Not Enough Women In Congress? We Should Be So Lucky

Yea, Uganda Looks like a great place to live and raise kids.

Philly Inquirer - With last weekend's inauguration of Dilma Rousseff as Brazil's first female president, the United States fell farther behind the hemisphere's trend toward diverse, inclusive government. The disparity is important because women in power are more likely than men to push policies that promote equality. Brazil's election stands in stark contrast to our November congressional elections, after which the number of women holding seats and leadership positions declined. Furthermore, five women have become elected heads of state in Central and South America since 1990, while not one woman has been a major party's presidential nominee in the United States.  The United States is ranked 72d for female legislative representation, below Cambodia, Ecuador, Mozambique, and Uganda. The share of state governors who are women is less than in Ecuador, Chile, Honduras, and Panama.

Before I get rolling let me stress that I'm in no way opposed to females in politics, the men in congress need some kind of distraction (I jest). My objection to this article is strictly based on the argument laid forth by the author, because it is ridiculous.

Really Stephanie McNulty? You've chosen to hang your hat on Uganda, Mozambique, Ecuador and a few other anonymous 3rd world countries?  Those are your shining beacons of equality and the pinnacles of democractic stability that you've chosen as the foundation for your argument.  Take a look at that picture above, does that pile of squalor look like a place that has their politics figured out? 

Couldn't just be that there weren't as many qualified or distinguished woman running for office as you'd like to think huh? Or that instead of blindly voting along gender lines people in this country weigh the candidates stance on issues (or at the very least judge them on who's commercials they liked better)? 

The whole piece lacks water because there are no restrictions in place to prevent women (qualified or reality tv stars alike) from running for office just like everyone else.  The idea (and it seems like this is what you were getting at) that our government should be made to proportinately reflect society is a strictly european socialist idea (and yea their education systems and economies are doing so much better than ours right now/sarcasm). 

But please let me know when your big move to Cambodia is, we'll arrange a fancy send off and everything.  And then the rest of us will go back to our much better lives in American, despite the lack of elected women officials.

Stock Tips from 50 Cent - Meet My New Financial Advisor

So 50 Cent has been tweeting up a storm this past week about TVG's stock (HNHI symbol) example:

TVG's stock went from 5cent to 10 in one day. You can double your money right now. Just get what you can afford.less than a minute ago via
50cent

My question, do I follow this advice? The logical side of me says no, he's a rapper and a walking brandname, he's simply endorsing the stock because they'll be pushing a new product of his soon. Do I really need to be taking advice from someone who's biggest contribution to society was the chorus to Ayo Technology?

The illogical side says "hey, he has way more money than you'll ever have, he has to know something right?" Sad thing is I think the illogical side is winning.  I mean the guy was a founding partner in Vitamin Water.  It's frigen colored sugar water and the shit blew up. I'm literally drinking one right now. If the guy was savvy enough to get in early on that who am I to question his lead now?  Sure it's a penny stock that could be delisted any day and no one would really notice, but so what.  Guy is an investment mogul. 

Screw it, yes. Someone get me Chuck Schwab on the phone, I have an order to place. 

Chilean Miners Heading Back to the Mine - The Dream Is Over

Some of the 33 miners who spent a record 69 days trapped underground in Chile say they have no choice but to go back to the pits. The miners became global media stars after they survived more than two months in a tunnel, 622m below the surface at a copper mine in Chile's northern Atacama desert. Some say they want to change jobs and are thinking of becoming fruit sellers or motivational speakers, while others admit they will have to return to work as miners. Four of the miners, Reygadas, Segovia, Edison Pena and Carlos Bugueno recently lost their disability pay for failing to undergo medical checks due to constant trips abroad as they enjoyed their newfound fame.

The Chilean miners are about to get their comeuppance for the little hoax they pulled on the entire world.  Just like the 7 Dwarves found out, the fairy tale lifestyle can't last forever, sooner or later you're going to end up back in the mines. 

It took a while but the world finally caught on to the whole scheme.  Collecting disability while you're off touring the world, wearing sunglasses at night like celebrities, crooning on late night shows, pretending not to speak English, and running marathons.  Those aren't things disabled people do guys.

I'm just thankful these phonies aren't from the United States.  You get trapped in a mine and survive here and you'll collect disability for life, doesn't matter if the whole thing was one big trick.  Not in Chile, they play for keeps.  Two and a half months trapped in a mine = 2 and a half months of disability pay.  Now get back to work, and leave my late night TV programming alone. 

Anyone Else HATE Their Condo Association? - Rant

Serious question for any of you who happen to be on a condo board or god forbid are the condo president for their building, just how much were you picked on as a child? No seriously, when you signed up to be the hall monitor in grade school did you think it would help you make friends?  GET A LIFE.

I live in a very quiet, very respectful condo building. Everyone keeps to themselves, you rarely hear a peep from your neighbors unless you pass each other walking in and out, and I can't remember ever hearing a loud party or music late night.  About the only noise you do hear on occasion is someones door closing, or one of the hallways doors coming to a close.  This noise is nothing ridiculous, its just an echo because our hallways are hardwood.  Could it be a minor nuisance? I guess so, but its nothing that you can hear over the television or anything.   Still, I walked out of my unit yesterday to find this on the door way to the lobby.  Now I'm pretty sure its not aimed at my unit, but we've had run ins here with the association previously over some ludicrous complaints so it annoyed me all the same.  Basically their complaints always come down to visitors.  Two things here; 

1) You live in a frigen condo building! This was your choice, if you didn't want to be aware of your neighbors comings and goings or share hallways withe everyone you should have bought a house, so suck it up and go pet your cat. 

2) Just because you don't have friends who are willing to visit you (or friends at all I'm guessing) doesn't mean the rest of us want to live solitary, hermit like lifestyles, talking to our pets, scheming ways to get back at anyone who ever slighted us in life, and sending mass e-mails to the tenants outlining rules for our every day life. Fuck off. 

Signed,

Everyone in the building that had friends growing up.