned," he said.

Huh?

Local sports talkers win national recognition

No, no, no. It wasn't Dori.  Talker's magazine listed its First Annual Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. Coming in at a respectable #19 is 710 KIRO FM's own Kevin Calabro! Following him at #35 is the duo of Brock Huard and Mike Salk.At #37 is Mitch Levy of KJR-AM.  Jumping down to #65 is another team from 710 KIRO-AM, Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby.  All in all, a very respectable showing for the Pacific Northwest.

On the Talkers.com website they explain: "In order to create this list, the editors took into account a combination of hard and soft factors and the results are, admittedly, subjective.  Staying true to the realities of the media business, ratings and revenue are two of the major factors – some would say they are the only factors worth considering – but the editors also took into account other qualities that help create a list that is reflective of the industry’s diversity and total flavor and still give credit where credit is due.  Those qualities include:  courage, effort, impact, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness."

Sorry Dori.

John Curley and KIRO get taken in by con-man

Faithful readers are the backbone of this blog, and sometimes, one of them is kind enough to send stories our way. Just such a story ended up in the inbox late last night. (hat tip to SBW)

Read this from " Anatomy of a Tragedy-Ponzi schemes and faith. " 

by Joynt D. Case

People I’d like to talk with…

The public records in this case raise more questions than they answer.  But they certainly raise some interesting questions. If somebody granted me access to a few of the people in the public record, and gave me the right to ask them just a couple of questions each, there are a few tempting places to spend those questions. 

There’s John Curley, a Seattle talk show host who hosted Dan Gaub [ a foreign currency exchange trader]  on his show in the spring of 2011. Part of their exchange carries deep irony, because they invite listeners to contact Dan if they want to be among his students who quit their job and become financially independent. 

Dan: It would be an honor to have somebody come from this listening audience, whether it’s via the Internet or live in the Seattle area, and say “I heard you on the show with John. I want to be one of those guys. How cool would that be a year from now?

John Curley: That would be very cool. Then they would be able to say, “I listen to John Curley and he made me a millionaire.” 

The irony comes from the date of the interview. It was May 3, 2011 when they looked down the road one year with the casual patter of making somebody in the audience a millionaire.

Dan Gaub died May 4, 2012.

I’d like to ask Mr. Curley whether he’s heard from any listeners who decided to get in touch with Dan Gaub in May, 2011. What was their experience a year later, in May 2012?  I’d also like to ask him whether he saw or heard any red flags when Dan claimed on the show that he made $8 million in April of 2011 and had made even more - $10 million – another month. For anybody who remotely follows business, those claims should have raised all sorts of flags.  

(Come to think of it, I’d like to ask KIRO Radio whether anybody has contacted them about being sucked into a Ponzi scheme by one of their talk shows.)

This comment from an angry investor:

"Dan Gaub (pictured at left) has been running a fraud and scam in the Yakima Valley for years! Unsuspecting Church members have been victims of his. He has taken millions and millions of dollars and all the reports are not good. I lost hundreds of thousands myself! Some people have given him half million, MILLION dollars and then he killed himself like the coward he was! I have read articles about him on places like FraudandScam.com and VictimAdvocates.net. I mean check this all out yourself if you doubt it! Dan pretended he was a Christian. He was a servant of the devil and ripped off everyone he knew and even his own family and friends. "

Another investor had this to say : "Dan Gaub claimed to be a Christian and a helper to those who wanted a return on invested funds. I knew him. I knew his family. I knew his friends. He seemed to be genuine and true. He ended up killing himself when his ponzi scheme caved in.. He left his wife and family as well as hundreds of investors with nothing". Just like Bernie Madoff!. Now we find that his family are pulling more crooked deals,. My trust of man kind has gone down the drain!. It is not the money I lost that is the problem|. It is trusting those who claim to be one thing while they are living an absolute lie when they think no one can see what is going on!. He took the coward's way out.. That much is as evident as a train wreck."

And from a site called "Ripoffrepairs" "Forex robot scams can be found all over the internet. In fact, once you get on the “right” mailing list you will receive daily emails about the latest Forex Robot. Unfortunately,these robots will lose you thousands of dollars! If you want to be a day trading professional, you need to learn how to trade! There are no holy grails or magic systems. Trading is like any other business. Knowledge and experience is how you become successful. Many system vendors prey on those with a “Get Rich Quick” or “Gambling Mentality”.  Dan Gaub preyed on trusting victims.  Dan Gaub will leave a legacy as the worlds biggest forex scammer!  Word is out that this man scammed so many people its beyond words.  All under the statement of “its my mission to help people”.   If you have been a victim get a hold of either fraudandscam.com or victimadvocates.net and let them know.

