Muni is Ridiculous

Let's see if I have this straight. Muni seems incapable of getting its act together enough so that it runs somewhat on time. Note, that's not 100% on time. Its not even 95% on time. These incompetents, management and rank-and-file, more than a decade after it was mandated and being provided with every advantage have proved incapable of coming close to the voter mandated minimum for on-time of 85% of the time.

In case your wondering, currently Muni is currently only able to be on time 73% of the time during its most recent quarter. In fact, since 2005, Muni has not managed to do better than 73% (go to page 4).

Among the things that Muni has been able to increase over the past decade include how much we have to pay for their deficient, rude service. Consider this, in 2000, fares on the city's buses and trains cost $1.00. Fast passes cost $35.00. I guess, in light of the people who run the system, we should be glad that it took as long as it did (8 years) to double the fares. Not only have they doubled the charges for fares, Muni has also managed to hit its goal for each of the past 5 quarters in making sure that all parking meters are working within 48 hours of them being reported out of service.

In addition to the rising fares, we are treated to rising operator absences over the past five years. In 2008, we had operators failing to show for work when scheduled (or as Muni likes to call it "Unscheduled Absences") 11% of the time. In 2009, that rose to 14% (check out page 13). Good job Muni.

And then do I have to mention how Muni has gone and cut its service by 10%, effective May 1? (Somehow in government spending 10% cuts equals a 25% increase in fees to the citizens.)

So let's see. Double your fares. Fail to be on-time. Allow unscheduled absences to increase. Cut service.

And now, Muni's latest solution? Let's hit San Franciscans a little harder by extending parking meter hours to include Sundays and evening hours. And to what end?

Nathaniel Ford, executive director of the MTA (which Muni is a part of), says "If you look ahead to year two you have ... some light at the end of the tunnel." Based on what?

Its like the MTA and Muni people live in a fantasy land. The light at the end of the tunnel is because the Govenor has signed a new tax which will help fund local transit agencies like Muni. The problem is, this is the same as giving crack to crack addict. Muni has demonstrated that they are unable to govern their finances effectively. Every time we consent to giving them more money, they manage to waste it in new and interesting ways.

This has got to end. At what point do we admit that simply throwing money at the problem is not the solution?

The Madness Reveal Show - Yes, More DWTS Thoughts

Dear American Television viewers,

I have one question to ask you. What in the name of all that is good were you thinking this week? I mean really. Your bottom two was Shannen Doherty and Pamela Anderson. While I am prepared to give you Ms. Doherty (who really, really hurt herself with Monday's performance), what were you all thinking of when it came to Pamela Anderson.



She and her partner (whatever his name is) turned in not one, but two, solid routines. Yes, her first routine was a little on the rough side, but when you compare it to all the others, it was pretty feakin good.



This compared to say... Kate "I'm the victim" Goselin or Aiden "Whiny Baby" Turner...



And then this week, she does a foxtrot where the judges' scores were wrong. Part of this has to do with the ridiculous scoring that they gave to Nicole Scherzinger (I'm sorry, it was good but not that good people.).



People, this was a fun routine that was pretty well executed. Do you want to be left with Erin Andrews, Niecy Nash, and the boobs that pass as most of the men on the cast this season? Hell, at least Ms. Anderson doesn't whine and complain that its too hard every single second. She's kind of interesting.

Of course, you could go on supporting that shrew of a divorcee, Kate Goselin, that whiner who made Edyta cry (which in Mrs. Angrybell's book is inexcusable), Aiden Turner, or that ridiculous Jake Pavelka. Is that who you really want to watch for the second half of the season? Really?

I didn't think so. So please, while you are voting for your favorites, remember to keep Ms. Anderson in mind and throw her one, at least until she starts to not earn that vote.

