A $38,000.00 Purse?

Queen Oprah
Johann Wagener 8-10-13

Why would anyone in their right mind want to pay $38,000 for a purse? It seems that the richer people get, the crazier they behave.

How does their mind work? Let's see, I've got $38,000 here. What should I do with it? Help some kids who don't have enough to eat? Donate it to a cancer research fund? Help some old folks pay for their medical expenses? Hey! I got a better idea!  I'm going to buy a purse!

Oprah handbag worth $38 000

FILNER-GATE

EGO-BLOAT

Johann Wagener 8-10-13

An article in the LA Times quotes the founder of a sex addiction clinic where Filner is alleged to have been treated, as “helping people regain their integrity”.

If that’s true, then they have failed miserably in helping Filner. For one to have integrity, requires one to also have humility, empathy, respect, and dignity; none of which Filner expresses if he continues to hold on to power.

The sexual assaults are just one of the many ways a “power junkie” feeds a “supersized” bloated Ego. The addiction isn't in sex, but power and, in his case, an adolescent way of wielding it. If he truly wants to heal he first needs to “surrender”  (as they teach in the Recovery movement) and humbly ask for help rather than control his disease and play at getting better. Then, and only then, can recovery begin.

Going away for a few weeks to a place he chose is nothing more than another arrogant act of defiance and contradicts it's intent. One would have to be an idiot (or a practicing addict themselves) to buy into this guys manipulations. He's been at it for years and no one has a "2 week" cure for what he suffers from. 

Hanging on to his power based position as mayor of San Diego is like an alcoholic hanging on to a bottle of his favorite booze, or a coke-head hanging his spoon around their neck in a gesture of defiance against the laws of recovery.

Sorry mayor, it doesn't work that way. 

Mayor Filner to complete 'voluntary' therapy earlier than anticipated

FILNER-GATE

EGO-BLOAT

Johann Wagener 8-10-13

An article in the LA Times quotes the founder of a sex addiction clinic where Filner is alleged to have been treated, as “helping people regain their integrity”.

If that’s true, then they have failed miserably in helping Filner. For one to have integrity, requires one to also have humility, empathy, respect, and dignity; none of which Filner expresses if he continues to hold on to power.

The sexual assaults are just one of the many ways a “power junkie” feeds a “supersized” bloated Ego. The addiction isn't in sex, but power and, in his case, an adolescent way of wielding it. If he truly wants to heal he first needs to “surrender”  (as they teach in the Recovery movement) and humbly ask for help rather than control his disease and play at getting better. Then, and only then, can recovery begin.

Going away for a few weeks to a place he chose is nothing more than another arrogant act of defiance and contradicts it's intent. One would have to be an idiot (or a practicing addict themselves) to buy into this guys manipulations. He's been at it for years and no one has a "2 week" cure for what he suffers from. 

Hanging on to his power based position as mayor of San Diego is like an alcoholic hanging on to a bottle of his favorite booze, or a coke-head hanging his spoon around their neck in a gesture of defiance against the laws of recovery.

Sorry mayor, it doesn't work that way. 

Mayor Filner to complete 'voluntary' therapy earlier than anticipated

OPINIONS ARE LIKE...........

A-- HOLES
Johann Wagener 7-30-13

 Everybody has one. And, when it comes to cable "news" (I use the word loosely) it's a tsunami of BS that is constantly flowing over the airwaves; 24/7 of non-stop vomiting of trivia referred to as opinions coming from people referred to as "consultants" for who-ever -what-ever network will have them.

A simple, insignificant event is transformed into a mega-spectacular. Facts are replaced with flowery rhetoric; much of which is completely out of context. And, all of that is ground up in commercials that flash in and out of the blabber-fests. This is a classic example of why "more is not better."

Real news, containing actual facts, is limited to a small island of publicly funded programs found only on PBS and sometimes mavericks like the BBC or Aljezeera.

Here's an example:

 http://www.salon.com/2013/07/30/10_worst_fox_news_interviews_of_the_decade/

If a single move could restore civility to politics, that is it. Get rid of the left-vs.-right commentators who are just out scoring points for their team. This sort of opinion-mongering is not only boring and predictable, it is destructive of the truth. If your only credentials are "GOP shill" or "Democratic hack," you've no business cluttering up the airwaves or the op-ed pages. My momma always told me that if you don't know what you're talking about, it's best to keep your mouth shut. That's good advice.

A simple, insignificant event is transformed into a mega-spectacular. Facts are replaced with flowery rhetoric; much of which is completely out of context. And, all of that is ground up in commercials that flash in and out of the blabber-fests. This is a classic example of why "more is not better."

Real news, containing actual facts, is limited to a small island of publicly funded programs found only on PBS and sometimes mavericks like the BBC or Aljezeera.

Spring cleaning -- 12 things the world should toss out (washingtonpost.com)

If a single move could restore civility to politics, that is it. Get rid of the left-vs.-right commentators who are just out scoring points for their team. This sort of opinion-mongering is not only boring and predictable, it is destructive of the truth. If your only credentials are "GOP shill" or "Democratic hack," you've no business cluttering up the airwaves or the op-ed pages. My momma always told me that if you don't know what you're talking about, it's best to keep your mouth shut. That's good advice.

NRA POSTER BOY FOR JULY

FROM THE SUNSHINE STATE
Johann Wagener 7-27-13

Went to a gun show and then stood his ground

A man living with his mother in a South Florida apartment complex set their unit on fire and went on a shooting rampage throughout the building, killing six people before being shot to death by police. As the eight-hour standoff unfolded, horrified residents hunkered down in their homes, at times so close to the action they could feel the gunfire or hear negotiations between the gunman and police, authorities and witnesses said Saturday.

PCHFrontpage | Local and National News, Search and Daily Instant Win Opportunities! - News

PROFILING POLITICIANS

POLITICAL MENTAL HEALTH
Johann Wagener 7-26-13

As an old saying goes; The only honest, mentally healthy politician is a dead politician, or something to that effect. Being a politician requires a penchant for being off the charts on psych exams in certain personality traits. First and foremost you must be suffering from "narcissistic personality disorder" followed by a high score on the "sociopath behavior" scale.