Another person I’d like to talk with is his brother Nathan, who claims he was involved in starting the business called Gaubfx. His LinkedIn profile can be seen here.

After Dan’s death, Nathab  told the Yakima-Herald Republic he was not involved in Dan’s business. You can read the exact quote and all of the details surrounding Dan's death here.

Amazingly – at least to me - just a few weeks after Dan’s death, Nathan then reserved a domain name that suggests he plans to continue with a business that looks a lot like the one he claims he started with Dan. The new name is  4xmentoring.com. You can see the domain registration information here.

I’d like to ask this man to explain to me – to all of us who see this entire story as tragic – exactly what his seemingly contradictory statements and actions mean. There may be an innocent explanation that makes perfect sense, but it eludes me. To me, it looks like the line between FOREX “mentoring”  (and its companion, FOREX robot software) and the Ponzi scheme that it fed is too fine for any reasonable person to try to walk away from it. "

I guess what I really want to ask him is, “What do you think Dan would tell you…now… about this idea?”

Editor's note:The author has gone on to explain more about this at People I’d like to talk with…Part II .

A message from Michael

It's Stephanie's (Taffy's) birthday!!  It was a beautiful day- August, 13, 2011; friends and family gathered in Lincoln Park for a walk/run on Taffy and lung cancer research's behalf. We got to walk with her- there was much laughing and catching up as old friends gathered. (Though she loved every one of you, being hostess was not her favorite past time, but she did it with grace and aplomb in that last year of her life).

She treasured that day,  and for some of you it was the very last time you saw her walking on this earth., 

This year, Lungevity has graciously scheduled their annual walk/run on Taffy’s birthday, August 11, again at Lincoln Park. 

Though I’ve heard she’s learned to fly, and may be hovering,  she’ll certainly be with us in our hearts. Some of you can’t be at Lincoln Park this year, but you can be generou$ and help make Team No Jello No. 1.

 You may do that by clicking here. 

 And not to worry,  if I don’t hear from you, I’ll be nagging … 

 Her friend, Dr. Jack West has written: [Stephanie”] touched a great many people very powerfully. The way she approached her life and her cancer embodied wisdom, peace, and grace. She was a remarkable person for me to know personally,  and I know that many people here have learned about both lung cancer and their approach to life from her presence here,  which will fortunately live on.

Please help Taffy live forever … and by all means, join us August 11.

Your weekend open thread

(From the Yakima Herald)  "More than a week after the Supreme Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna is trying to clarify statements he made at a news conference immediately following the ruling.

Democrats and conservative Republicans made political hay out of McKenna's statement June 28 that Congress shouldn't repeal the entire act and the individual mandate should be kept "for now" because it is so closely tied to other parts of the reform package.

Speaking to the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce in Yakima on Monday, McKenna said the reports were a misinterpretation by "Seattle media" and that his position on the Affordable Care Act hasn't changed.

"I wish I had been better prepared with a better articulated response than the one I gave at the press conference," McKenna told the luncheon audience after an attendee accused him of changing his stance. "Frankly I didn't think we were going to lose so I wasn't ready for that question."

McKenna insisted he was only asked whether Congress would go forward with repealing the act, not whether he thinks it should be repealed. But a recording of the June 28 news conference shows Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner clearly asking McKenna, "Do you support it being repealed?"

"No," McKenna said.

At the news conference McKenna did say Congress should review parts of the act and that without more reforms it will ultimately drive up prices.

"We continue to have concerns on how much this is going to cost the state and how the heck we're going to implement it successfully," McKenna told the Chamber.

McKenna said his campaign intends to publish an op-ed on his policy regarding the Affordable Care Act now that it has been upheld, but did not say when that would be released.

Jaime Smith, a spokeswoman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee, said McKenna's statements Monday are the latest in a pattern of contradictory remarks regarding the health care law.

"He's had a couple weeks now to clarify what he wanted to say," Smith said. "Clearly he's struggling with the politics of this."

David Catanese, a national politics reporter for POLITICO, the online political news organization, who has been following governors' races nationally, said McKenna would do better in a blue state such as Washington to steer away from the health care issue. While McKenna rates higher among voters on issues such as jobs and education, Catanese said allowing the health care issue to linger could help Democrats label him as conservative. (ya think?  RR)

"It'll be interesting to see if the Democrats can pick up the ball and run with it, because a lot of the attacks on McKenna have fallen flat so far," Catanese said. "Health care could cost him among people who haven't made up their minds."