Thank you,

Angrybell

Diagram of Smart Diplomacy (or Diplomacy the President Obama Way)

Second Week of the Madness

And apparently I need to throw up more pictures of Edyta. It seems like people like looking at her. I wonder why. But since too much of a good thing is no good, I give you Cheryl's lovely smile tonight:

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=20355410
Mrs. Angrybell's initial observation: they dress Brooke Burke way sexier than Samantha Harris. I'm not complaining.

Shannen and Mark drew the lead-off spot with a jive. They drew a good song, but I don';t liek the way the band did it. Shannen looked a little off. She looks a little scared. Mrs. Angrybell thinks she is all over the place. She is also off time with her partner, whiel she is in hold. This is just not good. She has some nice hip movement... too bad this is not a cha cha cha. This is going to be a brutal review by the judges. The longer this one goes on, the more it looks like a Kenny Mayne routine. Wow, what is Len wearing? I know he is British, but ... really? Can someone tell me what dance they were watching? Did they not notice how bad it was? How off beat she was at times? The fix is in this week. This got a 20? What the frak were they thinking. This was a mess and should have been a 15, at best.

Aiden and Edyta drew the foxtrot. Mrs. Angrybell and I agree: Aiden is such a baby. Grow a pair. Edyta, I'm so sorry that they keep sticking you with such losers. And once the dance started, Edyta looks great, even though she has more than a handkerchief on. Mrs. Angrybell now refers to Aiden as a pansy scumbag. Edyta looks like she is doing her best to cover up for him. Aiden has some nice parts to the dance. He misses the foxtrot motion at times, but I';m so pisssed at him, I want him gone. You don't want to know what Mrs.Angrybell wants to have happen to him. The 19.. whatever. He deserves a 10 point deduction for being a pansy.

Evan and Anna danced the jive next. Good outfits for them. Needs to be a little more bouncier, but not much. Anna got the good draw this time. Mrs. Angrybell thinks he is the one to beat since he has no fear at being technical and being a showman. I think she is right, there just seemed like little points where routine looked flat. I'm not sure who's fault that is. I tend to think its Anna. 24 was fair score for that routine. I'd say more, but what else is there to say about it.

Now comes the woman with some Jelly and the short genius: Niecy and Louis. How sad is it that Niecy is more of a man than Aiden. Alright, she's got the funk looking ballroom dress with the frills at the end. But she rocks it. And she looks great doing it. She's got some good footwork doing on here. And she is enjoying herself out there. I was totally not expecting this routine from her after last week. Right now, this is the most improved dancer for me from last week. And Len agrees. Of course, the lift nazi reared her head. But the scores, 21, was not reflective of this. There should have been at least one 8.

Chelsea and Jake go to follow up that. Jake ... is kind of a whiner. He needs to shut up and just do what the professional tells him what to do. Good song. Good outift considering the song. He was a little flat footed int eh start, but when he went to the kicks and flicks it started to look better. His footwork on the travelling in hold steps (forget the name) was a little slow and off. He definitely found the square part of the song. Of course, Len is going to dock something for that futzing around at the beginning of the routine. Carrie Ann is obsessed with the lifts and the Lift Nazi is out in force tonight. 20 was ok. I had mixed feelings so I guess I can't criticize them too much.

Buzz and Ashley doing the foxtrot. Good song for him. Too bad he is so stiff. He is trying. I can't criticize. 4's? Really? They gave that disaster from Shannen a 15 and it wasn't nearly as horrific.

Nicole and Derek danced a jive next. Oh dear, Len is not going to like the intro. This is not a good song for a jive. I now see what her concern in the opening montage was. Still she seems to be carrying off her end well. Mrs. Angrybell points out that she was pretty flat, which she was, but some of the steps in the routine called for her to not be bouncy like in most jive routines. It was an uneven dance, and I have to put it down to Derek miscalculating the routine. But this all goes back to the song for me. And that, to me, is surprising. I am with Len. I'm not sure where Bruno and Carrie Ann are coming for. This was not perfection. Are Carrie Ann and Bruno on crack? 10's? WTF?!?!?!?!?!? The 8 was closer to the right score.