How else could you look at someone straight in the eyes and swear that; "I'm not a crook", or "I did not have sex with that woman" to use a few memorable quotes as an example. Most politicians today are bought and paid for with bribes from special interest groups (better known as the 1%) but get away with it because they call it "lobbying." They refer to pandering as servicing their constituents.

Yet, we act surprised when a few get caught misbehaving as if it's unusual or extraordinary behavior? Surprise! That's how sociopaths behave. Nothing new here.

Worse yet; and much more dangerous, is how they (the other smarter politicians) throw a few of their own to the crowd to distract us from what is really going on in the halls of Congress. That's where the really sick one's do their best work while we "ooooh" and "aaaah" about some clown flash his junk on the internet or having a little r&r with a well paid (and consenting) hooker. You got to hand it to these politicians. They are good at what they do. The stupid one's here are us.

It's Not the Sex, It's the Stupidity

Forget the disgusting character of New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner's sexting. Ignore the maddening hypocrisies attending New York City comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer's "Client 9" moniker. Dismiss the arrogance revealed in San Diego Mayor Bob Filner's alleged sexual harassment.

Clearly, these men seem to have behaved deplorably – possibly even criminally. It's perfectly fine to be angry, repulsed, and even transfixed by these outrageous scandals. Public servants are not supposed to do these types of things.

And while the media are not wrong for focusing on the shock-value side of these elected officials' transgressions, the most relevant question to the public tends not to get answered: are these politicians just too dumb to be good at their jobs?

CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE!

PA-LEEZE!
Johann Wagener 7-26-13

Are they kidding? No! This is not the Mad Hatters Tea Party out of Alice In Wonderland, or a scene from the movie, "Idiocracy", but straight from DOJ, the nations law keeper. A corporation (which is nothing more than a notarized bunch of paper) has been indicted and pleaded guilty to committing a crime! Furthermore they are going to pay a fine and be put on "probation" How's that for doling out justice? I was hoping that Halliburton would get some jail time, but they couldn't find an orange jump suit or prison big enough to hold them; I guessing here, but it's less scary than thinking about the crazies running our government.

Halliburton Pleads Guilty to Destroying Evidence After Gulf Spill


Halliburton has agreed to plead guilty to destruction of critical evidence after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.

The oil services company said it would pay the maximum allowable fine of $200,000 and will be subject to three years of probation. It will also continue its cooperation in the government’s criminal investigation. Separately, Halliburton made a voluntary contribution of $55 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The Justice Department filed one criminal charge against the company. In a statement, Halliburton said that the violation was a misdemeanor associated with the deletion of records created after the accident. Additionally, the company said, “The Department of Justice has agreed that it will not pursue further criminal prosecution of the company.”

FRANCIS POINTS HIS FINGER

AT THE RICH
Johann Wagener 7-26-13

And hit a wall. The one the rich hide behind so they can't be singled out and held accountable for their sinful-irresponsible behavior. Are they listening? Highly doubtful since they spend most of their time franticly looking for ways to hoard the wealth they worship so faithfully.

It's not hard to understand why Pope Francis is speaking out. All one needs to do is visit the slums of Brazil and it's plain as day. What is even more ironic is that Francis made his speech from one of the most famous hang-outs of the rich.

“Everything that is shared is multiplied,” the pope said. “Only when we are able to share do we become truly rich. The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.”

Crowd of up to a million cheers Pope on Brazil's Copacabana beach | Reuters

During a visit to a Rio slum on Thursday morning, the first Latin American pope called for a "culture of solidarity" to replace the "selfishness and individualism" in modern society.

"No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world," he told residents of Manguinhos, a sprawling shantytown, or favela, of ramshackle brick dwellings that until recently was overrun by violence and controlled by drug lords.

DEVIL'S ISLAND SOUTH

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Johann Wagener 7-25-13

We can be thankful that most of these tormented souls find their way to one place where they can't hurt the rest of us. Maybe, as global warming progresses, Florida will become an island where we can send crazies to.

Why Is Florida So Weird? A Zillion Examples and 5 Theories

“A Florida man shot himself in his penis and testicles while claiming to be cleaning his gun,” blared one ABC-TV affiliate. “A Florida man whose hand was bitten off by a nine-foot alligator now faces charges of feeding the animal,” blared another. And state wildlife officials also were not too thrilled with a company whose business is bringing alligators with their mouths taped shut to kids’ birthday pool parties (for a $175 fee).

But then the local news goes gothic. A Florida man was upset that his wife didn’t thaw the frozen pizza and shoved her face into a dog bowl, police said. Another man forced his wife to swallow her diamond engagement ring after she announced that she was leaving. In another bad pizza story, a man punched the delivery boy after he forget garlic knots.

And then comes cannibalism. Another man “chopped off his victim’s head, removed part of the brain and an eyeball, put them in a plastic bag, walked 12 blocks to this cemetery, Lakeview Cemetery, and then ate them,” WTHH-TV reported.

ROYAL GRIDLOCK

THE ROYAL UNEMPLOYMENT LINE
Johann Wagener 7-22-13

Is getting longer. Charles is in his 60's and still hasn't had the job. Now comes one more royal who will spend his time parading around the world waiting for a family member to "pass" and hoping it's sooner than later. In the meantime the Brits will go on carrying the tab and doing without in order to keep a fairy tale alive.

PCHFrontpage | Local and National News, Search and Daily Instant Win Opportunities! - News

WHAT IS IT ABOUT BALLS?

A UNIVERSAL OBSESSION
Johann Wagener 7-20-13


In which humans will devote countless hours, spending billions, just to sit in stadiums or their living room couches watching a bunch of overgrown (and overpaid) clowns running around (or up and down) fields chasing balls. What is even more absurd is the amount of time wasted to participate in this mindless exercise. For example, we spend 3 hours or more to get about 17 minutes of actual game time in baseball. Football comes in at 14 minutes of play per 3 hours of wasted time.  Go figure? Say what?