The gubernatorial race has tightened up in recent months after McKenna enjoyed as much as a 10 percent advantage over Inslee among voters earlier this year. Surveys from Elway, Public Policy Polling and SurveyUSA conducted in June have McKenna garnering 40 percent to 43 percent of the vote, with Inslee's support ranging from 38 percent to 40 percent, well within the margin of error. The polls estimate between 17 percent and 22 percent of voters statewide are undecided."

Talkers.com poses the question, " When is a Death Threat Free Speech?"

The recent decision of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to charge Timothy Demeuse merely with disorderly conduct with regard to Demeuse’s Facebook posting about talk radio host Vicki McKenna has many people, including Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, upset.

The Facebook posting read “I’m going to kill Vicki McKenna; come and get me coppers, because there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. Here’s the real f***ing death threat bitch. Come get me.  I don’t even own a gun. I can make as many death threats as I want, and I hope someone kills you. I’m going to shoot you in the face and rape your dead corpse. I love this country and hate its citizens…”

This was accompanied by even more profanity and ranting that got much worse.
When McKenna saw the posting, she obviously became alarmed.   Immediately, she made the comparison to Gerald Laughner in Arizona, whose internet ranting was followed by the shooting of 13 people – including US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. She contacted Sheriff Clarke to ask what to do, since Demeuse was from the Milwaukee area. Sheriff Clarke had detectives pursue the matter and referred the case to the DA’s office for prosecution.

According to the District Attorney the posting did not qualify for more serious criminal charges.  According to Chisholm, “The people we talked to, his circle of friends, said they did not take it as a true threat.” This leaves us to beg the question, "Just what do you consider a true threat?"

There often is a very fine line between protected free speech even if it is inflammatory and criminal threats of imminent violence.  In its landmark case of Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969 the Supreme Court ruled that inflammatory speech cannot be punished unless it is likely to incite imminent violence.  In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that an Ohio law that prohibited merely advocating violence was unconstitutional.  But can such restraint result in tragic circumstances?  Is that the price of the First Amendment?  It often would appear so.

However, in 2010 blogger Hal Turner was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his posting in response to the ruling of 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals judges, Frank Easterbook, Richard Posner and William Bauer’s upholding a law banning handguns in Chicago in which he wrote, “Let me be the first to say this plainly.  These judges deserve to be killed.”  He went on to quote Thomas Jefferson that, “The tree of liberty must be replenished from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots.”  Turner then added his own words, “It is time to replenish the tree.”  It is perhaps noteworthy that the Jefferson quote was on a t-shirt that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was wearing when he was arrested.  Turner also went on to write, “These judges deserve to be made such an example of as to send a message to the entire judiciary:  Obey the Constitution or die.”

Today came the news of a District of Columbia police officer who has been taken off a motorcycle escort for White House officials after he allegedly said he'd shoot first lady Michelle Obama and "then used his phone to retrieve a picture of the firearm he said he would use," according to The Washington Post.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating and the Secret Service has been told of the alleged threat, the Post reports:

The motorman allegedly made the comments Wednesday morning as several officers from the Special Operations Division discussed threats against President Obama. It was not immediately clear where the alleged conversation took place or exactly how many officers took part in the conversation.

During that conversation, the officials said, the officer allegedly said he would shoot the First Lady and then used his phone to retrieve a picture of the firearm he said he would use. It was not immediately clear what type of firearm was allegedly shown.

An officer overheard the alleged threat and reported it to a police lieutenant at the Division, who immediately notified superiors, the officials said.  Police officials declined to identify the officer. Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s office declined comment."

What was disturbing to officialls was that this particular officer has previously been a part of official motorcades involving the First Lady, giving him close access to her on several occassions.

From jail to the raydeeoh!

Premiere Networks Debuts Satellite Radio Show Hosted by Jack Abramoff.  The Clear Channel Media and Entertainment-owned Premiere Networks is developing a talk show for the XM channel that Clear Channel programs – XM Talk 168 – hosted by former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff who finished serving a 43-month federal prison sentence for corruption.  The weekend Jack Abramoff Show has been airing on SiriusXM’s XM Talk 168 since the last weekend of June and, for now, the program is satellite only.  It’s possible this is a road test for a show that may have a future on terrestrial radio.  Premiere Networks president, content and affiliate relations Julie Talbott, says, “From his experience in Washington to his fall from grace, Jack has a unique and interesting point of view and he’s not shy about sharing it.  He’s a natural in front of the microphone and we’re excited to share this new talk program with audiences across the country.”

Yodel-lay-hee-hee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you make a Romneyburger??  A pound of flesh, and hide the fries in the Cayman Islands.

