Catching up on the scandals of the week

After a week of internet instability I'm trying to keep up on the news: most of it seems to be trivia and scandal. well, I know that: We have to watch BBC because CNN has been full of Michael Jackson's doctor's trial etc.

so what is going on?

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According to Oryza:

*The U.S. investigation into the $633 million shortfall at MF Global is widening as officials seek to question executives involved in the aborted sale of the trading firm to Interactive Brokers, people familiar with the matter say.

Forbes gives background: it's a shell game, and the money is gone (poof with European market collapse). Why is half a billion not in the news? Maybe because a former NJ governor (and democrat) is the fall guy.

Make a pass at a girl after a party, 699 stories. Lose half a billion bucks, bottom of the page.

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They also report financial problems with Greece, Spain and Italy, and that German industrial production is falling.

Uh oh...

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The good news: remember that socialist financial report "issued by the Vatican"?

Well, it wasn't "issued by the Vatican", only released by minor officials working there, and the big shot in charge of the curia is clamping down on future "reports".

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The big news here in the Philippines is that PNoy is trying to get rid of and punish crooked politicians.

Our lovely exPresident Gloria needs neck surgery after botched surgery here, and wants to go to the US to get it, but he suspects she might run and hide, so he is offering to have the US docs flown here for surgery. This has resulted in her supporters crying that this goes against her "human rights", and of course brings up the memory that Marcos allowed PNoy's father, Ninoy, being allowed to go to the US for surgery years ago...and Ninoy was in jail at the time.

There are rumors that Gloria did normal politician things, such as take a cut in the gov't contracts and steal votes, but she has not been formally charged (and who is going to testify? Her supporters will just point out they too took gifts etc too).

My guess is that they'll cut a deal.

I mean, they can't even get the killers of the Maguindanao massacre prosecuted yet.

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and the big story of the day: Smuggled onions seized.

actually this is a big deal for our area, which grows onions only to find them underpriced by foreign (subsidized) onion imports from China and Europe.

no, we don't grow onions. We started to give classes and to grow organic veggies, but the profit margin was negative so we are concentrating on organic rice.