Chiquita Spin

If I understand this article correctly, Chiquita is claiming that their payments to Colombian rebels was just a normal business expense commonly used by US companies in Central America.

Special payments by U.S. companies in Latin America - whether for faster telephone installation or security services - are known as 'facilitating payments' and are allowed under U.S. law. Chiquita says it and other American companies have done it for years.

Are they really comparing paying protection money to criminals to telephone installation? Do restaurant owners get to deduct the expense of paying of the mafia to assure their deliveries are made on time? What a large pair of bananas they have.

The New WOXY

We still will have a modern/alternative rock station to kick around. As I reported earlier from Sledge's blog, the new station will keep the same format. I would expect the station to be more "mainstream" and compare more to 97.3. I myself would love kind of a classic alternative/punk/new wave/grunge rock station that played the likes of the Clash, U2, Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, and the like.

Gun Nuts, Oh the Stupidity

Ohio Gun Nutt part of the OFCC have written a list of businesses they are boycotting because they don't allow people carrying guns into their establishment.

Once again gun nuts are seeking SPECIAL RIGHTS, this time through acts akin to blackmail.

Frisch's response is the best:

"We're OK if they choose to boycott our stores," said Karen Maier, vice president of marketing for Cincinnati-based Frisch's Inc., which has posted signs banning weapons at all corporate-owned Big Boy restaurants in Ohio. "We don't want firearms in our stores."

What right do gun owners have to force their "rights" upon others via civil business interference? I hope none of these guys pushing this boycott are against the boycott of Cincinnati. The must approve of the method, if they attempt to use of themselves.

Idiots. Just Idiots. They have their guns, but they will not feel good until they can take their faux penis and intimidate everyone possible with it.

Chiquita paid rebel groups

My first question about the Enquirer's story is simply: Did Uncle Carl know? From the article:

Chiquita said the Justice Department was contacted after the company discovered the groups were listed on the State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. The list names 37 organizations, including al-Qaida as well as three groups in Colombia.

A Justice Department spokesman declined Monday to comment on the investigation. U.S. law makes it a crime to knowingly provide resources to terrorist organizations.

If Carl Linder was still part of the company when this happened, I hope he is being including in the investigation.

More from CNN.

Local Pols' Views on Rummy

Korte rounds up the views and statements of local and regional politicians about Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld. They all seem to hem and haw a bit, but support Rumsfeld staying.

I myself don't really care much if he stays or goes. I don't see the policies changing either way. We might even get Wolfowitz instead, and that is a scary thought.

Rummy should not be the fall guy for Iraq. The chains of sorrow should hang around the neck of Bush himself. Dumping Rumsfeld helps Bush's keep moderate votes, so in political terms I would hope Bush keeps him.

We're the Killer Bees!

Here's the 411 on the damn cicadas.

Backhanded Praise?

Bronson column today about 1230 the Buzz comes across as backhanded praise. Mostly because of his admitted original preconceived notion about the station. After the riots the Buzz did come across much like an Al Jazeera. I don't know if one time of calm a storm, namely the mini-riot in Winton Terrace, will erase the mouthpiece they give to the likes of Kabaka Oba and William Kirkland, two of the infamous Boycott B and two of the most avoid racists in town.