Even monkeys manage their time more efficiently than that. Can you imagine what a different planet this would be if people utilized all that time and money doing something somewhat more productive? Parks would fill up with families on picnics. Libraries would have standing room only. Town hall meetings would actually be more than just a gathering of the extreme fringe of our society. Those billions spent on playing games could actually amount something worthwhile like rebuilding our cities and neighborhoods, educating our kids, helping our sick and homeless, saving the environment, or even just doing nothing which is a far cry more productive that playing with balls.

CRONY CAPITALISM

CAPITALISM SUCKS!
Johann Wagener 7-15-13

At least the way it's practiced in the USA. Why? Because a very small but powerful group of individuals have been able to immunize themselves from playing by the rules by buying off the politicians that pander to them. What made it worse is when the US Supreme Court sanctioned this kind of behavior by anointing corporate entities with personhood.

We the people put the cherry on top of it by acquiescing to the line of BS they fed us about being "too big" to fail or jail, and went ahead with bailing them out on our dime.

This is what we got for our money.

The 5 Biggest Obscenities of Capitalism Today

Committed capitalists fail to recognize that individual success is a result of collaborative effort.

A ROTTEN APPLE

CAVEAT EMPTOR
Johann Wagener 7-13-13

There's nothing more disgusting than to learn that some of the largest, wealthiest, and powerful companies are the biggest offenders when it comes to ripping off the public. When it comes to making money it supersedes everything else; laws, fairness, honesty, integrity, and just plain ethics. Left to their own devices these greed addicts will suck the lifeblood out of anyone that get in their sights.

Apple loses eBook price fixing lawsuit: Court finds tech giant conspired with publishers

Overnight, US District Judge Denise Cote found there was “compelling evidence” Apple violated antitrust law as a result, and played a “central role” in the plan to essentially erase retail price competition.

“Apple chose to join forces with the publisher defendants to raise eBook prices and equipped them with the means to do so," Cote found in her decision. "Without Apple's orchestration of this conspiracy, it would not have succeeded as it did.”

The Watching Dead

IDIOCRACY REDUX
Johann Wagener 7-12-13

Here's another example of why this culture is in the fast lane of self-destruction. Not only do we waste billions on games we now find out that most of the time we devote to it is completely wasted on watching these clowns doing nothing.

How much action does a baseball game have? Almost 18 minutes

In any given year, roughly 70 million people will attend major-league baseball games. A lucky handful will be treated to something unforgettable: a no-hitter, a walk-off grand slam, a player stealing home. Many more fans will see towering home runs, late-inning rallies and diving catches. But there is one thing every single fan who buys a ticket is 100% guaranteed to see: a bunch of grown men standing in a field, doing absolutely nothing.

A similar WSJ study on NFL games in January 2010 found that the average action time for a football game was 11 minutes. So MLB does pack more punch in a battle of the two biggest stop-and-start sports. By seven minutes.

THE NEW MAFIA!

LIAR! LIAR! BANKS ON FIRE!
Johann Wagener 6-18-13

The way BofA operates is the "norm" not the "exception". Banks are nothing more than organized crime organizations sanctioned by the government who claims they are too big to fail and their leaders are too big to jail. Yet, they fit the definition of an organized criminal enterprise as laid out in RICO. All that's required is a justice system that functions like one.  

Bank of America’s mortgage servicing unit systematically lied to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications, and paid their staff bonuses for deliberately pushing people into foreclosure: Yes, these allegations were suspected by any homeowner who ever had to deal with the bank to try to get a loan modification – but now they come from six former employees and one contractor, whose  sworn statements were added last week to a civil lawsuit filed in federal court in Massachusetts.

“Bank of America’s practice is to string homeowners along with no apparent intention of providing the permanent loan modifications it promises,” said Erika Brown, one of the former employees. The damning evidence would spur a series of criminal investigations of BofA executives, if we still had a rule of law in this country for Wall Street banks.

Bank of America Whistle-blower Bombshell: “We Were Told to Lie” to Rip Off Borrowers

Global millionaire population and wealth grows in 2012

PIGS AT THE TROUGH
Johann Wagener 6-18-13



The feeding frenzy continues. There's no stopping these insatiable creatures from devouring more and more of this planet's wealth with little regard to the devastation they create. NO! Not pigs! At least they perform a worthwhile function. I'm referring to that small and elite group of individuals who still live under the illusion that they are special and are entitled to hoard the wealth they acquire through others labor.

Global millionaire population and wealth grows in 2012

Not only are the rich getting richer, but their numbers are growing and North America is home to most of them, according to a report from Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management.

The World Wealth Report, released Tuesday, found the global population of millionaires reached record levels in 2012 growing by 9.2%, or 1 million people, to reach 12 million after remaining flat in 2011.

Their wealth also increased by 10%, or $46.2 trillion, after declining 0.7% last year. The report attributes this to slow but stabilizing economic growth.

The figure is well above the pre-crisis level of $40.7 trillion in 2007 and previous high of $42.7 trillion in 2010.

 North America maintained its spot of being home to the most millionaires last year, growing by 11.5% or 3.73 million, the highest regional growth.

Secrecy for Sale: Inside the Global Offshore Money Maze

NOWHERE TO HIDE
Johann Wagener 6-14-13

Being wealthy and dodging your moral obligation to support those who helped you get rich will no longer be so easy to do.

Is it the biggest bank heist in history with $32tn (£21tn) at stake? The electronic vaults of the Caribbean offshore financial system have been raided and 2.5 million secret files belonging to the global political and business elite have been downloaded.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) - working with The Guardian, Le Monde, Washington Post and over 30 other media outlets - has accessed a huge data dump exposing the financial machinations of the super-rich in "the largest cross-border journalism collaboration in history."

The investigative epic is called "Secrecy For Sale: Inside The Global Offshore Money Maze."


As reported by IBTimes US, the findings explore the concealed world of tax havens, cracking open the secrets of more than 120,000 offshore companies and trusts and almost 130,000 individuals in over 170 nations. The big names in international banking, including Clariden, UBS and Deutsche Bank, face a potential new scandal.

