Its my Right to be Left of the Center

Tyco is going to cough up $73 million for their little faux paux regarding their insider trading and other securities violations..this probably comes at a bad time for them....HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Fuck em! They screwed plenty of pension funds over, like the state police, firefighters and school employee pension funds. Rat Bastards. The bigwigs however don't get off so easily, from the Law.com writeup:

It does not, however, settle claims against former Tyco CEO L. Dennis Kozlowski and former Chief Financial Officer Mark Swartz, both convicted in 2005 in New York State court and sentenced to eight years for stealing company money for bonuses and loan programs, as well as inflating prices and misleading investors. Kozlowski was ordered to pay $70 million in fines, Swartz $35 million. Don't drop the soap gents!

From LegalTimes we learn that NAM, the National Assoc of Manufacturers has finally disclosed their list of 65 members active in paying for and directing the trade association's lobbying activities. The list is available here. The pricks are still appealing the ruling last month that the law recently passed by our Congress critters infringes on their civil rights to hide the truth from we, the people. Yeah right.. here are a few of their closest friends that pay NAM to lobby for them:

The members disclosed included well-known names not always associated with manufacturing, including several energy interests such as the American Petroleum Institute, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell Oil, and others. It also includes Northrop Grumman Corp., though not Boeing. The two companies have been battling over defense contracts.

Figures...Big Oil and Big federal contractors on that list..no one should be surprised..

Speaking of Shell Oil..those sons of bitches have pulled out of the world's biggest offshore wind farm that is still in the developmental stages. From England's Channel 4:

The multinational said it was selling its interest in the London Array project, with 341 turbines in the Thames estuary capable of generating enough energy to power a quarter of London's homes.

Environment Secretary Hillary Benn called the decision "very disappointing" - especially in a week when Shell announced record profits.

Oh yeah..record profits and yet they still won't back alternative energy...Gawd Damn that jerks my ever-loving chain and raises my blood pressure to unacceptable levels!

Some sad news today..the DC Madam has apparently committed suicide per the Florida authorities. She was recently convicted of running a prostitution ring. From the MSNBC writeup:

The body of the 52-year-old woman was found in a shed near her mother's mobile home Thursday morning in Tarpon Springs, about 20 miles northwest of Tampa. Police said in a statement that she left a suicide note, but they did not disclose its contents or how she killed herself.

Ok...got two doc appts today.,.one down..got to get ready for numero two...take care m'dear readers. :)