Maksim and Erin followed that up with a foxtrot. Not a good dress, though it does show off her boobs. Mrs. Angrybell says "It could be worse". He has her doing the splits, which surprised her so much that she can't go right into the next combination. Fortuantley, she is in hold most of the time, which helps her a lot because this must be way out of her comfort zone. I'm not a fan of this routine, but she did it well. I love how Len called out the prima donnas this season. The 23 was a little high. I'd have given it some 7s.

Pamela Anderson and the guy whose name I cannot remember also danced a foxtrot. Good song and great costume for her. That will be worth a lot of votes. Took a little too long to get into the dance proper. She looks good, not perfect but this is not easy for new dancers. Mrs. Angrybell said "I didn't thinks she'd be this good. That sexy girl can dance." And Len said "titivating" not "titilating". Now, how did this get 22 when... argh....

Chad and Cheryl tried their hand at being elegant and graceful. At least one of them was more successful than the other. I hate this song. Mrs. Angrybell heard the opening bars and said "I hate this song so much." This dance is not good for him. He is on his toes too much. He is hesitant. He doesn't look comfortable out there in the first half. He is trying so hard to look refined that he has forgotten his feet. And for once Carrie Anne says something helpful.

Kate Gosselin and the Cougar Magnet drew the jive. Kate seems like a whiner. She managed to make Tony question himself. This woman is world-class when it comes to that it looks. Mrs. Angrybell wonders "How hard it must be to be her. Men are just always abandoning you. Boo hoo." Yeah, it was bad of Tony to do that. But still, she needs to put on her big girl panties. Mrs. Angrybell, even before the routine is done, is rooting for a double elimination: Kate and Aiden. Good son for them. Kate, however... makes Buzz looks musical. She lost the routine. She is a deer in headlights. Wow, this is a train wreck and I'm just hoping that Tony can jump off. I'm watching this and wishing I could read lips. I almost felt like Tony changed the routing on the fly to make it very basic in the second half. Bruno, that was not your nightmare: it was Tony's. Did Carrie Anne really have to pull the lift card when the routine was that much of a disaster? Len complete's the review with a little pick-me-up speech. How did they give that 5's when Buzz's routine was better than that mess.

Who should go home: Kate. She is a mess out there and it would be a mitzvah to put her and Tony out of their misery.

Who is on top: Nicole and Evan.

Who deserves to be on top: Evan and Pamela.

Nicole got the benefit of some dubious calls, mostly because I think Bruno and Carrie like to reward fluff. This is not to say that Nicole is not good. She is. With a better song, she might have actually deserved that.

Who is hearing footsteps: has to be Aiden. I can't believe that his shenanigans this week went over well with his base, especially because they were the same people who grew to love Edyta when she had Cameron Mathison as a partner.

Ahh hell, let's leave you with a better look of Edyta to cleanse the palate.

I Know I Should Not Say This About Anyone, Even Jimmy Carter But...

Can you please contract some sort of illness which will prevent former President Carter from speaking. Ever. Again?

I mean, it's not enough that he likes to throw around labels like "apartheid state" without any idea what it means. Especially when a person like President Carter is too much of a coward to debate his ideas. But then again, what should we expect from a man who failed to protect American citizens or safeguard sovereign U.S. territory? Well, that's right, we should expect him to decry other nations for protecting their citizens from murderous, terrorist, theocratic thugs.

So what has President Carter done now? He has asked his ideological progeny, that would be President Obama, to take Hamas off the terrorist watch list. I guess the fact that Hamas supports, sponsors, and orders terror attacks on Israel is something that he overlooked when he shook hands with those murderous outlaws.

Someone should take a look at the Carter foundation books a little more carefully. If he is not being paid to shill for the terrorists, then he has joined them.

Sad but accurate

One of the most famous speeches in American History

And I will bet you that most of you have never read this (though I had to recite it). Patrick Henry's speech to the House of Burgesses:

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at the truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?

Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlement assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation.

There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Patrick Henry gave this speech this day in 1775.