Readers can use new interactive database to search information about the ownership of tens of thousands of offshore entities in tax havens

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists overnight published a database that, for the first time in history, will help begin to strip away the secrecy across 10 offshore jurisdictions.

The Offshore Leaks Database allows users to search through tens of thousands of secret companies, trusts and funds created in offshore locales, and displays graphic visualizations of offshore entities and the networks around them, including, when possible, the company’s true owners.

The database is part of a cache of 2.5 million leaked offshore files ICIJ (a project of the Center for Public Integrity) analyzed with 112 journalists in 58 countries. Since April, stories based on the data — the largest stockpile of inside information about the offshore system ever obtained by a media organization — have been published by more than 40 media organizations worldwide, including The Guardian in the U.K., Le Monde in France, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Germany, The Washington Post, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

EU Commissioner Algirdas Semeta said the ICIJ’s investigation has transformed tax politics and amplified political will to tackle the problem of tax evasion – and that the need for tax transparency overrides the principle of data privacy.


And during a visit to the White House in May, British Prime Minister David Cameron made astrong pitch for tackling “the scourge of tax havens”, saying “we need to know who really owns a company, who profits from it”.

The Offshore Leaks web app allows readers to discover exactly that – as well as explore the relationships between clients, offshore entities and the lawyers, accountants, banks and other intermediaries who help keep these arrangements secret.

Search the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database at http://offshoreleaks.icij.org or read more aboutwhy we're making this information available to the public.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists online

NO CURE FOR CANCER

THE PROFIT FACTOR
Johann Wagener 6-9-13

The last known cure of a disease was over 50 years ago (polio). How is it that with all the advancements we have made in science and technology of this last half-century we have been unable to find a cure for any of a long string of diseases that plague us? Take cancer, for example. We continue to run charity drives that boldly claim, one day we will find a cure for cancer. Really?  sure, there's always another new drug  hitting the market, or another form of treatment, or a new test to better diagnose the disease. We brag about prolonging life and easing the pain, but we always inevitably fall short of the cure. The solution to the problem. Why no cure? Is it because it's so complicated all our technology and the great minds that use it just don't have the know how or means? That's doubtful considering all that's been accomplished in so many other areas of the scientific community.

As cynical as it sounds the one thing that the cure for polio failed to do was make a "profit." In fact there was a lot of money lost. The iron lung manufactures shut down. Many hospital beds went empty. All those employed in long term care lost their jobs. Terms like "prevention" or "cure" are taboo in the healthcare community because of one thing; money which flows like a river when the focus is on "intervention" and "treatment" which is the lifeblood of our system. The money is made by keeping people sick and providing just enough treatment to keep them alive and staying dependent on the system. The cure of cancer would devastate the healthcare community and all those who invest in it. And, as long as there's money to made from treating diseases they will remain incurable. When it comes to treatment vs cure the winner will always be the former.

Curing disease just like waging peace is just an ideal to throw words at because it lacks the one thing we cherish more; money.

50 Signs That The U.S. Health Care System Is A Gigantic Money Making Scam

AMERICA'S ROBBER BARONS

THE "P" WORD
JOHANN WAGENER 6-7-13

The one word that never comes up when there's talk about debt and deficit is "profit'. This is not surprising because then we would be forced to deal with the real problem and expose the real culprits; those who hide in the shadows and scheme ways to rake in more and more profits while all along sucking our country dry. 

The Waltons are the poster children of the 21st century "robber barons" who are obsessed with making profits even at the expense of their employees and their customers. 

Walmart Heirs Hold More Wealth Than 42% of Americans Combined

The recession has devastated the finances of many Americans, but it has been very good to the Walton family. Since 2007, Walmart stores have been flooded with millions of folks who've lost their shirts in the housing bust, stock market crash, and stalled job market—people who can no longer afford to buy anything that isn't made in China and sold by someone making close to minimum wage. Using newly released data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (listed as "SCF" below), labor economist Sylvia Allegretto has put together this chart on the diverging fortunes of the Waltons and their customers:



As Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Insitute points out, the six Walmart heirs now have more wealth than the bottom 42 percent of Americans combined, up from 30 percent in 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, the collective wealth of the six richest Waltons rose from $73 billion to $90 billion, while the wealth of the average American declined from $126,000 to $77,000 (13 million Americans have negative net worth). Here's a chart of how many average Americans it has taken over time to equal the wealth of the Waltons:

The Waltons claim to be good for America because they deliver the lowest prices when it comes to shopping for junk. What they don't tell you is that the junk they sell was produced by people that are literally enslaved and then sold to you by a Walmart employee who is paid so little they are forced to apply for government welfare programs which, guess what, is paid by you the tax payer. The truth is America is good for the Waltons.

Walmart’s Low Wages Cost Taxpayers Millions Each Year

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wages are so low they force many of its employees onto the public doles, creating a drag on taxpayers and the economy, according to a new report from the staff of congressional Democrats.

The report analyzes data from Wisconsin's Medicaid program, estimating that a single 300-person Wal-Mart Supercenter in that state likely costs taxpayers at least $904,542 per year and could cost up to $1,744,590 per year, or roughly $5,815 per employee.


The blow back has been severe because it threatens the very foundation of these corrupt corporations who claim to be free market capitalistic enterprises while at the same time forcing their employees to be subsidized by the taxpayer. A recent article in the pro-business rag Forbes attempts to make Walmart the victim of big bad government imposing fair wage laws. How dare they mess with Walmart's profits by forcing them to pay their employees a liveable wage and getting them off welfare. In fact they call that "stupid".

You Won't Believe The Stupidity Of The Latest Attack On Walmart

Walmart has eagerly been reviving desolate corners of the city.

In order to punish this good deed, though, the rebarbative chairman of the D.C. City Council, Phil Mendelson, has been pushing an extraordinary new law that would apply only to large national retailers, with more than $1 billion in sales, who open D.C. stores of greater than 75,000 square feet. Such firms would be required to pay a “living wage” of at least $11.75 an hour to all employees — a 62 percent premium over the federal minimum wage. D.C. already has its own super-minimum wage of $8.25 an hour (set by law at $1 above the federal minimum). So the LRAA is a super-duper minimum wage proposed mainly to punish a single company, which is why wags in the press are calling it the Walmart Living Wage Bill.

