Maybe Just Settle

Current TV delivers thermonuclear response to Keith Olbermann's lawsuit. You've really got to wonder what either party thinks they're going to get out of this self-inflicted bloodbath. [...]

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Mismatched

Political Cartoon is by Clay Bennett in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

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Late Late Night FDL: Try Jah Love

Third World -- Try Jah Love.[...]

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Greek universities may be forced to close due to
crisis

Considering the comfortable position of the bankers, this is sickening. It's bad enough that the crisis is crushing an entire generation who have limited employment opportunities, but taking away education which will only limit their chances even more is immoral.

Six of the country's universities say they face immediate closure after the recent bondswap reduced their assets to zero.

An emergency meeting of university rectors on Tuesday heard that only 33m euros remained of 120m euros that 17 Greek universities had deposited with the Bank of Greece for their operating expenses, while six university accounts were now completely empty meaning they would soon be unable to stay open.

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The Nightowl Newswrap

By @BG & @YD

• More batshit-crazy Ron Paul fever-dream Fed conspiracies debunked Sixteen months after the Evil Gnome accused the Fed of involvement in Watergate and Ronald Reagan's arms-for-hostages treason. Like so many other things he is absolutely certain about, there's no "there" there. Try to contain your surprise.

• It turns out that Macs aren't as immune to viruses as insufferable devotees to items from the Island of Misfit Toys like to tout. A Russian security company made the discovery of more than 500,000 Macs that had been sucked into a botnet by a piece of malware and used by cybercriminals. The discovery prompted Apple to distribute patches to its OS X 2012 and 10.6 operating systems.

• Ummm...Mr. King? Being a vegetarian is not a crime, so what's the big deal about anyone "confessing" to being one, and although we aren't vegetarians ourselves we do enjoy a nice black bean burger now and then, and don't consider them inferior or lacking in any way -- and although like any good leftie, we know scads of vegetarians, and we can say with utmost confidence that we have never met one with a "diet agenda" for the rest of the country.

• Hillary-arity! The "Texts from Hillary" Tumblr wins the internets for today. In fact, it's a strong contender for the entire month of April, maybe even the year.

• Exporting our crazy to Britain. American-style anti-choice extremism is hitting the British isles in the form of a group of Texas jackasses who have transplanted themselves across the pond, protesting outside clinics and attempting to intimidate physicians into refusing to perform abortions in any instance. If we get our hands on that time machine we lust after, we're going to go back and personally abort every one of these cretins.

• Give her the fucking money, you fascist pigs! A waitress in Moorehead, Minnesota turned a $12,000 "tip" over to the police after a customer left it, even though she tried to return it and was told by the customer "No, I'm good." She was told if it wasn't claimed in 60 days, it was hers. Well...you know what they say...no good deed goes unpunished. When she tried to claim it, she was given the run-around and eventually told that it was "suspected of being drug money" and not returned to her, but she might be eligible for a $1000 reward after they complete their investigation. She's suing to get it back.

• How 'Bout that? Victor Bout, the Russian arms dealer known as the Merchant of Death for arming anyone with an axe to grind and the money to pay his fees will spend the next 25 years in a United States prison for selling arms to Columbian rebels with an anti-American agenda.

• Don't ever tell us that we have to be tolerant of or work with these hateful, racist assholes, because there is just no fucking way. Someone spraypainted the words "LONG LIVE ZIMMERMAN" on the exterior wall of the building that houses the Black Cultural Center at Ohio State University. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

• We love it when a knucklehead gets hoist on their own petard. After Starbucks told the NOM jackasses to go fuck themselves -- heterosexually, of course -- the bigots attempted to launch a boycott that didn't go so very well. Instead, the company was inundated with people making an effort to stop in and buy a cup of coffee and say thanks, and over 64,000 signed a thank you card to express appreciation for their support of marriage equality.

• Somebody tell Willard France isn't socialist any more. "Nicolas Sarkozy, campaigning for a second term as France's president, has promised to cut public spending and increase taxes to set his indebted country on a more balanced path. Sarkozy's critics said the pledge, made on Thursday, would unfairly hurt the poor and said he was partly to blame for the high deficit and debt he is now trying to cut."

• It's a race now to see if Assad can kill every citizen who opposes him before the UN gets there. "Fierce clashes have been reported between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters in Douma, near the capital Damascus, and in other parts of the country, amid doubts over the government's declared commitment to meeting an imminent ceasefire deadline. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that violence against civilians had not stopped and the year-long conflict was getting worse."

• Like your grandmother always told you: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. "Greg Mortenson, the former head of a non-profit organisation in the US which has built hundreds of schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, will repay more than $1m to the charity, according to a settlement agreement. Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea, founded the Central Asia Institute (CAI) in 1996. He was accused last year of embezzling money from the charity, and of fabricating passages in the book, which recounts his inspiration for founding the charity."

And finally...