This is an open thread. Play nice in the sandbox.

Cheating is the key to success!

If the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes were to go out with his lantern in search of an honest many today, a survey of Wall Street executives on workplace conduct suggests he might have to look elsewhere.

A quarter of Wall Street executives see wrongdoing as a key to success, according to a survey by whistleblower law firm Labaton Sucharow released on Tuesday.

In a survey of 500 senior executives in the United States and the UK, 26 percent of respondents said they had observed or had firsthand knowledge of wrongdoing in the workplace, while 24 percent (who were willing to admit it) said they believed financial services professionals may need to engage in unethical or illegal conduct to be successful. You can most likely presume that the number who actually do this is much higher.

Sixteen percent of respondents said they would commit insider trading if they could get away with it, according to Labaton Sucharow. And 30 percent said their compensation plans created pressure to compromise ethical standards or violate the law.

"When misconduct is common and accepted by financial services professionals, the integrity of our entire financial system is at risk," Jordan Thomas, partner and chair of Labaton Sucharow's whistleblower representation practice, said in a statement.

The survey's release comes as the fallout from Barclays PLC's Libor-rigging scandal continues and other banks including Citigroup Inc, HSBC Holdings PLC, Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC and UBS AG await the outcome of an industry-wide probe.

"Win at any cost, screw anyone so long as you get your's, any means justifies the end."  Has this become the motto of America? Is the only reason Bernie Madoff went to jail is that he stole from the 1%?  

In the news...

Donald Trump will receive the 2012 “Statesman of the Year” award from the Sarasota Republican Party in August.

Trump has been tapped to receive the award on the day before the Republican National Convention, just 60 miles south of the festivities in Tampa Bay.

The move, however, is not meant to upstage the convention, according to Trump spokesman Michael Cohen.

“It would seem obvious that Donald Trump will play a role in the Tampa convention, as his massive popularity, reflected in this recent award, shows what an asset he would be in making the convention into an even greater success.”

Haley Barbour received the award in 2011, at an event that also featured remarks from Herman Cain.

No state exemplifies what happens when wingnuts take control as much as Arizona, where right wing Gov. Jan Brewer is now asking the Supreme Court to let her take away the health insurance of state employees’ same-sex partners.

"Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) has requested that the Supreme Court overturn a ruling that allows state employees to keep their same-sex partners on their benefits, including health insurance.

Brewer filed a petition for a writ of certiorari on July 2, requesting that the high court overturn the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s September 2011 ruling in Diaz vs. Brewer. The pushback comes three months after the Ninth Circuit denied a request by Arizona state lawyers to re-hear the case with an 11-judge panel.

Last September, the Ninth Circuit’s ruling prevented Arizona from implementing a law that would have barred state employees’ same-sex partners from remaining on their health plans. The ruling affirmed a lower court’s decision to place a preliminary injunction on the law."

Los Angeles Times reporter Maeve Reston was at Mitt Romney’s fund-raiser at the home of far right billionaire David Koch in the super-exclusive Long Island community of East Hampton, and interviewed one of Romney’s wealthy donors — who had some interesting remarks about the “common people.”

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. – As protesters assembled on a beach in advance of Mitt Romney’s evening event at the home of conservative billionaire David Koch, the candidate slipped to East Hampton for his first of three fundraisers on this tony stretch of Long Island.

The line of Range Rovers, BMWs, Porsche roadsters and one gleaming cherry red Ferrari began queuing outside of Revlon Chairman Ronald Perelman’s estate off Montauk Highway long before Romney arrived, as campaign aides and staffers in white polo shirts emblazoned with the logo of Perelman’s property — the Creeks — checked off names under tight security. …

A New York City donor a few cars back, who also would not give her name, said Romney needed to do a better job connecting. “I don’t think the common person is getting it,” she said from the passenger seat of a Range Rover stamped with East Hampton beach permits. “Nobody understands why Obama is hurting them.

“We’ve got the message,” she added. “But my college kid, the baby sitters, the nails ladies — everybody who’s got the right to vote — they don’t understand what’s going on. I just think if you’re lower income — one, you’re not as educated, two, they don’t understand how it works, they don’t understand how the systems work, they don’t understand the impact.”

Back when Paul Brendle dared to go where no helo....go

 

It was a time of real competition in the radio wars, compared to today which has been reduced to taking chances based on who will work the cheapest and maybe, perhapsacally, deliver a ratings point above what the others are doing.   When beer commercials were still beer commercials and people still voted because it mattered.   Can local radio still make a comeback based on one-upping the other guy?