Maybe it's stupid to continue to allow the robber barons free reign to do whatever they want to serve their self interests even if it means forcing Uncle Sam to subsidize them. 

The problem with the economy and the out of control deficit is the runaway profits that in the Walton's case has successfully screwed  Americans to the extent that they hoard wealth equal to that of 42% of our population. Allowing this to continue is simply stupid.

KEY WORD IS "SLIGHTLY"

Being slightly overweight also might be beneficial to elderly people who have chronic diseases because they might have more stored muscle mass and nutritional reserves that can help them remain stronger than their peers who weigh less.

Who Has Shorter Lifespans: People Who Are Overweight or of Healthy Weight?

THE NEW JUICERS LEAGUE

WHINING ABOUT CHEATING
Johann Wagener 6-5-13

These athletes need to grow up and face reality that they are just not as good as those that preceded them and the only way they can break the records of "real" athletes is to juice which is nothing less than cheating.

Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, possibly within the next few weeks, "Outside the Lines" has learned. If the suspensions are upheld, the performance-enhancing drug scandal would be the largest in American sports history.

Alex Rodriguez, others may be suspended in doping scandal, ESPN reports - WEAR ABC Channel 3 - News - Top Stories

COFFEE HANGOVERS?

DSM - Disordered Statistical Manual
Johann Wagener 6-2-13


If there's a disorder here it's the one the authors of the DSM-V suffer from. Like the Sears catalog this publication will soon end up on the floor of outhouses.

These clowns will go to any lengths to make a buck. They pull these so-called "mental illnesses" out of their a-holes by labeling normal everyday physical and psychological experiences as a disorder. This puts the profession in the same category as witch doctors.  All they need is a straw skirt and some bones hanging around their necks.

Caffeine withdrawal can now be added to a long list of completely absurd illnesses or conditions like the "dry eye or mouth syndrome" or the "runaway bladder", or the "restless leg" that are conjured up in order to justify sending a bill to Medi-care or other insurance company which results in driving healthcare costs into the stratosphere.

How can any sane person accept the notion that drinking too much coffee is a mental illness?  What about alcohol withdrawal and the hangover that follows?  That would never fly because the liquor lobby would not stand for it. How about Coke, or Tea? They have lot's of caffeine. Why are they not part of the rhetoric?

Caffeine Withdrawal Is Now a Mental Disorder | TIME.com

'Greed Is Good': Top 7 Most Piggish Commencement Speeches

Get out the barf bag! Here a few choice orations from some of the world's most illustrious jerks.

'Greed Is Good': Top 7 Most Piggish Commencement Speeches

'Greed Is Good': Top 7 Most Piggish Commencement Speeches

Get out the barf bag! Here a few choice orations from some of the world's most illustrious jerks.

'Greed Is Good': Top 7 Most Piggish Commencement Speeches

Do Americans Win or Lose When Someone Becomes a Billionaire? | The Business Desk with Paul Solman | PBS NewsHour | PBS

1% Gain = 99% LossJohann Wagener 5-31-13

Is wealth accumulation a zero-sum game? Must 333 million Americans each cough up $3 in order to create a billionaire? Are billionaires created at our expense? Is their gain our loss?

Do Americans Win or Lose When Someone Becomes a Billionaire? | The Business Desk with Paul Solman | PBS NewsHour | PBS

LIVING THE "NORMAL" LIFE

THE NEW NORMAL
Johann Wagener 5-30-13

Sending the message that Jesus doesn't do gauche (lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless)  which under all that gold and glitter is what the 1% symbolizes. Francis is defining "normal" for those who have lost their humanity and don't know what normal is. 

The Pope, 76, who on first seeing the papal apartments reportedly exclaimed "But there is room here for 300 people!" hinted that the arrangement may be permanent.

Pope Francis shunned official papal apartments to live 'normal life' - Telegraph

Arizona's Joe Arpaio Found Guilty of Racial Profiling in Immigration Sweeps, Enforcement

A RACISTS PROFILE
Johann Wagener 5-29-13  

 

A federal judge ruled on Friday that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio engaged in racial profiling of Latinos, violating their constitutional rights in his crackdown on illegal immigration. Civil rights advocates expect the ruling to send a chilling message to other law enforcement agencies that are planning to engage in immigration enforcement.

Arizona's Joe Arpaio Found Guilty of Racial Profiling in Immigration Sweeps, Enforcement

The wicked wacko is gone!

Actually, it might be a stretch to call this a retirement.  Rep. Michele Bachmann announced last night that she would not seek a fifth term in the House from Minnesota’s 6th Congressional district in this nearly nine-minute valediction.  As The Week notes, however, Bachmann doesn’t say she’s retiring from politics or even electoral politics, which means she may have something else in mind already (via Andrew Malcolm):

Video: Michele Bachmann retires

Half of America is in or Near Poverty -- and It’s Getting Worse

Inequality is at its ugliest for the hungriest people. While food support was being targeted for cuts, just 20 rich Americans made as much from their 2012 investments as the entire 2012 SNAP (food assistance) budget, which serves 47 million people.

And as Congress continues to cut life-sustaining programs, its members should note that their 400 friends on the Forbes list made more from their stock market gains last year than the total amount of the food, housing, and education budgets combined.

Half of America is in or Near Poverty -- and It’s Getting Worse

THE 1% CULT

CULT; (n) Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.

Johann Wagener 5-27-13

Francis’ Humility and Emphasis on the Poor Strike a New Tone at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY — He has criticized the “cult of money” and greed he sees driving the world financial system, reflecting his affinity for liberation theology.


Pope Francis Changes Tone at the Vatican

THE 1% CULT

CULT; (n) Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.

Johann Wagener 5-27-13

Francis’ Humility and Emphasis on the Poor Strike a New Tone at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY — He has criticized the “cult of money” and greed he sees driving the world financial system, reflecting his affinity for liberation theology.


