Mark Foley Opens Sleepover Camp for 15 year old boys!

Well, this is almost as ridiculous.

You remember Marky-Mark, right? No? Foley is the former real estate agent turned Republican senator from sunny Florida who was a huge opponent of child pornography. Huge.

He introduced a bill, coined the "Child Modeling Exploitation Prevention Act of 2002" to outlaw web sites featuring sexually suggestive images of preteen children, saying that “these websites are nothing more than a fix for pedophiles.” (Folks, the guy is not a hypocrite - read carefully: he stands firm on banning images of PRE teen children.)

Turns out Mark had a little secret. He liked 'em young and vulnerable.

Here is a sampling of his internet chat with teenage page boys, from ABC News.

In case you can't access the hyperlink ("MAF54" is the ex senator):

Maf54 (7:46:33 PM): did any girl give you a haand job this weekend
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:38 PM): lol no
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:40 PM): im single right now
Xxxxxxxxx (7:46:57 PM): my last gf and i broke up a few weeks agi
Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): are you
Maf54 (7:47:11 PM): good so your getting horny
Xxxxxxxxx (7:47:29 PM): lol...a bit
Maf54 (7:48:00 PM): did you spank it this weekend yourself
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:04 PM): no
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:16 PM): been too tired and too busy
Maf54 (7:48:33 PM): wow...
Maf54 (7:48:34 PM): i am never to busy haha
Xxxxxxxxx (7:48:51 PM): haha
Maf54 (7:50:02 PM): or tired..helps me sleep

Foley resigned in 2006 after being exposed for these sex messages to underage males who worked on Capitol Hill as congressional pages.

So what's a fella to do after that debacle?

Republican talk radio, of course!

Inside the Mind of Mark Foley airs later this month, on local radio.

Inside the Mind of Mark Foley.

Who is the rocket scientist responsible for that catchy title?

``So, do you want to know what's inside the mind of Mark Foley?'' an announcer says in the show's promo.

What exactly makes the producers think anyone would want to venture there? Isn't that like - Inside the Kitchen of Hannibal Lecter's Thai Sushi Siam!

N.B. Doesn't the young boy on Foley's right look a little, well, sleepy, after spending time with the former senator?

Big Sugar

Charlie and George are turning heads in DC. Turns out there is some scrutiny regarding George and his firm Gunster Yoakley and its work for the Governor and the State. I guess once you break on the national scene, all those skeletons come out of the closet.

As reported by the Miami Herald:

"For the past 15 years, West Palm Beach-based Gunster Yoakley has represented U.S. Sugar Corp., which for months negotiated with Crist's office to sell much of its land to the state and federal government to clean up polluted runoff in the Everglades. LeMieux said he avoided any involvement in the U.S. Sugar deal while working for Crist or afterward. The state's chief negotiator was Eric Eikenberg, a LeMieux protege who succeeded him as chief of staff.

Two weeks before LeMieux left Crist's office, Gunster Yoakley landed a $500,000 contract representing the state Department of Transportation on two matters. DOT general counsel Alexis Yarbrough, who signed the contract on Dec. 20, 2007, is the wife of Shane Strum, a deputy chief of staff who reported to LeMieux when he worked for Crist. LeMieux said he played no role in his firm's hiring; DOT has said the firm has special expertise in arcane railroad law. The firm did work for DOT before LeMieux returned there.

After leaving Crist's office in December 2007, LeMieux earned about $150,000 over a 13-month period as an adviser to state Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, a lucrative sideline that has led some to label LeMieux a ``political consultant.'' He will not discuss what he did to earn that money, which was paid from the party's federal account to his firm, MTC Strategies (named after his sons Max, Taylor, and Chase)."

You guys are like, SO skeptical!

NB - You have to admit, they sure look happy together.

Fight the Power

Did you see where The Bearded One and his friend laid the hurt on the Department of Justice? Win some, lose some. This win has to feel good.

In a nutshell, the country lawyers from Miami represented a landowner coming up on the end of a 10 year lease to Southern Command.

(Come on people, Southern Command: responsible for U.S. military operations in the Western Hemisphere? For you conspiracy theorists, they do things like supply guns to counter insurgents, or regular insurgents, or the government in power that creates the desire or need for insurgents. They may be the unassuming neighbor who leads a quiet and solitary life, but who travels a lot and asks you to walk their dogs while they are gone. To those of us who are not conspiracy theorists and have faith in the wisdom of our government and its leaders and accept what they tell us at face value, Southern Command is tasked with Building A Brighter Future. (They probably just noted that I linked to the SOUTHCOMM site and are going to monitor my IPO and the IPO of those of you reading this.)

Anyhoo, it seems like the kind of adversary you don't necessarily want to piss off. So much for that.

And this is not the first time The Boys smack down SOUTHCOMM.

Two days before expiration of the 10 years lease, when negotiations to extend the lease did not result in terms favorable to SOUTHCOMM, SOUTHCOMM and its lawyers did what any fair minded party would do in good faith: they filed an action to condemn the property for Military use. Nice.

David O. Vollenweider III, part of the crack legal team at the Justice Department's Land Acquisition Division in Washington, argued no deal had been reached. No signed contract, no meeting of the minds, no deal. You'd think David O.'s position would resonate with Judge K. Michael Moore, right?

Nope.

Dotson and Lodish argued that even though the deal had not closed, negotiations were well-documented and the condemnation action was in bad faith and a violation of well-established contract law. “They wanted to remain, and we believe we had negotiated such an extension,” Dotson said.