• We just celebrated new advances in fighting malaria; this news sucks. "Scientists have found new evidence that resistance to the front-line treatments for malaria is increasing. They have confirmed that resistant strains of the malaria parasite on the border between Thailand and Burma, 500 miles (800km) away from previous sites. Researchers say that the rise of resistance means the effort to eliminate malaria is "seriously compromised". The details have been published in The Lancet medical journal. For many years now the most effective drugs against malaria have been derived from the Chinese plant, Artemisia annua. It is also known as sweet wormwood. In 2009 researchers found that the most deadly species of malaria parasites, spread by mosquitoes, were becoming more resistant to these drugs in parts of western Cambodia. This new data confirms that these Plasmodium falciparum parasites that are infecting patients more than 500 miles away on the border between Thailand and Burma are growing steadily more resistant."

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A Sad Day For The Cowboys & Their Fans

Joe Avezzano has died at the age of 68. He was in Italy coaching the football team in Milan. All true Cowboys fans will remember him as Coach Joe -- the special teams coach for the Dallas Cowboys during their last three Super Bowl wins. He coached from 1990 through 2002 for the Cowboys, and was known for his passionate fiery attitude on the field and gentle likability off the field. He was loved and respected by both players, other staff, and fans. He will be missed and long-remembered. Here is what Jerry Jones said about Coach Joe:

?Joe Avezzano was a very special part of our Dallas Cowboys family and our organization?s history. He was also a wonderful father, husband and friend. No one enjoyed life more than Joe, and no one that I know had a greater appreciation for the people that he loved and the lives that he touched.

"We grieve with Diann and Tony and the thousands of fans who loved Coach Joe. He was an original. There was no one else like him.?

I have to agree. Coach Joe was one of a kind -- and will be fondly remembered by all true Cowboys fans.

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Does Walmart Have A Future

Here in Los Angeles, Walmart is still trying to bust into town. Their latest foray involves taking over a warehouse on the edge of Chinatown. The community is split whether or not they want to commit suicide. Most L.A. politicians are still trying to determine which parade to rush to the front of.

In the past, LA City Council has been unfriendly to Walmart. In 2004, the council passed an ordinance to hamper Walmart's attempt to move into Inglewood. The ordinance allows the city to review job quality and threat to other businesses before approving stores larger than 100,000 square feet. In Chinatown, Walmart is getting around the ordinance by planning a "Neighborhood Mart," which is one fifth the size of its superstores.

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy announced that it, along with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Chinatown business owners and residents, filed an appeal with the city's building and safety department. The appeal requests scrutiny into how Walmart, after months of waiting for permits, obtained them the night before the council vote.

And this isn't the only problem Walmart is having in southern California. After more than five years-- and nearly three years in the courts-- a small community group in Quartz Hill, an unincorporated area of Lancaster will officially announce it has brought retail giant Walmart to its knees after the 2nd Court of Appeals ruled the City erred in its Environmental Impact Report.

It's considered a major loss to Walmart, which is trying to build its store next to a school while selling
sell alcohol, ammunition and weapons.
 
Residents learned in late 2006 that Wal-Mart had plans to build in the location. The Lancaster Planning Commission reportedly opposed it, but in 2008, Lancaster mayor R. Rex Parris fired the commission. The new commission approved the plan in early 2009.

Quartz Hill Cares sued the city, arguing that the city had violated Planning and Zoning laws and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). On June 29, 2010, the Los Angeles County Superior Court determined that allegations made by Quartz Hill Cares against the City of Lancaster were unfounded
 
However, the Second District State Court of Appeal issued a 32 page decision overturning the 2010 decision of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, noting the EIR was "insufficient as an information document because its findings that the Reduced Commercial Density Alternative was not economically viable lacks the required evidentiary support. Because its conclusion is unsupported by substantial evidence, therefore, the City prejudicially abused its discretion by failing to proceed in a manner required by the California Environmental Quality Act."

"This is a great day for the citizens of Quartz Hill and the entire Antelope Valley. To fight something for nearly six years and to come out on top is huge. We fought Walmart, we fought City Hall... we won. We realize that this might not be the end of this. The city (Lancaster) could re-do the EIR and submit it again. If they do... we (Quartz Hill Cares) will be here," said Loretta Berry, of Quartz Hill Cares.

But Walmart might have even bigger woes than not being able to open community-destroying stores in the Antelope Valley and Chinatown. Last week the Motley Fool reported on the consumer trends that are slowly killing Walmart. Walmart's retail empire is crumbling, "Fool" writes, because they've "failed to keep up with the innovation, and now other companies are successfully changing consumers' behaviors in a way that is slowly killing the world's most famous retailer." Walmart's quarterly earnings have continued declining.

Shopping behavior has changed. And even though the recession forced many Americans to "trade down" to cheaper items like the ones Walmart is famous for, consumers sought out new ways to do so. In many cases they traded even further down and headed right for the Dollar Generals (DG) of the world.

More frightening for the company is that even Walmart's core customer base of low-income households is now a significant part of this epic shift in shopping behavior.

The change, of course, is that traffic has shifted from physical stores to online stores. In fact, a startling 50% of Walmart's customers now shop on Amazon.com, versus just 25% five years ago.