Pope Francis Changes Tone at the Vatican

A NATION OF SLAVES

PRESS RELEASE: United States Still a No-Vacation Nation For Immediate Release: May 24, 2013 Contact: Alan Barber, (202) 293-5380 x115 Washington, D.C.- The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time, according to a new review of international labor laws by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). As a result, almost 1-in-4 Americans do not receive any paid vacation or paid holidays, trailing far behind most of the rest of the world's rich nations. The report, No-Vacation Nation Revisited, is a comprehensive review of the latest available data on international standards for paid vacation and paid holidays.  Workers in the European Union are legally guaranteed at least 20 paid vacation days per year, with 25 and even 30 or more days in some countries. Canada and Japan guarantee at least 10 days of paid vacation per year. U.S. workers have no statutory right to paid vacations. “The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation days and paid holidays,” said John Schmitt, senior economist and co-author of the report. “Relying on businesses to voluntarily provide paid leave just hasn’t worked.” The gap between paid time off in the United States and the rest of the world is even larger when legal holidays are included. U.S. law does not guarantee any paid holidays, but most rich countries provide between 5 and 13 per year, in addition to paid vacation days. The sum of the average paid vacation and paid holidays provided to U.S. workers in the private sector ― 16 in total ― would not meet even the minimum required by law in 19 other rich countries. The lack of paid vacation and paid holidays in the United States is particularly acute for low-wage workers, part-time workers, and for employees of small businesses. Employees of small businesses in the United States are less likely to have any paid vacation (69 percent) than those in medium and large establishments (86 percent). Only 49 percent of low-wage workers (the bottom fourth of workers) have paid vacation, compared to 90 percent of high-wage workers. Part-time workers in the United States are far less likely to have paid vacations (35 percent) than are full-time workers (91 percent). The new report revisits an analysis originally performed by CEPR researchers six years ago. Since the 2007 CEPR study, the United States has made up none of the gap with the rest of the major economies that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). “It is striking that six years after we first looked at this topic absolutely nothing has changed. U.S. law and U.S. employer behavior still lags far behind the rest of the rich countries in the world,” said Schmitt. New legislation introduced by Representative Alan Grayson (FL) would bring the United States closer to the paid leave standards of other advanced economies. Congressman Grayson’s bill would require employers to provide workers with at least one week of paid leave vacation annually. The bill (H.R. 2096) would be the first piece of federal legislation to provide vacation time under federal law. The legislation would also cover part-time workers who have been employed for one year and work at least 25 hours per week. The authors of the report also found that several foreign countries offer additional time off for younger and older workers, shift workers, and those engaged in community service such as jury duty or for union duties, getting married, or moving. The report reviewed the most recently available data from a range of national and international sources on statutory requirements for paid vacations and paid holidays in 21 rich countries (16 European countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States).  ###

View our latest: Reports Op-eds & Columns Data Bytes Beat the Press CEPR Blog The Americas Blog Haiti Relief and Reconstruction Watch Events About The Center for Economic and Policy Research is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that was established to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. CEPR's Advisory Board includes Nobel Laureate economists Robert Solow and Joseph Stiglitz; Janet Gornick, Professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and Director of the Luxembourg Income Study; and Richard Freeman, Professor of Economics at Harvard University.

Center for Economic and Policy Research, 1611 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009 Phone: (202) 293-5380, Fax: (202) 588-1356

No-Vacation Nation Revisited | Reports

Rich People 'Rent' the Disabled to Skip Disney World Lines

They are 1 percenters who are 100 percent despicable.

Some wealthy Manhattan moms have figured out a way to cut the long lines at Disney World — by hiring disabled people to pose as family members so they and their kids can jump to the front, The Post has learned.

REUTERS

Rich moms shamelessly hire disabled tour guides so their kids can cut long lines.

The “black-market Disney guides” run $130 an hour, or $1,040 for an eight-hour day.

Rich People 'Rent' the Disabled to Skip Disney World Lines

Pope: Christians cannot kill in God’s name

To say that one can kill in God's name is blasphemy."
Johann Wagener 5-23-13

It's time for the neo-cons and bible thumpers to rewrite their playbook and heed the Pope's advice; 

The idea that others cannot really be good and do good in the world creates "a wall that leads to war and to something that historically some people have thought: that we can kill in the name of God. And that, simply, is blasphemy. To say that one can kill in God's name is blasphemy."

"The Lord has redeemed us all with the blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone," he said. Some may ask, "'Father, even the atheists?' Them, too. Everyone."

Pope: Christians can work with atheists, cannot kill in God’s name | National Catholic Reporter

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK

NO PLACE TO HIDE
Johann Wagener 5-23-13

If you can remember back to when you were a kid then you know how the game is played. We all close our eyes, count to 100 (during which time you find a place to hide) and then we come after you.

Well..........guess what? The EU is saying to the 1%, "peek-a-boo, we see you!"

MEPs urge EU to tackle tax havens and avoidance



The European parliament has urged EU member states to halve the €1 trillion taxation gap within the next eight years by tackling tax havens and improving tax collection.

MEPs this afternoon voted for a draft resolution, ahead of tomorrow’s EU summit in Brussels, calling on member states to allocate resources to prosecute tax evaders and recover lost assets.

The resolution also calls on members to suspend or revoke the banking licences of institutions and advisors who assist their customers in tax fraud.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU has built up a “toolbox” for tackling tax avoidance and fraud and “now we have to use it.”

Median CEO pay rises to $9.7 million in 2012

Leech,or Bloodsucker?
Johann Wagener 5-22-13

Many CEO's are reminiscent of these bloodsucking annelid worms. Most leeches live in the sea. Some live in freshwater and others on land. These creatures have successfully  fooled people into believing that they are "special", endowed with mystical talents and require to be fed millions of dollars in order to perform functions that pale when compared to those that actually work for a living. .
Median CEO pay rises to $9.7 million in 2012

The head of a typical large public company made $9.7 million in 2012, a 6.5 percent increase from a year earlier that was aided by a rising stock market, according to an analysis by The Associated Press using data from Equilar, an executive pay research firm. 

Companies say they need to pay CEOs well so they can attract the best talent, and that this is ultimately in the interest of shareholders. But shareholder activists and some corporate governance experts say many CEOs are being paid far above what is reasonable or what their performance merits.