GPA’s legal team showed the negotiated price had been approved by government officials.

“We were able to go up the chain,” Dotson said.

David, you just run along now back to Washington and explain to your bosses up the chain at the Department of Justice how you cost Southern Command 22.8 million.

N.B. I'm not really a facial hair kind of guy, but Alvin and this win have me rethinking my position. Heck, there are apparently a bunch of reasons to sport the growth, in addition to making you a bad ass.

No Jews or Dogs Allowed

Ah, Broward County.

Founded by a short angry man who was named after a short angry man and who wanted to send all the coloreds back to Africa, like most cities that have survived after slavery was abolished, Broward has come a long way, right?

Let's take a look-see. There is that statue of the short angry man who embraced the notion of the superiority of white people, smack dab in the middle of the Broward courthouse. And the Honorable Lawrence Korda and his disdain for folks who do not speak English without an accent. And gosh, the Chief hates when the black folk play that rap music on their boom boxes. God Bless the Broward legal system.

But you knew all this. Its why I hear you say that you regard cases in Broward like The Plague.

What you maybe didn't know, is the prevalence of The Broward Way in other walks of life, like the education of children in Broward. The Sun Sentinel reports that "A Broward School District form for parents to sign and return asked for their children's racial background." Is your child a Negro?

You white men living in Broward might want to keep a close watch on your women.

NB: If one more Broward lawyer volunteers during litigation "I DON'T KNOW HOW YA'LL DO IT DOWN THERE IN MIAMI BUT HERE IN BROWARD...." I am going to start carrying a big pouch of Red Man chewing tobaccy everytime I venture into that pocket of the deep south, and offer it to the lawyer as my response to the above statement.

All Drew Barrymore, All The Time

He rekindled my fixation. Not that I needed much help.

Have you heard? Drew's directorial debut is about to open. She's going to be the next Clint Eastwood. Or Ron Howard. I guarantee it. (Why do I always think of the Widom brothers when I see that commercial?)

Anyhoo, here is a clip.



I hope this movie does real well. It strikes me as the next generation of Breakfast Club/St. Elmo's Fire-type movies. Only smarter and edgier. Because after all, Drew is directing.

Thankfully, she dumped Justin Long, whoever that is. Come on. Justin? Long? What, are you a wanna-be porn star? Or just a pretty boy ? Either way, you're not worthy.



NB: Drew, I'll be in Vegas the week after next. Find me. I'm the guy from Miami.

With Liberty And Justice For All

Bad Things Happen When Your Government Pays Off Bad People To Offer Bought Testimony.



As Southies everywhere would say, "You think I'm makin' this shit up!?!?"

Then read this.

"A former Secret Service informant who ran an operation called "Get Rich or Die Tryin" reportedly complained to associates of having to manually count $US340,000 in stolen $20 bills when his counting machine broke.

Albert Gonzalez, 28, is accused of masterminding the largest credit-card data thefts in history - where more than 130 million debit and credit card numbers were stolen from supermarket chains and retail outlets.

Court documents show that he lived a lavish lifestyle, drove a BMW and threw $US75,000 birthday parties.

Gonzalez, already in jail for other credit-card fraud offences, was indicted this week, with two unnamed Russian conspirators, over what federal prosecutors say is the largest case of identity theft yet."

I told you we never should have trusted the Russians. Damn liberal Democrats.

Can you imagine? Playing both sides of the fence? At that level? That young man has some balls. Sure, he may come out of the hoosegow in 10 years with a vagina where his anus used to be, but heck he drove a 500 Series BMW before he turned 25. That's something, right?

Law enforcement agents paid him handsomely to carry on, right under their noses. Sad part is, many people were investigated, arrested, charged or convicted, based on his deception. I mean, I'm just an M & A guy but am I missing something, or was he influenced to lie and offer false testimony against people, based on his desire to profit from his venality and greed, and to not be prosecuted?

NB - If anyone wants to throw a $75,000 party for my 45th birthday, please contact me off line. There are deals to be had in Vegas.

This Makes Me Sad

Down in Homestead, holding a folded American flag against her chest and a single white rose over an elegant gray coffin, Velma Torres paid her final farewell Saturday to her 21-year-old son Cpl. Christian A. Guzman Rivera.

``For you my son, every moment of my life you will be in my heart,'' said a weeping Torres.

21.

I cry when I read that. I listen to my two young sons play cars behind me , and I can't fathom the sense of loss.

Guzman died in Afghanistan along with four other U.S. Marines on Aug. 6 after their Humvee drove over a land mine in the western province of Farah, near the border with Iran.

Six Marines, arms behind their backs, slowly and deliberately saluted Guzman's casket. They then turned and faced each other, sidestepped over to the hearse and carried Guzman's coffin, draped with red-white-and-blue flag, into the church.

Inside, the Rev. Carlos Vega had a simple message: Guzman fought on the battlefield so that all Americans can enjoy freedom and justice.

``Christian gave his life for that purpose, he gave his life for that mission,'' Vega said.

Guzman's death, and so many like it, are just sad, really. Politics aside, it is hard to agree with Reverend Vega's conclusion.

My sons will turn 21 before I know it. I hope we pull out of this charade before then. If not, I am fond of the maple leaf and ice hockey, I can learn to dress warm, and that National Anthem is snappy.

God Bless Cpl. Christian A. Guzman Rivera and his family, and so many like them.