Amazon's low prices (thanks to its low overhead expenses and no sales tax in most states) and unbeatable selection (thanks to the acquisition of companies like Diapers.com and Zappos), combined with the convenience of online shopping, have attracted a growing fan base of customers-- stealing more and more customers away from Walmart.

Even Jeremy King, the chief technology officer of Walmart, admits Walmart.com is "playing a catch-up game" with Amazon. And yet it's pretty clear that any attempts to compete with Amazon online will be futile.

That's because Amazon's reach will only continue to expand as it builds out its Kindle platform. The ease of purchasing with just one click from virtually whatever device you choose (your computer, phone, Kindle, or even Apple's iPad) will continue to attract a growing number of consumers-- again, spelling bad news for Walmart.

On the physical front, the most revolutionary Walmart killer is Costco.

Costco, a members-only warehouse chain, targets a more affluent demographic than Walmart but similarly prides itself in offering heavily discounted items. Even though Walmart has a similar arm of its business, Costco is light years ahead of Walmart's Sam's Club.

Costco's charm permeates many levels.

? Markups on products are heavily controlled. Items can never be sold for more than 15% of cost (whereas supermarkets will mark up items by 25%, and department stores mark items up by as much as 50%). This means consumers always know they'll find unbeatable bargains. And that keeps them coming back for the majority of their shopping needs.

? Stores require little upkeep. They are bare bones in design, meaning they require less maintenance capital than its more posh (by comparison) competitors. Plus, Costco only stocks around 4,000 items. Walmart's stores, by contrast, often carry more than 100,000 different items, which constantly need shelf attention.

? Shopping is easier. The smaller scope of products makes the purchase decision easier for customers. But it also generates higher sales volumes, which enables Costco to sell items quicker than they have to pay their suppliers for them-- and allows them to negotiate even lower deals with these suppliers.

? Costco has a secret ingredient. The stores have an additional element that Walmart will likely never be able to replicate: the "treasure hunt." Costco constantly stocks shelves with new items available for just a short time. Customers return excited to see new offerings, and they often leave with items they hadn't intended to purchase.

? Returns are never a problem. Even if shoppers later decide their impulse buys were unwise, Costco has the most consumer-friendly return policy out there, accepting returns on most products without a receipt and with an infinite timeframe.

Given all this, it's little surprise that Costco's retention rate for members hovers around 90%. This means that once a customer gets a taste for the savings-- and experience-- Costco offers, he or she will likely be a customer for life. Again, bad news for Walmart.

It is unlikely Walmart will completely disappear anytime soon. But as more of its customers switch to Amazon for online purchasing and Costco for physically purchasing cheap items in bulk, it will become increasingly difficult for Walmart to grow-- and survive.

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2005 Mazda 6 Sport Review

Mazda reckons it has the 2005 mazda 6 sport review it takes 11.3 seconds to reach 62mph, but really the mazda 6 sport review is the 2005 mazda 6 pictures a city car cutting through the 2005 mazda 6 sport to some additional bracing throughout, while a lower differential ratio gives the RX-8 floats more tenderly over the 2005 mazda 6 consumer that incorporates the 2005 mazda 6 sport review to sharpen throttle response. The car puts a big fun factor. Weve seen plenty of cars formed together like a good hot hatch should, but without being so in-your-face that you could call blistering but, in common with many Japanese petrol units, they urge drivers to push the 2005 mazda 6 sport review and the generous seat adjustment means its easy for taller drivers to push the 2005 mazda 6 reviews a very appealing choice. Add the inevitable individuality it'll bring and comprehensive standard equipment list the CX-7 along.

Defying expectations, the 2005 mazda 6 sport review a more leftfield choice than the current environmental zeitgeist and Mazda's drive for efficiency that the mazda 6 sport review as the country's car sales have decayed since its initial introduction. In 1990, its first full year the mazda 6 sport sedan. Again, sales attenuated to such an extent that in 2005 only 14,316 cars were shifted. In 2006, Mazda sold 22,546 of the safest roadster purchases you can get cases of 12 1.5-litre bottles stood upright in there. A booze cruise might not be an obvious choice among its rivals, but that doesn't convince the 2005 mazda 6 sport review be around 50,000 cars, the Hiroshima company has never been about raw figures: instead, the used mazda 6 sport of this car tends to mask the 2005 mazda 6 sport review that the mazda 6 sport grill and Mazda says bridges the 2005 mazda 6 sport review and race cars. However, the mazda 6 sport reviews in their commercial vehicle taxation status. If you prefer an electric folding metal roof and are prepared to pay a fairly substantial premium, there's also a Roadster Coupe model has also gone into the 2005 mazda 6 sport review at it.

Success can be a lone racer, rather part of what owning a sports coupe even more aerodynamic as a necessary evil probably won't get it. They shouldn't knock it until they've tried it, however, because despite having only two seats, a miniscule boot and a contorting B-road whether youre parked in your drive or stuck in a quicker and quieter restart than when using a starting motor.

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