Pay for all U.S. workers rose 1.1 percent in 2010, 1.2 percent in 2011 and 1.6 percent last year - not enough to keep up with inflation. 

The median wage in the U.S. was about $39,900 in 2012, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

TOO BIG TO TAX; SUPER-SIZING GREED

SUPERSIZING GREED
Johann Wagener 5-21-13

FIRST THERE WAS TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN TOO BIG TO JAIL AND NOW TOO BIG TO TAX. WHAT NEXT?

Apple Inc. has used an elaborate web of offshore subsidiaries to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes on $44 billion in foreign income over the past four years, a U.S. Senate investigation has found.

[A previous email alert sent by the Los Angeles Times incorrectly said Apple had avoided $44 billion in taxes.]

Many of the tactics, such as cost-sharing arrangements, are common among large multinational corporations seeking to shift profits to countries with lower tax rates. The investigation did not find that Apple violated any laws.

But Apple apparently has added its own innovation to skirting taxes – three of its subsidiaries in Ireland claim to have no responsibility to pay income taxes to any country, according to a 40-page, bipartisan report released today by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Read more; Apple to Congress: We do not use 'tax gimmicks' | ZDNet

Read more; Apple, Congress spar over tax: 

TAX DODGING IS NOT CHARITABLE

LEGALIZED STUPIDITY
Johann Wagener 5-19-13

Here is another example of  how stupid our politicians think American voters are. You are being asked to believe that 501(c) 4 organizations are not "political" but educational charities. UH?

Just like Citizens United took the word "people" to new levels so does this take the word "charity" into the crazy zone.

6 Key Takeaways From the Stupidity and Reality of IRS 'Scandal'

MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS

HAPPINESS 101
Johann Wagener 5-19-13

Here's a course that the 1% ought to take because, as it turns out, those $50,000 Rolex clocks, $150,000
gas engines on 4 wheels, 7 bathrooms (one for each day of the week) and an elevator for that car doesn't guarantee everlasting happiness or a first class ticket to Heaven.

Changing how you spend as little as $5 can lead to measurable increases in your happiness.

(The following is an oped piece out of today's LA TIMES)


Buying happiness
Want contentment? Try taking a good hard look at how you spend your money.

By Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton

 IMAGINE THAT YOU woke up tomorrow morning to discover $1 million under your mattress. Leaving aside the obvious lumpiness issue, take a moment to think: What would you do with that cash?

If you’re like many people, contemplating your newfound wealth would probably make you think about one thing above all else: yourself. A growing body of research shows that the mere whiff of money draws out our selfish sides, focusing us on what that money can do for us, and us alone. Perhaps you imagined buying a raft of new possessions: a faster car, a high-end gas grill with rear rotisserie or even a new house, with a fancy rain shower in your commodious bathroom.

It’s hard to imagine anything nicer than shampooing in your private tropical rain forest. But studies by a generation of behavioral scientists show that material goods often fail to deliver lasting happiness. Fortunately, our ongoing research offers a host of ways to wring more happiness out of every dollar you spend. And what’s more, you don’t need to be a millionaire to reap the benefits of happy money. Changing how you spend as little as $5 can lead to measurable increases in your happiness.
But making these changes requires challenging some of our fundamental assumptions about spending. It’s hard not to view buying a house — which most Americans continue to see as a central part of the American dream — as a sensible investment. But new research shows that purchasing a home buys very little happiness.

A study of women in the United States found that homeowners were no happier than renters, on average. And even if you’re currently living in a cramped basement suite, you may find that moving to a nicer home has surprisingly little impact on your overall happiness. Researchers followed thousands of people in Germany who moved to a new home because there was something they didn’t like about their old home. In the five years after relocating, the residents reported a significant increase in satisfaction with their housing, but their overall satisfaction with their lives didn’t budge.

So, diligently saving up for a down payment might not be such a good idea if it means skipping after-work beers withfriends or your annual Valentine’s Day celebration at a favorite restaurant.

And dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying experiences than from buying material things. Experiential purchases — such as trips, concerts and special meals — are more deeply connected to our sense of self, making us who we are. And while it’s anyone’s guess where the American housing market is headed, the value of experiences tends to grow over time, becoming rosier in the rearview mirror of memory.

And experiences come with one more benefit: They tend to bring us closer to other people, whereas material things are more often enjoyed alone. (We tend to watch our new television alone on the couch, but we rarely head to a wonderful restaurant or jet off to Thailand solo.) Decades of research point to the importance of social contact for improving mental and physical health.
So, doing things with other people makes a difference for happiness, and our research suggests that doing things for other people can provide an additional boost. In experiments we’ve conducted around the world, including in Canada, the United States, Uganda and South Africa, we find that people are happier if they spend money on others. And we’ve found that spending even just a few dollars on someone else provides more happiness than using the cash to treat yourself.

If experiences increase happiness and giving increases happiness, can we combine them to create the perfect happiness intervention? We tried this in a recent experiment, in which we handed out Starbucks gift cards on a university campus.

We told some people to head to Starbucks and buy something for themselves. We told others to pass their gift card along to someone else. And we told a third group of people to use the gift card to buy something for someone else — with the additional requirement that they actually hang out with that person at Starbucks.
Who was happiest? Those who treated someone else and shared in that experience with them. So the cost of increasing your happiness may be as cheap as two cups of coffee.

Taken together, the new science of spending points to a surprising conclusion: How we use our money may matter as much or more than how much of it we’ve got. Which means that rather than waiting to see whether you find $1million under your mattress tomorrow, you can make yourself happier today. Switching your spending to buying experiences — for both yourself and others — can lead to more happiness than even the most amazingly Amazonian rain shower.

ELIZABETH DUNN and MICHAEL NORTON are the authors of “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending.”




http://eedition2.latimes.com/Olive/ODE/LATimes/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=TEFULzIwMTMvMDUvMTk.&pageno=MzE.&entity=QXIwMzEwMA..&view=ZW50aXR5

INMATES RUN THE ASYLUM

What’s wrong with people in this country? Is it something in the water?

