Banana Republic Newsflash

[Sigma_Orionis]

However, be that as it may, I still find it absolutely ridiculous when those very same idiots scream at the top of their lungs because a left leaning economist like Paul Krugman suggests that a target inflation of 4% could be actually beneficial to the US economy. 4% annual inflation? WHO do we have to kill to get that?

From what I can tell about half of your ruling party. I recommend you start at the top.

THAT would require killing half the population of the country. Where's that Atomic Bomb I've been asking about for the last few years?

[SciFiFisher]

However, be that as it may, I still find it absolutely ridiculous when those very same idiots scream at the top of their lungs because a left leaning economist like Paul Krugman suggests that a target inflation of 4% could be actually beneficial to the US economy. 4% annual inflation? WHO do we have to kill to get that?

From what I can tell about half of your ruling party. I recommend you start at the top.

THAT would require killing half the population of the country. Where's that Atomic Bomb I've been asking about for the last few years?

I had it all boxed up and ready to ship via USPS when I discovered this.

[Sigma_Orionis]

See? that shows that Nicky Ripe's real Master is the Evil Imperialist Head Nigra In Charge of the Universal Satanic Authority

[code monkey]

I had it all boxed up and ready to ship via USPS when I discovered this.

and so you just dropped the matter? what about fedex? ups? take a boat over and hand deliver it? fisher, the man needs a bomb and you won't help?

[Sigma_Orionis]

And some chicken soup would be nice too.........

[SciFiFisher]

And some chicken soup would be nice too.........

Oy Vey!

[FZR1KG]

I had it all boxed up and ready to ship via USPS when I discovered this.

Technically you could send the supplies to build a hydrogen bomb and not get UPS's panties in a bunch

You know, I was just thinking about it and I realise why many government departments don't have a sense of humour.
Its like this, they have to take threats seriously and they have to take foreign politicians seriously, just in case.
But, politicians can be so damned dumb that its impossible to take them seriously.
Its like that unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

What we have here folks is mental torture, when you take a group that must take everyone seriously and get them to listen to a bunch of dickheads that can't be taken seriously.
The result: The Universe creates a portal in the brain and the sense of humour jumps to another of the Galaxy avoid the inevitable destruction of the space time continum created by the paradox.

[Sigma_Orionis]

And THIS is how we do it in Caracas, boys and girls:

The Venezuelan Constitution allows the president to rule by decree so long as three-fifths of the single-chamber National Assembly agrees to it -- in other words, 99 deputies out of a total of 165. Following the 2010 parliamentary election, the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV) had 98 deputies. Maduro was short by one vote, but more critically, he was short on political capital. It took a healthy dose of chutzpah to ask for sweeping legislative powers.

Maduro was not to be deterred by simple electoral math. A few months ago, he and his allies began shopping around for a new vote. The president's courts -- which have never made any pretense of independence from the executive branch -- impeached two deputies. One of the parliament's alternate deputies -- who, by law, take the place of the impeached ones -- flipped over to the Revolution.

[Cyborg Girl]

LOL. I know some people here who would absolutely love Maduro, if they could just get over hating his politics.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Technically you could send the supplies to build a hydrogen bomb and not get UPS's panties in a bunch

You know, I was just thinking about it and I realise why many government departments don't have a sense of humour.
Its like this, they have to take threats seriously and they have to take foreign politicians seriously, just in case.
But, politicians can be so damned dumb that its impossible to take them seriously.
Its like that unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

What we have here folks is mental torture, when you take a group that must take everyone seriously and get them to listen to a bunch of dickheads that can't be taken seriously.
The result: The Universe creates a portal in the brain and the sense of humour jumps to another of the Galaxy avoid the inevitable destruction of the space time continum created by the paradox.

You're actually defending Bureaucrats? Who are you? And what have you done to Zee?

LOL. I know some people here who would absolutely love Maduro, if they could just get over hating his politics.

Let me guess, they also love the US Constitution 2nd Amendment as long as it only applies to them......

[FZR1KG]

You're actually defending Bureaucrats? Who are you? And what have you done to Zee?

Hmmm. I know you're joking but, this may lead to me finally realising why I am often misunderstood...apart from the fact that most people just can't go low enough into the gutter to see where I'm coming from that is.

How did you interpret that I was defending anyone?
I was merely trying to solve/understand something then went down a comical path.

It did just make me realise though, that often I point out things that make people think I support some issue when in reality I don't. It's like me pointing out something defaults to me supporting the issue. I think it goes back to my days teaching engineering, generalisations are great but its the specifics and exceptions that make you really understand a concept.

Oh well, what the fuck. I'll get back to the mind numbing task of studying sea pilot charts and plotting out a path to Oz with minimum waves, favorable wind, minimal gales and maximum boredom.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, you actually gave a reasonable explanation on why bureaucrats are humorless................ And since bureaucracy is to be loathed at all costs under any circumstance (it's part of the faith you know), anything short of bitching about it is considered a defense. SO THERE

[Sigma_Orionis]

I used to think that Chavez was a clown.

