fuck you, wallstreet

Especially you, AIG.

According to the Journal's MarketWatch site, despite 62 billion in losses in the 4th quarter of 2008, AIG is preparing to pay out about 165 million in bonuses to its executives.

President Obama renounced the endeavor stating, "This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed. How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" By afloat, he means that taxpayers now own about 80% of the company after the latest rounds of bailouts. Obama continued, "This isn't just a matter of dollars and cents. It's about our fundamental values."

Despite this, there's apparently a fair amount of skepticism as to whether these bonuses can actually be stopped due to the existence of binding contracts that were consummated prior to the collapse of our financial system and all the resulting bailouts. The argument goes, it'd most likely be illegal to break the contracts that these various execs have with AIG and not pay out the bonuses.

In response I'd like to say: hey assholes -- why don't you show some initiative and forgo the bonuses your contracts promise you and show a little situational awareness.

What makes these contracts so sacred? I mean, union contracts get amended all the time. Not to say that union pay is always appropriate or that unions are somehow special but seriously -- what makes these exec's so special that their contracts are immune to changes?

totally awesome.

watch this.
no, seriously.
watch this.

Belgium dominates

Bravo to Niels Albert!
Nice try, Stybar.
For a second I thought it might be Bart.
But that was only for a second.
Boom had a tough day.
Sven scored a predictable podium finish.

The Cyclocross World Championship is the most exciting sporting event of the new year. There's some sort of big bowl on teevee tonight. I hope the score lots of home runs in the third period and make an exciting sports-watching day for the rest America too.

health assessment

My place of employment asks that its employees participate in an annual health assessments outside our doctors' offices; these are optional (I did not participate last year) but in 2009 the penalty for non-participation is in excess of $70 per paycheck as opposed to $20 in 2008. Our employer, who is also our insurer, gets aggregate data from these assessments and we each get... well... information and data that we'd otherwise get in the privacy of an annual doctor's visit. But that's neither here nor there.

Since my "figures" will kind-of no longer be private, I thought I'd just go ahead and make them all the way not private. Save the blood work (which takes some time, duh) here are my vitals:

** "Measurements taken without shoes, bulky clothing and empty pockets"
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 182lb
Waist: 34"
Hips: 39"
Body Fat: 19%
Pregnant: No, N/A
BMI: 25.4 (classification: overweight)
Blood Pressure: 122/78
Pulse: 68

My secret's out; now everyone will know they can kick my ass on the bike this year. Awesome.

let's go doods!

x100

As of this afternoon, an estimated 400 Palestinians are dead as a result of Israeli air strikes in Gaza.
The air strikes are said to be in response to 4 recent Israeli deaths due to Palestinian rocket fire into Israel.

Apparently 1 Israeli is equal to or greater than 100 Palestinians.

Slumdog Millionaire

Go see it.

Happy Festivus

hooray!! winter solstice has passed!

and we can only go up from here.

time to go pack for detroit city!

When you forget why you ride your bike

Read this post.
I hope it makes you smile as it did me.