America, the WTF Nation

COMMIT THE CRIME DO NO TIME

TOO BIG TO JAIL
Johann Wagener 5-10-13

Rather than jail the criminals we sue the company for money that should go to investors and services.

The suit alleges that Chase engaged in widespread, illegal robo-signing, among other unlawful practices, to commit debt-collection abuses against approximately 100,000 California credit card borrowers over at least a three-year period.

“Chase abused the judicial process and engaged in serious misconduct against California credit card borrowers,” Attorney General Harris said. “This enforcement action seeks to hold Chase accountable for systematically using illegal tactics to flood California’s courts with specious lawsuits against consumers. My office will demand a permanent halt to these practices and redress for borrowers who have been harmed.”

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Suit Against JPMorgan Chase for Fraudulent and Unlawful Debt-Collection Practices | State of California - Department of Justice - Kamala D. Harris Attorney General

A MESSAGE TO THE UNBELIEVERS

A POPE FOR ALL PEOPLE
Johann Wagener 5-10-13

This pope is a rebel with a cause: to alleviate the suffering of the other 1%, those at the lowest rung of society. It's a mission somehow radical and conservative at the same time. Giving the poor a better lot in life, a foundational principle of Christian faiths, has been drowned out by the din of the culture wars. It brings to mind that quote attributed to Gandhi:

"I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." 

With a reformist pope, things are changing and already, the humbuggery about "family values" has given way to a real issue. Francis is focusing on poverty, which, like death and taxes, is a scourge that will always be with us. By being complacent, we're being complicit, and Pope Francis knows this.

Consider a recent kerfuffle over a statue of a homeless Jesus, which was rejected by the dioceses of New York and Toronto. The sculpture is of a hooded figure asleep on a park bench, his identity only revealed by the stigmata on his bare feet. Maybe the cardinals considered it too uncomfortable a reminder of their own languishing homeless – which I imagine was exactly the point. Francis should put that thing in St Peter's Square.

He even sent a message to "THE UNBELIEVERS"  giving a kind word for atheists, calling them allies to "defend the dignity of man", fellow seekers of truth, goodness and beauty. 

Pope Francis: a leader for believers and atheists alike

THE MOTHER OF ALL LEAKS

The Fall of the 1%
Johann Wagener 5-10-13


They can run but there's fewer places to hide. What good is having all the money in the world and no place to spend it without being scorned?

You are not going to read about this or hear it on cable news in the USA because the people who own the media are the same people who are being called out; along with all those who pander to them.

The U.S., British and Australian authorities are working with a gigantic cache of leaked data that may be the beginnings of one of the largest tax investigations in history.

The secret records are believed to include those obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that lay bare the individuals behind covert companies and private trusts in the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands, Singapore and other offshore hideaways.

The hoard of documents obtained by ICIJ represents the biggest stockpile of inside information about the offshore system ever gathered by a media organization.

But the British tax authority claims it has even more data.

The total size of the ICIJ files, measured in gigabytes, is more than 160 times larger than the leak of U.S. State Department documents by Wikileaks in 2010.

A statement from the British tax office puts the size of the data obtained by the three tax authorities at 400 gigabytes, compared to the 260 gigabytes gathered by the ICIJ.

“The 400 gigabytes of data is still being analyzed but early results show the use of companies and trusts in a number of territories around the world including Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Cook Islands,” the British tax office statement said.

“The data also exposes information that may be shared with other tax administrations as part of the global fight against tax evasion.”

Tax Authorities Move on Leaked Offshore Documents

A BOY AND HIS DOG

Guardian Angels Do Exist
Johann Wagener 5-7-13

CATHEDRAL CITY - Monday night a service dog is presumed stolen as he would never leave his owner's side.

Dominic Cumo is a nine year old boy diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. His companion, Kipper, and medical dog of three years went missing at 7:30 p.m. on Avenida Juarez in Cathedral City. Kipper has saved Dominic's life three times.

A police report was filed and police went door to door in the neighborhood looking for Kipper. Kipper is blind in one eye and is a white Shih-tzu with clipped short hair.

Here is a link to Dominic's facebook page with more photos of Kipper.  

Missing Service Dog lost in Cathedral City - www.kmir6.com

MY FIRST KILL

CHILD ENDANGERMENT
Johann Wagener 5-5-13

What is child endangerment?

Child endangerment is the act of causing any harm to the child’s well being mentally and/or physically. Examples of child endangerment include the use of drugs where a child lives, handguns not locked-up and left within the reach of children, being exposed to unsafe environments can all be considered child endangerment.

Adults that give children under 18 liquor or cigarettes are guilty of a criminal act of abuse.

Children under 15 can not drive an automobile

Children under 18 are not allowed to see R-rated movies and children under 13 can not see PG-13 rated movies.

Pornography showing children under 18 is illegal.

And yet manufacturing, marketing, and selling guns and ammunition that are made for children as young as 4 years old is legal and parents or other adults are legally allowed to give these weapons to children.

A single bullet to the chest killed the 2-year-old Kentucky girl shot by her 5-year-old brother clutching a “My First Rifle” — a tragic accident that could lead to charges.

Kristian Sparks shot his sister, Caroline, with a .22-caliber rifle around 1 p.m. Tuesday inside the family’s mobile home in rural Burkesville, Cumberland County. Their mother, Stephanie Sparks, was outside on the porch pouring grease out of a frying pan when she heard the gun go off, Kentucky State Police said.

Cumberland County resident Jeff Booher, 53, said learning how to use a gun is a rite of passage for many children who live in this area of southern Kentucky near the Tennessee border.

Cumberland County Coroner Gary White said the family had not realized a shell was left inside the gun, which was kept in a corner of the house.

The pair's mom was at home when the shot was fired, he added.

Revealing the shooting would be ruled accidental, White added: "It's just one of those crazy accidents."

Read more: Kentucky girl, 2, fatally shot in chest by 5-year-old brother: police

Video; Crickett rifles from the “My First Rifle" collection for kids on the website of Keystone Sporting Arms

Video; It's just one of those crazy accidents."