Well, nope: Chavez was a very serious, focused, efficient, pragmatic character..... if you compare him with Nicky Ripe.

Deflation by Decree

[Morrolan]

the banana republic, the gringos and the gold.

no, this is not a bad Western, this is real:

How to do a Greece with Chavez' gold, or How soon they forget, a tragedy in 7 acts

seriously? $1.8 billion in gold with a 10% haircut at 8% over Libor?!? for 7 years? who did you government send for the negotiations? a dead dog?

and with Goldman Sachs of all banks...

[Sigma_Orionis]

Probably the same idiots that negotiated our external debt back in the 70s. Oh wait, they were from the "fourth republic", just as stupid as our glorious socialist leaders.

Chavez cut us off the IMF back in 2007, we can't go to the international markets to raise money, the Chinese are tired of lending us money for oil fields that never get developed.

Since we have a major BOP crisis, (not to mention inflation rising fast) Nicky is desperate to get fresh money in so his party doesn't get clobbered in the December elections.

Add to that our unsurpassed capacity for making half-assed short term fixes (and damned be the long term consequences, after all, it's only the people's money, i mean: nobody's) and probably the only institution left that is shady enough to make unnecessarily complex shady deals (for political reasons) and take us for a ride (with our full knowledge) is Goldman Sachs.

[Sigma_Orionis]

this might also explain it.

A couple of years ago, Idiot (Chavez) decided that our international reserves ought to be held in Gold, and that the Gold ought to be here in Venezuela. He even announced that it was the way to be free of the "dictatorship of the dollar", I guess he believed Ron Paul....

Now the price of bullion has dropped sharply, we have a Balance of Payments issue and no cash on hand. So this guy speculates that in order to make it look like "were not falling again on the dictatorship of the dollar" and to pretend that Chavez didn't screw up doing his gold rush, Nicky RIpe retorts to this unworkable contraption.

Sounds far fetched? you think we couldn't be so ideologically blind? You've obviously haven't lived here have you?.

[Sigma_Orionis]

And here we go again....

Huge power cut blacks out much of Venezuela

At least there was something to point and laugh at....

The blackout took place shortly after 20:00 on Monday (00:30 GMT Tuesday) as President Maduro was addressing the nation on television.

Two-legged Ass and his party are worried about the elections on Sunday (Municipal Elections that is), this little gem ain't going to help their chances either.....

[SciFiFisher]

And here we go again....

Huge power cut blacks out much of Venezuela

At least there was something to point and laugh at....

The blackout took place shortly after 20:00 on Monday (00:30 GMT Tuesday) as President Maduro was addressing the nation on television.

Two-legged Ass and his party are worried about the elections on Sunday (Municipal Elections that is), this little gem ain't going to help their chances either.....

Actually, it's proof that there is a conspiracy to discredit El Presidente and his noble cause. Why else would the blackout occur just as he was addressing his noble and down trodden people as they were enduring the infamous indignity visited upon them by the evil imperial capitalists. It's the work of those El Diablos Norte Americanos. They want to stop the great work that will save the Venezuelan people.

[Sigma_Orionis]

It's the work of those El Diablos Norte Americanos. They want to stop the great work that will save the Venezuelan people.

Here we have Fisher doing his QuickDraw McGraw impression again......

Been watching the A-Team again haven't you?

[Sigma_Orionis]

And here we go again

Venezuela's power cut was 'sabotage' - President Maduro

Venezuela's president has said he has proof that Monday's massive power cut in the capital Caracas and other cities was caused by "right-wing" saboteurs.

Appearing on state TV, Nicolas Maduro showed a picture of what looked like a cut conductor cable.

I wonder what happened to the special "security unit" that was supposed to defend the country's electrical system? I know I know. they were all trying to buy hard-to-find stuff like cooking oil when it happened...

[SciFiFisher]

It's the work of those El Diablos Norte Americanos. They want to stop the great work that will save the Venezuelan people.

Here we have Fisher doing his QuickDraw McGraw impression again......

Been watching the A-Team again haven't you?

I like Quick Draw McGraw.

[Sigma_Orionis]

So, you know why I said you were doing your impression of Quick Draw McGraw?

[SciFiFisher]

So, you know why I said you were doing your impression of Quick Draw McGraw?

Because of my really atrocious spanish accent and the fact that (like El Kabong!) I was helping the bad guy?

[Sigma_Orionis]

sort of

You see, in the original US version of Quick Draw McGraw he of course speaks with a normal US English Accent, while Baba Looey speaks with a thick Mexican accent. In the dubbed version on this side of the Rio Grande, Quick Draw speaks Spanish with a very thick gringo accent and Baba Looey (called "Pepe Trueno" in the Spanish dubbing) retains his Mexican accent. So, I always found it pretty funny.

As for you "helping" the bad guy, yer just doing fine, with friends like you he doesn't need enemies.

"El Diablos Norte Americanos"..... damn, that's good

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, today were the municipal elections. Here's hoping the two legged ass gets a well deserved drubbing.